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Showing posts with label Loving Coastal Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loving Coastal Living. Show all posts

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Gratitude

“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.”
― Marianne Williamson

Morning over the canal, I love how the sun's rays shine through the clouds.

Hello friends,
I find myself in a situation where the past three weeks have produced much strife, many challenges, and just an all around hard time. I find myself searching for relief around every corner because every avenue in life I turn seems to take me down a dark road of pain, and discouragement. The challenges I face mentally are mounting and I find my memory, focus & cognitive impairments to be yet my greatest adversary. I have fought the pain for years now but the deteriorating health of my mind & mental status is something I feel I'm not yet armed to deal with. As I continue daily to raise up my prayers to the Lord, I look for answers to help me fight this illness head on. I ask that my ears be open to hear His voice, my eyes to see His ways, & my heart be soft enough to take in His word. The writings below were taken from an article I recently read. I find it is more for myself to learn from, but wanted to share with you so you to can benefit from it's excellent points on gratitude. The opening quote from Marianne Williamson seemed fitting for it as well! I hope you find the following inspiring! I hope you'll join me on my Facebook page and continue to follow my journey & cheer me and others living with chronic illness on. https://www.facebook.com/TheShellLadyofLovingCoastalLiving

Warmest Beach Blessings,
The Shell Lady
~ Lynnette

Your life at present is marked with achievement and success because of the people who helped you get to where you are today.  There are people who could only dream to have the talent, the time, the money, the opportunity you have right now. Think about that. Ponder that. Appreciate that. Let that sink in. Big life moments would never happen without the little steps that have been taken to get there. Notice them.  A grateful heart sees the value in every single human being.  Recognize and appreciate that every person has potential to teach you  something new and help you become a better person. See every single day as an opportunity to take charge of what you can take charge of, and then purposefully, diligently and intentionally make beautiful use of it.  You can’t do life on your own. We like to think we can – like we’re tough and impenetrable and that life won’t drag us down.  In order to have quality friends in your time of need, you need to be a quality friend in their time of need. Important investments take time.  People who approach life with a sense of gratitude and calm are those who make the time to pause. They create quality pockets of time in which they can kick back and relax. It becomes their safe place where they can recharge, rejuvenate and refresh before heading back into the rat race called 'life'. DON’T IGNORE REST!  Imperfections can be our greatest teachers if we see them as the catalyst for personal growth and change.  We allow ourselves to believe it’s not good to cry. It’s not good to feel pain. It’s not good to feel sad, or be down, or experience setback, or go through heartbreak. But true happiness and inner contentment happens when your heart is grateful for everything your life experiences – the good, the bad, the hard, the easy, the defeats and the victories. The gratitude you express – or choose to not express – spills over into everything you do and everyone you meet. It’s refreshing to be around people who appreciate what they have, love who they are and embrace where they’re going.  Embrace the here and now, seeing every day as an opportunity to become a better version of yourself and enjoy the journey in the meantime.  Focusing on your faults will not change one single thing about yourself or your situation. Focus on what you do have and what you are. Have a continual inner display of happiness regardless of life’s uncontrollable circumstances by practicing gratitude on a daily basis.

This article was derived from:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-things-grateful-people-dont.html?mid=20140916&ref=mail&uid=148070

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Making Changes...a Life that's BETTER

Hello My Friends!
Last I wrote, I had given you an update about some 'experimental' meds I was trying.  Well, the steroids & antibiotics do work, but unfortunately wear off far too soon to be considered a 'cure' or predictable enough to stay on for an extended period of time.  So, what's that all equal out to- guess I'm back to Square One...
I've been spending quite a bit of time in prayer.  Searching for answers...I know God must have some bigger plan in mind than what I can see- I know I'm not supposed to understand everything.  I feel God has put adequate remedies here on this earth to combat the devil's evil ploys.  So- I am continuing my quest for a better lifestyle, and I know far too well I need to treat My Temple (my Body) better than I have been!  I wanted to share a conversation I received from a friend.  It is filled with some valuable info- and I feel it can effect life as we know it on a bigger and better scale.

I hope and pray you all are well- I will try to continue to update y'all on my progress!
Much love- Salty Kisses & Sandy Hugs-
The Shell Lady
Lynnette

Here is the email I received!

"Our society is blindly buying into products that are doing more harm than good, and unfortunately companies care more about revenue than to admit their cheap faults in production. That's greed and marketing for you. The bad side of it anyways. So, anyone I can tell my small natural journey to, I do, so they might have a chance to make small changes that help their own bodies in a big way. From my personal experiences, I believe there are 3 main areas everyone who is thinking about 'going natural' should focus on: beauty and hygiene, eating habits, and exercise routine.

I've been using all of the above products in my beauty and hygiene routine for over 2yrs now and I feel so much better about what I'm putting on my largest organ (aka my skin) :) It has thanked me too. My legs are no longer dry or get very many ingrowns, and my at times, painful cystic acne hasn't seen the light of day for at least 3 months now, and I can apply deodorant knowing my skin is breathing in beneficial ingredients. All positive changes from multiple edits in my beauty routine to going as natural as possible. My mother, who you might remember I mentioned has symptoms like those of MS, but she has essential tremor of the head, has seen a slower foldout of the benefits of going natural, but consistency is her issue. My homemade products have journeyed to Maryland recently and now my grandparents, cousins, sister, uncles and aunts are using them now and love them.

The next area to 'going natural' is eating habits. Last week my dad was told by his doctor he is borderline diabetic. What a wake-up call that was for him, and for the first time in seriously YEARS...he ate a salad I made for him and yogurt. He's the kind of guy that can eat a whole bag of chips or crackers while doing the bills or watching a movie on the couch, go pickup fast food for lunch every day, but will hardly eat any fruits or vegetables no matter how many times he is told he should...and slowly his stubbornness has caught up to him. What goes in, must come out. Your body won't tell you how it will all come out though. It is at those moments when we realize we are either having bad or good symptoms of what things we have been doing to our bodies. 
Two years ago when I started to eat more leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables at least twice a week to begin with, my body responded with some unpleasant reactions: a hurting stomach because of gas and the feeling I was still hungry even though I just ate 3 fruits and a big salad to get the needed calorie intake. I was questioning whether I was doing more harm than good by eating so healthy...and then my soon-to-be nurse sister informed me that bacteria farts. Yup, haha it's true! The bacteria that lives in your gut lets off nitrogen gas whenever they consume high-fiber and complex carb rich nutrients commonly found in healthier foods and even grains, which in turn gives us some bloating of gas. But this bacteria also lets off gas when foods or drinks that can't easily be digested are consumed. Bad and good gas that causes farting actually exists and is totally normal. So what I had to do is drink more water and take smaller consistent steps towards eating healthy instead of diving in all at once and eating as much healthy food as possible day to day. I had to give my intestines and the bacteria that lives there a chance to get used to being fed all the nutritional goodness I wanted it to have instead of shocking it. Now over a few months of easing in, it has learned how good healthier foods can be and bloating has disappeared! ...but, the catch here is that it has become smart enough to recognize what is 'junk' and what is 'healthy'. Can you believe that?? No joke. A healthy stomach will keep your desire for cookies, gum, ice cream, and all those other sweet treats in check!! I wish I could eat my favorite chocolate ice cream as much as I used to, but it has come down to maybe once a month that I consume it because having it consistently upsets my stomach. A good thing though I guess, my stomach is looking out for my body's best interests as I continue on my journey. I also make sure to eat relatively slow and not devour my food, which gives my stomach time to digest properly. 

The last area is exercise. Probably the hardest area for me to tackle, but the most important for my type of lifestyle. My 'real' job outside of ArtSea Chic is in a corporate environment sitting at a desk for 8hrs+ 5 days a week under pressure to meet deadlines, at times difficult co-workers, managing programs and a never ending to-do list. That's a lot of stress, pressure, and sitting that's hurting my body with not a lot of extra time to put towards exercising. If all that doesn't get released though, it's building up into a huge ball of anxiety and actually hurting my well being both mentally and physically. I have actually noticed whenever it gets bad, I tend to shed hair more than usual, I'm restless, my joints are sore, and it's actually very uncomfortable to sit more than an hour in the car driving home. That's my body's way of tell me that something's not right, and to do something about it. Isn't it smart? :) 
I'm in a constant battle for time, always. There's never enough time in the day to do everything I need to do. But, I know basic yoga and zumba fitness works like a charm. I'd add vacation to that, but I can't do that every day.haha When I can make a class, yoga and zumba twice a week have helped me relax and release all the pressure that's built up inside, which leaves me with more energy and better blood circulation that has eased the pain of having to sit for hours each day. It's a constant battle to find time to exercise, but it helps so much. You may recall me having mentioned my mom and I were doing zumba classes together twice a week. Well, fast-forward to today and she has lost approx. 20 pounds while doing her best to exercise consistently, eat better, and be thoughtful of what she uses during her beauty and hygiene routines. How awesome right? Very proud of her for accepting change, and now she is able to see benefits from it.

I absolutely 100% agree with you in that you cannot wait for a doctor's cure (sometimes they aren't even right), but they will always be there to help you. It all starts with you. You know your body better than any doctor ever will. It will take some extra work, a longer time than it would take to ingest a pill, and careful listening to your body talking to you to get to know it even better, but it is possible, and the outcome will be better than anything a pill could fix. You might not cure all your symptoms, but you will feel better overall about the quality of your life. 
Everyones DNA is different, complicated too. Some good triggers for one person might be the bad triggers for someone else. It's a puzzle that each person has to figure out themselves and with the help from a doctor sometimes, and work towards completing. The great thing about 'going natural' is the pace at which you move forward is as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. There's no worrying about drastic side-effects, symptoms, or reactions from medications...because you're just doing things your body is naturally accustomed to by nature. Life is better that way! "


Here's to Life being Better!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sally Lee by the Sea's "Favorite Finds"

Hello, Hello! My Fabulous Friends!

Just a couple shout- outs on some promotions we're doing through some of our great Coastal Friends.

If you're a follower of Miss Sally Lee by the Sea's great blogs, you may have seen our feature in her 'this week's recap' email sent yesterday.  If you missed it, here's the link- we're featured on her "favorite finds"-
http://nauticalcottageblog.com/2012/10/loving-coastal-living-celebrating-life-near-the-shore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=loving-coastal-living-celebrating-life-near-the-shore
You can save 15% off any purchase- big or small!

We're also teaming up with the fabulous ArtSeaChic in their 'Holiday Look Book' this season. Its debut is Nov. 1st.  Our shop's (both the website, and the etsy store), along with many other Coastal Inspired Businesses are included and are offering great Holiday Savings!
Our special coupon will be featured on her site- 15% off any purchase of $15 or more- PLUS you'll receive a Free Coastal Inspired Ornament of our choice!
Join us and more of my Coastal Business Friends on ArtSeaChic's Facebook Page for details!  http://www.facebook.com/artseachic

And, of course- stay tuned for NEW pieces!  We're working on a bunch of great items to bring you Holiday Cheer and a Joyous Gift Giving Season!


Monday, April 2, 2012

Ocean Skye Jewelry Collection Collection - Loving Coastal Living

Ocean Skye Jewelry Collection Collection - Loving Coastal Living

We'd love if you showed one of our featured sellers on our website some LOVE!  She has an amzing collection of handcrafted Ocean Inspired Jewelry made specially for our website- so please pin, like, and share.  We'd appreciate the help- visit her collection by clicking the top yellow line above.

Many thanks to you all for getting the word out!




~Lynnette