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Bringing Positivity Back: 3 Simple Ways to Live Better by Being Intentionally Positive

September 4, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SipandBeFit #CollectiveBias

Last week was my 35th birthday, and friends, it was a doozy. I wasn’t particularly dreading this birthday, so it caught me a bit off guard when I found myself sobbing in the bathroom that morning. After some reflection, I realized that my birthday this year was in the midst of some pretty tough milestones related to the loss of my father-in-law earlier this year (the 6 month anniversary of his death and my in-laws’ wedding anniversary). These tough days, coupled with my kids heading back to school and me becoming of “advanced maternal age” just hit me like a ton of bricks, and I threw a rather fierce pity party, truth be told.

And then when the dust settled, I got up, stood in front of the mirror, and told myself that it was time to honor my father-in-law in a way that he would have appreciated: it was time to look for silver linings, to find opportunity in the midst of crisis, and to seek out the joy and adventure every situation had to offer. Simply put, it was time to bring positivity back into my life.

That’s something I’ve been very intentionally focused on this past week, and it has been like a balm to my soul. I’ve been going back through some of my favorite self-help books (Daring Greatly, anyone?), and practicing some serious self-care. I’ve also been working on changing the narrative in my brain.

Three things, in particular, have been especially rewarding for me as a daily practice, and I feel that they are each helping me live my day-to-day life a bit better than before. I hope they might help you, too!

3 Simple Ways to Practice Positivity

1. Live in a Positive Environment

Is the area in which you work throughout the day peaceful and uplifting, or is it chaotic and stressful? I work from home, and while I can’t keep my entire house clean on a daily basis, I try very hard to make sure the area where I’m working is clutter-free and even inviting. From where I sit at the kitchen table (AKA “my office”) I stare right into the kitchen. So every day, I make sure the table and the kitchen are clean. I can promise you that my attitude on the days when my space is fresh and clean is VERY different than my attitude on the days when it is junked up.

In addition to having the space where my gaze falls nice and tidy, I also keep my environment positive by burning a beautiful candle or diffusing some great essential oils. And if I can get my hands on some fresh flowers, I love to have them on display as well. We often get a bouquet with our weekly CSA share, and if not, here’s a little floral secret: carnations, in addition to being quite affordable, are shockingly hardy! I have been able to keep them looking vibrant in bud vases for 2 full weeks!

And finally I always have a tasty beverage on hand. On particularly tough work days, I’m especially mindful of what type of fuel I’m offering my body to ensure that what’s going in isn’t causing any trouble! Neuro Bliss is a great option to reach for when you need to rehydrate, recharge and tell stress to take a hike at the same time.

2. Let Your Attitude Play Make Believe

Think about the dreams you have for yourself and your family for a minute. Now ask yourself how much time you spend thinking about them at all (probably not much!) and of that time, how much time do you spend telling yourself that those dreams will never happen versus telling yourself that they WILL happen? And finally, how much time do you spend imagining that they have already happened? Most people, myself included, are excellent at squelching their own joy by thinking about something wonderful, only to immediately poo poo all over that wonderful thing with negative self-talk. I want to encourage you to resist that urge, and to let your mind fully believe that your dreams and goals have already come true.

I have some goals that I’m working on right now in my business. They are crazy, audacious goals. They are VERY easy to categorize as impractical and unlikely to happen. But I’ve made a vision board for myself to look at every day, and every single day I’m going to spend time imagining that I’m walking along the beach in Hawaii, and that I’m riding shotgun in my husband’s new Tesla. And guess what happens when I imagine those things, friends? I become euphoric! Try it for yourself with your own goals and dreams and see how it makes you feel, and then choose to grab a dose of that feeling every single day. Even my Vita Coco is a reminder of the tropical fun that awaits me. Envision it, claim it, and watch it transpire!

3. Add Something Positive to Someone Else’s Day

Doing something nice for someone else is one of the fastest and easiest ways to feel SO good, isn’t it? But as we get caught up in our own lives, we sometimes lose sight of that fact (at least I do). I am trying to remember now that each and every day, I want to do something that is going to bringing some happiness and joy to someone else’s day. This could mean making a donation to a nonprofit they are raising money for, or it could mean sending an email or even a handwritten postcard to let someone you care about know you are thinking of them. Or it can be as simple as stocking the company fridge with a yummy beverage treat or your home fridge as a special welcome for visitors.

My father-in-law was such a happy person, and he often said, “Happiness is a choice!” In many ways, he was right. Making some of these simple daily changes in my own life has been a very positive thing for me, and it was all really simple to do, honestly. I hope you can take away some great simple solutions for your own life, be it dusting off some of your candles that you forgot about a putting them to work, or taking a moment to treat yourself to a sip of something that will put a smile on your face, such at Vita Coco Pure, Snapple Diet Peach or Neuro Bliss. You can find all these great options at your nearest Walmart. And you can save .50 on your purchase by printing this coupon! And if you are on Ibotta, there’s a rebate, too! See how I just added something of value to YOUR day? 🙂

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Want to sip an be fit with some delicious beverages? Winning some will definitely add a little positivity to your day. Good luck!

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Healthy Habits I’m Picking Up (at Walgreens!)

May 19, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 4 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

I’ve been talking on the blog lately about some healthy habits I’m working on (specifically, getting my allergies in check and dropping some weight). But as someone who is turning 34 at the end of this summer (gulp), I’m also realizing that NOW is the time for me to get really serious about my skin health (ok, 10 years ago was the time to get serious, but better late than never!).

On a recent trip to the corner of happy and healthy (you know the place! Walgreens!) I picked up 3 things on my list that will help me get my skin into shape from the inside out. I love Walgreens because even though they aren’t huge in size, they pack A LOT of stuff inside, and so much of it is so good for you! As a woman who is not exactly a spring chicken anymore, I have quite a few particular things I’m looking for help me keep my skin looking youthful. But I’m not fooled by advertisements telling that everything I need by this point in my life has to be expensive! It doesn’t have to be found at health food or high-end specialty stores, either. I can find SO many awesome things at my favorite drugstore!

For example, just this week I went to get some vitamins that could help with skin health, and I stumbled on a total goldmine! These sleep & beauty (cute, no?) pills were on clearance (how I love thee, orange tags!) AND that particular line of products was on sale that day for buy 1 get 1 free. I scored a two month supply for under $9, without any coupons!

These pills have melatonin in them to help me drift off to sleep, and while I’m resting, the keratin goes to work to help improve elasticity and keep my skin in great shape. Remember, your skin is an organ, and it needs nourishment and proper care just like any other part of your body.

I also picked up some sunscreen for me to use during afternoon play time outside with the kids. I think most of us by now have gotten the memo that sunscreen is really important, but are you like me and skip applying it when you know you’ll just be outside for half an hour or so? I am guilty of this so often. So guess what? I’m making it as easy as possible. I picked up a twin pack of spray on sunscreen and am keeping it by the back door. Applying it takes 10 seconds. No more excuses! No more sunburn, either!

Finally, I cruised by the refrigerated section at Walgreens (do you do this? You should start…they always have great prices on milk, just FYI!). And lo and behold, I saw something fancy that has been on my wish list to try: coconut water!

Coconut water is the latest health food craze, and I’m not so sure that I buy into the hype that it is the beverage that will solve any health-related problem that ever existed. I think that’s just a wee bit of a stretch! However, I have personally experienced the benefits of using coconut oil (internally and externally) and so I believe that coconut water is a good option to use. One of its benefits is that it helps your body really get hydrated, and when your body is hydrated, so is your skin. Hydrated skin = beautiful skin, plain and simple. So this week I started making coconut water ice cubes (I threw a little fresh mint from our herb garden in there for extra flavor). You guys….this is SOOOOOO yummy! Coconut water is on the high end for calories, and I prefer not to drink my calories throughout the day, but to save those for bites of gelato in the evening, so the coconut ice cubes give me that nice flavor without a ton of calories being added to my water. It’s totally going to be a summer staple for me!

Walgreens is promoting #HerHealth by helping me take great care of my skin these days, and its convenient location and variety of products help me wrap up my shopping list all in one shot. That gives me more time to hang back with the family, kick off my shoes, and play some hide-and-seek. My skin is all taken care of, but I’ve still got to work on my poker face.

Do you have any beloved products or helpful tips for others when it comes to skin health? I’d love to hear about it! And I’m super curious to hear if you’ve tried coconut water yet! 🙂

Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Water Vinegar Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

September 30, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 24 Comments

Tropical Traditions has a very cool product on the market that I want to highly recommend you add to your pantry. It’s called Organic Coconut Water Vinegar, and I think it makes an excellent alternative to distilled vinegar for your recipes. It’s got a great flavor and it is PACKED with nutrients. If left on its own to ferment and turn into vinegar, those nutrients are retained in the vinegar. Most vinegars, coconut or otherwise, are pasteurized using a heat process which does kill off most of those great vitamins and minerals that it normally possesses. Tropical Traditions has worked closely with scientists for use to produce an incubation system that is truly safe and that retains all the goodness that coconut water has to offer.

Additionally, Tropical Traditions is dedicated to making sure their harvesting practices are sustainable. Most other coconut vinegar products are made by harvesting a coconut flower bud, which if left alone would produce coconuts. Trees dedicated to this process will never produce coconuts, as a result. Tropical Traditions uses the coconut, itself for a more natural and healthy final product.
So what do you do with coconut water vinegar? I took the same approach to using this product as I did to using coconut oil, which was a new product to me when I first started using it. I simply started reaching for my coconut water vinegar when I would have normally reached for traditional vinegar. The results have been absolutely delicious! I personally find the flavor to be brighter, though not at all overpowering. And I love knowing that I’m using something that is so very good for my family and the environment.

Buy it!: A 16 oz bottle of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Water Vinegar retails for $10 and a 32 ounce jar retails for $18.50. I know our 32 ounce jar is going to last a really long time since recipes that call for vinegar usually don’t call for more than a tablespoon.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a bottle of Organic Coconut Water Vinegar!
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