Today I'm pouring my heart into this online journal I call WordPress about mothers and daughters and about raising confident secure young women. I also want to preface this post by saying I speak from my own personal experiences. I always had said I wished there was a handbook on how to be the perfect parent. There is no "perfect parent". All we do is the best we can do with what we know. I get asked all the time about my relationship with … [Read more...]
Word Of The Year: Empower
What's your word of the year? Have you ever had one? I've seen several posts on Facebook of people's word of the year and I thought to myself, what's my underlying theme for myself this year? What I want to be? Do? Accomplish? Live my life by? I've never done this before so I thought I'd do it this year. And I want to encourage you to as well. Why have a word of the year? We can SPEAK things into existence, speak LIFE into what we … [Read more...]
FinishStrongOP – Becoming A Better You
I've been alluding for quite some time that I've been working on something great, something awesome, something for YOU! Those of you a part of my private group, The OP Lounge, you already got a chance to see it FIRST and be the FIRST to sign up and work with me. I told you! Membership has its privileges! Let me first begin by telling you, if you're new around here, what OP means. OP means On Purpose. I believe living On Purpose is a … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Avoid Gaining Weight Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day
Although Thanksgiving has passed, I thought I'd talk about this subject of weight gain during the holidays. We're in the thick of parties and events, and what does that center around? Usually food and drink. The holidays and fattening food go hand-in-hand. Thanksgiving and the leftovers can last a week. Then it’s only a few more weeks until Christmas. New Year’s is the following week. Studies show that 75% of a person’s annual weight gain … [Read more...]
7 Ways To Say No
Are you a people pleaser? Do you have a hard time saying no for fear of missing out or simply because you don't want to disappoint others? I know it's something all too common, and it's something I worked for a long time. It wasn't until I became a mother of 2 that I realized I had to put myself, my family and my priorities straight vs worrying about doing things for others or to please others. The phrase "Just Say No" is easier said than … [Read more...]
10 Quick Fixes for a Melancholy Mood
I always say we have a choice to be happy. It's a conscious decision to wake up on the RIGHT side of the bed and choose to see things from a positive perspective and be happy. It's your right! But sometimes, hormones kick in, life happens, and being happy isn't always easy. Having a down mood from time to time is entirely normal. After all, you probably won’t feel deliriously happy with life all the time. We're human. However, when you … [Read more...]
How To Never Lose Anything Again
Does your desk look like it was hit by a hurricane? Do you lose your car keys three times a week? Could you find every single thing you own, right now? The ability to easily find everything says something about how well you have your life under control. If finding your stuff is a chaotic process, there’s a good chance that your life is chaotic in general. Trust me, this is a subject that hits home with me. Living a busy lifestyle, kids in … [Read more...]
6 Steps to Keeping a Journal
Do you keep a journal? Keeping a journal is something that could make a difference in your personal growth. It forces you to reflect on your life regularly. It becomes more obvious where your challenges lie when you have to put your experiences down on paper. Think about so many things we are told to write down because it makes more of an impact on us. From food journals for weight loss to writing down our goals, there's something about … [Read more...]
How To Deal With High Stress In 10 Steps
We all have days that are considerably more challenging and stressful than others. Don't you agree? Even seasons in the year... with sports, schools, kids, certain times seem to have a higher level of stress than others. And we all know that unfortunately, stress is hard on both the mind and body. Too many high stress days can really take its toll. And what’s worse, you could even become so used to being in this “high state of alert” … [Read more...]
8 Things To Do To Renew Yourself For Fall
Most of us think of spring as a time of renewal. Flowers are blooming, the grass turns green, we begin to think about summer vacation. But I LOVE fall. And today is the first day of fall. It's a time of coziness for me. Time for jeans and boots and sweaters and football and just good times. So even though the leaves are falling and the weather is cooler (almost, depending on where you are!), autumn can be a time of reflection, fun, … [Read more...]
How To Find Your Inner Wonder Woman
When I was a little girl, I was always in awe of Wonder Woman. Just like little boys have their superhero they want to be like, she was mine. She was fierce, she was strong, she was invincible, she was feminine, she was beautiful, she was sexy, she was EVERYTHING. What woman doesn't want to feel that? This summer as we were driving to Rum Point in Grand Cayman, we found an empty beach that was so picturesque, so … [Read more...]
Be A Flamingo In A Flock Of Pigeons
Today, it's story time on TheOPLife, but this has a nice moral at the end, so stay with me. My family grew this summer by one member. We added Flo. Flo is the gianormous pink flamingo we got on vacation. We were in Grand Cayman, staying at the Ritz Carlton, and every day on my way to the beach, I'd pass the little poolside shop outside that had the usual things most poolside shops have... SPF, sunglasses, water cameras, cover ups, … [Read more...]
Why You Need To Get To The Beach
It doesn't have to be on a tropical island. It doesn't have to be at an expensive resort. It doesn't have to be for weeks. But I think you should find a way to get yourself to a beach. It's good for your mind. It's good for your soul. You'll FIND yourself all over again. It's just GOOD for you. Get in a car, drive yourself there. If you can fly and want to fly, fly there. Take a train. Just FIND a beach and GO. Watch my brief … [Read more...]
How To Find Balance While Wearing Many Hats
It's that time again! For those of you who don't know, I'm the mom of this teen entrepreneur. Honestly Margo. She formulated her all natural lip balms at 11, and at 12 her company was born. I help run her company and work closely side by side with her to help her grow her business. Part of that involves going to Market several times a year where she shares her products with buyers from all over. What does that mean for me? I wear … [Read more...]
We Are One
We are one human race. And as cliche as it sounds, love conquers all. If people feel love in their hearts, there is no room for hatred. I can't even put into words the sadness and emptiness I feel for what is going on in this world. Life wasn't like this 20 years ago, 30 years ago, was it? I don't seem to recall murders and killings the way things are happening in this day and age. Has all of our technology … [Read more...]
Women On Purpose: Alex Wehrley
Alex Wehrley is a national TV host, speaker and the creator of Empowerista, a movement and mentorship program promoting the independence and individuality of women. She has hosted for E!, VH1, ABC red carpets and the Miss USA telecast. In 2009, Alex was Miss Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin. After graduating during the height of the recession, it took Alex a year-and-a-half of networking, making opportunities and patience … [Read more...]
Talk Yourself Thin: What To Say To Yourself On A Diet
That plate of cookies. That extra cocktail. Going for seconds after having a plate full of dinner. The candy bowl at the office you are visiting. For your side item with your main course... fries or steamed veggies. Here's the deal. We have these choices to make ALL the time. And if you're like me, always challenged by weight, not because I'm overweight, but because the slightest amount of extra calories consumed shows up in my … [Read more...]
Women On Purpose: Beverly Feldman, Shoe Designer
Social media has the power eliminate any distance barriers between two people and has the ability to connect people who would otherwise have never met. Me in Oklahoma, Beverly Feldman in Spain, and social media has brought this fabulous woman and me together. When Beverly Feldman and I began communicating, and I can't even recall how, it became a PLEASE PINCH ME moment. THE Beverly Feldman and I were Skyping and have become dear … [Read more...]
Something Exciting is Coming Soon
I've been working on a few projects for a while now, one of them already I've kicked off already, my Women On Purpose series, which my next one is coming up soon. But another project I'm BEYOND excited for as well will be kicking off within the next week, and it's something each of YOU can be a part of! Yup! This is not all about me.... it's about YOU! Because this.... I get gratification when I know what I'm doing makes a … [Read more...]
Women On Purpose: On A Whim – Gina Bennett and Debbie Trachtenberg
I couldn't be more excited to launch the Women On Purpose series with these two beauties. This is close to home for me, literally. Watching Gina Bennett and Debbie Trachtenberg start their business, just as two girlfriends, having a home show several times a year in their living room over 15 years ago in my city of Oklahoma City to now having this booming amazing store in one of the most upscale shopping centers has been awe inspiring. It's … [Read more...]
