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I like to give my skin a little extra TLC in the wintertime to combat the drying effects of heating the house. And lately, I have fallen in love with this DIY Mango Body Butter that I have been making, so I wanted to share it with you. It’s super easy to make and my skin feels so soft for hours after using it. I also love that it absorbs quickly so that you don’t end up feeling greasy like often is the case with some DIY lotions and body creams.

This week’s journal theme is about smiles. The mindful moment challenge is to become fascinated with smiles; in a time where finding a reason to smile can be challenging at times, I wanted to share my sources for smiling and weathering the long-lasting emotional wear from COVID.

…Today I’ll share the recipe for one of my favorite baked oatmeals while first throwing in some tips for making it mindfully along the way. Feel free to scroll straight to the bottom for the recipe, or meander with me to get there while I talk a little bit about mindfulness in the kitchen.

…I’d like to share some tips and best practices for staying motivated to consistently update and use a journal. Journaling is intrinsically a personal act, and you should customize it according to you.

Okay, this may sound a little weird, but my journal is kind of like a best friend. It helps me start my day on a happy note, encouraging me with uplifting messages to be the best me I can be. It hangs out with me during the day, keeping me on track of what I need to do. And it brings a smile to my heart as I wind down and reflect back on the beauty, joy and small wins that occurred throughout the day. It reminds me of what I am working towards and gently admonishes me when I get off track. I share my secrets and in exchange, I am rewarded with insights. This is a post about my relationship with my JMB Living Journal and how we speak to each other, but it is my hope that you take away some ideas regardless of what planner or journal you use.

This post concludes the three-part series detailing six virtues I am working to cultivate in my life with the intent of contributing to society by being a better human. I can’t help but wonder if the actions of some in our political organizations can’t be motivated by greed and power. And as I notice these faults in others, I challenge myself to increase the opposite in the way I choose to live—with simplicity and generosity.

This post is the second of a three-part series the delves into six virtues I have decided to cultivate in my life in an effort to do my part toward helping heal the divisions in our nation by striving to become a better human myself. This second part of the series focuses on compassion and how we can make sure we are getting the full story to be able to better “step into another’s shoes”. It also focuses on kindness, offering a few thoughts on both kindness to self as well as to others.

In today’s blog post, I share a personal story of a falling out this weekend and how it served to remind me of how I can practice one of my chosen virtues - Honesty. I do a pretty good job at not telling outright lies, as Mom and Dad did a good job in my wee years of instilling that yucky feeling down in the pit of my stomach each time I told a little fib. However, I realize that it is the area of self-deception that could use a bit more focus and attention in my life. I’ll share with you how I go about uncovering these areas, as they can be tricky little buggers to bring to light and resolve.

The New Year is a celebration that embodies releasing the past and making a fresh start. I intend to simultaneously embrace what can be learned from 2020 and the opportunities that 2021 holds. And I encourage us all to take advantage of the increased spiritual meaning that the genesis of a new year brings.

This post explains why this week is the perfect time for this letting go and shares insights on different techniques that can be used depending on whether you are letting go of negative thoughts/energies, beliefs, excess things around the house, projects or when necessary, people in your life.

A process of intentional reflection can help you more clearly and more intentionally decide what is useful in your life and what would be better off discarded or left behind. Taking steps to create space in our physical, mental and emotional houses is so advantageous in helping to lay a firm foundation for new dreams and future projects. 

…The time together and the memories created are something I know that we’ll cherish and look back on for years to come. So this post is a trip down memory lane for anyone interested in knowing a little bit about visiting the Christmas markets in Europe, followed by a recipe for Vin Chaud and some thoughts on keeping it simple during the holiday season this year.

…In a year like 2020 where we spend so much time in our homes, they truly serve as our sanctuaries—and hygge can help create that sacred feeling of comfort we could all use so much right now.