Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe - Soft and Spongy

A sponge cake is the mostly all favorite cake. This classic sponge cake made into a chocolate sponge cake. Chocolate gives new flavor into it. This is completely fail -safe recipe because I always weigh the amount of ingredients and used it same proportion.

For good result, always use a good quality cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate).

Image source: thatslife.com.au

Ingredients- 

• All purpose flour
• 3 eggs 
• caster sugar 
• unsalted butter or margarine
• 55 gm cocoa powder

Preparation time:30min  

Cooking time:20min  

Ready in:50min 

Serves:10

How to make Chocolate Sponge Cake?

Steps -

• First, you will weigh the all ingredients. Weigh all 3 eggs with their egg shell. Note that weight and measure all the ingredients in the same amount of eggs. For ex: if eggs weight is 200 gm than you should weigh the flour 200 gm, the sugar 200 gm and butter 200 gm
• For the flour, remove 55g from the weight you measured to match the weight of the eggs.
• Now, add 55g of cocoa powder and combine the flour and cocoa.
• Preheat your oven at 170 C. Grease or oil the two 20- 24 cm sandwich tin's and line with baking parchment which helpful to easily remove the cake from tin. You can also use butter or wax paper.
• Take a large bowl, put all of the margarine or butter and sugar into it. Mix well and make it creamy fluffy with the help of hand blender.
• Now, add one egg to the sugar butter mixture. Do not over whisk at this time,  just use the mixer on its lowest setting until the egg has become a part of the mixture.
• After that repeat this process with the second and the third egg.
• Now, Sieve a couple of tablespoons of flour - cocoa mixture into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.
• Using a large spoon, give the mixture a quick stir. After stirring, mix everything together very well with the help of blender.
• For making sponge lighter, try to get air into the mixture. Now, divide the mixture evenly in  between the two sandwich tin's.
• Bake this mixture in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
• Let the cake sponge cool on a cooling rack and remove the baking  parchment.
• When cool your sponge cake, you can  use whipped cream, icing, butter icing, jam, fruits and anything to decorate your cake.
• Now your yummy and delicious chocolate sponge cake is ready. Serve and enjoy it.

The step by step guide to recreating flawless, glowing summer skin

Not long ago, I post an article sharing the story of a friend of mine who lives a wonderful life of travel and new experiences.  In that post, I used the image above of a gorgeous young lady enjoying a fruity drink beachside.  A couple of comments came in about the amazingness of her skin.  I'd have to agree. It was her stunning skin tone that led me to utilize this pic.

Since I don't know her personally, and can't ask about her skin care secrets, we can do the next best thing.  We can study and learn from her.  After a few minutes of reflection, I identified some of the characteristics of her skin that most stand out.  And, most importantly, how we can replicate these traits so we too have amazing, glowing skin.

Hydration + Exfoliation
In order to get to her level, we must first start with the basics of healthy skin.  Don't skip these steps because they're crucial to creating ideal results.   Healthy skin, fundamentally, is hydrated and exfoliated.  Water is an absolute must.   Remember that water provides the body hydration but it provides our cells NUTRITION. We want to feed our skin cells with water.  Nourished cells are the cornerstone to beautiful skin so make sure you start there.  Become one of those people who drink tons of water.  You'll be happy you did.

Once the nourishment is in place, then it's time to slough off all the old dry skin cells sitting on the surface.  Please refer to my world famous post on creating a smooth even toned body.  Sweat and slough should be your motto for summer 2015.

Your skin is hydrated and exfoliated. Next on your list is to take your skin to the level of becoming reflective.  Take a look back at the pic above. Notice how her skin easily reflects light on high points such as her knees, shins, shoulders, nose, forehead and lips.  That's exactly what we want.  Proper hydration and heavy exfoliation will help you get there.  But if you need a little more help, there are dozens of products on the market that can help you to get your shine on.

You can go the natural route by using a little coconut oil or coco butter oil to make the skin stand out. If you want to further enhance your warm undertones, invest in some bronzing products to bring out your summer glow.  Some of my favorites are Gleam Body Radiance in deep gold (this stuff is perfection on the face or all over body).  For the face, my favorite glow enhancing products are Giellea's Eye Am Glam (which was reported to be created by Kim Kardashian's former make up artist), MAC's Mineral Skin Finish, (light subtle glow), and MACs Lustre Drops, if you are looking for something a little bolder.

Here's a tip, try blending liquid bronzing products like Lustre Drops/Gleam, with your foundation.  This will recreate that perfectly even toned skin and subtle glow like she has.  Another option for creating that even toned, warm skin is to fake tan.  Celebrities do it before red carpet event. Women of all shades enjoy ultra even toned, glowy skin from pre-event tanning sessions.  But if tanning isn't your thing, stick with regular exfoliation to fade dark spots.

 Lastly, take note of how her jet black hair contrasts with her chocolate brown skin.  If you really want to go all out, consider enhancing your hair color to create additional contrast, which will really make your skin stand out.  Jet black hair also reflects light which further adds to the over look.  Oh, an make sure you sport sunscreen daily to keep new dark spots from emerging.

Yummy banana muffins recipe

Banana is very nutritious fruit, rich in high fibre, vitamins and anti oxidants. Most of us and our kids don't like banana, and not eat directly. 
So, you can use different and easy tricks for them, you can use banana in smoothies, cakes, shakes , muffins and many mores. As in form of muffins, bananas are great for kids or even for us. 
So, starts with ingredients that you need in this recipe.

Image source :gimmesomeoven.com

 Ingredients -

• 2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup mashed bananas(3 ripe banana)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 125 gm butter (melted & cooled)
• 1 tbsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tbsp salt  
• 2 egg (beaten) 
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence

For icing - 

• 2 tbsp pure icing sugar
• 1 tbsp cream butter

 How to make banana muffins?

 Steps -

• First, preheat your oven to 200 °C. Take a bowl , combine flour, sugar and cinnamon.

• Now, add butter, milk, eggs and vanilla essence to flour mixture. Using a large spoon, stir gently to mix well.

• After mixing it, add mashed banana into it.

• Using spoon, fill this mixture in greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full.(12 cups)

• Bake for 18-20/minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

• Cool it for 5-10 minutes, remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. 

• For icing, beat cream cheese and icing sugar with hand blender. Make a smooth and fluffy icing.

• Spread this over muffins or cupcakes and serve it.

Nutritional Facts-

1 muffins : 200 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 209 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein .

Monday Motivation | Feel the fear and do it anyway.

We I'm working on transforming my mindset on how I view certain situations.  It all goes back a few years to when I attended a seminar that fostered personal growth.  As part of the seminar, attendees were encouraged to come to microphones, at the front of the room, to share their experiences and breakthroughs.  Every third person that came to the front, would start their sharing by saying something like this, "I'm really nervous right now"....  or "my heart is really pumping."

Each time words like these were uttered, the seminar leader would respond by reminding everyone that feeling your heart pumping was good...means you're still alive.  Then he say that the sensations we categorized as fear was just our internal blood & guts.  It's not actually fear but we label it as such. I felt like his explanation helped to remove some of the edge of talking in front of a large crowd of strangers.  But I've since upgraded my level of thinking to something even more powerful.

I'm of the firm belief that "fear sensations" which we typically view as a sign of impeding danger or an uncomfortable situation, is actually the exact opposite.  What if, the feelings of nervousness doesn't actually mean that we should avoid, what if that is a signal for us to pursue?  To conquer!

Once upon a time, my voice would practically crack whenever I spoke to a small group of people. My mind became flooded with sensations of fear and angst.  I shrunk whenever everyone turned their attention to me.  But instead of avoiding that experience, I decided to run directly towards it.  And when I say run, I mean run.  I chose projects that would require me to present solo in front a couple hundred or more attendees.  My philosophy was to completely annihilate the "fear feelings" so speaking in front of 500 people felt just as comfortable as having a 1 on 1 conversation.   There was a little more to my process of overcoming shyness which I may elaborate on next Monday.

The point I'd really like to you take away with you today is that situations which you are avoiding because of "fear feelings "(i.e blood and guts moving around), are holding you back from experiencing a world of potential.  Instead of limiting yoursel, interpret those feelings as a signal for you to move! To head directly into the direction of the "fear." 

Our minds gives us the desire to follow our dreams, then it produces strange sensations in our body whenever we think about taking action.  Once we feel the sensations, we stop.  But what if our body is saying "Go!" " This is where we need to go!"  What if we've been wrong about how to act in the face of fear?  I ask you to examine the areas of your life where you are stagnant. Ask yourself, should I really avoid this because it will cause harm to myself or my family? Or am I avoiding it because I want to play small?

Tasty Strawberry-Yogurt Smoothie Recipe

In hot summer season, everyone want cool and refreshing drinks which are delicious as well as healthy for us. Now, Strawberries are in season, strawberries are rich source of vitamin C, naturally sweet and delicious. Yogurt is also good for health in summer. So, try this refreshing smoothie which takes only few minutes to prepare, this is the perfect way to enjoy Strawberries. 

Image source :kids-cooking-activities.com

Ingredients-

4 cups  ripe strawberries

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1-2 tbsp sugar or to taste

For Garnishing-

4 small strawberries with leaves

4 thin round slices of unpeeled orange

Preparation time- 15 minutes 

Serves- 4

How to make tasty  Strawberry- yogurt smoothie ?

Steps-

• First, wash the all strawberries and remove the green leafy part ( hull).
• Now, add the hulled strawberries, yogurt, orange juice, and sugar to a food processor or use hand blender.
• Process on the highest speed until a well-blended smooth puree forms.
• About 15-20 seconds, stoping to scrape down the sides of the container  once or twice.
• Taste the mixture and you can add more sugar in it to make more sweeten.
• After that, strain the mixture and by using a wooden spoon to push the drink through. Discard the strawberry seeds.
• Pour into tall glasses and serve immediately.
• If you want to decorate glasses, Slit the 4 whole strawberries and the orange slices halfway through to the centres. Attach 1 strawberry and 1 orange slice to the rim of each glass before serving.


Enjoy !!!

Top 5 Egg Face Masks for Wrinkles:- Anti– Aging Face masks

Wrinkles are a natural process of aging. With the time, our skin get saggy and loose. Proper anti- aging skin care routine is so important after 30s. 

As you all know that major factor of wrinkles is aging, as you get older, naturally your skin becomes less elastic, natural oil production in your skin is decreases due to this your skin appear more dry and shows fine lines. Decreases fat in deeper layers of your skin. This causes saggy and loose skin and fine lines are more visible. 

Always keeps  your skin hydrated. Moisturising is very essential for our skin and the use of creams which contains collagen or vitamin E can help to restore our skin’s elasticity and reduce wrinkles. 

Another main cause of wrinkles is Sun Exposure, U.V. Rays speed up  the aging process, U.V. Rays damage your skin connective tissues due to this your skin loses elasticity, strength and flexibility. Your skin begins to saggy and premature wrinkles. 

Generally, we spends hundreds or even thousands to get younger and wrinkle free skin. If we starts anti- aging regime early, the chances of wrinkles is less. Your skin would remain tight and firm for a longer period of time. 

Anti- aging regime in parlour is very costly, or even not possible to take these surgeries, face lifts and cuts. These some times very mess up our facial features. My mother always uses homemade natural Face packs and her skin looks so younger. If you used these anti- aging Face-packs on the regular basis, you will get good result.  

Eggs are rich in proteins, but egg white in particular are great to tone and firm your skin. It  helps to reduce the appearance of large pores on your skin and makes your skin smooth. 

Besides, eggs acts as face  lifter, it also great for cleansing purposes and remove lot of impurities if you use it as a mask. If you used egg in face mask, it can help in reducing fine lines and restore your skin elasticity. 

Eggs are especially used for skin tightening. So, use these anti aging face masks and soon you get the result.

Top 5 Egg Face Masks for wrinkles 

Pure Egg white face mask

You can use directly egg  on you face, first separate egg whites from yolk. Apply fresh egg whites to your face and neck, leave mask for 20 minutes. Wash it off with Luke  warm water. Egg whites helps in reduce wrinkles and contracts your saggy skin.

Egg-white with  honey face mask

Take egg white, 1 tbsp honey and mix it well. Apply this mixture on your face and neck. Leave it for 15- 20 minutes, rinse with water. This face mask provides moisture to your skin and toned your skin.

Egg-white with lemon juice face mask

Take egg white and mix 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. You can also add few drops of honey in it. Mix it well and apply it on your face. Leave it for 20 minutes, than wash it off. It makes your skin soft and remove dark spots from your face.

Egg- white with yoghurt face mask

Take egg white, 1 tbsp yoghurt,  few granules of brown sugar. Mix all the ingredients well. Apply this mixture on your face and neck. Gently massage your skin and leave it for 10 minutes. After that, wash it off with cool water. This face mask removes  dead skin cells and tightening loose skin. 

Egg-white with oatmeal face mask

Take egg white, 1 tbsp oatmeal and make a paste. Apply this paste on your face, wait for 15 minutes and rinse with cool water. By using this face mask, you feels the skin tightening.

For beautiful and firm skin, you would love to try these best egg face masks , but  for better result used on the regular basis. After all, you all know the beautiful, tight and firm skin is the key to timeless beauty.

How to get Rid of Chapped Lips- Natural Home Remedies

Lips are the important part of our face, beautiful lips attracts people's and enhance our personality. Mostly all women loves red lipstick on her lips but due to improper care of lips, causes redness of lips with soreness and peeling which is very embarrassing. It makes a person self- conscious. 
 

     

Chapped lips hurts a lot and sometimes bleeds too which is very painful. Chapped lips are a common problem, it's common symptoms are redness, dryness, cracking, flaking, tender or sore lips.

Causes of Chapped lips

•Deficiency of vitamins, iron or essential fatty acids

• Allergic reaction to some products

• Dehydration

• Excessive licking of lips

• Exposure to sun

• Excessive Smoking

• Change in weather

The best way to get rid of chapped lips is by taking proper care of it. Always apply sunscreen on your lips before stepping out. Never lick or bite your lips. Never peel the dead dry skin from the lips. In your daily routine, two times in a weak exfoliates your lips by using a soft toothbrush, to get rid of the deposit of dead cells that will cause more drying and flaking. When you feels your lips becomes dry apply good moisturizer on it, always keeps your lips moist. 

Image source: reflectionsatstlukes.com

Drink sufficient amount of water daily, dehydration causes dry skin and dry lips. Take diet with full of nutrition like, carrots, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables. Daily at night, apply lip balm and lip cream.

Store bought products are good but in our home there is a lot of ingredients present which are very effective in chapped lips. They are chemical free natural products and helps to make your lips smooth and beautiful.

Natural Home remedies to cure chapped lips-

Honey

image source: healthyfoodhouse.com

Honey is a great moisturizer and has antibacterial properties to treat chapped lips. Rub few drops of honey to your chapped lips 2-3 times in a day. After 15 minutes, wash it off with cool water. Honey is an anti-septic that kills the germs and infection present on your lips. It provides moisture which helps in heeling of your dry chapped lips.

Aloe Vera

Apply Aloe Vera gel on your lips daily to cure chapped dry lips. Aloe Vera has amazing healing properties and antioxidants. It provides moisture and cooling effect to your chapped sore lips. It also minimize the redness of your lips. It makes your lips soft and smooth when you using this daily.

Sugar 

Sugar is a good exfoliating agent, if your lips starts to chapped than you can use this daily to cure it. Take 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp honey and mix it well. Rub this on your lips gently, it helps in removing dead skin cells from your lips. Than wash it off with water. Exfoliating process helps in dead skin cells off your chapped lips will help restore their natural softness and color very faster.

Coconut Oil 

Coconut oil is very effective in treating dry chapped lips. Coconut oil is a natural moisturiser that can heel your crack lips. Take some drops of coconut oil, apply on your lips several times daily. Coconut oils provides relief from soreness and itching on your dry cracked lips.

Milk Cream 

Milk cream is rich in high fats and moisture that can quickly cure your chapped lips. You can use directly milk cream on your lips or mix little aloe vera gel in milk cream. Apply milk cream with the cotton ball on your lips, leave it for 15 minutes. Then wash your lips with Luke warm water. Daily use will prevent your lips from becoming chapped and dry. It makes your lips soft and smooth.

Avocado

Avocado is very beneficial for our skin, it is widely used in many skin products. Avocado is a natural moisturizer which restore your lip moisture and cure your chapped dry lips. Make a smooth paste of avocado and apply this paste on your lips. Leave it for 10- 15 minutes and then wash it off with water.

For beautiful attractive lips, add these natural homemade remedies in your daily skin regime.

Enjoy life !!!

New In.

 Time for another round up of random new things that have found their way into my life.  We begin with a cute little trio I picked up while at Sephora.  After being encouraged to incorporate a moisturizer into my regimen, I began the hunt.  Basically, I desired a moisturizer that could also deal with residual acne scarring.  The friendly girl at Sephora promised an added benefit of a wonderful glow from the vitamin C content if I tried Ole Henriksen so I thought, "why not?"  She grabbed a gift box off the shelf that contained small sizes of the serum, hydrating cream and eye cream for around the price  of a full sized moisturizer.  I was sold. Used it a couple times and so far so good.

 A couple of years ago, I went on this rampant handbag purchase spree.  Once I got it all out of my system, I vowed to turn my energies elsewhere.  I did a great job managing my urges until I came across this nifty cross body.  This handbag is exactly what I needed in my collection.  It's as if my Never Full and the Eva Clutch merged and produced the perfect blend of the two!  A large cross body bag with zippers is exactly what was missing from the current line up. This bag can fit pretty much anything but, unlike the Never Full, I've got compartments and I can zip it close, which makes me very happy.

 Probably my favorite acquisition on this list are these awesome little massagers I picked up at Brookstone.The original purpose for walking into the store was for a ultra quite indoor fan.  But I saw these and stopped dead in my tracks.  The vibrating action is pretty intense.  And the material allows the massager to feel really comfortable on the skin.  They're ergonomically well designed to glide easily from one place on the body to another.  I've been using it mainly for head and facial massages.  Yes, it gives great scalp massages but it also helps to relieve tension that builds up in the neck and head area.  Another great use for these massagers is for the back of the thigh area to promote blood flow and reduce cellulite.  Glad I bought two.

 While at Sephora, I caught a glimpse of myself in one of their many mirrors and noticed just how oily my skin was.  After summoning one of the many sales associates, one shared her recommendation for bosica's black charcoal blotting linens.  The package was about the size of a pack of gum and came with a 100 charcoal infused sheets (made  from abaca leaf fiber).  I thought the idea of adding charcoal was a novel idea that made perfect sense. We all know that charcoal can absorb impurities in a major way.  After testing a sheet and seeing how easily it absorbed the visible oil from my skin, I tossed into my basket.

 Yeah, I know, I have absolutely no business buying another lip pencil.  But I'm really glad I took the plunge and got Black Radiance's Perfect Tone Lip Definer in Chocolate.  Uh, I love this pencil so much.  It's a bit chunkier in size than all of the pencils in my collection.  The absolute best part is that it super hydrating and easy to apply (contains castor oil).  Actually, it feels like lipstick.  The color is perfect and the pencil is dual sided. One size a bit thinner (for lining the lip), and the other is the perfect size for easily filling in the lip.  Both sizes are creamy and smooth. I'm going to by a couple more.

How to be a World Traveler (on a budget).

If you recall correctly, one of my intentions is to travel to new and exciting places.  My last job required me to travel so often, that whenever I had free time, I just wanted to spend it at home.  But I have this friend who I would categorize as an International Woman of Mystery.  Whenever we connect, I usually begin our conversation with "what country are you in right now?  Or "where are you planning to travel next?"
This young lady has traveled to many countries including Korea, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Puerto Rico (multiple times), Columbia, Canada, and has a trip planned to the Dominican Republic in a few weeks.  We're not taking into account the countless weekend road trips.  I've known the girl since college and I've never once asked her about how she manages to travel so frequently.  I always had this perception that visiting other countries would be a strain financially.  But I also know that she's is pretty cost conscious.  So I invited her to lunch for an interview on any tips she has for us who wish to become world travelers.

Ever since she was a little girl, my friend has always has a desire to travel.  She remembers watching shows as a child and wanting to explore those for off places.  Her venture into the world of travel began years ago with a series of short cruises.  While she enjoyed the experience, she felt it a bit too restrictive and wanted the freedom to explore on her own.

The very first step she took was to open frequent flyer miles accounts with all of the major airlines.  Then she signed up for rewards points with a major hotel (Marriott).  She often took weekend trips to the beach ensuring that she always stayed that a Marriott to rack up points. To further leverage points programs, homegirl would use her American Express points to increase her sky miles.  This was a big eye opener for me as I hastily have been using my points for hair product purchases on Amazon. If I implemented delayed gratification, I can use my points towards a higher purpose.

Between bites, my friend constantly restated how the Law of Attraction plays a huge part in her travels.  First, she declares her desired intention to visit a certain country, then she allows everything to fall into place.  "I speak it to life.....if I want to go somewhere," she stated with a firm belief.  "I said to myself, I want to go to DR (Dominican Republic), and I don't want to pay a dime."  A short time later, she receives an email about an inexpensive flight (for which she has enough points).  Tack on the free room at the Marriott and she's pretty much set.  Intention Manifested.  "And when I travel, she says, the hotel usually offers free breakfast and sometimes provides other perks, so I don't spend a lot of money on food and drinks."

Perhaps the law of attraction provided her the job opportunity where she took short domestic trips for business reasons.  On one occasion, she visited Phoenix for meetings.  After realizing that one of the gatherings didn't start until early evening, she arranged to visit the Grand Canyon (a few hours away) and returned back in enough time to attend to business. Once the Phoenix trip was over, she took a quick flight to L.A., for a day or two, then a short cruise to Mexico before returning back home again.  In one trip, this girl managed to fit in so much. Meanwhile, all I did on my trips to California was visit a few boutiques.  That goes to show you how important the right mindset is.  Someone who truly desires to travel will create opportunities from every situation.

Another key to her world traveler lifestyle is being known as the girl who loves to travel. For example, her trip to Korea was the result of another friend who travels internationally for work and invited her to tag along.  People will often bring up the topic of travel with her which provides the perfect opportunity to offer them the use of her Marriott Rewards number as a friendly gesture.  They're happy to enjoy the perks her status, she gets the benefit of more points which means more free stays.

The way she broke down her strategy for how to travel without having to spend a lot of money was eye opening.  Once I realized how easy it can be as long as systems are put in place, I became excited about the possibilities.   If you have any other tips for world travel on a budget, please share in the comments.

Monday Motivation | Are you working for the future you want?

Today, I'd like to share a simple analogy. Let's say you're sitting at home one night and hunger starts to set in. You decide to call a restaurant, across town, and place an order for pick up. You reach for your phone and speak with a friendly person on the other line who gladly receives your order. She even repeats back your specific requests for sauce on the side and extra rolls. She gives you last minute instructions about when the meal would be ready for pick up and who to ask for when you arrive. You say your goodbyes and disconnect. After the phone call, you kill a little time then decide to get ready to head out.

 You put on something presentable, apply gloss and take a few moments to do your hair. You think ahead about the traffic ahead and quicken your pace so your food doesn't get cold awaiting your arrival. You throw your wallet in a bag that goes with your outfit and head out. Sure the restaurant is a little further out but the food makes it all worth it. By the time you arrive, 40 minutes after your conversation, your food is piping hot and waiting for you. After signing the receipt you head home to enjoy your meal. It's a simple transaction that I'm sure everyone reading this has experienced before. 


I'd like you to use this example as an analogy for manifestation and goal achievement. What if, when we state our intentions, the preparation process begins. Now it's up to you to move in the direction towards receiving it. You've got to get ready, leave the house, burn gas, drive across town, give them your money, and drive back home, in order to have what you want. But the whole time, the meal is being prepared for you. It's waiting for you to take the actions necessary to receive it.

 The intentions you have are awaiting you. But instead of getting ready and moving towards it, you do nothing. I have certain intentions in which I take little to no action. These I like to categorize as wishes, not intentions. Wishes are when I think "you know what would be nice?... or when I say "I'd love to do that someday."  But I take no steps to work in that direction.   I don't behave as if what I want is already being prepared for me. Chances are, I'll never experience those wishes unless I take action to move towards it.  Once I place the order for it (so to speak), I have to start preparing to receive it.  Otherwise, I'm like the prank caller who places the order without having any intentions to pick it up. It becomes a joke.

This may be why some successful people like to review their goals each day.  They keep their goals in front of them to ensure they are moving in the direction of their desired outcome.  I read in a book that most people have a hard time picturing the future version of themselves.  The younger you are, the harder it becomes to identify with "future you."  This is quite dangerous because, technically, you should be "working" for future you.  The  things you say you want are meant to be enjoyed by future you.  But, if that person isn't that real to you,  your actions will correlate with this way of thinking.

This is why I've been practicing aligning my actions towards ensuring the future me gets to enjoy the experiences that I/she wants.  It could be something simple as decluttering a room so that future me gets to work in a peaceful environment.  Going to the gym so future me reaps the benefits.  And so on.  There are so many things I get to enjoy today because of the steps I took in the past to make it happen.  I don't mind working hard because I'll be rewarded for all my efforts.  Most people don't think of all the work involved in picking up a meal from your favorite restaurant across town.  Why?  Because (future) you will enjoy a delicious dinner as a result.

Yes, you work for a company, but you also work for yourself.  You have a very important job that should be taken very seriously.  It is up to you to put in the work.

Melyssa Ford Fitness Inspiration

I stopped by Bravo's website the other day to check out snippets for upcoming episodes.  When I landed on the show page for Blood, Sweat and Tears, my eyes immediately landed on a video thumbnail of Melyssa Ford sharing her work out tips.  I clicked right away hoping to learn a little about Melyssa's work out regimen.  Unfortunately, the link led me to show clips....no workout video in sight.

There was disappointment, but I was determined find some fitness inspiration. So I did what came naturally, I marched right on over to her instagram to see what's up.  I've been out of the gym for a few weeks and luckily, a new location opened up a few miles away.  This means no excuses.  Sometimes a little motivation is all it takes.   I've rounded up a few short vids demonstrating Melyssa's work ethic and drive at the gym.  It's no wonder she still looks amazing after all of these years.

I have a love/hate relationship with the gym; the pain and discomfort I feel is so real there are days I seriously wonder "Why the hell am I doing this?" And then I catch a glimpse of myself naked and I'm like "Oh yeeeeaaahhhhhh.... That's why." #machinegunmelly #realtalk #sorrynotsorry #truth #underarmour @curtiswilliams17

A video posted by Melyssa Ford (@themelyssaford) on Jul 7, 2014 at 5:28pm PDT

 

#beastmode #believeyoucandoit #machinegunmelly @curtiswilliams17

A video posted by Melyssa Ford (@themelyssaford) on Jul 19, 2014 at 7:51pm PDT

#tbt Getting @themelyssaford ready... Her work ethic was ridiculous... 🔥💪👊 #underarmour #underarmourwomen #iwillwhatiwant #abs #athlete #instafit #performance #deadlift #health #healthwarrior #lifestyle ##beastmode #nyc #trainingcamp #core #chicksthatlift #curtiswilliams #melyssaford

A video posted by Curtis Williams (@curtiswilliams17) on Feb 26, 2015 at 12:09pm PST

This is my return to the gym after taking about 7 weeks off due to an overwhelming schedule... Hit the ground running any chance you get 😅🔥💪

A video posted by Melyssa Ford (@themelyssaford) on Oct 13, 2014 at 7:39am PDT

Edited to add:  Yay, I found it!

Fearless Friday| Leverage these tools to create your financial freedom

Happy Friday!  I wanna share a little story of an interaction that occurred a few weeks back.  It was on a Friday, not unlike this one. I stopped into a business to buy some supplies. While waiting for the credit card receipt to print, the friendly guy at the register asks "got any special plans this weekend?"  I reflected for a moment and responded, "I guess I haven't thought about it."  I hesitated for a moment before I went on to say "I like the idea of having freedom over my time so I don't have to wait until the weekend to do what I want to do."

At that moment, I noticed a small shift in his face.  I'd describe the look as a mix between excitement and disappointment. He proceeded to tell me how he would love to do his own thing and not work for anyone.   I could tell that he wanted to escape his 9-5 so badly but felt hopelessly trapped.  He mentioned having the responsibility of having two children and so on.  I understand where he's coming from.  I mean, leaving the "security" of a regular paycheck can seem like a scary thing.

BUT, at the same time, I could tell he wanted to experience a different reality.  And I know a lot of you want to as well.  My last post on financial abundance struck a chord with many of you.  I received a ton of emails where many of you shared your desire to change your current situation.  But it seemed like the biggest challenge was knowing where & how to start.

Before I broke free, studied dozens of stories of those who left their job to pursue the life they wanted.  Although all the stories are different, there were some commonalities that we can all learn from.  For the purposes of this post, we are discuss both time and financial freedom. Not just making more money at your job (I can write a post on this topic too if you guys are interested).  But first, I'd like you to take a moment and remind yourself that there are millions of people who are living financially successful lives without having to work for a someone. What you are doing now is an option. It's not mandatory.  It doesn't have to be this way.

Ok, now that I got that out of the way, let's move on. Basically,  there seem to be two different paths to freedom.
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PATH [1]:  Person A works full time and starts business on the side that eventually becomes a full time income source.

PATH [2]:  Person B is unexpectedly laid off from their job and, starts a business that eventually creates their financial success.

In both of these scenarios, there are two factors involved:  TIME + MONEY.  Time and money are your keys to creating the life you seek.

In scenario 1, person A has a limited amount of time but has access to money (via her paycheck).

 In scenario 2, person B has limited amount of money but has complete access to use her time to create income streams.
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I fell under the first scenario.  My time was extremely limited and I received a check every two weeks.  Team, I worked 50-70+ a week.  It was not uncommon for me to be on conference calls at 11:00 pm.  Once we were on a call that ran into the next morning.  Not to mention the times when I'd wake up at 2:30 am, work on my side projects before leaving the house at 4:00 am to catch a 5:30 flight.  I pretty much worked through every weekend and operated on very little sleep.  It was insane.  But, I'm grateful for all of that because it helped me get up every day and work with great intensity to change the situation.  If I had a job where I was home every night by 6:00 pm, I may not have felt the burning desire to keep pushing forward.  Your time is VERY valuable. You have to realize it's value and redirect how you spend your time.  I know a few people who tell me they want to create freedom but they don't utilize any of their free time to changing their situation.

Here's how I feel about using my time to create my future.  When I wanted to start my career, I spent hours in classes to get a degree so I could get the job.  Why wouldn't I allocate my time to create my new "career?"  The harder you work now, the harder you get to play later.  Yes, there were years when I couldn't really "enjoy" free time, but yesterday I went for a 90 minute massage at 9:30 am when most people are starting their work day.

Actually, let me clarify, even though I worked like a madwoman, I still did things like go out to brunch, visit the mall, etc. But when I was home, I was always working.  If I'm watching online t.v, I opened a second window to work at the same time.

Because the amount of time I could contribute to my projects was limited, I adjusted my budget to save a good sized portion of every paycheck.  It may seem like I spend all my money on hair products and beauty tools, but believe me, I saved way more than I spent.  Without money in the bank, there's no confidence to finally make that decision to venture out.  I also invested some of the money into building my entrepreneurial skill set (invested in coaches, courses, etc).

There was a lot work I needed to do on my mindset.  For instance, I built a successful career that paid well.  I had a company car, expense account, enjoyed wonderful dinners, free trips, stock options, you name it.  I essentially had on a pair of golden handcuffs.   Leaving that type of environment is scary to say the least. So I had to let go of the belief that this job was the only way I could enjoy that type of lifestyle.  The new belief I took on was that I could earn even more through my businesses.  Even if I didn't earn more money, the time freedom would make up for the difference. Working for someone else is optional. I also had the option to create freedom.

When I first ventured on this journey to financial and time freedom, I had no idea what I wanted to do.  I know a lot of you are in a similar situation.  Because I didn't know exactly what I'd be doing, I focused more on the lifestyle I wanted to live.  I fantasized on what I would do with my free time.  And I kept repeating a mantra that I've had for years.  I've always told people that earning money from a business (or online) is superior to working because the growth potential is so much greater.

Towards the end of my work life, I'd laugh silently to myself when my supervisor  informed me of my 3% annual increase.  The revenue I generated online, on the other hand, was growing exponentially.  Although I wasn't making anywhere near what I earned at work, I knew that it could easily over take it based on:
(1) how fast it was growing,
(2) there was no limit on how much I could earn.

It's like being given the option of $100,000.00 now or  one penny doubled every day.  Having a fixed income is like choosing the $100,000.00 up front.  But a penny doubled every day will grow to over $500,000.00 in 30 days.

Again, I go back to my initial advice for your to earn your first $1.00 outside of your job.  That dollar has so much power in it. That measly little dollar can turn into millions if you keep getting better at what you do.  Again, you have time and money at your disposal.  Use them both.  If you don't know what to do next, find someone who is doing what you want and model their path.  If you'd like to connect with me for more insight, drop me a note.

What JLO has taught us about dressing down and being fabulous

I'd like to be honest with you.  I've struggled a little with presenting the best version of myself to the world.  Working from home isn't helping this situation at all. So I devoted a little time to reflect on what could be the root cause of why I'm not putting the level of effort I'd like into dressing well. Finally,  I think I've had a breakthrough.

My theory is that I don't put much effort when I'm out and about because I don't put much effort in how I look when I'm lounging around the house.  Comfy lounge clothes are the norm for me and, if I'm headed to the store, or to run errands, I pretty much grab my handbag and go.  But what if I did a small series of rituals that allowed me to be both comfortable and presentable while I'm spending time at home? Then, if I had to quickly run out to complete a few tasks, I wouldn't have to invest much time in getting prepared.  Or, better yet, I could step out and still look pulled together.  Since I tend to wear a lot of basics around the house, I came to the conclusion one of the most effective actions I can do daily, is to accessorize well.  It's such a simple gesture that offers a great level of return.

Jennifer Lopez has executed this flawlessly as she heads out from ice cream.  A pair of jeans, a black top, and flip flops, comprise her entire outfit.  That's something not unlike what one would wear around the house.

But when you add a pair of diamond earrings, a chunky cuff bracelet and the perfect pair of shades, the entire look is pulled together flawlessly.  Honorable mention goes to her manicured nails and statement pinky ring.  To me, this is how one does "dressed down." And it doesn't hurt that her hair is in a neat top knot and her figure is enviable.  Another thing to note is how perfect skin serves a great purpose in mastering being fabulous while dressing down.  She does a great job of highlighting her skin by keeping the makeup ultra simple.  Great skin will make you look amazing no matter what you're wearing.  Don't forget to pamper your skin.

I'm now letting go of the idea that my accessories should only be worn when I'm going somewhere "special,"  Instead, I'll invest in simple pieces that I can enjoy even if I'm not stepping foot outside. The right accessory can make a simple tank top look sexy and polished.

necklace | necklace

Simple + perfectly styled accessories can have us looking our best no matter what we're wearing.  No more excuses.

There will be more posts in this series as I share inspiration on looking great while dressing down.