Time to fess up!  Yep, I need to confess to you again.

I have been very quiet for the last two months.  I have tried to break the silence a couple of times with no avail.

I have been STUCK!  Ugh!  I do NOT like to be stuck!  No one does and I am sure that that includes you.

When we are in a season of change it requires a lot of energy, discernment, wisdom, and COURAGE.  We want to make the right decisions for our lives and in doing so it more than likely requires us to move out of our comfort zones, out of our safe little boxes.  And there lies the rub where the wrestling begins.

I have been in a place of wrestling.  I still am really but just this very moment in my time of journaling I wrote these words:

I need to be able to rise above the the congested pathways of my brain, move above it and operate on a higher plain so that I can get moving.

And then minutes later came:

OMG!  I have got to lighten up!  Over thinking and over analyzing stops the flow of everything!  It stops creativity, energy – movement of any kind (think stagnation!).  It puts you in fear not knowing what to do first!  Sucks the passion right out of you.  Holy crap!  That is where I have been.  Where is my fun, my joy, my passion?!

Is that not amazing?!  In one moment I am overcome from the weight of my “brain congestion” and in the next moment my answer tumbles out in excitement in a way that has completely shifted my energy.  The pathways have just opened up.

And, I have to bring your attention to one more thing because in writing this article for you, the above paragraph just gave me a gigantic clue in another area I have been stuck in.

“… I am overcome from the weight of my ‘brain congestion’…”

Wow!  Everything about us in interconnected.  I have not been able to reach my health and fitness goals for months now.  Why?  Because I have been overcome from the weight of my brain congestion!!

Girlfriends, it is time for this girl to lighten up, have fun, and re-connect with my passions so that I experience the joy of life-flow once again.

Sooo … who can relate??

___________

Photo found here =>Kelly McCausey.

Here we are in the month of February already. The time of year we typically think of love and romance.

This year I would like to suggest something that may be a little different for you.  I suggest that you express love to yourself filling your own love tank regardless of who may or may not be around to do that for you.

Valentine’s Day is about love.  Women of Wonder, let’s step it up a notch or two by falling in love with who we are, embracing, and celebrating the wondrously unique creations that we are … so THEN we can give love to others from our overflow!

I introduce to you  … “Love Notes With a Twist”.

Everyday write a love note or a love quote to YOU! Yes YOU!  Write about all the things you would love your secret admirer or lover to say to you.  Write about all your great qualities, all the things that you appreciate about you. Write about all the things you wish others would say to you and appreciate about you.  This is the time to celebrate YOU!

Each love note is going to go into a special love container.  It can be a secret treasure box, a decorated jar, a beautiful vase, etc. You will have a month’s worth of special notes to yourself that you will use throughout the rest of the year when you need a lift or some encouragement.

So what’s the twist?

“Love Notes With A Twist” is a gift from YOU and for YOU that will keep giving all year long!  And, of course, you can continue to add to the love container throughout the year as you think of things to celebrate about yourself.

Don’t wait until you find the perfect container.  Just start now and put them in any jar or mug for now until you land on that special love container.  That is my plan.

Whatever you decide on, take a picture of your finished “Love Note With A Twist” container and send it in to me and at the end of the month I will feature a couple of them with the hopes of inspiring others to do “Love Notes With a Twist”.

Below are a couple of really cute love container ideas and where you can find directions on how to make or buy them.  You don’t have to get this elaborate, but for those of you who are creative I thought you might find these ideas fun.

There is a video on facebook that will show you how to recycle any kind of  jar.  Click here => Love Jar Facebook Page

Love Letters Mailbox from I Love Nap Time

Love Jars from One Lucky Day

DIY Custom Valentines Day Sweet Love Notes Jar

Are you in?  Let me know in the comment section below if you are going to do  “Love Notes With A Twist” with me so that we can be an encourage to one another!

Related Posts:  Filling Your Love Tank On Valentine’s Day

Well here it is!  I have been trying to decide on a GIVE AWAY for too long.  I knew that I wanted it to be around Valentine’s Day but just couldn’t land on something that lit me up until I was in Starbucks this morning.

I saw (again) a REALLY cute Valentine’s Day mug that I really want!  You know how crazy I am over cute coffee mugs, tea cups & tea pots! I have not bought it yet but I am planning to.  Actually, I’m hoping to get it on sale after the fact but they don’t have many.  I might miss out if I wait.  We’ll see!

Anyway, no the GIVE AWAY is not for the mug, but for a $10 Starbucks gift card, which …

… if you love the mug as much as I do you could use the gift card to buy it.  Oh and get this! The name of the mug is “Sending My Love Mug”.  Cute, huh?!  Either way, you can creatively use the gift card as part of your self-nurture practice!  If you purchase the mug it will give you unlimited special moments.  It’s just a thought! That’s just how my mind works.

Contest Rules:

You will receive 1 entry for each activity below.  For additional entries, you can tweet, post, and comment as many times as you want.  But here’s the key!  You MUST come back to this post and in the comment section of this post report your entries, otherwise I may miss some of your entries.

1.  Tweet the following message:  I am entered to win a Starbucks Gift Card from @shileennixon at The Wonder Woman Challenge http://shileennixon.com/give-away-starbucks

2.  Follow me on twitter @shileennixon then leave a comment here with your twitter screen name. I will follow you back.

3.  Post on facebook:  I am entered to win a Starbucks Gift Card from @The Wonder Woman Challenge http://shileennixon.com/give-away-starbucks

4.  “Like” The Wonder Woman Challenge Fanpage on Facebook.

5.  Comment on the TWWC fanpage about how you plan to use the gift card if you are the winner.

Contest is open to US and Candian residents only.

Contest ends Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.  Winner will be chosen randomly who I will contact via email.

Good luck!  I hope that you are the Woman of Wonder Winner!

Shileen

Girlfriend, I love chocolate just like most other women I know.

Today I decided to make a very healthy Chocolate Mousse for a treat. (Recipe below) It turned out that when I was ready for this yummy dessert, I was the only one in the house.  My guys were all off watching the Steelers win (yay!) elsewhere leaving me at home alone, which by the way, I didn’t mind at all.

So while I had the Steelers game on I decided to turn something ordinary into something extra-ordinary turning dessert into a self-nurture activity.

I could have plopped this lovely chocolate dessert into a bowl and woofed it down, but I didn’t.  Instead I used one of my cute tea for one sets accompanying the Chocolate Mousse with fresh fruit and Peppermint Herbal Tea, and I also used a tray lined with a pretty napkin.  It truly was not much effort at all, but it was one that was special.  We treat company special, why not treat ourselves special, right?

I am reminded of a note that I keep on my dream board that says, “Treating myself like a special object will make me strong.”  Anytime we treat ourselves special we are making ourselves stronger because we are sending a message to our inner self that says we ARE special and valuable causing our spirit to lift and hopefully soar!

This activity is one you will want to add to your self-nurture practice.  It is so simple to turn something ordinary like eating a snack into something extra-ordinary.  It not only lifts the spirit, but it also can help you to de-stress especially when you allow yourself to be “in the moment”.

Note that I rarely spend a lot of money on something like a tea for one set.  These types of things I typically stumble upon either on sale or at resale shops.  You don’t have to spend  a lot of money on stepping up your experience a notch or two.

By the way, this recipe and activity is great for Valentine’s Day!

Did you catch at the beginning that I said I made a “healthy” Chocolate Mouse?  The ingredients will surprise you!

Chocolate Mousse

(From Lifestyle for Health Cookbook by Dr. Cheryl Townsley)

2 pkgs. Mori Nu “lite” Tofu, firm

1 to 1 1/2 cups Sunspire chocolate chips – or carob chips (I use a 12 oz bag)

1/4 cups honey – or sweetner

2 to 4 tbs. milk – or milk substitute

2 tsp vanilla

1.  Melt chips being careful to not scorch them.  2.  Blend tofu, honey, milk and vanilla in blender until smooth.  3.  Blend melted chips into tofu in blender until smooth.  4.  Chill mixture until firm.  Store in refrigerator and use within five days.

Note:  It needs to be chilled and set for best flavor.

I don’t remember if it was Saturday night or Sunday morning or a combination of both. I was busy online as usual exploring, tweeting, facebooking, researching, etc. while my mind was sort of doing a free association thing.

The next thing I knew I was all abuzz about doing a Wonder Woman Challenge Give Away that entailed making something that thrills the living daylights out of me. I mean it gives me the biggest charge!!

What might that be??

Making potions!! What? Yes! Making what my son, at the time a little boy, tagged as potion making.

I love to make bath and body products. As some hobbies can go, it is something that I can be crazy about for a while and then it can go dormant. Well, potion making has been dormant for quite sometime until Sunday.

Let me just interject right here that anything that gives you a charge like potion making does to me is something that feeds the spirit. Oh my goodness, potion making blesses me and brings me so much joy in so many ways. It a major win/win especially when I get to give what I make away!!

I put together a Lavender-Mint Foot Soak. Oh, oh, oh! It is soooo lovely!! It smells heavenly, is packaged oh so cute, and feels great to soak those tired, achy tootsie in.

I couldn’t stop there! I couldn’t rest until I came up with an entire Pampering Foot Soak Kit to use as The Wonder Woman Challenge’s first Give Away … and so here it is!!

Our Pampering Foot Soak Kit comes with my lovely made by me =) Lavender-Mint Foot Soak, Mint Bliss Foot Lotion by Mary Kay, and a pair of slipper socks all in a cute little bucket. And it comes with instructions on how to use it, of course.

Oh my! I love this so much that you can bet I am thinking Christmas presents with this sweet gift idea!!

Ok, so … let’s get down to business! I know you want this kit … heck!… I want the kit!! Lol What do you need to do, right, to enter the contest?

Contest Rules

Mandatory Entry:

You MUST be a registered participant of The Wonder Woman Challenge. If you already are, great! Just leave a comment saying so with your email address. If you are not, take a quick minute to do so. It only requires your name & email address … you will receive a free report on “5 Traps To Avoid If You Are Depressed or Down” as my gift to you. Then come back and leave a comment to let me know including your email address. (5 entries)

Additional Points:

1. Follow me on twitter @shileennixon then leave a comment here with your twitter screen name. I will follow you back. (1 entry)

2. Mention the give away on Twitter with the following message:

“I am entered to win a Pampering Foot Soak Kit from @shileennixon at The Wonder Woman Challenge http://shileennixon.com/give-away-foot-soak-kit”

Leave a comment here each time you tweet this message. (1 entry per tweet)

3. “Like” The Wonder Woman Challenge facebook page … Comment here to say that you are or did and include your facebook name. (1 entry)

4. Post on facebook the following message:

“I am entered to win a Pampering Foot Soak Kit from @The Wonder Woman Challenge http://shileennixon.com/give-away-foot-soak-kit.”

Leave a comment here telling me each time you post this message – include your facebook username. (1 entry each time you post)

~~~~~

Be sure you leave a separate comment for each entry and make sure you do the mandatory entry first, or the others won’t count! Sorry!

Contest is open to US and Canadian residents only.

Contest will close Sunday, October 3rd at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be chosen randomly and I will contact you via email.

Have fun and good luck!! Hope you are the winner of the Pampering Foot Soak Kit … another great tool for your self-nurture toolbox!

The afternoon sun was hot but I found a bit of shade to play under. I had left the house early. Normally I would hit Starbucks before going into work especially when I had about 30 minutes to kill but for whatever the reason I didn’t feel like doing that.

Wanting to stay close by I ended up driving around in back neighborhoods, you know, just driving around exploring. I saw the town park one that I had never been to so I quickly began to scan the place until my eyes landed on a place to play … on something I had not done in eons.

Do I dare? I mean, I am by myself and more than that I have no kids with me. Well, of course! I certainly don’t care what people think particularly about this kind of play even though it is intended for children.

Oh my gosh! My heart began to pump as I wound my way around to the parking lot. There was no one around which made it better only because I wanted to be alone with my thoughts with no distractions from others.

And so there I was … playing! At first it felt weird like the feeling you get in your stomach when you are falling (think roller coaster but not nearly that bad). I don’t ever recall as a child getting that feeling but it *has* been a few years to say the least. Ha ha!

I continued and as I did that stomach feeling went away. What a beautiful day! Hot, but beautiful. As I connected with nature allowing the universe to support me while feeling the warm breeze all over, the stress of the day began to melt away. I could feel my muscles relax especially in my face. The longer I played the l more I released.

About ten minutes into my play when I was really feeling free, an elderly gentleman drove by very slowly as he took in the site of a middle-aged woman swinging in the park by herself.  Yes, I was swinging!  I looked back at him and for a split second I was looking through the eyes of a child as I thought, “What are you looking at, mister? I’m just a kid ya know!” What a sweet moment.  I chuckled at myself and then I really did wonder what he thought, again, not that it mattered at all.

What fun I was having. Talk about therapeutic! Yeah! I have another really cool tool for my self-nurture tool box! Swinging!

I was only there for 15 minutes but I walked away feeling all giddy inside like a schoolgirl. Well wait, that is not entirely true.  Towards the end I noticed that I was beginning to feel a bit nauseous. What?! Motion sickness … really? <snicker>

I have convinced myself that I am just not used to swinging and that in time I will not be bothered with funky feelings in my stomach at the beginning and/or end of my swing times.

Yes, I plan to go swinging more. I can’t wait for fall when the air is cool and the leaves are turning beautiful colors. It will be a gorgeous sight to behold while I am spending time with one of my best friends on the swing.

That would be me! =)

Remember that the universe is our playground. Girlfriends, let’s get out there and play … play like a child! You will be amazed at what it will do for you … like fill your spirit with joy! Don’t get caught up in thinking that you don’t have time. Hogwash! We make time for the things that are important to us. Fifteen minutes is all it takes!! Fifteen minutes!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you must not be registered for The Wonder Woman Challenge. Go right now to the homepage and sign up. Then you will know and you will be taking a stand with many other women around the world who have chosen to love themselves enough to say, Yes! I AM IMPORTANT!

YES! … You ARE important!

Luv & hugs, girlfriends! … Go ahead! Go play! I dare you!

Shileen

MeTime!  I am so excited about MeTime … in more ways than one!  Isn’t The Wonder Woman Challenge all about having MeTime?  I just call it self-care but it’s all the same!

When I learned about a line of clothing called MeTime I knew I had to share it with all of my readers and all of my Wonder Women.  Take a look at how cute these tops are. Oh my gosh … wouldn’t it be fun to wear a MeTime top on our artist dates???  If you don’t know what that is you’ll have to sign up for the challenge to find out.  In the mean time go check out all the cute  MeTime apparel.  Let me know in the comment space which is your favorite!!  I think it’s pretty obvious which one mine is! =)

Grab Life By The Coffee Beans!