Ten Things I Am Totally Loving Right Now.............

Life is tough. Tougher than it ever has been............. not just for me, but for so many people.

Rather than sit around feeling sorry for myself and thinking about all the things I don't like, I decided to come up with ten things I am loving right now. I would like to share them with you:


1. My pretty pink mani-pedi.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I decided to paint my fingers and toes light pink (instead of my usual vampy red) as a reminder that we still need a cure!

I am leaving the pink polish on all month long to serve as reminder to pray for those those battling breast cancer, to talk about prevention, early detection, self-examination, and the importance of scheduling a mammogram with every woman I meet, to help raise awareness by participating in activities and buying products that support breast cancer research, and to donate a portion of my funds to worthy organizations that are tirelessly searching for a cure.

While I believe we should be doing everything possible to raise awareness about all kinds of cancer every single day of the year, I am focusing on Breast Cancer Prevention all this month in my business as well.

Visit  True Metamorphosis and Metamorphosis for more info, tips and links.


2. Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza:

Yes, I know this is pre-packaged, frozen food and it's processed, but come on! We can't make everything from scratch all the time. Forget the pizza delivery boy and try this-- it's GOOD STUFF! Whole wheat pie crust, topped with roasted veggies and NO CHEESE!  This is so deliciously different; you will not miss the cheese.  I promise!

You can find this in the frozen food section of your local market.





3.  My Lack of Disposable Income:

What?!! Okay.... let me explain. Recreation and entertainment have always been high on my list of priorities. So is shopping for clothes and shoes! But now I no longer have a J.O.B or a weekly pay check.  I am building a business so I've had to cut back on everything!  This means compromise and improvise. What's a social butterfly to do? Come up with different, cheap (preferably free), fun and entertaining ideas. I can't afford to do all the live shows, fancy restaurants and nights out on the town so now I am getting together with family and friends for a game of Scrabble or Poker, hosting dinners with an ethnic theme (I have a Middle Eastern night in works right now), movie night (Hooray for Netflix!), and taking advantage of the free events at the local library. I am still having fun-- I'm just spending a lot less money. And everyone else is loving it, too! Why? Because we are spending quality time together instead sitting in a restaurant or on a bar stool somewhere. I still go out (we all need to get out of the house and meet new people now and then) but rather than several nights a week and every weekend, it's more like once a month. That makes the times I do go out, even more special.

I've also been forced to take an inventory of all my clothes and shoes and found wonderful stuff I forgot I had: sweaters and jeans with price tags still attached, boots I've never worn! Anything I did not wish to keep, I gave away or donated to charity. And I've discovered thrift stores! Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it! You can find incredible stuff in thrift stores. I just picked up a beautiful Ralph Lauren blazer. Never worn- tags still on it- for fifteen bucks! This is recycling at it's best!

4. Sleep
I am a nocturnal creature. I love the night time and the night life. Even if I am not out on the town, I hate sleep. I think it's a big waste of time and I only really need about three or four hours of shut-eye a night.  I've lived that way for years but given the level of emotional stress in my life right now, I am tired. Really tired. Three or four hours of sleep is obviously not enough. And, my son is living with me now and he gets up at 4AM every morning to catch the train. Instead of falling into bed at that time, now I am starting my day bright eyed and bushy-tailed. This means I am slipping beneath the covers with a good book every night no later than 10PM.  I've surrendered to sleep and I feel much better and healthier as a result.

5.  Writing Articles for Money
I love to write so why not get paid for it? I eventually want to write free-lance for health and wellness magazines but in the meantime, I need practice, practice, practice. So, I joined an organization that assigns me topics, products and companies to write about.  It's fun, educational and challenging. As long as I keep submitting good articles; money is deposited right into my Pay Pal account each month. What could be better than that?

6. Egyptian Belly Dancing

It's beautiful, graceful, and so sexy. Okay, maybe not quite so sexy when I do it, but I am getting there. Regardless of how many times we pick ourselves up from the floor because we can't stop laughing at each other, my girlfriends and I are having a blast. It's great exercise and the best part is - it's not costing us a dime! I bought a DVD ages ago and thought it would be a hoot to get together and attempt to learn this ancient dance.  Okay, sometimes we loosen up first with a glass of wine or two but at least we are burning  it off-- sort of!




7. Organic Sparkling Pomegrante Water:
I am known as the Grey Goose Gal!  I love my vodka, but vodka doesn't always love me. In fact, I gave up drinking for quite some time and then went out with a few friends and drank a little too much. I felt awful for two days. Now I reserve cocktails for special occasions only. Most of time, I am sipping Sparkling Pomegrante Water. It's good for me, it tastes great and it's not too sweet. Once in awhile I think how great it would taste mixed with vodka but I've never actually given into that temptation. The best part: it comes in a pretty glass bottle- NOT plastic!  Find it at Waldbaum's in the bottled water section.

8. The Bhagavad Gita:
This beloved, timeless classic has been on my reading list for years. It is universally acknowledged as a spiritual masterpiece and one the world's most important religious poems.  I recently found a translation that is easier to read yet still manages to capture the clarity, vigor and the intensity of the original Sanskrit. I joined a Gita discussion group on FACEBOOK but I haven't really had much time to participate. I try to read a small passage every day. It is beautiful, moving, haunting, and nourishing to my soul.

9.  Argan Oil:

Beauty and Youth in a bottle!  Pure Argan Oil is a legendary oil that's rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and grown organically in Morocco.  Argan Oil can be used for many areas including hydrating and nourishing skin, as a daily moisturizer, skin treatment, treating spilt ends, and softening cuticles. It's gentle enough to use on all skin types and is believed to help with skin conditions including acne. Argan Oil easily absorbs into skin to give you a youthful, dewy glow, and has astonishing healing, conditioning, and antiaging properties to keep your skin and hair nourished and revitalized and to keep you looking beautiful from head to toe! I LOVE IT!  Buy it at Sephora.


10. Autumn:
I am a beach girl, but this year, I didn't have much time to spend soaking up the sun. Due to circumstances here at home, I also couldn't participate in all the BBQ's, parties and outdoor concerts or music fests I usually enjoy every summer.  I was a little sad when the cooler weather arrived, but I am very excited about the next few months. I simply adore the fall and the changing leaves, wine tasting out on the East End, comfy sweaters, snuggling beside a roaring fire, apple picking, home-made pumpkin pie, Halloween, Thanksgiving......

My list can go on and on but I'll stop here. The funny thing is, once I started thinking about all the things I love right now, I kept coming up with more and more.

 How about you? Can you come up with ten things you totally love right now? Get out your pen and paper and write them down. Share your list with someone you love. You can even share it all here. I would totally love that!!

And this is my Daily Cyn............