2021-05-18T22:35:06+00:00

Books to Grow Confidence

May 18, 2021August 24, 2021/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

*Disclaimer – this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Looking for a way to connect with friends and grow personally? Ever thought of joining or starting a book club?

Reading books that can make an impact on your life and help make it better is a wonderful ambition. But if you’re like me, it may be hard to finish it when you’re doing it alone. My bookshelf is full of books with bookmarks a few chapters in. Honestly I have a lot of books that I have never even read! I know it’s terrible!! 😳

Regardless, I love reading and wanted to share the books that I have found awesome and can’t NOT talk about it!

But I have started a self-care routine that involves me reading and growing relationships with Safe People. Currently working through this study. Love this book by Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend and workbook!

Ever go to a party and feel like the odd man out. Awkared in conversations or anxious about if you will have something to talk about? This book is for you!! The Art of Mingling is a great investment if you want to feel more confident at parties and get together.

I had aspirations of having a wonderful library of valuable books. One of my favorite things to do is discover a treasure at the Half Price Book Store. To find a sweet deal on a book that can feed my soul is so fulfilling! If only I could finish what I started.

Turns out I have several friends that feel the same way about finishing books! We love to read books to better ourselves and shift our perspective, but after a few chapters or half the book, it becomes difficult to continue. We think, ok I’ve got the just of it….

Unfortunately, when we don’t finish the book we miss some of the best information that was saved for the end!

This is why I LOVE group books! It gives you the accountability to finish it to the end! Plus by discussing it with others, its more likely to stick.

So here are some great books that I have found and study with friends. Some of them are regular books, that we read and discuss chapter by chapter.

For rewiring your brain and getting rid of toxic thoughts this one is great! Get Out of Your Head

For fighting the demons in your life try this one. Reclaiming Surrendered Ground

If you want to find and work towards your purpose this one is for you. Restless: Because You Were Made for More

Ready to Say Yes to God? Then this one will inspire you. Love Skip Jump

Does the idea of picking through books on your own sound intimidating? Then you will prefer one of these group studies that come with a leader guide and structured week by week sessions.

I used to have such bad anxiety that it would keep me up at night. Not only that, but it gave me stomach problems as well. It was awful. I had to figure out how to let things go and let God deal with them.

Want some help getting rid of your anxiety? This is a one by Max Lucado that can help you!Anxious For Nothing.
There is also a study guide here.

Learning to Write for an Audience

May 7, 2021May 7, 2021/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

Writing for Pleasure vs. Writing for Purpose

When writing for self, you can do it however you like. But if you want other people to enjoy and come back to your writing, it needs to grab their attention, give them something and be relatable.

Here are some tips to get better at writing!

Incorporate story telling. Share your story in your own words. Make up plausible stories that are relative to your topic.

Humanize the context with stories that make dry facts and information sound more interesting.

Use tools such as the The Emotional Thesaurus to help use more colorful words to get your point across. There is an entire series that can fit your specific writing topic.

The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma

The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Places (Writers Helping Writers Series)

The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Attributes (Writers Helping Writers Series Book 3)

The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws (Writers Helping Writers Series)

Instead of using phrases like “an individual could be…” give a narrative of an example of the event.

Incorporate heart and head issues into the story to tie together themes that give the readers understanding and empathy for the topic.

Introduce yourself as an author. Who are you now? Where have you been and how have you overcome your obstacles? This will give the readers a quick connection and help them to see your heart in sharing on the topic.

Expand on universal, relatable topics, for example overcoming shame.

Make it practical with examples.

Give a check list for observations to self assess:

Are you feeling… Do you experience… Then this may be happening to you.

Take breaks to bring encouragement. Provide uplifting testimony to share the promise of victory.

Join a Critique Group! Get feedback from other writers. This will help immensely to get a new perspective while seeing your work with new eyes.

Get your tools together! Do you like to write on paper with ink? Or do you prefer to type? Be sure to have plenty of supplies on hand to get you started and good luck!

Wiisdatek Ruled Journal Notebook – Lined Notebook with 100GSM Premium Thick Paper,Fine Inner Pocket,Hardcover Notebook for Journaling Writing, 5″×8.25″(Brown)

This is my favorite pen to use! Get black and colored for mark ups. PILOT G2 Premium Refillable & Retractable Rolling Ball Gel Pens, Fine Point, Black Ink, 5-Pack (31078)

PILOT G2 Premium Refillable & Retractable Rolling Ball Gel Pens, Fine Point, Black/Blue/Red/Green/Purple Inks, 5-Pack (31079)

This is what I use to type. Be sure to get the Magic Keypad to go with it. It doubles as a screen protector when not in use.

2021 Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (Wi‑Fi, 128GB) – Silver

Apple Magic Keyboard (for iPad Pro 11-inch – 3rd Generation and iPad Air – 4th Generation) – US English – Black

Best wishes to my writing friends! Comment below and tell me what you are sharing with the world!

Teeth are coming!

April 24, 2021April 24, 2021/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

One of the wonders of having a baby are all the milestones that go with it, like getting in those first teeth. Babies are adorable with those gummy smiles, but it sure is sweet to see a couple pearly whites coming through!

Teeth come in at such a wide range of timing. Often times babies start feeling gum pain as early as two months, despite that there is quite a while before they erupt. Once they do finally come in, most children get one or two at a time.

Not mine. My baby boy got in 6 teeth all in the same month! They did break through in the right order, but just didn’t stop coming! First the bottom two then the upper two center teeth and the two on either side of the top. He certainly doesn’t look like a newborn anymore!!

But as all parents know, with teething comes a slew of distressing side effects. Needless to say it made for some sleepless nights and a cranky baby.

So the crying comes with fingers in the mouth, chewing on anything they can get their hands on. Then comes the runny nose and sometimes diarrhea. And of course, they will start biting while feeding. Ouch.

Stop biting while nursing. When the baby bites, say “no” in the ugliest, nastiest tone and gently put the baby down for a few seconds. They will probably cry. After a couple good hollers, pick them up and tell them you love them, but biting is not ok. And it hurts. They’ll get it, but it may take a few times!

As a life long student, and always looking for the best way to get things done, I love to share my findings with those people that I care about. I had some great resources to help make the time a little bit easier. So I wanted to share with you my tips and tricks to get your baby through teething with some comfort and help from you!

Get your tools.

If you are lucky enough to get a baby shower, definitely put some of these on your list! That’s where I got most of mine. Teething toys, boogie wipes, teething necklace and breast milk popsicles are some of the things that eased some of my baby’s pain. So grateful for all the mom’s in my life that had the knowledge to share with me!

One toy that is great for car rides and walks because you don’t have to worry about it being wet or remembering to grab it from the fridge. Baby loves this one that Granny gave him. I like this Nuby Bug-A-Loop Teether ring.

This is one that we liked to put in the fridge or freezer. Initially I had to hold it into his mouth because he wasn’t quite able to get his hands to hold it by himself. He still enjoys this one and I love that it’s easy to wash. We got the Infantino 3-Pack Water Teethers in our health kit from Granny.

And of course the classic Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys are also wonderful because there are several colors in one to keep them occupied and makes it last longer. This one is great cold or room temperature just as a fun toy.

Additionally, I was gifted a Baltic Amber Necklace from a seasoned mom and found it effective for pain relief by trying it myself before baby came. For my back pain that I experienced during my pregnancy, I decided I would try it out and see if it was legit or a hoax. Around my ankle it helped to relieve my achy back. And it really made instant difference for my baby.

Before necklace

After necklace

The other must have for teething is Silicone Popsicle Molds for baby. These can be used to make breast milk popsicles or fruit purées. I would avoid just using juice since it has sugar without the benefit of fiber from the actual fruit. I grabbed a set from BuyBuyBaby that was ready in two hours thanks to the updated customer service we are now accustomed to.

Make it Yourself.

If your like me and feel like your job as a wife is to help spend less of the money your hubby brings home, then you will love the DIYs that I find. You can see how to save money by making your own baby food, using cloth diapers and wipes.

There are a couple things that you want to make quickly when your baby starts showing signs of teething. Easy to make popscibles are breast milk. Be sure to pump fresh milk to put in the mold and don’t use thawed milk.

Additionally if you don’t have time to make fresh fruit purée, you can use applesauce! It freezes well and tastes great.

If you are into making your own baby food, you are going to LOVE this Make-Ahead Baby Food Cookbook. This is fantastic because it gives you a shopping list, meal plan, and recipes for each baby stage. You can check out the authors blog here.

Use the purée recipes to make your popsicles or the recipe for teething biscuits is easy to make and so satisfying! They are eaten straight from the freezer and crumbly nicely so they are safe for baby to chew on.

Teething Biscuits

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a small bowl combine the ingredients until thoroughly mixed. The dough should be moderately firm and not sticky.
*tip* if the dough is too firm, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of applesauce, if it is too sticky, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.
3. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper, or wax paper, cover with another sheet of paper, and use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Remove top sheet and cut dough into 1-by-4 inch rectangles.
4. Transfer the parchment paper containing the dough onto a baking sheet. Separate the pieces of cut dough so they are not touching,m and use your fingers to round edges of each piece so they don’t become sharp after baking.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the biscuits are dry to the touch and slightly browned along the edges. They will harden further as they cool.
6. Allow to fully cool on a wire rack and serve or store for later.

Freeze biscuits and serve straight from freezer. Label bag with recipe and date. Use within 3 months.

Good luck to you on your parenting journey. Feel free to share your tips in the comments. Show me your happy baby by tagging me on Instagram or facebook @jessdelachapelle.

Life Blood

November 8, 2020/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

Today the local Trafficking Coalition held a blood drive. So grateful to be a part of a truly life saving event.

I remember the first time I saw someone wearing a t-shirt that said give blood, give life. I wanted to be a part of it. Of course I was still in elementary school and was unable to do it at the time. Then life happened…

During the part of my life when I was being trafficked I gave a lot of blood. But that was just to make sure that I hadn’t contracted an STD. It was shameful. But necessary. And I am grateful that I never did contract anything.

But when I was rescued out of that life, I tried to pursue that lifelong dream to save a life by giving blood.

It crushed me to have to answer yes to the at-risk behaviours of having sex for money, and realising that my past had limited what I could give in the future.

It was yet another thing that had been stolen, along with my virginity. And I would be reminded of it every time I heard about the great gift of life others could give.

Today I followed my curiosity and asked the lady in front of the bus. If I was unable to give because I was a prostitute. She said not if you don’t have HIV.

I learned that as long as it had been over 12 months, it was no longer a disqualification. As long as my blood was clean, I could give.

I think its something about being like Jesus. And how He gave his blood for the world. I want to be like him and give my blood to save. I cried the whole time and for quite some time after.

Just grateful to have the freedom to save a life.

If you can, give blood. Do it for those that can’t.

Elimination Communication

November 2, 2020/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

Oh look! He’s pooping!! That’s so cute!

Yes, we all think that our sweet bundle of joy is just precious! And even when they poop, we love them so much. Why not help them to potty independent of diapers?

I used the book “Go Diaper Free” to help me get my EC journey started. It has been super helpful and they have great tools available on their website to assist with potty-ing a small baby. Like the baby potty.

The baby potty available on godiaperfree.com.

It’s easy to tell when an infant is pooping. They grunt, turn red or sound like an explosion is happening in their pants. That makes it pretty simple to connect the dots and communicate with them about what is happening.

Babies are smarter than we give them credit for. They are not just sleeping, pooping, eating machines. They are intelligent beings and WANT to communicate. If only they knew how.

That’s where the parent comes in. We teach our children about the world and the way that it works. We can teach them how to communicate at a very young age. My boy was able to tell me when he needed to go potty at just 2 months old.

It started with me holding him over a top hat potty to catch the elimination while feeding. This was best done once he was latching well. It does take a little bit of juggling!

First step is to cue when you notice baby going. Make a psss sound for pee and grunt for poo. This gives the baby a connection for the action!

Then taking advantage of potty opportunities helps to make more “catches” in the potty instead of in the diaper. For example:

When baby wakes up.
Before baby eats.
During eating.
After eating.
When transitioning out of chair/stroller/play area.
Before nap and bedtime.
Upon arriving.
Before leaving.

Additionally, paying attention to gut instincts and phantom pee feelings helps to catch potty before it happens too.

Each child is different, but by tracking when elimination happens it is possible to find the patterns and manage helping the child to use the potty.

Breastfed babies have water soluble poo and can wash down the sink. Warning: this can cause a slow drain or clog.

Babies can be potty-ed in the toilet, outdoors, top hat potty, baby potty, tub or sink. Just hold them under their thighs and wait! Cueing helps. It may take a while as they don’t have as much control over their bowels.

Some helpful tools for EC include clothes that are quick to take off, long socks, top hat potty or baby potty. Additionally I recommend getting the Go Diaper Free book to help you get the WHOLE process and how to.

I have found that cloth diapers make a great tool as well because they feel wet which helps the baby to understand the cause and effect of eliminating in their diapers as opposed to in a potty. Additionally they are great for the environment!

This has been a great adventure for me and I highly recommend it to anyone with a baby! You can start elimination communication at any time! This makes a better connection and helps to get potty training done quicker. Most babies are potty independent by one year!

Feel free to comment or reach out with any questions.
Good luck on your journey!

Sleeping Problems after Trauma

May 29, 2020May 29, 2020/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

For most trafficking survivors, sleep is not an easy or pleasant occurrence. Especially upon first escaping their captors. Nightmares will plague their restless nights for some time. Unfortunately that is the PTSD that comes from that experience.

But there are treatments and medications that may help with this issue. Because if you’re like me, sleeping is something you want to avoid, but there are things that make it better!

Therapy – EMDR

Therapy can help to process the dreams and the trauma. While this can seem to aggregate the issue initially, dreams are also the brain’s way of processing. Most people can sleep through their dreams. However, for those who are lighter sleepers or more hyper vigilant, the dreams can often disrupt the sleep.

As therapy progresses, and the brain continues to process through the trauma, nightmares should begin to subside. Additionally dreams can become the focus of the therapy.

Medications

For me, I have found help sleeping with an anti-depressant that has also been used as a sleep aid called Trazodone. You can ask your psychiatrist about this medication and if it is right for you. Another I have tried unsuccessfully was Prazosin, but have met other that do have success with that drug.

Essential Oils

I have personally found lavender to be extremely soothing and beneficial to me in helping fall asleep and stay asleep.

You can try getting an oil diffuser and setting it up on your nightstand. I love it.

Prayers and Psalms

One thing that ALWAYS helps me get my mind off the intrusive negative thoughts is prayer. Speaking to God like He is my friend, my Good Father, and my Protector.

I like to say the Lord’s Prayer from the Bible.

“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:9-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

My other favorite mantra is Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Our bodies need rest to heal. Find something that works for you! Feel free to share your personal favorites or results in the comments.

Stay Safe. Stay Out. Here’s what it takes.

May 28, 2020May 29, 2020/Jess de la Beauty/1 Comment

In order to stay safe and stay out of the life, some extreme measures need to be taken. It takes dedication, support and resilience. Contact the human trafficking hotline for a list of local resources for assistance. INCLUDING safe place.

Get to a safe place.
Connect with a safe person.
Get rid of phone.
Don’t go back to old places.
Don’t talk to friends in the life.
Find a new legal way to make money, outside of the sex industry, there is government support and non-profits.
Get therapy.

These are the most important things to accomplish straight away in order make a clean successful break from a trafficker. It is imperative to cut off communications with the trafficker, if that means dumping your phone and getting a new one I promise it is worth it to NOT have them talking in your ear trying to get you to come back.

Loved ones of survivors.

Be patient.
Be firm, but understanding.
Get support and be supportive.
Speak truth to the survivor. Tell them they are safe, loved and they will make it through this.
Assist them with finding work. Encourage them when it kills their sense of self-worth.

Human trafficking hotline 1-888-373-7888 or 711.

Text 233733.

Stripping => Trafficking. How it happens.

May 28, 2020May 29, 2020/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

With the focus and acceptability of sexuality our society, stripping is viewed as common. What people don’t know, is that strippers are often being trafficked.

How is that possible you ask?

The short answer – pimps.

Pimps and hoes are not something cool that anyone should aspire to. Pimps are manipulators that control people and take advantage of their actions. The next time you go to the club think twice if that stripper is keeping your money or giving it to her “daddy”

They do not always introduce themselves as pimps, in fact they will often present themselves as a boyfriend, or money manager. This fraudulent representation starts off the relationship while they convince their targets to give up their money. Once this has happened they will establish control in other ways, including taking ids, car, and phone.

They must be getting something of value from the relationship. They think they’re getting guidance, being protected or even loved.
Why do girls get with pimps?

Can a hoe CHOOSE to be a hoe?

In the brainwashed mind of a hoe, she has chosen to be in the life. And depending on the depth of the deception, they may truly believe that it is their choice to be in the situation. TRUTHFULLY, they may have chosen to strip, prostitute, or participate in porn, but that DOES NOT MEAN they CHOSE to be taken advantage of.

What makes a stripper or hoe a trafficking victim?

They have been exploited for labor, services or sex. This includes stripping, porn, and prostitution.

They do not have identification.
They are not allowed to make their own schedule.
They are limited in who they can talk to.
They do not have control over money.
They are expected to perform sexual acts for money.

If you or someone you care about is stripping and seems to be in a questionable “relationship”, they may need help getting out. They may think there is no getting out. They have probably been told they will be there for life.

Report suspected trafficking the the local police as well as to the national human trafficking hotline. It is not SAFE for you to intervene on your own. But they will need your support once they get out.

Check out my other blog post to see steps to stay safe and stay out, for trafficking victims and loved ones.

Thriving While Pregnant

May 23, 2020/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

First off, if you have found this post and are pregnant, CONGRATULATIONS!! I am so excited for you to start this part of your life! And I am proud of you for doing the research to make yourself better during this challenging time. So glad that you have found this post so you can learn from what I have discovered during my first pregnancy. This post contains affiliate links to connect you with my favorite products at no additional cost to you, while helping my out. Thank you for supporting me!

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing and bringing another life into the world is such an honor. But I’m just going to say what I wish someone told me, being pregnant is kind of miserable! At least at the beginning anyway, until you fall in love with the little creature that is growing in your belly. Then perception changes and you can see that it’s all going to be worth it in the end. But for now, I want to help you get through your pregnancy as comfortably as possible.

Let’s talk about some of the big issues. We’ve got nausea, sleep problems, and nutrition. That’s what I’m going to talk about today. and I’m going to share with you some of the tips that I’ve found useful to make my life a little better while my body changes.

Please, get rid of the Nausea!

For me the nausea started way early. Like before I even had a positive pregnancy test. My husband and I were trying to get pregnant so I had taken certain precautions to get myself ready, i.e. not drinking, taking prenatal vitamins and making healthy eating choices. But nothing prepared me for the nausea that would come in waves and just knock me down. It wasn’t that I threw up too often, but just felt miserably nauseous. So I began to scour the internet for help.

Morning sickness is not just in the mornings.

So I found a few things that worked for me. The easiest for me to do anytime, anywhere being adding lemon to my water. This did WONDERS for me. I read something about the acid helping to settle whatever was bubbling up out of the stomach. Get some lemons to slice if you want to be fancy or if you’re at a restaurant, but if you are an exhausted pregnant momma, just get some of that lemon juice from the grocery store by the mixers. Make sure it’s 100% lemon juice so you’re not getting any extra junk in there you don’t need. Then just add to your water whenever you’re feeling queasy.

The next thing I added that was Sea-Bands. They use pressure points and acupressure to relieve nausea. They come in a clear case so they stay clean in your purse and you can just put them on when the nausea hits or wear them all the time. You can get them in gray or a different color. Help me out by getting them through this link!

Besides those two things, the other integral part of “feeling better” for me was eating better. Even though I was craving cereal, cheeseburgers, pizza, popcorn or other junk food; they usually made me feel pretty crummy after I ate them. So when I made healthier choices like oatmeal, homemade turkey burgers, or cucumbers as a snack I usually felt better.

This moves us right along into the next category.

Nutrition not for you, but for Baby.

What you put into your body is going to nourish your sweet baby! They say what you eat is what your baby will crave. So let’s try to get JR off on the right track and make healthy eating choices. I’m not telling you to count calories or be a drill Sargent, but to use the 80/20 rule. 80% healthy good choices allows for 20% not so great choices… Basically you have to give in a little bit, that’s what keeps you on the wagon, per say.

Following the advice of my OB, I don’t recommend drinking any alcohol, because is it really worth it? Studies are unclear about what amount of alcohol will cause fetal alcohol syndrome, so its better to just stay away. Mocktails are fun and plentiful these days. Just think of this as one of your first sacrifices you are giving up for your growing family. Don’t be resentful. This is just the beginning of what you will do for the love of your family and your child.

Moving on, soap box away… Let’s talk Prenatals. Now, I’m not going to give you a breakdown of which vitamins you need and how much, since I’m not a doctor. But you want to get a prenatal that has Folic Acid. This is the important one that helps to prevent birth defects. Another thing that is great for brain health of baby are Omegas or Fish Oil. Talk with your doctor to see if there is anything else they recommend for you. Personally, I also take Magnesium for headaches and Vitamin B for energy. This is my prenatal that has pretty much everything expecting mommas need in it.

Another thing that is good to consider, especially if you are dealing with a lot of nausea, is taking what I call green juice. It’s Amazing Green powder or capsules you can take to get your greens in without having to work to actually eat all your veggies. Although eating fruits and vegetables is really good to help you feel better, if you can manage. This is pretty much the next best thing. You can find these in the grocery stores or health food stores, but be sure to check the expiration dates. Or you can get them easily delivered from Amazon. Personally, I prefer the berry flavor. But you can get the original flavor and mix it up with anything. Put it in a smoothie or juice. My preference is to have it with a Gatorade. We get ours delivered from Amazon. Just put water and gatorade powder in a gallon jug in the fridge. That keeps Momma from having to carry it in from the store. Plus, it’s better for the earth, than having to recycle all those bottles.

Sleep is good for Momma and Baby.

For me, sleep has always been a challenge. As a trafficking survivor with PTSD, nightmares tend to keep me up. But we’ll leave that topic for another day. Besides that, being pregnant has brought a whole new set of sleeping issues. For one thing being comfortable.

My husband knew my hips were going to be needing support so he got me this pillow for between my legs. That has been great! It stays between my legs whichever side I roll to. You can get it here.

Once my boobs started growing and getting heavy, it was just uncomfortable to lay on my side and have them hang there! So I started looking for sleep bras and other helpful tools. Eventually, I just used one of our king size fluffy pillows to hug and support my chest while also being able to tuck it under my belly and support me there. That works perfectly for me! I didn’t feel the need to buy a special pregnancy pillow. I hate buying things just for the name… So I’m glad that I could use what I already had! You can get pillows anywhere, just make sure it’s got enough support but is still soft enough to be form fitting for your spaces.

Since I have allergies coupled with the swollen nasal passages from being pregnant, my breathing has been a challenge. The thing that has been super helpful for me is the Breathe Right Extra Strength Tan Strips. I found the best price through my Costco membership, but you can easily get these on Amazon too. I like the sensitive skin ones. It’s AMAZING how much better you can breathe with those suckers on! You can also get it in Calming Lavender.

Now you have everything you need to get you through your first set of symptoms during pregnancy! Hope that you have found this helpful. Please feel free to leave comments about what you have liked in the comments below! If you have any other questions, definitely leave a note and I’ll be happy to share my wisdom. Good luck!

Surviving the Quarantine.

May 21, 2020/Jess de la Beauty/Leave a comment

These days for most of us, life includes a lot of isolation, social distancing and safe practices. We cannot forget to take care of our self and exercise good coping skills.

Tired of being at home, whether you are working, out of work or still in your regular job status? There are things you can do to keep the rhythm going and practice being productive. For someone like me, who is a type B, go with the flow, see what happens personality, it can get pretty slippery out there. It’s easy to feel like you just can’t get anything done, even though you KNOW your doing somethings…

So here is what I did to help myself feel and be more productive, therefore feeling more useful and content with my home life.

MAKE LISTS. – I created lists for my routines. I have a list of my morning routine, that includes brushing my teeth and putting clothes on. And I have a night time routine, which keeps me from leaving food out on the counter and makes sure all the doors are locked.

You can find printables for these lists here.

I started with just those two lists to help me start organizing my day, then I had all the time in between to get my other tasks finished. For me that looks like ordering groceries, doing laundry, checking in on my home business and walking the dog. And any other daily items that needed to be attended to. Then I realized that I have tasks that should be getting done every week, that really weren’t. Enter next list.

MAKE A WEEKLY TASK CHART. Here’s mine.

Depending on how large your family is, it will look different for every one. Since its only me and my husband right now, mine is pretty straight forward. It includes paying bills, filing paper, doing the ironing, making phone calls to friends and family (self-care), business checks and mailing thank you cards. These are the things that should be at least touched on each week to keep them under control.

ADD A BI-WEEKLY or MONTHLY CHART

There are definitely some tasks that I want to complete on a regular basis but if I don’t schedule them, I’ll probably forget. So on this list is where I keep clean the fridge, vacuum the furniture (I have dust allergies, they’re the WORST!), pick up prescriptions and wash the mattress cover.

Once I got the basics of the household essentials down, I needed something that was going to make me not feel like I’m drowning in housework. I put the focus on HOME PROJECTS and SELF-CARE. These lists were a bit more fun to make, especially since we are expecting our first baby boy in August! It is imperative to have some positivity in your life! So don’t skip these lists of goals and care!

CREATE A LIST OF SELF CARE. 1-2 activities, 30 mins to 2 hours, daily.

My SELF-CARE example list.

It is so important to take care of YOU! Becuase if you don’t do it, no one else will. These should be activities that you enjoy doing, that make you feel good about yourself and are relaxing. Therapeutic activities that can be very relaxing are repetitive and have some back and forth action. This can be coloring, taking a walk, doing a craft, cooking dinner or any number of things! Some other things I enjoy are listening to audiobooks, painting a picture or my nails, doing a face mask, working out, playing a game, and calling a friend. For me when my day is just feeling like a bummer it’s super helpful for me to have a list I can go to and just pick something instead of making my brain work. Other times I want to feel productive like I have accomplished a task. That’s when I look to my HOME PROJECTS LIST.

CREATE A LIST OF HOME PROJECTS.

My list is separated into organize and to-do. This is a great place to get those thoughts out of my head when they pop in and try to distract me. My current to-dos include replacing light bulbs, create a hobby space, and clean out freezer. So I can be thinking about these things, but not focused on them when the timing isn’t right. Some of my organizing places are the work bench, baby’s closet, guest closet, kitchen cabinets, laundry room and bathroom cabinets. These are all little projects that I need, or would like to have finished before the baby comes. And its so nice to cross those things off! When I cleaned off the work bench and organized the whole garage! AWESOME! And sometimes projects take me more than one sitting. That is OK. I’ve been listening to this great podcast called The Organize 365 Podcast. This is especially helpful when I want to get myself in the organizing MODE.

This is just one thing that I have incorporated into my life since the quarantine that has really helped me to stay positive, keep focused and gain momentum. I would love to hear some of your home projects and incorporations that have made your life better since the quarantine! Leave them in the comments below.

Just Confident

Faith to build health and gain confidence.