Learning to Relax, Recharge and Reflect through Remission

*This post is in partnership with Cost Plus World Market.

It's pretty tough to find someone who hasn't been touched by cancer somehow. I know that personally, my family has dealt with a multitude of different kinds in different members with varying degrees of difficulty. Most notably, both my aunt and grandmother on my mother's side have battled breast cancer and won! To have two survivors is not just an inspiration to us but gives others hope when we share their stories. This post gave me the opportunity to learn more about my family and also brings to light the importance of self care after a cancer diagnosis. After going through cancer treatment, and then to be in remission, it's so important to take time to care for your needs whether physical or emotional. Both my aunt and grandmother are survivors but they are also thrivers, which I find to be amazingly inspirational. Through their personal journeys, I've realized that there are great ways to relax, recharge and reflect after a cancer diagnosis, which is very much needed after treatments that can be very traumatic.

Something that has helped countless people in channeling their feelings, is the power of journaling. A notebook and a pen can help in healing if given the chance. My grandmother has always been one to write thoughtful things to me, as long as I can remember. She battled breast cancer in the 1980's when I was a very small child so my experiences with her have always been when she was in remission. I think that in writing we can often express things, put them on paper, to release them from our minds and the weight of those things can be lifted. Easier said than done, I know, but there is something to it. Studies have shown that the emotional release from journaling lowers anxiety, stress, and helps bring better sleep.

You know that I am all about the wellness and self care rituals that keep us sane from day to day but after the stress of something as serious as cancer, in surviving there is the utmost importance placed on taking that time for yourself, even if you are not going through remission yourself but have been on the journey with a loved one. Cancer is no joke and the experience is most likely one that shakes your friends and family to the core. There is the mindfulness aspect to self care (mediation, journaling etc) but there's also the tangible things as well. Lighting some candles, spraying your pillow after a hot bath or taking quiet time to yourself over a hot cup of herbal tea can go a long way in feeling the love. Spa gifts to yourself count too, since everyone loves to relax a little, so pampering is always in style. In the relaxation, you can find the moments to contemplate your experiences to find better understanding and appreciation for the blessings that you've been given. In my conversations with family, that is one of the most common themes, is the feeling of being blessed. Even if it's hard to find the positives, we should always try to do so!

When my Aunt was first diagnosed with cancer, it was around the same time as Guiliana Rancic. Guiliana had partnered with LOFT to create a line of jewelry where the proceeds would benefit breast cancer charities. For some reason, it was important to my aunt to find a statement necklace that helped her to share her story. She says that people have stopped her to chat about her necklace only to continue talking and realize that they're both breast cancer survivors. Giving herself this small gift, a reminder of her fight, also gives her the opportunity to share her story. I find that to be pretty darn amazing, right? Something that seems so small or insignificant can be so much more. Finding these connections in remission can be a huge part of the healing process so find those special little gifts to yourself that reminds you how awesome you are and who knows what more it can bring to you.

Meditation isn't easy, especially if you have a lot on your mind. Something that I was talking to my Aunt about was being more thoughtful, or mindful if you will. She's taken workshops, that's how important it is to her. In remission, the need to be positive is important because there's always the worry that the cancer will come back. When worry creeps in, so do feelings of sadness. Meditation can help to center you and bring you back to basics, clearing the mind of these worries. Meditation can also help to relieve stress, decreases depression and anxiety while also helping your brain look within. It may sound hokey but it's not, I promise you.

Ultimately, we can help those in our lives going through treatment and in remission by being their support and encouraging them to take time for themselves to heal and to be happy. What I've learned through my family is that these are tippy top priorities. I'm so happy to have partnered with Cost Plus World Market on this post. They aren't just an amazing place to shop but they have initiatives that really show that they care about their customers and their families. Through 06/04/2017 you can enter to win $2500 for you and an amazing woman in your life through Cost Plus World Market's Amazing Women Sweepstakes. Also in May, you buy your favorite jewelry and 10% of the sales (up to $10,000) will be donated to the American Cancer Society through Dazzle and Donate! See? Those are two initiatives that are super fun but have substance so thumbs up to them! And if that wasn't enough, in honor of my Aunt Sandy and my Grandmother Barbara, I am making a donation to the American Cancer Society in their name. It's the least I can do to honor two amazing women in my life!

I love stopping into my Framingham, MA store but you can find your closest location here. Also to snag any of the awesome offerings that I have in my post, be sure to click through below and learn to relax, recharge and reflect in remission or just in your life. Being mindful, present. appreciative and aware are keys to happiness, if you ask me.

Do you have any special ways that you've celebrate life through remission or helped a family member do so? I'd love to hear your story!

Create an At Home Meditation + Relaxation Nook

*This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market. They are super psyched to help us relax more this year!

I am no expert on meditation and I need help relaxing more but one thing that I do know is that setting intentions and creating a quiet meditation space are great steps to making 2017 and more goal oriented and focused year! With the help of Cost Plus World Market, I've been working on creating this space in a sweet, quiet corner of my home. It's in this space that I can take a few moments a day to focus my energy and hopefully find a little more peace/happiness by finding that focus. I've put together some of my tips and tricks on setting intentions, setting up a comfortable area and finding inspiration in the process. Whether you supplement with spa products or by bringing a cup of tea, relaxing your way should be an important part of every day. Though these are my tips. the beauty of it is, you can tweak to create exactly what is right for you!

Creating a calm and serene area can be as easy as finding a quiet corner of your home, lighting candles and taking a moment to yourself. If you're anything like me, you want to make that little area your "own". We have a spare bedroom that I've always found relaxing, from the color we painted it to the way that the light hits each corner of the space at certain times of the day. Finding the decor to match the space was easy, since my aesthetic already swings toward Cost Plus World Market's eclectic and funky decor. I chose a small wood slice accent table, an aqua suti floor pouf and a chenille throw as the centerpiece items to my nook. I think that choosing calming, yet fun colors helped me make the space my own but if you're more into neutrals, then you can do just that. Remember, make it your own!

Adding small touches is just as important. You'll notice that I've got a sort of yoga/meditation vibe so I went with that when adding little trinkets to my nook. An amethyst druzy chunk, flameless candles, crystals (amethyst, rose quartz and raw quartz), lavender + sage smudge stick and a lotus stone votive  helped to pull the small space together and encouraged a peacefulness.

This year, I've decided that setting intentions is a much better idea than having New Year's resolutions that may or may not come to fruition. Setting intentions is a great way to set your day, week, month and even year off on it's best trajectory. It can be a small intention (be kind to everyone you meet today) to something much larger (I want to see myself excel in my work this year). 

I think a great idea for setting intentions, then keeping them as reminders, is to use a jar or something similar to keep them for easy access. I snagged a jar from Cost Plus World Market, quickly hand painted the word "intent" and started filling my jar with intentions for better living. This isn't something to stress about. Your intention for the day can be a word, a phrase, a quote from someone else... the point is that you're setting a path for what you want to see for yourself. If you need inspiration, one of my favorite kickstarters is the Art of Attention: Yoga Deck from Elena Brower (a thoughtful Yoga instructor). Each card can speak to you on a different day and perhaps strike the cord that you needed to think about. The Hamsa card holder is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT to keep a meaningful card at eye level for as long as you need to see it.

If you take the time to relax, breathe and make time for yourself you might be surprised how you're more apt to be inspired in your every day, rather than succumbing to stress. When you're constantly worrying, it's hard sometimes to let the good in... or at least in my experience. Meditation or even sitting with your thoughts for five minutes a day can make all the difference in resetting your mindset and improving your attitude. Find joy in the area that you create for yourself. Your corner of the house can be off limits to the kids or you can share; just find what makes you happy!

What are your tips and tricks for finding your happiness at home? Do you have a relaxation nook? Snag some of my faves for your personal space below!

A DIY Mandala Meditation Table Sponsored By Wayfair

Sometimes I just love a good project, even if I don't have the time or even need to create anything. When Wayfair was like hey you guys, do you want to take the Maginnis End Table and do whatever you want to it? I was like heck, yes, send it on over and I am going to DECOPAUGE it! I've always loved decopauge, which simply put, is like gluing all of your favorite paper cutouts to something you love and making it all awesome by laquering that bad larry like it was going out of style. I taught myself the art of decopauge myself and it's really very easy. Some great tutorials are around the nets (like here and here) but what I really think should be your deco-P inspiration is an amazing piece of art or clippings that you adore. What inspired me was art created by my long time internet friend, Kristen Fagan. We "met" in our early days of blogging back when and have been following eachother's creative adventures ever since. She has been creating some amazing mandala and meditation art as of late and one of her pieces "Be Brave, Love Deeply, Shine Brightly" really spoke to me. I purchased the digital image and I've been sitting on it for over 6 months. *Light Bulb Turns On*- DECOPAUGE!

What You'll Need to Decopauge:

• Glue- I use Modge Podge because if a glue was my soul mate, MP would be it.
• Medium Sized Paint Brush
• Paint Scraper or "Smoother"
• Clear Varnish (optional, you can also use your Modge Podge)
• Art- Be sure you have enough to cover your surface area. I printed mine at Staples on 8x11 multipurpose paper so the quality would be crisp!
• Scissors

The process is really quite simple. You are covering the surface area with your papercut outs, gluing them, then sealing them for a smooth finish. It can take some getting used to and get ready to have "gluey" fingers for the duration but once you get into a groove, you really start creating something amazing. I did all the pieces of the side table unassembled to ensure that I wouldn't be missing any nooks or corners. Starting with bigger pieces to cover the wider surfaces of the table was easy and during a break, I cut different shapes from the art work (flowers, quotes, mandalas circles) to create the vision I wanted for the visible surfaces. When decopauging, it's important not just to glue but to smooth as you go, hence the need for the paint scraper. If you don't smooth your paper while the glue is drying, you may end up with air pockets and bubbles which can be hard to smooth out once dry. The beauty of using a print like this is that is was very forgiving in this area and lended to a more worry-free creative process. I said to my husband as I was decopauging, watching The West Wing on Netflix, that this table was going to be friggin' awesome!

Sure, the process can be tedious and time consuming when you're working on a piece of furniture but when the outcome is awesome, it's totally worth the committment! I am EXTREMELY pleased with the outcome. I think this is the perfect addition to a room where I often take some time to just "be quiet", though those moments are few and far between, it's important that I take them.  The table itself is super affordable so the project was  "low risk" but boy was it high reward. I absolutely friggin' love the outcome!

This past weekend, you may have been following my social snaps of a new event in Boston, the WELL Summit. I have been talking about this "conference" for many months now and was extremely excited to have the weekend finally arrive. I guess I would say that my main reason for buying a ticket was that I've been very much into Green Beauty and making sure that there are less chemicals coming into our home and more natural products that are good for the Earth and our Family... but my expectations for the event were blown out of the water. Of course, there were breakout sessions geared toward green beauty and there was even a breakfast panel dedicated towards it but what surprised me the most were the breakout sessions that I didn't know what to expect but ended up receiving some very thought provoking "gifts" from.

On top of making soap with a master, getting my DIY on with a fellow mom, beauty tips from a green pro and learning about herbs for the urban dweller from an actual herbalist, there were sessions geared towards finding your sacred beauty, meditation and following your intuition. I will be completely honest that I wasn't as excited about these sessions as I was the DIY + beauty ones because my goals for the conference were somewhat superficial at the beginning but what ended up happening, was that I let myself be open to the entire experience + what I received was a great gift of self reflection + some thought provoking realizations about my own personal happiness... I need to make my personal world a better place to be.

• Rebecca Casciano helped me look at beauty in a different way and then verbalize it with complete strangers, which was perfect. The insights that others had was amazing and it totally set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Rebecca is a beautiful person, inside and out, and I will always appreciate meeting her in this way. 
• Josh Rosebrook, in addition to being just a plain joy to be around, led a meditation session that really helped me get a grasp on what I wanted to achieve with meditating at home and also find a peace, even if it's only for a few moments a day. Every time that Josh and I spoke over the course of two days, I felt more of a connection. This connection, like all of the new relationships over the course of the weekend, is something to be treasured.
• Rachel Winard, led the last session that I attended and shared her story about following her intuition/gut feelings. Let's just say that her story had me feeling all the feels. She inspired me to be vulnerable, she inspired me to look inside and ask myself what I can do to make myself a happier person and to trust my feelings about all the choices + the trajectory of my life. All of the people in her session shared personal experiences that resonated with me and I thank her for starting the conversation for all of us.

The order with which I took my sessions was no mistake, as it turns out, since I believe that every message I received was one that helped me have some emotional release at the end of the whole thing (yeah, I cried in front of some people). Each step of the way, each person that I talked to, I was looking at myself and my own personal happiness a little more + more. If you were there, you would have seen/met all manner of person who was either working at their happiness/wellness, doing what they were meant to be doing and/or trying to help others do the same. It was a truly multi-dimensional experience where all involved were of like minds and souls (cheesy, so sue me). Authenticity and truthfulness is something I hold dearer now than ever before. There was no competitive, self promotion at WELL Summit but rather a collaborative atmosphere where everyone was learning from one another.

Thank you to everyone who hugged me, encouraged me (I'm looking at you, Tara), listened to me, shared their stories with me, helped me find which room I was supposed to be in and hung out with me in between (Hi Jessica, Quiana and Cam!). Plus, a huge thanks to Gianne of Organic Bath, whose "brain child" came to fruition in the most wonderful way. I am so excited to take part next year and see each and every one of the people that I can now call friends.