- 3 min read

Self-care Saturdays: September 17, 2016

On Self-care Saturdays I share a collection of things to uplift and encourage from art to recipes to news and more. It’s all about sharing and passing love and beauty around. Have a beautiful weekend and take care of yourself and others.

It’s been a hard week and some have really tried to take me down but–

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

Be free.

A photo posted by freepeople (@freepeople) on Sep 17, 2016 at 1:48pm PDT

This is beautiful.

“Maybe we could love somebody. Maybe we could care a little more. Maybe we could love somebody instead of polishing the bombs of holy war.”

notes on emotional clarity: we all deserve peace of mind and each of us have different ways of achieving it. for me, indulging in journaling, meditation and prayer works best. this particular sunday is an interesting day for me. my energy and feelings are kinda all over the place. if my husband and i hadn’t experienced a #miscarriage in january, today would’ve been our due date. time flies. and even though i am not expecting a baby today, i was encouraged by my sweet friend, @sophia_roe to celebrate anyway. i started my celebratory #selfcare practice today with prayer, books, sage’ing my space, and journaling. i also treated myself to a fun zumba class to dance and be free. what i am learning daily is that in order to show up for myself, my daughter, my husband—and our future children—i have to create safe spaces, clear my mind, and prepare for joy. no matter what you lose in life, there’s a lesson to gain. while it’s not always comforting to hear “everything happens for a reason,” we must believe in something higher and greater than ourselves. we can’t always control what happens to us, but we can do our best to respond in a way that is healthy, healing, and honorable. today, i have chosen to celebrate life and dance in the rain—because i know my rainbow is coming. song: ‘dance in the rain’ by @taylorbennett sage: @saltrootssoapco

A video posted by alexandra (@alex_elle) on Sep 11, 2016 at 9:14am PDT

If you’ve had a bad day this video of birds dancing is sure to cheer you up. Make sure you watch to the end. It’s the best part!

Take care and eat well.

Early morning at Bellagio’s local fruit market 🍑🍐🍉🍌🍊🍋

A photo posted by Jessica Stein (@tuulavintage) on Sep 6, 2016 at 2:38pm PDT

Hard to believe it’s been a year since we created our secret garden install for @melbournecentral – such good memories watching people turn into walking plant creatures! #plants #flowers #looseleafprojects #indoorplants

A photo posted by Loose Leaf – Plants & Flowers (@looseleaf__) on Sep 8, 2016 at 1:54am PDT

Lina posted this helpful list of things to do to cope with stress. My favorites are below but be sure to check out the whole list.

Say no more often.
Avoid negative people. (Amen!)
Make duplicate keys.
Always make copies of important papers. (My suggestion: scan them into Evernote so you don’t have extra papers lying around.)
Unclutter your life.
Pet a friendly dog/cat.
Read a poem. (Love!)
Look at a work of art.

This is one of my favorite pieces by Miles Davis. I dare you to listen to this and not relax.

Trying to maintain balance. #photographersofinstagram #monochrome #blackandwhite #streetphotography #imagelogger #rollerskating

A photo posted by tanisha caldwell (@tanishalcaldwell) on Aug 7, 2016 at 9:02am PDT

The benefits of Turmeric tea include its ability to possibly prevent Alzheimer’s disease as well as its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Have a cup.

A photo posted by Erika Ura (@uraerika) on Aug 9, 2016 at 7:51am PDT

Over Oahu #fromwhereidrone ]+[ 📸 by: @henry_do

A photo posted by From Where I Drone® (@fromwhereidrone) on Sep 11, 2016 at 1:50pm PDT

Lone kayaker #fromwhereidrone ]+[ 📸 by: @jay_daley_photography

A photo posted by From Where I Drone® (@fromwhereidrone) on Sep 7, 2016 at 10:24pm PDT

Try out Bryant Terry’s POMEGRANATE-PEACH BARBECUE SAUCE and SWEET POTATO and LIMA BEAN TAGINE from Afro-Vegan.