Live Free

As you all know, I'm a teacher, and I love what I do.
I love teaching kids.
I love creating readers and writers out of them.
I love being around people all the time, especially middle school teachers, who, like the kids we teach, are a unique tribe of people themselves.

But I'm also passionate about so many other things.

Mindfulness.
Health and wellness.
Open lines of communication.
Taking time to take care of yourself.
Seeing the world.
Experiencing new cultures.
New outfits, with the perfect accessories.
Puppies.

The list could really go on and on.

Except I'm kinda stuck, because my teaching career can only afford me so much in the way of financing the life I dream about.

I don't want to be two days out from payday asking a friend if we can grab a coffee instead of lunch because my checking account has taken a hit. Or saying no to another friend's trip to Europe because I'm buried in some credit card debt.

I'd love financial freedom.

I don't want to be so exhausted from teaching that I do not do what I need to do for myself, which is work out after work. And I really hate that alarm going off at 5:30am every morning calling me from my peaceful slumber into a cold (litearlly - it's like 10 below in Chicago the past few days) world.

I'd love time freedom.

I certainly do not want toxins in my daily care products. If I am going to get myself toxic, I'd rather do that with a bottle of wine and a friend than with my shampoo and mascara.

I'd love freedom from toxic chemicals that infiltrate the products we use on a daily basis.

As much as I love teaching, it just won't give me certain freedoms I desire. That's why I said yes to Arbonne about a year and a half ago.

Now, in my free time, I get to teach others about health and wellness, how it means more than just what we're eating and how often we exercise.

I get to share the joy of our culture and community with anyone who is interested, and introduce them to a whole bunch of women who are all my new friends now!

Let's get a coffee and talk more about it! I'd love to show you how you can create a willable asset for your family and loved ones by simply changing where you shop... and get a whole crew of new friends as a result! Just drop me a message and I'll reach out!

And until then, be well, friends!

Winter break for DAZE

I am really loving Christmas break this year. We worked up until the 22nd of December, and while that was hard to be so busy preparing for Christmas without having many days off, I made it work. Fast forward traveling, seeing family, celebrating Christmas, eating a lot of food, New Years, and then a flight back to Chicago, you know, feeling that holiday hustle and DAZE, but now... thankful for the seemingly unending DAYS of Christmas break, because I'm out till the 8th!

It's been so nice, too, to slow down. Take today: slept until 7:30. Stayed in bed until 8:30. Got up, did a few chores around the house, ran by school (don't judge me, but the main reason I went was to take the Christmas decorations down and put up the Valentine's Day ones! hahah), then visited a friend, and now I'm chillin' at Starbucks with a tea and writing.

And it's pretty neat.

I still have a few more days off and I'll be able to spend time with my coteacher tomorrow going to yoga, do a little bit of work with my side hustle (Arbonne), work out at home a bit, prepare for a healthy living challenge, and not have to wake up to an alarm.

These breaks certainly make a difference for creating balance in teacher's lives.

I've also realized how important it is to have some plans on the calendar. I've got two trips in a few months: Vegas in April and Denver in May. Having plans to look forward to make such a difference, especially in Chicago when it's a tundra and below zero with the windchill.

Wishing you peaceful vibes on break or school days that are blissful with your kiddos!

Cheers to 2018!