Strange Daze Indeed

Isn't life strange? And wonderful!

5 Ways to Reduce Stress When Moving to a New Home

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Anyone here love a good moving job?! Not me! It really stresses me out because there are so many moving parts (literally). When I move, I am a constant ball of stress, but you can learn from my mistakes and don’t have to repeat them because now, you can utilize these tips to help you reduce anxiety when moving to a new home. Check them out:

 

Sell Your Home First

If you are moving to a new home and you already own a home, you might be very concerned about what the buying and selling process looks like when it is intertwined. Throw in a move on the same day of closing – for both homes – and you have a really stressful day ahead of you! That’s why I always recommend selling your current home first. I saw a couple on Instagram that sold their previously current home when the market was at the peak. Then, they rented a townhome for about 6 months (maybe a bit longer) while they were searching for a new home and throughout the closing process of that new home. Finally, they rented the townhome for about a month after they closed on their new home so that they could swap out the flooring, paint the home, and give it a good clean before moving all of their stuff in. Although moving twice in such a short time frame was not ideal, it was honestly so much less stressful for them this way, compared to selling and buying a home at the same time, which could have left them with reduced funds, a super quick move on the same day as both closings, and more.

Save the stress and sell your home before you find a new home if renting is an option for you short-term. Honestly, you could even take an adventure, move most of your things into storage for a few months, and get a beach condo or mountain condo for awhile as you house hunt. The only downside to this is not being able to see the homes in person, unless you come  back from your vacation rental.

 

Start Weeks In Advance

I know that you see this piece of advice on literally every moving article known to man, but that is because it really does make it easier and reduce anxiety a ton! If you are planning a move, make sure to start weeks in advance so that you don’t get stressed out along the way. The earlier you can start, the better! 

 

Roll With The Punches & Stay Positive

No matter how great and organized your to-do list and packing job is/was, something will always come up last minute to throw you for a loop. When it does, make sure that you roll with the punches and stay positive. A lot of the time, your stress comes from yourself and how you handle situations. While it is easy to feel out of control sometimes, slow down and try your best to recover as you focus on what you can do to get back to your positive state again. Rolling with the punches is not always easy, but it is a great way to reduce stress throughout the moving process.

 

 

Fresh Start – The Moving Crew

Best solution when it comes to reducing stress while moving to a new home? Utilize Fresh Start – The Moving Crew because they are residential movers Worcester. Even when it comes to packing, they can be a huge life saver! They say, “We find that underestimating the time and energy required to pack for a move is very common and it can be one of the most stressful aspects of planning for a move, which is why we include packing services as part of our full service moving offering. Our professional, careful movers and packers are expertly trained to pack and crate items of any quantity, value, or fragility, from a library of books to a cabinet of fine china. You’d rather not worry about packing at all. We will send a team of experienced movers and packers to your home to pack up the attic to the basement. Of course, we will leave out any items you’ll need on the night before moving and quickly pack those up on moving day. Professional packing services from Fresh Start – The Moving Crew will ensure that your items are packed efficiently and transported safely.” They can pack for you, move your fragile items, move all other items, and so much more. 

 

Unpack Quickly

Have you ever heard anyone say that unpacking is the best? Nope. I hate it. You probably hate it too. So, that’s why you should just do it quickly and get it all over with. Unpack as fast as you can (safely, of course) and you will be glad that you did it that way in the long run. Once you unpack, you are done, and you can focus on the more fun things that a move brings your way.

 

Finish Line End of Season Sale at Macy’s – Save up to 60%!

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This post is sponsored by Sivan Social. All comments and opinions are my own.

We’re into 2021 and one of my resolutions this year is to get more exercise! Being outside has such a wonderful effect on my overall wellbeing. Having athletic gear that feels good and makes you happy really helps and this is the perfect time to upgrade to a new pair of shoes. Luckily, Macys is having an awesome sale right now and you can save up to 60% on select styles during their Finish Line end of season sale.

 

 

There’s something for everyone: Men, Women, and Kids’ Styles. You’ll find running shoes for sure but casual shoes and boots as well.

Here are some of my favorites. Whether you’re doing yoga, walking, jogging or running, I’m sure you’ll find something that you love. Lately I’ve been incorporating yoga into my walks, including side stretches, tree and warrior poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness.

My favorite in the sale right now are these Skechers Women’s Summits. I’d been eyeing them before and now they’re on sale for only $40 with free shipping at $25. My favorite colors too!

 

I’m also completely in love with these Skechers Relaxed Fit: Easy Going – Girl Crush Ankle Boots. They were $70 and now are only $40 as well! Perfect comfy boots for chilly days.

The Finish Line End of Season Sale at Macy’s runs through January 18 so hurry and don’t miss out!

Shop Smarter at Old Navy with Slickdeals

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My heart and spirit are in giving mode this holiday season, however, it’s been a rough year and the funds I’d budgeted to go towards gifts got re-routed. Some of the major gifts will have to wait for more prosperous times, however, I’ll still be gifting my friends and loved ones. ‘Tis the season!

This is one of the major reasons I love Old Navy! I have found incredible deals and a wide variety of clothing and accessories at truly affordable prices. I love their deals year round, but, they are incredibly helpful now! Plus, I get to buy items that I know those I gift will love.

Because we just had a Nor’Easter and it’s still snowy, I’m dreaming of hygge gifts for my cozy-loving friends and family. I’m loving these Old Navy finds including these warm slipper socks, this clever tee, these adorable Patterned Waffle-Knit One-Piece Pajamas and this Cozy Bouclé Faux-Fur Pom-Pom Beanie Hat.

It’s always so fun when I can find special deals, sales, coupons, promo codes and discounts. My favorite site for this is Slickdeals. You can set up deal alerts to get notified and they also have an app so you can be on top of all the sales and savings. There is even a Slickdeals browser extension that will auto apply coupons for you. All these tools will help you save money every day and stretch your dollar.

I check into Slickdeals daily, especially this time of year! They have incredible front page deals as well as savings at all my favorite stores and I’ve saved so much. I’m loving their Old Navy Coupons and I’m using them right now.

Here are some extra tips that I find helpful:

Rather than buying one item here or there, consolidate your purchases to ensure free shipping and take advantage of special offers.

Use a credit card with rewards so that you can get cash back.

Make sure you’re shopping legit websites.

Check Slickdeals for the best coupons, promo codes and deals before you shop.

I have to admit that I love browsing for gifts online. It’s like window shopping that you can do from your couch in your pjs! With these tips, hopefully you can get something special for yourself as well. It’s been a rough year!

This is a partnered post with Slickdeals. All opinions are my own.

Save Big at Sam’s Club December Savings Week!

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This post is sponsored by Sivan Social. All comments and opinions are my own.

It’s snowing outside my window, and, as I enjoy my mug of hot peppermint cocoa, I’m dreaming of the perfect holiday gifts for my friends and family and browsing online at Sam’s Club. As part of their December Savings week, Sam’s Club has so many amazing deals including great buys on holiday gifts!

So that you can plan too, here is a preview. There are so many gift ideas including clothing, tech, toys and telescopes. There’s really something for everyone on your list. And, for yourself!

I’m definitely thinking of purchasing this Apple Watch for my sister since she loves mine for its fitness tracking and because it also monitors your heart rate. The Apple Watch has so many cool features. The Sleep app lets you set a bedtime routine to track your sleep and you can get calls, messages, and music right on your wrist. You can save $30!

Apple Watch SE 44mm GPS

We’ve also been thinking of purchasing a large-screen Smart TV since we’ve been having more movie nights and binging more series like The Queen’s Gambit and Ozark.

This Vizio 70″ Class V-Series 4K HDR Smart TV – V705-H is on sale for $130 off and would be perfect for the living room.

VIZIO 70″ Class V-Series 4K HDR Smart TV – V705-H

I love my Sam’s Club membership, and it’s saved me so much over the years, but, for those who don’t have one yet, here’s a special offer for you. Join now for $45 & receive a free Rotisserie Chicken, Take & Bake Pizza, and 8 count cupcakes, valued at $20.95. Yum! (This offer is good from 12/7/20-1/31/21).

Sam’s Club Scan & Go and Curbside Pickup options allow you to shop safely in these challenging times. You can learn more here about the steps they’re taking to help protect everyone – including masks, visual social distancing markers and sanitized carts as well as curbside pickup.

For contact-free shopping in your club, you’re encouraged to use the exclusive Scan & Go™ feature in the Sam’s Club app. Simply scan your items with your phone, pay in the app and skip the checkout line.

This year’s holidays may look a little different, but, it’s all about the spirit and the joy you bring and share. Be well and enjoy the season, friends!

 

 

Staying Active! Athleta’s Holiday Gift Guide

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This post is sponsored by Sivan Social. All comments and opinions are my own.

It’s been quite a year! Staying active is so important for our health and wellbeing.

You may be a runner or a swimmer. You may love to hike and explore or play tennis or golf.  You may be like me and your passion is yoga and the sun salutation each morning. Whatever your pleasure, you’ll find fabulous gifts for the active (and activewear-loving) folks on your holiday shopping list at Athleta! And, since self-care is so important, why not buy something special for yourself as well. As the weather turns chilly, you’ll find lots of beautiful cozy choices to snuggle up in.

Check out their awesome holiday gift guide:

Right now I’m loving these Double Cozy Karma Recover Joggers(pictured above). Temps are dropping, but, that won’t stop me from layering up and getting active. They pair well with this plush Cozy Karma Asym Pullover, perfect for yoga or out exploring in nature. Either or both would make the perfect holiday gift!

One of my favorite spiritual teachers, Thich Nhat Hanh has said:  “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” As I do my walking meditation, I remember these words and I find my heart is happy, my spirit soothed.

Always Eat After 7 PM – Conclusions

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Now that I’ve been following the Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion over the past month, I wanted to share some thoughts with you.

Health and wellness are my priority and this program really seems to be helping me. It supports my immune system and I’m having less fatigue and pain from fibromyalgia. I am able to do more, have more energy, feel balanced and am more in tune with my overall wellbeing. I’m even sleeping better which was one of my main goals!

I love that Always Eat After 7 PM is based on tried and true research and the author’s personal experience. There’s a wealth of information and recipes that makes this one of the most-referenced and beloved books on my shelf.

For me this book has been very affirming as it supports ways of eating that are more natural and more healthful to me, and, because of this, I’ll be sticking with this ‘rule-breaking’ diet and continuing to explore new foods and trying more of the recipe ideas.  Let’s face it, we stay with things we love!

From the book:

Fact is, most diets are extremely narrow with regard to food choices and variety, and many even limit entire macronutrients altogether over the course of the entire program (think low-carb and low-fat diets). Three months with no carbs? No thanks. Such practices not only are entirely unnecessary, but make for a miserable, unsustainable experience.

A Votre Santé, my friends! Here’s to your health.

Links to my previous Always Eat After 7 PM posts:

First Post 

Update One

Update Two

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

 

Always Eat After 7 PM Update 2

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

 

When I started following the Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion, some of my goals were to increase my energy, fortify my immune system and get better sleep.

After about a week, I really started noticing considerable progress! I’ve been interested in Intermittent Fasting and love that this book teaches me how to do it correctly and in ways that will most benefit my health.  I begin the day as suggested with a cup of hot water with lemon juice. It boosts my metabolism, helps my digestion, is an anti-inflammatory and also helps support my immune system.  From the book:

One of the simplest 3-Minute Fat-Burning Morning Rituals, lemon water is a glass of water mixed with the juice of one half of a lemon. This drink provides all the benefits of regular drinking water, which supports weight loss, digestive health, physical performance, and cognitive function.

And also, regarding the benefits of intermittent fasting:

Intermittent fasting really shines when it comes to improving the hormones that directly affect your hunger, blood sugar, and metabolism. One is insulin. IF combats insulin resistance, meaning that it helps your body use insulin more normally, thereby lowering your diabetes risk and boosting your metabolism.

I have been noticing that I have more energy for both work and for my family and friends. I feel more calm and feel healthier and am truly enjoying the food lists and the wealth of delicious recipe ideas this book provides.

My new favorite is the Chili Loaded Baked Potato. If you’re wondering how that can be healthy as I was, it’s actually a perfect combo of macronutrients which help stabilize blood sugar and regulate your cortisol cycle which keeps your body in fat burning mode. Combining the protein, carbs and fiber helps increase energy levels without the normal higher carb meal crash.

 

The No Bake Salted Caramel Bars are truly delicious also! I love making them ahead of time and keeping extras in the freezer when I want a treat after dinner or even before bed.

 

With such delicious food choices and without impossible restrictions, I  definitely feel that Joel Marion’s Always Eat After 7PM program makes dieting easy and eliminates 90% of reasons for resistance. If you find something you love, you just naturally want to stick with it.  With more energy and better sleep, I’m definitely sticking with it.  The program also seems to follow my natural biorhythms.

Bestselling author, Joel Marion, is a fitness expert and nutritionist debunking the myths underlying traditional dieting and offers a simple, highly effective weight loss program.Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

Here are links to my previous posts about my experience with the Always Eat After 7 PM program.

Post One

Post Two

 

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson: How to Reach Your Dream Customers

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Tracking PixelThis post is brought to you by our sponsor, Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Did you know that it’s not just about creating a fantastic product or meaningful content? Sure, that’s important; but, it’s not true that if you ‘just build it, they will come’ to your website. It’s about identifying your dream customer at a deep level and then helping them easily find you so that you can help them. I’m learning this and more from Russell Brunson’s new book Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers.  As Russell says: “Waiting for people to come to you is not a strategy.” You could have the best product or website in the world, but, that doesn’t mean people will be able to find you.

Russell Brunson is a Best-Selling Author & CEO of the $100M software company ClickFunnels and has a following of over a million entrepreneurs. He has sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his books and made the concept of sales funnels popular. In 2014, Russell and his partner Todd Dickerson launched ClickFunnels, which has become the fastest-growing non-venture backed software company in the world.

I’m taking the Traffic Secrets’ 30-day challenge. Seriously, this book rocks! It’s been just over a week and I can already see how the insights I’m gaining can allow me to be at the front of new trends and identify incredible opportunities. I’m learning how to master evergreen traffic strategies to fill my website and funnels with my dream customers.

Here’s a short video from Russell as to why his book Traffic Secrets is truly different and how it can help you.

 

As a holistic health therapist, my goal has always been helping others with overall wellbeing. This means balance in all areas: physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I seek to bring important content to my followers about overall balance. In this area, I am also working on a product with my closest friend and this is something that we will want to introduce soon as well. I’m excited about it as it can help so many.

I have learned so much from Russell Brunson’s book. It not only provides practical, step-by-step information and exercises for the reader, but also gives me insight into psychology and human nature. It has helped me truly understand my dream customer, find out where they hang out and find ways to get their attention and bring them in so I can help them.

You can follow my progress on Twitter where I’ll be posting daily.

Meanwhile, get your own copy of Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers and learn more here.

 

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Always Eat After 7PM – Update

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Hi all! Updating you on my progress with the Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight program.

Here is my initial post.

Bestselling author, Joel Marion, is a fitness expert and nutritionist debunking the myths underlying traditional dieting and offers a simple, highly effective weight loss program.

I’ve been really enjoying following the guidelines in Always Eat After 7PM. As I’ve mentioned, it is not difficult for me as I’ve never been a breakfast eater, preferring to eat in the evening. I’ve had success with it and love that the book has helped me refine my diet, letting me know which foods are better at what times and in what combinations. So far, I am sleeping better, my blood sugar and moods are balanced and overall I have better energy.

I am a big fan of the research Joel provides. We’ve been traditionally taught to avoid carbs, have an early dinner, and never eat before bed. But the fact is, the latest scientific research shows us this is not ideal.

From the book: A research paper published in Sports Medicine in 2014 showed that people who eat the majority of their carbs at dinner actually sleep better. Carb-induced, quality sleep decreases cortisol (a fat-storing hormone) and ramps up the production of your sleep hormones, serotonin and melatonin. Restorative sleep increases fat-burning hormones—the main one being growth hormone—overnight.

I always knew that if I had oatmeal in the evening or a popcorn snack, I was less stressed and slept better. Now, after reading this book, understanding why I am sleeping deeper and waking up feeling rested helps me to maintain this wellness goal of mine.

Here are some excerpts from an interview with author, Joel Marion:

What was the most surprising discovery when you were researching scientific data for the diet?

That almost everything my college education and certifications taught me was NOT grounded in published scientific research.

You’re a six-time best selling author, what is different about this book compared to your others?

Although many of the concepts are similar, the biggest difference is that you don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. You don’t have to deal with the burden of eating every few hours. And you don’t have to skip the carbs at dinnertime or avoid eating before bed.

How difficult is the Always Eat After 7 plan to follow?

It’s not. And that’s exactly why I wrote the book. While any diet is never truly easy, it can be more enjoyable and much easier to adhere to when you understand how Always Eat After 7pm works because it caters to our bodies natural instincts.

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Always Eat After 7 PM – The Rule Breaking Diet That Works

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This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Energy is something I struggle with. Having had mono in college, then epstein barr and now fibromyalgia, increasing my energy and fortifying my immune system are so important to me. When the opportunity arose to receive an advance copy of “Always Eat After 7 PM” by Joel Marion, I was thrilled. I’ll be sharing my experience of the book and its benefits with you over the next few months.

To be honest, I’ve always been a night owl and a late eater. I’ve never been a big breakfast fan. I’ll be so interested to see how I can work with my natural tendencies and refine my eating habits. The Always Eat After 7PM plan includes a 14-day Acceleration Phase to kick-start the program and create rapid results, The Main Phase where you learn which foods to eat and in what order to achieve your goals and the Lifestyle Phase to help keep extra weight off for good and help with overall wellness.

We’ve been told that breakfast is the most important meal and to eat less in the evenings. We’ve been traditionally taught to avoid carbs, have an early dinner, and never eat before bed. But the fact is, the latest scientific research shows us this earlier model is not the most ideal. I know that some may believe that metabolism may slow down at night, but I love how Joel is so good about providing the science behind the method as well.

“Research shows that the average person’s metabolic rate is no different during sleep than during the day. In short, your metabolism doesn’t slow down at night. Nor does your body store fat at the end of the day. Whether it’s 8 am or 8 pm, you use food for energy the same way.”

I’m excited to get started and will post an update next week.

Meanwhile, check out Joel’s video of why he wrote this book and what you can look forward to by following this method:

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

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