Eat Your Greens Challenge

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Keri Glassman of Nutritious Life is hosting a 7 Day Challenge: Eat Your Greens!  I'm participating and I want to get as many of my readers to participate too!  Now that I'm Nutritious Life Certified, I know how important it is to "Eat Empowered", one of the 8 pillars of health she teaches.  Too many of us aren't getting enough healthy greens in our diet EVERY DAY, (I'm even guilty of this sometimes!) so we are going to make it a HEALTHY HABIT over the next week... starting April 1st... Are you ready to get your greens on!? 

YOUR 7 DAY EAT YOUR GREENS CHALLENGE:

For one week, add in any green veggie to at least one meal every day.  That's it!  Easy enough, right?  I'll be around on social media sharing ideas with you on how to sneak more greens in!  I want to see your ideas! ...because there's a prize!!

Prize Alert:  Post your progress on social media.  Show me the most creative way you're getting your greens and whoever posts the most creative will win a bottle of Life's Abundance Greens Blend!  Tag @happywifestyle, make sure your account isn't private so I can see it, tag your friends, and use the hashtags #GetYourGreens and #HWSGreensChallenge

Day 1: Get Organized
Head to the store, peruse the produce, load up on greens (at least three varieties!) and plan for the week. Broccoli rabe, kale, spinach, green beans… the options are plentiful! Decide when and how you’re going to incorporate your greens. Spinach breakfast scramble anyone? Broccoli rabe chips (yep, kale you’ve had your chip glory)? Sautéed green beans with toasted walnuts as side to dinner? Write it down, and be sure to get greens in at least one time today!

Day 2: Keep it Simple
Review your plan and do some prep for the week. Chop kale for your go-to salad, wash and chop broccoli for dinner. If you’re saying, “time, yeah, right” then order a side salad when ordering in, and remember that bagged, pre-washed organic lettuce is a life savior.

Day 3: Recipe Research
Research delicious, new, simple recipes to try. Find a new instagram account to follow, crack open an old cookbook, or post something on social to get your peops to inspire you with ideas. New to the greens juice craze, or looking for an easier way to sip your greens? Try the new Greens Blend that Keri developed! Just add one scoop into a glass of water and boom, check greens off your to-do list for the day.

Day 4: Branch Out
Today, take it up a notch and experiment with a new type of green – try kalettes for your salad, or collards to wrap your sammie, broccoli rabe in your scramble, brussel sprouts for a dinner side dish, or endive as your hummus dipper.

Day 5: Ditch the Rice
Replace a starchy side dish with a green side dish. If you’re eating out, ask for double greens instead of greens and a starch. This is personal fave of mine. A great way to get in a whole lotta greens and an even better way to ditch refined, often fat and sodium laden starchy foods that are doing your body a whole lotta nothing!

Day 6: Flavor Fun
Season your greens! Experiment with new flavors – try oregano, chili pepper, garlic, rosemary, onion, salt and pepper, and lemon. Or toss some heart healthy nuts on top!

Day 7: Go All Out
Challenge yourself as the week ends by incorporating a serving of greens into every meal for the day. Yep, every meal.

You did it! Congratulations on packing in your greens. I bet you feel good about it don’t you? Tap into that feeling and keep it up! Dandelion greens, anyone?

Why You Should Challenge Yourself to Eat More Greens:

• Greens Fight Disease. Green veggies offer a powerful dose of fiber, vitamins and minerals including antioxidants and phytochemicals, which have been shown to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and may help reduce the risk of cancer. The carotenoids in leafy greens act as antioxidants, slowing free radical damage.
• Be Like Popeye. 1 cup of spinach has more than 1000% of your daily recommendation of vitamin K (strong bones!) and almost 300% your recommendation of vitamin A (20/20 vision anyone?).
• Fill Up Til You’re Full. Leafy greens have a high water volume, which helps you stay hydrated. One study showed subjects’ metabolic rate increased 30% within 10 minutes after drinking 17 ounces of water. Their high fiber content not only leaves you feeling full for longer, it also helps keep things moving in the GI tract.
• Amp Your Weight Loss. All veggies offer multiple nutrients for very few calories, aiding in weight loss efforts. When it comes to greens, the more the merrier!
• Boost your brain. One study found women who ate the most leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables had brains that were 1 to 2 years “younger” in performance than those who ate fewer. Yep, eating more greens is a no-brainer. Sorry, had to.
• Promote Skin Health. Phytochemicals and antioxidants in green veggies can help protect your skin against UV damage by countering free radicals in your body to lessen the deterioration of skin’s vital components like collagen and elastin. Say hello to greens and say hello to gorgeous skin. You may just pay a few less visits to your derm.
• Get to Know Your Greens. Try to choose nutrient dense dark, leafy greens such as kale or spinach over less nutritious options such as iceberg lettuce. Iceberg is for beginners.
• Ditch the Dressings. Don’t drench or fry your greens in dressings or oils. What a shame it would be to lose all of the natural nutritional power, right? No mucking up your gorgeous veggies.
• There’s No Such Thing as Too Much. Never worry about consuming too many greens. More is better, as long as you’re controlling the added fat, such as olive oil.
• Sip Green. While you’re embracing your green veggies, add a cup or two of green tea a day to keep up with the theme! You’ll get an extra kick of antioxidants. Not feeling tea? Try Life’s Abundance Berry Flavored Greens Blend.  It tastes amazing.

NOTE: The USDA considers a serving of greens either 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked, but I want you to get at least this much in at every meal, hopefully more! A salad for example could be 2 cups and your side with dinner could be 1.5 cups!

- This challenge was designed by Keri Glassman of Nutritious Life.

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What I'm packing for Maui...

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In a few days I'll be in Maui!  I'm so excited gathering my essentials that I'll be taking with me... 

We go to Maui every year and this year we are going for 12 whole days!  It usually falls right after my birthday so I always love getting a couple of new swimsuits for the trip;)  I've always been very picky about my swimsuits and used to have so much trouble finding one I liked that I once had a dream of designing swimsuits just to be able to have what I was looking for!  Well, I'm happy to say, these days there are many "suitable" suits to choose from and I'm going to let you in on some of my faves, and where I find them.

This year, I'm loving the color-blocked swimsuit look, so I'm mixing and matching for a classic chic black and white look.  Each year I seem to get obsessed with a different swimsuit brand.  Last year it was all about my sexy black Mikoh one piece.  This year it's all about Vitamin A.  

Vitamin A is known for their signature "California Cut" bottoms which are the perfect mix between the "Full Cut" (still a little too 'mom jeans' for me;).... and the all too popular "Brazilian Cut" (which I'm just plain getting too old for;)

What I learned about swimsuits is this...  Once you go QUALITY like this, you never go back.  Are they more expensive?  Yep.  It's kinda crazy what swimsuits cost these days for how little material you actually get.  BUT, when you're wearing that little....you want to look your best, right ladies?   Brands of this caliber are just different.  Vitamin A is an exceptional brand with seams that lie flat against the skin.  The quality is meticulous.  The fit is hip slimming, curve-hugging, bust boosting, figure flattering perfection!  They also have nailed the simple, solid colors I love so.  Gone are the days of the bright loud prints, thank goodness.  They are also made right here in sunny California and do their part to lighten their environmental footprint, I like that.

The suit in the photo above fits amazingly well.  This bikini top is the Vitamin A Neutra Bralette in White Ecolux, which is a matte superfine jersey made with recycled nylon fiber to conserve resources.  I have always been a fan of the classic triangle top, but these days, turning 44 years old a week from today... it's just not offering the support I need if you know what I mean.  This top, with its more bra-like shape, is very flattering on.  The bikini bottom is the Vitamin A Neutra Hipster in Black Ecolux (they also have a hipster full cut version if the California Cut isn't for you.)  I love these bottoms because they are simple, yet have cute cut out side panels.  It matches the cutout in the center of the top.  Don't be afraid to mix and match, it's so fun and easy to do with solids.  It's also easy to do if you find a print you like... you can just get the print in one, and pair it with a solid colored bottom to tone it down a bit.  

You'll also see in the pic above that I'm also not going to Maui this year without as couple more of my essentials... my Protect safe sunscreen with SPF 30.  As you know I've started my Safe Product Movement this year, so this and my Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20 for face will definitely be packed;)  The other thing that I'm so excited to take is my Rose Water Uplifting Spray.  It's one of my favorite things and will be perfect to spritz on when it's hot... and after that plane ride to keep my skin hydrated.

So what other quality swimsuit brands can I recommend for you?  L Space has always been a favorite of mine, great styles to choose from and excellent quality.  I also love ViX Swimwear.  Their Bia suit has an amazing way of looking great on so many different body types, very flattering.  If you're looking for your first luxury, quality suit, I'd recommend this bottom in black and this top in black.  You simply can't do wrong with it.  This was my first quality suit and I absolutely loved it and have recommended it to many of my friends who have loved it too;)  It has gold hardware sliders that you can adjust on the top and bottom to make it look best on you.  This Bia style also offers a brazilian and a full cut bottom to choose from.  I like their brazilian because it's not AS skimpy as other brazilian cuts...it fits kind of like the california cut mentioned above.  It's also one of the best triangle tops that actually fits larger busted women beautifully!  With that said it also looks amazing on smaller busted women...it's simply one of the best all around suits in my opinion.

One thing about all of these quality swimsuits... where the heck do you find them??  I live in California and the only store I've seen these brands at is Nordstrom and some specialty boutique bikini shops in beach towns.  So this is where you have to turn to online shopping.  What I used to do is just order a few to try on to see which brands I liked.  Once I learned what brands looked best on me and what size I was in those brands, it became pretty easy to shop.  My tip is to read the fine print on websites about shipping and returns!  Some swimsuit sites only offer exchanges or store credit...not refunds!  I stay away from those because I always want to option to return a swimsuit if it doesn't fit, because they have to fit perfectly.  I've returned a lot of swimsuits over the years!  

A couple of the sites that offer great quality swimsuits that I use are southbeachswimsuits.com and mollybrownswimwear.com.  They also have cute cover ups and dresses for your vacation shopping!  Here's the thing ladies, these expensive swimsuits go on sale!  Big sales!  You can find great deals on amazing, high quality, luxury brands.  I recommend sites like 6pm.com and zappos.com to find great deals.  Here's what I do... I find a style a like and write down the exact brand name and style name.  I then google it!  I shop around to find the best deal.  Now this trick doesn't work on new styles that were just released that season, but there are some great deals on past season suits out there, you just have to find them.  I once got a $200 ViX suit for $16 for the top and $16 for the bottom on 6pm.com.  

Here's a couple of my other new faves... First this color is called "mimosa" so it was kinda calling my name;)  Shop the bikini top here and the bikini bottom here.

Vitamin A Bikini, Beautycounter Protect Sunscreen, Beautycounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer

Next, this Bikini top is very flattering on.  It has no hardware and the material is so luxurious.  This color is different than any other I've seen...

Mikoh Bikini in Lychee, Beautycounter Rose Water Spray

The bottoms I chose to match this top are really pretty too and come in this same Lychee color.

One store that I love to go take a look around before I go to Maui is Target!  I LOVE their "long lean tanks" and Vintage Tees.  I collect them in white because I wear them with anything and everything. 

I got this really cute cover-up romper that is absolutely adorable on.  The flared sleeves makes me feel like I'm bringing out my inner Stevie Nicks.  I'll be steaming this, sorry about the wrinkles....

I know some of you might still be covered in snow out there, but I hope this inspires you to get ready for some summer sun!  Follow me over on Instagram over the coming days as I'll be wearing some of the items in this post!

Get Your Greens On!

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We all know how important it is to be getting enough vegetables in our diet.  The question is... are we?  I just added a supplement to my life that I'm so excited to share with you!

I became more aware of this after becoming Nutritious Life Certified.  Keri Glassman has become such a mentor for me because I love her "whole person" approach to health.  I myself eat very healthy, but I must admit, there are many days when life gets busy and I know I didn't get enough veggies in!  I'm so excited to have a solution with this Greens Blend.

If you follow me, you know I live a healthy, holistic lifestyle and strive to inspire others to do the same.  I know how many people are falling short and here's why...  They lead really busy lives and don't have time to shop...prep...cook.  I get it.  I do have the time and even I fall short sometimes.  I can imagine how many people are just hitting the drive thru for convenience and I'm not here to judge....I'm here to help!  

Now, I'm not letting you off the hook and saying it's okay to eat unhealthy foods and just add supplements.  No way, I'm not letting you off that easy.  What I am doing is suggesting a way to ensure you're getting enough.  A supplement is supposed to be exactly that --- a supplement to a healthy diet....not a replacement for a healthy diet!

To learn how important greens are for us and what they do for our health, watch this short video of Keri...she explains it so well.

I have to say, my husband has brought home some Greens powders in our day and I know they have health benefits...so I've tried them.  That does not mean I've liked them.  They were actually pretty gross and ended up on the shelf, unused.  

That's the reason I'm so happy about this one and am excited to share it with you. Until now, there hasn't been a Greens supplement that I can confidently recommend because there wasn't one I'd found that I liked!  I'm now drinking a glass of this yumminess every single day.  This one has all the health benefits.... with an amazing, great taste with a hint of berry.  No grassy taste.  No chemical taste.  No chunky texture.  It actually tastes so good, it's not something I have to choke down... I sip and enjoy it!  Unheard of in a greens drink, I know.  Even kids will like this one;)

Again, I'm a fan of chewing your food.  But is that happening folks??  Look in your fridge.  Does it look like this picture?  I'll always teach that it's best to get your nutrients through real food, but I also want to be realistic and help ENSURE you're getting all you can...and sometimes that means adding a high quality supplement.  ...Especially in today's modern American Diet that lacks nutrition.

Now, I know this fridge pic is an exaggeration, but I bet it made you consider if YOU are getting the 5 to 9 servings you should be per day!  I'll be the first to admit, I'm guilty!  I truly hope this helps you GET YOUR GREENS ON!!  Here's to living your most Nutritious Life!  Enjoy!  I'd love to hear what YOU think of it... let me know!  I've linked in below for your convenience:

Check out the Greens Blend here!

Dry Skin Brushing - Benefits + How To

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I tried Dry Skin Brushing years ago.  I'll admit, I did it once and was a total wimp....I thought it hurt and gave it up immediately.  But I've matured and live a healthier lifestyle since then and decided to give it another chance.  Now I'm totally hooked.  I even look forward to this amazing morning ritual.  I don't want to scare you away if you've never tried it.  I tell you this because the first time you try it, you might think, "screw this!"  LOL.  I'm here to encourage you to put your big girl pants on and give it a chance....it gets better.  

BRUSHES:

The first thing I want to talk to you about is the actual brush.  All skin brushes are not created equal.  There are many synthetic brushes out there...stay away from those.  You want to get a natural bristle brush.  Many people like a boar bristle brush which is natural and good quality, but I'm an animal lover so I think there's an even better option.  I recommend going vegan on this one and getting a good quality natural cactus sisal brush.  Best choice in my opinion.  I did some research and found the same quality brush I have, at a better price for you!  Get yours here.  This one is a nice hand held brush like mine, but you can also get one with a long handle so that you can reach your back.  If you get one of those, I recommend getting a plant based one without a detachable handle (I linked to a good one above) as it can fall off when brushing which is annoying.  Here's another plant based good one.  Do not brush your face with a body brush, it's too stiff.  There are special face brushes that are softer if you choose to include your face.  I personally do not brush my face.  So let's get to why you should dry brush...

THE BENEFITS:

• It exfoliates skin.  It will slough off dead, dry skin improving skin's appearance.  it will clear clogged pores and allow your skin to breathe.  By doing this your moisturizer will penetrate your skin and hydrate it more efficiently.  
• It increases circulation.  It delivers oxygenated blood to the skin which encourages elimination of metabolic waste.
• It stimulates the Lymphatic System.  This is the system that is responsible for eliminating cellular waste.  The lymphatic tublules allow waste to be collected from your tissues and transported to your blood for elimination.  This is referred to as lymphatic drainage.  When the lymphatic system is not working properly, waste and toxins can build up and make us sick.  This is a leading cause of inflammation and disease.  Skin brushing is a powerful aid in keeping this system healthy!
• It helps with the appearance of cellulite.  While this may be temporary, dry skin brushing may help soften hard fat deposits below the skin while distributing them more evenly, decreasing the appearance of cellulite.
• It improves digestion and kidney function.  Dry brushing can help with bloat.  Massaging the lymph nodes can help shed extra water and toxins from the body.
• It's invigorating.  After you get over the initial slightly painful scratchiness of dry brushing, it actually starts to feel GOOD.  Along with glowing and tighter skin, it can feel invigorating!  I actually like it now!  It's like an invigorating massage that leaves your skin feeling awake!

HOW TO:

Skin brush daily for best results.  Some people even do it twice a day.  I've been doing it once a day.  I recommend doing it in the morning because it can leave you feeling stimulated and invigorated, so it's a great way to start the day.  Essentially you want to brush your entire body, starting at your feet and brushing the skin in short or long strokes in the direction of your heart.  Always brush in one direction in strokes, don't scrub back and forth, toward the heart...this is best for circulation and the lymphatic system.  You can even start with the soles of your feet and move up the body.  When you get to your stomach and chest you can brush in a circular motion.  I find it difficult to do my chest, it's pretty sensitive and can be a little painful, so I'm still working on it;)  Just do the best you can.  Don't press too hard to leave scratches to break the skin, but your skin will be a little pink.  Stay away from any broken skin and vericose veins.  Clean the brush every few times with a gentle soap and water.  

As soon as your done brushing, shower as usual.  After showering, apply a skin oil while still wet to lock in moisture.  I've been switching to all safer beauty products this year with my Safe Product Movement, so I use this Lustro Body Oil which is so moisturizing and safe with a EWG Skin Deep rating of 1.  It comes in two different scents.  Many other body oils can be synthetic and contain harmful "fragrances" that contain a number of toxic chemicals.  You can actually get one of the body oils I use for FREE right now when you spend $200 stocking up on other safe products...that's how I got mine;)  You can also use a good coconut oil which works great!

I'm turning 44 this month, so I'm loving discovering new ways to improve my health and pampering myself a little more while I'm at it.  I'm a big fan of aging gracefully.  Just knowing we are doing all we can, by eating well, doing healthy things for our bodies, make us feel good.  I hope you give skin brushing a try!  Do you skin brush?  I'd love to hear from you what you think of it.

Apple Pie Detox Tea

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If you've followed me for a while, you know how I love my Ginger Lemon Tea.  It was actually my very first blog post EVER and many people have told me they love drinking it too.  Since it has raw honey in it, I didn't have any during my January Whole30, but I always add it back in when I'm not Whole30-ing.

This time, I've been playing with some different recipes and landed on one that tastes so amazing I can't wait to share it with you...because it has even more healthy benefits in it...AND it tastes like apple pie in a mug;)

I've heard about the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for some time, but I think it tastes nasty when I've tried it in the past and had thought nope, it 's not for me.  I always have Bragg's ACV in my fridge because it's my secret ingredient in my homemade mayo that I make every week!  The key for me to be able to handle the taste was balancing it out with honey...

So what are some of the health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?  It can:

• Relieve constipation/stimulate digestion
• Fight acid reflux
• Promote a healthy gut by promoting good bacteria
• Cure candida (yeast)
• Detox/Flush harmful toxins from the body
• Regulate pH
• Lower blood pressure
• Balance blood sugar
• Fight cancer/rich with antioxidants
• Fight allergies/support lymphatic drainage
• Clears sinuses/helps break up mucus
• Aid in weight loss/fat loss/reduce sugar cravings
• Fights colds/boosts immune system
• Improve skin

When I recently was in the Nutrition School, I also learned about the health benefits of cinnamon.  The one that interested me most was the fact that it has anti-inflammatory properties.  We all need help with that these days!  Inflammation can wreak havoc on our bodies causing all kinds of problems.  I sprinkle it in my coffee every day....but I'd never tried it in my tea until now!

I go over the amazing health benefits of lemon and ginger in that blog post, so you can check that out here.  I do want to mention honey here though.  Not all honey is created equal and if you get a high quality, raw honey....it even has health benefits too.  You can see the one I use in the pic above and get it HERE.

This raw honey actually is 100% pure, unpasteurized, and unfiltered.  This means is has the highest possible levels of live enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants...full beneficial factors as a functional whole food.  Plus, it tastes amazing.  

APPLE PIE DETOX TEA:

• 1 cup warm water (just fill your mug;)
• 2 tsp raw honey
• 2 tsp Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (it'll say "with the mother" on the bottle)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)
• 1 tsp fresh pressed Ginger Juice (or grated raw ginger...the juice is super convenient)
• Generous sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix well so the honey is fully melted and mixed in.  By all means adjust the ingredients to your liking!  Add more APV or ginger juice if you choose!  I hope you enjoy this extremely healthy apple pie tasting, warm drink...this benefits you MOST when you drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  What a wonderful way to start your day!

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When words hurt

We all know what it feels like to get our feelings hurt.  It's starts at a really young age on the schoolyard, right?  Kids telling each other they have "cooties".  It can be anything from innocent teasing to downright bullying.  What about when this happens as an adult?  What I've learned is, we have a choice how we react to it, and HOW we react to it actually might teach us something about how we feel about ourselves.  

When I was younger, I didn't have much confidence.  I had extremely crooked teeth, and I'm not talking about your average crooked teeth....I could fit my bottom lip in between my two front teeth...one of my top front teeth stuck straight out.  I got teased a lot.  I can remember playing on the slide at school and the other girls pretending to spay the slide with "cooty spray" after I'd go down to "disinfect" it after I'd go down.  Why do I remember that at the age of 43?  Because it stung.  At the time it really hurt my feelings.  Being such a shy, introverted child I already felt like something was wrong with me, so even innocent teasing at that age, solidified the negative belief I already held against myself.

When I was in my late 20's, I had someone say something else that's always stuck with me and now I know why.  I won't get into the whole story because it's irrelevant, but I spoke up about something and their response to me was "Oh you have something to say, Miss Opinionated?"  Now that wasn't nice because I was just trying to defend a girlfriend of mine, but again, why do I still remember how badly that hurt me?  Because it was true.  What they had said to me was true.  I never voiced my opinion.  I never spoke up about anything because I was afraid.  I already held that "belief" against myself...and that's why it stung so bad.

Self love is something I've had to gain over time and it's made such a huge impact in my life.  Gaining confidence over the years has helped me understand why some people take teasing, criticism and harsh words so gracefully, letting them just roll off their back... while others get really angry, defensive even.. and can't seem to let go of it.  Now, I'm not saying I never get angry anymore, but I now know why some things get under my skin more than others.

I've had people ask me how I seem to handle some of these situations so gracefully.  I've learned over the years that if something stings me, it's because I actually hold that belief about myself in some way.  If somebody says something about me that I know not to be true, I now understand that that is actually not about me at all, it's about them.  It goes back to one of The Four Agreements, "Don't Take Anything Personally".

The key is to know who you are.  Know your values.  Know what you stand for.  If you stand true in that, you have control over who can hurt you.  

I think back to that person who angered me at that time that made me take a good look at myself.  That person who opened a wound about me never speaking up and voicing my opinion.  I now feel nothing but gratitude for that person for speaking the truth.  They were absolutely right and that's why it stung so bad.  I've worked on that weakness and have made changes I can now be proud of.

I've had a couple of instances online here and there lately that got me thinking about this important topic.  Someone called me "mean" the other day and my reaction to it said so much to me.  It didn't bother me at all.  I know I'm not mean.  I know what my values are.  I know how many people I help nowadays.  I didn't take it personally because I know it's not true.  I also am not angry at that person.  Well, maybe for a split second because I'm human;)  But in all seriousness, I know that that judgement about me had nothing to do with me.  I didn't take it personally.  I don't know what they may be going through and I know for sure they don't know me.  They just misunderstood me in that moment and made a judgement.  The important difference I noticed this time.....I didn't let it hurt me.  I instead started thinking about how I could use that lesson to help others, so I'm writing this post.

Especially in the blogging world that I'm in today, you have to have a tough skin.  You can't please everyone and so many people are quick to let things fly from the comfort behind their smart phones and computers.  I know not everyone is going to like me.  I'm not meant to have everyone like me and that's okay!  What I keep in mind is this...  If I stand strong in my beliefs and values, if I know who I am... I'm in control of who can hurt me.  It goes back to our childhood, right?  "Sticks and stones...."  If something does sting.... why does it sting?  Instead of getting angry, maybe look inward instead.  Once you find self love, you'll find balance within.