Browsing Tag

chihuahua

Design Your Life

Finding Energy in the Dead of Winter

01/20/2011
Wanwan loves her satin pillow~

Why is it so tough? Why do I feel the need to gulp down glass after glass of coffee all day and night long just to stay awake? Is it me? My medication? The season? The amount of close family and friends experiencing the same this time of the year leads me to believe it’s not just me. Everyone feels exhausted.

One way to instantly feel better is to do something. Anything. It will improve your mood and might just inspire you to continue or to try something else. This is one I hear again and again and it’s almost the hardest one to do… just get up and make myself work? When I feel like sleeping? When I feel like pulling the blinds and hiding in bed all day? Yes, even today.

A great way to naturally produce energy is by exercising. No matter how strange this sounds, exercise actually does give you more energy and produces endorphins. I feel like I preach this to myself all day.. exercise and eat well! I’m pretty bad at going for the sweets and caffeine without hesitation. This is why I feel so great one second and like absolute shit the next. These cause you to crash and then it’s even harder to stay awake and energized.

My heart sweets for you~

Take a nap. I know it sounds silly. Even a 30 minute power nap. Tell yourself you’re really exhausted now but when you wake up at (set your alarm now) __:__ you’ll be ready to work on whatever task you’d like to complete.

Don’t make your tasks sound large, break them down. Instead of ‘clean up kitchen’ how about ‘wash dishes’ and later ‘sweep kitchen floor’ and finally ‘clean counters’ ? It makes it a lot easier to get things done when you make them sound manageable. At your MOST LIFELESS you’ll still feel like you can accomplish wiping the counters.

Take in the small things. Light a candle and relax while you breathe the warmly scented aroma it creates. (try mint or eucalyptus scents for energy!) Slowly enjoy and experience a cold, refreshing iced drink. Put an energizing scented lotion on and take in the whole experience as you smooth it into your hands and smell the fresh mint.

One of my absolute favorite ways to find energy is to drink coffee and tea. However be careful because as I said before, caffeine causes a later crash. Have a cup of Earl Grey when you feel like going to bed. Enjoy the tea as you drink it and take in the aroma. You should feel more energized after you’ve had your tea. I know everyone knows this but I feel like we often forget or don’t take time to experience an afternoon tea.

Do you have some more ways to stay energized in the dead winter that don’t involve cold showers? 😉

Design Your Life

Making Mondays More Miseducated

11/09/2009

Monday jokes rain out of people’s ears at offices.. I don’t know how it is where you work but I’m sure whatever day the work week begins on someone’s complaining.

Instead of thinking of Mondays as a bummer, think of them as a beginning to your inspiration overload sessions every week — begin to plan fun and personal growth activities *as well as* work, errands, tasks, etc.

.. and if scheduling seems like absolute hell to you and you have no issues with procrastination.. simply pass to Step 2.

Want more mood therapy techniques like this?
Key to Living the Law of Attraction
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated
ALL Business is Show Business

Step 1

Schedule your day per hour — Write what you actually do beside it and next to that make 2 columns for you to rate how much pleasure you experienced during the activity and to what percentage you mastered it.

Again, make sure you allow time throughout the day for activities you look forward to.

taste
Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette

Step 2

Incorporate more Miseducated whimsy and special you time into your Mondays.

Instead of taking a shower before you start your work day, take a bubble bath using sensitive Mr. Bubbles or your favorite bubble bath — play some inspiring music that you can hear while in the tub and brew a cup of earl grey tea.

Create your own (lots of recipes here!) or buy a new scented lipgloss to apply throughout the day, not just when lips are chapped! Think of ways to incorporate other new smells into your day such as an aromatherapy candle, nice-smelling lotion, sweet solid perfume, etc.

Master your skills. As you’re working imagine what you might do to keep on task better while still enjoying your day. For me this means the occasional walk-around break, snacks optional and listening to music or inspiring pod casts while I work.

Keep a little notebook in your purse or briefcase especially for inspiring sketches, notes and pieces of inspiring found-items. These little carry-along scrapbooks can be great sources of inspiration and remind you about experiences when you’re sitting down to work and communicate your ideas.

Decide that you’re going to rearrange a room in your home/apartment and surf online for delicious decor in your free time. Find ways to make your environment a little more you, a little more unique and much more inspiring! Sometimes just changing things up is very revitalizing.

My favorite movie since childhood, the delicious 80s glitter rock fest (The Labyrinth) complete with faeries and the rock king himself, always inspired me as everything, even the dirt, was covered in glitter. Sweeping your floor and feeling a little bummed? Sprinkle glitter in with the dust and even dust bunnies become just a little more magical.

It’s off to your local handmade market for you! Purchase some incense that smells great and a little decadent snack. When home, burn the incense as intended and relax near it reading and enjoying the occasional whiff of fragrant smoke. Don’t like incense? Try scented candles!

Write your best friend a good morning letter when you begin your work day. Chances are you’ll brighten her day as she is also at work and it’ll make you smile knowing she’s smiling. You might even get some sweet messages back throughout the day that make you feel wonderful for opening communication.

Grab a pack of post-its in your favorite color and write inspiring and positive messages to everyone signed, Happy Monday. Stick these on electric posts, subway windows, in your lover’s briefcase, on the milk in the fridge, on your coworker’s computer mouse, etc. <3 Don't overdo it, it's more special for those that find the surprises anyway. Kitty Rave! (both my and my best friend’s favorite way to wind down at night!) At night time when you’re relaxing and feeling a little excited that you’ve gotten through another Monday, turn up the dance music and dance around the house in your pajamas with your cat or dog. (my chihuahua gets really excited about this and bounces around the room) You’re getting exercise, they’re getting exercise and it’s really quite fun.. especially if you’re jamming to Kissy Sell Out. Often my husband even plays his electronic music live on kitty rave nights.

Have a great Monday!

Design Your Life

Adopt your Next Best Friend

10/28/2009

Have free time and missing some companionship? Even if you’re not you can incorporate a new friend into your family that lowers your blood pressure and actually improves your health. It gives you a schedule or routine to keep you on focus and you’ll find the payoff extremely more amazing than the work!

… BUT WAIT! Before you run to the pet store you should know that most pet stores are supplied animals through mills which treat them inhumanely and use them solely for offspring and a paycheck — they often live in VERY unsanitary conditions and are sold at a steep price.

There is good news though! Some pet store chains have regulations and encourage adoptions — PetSmart and PetCo both often show local cats and dogs from the Humane Society that need homes. Also make sure to check out Humane Societies and Animal Rescue groups in your area for more lovely animals in need of companionship.

ASPCA has a great guide on adopting and locating pets that need homes as well as lots of features and questions to ask yourself prior to adopting.

Remember to research the pets that are right for you before adopting!

.. and don’t be picky! Looks aren’t everything, this is a chance at a wonderful life for an animal — choose based on need if you want to be choosy!

pets

DIY

The Chihuahua and Her Wardrobe

05/10/2009

Hello, my name’s WANWAN and I’m a little deer chihuahua.
I find that only the cutest outfits make their way into my wardrobe and I absolutely adore prancing around and playing in them. My hair is quite short you see, I’m mostly bald! I get awfully shivery without anything on! Because of my bald little body, I also just love standing on the heat vent. Whenever it turns on I hear it and trot on over pretending I’m Marilyn Monroe.

DIY

It’s getting a little chilly here in western-US so I’ve decided it’s time to whip out all of my fibers and create a little wardrobe for my Chihuahua. I’ve composed a pattern to create an easy coat for small dogs and also for cats (although my cat is a thick puffball). The front and mid section are attached by way of your choosing (buttons, snaps, velcro). You can also knit your little one a sweater. My own pattern is simply a small tube with arm holes due to my pup’s tiny size. The coats are so easy to customize! Change up your fabrics and liners, try embroidery, patches, buttons, yo-yos, bows and all sorts of cute. Thing of fun patterns, check a vintage book for inspiration! Fun coat themes include fall, daisy meadows, mushroom forests, snow, winter wonderlands, russia (nesting dolls?), snow bunnies, etc.

Wanwan’s Picks

running!Modern Tails, The Pet Boutique, Trixie & Peanut, Calling All Dogs, Paw Palace, Pooch Online, Artful Pups, Chic Dog, Bella Claires, Paws on 5th,Doggie Clotheslines, The Ritzy Rover, Pool Pup, Bella Claires, Paws on 5th, Doggie Clothesline, The Ritzy Rover, Pool Pup, Funny Fur*, G.W. Little, Haute Dog Boutique, The Haute Hound, Ezra Dog

Doggy Tip

Dogs are a little bit stinky so it’s important to bathe then only in a special shampoo formulated for your dog’s skin. Myself, being the cat person I am found the dog’s natural scent very unappealing in the beginning. After a nice warm bath in her favorite shampoo, she smells like a coconut and as her own scent comes through I find it a sweet match. 😮 She uses an organic oatmeal shampoo for dogs and cats made with aloe, vitamin e and skin-softening nutrients I picked up at the local pet store. They have aisles of pet shampoos at all major pet stores — take a look!