We as women in our late 40′s or early to mid 50s go through something we love to complain about.  It’s called Menopause. Oh yeah.  The night sweats.  Mood swings.  Lack of sleep.  And a metabolism that doesn’t want to move anymore.

It is a time in our lives where we shed our youth and change hormonally.

We may literally feel emotionally out of control.

Doctor’s can prescribe all sorts of antidotes, but it doesn’t mean that it is going to work.  Plus, you know how I feel about prescription meds.  Lots of pharmaceutical companies making money but none of us feeling any better.  You’ll need another med for the side effect of the first medication and then a third med for the side effect of the first side effect.  Soon you’re taking meds for conditions that are WAY worse than your original ailment.

Becoming a holistic healer I have discovered that a little blend called Solace, by doTERRA, can combat and treat even the worst menopause symptoms. It is a roll on that you apply to your wrists, back of your neck, belly, bottoms of your feet.  And if you’re not close to menopausal age, don’t sweat, you can use it for any hormonal imbalance.

If you are suffering from severe menopause or even mild menopause and would like relief that works. I encourage you to give it a try. I guarantee it will do wonders for those chaotic hormones.

You’ve had some type of hormonal issue before right?  Yucky periods?  Pre-menopausal nightmare behavior?  Help your sista’s out here.  Let us know what has worked for you by posting a comment in the box below.

If you found this post useful and think it can benefit someone else you know, you better share the love!  You can post FB, Pinterst, or Tweet it.

XO, Hayley

P.S. If you want to know where to get this magic bottle, click HERE

I love to eat raw and healthy.

My little grapefruit-avocado concoction is one of my personal favorite afternoon delights. It is super simple, and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 Rio Star Grapefruits

2 Avocados

tsp of fresh squeezed OJ

2 drops wild orange essential oil by doTerra

tbsp champagne vinegar

tbsp olive oil

pinch sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions:

Slice avocado and grapefruit lengthwise into large slivers.

Make dressing. Combine OJ, wild orange essential oil, champagne vinegar and olive oil. Place the pieces of avocado and grapefruit into a large bowl, toss with a few sprinkles of dressing (you do not need much as these flavors can really stand alone; it’s just to coat for a little added zest).

Place horizontally on a plate and sprinkle with a little fresh pepper and salt. ENJOY!

You will love this simple recipe. It is so good. If you try it and like, let me know. Leave your comments in the box below.

If you like this recipe please share the love and post it via FB, Pinterest or Twitter. Thanks!

If you want to try essential oils, cause you KNOW I only use the BEST, click HERE

If someone asked you if you believed in yourself, you might think, “Duh, of course I do!”

And I’d say.  Lucky You.

There are plenty of people out there who doubt themselves more than they believe in their strengths and abilities to shine. It’s so easy to doubt ourselves. There will always be someone thinner, faster, stronger, smarter and prettier than you.

SO what are you going to do about it?

You are not them, they are not you.

You are you.

If you have this one life, one body, one self, do yourself a favor— the next time doubt starts to sprout its head and fill you will all kinds of feelings that don’t serve you, think of yourself as a child being bullied by a fat kid with warts. Who are you going to believe? Warty McWart-er-son? Or yourself?

The only way you will ever get what you want in life is if you believe in yourself. You may not be the best at everything you do.  You may not have everything you think you want.  But you know what?  You have a lot more than you probably think you have

You’ve got air in your lungs, friends and family that most likely love you to death and an opportunity, right now, to experience life.  It’s simple.  Start with that.  You can always build from there.  You are worth it.

I’ve given you a few ideas on how you can see the positive in yourself and I’d love to hear your comments in the box below.  Have you dealt with adversity? If so, let us know how you’ve dealt with it.

If you found this useful or inspirational, please share the love via Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.

XO,

Hayley

I often post  images on my facebook page of fit women. Every so often, the reaction to some of the images I post is not expected.

A lot of women feel that posting images of women who look ‘perfect’ sends the wrong message or even depressed some women who will never be able to achieve such a body.

As I read some of comments on some of my posts, I often feel crummy. I love to inspire people. I am not here to depress you or make you feel bad about what you have or may never have. I never intend to send the message that if you don’t look like this you are not worthy. I simply post images that inspire ME.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I light of all the women who have ever asked  me to take the spectrum of body types into consideration, instead of focusing solely on fit, strong women as the archetype for what ALL women should aspire to, here is a photo that I love and hope you too appreciate.

This is my way of saying, I hear you sistas, I respect your diversity, and I think all of us, as women, should feel beautiful and be able to embrace what you have without suffocating under the ideals of perfection.

What makes you feel inspired?  I’d love to know.  Please leave a comment in the box below.

And if you like this post, or found it inspiring, please  share the love by spreading the word on FB, Pinterest or Tweet it.

XO, Hayley

Don’t wait until it is too late to do and say everything that means something to you. Act NOW and live happily.

I know you can all relate to this and I’d love to hear from you.  Please post something you know you need to do right now and not tomorrow in the box below.

And if you love this idea of makit it happen or this post inspired you share the love via Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.

XO,

Hayley

A few months ago I was back East visiting my parents for a few days when my mother and I got into one of our not so unusual spats.

I love my mother more than I can articulate, but we get into arguments every once in a while that leave us on non-speaking terms for days.  Not good.  It usually ruins our stay together and I end up feeling like a train wreck.

Words go back and forth that neither one of us intended and when the argument is over, neither one of us can even remember how it began.

We are out of alignment, and if I’m out of alignment with even one person in my life, I feel out of alignment with the entire universe.

Have you ever said something that was either so ridiculous or so spiteful that you wish you could take it back?  Of course you have. I know I have. Too many times.

We all become monsters of our madness at certain times in our lives.  Our stress can definitely get the best of us.  With so much going on around us every minute in this very intense and competitive world we live in, it’s easy to see why we may react without thoughtfulness. 

However, as crazy as our lives may be,USE  THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for atrocious behavior.  So, what’s the best way to prevent yourself from becoming a crazy person?  From saying things that you don’t really mean?  How do you prevent yourself from sticking your foot in your mouth to begin with so you never have to eat your words?

• 1.   Zip It!  When you are frustrated or upset, walk away!

• 2.   24-Hour Rule – Do not respond to anyone or any situation that is going to make you sound like a crazy person within at least 24 hours.  As one of my mentors, Marie Forleo says, “Check yourself before your wreck yourself.”

• 3.   Breathe! – When you get upset, your stress levels rise even more and you may find you are not evening breathing.  Inhale long and deep.  Exhale all the air out.

Sounds like a plan, right?  Yes, in an ideal world you would never again say anything in appropriate.  Realistic?  No, of course not.  You will always have your not-so-perfect  days and something yucky will unintentionally slip out.  So what do you do?

Be proactive and clean it up!  There is nothing better than an apology.

It is the glue that brings all the pieces back together.  I cannot think of any circumstance where an apology was inappropriate.  It can repair pretty much anything so long as it’s sincere.  So even if you feel self-conscious (which you should), approach and say you are sorry.

So, who are you writing your ‘I’m sorry letter’ to now?

I know I’m going to call my mom just to tell her I love her.

I’ve give you several great steps to clean up your mess when you know you’ve f’d up.  I’d love to hear what you plan to do when you get yourself in this situation.  Please leave a comment in the box below.

And if you like what you’ve just read, spread it around!  You KNOW you’re friends need to hear it too.  Share on FB, Pinterest and Twitter.

XO,

Hayley

There are two things I really love in life (besides my husband and little girl): Dark Chocolate and Coconut.

Dark Chocolate and Coconut together are my kind of bliss. Using Peppermint essential oil in this recipe makes these little peppermint bad boys the best peppermint patties EVER!

Ingredients:

½ cup Organic Coconut Oil
¼ cup Agave Nectar
5-7 drops of doTERRA Peppermint Essential Oil (more if you like a strong peppermint taste)
½ to 1 cup high quality dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double boiler

In a small bowl: combine coconut oil, agave, and peppermint oil. Mix with a wooden spoon. Smash clumps of coconut oil against side of bowl until mixture is smooth. Freeze mixture for a few minutes until it starts to harden, then remove from freezer. Use a small spoon to measure out little balls onto a parchment paper lined plate. Lightly smash balls into flat patties. Place plate in freezer until firm. Using a spoon, dip patties into melted chocolate. Place patties on parchment paper to harden (takes about 10 minutes).

P.S.  to hear where I get my essential oils, ’cause you KNOW I’m using THE BEST, click HERE.

This recipe rocks and I’d like to hear your thoughts after you try it.  So please leave a comment in the box below.

And if you like this post, you better not keep it a secret!  Please share the love with your friends on FB, Pinterest and Twitter!

This is one of my personal favorites. I love everything about Spring, the abundance of delectable vegetables and fruits.

What you will need:

4 watermelon radishes

1 avocado

2 to 3 oz of baby or wild arugula

1 or 2 heirloom tomatoes (of your choice, remember: each heirloom has its own unique taste)

Small handful of hemp seeds and green garbanzo beans

Photo Credit: noshtopia.com

Directions:

Slice the watermelon radishes on a mandolin or with a very sharp knife. Cut the heirloom and avocado to your liking. In a large bowl toss the ingredients together with the dressing and enjoy!

Dressing:

I love to make my own citrus dressing. In a bowl combine 2 tbsp of olive oil, 3 drops of wild orange essential oil, 3 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 drop of lime essential oil. If you would like to use half of a fresh meyer lemon or tangerine, for added zest, that is okay too, but try just the olive oil with essential oils first to see if you need it. Mix until incorporated then drizzle over salad. Toss.

Easy peasy, right?  Please leave your comments in the box below and let me know when you are going to try it!

And if this recipe looks good t, please share the love with others via Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

P.S. If you’d like to know where I get my essential oils, ’cause you know I’m using the best, click HERE

It was 2002.  I was living in the City of Angels, trying to make it on my own.  My first stab at a career had ended.  Five years in the practice of law was all I could take.  I tried… Believe me, I tried. 

I started as a corporate Bankruptcy attorney and after two years of reorganizing Carolco Pictures (do you remember them? they did the Terminator and many more), I found myself intrigued with the world of Entertainment.  It’s Funny – most people relocate to Los Angeles to be involved in that world.  I had been there for 7 years already and it had taken me that long to bite. I’m glad I did.

It taught me a great lesson which I’m still in the process of implementing.

I took a job at Jersey Films. Not a good move, or so I thought at the time.  Here I had been thinking I was “moving up” on the career ladder and instead, I became a glorified assistant to an assistant.  The job sucked.,  AND I had taken a not so small pay cut for it.  Played the cards, lost the hand.  I moved on.

Next, I landed at E-Entertainment.  This job may actually have been worse.  Silly me.  I thought I had been hired as a L-A-W-Y-E-R who graduated cum laude from a prestigious school.  I guess not.  I found myself doing the same grunt work I had been doing 12 years earlier without a college degree or any prior work experience.

The mentality in Hollywood is that people are dying to be a part of their glamorous world and will basically work for minimum wage no matter how qualified they are.

Not me.

I was miserable.  Resentful.  Self-serving. I thought I deserved better. I was smart, educated and reliable.  So then why did I feel like a bottom sucking, worthless piece shit? To top it all off-not surprisingly- my first marriage was falling apart.

We always have a choice.  We can either tune in to the universe and accept the gifts it offers to us, no matter how disguised they may seem at the time, or we can fight and lose the battle.  I had no idea the universe had my back at the time so I fought it every step of the way.

I was a TOTAL BITCH!

Not on purpose, of course.  I really had no idea how poorly I was behaving…   But everyone else around me did.  No one liked me besides my family and my closest friends.   Honestly, I wonder now if they really liked me at the time, or were just putting up with me because they thought they had to.

So now here I was with no job at all, no husband, living in this crazy, intense city where everyone was out for himself, biting to survive.

At some point, I stopped sleeping.  Well-not completely.  I’d go to bed every night around 10pm and without fail, I was up at 1am.  It actually became a game I had with myself. I’d open my eyes, guess the time was 1:03am or 1:07am, look at the clock and smile that I could be that on track.  I’d be up until 4:00am, fall back asleep for an hour or two and then my blaring alarm would jolt me up again.  Perfect.  Exhausted and bitchy…  What a great combination to start the day.

At some point I scheduled an appointment with my doctor so I could beg for something to keep me asleep at night.  He knew me quite well. I had been there several times over the past few years with various maladies.  You name it.  Sinus infections, IBS symptoms, the flu.  If it came around, I got it.  It’s no wonder.

My body was a mess.  Undernourished in every sense of the word.  Overstimulated.  Completely stressed out.

Not that there is really any excuse to act like self-deserving, self-centered, thoughtless bitch, but when your body is not getting the nourishment it needs, how can you possibly give back positive, loving light?

I’d sit in that waiting room, staring at my watch, wondering how anyone could have the audacity to keep me waiting so long.  Didn’t he know I had places to go and people to see too? My time was just as important as his.  I made that perfectly clear to the assistant behind the desk.

Finally, I was seen and walked out with what I needed!    I was looking forward to sleeping through the night! But I was in for a surprise… It was more than the night I slept through.  I couldn’t drag myself out of bed after 14 or 15 hours.  My body was limp…  I had no energy.  No life.  No personality.  Not even my bitchy one.  I was sucked dry.

I thought I’d adjust to the medication but it continued for weeks.  My life wasn’t getting better.  It was getting worse. I was falling into emptiness.

I called up my doctor and asked him what he had given me.  I told him I could not function.  You know what I found out?  He had given me medication for a schizophrenic.  He thought I had a personality disorder!

Yes, I was unhappy.  Yes, I was a bitch.  But… the only personality disorder I had was that I had not yet tapped into my inner self.  I could not feel my heart.  I was not being nourished by the “primary foods” in my life that included so much more than I was actually putting in my mouth.

I needed love.  I needed guidance. I needed support. I needed compassion. I needed a nurturing relationship.  I needed a career I loved. 

Once I realized that, I took the steps I needed to make it all happen.

It’s taken me years to walk along the path I’ve been heading,  and I’m not saying I’m perfect.  God knows I’m far from perfect.  B Now, I am finally able to look at my destiny differently.  I will never again be “stuck” in a life I don’t want to be living.  Now I have a right to be happy.  I am allowed to write the fairytale I want my life to look like.  It’s up to me to create it.  No one is going to make my dreams come true, other than myself.  I know that if I send positive light out into the universe it will come back to me tenfold.

Best of all, when I lay my head down on my pillow at night, I can actually sleep through the night.

What do you think?  I’d love to hear your comments in the box below.

And if you feel your friends would benefit, share this post with them on FB, Pinterest and Twitter!