Wednesday, December 23, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
We're moving! Visit us at Find Your Sock Yarn and re-subscribe to get the latest updates. Your favorite features like Question of the Week, Words of Wisdom quotes and fun giveaways will be there. Archives will remain here for now. Thanks for visiting!
Weekly on Wednesday
Print This Post
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: WOW ~ Words of Wisdom
Tuesday, December 22, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Leigh Anne says…
I met Jenn Ross several years ago at a women’s retreat. We enjoyed a wonderful time together in the beautiful Napa Valley and I was able to introduce Jenn to her first In and Out Burger! We kept in touch and when Jenn needed help developing an idea she hired Sherra and me for some Idea Coaching and within a few short weeks, we helped her launch her first blog. She already has another one in the works!
“Life is an adventure or it is nothing at all.” Certainly when I married my husband 30 years ago I had no idea what an adventure it would be! I married a Navy pilot and along with that came numerous moves, the pleasure of living in Hawaii for 3 years and knowing the life of a psuedo single parent during my husband’s 6 month long Navy deployments. I have a BA in Spanish and returned to school with 3 small children to get a degree in Nursing. I work with new Moms and newborns. I love fun outdoor activities including flying on the trapeze, training for sprint triathlons, hiking and being with my five grandkids (5 yrs-1 yr) In July 2010, I will be training at Duke University in their Integrative Health Coaching program. I believe it is never too late to get healthy and be active.
Favorite color:
Turquoise
Favorite food you associate with this holiday season:
Eggnog
Pet Peeve?
Negative people and gossip
What is something that no one knows about you? (that you want to tell the whole internet world)
If I had been blessed with a great singing voice I would have loved to have been a broadway singer belting out songs in those fun musicals. Instead I really really enjoy a fun musical with great singing .
One word that describes you:
Adventuresome
What’s your motto or mantra:
“Embrace the possibilities”
What are the top three things that are most important to you — the things you love to do and you are passionate about?
The holidays are a time of abundance. Abundance of family, traditions, lights, decorations, parties and food. Holiday food. Yum. Christmas cookies, eggnog, luscious desserts, breads, mashed potatoes and great chocolate!
And let’s not forget that with all the fun and festivities with the holidays there is also a great deal of stress. How do we often relieve stress? We indulge in our favorite holiday treats and by January 1st our indulge has turned to a bulge.
In the words of Charles Dickens ” It’s the best of times and the worst of times”
And in my words…”the best part of the holidays is the food” and “the worst part of the holidays can be the food.”
This holiday can be all about peace with our food choices and staying fit!
Here’s a few steps you can take now (no it’s not too late) to help you stay healthy and still enjoy the holidays.
Food Glorious Food…mmm, I seem to be on a Charles Dickens kick here.
Ever heard of the 5p’s? Me neither until I met my husband. It’s a boy scout thing and since I was a Camp Fire Girl which had very little to do with camping or fires I remained clueless.
5P’s = Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
In years past for the holidays and food we usually had just one plan: Plan E Eat, Eat all of it. That didn’t work very well. WAIT, it did until we got on the scale!
For holiday eating lets use the 4 P’s
When you start to waiver and want seconds and thirds remember how much peace you will have after the holidays because you enjoyed but did not over eat!
Keep Moving!!!
Find inventive ways to do what is called “spontaneous exercise.”
Park far away from the entrance to malls, work, grocery stores.
Use the stairs and not the elevator (for reasonable distances).
Make multiple trips up and down stairs at home instead of taking one big load all at once.
Make it a game to find all kinds of ways to do spontaneous exercise and you’ll find it fun and challenging.
OR
Start walking with a friend 3x a week (or everyday)! It not only moves your body but relieves your stress.
Your walking buddy is key! Knowing someone is waiting for you will keep you on track. Plus the conversation will make the time go faster and make it fun!
Have fun this holiday season. We sometimes get lost in all the preparations that we forget the real purpose is to celebrate, spend time with family and remember our many blessings. We can do all of it and still be peaceful about our food and fitness choices. Have a wonderful and joyful celebration this year!
Visit Jenn at her blog See Jenn Tri.
***************
Moments & Memories is a column is centered around our word of the month. We love to feature women from all walks of lives – it may be in the form of an interview or as a guest writer. We’d love to feature you as a guest writer. Qualifications: No experience necessary…just be willing to share a great moment or memory with other women. Send us an email and we’ll schedule a date. Our guest writers do not necessarily have to have a website or a blog as we want iLashGirls to be a place where every woman has a voice!
Popularity: 3% [?]
Categories: Encouragement, Food, Inspiration, Moments & Memories
Monday, December 21, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Leigh Anne says…
Our Christmas Eve dinner program with friends and neighbors.
Sherra says…
I am a night owl so I love baking late into the night and having the kids wake up to all their favorite holiday treats.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Question of the Week
Wednesday, December 16, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Weekly on Wednesday
Print This Post
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: WOW ~ Words of Wisdom
Tuesday, December 15, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Leigh Anne says…
I met Amber Schmitt years ago when she lived in Oregon, prior to her move to Texas. She is the best friend of my next door neighbor Sheri. Amber and I share quite a few similarities including our love for reading and scrapbooking!
I have been married to my college sweetheart for 20 years and we have three smart, funny, wonderful (ok, I’m biased) kids who are 9 (boy), 13 (girl) and 17 (girl). I have a degree in Business Marketing and had a career in Public Relations and Sponsorship Marketing/Event Planning for a large bank before becoming a stay at home mom. Our family has a love for travel and have traveled together all over the world. I believe this travel has been a great education for the kids and a great bonding experience for our family.
First and foremost I love my husband and kids and being a HOME maker, although it feels like we are rarely home. I am also a voracious reader and scrapbook with a group every Wednesday while the kids are in school.
I love being the best wife and mother I can be, but I also believe strongly in not losing myself in it completely. I have an entrepreneurial and creative mind, lots of energy, and lots of ideas. One of these days I know these will all come together to create the next adventure/business venture of my life (in the meantime you might find me a little scattered).
Favorite color:
Bright Blue
Favorite food you associate with this holiday season:
Peanut butter and Hershey Kiss cookies
Pet Peeve?
Negative Nellies (complainers)
What is something that no one knows about you? (that you want to tell the whole internet world)
I’m an open book – what you see is what you get.
One word that describes you:
Energetic
What’s your motto or mantra:
“Things go best for those who do best with the way things go”
What are the top three things that are most important to you — the things you love to do and you are passionate about?
“Peace on Earth” glowing in big red lights, surrounded by greenery and giant gold plastic ornaments greets me as I walk into the mall full of people scurrying like ants. There it is again on the front of the foil-lined envelope that sits on top of my mail as I pull it out of the mailbox. “Peace on Earth” embossed on the card, covered with glitter by a friend who loves to do stamping. I get home and stand next to the kitchen counter, flipping through the bills and holiday catalogs. Tucked in among this pile is a Victoria’s Secret flyer. The perfectly sculpted and spray-tanned model wears nothing but a red push-up bra and red underwear that have the letters P-E-A-C-E in glittery rhinestones all across the front.
What a lovely thought, this elusive peace. It goes without saying that I would love to have Peace on Earth. Heck, I’d even be happy to have peace in our school PTA! Peace on earth, peace at the holidays, it’s all a wonderful wish. But right now, I’m not looking for peace at the mall and I am certainly not looking for peace on my underwear! I don’t see what is so peaceful about looking over my “had three babies and am over 40″ stomach to view some glittery letters upside down on my underwear. That is not peaceful to me!
The truth is that peace is not something you look for and it is not always something you create. Sure, we can all seek to improve peace among our children and within our households. We can always strive to be a part of creating a more peaceful world. But what people forget is that there are moments of peace in every single day. So often we rarely even see them because we are not paying attention.
The question I would like to ask many women is this:
“Are you events planning your life or are you living it?”
Again and again I see women who are fantastic mothers, wives, homemakers, entrepreneurs, volunteers, and employees — wonderful women who wear a lot of different hats and are very good at it. But too often our lives become like movies that we are directors of and sadly we forget to be in the film. Sure, we jump in once in a while, even savor it a bit. But even as we enjoy putting the ornaments on the tree or making hot cocoa with the kids, we have this on-going chatter going on inside our heads. What do we need at the store? When are we going to wrap the teacher gift? What color thread should I use when I sew those apron gifts? This incessant chatter in our heads goes on and on and on.
I think that is why we all love photographs so much. Have you ever put on an event, like a children’s birthday party and the entire event you are busy buzzing around, doing what needs to be done? Only afterwards as you look at the photos do you admire how perfectly pink your little girl’s lips are as she prepares to blow out the candles? Only looking at the photos do you take the time to notice how handsome your teenage boy looks in that shade of blue, what a fine young man he is becoming?
As you decorate your house for the holidays do you take even just 60 seconds when you finish your mantle to just soak in the magic of the lights glittering and the stockings hanging there with the names of the people you hold most dear in this world? Do you take even 60 full, uncluttered seconds to simply enjoy just watching your kids open their gifts, or are you busy making thank-you note lists and gathering up the wrapping paper in a giant black trash bag?
Our lives are like novels. They are full of absolute sorrow and extreme joy that makes you want to burst. Our lives have chapters and storylines and always plenty of drama. Just remember that novels have pacing and punctuation – lots of it. They have spaces between the words. There are pauses after each chapter.
My challenge to you this holiday season is to mentally slow down and notice all the spaces between the words in your life. Peace cannot be found at the mall and it certainly isn’t on a pair of Victoria’s Secret underwear. It is inside you.
Whatever you do this holiday season, even if you do it quickly, do it with intention. Live it. Enjoy it. Quiet your mind a pay attention to the spaces and you will find little slices of heaven, little bits of real PEACE.
Visit Amber at her blog at As The World Churns.
***************
Moments & Memories is a column is centered around our word of the month. We love to feature women from all walks of lives – it may be in the form of an interview or as a guest writer. We’d love to feature you as a guest writer. Qualifications: No experience necessary…just be willing to share a great moment or memory with other women. Send us an email and we’ll schedule a date. Our guest writers do not necessarily have to have a website or a blog as we want iLashGirls to be a place where every woman has a voice!
Popularity: 3% [?]
Categories: Inspiration, Moments & Memories, Renewal
Monday, December 14, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Special note: Our iLashGirls site was hacked yesterday so we had to rebuild a few things from a backup so this post disappeared for a while. If you left a comment and you don’t see it now, please leave another one!
Leigh Anne says…
I try to be really organized and start early so I can enjoy the holidays.
Sherra says…
I block out several days where we don’t schedule anything so we can just be home and not in traffic and in stores.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Question of the Week
Wednesday, December 9, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Weekly on Wednesday
Print This Post
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: WOW ~ Words of Wisdom
Tuesday, December 8, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Leigh Anne and Sherra say…
We both know Karen Herrema through our homebased business. She is a Certified Personal Stylist and it is (pardon the pun) the perfect fit for her! Be sure to visit Karen at her blog, Style by Karen for more great fashion tips. We are delighted to introduce you to Karen…
I have been a Washingtonian all but 10 years of my life. I was raised in Lynden, WA in a small farming community in the NW corner, just a few miles from the Canadian border. After attending college in Michigan, I landed my first job in Denver, Co where I lived for 6 years and met my husband, Mike. His job in the lumber industry brought us back to the NW and in 1989 we settled in Vancouver WA, which is in the very SW corner of the state. Nestled in between Seattle and Portland OR, we love the small city feel which has been perfect for raising our two boys Ethan and Collin who are now 17 and 14. My previous career as a school teacher and home business owner has paved the way for beginning a new business in 2008. As a personal stylist I enjoy using my creativity in a whole new way. I love teaching women how to look, feel and dress their best.
Favorite color:
Certain shades of green, teal blue. I also love red.
Favorite food you associate with this holiday season:
I cannot resist a homemade frosted sugar cookie.
Pet Peeve?
Grammatical/punctuation/spelling errors in print or on signs.
What is something that no one knows about you? (that you want to tell the whole internet world)
I love to dance, even if these days that means in my kitchen with my iPod.
One word that describes you:
Enthusiastic
What’s your motto or mantra:
Laughter is the Best Medicine. I am thankful for a husband and kids who help me laugh every day even when things are not all rosy.
What are the top three things that are most important to you — the things you love to do and you are passionate about?
I am not sure I could say my life is very peaceful in December. The calendar is full of events, and we often travel at Christmas. There’s decorating, baking, gifts, and families who need our help. It’s easy to feel pulled in a dozen different directions. As women, we try to do it all. We pull out all the stops to put together the perfect holiday. Add dressing for the holidays to the equation and it’s just one more thing to try and get right. For many women, it causes stress because there isn’t time to shop or it’s hard to make the right choice for the right occasion. Perhaps you’re trying to get by with something you wore last year (and now it doesn’t fit!)
In the dictionary definition of PEACE I found these words: Inner Contentment. It struck a chord with me. I meet women who have been catering to their families for years and suddenly realize: It’s time for ME. I’m amazed when together we do a few tweaks on the outside, sometimes the biggest change occurs on the inside.
Dressing for the holidays does not have to be an added stress. With a few tips, you can look and feel great. I’ve chosen some holiday looks that will cover a variety of events and flatter many body types. I’ve taken comfort and price into consideration (all pieces under $100).
For more details on most of the fashion and accessories shown below, visit Snapshot Emagazine where Karen has an article in the December issue.
Formal Office Party: We went to a big party for ten consecutive years. I miss those days as I loved finding my dresses at January sales. If you didn’t hit the jackpot then, you’re in luck now.
Nordstrom.com Purple dress Maggie London $98
Party with Family/Friends: We often gather for a formal dinner on Christmas Eve with a few other families. Everyone wears sweats/PJs. NOT me! Here are a few ideas that are perfect with jeans–comfortable and still dressy.
White House | Black Market Charmeuse Tiered Shell $88
Nordstrom.com Cardigan $58 Purple Tiered Top $48
White House | Black Market: Ruffled cardigan $98
New Year’s Party: If I had one to go to this year, this is what I’d wear.
Nordstrom.com Sequin cardigan $88 Ruffle tank $48
Last year it was just the 4 of us on Christmas Eve. I asked everyone to dress a little nicer for photos. Message to teenage boys: Wear something besides “ratty” T-shirt. My son came downstairs wearing MY old Christmas sweater I was planning to consign. He found it in the unused side of his closet (my overflow area). We laughed the rest of the night.
Just for the record, I’m not going to touch the topic of Christmas sweaters. Not a fashion faux pas–unless you are a guy–but I believe you can do better.
Karen’s Top Holiday Choice: The Cardigan. It works on any woman petite to plus size. Choose an embellished one to make it more formal, or add accessories to a holiday color of choice.
Kohl’s 29.99
FIT TIP: Wear with two buttons closed under the bust as shown in photo. This shows curves, yet still hides flaws.
Also, if you choose a solid color cardigan, add the bling. Embellished cardigan: 1-2 pieces of jewelry will be enough.
Kohl’s Accessories, $35 for all 3 pieces
There you have it – enough suggestions for every holiday occasion that I hope will help you dress your best while enjoying a peaceful holiday.
I wish for you a Holiday Season that is wonderful in every way and that you will look back and say–I did things for my family, others AND for me. It feels good. That is Inner Contentment.
***************
We have designated Tuesday as a day where we will have different women share “Moments & Memories” in their lives.
We plan to feature women from all walks of lives – it may be in the form of an interview or as a guest writer. The column on Tuesday will be centered around our word of the month. We’d love to feature you as a guest writer. Qualifications: No experience necessary…just be willing to share a great moment or memory with other women. Send us an email and we’ll schedule a date. Our guest writers do not necessarily have to have a website or a blog as we want iLashGirls to be a place where every woman has a voice!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Encouragement, Finding the Best, Inspiration, Moments & Memories, Renewal
Monday, December 7, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Leigh Anne says…
The beach
Sherra says…
The golf course
Popularity: 2% [?]
Categories: Question of the Week
Saturday, December 5, 2009, by Leigh Anne & Sherra
Woo-hoo! We have a winner.
#22 – Libby
Libby has won the pretty Krista Holiday Apron!
We want to thank everyone for entering and especially for all of the wonderful comments. We love reading them!
All winners should have received a personal email from us requesting their address and contact information so they can get their prize. If we don’t hear back from winners within 5 days, we will use random.org to choose another winner
Popularity: 1% [?]
Categories: Giveaway Surprise
The iLashGirls community is a place where you can make friends, share ideas and find resources that you will love and share with all the women in your life.
Put Leigh Anne and Sherra
together
(LA+SH=LASH)
and you have
the founders of iLashGirls.
Theme customization by Standout Impressions
Fresco Theme by miLienzo.com
iLashGirls.com © 2008-2009
Powered by WordPress and Bluehost