Thursday, November 28, 2013

Give thanks in ALL circumstances

Yesturday I got laid off from my job.

It was one of those moments where you don't know whether to laugh, cry, scream or jump for joy. To me it was all of the above. I knew for awhile now that something needed to change, but when a change like this happens so fast, I don't know if i was ready for it or not. 
I went home with such a confused mental state and no sense of what to do next. 

You know the saying, the light of the morning sun after a nights sleep brings new clarity to any situation? Well I got to experience this first hand this morning after reading my daily devotional plan on my Youverse Bible app, which clearly stated this scripture from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 -



I tell you friends, this scripture gave me new hope this morning. A new sense of peace, encouragement and faith. 

It might seem very simple to others but to me, it spoke LOUD into my soul. Sometimes, you just need to smile in light of a bad situation because this usually means it is the turning point of where God is bringing better into our lives. 

I do not know where I will be in the next few days, never mind the next year, but i do know that I have a husband and a son to live for and a bright future ahead. Just like the status I posted on Facebook last night, God NEVER makes mistakes. He has a perfect plan for our life,  which we have no control over and will always bring  good to his children who trust and have faith in him.

Be encouraged ladies and have faith.. and in everything, have joy in ALL of your circumstances! 

Light always comes in the morning...


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

My "Busy Momma" Book Review






As a busy momma, I rarely get time to actually sit down a read a book or magazine often, but when those few moments do happen, I dearly treasure them. So I decided to share with you a few of my current reads, when I have free time, and why I am enjoying reading them.


First up,

  
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
This novel is quite hilarious at times and at other oddly relateable. It isn't what you would first deem it as by the looks of the title - a self'help book- but more like a book about a woman who started her own journey to her pursuit of happiness, while doing it in a 365 day, steps all clearly planned out way. Its comedic and filled with ideas I found myself wanting to try personally. All together, I think it's a good book to get you out of your own head for a while and into another busy mom's journey to more self-inflicted happiness.




Next, a newly favourite author of mine,



The Fire starter sessions by Danielle Laporte.
This book right here... GOLD. I believe thay any woman on a new path to entrepreneurship, whether a start-up business or a blog, should own and actually read this book. Filled with amazing, down-to-earth examples and inspirational context, this book was written to help push readers to a new sense of self. Becoming more bold and confident with the skills and passions you have been given, and how to make practical use of them while building your self-esteem and creative mind for what's to come. I love the way she has different size fonts and working to make them really stand out at you while reading. For example:




When do you normally see this a a book your reading? My point exactly. She has a way of shoving you real hard and saying "COME ON, GO AHEAD AND DO IT" with her way of writing in this book, without actually doing or saying it like that. I am a lover of motivating, self-help books for business minded people, and I am not ashamed to say it. I would encourage any one aspiring to start a business or blog to go and read this book by any means! And while you are at it, you can also check out her inspiring site here. You can also purchase her book here.



I would like to end of this post with an inspirational picture I loved and wanted to share. My little man. He was watching mommy when taking these photos for this post and was such a well-behaved sport. Mommy loves you Rome.


Good night, from romey & I <3






*This post was not sponsored by anyone nor was my reviews of these books. They were simply my personal opinions that I wanted to share with you lovely ladies.*

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Our "couples night in"




Last night we decided to host a "couples night-in" with Chris' cousin and new wife. It is something that we found ourselves doing for the past couple of weekends prior. I love having conversations with like-minded couples in our age category. We can share, relate to each other and our experiences and best of all, we can share about our ISSUES in a light-hearted, safe environment.

So along with amazing convo, we made cookies - This is one o the better batches we did, and no I am not showing you the bad ones) ,


Hot drinks, and then setteled in to a perfect date night companion- a Romantic-Comedy- which we watched the movie "Waitress". After the movie we were suppose to play an "adult" (adult meaning no babies around, or toddlers and must be in bed, sound asleep) board game, but acutally ended up falling asleep on the couch instead. A perfectly imperfect night end to our night in. This just solidifies how "Married" we are!

What are some of you "date night" ideas for the winter? I'd love to hear some.


Happy Saturday friends! 
Enjoy

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The "Hard" Days we all go through... How do you cope?

Image not mine. Found through Google Search.

You know those days when nothing is going well for you, or at least that's what you're telling yourself. The days where you can't seem to find time to do anything that you should or want to be doing like posting new content to your blog, crafting items for your Etsy page, checking your Twitter feed, Pinterest boards, Instagram replies or basically just being able to read at least one of those 5 books you bought at Indigo-chapters several weeks ago?

How do you convince your self that life isn't that bad... and that you actually made sooooome progress towards your goals today?
 
For me, today is definitely one of those days...


However, I REFUSE to let it get the best of me.

So instead of being a "Downer-Debbie", I decided to come up with a few easy ways to burst those big, ugly bubbles of self-doubt, disappointment and the serious case of  "I AM SO LAME" self-pity surrounding you (I came to the conclusion that by doing this small activity, it might actually help not only myself get out of this funk, but also someone else who badly needed it today. And just that thought alone made me feel a tad bit better).

Here's what I came up with:


- Talk about it. - Ladies, we all know that from time-to-time, we like to keep things bottled up within ourselves, pretending that we are OK, yet having a "FIT-BALL" with our poor spouse in private. We need to open up, maybe call up a close friend or just simply sit your boo down and really expression yourself (In a healthy, non-violent way of course). That is one of the best remedies I have found that helps me instantly feel better, even if the situation is not 100% resolved or "better" yet.
 
- Watch you favourite sitcom...with a glass of wine or some type of "happy beverage" you like. - Clearly this point is self-explanatory. You laugh, you zone out of your own life and into the characters on T.V, well for at least 30 minutes and you also can sip a calming drink in which you very much enjoy (I occasionally don't have wine but most of the time I wish I had.)
 
- Write in a private journal or if open enough, blog about it. - I find that when I actually write something down that is bothering me, either in my journal or on my blog, I always feel inspired afterwards, as if I somehow helped myself to never have to deal with it in my head again because now it's on paper to re-read if I need to. I instantly clear it from my head (it might still be somewhere in the back of my head but at least its not in every thought I have unlike before) and feel a sign of relief that usually lasts a while. I try to write out as much of the issue or feelings I am experiencing and then write on how it is affecting me, as though I'm talking to the actual person or thing that caused it. That to me is very therapeutic and calming. It also helps me to gain a lot of clarity on the issue if I re-read and think about it for a few minuets after writing.
 
- Log on to Pinterest and browse through the "quotes" category. - Some of you might be saying to yourself, really Rochelle? Seriously though, this helps me so much. I L-O-V-E motivational quotes. I am the type of person to sporadically post them on my instagram, to help brighten my followers day. That's just me.(Corny to you? Ah well.. Its my vice, what's yours.) I think that when you are browsing through, and you find really good ones that speak to you, you should then keep them on your phone, desk-top background or re-pin them just to have them in places you see often to continue to inspire you. Hey, it works for me... mine as well give it a try!
 
 
Writing this has already been helpful for me and in reading this, I hope it has been for some of you also. I would love to hear other tips and methods others use to cope on those Hard days we all have.
 
Leave me a comment!
  
 
 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Top 5 ways to "De-compress" after the 9-5 grind!

As a full-time employee myself, I thought it would be so useful to research and share with you my top 5 methods of combating stress after a long day at the office.As a Recruiter in a busy employment office, I definitely know a little or two about STRESS.

As a woman, we often have other "jobs" that start after the "day job" is complete, such as:
  • being a mother/caregiver
  • a daughter
  • a wife/girlfriend or
  • just being a good friend who takes 2 hours out of her night to listen to one of her girls tell her "awful breakup story that happened or recent fight with another friend".
Which ever you experience on a daily basis, we all know that this is just another "thing" to add to our day's stress and less time to focus on ourselves and what WE really want to be doing.

I want to suggest that we should always leave the last hour of our day or so, before bedtime, to do some"de-compressing" of our tensions of that day and really do something that helps us relax, laugh, be at ease and simply enjoy that get us ready for a peaceful night's rest.

Here is my top 5 ways of doing just that:

1. Reading: where you read love to read cosmo mag's before bed or your Bible, we should dedicate an hour before bedtime to simply relax and read something that can uplift our spirits and make us feel at ease and calm before sleep time. Personally i love to read self-help books on being a woman entrepreneur such as Daniella La Porte's "The Fire Session Starters" and a daily devotional from my Youversion bible app on my iPhone. They help get my mind in a place I want to be... happy, filled with God's peace and of course, motivated.

2. Silent Meditating: Have you ever tried to just sit still and think of completely nothing. No thoughts about your day or what you have to do tomorrow. Just the noise of your heart beat and slow breathing... That is the art of meditating. You don't have to be a guru at meditation to successfully do it at home. All you need to do is choose a quiet, softly lit place in your home, where you won't be distracted by others and you can feel at ease and safe. (If you're like me, your house is FAR from quiet... thats where good headphones and the songza app comes into play! - Just put on your head phones and play a playlist for nature sounds or soft, word-less rhythms that can get you feeling relaxed and calm). Do this for at least 5 minuets per night. Then increase gradually to 10 mins a night, then 15, until you can do this for an hour. Here is where you master the art of slience... mind, body and soul. You can even have this time for conversations with God in you head, something I usually do as well.

3. Hot, steamy bubble bath... by YOURSELF(sorry no hubby's allowed): If you love LUSH bath products as much as I do, you can invest some time in enjoying them in your bath time. These wonderfully smelling baths not only relax your body muscles, but also help relax your mind. Just be careful not to fall asleep in the tub! (I know, I watch way too many movies...) Also, by having your iPod dock-system in your bathroom like I have, you can also softly play your favourite slow jamz playlists while lighting some Bath and Body Works candles (another favourite item of mine) to create that romantic ambiance... but just for you! Every hard-working female needs to try this at least once! I swear by it, you will do this at least once a week after the 1st try!

4. Exercising: Ok, Ok. I know that for most, after a long day, the last thing you want to do is work out, but if you can only stretch the entire body from head to toe, one section at a time, you will feel a huge difference when you hit the bed. You will feel 10x more relaxed and at ease, plus you'll be doing your body a favour by helping to circulate your blood better, which causes your body to feel more relaxed also. Give it a try! Just 10 minuets before bed, on the floor in your room ( I usually just tell my husband to pretend he doesn't see me and don't make fun or try to distract me) and possibly end of with a glass of water. Good night!

5. Sex: I know this might seem like the "champion of choice" for most, but it really is great for couples to have some one-on-one time before bed to be intimate with each other, have a "sweet, sweat session" and finish off with some good ol' spooning til you both K-O. Need I say more?....


Hope you enjoyed this post! I welcome any comments or other ideas you may have to add to my top 5!

Who is "Purple Heart", why did I start this blog & my version of "the cosmo quiz"...

Well first off, My real name is Rochelle. Purple Heart is the name of my online Ladies's Fashion Accessories shop, which will be launching in a few short weeks!

What's meaning behind the name, Purple Heart you ask?

When I was growing up, I was known to love two things, well 3 if you add in B2K (yikes... that was a sick obsession that I am not proud of). The 2 things were: the colour Purple and the shape of a Heart. Every notebook or paper that I ever had to write my name on had a small heart above the "o" in my name. Why, I still to this day couldn't tell you. I was just a girl who loved to draw hearts and buy purple things. So when I was in the brain-storming stage of creating a business name, it was pretty obvious to me that I had to include both.

I always wanted to start a blog (Sounds so cliche but it was really a life goal of mine, along with being interviewed by Oprah). But as always, something always came up to distract me or take my attention and time away ( especially as a busy momma). And now that I am a new business owner, wife, mommy and full-time employee... I thought to myself, I can't get any more busier than I am now so this HAS TO BE done and NOW. And there you have it... "a purple heart lifestyle" blog was born.

I want to create a place where I can learn more about myself, being a well-balanced young woman & mother. What inspires me. How I can re-invent my personal style and life yet still be present in my family's life. A place where I can connect with young mommies around the world who are in the same stage of life as me, so that we can help each other feel like less alone and more inspired. 
With this blog and new business venture, I want to re-create a beautful, inspired and creative life for myself so that I can really focus on what really matters most: my family and our future. Eventually I want to leave the corporate world and pursue a life of passion, purpose and freedom to cherish this short but beautiful life God blessed me with. And with that journey in mind, I want to inspire and encourage other young moms that they can do the same thing. 

The first step is to BELIEVE in yourself.


We all deserve to create our own happiness without having to give up something that matters to us. This is why I wanted to launch this blog and create a worldwide community of like-minded "mommy-preneurs" to connect with, encourage, and learn with! 

Join me on my journey to new style, bolder life choices and self-made success! I cannot wait to meet you.

As a way for you to get to know the "Rochelle", I decided to re-create one of those fun Cosmopolitan Magazine questionnaire quiz that they usually have their featuring celebs do to get tho know them more on the personal side. I LOVE reading them, so I thought it would be fun to make my own.

It would also be fun if you girls can comment below your answers  as well!

Sounds like fun?... here it goes mine:


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1. Name: Rochelle Ford-Wilson

2. Nickname: r0 or ro-ro(my dad made up that name for me years ago)

3. Which do you prefer in the morning before a long day:
a.) coffee
b.) tea
c.) shower
d.) "love-making" with the hubby IN the shower
e.) hour work-out session at an early morning Zumba class
(if celebs can choose more than 1 answer, so can I! Both are equally great to start the mornings with)

4. Essie or OPI nail lacquer? Essie! but I still love me some OPI from time to time, depending on season of colours. For example, Essie as great spring & summer collections.

5. If you could drop everything you are doing now and get a dream vacation to any place with just  you & your "boo", where would you go?
a. a romatic chateau in Paris, perfect view from the Eiffel Tower (always wanted to go to Paris, sadly cant afford it)
b. secluded adults only Resort in The Bahamas
c. Cozy couples ski logde in Switzerland
d. at home for a week with no interruptions and $1000 in sending money (to use only for couple activities and outings - NOT SHOPPING ladies)

6.) Best marriage/relationship advice I ever recieved and actually USE:
      "never share your relationship problems with friends or strangers... keep it between the two of you and work it out together without others imputs" - best advice from my aunt at our wedding shower.

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Hope that made us a little more acquainted now. 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you back here, and soon!