So, why Kindness?

When I was an Etiquette Consultant, I had a wide range of topics to talk about. All of them were coated with kindness. Kindness was always present. After leaving the Etiquette Consulting Industry, I didn't entirely let go: I held on as strongly as I could to Kindness. This was in 2010 and my life has continuously been directed by kindness ever since.

I noticed kindness came disguised as so many different values, actions and virtues: goodness, consideration, friendliness, charity, honest concern, positive attitude, joyful disposition, a smile, the right words at the right time, politeness, generosity, a hug, love, a helping hand and so much more.

I also noticed the kinder I was, the better I felt, immediately! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
In addition, I noticed the more kindness I applied to my life, the more kindness happened to me in return. Again, no doubt about it. This has proven to be as true as it could be.

This is when I came up with the phrase "Be Kind. Feel Good.", that I still use nowadays, especially here as my Blog posts' signature. (More about "BKFG" later)

Simply put, when you act kindly, you WILL feel good. There is no way kindness coming from your part will EVER make you feel bad. It's impossible. If it does, then that act didn't truly come from the heart. Pay attention to this in your daily life.

I love how my daughter's school focuses so much on kindness. One of the classroom's rules states "My heart is kind" and kids are expected to respect that on a daily basis, from early on (we're talking about Pre-K age, 4-5 years old!).

If there's something GREAT in life that can truly enhance my life and the lives of my loved ones, I will do it. Kindness, while always having been used in my family when growing up, only became truly apparent and totally transparent to me as an adult, and this is the time when I can and will fully use it. Research has shown that (and I apologize for not being able to give you a correct citation at this time. I promise to look it up and post it when I find it!) when a person lives a kind life, meaning, consciously applies kindness on a daily basis, the brain's neurotransmitters in charge of activating feelings that make you relaxed and content are released. That's why when you're truly kind, you'll feel good for sure. I've been doing it for years, and so can you.

This Blog has Kindness as its theme. I don't want to just talk about random acts of kindness (which actually I haven't done yet!), but want to show you how Kindness can, indeed, be part of your daily life in pretty much all you do! From preparing meals and caring for your home, to making others feel good, to taking care of yourself, your family, friends and children, to finding meaningful and useful gifts, to checking out how businesses and others are making a difference and how you can help by practicing charity or what great products are out there that have that touch of kindness. Mostly, as a woman and a Mom, I know how hectic and super crazy life can be! Whether you work a lot, have children or pets as your babies, or a business as your baby, a demanding family overall, we CANNOT forget to be kind to ourselves. Be kind to yourself as well, and feel good, which will immediately have an enormously positive impact on your surroundings!

Hugs to all of you!

Save $ and Save Trees!

 Hey, you, living in the South of the U.S. who shops at Publix! This post is for you!

If you haven't been to Publix lately, pay them a visit. Before you go, however, go online to publix.com/coupons to carry your Publix coupons electronically with you, at all times! (They have slips at the cash register that explain the simple procedure)

No more forgetting coupons and no more wasting paper (yay!)! You create an account online with your basic info and cell phone number (a must), choose the coupons that you want to electronically "clip", and these are stored in your account. Then, you go shopping! Upon check out, the cashier enters your cell phone number and your coupons are right there, ready to be redeemed and matched against what you bought!
It took me 1 minute to register and a few extra minutes to "clip" my coupons. So cool!

Talk about GREAT convenience and making the best use of technology and being environmentally conscious in this global information age!
Publix just made shopping even more of a pleasure!

Your skin SO deserves this!

I got good feedback from some of you about my post on cosmetics. Nothing like being KIND to our skin, right?
As I had written before, I would have been a great research subject for any Dermatologist over the years. Read my other post (click here) to understand what I mean!

Ever since I can remember, my Mom has always taken very good care of her skin. She's well over 60 now and always receives compliments on her skin. The benefits of using the right products, the need to protect, exfoliate, treat and put time (an sometimes $) into a good skin regimen SHOW. Alright, some of us have great genes that help tremendously, but, let's face it, it's not always the case. At least not my case!

My Mom has taught me by example. Her diligent routine has allowed me to understand, over the years, the benefits of taking good care of our skin. Mostly, protecting it from environmental damage, like the sun, cold, pollution or dry and recycled air. No matter what phase in my skin situation I was in (puberty, adult acne, dry & flaky skin, allergies, sunburn, you name it), there was always something that could be done.

But all these cremes, lotions, serums, ...all this time and money spent! Yes...it's not always easy. The idea of keeping it simple is so appealing, but that will also depend on your skin type, your budget, the time commitment you want to put into it and your age!

There is ONE product, however, that I now LOVE with all my heart and wished I had started using a while ago. This one thing goes well for every skin type and I say that because it's part of a major step: cleansing. I'm sorry, but don't you dare put on anything on dirty skin. No, no. Go wash it first!

I can't picture my life without the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System. If you don't have one yet, either go get one now or save up (prices range from around US$120 to US$235) because IT IS THE BEST.

Our hands-on way of cleansing our face and neck doesn't get all the dirt and make-up off, and if we wanted to try, we'd be scrubbing for the longest time, irritating our skin and potentially damaging our skin's collagen. Because our gentle hands can't possibly do the real deal work, creams, serums and lotions have a bit more of a challenge penetrating our skin, jeopardizing how many benefits we're truly getting from all these products.

What I find with  the Clarisonic brush is that it's gentle brush massager truly cleanses the skin. I can even feel the water totally refreshing my pores. I'm not joking. I use the Clarisonic brush mornings and evenings, and use a bit of the gel cleanser from that brand (they have a good variety of gel cleansers to use with the brush).You wet your face, apply the gel cleanser, turn on your handheld Clarisonic brush and use light, circular motions over the face to cleanse it. Then, you rinse your face with water. Work wonders. It's quick and efficient.

Do something GOOD for yourself and invest in a Clarisonic Cleansing System. I honestly don't think you'll be disappointed at all. If you want to pass the kindness along, this makes for a grate birthday gift, Mother's day gift, Christmas gift, Valentine's gift, raffle prize, silent auction prize or even graduation prize!

Please note, these are my personal opinions on this product. I don't have any connections or affiliations with Clarisonic International. I'm simply a very happy customer spreading the word and sending out good vibes!
(picture of the product found in Google Images)

Happy cleansing, all!

Love your Home!

 I am no interior designer, but here are two simple ideas to make your house homier, and ...so easy to do! These are pictures from my house taken by me.

The first two pictures show a nice, simple accent to an extra bathroom you may have at home. These flowers are artificial, however, they have a very nice feel to them and look rich and silky! Take good care of them, and you can reuse them over the years in different rooms! They bring color and warmth to any small room! There are so many places where you can buy these inexpensive decorations for your home or office. I suggest looking at Target, Joann's, Pier 1 Imports, Macy's, Kohl's, Williams Sonoma or Bed Bath & Beyond. Many options for many budgets!

Another idea I had a few years ago was to create a decorative wall with pictures instead of paintings. It makes for a very personal touch to any space. It's art work filled with love, really! You can choose similar frames or very different, colorful ones. That is a matter of personal taste. You can hang them up symmetrically like I did, sort of creating a square with rectangular frames. I have another wall with the kids' pictures. This one is of our beloved pets (still a few missing on there!)!

I love art created by others an appreciate it very much. But this idea brings LOVE into your home!

Most pictures tell a story you can forever remember. There is nothing like creating long lasting memories that put a smile on your face! One note: Choose pictures taken from up close, so that you can easily recognize who's on it from far away.

Happy Monday, and have a fantastic week!

Pack on the nutrition!

Make any sandwich your kids and family eat SO MUCH MORE NUTRITIOUS!

Here is the thing: I have 2 little ones at home. One is a pretty picky eater (5 years old), while the other one (3 years old) is much more adventurous and will actually eat a greater variety of food.
Breakfast for the kids at home varies between cereal with unsweetened almond milk, fruits, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches or sandwiches with Nutella.

As the kids are growing, I try as much as possible to pack on nutrition wherever possible. I look for whole grain snacks (even if it's Goldfish - they have a whole grain variety!), whole grain breads or breads with nuts and juices that have vegetables in them. I stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup (toxic for the entire body, especially the brain!) and try to buy as much organic as possible. My kids have been growing well, and I want to believe I'm doing a good thing for them!

So here it goes: See the picture below?
Before I spread on Nutella on each slice of whole grains bread, I sprinkle a good amount of whole ground Flaxseed meal on each slice. I then spread Nutella on the bread and again, sprinkle Flaxseed on each slice.
(Note for my Brazilian friends: Flaxseed is "linhaca"!)

One slice goes on top of the other, the edges are removed (yes, my kids don't like the edge!...no big news!) and I cut the Nutella sandwich in 4. Voila!

Here are some important benefits of Flaxseed:

• Great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, like Alpha-Linolenic Acid
• Very high levels of natural antioxidants called Lignans
• High levels of fiber, great for helping reduce the bad LDL cholesterol
• Protein: 2 tablespoons have 3g. Not a lot really, but a nice boost for non meat-eaters and children!
• Minerals such as Calcium and Iron

Note on Nutella: I am not very worried about the amount of sugar in Nutella, as the kids keep active, are growing and get tons of energy from this breakfast. I like to look at the benefits it contains, such as Calcium and Iron, Hazelnuts, no artificial colors and no artificial preservatives and the delicious taste, of course. Nonetheless, I am sure there is a much healthier, let's say less sugary alternative out there. So I'll make it my mission to look for one! I'll keep you posted! I will have to visit my beloved WholeFoods Supermarket for that! Yay!

For now, have a wonderful Sunday!

From my personal "Collection"!...

Don't we all have things we simply love? Some people are crazy about shoes. Others love journals and fancy pens. I have a friend who's the biggest "PEZ" collector (yes, the candy!...Hi, chica!)! We all have things, stuff, we love! These things make us happy, don't they?
I, for example, LOVE pajamas! If you know me, you didn't see this one coming, huh? I sort of collect pajamas! I use them, I really do! I'm a bit of a fake collector, guess. I USE my collections - I don't just leave them alone.
Another collection that I actively use is SOAPS! I LOVE soaps! The more, the merrier!

There are a few requirements for a soap to make it into may collection, though: It's gotta be "cruelty free" (not tested on animals" and should have the least amount of animal products (such as honey, goat milk etc) as possible. Handcrafted soaps are a big hit in my collection!

Some soaps I truly love come from two companies that are so hip and won't break your wallet: "Shea Moisture" and "Pharmacopia". The soaps from Shea Moisture are made in the U.S.A. and I find them at Walgreens and Target, while Pharmacopia soaps, made in Canada, I buy at The Vitamin Shoppe! You see, nothing that will require you to spend a lot. And the smell SO good!

Let me show you some examples of these great soaps that would also make great GIFTS!
Below you will see pictures of 4 soaps. It's so sad you can't smell them!...

While I love these 4 soaps, I'd like to point out the "African Black Soap" (great for troubled, combination skin - bumps on your back, anyone?). There is such an incredible story behind this soap! In 1912, Sofi Tucker started selling Shea Nuts at their local market in the small village of Bonthe, in Sierra Leone. When she was 19, this Mom of 4 and at that time widow, had a wide array of natural beauty products she was selling; all homemade! Sofi left a legacy, empowering disadvantaged women to follow their dreams of a bigger and brighter future! When you purchase these soaps from Shea Moisture, you're helping a wonderful cause! Isn't this simply amazing? Give the gift of kindness, to yourself and your loved ones!

Always a Favorite: BlueZoo

Nothing like spending TIME with our loved ones, right?
I had the pleasure of spending 4 whole weeks, meaning the entire month of February, with my parents. Every single day we did something! My parents don't live close to us at all, and having them over always brings us guaranteed fun.

One of my favorite activities to do with them is dining out. Restaurants have been part of my life for the longest time. As children, we used to wander around the huge kitchen in the social (country) club we're still members of (in Brazil, it is VERY common for families to be part of so-called country clubs. It's nothing fancy over there. Although, some of them are quite pricey and loved by the elite!). Later on, I became fascinated by restaurants, especially service. The hotel school I attended helped satisfy my curiosity and I learned a lot. My passion for service, food and the entire dining experience is such a big part of my life as an adult. It brings me joy when my 3-year old tells me "Mom, I wanna go to the restaurant!".

One of my favorite places to dine here in the Central Florida area is "BlueZoo" by celebrity Chef Todd English. This marvelous restaurant is located inside Walt Disney's Dolphin Hotel. Serving a delectable array of appetizers, entrees, drinks and desserts, the menu features the freshest seafood appetizers and entrees inspired by a very strong international flare. This restaurant creates long-lasting memories for sure: Its design is intriguing. Glass becomes a work of art carefully and beautifully affected by perfect lighting. Colors and textures become important accents and the grand room is filled with music, loud conversation, laughter and a hint of coziness midst all the setting. Large columns and comfortable booths create anchor points where you want to hang out for the longest time.

(picture found in Google Images)

One of my favorite food choices over there are: 
- Tempura haricot vert (green beans) with truffle aioli: Perfect as a side dish, to share or enjoy with drinks!
- Chef's pasta: ALWAYS an awesome surprise. Comfort food meets culinary perfection! Could be an awesome Vegetarian option!
- Hawaiian Sea Bass: as a Pescatorian, this is my choice if I need a wonderfully delicious protein boost!

I recommend this place for celebrations of all kinds. Beware, it can get loud in there (or not, depending on the night of the week and time!). Go for an awesome happy hour at their lounge or dine with family (they do have a kids' menu! Hello?! It's Disney!), have fun with friends or coworkers! They even have private dining if you want to make it even more special! It's so hip with its vibrant atmosphere. Want to know something I truly LOVE about this place? They support our local community of farmers! Isn't that great? Happy Dining!