 The Brave + Purposeful Women Podcast is here!
Whew! I've been so nervous about launching this into world. I'm a big believer in showing up and trying new things that put us outside of our comfort zone. That's where we stretch and grow. Well this has definitely put me outside of my comfort zone but in such a good good way. The links to listen are below! Please listen, subscribe and comment!! I can’t wait to grow this conversation more with you and for you, this amazing community we are building together! I also would love to hear your thoughts on who you would like me to interview or topics in this space that you think I should cover! Please comment your thoughts below! So grab a cup of coffee and tune in! xoxo, Alex Apple Spotify Anchor
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 Give yourself permission to dream again.
If 2020 taught us anything, it's that we can't afford to lose hope. Or to stop looking for brighter days. When a dream is placed upon your heart, it is in essence hope. Hope for a brighter future, hope for abundance, hope for purpose. And yet when we are in our darkest depths, it is so hard to hang onto those dreams. To give ourselves the capacity and space to let our minds wander and to be creative and see that bigger picture. In seasons of survival, we sometimes pack our dreams away and put them on the back burner. But a new year is a fresh start, another chance to give those dreams the spark they need to burn bright. So as we ease into a new year, I want you to give yourself permission to dream again. Even if you are still in survival mode. By giving those sparks just a little bit of oxygen, you keep those dreams alive. Whether you wait a month, or a year, or a decade for your dreams to come alive, the fact that you have them is such a beautiful thing. I love the dreamers of the world. I have a special fondness in my heart for the resilient dreamers, the ones who won't take no for an answer, the ones who don't give up, the ones who keep on fighting to make their dreams a reality. So whether you are in the middle of the messy middle of making your dreams reality or you are just beginning to fan the flames on that spark of an idea or maybe your dreams are gathering dust in this season of your life - this month in Brave + Purposeful Women we are focused on just that - the dreams that we have to make this world a better place, to inspire others, to solve problems, to fulfill our purpose here on earth. To take the one life we have and live it well. Since I was a little girl, I've been full of dreams. Some have already come true, some are in the full out hustle of making them a reality and some are just hanging out for another season of my life but one thing I know is true: dreams give us hope but hope is not enough to make your dreams a reality. It takes hard work and perseverance, support, grit, consistency, and belief. An unwavering belief that you can and will make your dream come true. Because if you don't believe in you, it's going to be hard as hell to get other people to believe in you. This month (and really, all year long), we'll be focused on making those dreams come true. The vision, the commitment, the action, all of it. It's going to be a good year. So, dream on, my sweet friends. I'm cheering for you! This year, I was inspired to put together holiday book boxes to spread a little Christmas cheer! As a busy working parent, we don't always have time but we do want to make sure our children experience the magic of each holiday. The holiday book boxes give you the opportunity to spend intentional time with your children and soak up each holiday season. Each box contains 3 books and different activities for you to do together. Here are the books I included this year! Shop local when you can! This post includes Amazon links for your convenience.  The Snow Globe Santa by Kathryn Burgess This was a no brainer book to include! My friend Kathryn wrote the most darling book about how Santa gets stuck in a snow globe this Christmas season. Kathryn is a photographer and as the pandemic waged on, she created an innovative way for Santa visits to happen safely this season and preserve that timeless tradition. Definitely add this one to your bookshelf  Hanukkah Bear My boys love this book! They giggle like crazy as Bubba Brayna mistakes an old bear for her rabbi. She welcomes the bear inside to play the dreidel game, light the menorah, and enjoy a scrumptious meal. It was important to me to include stories about other holidays that are celebrated this time of year. Diversifying our bookshelves is one way we can teach our children about the beautiful world we live in.  Pick a Pine Tree With gorgeous illustrations, this book shows traditions that families and friends take part in every year: hanging up stockings; putting lights in the windows; and, one of the most important of all, picking out and taking home the Christmas tree. It's magical and one of our favorites!  The Colors of Christmas Some families received this book and it's so precious! The festive and colorful drawings by Jill Horwath are favorites around here. We love pointing out the bright colors on each page! I also put together a special custom box for a 10 year old girl which was so fun! Here two books that are perfect for your older readers!  The Lotterys More or Less Sumac Lottery is the fifth of seven siblings who share their big house with their four parents, grandfather, and five pets. At nine, she's the keeper of her family's traditions - always making sure all the Lotterys' celebrations go off without a hitch. It's a big, chaotic story with a modern family, all with some holiday fun!  The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street When the Vanderbeekers receive notice that they have to move out of their beloved New York apartment right after Christmas, the children take action. They decide to befriend the mysterious and curmudgeonly landlord in hopes of inspiring him with a change of heart. So fun! A few other favorites in our home:
The Polar Express Little Blue Truck's Christmas How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Spirit of Christmas Pete The Cat Saves Christmas The Mitten My advice for building your holiday book collection? Budget for your books, rent from the library, and ask for books as gifts! What's your favorite holiday book? Alexandra Young is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This post may include affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you shop using the links below at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting me and this blog!  It's been a blessing to be able to quit my corporate job and boldly chase my dreams fulltime the last four months! I wanted to say a big thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me and my businesses. It means the world to me to have your support, whether it's through purchases, engagement, or cheerleading!
If you are still shopping this holiday season, I'd love to help you find that perfect something for you! Revive - 50% Off Ready for a major sale?! Revive is 50% off now until the end of November! Revive is the foundational 6-week online course that introduces you to my signature Revive Five formula. The course is supported by your membership in the Revive Community where we harness the energy of each other to create momentum through group coaching, videos, interviews, articles, weekly challenges, accountability, and community. Come join us as we weather the winter together! *If you'd like to give Revive as a gift, send me a message! Wellness When I got started with Young Living, I was three months pregnant with my son Liam. My oldest, Declan, was a toddler and every day it felt like the news was coming out with another big company that was caught lying about what nasty toxins they were hiding in their “natural” products. I wanted better for my family. We are the gatekeepers of what comes into our homes. Young Living was the easy button we could trust that helped us all sleep better and stay healthy. Now through the end of the month, new members can take an additional $25 off their purchase of a premium starter bundle, including our exclusive Holiday Starter Bundle! If you are already a part of our oily community, check your messages this week for some amazing doorbusters on Small Business Saturday! Delta Academy Leadership Development Invest in yourself or in your team this year with intentional professional development. In January, I'll be facilitating two sessions for leaders: personal leadership and team leadership. Delta Academy includes the three critical components of leadership development for all professional levels: curriculum, coaching, and community. Our curriculum provides tools, methodologies, case studies, and instruction on leadership principles. This is supported by group coaching which allows you to apply your learnings with a growth mindset and utilize the new tools at work and in your life. And if this year has taught us anything, community is crucial. During your experience in the Delta Academy, you will meet and connect with like-minded professionals to learn with, from, bounce ideas off of, and work together to take a leap forward with your professional leadership skills. holiday book box: valentine's day edition The recent holiday book box was such a success I thought we'd make the magic happen again! The holiday book box: valentine's edition is available now. We're doing this small-batch style so there are only 25 boxes available! Each box contains three beautiful children's books about love and friendship and will be delivered at the beginning of February to enjoy leading up to Valentine's Day. Thank you for supporting this girl's dreams this week and always! Happy Shopping! xoxo, Alex  Sing it loud for all to hear - I love spreading Christmas cheer! To see people making magic memories out of experiences I help curate gives me so much joy.
My fondest memories each year, aren't the hours spent bouncing from one activity to the next. But the hours spent curled up on the couch near the twinkle lights of the Christmas tree, reading a holiday book and spending time with the ones I love. Christmas is a magical season for children and I want to help you create those memories with your family. This year, the holiday season will look a little different but I'm certain there's plenty of memories to be made! The Holiday Book Box is a curated box is filled with three books your children will love this holiday season! Every box also contains special goodies and activities that will help you create those magical memories with your children. The books in this box are geared toward kids ages 2-5 years old and are a diverse collection that show how the season is celebrated in different ways. The Holiday Book Box also makes an incredible gift for those we are apart from this winter. You can add a special note for the kids in your life to your box. How fun for them to receive a box of joy this Christmas?! Pre-order sales end midnight on November 13th. There are only a certain number of boxes available so reserve yours right away! Boxes will ship the week of Thanksgiving.  via FlutterHabit The one question I get all the time is "Where do you get your lashes done?!" And I get so excited to say, "I did!" For over a year now, I've been using and loving FlutterHabit lashes, DIY lashes that are applied under your natural lash. Even though we are working at home more than ever, I still do a few things to glam up my days and using faux lashes are top of the list. I had always wanted to try lash extensions but the upkeep and high price always held me back. But then I found FlutterHabit and lashes and I'm so happy! They are lightweight lashes that I can apply at home and they give me all the pop I want. And they are super affordable - about $5 a pair. They have 5 different styles so there is something for everyone. My personal favorites are the Originals and the Winks! And because I know you will love these too, I have a FlutterHabit discount just for you! Use this link for 10% off your order! There is a slight learning curve but FlutterHabit has application videos and a facebook group for you to find inspiration and troubleshoot. And I'm always open to help! I use Mirah Luminous Cleansing Oil to remove the lashes in a hot shower. The key is to not pull on the lash segments at all. If you can feel any tension on your natural lashes, the glue is not soft enough for removal yet. Just keep gently rubbing up and down on the lashes until they slide off smoothly. To give my lashes a boost, I use a natural lash booster in between sets. This works on your lashes and eyebrows! Lash Serum What you need:
In these 4 ml bottles, add two drops of each of the essential oils and filled the rest of the way with castor oil. Swipe a super thin layer above your lash line (or even in your eyebrows!) before bed and you’ll start seeing results before you know it! Lavender helps by increasing circulation and promoting lash growth, while helping retain the lashes already there. Plus, it helps you unwind before bed, so double win. Rosemary can help thicken lashes, and fast! It's a great addition to the other oils because it gets them working quickly. It's also amazing for memory retention and balancing hormones, so your brain is thanking you, too. Cedarwood stimulates the follicles and when combined with lavender and rosemary, has shown to increase growth by up to 44%! Also a great sleepy oil, just like lavender. Castor oil is the perfect carrier because it is thick, helps prevent any from actually going into your eyes, and is known for naturally promoting rapid hair growth! If you try FlutterHabit lashes, make sure you tag me on instagram or wherever and let me know how you like them!  Each holiday season, I like to add a few new books to our rotation. Here are a few fall and Halloween-themed books joining our collection this year! Alexandra Young is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This post may include affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you shop using the links below at no additional cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting me and this blog!  Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht We love Pick a Pine Tree by the same author so I'm excited to add this book to our collection! The story follows the journey of a pumpkin, "from picking out the perfect specimen at the pumpkin patch (be sure to stop for cider and toffee apples) to carting it home, scooping out the insides, carving a scary face, and finally lighting a candle inside."  Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago New this year, the book description had me adding it to my cart: "Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves?" Looks like a great one to talk about courage and making friends with your little ones! There is also a Spanish version available.  Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson We love just about everything Julia Donaldson writes! This one is a favorite show to watch so I wanted to make sure we had the book too. One of my core values is inclusion and I firmly believe in building a longer table so there is room for everyone. Well, add in a hungry dragon and here you go! Bonus - this one comes in paperback or board book so you can choose what's best for you! Did you know Amazon Prime has a bunch of Julia Donaldson books as short shows? They are amazing because they are slow and quiet and perfect for calming down little ones! Send me a message and I'll share all the ones we have on repeat in our house!  Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton You can't go wrong with Sandra Boynton's lovable characters! My boys love these books and so do I! "It’s Halloween! What will little Pookie decide to be this year? Pookie tries on costumes one by one, but somehow can’t find just the right thing. The resolution to Pookie’s dilemma will delight toddlers and their caregivers alike." Those are the ones I grabbed this year. I thought I'd share what else is still on my list in case you are looking for a few more for your collection! Adding just a couple a year makes each holiday so fun to switch up our bookshelves with seasonal reads.  Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins "A unique Halloween story about a stemless pumpkin who dreams of becoming a jack-o-lantern."  The Little Kitten by Nicola Killen "A charming autumnal story about a little girl who must return a lost kitten to its home."  Check Leif and the Fall by Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant
"Persistence and creativity can lead to amazing things, as Leif the leaf discovers in this lovely story." Tell me in the comments - what's your favorite fall or Halloween-themed book? I'm always up for a good story and you can't go wrong with sharing a love of reading with your kids! Check out this post for more book recommendations!
Do I have something fun for you today!!
This week, I sat down with my dear friend and Kappa sister Leanne Matullo to talk all things mindset, wellness, and setting intentions. The full conversation is available in Revive but I wanted to share some of our conversation here with you! Leanne shares about her journey to building a yoga therapy practice and the ease that seeking your purpose can bring in life. Note, there is a BIG distinction between "ease" and "easy." There's some heart work that goes into discovering your true authentic self. It was an inspiring conversation and I hope you check out the preview! If you want more goodness like this, check out our Brave + Purposeful Women community here on facebook! ✨  Watch us make these here.
Laura's Spinach Balls (GF) 2-10 oz. pkgs. chopped frozen spinach 2 c. Chef Jeff Gluten Free Seasoned Panko flakes (from Whole Foods) 1 onion, finely chopped 6 beaten eggs 3/4 c. butter or margarine 1 c. parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. garlic powder or salt (adjust to taste) 1/2 tsp. thyme 2 tsp. pepper Thaw spinach, squeeze dry (with paper towels). Mix all ingredients together. Form balls and freeze on cookie sheet. Place in plastic bag when frozen. Bake frozen about 20 minutes (flip halfway through) at 350 degrees. Makes 80 to 90 one inchballs. If you aren't concerned about gluten, you can use any kind of bread crumbs. Enjoy and try not to eat them all at once! These cookies top my list for breakfast during the week. They pack a punch - I can get to lunchtime without a snack. Plus, they can be made in advance. What's not to love?! And if I ever get bored of the current recipe, they are easy to modify.
Here's my go to recipe: Breakfast Cookies adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction 2 & 1/3 cups gluten free quick oats 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup honey 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup) 1/3 cup chocolate chips (Mix it up and try raisins or dried cranberries). Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until combined. [Note: I throw everything but the chocolate chips into my mixer first. Once it's combined, I add the chips and mix for a little bit longer.] The dough will be very thick. Form the sticky dough into a cookie shape. They don't spread in the oven so make them to the size you want. Bake for 15 minutes until edges are very slightly brown. Don't bake any longer or the cookies will taste dry. Cool completely before putting 2 cookies into a freezer bag. These breakfast cookies can stay frozen for up to three months, or fresh at room temperature for a week. |
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January 2021
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