MORNING REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATION!

Morning Reflections

On Sundays, I like to take the time to regroup and reflect in the morning with a cup of coffee. The moment the coffee starts to kick in, the world seems a lot clearer. I'm all about life quotes because they help me put more things into perspective. I recently did a blog post about staying focused on what you want in life. It's so easy to get caught up with what people are doing with their lives, that we can become lost in our own. I'm in the process of cleaning my room for the new semester (long over due). I tend to live a fast paced life during the semester, which leaves my room looking like a tornado hit it at the end. There's a small space in my room where I do my work. However, I'm in the process of creating a bigger space within this space that I'll call my 'INSPIRATION SPACE'. This positive space will spread throughout my room! When I get everything together, I will make a blog post on it. Stay tuned for that!

Meditation

Practicing mediation has been a huge part of my life since I was a little kid! I remember having this cassette tape I would listen to all the time. My life can become chaotic with the many things I have on my plate. I recently got back into meditating because I was so stressed. Instead of stress eating, I turned to meditation. It's not only a healthy alternative mentally but physically as well. My favorite time of day to meditate is at night. Sometimes it's hard for me to sleep because I have so many things on my mind. Here's one of my favorite videos I meditate to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyy0ra2WcQQ. Definitely check this out when you get a chance! This is another great video I used a couple nights ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiPDV9L5qpQ. 

I hope your Sunday is/has been lovely, and you're taking this time to reflect on your life. 

Nisha <3

BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY!! ENTER!

This giveaway isn't about trying to get views. It's about celebrating education and thanking the ones that have been supporting me since I started my radio show and blog(s). My education is a huge part of my life, and I love to encourage people to continue to do well in school and life. I appreciate you so much and from the bottom of my heart, I love you! With all that being said, I wanted to shower you with a gift because when you share it means you care. Back to school shopping can be either exciting or frustrating. It can be a very expensive time of the year as well, so why not lend a hand and take some of the strain off your shoulders. If you don't need school supplies, but know someone who does, you can enter for them!

WHAT YOU'LL WIN:

$50 Target Gift Card!! Who doesn't love Target?! 

or

Would you rather have a backpack filled with the basic essentials?? I know everyone has their own personal style when it comes to school supplies. I like the idea of buying school supplies for you though. 

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Listen to my 'School Segment: Back to School Giveaway'- http://tobtr.com/s/7846281
2. In the comment section, tell me what you're goals are for this school semester/year, and how you plan to achieve your goals. Also, let me know if you're prefer to have a gift card, or a backpack filled with school supplies.

THAT'S IT! SIMPLE, RIGHT?! 

WHO CAN ENTER?

ANYONE!! ANYWHERE!! SERIOUSLY, I KNOW SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD, IT'S HARDER TO GET SCHOOL SUPPLIES! I REALLY JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION. I WANT YOU TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON DOING WELL IN SCHOOL! IF YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS, ENTER FOR THEM IF THEY CAN'T! 

DEADLINE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY??

JULY 20, 2015 11:59 PM EST

YOU HAVE A WEEK TO ENTER. YOU CAN ENTER AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CHOOSE!

*NOT A SPONSORED GIVEAWAY! USING MY OWN MONEY!!*

BACK TO SCHOOL: MY BLOOM ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-2016 PLANNER!! MORE THAN JUST A PLANNER!!

Hey there! The school year is right around the corner, and I couldn't be more excited! Fall is my favorite time of the school year, and it's when I'm the most motivated. Prior to graduating with my Associates Degree, I never used a planner. When I was younger, I tried in grade school, but it just wasn't something I constantly stuck with. The first half of 2015, I became very busy, and yet I didn't reach for a planner. However, this second half of the year, my plate is becoming fuller and fuller! I told myself that I would get more involved in school once I transferred to Towson University.  

I had a conversation with myself, and said "DENISHA, YOU HAVE TO GET A PLANNER AND GET YOUR LIFE IN ORDER!!" Of course the first place I went to was Amazon.com because they have mostly EVERYTHING! I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a planner, and I didn't want a plain and boring one either. A reasonably priced academic planner was what I needed. After searching for about five minutes, I found the PERFECT PLANNER!! 

THIS PLANNER IS AMAZING! 

Bloom Daily Planner-Academic Year Planner

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00STUSXR0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

This academic planner is for Fall 2015- Spring/Summer 2016, which is perfect!! You know how some planners don't give you enough space to write on? Well this one does! 

It has these other features as well:

• MONTHLY TABS
• POCKET ON BACK INSIDE COVER
• *NOTES PAGES & TO-DO LISTS
• *CLASS SCHEDULING PAGES
• *ADDRESS BOOK
• *GOAL TRACKING & MONTHLY REFLECTIONS
• HOLIDAY ICONS & *INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

*-These are my favorite features in this planner. Being able to make lists of things I need to get done for my courses/home/peer education makes my life easier. For the first week of classes, it's good to know where your classes are, and what days you have them. It's always good to make at least one of two friends in your classes. That way if you happen to miss a class, or need a study buddy, you have their information in your address book to get in contact with them. I'm all about setting and achieving my goals, especially in school! I've already written out some goals for the remainder of the year and this semester! The monthly reflections in this book will really help me stay on track, and focused for the next month. I live for inspirational quotes! It's important for me to speak things into existence! There's not 1 but 2 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES each month! 

Already filling it out!

I love how positive Bloom is with their planners! This company is all for empowering young women to achieve greatness and to believe in their dreams as well as themselves! 

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT YEAR!

NISHA <3

SUICIDE IS NOT THE ANSWER!

I always get emotional when I read about people committing suicide because I could have been that person. It's so easy to say "It gets better", but that's something you have to believe. Continue to move forward through the awful moments in life, so that when the great moments happen, you can look back and say "I DIDN'T GIVE UP ON MYSELF!" For me, placing my faith back in God was my moment of clarity. I prayed through the tough times, and when the great times came, I continued to pray. Life is all about ups and downs! Seek help if need be, but don't give up on yourself. I can honestly say that I've come a long way from where I once was.

IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HELP: 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1 (800) 273-8255

Beauty and Health Benefits using Apple Cider Vinegar!

**Hello Beauty Enthusiasts! It's been a while..long story short, I HAD NO INTERNET FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS! But I'm back now, and I'm excited to get some more blog posts out for you all. So stay tuned for some new stuff!**

 THIS IS THE ONLY ACV I REALLY LIKE! RAW AND UNFILTERED!!------>

My love for Apple Cider Vinegar began many years ago, but I only used it for one thing. I first started using ACV the day after my cycle would end. I found it to be a great way to get my PH balance back, and it left me feeling GREAT! In the past couple years, I've learned that you could use this amazing product for multiple uses. I started doing my research more and more on apple cider vinegar, and how I could get the most use out of it. Hopefully, you'll find these to be useful for you and/or you use it for other ways that I didn't mention. 



HAIR
During my transition year, I did a lot of research on natural hair, and discovered that many used ACV to cleanse the hair. When I use shampoo, it tends to leave my hair feeling very stripped, and dry. I quickly opted out of using a shampoo on my hair when more new growth began to grow out of my scalp. I learned that using ACV helps to clarify your hair, and it leaves your hair feeling soft. The way I use acv is by pouring 1 part acv into a spray bottle, and pouring 1-2 parts water into the bottle. I shake it up a bit and then spray on my hair. I gentle massage it on my scalp to lift the product buildup, leave it in for about 5-6 mins and then get in the shower. After I thoroughly rinse it out, I follow up with conditioner and do the rest of my routine. I clarify my hair once a month now, and cowash every two weeks. 

SKIN
I have had the on and off battle with acne, which is why I'm slowly changing my lifestyle to help with that. The more I research about the ingredients in products, the more I look to natural ways to combat my acne/scars. Through my research, I learned that some people use Apple Cider Vinegar as a tone for their acne. I've tried this a couple times, but never to really see a difference. I did use it on my skin before I went to sleep last night, and the size of the pimple on my cheek is beginning to decrease. I'm going to try this for the next 6 days, and see if there's a decrease in my acne. *NOTE: This in combination of drinking more water, cutting out sugar (all the good crap), etc. I'm about to end my cycle, so my skin is beginning to calm down again.* I 1/2 cap of ACV and place it into a bowl. Then I use water to dilute it a bit because it is very strong. I use a cotton ball, or toilet paper (not ideal, but if I don't have a cotton ball) and dip it in the solution. Use this like you'd normally use toner, allow to dry then continue with your skin routine. 

PH BALANCE
Have you ever tasted Apple Cider Vinegar? IT DISGUSTING!! But it's beneficial to the body. My little sister and I had a contest to see who could drink it and not freak out! Needless to say, we both tapped out! Despite the taste, ACV is great to drink daily for digestion along with other great benefits. One of those benefits being Ph balance. Along with my 7 day challenge to use it for my skin, I'm going to drink a cup of 1 cap full of ACV and a cup of water. I tried it yesterday, and it wasn't that bad. I think the more I drink it, the more I will get use to it...HOPEFULLY! 

EARACHES/INFECTIONS
Unfortunately, I suffer from having earaches/infections from time to time and it's terrible. It really puts a damper on my mood, and leaves me feeling like I'm going to die. I blame my brother for stabbing a Q-tip in my ear when I was younger. Now It's just something that happens every now and then. Sometimes I get 'Summer's Ear' in the shower, and it takes forever for the water to come out. Up until last night, I would use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean my ear out, which helps a little bit. Going to the store and purchasing medicine is a close second when I feel like that isn't working. I was sitting on the computer and decided to search 'apple cider vinegar for earaches'. Surprisingly, ACV helps with that too! All you need to do it take 1 part of ACV and 1 part water, sit a cotton ball in the solution and put it in your ear for 5 minutes. I kept mine in for a little bit longer. After I took it out, my earache pain decrease a lot more. I had a slight irritation today, but it's not compared to how I felt last night. I'm going to try this again, and hopefully in a couple days, my earache will go away. 








MORE USES FOR ACV------>

ACV AND MY HEALTH JOURNEY

I'm becoming more and more simplistic when it comes to products I use. I've always been one to Google "home remedies for _____" because I don't like a lot of the ingredients in products. If I can't pronounce it, I don't need it in my body/skin. My health journey is all about using things that are good for my body, mind and spirit. As I stated before, I'm slowly making that change in the foods I eat, and the products I use on my skin and hair. 

AS ALWAYS I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS POST! PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER BLOG POSTS AS WELL. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK, BUT GIVING THIS A GOOGLE+, SHARE, COMMENT AND JOIN MY GROUP! 

THANK YOU,

NISHA <3