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Self-Care Package: A Present For Your Soul

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life, Uncategorized, Wellness.

This past week I sold my first supreme self-care package. A dear friend of mine wanted one for her friend who is going through a tough time. Putting this together was an absolute treat, I thoughtfully picked items that would help her friend find some calm among the storm. My vision with these packages is to put together product/s that can be used for everyday self-care, utilize local businesses as my vendors and are priced affordably. I believe self-care is what makes your soul happy; expensive or non expensive. At Living Supreme, my goal is to create natural self-care products that are nice to the pockets. 

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I See You 2020

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life, Inspiration.

2020 is hear y’all and so I’m ready to take a bite out of this new decade and really dig into my goals, dreams and aspirations. As I sit back and reflect on this past year, I know one thing for sure; 2019 was about truly connecting with myself, re-connections and letting go of what no longer serves me. This year has taught me a lot about myself and I have learned some hard lessons, but I couldn’t be happier with where I stand today.  One of my biggest obstacles has been worrying too much about what others think of me. Unfortunately, this is something I have struggled with since I can remember. It is something I have tried for many years to overcome and no such luck, until this past year. I had been living in the dark with this issue and finally the light switch was turned on, and I realized, I can no longer live this way. For anyone else struggling with this, my word of advice is “people have already formed their opinions of you so nothing you say or do will make them like you more or less”. This realization was incredibly freeing for me and made me realize that I needed to put my energy into my aspirations and those people in my life who have loved me regardless. I now realize that spending time trying to force situations  or wonder why people do not except me is not any of my business. As I enter this new decade, I want to start living my life me and put to rest the negative conversations I have with myself on a daily basis. In 2019 my journey and path gained much clarity through; self-reflection, blogging, yoga, conversations with friends and family, taking breaks from social media, mediation and the continued internal struggle to trust the process. 

 With that said I’m going into 2020 with the following affirmation:

I no longer need hardcore proof to validate what my intuition tells me. If something feels off about a person/place/thing, it’s because something is off. I’m not sticking around to discover what it is. My time & my energy are way too valuable. -bossladiesmindset

Please leave a comment and tell what affirmations you are walking into 2020 with?

I’ve Made a List No Need to Check it Twice

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life. 4 Comments

This time of year I always experience a wide range of emotions. I love this time of year because of the time with family, hanging out with my kids, eating rich and not so good food, sending out Christmas cards, decorating, cooking, baking and I love creating this time of year. In past years I have given my family and friends gifts I have made. I’m a firm believer in giving gifts that mean something (yes, gift cards are acceptable 😉 but that is just my opinion.  However, pulling all of this together can be a little bit stressful and anxiety ridden for me. So, I sat down with my lovely mother and asked her for some tips to help ease the stress of the holiday season along with how to be done with most shopping early. Janet Reese (my mother) learned from the best at this whole holiday thing from her mother (we called her Murphy) my grandmother. 

I always wondered how my mom and Murphy were invariably so prepared for the holidays, I learned much later they planned ahead.  This was all done strategically and on a budget, nothing was ever really fancy. My grandmother was so poor when she was growing up, there was a Christmas that came and went without Santa paying a visit.  It was then, that she made a vow to never miss another Christmas. From that experience as a child her love for the holidays, especially became a small part of who she was. She loved all holidays, for her It was about spending time, stories, crafting and with sharing a good meal together. I can remember it like it was yesterday, all of the special times I had with my grandparents during the holidays I miss and cherish those times profoundly. 

So, for the procrastinators out there (myself included) here are some holiday tips and tricks, from my mother Janet, aka Kitty, along with myself to help you handle this time of year and the future like a boss. 

  • Think ahead and start preparing at least 6 months in advance. 
  • Ask people what they need, what they like and build off that information.
  • Listen to everyday conversations. People will say things that will give you clues on what they are into. If you are not around them everyday, ask others about their interests.
  • Take advantage of after christmas sales.
  • Make a list of all the gifts you need and set dates for completion (I do this in the google spreadsheet). 
  • Create a list for christmas card distribution, that way it is easy to update every year (I use a spreadsheet for this as well).
  • I enjoy old fashioned written list as well, so for items I need to purchase for gift assembly and creating I make a handwritten list. Doing it this way it is much easier for me to keep track. 
  • If you love making things, make gifts for people. Most people I know love receiving gifts that have been made. Going this route you can get super creative and make the perfect gift.
  • Buy items all year long and put them away for Christmas
  • In terms of kiddos, I believe in buying them items they will actually use. I try to stay away from toys and trinkets that will be lost as soon as they open them. For example; both of my kids love to color and draw, they will be getting coloring books, markers, sketchbooks, etc. 
  • If you shop all year, you don’t have to put things on a credit card or try and do all the shopping in December. 
  • If you need to, utilize layaway (for some this is a lifesaver) My parents never spent more than they could afford and they never used credit cards.
  • Good gift ideas include:
  • Baked goods
  • Food baskets 
  • Snack baskets 
  • Pamper baskets 
  • Take advantage of free shipping deals and other coupon deals
  • If you have a game plan you can be done with shopping by Sept-Nov
  • Plan your dinner ahead of time and shop a week or two ahead of schedule. 

Last but not least, chill and enjoy this time of year however you celebrate if something doesn’t get done it is not the end of the world. I think this time of year brings on stress regardless, but there are always ways to adjust and overcome the stress. Besides following some of these tips,  I will be working out more and watching cheesy holiday movies, those movies consistently put me in a good mood and make me feel light-hearted. 

Check out my festive playlist Santa Baby on Spotify

Leave a comment below and share what you do to survive the holidays. 

Re-writing your own Narrative takes guts thankfully, that is one thing I have.

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life, Inspiration.

Myself and my little munchkins in Aspen, Colorado @ Sundeck Mountain

Since I graduated from grad school in 2014, I have wanted to start and maintain a blog. However, my first pass at this was not what I had envisioned for myself or my blog. So, I took some time away from writing or sharing and the past 6-8 months I have revamped and put more passion into this. What I’m realizing is, Living Supreme is my narrative, I get to tell my story unapologetically from my own point of view.  

Parallel thigh (barre exercise) in Grand Lake, Colorado

As an African American woman, I feel everyone takes it upon themselves to write our narratives for us. We are constantly put into a box that is full of stereotypes and derogatory ideals that I refused to be defined by going forward. For me Living Supreme is sharing and writing about my experiences, and journey about what it means for me to live a supreme life. Their might be times when I will discuss topics that are tough to talk about, but for the most part, I intend to share and spread positivity. Living Supreme is about; self-care, cooking, sports, family life, traveling, holidays, music, and reading all of the things and more that feed my soul. I’m here for things that are uplifting, empowering, positive and serve me well. I’m over being put in a box and allowing others to have a say in my narrative. This blog is my life in my words. 

It’s been confirmed …Mary J Blige is a Goddess.

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life, Inspiration, Reviews.

Disclaimer: This concert took place back in August so this should have been posted sometime ago. However, I had to sit in my thoughts and feelings to truly process this experience. So excuse the timing of this blog post. 

Music is just one of my many life lines that keeps me sane. There are some artists whose music has become the soundtrack of my life and Mary J. Blige is one of those artists. So when my best friend asked if I wanted to go, I was thrilled to say the least. I was forever changed at this concert, and I’m beyond grateful I got to experience her concert with Nas, this summer at Fiddler’s Green. I had no idea I would break down and cry like a baby it was like all of my feelings flashed before my eyes and I decided to LET GO of the negativity that has been holding me back.  I have been living my life through societies narrative of me. Mary J Blige’s energy and music allowed me to be me for the night and going forward. The song: My Life is what brought about these feelings.  My body got heavy, I started dancing, my eyes filled with tears, and my body started to “feel” the music. It was as if I was being taken on a ride with the lyrics, the beat and the melody. I sat and marinated in all those feelings that this song brings about. In that moment I had become completely enthralled in the music and decided to have this moment of being entirely raw. Also, realizing I needed to “just be” if only for a minute or two. Mary spoke to me in a way she never has.  

As it has been stated many times before, Mary J is the soundtrack of our (women, black women especially) lives. For us Mary fans,  we have been ride or die with her since the beginning, “What’s the 411”. Her sound, music and stories have never become boring or old. We as fans just continue to connect and relate to her.  This experience was SO powerful, beautiful and uplifting for me.

The icing on the cake was experiencing this with some of my favorite people (bestie, hubby and close friend). As Crystal (bestie) stated: “It was so real and I’m glad I got to share that experience with my friends, I realized how much bullshit I have been through with people. Mary made me realize just how I grateful I am for the tried and true relationships and people”. I could not have said this better. 

Thank you, Mary J or being a fucking goddess and making music that has been just about every brown’s girls therapy, voice and helped us through this crazy thing called life. 

If you just can’t get enough of Mary, like myself…check out “This is Mary J. Blige”playlist on Spotify. 

My First Time At A Speakeasy

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life, Reviews.

My first time experiencing Williams & Graham a speakeasy,  was just short of mind blowing (honestly). I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I walk in place that looks similar to a small bookstore. My husband and I were asked what name we go by, along with our photo ID’s. Once we were ready to go in, the hostess, pushes the top corner of the book shelf and we were lead into a quaint, dimly lit (almost dark) cozy space, where people are engaging in conversations, enjoying craft cocktails being made by some pretty handsome and good at their job bartenders. Needless to say,  I immediately fell in love with the vibe and energy of this place. They make wonderful, palette teasing cocktails, that are smooth going down and unique in taste. I appreciated that we were called by the name we gave the hostess the whole time we were there, this made it feel even more personable and intimate. I will spare you, me going on and on about this place. However,  if you are looking for a great date night, girl’s night or just want to try something new, I highly recommend Williams & Graham.

The Power of Vision Boards

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life, Inspiration.

About a year ago, my life coach asked me if I had ever made a vision board.  At the time, I had only heard of them along with the benefit of putting your goals, dreams and vision out there into the universe. Albeit I’m a firm believer in divine timing and the power of God, the universe and the moon and stars aligning. However,  I did not put much stock into creating a vision board. Hearing this again from my life coach, I knew, I had to sit down and make this happen. Little did I know that this small piece of creativity and honesty, would begin my journey to something much greater and essentially be a subconscious guide to help me accomplish a goal that I have had since graduating grad school in 2014.

Rewind to about a year and half ago,  I was struggling with my work situation at the time. There were things I enjoyed but sadly, more that I disliked. I was torn with what my next move should be, as I knew, my talents, skills and brain were being under utilized where I was. However, being hired again 7 years ago with an organization I had worked with off and on since I was 15 years old, posed a serious internal struggle for quite sometime. I began to see a life coach to help me navigate my work situation, it got to a point where I was gravely dispirited.  Communicating with her and witnessing other situations (at work) that presented themselves in ways that were blasphemous, it became clear that I had to make a move for myself, my family and my overall well being.  So, I began networking,  and took advantage of opportunities I knew would benefit me in the long run.

I meet with a fellow colleague, and I expressed that, my ultimate goal was to combine my undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and my Master’s in library science degree. It was during this conversation, I learned about the National Institute of Corrections.  My colleague stated that she had a friend who worked there as a contractor,  and loved her job. She offered to introduce us over e-mail, after speaking with my new connection, I was intrigued by the organization,  I set-up an information interview (since I was unable to volunteer). During the interview I was able to ask questions, learn about what they do, get a feel for the work environment and what it means to be a contractor with the government. In that moment, I imagined myself working at this library. However, they had just hired someone, so I knew I had to be patient and hope that a position would come open. In the meantime, I pursued other learning opportunities, tried to remain as positive as I could in a negative situation and hoping that my vision I had for myself would eventually manifest into something significant.

Fast-forward, to a year later. I’m sitting at my desk contemplating applying for a position that would be a demotion, just to remove myself from an unhealthy environment. When I look back, I’m perplexed that I would even consider taking a step backward (always forward). But I believe when your back is against the wall,  you will consider crazy options. Right in that moment,  I received a message over LinkedIn from the Program Manager at the National Institute of Corrections.  Truth, my heart skipped beat,  he stated, that an Information Specialist would be opening up soon and he would send me the link once the job posted. I applied before the week ended and received a call from him the day after I had applied to set-up an interview, for that following Tuesday.  Walking into the interview, I felt anxiety and a sense of calm. The fact that I had met with most of the staff previously, allowed me to be fierce, but humble. Needless to say, I was offered the job that Thursday and excepted the offer within a couple of hours.

In the end, it all finally made sense that I had been placing the puzzle pieces where they needed to go, to accomplish this goal I had set for myself. I believe that this manifestation all started with creating a vision board, and putting out into the universe what I wanted for myself. Looking at my vision board now, what I wanted came full circle.  Putting your goals out there is a powerful thing and you just never know what the outcome will be.  As we start a New Year, I recommend putting your goals and dreams out into the universe and see what happens. With that said,  putting it out there is only the first step, you must have, ambition, believe in yourself and be willing to take risks that others will shy away from.

*Below I have added some photos of my current work situation and a photo of my vision board. My apologies for the poor quality, but I deleted the original.*

The vision board that started it all! (Sorry for the poor quality)
My office @ NIC

Happy New Year: Bring on 2018

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life, Inspiration.

As 2017 comes to a close, I want to share and talk a little bit about an article I read, titled ” 8 Things to Leave Behind in 2017 (So You Can Have the Best 2018 Ever)  Of course this article laid out things that seem presumptuous in creating more peace for ourselves,  but for some reason having them broken down simply, struck a cord with me. Before reading this article, all eight of these things discused, had already made my to-do list for the New Year.  However, the one thing that spoke to me the most was…stop comparing ourselves to other people on social media. I think as humans, it is natural to compare ourselves to others on social media and this has to stop!  One thing I have learned, is that, we never see or hear the back story of a post or know the true situation. I think in order for the comparing to stop, we must take our time away from swimming in the social media pool.  In 2018, this is just one of the many things I’m choosing to do less, as I think taking a step back from social media and not comparing yourself to others is good food for the soul.  I believe it allows more time and energy for self-reflection, time with loved ones and to simply Let it Be.

In addition, I came across an article, that spoke about the specific zodiac signs (yes, I’m a hippie and believe in zodiac signs) and what we should be focusing on in the New Year. The article stated that for a person who is an Aries, we should start focusing on the relationships in our lives that have deep meaning and less time on the ones that are surface. Again, this struck me as something I need to pay attention to. In the past, I have focused on relationships that I have not always served me well. I have sought for friendships that I felt like I needed or wanted for various reasons. However, I have been in situations this past year, that have made me realize, (Aha moments) I may not fit into every situation or make friends with everyone and, it is OKAY, the world will not come to end if I don’t always vibe with someone. With that said, I have made it a goal in 2018 to focus on those relationships in the New Year, that truly breathe life into me and vice versa. I believe that it is our responsibilty as human beings to live our best life, love deeply, do what makes our souls feel joyous and live without regret! My goal is to make 2018, one of the best years yet, as I truly want to breathe life into myself, spiritually, physically, mentally, and put more energy into my career path and family. In doing this, I have realized that the burdens that took over my mind in 2017 no longer have a place to rest, I’m washing them away to begin anew.

If you have get a moment, please check out the articles I have linked above and let me know if these ideals and thoughts hit home with you, or even share some of your goals and what you want to be different in 2018, that you may have struggled with in 2017.

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right” – Oprah Winfrey

Happy New Year!!!

P.S. Take advantage of the first supermoon of 2018 🙂

Prologue

Written by beautifulbella10 on . Posted in Best Life. 8 Comments

*Please note this entry was written in 2015 (but still had to share)*

On August 15th of this year I finally finished my graduate degree in Library Science at the University of Denver.  This three year journey, in deed hijacked my life, however I do believe for good reason.  I have been working in libraries off and on since I was about 16 years old and have always enjoyed working in the library.  Although, the library had been a familiar place for me, this was not first career choice.  I studied Criminal Justice and Criminology at Metro State University and graduated with a B.S. in 2004. My plan after obtaining my degree, did not come as easily as I hoped.  Truly, it did not come at all.  Interestingly, I left the library to take a position at Target in their Loss Prevention department. This position appeared to be the perfect fit until my first day of training, at that moment I realized this was not the perfect fit and I had regretted my decision to leave the library. In addition, about two weeks into training, I was informed that I would be expected to takeover a Target store in Loveland, Colorado.  Unfortunately, this was not something that I knew before accepting the position and I had no intention of moving to Loveland…and commuting seemed like a death sentence.  Soon I found a job working in a halfway house, although I liked to doing this work I soon realized that, my passion for truly helping and educating individuals was not going to be fed working in a halfway house. Needless to say I became disenchanted with the Criminal Justice field and chose to seek another career path. I went on to do other things  but one of these fueled my passion, thankfully while working as a Health Care Assistant for Planned Parenthood, I had an epiphany…I will get my Master’s in library science and become a librarian!! I have always had a passion for libraries and the services they offer to their communities and figured THIS path will be how I give back to my community through, education, information access, and programming!

While in grad school I thought about all the great and wonderful things I wanted to do once school ended…and writing a blog was one of them! This idea came to me while vacationing in the beautiful Glenwood Springs! 

 I must admit the breathtaking, loose my breath hike up to Hanging Lake gave me ample time to think about my goals/plans now that school was over. Surprisingly, I dreaded writing in grad school and  never really enjoyed writing until now, I now can write freely without restriction. In addition, I have written a few blogs and reviews for Denver Public Library and realized I actually like writing when the creation is my own.  Making my decision to write a blog, I struggled with what to write about. Because I have SO many interests it was hard to narrow down my blog to one specific topic. I decided to not box myself in and isolate my eclectic personality to just ONE thing! My intention is to share my thoughts on various topics ranging from; sports, music, cooking, librarianship, travel, local goodies, pampering, kids, family and whatever else I want to share!  For those who end up following me, I hope you enjoy reading, and always feel free to comment on my post and join the conversation!

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