Goodness

Hallooo! My title is just a fancy way to say I have things to tell you today. Good things. Things I like (or am participating in). And oh my goodness, are they ever good.

The first …

TOOL KIT FOR A GOOD LIFE

I’ve known Kerstin Auer for a couple of years, and I’ve watched her start her online coaching business, and blossom as a result. I’ll tell you a secret about Kerstin:

She’s a licensed plumber. And she can pull off a logo with purple butterflies. How can you not love a woman like that.

I wanted to tell you about her coaching “Tool Kits for Better” which you use to coach yourself. It’s sort of brilliant, isn’t it? True, some of us want the one-on-one time with a coach, or we want others’ input into our lives. But a lot of us (including me) want to figure things out ourselves. These tool kits help you do that.

So far – as you’ll notice if you click here – her Tool Kits include one to guide you towards a better perspective, another for a better purpose, and another for better authenticity. She’s putting one out each month, and some of the titles to come are Tools for Better: mindfulness, goals, and simplicity. She’s constantly creating and working on further ways to help people reach their personal potential and well-being.

In working through the Tool Kit for perspective, I was struck by this quote:

“Gradual changes for the worse often become your new normal because you want to suck it up and push ahead.“

That is totally me! I’m all about sucking it up and pushing ahead. But if you keep going like that, you might not realize you’ve gotten off-track and are headed in a direction you don’t want to go.

And then there’s this one:

“Switching perspectives in a skill you can learn and it’s a skill that plays a huge part in your self-coaching success.“

With this tool kit, you’re led through an activity of examining a situation (of your choosing) and trying to view it from a different perspective – trying out different filters. This helped me to practice the art of switching perspectives in a situation that struck close to home.

You also get a chance to look at the larger picture and take inventory with a view on your heart, mind and soul. All those rich resources that you already have inside of you!

These tool kits are only $7 a piece. If you’re in a space where you’re ready to dig deep and change your perspectives, Kerstin’s kits are a great place to start. She’s also a good friend to have, and I know she’d be happy to answer any questions you might have. Click here for her bio, blog, shop, and even to take a fun quiz.

AN ACT OF GOODNESS

I admire Jeremy and Amy Katzer and their daughters, Hannah and Hope, because they got it into their hearts to help some of the women in Ecuador, Nepal and Cambodia avoid a life of slavery – or start life anew after being freed from slavery. And once it was on their hearts, they went after it with a gusto. I don’t know if I ever told you this, but my husband’s precious Aunt Christine devoted her entire life to this same mission in Peru, until her death in 2009.

This is a video that shows some of the clothes these women are making and the inspiration behind the idea.

Concretely, you can click on the Kickstarter program and donate money to help them get this beautiful project off the ground. The clothes are truly stunning. And the great thing is, depending on the donation, you are given incentives – including sample articles of clothing! You definitely need to take a peek here! They’re a third of the way to their goal, and even a small bit on your part makes a difference. My husband and I made a donation in memory of his aunt.

There are still 23 days left for you to donate too! 🙂

A GOOD GIVEAWAY

You may have noticed that I have sponsors over there on the sidebar. Apart from Melissa, these lovely ladies are here through a blog swap.

Melissa is an artist. Her work can be found at M Bailey Illustrations and she does the most exquisite watercolours and sketches on Etsy – many of which are French-based. You can go feast your eyes on all that loveliness.

There’s Courtney from The Everyday Elegance – for my younger readers – to whom elegance seems to be innate rather than acquired. That is most definitely not my case. (Neither innate nor acquired). 😉 She has lots of elegant tips for college students and for those fresh out of college.

There’s Inspiring Women Magazine, and the title is pretty self-explanatory. They cover many of the topics that pertain to women. This is also a place to pitch your own writing, should you be so … inspired.

Finally, there’s Ashley, who blogs at Simply Ashley Nicole. Ashley is a lifestyle blogger, who has a gift for creating a sense of community on her blog. She’s organized a giveaway with 15 other bloggers to help you find new blogs you will just love!

(Okay, okay, it’s also to give us some more exposure).

Clever, isn’t it? Want a shot at winning the $36 Paypal cash jackpot?

First, here are the Participants. I’ve already followed all of them on Bloglovin and they have some pretty neat content. Angie from My So-Called Chaos // Angie from Health NOT to NUT // Angie & Beth from Chaotic Goddess Swaps // Angie, Beth, and /kenzie from Page à Vu // Mistle from Sweet Tea & Hydrangeas // Jennifer from The Champagne Supernova // Heather from 4-Hour BODY Girl // Ashley from Simply Ashley Nicole // Julie from Jewels Wandering // Jennie from A Lady in France // Sabra from Becoming Sabra Gilbert // Autumn from It’s Autumn // Tript & Prabh from Footnotes and Finds // Lindsey from Peace Love Sequins // Amanda from Anchored to Sunshine // Mary from Eat Drink & Be Mary // Kaileigh from Somehow Chaotic // Christina from Cali Darling And here is the giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

A GOOD KID

This guy turned seven this weekend.

No, no, I’m okay about it.

Really I am.

Not nostalgic or anything.

(sob)

Sending love and hugs your way. I hope this is the start to an amazing week for you!

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