Hello Lovely!

A lovely life requires attention and awareness which often calls for introspection and change.

We are redefining this website to make sure it’s always working to make your life more lovely. We so value your time and attention and the space we take in your brain and inbox.

We help people cultivate joy, beauty and gratitude by creating time and space to notice and embrace what is most important in life.

Thinking about how this website actually helps people and what we really do led us in a new direction.

We will continue to deliver messages of simplicity, happiness, love and joy on our sites, Rowdy Kittens and Be More with Less, but updates on Your Lovely Life will be reserved for new course announcements and meeting you in person.

We want to take Your Lovely Life on the road and connect with you face to face. We don’t know exactly what that will look like, and will be counting on you to let us know what you want.

Bringing virtual connections to life and trading email and blog posts for hugs and handshakes is an exciting part of the YLL future.

If you want to know more, join us here. Don’t expect frequent updates. We respect your sanity too much to add one more email to your inbox if it isn’t helpful.

Your Lovely Life will continue to be the home base for our courses Make Time and Create Space along with any future course announcements, workshops, retreats or events. You can also access any of the archived recipes and stories.

We need your help!

• For new posts on all things lovely, visit Be More with Less & Rowdy Kittens
• To join the Lovely Life conversation, check out the Facebook page
• Let us know if we should visit your city and how we can help by answering this short 6 question survey (link to survey)

We are so grateful to work with you and each other in creating and celebrating happy, joyful, simple, lovely lives.

xo,

Tammy & Courtney

P.S. Don’t forget the survey! Your feedback will really help.

The most powerful thing we have to offer is our story. Be inspired by lovely stories of lovely lives.

Maria Brilaki

How does exercise contribute to a lovely life?

I believe that the greatest benefit of exercising regularly is the self-confidence boost you get. You start building solid positive beliefs about yourself that lift you up!

The self-confidence you build then spills over to the rest of your life: You may start tweaking your eating into a healthier one, being more patient with your family, expecting the best for you and thinking big in your career. Why? Because you now believe in yourself, you believe you can do it. You see yourself as qualified. Exercise has really empowered you!

However, empowerment is not just about the mind, it’s also about the body. You suddenly don’t get tired as often. You can lift the 6-pack of water bottles more easily. Your back does not bother you as it used to. Yay!

Finally, exercising, moving…just feels good. Even a tiny stretch will make you feel better, right now. Just do one stretch. Straighten your back, raise your arms up and push them back a little so that you feel a slight stretch on your upper back and shoulders. Don’t you feel a little bit better than before?

Food can impact our body shape, but do you think it affects our moods and emotions too?

Food does impact your moods and emotions in two major ways.

1. Some foods have mood-altering qualities. For example, chocolate gives you a quick happiness boost, caffeine gives you energy, foods with sugar give a boost in your brain (followed by a crash).
2. Your own judgment about what you eat affects how you feel. If you are judgmental about eating chocolate, then obviously you won’t feel good. If you feel satisfied with yourself for eating a healthy salad then you will feel good. How you think about how you eat makes a big difference on how you feel.

What are you most grateful for in your lovely life?

I am most grateful about my family and my husband. I love them all and they are all wonderful. They all give me so much love that I couldn’t possibly be more grateful about.

I love it when good things in life happen so effortlessly.

We believe everyone has unique talents and call these talents superpowers. What is your superpower and how does that power make your life lovely?

Sometimes our super-powers show up as “weird” at first. Mine is that I do not fit-in quite with any group in particular. A few examples:

• My background is in engineering, yet even though I was good at it (graduated from Stanford), I didn’t feel I culturally fit well with most of the other engineers.
• My work involves quite a bit of minimalism (focus on what matters, simplify, etc), but I am not really a minimalist.
• I am spiritual, but I don’t feel I fit in with most spirituality-oriented people.

It may sound strange that I am using “not fitting in” as a superpower, but it is really. This super-power helps me hang out, understand, and learn from, many different groups of people.

At the same time, I am applying this to my work. I help people create healthy habits (engineering their lives), but I never pressure them, and I focus on simplicity (minimalism) and kindness (spirituality).

My super-power is also evident in my education. I am an engineer, I have an MBA, I am a health entrepreneur and a personal trainer. Strange combination, right?

If you have a quality that you think is giving you problems, then you might as well re-examine it. You might find that it is in your uniqueness that your greatest strengths may be found. Open your arms and embrace YOU!

Maria is a Stanford educated (healthy habits) engineer. Her new book “Surprisingly…Unstuck: Rewire your brain to exercise more, eat right, and truly enjoy doing so” is available through Amazon. Read more from her at Fitness Reloaded.

If this post added a little lovely to your day, please share and subscribe to Your Lovely Life. 

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ~Dalai Lama XIV

“Happiness is a warm puppy.” ~Charles M. Schulz

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” ~Audrey Hepburn

“You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.” ~Jonathan Safran Foer

The most powerful thing we have to offer is our story. Be inspired by lovely stories of lovely lives. If you’d like to inspire people with your story, learn more here.

Erin Madore

When did you first start to notice that your life wasn’t as lovely as you wanted it to be?

Crying in the bathroom at work was my first sign that things weren’t right, that my life wasn’t as lovely as I wanted it to be. The moment that I knew my frustrations, pain and sadness wasn’t normal though was in one of my first yoga classes… my teacher told us to take a deep breath. Then she said, “No really, take a deep breath.” That second breath filled my lungs, helped me connect with my authentic self, and touched my spirit. That second breath opened me up to possibility. It was then that I realized I had been suffocating for months. Holding my breath. Holding back.

That class was the tipping point for me. The moment I realized that I wanted a more joyful, fulfilling, lovely life.

Tell us about some of the changes you made and how they changed things?

Yoga was my first big change as I started going 3 – 4 times a week and trying to really adopt the principles. It immediately changed my life – I could breathe easier, felt more connected, more alive, like I was creating space for growth. That was the summer of 2009. Then in the fall of 2010 I took another huge leap in my holistic health journey and became a Vegetarian. This was another health change that affected my entire life :: I became less judgmental, more open to other’s ideas and new possibilities, and better at listening to my body. It was a beautiful time of transformation. I could literally feel my spirit, my mind, my body growing.

Then last year I embraced adventure and let go of the fear and limiting beliefs holding me back, which was only possible because of the foundation created by yoga and my vegetarian lifestyle. I wasn’t scared anymore… So I began letting my authentic self shine, speaking and living from my heart, and trying new things like :: acupuncture, horseback riding, boxing, and many more adventures that I had always been too scared to try.

I’ve learned to love adventure so much that it’s my word for 2013 as I have a lot in the works: creating my own life coaching biz, starting a Reiki practice, becoming certified in yoga, and self-publishing my first novel and lots of eBooks. This confidence, passion and sense of purpose that has helped me believe in myself and my dreams comes from all the changes that I’ve made over the last few years. I can only imagine what will unfold on my journey within the next few years.

Since you’ve become a vegetarian, do you have a new list of favorite foods to share or any favorite veg blogs that our readers should check out?

Oh yes! My taste buds have completely changed over the last 2+ years… I’ve fallen in love with simple, clean eating. Some of my favorite dishes include: green smoothies, fresh home-made juice, hot Muesli with cinnamon on top, vegetarian chili, and sautéed greens (like broccoli rabe and dandelion greens). I’ve found my favorite foods aren’t heavy or complicated meals; rather, I love bringing out the natural flavors of fruits and vegetables.

Anytime I want to find a recipe, try a new dish or look for inspiration I rely on ::

One thing: even though I love living a compassionate lifestyle I believe we are all flexitarians and the best way to be healthy is to listen to your body and nourish yourself.

You have a feature on your website called wellness warriors. What is a wellness warrior?

I strongly believe that health is more than your weight or fitness level. Total well-being is when you are nourishing your mind, body, spirit and soul.

Wellness warriors are those who are leading the way through their own experiences, lives and beliefs – they inspire and encourage all of us to be more connected to our bodies and more mindful of how we are treating ourselves. They aren’t miracle workers and they don’t have a magical cure. They simply know how to help others tap into their own inner strength and wisdom, whether that’s through sharing their own stories and experiences or offering tools and guidance.

I love showcasing Wellness Warriors in the hopes of empowering others to take an active, mindful, intuitive approach to their own wellness.

I read that your first novel is being published this Winter. Congrats! What was the book writing process like and what is your book about?

This story came alive a few years ago but it wasn’t until last November that I really gave it the room to breathe and grow – that was when I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where you attempt to write an entire book in one month. And I did it! I literally wrote over 50,000 words in 30 days. It was crazy.

Since then I’ve dedicated myself to editing, refining, polishing, and self-publishing Amelia’s story (that’s the main character).

Her story is one that really resonates with me… it’s about the drama, complications and decisions that come with being a young adult. It’s not an unusual or shocking story. No witches or special powers. But it’s filled with grief, heart-ache, determination, passion and hope. It’s a story of a family gradually learning how to deal with grief, a new mom learning how to embrace the new path in front of her, and a young girl trying to keep it together when it seems like everything is falling apart. Amelia’s story isn’t unique but it’s powerful and hopefully will bring comfort, inspiration and empathy to all those that have been in her shoes.

Writing is hard work but it’s my purpose.

Writing is how I hope to inspire, empower, support and comfort others. Writing makes me more me.

What makes your life lovely?

Mindfulness. My love. Friendship. Family. Quiet mornings. Hot coffee. Chocolate. Snuggling at night. Winter walks. Yoga. Writing. Reading. Symbolism. Compassion. Curiosity. Joy.

When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate,

And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.
- Shauna Niequist

If this post added a little lovely to your day, please share and subscribe to Your Lovely Life. 

The holiday’s are approaching quickly! If you are traveling or looking for something to read, check out these lovely links:

Flickr’s new iPhone app.

Instagram apologizes to users: We won’t sell your photos.

Wishing you love and light.

I’m a hypocrite, nice to meet you.

Celebrating the reverse 100 Thing Challenge.

Living in a shoebox.

The do plan.

Explore.

The Gratitude Journal.

xo,
Tammy & Courtney

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our lovely gift of time and space. 

Winter is right around the corner. All the cold weather made me think of a few wintery quotes that I love. Enjoy!

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
― Edith Sitwell

“My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.”
― George R.R. Martin

“Snow flurries began to fall and they swirled around people’s legs like house cats. It was magical, this snow globe world.”
― Sarah Addison Allen, The Sugar Queen

“There are adventures of the spirit and one can travel in books and interest oneself in people and affairs. One need never be dull as long as one has friends to help, gardens to enjoy and books in the long winter evenings.”
― D. E. Stevenson, Listening Valley

Courtney Carver and Tammy Strobel had dinner and met for the the first time in person in the Spring of 2011, but it was a year before that when they got to know each other through blogging and Twitter. Their passion for simple living connected them and they soon became friends and then business partners when they launched Your Lovely Life.

Courtney and Tammy became friends with Matt Madeiro through Twitter too and when they heard about his awesome, amazing, wonderful and yes, lovely Kopila Valley Project, they knew they wanted to help.

The Kopila Valley Project

Matt will be celebrating his 25th birthday on December 25th. Guess what he’s asking for? He isn’t asking for the usual stuff you get at the mall. Instead, he wants a school bus for his birthday!

Matt’s own words on why he is giving up his birthday …

“I’m giving up my birthday. No party, no cards, and none of the shiny boxes I’d normally hope to find under the tree. I’d say I don’t want anything for Christmas/my birthday this year, but that’s not entirely true.

I can think of just one thing.

For my holiday birthday this year, I have one goal: to give back. For my 25th birthday on December 25th, 2012, I want to raise $25,000 for the children of Kopila Valley — the kids who would benefit from something as simple as a school bus more than we could ever know.

Ask any student what they need for a proper education, and one thing is sure: a school bus probably won’t top the list of responses.

For the kids of Kopila Valley, though, a school bus is much more than just a set of wheels.

Many children in Nepal live too far away to walk to school. For those that do make the journey, the time cost can be staggering. Laxmi Karki, for example, spends at least five hours daily walking to and from school. Safety is one issue. The need for volunteers to walk with these children is another.”

The Real Power of Social Media

Through the power of social media, friendships were developed, good people were connected with good causes, and now we can use it to raise funds and awareness for the kids of Kopila Valley.

Earlier this week, we announced that we would donate $5.00 for every Lovely Life course purchased on Tuesday and Wednesday to help Matt buy a bus. Today we are extending that donation through December 25th. Every time you make a purchase here, we’ll be sending Matt $5.00 and if you purchase by December 10th, that $5.00 will be matched by an anonymous donor.

You’ll also receive 5 merry extras with your purchase including:

• Smalltopia: Tammy Strobel’s ebook about creating a small and sustainable business.
• Simple Ways to Be more with Less: Courtney Carver’s ebook with recommendations to simplify your life and ideas to live each day more purposefully.
• Blissful Reflections by Tammy Strobel: a compilation of essays about living simply and happiness
• Holiday Gifts: Audio from Tammy Strobel
• Dump Perfection: Video from Courtney Carver

Click the image below to read more about the course offerings and how you can enjoy the Make Time course and Create Space course yourself or use them to give a really unique gift. Who doesn’t want more time and space?

We will donate $5.00 from your purchase and you can donate directly to The Kopila Valley Project.

Thanks to the power of social media …

• Courtney met Tammy
• They met Matt
• Matt fell in love with the Kids of Kopila Valley
• You can help give them a school bus

Learn more about a lovely gift of time and space and all the merry extras.  If this post added a little lovely to your day, please share and subscribe to Your Lovely Life.

Holiday gift giving is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming if you are trying to live with less stuff or if spending the day at the mall isn’t your idea of a good time. If that’s you or you are buying for the person who has everything or the person who wants nothing, Your Lovely Life can help with this lovely gift idea.

Instead of giving a gift that sits on a shelf, give the gift of experience. Elizabeth W. Dunn, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, is at the forefront of research on consumption and happiness. In recent papers, Dunn and her colleagues explained that income is not a strong predictor of happiness once our basic needs are met. The studies they reviewed suggested that money can buy happiness, but it depends on how you spend your disposable income.

The question is: When you purchase something, how long does the happiness last compared to the money you spend? For example, if you buy the perfect Gucci bag and are longing for another one within a week, then you’ve received only a temporary happiness boost. Humans adapt very rapidly to new things in their lives, so the happiness from “newness” wears off quickly. However, spending money on experiences — concert tickets, taking a yoga class, or going on vacation — typically produces more, and longer lasting, satisfaction than buying stuff because we’re impacting our well being, and joyful memories continue to feed us. Instead of buying stuff, Dunn and her colleagues show that you can be happier by helping others, donating to charities, and buying a few small pleasures.

Give the gift of time and space to yourself or someone you love.

We’ve packaged up our Make Time and Create Space course with merry extras for the holidays including:

• Smalltopia: Tammy Strobel’s ebook about creating a small and sustainable business.
• Simple Ways to Be more with Less: Courtney Carver’s ebook with recommendations to simplify your life and ideas to live each day more purposefully.
• Blissful Reflections by Tammy Strobel: a compilation of essays about living simply and happiness
• Holiday Gifts: Audio from Tammy Strobel
• Dump Perfection: Video from Courtney Carver

Each package is delivered via email with simple instructions to access your gifts and a gift certificate to send to the recipient that looks like this:

As a special bonus, a copy of Tammy Strobel’s book, You Can Buy Happiness (and it’s cheap) will be mailed to the first 10 people who buy the combo gift offer listed below.

Make Time

If you’ve ever wished for more hours in the day or felt frustrated that you couldn’t do it all, this course is for you. You’ll receive course contents that will include 3 Weekly modules with audio interviews with experts, instructive lessons, guest contributions, video presentations, and homework assignments. (complete course description)

special holiday additions:

• Smalltopia: Tammy Strobel’s ebook about creating a small and sustainable business
• Simple Ways to Be more with Less: Courtney Carver’s ebook with recommendations to simplify your life and ideas to live each day more purposefully.
• Blissful Reflections by Tammy Strobel: a compilation of essays about living simply and happiness
• Holiday Gifts: Audio from Tammy Strobel
• Dump Perfection: Video from Courtney Carver

$35.00

Create Space

Learn how to make space in your home and on your calendar. You’ll receive 3 weekly modules including audio interviews with experts, instructive lessons, guest contributions, video presentations, and homework assignments. (complete course description)

special holiday additions:

• Smalltopia: Tammy Strobel’s ebook about creating a small and sustainable business.
• Simple Ways to Be more with Less: Courtney Carver’s ebook with recommendations to simplify your life and ideas to live each day more purposefully.
• Blissful Reflections by Tammy Strobel: a compilation of essays about living simply and happiness.
• Holiday Gifts: Audio from Tammy Strobel
• Dump Perfection: Video from Courtney Carver

Combo offer – Give both courses

The Make Time Course and Create Space Course complement each other to add more lovely to your life. Please enjoy a $10.00 discount if you purchase both at the same time.

special holiday additions:

• Smalltopia: Tammy Strobel’s ebook about creating a small and sustainable business.
• Simple Ways to Be more with Less: Courtney Carver’s ebook with recommendations to simplify your life and ideas to live each day more purposefully.
• Blissful Reflections by Tammy Strobel: a compilation of essays about living simply and happiness
• Holiday Gifts: Audio from Tammy Strobel
• Dump Perfection: Video from Courtney Carver

As a special bonus, a copy of Tammy Strobel’s book, You Can Buy Happiness (and it’s cheap) will be mailed to the first 10 people who buy the combo gift offer.

$60.00

Even the person who wants nothing, wants more time and space in their lives to engage in activities they care about and to be with people they love.

If you were wondering …

Can I purchase this for myself? Of course! The holiday additions and bonus offerings end at the end of December, but if you purchase now, you can take the course anytime in 2013.

Can the recipient take the course anytime? The gift certificate can be redeemed through the end of 2013. There are instructions on how to register in the digital package you’ll receive when you purchase the gift.

How will I know if I am one of the first 10 to purchase and qualify for a copy of You can buy Happiness? We will email you right away to let you know and ask where you’d like the book sent.

Do I have to be available during a certain time to take a course? No. The courses are self study, so you can consume the material at a time and pace that works best for you.

What if I still have more questions? Email Tammy and Courtney at dearlovelylife at gmail dot com. We are happy to help.

Can I order this anytime? The courses will be available anytime, but the special holiday additions end December 31, 2012.

These lovely links will encourage you to develop a gratitude practice and make you smile . . .

The secret to better work.

31 days of gifts you so deserve.

The fire of change.

A helpful guide to a simple Christmas.

I’m putting your name on a wand box.

Brené Brown on vulnerability.

Have a great weekend,
Tammy

You’ll love this delicious quick bread on a cold winter day. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup persimmon puree
2 & 1/2 cups flour
2 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. each salt, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 egg
3 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup milk
1 cup nuts

Directions

Stir baking soda into persimmon puree and let stand for 5 minutes. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together egg, milk, oil and persimmon mixture. Add flour mixture and stir until just blended. Stir in nuts. Put mixture into loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 55-75 minutes or until tooth picked inserted comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes then turn out of pan onto a rack and let it cool.