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Donate your Formal Dresses

donatemydress

As you all know, Prom nights, Sweet 16’s and Quinceañeros end up becoming an essential part of every teenage girl’s life. Unfortunately, some girls and their parents don’t have the means to purchase a dress or accessories for these very special events. That’s where DonateMyDress.org comes into play. This organization collects formal dresses, jewelry, shoes, makeup and even perfume for girls in need of them. Isn’t that a great idea?

On April 5th 2013 I was able to donate over 20 formal dresses to the South Florida Chapter of Donatemydress.org. I got my friends and co-workers to participate and the response was absolutely fabulous! Nothing feels better than giving back to the community. Do you have anything you’d like to donate? A pair of shoes that are collecting dust? Maybe an old bridesmaid dress that you swore you’d wear again but obviously never will? That dress might actually make one girl’s Prom fantasy a reality!

Testimonials from DonateMyDress.org

“The year of my high school prom, I was homeless and living in a car or sleeping outside on the street. I had nothing other than my (very few) school supplies and the clothes on my back, but I knew if I kept going to work and school, I would be OK. I just wanted a real prom and when I picked up the flier for the Princess Project at school, it made all the difference. Because of them I was able to have a real prom with a dress, accessories, and makeup! There’s no way I would have been able to do that before and I can’ t thank them enough for making my year a little more enjoyable.”
 
“I am finally getting back on my feet after a long battle with my health and subsequent unemployment due to health problems. It has been very important to me that my daughter not work while she’s in school so that she can focus on schoolwork to make the most of herself. I would not have been able to send her to prom if it wasn’t for you. You gave her literally everything she needed —a beautiful dress, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, and even a limo certificate!”

Look for the nearest Donatemydress.org chapter near you (here) and start donating! Prom season is upon us already and you’ve got to act fast!

Thanks for reading!

Z~

¿Have you donated your formal dresses to DonateMyDress.org or any another organization or person in your area? Please tell me about it! Comment below. 

¿Has tenido la oportunidad de donar tu traje formal a DonateMyDress.org o alguna otra organización o persona en tu área? ¡Cuéntame! Comenta abajo.

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Quick Tips on Buying a Cruiser Bike

May is here!

Flowers have bloomed and the air is warmer (or muggier and hotter in Miami) just in time for me to take out my new Beach Cruiser Bike!! I’m very excited because the last time I owned a bike it must have been around 1997. Since I’m a huge FRIENDS tv show fan I’ve named my bike Princess Consuela Bananahammock! If you want to know what that refers to, click here. (Paul Rudd is in that video. I adore him).

A bike is a great way to get around. You can see so much more of your community and all the while you get a nice workout and the wind is always brushing against your skin. I absolutely love the feeling of it. It reminds me of the scene in The Sound of Music when all the children and Maria are riding their bikes along the beautiful scenery of Austria. Man, how I would love to bike through there!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock Bike

Buying a Cruiser?

Cruisers differ from mountain bikes or road bikes. They are really just for cruising around a boardwalk or carrying a cute little dog in the front basket or picking up some fresh fruit at your local farmer’s market. So cute! They are not meant to be used for off-road purposes or any racing. I bought my Huffy Cruiser bike at Walmart and it was very inexpensive. For a great selection of cruisers at low prices click here. Cruisers also come in various sizes so make sure you try them out at the store. Tip: You should always be able to keep your knee slightly bent when you pedal down.

I’m so excited to bike some more!

Thanks for reading!

Signature_Zania

When was the last time you rode a bike? Do you get the same feeling of freedom and joy? Tell me all about it! Comment below. 

¿Cuando fué la última vez que corriste bicicleta? ¡Es igual de placentero para ti que para mi? ¡Cuéntame! Comentarios abajo.

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Before & After: Floor Lamp

B&AFloorLamp

I’m a fan of DIY projects and I’m game for anything that can get a nice facelift with paint. So, today I’m showing you a very quick update to this old brass lamp that was given to me for free! The owner was going to throw it away and I was not going to let that happen! Never!! I did like the gold color but it was a little too yellow for my taste and even though I would have loved to give it a nice worn brass finish, it just wouldn’t match the over all more modern theme of my bedroom. So I opted to spray paint this with Rust-oleum’s Metallic Finish. Continue reading “Before & After: Floor Lamp”

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The Pace of Success

Hello!

I recently came across an article on Bloomberg Businessweek on Arianna Huffington, the founder of the Huffington Post. (You can read the article here). She speaks about pushing herself to the limit and ending up getting 5 stitches around her eye because she fainted due to exhaustion.

Take a moment and look at your life. Are you pushing yourself too much? It’s okay to say NO sometimes to the things that drag you down and it’s okay to say YES to the things that bring you peace! Listen to what your body and your inner voice is telling you… Psst, “slow down”, “don’t take that call”, “go to sleep a little earlier”… If you find yourself struggling with this, just take a breather. Literally. Take a deep breath in and out. Then do what makes you happy.

I’ll give you a small example of how one simple action can lead to satisfying results. While working at my old desk job I was desperately attempting to finish a report that was due that same day. Suddenly my desk phone started ringing. My options were to; 1) take the call and potentially have a new task/situation on my hands or 2) not take the call, prioritize the report and reply to the call later.

I knew option #1 would have made me a little more stressed, frustrated and distracted. Hence, I opted for choice #2. I let the call go to voicemail and I was able to finish my report on time. I was then ready to attend to the missed call without having to worry about the report.

I have seen some people that are indeed taking on too much and therefore suffering because of it. Everyone works differently, you just have to adjust your life to whatever works out for you. Define what success is for you and then put it to action.

If you read the article I mentioned above, the last paragraph is my favorite. “If success continues to be defined as driving yourself to the ground and burning out, it will be disastrous for our families, our companies, and our world… If success doesn’t include your own health and happiness, then what is it?”

Thanks for Reading!

Signature_Zania

What do you think? Are you struggling with the “pace of success” as seen on this article? Tell me about it! Comment below!

¿Que crees? ¿Te encuentras pasando por lo mismo que pasó Arianna? ¡Cuéntame abajo en los comentarios!

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Welcome to Zania.net!

Hello beautiful people & welcome to Zania.net!

On my first blog post I would like to tell you a bit about who I am, what this blog will contain and why it is coming to life.

My name is Zania. I’m 30, married and living in Miami, FL with my husband and my brother. I just resigned from my job in corporate America for two important reasons; 1) I was miserable and 2) I wanted to put my talents to work 24/7. After years of being numb at work I decided it was time to snap out of it and be true to myself and work towards achieving my dreams. I’m now working from home, building my brand, starting a business and starting to blog (amongst other things). I’m also in search for the highly sought after “flextime”. I figured this would come in handy for when I have kids in the future. Thankfully, I have my family and friends to support me while going through this risky part of my life. Could not be more thankful to have them in my life. {For more on my background click HERE}

Here at Zania.net my goal is to share with you a few of my favorite things such as beautiful spaces, inspirational moments, pieces on women empowerment, curiosities and who knows what else could be posted! I’m in the process of learning about myself and figuring out how to move forward with all of the ideas that clutter my mind. I thought a blog provides a platform where my ideas could be made public while in the process maybe help or inspire others. I’m scared as heck but excited to find out what the future holds! I am fully aware that it won’t be easy, and it will take me some time to find my voice, but that only makes me want to work even more. Stay tuned if you want to join me on this journey!

Thanks for reading! Have a nice day!

Signature_Zania

Have you taken a leap of faith like this before? Tell me about it! I want to listen and learn! Comment below. 

¿Ház tomado algún tipo de riesgo que te haya aterrorizado? ¡Cuéntame! ¡Quiero escuchar de ti y aprender! Los comentarios van a abajo.