Upon recently losing a loved one very near and dear to your heart, you can’t help but reflect on your own life. This has recently come to mind due to the unexpected passing of a family member of mine whom I loved and admired very much. In light of this event, I thought it would be nice to write about the importance of the things that matter. Call me a hippie, but for me, it’s all about LOVE.
If I were to tell you that life is very simple, would you believe it? In my opinion, life IS very simple. Life is simple when you love purely, authentically and completely. Life is simple when you surround yourself by those that make you happy and don’t put you down. Life is simple when you accept yourself for exactly who you are and live on fearlessly. Life is simple when you don’t sweat the small stuff. Life is simple when you live with purpose. Continue reading “The Things That Matter”
It’s been about three months since I gave birth to our son. It has been such an emotionally overwhelming, difficult but beautiful experience! So much has happened in the last three months that I could write a whole book about it! It’s crazy how life changes in an instant. I love being a mom and every day brings new challenges. I would like to take this opportunity and share how it all went down the day our baby boy decided to join us. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this story too! Ready for this long post? Here we go…
On Monday June 8th 2015 I headed out to work just like every other day. My thoughts were on my husband, Frankie Frankie “FF”, and the importance of that day for his career. It was the first day of the 2015 MLB Draft. (For more info on the story behind my hubby’s career and how it affects the family you can click on this link here). He had already been in Arizona for two weeks at the Draft Meetings preparing for this big day and this was it. For all the marbles. All he needed were these three more days in Phoenix, AZ to start and finish the official MLB draft. I took a look at my maternity bag on the floor next to my bed but opted not to take it with me this time. (Of course). You think you know where this story is going…?? Read on…
Holy $!&% At any time now, my life could be forever changed. I can become a mother in the blink of an eye. One day I’m just doin’ my thing and the next, I have a son. This is mind-blowing to me and unreal.
I can’t complain. I’ve had a really good pregnancy. It’s been a wonderful journey and now I’m 38 weeks and nearing the end if it all. I have to admit that while I am looking forward to the rest of our lives with our future son, it hasn’t really hit me yet and it won’t until that baby is in my arms and life suddenly takes on a new meaning.
It hasn’t been the easiest several months though. Life has a way of coming at you like a freight train at times and you just have to go with the flow and deal with it.
Since I haven’t checked-in in a while, I’ll give you a brief summary of each trimester (from what I can remember)…
First Trimester
Finding out I was pregnant was funny and exciting. We didn’t believe the pregnancy test at first because we needed more than blurred pink line. So when FF went out to get another pregnancy test he decided it was a good idea to buy 4 more just to be 100% sure. lol! Hunger and sleep took over my life during my first trimester. I wanted food at all times (at least 5 big meals a day) and I was falling asleep at 7pm and then waking up at 4am with insomnia on some days. I didn’t get tired during the day, but by the time I got home I was out like a lamp. My nose would bleed every now and then and I was thirsty all the time. Morning workouts were fewer and much shorter. Forget about nighttime workouts. I was too busy eating and falling asleep on our apartment couch. My bump was not evident at any moment during my first trimester. We also didn’t announce our pregnancy until the end of the first trimester and of course, everyone was excited.
About 2.5 months pregnantOur Baby Announcement during Thanksgiving weekend
Well hello there! It’s been a very long while!! Lots to talk about and wonderful things to share.
This blog became a huge part of my life for about a year and a half and after starting a new job in June of 2014 I purposely stopped blogging. Why? My priorities shifted and blogging was not in the forefront. That leads me to this post’s topic…
Priorities and goals can change. Have you noticed that sometimes we insist on focusing our time and energy on following through with certain goals that no longer make us feel excited and happy? Instead they feel like an obligation. This can happen with small situations like making green smoothies on a daily basis, to more significant life-altering events such as a career change. The instant you feel that pressure weighing you down, then that’s the moment when you have to decide if continuing to pursue that goal is worth your time and energy. While your answers may vary, it is only you who can make that decision.
Hope you had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! But now… It’s time for another recipe! Like every other recipe on this blog, I try to keep things easy and this one is no exception. Thanks to my friend Yanaice and her hubby for sharing this recipe with me some years ago. I’ve been baking it ever since! The recipe was originally intended to be a cake but I decided to turn it into mini muffins yielding to about 48. That said, you could do either. For this particular batch, I only made half of the portion that I mention below in the ingredients because I only had one banana to work with. Make sure those bananas are ripe! That’s very important! Hope you enjoy it! Continue reading “Banana Mini Muffins”
Ladies and gentlemen I am proud to say that a year ago today I posted my first blog post on Zania.net! Isn’t that crazy? Time really does fly when you’re having fun! I began to blog with the intent of keeping myself accountable and on a schedule while exploring the different career possibilities out there. While doing just that, I found this blog to be an incredibly gratifying form of self-expression.
And boy, what a difference a year makes! When I embarked on this personal journey of rediscovery last year, I was very scared. I wish I’d had a clear answer as to what I should be doing and where and how, but of course, life is not like that. It took a lot of inner work and retraining of my brain to depart from old habits and thoughts to create new ones. Fast forward to now, I’m overjoyed with my personal transformation. I am now open to any and all opportunities that may come my way (and they have) and I’m not afraid of failing or taking risks. Most importantly, I refuse to live a life of confused misery. Now I live to be joyful and purposeful.
Are you possibly going though a point in your life where you need a new start? Maybe it’s a change in lifestyle, perhaps you want to switch careers, or you simply want to move out of your current city in search for inspiration or new opportunities. These are all big changes that, if you’re willing to work for, might be absolutely rewarding.
It was exactly a year ago that I put in my two weeks notice at my corporate job in search for a more purposeful career and life. I can tell you that my transformation has been phenomenal. I’ve been able to meet more people, make better connections, laugh more and enjoy my time doing the things that I love the most. Has it been easy? Absolutely not. I’ve cried and panicked at times, but thankfully I’m able to remember exactly why I’m doing this.
You know what Spring means? It’s time to expose that inner Monica Geller (Friends TV show reference.. uhmm) and do away with all that clutter in your home! I am working on a series of organizing videos for keeping a clutter-free home and today I’m sharing the first one!
First, we’ll start with your closet. How do you keep it clean year in and year out? Click on the video link below to see my top 3 tips for a clutter-free closet!
Here’s my latest E-Decorating project! This inspiration board belongs to a dear friend, Gaby, who has fabulous style but runs a very busy life. Enter, Zania… Gaby is full of life and there’s not a day that goes by that she’s not dressed to the nines. While she has her regular 9-to-5 job at a well-known media company, she is also an entrepreneur in the fashion industry. (Check out her online clothing site AlmaMei. I also borrowed a necklace from her line for my music video). Not only is she following her dreams, but she is also contributing to a greater cause through her passion. Who doesn’t love that?! Bravo! Needless to say, when she asked for my help in decorating her dining room, I knew exactly how to reflect her personality through decor. I call it: Fearless Chic! Continue reading “Gaby’s Fearless Chic Dining Room”
You’ve probably heard the saying “Music Heals”, right? Well, I want to share with you something that recently touched my heart. The next paragraphs will tell you how Naem, an inspiring 27-year-old girl from Medellín, Colombia found the courage to fight for her voice by using one of my songs, and in turn taught me a lesson or two. I can feel my throat tightening already…
