Making Your New year’s Resolutions Stick
January 5, 2019Hello VFFs and Happy New Year! As I work on my personal New Year’s resolutions, I thought why don’t I share about it with you. Let’s get real and accept that most of our resolutions don’t make it to the end of the year. I don’t know why but that’s what often happens. This year I refuse to let that happen so I decided to look into how to make New Year’s resolutions stick. Here are my tips and inspiration to help your 2019 New Year’s Resolutions happen.
“New Year- A new chapter, new verse, or the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is yours”
-Alex MorrittWhat’s the secret to sticking to your New year’s resolutions?
The secret is to think backwards. Your goals and dreams have probably been the same year after year. Maybe your approach has also been the same. Therefore, you are not getting the results you expect. The secret is to instead of thinking of the goals and things you want to accomplish, think of the things you don’t want to bring with you this year. Think of all the things that you did in 2018 that did not bring you closer to your goals. For example, my 2018 resolution was to be healthy and to eat better. That’s a great resolution, but unless it’s backed up with a habit is not going to stick. In order for me to reach my “be healthy” resolution, I have to think of the all the bad habits I created that have kept me from being healthy. So now instead of my new year resolution being “be healthy”, I would say it’s to quit drinking soda.
Basically what I am saying is to ditch the new year’s resolution list and to make a list of the things you don’t want to bring with you in 2019. Sarah Knight talks about it in her book Get Your Sh*t Together “Turns out goal-setting doesn’t have to be about aspiring to what you want to be, so much as putting an end to what you don’t want to be”. The way to achieve success in December 2019 is by changing your daily habits in January 2019. Instead of looking at new year’s resolution being “save money”, make it a habit of not spending money for 21 days.
“The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written”.
-Melodie Beattie
“Take a leap of faith & begin this wondrous new year by believing”.
-Sarah Ban BreathnachAfter you figured out all the things you don’t want to bring to 2019, you can then start thinking about establishing a routine. You identified what’s wrong with your life and turned it into your new goals. Now is time to figure out how your goals fit into your life by creating a new routine. For example, if your new goal is to workout three times a week, then when exactly will you be doing that. If your goal is to read a book a month, then establish when exactly are you going to be reading this book. Personally, one of my goals is to workout daily. I know that if I don’t get it done before work, I will find excuses to not do it when I get home from work. So for me to be able to do that and make it stick I have to wake up at 4:45 am during the week and make that my new routine.
“Celebrate what you want to see more of”.
-Tom Peters.To wrap up, I wanted to say the secret to making your New Year’s resolutions stick is:
- Make a list of the things you don’t want in 2019
- Turn that list into your new goals
- Make a new routine that includes when will you be working on those goals.
I really hope I was able to encourage you to continue to follow your dreams. I hope you are able to accomplish all your goals this year. Feel free to leave a comment below to share about your New Year’s resolutions.
“Cheers to a new year & another chance for us to get it right”.
-Oprah Winfrey
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2018
Hello VFFs! I am so exited to share my first impressions about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2018. We went to the Magic Kingdom to get a good dose of Holiday cheer and to celebrate my birthday. It was as magical as you would expect it to be. So many things to do, so many things to see! If you are wanting to know more about it, here are my personal highlights and tips for you.
First of all, let’s talk about what is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party about. This is a special ticketed event were you get to enjoy Magic Kingdom park and attractions from 7pm- 12am. During this holiday event, they have special events, specialty foods, complimentary treats and more. They decorate the park so festive bringing everyone a great dose of Christmas cheer. Their decorations are so jolly and adorable like this gigantic red ornament. The park decorations are perfect for family pictures and for those like me who do it for the Gram! They have many photographer stations for guest to take beautiful Christmas pictures.
Next, I will have to tell you that people were dressed up in their must festive holiday outfits. Scrolling down main street you would see all the beautiful light up Mickey ears that are exclusively from this special event. Families and friends were dressed up with matching pijamas. Yes, pijamas! Why didn’t I think of that? Ugly sweaters everywhere giving this event an extra Feliz Navidad vibes.
I decided to wear my EGGIE Red Romper dress with my black velvet Dr. Martens and my new Disney Tokyo Oswalt ears and passholder! Now is time to talk about the free stuff! Through out the park they have giant candy canes to let guest know they can get complimentary treats. They have them station all through out the park. This is where you can get your free cookies and drinks such as hot chocolate, eggnog, apple cider and even snow cones! This year they have the cookies individually wrapped so guest have the option to save them for later. You can get as many as you want and it was nice to have the option to take it home. There is so much to do and so many treats to catch that the time for it all flies by.
In addition to their complimentary treats, they have specialty treats available for purchase. If you are a foodie like me, I would recommend you to watch this video from DFB Guide because they share all the specialty treats and show you where to get them so you know more about what to expect.
It’s time to talk about the shows! Disney characters come out to share their holiday spirit all over the park. They have castle shows, Tomorrow Land parties, and of course the amazing holiday parade. So much fun to watch! It’s really hard to pick what to do with so much going on. I almost forgot to tell you that they even make it snow on Main St! I want to go back and do it all over again!
Here is the beautiful Parade! It was so much fun to see all the characters dancing on Main St. The best spot to watch the parade is near the castle! They have two parade rounds which is perfect because you can enjoy all the other events and still see the parade.
I saved the best for last! The fireworks show was incredible! It felt like they were going off all night. Very Merry Disney Magic I would say. I would definitely recommend my VFFs to go experience it for yourself. The park gets very packed, but for some reason the lines to the rides are very short. We were able to ride the 7 dwarf ride with a wait of 15 minutes. The Tea Party ride had no wait time. It was just so much fun to be at Disney at night celebrating my birthday. This experience will be something I will forever be grateful for!
Pumpkin Pie pops
I have to share with you my latest Fall obsession. It’s pumpkin spice pops! I got the inspiration from Pinterest of course. I follow Debbie who has a blog named from One Little Thing at the time where she shared a pumpkin pie pop recipe. I wanted to see if it was as easy as she makes it seem and got inspired to put my own twist to the recipe. I can’t wait to share it with my VFFs!
Materials you will need:
- Frozen Deep Dish Pie Crust (1)
- Pumpkin Puree (1/2 a cup)
- Cinnamon
- Apple pie powder
- Vanilla Extract (1 tbs)
- Pure Maple Syrup (1 tbs)
- 1 egg
- Pop Sticks
- Icing
- Bake Tray
Making the Mix
Add 1 tbs of Pure Maple Syrup to your mix.
Add 1/2 a cup of Pumpkin Puree.
Add 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
Add 1 tbs of vanilla extract. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and apple pie powder to the mix. Mix it all up with a utensil. I used a fork so that tells you right there I am super fancy, LOL!
Making the Pumpkin Pie Pops
Once the pie crust is ready to use, take it out of the deep dish and place on a flat surface.
I found these cute Fall cookie cutters the other day and thought they would be perfect for this project. Use whatever you have in hand, preferably a pumpkin one.
You will need to cut two sides per pop. I decided to use all my cookie cutter ones since they were so adorable.
Place one of the sides on a baking sheet. Place the pop sticks like 1/2 an inch from the bottom to make sure they hold the pies. To secure everything in place you will need to mix an egg and brush a little over the pie crust and the pop sticks. It’s like pie glue!
Now, is time to add a little filling to the pies. make sure to stay in the middle and only put a little bit.
Time to place the other side on top of the filling and brush it again with the egg mix we made earlier. Use a fork to make the little pie lines that actually secure both sides in place.
Bake
Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Wait until they cool off a little before eating.
Icing It up!
I am not that fancy, so I got cookie icing and used it all over them. It was delicious!
I really hope you have been enjoying Blogtober so far. I can’t wait for you to try this mini pumpkin pies. Tag me if you try them and liked them! Love you VFFs!
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Fall season started and I wanted to share my very own Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe with you. I made it super easy to follow. It’s delicious and creamy! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Ingredients:
1. Vanilla Almond Milk
I use 1.5 cup vanilla Silk Almond milk. I noticed it’s creamier that any other almond milk brand.
2. Pumpkin Puree
Use two tablespoons of 100% pumpkin puree.
3. Maple Syrup
Use two tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
4. Vanilla Extract
Use two tablespoons of Vanilla.
4. Apple Pie Spice
Sprinkle a little apple pie spice powder.
5. Cinnamon
Sprinkle a little of cinnamon as well!
6. Heat & Mix it Up!
Mix it all up and heat it up. I love using my frother from Nespresso because it heats it up and can make it a cappuccino or a latte.
7. Add a shot of expresso and enjoy!
Cruise Travel Tips
How to Cruise Like a Pro
Tips and tricks that will help you look like a cruising pro on your next vacation. I’ve been to six cruises so far and I’ve picked up on a couple unexpected things that can help make your cruising vacation even better. I learned these the hard way so you don’t have to! For more information check out my latest cruise Vlog on my YouTube channel Valentin Forever Channel Here’s my list of tips and tricks for your next cruise vacation:
Water/alcohol/snacks
Cruises have many thing available for you to enjoy on board. Some things are not included in your vacation package. Things as crucial as water. So, my number one tip is to check on with your cruise line to see the prices of their water package and see if it’s worth it or not. A lot of cruise lines let you bring water bottles, wine and snacks on your luggage which makes the cost of your vacation lower. I would recommend to definitely check with your cruise line to learn about their regulations for bringing your own water, wine and evern snacks. Also, if you got the cruise drinking package, make sure you ask for the fine print exclusions. I forgot to do this on our last trip and assumed it included water bottles and cappuccinos and come to find out it didn’t. That’s when we ended up paying for it separately. The last cruise I went, we paid $60 for a case of 12 (20oz) water bottles. That money we could’ve use for an excursion.
Make Reservations in advance:
Make sure you make reservations in advance (way in advance) because there’s a lot of people that would like to do the same things you do and they get filled up quickly. I would recommend making reservations for your excursions and even for your specialty dining as soon as you can so you can ensure you will be able to do them.
Remember to take/bring stuff in case you get sea sick
I get car sick so I know I would probably get sea sick. I get the patches and wear them when I go on cruises. I learned that if you want the patches to work during the cruise vacation, it’s better to put them on two days prior so the medicine it’s in your system by the time you have that Day at Sea. Believe me, being sea sick can make your vacation miserable. I also got the ginger gum or the ginger candy to help with the sea sickness. If you go on a cruise longer than 4 days, I would recommend to bring another patch with you to wear it for the other half of your trip. I went on a 7 day cruise vacation and wore it just once and when I got home I was Land Sick. I’ve never heard or ever experience that but it could happen. I felt so sick at home for tree days and I just want to save you that miserable time and advice you to take precautions when it comes to sea sickness and land sickness.
Bring a Day Bag on DAY 1
It’s important that you bring a bag or a backpack with things you need for day one. I mean bring your bathing suit, toiletries, a nice change of clothes for dinner time. Remember that they take your luggage when you enter the crusie and you have to wait for them to deliver it to your room cabin. It happened to me twice already that I got my luggage delivered after 8pm on Day 1 of our vacation. That means I was stuck with the clothes I had on and was not able to enjoy some of the cruise activities because of my attire. I was not able to go in the pool or even go to the formal dining room because my clothes was all in my luggage.
Cabin items you need to bring:
- Extension Cord: Cabins have limited plugs to charge your phone, etc. On our last cruise we had ONE plug in our cabin. This is why it’s important know that you have to bring your own power strip. I got one on amazon that we were able to use in our Europe cruise and our Mexico Cruise. This one has the converter to be able to use in international plugs. Kind of like this one Power/converter on Amazon.
- Alarm clock: I don’t use an alarm clock at home. I just use my phone. However, when you are in a cruise vacation sometimes they go through time zone changes and because of poor phone signal you may not be able to know what time it is. We learned this the hard way and had to go find out the time on the T.V.s they had on the halls. It’s a great way to ensure you know what time it is specially when you have to go to an excursion.
- Noise machine: I personally have not been clever enough to bring this on my cruise voyages. Cabin walls are so thin and you can hear everything (people passing by, people from the rooms next to you, etc.). On our last cruise I couldn’t sleep because of this and a noise machine would’ve been awesome to have. The people in the room next to us kept coughing and we could hear them as loud as if they were in the room with us. That brings me to the next point.
- Clorox wipes & hand sanitizes: I am a germophobe and I cannot recommend bringing cleaning supplies with you enough. Like I mentioned, the people next to our cabin were coughing up a lung and getting sick would have ruined our vacation. As soon as they let us in our cabin I clean all the surfaces and handles to ensure the people that were there before us didn’t leave any trace. I got the To-go package so it didn’t take much space to pack.
- Playing Cards/Journal/Book: There is a lot of down time when you are on your day at sea. I never thought about bringing my own entertainment, but I definitely recommended! I usually bring a book and my Bullet journal to spend a relaxing afternoon in while the ship sails through the ocean. I would also say bring a deck of cards to play when you run out of money at the casino. Also, Netflix has the option to download episodes. This way you don’t spend a fortune on the wifi the cruise has to offer and enjoy your favorite shows while you sip on a piña colada.
- Bring a cardigan or jacket: Cruising can get pretty chili out in the ocean. I always recommend bringing a light cardigan and a jacket to wear.
- Door Decoration: Cruise cabin doors all look the same and an easy way to spot your door is to decorate it with magnets. We got ours from the dollar store. Check your cruise line to see if they have restrictions. I know some cabin doors are magnetic and some are not. This could be a way to celebrate someone’s birthday, bride to-be, anniversary, sportsfan, or even a holiday (we did Easter decorations).
- White board: Since phone signal is limited in the cruise ship,having a whiteboard on the door can help when you are with a group and want to let people know where you’ll be so they can find you. We also used our white board for people passing by would write us messages. It was such a fun surprise every time we went back to our cabin. People also use walkies to avoid getting lost in the cruise ship.
Items to bring when you get down on ports and go on your excursions
- Lanyard: Your keycard is what you use to get in and out of your cabin, to get in/out of the ship and to purchase items inside the cruise. A lanyard could save you from losing your key card which it crucial since it’s linked to your credit card and it’s your way in/out to the ports. I know this can easily make you look dorky, but get creative and find some cute ones on Etsy.
- Binoculars: This was such a good item to bring specially to see dolphins swimming along with the cruise ship. It’s just an easy way to enjoy the beauty nature has to offer while you sip on your margaritas.
- Bag: This was a hassle but at the same time a saver. Some cruise line let you bring their beach towels so a bag comes in handy to pack those along with snacks and a water bottle.
- Ziploc bags: They help keep you valuables safe especially when you are going on a tropical cruise vacation. This way if you go to the beach or go to any water excursion it will keep your key card, wallet and ever phone safe from water damage.
- Towel clips: I know it sounds like this is not a thing but believe me when you are trying to lay out at the pool deck and the wind is blowing full blast you will be thanking me for this one. I saw a lot of people with cute towel clips special just for deck chairs. I didn’t have those cute ones so I use binder clips instead and it worked!
Thank you so much for stopping by! Do you have any cruise tips to add to this list? I would love to hear about it! Feel free to leave me a comment!
xoxo
Laura Valentin
Increase Productivity like a shot of Expresso
Hi Friends,
Have you ever felt like you want to experience what it would be like to live like the people you see on T.V.? How can some people do so much in a 24 hour day? Do you feel like you are in a rut? Have you ever craved the need to see what it would be like to live to your full potential? If you felt like this and you want to make quick changes to your life that will guarantee you success, then this post is for you!!
“There are three types people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happen” -Mary Kay Ash
I am at the point in my life that I don’t want to be an spectator any more. You know, when you live your life to pay bills and just eat, watch T.V. and hangout with friends. I mean that’s all great and all, but it feels like “I’ve been there done that” type of life. I just want to be real with you and see if you’ve ever felt like this. I wanted to share my ULTIMATE Morning Routine, not because I think I am awesome but, because I know it works. I am always trying to grow and improve myself and I found the best way is to narrow down what I want out of life on a day by day basis. Living with the end result in mind helped me work towards my goals and achieve success. I definitely recommend for you to try it out and let me know how it goes.
It’s all based on what it’s called “The hour of Power”. I learned about it on a You Tube video by Terri Savelle Foy. It’s were you get to pray & meditate, read and workout for 20 minutes everyday. It’s the art of creating a vision for your life and making a habit from it 20 minutes at a time. I wanted to share what MY Hour of Power looks like and why I think it’s the best thing you can do for your life.
Pray & Meditate
During the prayer/meditation, I like to write down my top ten goals for the year. Why you ask? It’s like Terri Savelle says, “when your vision is clear, the results will appear”. This is were you get to write down what YOU want to see happen in your life. At first, I had a hard time doing this because I kept thinking it was lame. However, everything I’ve accomplished in life happen because I first thought about it and then wrote it down on my To do list. So go ahead and write down your top ten goals my friend! Yes, you have to do it everyday just like you do your to do list.
This is the best way to set your intentions for your day. This is the GPS for your life. Writing your top ten goals for the year will give you a focus mindset. Writing them down everyday will give you the discipline you need to achieve them. Then, it’s time to meditate and pray about them. This is the time were you allow your mind to process all the ideas that run through it. This is were you can think about how to actually achieve your top ten goals. This is the time to think about your life and the things you are grateful for. This is when I get to give thanks and pray for my family and my loved ones.
Read
When I googled searched “habits of a millionaire” the first thing on the list was “They READ”. Tom Corley, who is a best selling author of the book”Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits Of Wealthy Individuals”, completed a five year research studying the habits of 233 rich people and 128 poor people. According to Corley’s study, 85% of millionaires read two or more books a month, and they choose books that help them grow”. Reading books and continuous learning are the ingredient you need to become successful in life. Reading is what you can do to learn more about your goals and strategize your plan of action. So, now that I explained the “why?” reading it’s part of the Hour of Power, I want to share what I do during this time.
“The key to success in life is growing your knowledge base and skills”- Tom Corley.
During my 20 minutes of reading time, I spend time with people that I aspire to be. This is were I dive into places I want to explore and I get to read about the stories of successful people. I do so by subscribing to my favorite guru’s podcast, blogs, You Tube videos, and their social media. I love listening to podcast and audio books while I get ready in the morning and during my morning commute to work. I also watch motivational You Tube videos from people who share how they became successful. I sometimes do that while eating my lunch and it gives me that extra boost of motivation to carry out the rest of my day. I also take this time to actually read my books. The great thing about this routine is that you get to make it how you want it and what works for your lifestyle!
Workout
Last, it’s the part were you get your blood flowing by working out. I love looking at Pinterest post about different workouts I can do at home. I actually print them out (as shown in the picture above) and look at them to remember what I have to do. I sometimes workout at home while watching TV lol. I also watch workout videos from people who have the body I want to achieve. I follow them on social media and do their workout videos (or at least try to do them). Now, working out it’s not enough, you also have to eat healthy. In my video below I get to share with you what my workout looks like and simple meals I make to stay healthy. I really hope you enjoy it!
“Those whom have found great success have not just found it in one area of their lives—they have learned to set themselves up for this success, both in business, health, and mind” -Stefan James
Let me know what is YOUR morning routine!!
As always thank you so much for subscribing and for your support!
