Rachel Hollis- Girl, You Should Apologize

[The day this news broke, I shared my heated feelings about it on my podcast. If you'd like to listen to that instead, here's the link. It's full of profanity, so consider yourself warned if you have a visceral reaction to cursing. Writing is more suited for me, so I wanted to share my thoughts about this in written form, and now that I've cooled down a bit, I was able to piece my words together like a normal human being. Smile.]

"The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it." 

I knew it. I saw this divorce coming several years ago. The New York Times best-selling author and Disney dad that everyone thought had the best marriage {except for me, apparently,} are, yes indeed, you guessed it, divorcing. All one would have to do is pay close attention to the added and amped up hugging, kissing photos, sweet talk, curated marital banter and fake pictures for social media to see this trainwreck coming head-on. Why do I know this so well, you ask? Because I also lived this type of marriage with my ex-ill suited mate. He was notorious for this type of behaviour. These folks care more about what the world thinks and sees than what is truth staring down the barrel. It's artificial. And whereas I don't have anger towards my ex-ill suited mate or Rachel Hollis at this juncture, I feel it's necessary to be blatantly open and transparent with my friends {aka readers}. It's also a way of being truthful with myself, which is essential to my well being and expansion. Rachel Hollis and a person such as my ex-ill suited mate, aren't going to give you the truth.  They are going to give you what they want you to see. I'm honest with folks, and even if that makes someone uncomfortable, I'm still going, to be honest. I'm not here to sugar coat a narrative for anyone. The emotional cost is too high, and I am surely not in the business of allowing myself to be silenced all for the sake of "thinking about others feelings." I have learned early on that mentality unequivocally does not work for me at all.

We can always look back and reflect on why some things trigger us and others do not. A lack of transparency from others has been in my craw for some time, and I'm sure it's still the residuals of my previous marriage. I'm moving past it, but I wanted to point out some variables to grow from this experience. You know me all too well, and one thing I'm always doing is leaning in on what everything in life is here to do, which is to teach us and help us grow, even when It's me being pissed about a random writer in Texas. 

I know some folks love Rachel Hollis; however, I do not. I am sure she's a delight; however, from my personal experience of chatting with her on numerous occasions, she came off a bit snobby and acted as if I was beneath her. That turned me a bit, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt. My mum taught me manners. Many of the women who follow Rachel noticeably  {in my opinion} have low self-worth. What's in my craw is that Rachel preys on weak-minded women from backgrounds where It's not socially moral to be a confident woman. Rachel's demographic is similar to her fathers' Pentecostal congregation, which is fueled by feelings of superiority and that notion of " lean on me, as I'm a much better and smarter person than you. And you need me {and my books and seminars} to get to where it is that you're going mentality.” Here's what happens internally to these so-called fans. Women put too much importance on folks like Rachel Hollis by placing them on a pedestal which is further detrimental to their self-worth. Women do not need a woman like Rachel Hollis to achieve what they desire. They need to turn that love onto themselves and believe that they also have the same level of importance. If Rachel was confident herself and really intended to encourage women of their own self-importance and personal power, she would lift these women to all greater heights. It's the case of I'll lift you until I see you growing, but you can't grow more than me. The next time you notice this in another, take it as a warning. We all are a product of higher consciousness {God/Source} just like every human being in the world. No one stands superior to us.  Her books are specifically placed in the Christianity section of all bookstores. This is because most folks who act like they have all the self-worth and confidence in the world most often do not, and they can fool women of faith with that narrative. People with the lowest self-esteem have this pretend confidence and amplify it by appearing better than others and stand on moral high ground. Where most folks "get on" by thinking or acting as If they are better and have all of life figured out are actually the ones that have the least figured out. You know the old adage, " Those who scream the loudest have the most to hide." If two things get my goat, it is hypocrisy and inauthenticity. Rachel Hollis is these two things in a nutshell. Honestly, and how great of a writer is she if she spent an entire chapter {in an attempt to be relatable, in which she has now forfeitted} on how she passes gas and has bowel movements. {Someone posted that book excerpt on youtube.}That is not good writing. It's daft. 

We are never going to get all of life done and complete. This is not what Pentecostal preachers (Rachel's father) teach us.  They pretend they have all of life figured out, and now we common folk should come along for the ride. If we can see life like that, as never-ending and it's all a process that continually unfolds, we will be much happier people. We don't have to have everything figured out, and that's the sheer beauty of it all. We didn't come to get it done, but the world would have us think otherwise. Let us begin today by taking everyone off of the pedestal and begin looking inward. I suggest you place yourself on the pedestal.  

Whereas Rachel is liked and admired by many, she is like everyone else; and no respecter of persons.  It's time women start believing in their own power and abilities and stop thinking other women like Rachel Hollis are better, more knowledgeable and superior than them. This world is full of powerful women. I am going to spend my life in this service. I will inspire millions to know this for themselves too. We are all Mermaid Goddesses. 

I've got to be honest here. As I write this and edit, I've lost nearly all of my steam for this post. So I'll end it here with the most significant takeaway that I learned from this news. Which is that I now know I am going to write much better and more prolific books than Rachel Hollis. My books are authentic and transparent. I'm not going to placate an audience for the sheer desire of selling books. My books are honest and, most importantly, laced with self-confidence,  empowerment and practical tools for achieving all of life's desires. My books are joyful and optimistic. They are not downtrodden, off-putting, nor sewn with self-importance and inferiority. We must be reminded of our very own power. To lean on ourselves and our own Mermaid Inner Being and leave the rest. It also showed me where I stand vibrationally with my "so-called report card." I have grown massively from where I stood emotionally just a short time ago. Comparatively, I am growing by leaps and bounds, and truthfully that's what this whole earth life experience is for me, to expand. Trust yourself and make being happy your only intention. 

I would have really appreciated it if Rachel Hollis were to have simply stated her truth and took accountability. I think that's all folks have ever wanted.  Still, she didn't take that road. If she continues living in a cloud of mist, she will surely self sabotage her entire career full stop.   

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx

5 Ways To Make A Decision And How To Line Up With It

My dear friends, 

In 2015, when I left my marriage of 25 years, one of my most significant abilities to create the reality that I so deeply desired, was because I made a decision and lined up with it.

Let me explain. This is an in-depth subject that many women struggle with, so I am going to seek to disembowel it for you and in turn, hope to teach you how to make decisions for YOUR life.

Watch Out For Those Sea Witches

My dear friends, 

I had such a flood of inspiration for blog posts come upon me last evening that I just couldn't wait to share. I have some black tea all ready for us and our little visit.

Before I commence, let me say to you, Rabbit Rabbit! The sweet little painting above is of the dear Tasha Tudor. I wanted to paint her next to the ocean. To those close to her, she was known to say on many occasions that when she died, she would reincarnate back to the 1830s, as a captain's wife.

As an ode to Tasha, I thought it only fair to paint her by the water's edge.

Have you ever heard of the British saying, "Shoot you in the foot?" I happen to adore that saying, I think it's because I am a sucker for anything British, are you?

How Not Being Able To Dress Like Laura Ingalls Wilder {Old~Fashioned} Became One More Reason I Swam Away From Marriage

Little gloves for the foxes and fey.
Image courtesy archives of painter  Samuel McLoy {1831~1904} 

Happy spring to you! The cottage is all warm, I have some tea on my serving tray, the chickens roam the garden, and the smell of confederate jasmine permeates the air.

How To Create A Cottage Victorian Larder And Why We Psychologically Organize Our Environment

My dear friends, 

I'm having some breakfast English tea this morning. I also took a caffeine tablet to give me some energy. I am completely out of zip fizz, so I am making due.

Before I begin the larder discussion, I thought that we might first have a chat about organization through a psychological aspect. You know full well I love a great post about organizing but you also know I have a tendency to dive deep. Particulars are never really about the external forces. All things in this expansive universe are about internal connections. My blog is about the fun, whimsical and fairytale, but will always strive to use it as a way to educate as well.  I believe many wonder about the same things that I do. 

Ardently Mothering

My dear friends,

Good Morning and Salutations. I am happily hot~handed writing to you on this cold crisp dewy damp day from Florida. I have been desperate for the cold, and I awoke this morning to receive a gift from the weather gods. I'm still bundled up, having tea and some scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast. It's a delight to have fresh eggs from my chicken ladies.

The Story Of How The Tale Of MerryMaid Scarlette Rose Came To Be- Part 1

Hello darlings,

How are you? I hope you're doing well.
Perhaps pour yourself a cup of tea and let's chat, shall we? My choice of tea for today is lavender and rose, just in case you wanted to know that{smile}.

 Today I thought I'd begin my little tale of how my storybook The Tale Of MerryMaid Scarlette Rose® came to be.

I'd also like to share with you some of the details. I think personally I love hearing the little-sorted increments of how other authors/illustrators created their dear gems.

I was marinating several things over the weekend in preparation to begin this series and it dawned on me how very much I am not privy to write or make things about myself. As I've worked on my business, author campaign, this blog, and putting myself out into the world as an author and illustrator I've realized how uncomfortable it has made me, it has been an adjustment for sure. I've never had particulars be about me per se, and it's taking some getting used to.

I have long been a writer. As a little girl, I've been creating little stories as far back as I can recall. I was the little red-head that wore long dresses and had pen pals in elementary school. My mother made sure I was fully equipped with writing utensils at all times. I even went many years in middle and high school where I wore a pencil in my hair because I was constantly jotting or sketching things.

In my about page you've read that I have loved Beatrix Potter since childhood. It's true... I also read the stories to my children all throughout their lives as well. There was something I found calming and charming about the stories. Honestly, they don't have a daunting amount of depth to them, and perhaps that's the adoring appeal. A story that's light-hearted but with also a bit of whimsy. Now that my friends is my cup of tea! I should like to stay determined to always live life with rose colored glasses on. I think that's the allure of children's fairytales, they take us to places in our imagination where dreaming is allowed, actually preferred.

After my divorce was final, and I was couch surfing at my parents, living out of my two suitcases, I had also brought my little palette of paints, 2 Walmart brushes, a pencil and an eraser. To this day, I keep them in my purse. They have become a bit of a comfort to me, like a lovely old familiar friend.

While I was married I had become so conditioned out of my belief in myself, having turned down a four-year art scholarship, and having put away painting for so long I had forgotten I could even draw much less paint.

I was in such a state of pain while going through my divorce, missing my children madly, and feeling like everyone was trying to tell me what they thought I should do, I took up walking. I would walk to the nearest waterhole where I'd dream and sketch.

I figured that if all the years of me telling my children that there is nothing they cannot be and that dreams do come true, I might take my own advice.

It takes a little time to actually gather one's style. I looked at the paintings of my favorite watercolorists and took some ideas from them and then kept reworking my images to look the way I liked. My paintings have an old world look to them, but also a look of solemn seriousness, and that pretty much describes me to a T. My painting style is very much my own. I am nowhere near where I desire to be, but I have learned not to ever wait on things. I have realized, I must be a doer, not a talker.

Nowadays, I'm not afraid to start anything. I go head first, even though I know I'll get lots of air bubbles and rise to the top over and over again, and I don't care one single bit. That's the only way we learn is to keep diving back into the water. That's what losing everything has taught me, to be fearless. Once you've literally lost everything, no one can take anything from you, not your dreams and especially not your talents. If you take nothing from this post but that, I feel I've done my job.

After setting up my new facebook page and new social media platforms, I tried to continuously put out little motivational sayings and quotes to inspire others, and I'll be completely honest, I did it for myself mostly at first. I was having to be my own cheerleader, so I needed all the positivity and happiness I could conjure up.

As time went on people would respond to some of my posts and say that I should write a story. I had never told anyone that I had longed to write stories since I was a little girl, so I took the compliments in stride. Throughout the next year, I started thinking, yeah I should write a book. I'd then set the dream aside because when I mentioned it to a few friends they actually weren't super supportive to me. They said things like, "You have to get a publishing company, how are you planning to do that? It's not easy to write books and actually have them sell, your art isn't good enough yet for a book. etc."

I was still so low in my self-worth journey at the time that I would become so frustrated at my struggles and say in my mind to hell with it. I knew deeply though that if I had enough faith I could probably do it, I let those thoughts marinate in my soul and began to dream about being an author but not telling anyone verbally anymore. They seemed to dampen my spirits and I just got plain sick and tired of it.  I have had decades of lacking self-confidence to weed through and build back up and it became daunting to think about a book. I'd once again lay the idea aside because to some degree I felt like it was out of reach. Once again, a running theme is that I'd listen to other people tell me I wasn't capable, and I listened to them.

Fast forward to about 6 months later and I'm once again suggested a video from Gary Vaynerchuk. Something he said that day made a light go off in my head and I haven't looked back since.

If you have ever seen Gary's videos, he straight up and has no quorums about telling it like it is. I had seen him about 3 years prior and immediately turned him off because, to be honest, I thought that he was an arrogant ass. Actually, he rubbed me majorly the wrong way. Today I know why this is. I had a victim mentality, and never in a million years would I have pegged myself for being a victim. In the back of my mind, I had an attitude of entitlement. The day I recognized this about myself was like the blinders fell from my eyes. I haven't been the same since and It's been the best gift that man, a stranger... has ever given me. I should like to shake his hand one day and thank him personally for setting me a foot on my journey as a children's published author.

To be cont'd...

Always Begin With Your Truth {A Mermaid Finds Her Voice}

I have hesitated in writing this post for over six months. My reason for this was a little embarrassment. The other reason I have decided to now write it is pure, authentic transparency. And since transparency seems to be my middle name lately, here we go.

I'll paint myself out of the embarrassment and into a place of peace. You just watch. {smile}

A place of bringing this post-full-circle, to reach out from this computer screen and let you each try to visualize with me a world I love living in.

Try as I might, I can't help but always see things the way an artist does. My whole life has been this way. I see the oil-stained heart in the pavement on my morning jog. I see the broken branch from a hawk as a sign that God heard me talking. Or the batch of bunnies on the hill in front of Marshall's department store as a sign from the morning of, when I asked God to show me I was on the right path with my art and authorship. I also see the beauty in the experience of being served up a big plate of truth from the universe as a way to further my expansion of self-worth and self-love. 

I see the beauty in everything, for everyone and every single experience. I am so appreciative of this delightful quality. It has served me well. I should like to pass it on to you.

I always preface it'll probably take me a right 2000 words to bring this post home, but I want my posts to really cause some deep thinking for you. I'm here for the pretty pictures, and I'm also here for the pleasure of us to fully comprehend that we can all create a life we truly love if we can see things always as a positive.

About six months ago, I had this gal that I was speaking with over tea, and I considered her somewhat of a friend. She had found one of my youtube videos and reached out to me.

We got to the point of talking on a pretty regular basis. One particular day I was telling her in detail of how I was feeling a little pressure from the gardener that I might need to go out and get a "REAL" job. So I thought of a brilliant idea. (I mean really petty thought, but who's judging... it's okay... really.)

I said to my friend jokingly, "I should see how much he really wants me to go out and get a job by going to Hooters. Then I bet he'll change his tune." Now kids, learn from me here... Do not do what I did. It was utterly ridiculous and a complete waste of time.

Okay so, my friend said laughingly, "hahaha... you should totally go there and pretend to get a job and see how much your husband wants you to work then.  He'll get so irritated and jealous that he'll tell you no way!"

I dolled myself up cute, drove to Hooters and got an interview with the manager, John. I was to call John back the following morning, and he would talk with the other manager and put me on a shift. "Wait! What! Hey now... this was supposed to be a joke. I was just trying to get some attention from my husband. My part of the plan was not to literally land the job on site."

That whole thing ended up backfiring on me, but it also taught me some precious lessons that I still needed to learn about myself and a few that I want to share with you. The gardener was all for me working at Hooters. I was quite upset about that, or so I thought that was the reason for my upset. I was actually upset with myself. I had once again betrayed myself for another person. Isn't that really why we get upset and blame other people. It really has nothing to do with them. It has to do with us. It has to do with our personal betrayal of self, and that will always feel excruciatingly painful. So what we tend to do by default is to look for the first person to blame for our negative feelings. That's a hard pill for so many people to swallow. I had no one to blame, even though I wanted to blame 'said friend' it wasn't her fault, and it wasn't the gardener's fault I actually got the job nor was it his fault that I wasn't speaking my truth about working at an outside job. This was all on me. It was time for me to take accountability.

It was once again about Raquel. Why? Because I wasn't listening to my inner voice. I wasn't sharing with my husband my true feelings. I wasn't voicing my authentic truth. I don't think I'm alone in this. How many of us do this? I still needed some fine-tuning with regards to self-worth, this became very apparent.

After my husband came home from work, I sat down with him and voiced my truth. I said, " I am not going to work outside the home. I am going to buckle down and make my side hustle an all-day job. Becoming an author/painter/ blogger will be my full-time position. I'm giving myself until the end of this year." Now, why couldn't I have just said that to him in the beginning?

Why do we listen to someone else instead of our own inner being; our gut? And why did I seek out attention and try to make my point of not wanting to work outside the home by wasting an entire day of trivial fodder at Hooters instead of going straight to the gardener and voice what I felt? I knew deep down we would come to a resolution.

That big ol' scary word FEAR was the reason I didn't say anything. This is where I was able to use this experience to my benefit.

I have thought back to that gal that I thought was my friend, and now I know why she appeared in my life for that moment in time. She was there to teach me things. I learned to never, ever listen to another person with regards to what's best for my life, not even on occasion. I am so sure of this now, and I will never ask for the opinion of someone when it comes to my life and affairs. Now some may think that's not wise, but I want to tell you all the reasons for this being the smartest thing you'll ever read.

We are too often convinced, conjured and manipulated into believing something someone else says is best for our lives, and we long-abandon ourselves in the process. I can't tell you how many times when family, friends, relatives, bishops, pastors, social media, all told me what they thought I needed to do. I needed to go to therapy. I needed to get some outside help. I needed counselling, I needed to go to marriage counselling. I needed medication. I needed to listen to them because they loved and cared for me. If I were to listen to the advice of another and what's best for my life, I would have felt like that was just another compromise. I would've compromised my truth. That was the reason I was so unhappy for so long in the first place. I was never doing that again. Here's what happens when we don't listen to people tell us what we need to do. They get mad and degenerate and seemingly dismissive of us. But let me tell you what also happens if you were to listen to the person. You end up resenting the hand that fed you, and you will eventually bite that hand. Now if you've ever been through this, you know exactly what I'm talking about. No need for me to explain anymore.

I do not believe in compromise at all. This is shocking to many when I reveal my opinion about a settlement. Let me explain what compromise does to a person over time. Over time to compromise your inner truth, as you and I know it, causes a deep sense of resentment towards others.

Ultimately in every relationship, there is a rescuer and a taker if you hooked up with your significant other out of alignment, which happens more frequently than you realize. When this occurs, what eventually happens in a rescuer/taker relationship the one will always outweigh the other over time. (I want to preface this only happens when you meet up and both of you arent whole by yourself)

Basically, what I heard and thank goodness never listened to was, "Raquel, you don't know what's right for your life. We know better than you. You are wrong, and we are right."

Now that doesn't mean that's what any of them said, but the clear indicator for me that what I felt inside my heart, I have learned to listen. I rarely second-guess myself anymore.

I want to inspire women to believe and know that they can make the right decisions for their own lives. We as women have especially been conditioned to distrust ourselves and choices, to discount our true feelings, to blame the feelings and emotions on some 'THING"... "Oh she's having a breakdown, shes menstrual, she's a bitch, she's lost her mind, and my favourite, she's crazy."

These implications are rampant in society today. I want to inspire women to take responsibility for their lives and to really know deep within that they can trust themselves. The decisions that women make for themselves is and will always be the perfect, most correct decision for their particular life.

Have you ever comprised your inner truth? What'd you do to ultimately make it right for yourself?

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquel

Starting From The Shoreline Again {When You Are Starting Your Life Over}

Hello there Mermaid Junkies,

I hope you're doing well. I wanted to share with you a few TTT {Treasure Trove Tips} that may be of some value to you.

As you guys know, if you're an avid fan of my youtube channel, You know that after my divorce I literally walked away with not one red cent. Not alimony, no money of any sort. The only thing I had was my car that's been paid for over a decade that was in my name {which I got 4 months down the road when the divorce was final}, and the two suitcases full of the things I could take with the weight restrictions onto the airplane. So when I say I literally am starting from scratch, that means literally from scratch.

I will say that because I was living the Law of Attraction, I was very resourceful and I had been a frugal woman all of my life. So I was able to manifest things rather quickly, and that even meant manifesting the money for my airline ticket, and money to pay for my own phone and new cell phone account that I wanted to be put in my own name. Things like that, if you may be specifically wondering.

I am sharing all of this with you; the nitty-gritty details. Because if there's one thing that has always annoyed me is that women talk about their journeys of pulling themselves from the ash, and so often they never tell you about the details. Like, "oh, so you started from scratch, but you still to this day have alimony from an ex every month. Or you got a payout from the ex, or you got the house in the divorce that was completely paid for." That to me, no offense, is not as much of a struggle. Does that make sense? I am not trying to make light of anyone's struggles, but I am just keeping the line of transparency open here on my blog. You guys know I'm one to tell it like I see it. I also want to clarify that I am a woman that is supportive of other women, but I am a woman that expects pure honesty and authenticity. If women aren't super transparent it gives other women that sense of insecurity of feeling like, "Oh man, I cant do what she did. What's wrong with me?" That's all I'm saying. I have been disillusioned by several women in this manner, and I will not do that to you, my readers.

Okay. Okay.

Now back to this post. I wanted to share with you if you happen to be truly working from the shoreline to recreate a life for yourself, I wanted to give you a few tips on how to keep and maintain a few little luxuries while you are starting over.

Because you guys, let's be honest. When we're truly beginning again there are things like wearing makeup, or actually the basics of what to wash your face with, hair color maintenance, buying the normal things like a nice smelling candle to keep you happy to some degree, still dressing cute, or what if you don't have health insurance or dental insurance. What the crap are you supposed to do? I'll tell you. I am going to share with you what I did, in hopes that it might help to serve you if you are in that place right now. In future posts, I'll break down exactly what you can do if you are lucky enough to have your children with you, and are starting over. For instance, housing and support financially from the government {if you live in the USA}.

I know this is not what many want to address or talk about. We often times want to see the pretty flowery stuff in life. I am very much this way on a daily basis, but guys, we all have shit that hits the fan in life. I want to be that voice of inspiration when it does happen, and still inspire women for the pretty stuff as well, once we get back into the flow of joy.

Okay, so my housing was the blessings of having parents that were open and kind enough to let me stay with them. They also provided me with food. So yes, that's two huge things that I instantly had that I am so very appreciative of. I didn't have a bedroom to stay in so I slept on my parent's couch. I was going through a difficult time with not having my children with me. I had no sadness about my divorce, as I am the one that paid for it, wanted it and was super happy about that aspect. The ex wouldn't allow me to take my children, which would have been the two youngest {Zoë Kennedy and Brooker}. I let my children decide what they wanted to do since they were old enough and they wanted to graduate from the school they were enrolled at. They had moved so much, I understood completely why they wouldn't want to move again for the twenty-third time. I was not going to do that to my children. Too often women become vindictive and use their children as collateral to hurt the ex-husband. That my friends will bite you in the ass. Do not use your children to get back at someone, ever.

Now onto the things I was experiencing once I was settled with my parents. Only having the little money that I was able to earn through cleaning a relatives house, a painting job, and some organizing, I used to buy necessities. I did not go on clothes shopping sprees or out to dinner or leisure stuff. The pure basic necessities. My extended family was super generous in that way. I always worked for the money though. I didn't lay on my parent's couch expecting a handout because I was a soon to be a divorcee.

💦So when It was time to color my hair and cut my hair. I cut it myself. I had learned some tricks from my sister in law and I knew that if I needed to I could simply use some scissors from Sally's beauty supply and cut a basic line. No layers, just cutting the dead ends off. For the hair coloring, I went to the nearest Sally's Beauty Supply and bought the color that matched the best. I watched a youtube video on how to color my hair myself. Scissors were $9.59 {with beauty club card} at Sally's Beauty Supply, hair color Clairol $6.29 {with beauty club card}, tint brush 1.99 {with beauty club card}and hair mixing bowl $2.29 {with beauty club card}, developer $3.69 {with beauty club card}. The developer will last almost a year for the 16 0z.

💦My makeup consisted of drugstore makeup and actually still does to this day. I use Covergirl powder,  Cover Girl Neutralizer as a concealer, and lip pencil in "Mocha or "Real Red", Loreal mascara Brown/Black, Burts Bees lip shimmer in caramel. I also use the Burts Bees lip shimmer in cherry when I want a red lip.

💦Instead of using all the expensive facial washes I use ivory bar soap and Neutrogena fragrance-free lotion as a moisturizer. If I ever get a pimple, which rarely, if ever happens I use Melaleuca dōTerra essential oil. My dōTerra oils are going to be a whole other post, as I have a lot to share with you about them and it's going to call for a whole lot of information. Essential oils are my health care plan.😂

💦I use the Dollar Tree candles in fresh linen below even to this day. If you are like me, you love your surroundings to smell nice. I am a big fan of candles and have been since a girl. I have tried hundreds. I used to be obsessed with the gardenia candles from Martha Stewarts line at Kmart. That tells you how long I've been burning and experimenting with candles. My mom taught me all about candles and I used to sell candles for Salt City Candles and Partylite. I know. I am showing my age. Hehh...

I think those are the tips I'll share for today, even though I have a ton more. I'll be sure to keep creating posts for TTT {Treasure Trove Tips Tuesday}.

I hope this served you and be mindful that no matter where you are in your transformational tale, I am right here with you. Everything is gonna be alright I promise.

Yours til my next swim, Raquel