March 30, 2013

Joy Worthy- A Mother’s Guide to More Joy, less stress and no guilt

Dominique Book Review, Parenting and Kids Self help book

Joy Worthy Book Cover

Joy-Worthy: A Mother’s Guide To More Joy, Less Stress, And No Guilt by Julie McGrath is a book which the author shares her insights into her Joy’s as a mother. In the 11 chapters of the book Julie goes through the following

– The changes in your life when the kids arrive

– warning signals of stress

– what it means to be a resilient mother

– Mommy guilt

– Losing your identity

– toxic situations

– Reclaiming yourself

-Goals and dreams

At the end of each chapter there is a checklist where you can write down your own reflection on how you feel about certain issues. The entries are in journal format and meant for you to reflect on where you are in life at the current moment.

There are quotations sprinkled in each chapter to give one a positive booster in working their way to a more joyful life.

One of the quotes that I read which started of the chapter on Losing yourself to the family really resonated to me.

“And while it’s part of human kindness to want to please others, nothing is gained if we lose
ourselves in the process.”
—W. Timothy Gallwey, The Inner Game of Stress

My thoughts

I feel that it is extremely important to take care of your own self even though you have become a mom. I can resonate with Julie on many levels as I too had my fair share of experience mom guilt and having stressful moments as a mom. It takes a consciousness effort to seek Joy in the things around you and take action to live the life that you want to live.

I agree if mom is not happy neither will the kids or anyone else at home be happy too. Everyone needs some down time and time to pursue their own passions to keep positive and motivated. Only when you know what you want out of live then you can live it to the fullest and enrich the lives of those in your family.

Get your copy of Joy-Worthy: A Mother’s Guide to More Joy, Less Stress and No Guilt today for $12.95 at Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own. This post has a compensation level of 3. Please visit Dominique’s Disclosure page for more information.

March 29, 2013

Weekend Reflections: Fun time with Style Essense

Dominique Parenting and Kids, Recommendations, Reviews, Weekend Reflections Makeover, Style Essense, weekend reflections

Grooming and Makeup session

It had been ages since I last went for a grooming class. This week as part of the activities to celebrate (Singapore Mom Bloggers)SMB turning 1 yrs old there was a workshop on grooming held at Style Essence. It felt like being transported back in time to when I was a teenager and learning how to dress up properly. I seldom use makeup and don’t really spend much time grooming myself being a busy mom of three. However as age is catching up on me it is important that I start taking better care of myself. This was a great opportunity for me to pick up some new tips and skills on self grooming.

The Mary Kay products that we used

During the workshop the facilitator Florinda introduced us to the wonders of Mary Kay’s products while she gave us tips on the following.

How to dress appropriately for your body shape
Which colors suit your skin tone – warm or cool colors or both.
What are the suitable hairstyles for your face shape
How to cleanse your face properly
How to put on makeup to enhance your look.

Teaching Notes

Through the workshop I got to know that warm colors suited me better and which type of clothes will look more flattering on me. I learned that I suited warm colors better and long hair suited me fine.

Learning how to cleanse your face.

During the hands on part Florida taught me how to cleanse my face properly with the proper motions. It was fun learning the steps and having hands on practice at the same time.

Applying on makeup

After our faces were properly cleansed it was time to put on the makeup. I chose purple eye shadow to compliment the outfit which I was wearing that day.