Monday Mantra: Polishing Dark Spots in My Soul

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: I love my life

It's in my nature to be pessimistic and introverted more than outgoing and positive. This, I do not consider a bad thing. A thing, however, to pay attention to.

While I don't necessarily think one way - introvert or extrovert, pessimist or optimist, dark or light - is better than the other, I do often have to remind myself that these darker parts of me help balance the lighter parts, and that all of them equally need time, understanding, and patience.

That all parts of me, you, everyone - dark or light - need love.

I'm reminded of this every time I doubt myself, question myself, beat myself up for anything and everything.

I was reminded of this when I recently watched the Life in a Day documentary that had been sitting in my Netflix queue. At about 10 minutes in, I see a father caring for a son in a very messy house, to say the least. As I watched this man care for his son, I kept noticing large blown up pictures of a woman displayed in random places, all over the house. On the floor in the hallway, outside the bathroom door, propped up on tables and books and anywhere a picture could be placed. At the end of this small piece of the film, I realized just what has happened. Why the house was so messy, why the pictures were there. The  wife of the man, the mother of the boy, is gone. She has passed away and this is now their life.

It struck me so hard I re-watched just that piece three times, while bawling my face off. It was almost painfully obvious, how much he missed her, how he was barely coping, yet how important to him it was to make sure his son remembered her.

It's moments like that, when I see that other people, too, have darkness, sadness, and that they try and fail, when I have to remember to love my own life.

My new mantra in those moments of doubt, darkness, or judgement is this: I love my life.

I love my life.

It is perfect. It is exactly the way it is supposed to be for me. It is mine and I will cherish all parts of it, good and bad.
_

Follow Up: Something Inside

Recently, I posted about changing myself, doing something to make some kind of a difference with people who need it. My first step was to put together a Homeless Kit that could be carried around in my car at all times, ready whenever it was needed. It had blankets, food, anything that would be beneficial.

One week after I put the kit together, I had an opportunity to use it. Never having done anything like this before, I was a little nervous and awkward as I walked my box of items over to the homeless gentleman, who thanked me as I placed the box in his hands.

When I turned to walk back to my car, a new vehicle had pulled off the side of the road. In it I saw a man who was trying to get my attention. He rolled his window down and made it a point to thank me for what I had just done. He told me what a nice thing that was and how now, he too, was going to do the same thing. 

My nervousness and awkwardness left me after that moment and I knew this was something I had to keep doing. 

I guess this is what Paying It Forward looks and feels like, when you do one small thing and others join in too. It's how one act of kindness can be rewarded with a thank you, and how that thank you can suddenly be the most priceless item you possess.

Image via Pinterest

In the World of Wellness: M.S. and Celiac Disease

Wellness is a term widely used that has multiple meanings around health and positive life style changes leading to well-being. Here we will use the term "wellness" as a means of defining a life free from disease as well as a way to explore alternative medicines, what they offer, and what this could mean for you.

Every month I'll do a post on a health and wellness related topic. This will give you a chance to explore other options, become informed, and make the best overall decision for your own well-being.

In the World of Wellness: Allergy testing saves lives. I might just be proof of that.

For more on M.S. click here

Two weeks of wellness? Well, yes. Because I read an article that hit home pretty hard and I wanted to share it with all of you. Wellness is important, after all.

A couple of weeks ago I read this article - Gluten Brain: Wheat Cuts Off Blood Flow to Frontal Cortex - and immediately started thinking of how that implied to me. All the ways I felt, all the things I thought, when I was eating gluten yet not aware of my allergy. Or even when I was aware but in a huge state of denial and still eating gluten. Fool, I know. Anyway, this article talks about research being done to show how the effects of gluten on the brain…are you ready for this…lead to schizophrenia. Or, by avoiding it, help overcome the disease.

Wow, right?

Gluten. One tiny thing that can do so many wrong things to me, you, everyone affected.

Then I read an article in my favorite gluten free magazine, Delight, the March-April edition, on the ties to celiac disease (a much more severe reaction to gluten) and Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.), the disease my dad died from, and I had a panic attack. Of course, I had to Google my little heart out and found that there is a ton of research linking these two diseases together, yet I had never heard this before. Never. This shocks me based on the fact that this information could actually save my life. And yours. And the lives of people you love.

At some point in my very young life, after my father had passed away, my mom took me to our family doctor in an attempt to get answers that didn't exist at that time. It wasn't hard to notice the panic in her voice as she attempted to calmly ask our doctor if there was any chance I could get M.S. If there was any possibility it could be passed down to me genetically. If I was in danger of dying from it.

I remember everything the doctor said because I also understood what all of that could mean for me. What it could do to me. How limited my life could be if I had anything as severe as my dad did.

It's funny how that feels equally like a lifetime ago and yet just as clear as if it had happened today. I guess this is how everyone feels when they get news of this nature.

Our longtime family doctor said no. While they didn't know what caused it, they were pretty sure it was not a genetic thing. Even though I thought it was odd that they were so certain I was somehow safe, I did feel a great sense of relief, no matter how misguided. Now it's the opposite. Now they say I have a much better chance of having it because I am a first generation family member, regardless of the gluten.

However, I think it's important to note that to have celiac disease, in particular, you must carry one of two specific genes. This doesn't mean you will get it, it just means that, genetically, you have the potential to. This is just me pondering, but it does raise the question that if by carrying one of those genes for celiac does it somehow increase your chances of having M.S. because, as they now think, it can be passed genetically? (Note: While I think a tie to celiac/gluten and M.S. makes sense, based on on-going studies of the disease there are still other possibilities as to why people get M.S.) All of that being said, I am beyond glad I was tested for the gluten allergy and able to combat it sooner rather than later. Who knows what later would have held for me if my body had continued declining in health.

M.S. is a very, very, very difficult disease to have, to live with, to help someone with who suffers from it. Regardless of the gluten ties, there is still a lot of research to be done and many unknowns still exists, but knowing how horrible I feel when I eat gluten and how wonderful I feel when I don't, I can't help but wonder how close those ties really are.

The immune system is a powerful yet fragile thing. When you have an allergy like gluten and are unaware, you continue consuming the foods that contain it and you cause inflammation internally. After doing this for too long, your immune system can begin to attack your own body. With M.S. your immune system responds abnormally and also attacks you. See the similarities in just that alone?

That's a hard thing to realize. It's a hard thing to sit here and think my dad's life could have possibly been saved if more information had been known about celiac disease and that by avoiding certain foods he could still be here today.

Maybe that's why I'm so passionate about wellness. Maybe that's why I'm always talking about how food affects you and how important it is to understand what the foods you're eating are doing to your body. This is one very good example of why. Of why you need to understand that what you eat can and will harm you. That it is up to you to do research on yourself if you feel like something is wrong and to ask for tests, to demand results, to never give up until you know what exactly is causing your illness. And how, in more cases that we want to admit, most of our problems begin with, and can therefore end with, food.

Before I was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, I was only vaguely aware of what it was. All I knew was that my hair was falling out (eyebrows and eyelashes included) and my hands would ache like I had arthritis or feel swollen for no reason at all. Not to mention all the tummy troubles I'd had my entire life. After I was diagnosed, I didn't really know what to think. Only 5 small years ago it was hard to be gluten free. For myself and everyone else out there who suffers from a gluten allergy or the more severe celiac disease, I think I speak for us all when I say how thankful we are that being "gluten free" has become mainstream. Let's keep it that way. Please.

For us, and for more and more people with more and more diseases being linked to it, being "gluten free" is not a trend. It is not a cool thing to do. It is how we have to live just so we don't hurt, so we don't die.

It's not a choice. It's our only option.

So what the heck am I trying to say from all of this? Get tested for gluten intolerance.

There are so many different ways your body could be demonstrating an allergy to this (hair loss, intestinal issues, fatigue, migraines, depression…the list goes on) and by having one little test done you could fix everything. One little test.

Plus, it's no longer hard to go gluten free. It's a piece of (gluten free) cake!

Go get yourself tested. It could change your life.


P.S. I want to apologize to everyone who is having issues with my site because it keeps taking you to some crazy-ass phishing scam page. I've contacted Blogger 3x and will continue to until they get this doggone thing off of here. DO NOT click on anything it takes you to. Hit the back button until the page stops reloading. Seriously, I want to punch whoever put this thing on here. 

P.P.S Sadly, no one played along with my Pay It Forward initiative (except my work husband and he was just being supportive) so I have no winners to announce. I  might be tearing up, y'all. Alas, I hope everyone is paying it forward in their own way. Go out there and do good deeds!

_

Update: In the World of Wellness: M.S. and Celiac Disease
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my thoughts on allergy testing, specifically for gluten, and how that can help with other diseases such as M.S.  I met with my ND (Naturopathic doctor) who's a genius, by the way, and talked all of this over with her. She gave me a couple helpful things I wanted to share with you. 

First, it is very beneficial to get tested for food allergies for a wide range of reasons, all of which tie back to immune system health. In this case, with M.S., it is imperative to know what food allergies you have so that you can avoid those foods and give your immune system a good, solid chance at fighting off the illness. A weakened immune system is one of the key signs in M.S. 

Also, take your vitamins - vitamin D, specifically. She said that a deficiency in vitamin D is one of the leading thoughts of cause of M.S. This too, my friends, is something you can and should get tested for (on an annual basis). Why? Well, get this. Two years ago my vitamin D levels were 80 out of 100. That is amazingly good, for the record. I skipped testing my levels last year and this year, guess what. My vitamin D level is 20...20 out of 100. I don't even know why, because I still take the supplements and I live in the sunniest state ever, but it dropped. She suggested D-Mulsion 1000 (Seroyal Genestra) liquid vitamin D3. The liquid is twice as effective as the capsules. Also, if you want to do your own vitamin D testing it's very easy. Check out Grassroots Health and follow the steps to order a test. I've used them several times and can personally recommend them. 

Monday Mantra: Something Inside

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Something inside of me needs to change

Lately, I've been thinking about people less fortunate than I. People that are homeless, starving, need help in some way, somehow. My heart feels heavy with the thought that I haven't done enough of anything for them. 

I donate money monthly to organizations I know are solid, reliable, that use the money the right way, but I need to do something more.

I know that thoughts on this vary, as to when to help, why to help, why not to, but for me it's something I need to do. 

I've decided to put together a kit in my car. Blankets, matches, food…things I can easily carry around and give out whenever the opportunity arises. It's a first step. 

I hope it's a good step.

I've also decided that I need to apply this same thought to animals and my fist idea is to help out at an animal shelter at least once a month. I can't handle seeing one more image of some poor, broken animal without doing something about it. 

I want the burden inside of me lifted. I want to help lift their burdens.

I hope you as well can find a way, whatever way that works for you, to help the less fortunate.

Image via Pinterest

In the World of Wellness: The Sacrifice of Having It All

Wellness is a term widely used that has multiple meanings around health and positive life style changes leading to well-being. Here we will use the term "wellness" as a means of defining a life free from disease as well as a way to explore alternative medicines, what they offer, and what this could mean for you.

Every month I'll do a post on a health and wellness related topic. This will give you a chance to explore other options, become informed, and make the best overall decision for your own well-being.

In the World of Wellness: How best do we model what Having It All means?

I recently read a couple of articles that resonated with me:  this article on Daily Worth about these great women who have found happiness in their dream jobs, their family life, and their daily activities, but at an obvious cost of sleep, and 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Work Too Hard, which talks about the lack of work/life balance in America.

Reading these made me think about one thing in particular that didn't get mentioned in either article; how these behaviors that we model have an impact on our families, our children, our coworkers, and our employees. How we show them, through our actions, how they should work to achieve this goal of Having It All.

On one hand we know that hard work is vital to success. It's an important step in learning about responsibility. Depending on your personal situation, having more than one job or working long hours day in and day out may be necessary. To those of you that fall in this category, I know that you are doing everything you have to do right now and I have nothing but respect and admiration for you. On the other hand, there are those of us who do too much just because we wrongly think we have to. We make sacrifices chasing after the American Dream. There is such as thing as trying to Have It All and risking your own health and time with loved ones when it's completely unnecessary.

The question is then this: At what cost do we work towards Having It All? The women in the article from Daily Worth (who are amazing, dedicated, and deserve the utmost respect for all they do) sacrifice sleep. From the countless studies done on sleep deprivation (you need at least 7 hours a night) we know that without adequate rest our bodies are negatively impacted. Everything from brain function to emotional stability to metabolic function. And these are important things that you need just to survive day after day.

We don't just sacrifice sleep, though. We sacrifice our home lives, our friendships, and our health. We think the company will fall apart if we don't do X, Y, and Z - but it won't.

We shouldn't sacrifice the important things in life. Time with our families, time to rest and recharge, time for ourselves. If Having It All means we're making sacrifices to these things, then we don't truly have anything. 

We also have to consider how, by doing these things, we're teaching people to treat us as well as teaching our children or our employees how to act. In many cases, we are the models that they mirror. If we show our children that the only way to accomplish everything is to deny ourselves adequate time to rest, we've simply taught them that they have to be exhausted to make it in this world.

If we show our peers or our employees that by only working a gazillion hours a week can anything be accomplished, we've taught them that the key to success is putting your family, your health, and your well-being last on the list of important things.

We've taught them how to fail at the some of the most important things they should be successful at in life. 

If you are someone who does any of these things, I'm not trying to beat you up. I've been you. I know what it's like. I simply want you to realize the true value of your sacrifices and the behavior you model to others. Demonstrating the behaviors of a workaholic is no different than demonstrating the behaviors of someone who suffers from an eating disorder to achieve the all illusive perfect size. You're establishing for others who may look up to you, through your actions and demonstrations, the cost of what one must have in life to Have It All.

How do we change this? First, we need to ask ourselves some hard questions.

Am I someone who models these behaviors? What do I want the people around me to see and absorb? What is my healthiest vision for them? What is my healthiest vision for me?

Then, it's time to make changes toward a healthier balance in life.

It's time for you to decide when it's okay to say "I'm going to do this and this and this, but I'm going to get realistic with the time I have in one day. I'm going to take care of myself first so I can take care of everyone and everything else appropriately without running myself into the ground." This means finding a balance between what you must do, what you love to do, and what you need to do for your own health.

At the end of all of it, when you look back, I want you to have no regrets about the truly important things in life.

Take care of yourself. It's the only way you can take care of everything else.


Image via Pinterest

Monday Mantra: On the inside / Zero is not a size

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Where are you the most beautiful? On the inside

It's been a while since I've written with careless abandon. I've been more cautious with my words, more timid with my sharing of thoughts. I catch myself questioning what I want to say. I felt a need to build a safety net of sorts around myself. And that meant being a little less me than normal. That little less bothers me…a lot.

In an attempt to be a lot more of me, I'm pushing myself. To try harder, to live once again with a more open heart, to have more fun in the ways I have fun, and to not shrink back from what other people think about what I think. Ultimately, I'm trying to Be More Me.

It's funny how much you can change over time. I think back to a version of myself 10 years younger who was so hell bent on Making It In Life that it never occurred to me to care that much about others opinions of me. Not that I didn't think about it, because I did, but I cared far more about what I thought about me than about what they thought of me. Somewhere along the road that all changed. That change is the problem.

Part of the problem is the world, part of the problem is how easily it affects me. And everyone, really. The images on blast constantly of what we should look like, what we have to do to look like that, what we should spend our money on to get to that visual, and how then we should act after we do all of that- it's overwhelmingly exhausting.

The other day I found this article of a father writing to his daughter of what beauty really is. Not a makeup bottle, a magazine cover, someone else's opinion of you, or the size of your clothes. It's on the inside. It's your heart, your inner goodness, the value you add to the world by your actions.

Then I ran across this old but lovely picture of Sophia Bush back from her One Tree Hill days and the campaign against eating disorders- Zero is not a Size. I adore Sophia Bush, not just for her awesome acting skills, but for her awesome human being skills. Not only is she truly fighting the good fight against eating disorders in real life, she's also out there saving animals, saving the world, fighting for equality, and demonstrating what it is to be a strong and beautiful woman through her actions. We need more role models like her in the world.

We need to be those role models. For ourselves, our friends, our family, our children.

February 23 - March 1 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Go here to find more information on helping yourself or helping someone you love with an eating disorder.

Also, take a moment to read the article the father wrote to his daughter and let it all soak in. Repeat his words to yourself when you're having a moment of self doubt or self criticism.

Where are you the most beautiful? 

On the inside.

On the inside is what counts.

Monday Mantra: Dark Moments

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: I have dark moments to remember

Pinterest

Far too often, usually when everything is going well, I’ll hit some small, very minor bump in the road and panic. I’ll over think and over analyze every little detail. It won’t matter if it was a bad moment, a bad day, or a bad week. In my mind, for that time frame, it was the most horrible thing to have ever happened to me in life. 

Thinking like that is the problem. 

When I find myself in a downward spiral like that, I think back to my actual bad days. My darkest hours of all the hours I’ve spent on this earth. I think of the sadness, the pain, the heavy hearted air to everything. 

While that may sound depressing, it is actually very uplifting. Remembering those truly dark moments keeps me honest with myself, accountable, aware. It helps to keep things in perspective. It helps me stay true to the minor moments that don’t actually matter. 

I am thankful for the darkness because it makes me appreciate the light, the dawn, the dusk of everything.

In the World of Wellness: Move If You Wanna

Wellness is a term widely used that has multiple meanings around health and positive life style changes leading to well-being. Here we will use the term "wellness" as a means of defining a life free from disease as well as a way to explore alternative medicines, what they offer, and what this could mean for you.

Every month I'll do a post on a health and wellness related topic. This will give you a chance to explore other options, become informed, and make the best overall decision for your own well-being.

In the World of Wellness: Just 10,000 steps to a healthier you

Tory Burch for Fitbit

Several months ago I signed up for a work competition which involved walking at least 56,000 steps a week. Since 10,000 steps a day is the recommend amount for an active, healthy lifestyle, I wanted to up my game and help me get to the coveted 70,000 steps per week. To help aid in my tracking of this, I did extensive research between the leading brand names in activity trackers. It came down to either the Jawbone Up or the Fitbit Flex. After reading many, many, many, many articles and reviews, I purchased the Flex.

For those of you who are debating, I'll help lay out my decision on why I went with this one so you don't have to do nearly the amount of research I did. While the Jawbone Up definitely has better technology (not by a lot, but better) and while it's sleeker looking and the bands don't stand out as much on your wrist, the cons outweighed the benefits- for me, anyway.

The Flex syncs up right to my phone, so I never have to plug anything in to see how well I'm doing. The Jawbone Up, on the other hand, requires you to take it off and plug it into your phone. While this means I have to charge my Flex every 7 days or so, I still much prefer the ease of tracking at a glance. The Flex band is soft and comfortable to wear and sleep in, while the Jawbone Up felt a little heavier and more restrictive on my wrist. The ultimate deciding factor, however, was the user reviews. The Jawbone tends to have a lot of issues breaking, in a variety of ways. Mostly what I read was that it either stops working or the band falls apart. A lot. Within a short amount of user time. I couldn't find nearly as many issues with the Flex and, after having one for almost 5 months now, I can say I haven't had one single problem. Additionally, it's $20-$30 cheaper (depending on where you purchase it), and all I really wanted was to see how much I moved in a day without clipping something to my waist, so the Flex was the perfect fit. I do want to point out that trackers that clip to your waist tend to be the most accurate of any option out there. Annoying, but highly accurate.

The cool thing about Fitbit is that they've been around for a while and have a variety of products and, most recently, released the Force, which shows data right on your wrist instead of having to look at your phone anytime you want to see how well you've done. They also just released a new color, violet, to the collection of wristbands you can get to hold your device. Better than all of that, however, they are working on a designer series of bands by Tory Burch so it no longer looks like you're a prison inmate. Check this out. Much, much better.

Now, the more important thing, why 10,000 steps a day? We've all heard about this daily target, but why this specific number? Well, my friends, a doctor in Japan came up with the daily target decades ago when he was trying to understand the difference between being considered an active person vs. an inactive person. He determined that the average person walks somewhere between 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day and that, by increasing their steps to 10,000 a day, they could burn roughly 20% more calories. Not only that, those extra steps help reduce the risk of heart disease and, of course, lead to a slimmer waistline. Additionally, the dangers of sitting have been a new hot topic that everyone from Dr. Oz to the Huffington Post has been reporting on. By walking those 10,000 steps you help reduce the risk of inactivity caused by desk jobs and coach potato-ness. It's a win-win.

I recall this being a topic of discussion back in my nutrition school days as well. When the health of Japan was compared to the overall health of America, it was seen that the Japanese lead a healthier lifestyle through their diet and activity choices. Activity wise, they walk further distances that most Americans do on a daily basis. In fact, most other countries lead more active daily lives than we do. In many other countries people walk or even bike to work. Some countries, such as Denmark or the Netherlands, even use bikes as one of their main forms of transportation.

While this isn't always feasible for us in the states, we can try and make it a goal to walk the suggested 10,000 steps a day. I've found that the Flex does a tremendous job of keeping me motivated toward this goal. I'll admit, I don't hit the 10,000 mark every single day, but I generally hit the 70,000 steps per week by having some days where I'm more active than others. As long as I get to that 70k mark, I feel pretty good about the week.

If you're new to this 10,000 steps thing, start small. Aim for 6000 steps a day at first, then 8,000. Work your way up to 10,000. And if you have a busy schedule like me, see how well you do week over week. You may have slower days, but you'll probably find that the busier days help balance you out.

Whatever you do, and whatever tracker you decide to go with, have fun with it. It's a tool to help you establish a new awareness of how much you move.

All Around the World: Arizona

Wanderlust: A very strong and irresistible impulse or desire to travel the world.

Image via Babble

Arizona

When I thought about doing a series on travel, putting Arizona on my list of Great Places To Go never occurred to me. Mostly because I live here and I do tend to think other places are more exciting, but sometimes it takes something small to make you realize how wrong you are.

Let's get the vibe going, ladies and gentlemen. Play this video song while you read. Also, watch the pictures in it. That's a lot of multi-tasking, but I believe in you.

I've lived in Arizona my whole life. I grew up in a teeny, tiny town called Payson, two hours away from the heat of the valley (Phoenix) and the cold of the snow (Flagstaff). This is probably my favorite thing about Arizona: the ability to go from desert, cactus, and heat to pine trees, snow, and lakes all in under four hours, all within the same state.

One of my most favorite places in the whole world is Jerome. Jerome is an old mining town/ghost town, where artists of all kinds set up shop, as well as some very famous musicians. Maynard James Keenan, anyone? Yep, he loves Jerome too. He has Caduceus Cellars, a pretty fancy schmancy wine store, and Puscifer, a little store with some weird things. Maynard fans will know what I mean.

Anyway, I've been going to Jerome since I was a baby. I love the eeriness of it. I love the motorcycle bars and the park that sits above these giant staircases. I love the winding road, the back alleys full of weeds, and my favorite place to eat there, The Asylum, part of the Jerome Grand Hotel. Yes, the food is great, but what's better is the atmosphere and the history. The Asylum is perched high on the hill and was formerly a hospital before it shut down due to the end of the mining operation. Thanks to its origins, many people believe the hotel is haunted. I've been there at least a dozen times and one very specific time I was pretty darn sure I was not alone even when I was alone. You get what I mean. It was creeptastic.

Not only can you go get yourself scared half to death, but you can go on a tour of the old mines with the Gold King Mine Museum. I will say that this tour has changed significantly over the years. There used to be a lot more to it than there is now. Before, you could walk into some of the old buildings that now, you can only see from a distance. They are old though, so I'm sure this is a safety thing. There used to be a larger trail to follow that even took you to a hermits cave, but that closed down a while ago. It's still fun in a junkyard kind of way.

A short drive from Jerome and you're in my next favorite place, Sedona. This little town is famous for all kinds of things. For it's red rocks, for the psychics and vortexes, for it's overall awesomeness. I highly recommend Pink Jeep Tours, if you go there. It helps to have a fun driver, but basically you go off-roading, up and down some very steep hills, while you get to check out the amazing scenery. And it is amazing. Just look. Ooo, ahh.

Sedona also houses a little place called Tlaquepaque. Got that? Tuh-law-key-paw-key. It's home to artists and art galleries galore, and my favorite little seashell store. While you're in Sedona, book yourself a horseback riding tour. You'll get some great old horse named Lady and you'll mosey along a very beautiful trail in the mountains, with a walk through a river and a picnic lunch. Mighty nice, if I do say so myself.

What else does Arizona have? I lamely just found out we also have one of the most beautiful canyons in the world- Antelope Canyon. All these years I've seen pictures of this place and never even knew it was here. Dummy. But I'm planning a trip now to go see this for myself. Check it out. It doesn't even look real, but it is.

Arizona has a lot of beautiful, wonderful, great places to visit. Tucson is great for the music scene, Flagstaff is home to lakes, snow, hiking trails, and the Lowell Observatory. Let's not forget the Grand Canyon, of course. Payson, my hometown, has more antique stores than is sanely possible to contemplate, given its size. Seriously. There are like 22 of them. Phoenix and it's neighbors (Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Scottsdale, etc.) have shopping and restaurants galore, which brings me to gelato. When you live in an oven 6 months out of the year, you need gelato. I would now like to introduce you the best gelato in the entire world: Frost.

Best in the world, you say? Yes. Here's why I, and others, confidently say this. First of all, I've tried gelato in 21 different countries, repeatedly in Italy even. I'm not bragging, I'm just making my case. You would think Italy would beat everyone out, but no. This is the best gelato IN THE WORLD. Another reason why? The former head master (head chef/guy in charge of gelato/whatever) of the gelato institute of Italy owns it. Yep. He retired and decided to open his own chain of gelato stores. This explains why gelato in Italy doesn't compare to gelato here. He must have taken his secret recipes with him. Oh man, is it good. It's so creamy and yummy and there's so much to choose from, and it's gluten free, and the samples...

Sorry, sorry. I'm getting hungry. Moving on.

As mentioned earlier, I had not originally planned on an Arizona post. So what changed my mind?

A sunset.

From every country I've ever visited and every sunset I've ever seen, none compare to what I have here at home. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of beautiful sunsets, they're just not Arizona sunsets. We are blessed with some of the most vibrant colors in the world. Almost every single night the sky lights up with flames of red and orange, and as we approach the darker hours the shades turn to rich purples and blues. I am constantly in awe of the sky. Constantly. This is what I get to see every day.

This all by itself is one heck of a reason to come visit. I'm sure I've missed mentioning some other great places, but come visit Arizona and I'm sure you'll find an adventure wherever you choose to go. Just don't come in, say, July. Or August. Or June, even. It's seriously hot as hell during the summer.

P.S. There's still time to participate in the Pay it Forward initiative! Email me a list of your favorite things (books, bacon, whiskers on kittens and dewdrops on roses) and I'll pick five people at random to get some free stuff  sent to them over the course of this next year from yours truly. Maybe it will even be stuff from Sedona. Who knows. That's all part of the fun with these random acts of kindness.

But seriously people, join in. I love shopping. And you get to participate too. See? Good things all around. Email chantellesaysblog@gmail.com. Do it. You know you want to.

P.P.S. I found all of these pictures on Google and they are not mine. Whoever they truly belong to, good job. They're awesome.