Moving into a new home...

I am no stranger to moving. Let’s just say I have probably moved more times than years I have been alive. I’ve lived in many cities (New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Fransisco, Austin, Dallas and Houston). I’ve moved across the country, across two of the largest states a few times over and I can remember every single home that I lived in. And exactly two weeks ago today, we moved into our new home. There is nothing more exciting for me than moving into a new home, a fresh slate, fresh sheets, a new start, not to mention, a new decorating project.
They say moving is one of the most stressful life changes that humans experience. However, unlike most people, I actually enjoy moving and I find that after every move, I feel more inspired, alive and ready for more in life.

Because this move has been a little bit of a different experience for me, I felt compelled to make some notes about what I experienced and learned from the process.

I’m typically the type that likes to move in and unpack quickly. I like to be set up and settled in my new home as soon as possible because I need my home to be very HIGH VIBE. I like to make sure the bed is fresh and new, kitchen is stocked and ready for guests and my bathtub is complete with candles and face masks. It usually feels like a whirlwind and I don’t pay much attention to what I’m bringing into my new space.

ELEVATING TO A NEW LEVEL

This move, we decided to be mindful, to take our time deciding what should stay, what should go, where things should get placed and what we want to create with the space. We decided to be intentional with how we set things up and what energy each piece brought into our home.

I will add that I’m very lucky that my love is open to my woo-woo ways. I think I hooked him with just one episode of Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix. Next thing I knew, he was the one pushing me to thank things for what they’ve given me in life and then give them away. He helped remind me that our new home is an opportunity to create our new life, to begin to create new habits, new structures in our life. For example in our new home, we have plenty of space for more dishware, so we could actually entertain a larger amount of people in our home. We have more space for an extra recycling trash in our kitchen. It’s the small everyday habits that lead to your lifestyle. We intentionally made decisions based on the people we want to be, not based on how we’ve done things in the past.

BE EASY TO LET GO OF THINGS THAT KEEP YOU TOO ATTACHED TO YOUR PAST.

So, we set the intention of using this move as a way to elevate to our next level. To intentionally create space for new memories, opportunities and habits for our family.

With each box I unpacked, I made more of an effort to connect with everything I allowed into the home and felt myself easily letting go of things that did not represent my best and highest self. We discussed and connected with the memories of where we’ve been and we allowed our home to help refine and edit our things and be the creator of where we are going.

The energy in our home is lighter and brighter than where we lived before. We can physically feel the way a cleansing of clutter feels. Even the smallest things feel more elevated in our new home, a high vibe for us and our little baby boy sleeps better in our new home than he had the week prior in our old space.

YOUR HOME TELLS THE STORY OF WHERE YOU ARE GOING

Looking back over the last 3.5 years of living in the same high rise building in 3 different apartments, I realized more than ever how each place carried along with it a different theme in my life. I was incredibly emotional thinking about how much that building had to do with so many of my life’s unforgettable memories…writing my book, creating new ideas, falling in love, becoming a mommy, etc. Each chapter is defined by the home in which the memory was created.

When I first moved into the building, see photos here , I had absolutely no idea where it would lead me to today. It makes that old saying really ring true…”it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. The home is such an important part of the journey, isn’t it?

When I experienced those huge life changes, my space was painted in all black, my home was curated with ornate, glamorous decor and it smelled of Sandalwood & Myrrh. I can transport to that place when I need to go back and remember those memories. My beautiful home helped with that. When I think back on the places I lived that I didn’t put much thought into decorating and curating, the memories within that space aren’t as clear and impactful.

In your new home, you get to create the signature of your space, the stamp / brand of that chapter in your life. Are you creating the backdrop of your life to support your dreams?

(Pink lights in our new kitchen)

MAKE THE MOST OF THE HOME YOU HAVE

I find that a lot of times people hold off on painting or making renovations to their home until they move in to their dream home or until they finally purchase a home. But it’s so important to remember that ANY space you live in WILL be permanently attached to the memories it holds.

You can get creative with the way you style your space. Paint and fabric go a long way! There’s a really cute book by my friend Chelsea, Rental Style that can give you some ideas if you’re not wanting to make permanent changes. Try to remember that setting up your home should be a process, not an all-at-once event. Here’s a few things you can think about when you are planning to move into a new home:

1. How does the natural light work in this space? Will you need to invest in some lighting. I personally love the HUE lightbulbs, you can choose from the rainbow of colors that you want to see in your space. Colors of light can heal, enhance and uplift you, instantly.

2. How does the wall color make me feel? Do I need to add some colors that comfort me? The fastest and easiest way to do this is fabrics. Work on getting drapery and window treatments done first. They make a huge difference in how cozy a home feels.
   
   3. How does the chi enter the home? Naturally, I like to asses the Feng Shui in the space before I even think about moving in. However, if you’re just getting started or have just moved in, the most important point is the entrance. It’s where the energy comes in the home Aka where new, exciting opportunities enter your home. If you make sure to clean up and decorate your entryway, you will ensure that only positive energy enters the space. I like to keep black tourmaline at the entrance of my home, it protects bad vibes from coming in. You can learn all about how to decorate your home with crystals here.

   4. Flowers will help you settle in more quickly. Flowers hold a lot of energy, really abundant, powerful energy. So, you’ll definitely want to bring in your favorite flowers with you when you move in. Moving can be stressful, daunting and draining. Flowers will help to combat those low level vibrations and pull you into your most abundant, beautiful energy.

Even if you are convinced you aren’t living in your dream home you might as well make the best of what you’re living with right now. I can promise you that when you do begin to do that, you’ll be amazed by how much faster you become a magnet to your desires & dreams! What is your home saying about your desires?

(pretty tulips on our dining table)

MAKE A PLAN FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT NEXT

One of the things on our list is a bigger dining table. However, we have a list of several things we want for our new home. So, how are we supposed to not feel overwhelmed when the list feels so long? My favorite way to keep my mindset from experiencing anxiety and overwhelm when moving into a new home is to make an actual plan for the things that that I want to buy. I do all of my notes and lists in my bullet journal so that I keep it all in one place. I begin by making a big list of the experiences at home that are most important to me.

For example:

1. Comfortable sleep

2. Family dinners + entertaining

3. A place to focus when working at home

4. Organization for shoes

   …….you get the idea of the list.

   Then you can draw a line down the middle of page and on the right you can make a list of the items you want to purchase to fulfill your home priorities.

On our list, we put sleeping at the TOP of our list, so our first investment was in a brand new mattress, this incredibly beautiful bed, new sheets and pillows. Next on the list is family dinners at home with room to entertain more people so a dining table is the next priority on our list. When you make your list this way, you can really be mindful about your decisions, budget accordingly and estimate when you’ll be making the bigger purchases.

And then you can go down the list as each new month comes up to purchase the smaller things and scratch them off your list. It’s also very helpful so that you can make smarter purchases that all go together instead of buying things at random. Having a plan helps you to stay on budget, make smarter decisions and most importantly it keeps your mind organized and free or random stressful thinking.

I hope you found this post to be helpful, I think you will like this post, too.

6 savvy business secrets from a mom boss millionaire, Lindsay Teague Moreno {book review}

This post breaks down 6 savvy tips and tricks I learned from the book Boss Up by Lindsay Teague Moreno.

There is just an unspoken bond between women who are moms and are also passionate about building a business. Blissful Entrepreneurship is my biggest passion

Just because you have a baby doesn’t mean you automatically become someone who forgets all about her own passions. That has certainly been the case with me. So, when I come across a woman who admittedly feels that way about her own life, I couldn’t help but feel connected to her.

That’s what happened in the first few pages of reading Boss Up by Lindsay Teague Moreno. My girlfriend let me borrow this book because this quarantine I’ve been on a reading spree.

It’s important that women in business and in motherhood prioritize their time to get better, learn and grow so that you can come out on the other side of it, up-leveled.

Because I loved the book so much, I felt like I should share my notes of inspiration and 6 of the tips I highlighted in this the book.

Related reading: 12 of the best business books for women entrepreneurs

6 tips from a mom boss millionaire:

1. Finding Your Why might be the most important thing in your business.

There is a Japanese word for your “why” called your Ikigai. Your Ikigai is the “reason you get out of bed in the morning.” If you don’t know your why, you are less likely to succeed through the long term. In business, there are ups and downs.

Right now is the time that everyone is pivoting, shifting, having to shake things up in order to stay busy. I have been doing this myself, working on really focusing my business around my “why”.

So, what gets you up out of bed every morning? What pushes through the thoughts of worry, failure and fear? What keeps you strong enough to pivot, restructure and step up in an even bigger way?

This is how she teaches you to find your why. Ask yourself 3 questions. What do you do? How do you do it? Why do you do it? Then get really honest and specific with the answers. Then take it even deeper….Who are you outside of being a mom, wife, friend, etc? What do you want your legacy to be? What do you want to experience in life? After you thoroughly have done this, begin to share your “why” with everyone. See where that takes you and your business.

2. Network Marketing is a a great opportunity for a new mom, or stay at home mom.

Listen, I know a lot of people have a high resistance to MLM’s or other network marketing companies. Think of the essential oil businesses, Arbonne, Monat, etc. These are all companies that provide a business model for making money off of your downline, teams and their sales.

I don’t know why people hate on this type of company so much. How I see it is, your friends are making money off you, not the big box retailers. It’s empowering to see the people around you succeed and you can all enjoy it together. It creates a supportive community around you and moms need that more than anyone.

I’m all about supporting my friends in MLM’s. With the right training on how to market and sell, you can create an amazing, lucrative business for yourself! On the flip side, I’ve seen people hate the business because they tried it and failed. Well, they probably didn’t have the proper training and weren’t able to step outside their own head and market properly.

Listen ladies, if you are in an MLM or want to be , call me! I’ll help support you in how to grow that business online). Lindsay Teague Moreno wrote this really descriptive re-cap of her first year in her MLM business, read it here if you want to get some motivation + inspo.

3. Standing out and Being Different is a requirement to succeed in your business.

Do not be afraid to do different things. A huge part of this is pushing past your fears of being alone and been criticized. I personally think it’s difficult to keep up with being different. I have an easy time coming up with unique and innovative ideas but they are always shortly followed by someone else. For example, when I put together my vision board method that in my opinion was different, brilliant and actually gave people wildly successful manifesting results, I saw someone had copied it and sold that method on their website within a few months.

For me, it hurt because I knew the person but I also believe in karma. And I knew that spirit would bless me with new ideas. Which showed me that in order to be successful, you have to continually be innovative and come up with your own things.

I know it can seem impossible to constantly keep up new idea but this is why your connection with your spirit, your creative flow, is SO IMPORTANT. Your innovative ideas are what will set you apart so you need to be plugged into your higher self to continue to overflow with those ideas that are unique to you.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t think you are creative like that. You have those ideas inside of you, they just may be blocked. If you are blocked in your creative ideas, you may want to look at your home office Feng Shui.

4. Determine your business model.

Are you a freelancer or an entrepreneur? A freelancer is someone who gets paid for their work and time. An entrepreneur is someone who trains others to do what they do to scale and grow the business. Which one are you and which one do you plan to continue for the long term?

I’m the girl with vision, with ideas but I’ve always had a hard time hiring people to do what I do because the things that I do, because I love doing them so much.

Here is an example in my own personal life: In my jewelry business, Love Ashlina, I’ve really been working on that. There just isn’t enough time in the day for me to create my crystal bracelets, I love making them for each person.

However, the demand outweighs my ability to supply them for those who need/want them. So, this is where I need to get outside of my own head and take my side business to the next level. I’ve got to train someone to do what I can no longer do. Is there a way you could grow an aspect of your business in some way?

5. Great Leaders Inspire Action.

How good are you at telling your story? You want to learn the art of storytelling in order to lead people to join your tribe. Watch this Ted Talk X Simon Sinek. He does a great job articulating how effective a story can be. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

In your business, how can you get better at telling stories. For an interior designer, how can you start telling the story of your services?

For me, it took years…which is what led me to finally incorporating Feng Shui into my work. Instead of advertising, I began telling the stories of my clients and how their lives improved after my design services.

We worked on so much more than just decorating their home, we worked on their lives. Then I made it a requirement for my clients to be open to working on themselves in addition to decorating their homes. Then they told that story to their friends about the experience.

That’s how my business continued to grow. I told my clients the story of themselves. And then, I began to train other designers on how to incorporate personal growth into their business model through my course The Paid Decorator.

This is how telling a story, grew my business. How can you stop selling your services and add story telling into your business? Maybe you can just begin telling your story on your website and social media outlets. (Hint: read the book Build a Story Brand)

Here is the framework of a story:

-Exposition (introduce the characters).

-Rising Action (introduce the conflict).

-Climax (emotion & action taken to resolve conflict).

-Falling Action (the resolution of the conflict)

-Resolution (moral of the story).

6. Get comfortable with your desire for money.

The Boss Up Book Tip: Get comfortable spending money on investing in yourself and your business, pay people for their services and get comfortable asking people to pay you for your services. This is such a true point that really resonated with me.

We all have a complicated relationship with money. The reality is we take on our parents and grandparents relationship with money. I actually spent 2,000$ on a coaching service that specifically helped me to heal my relationship with money. I know that sounds like a lot of money and it is but it was totally worth it to me because of what I was looking to get out of it.

I needed to shift up my energy around money, I had serious money blocks. When it came down to it, I figured out that it wasn’t difficult for me to manifest money, I always did, I could always pay my bills, etc. I could Feng Shui money for my needs all day. But I wanted to break through my block on making more money, getting to the next level of financial freedom.

My personal block was around releasing money. I would hold onto things and not throw them away because I was thinking of the “money” they cost (like ill fitting clothes or shoes). This is where Feng Shui really helped me work on my relationship with money in a practical way. I began to remove anything I was just holding onto because of the “money”.

Once I did that, I made space for more money to come in and it always did. So, to the level that I am able to spend or release money, is the amount of money I was able to manifest and call in. I advise you to really learn this principle.

In addition to this, you need to get comfortable paying for a business accountant to take a look at your financials, too. In every area of your business where money is concerned, form a better relationship with money. Respect other people and their efforts to make money too. Tip well, pay people well for their time and pay up front and on time for whatever you buy from them. And as you spend the money, have good energy around that. Everything is energy, don’t forget.

Okay, I will leave you with that for now. I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did reading the book and writing about it. If you enjoyed this post, you may also like this one too.

Love you, Ashlina

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My 3 part Mompreneur Master podcast series

🖤 Day One: 10 distractions to eliminate so you can successfully launch your business at home

🖤 Day Two: How to Create Systems To Help You Show Up Consistently

🖤 Day Three: Get UN-STUCK in Your Life and Business, Mindset Tips to Try