Author Archives: Megan Antlfinger

Harried or Harmonious Holiday?

As you begin to navigate your way through this season I thought I would share some insights on how to handle the holiday chaos and create harmony. In this week’s article we will explore simple solutions on creating holiday health & happiness for the home, body, mind and spirit.

For the Home…

After all of the guests have left it can sometimes feel overwhelming to put away every last dish. Or, maybe you were away and the travel has left you feeling exhausted. Either way, you probably just want to put your feet up and relax. Not so fast! It might feel counter-intuitive to unpack your suitcase or clean up the counters, but I am here to tell you that you will feel much better after you have completed those tedious tasks. When you have undone chores waiting for you to complete they weigh on your unconscious. Clear the clutter and you will feel the encumbrance of those duties float away, leaving you feeling lighter and brighter. It will also allow you to enjoy a deeper sense of rejuvenation.

For the Body…

It is easy to feel out of alignment with your body after each holiday gathering. Too much food, items that are laden with fat, salt and sugar or libations that leave you exhausted and bloated. Here are some quick tips to help you navigate the day after…

Eat This…

Water, water, water! Need I say more? This helps flush out the toxins you might have ingested at the holiday party. It will also help to stave off hunger and cravings.
Peppermint Tea eases nausea and cramps.
Potatoes are easy on the stomach and can help absorb fluids if you are having loose bowels.
Bananas have potassium and soluble fiber to help your system run smoothly.

Not this…

Salt makes your body retain fluid, which will leave you feeling bloated. This will make you feel worse than you did before.
Ingesting additional sugar will continue the cycle of craving creation. Hold off on sugar so that your body can move back into a balanced state.

For the Mind…

Take a walk! Walking has multi-faceted benefits. The obvious benefit is it gets the blood pumping. It also helps to move you out of the lethargic post-holiday gathering state. As Kierkegaard states, it is also a beautiful and important way to connect to health and happiness. He explains, “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”

For the Spirit…

In the frenzy of the holiday whirlwind you can lose your connection to your inner guidance system that allows you to make choices that support you on all levels. It is easy to get caught up in the hype and hoopla when you don’t make it a priority to check in with this natural navigation equipment. Take some time each day to recharge the your proverbial batteries by becoming present to the here and now. Some simple ways to foster your connection to the present is by doing something creative, listening to music, meditating, walking in nature, or whatever makes your heart sing and your spirit soar.

I hope these simple solutions will help you find health and happiness for your home, body, mind and spirit this holiday season. You will find additional tips, menu suggestions, and healthy recipes that will help you plan your holiday party in Home in Harmony: Designing an Inspired Life. To order your copy click here!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

DIY Holiday Harmony Tool

The next few months can be filled with a roller coaster of emotions. One moment you can feel like you are soaring with joy and laughter and in the next moment you are descending rapidly around a blind curve you didn’t see coming. When emotions run high it is important to implement strategies to help you flow with ease and grace to ensure inner and outer harmony. As I was playing with ideas for two upcoming TV segments on NBC & FOX that focus on Thanksgiving and family harmony I created a DIY tool that can help you every time you entertain.

One such simple solution is what I refer to as the “Mood Map” when entertaining. Basically a “Mood Map” is way of looking at a seating arrangement and employing a strategy so that it flows with grace and enjoyable conversation. You can use this at Thanksgiving or at any sit down gathering that you host. It assists your ability to discern how to create harmony at your table by evaluating and designing a seating plan that encourages fun for all. Let me explain what I briefly mentioned in last week’s article and then I will give you a simple tool that you can use again and again.

Your “Mood Map” consists of 2 steps that will encourage graceful flow and influence overall harmony.

First, put a seating plan in place that will alleviate conflict at the table. If Aunt A doesn’t get along with In-Law-B ensure they don’t end up next to each other, which could increase the family drama.
Next, consider who is lively and talkative and who is less sociable. Based on the Universal Law of Attraction typically like attracts like. The chatty people end up at one end of the table having a fabulously fun time and the other side of the table is quietly watching the scene. Carefully consider who falls on which end of the spectrum and evenly distribute those that can carry a conversation around the table. This will bring balance and harmony to your gathering. Everyone will feel like they are part of the conversation and the fun!

For most gatherings I will take the time to evaluate and design a game plan to ensure a smooth and harmonious get-together. It really can make the difference between soiree success or function flop. The 1^st time I realized that this was critical in holiday harmony was at one of the Christmas Eve dinners we hosted at our home. We had more than twenty people seated at the table and I made a special effort to ensure that people were seated in an arrangement that would make it a memorable evening for all. It actually took me some time to evaluate who would be most compatible and how I could avoid pairing people who would not be able to carry a conversation. I remember sitting down and in pencil creating a seating plan. Thankfully I made this in pencil because I would erase and cross out name over and over, until it seemed I had a seamless plan. The fruits of my labor were worth it. At the end of the evening my mother-in-law came up to me and praised the thoughtfulness of the seating arrangement. I thought to myself, “Wow, someone noticed!” That was when it clicked for me that creating holiday harmony depended on making memorable moments, which could easily be shaped with a little thought and effort.

Recently, I discovered that there is an even easier way to make your “Mood Map” without erasing and continuously crossing out names. I designed a “Mood Map” template which you can use over and over. Let me explain how…

Find a fabulous, fun and colorful craft paper you love. Have this laminated.
Either cut out small sized pieces of paper or use tags and have them laminated.
With a dry erase marker draw your table and the amount of chairs needed for this particular gathering (the number might change everytime you entertain) on the large piece of paper.
On the tags, with your dry erase marker, write the attendees names.
Now, begin to place the name down around your table in a configuration that will produce holiday harmony.

This simple solution will help you entertain with ease and grace and foster fond memories and family harmony anytime you entertain, especially when emotions can run high during the holiday season.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Harmony Habits for the Thanksgiving Holiday

With Thanksgiving only a few weeks away I thought I would share some simple solutions on creating graceful flow, family harmony, the gift of gratitude, and inspired happiness this holiday!

When you are in a state of graceful flow it is easy to feel gratitude. But, when the family begins to knock on the door and the gremlins of holiday’s past enter the scene, tension can wreak havoc on harmony and bliss. It is in these moments of disharmony that it is important to find balance and grace… or at least the ability to take a deep breath. Planning ahead can help tame the tension. Let’s look at some simple solutions to create a Home in Harmony during the first holiday of this festive season.

Expectations (yours and others) can cause inner angst. Tension has a tendency to run high during the holiday season. This is, in part, because of the expectations you have in your mind’s eye of how the holiday should be, how those around you should act, and how you should feel. Typically you have utopian dreams of the perfect family gathering, or have tensions tremors at the thought of interactions with your siblings (or whoever pushes your buttons). The first step to creating your own inner harmony (because you can only change your patterns, not the patterns of others) is to notice what your expectations are this season. Take some time to reflect on this.

You can create a graceful flow and influence the overall harmony by taking some simple steps as you set your Thanksgiving table—or any table for that matter! Create a “Mood Map” which consists of 2 steps.

First, put a seating plan in place that will alleviate conflict at the table. If Aunt A doesn’t get along with In-Law-B ensure they don’t end up next to each other, which could increase the family drama.
Next, consider who is lively and talkative and who is less sociable. Based on the Universal Law of Attraction typically like attracts like. The chatty people end up at one end of the table having a fabulously fun time and the other side of the table is quietly watching the scene. Carefully consider who falls on which end of the spectrum and evenly distribute those that can carry a conversation around the table. This will bring balance and harmony to your gathering. Everyone will feel like they are part of the conversation and the fun!

Gratitude is the key to connecting to inner peace. Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to share your feelings of gratitude with those around you. Create traditions that promote the expression of gratitude. One way to do this is to create place cards with each person’s name along with one reason you are grateful for that person being in your life and at your table. This helps bring harmony to your table by setting a positive vibe for all who sit down. It will warm hearts and let people know that they are appreciated. This is also a great conversation starter!

Pumpkins are analogous to fall, harvest festivals, Halloween and Thanksgiving. There are other natural elements that can also be used as accent décor to celebrate the autumnal season. Pinecones, acorns and foliage are three such seasonal decorative enhancers. The great thing about pinecones, acorns and colorful leaves is you can send the kids out on a hunt for the bounty of the season! They are sure to come back brimming with autumnal treasures, and a sense of pride at helping find the abundance of natural decorations.

These simple Home in Harmony Thanksgiving tips can help create fond memories, graceful flow, family harmony, and the gift of gratitude as you begin to navigate your way through the holiday season.

P.S…Pick up your copy of Home in Harmony: Designing an Inspired Life that will give you party planning & recipe ideas for your perfect gathering! http://amzn.to/1w0tSgb

P.S.S… Did you schedule your FREE success strategy session so that I can help you design the home and life of your dreams? Click here and let’s get started. If not now, when?

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Photo Credit: Veranda Magazine on Pinterest

Enjoy Health in an Unhealthy World

Do you ever wish you were immune to the different types of dis-ease in the world today? Between the growing prominence of cancer, the Ebola scare, and the spike of Enterovirus D68 it is understandable to feel concern for your health. Thankfully knowledge is Power. Knowledge gives you the power of choice. (A formula I refer to as Knowledge=Power=Choice.) When you understand how things truly work you are able to make informed decisions that allow you the opportunity to make and create choices that support your health. In this week’s article let’s look at some simple solutions that give you the knowledge necessary to empower you to make the best choices for you to create home, health and happiness!

In today’s world the toxins that are part of daily living inundate us. We often don’t realize how prevalent they are! A few days ago I went out for my daily run to release physiological and psychological toxins from my body. I enjoy this time each day taking in the blue sky, beautiful foliage and the smell of the sea air. Unfortunately, it happened to be a day where there were an inordinate amount of trucks, buses and even industrial lawn mowers on the road. I was left gasping for clean air! (I tend to hold my breath when I run by billowing black fumes puffing out behind big heavy trucks.) Unfortunately many of the toxins we come in contact with are not so obvious. It is critical to gain an understanding of where they are and how they impact your health and wellbeing.

Toxins can be found in most household items that are synthetic. These synthetics disrupt hormones, can cause allergies, are linked to cancer, and basically create havoc in the body. They lower your immune system, and deplete your body’s ability to fend off things like the common cold. Becoming aware of what items are made of before they enter your home is the first line of defense. Swapping out synthetic items for healthier natural items is the next step. Choose the items you bring into your home carefully because you are your best safeguard.

When we begin this journey of healthy living it is sometimes hard to believe that the outdoor environment with its trucks billowing puffs of black exhaust could be less harmful than the air inside your home. Unfortunately that is the stark reality. For good reason, our focus has been on creating energy efficient homes. However, this has exacerbated the problem of indoor air quality. When windows, doors, and cracks are sealed it is great for our heating & cooling bills and it is also energy efficient. But, without those air leaks your home is sealed up tight without the ability to breathe. It traps the air inside your home that is filled with the off-gasses from the myriad of products you have chosen. It is critical to throw open windows to ventilate the space. And, of course, make healthful choices when determining which items to bring through your door.

As I mentioned earlier, I take my daily run to release physiological and psychological toxins from my mind and body. It is a scientific fact that the toxins from our world become trapped in the body if you do not take action to release them. When they become stuck in your body, dis-ease is created. For those spelling bee fans you are probably wondering why I say dis-ease instead of disease. Well, our natural state is a state of ease and grace. When your body or mind is out of alignment it throws that natural process off and creates dis-ease in the body or mind. One way to bring your body back into alignment from too many toxins is to make a habit of sweating them out! Sweat is one of the most effective ways to release toxins. It helps to naturally balance your physiological state and with all of those happy hormones pumping it boosts your immune system and your mood!

Toxins are a fact of daily living in the modern world. Gaining an understanding of toxins and how they impact you will empower you to make choices to enjoy health, vitality and ease in an unhealthy world.

If you want help discovering the patterns that create overwhelm, frustration and disharmony in your life click here and schedule your Free Success Strategy Session.

Ps… I am so excited that the Home in Harmony Hay House radio show is just days away! The Premier airs on Monday, Oct 27, 6pm EST/3pm PST.

Pss… And last but not least, the count down has begun for the release of Home in Harmony: Designing an Inspired Life! It is almost time for you to get your copy! We will let you know how to get your copy with special goodies on Nov 4th! Or, you can pre-order now.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Image: http://www.pesconsulting.co.uk

Is This Blocking You?

Have you ever heard the saying, “How you do one thing is how you do everything?” When I first heard this mantra I questioned its validity but, as I looked closer, I began to see how this tenant is oh-so-true! It is often much easier to see these types of patterns in other people’s lives instead of our own. You know, the friend who never follows through or the aunt who is meticulous about everything. Interestingly, when you began to look at the patterns or habits in one area of your life, it can help you move through blocks that are holding you back in all areas. I invite you to begin noticing the patterns of your life. Especially in your home environment! Your home can shed light on these patterns because your outer world is a direct reflection of what is going on inside your head. Yes, really. The best part is when you begin to notice the connection and take action, miracles can happen! Let’s look at the patterns that may be holding you back from home in harmony and your best life!

Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling overwhelmed you misplace things, stuff begins to pile up, or you have trouble keeping items organized? Don’t beat yourself up, instead realize this is natural and it gives you a clue as to what is going on in your head. It also reminds us that the adage, “The way you do one thing is how you do everything” is sage words of wisdom. Many times your home environment will begin to hint at what is truly going on for you emotionally, psychologically or physically before you notice that things are out of balance or in disharmony in your internal world. Gaining an awareness of what your environment is sharing and the patterns it is reflecting can help you navigate the habits that have become obstacles in your life.

When overwhelm creeps in and begins to roar that mighty roar take a look around and assess your environment. Notice if this is a pattern that is showing up for you in more than one area? How to address the pattern is a whole other subject. But, noticing that they are there is the first step in unwinding their hold on you.

Do you have a tendency to have undone tasks in many areas of your life? Maybe you haven’t gotten around to choosing that new paint color for your family room for the last five years, the work project you know you should begin sits waiting for your attention on your desk, and you haven’t hit the reply button on the emails you need to respond to in your inbox… these are all a sign of procrastination. Again, notice in your life where you are procrastinating and begin to take small steps to move through this block.

Perfectionism is the sister (or brother) of procrastination. They both reflect an unconscious need to control your environment. Again, this can be seen in your internal world (the mind) or your external world (the environment). Noticing that this is a pattern that comes up can help you navigate the hurdle and move through it.

Unfortunately, when you are not able to see the unconscious habits that have you moving along on life’s path unknowingly being swayed by your own routines your route can be bumpy. Taking the time to assess where you are, why you do things a certain way and where you want to be. This will help you begin to design the life of your dreams. Examining the clues in your environment can help you assess the patterns of your home and life. This will help you create home, health and happiness.

If you want help discovering the patterns that create overwhelm, frustration and disharmony in your life click here and schedule your Free Success Strategy Session.

Ps… I am so excited that the Home in Harmony Hay House radio show is just days away! The Premier airs on Monday, Oct 27, 6pm EST/3pm PST.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO