Wellness - Be BOLD!

Bold 

/bōld/ adjective

1. (of a person, action, or idea) showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous.

As part of our 2015, we are becoming bolder women and mothers! If you weren't afraid of anything, what would you do? What would you say? What would you try new? We support each other for all the things we are choosing this year to step out and do! 

Being BOLD means:

• Having courage even if you are afraid.
• Not worrying unduly about mistakes you will make and failures you will have.
• Taking good calculated risks.
• Stepping out, being visible and notable.
• Saying what’s on your mind. 

Boldness is the opposite of hesitation. Whenever you're feeling hesitant in interactions with others, or in making a decision for yourself, learn to swallow your pride, don't over think it and just go for it! We can be bold without being negative or aggressive, but by simply being truly who we are with a few unexpected twists ;-)

Here are a variety of ways to be BOLD!:

1. Make the first move- Call a friend first to get together or initiate a date night. 

2. Do something unpredictable- What could you do that would completely surprise the people you know? Wear high heels, red lipstick, put on a wig, or cut your hair!?

3. Try something you've never done- Get a bikini wax, finish a book, a new sex position! 

4. Wear color- Switch things up and pop your usual outfit with a small dose of color. 

5. Travel- Make the plans, save and book that trip you've been talking about.

6. Say no! It's okay- Saying "No" will reinvigorate your individuality and help you to feel bold. 

7. Ask for what you want- Remember that old saying, "a closed mouth doesn't get fed"? 

8. Speak your mind & express yourself- Proclaim it and say what ever it is that you positively want to say, "I love you," "that hurt me," or "I appreciate you."

9. Embrace a bold act- Invest in a cause, make amends with someone, keep your promises, or walk away from an argument.

10. Accept yourself, your flaws & get over yourself- Stop complaining, apologize when you need to, change something if you're not happy, life is more than just us...

11. Converse face to face- Forget email, texting, or calling. Relationships are so much richer when you spend physical time together. 

12. Make a change- Big changes can be to quit your job, get a new job, change careers, or move. Small changes can be to join a gym, start juicing, or take a class.

Bold action doesn’t need to be epic. You don’t need to climb mountains, travel around the world or learn three languages. Although these do sound amazing! By all means, if you can, do it! Ultimately, boldness has to do with coming from your center, enacting what you believe. It is not always about what you do, it is about who you are. Start really appreciating your uniqueness. And be ok with that! You never know...stepping out with confidence and trying something different may help you rediscover who you really are.

Be BOLD! It'll make us mentally and physically feel better, feel stronger and feel confident in ourselves! 

Have a beautiful day and be well....xoxo

This post is courtesy of Mocha Tiffany K.

Explore our other Wellness Topics HERE!

Gift Card Exchange

Gift Card Exchange Time!

This post should start with a disclaimer:  Nobody is paying me to post this information.  This entire blog is unsponsored.  The information offered here is all my own opinion and experience.

Now that the holiday season is over it's time to sort through those gift cards you received.  If you're like me there may be one or two that you already know you're not going to use.  Don't worry about it - I'm here to help.

Yes you can trade those gift cards for cash and it's fast and easy to do.  This post is offered to you as a guide on how best to ditch those unwanted, unusable gift cards.

First Things First

What are you willing to give up?
You can ditch the old gift cards but make no mistake about it you're giving something up!  You'll sacrifice time or money or convenience.

The Sacrifice:
Time:  Getting the most money for your gift cards take a little time.  So say you have a $100 gift card.  You can sell that card for $97.00 but it's going to take you a week or more to complete the transaction.

Money:  You can have cash in hand very quickly but it'll cost you.  With certain vendors you can trade a $100 for $60 cash on the spot.

Convenience:  Some card exchanges are fairly quick (within 24 hours) and offer a descent trade in value, but you're limited on what you get in return.  For example, a $100 Target gift card traded in at Walmart will get you $96.60 in Walmart store credit.  That's a GREAT and easy outcome but only if you want to shop at Walmart or Sam's Club.

Ways to Trade

Trade Website: Sites like Card Hub, Card Cash, Card Pool and Gift Card Granny (to name a few) allow users to buy and sell cards.  Use these sites to purchase cards at a discount or sell your unwanted cards.

Pro:  This method is relatively easy

Con:  You'll need to wait for your card to sell.  You may need to  mail in the card and wait for a check. 

Payment Method:  Check in the mail.

eBay:  Before this year I used to sell my cards on ebay.  I already have an ebay account so getting started was super easy for me.  Ebay typically offers a good value for the cards (I'd commonly get $95-$97 for a $100 card).  

Pro: Easy if you already have an eBay account.  This method works best for popular cards.  You can sell a card in any amount. 

Cons: If you have a gift card from a smaller store your card may take longer to sell or you might not get as good of a return.  Since you are paid through paypal the payment method could be a pro or a con.  You will incur fees from both paypal and ebay.

Payment Method:  Paypal   

CoinStar:  This method was new to me.  I tried it for the first time this year and it's GREAT but there are significant downsides!  Use the coinstar website to find the special CoinStar Gift Card Exchange machine near you.  You CAN NOT exchange cards at the regular coin star machine.  Card Exchange machines are yellow (the regular machines are green).  

Pro: This is the fastest, easiest process BY FAR!  You receive cash on the spot.

Cons: Very poor return.  For a $100 gift card I received only $60.  There is a $20 minimum on cards. You need to have a valid driver's license or state ID plus a credit card.

Payment Method:  Cash 

CoinStar Gift Card Machine

Walmart Card Cash:  I used the Walmart Card Cash system for the first time this year and I liked the process A LOT! 

Card Cash is a card trade website that has partnered with Walmart.  You go online and enter your gift card information to receive a quote.  If you accept the quote you enter the gift card number and gift card PIN.  Once processed, you receive an e-Gift Card for the store.  DO NOT use the regular Card Cash site for Walmart/United trades.  Here is the link to the site for WalMart exchanges.

I had a gift card from last year with $9.89 left on it.  I was able to trade that card in for $8.62.

My Statement from WalMart/CardCash

Pros: Fast, easy, widely available.  Partial gift cards are fine.

Cons: The Walmart program is only available online and you have to have email to receive the gift card.  

Payment Method: Store credit 

   

Pro Tips: 
Shop Around-  Smart shoppers know that it pays to shop around.  Visit lots of card exchange websites and see who will give you the greatest return on your gift cards.

Be Smart- You'll need to enter the card vendor (Target, Starbucks, etc) and card value to get a quote  for your cards.  NEVER disclose the card number and PIN unless you're ready to sell the card.  Be careful of fraudsters!  The Card Number and PIN are all the information anybody needs to swipe the value on your cards.  Keep that information safe!

READ THE FINE PRINT!- Every card trade site has lots of fine print.  READ IT!  You don't want to lose part or all of your cards value  because you didn't read careful.

Check your Junk Mail - My Walmart eCard certificate came in to my junk mail folder.  Make sure you check there if you're waiting on information from one of these companies!

Good luck and Happy Trading!

This post is courtesy of Mocha Kathy W.

Explore More Money Topics HERE!

Moist Chocolate Mug Cake (Vegan)

This post needs to start with a complete disclosure.  This is not my recipe.  I found this chocolately delight late one night when searching the inter webs for an easy late night snack.

Much love and credit to Julie at Table for Two.  She originally developed this recipe!

Moist Chocolate Mug Cake
makes 1

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar (you can add 1 tbsp. more if you like it a bit sweeter)
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. milk (soy milk or almond milk is fine)
• 2 tbsp. neutral flavored oil (I like canola but you could also use canola)
• Optional - 1 tbsp. hazelnut chocolate spread OR chocolate chips (not both - use one or the other)

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
2. Whisk in the milk and oil until all ingredients are combined and batter has no clumps.
3. Spray 1 mug with cooking spray. (I use Pam Baking spray but some people skip this step entirely)
4. Pour batter into a microwave-safe mug. Mine was a 14-ounce mug. You want enough head space for the cake to rise without pouring over.
5. Microwave mug cake for 70 seconds on high (PLEASE READ NOTES CAREFULLY BELOW)
6. Leave the microwave door closed and allow the cake to rest for 60 seconds.
7. Carefully remove from microwave and enjoy!

Top with ice cream, whipped cream or just eat it plain!

Notes:

Please note that ALL microwaves are different therefore can yield different results and can overcook this mug cake if you aren't careful. My microwave is 950 watts and I cooked mine on 100% power for 70 seconds. Knowing this information, it may help you better judge how long to cook yours for and at what power.

**This recipe is specifically made for the microwave.

More Mug Cakes

This post is courtesy of Mocha Kathy.

Wellness - Keeping the Holiday Spirit

Do you have the Holiday Spirit??!!! 

In the midst of the holiday season, there may be people who don't have any parties on their calendar, families to enjoy, or friends to celebrate with. There may be people having financial problems at this time of perilous spending, a loss of a job, a death in the family, an illness, or stress. Somebody might just be feeling down or unappreciated. 

We must remember and cherish these times to keep ourselves in good spirits and help lift other people's spirits. You never know what a person may be going through. The holidays are sometimes the toughest times of the year, but also can be the happiest times of the year!! 

Here a few ways to keep your Holiday Spirit:

1. Remember your higher being and the reason for the season!
2. Spend uninterrupted quality time with family & good friends!
3. Play Christmas music! And sing along to the songs!!
4. Decorate EVERYTHING! Deck the halls & trim the tree!!! 
5. Bake something!! Don't forget Santa's cookies! 
6. If you are invited to a party, GO!! Or better yet, host a party!! Any party! 
7. Do some shopping & start wrapping gifts! It's never too early! 
8. Watch a Christmas movie! (our favorite)
9. Mail your holiday cards
10. Call a family member or new & old friends just to chat! 
11. Put your feet up and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa!
12. Give back and donate, help someone in need, or show someone you care :-)

Because...this truly is the most wonderful time of the year!!!!!

This blog post is courtesy of Mocha Tiffany K. 

View all of our Wellness Topics HERE!

FUNdraiser Fashion Show

The Bergen County Mocha Moms hosted its "Wild About Winter" fashion show, and holiday party at The Fiesta this past Thursday in Wood-Ridge. A portion of the proceeds benefited the Shelter of Sisters.

Here are the pictures from this amazing night!

Many thanks to the event organizer Tiffany Kerr.  
Photo Credit: Robert Pytel  

This event was featured on 201 Magazine and on Bergen.com.

Menstrual Cups

Several of the ladies were having a conversation about menstrual cups over the weekend.  Here is a little more information.

Lydia Ojuka is a fan of the Daisy Cup for holistic/health reasons.  She has less cramping and shorter periods.  There's also the added benefit of avoiding the toxins  associated with disposable products.




There is a teenage girl in the UK named Bree Farmer.  She is basically the menstrual cup guru.  I'll let Bree explain everything you ever wanted to know about cups but were afraid to ask:

First, the Basics

How do you choose a cup?

You can find all of Bree's videos on You Tube.  Check out her YouTube Channel at Precious Stars Pads.

For more information you can also visit this blog.

House Helpers - Ending Bathroom Stink

We need to have a frank talk about an embarrassing problem.  The problem, my friends, is Bathroom Stink!

We are a family of 5 and trust me when I tell you that bathroom stink is a very real issue!  The good news is that we've solved the problem quickly and cheaply and I'll show you how!

The key here is to PREVENT bathroom stink rather than to try and cover it after the fact.

There are lots of commercial products on the market for this purpose.  Most notably a toilet spray called Poo Pourri.  I have nothing bad to say about Poo Pourri - it works.   The problem is that it is (in my opinion) needlessly expensive!

Poo Pourri Toilet Spray

No. 2 Toilet Spray

DIY Toilet Spray

First, let’s review the basic concept:

If you add scented oil to the toilet water before you add anything stinky to the toilet, the smell gets trapped under the layer of oil.

How it works

Based on that concept, you could ANY scented oil.   This, my friends, is a DIY opportunity!

Leaving the bathroom smelling clean and fresh!

Making a DIY Version - 
Because you're just adding scented oil to the toilet water, any scented oil will work.  Apply 2-4 drops of essential oil in toilet water before you make a deposit leaves the ladies room smelling clean and fresh.

My family likes Lemon oil best.    

Lemon Oil

If you'd rather have a spray - No Problem!

If you decide that you’d rather have a bottle for spray, no problem, add 40-50 drops of scented oil to a 2 oz bottle of water (or alcohol) and make a spray.  Add 2-3 squirts of spray to the toilet before you go and voila!  You’re all set!

Blogger and Super Woman Jillee has a Poo Pourri knock off too.  Here's her recipe!

Pro Tips: 

• Make a label with instructions for the drops or the spray.  It’s counter intuitive to spray the toilet BEFORE you go.  A few simple instructions solve this problem quickly.  **Instruction wording listed below.
• Also, in the spirit of being delicate and ladylike, we call these “Doo Drops” or “No 2 Spray”
• Make sure the drops hit the water.  If they hit the side of the bowl and have to slide down into the bowl, they take a little longer to work. 
• You can add the drops after you’re already begun to go, but for best results put the drops in as soon as you discover that you need them.
• Husbands or (teenage boys) might require a few extra drops.
• If you buy scented oil online, it might not come in dropper bottles.  You can buy glass dropper bottles online. They are called Euro Droppers and they're available at Amazon.com or Etsy.com.

Euro Dropper Glass Bottles

Other Helpful Tips:

*  Keep a little bottle of essential oil in your purse to mask "nature's call" when you're out and about or visiting friends.

*  If you've visiting friends and family and you don't have your drops on hand, check for bath oil, perfume or tea tree oil.  All three work well in masking unpleasant toilet smells.  Just make sure to add them to the bowl BEFORE you go.  

*  If you're having a party or gathering at your home, every hour or so add a few drops (or squirts) to the toilet for who ever visits the bathroom next.

Leave drops (with instructions) in the bathroom

** Words for Instruction Label:

"DOO Drops"  To reduce or eliminate bathroom odor: Add 2-4 drops of Doo Drops (to toilet water) before you drop a "doo".

Blog Post Courtesy of Mocha Kathy W.