Nicola Tweed

The 90 Day Transformation Project is a comprehensive 3 month journey that will take you deep within yourself to clear out the fears, beliefs and limiting stories that have been holding you back so you can move forward to become the happiest, most abundant and radiant version of yourself. The 90 day Transformation Project starts on the 11th August 2013.... you can sign up here.

1// Creature Comforts: Free download Arrow Photoshop brushes
These photoshop arrows are to die for! There are cute, fun and totally easy to use. Get downloading now!

2// Pocketful of Dreams: Blogging tips series
This is one I book marked and for the life of me can't even remember doing. It's a total gem + guaranteed to bring some wisdom into your blogging world.

3// Nadia van der Mescht: Business Tip Series
If you follow my blog you will know I am a huge fan of Nadia's work! This series just proves how knowledgeable + talented this woman really is.

4// We Lived Happily Ever After:Free photoshop shapes
I was all over this blog last week and picked up some awesome photoshop tips which I happily used to create my about me picture :o)

5// Hubspot: 41 Fresh Blog post ideas
Stuck for something to write? Here's a few prompt that might just help you out.

6// Image Maps
Image Maps is as the name says an image mapping tool. Huh? You say! Well what you do is create your picture, up load it and image maps will help you with the back end coding to link your picture to where ever you want it to go.

7// Desire Driven: 6 Quick action steps you can do today to start making money from your blog
Home grown talent dishing out fabulous tips on how to make money from your blog.


*Be sure to come back for part 2 as I'll be featuring some of my favourite clicks to help you live a healthy, energetic lifestyle.*

A friend just sent me this and I couldn't resist sharing it with you all.... Happy Monday everyone! 

1// Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. & while you walk, SMILE. It is the ultimate antidepressant.
2// Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3// When you wake up in the morning, Pray to ask God’s guidance for your purpose, today.
4// Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5// Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.
6// Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7// Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past,
negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8// Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9// Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
10// Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for everything!
11// Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12// You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13// Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
14// Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
15// No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16// Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’
17// Help the needy, Be generous ! Be a ‘Giver’ not a ‘Taker’
18// What other people think of you is none of your business.
19// Time heals everything.
20// However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21// Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
22// Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23// Each night before you go to bed ,Pray to God and Be thankful for what you’ll accomplish, today!
24// Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25// Share this to everyone on your list to help them lead a happier life…!!!!

If you follow me on facebook (which you should be doing), you'll notice I put up a little post about abundance on Wednesday. It went a little something like 'Abundance is all around us all the time we just need to choose to see it!'. Too many times in my life I take things for granted and wonder why I am not abundant, now I've realised why? and that's because I am not making the conscious choice to actually see it!

So today I am choosing to see my abundance in the following.....

1// A lunch time meeting with the very talented Nadia van der Mescht in Durban on Tuesday. Nadia is a creative consultant with bags of creative talent and a huge love for buttons + stationary!

2// An boundless stream of beautiful blog posts from In Spaces Between - this site + woman never fail to inspire me.

3// The gorgeous souls that come to the Contours Ladies gym in Howick. Everyone special in their own way.

4// A full day of pampering coming up at Indigo fields and a chance to see my sister again

5// My boyfriend who encourages me in the most round about ways

I'd love to know what you are grateful for this week. Leave your abundant thanks in the comments below....

Today's blogosphere love is Tegan Westra, the positive beam of sunshine behind Happy Healthy Whole. What I love about Tegan is her openness and honesty and of course the amazing recipes she posts weekly! One of her best posts (in my opinion) is all about her struggle with her eating disorder, be sure to check it out here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Tell us where you are in your life right now (in your perspective) + what are your intentions for the rest of 2013?
At the moment in my life I can honestly say I am the happiest and healthiest I've ever been and gosh it feels GOOD! I struggled with an eating disorder for many years and felt like a fraud the entire time. I spent my days pretending I was happy and healthy while wishing that I actually was + the mind games drove me insane.
Now, my focus is on nourishing my body with the love and care it deserves, connecting with other women through my work and teaching them how to do the same via my website www.teganwestra.com.

2. What fuels you to do what you do?
The fire burning deep inside my belly that tells me I was put here to make a difference in other peoples lives.

3. What is the best advice you have been given?
Do what you love.

4. They say 'You are what you're attracted too'. So tell me who inspire you and why?
Anyone can sit at a desk working 9-5 for the rest of their lives. It takes huge courage to step outside of that. Women who aren't afraid to break that mould and go out into the world to make a difference and pursue something that really matter to them - That's what inspires me.

5. How do you overcome the inner critic in you?
Ahh, my inner critic. For many years, her nagging voice was the only one I knew. She dicated how I felt each day and for a long time I couldn't actually distinguish between her and my rational consciousness. Today, when she pops up I use the steps I teach in my e-course '12 steps to your Happy Healthy Dream Life'. Which you can sign up for here.

6. DREAM BIG: Where do you want your blog + business to take you?
I want to make a difference in Women's lives and I'm excited for where ever that happens to take me.

7. How did you come to the healthy path + what does it mean to you?
I got here after realising that the life I was living wasn't the one I wanted for the future and so I decided to work to change it. That has meant working to change my thought patterns first and foremost and I found once I did that, everything else began to fall into place.

8. How do you give thanks to your body everyday?
I do my best to listen to what it needs. If I'm supposed to be doing something and it doesn't feel quite right I won't do it. I also nourish it with real whole foods, lots of water and lots of greens because I know when I do, I feel my best.

9. What do you LOVE?
The high you get immediately after an awesome workout. Or, the buzz from a delicious smoothie filled with nutritious superfoods or the sense of accomplishment you feel when you achieve something you'd previously told yourself you couldn't achieve. Those are a few things I love.

10. When the going gets tough, how do you keep yourself going?
I remind myself of the bigger picture and bring myself back to my why? Why am I doing what I do? And I look to the future and remind myself that to get to where I want to go I have to keep moving forward no matter how tough things seem at the time.

*Warning! This post may be filled with notes of sadness because yes that's exactly what alcohol does to you!*
_____________________________________________________

After this weekends shinanigans I've finally come to the conclusion that enough is enough! Copious amounts of alcohol does no good for anyone and even more specifically me!

Yesterday's realisation wasn't an instant light bulb aha! moment, it was more like a slow burning candle of knowing inside me. For the last 5 years or so I've known deep down that if I gave up alcohol, my life would change in so many ways. There is that inner knowing and then there is the proof out there.. read how Clare (From This is Life Blood) is not getting drunk any more and how Tara (From Such Different Skies) is helping many like minded women with her Party Girls Guide to Peace course.

There have been many times in my life where I have woken up the morning after and thought, nope never again, this time I am definitely hanging up my drinking shoes for good but then the weekend rolls around and it's me the wine and a hangover AGAIN! The sick cycle of feeling depressed, demotivated, lazy and annoyed with myself starts all over every Monday morning. I hate how I wake up in the morning and replay every moment of the night, beating myself up for saying things that are probably really best left unsaid (ie. telling someone you really despise them!). And what I hate even more is how it kills your fitness levels, I feel like every time I drink it's like I'm starting all over again from square one.

Ok so I'd love to give up the booze but going cold turkey is a sure fire way of failing! So my thought is that I'm not saying that I'm giving up alcohol altogether, what I am giving up is the hangovers. No more lazing on the couch watching mind numbing T.V and feeling sorry for myself on a Sunday. No more weekends of eating big full English fried breakfasts, creme sodas, nik naks and cheese curls.

What I'm saying yes to is more productive weekends, writing, hiking, running, getting outdoors, playing squash, going to markets, being creative (upcycling) and feeling refreshed on Mondays!

Imagine the life I could create for myself sans alcohol???

I am totally obsessed with Consol's new(ish!) Grip & Go Bottles. They are perfect for water and freshly squeezed juices (Yay! just in time for Justin Vale's 7 day detox).

I've never been a fan of buying bottled water because a. I feel that it is a waste of money; b. All that plastic is bad for the environment and c. I have no clue as to where the water has come from - for all I know it could have come from the local tap and not from a magical spring in the Swiss mountains.

Anyway this explains my ecstatic excitement over the these little guys. Not only are they pretty snazzy (they come in a wide variety of colours) they are also made from one of the greenest materials on the planet (glass duh!) and are 100% recyclable.

Other benefits of using a glass water bottle include....

♥ Not having to worry about unknown chemicals that can leach into your water as such with plastic water bottles.
♥ Not having to worry about your water/juice tasting unpleasantly plastic or metallic as glass is taste neutral and does not influence the content of the bottle.
♥ Glass bottles can last ages + keep your water and juice fresher for longer.
♥ A Glass bottle will save you money and in turn will save the planets resources

*The red stuff in the green bottle is fresh beetroot, carrot and apple juice... Simply delicious!

1// Never take anything personally. 
How other people act is not because of me, this is down to their life experience, thoughts and emotions. I will never let this worry me or influence my decisions in life.

2// Think before I speak. 
I will speak with integrity, refrain from gossip. I will be open and honest, say what I mean and ask for what I really want.

3// Not make assumptions.
If I am unclear I will speak up and ask questions, I will not assume that another person knows what I want or how I feel. I will also not assume that another person is thinking certain thoughts.

4// Always do my best. 
Everyday I will do my best, if I've completed a task, written a report etc and can truthfully say I've done my best then I can walk away guilt-free. I will then never look back with regrets or worries. 

...................................................................................................................................................................

Look at yourself in the mirror. Look at your eyes, your mouth, your nose, your cheeks, your ears, look at everything. Now tell me when was the last you saw anyone like you? Never! Exactly! We are all original and each have our own unique qualities that make us special individuals. 

I have two very very unique quirks about me. No 1. I have red hair and No 2. I have a gap in my tooth (hence the pics). Unbelievably it took me over 20 years to love my red hair. When I was 18, I crazily dyed it black, yup what the hell was I thinking, black?!? of all colours on my fair skin?! It took me months, lots of cash and many burnt toast (half was black and half was red) name callings to get it back to my original colour. What a mistake! Anyway this little (very bad) mistake made me fully appreciate my hair and I am now at total peace with it and fully embrace it everyday.

Everyone has their little quirks, it makes you special and original. Imagine if you didn't have them, you'd be a plain Jane and that would be boring!

Here are 3 ways for you to embrace your quirkiness....

1// Own your flaws, make them work in your favour. Acknowledge them and make them part and parcel of who you are. Look at Cindy Crawford, her little quirk was her mole and boy did she work it!

2// Put your quirkiness out there, don't hide it away as it may stop you from making friends or doing the things you enjoy. Remember to also take note of when you receive positive feedback about your quirks.

3// Remember that quirks are your perfection, if you didn't have any quirks you wouldn't be human.

Today's blogosphere love is Elizabeth McKenzie, the beauty behind Your Highest Self. This woman is totally rad (yup I used the word rad and so does Elizabeth!) and has been on a lovely journey to meet her true self. Exciting news is that Elizabeth is working on her first ebook called 'find your voice', a course that will help you find + speak and strengthen your true voice, discover your juju and unleash the unlimited potential within you.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This evening I had the most beautiful trip down memory lane courtesy of my 2004 journal, my first journal ever. It's beautiful imperfection. A miss mash of feelings, moments and scribbles. I love how I used to furiously note down every quote, poem or article I was drawn too. I also remember that if I read something (worth saving) in a book I had to return I would spend hours noting it down in my journal. Ahhh to be 18 again! I love the doodles and French flag I created when I moved to Paris on the 8th June 2004, this even includes my first metro ticket, plane and baggage ticket!

Anyway I found this poem smack bang at the end of a really sad journal entry and it inspired me to write/create this blog post as a sign that even on a bad day there is hope and love if you just keep on smiling...

Your body is your intimate partner and your loyal life companion so why do so many of us treat it like our very own worst enemy. How about if we showed our body as much appreciation and gratitude as our best friend?!

What if, for example....

1// ...you told your body everyday how much you loved and appreciated it, how you couldn't be where you are today without it?

2// ...you pampered and showered your body with gifts on random occasions.

3// ...you made promises to your body and kept them.

4// ...you listened to your body without judgement and without criticizing it for every little mistake.

5// ...in fact you didn't even notice all the so called 'mistakes' of your body.

6// ...you encouraged her to run that marathon, try out a new pilates class or even to go get her cholesterol checked.

7// ...you made time every morning to nourish your body with a healthy breakfast.

8// ...you'd remind your body to go for your annual check up, or go to the doctor when you were feeling ill.

9// ...you treated your body with love and care when you were ill.

10// ... you'd check in with your body every now and then to see if it's on the right path and feeling good. 

Beauty is true expression, genuine heart and love combined to bring out the person within you.

It's you on your highest level, sharing your talents with the world.

In the last couple of months my heart has felt very closed, expressing myself has become a chore and a cheap imitation of the many blogs (awesome ones) out there.

Words, my words, are muffled. I am unsure, my direction is wishy washy.

The month of July feels like a time for new beginnings and there is a whispering in my heart and a knowing that I need creative space to breath and become one with my true voice again. I need time to create and become connected to my words again.

I need to find my muse, my words and my direction.

This month I will be disconnecting from the constant self-comparison brought on by one main dog in the social media game. I will no longer rise to reading other bloggers words, I will rise to my words being scribbled in my journal. No editing. Just truth!

My month of July will be about...

1. Breathing, sunshine, nature, my body world, me, selfish practices and tuning out from distraction.

2. A focused heart, mind and soul.

3. Getting back in tune with my words, finding that place of love to write from, dedicating time to write + write and write. Without editing!

4. Morning meditation practices.

5. Evening intention setting.

6. Switching off from technology + reading - a trip to the library is a must!

I'll be back in August, refreshed and ready to connect with you all again then. x