Stepping it up and Stepping Out in Europe for the Holidays

December 24, 2017 | Posted in Living Hartfully | By

There’s always been a certain charm of Europe that grabs hold of you, a sense of great architecture, grand design, great food, amazing culture, and women who know how to wear a scarf effortlessly. I particularly like to be in Europe for the holiday season. It’s done so well, so elegant, old-world charm, light-handed, and all your senses are immersed in holiday cheer. Not the unabashed, neon, tinsel-town fakeness in America.

So my BFF and I decided to spend this holiday in Italy and Belgium to surround ourselves with Christkindlemarkts, gluehwein, kaesestanger pretzals, and French fries with mayo in a cone and little forks as only the Belgians and the Dutch can do so well. When we arrived in Bruges, one of our favorite towns in the world that we thought couldn’t get any more charming and quaint. Well… cue the horse-drawn carriages clip-cloppping down the cobblestone street, the smell of chestnut roasting on an open fire (no kidding), and the smell of chocolate, the sight of 18th century canal homes decked out in greenery, simple white lights and red ribbons, ice skaters on the square encircled by holiday market stalls, and holiday music piped through the streets. Bliss, simply bliss from all angles.  All we needed was reindeer and some snow. It did spit rain, so we ducked into a 15th century convent turned hotel for high tea by the roaring fire in the walk-in fireplace along the canal. We were the only ones in the sumptuous drawing room replete with champagne, tea, and crumpets – just what we needed to complete the holiday mood.

Several trips and years ago we had decided to up our game in several areas of our lives. It’s funny how little things can be improved and when you string together all the areas you have stepped-up, it turns out your life has been up-leveled in interesting ways. This trip was no exception. We continued to step up our scarf game because they are plentiful in Europe, take up no room in the suitcase and don’t break. I’ve come to know that eyeglasses are much more creative and interesting in Europe than in America. Why can’t American’s have imagination when it comes to eyewear. There is no comparison. This trip was no different when we met a woman whose dad has been the creative force behind some wild and crazy designs since the 60’s. Of course, we couldn’t leave the country without a pair of hot pink and purple frames to add to the collection.

One this trip we decided to step up our balsamic vinegar and chocolate game. Visiting a tiny artisanal vinegar house in Modena was a perfect entre into the world of fine balsamic vinegars. They produce only 2000,  100ml bottles per year and the entire operation is in the attic of their 1800’s home. The sweet, tart scent of vinegar wafted throughout the home where they took such pride in aging their stash for 12-25 years completely naturally. Of course, we had to buy bottles at $65 – $130 each. The complex taste is out of this world and the consistency of heave syrup is divine. I had long stepped up from the watery balsamic of the grocery store to specialty vinegars, but had no idea this amazing concoction existed. It rocked my world.

The same held true for chocolate. The Europeans have the Americans beat to shreds in chocolate-making, bread-making and many other things. When we strolled the Galleries near the Grand Place in Brussels, the high-end chocolate shops looked like fine jewelry stores with Mary chocolates holding the seal of the royal family. Another divine sensory overload. Eat your heart out Hershey’s.

The cherry on top was the sensory overload in the Grand Place at night with a light show set to holiday music while eating a warm waffle and turning in circles to not miss a thing trying to catch a glimpse of the fabulous buildings from the 1600’s bathed in flickering lights timed perfectly with the music. It was magical, it was marvelous, it was setting the bar very high for holiday experiences European-style. Yet another area where we had up-leveled our experiences and our awareness of bigger and better things available.

What kinds of things have you up-leveled in your life? How have you stepped up in different areas of your life? What are you consciously letting go of in order to make room for newer, better things, experiences, ways of being, doing, having? From things such as pens, furniture, fabrics, foods, jewelry, books, what you watch on screens, how you choose to use your time, dishes, thoughts, habits, colleagues, job/work, friends, behavior, bed linens, towels, lingerie, bags, paper, lotions and self-care products to hotels, villas, restaurants. Treat yourself to some up-leveling at any level this year. One small thing or big leaps and be conscious of what works for you and how it feels and what feels right for you. It’s all part of continuous improvement in all areas of your life. Make an effort to notice your space, your closet, your kitchen and refrigerator. What can you improve to represent who you are or who you want to become?

I’ve decided I probably need to be in Europe the month of December from now on. It feels like home. I’ve always tried to stay off the road and out of the malls and stores between Thanksgiving and Martin Luther King Day in America. It feels bad for me and I refuse to get caught up in the self-imposed stress of running around for sales and buying obligatory gifts that you wouldn’t normally be buying. The rushing around and fake blow-up decorations are a big turn-off for me. What feels more right is the old-school way of celebrating the holidays is how it is done in Europe. One more way of stepping it up and stepping out to enjoy what feels best for me. What do you do to feel your best and take care of your soul, your psyche, your body and your mind?

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Merging Money, Meaning & Life Purpose: Free Training Course

May 2, 2010 | Posted in Leading Hartfully, Living Hartfully, Wealthy Woman | By

Thanks to Baeth Davis’s incredible F.R.E.E. INTERACTIVE TRAINING, thousands of entrepreneurs are now aware of their major blind spot (there are 14 Life Lessons in all) that has been holding them back from achieving what they desire most: Profits AND Purpose in business!
You can still grab the training here before it comes down for good: get it here
These tutorials are NOT downloadable and are only available for 4 more days.  Frankly, we did not expect the turnout, so to make sure that YOU get an opportunity to have ALL your questions answered, Baeth is going to make herself available for a LIVE (yes, that is LIVE, not a replay) Q & A plus HOT SEAT experience.
Why? Because Baeth is committed to doing whatever it takes to help you discover that ‘Yes’ you can say ‘good bye’ to meaningless work and not enough money once and for all.  She’s done it and she’s shown me how to do it through revealing my life purpose, my life lesson, and she can show you how too.
My life purpose is Artist and Messenger in the Community Spotlight. Now that I know that, had what I already knew to be true, validated by my fingerprints as Baeth analyzed, I know that I’m on the right path.
If you’re in struggle, strife or feel stuck, stymied or just plain sick and tired of what you’ve been doing – it may be that you shouldn’t be doing it at all. Baeth can help you get out of your meaningless work forever and live and work your purpose.
I encourage you to join the training and receive the information to access the Q/A Hot Seat experience here.  If you’ve been participating in this ONE-TIME ONLY, 3-PART INTERACTIVE TRAINING that Baeth has been sharing, you are likely already experiencing shifts in your business.  I’ll show you how to gain access to all THREE of them, totally  FREE.
There are three free training videos in addition to the live Twitter chat. In the third video Baeth identifies what is wrong if you’re not attracting IDEAL clients. Chances are it’s due to one thing. Your prospective clients have no idea WHAT you’re talking about or WHY they should listen to you! That’s right. When you are not crystal clear on Your Purpose, your core message is muddy, unclear and comes across as just a bunch of meaningless “blah, blah, blah”.
I have GREAT news for you! Baeth shows you a little-known method for identifying the CORE MESSAGE and BRAND PROMISE of your business for your clients. In this totally free, interactive training, Baeth will show you how to IDENTIFY this message and promise and WHY you MUST know this information to take your business to the next level; to merge Money AND Meaning. Please. Will you join Baeth and me for this extraordinary and valuable experience?
This training is PURE content and waiting for you to put into action in your business. If you’ve ever wondered if you’re on the right track in your business or your life, this is one amazing way to find out. If you’ve been wanting validation that what you’re doing is what you should be doing, this information is for you. If you’ve ever wished you could find somebody to help guide you and show you the way and help you uncover what it is you’re supposed to be doing, Baeth is the person who has the methodology to uncover what purpose is in your hands.
P.S. THOUSANDS now have money AND meaning in their businesses who never thought they could.  When will you join the ranks of the authentically successful?  How about now?  Here’s that link again.
PPS: And don’t forget, your enrollment in the 3-part training will also get you access to the Monday night Q/A Hot Seat experience!  Your business and life will never be the same.

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