Best Flower Subscription in Denver: Fern and Bloom

An Exclusive Interview with Katie Carrera, Owner of Fern and Bloom

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Katie Carrera, OWNER OF Fern and Bloom

When it comes to lifting up your home’s vibe or sending some love to someone, there’s no comparison to that fresh flowers feeling. Fern and Bloom is a full-service floral shop providing lush and beautiful designs for weddings, elopements, events, businesses and florals for every occasion. In the heart of Denver, Colorado, Fern and Bloom also is a full retail shop with a selection of plants and unique curated gift items. For the Best Flower Subscription in Denver, look no further than Fern and Bloom, offering seasonal, locally grown, and beautiful monthly or weekly flower subscriptions. We sat down with the owner of Fern and Bloom, Katie Carrera, who shared her passion for flowers, design, and all things community.

Katie Carrera, OWNER OF Fern and Bloom

Interview with Katie Carrera, Owner of Fern and Bloom

Q: How did Fern and Bloom begin?

Katie Carrera: “I started in the floral industry over 20 years ago. I have worked in small retail environments as well as freelance designer for larger scale events. My mission in starting Fern and Bloom has been to be a part of the everyday community. I’ve been a Denver local my whole life. It is a dream come true to have a business in the neighborhood I call home. Having clients that I get to know through all their life milestones is very special to me - from engagement to wedding to baby shower and all the birthdays.

Q: You’re committed to supporting local farms, artists and women-owned businesses.

Katie Carrera: “Yes! When I opened, I wanted to build a business with a foundation of supporting other local women-owned businesses so we can grown and thrive together. It’s also important to give referrals in this industry and we strive to do that as often as possible. When buying flowers during Colorado growing season, we offer locally grown flowers from a wide net of Colorado-based farms.”

FERN AND BLOOM

Q: How does Fern and Bloom’s Weekly or Monthly Flower Subscription work?

Katie Carrera: “It can be a “choose your own adventure” here! We can customize it to fit the needs of each client. I would say our most popular are a weekly or bi-weekly floral arrangement of seasonal flowers. We can either deliver locally or have it in-store for pick-up. Most clients spend between $65-$100 for blooms. We have online options you can start that will charge on a monthly basis or we can bill as we go. We offer both delivery available locally within our zip code range and pickup in store.

Q: Can you customize or personalize your Weekly or Monthly Flower Subscription?

Katie Carrera: “Yes. We recommend giving us a call and we can discuss the options that work best for the clients needs.”

Q: Do the Weekly or Monthly Flower Subscriptions feature seasonal flowers?

Katie Carrera: “Yes. We recommend letting our talented designers create something beautifully-selected from what is prime of the season. If you have special requests such as a love for purple, moody vibes or fragrant, etc., we are happy to note them.”

Q: How can people get a Weekly or Monthly Flower Subscription from Fern and Bloom?

Katie Carrera: “The best option is to give us a call to chat over the details. We still love to talk IRL or send us an email if you’re shy! Also, we offer options on our online shop.” 

FERN AND BLOOM

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Fern and Bloom

• Address: 4014 Tennyson St. Denver, CO 80212 

• Phone: (303) 477-7877

• Email: hello@fernandbloomdenver.com

• Website: https://www.fernandbloomdenver.com

• Weekly or Monthly Flower Subscription: https://www.fernandbloomdenver.com/shop-1

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fernandbloomdenver/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernandbloomdenver

How To Improve Your Sleep

SWEET DREAMS

This post is sponsored by VitalSleep.

You know those people who have perfect circadian clocks? Or my sweet pup for instance. The sun goes down, and to sleep they go and when they rise, this beautiful glow. For those who have trouble sleeping for whatever reason, and there are many, here are some ways to improve your sleep quality in hopes of a good night’s rest and a morning glow.

Quick Tips To Better Sleep

• Create a sleep routine

• Stick to your sleep schedule

• Sleep in a cool temperature, dark room and quiet environment (no purple gnite neon lights allowed, no matter how cute)

• Avoid caffeine late at night

• Physical activity during the day time, not too close to your bedtime though

• Stop using electronics two hours before bed

• Destress before bed whether that’s reading, journaling, praying, meditating, zoning out on Netflix or taking a bubble bath (you do you)

Reclaim A Good Night’s Sleep

Try VitalSleep and reclaim a good night's sleep. VitalSleep is a custom-molded and adjustable, anti-snoring mouthpiece that can improve the way you sleep. Unlike other devices, VitalSleep's design targets the main cause of snoring, which is a partial obstruction of the airway.

Here's how VitalSleep works: VitalSleep holds your lower jaw and tongue forward to open the airway. It's patented Accu-adjust system allows for calibrated jaw positioning based on your snoring intensity. It easily molds to your teeth for a personalized and comfortable fit.

Located in New Jersey, VitalSleep’s mission is to help people achieve quiet, restful sleep and improve their quality of sleep and lifestyle. According to VitalSleep, you should have your dentist or medical doctor perform a complete oral health assessment to ensure the suitability of VitalSleep.

Sleep is such an important part of your health. For me, getting a quality good night of sleep can set me up to have a successful day and at least feel energized enough to accomplish the day’s tasks. If you are losing sleep due to snoring, you’re missing out on all of the benefits of a restful night’s sleep. Save 10% off VitalSleep using the code ALLISONGAPPA at https://www.vitalsleep.com!

For all things wellness, beauty and lifestyle, be sure to check back on the blog for fresh, new content!

Favorite Quotes from Favorite Philosophers

“No great genius has ever existed without a strain of madness. ”

— Aristotle

“Remember what is unbecoming to do is also unbecoming to speak of.”

— Socrates

“Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

— Socrates

“No pleasure is a bad thing in itself: but the means which produce some pleasures bring with them disturbances many times greater than the pleasures.”

— Epicurus, Principal Doctrines

“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives - choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”

— Aristotle

“Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart’s desire; the other is to get it.”

— Socrates

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift.”

— Socrates

Healthy Drinks To Fuel Your Hustle

BECAUSE THE GRIND NEVER STOPS

This post is sponsored by Recoup and Keto Coffee.

Who else’s 2020 has been crazy busy? It’s almost like this great New Year came with new adventures that is requiring a new energy. Whether it’s your career, side hustle, new relationships or new goals, it’s time to step up with a lot of self-care and a lot of determination to avoid burnout. So much of maintaining a high-level of performance in any area of life correlates with nutrition and how you’re taking care of yourself physically and mentally throughout the high-demands of your day. While we could dive into so many different aspects of self-care, let’s take it one step at time and focus specifically on healthy drinks that can serve as nutritious, energy boosters to keep you at your best all day long. And if you’re like me and spoil your pup, deservingly so, I’m here to remind you to take care of yourself too. 😜

Boelter Oklahoma State University Universal Water Bottle

World Market Two Tone Coral Infuser Water Bottle With Bamboo Lid

Water

If you aren’t chugging water throughout your day and night, get yourself a cute or collegiate water bottle to remind you how important it is do so for your body, health, energy and life. #GoPokes But seriously, the benefits of water is a never-ending and constantly growing list. Looking to lose weight? Drink more water. Want more energy? Drink more water. Improve your mood? Drink more water. Want better skin? Drink more water. Your body is comprised of about two-thirds water and dehydration, even mild dehydration, can negatively affect so many areas you wouldn’t even think of like stress and energy levels to name of few. Personally, I get headaches from dehydration. When I want to lose weight, the first thing I do is double my water intake. Thirsty? Drink water, then drink a little bit more.

Keto Coffee

We all know that 2 p.m. slump it seems impossible to jump out of and back into a somewhat productive day. RegenaLife’s Keto Coffee can help you stay focused, alert and energized while simultaneously restoring essential proteins through amino acids and collagen peptides. RegenaLife’s Keto Coffee is made with hormone-free, grass-fed butter and medium chain triglycerides from coconuts. There is no sugar added, no hormones and is nonGMO, soy free and gluten free. The ingredients are simple: Collagen Peptides, MCT Oil, Grass-Fed Butter Powder, Sunflower, Dark Roast Coffee, Natural Flavors, Stevia and Monk Fruit Extract. RegenaLife boasts that this combo helps increase your body’s ketone production, breakdown fat, boost your energy, enhance your mood and sharpen your focus.

I love their easy, single-serving packets that are awesome for a quick morning routine or to take with you and use throughout your day. I really enjoyed the taste of the Keto Coffee mixed with hot water which isn’t the case for all single-serving packets. You can purchase RegenaLife’s Keto Coffee here and use the code GAPPA for a sweet discount!

Coconut Water

I’m a big fan of organic coconut water especially in the spring and summer. Not only does it offer crazy health benefits, but for me, even if I’m chugging water and I still feel thirsty, coconut water does the trick. I can absolutely tell the difference in taste if it is organic or not, and Naked’s Organic Pure Coconut Water is one of my absolute faves. It’s great for hydration, full of nutrients, antioxidants, potassium, and electrolytes. Use it to hydrate and replenish throughout your day.

Recoup

The hustle requires a recovery period just like a great workout requires recovery and replenishing of hydration, nutrients and rest. Meet Recoup. It’s a wellness beverage company with plant-powered hydration to support muscle recovery, digestion and immunity. I love their mission: To help people be their best selves by offering healthy ways to recover from the sport of modern life. Modern life is such a hustle, and really has turned into a sport so it’s time to give yourself the same treatment and nutrition you would after an intense workout. Welcome to 2020, baby.

When I tried Recoup’s powerful three (their delicious, new flavors) I was really excited to see ginger-powered on the bottles! Why? For years, I’ve used ginger for its anti-inflammatory properties to reduce swelling some of which is hereditary, some from being a former college athlete and some from participating in sport of modern life everyday. It also helps relieve sore muscles, support digestion and boost immunity and each bottle is packed with 2 tsp of pressed organic ginger. Score. It’s crafted with hydrating tree water for hydration and the nutrients and electrolytes from the organic ginger will replenish your system after a yoga class, boxing sesh, run or serve as a perfect start your day.

I loved all the flavors but like I mentioned, I love ginger! Either way, your body will thank you. Recoup’s three new flavors are watermelon + blood orange, cucumber + lemon and pineapple + coconut. You can use the code ALLISONGAPPA for an awesome discount and shop the trio here.

Favorite Poems: "The Daffodils" by William Wordsworth

The Daffodils

By: William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A Poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Healthy Habits To Fuel Your Holiday Hustle

HUSTLE AND BUSTLE #holidayhustle

Happy Holidays!

You’ve probably got a lot going on this holiday season. The preparation often becomes overwhelming, the food is so good it’s hard to stop eating and stress shows up during the happiest time of the year. So, here’s a couple simple tips to keep you healthy and hustling all season long.

1. Drink More Water

First thing is first, water intake is a huge factor in your health and well-being. Instead of reaching for your third cup of coffee, chug a glass of water for extra energy. Water keeps us going and the benefits of being hydrated will keep you feeling refreshed each day.

Even mild-hydration can take a toll on your body. Alissa Rumsey, RD, spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said "mild dehydration is often masked as feelings of hunger, when really your body just needs fluids.” Her suggestion? “Prevent it by staying on top of your fluid intake, starting with a glass of water first thing in the morning," advises Rumsey. "If you feel hungry, and you haven't drank much that day, try drinking a glass of water and waiting 15 to 20 minutes to see if your hunger subsides."

2. Exercise Adventures

When we hit 2020 and people are motivated with new resolutions, gyms are full of positive runners on treadmills and ellipticals. Doesn’t going outside for a walk with your family after your Christmas Eve dinner sound merrier? If you’re visiting family, take time to plan active adventures that will be good for your heart in more ways than one. You could go snowboarding with your little bro, a bike ride with your dad even though it’s a bit chill outside or find the nearest iceskating rink when the family blow up is happening and let them know you’re out for 30 min to go do you.

Versace BAROCCO SET OF TWO 3KG DUMBBELLS

Or buy these Versace Dumbbells so you’ll have no excuses not to get physical.

The LOVIDIA Way Low-Carb Bundle

3. Healthy Snacks

LOVIDIA is on a mission to help people embrace positive lifestyle changes to achieve long-term, sustainable good health. I loved trying the LOVIDIA Way Low-Carb Bundle. It’s an amazing assortment of low net-carb choices that are high in fiber, protein and healthy fats. The ingredients were so nutritious and simple in each and every item.

My initial excitement? All 16 items in the bundle were vegetarian! Good for you, good for the earth and a good way to satisfy your hunger with healthy snacks while waiting at the airport, running late for a meeting or sneaking a couple bites before dinner.

The LOVIDIA Way Low-Carb Bundle is a great way to sample healthy, low-carb snacks. The big bundle allows you to taste delicious items and find favorites like these amazing FG Sharp Cheddar Crackers.

The LOVIDIA Way Low-Carb Bundle: FG Sharp Cheddar Crackers

Here’s a peek at some of my other favorites and you can snack the healthy way with The LOVIDIA Way Low-Carb Bundle for $29 plus take 10% off by using the promo code ALLISONGAPPA at https://dealspotr.com/getcode/s5Rb1. Check out LOVIDIA’s other healthy lifestyle products at https://www.lovidia.com/.

Invest in your health this holiday whether it’s finally getting eight hours of sleep every night, taking a mental health day or seeing a counselor for the first time. And of course, drink more water, make adventures exercising and choose healthy snacks that fuel your holiday hustle.

Trending Dog Accessories That Are So Fetch

SPOIL YOUR PUP

This post is sponsored by Frenchiestore.

You’re Pawsome

There’s nothing like coming home to an excited puppy, sweet cuddles before the day gets started or unconditional love that shows up right when you need it. Your sweet fur baby deserves all the love, bones and play dates you can fit into your day!

Here are some cute ideas for your best friend that will leave you feeling like a pawsome pet owner.

Frenchiestore Sustainable Fashion

Aloha, fur bae! From home decor to dog accessories, Frenchiestore offers seasonal dog accessories and bestselling designs to treat your pup.

Credit: Frenchiestore pumpkin spice pupcup luxury leash

Frenchiestore luxury leashes are made with the highest materials available and how cute is this Pumpkin Spice Pupcup design? Must-Have. This fun leash features a padded handle for a comfortable grip and is durable unlike many pet leashes and collars that start unraveling with little wear. I’m obsessed with the vegan leather logo too! We love all our animals, right?

Frenchiestore offers health conscious pet products that feature eco-friendly sustainable fashion for your fur babe including health conscious collars that are comfortable and breathable! Imagine wearing a collar all day that’s uncomfortable, too tight or painful. It’s really important to make sure you give your dog breaks from his or her collar at home and that the collar isn’t too tight when they’re wearing it.

Credit: Frenchiestore Breakaway Dog Collar California Dreamin’

O loves his Frenchiestore Breakaway Dog Collar in the Calfornia Dreamin’ design to match his luxury leash. He’s got pep in his step with these vibrant crisp colors. More importantly, this collar features an extra soft layer of fabric to protect his neck. The breakaway indestructible buckle is made with the latest safe technology and at this amazing price, it’s so worth it.

Plus, follow this link https://dealspotr.com/getcode/L0b3u and copy the code to get 10% off ANYTHING at Frenchiestore!

Credit: Sincerely Silver

Sincerely Yours, Forever.

My mom is a fashion genius and always ahead of the trends. I love Sincerely Silver Jewelry and obv I’m in love with O, my fur child. My mom came up with the idea to have O’s birth date engraved on a Sincerely Silver necklace with their amazing custom collection.

This is the most beautiful and special piece of jewelry I own. This isn’t a trend. It’s a meaningful piece of jewelry that will never, ever, go out of style.

Soda Pup for Your Sweet Pup

Give in to your dog’s sweet tooth with a durable cupcake chew toy made by Soda Pup. This high-quality product is made in the USA with safe materials that are FDA compliant, non-toxic and biodegradable.

This fun design dispenses treats or kibble while creating a sweet, challenging game for your dog to get the goodies inside. These products come in two sizes depending on your dog’s weight and is designed to withstand the ultimate chew from your pup! They offer a 30 day replacement guarantee. But the best part is that this veteran-owned company gives back to charities involving dogs in the communities where Soda Pup is sold.

O loves a good challenge and a great toy so he’s having lots of fun with his cupcake treat dispenser and chew toy! These toys are super affordable so grab a couple toys for fur bae with this link https://dealspotr.com/getcode/d8Vwn and take an extra 20% off by using the code! Happy chewing!

Anthropologie Red Dog Wall Art

Pup Art

Check out this pop of pup art by Anthropologie! Spoil your dog, then treat yo self with this statement piece for being a pawesome pet owner!

How To Overcome Hesitation And Just Go For It

TAKE ACTION

What Causes Hesitation

Mel Robbins said, “When you hesitate, you're seeking validation, but validation only comes when you take action.” I wrote on Mel Robbins’ amazing 5 Second Rule here after enrolling in one of her classes on CreativeLive. BTW, Creative Live is offering up 25% off all of their classes until Sunday so check them out! This class of Mel’s is an insightful take on what causes hesitation. I’ll stop hesitating now, and dive into it.

Self-Doubt Triggers

Self-doubt creates a triggers and the first one causes you to hesitate as if you were trapped. It also triggers uncertainty and so you start actively waiting - for the perfect time to go out and get that job you’ve always wanted, pick up the phone to mend a relationship or live the healthy lifestyle you’ve wanted for years now. You’re actively waiting in your mind which means you’re also actively not doing it. And that’s the point, the “perfect time” never really comes.

“I act on my impulses, but then I freeze and I don't follow through. It's so frustrating because I know I'm the problem. The harder I try the more complicated I make everything. Because you're not doing anything, right? You're up here. I overwhelm myself and feel guilty and stupid, I give up. I just wish I could smack myself and get out of my own way,” from Robbins’ class. Raise your hand if you’ve been there? I see you. Don’t worry - I got two hands raised cause this girl needs God’s help getting out of my own way everyday!

If you want to level up, you have to get out of your own way. Get out of your head. It will only lead to additional anxiety especially if your mind is swirling with negative thoughts. No matter how you feel, by taking action, you will be growing just by doing so and as you continue to grow you will be closer to achieving what you want or becoming who you want to be as a person.

“One of the secrets to great success is to change your perspective on failure. You see, everyone experiences failures before they ultimately succeed. Some let their failures stop them. Some keep trying. ”

— Gary Keller

Go For It

A lot of hesitation, I think, comes from fear. Fear of rejection, inadequacy, failure or embarrassment. As a society, we often correlate our identity directly with our work. When a guy can no longer play in the league or you get fired from your day job your whole identity - the essence of who you are is stripped away because that’s who you were… work. And without it, who are you? “You're not putting you out there, you're putting your work and your story, you're putting a story out,” said Robbins.

How do you overcome hesitation? No more hiding and actively waiting which can lead to you feeling helpless. Walk through your fear, get out of your comfort zone and move forward on your path - the right path hurdling hesitation along the way.

• Sign up for Mel Robbins’ complete class on CreativeLive here.

Cayman Islands: Jet Set To The Trip of A Lifetime

#IslandTime

Photo: Allison Gappa

Ready, Jet, Go!

Planning a trip, especially out of the country, is no small task, Not that it’s not totally worth it, but there is a whole lot that goes into it! That’s why I’m glad I had Cheap Flight Alerts to not only make booking the flight easier and way cheaper than normal fares but also the hotel.

Cheap Flight Alerts just launched an amazing flight and hotel membership where you can receive up to 60-90% off flights and curated hotel offers to amazing destinations worldwide. There are so many cool places with incredible discounts that if you don’t want to pack up and travel the world already, you will after seeing these prices.

And one of those places, is the Cayman Islands.

Photo: Allison Gappa

Life-Changing Views

If you’re looking for a complete guide on what to do in the Cayman Islands, this might not be the blog for it. Except you do have to go kiss the stringrays. They’re the sweetest and it’s seven years good luck, duh.

I became very attached to nature quickly when I was there. I was the girl yelling at the #influencers to put the starfish back in the water because the starfish’s beautiful life is way more important than your funk photo. I told y’all, attached. Just wait til we get to the coral reef. lol.

Photo: Allison Gappa

Photo: Allison Gappa

The Coral Reef

It was cloudy. Almost eery, the day we decided to go snorkeling to see the coral reef. Even before we were far out at sea, I had this feeling that something was coming. And if you’re swimming in the deep blue that feeling isn’t always the one you want to have but your gut is always right.

There aren’t words that can do the coral reef justice. It’s a place that God created that still bursts with this incredible, multi-colored energy of organisms and creatures you didn’t even know existed. I swam with jelly fish that were neon pink and looked at so many different colors of fish that the word color doesn’t seem to be an adequate description and the sea turtles… those beautiful beams of peace.

My heart broke that day. Because as thankful as I am that I experienced this glorious underwater world, it’s destroyed. We’ve destroyed a beauty that only deserved to be obsessed over. It’s bleached and half of the world’s coral reefs have already been killed by climate change and that puts a quarter of all marine life at risk.

And the amazing thing is, there is still this life, this energy with the reef that is so contagious that this ecosystem comforts you, forgives you for incomprehensible reasons. So I cried. And I cried. I cried for the coral reef.

Photo: Allison Gappa

#IslandTime

Ah, I loved the locals. They simply slap you in the face and remind you what’s important in life. They, of course, don’t literally slap you but it is a wake-up call. No rush, no worries, no frowns, no tears, for now. We’re on island time, baby. So slow down, relax and enjoy what we have right now. Because that, is a moment that knows no time. These are moments and memories that will be with you for a lifetime.

Don’t forget to jet away and give yourself some much-deserved island time by checking out Cheap Flight Alerts here.

You can help save the coral reef by donating today here.

The 5 Second Rule

YOU’VE GOT FIVE SECONDS

To Do List: Check

Have you ever known exactly what you were supposed to do but it was really hard for you to do it let alone even start? We’ve all been there. It can simple like cleaning the house, running the errand you don’t want to or making the phone call you’ve put off for way too long. It can go deeper too. It might be that you’re struggling with the anxiety of meeting new people, applying for a new job or confronting a fear that could be holding you back.

CreativeLive is an online education platform full of great, inspiring classes whether it’s in photography, art and design or marketing and business. I recently enrolled in one of Mel Robbins classes on CreativeLive. One of the topics she discusses is her brilliant 5 Second Rule. If you want to enroll in her class, you can do so here. What is the 5 Second Rule though?

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - GO!

Mel Robbins said this is the definition of the 5 Second Rule, “If you have an impulse to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill the idea.” It’s all about going for it, literally physically acting on your goal within 5 seconds so that your brain doesn’t talk you out of it. This seemingly small change by taking action could become a habit which could in turn change your life.

What do you love doing? Why not make it your career? Don’t wait, just start writing an action plan or searching for ways to start online. Maybe you’ve been fearful about something that seems impossible to do. Walk through your fear. On the other side is this beautiful space where magic happens. It won’t be comfortable and you might fail, but that’s ok because failure is a necessity to success. Thomas Watson said, “Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.” Preach.

Take Action

A key to the 5 Second Rule is physically moving and starting the task. Mel Robbins explains, “It (your brain) thinks it’s keeping you safe when in fact it is keeping you from growing as a person, stretching yourself in your business, and fully experiencing life. You see, your brain has 3 basic jobs. It narrates your life as you live it and catalogs your memories. It operates your body’s functions. And it protects you from danger. When you stop and think, when you hesitate, and when you feel uncertain, you are signaling to your brain that something’s wrong. Your brain automatically goes into overdrive to protect you. How does it protect you? By keeping you from doing anything that feels scary, hard, or uncertain. You know that there’s nothing dangerous about making a call or taking a walk or pursuing your dreams. But your brain doesn’t know that, and it tries to sabotage you. The 5 Second Rule is a way to outsmart your brain by changing hesitation into action.”

I’d love to hear if y’all try this out and how it works for you! You can sign up for Mel Robbins’ complete class on CreativeLive here.

Improve Your Life With This 2020 Interior Design Trend

BIOPHILIC DESIGN. NATURE IS CALLING.

Biophilic Design

In 2019, we saw indoor plants, succulents and hanging greenery take center stage. There is no question that plants improve the quality of health in so many different ways but Biophilic Design is much more than a couple cute cacti sitting by your windows. Get ready to go green, really, really, green.

So what is Biophilic Design? It’s bringing the outdoor benefits of nature indoors whether it’s your home, office or child’s school. It’s boasted health, environmental and economic benefits. While Biophilic Design will grow like crazy in 2020, it’s not a new concept.

The term biophilia was first used in 1973 by Erich Fromm and he described it as “the passionate love of life and of all that is alive.” Edward O. Wilson wrote a book in 1984 (ironic, I know) titled Biophilia proposing that humans have an innate, biological affinity for the natural world. Fast forward to modern day when humans are spending 90% of their time, their lives indoors and Biophilic Design is naturally, not subtly, bringing the outdoors, indoors.

Research On Research

From physical health, to mental health, to spiritual health, nature is continuing to pack on loads of scientific research of the endless benefits. Reduced stress, improved focus, increased immunity, doubled productivity and fewer mental health problems are just some of those benefits. Companies claim their employees are happier and more creative with Biophilic Design in their offices. If hospitals don’t offer a view a nature, they should, or at least are continuing to implement, plants in patients rooms. Why? Because studies have shown that having access to nature can help patients heal faster. Ready to reap the benefits and get Biophilic Designing?

Bringing Biophilic Design To Your Space

Instead of those beautiful hanging succulents, upgrade to a hanging, vertical interior garden. It will be a stunning design that offers tranquility. Use natural, organic materials, filter in as much sunlight as possible and consider adding a water feature. Put at least one plant in every room of your house or office. Decorate with green, earthy tones and no need to worry if those colors will go out of style because Biophilic Design is the breath of fresh air that’s here to stay.

About Greenwashing And How You Can Avoid It

By: Rini Hapsoro

With the growing demand for sustainable practices in recent years, many companies have adopted green marketing strategies to boost their brand image and appeal to new customers. The problem is, it has gotten difficult for us to distinguish companies that truly dedicate themselves to protecting the planet from those that incorporate green campaigns to garner more profits.

The latter is a practice known as “greenwashing”; where corporations across various industries (fashion included), use a PR spin to demonstrate that they are more environmentally conscious than it is, in fact, the case. Such an example is the abundance of corporations that take advantage of Earth Day as a marketing opportunity to appear more “green” and sustainable once a year.

Unfortunately, more often than not, companies “greenwash” in order to cover their deeds which actually harm the environment. In response to this practice, various groups including Greenpeace have called out these actors and push consumers to make better choices. One of the most common greenwashing strategies, they point out, is when a company promotes an eco-friendly product while its core practices are fundamentally unsustainable or polluting.

As such, it is best to get familiar with some basic rules of Greenwash avoidance. Learn about who is truly green and look beyond marketing claims, such as understanding the components that make up the product and conduct extensive research on the company’s environmental commitment. It's crucial see if the product contains any substantial information, since advertisements (as we know) shouldn’t be taken at face value. On this note, Futerra’s 2015 Selling Sustainability Report offers 10 primary rules which we can easily adapt to avoid getting “greenwashed”.

Another method is to find certifications that have been vetted by a reliable third-party. Rather than ascribing to products that merely claim to be made with organic materials, cross-check if they are indeed supported by a certified Organic label that meets the federal government’s organic standard. Ecolabel Index, in this case, can be used as a point of reference as it tracks over 400 different labels in 197 countries, across 25 sectors.

Do you also have some advice to give for avoiding greenwashed claims and making ethical fashion purchases? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!