Relaxing- Organized Mindset

Happy Saturday everyone!

I've finally got a solid schedule at work so I will be posting a whole lot more from this week on!
I really do want to apologize yet again for the lapse in posts these previous weeks but a girl needs her sleep!
We've almost made it through yet another fabulous week of this amazing new year!

But let's be real some of us most of us aren't having that great of a year some of us may be having a rough start and some of us may be experiencing no change at all, so if you are feeling down about how your year is going so far Relax! We're only two months in (which is already crazy to say) we still have plenty of time to check off those to do list and accomplish those goals.


Which Brings me to what I wanted to talk to you guys about today!

RELAXATION

We spoke about the importance of writing out your goals and how important it is for you to set aside time to achieve your goals.But it is extremely important to set aside time to relax as well. All work and no play is no good for anyone. After a hard week of work, it's important to set aside some time to relax and just unwind. 

So today I am going to show you how I like to unwind and some of these may seem a little "weird don't knock it till you try it! 

1. Watch A Nature Documentary: This is unbelievably my favorite way to relax, now it may seem a little bit unorthodox but when I dive in deep to these nature docs they complete relax me, being able to teleport to the middle of the ocean or watching gazelles in the African Sahara helps me completely forget about what's happening in my life and just let go. 
2.  Take a Walk: Most people associate relaxing with staying still and you know relaxing your muscles as well as your mind. However, going for a walk around the block can really help you clear your head. Bring along your favorite tunes and Maybe even Fido too LOL he'll certainly be glad to accompany you as soon as you grab the leash. 
3. Sit In Barnes&Noble: This is honestly one of my guilty pleasures, grab yourself a coffee or tea from the cafe and grab a chair and settle in with a good book and some meditation music an drift into another world.Now some of you may be thinking can't we just do that at home? Of course but let's be real, those of us who live with family or roommates sometimes pray for a moment of peace or some time for ourselves. This is a way to not only change up the scenery and ensure complete peace from everyone at home. Plus everyone at Barnes and Noble is there for the exact same reason they'll be to busy with a book or typing away on their laptop to pester you. 
4. Take a Shower: Now everytime someone says relax a bubble bath is definitely one of the first five things that pop into my head and I love a good bath bomb or bubble bar as much as the next girl, however, a good shower can be just as soothing. I like to use a lavender soap my favorite is the Yardley Lavender and vanilla it makes my whole bathroom smell like lavender. Another tip I like to use for the shower is to tie some dry eucalyptus leaves behind my shower head and it really makes the whole shower smell amazing it clears your mind and when you're feeling under the weather it'll do wonders on a stuffy nose or clogged sinuses.  

Why I started this blog.

So another question I have been being asked by myself and others recently is,

 Why did I start my blog?

This is a question I have been working out in my head since I launched my blog. I have wanted to start a blog for quite a while, in fact, I even started a few but honestly didn't stick to them, because I  wasn't sure what I wanted my blog to be about, I just kept coming to a block where I felt locked into posting about certain things instead of being able to express my love for all of my passions. 

So,  I decided that I want my blog to be about well ME lol, I wanted to be able to express myself and motivate people to be able to achieve their dreams just like I am trying to. So This blog will be a mixture of things, I will share with you My life experiences, DIY projects, my thoughts and reviews on various products, Recipes the list goes on and on!

One thing I will promise you is that  YOU WILL NEVER BE BORED HERE! Seriously, I intend to give you guys worthy content while keeping it completely honest and real.

And if you guys have any ideas about things you want me to talk about on here E-mail me or Leave a comment down below I am always open to new ideas!

Contact Me! 

What about me?

Hey guys just wanted to once again apologize for the lack of posting occurring the past two weeks but a lot has been going on and I am trying to get my rhythm back and reform a routine based on my new work schedule.

I feel in order to better connect with my readers I should give you all a little more insight into my life, sure I gave you a little taste with my intro post and Various other personal posts I have scattered here and there on the blog. But the truth is there is absolutely nothing simple about my life.

I will not pretend to be this all put together person because I am not, I am a 22-year-old young woman who has gotten to a point in her life where she is desperately trying to decide what it is she was meant to do on this forsaken planet.  I am so excited to begin taking this journey to finding myself and I am even more excited to be sharing it with others with hopes of being a source of inspiration to those at a similar point in their life.

So today I wanted to kind of take a break and give you the rundown on

Who Is Moki?

So I guess the most important thing is how I got the nickname Moki, well from a very young age I had two nicknames Mo and NaeNae typical nicknames for the name Monae. But as I got older I grew tired of Naenae and wanted something a little bit more mature I guess, so I settled for Mo and it stuck with me throughout high school. Moki came into play because my fiance felt Mo had a more masculine aura about it and didn't really represent my girly nature lol. So he combined the first initials of my first name Monae and my middle name and Kiyanna , and MoKi was born. 

I was born in Brooklyn New York at Wyckoff hospital on October 11,1995 to the two most awesome parents I Could ever ask for. I personally hate it when people say "I was fortunate enough to have both parents in my life." Because I know tons of people who grew up with one parent in their home and are doing just fine.I didn't have much growing up but my parents always made sure we were good and that we were well-rounded individuals which is why I never sought out to be materialistically rich. I'd rather have a rich soul full of experiences and treasured memories. 

My parent's raised me on the musical likings of Jill Scott, Erica Badu, Tupac, Lauren Hill, TLC, to name a few, the greats. My father knows good music and to this day shows me that it is always worth looking for the music in life no matter how difficult it is. My dad has been making music in my house for as long as I could remember. I remember being barely 6 climbing onto a chair to be able to reach my dad's microphone just so I could spout nonsense, that to him was musical genius to be sampled onto songs he made himself. My dad is the source of my extreme pride he's always told me I can do anything I put my mind to (He's actually been telling me to start a blog for years).Which is why I'll never settle for anything less than greatness.

My mother has raised me into the woman I am today, strong, independent and hardworking. My mom has worked her behind off for everything in life and shows me that there is no age limit to achieving your dreams. My mom is currently in the works of making one of her lifelong dreams of bringing her aromatherapy creations beloved by my family to the masses. My mom is definitely a huge source of inspiration for me ! She actually is the reason I began pursuing my own online business which I promise I will tell you all about sometime really soon.

So when I was about 7 years old my mom told me she was pregnant with my brother, if I am going to be completely honest here I wasn't exactly thrilled I really wanted a little sister at the time but now that I look back and have experiences the hell my friends with little sisters had to go through I coudln't be happier. Everything I do is to show my brother that anything is possible. he's come a long way  he's doing pretty well in school and he plays basketball seriously and he's really a pretty good kid he's about to be 16 this coming august and I still can't believe it it seems like just yesterday I was leaning of carrier waiting for the days he could talk to me and now he says things that literally have me on the brink of tears ( we both got my dad's humor).

So now for the main question I get asked on the regular...

Why Did I Move to North Carolina?

It surprises me how often I get asked this question by people who live here in Fayetteville, As a New Yorker have extreme pride for my city even the bad parts.

But here in Fayetteville it seems to be a town full of people who didnt exactly choose to be here but still ended up here for tons of various reasons and decided to stay. Fayetteville is a huge army town home of one of the biggest military bases Fort Bragg as well as Pope Air force base.

But what brings this big city girl to this little town you ask? I wish I could really tell you some life changing experience happened or something like that but All I Can say is I needed a change, New York is a great big beautiful city and I LOVE it with all my heart but living there is extremely expensive and to be honest it bored me a little. And it gave me sense of helplessness knowing that I was saving up money to basically still be struggling to handle it all in the near future.

So We packed up our bags and headed south !

Who is we you asked ?

The love of my life of course ! We've been together for about 9 years now and he's just completely awesome and super supportive ! I'll talk about him more later on probably for Valentine's day because I don't want this post to be years long LOL.

So yeah currently Fayetteville has become my cute little home and I am not exactly in love with it but it is beginning to feel more and more like home everyday and if what I have planned this year works out I think I will be absolutely in love with it very soon LOL.

Having an Organized Mindset !

Briefly, in the last post, I spoke to you about having an "organized mindset" but it's not as easy as it sounds and it definitely helps to have some physical reminders and plans as well but it all starts with the brain.

Remember when we spoke about Writing it out, Planning it out, and Crossing it out if you do good if not be sure to check those posts out because they go hand in hand with having an organized mindset and being mentally organized.

These methods of planning help you break down your goals into sets of easier tasks that you can achieve more quickly while motivating you to work harder in the process.

But what do we do when we have so much to do and you don't know how or when to do it.
Most of the time writing things down is not enough to actually get us going

So Today I am going to tell you a few things you can do in the morning to keep your mind clutter free or at least help you try.

Tips to A Clutter-Free Mind,

1. Getting A good night's sleep : Now this is something we have been being told since we were little, and even today we are constantly told how important getting those 7-8 hours of complete rest our to our mind and body and yet according to Living Science 35% of Americans claim to get less than 7 hours of sleep each night. Getting a good night sleep seriously impacts your next morning way more than you realize. According to the Stanford University Sleep Medicine Center, "in a couple of hours before you naturally wake up your body begins to raise your core temperature. And if you're not getting enough sleep when your alarm rings it will wake your body too soon making your bed seem too irresistible to leave which causes the next problem.

2. Stop Hitting snooze! Have you ever heard the phrase you snooze you lose? Well if that's not the truth I don't know what is, without even realizing it the snooze button is a major part of people's mornings including mine, in fact, I hit snooze so much I'm one of those people that has a series of alarms to wake me up so that I can actually get up at the time I need to. This is yet another habit we need to break.  Hitting the snooze button is a problem for a lot of obvious reasons but there are some dangers that we don't even think about. Don't you love it when you wake up before your alarm? It feels good to know that you can lay down and relax for a few more minutes doesn't it? But did you know that if you hit snooze often you will decrease the likelihood for his to happen because the more you snooze  The more you ruin the connection between your alarm going off and you waking up needed for behavioral conditioning which means not only will your hatred of mornings increase but soon you may end up ignoring your alarm altogether. 

3. Grab your planner before you grab your phone: A lot of times we hear that alarm we wake up get out of bed and grab our phone and head to the bathroom. This is a typical morning for most people including myself. But it's time to break that habit, wouldn't it make sense for us to start our day by grabbing the things we actually need to look at, what good is writing things out and planning them if you're never going to look at them? So when you wake up in the morning instead of grabbing your phone and scrolling through Instagram, Grab your planner and see the things you have to do and want to get done today so you have a plan from the very moment you wake up. 

Mediation : Clearing your mind of clutter pt3

Hey, guys, I'm sorry I haven't  posted in a while I started a new job and to be honest, it has been whopping my behind and I have been super tired lately. But I promise to get back to my regular routine now that my body is getting used to my new schedule.

So today I wanted to continue our discussion on something I mentioned when I first started discussing Clearing your mind of clutter which is Meditation, meditation has recently become a very important part of my life that I simply feel I didn't do it much Justice in the Last Post So I wanted to go  a little more in-depth with you and give you some key points to follow when you meditate.

1. Mediation is not about blocking out thoughts it's about letting them arise and putting them away for a later time, acknowledge the thoughts that come to you and then gently put them away. I like to think of my thoughts as little clouds and I just swipe them away as they come up. 
2. When should I meditate? This is the question all of my family and friends ask me when I tell them to try meditation. I always recommend meditating in the morning, I feel it's a great way to start the day and really helps you maintain a clear mindset all day long. However, if your mornings are really busy pick a time during the day when you usually have about 5-10 free minutes anyway and use that time to do a quick meditation ( If I'm in a rush in the morning I do a quick 5 min meditation while walking to work using the breathe app's Mindful Walking or right outside my job before I go in while I'm enjoying my last few sips of my breakfast smoothie) 
3. How are you feeling: While meditating be sure to check in on your emotions and think about what may be causing these emotions
4. Focus on Your body: Sure meditation is a great way to increase mental wellness but it's also a great way to check in on your body as well when sitting/lying down be sure to take some time to Check how your body feels, what feels tense? Does anything ache? 
5. Don't try too hard with your breathing: You want to focus on your breathing but you want to allow it to keep its natural pattern. 

So go ahead and give meditation a try, keep these tips in mind and remember you will get better with time and practice. So sit back close your eyes and get ready to relax. 

Mochi's Book of the Month

So This year one of my resolutions is to Read more, I've always loved to read but I found that as I got older I don't really have the time to read anymore or at least I didn't think I did, but now I've made it a point to fit reading into my daily schedule even if its only for a few minutes.

So I figured each month when I start a New Book I would share with you the Book I just finished and give a review of the book without giving away any spoilers.

Today I want to share with you :

The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell by Loraine Despres 

I absolutely love this book! When I first picked it up I thought I was grabbing a quaint little romance novel but I shortly realized it is much more than that. This book with its theme of Feminism, the formation of the KKK, and the prohibition, really show the tension in the south in the 1920's.

I was completely captivated by Despres' writing style and how perfectly she was able to paint her words into a picture.

I love all of the characters but I must say Belle Cantrell is my favorite this "prim and proper" southern lady has a hilarious sense of humor and really captures how mentally straining it must have been for women to not be able to do the simplest of things without possibly ruining their lives.

This tale of romance, murder, racial tension and extremely funny humor will definitely a book that stays on my bookshelf for years to come.

This is definitely a Must read in my book!

Clearing Your Mind pt-2

The Benefits of A morning routine 

Having a morning routine is a great way to free your mind from clutter,sometimes in the morning we can be flooded with thoughts of things we need to do before days end, Having a morning routine not only sets your day off to an organized start but it also makes mornings so much easier! 

When you wake up in the morning and you know exactly what you have to do when you wake up it saves your brain some much needed power early in the morning to say the least. LOL

So I decided  to show you my morning routine as an example.My routine is a little different on the days I work in the mornings but overall this is what it looks like

9:00AM- First alarm SNOOZE 

9:30 -Second Alarm SNOOZE 

10:00 AM third alarm WAKE UP NO SNOOZE 

- Drink Bottle of water, take vitamins

- Wash Face/ Brush Teeth 

10:20 - Breakfast Smoothie

10:30 Meditation

10:45: Sun Salutations 

11:15 Solid Breakfast 

The reason I like having a morning routine is because it really does make my morning go a lot smoother if I already know what I have to do plus it helps me take care of things I need to do every day right off the bat so I dont have to think about it during the day. 

Making a morning routine is extremely helpful in helping you incorporate new habits you want to implement in your daily life. Completing these tasks early in the morning will make you feel good and that's a great way to start your day