Spanista » Self Care Rituals, Reflections & Resources for Joyful Living by Ginny Shiverdecker

  • Spa Style & Self Care Reflections, Rituals and Resources for Joyful Living

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  • About Spanista

    Ginny Shiverdecker, Creator of Spanista is Spa Wellness Enthusiast, Adventurer Seeker and Brand Builder.
    Ginny is……Read more

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

is the style of Good News we like. Why? It’s is more than a product, it’s a program that helps that gives forgotten people a second chance to making a living and a life.

Design In The City Boutique is one of my favorite places to shop because of the spirit of its owner. Mindy, the owner is a good hearted soul in search of things for her boutique that inspires shoppers. Together we responded to the rightness of including The Giving Keys in our Holiday Gift Collection collaboration. It is a simple, elegant and genuine way to give from the heart that will keep on giving.

Spanista-Holiday-Collection-Idea-#6:-Giving-Keys-Hotel.jpegPINIMAGEI first came upon The Giving Keys when I was staying at the Surf and Sand Hotel on Laguna Beach. Walking the beach at sunset puts one in a reflective state of mind. The next morning I woke with a clearer mantra for the days ahead.  I was consulting in Southern California for an international surf brand so I was spending a great deal of time browsing surf specialty shops. When I saw The Giving Keys display, I was immediately drawn to it because it is unique and uplifting. My mantra jumped out a me  – COURAGE.  The Giving Keys so aligns with the Spanista Philosophy of honoring yourself with symbols of  that give you focus and self direction that you can pass on to inspire another.

Here Is A Wonderful Example of Spa Chic Style Story, In A Nutshell: The Giving Keys exists to employ those transitioning out of homelessness to make jewelry out of repurposed keys that get sold and shared around the world. Each key is unique and carries a message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM or COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and then send us the story of their key being paid forward.

Spanista thinks this is an inspiring gift idea that starts with gifting yourself with the idea of gifting another by passing the key forward to someone you want to encourage with a positive word. What touches me is that each key has a traveling human history – the touch of another cannot help but add positive energy to the next who receives it. Does a gift  get any better than this?  Giving electrifies the heart with joy. To read stories about the impact The Giving Keys have see ‘Pay It Forward Stories’ on their site. It amazing to see the ‘chain of goodness’ it has.

As your Spanista Personal Shopper I am happy to select the keys you want to give from Design In the City to make sure you get the look you want – The Giving Keys has a limited range of neck and wrist pieces in gold tone, silver, bronze. Just email what you are interested in and I will be happy to send you exact picture and prices.

May Your Self Care Journey To Joy Be Merry & Bright,

Ginny

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista Friday Wellness Tip: Greek Yogurt Power Breakfast is fast, flavorful and ferocious choice to start your day. Especially when you create a fun presentation for yourself and your loved ones. This simple preserves jar makes the layering of Greek Yogurt, Granola and fresh berries topped off with a dash of natural honey a special treat anyone would enjoy. Spanista believes it the little things that take everyday routines from ordinary to extraordinary like smarter solutions: simple ingredients brought together in a clever ways.

You may have been up before dawn today, to head out for a Black Friday Shopping Rituals. No matter the hour or the day ahead it is always smart to have a yummy yogurt start. I was introduced to yogurt as a young adult and like many of us I adopted a fancy for its refreshing, clean taste and smooth texture. The variety of flavors is perfect for fruit lovers who want the benefits of a lite, low-calorie, healthy dairy choice. Of course the supermarket was my source so my understanding of regular yogurt was based upon the mass offering by big consumer packaged goods companies. I was content as I thought it was the best I could get.

Then one day out of the blue while working in New York, a colleague Joyce and I were seeking lunch at a deli when she insisted I try Greek yogurt after we passed a FAGE display . She said you will love it the difference and never go back. WOW – She was so right! Now my personal favorite is all natural FAGE yogurt, but others are great too.

Since that time, I have come to crave it. Today I am happy to see it rapidly lining more dairy cases of supermarkets.

What distinguishes Greek Yogurt from regular yogurt is that Greek yogurt has been strained to remove the whey. As a result, Greek yogurt has a creamier, thicker texture and richer flavor. In addition, the removal of whey results in a healthier yogurt with 40 percent less sugar, 38 percent less sodium and more than twice the amount of protein than traditional yogurt. Each spoonful is also packed with nutrients and provides numerous health benefits – excellent sources of calcium, potassium, protein, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12. Also, it contains probiotic cultures and is lower in lactose and has twice the protein content of regular yogurt. When I start the day this way I feel I retain my energy and have more mental clarity throughout the day. It fuels the body with the right stuff.

Simple Recipe for Greek Yogurt Power Breakfast as a Spanista Wellness Ritual:

~   6.0z Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt and layer into a preserves jar

~  Enhance with layers granola of your choice and finish with dash of honey

~  Add  fresh fruit cut in pieces and layer into lid and top off the granola

Plus, Toby Amidor Nutrition informs us of 3 primary benefits for Spanista Wellness Seekers:

#1: Digestive Health

One of the most touted health benefits of Greek yogurt is the probiotics it contains. These healthy bacteria help promote a healthy gut. Your digestive tract naturally contains lots of different types of bacteria – some good, helping you digest food, and some potentially harmful. Eating Greek yogurt with probiotics helps increase the good bacteria in your gut. And the more good bacteria you take in, the less room there is for the bad varieties to grow. Maintaining this healthy balance of friendly bacteria can help with several digestive issues.

#2: Blood Pressure

One of the best ways to help control high blood pressure is through diet, specifically the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Pressure Institute. The DASH diet is low in fat, and includes eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables and two to three servings of low-fat or nonfat daily products every day. Dairy foods, including Greek yogurt, are an important source of calcium, magnesium and potassium, which is believed to help lower high blood pressure.

#3: Bone Health

Greek yogurt provides important nutrients, such as calcium magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and protein, which work together to promote strong, healthy bones. However, Greek yogurt provides a complete suite of nutrients not found in calcium tablets alone.

Spanista Friday Wellness: Greek Yogurt Power Breakfast can be a smart way to practice wellness anytime of the year but especially during holidays when ones diet can shift with holiday celebrations. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on yogurt with us Toby.

May Your Self Care Journey To Joy Be Merry, Healthy & Bright,

Ginny

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista Holiday Collection Gift #5 Loungewear Inspires Relaxation in the most natural and comfortable way. As Thanksgiving unfolds into the long week and the holiday weeks come upon us, wouldn’t it be lovely to slip into something so spa chic and comfortable it immediately enhances your mood.  It is easy to see that there will be many days and nights ahead of unpredictable weather, if what we have experienced by way of the intense chilly winds and rain or early heavy snows are any indication of whats to come – it will be a long hard winter.

First its the Spansita way to be grateful no matter the weather as I believe nature has its purpose but does not bother to consult us as she has a bigger purpose in mind. Gratitude opens the heart  to receive grace. It helps our blood flow through relaxed open vessels. It brings contentment.  With with this in mind long winters can call for new Self Care Rituals like identifying your Rituals spot at home – hopefully close to a fireplace with a furry soft throw and plenty of great books, hard cover or via Amazon Fire Tablet, along with your personal sketch pad or journal.

Now all you need is Spa Chic Style. Mindy, Founder of Design in the City and I love this Luscious Loungewear by Nally and Millie. It’s ‘oh so magnificently soft’ to the touch. This heather colored cardigan and pant styled with the latest wide leg allows you to gently swish from side to side as you stroll across the room. This label is made in the USA and the fabrication has brushed soft surface in a blend of rayon polyester and spandex to give it from and fit as it. Plus while it is lightweight and sweet feeling on the skin it is will retain is shape well.

We’ve paired it with a lovely Black Swan Sweater in cream with gold metallic melting. It has a simple crew neck giving the look a Spa chic sensuous and sparkling style to give time at home a special feeling. It is lightweight and breathes for a more natural feeling. (It can also be paired with your favorite jeans for a Saturday daytime look.)

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The finishing touch is this enchanting naturally toned Mariposa Scarf with Asian inspired beautiful butterflies in a gentle tie die effect. It too is lightweight allowing you to layer it for a relaxed glamorous effect.

Spanista believes the simple Ritual of slipping into something so comfortable day after day will allow the Spirit of Gratitude to comes easily when you.

This Spa Chic Ensemble, Spanista Holiday Collection Gift #5 Loungewear Inspires Relaxation. Make everyday is bit more special for someone or yourself with the cardigan, pant, scarf and sweater combo from Design In The City & Spanista. All pieces are under $100 each. There is a range of scarf patterns to pick from. The close ups will help you see the quality details. As your Personal Shopper, I will be happy to help you pick the right sizes. Just email me at [email protected] with your requests. I will get back to you with product details and how your special gift can come together from Spanista.

For me it will be the easy go to pieces for private nights at home especially after a Spanista Home Spa Ritual devoted to your own wellbeing. Happy Thanksgiving weekend Dear Spanista fans – thank you for you support.

 

May Your Self Care Journey To Joy be Merry & Bright,

Ginny

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Sharing Wellness Wisdom Delicious Medicine Body & Soul is a feature article in this weeks Sunday New York Times Magazine by Tamra Adler, dateline November 19, 2014. It captured my attention because it is rare for the NYTimes to put forth an article on everyday wellness issues like overcoming illness.

Spanista loves the subject of Nurturng Yourself!  The personal nature of the narrative is a twist I think you will enjoy too – a story shared from the heart leaving the writer vulnerable to the world. Also unusual. Not many writers in the public eye are willing to demonstrate human frailty around acute illness- I respect Tamra Adler for her strength of self in doing so. She is an eloquent writer so it is a short but worthy read and you will get a reward. There is a wonderful Self Care Recipe for her Health Soup at the end.

There are a waves of cold and flu that waves through America. They take control of our bodies and stop us in our tracks. Tamra’s article ‘Delicious Medicine for Body and Soul’ speaks of  ‘flattening of spirit and deadening of joy in which illness results’  – who does not agree that being taken by a bug or a cold or worse strips one of a zest for life. And it seems to come upon us when we least expect it. Why is that?

Why is that? Spanista believes it is because we are no longer ‘in touch’ with ourselves – we are ‘out of touch’ as we are absorbed by loads of other priorities and distractions. It is when we are no longer in touch with our bodies and how we feel – we are stressed and our immunity system is vulnerable. We stop watching our diet and our self care is sacrificed.

Really Wellness Seekers, if you are ‘out of touch with how you really feel’  for too long a time, you will invariably get sick. This is about aligning physical and emotional wellbeing. It is time to focus on getting out of your head and into your body.

Spanista Takeaway: Take control of your Self Care. Early this week I wrote about taking measures to deal with stress and an even earlier posts about the practicing proactive Self Care as a main tenant of the Spanista Philosophy & Values System. if you want to prevent illness this seasons you can review the System in detail by going to the menu tabs to read up on ways to take better care of yourself both emotionally and physically. Just because you are worth it!

For example here is a Self Care Ritual: Why wait until you get sick to indulge in your preferred remidy? Be proactive by enjoying your favorite home made chicken soup every Saturday for lunch. Its a time when you can relax, ponder on its warmth and healthy nutrients as it flows into you body. Feel it makingyou stronger. Tamra’s Healthy Soup Remedy is a great recipe – but I want to see it move from a reactive solution to a proactive solution as she speaks of  ‘meals to hasten healing…’ and “how I can feed  and eat a path to wellness…’

Spansita hopes you will take charge of your self care and treasure these pearls of wisdom to nurture your body and soul as you move into the holiday seasons.

What is your favorite homemade remedy? How can it become a healthy Proactive Self Care Ritual?

May Your Self Care Journey To Joy Be Merry, Healthy & Bright,

Ginny

 

 

 

 

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Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista Holiday Collection Treasures Lenny & Eva Jewelry as #4 on the 2014 Top 10 Gift List. The story of Lenny & Eva echos the Spanista Philosophy as it is a celebration in believing in ones passion while pursuing service of others. Wearing a Lenny & Eva bracelet can bring personal joy and a contented way of life. Mindy, founder Design In the City and I love it as part of our first Holiday Gift Collaboration for three reasons as it’s Spa Chic Styling that offers more than typical 1.)it’s a meaningful tailsman for everyday living Spanista loves( bracelets in particular can be seen by you as they can by others); 2.) it’s a playful way to express yourself and 3.) the story of its creator is inspiring for those pursuing an entreprenurial path.

Founder and designer Kellie Fitzpatrick traded in her career as a teacher and photographer to bring her idea to life. The idea was deemed Lenny & Eva based upon her great grandmothers. What started out at a kitchen table idea has quickly grown into one of the most popular interchangeable jewelry collections available today. The aesthetic is rustic, thoughtful, relaxed – not too refined and glitzy.

The Lenny & Eva Jewelry mission is to inspire women of all ages, in all walks of their lives. And that is exactly what Spanista loves  this collection – the many ways to design each piece into a personalized work of art for your wrist.  As a gift, the opportunity to share an inspiring message with the important women in your lives is something to special.
2014 marks the five-year anniversary of Lenny & Eva Jewelry. L&E headquarters is located in a renovated garage in the small town of Baxter, Tennessee ( pop 1.384). It’s here the company proudly designs and creates this made in the USA collection of mix & match cuffs, necklaces, sentiment, charms and pendants.
These Jewelry bands are light weight leather in classic and trend right colors.  They are comfortable to wear and travel easily so you can take it with your where you go. The changeable messages and charms can change out with ones mood or affirmation. This is  a collectable collection that you will treasure as a Spanista who thrives on personal clarity of mind and purpose. It will give you much joy as you interact with all the pieces.
Remember, this holiday I am your Spanista Personal Shopper. If you are interested in purchasing these Lenny & Eva bracelets, I will shop  the collection for you based upon what you want – including shipping your picks to you. Just email me at [email protected] with your list and questions an dI will get back to you. ( Thanks to those who are using my Personal Shopper services now!)
Spanista treasures the uniqueness of this Holiday Collection Selection #4 as it allows one to lend love and support to ones circle of friends – sharing a bond that centers on themes of inspiration for living your best life. Our community thrives on mindfulness and it is a great way to interact and focus each day on what is important to you. See you tomorrow and Saturday

May Your Self Care Journey To Joy Be Merry & Bright,

Ginny

 

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