☺ Motivational Mondays! ☺

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We're taking back Mondays!!!

"Motivational Mondays" are fabulous tips to get you excited and pumped for the week! 

Feeling low? Moody? Down on life? Well, that's what these posts are for! Time to feel awesome again and get some Positivity rolling! Just because it's Monday doesn't mean you can't have fun, smile, and enjoy Today! Apply these tips to your week and try to tell me that you don't start to see an improvement in your life! ;)

It's all about You! Change your perception, change your attitude, love your life! xo

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Wow! First Motivational Monday post of 2014! I feel as if I have been starting this New Year with so many boosts and ideas of how to stay motivated, and I sincerely hope that you have been jumping on board and doing those things if you, too, found yourself in a bit of a rut at the end of 2013--or if you have since then, or whenever! 

If you haven't been following the "New Year Kick-Start" blog posts, you're getting them again today. Why? Because this is Motivational f#@!in Monday, and, now that we are 20 days into the new year, I can safely say that they have been making a profound difference in my motivation and my life. 

If you have been following them, read them again, or at least read today's post for some extra boosts and extra tips. ;)

So! No more excuses! Get back your fire, feel energized, feel motivated, feel inspired, feel happy again! 

☺ Do "The Magic"! Nothing, I mean NOTHING will push you into a state of utter awesomeness than picking yourself up a copy of "The Magic" and doing 28 Days of Gratitude practices! Every day you are reminded to look for things to be grateful, of using gratitude in new ways you may not have thought of, of really Seeing the beauty in life. This book is Amazing, and it has certainly been keeping Me on track this new year. It can transform a bad day into something wondrous, a bad situation into a more positive light. It truly is a fantastic motivational source to stay on track! And it takes so little time! So go do it!         

☺ Health, Health, Health!  I want you to Feel Good about your health! I want you to Want to eat healthy foods, to Want to exercise, to Want to feel freakin fantastic and to reach all of those health goals you may have set yourself up with! This post has some awesome resources on how to stay on track, of little health tips that make a big different with very little efforts, and lots of recipe resources! Feel Good again! 

☺ Jar Full of Happiness!  I did this practice last year and I am sooooo glad that I did! Every day you look for the things that happened that day that were awesome, that made you smile; you write them down; you add them to your jar. Voila! Takes no time at all and has a profound effect! Reading my notes from 2013 reminded me of how truly amazing my life is, despite the down spiral I had experienced at the end of the year. Life is beautiful, learn to recognize and see that! So Start Your Jar Full of Happiness today!     

☺ Set Intentions! This is one of my favourite practices of all time, and I love to refresh my list on a daily basis. Write down everything you want to accomplish this year, everything you Intend to do this year. Be detailed, be inspired, and dream Big! All you have to do is Set the Intention for all of those magical things to happen. Don't be Attached to them happening, but if they do happen you will feel all the more awesome, and if they don't then chances are, because you've set up excitable good intentions, you will attract and set yourself up for all sorts of amazing things this year. It's great to get clear about what you want from life though, it truly is a powerful practice, because it's good to Know and think about what you want from life so that you can make your dreams come true.   

☺ Make your Vision Board! I have two Vision Boards: one physically in my work room where I see it all the time; and one on Pinterest. Why? The physical one I see more because it's a constant reminder and I like to have it around for inspiration. The Pinterest one, however, I can get way more detailed and keep way more updated. The Pinterest Vision Board allows me to create different categories so I can collect images and get really detailed with my desires. Plus, if you see something that you want online, it's really easy to just pin it to your Vision Board. And then, watch the magic happen!         

☺ 365 Grateful Project! I highly recommend you start your own little #365Grateful Project. What it is, is basically taking a polaroid every single day this year of something you were grateful for that day. It makes you look around you for the things you may be overlooking your thanks with. You see nature more vividly, you recognize the things that make you smile and happy, you Look for things that make you happy. You don't have to share your photos with the world, but if you do want to then you can share them on instagram and share in the project with the hashtag #365grateful. Really, though, this practice is for You. It makes you take a moment for yourself, to capture a moment, to get creative, to open up another side of yourself. If you wanted, you could easily change the project if photography isn't your thing; instead, write a poem, draw a picture, write down the things you're grateful for instead. It Is a fun project, and it's just one more way to enrich your life with gratitude and to switch your mind onto a positive vibration.    

☺ “There are infinite reasons why we make excuses not to do what’s important to us, and the more important something is to us, the more likely we’ll resist it.” This has become such an important topic (to me, and I hope for you) this new year, because we truly do make up one excuse after another not to do something, even --and perhaps even more so-- when it is important to us. I want you read this article because it is super well written and there were so many phrases that really jumped out at me that I think will jump out at you too. ;) And, because I really want you to chase your dreams, your passions, and to light that fire inside of yourself! 

So go read: "Why We Don’t Do What We Want to Do and How to Start" 

I hope your New Year is off to an amazing fantabulous start! And if it isn't, I hope you have the courage to make it so! 

Create a great day! 

Much love from me to you! 

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{Intentions for 2014}

We're already over a week into this beautiful brand new year! How exciting! I hope that you are in the action phase of your life and really taking the wheel of your own happiness and making magic happen in your life. I know I am! And if you've been struggling then I highly recommend you check back through all the posts of the New Year Kick-off I've been doing every day here at ReLove Plan.et; a ton of inspiration and practices and recommendations that can transform your life and give you back the power of your happiness! 

It's already been an exciting year for me, I feel supercharged! I feel in control again! I feel ready to tackle this wondrous year, make it my own, and pursue all my dreams and passions without anything to hold me back. 

I've written before that I'm not much for New Year's "Resolutions", because I feel the term has been washed over with people half-assed setting themselves up with goals and failures to these goals because their heart isn't really in it. Instead, I use the term "Intentions" because I feel it is more forgiving and also puts you in control. Intentions are things we want, but things that do not happen without action; therefor, any intention must be followed by action. Even if that action is getting your life on track (with happiness and balance) so that everything else in your life can flow more smoothly and those Intentions may be fulfilled. 

So! I thought it would be fun to share the list I wrote on New Year's eve for my Intentions for 2014. Please note, these are greatly simplified with sharing my list, my written list is much more in depth--which I recommend you get as detailed as possible with your Intentions, just like you should with your Vision Boards and things you're manifesting. 

Intentions for 2014

• Perfect Health! Health has been a personal struggle with waves of ups and downs in my life. When I first went vegan, I was eating amazingly, got an allergy test, and was really convinced that I was invincible with my health. That mentality and action worked, I never ever got sick, even when I was surrounded by this horrible plague that washed over everyone else one holiday season. However, because I have also struggled with depression, my health takes a toll. Digestion doesn't work the way it should, nutrients aren't absorbed as well, and overall health can decline. I have had a lot of struggles with an under active stomach. However, before the new year even started I did a candida cleanse, a parasite cleanse, an overall cleanse, and have been taking HCL enzymes, multi-vitamins, and supplements to help. I feel like my health is back on the rise, and I am going to employ gratitude as part of my every day routine. My women's health has also been an area of trouble for me, ever since I went off the pill my hormones have been struggling to become balanced again. Our womanly cycles are such an important part of our lives so that is also an area that I am working on this new year, and have been already. I look forward to Perfect Health this year! 
• Be the Best Me! I am always striving for self improvement, I am always striving to become the best and fullest version of myself. The older I get, the more comfortable I become with myself, and the more self-exploration and growth I do as I get older the more I become aware of my own personal wants, needs, desires, and dreams. Realizing all of these things helps you to live the life you're meant to live, to live fully, and to really shine. Part of my new year is taking back a bit of the fire that I feel I've lost. For a long time now I feel as if I know myself, and yet, despite this, have struggled to really step into that Self. This year, I'm taking back my fire, learning to be assertive, to stick up for myself and my dreams, and to become the best and truest version of myself! 
• Balance! Balance is always an area I have struggled with. At times, I feel I have an obsessive personality; I could hermit for weeks on creative projects if I could. But that wouldn't be very good for my soul either. Balance is about finding what works for you to live your life fully and enjoy it to its fullest potential. For me, the introvert within needs the creative alone time, and I really thrive on this, but there are so many other sides to me and those sides need nurturing equally. Social time is important, and I love love spending quality time with family and friends that I care about. I also love meeting new people and making new friends. And, of course, there is finding a balance with work, as well as inner self, and health, and just about everything else in life. It's all about Balance. This year, I am really striving for balance in all areas of my life. And, overall, to just have more time to do the things I love. 
• Adventures! Travel! I want lots of new and fun adventures this year! I want more road trips, more vacations, more hikes, more camping, more living! I intend to go back to Portland with my bestie; go to Seattle to visit a friend there I have been meaning to visit forever; road trips to Vancouver and Victoria; make a trip back to New York to visit my awesome friends there and go back to the Farm Sanctuaries; and hopefully go somewhere warm and out of the country as I still haven't done enough worldly travelling! I would also love to see some more concerts this year--I miss awesome metal shows.  
• Great Relationships! I would love to work on some of my relationships that have been struggling, to get them back to a great place. I want to meet new like-minded people and make some new friends. 
• Heal Old Wounds. There are a few issues from my past (both old and recent) that I would like to heal this year. I feel very blessed to recognize what these issues are so that I can make my life all the more amazing and free of past wounds, and grateful for the tools to heal such wounds. 
• New Tattoos! Yes, this is most definitely on my list this year, I want and need more tattoos this year. I've come to realize that whenever I've gotten a tattoo it has been to recognize a moment of personal empowerment, and this year I'm all about personal empowerment. ;) Plus, I want to get a tattoo by my amazing friend, Dana! ^_^
• Publish Everwake! I would really like to be in the beginning phases of publishing my manga/fantasy novel, Everwake. Much of my free time has been in the creativity of this project, and I am excited to do something with it. 
• Blog Growth. This year is off to a good start, and I am very happy with the blog traffic. However, the video blog needs some more dedication, which is something I would like to work on this year. I would also love to see ReLove Plan.et grow and grow and become the main part of my job. This is my dream. I love blogging, sharing inspiration, getting people motivated, and hopefully changing people's lives. 

Overall, I want to be living my perfect, happy, enriching, fun, blissful, dream life. And I know I can make it possible. I want my days to be filled to the brim with my loves and joys and passions. I hope that you, too, have the courage to follow your hearts and pursue your dreams! All the best for an amazing happy 2014!!!  

Much love and hugs! 

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☺ 2013 in Review - and my Jar of Happiness ☺

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{New Year Inspirational Kick-Off!}

 Kicking off this new year only feels right to be boasting with enthusiasm and inspirational to get things running all the more smoothly, so, I welcome you to the New Year Inspirational Kick-Off! The next several days will be dedicated to sharing fun projects and resources you can use to keep your own life bustling with gratitude and awesomeness.

New Year Positive Power! Huzzah!

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The end of this year was a bumpy road. So bumpy that I couldn't wait to get 2013 done and over with… as if the whole year had been a disaster, merely because the last month or so had been particularly rough. 

Fast forward to today. I emptied my Jar of Happiness and now I can see what a wondrous, truly blessed, and fantastic year I actually had. So many fantastic memories were created, so many laughs and smiles were shared, so many beautiful moments experienced, and so many accomplishments made. Reviewing all the positives of this past year has renewed my outlook of that year and, therefore, given me an extra boost to my life in general; reminding me that life truly is beautiful and that I have so much to be thankful for. Truly truly. 

So, once again, if you didn't do the Happiness Jar last year, it is a Must for your New Year. I promise you will love it! 

In expressing gratitude, I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights of my year :) 

2013 Gratitude Highlights!

Personal Highlights:

• So many amazing Hikes, including my first of the year with my bestie up Pulpit which still makes me smile so widely! And the epic hike in the fog after Garlic Fest (which I do believe was also my last hike of the year).  
•   Building our Garden from scratch. It was such a fun adventure and getting so many fresh organic veggies was simply the best! Getting the logs for the garden beds really stuck out as well, it was such a funny hippie moment that will always make me laugh. 
• Doing yoga with my hubby
• Ice skating at Kokanee park with Cory. 
• Enjoying our new home in the summer time with our own space, lawn, and sharing the beach with our amazing landlords. The level of gratitude I feel for our home cannot be put into words. 
• Playing "tag" with my landlord when I got her a present and then she sent me flowers with the words "tag". Heehee 
• Listening to vinyl and drinking wine during the holidays last year with our landlords. 
• Family Gatherings, potlucks, moments at the park, birthdays, holidays, and so forth. My family has often been a rough journey, but there were so many amazing moments I'd been forgetting lately--was very happy to be reminded of all I have to be grateful for from the year. 
• Seeing family in general. :)
• The first time I made my niece, Makaia, laugh for the first time. For some reason this memory really sticks out for me, it was a precious bonding moment. ^_^
• Our good friends, Mike and Dana, visiting us for the first time! It was such a fun and amazing week with them and I cannot wait for more moments like this! Midnight swims, Sociables (shnaw, shnaw lol), Potluck, beach days, campfires, and bonding. ♥
• Roadtrips! Kelowna/Vernon trip, and Portland (twice) with my bestie. Sooo much fun and sooo much yummy vegan food! Gay Pride Parade, singing in the car, wandering, and the fun drive.
• Getting tattooed in Portland. 
• Getting my nose pierced (third one)
• Catan board game nights. 
• So many amazing Vegan Potlucks! 
• Several ridiculous and fun birthday parties--two of which were dress up parties, including my birthday. Cuddle couch, bathroom vortex, and so many funny random moments. 
• Skate park days in Kaslo, for May Days and Cory's birthday. 
• A few fun bonfires.
• Camping
• Mushroom picking.
• Canoe adventures across the lake with Cory.

• Completing the David Suzuki 30x30 Challenge.
• Our two kitties becoming cuddlier, especially Lyla who comes to constantly for cuddles and follows me around alllll day long and greets me at the door when I come home. ^_^
• So many tea dates ♥
• Getting my cintiq!
• Following my dreams and passions and diving into story writing and producing artwork. :) 
• Having the courage, in general, to follow my heart and make my dreams come true. 

ReLove Plan.et Accomplishments:

• Reaching my 2k like milestone on the ReLove Facebook page! 
• My artwork appearing in a newspaper in Switzerland.
• Summer Markets!
• Reaching 30,000 views on the blog for a single month!
• All the positive and inspiring words from my amazing readers and viewers! xo ♥
• The Polar Bear adoption thanks to my amazing customers! 
• ReLove Plan.et continuing to grow every month :) 
• Finally figuring out making some income off the Video Blog ;) 

I hope you all had an amazing year and start your own Jar Full of Happiness and take lots of photos to capture memories and moments :) 

So much love and wishing you all the best in 2014! xo

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☺ Jar full of Happiness ☺

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{New Year Inspirational Kick-Off!}

 Kicking off this new year only feels right to be boasting with enthusiasm and inspirational to get things running all the more smoothly, so, I welcome you to the New Year Inspirational Kick-Off! The next several days will be dedicated to sharing fun projects and resources you can use to keep your own life bustling with gratitude and awesomeness.

New Year Positive Power! Huzzah!

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Today's New Year Kick-Off post involves recycling an idea from last year. Remember the "Jar Full of Happiness"? 

If this is your first time hearing about it, or if you didn't do it last year, then this is your year to take part! 

I kept my jar throughout the year and made sure to write something down as often as I remembered. While entering something every single day (or several a day) was my goal, I admit that some days I would forget. This year, I am really going to make sure I write something down every single day! 

The reason I really encourage you to make your own jar is because the practice is so easy and yet so profound; and it is something you can do every day with very little effort that will instantly lift your mood. 

Having practiced this through 2013, I can tell you that when you empty your jar at the end of the year, it is so inspiring and it truly makes you realize how blessed and wonderful your life really is. The extreme power of this practice is, definitely, the ability to look back at the year and realize how amazing it truly was. The more gratitude you can have for the life you already have and for your past; teaching you to really love your life when you look back on all those beautiful moments you may have forgotten.  the more greatness you allow to enter your life in the present and future. 

Enjoy and, above all else, you Must do it, and have fun doing it! This is Such a wonderful practice! And what better way to add extra gratitude in your life than this? You will start to notice all the beautiful and positive moments and things in your life and increase your appreciation so much deeper. 

Yup, you heard me, this isn't an option, this is a Must for your New Year. After all, you're all Happy ReLove Warriors right? Right! Okay! Without further ado…

Jar Full of Happiness

So! The image is pretty self-explanatory: 

1. Repurpose an empty glass Jar.
2. Decorate it all cute and magical (make the jar your own ;)) 
3. Write down good things that happen to you on little pieces of paper. 
4. Add notes to the jar throughout the year. 
5. On December 31st, empty the jar and read about all the amazing things that happened to you in 2013! 

Here's Why I want you to do it and my little twist on it… 

Why? Because it's a way for you to really appreciate all the little and big moments throughout the year. You will be putting in the conscious effort of writing these things down and adding them to your lovely little jar. By doing this you are expressing Gratitude, and Gratitude is one of the single biggest things you can do to improve your life. This activity will help to switch your brain onto the positive and you will be seeking out more and more positive things to add to your jar. 

What should you be Writing Down? My rule is to not be shy with this; try to add as many as you can, no matter how small the moment may be, write it down, appreciate it, be grateful for it. Write down surprise gifts, accomplishments, adventures, moments that made you laugh, daily blessings, cherished memories, acts of kindness, things you're particularly grateful for, things you manifested. Any good things that happen to you or you witness or you are a part of, jot them down and add them to your jar!   

My added twist? Don't wait until December 31st to read them. I'm not talking about emptying out the entire jar, But, taking out one or two and reading them when you're feeling down can be one of your "secret shifters" (things you turn to to uplift your mood when you're feeling down) to get yourself back on track and focussing on the positive. I think it's also valuable to try to write one down every day, like I said earlier, appreciating any moment big or small is invaluable and will boost your positive outlook on life. You'll start to see all the things that you have to be grateful for around you.    

Above all else, have fun with it! Make your New Year Magical and filled with positive experiences! :)  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

☺ The Magic ☺

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{New Year Inspirational Kick-Off!}

 Kicking off this new year only feels right to be boasting with enthusiasm and inspirational to get things running all the more smoothly, so, I welcome you to the New Year Inspirational Kick-Off! The next several days will be dedicated to sharing fun projects and resources you can use to keep your own life bustling with gratitude and awesomeness.

New Year Positive Power! Huzzah!

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I can't think of a better way to start the New Year off than by doing 28 days of Gratitude practices. Yes, I'm talking about the book "The Magic" by Rhonda Byrne. This book is transformational! You can literally take a shitty, unmotivated life and bring it back to vibrancy and hope by following the practices of this book. I have done this book twice before, and am on Day 3 of it again now. 

So, what is The Magic? Why should you do it?

The Magic uses the most important principle of the Law of Attraction, GRATITUDE, and teaches you how to use it to make your life awesome. Essentially. The book has 28 days of Gratitude Practices (a new one for each day for the next 28 days) for you to follow to make your life magical again. Following the practices every day, without skipping a day, promises to change your life. Gratitude will make all of your dreams come true, it will set the Law of Attraction into motion, and it will teach you how to live your life full of thanks and appreciation to the people and things around you--and therefore, full of happiness, bliss, and wonderfulness. 

Gratitude is, quite possibly, the greatest tool in your possession to turn any situation, any life, any moment in time, to something better. It will make you see the beauty in your life that you've been missing due to a bad attitude; it will make you appreciate everything again and realize just how much you already have in your life to be grateful for. Gratitude can repair broken relationships. Gratitude can change your perspective and experience at work, at home, any place or any circumstance. Gratitude is the key to attract more great things into your life. If there is one thing your life requires to flourish, it is Gratitude. 

The Magic teaches you 28 ways to practice Gratitude, to use it every day, and to make your life amazing again. It is an instant mood-lifter. If you haven't done the Magic before, I highly recommend you pick yourself up a copy and start this now. There is no better way to stay motivated, to keep your mood high, or to lighten your heart with blissfulness than Gratitude and the practices in this book.  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.

Ⓥ Feel Good with Delicious, Healthy Eating Ⓥ

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{New Year Inspirational Kick-Off!}

 Kicking off this new year only feels right to be boasting with enthusiasm and inspirational to get things running all the more smoothly, so, I welcome you to the New Year Inspirational Kick-Off! The next several days will be dedicated to sharing fun projects and resources you can use to keep your own life bustling with gratitude and awesomeness.

New Year Positive Power! Huzzah!

. . . . . . . . . .

Today (meaning our usual Sunday Vegan Kitchen Posts), I wanted to do something a little different. After too much wine, too many cookies, too much eggnog, and too much junk food in general during the holiday season, getting back into shape, quite naturally, appears on our list of New Year's resolutions. My suggestion isn't going to be to go Vegan (though I do think you should), but merely to eat healthy and to feel good about the food you put into your body. Far too frequent is the mentality that healthy food tastes awful. Eww, gross, who wants to eat vegetables? Well, while you should enjoy the taste of raw vegetables, no one said that eating healthy meant you had to eat them all raw; come on now, you can dress up your food and make it explode with delicious, tantalizing flavours. And, yes, it will still be healthy. 

The recipes posted here on ReLove Plan.et are always vegan (again, ditch the mentality that vegan food is gross… or expensive for that matter), and are also usually gluten-free and free of common allergies. On top of that, the recipes I post focus on Health. I want you to eat right, I want you to feel Good about what you're eating, and I want you to enjoy every mouthful and want more once you're done. Because that's the way we should eat, that's the way we should enjoy food. That's the way eating is supposed to be! 

So, as well as checking in at ReLove Plan.et for recipes, I am sharing some of my favourite recipe resources. And after that, some eating tips to stay on track and have a super healthy year! 

Healthy, Yummy Recipe Resources! 

• ReLove Plan.et: All the recipes you can find archived by category and name by clicking Here (or the "Vegan Kitchen" tab on the right side of the blog). You can also search the tag "vegan kitchen" to scroll through them all (click here). Recipes are always vegan, usually gluten-free, free of allergies, and healthy and oh so good! 
• Fellowship of the Vegetable: This blog is wonderful, positive, and filled with yummy recipes. Plus the photos of all the food are beautifully displayed. The recipes are all vegan, and . Kylie, who runs the blog, says "I started this blog at the end of 2011 as a way to journal my journey through veganism, but I’m hoping it has evolved into more of a place for people to come together and see how easy and fun being vegan can be." It certainly is! Kylie also does lots of restaurant and food reviews of places she's gotten to try out. I love the creativity of the recipes, and I always look forward to seeing her new recipe posts. Check it out here: http://www.fellowshipofthevegetable.com/ 
• Lunch Box Bunch: This is probably my favourite place for recipes! They have so much to offer and they are usually on the healthier side with lots to offer and plenty of pretty pictures to entice your tastebuds. Check it out here: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/
• This Rawsome Vegan Life: Every healthy diet should include more raw foods, and that's when "This Rawsome Vegan Life" comes in. If you think raw food isn't delicious, amazing, and packed full of flavour then you haven't been looking in the right places. This website is enough to make your mouth salivate the second you hit the main page with the photos alone. Raw desserts are my particular weak spot, I mean, who doesn't want to eat dessert and actually feel really good about doing so? I highly recommend you give it a try, soon all your desserts will be raw for the mere pleasure and health of it all. Check them out here: http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/
• VegWeb: Oh my! The second you go to the VegWeb webpage you are immediately thrown into fits of enticement at all the yummy images of food. VegWeb is the world's largest collection of vegetarian (read vegan) recipes. You can literally find any kind of recipe you may be looking for on here. It's amazing! While not all the recipes may be incredibly healthy, vegan recipes are always a healthy start and there are lots of truly healthful recipes on the site you can turn to. Go to the site here: http://www.vegweb.com/
• One Green Planet: "Your online guide to making conscious choices that help people, animals, and the planet." This site is not only packed full of healthy vegan recipes, but it also has plenty of vegan, health, and activism resources you can check out and stay motivated with. Oh and, of course, there is an entire recipe section, including a gluten-free one, and raw living t keep your plate happy. Check them out: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/
• PPK (Post Punk Kitchen): The PPK was created by Isa Chandra Moskowitz with the idea to have a fun cooking show to give vegans something to watch. A website was also started to support the show and to foster a vegan cooking and baking community, where they could submit recipes, share ideas and maybe gossip a little bit. PPK is a super fun and vibrant place and packed full of amazing recipes. If you're looking to go vegan this new year, this is your hotspot to stay inspired! Check out PPK here: http://www.theppk.com/
• Vega: I love Vega, and I always will. The company, and founder, really have your health in mind when it comes to the products they sell and the website they share. There are health resources, fitness tips, and an entire recipe section, all with your health and happiness in mind. Check them out and enjoy all that they have to offer: http://myvega.com/vega-life/recipe-center/

Pinterest: There are so many more website and resources I could share above to keep you motivated, by my favourite of them all? Pinterest. Why? Well! My oh my are the wonders you can find on Pinterest! I love using it as a collection of all my favourite recipes I find while trolling through the web or happen upon through any other social media site. Then, whenever I'm unsure what to make that day for supper, dessert, breakfast, or anything else, I simply turn to my list and start scrolling through tantalizing images. Here is my "Vegan Kitchen" board, I encourage you to make your own to keep motivated! http://www.pinterest.com/reloveplanet/vegan-kitchen/

I am also very much enjoying Kylie's (from Fellowship of the Vegetable) Pinterest, so you should check out hers for food ideas and inspiration as well. http://www.pinterest.com/faboofierce/vegan-yums/

Health Tips! 

Let's stay motivated and happy shall we? Here are some more tips to keeping your New Years happy and healthy! 

• Don't Overeat. It's so easy to do and it will be your biggest downfall. You should feel energized and awesome after eating, not like a lethargic mess. What you eat has a huge roll in this feeling. The other roll is played by How Much you eat. Need help? Buy yourself a smaller plate and/or bowl. It sounds kind of silly but it works. I have a beautiful little ceramic pottery bowl I bought locally that I absolutely love, and it gives me the perfect portion sizes. Just don't go back for seconds. ;)  
• Drink Lots of Water! Yes, cliche, but so important and so true. Do it! Your digestion, your body, and your mind will thank you. A few tips when it comes to drinking water: don't drink a ton of water after meals, you should be waiting at least half an hour to an hour before consuming a bunch. Drink a glass of water half an hour before meals, it will fill you up so you don't overeat and it will help your digestion along later. If you workout, drink more. 
• Take a MultiVitamin. You can do everything right, eat the right foods, exercise, and be an overall shining ball of health, but a multivitamin could still benefit you. Sadly, most of what we eat isn't what it used to be; the soil is depleted of its nutrients and therefor the food grown in it is lacking, and food is usually harvested too early in order to make it to us across the globe. On top of this, if you are stressed out then your body won't absorb all the nutrients either. Everyone could benefit from a multivitamin these days. Just make sure you choose a good one! There are plenty of bad-for-you vitamins on the market. Look for natural, organic, and vitamins that your body can absorb. I use RawOne for Women, it's amazing and perfect. If you are lacking in any other nutrients be aware and take supplements accordingly. 
• Choose Organic and Local. This should always be your first choice. Choose the right thing for the planet, your health, and the animals and people that live here. Support your community, it will not only be good for community, but their grown food is probably more nutrient rich than anything you buy in the supermarket. And Organic means freeing yourself of awful bad-for-you pesticides, chemicals, and GMO. If you aren't going to eat Organic, then at least avoid the list of the dirty dozen. 
• Eat Regular Meals. Don't skip meals, but don't spend all day eating either. Ideally, eat smaller meals every 3-4 hours, to give your digestion a break in between and to keep it happy and working optimally when you do eat. 
• Exercise. Exercise has everything to do with a health digestive system and a happy body. Exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and it keeps your digestive system flowing. It also keeps your lymph system active which will keep away colds. Twenty to thirty minutes a day is all you need, even if it's just a leisurely walk. 
• Make Calories Count. Stop calorie counting. At once! Calorie counting is an awful way of trying to be healthy and it may work in some ways but fails when it comes to your overall well-being. Not all calories were created equal, this you need to keep in mind. When you are happy, exercising, and eating the right foods your body will metabolize and use the nutrients in those foods much more efficiently. Don't fall for the crappy "Special K" products or any other gimics of the sort, at the end of the day, these are still Junk Foods. Choose Real food and you will no longer need to count calories.

Eat Real Food

Drop any silly Diet Fad you may be following and, instead, just eat Real, Whole Food. That's all there is to eating healthy. Real Food. 

While there are so many debates on different dieting, these are some simple overall rounded tips you should follow these simple rules… 

• Lessen or cut out animal products. Even those that are pro-meat will almost all agree less is more. If you're going to eat animal products, reduce once or twice a week for meat and eggs. Dairy you really should try to cut out completely, but if you are going to consume then go for one or twice a week as well. 
• Carbs are good. But not equal. Choose whole grains and you won't have to worry about following silly low-carb diets. Vegetables and fruits are healthy carbs as well, eat lots of them! 
• Eat lots of Veggies. Vegetables are the cornerstone to health, eat lots of them! 
• Fruit, fruit. Fruit is best on its own and/or in the morning. However, fruit is good for you and don't react like nasty sugars, so eat your heart out. 
• Cut Out the Crap. No junk food, no processed foods, no high saturated fats, no refined flours or sugars. Got it? Good. 
• Omegas. Omegas are sooooo important for you health, and yet most of the population don't get their healthy omega 3s nearly enough. Your ratio should be 1:1, but you can be healthy with 1:3 (omega 3 to omega 6 ratio). Your best sources to boost your omega 3s are chia and flax. 

Above all else, stay motivated by being happy. The happier you feel, the more inclined and motivated you will be to eat healthy, because you will Want to make yourself feel good all the time. Stay on track by getting a friend involved, joining an online community, or really exploring all the resources around you. And have fun with it! And remember to be grateful for your food. 

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year! I know you can do it!  

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☺ 365 Grateful Project ☺

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{New Year Inspirational Kick-Off!}

 Kicking off this new year only feels right to be boasting with enthusiasm and inspirational to get things running all the more smoothly, so, I welcome you to the New Year Inspirational Kick-Off! The next several days will be dedicated to sharing fun projects and resources you can use to keep your own life bustling with gratitude and awesomeness.

New Year Positive Power! Huzzah!

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Continuing the New Year Kick-off, today, I am sharing a Gratitude Project that really spoke to me, for the exact reason of seeking out new and fun ways to keep the motivation flowing and the gratitude present in every moment.

The '365 Grateful Project' was created by Hailey in early 2008 in an effort to fight depression. This effort began a year long photographic project which involved taking one Polaroid photo a day of something she felt grateful for. 

Haley has described the discipline of having to look for the good things that happened every day as life-changing, in so many ways. Hailey found not only her marriage, spiritual life and health improved, but this project accidentally, wondrously spread and affected the lives of many others. 

This project, of course, interests me because of the spread of joy and the use of gratitude to fall in love with yourself, the things around you, and your life again. Plus it sounds like a fun way to stay motivated and keep the good vibes going every single day. Therefor, ReLove Plan.et is challenging you all to take part. You don't have to share your photos with the world, it can simply be for yourself, at home, in a scrap book. I also encourage you to write down a little sentence or two to describe this moment of gratitude. The more deeply you can dive into gratitude the more profound the effect. 

If you're on instagram, or even Facebook or twitter these days, then use the tag #365Grateful to your photos and instantly be part of the gratitude!
Also, if you'd like to follow my own 365 Grateful Project then you can follow me on instagram, tumblr, or even here on the blog I'll post my photos once a week with little descriptions to share with you all. I'd also love to see your own projects from fellow ReLovers, so you can also tag your photos with #365relove to check out others in this lovely little community here at ReLove Plan.et--because I would love to find new and fun ways to connect with you all as well. 

Alright, that's all for today. ;) Be sure to watch the video, it's very inspiring! And, above all else, remember to have fun!  

If you found this article to be helpful, please consider a small donation or visit the shop. Thank you for your love and support.