Inspiring Articles, Mental Health

Finding myself again; Gluten-Free and Sobriety

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on Finding myself again; Gluten-Free and Sobriety

Hello, my beautiful souls!

I hope everyone has been doing well and enjoying their April, however, that may look for you! Wow, do I have a lot to fill you in on, but I somehow need to make this not into a novel, wish me luck! This is a blog post I am very excited about. One that feels very promising as I can feel my eagerness to explode onto this digital platform… and I love that. So a lot has been happening since my last more personal update with you beauts. I have mentioned in a previous blog post about my mental health, mainly anxiety, being a bit shot. By a bit shot, I mean not feeling like myself for months. I am talking about simple joys that did not create the happiness they used to. I felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells while gripping onto my tight chest caused by anxiety every day. I felt “stuck”. I was trying to find the self-confidence that I lost a while ago with a toxic job. I just wanted to isolate myself from everyone, I thought that would be easier than dealing with “life”. But see, that’s what alarmed me. I didn’t want to “deal with life”, I wanted to “live it”, completely present (try saying that to someone who constantly thinks about the future & they’ll look at you like you have 3 heads lol). But… that’s what I wanted. So, how was I going to achieve that? What were the issues that were circulating in my life or “things” I wanted to truly work on. I remember saying to my other half a bunch of times, “I am not the best version of myself yet”, and I knew 100% that was true. So what was holding me back? Well, I had made a list but one thing came straight to my mind, drinking.

When starting my fitness journey, I cut back on alcohol tremendously. I was extremely proud of myself. Would I consider myself an alcoholic? No. Did I enjoy alcohol on social occasions like birthdays, holidays, and so forth? Absolutely. The way that alcohol is glamourized is a given. I watch some of my favourite reality TV shows or even movies and see an elegant glass of wine, cheering to life. It’s so simple, yet classy, elegant, and formal. But what about the flip side that you don’t see, or that is not spoken about. Let’s chat about the hangovers that hit you a little harder in your 30s (kill me now) or the hang-anxiety the next day. That’s the real talk. Now, am I shaming everyone who drinks? Not one bit, nor would I ever do that. I am simply shedding some light on my own personal experience and story. I am talking about my personal struggles and finally coming to the conclusion and strong decision that I will not drink anymore.

Now I know what you are thinking, that’s a pretty bold statement to put out there considering you had a drink in your hand this past month a few weeks ago. Well, that’s the beauty of changing patterns, behaviors, and life choices, they can be done at any time and this holds me accountable. Today, tomorrow, or next month. When changing my lifestyle, I found fitness extremely important to me, but I was not ready to let go of a drink here or there. Do I regret that choice back then? Absolutely not. I thought that I could handle alcohol okay, I mean… I took a huge step back from it (I was doing way better). But, it was those random times here and there, the “special occasions” that started to impact me even though I was hardly drinking anymore. It was that one drink that led to 3, it was the embarrassing things I would say, it was never drinking water with alcohol, it was the insane hangover that lasted 2 days, it was the shakes, it was the feeling of guilt that I “ruined” the special evening, it was the extreme anxiety that left me crippled the next day and sleeping the whole day away. I remember the last drink I had when I finally made up my mind. That was it. I had my party days in University, I had that group of friends that I would drink the night away with, and I had fantastic memories. But this Lyss is past that. I do not associate with those friends anymore, I hardly drink anymore, I love being a homebody and I am ready to leave some things in the past that should stay there. To me, that was my drinking.

So on April 4, I made the decision to stop. I was never someone who “needed” alcohol but I felt that my social anxiety thrived off a glass at events. If I have a glass of wine I’ll be able to chat with this group of people, the introvert in me will be absent and my nerves will fade. Liquid courage was everything to me when I drank. and I found out this past year that I was starting to rely heavily on that when it came to events or gatherings. I remember the last event I went to and saying to my other half “I need to be on her level”, as I grabbed a drink from the pair and tried to hide my nerves. Since my anxiety had already been shot, why not mask it for just one night? Well, let’s just say all my nerves were in full battle against my body the next morning. I started to question and ask myself, “Are those couple hours where you feel no anxiety and may embarrass yourself worth it?” Flat-out answer… hell no. After my last drinking session, I did not want to go through any of those feelings again and knew I was just holding myself back. I don’t need alcohol to be the best version of myself. I do not need alcohol to mask my anxiety or create this fake version of myself. I am ready to live. I am ready to explore social situations without a drink in my hand, no matter how uncomfortable it may be at first. The kicker to all of this? I made this decision a week out from traveling to Jamaica.

I let everyone know my decision beforehand, and I had support from everyone. I wanted to throw it out there before even standing on a beach as I thought that would be easiest. I am truly thankful and grateful that my boyfriend doesn’t really drink to begin with. He will have a glass with me on special occasions but that is it. This made this transition and experience better for me. Having people who support YOU and are behind YOU 100% is the best feeling. So I know what you want to know. How was it? How was it being at an all-inclusive resort and pina coladas coming out of the wazoo? It was the best vacation I ever had, that’s what it was. I was extremely nervous going into this vacation having the mindset that I would not be drinking and that I may feel “left out”. I knew just by the atmosphere that the pressure would be there. But a simple “no thanks” when people wanted to take shots at the pool and numerous remarks by my friends of “I am proud of you”, worked wonders. It’s having those group of supporters, friends, and family that do not make you feel bad or pressure you into things you don’t want to do, even while on vacation. I knew I was going to be okay and this was going to be a lot easier than all my “anxious thoughts” telling me otherwise. I swapped alcoholic drinks for mocktails (which were extremely TASTY and enjoyable). I even said to my boyfriend on multiple occasions, “Wow I feel so good” and “This is one of the best vacations I have ever had”. I felt alive, present, and happy.

“This is one of the best vacations I ever had”.

I even experienced so many different things that I had not experienced before while on vacation (because I always drank). I packed gym clothes just in case I felt like going to the gym in the mornings (last year I did the same but only went one time due to hangovers). I couldn’t believe the energy I had, motivation and drive each morning to complete a workout. I even got to enjoy a coffee or tea every morning while staring at the ocean views with my amazing other half. When I used to drink, I could not have these types of morning drinks as they would turn my stomach even though I love hot drinks in the a.m, it would have to be a big huge glass of sugary juice from being dehydrated. I even enjoyed a hot cup of tea at night while we enjoyed the entertainment and even looked forward to this. I did not feel “left out” once. I found certain highlights of the trip that I really looked forward to, aka little glimmers. A simple hot cup of tea, a beautiful workout while staring at the ocean, get up at a decent time to enjoy my vacation to its fullest, enjoy the sunshine while not being nauseous, enjoy a new book, and be present with my friends and boyfriend. The feeling of not having a hangover in the morning, especially in the Jamaican heat was the best feeling. Again, some people can handle alcohol better than others but this was just not the case for me which made me finally put my foot down. I kept repeating the same statement in my head during the trip, “I can’t believe this is what I have been missing out on”.

The beauty of things?

“I have the rest of my life to enjoy this new journey and decision. I can’t wait”.

I apologize for the lengthiness of this post you guys but I just had so much I wanted to share. I also made the strict decision to even become Gluten-Free. Long story short, I have had a bunch of issues with extreme bloating and lack of energy. While nothing came back wrong with ultrasounds, my doctor mentioned that I may have food sensitivity. I have never had an issue when it came to food so this shocked me, but that is the thing about these issues, they can come out of nowhere which is exactly what happened to me. It came down to trial and error. Taking certain food groups out of my diet. I started with gluten since that was a huge part of my meals/snacks. I am someone who eats pretty healthy, I mean I do not restrict myself at all and have my sweets here and there, but I mainly eat pretty well. I noticed my stomach was insanely inflamed each day, no matter how hard I worked out (and I knew I was not eating poorly). Nothing was changing. I was frustrated, annoyed, and uncomfortable, and started to become self-conscious. I set up my tripod and decided to take photos. Things needed to change. I started chatting with a few people on Instagram about my journey and received a lot of helpful advice to go forward in the right direction.

Not going to lie, it took several attempts for me to become very strict about this food choice. I mean, I think this deserves to be in capital letters “GLUTEN IS IN EVERYTHING”. I was floored, things I didn’t even know had gluten in them. How was I going to enjoy eating anymore or what the heck was I going to eat-real talk? I would start eating a bunch of gluten-free foods, but as soon as someone had something that was not gluten-free in front of me and it looked amazing, I said: “Ahh well… it’s just one meal“. However, it got to the point where I finally took those photos. The inflammation was crazy and I needed to get better control of it, which would mean diving into my willpower. I started buying gluten-free bread, exploring the natural foods selections, and finding delicious alternatives to some of my favourite foods. I was pleasantly surprised to see a bunch of restaurants had gluten-free options to choose from which helped when it came to going out with friends or family. I really hope that more brands strive to include more options for those who do have food sensitivities.

I feel empowered.

While becoming more strict with my diet, I started noticing insane changes in my body. It has not been an easy journey by any means but worth it. The inflammation decreased-substantially, I had little to no bloating (never has happened), hardly any gas, parts of my body started to slim down (stomach and face), and my energy levels rose. I could not believe it. I had the willpower and strength within me, I just had to dig deep and trust the process. While on vacation I remained “gluten-free”, and was accommodated with different foods at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I found ways to stick to my plans while still enjoying myself. With the combination of being gluten-free and sober, I can confidently say I have never felt better, especially while on vacation. I felt “alive”, and that is one thing I will yell out loud for the world to hear. I had zero bloating (which never happens, especially on vacation), and I felt confident in my vacation attire, especially in bathing suits. I am a firm believer that confidence is found from within and that was something I was having trouble with, so finally feeling in control of my life, having that power to say “no”, and not feeling uncomfortable or worried about things I ate was empowering.

I got this. I did this. And I will continue to do this.

So, what am I trying to get at with these big lifestyle changes I decided to recently make? Not everyone will agree with them, but the RIGHT people will. If you are curious about something, just try it. Only YOU have the power to change your body and lifestyle. You never know if that will create a ripple effect of amazing new opportunities. Those uncomfortable social situations without the alcohol won’t feel so uncomfortable, and that girl I thought was so afraid to start conversations will start them and carry them. I am rooting for you to become the best version of YOU, whatever that may look like.

Mental Health

The Power of Creating Simple Habits

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on The Power of Creating Simple Habits

(Disclaimer: There is some sponsored content at the end of this post)

Habits. Sometimes that word can go in one ear and out the other. Maybe you are a busy parent, someone who has to work long hours, or you just are not open to making some lifestyle changes. Hey, I get it! I personally don’t like change myself. As someone who has anxiety, the word “change” scares the sh*t out of me! I like to stick to my same routines, my schedule, and my plans. However, what if we completely change how we view and create habits? These new changes do not have to be enormous or overwhelming. Since it’s a brand new year, why not focus on trying to incorporate different habits instead of a whole bunch of New Year resolutions. The idea of a New Year’s Resolution can be rather daunting and oftentimes, it is hard to stick with it. I hear you 100% and have been there. I created this master list with each new year and guess what... I hardly have stuck to any of them. When looking back at these lists, the actions and behaviours I wrote down were not super achievable, at least not right off the bat. Overwhelming? Uh, yes… you can say that again.

So…before we get into how to create some simple and effective habits, what is a habit? A habit is an action or behaviour that when repeated consistently over time, can become part of your daily routine subconsciously. Now is the tricky part that requires a bit more brainstorming and self-reflection. What is something you want to work on in your daily routine? Maybe it’s wanting to exercise a bit more, upping your water intake, getting up earlier, etc. Take a pen and paper, and write down certain things you want to work on. For me personally, I really wanted to work on getting up a bit earlier to have more time for myself in the morning and consistently exercising each day. Last year, I really noticed that my mental health was deteriorating a bit, and I felt like I was “losing myself”. I felt like my energy was drained, I was not excited to do things I would normally be excited for, my workouts seemed like a chore and I literally wanted to do nothing (you can read more about what I was experiencing and going through HERE).

I can not emphasize the importance of starting small. You don’t want to scare yourself. Habits take work and you have to remain consistent, however, they are game changers. This year, I wanted to really crack down and focus on creating little habits for myself. I wanted to declutter my mind and focus on brightening my mood levels. I am WORTH IT, and YOU are WORTH IT. This is the mindset I went into it with. You are worth working hard for and you are worth putting in the work for. I often times come across the quote “If you can work 8 hours for someone else, you can make the time for yourself”. It’s true. However, everyone’s routine is completely different and looks different. I love watching TikTok’s “morning routines”, but know for a fact getting up at 5 am is not in my books. BUT, can I get up earlier and set an alarm? Yes. As someone naturally tired, waking up at 5 am would mean a huge crash at noon lol (it’s just not for me but it may be for you!) Instead, I told myself I would work on slowly waking up earlier. I love to sleep, heck if I could sleep all day I would haha, but I found that the later I slept in, the more rushed I felt for the rest of the day, trying to finish everything before the sun went down. Even setting your alarm 30 minutes earlier can make a big difference. My goal is to start waking up around 7 am, but I am slowly increasing the time to let my body adjust. I love using my Sunrise Clock that I purchased from Amazon. Instead of the annoying sound of a blaring alarm that I want to throw against the wall, my body can naturally wake up to a simulated sunrise (light starts coming on 30 minutes before your alarm). Hello more peaceful morning!

But I am not motivated. Girl, half the time I am not even motivated myself. There are times when I wake up and when it comes time for my workout I am literally thinking, “Do I have to?” Here’s the thing about motivation, it does not just magically appear. I have waited long to figure this little guy out. Half the time you are not going to be motivated to make those changes. When I am getting ready to do my workout and head downstairs to my home gym, I do not get the overwhelming feeling of “wow I feel unreal and I am so happy I came down here!” instantly. I get that beautiful feeling once I complete my workout. I think one thing that people sometimes think is that the motivation will be right there, but often times it requires pushing yourself. Acknowledge the action you want to take, push yourself to go through with that action, and look forward to that reward afterward. Here’s the thing about habits that can be a bit confusing, once we complete the action we may be thinking, “Okay I can’t wait to see those abs!”, or maybe “I am happy I can call myself a morning person now!” Big rewards or our end goal are expected instantly. We are only thinking about that main reward, to become a morning person or to maybe get jacked. Habits take time to form. Instead of thinking about that grand accomplishment, break it up into smaller achievements. I may not be a morning person yet but since I got up a bit earlier I was able to complete x, y, z. I may not have abs yet but man do I ever feel fantastic after my workout!

Another thing that has really helped me to stay consistent when it comes to creating new habits is your mindset. No, I am not saying you have to be the happiest camper in the world, heck it’s not easy getting up earlier! But rather than going into that action with the mindset of “I am going to be so tired tomorrow ugh”, or “Do I have to do my workout today? I am dreading it”... change the way you speak to yourself. Change these more negative thoughts to “I am blessed to wake up today and have this time to work on myself”, or “I am grateful for the opportunity to exercise and move my body today”. It may seem silly at first, but trust me, this simple mindset shift has helped me tremendously. One person who has really inspired me on TikTok when it comes to habits is Shelby Sacco. She is my habit hype girl and I love watching how she incorporates different habits into her daily routine. I highly recommend checking her out when you have a second!

Maybe you have a couple of small changes and habits you want to start incorporating into your daily routine. That my friends is where a habit tracker comes in and it is a pure saint. My younger sister actually told me about this app called Me + Daily Routine Planner that you can download right onto your phone and I have been LOVING it. It is extremely customizable, even down to colours (I mean we need an aesthetic-looking one, am I right?) You can add any new tasks for the day, click them once they are complete to cross them off and you are set! This app can help you organize and set up your daily routines each day without trying to remember things or feeling overwhelmed. There is also a mood tracker that is on this app as well that allows you to reflect and see any progress over periods.

I know there are a lot of habit trackers out there so feel free to use what you find best and most helpful! (some are also cheaper than others too). There is also something about this app that is extremely satisfying once you start to cross things off your list, you feel more accomplished and organized! Let me know if you guys have tried any habit trackers in the past!

MORNING: We like simple. Simple is key. So what does my morning and night routine look like when it comes to new habits? Well, it is nothing extravagant but something that makes me feel good, accomplished, organized, and put together. Some simple morning habits I have focused on include: waking up earlier, making bed first thing, drinking 1 HydroJug a day, having greens and my lemon shot, doing my morning workout, and getting dressed even if I don’t have any plans that day. This is not everything I do in the morning time however, these were some of my main habits that I wanted to do every single day.

NIGHT: Some of my nighttime routine habits include: winding down 1 hour before bed (putting my phone away), creating a peaceful ambiance with my fairy lights, sound machine, etc., and taking my Mushroom Capsules from Plant of Life to help with my sleep management and induce a sense of peacefulness (hello mind that never shuts off! Please be sure to consult with your health practitioner before using), also use my Lavender CBD Heal Stick when I find my leg muscles are very sore (love the scent of this little guy and use it ALL the time-legit!), also read 5-10 pages of my book (helps me get sleepy). Some of these habits I already have created and have been doing for a while, but there are a few in my morning and night routine that I am focusing on improving.

Let me know some habits that you are trying to incorporate into your daily lifestyle routine! Remember, don’t let the fear of trying something new overwhelm you. Keep it simple, small, and stay consistent! By really focusing on these new habits I wanted to include this year, I can tell you right off the bat my mood has changed tremendously. I have been feeling super accomplished, even if I am spending the day at home. I remember chatting with my sisters and boyfriend and explaining how much of a difference I felt sticking to these things and pushing myself.

You got this!

Anxiety, Mental Health

Exploring out of my comfort zone this past weekend

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on Exploring out of my comfort zone this past weekend

Hello beautiful souls! I thought today would be a perfect day to sit down with you guys and have a down to earth chat about this past weekend. As you know Christmas is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. Legit. Um….. hold on… where did December go? I swear it was just the first the other day, anyone else? So with Christmas almost here, that means anxiety thinks she can come out being all cute n’ festive n’ shit (how fun!;)) As someone who has no problem sharing anything related to anxiety online, I know a lot of people know exactly what I am talking about. Bring on all the holiday gatherings, maybe family you have not seen in a hot minute, work Christmas parties, X-mas events and so forth. I know for me personally, this is the time of the year my anxiety likes to linger a bit, even on those days where it’s supposed to be super magical. It is one of those feelings that can be rather annoying and feel a bit defeating. You may ask the questions like, “Why am I so anxious for holiday events?”, or maybe even “It’s family, how can I be so nervous?!”, or even, “Everyone looks forward to the holiday season and here I am overthinking about the holiday event tomorrow”. Well that’s me to a T my friends. I swear some of the popular thoughts that like to prance around like reindeer in my mind are:

I mean…. and that is cutting those “magical thoughts” short haha. Again, for myself, it’s more geared towards social situations. My festive anxiety is coming in full force this year and to say it’s been driving me a bit nutty lately is an understatement.

This past weekend was FULL, and I mean FULL, of holiday festivities and that is what I want to shed some light on for today’s blog post. I want to talk about the feelings, thoughts and even outcomes of these events. So boy where do we even start? This year, instead of spending a lot of time in Hamilton for all Christmas festivities I had the awesome opportunity to spend it in my small home town. Sounds fun right? Bring on overthinking to the max (yikes). Small town means a few things: going to run into people I know (that’s a given), going to have to engage in small-talk, and god knows what else. Automatically all my fears start to unwind. Instead of going towards the positives such as : spending time with your community, meeting new friendly faces and making fun Christmas memories with family/friends, I am flooded with these scary and anxiety provoking thoughts. WHY!? Heck it’s the most magical time of the year….

Even though I had a solid 10 anxiety going into some of these festivities this past weekend, I can say one thing. I had probably one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time. I smiled lots, captured so many moments with my nephew, family and boyfriend. I ran into an old friend that I havn’t seen in a few years. AND my small business attended it’s first event that turned out to be an absolute success. I want to break down each one of these events and chat aboutthem with you guys. Not only is this such an eye opener to reflect back on, but it really brings light to those anxious thoughts and how they are not always right.

Bring on Jarvis Light Up 2023! Why yes, we were that little small town on the news. Spreading holiday cheer all through Jarvis Ontario, lighting up the darkness with gorgeous Christmas Light displays, and coming together as a community through ongoing December events. The Jarvis Rumble 2.0 was happening this past weekend. What is that you may ask? This event includes Santa’s Workshop with crafts, decorating Chrismtas cookies, photobooths and fireworks later on. I was planning on going to this event with my nephew, family and boyfreind. I knew my 3 year old nephew would absolutely LOVE this event and I wanted to ensure he could experience every magical part of the holiday season, even if that meant entering full force with my anxiety levels on high. One of the main reasons for my heightened anxiety was that I knew this was going to be a big social event, one that I have not been to in a long time. My weekends usually are low-key which is what I prefer. I prefer to be in my jammies, be a homebody and chill. That is my comfort zone. So I knew for a fact I was going to have to explore out of my comfort zone. Was I going to be slightly unconfortable? Yupp. I knew it would pass though eventually. So I put myself together and went for it.

I ended up facing one of my biggest fears head on, which was running into someone I knew. Was it awful and just as bad as I imagined it would be? Nowhere near it. I actually felt joy seeing someone I have not seen in a few years, I held a conversation just fine, asked questions and engaged. I felt proud. I also felt a sense of anger towards my anxiety. I was seriously so worried about that? I was so worried about a situation like this that ended up bringing me a sense of happiness. It was crazy.

I saw a few people that I was not close with, who I was indeed worried I would run into. But guess what? They were so focused on their own families and creating those magical moments that we didn’t even cross paths. Sometimes we tend to think the spotlight is shining directly on us, that our mistakes or flaws may be amplified or noticed by others. In reality, when you have social anxiety, you are super focused and aware of your own actions and appearance that you believe everyone else is just as aware. I can’t express how false this statement was this past weekend. Nobody gave a f*** and that was the beauty of it. It was amazing. I could feel my solid 10 anxiety levels slowly melt away like snow and actually enjoyed myself. I watched my nephew enjoy his delicious holiday treats, check out the reindeer, have his first bus ride, and see his little face light up. I remember even telling my boyfriend, “wow I feel good and I am proud of myself”.

Time for the next main event that happened this past weekend. So my boyfriend and I recently opened a mini side business called “Silly Goose Memories”, which is a Children’s Party Entertainment Service of characters you can hire for special events such as birthdays or surprise visits! My boyfriend does one heck of a “Blippi Impersonator”, and suddenly the idea just came across our minds after a huge success and turnout with my 3 year old nephew’s birthday part. Why not create a side business doing this? The amount of joy that was seen on his little face was enough to melt hearts and so was the reaction video posted on my social media accounts. It was a hit. Our little business also got invited to the “Third Annual Charity Drive” at the Caledonia Community Centre. I knew this was going to be such an amazing oppounity for our little business as well as for the community and kiddos. I greatly accepted the invitation but as the days came closer to the event, my anxiety was having a hell of a time. I remember a few days before the event, sitting on the couch and chatting with my mom. I told her everything I was feeling. I remember saying “this is supposed to be such a fun event! This is for a great cause and I should be so excited, so why am I so nervous!?” Heck I wasn’t even the one doing the impersonations, my boyfriend was. So…. WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK!

“I will not let my anxiety run the show no matter how much it wants to”.

The Jarvis Light Up Event happened the day before, and I was truly grateful for that. I was happy to have gone through that exposure therapy already. I had “tested the waters”, and knew that event the day before went amazing, but still was a bit nervous for this one. I think it was mainly because this was completely new to me. I had zero idea what to expect, who would show up and how the event was going turn out. I am going to share a little secret with you, actually one that I would rather scream from the rooftops, the event went amazing. Actually, even better than amazing. The amount of little faces that lit up when they saw our “Blippi Impersonator” was so heartwarming. I remember this little toddler came RUNNING through the doors and embraced Blippi with a big hug. They were finally meeting their idol and role model.  Not going to lie, I was holding back happy tears. 

The impact our little business had was incredible. To think I was very hesitant when the event coordinator reached out to me a few days prior to confirm our attendance. My anxiety wanted to win. It wanted me to say, “you can’t do this”, “it’s not too late to cancel” and so on. Not going to lie I had these thoughts. However, I am beyond happy that I awknowledged them but simply let them pass in one ear and out the other. I am happy we confirmed our attendance. I am happy we attended out first big event. I knew that everything was going to be okay no matter how unomfortable new situations may be. As the event progressed my anxiety faded, I started to dance with the kiddos, and I swear my face hurt from smiling so much. I did it.

So about this past weekend. I am not going to lie, waking up this monday morning I wanted to kick myself in the butt. I legit was so nervous for a weekend that ended up being one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. I felt my anxiety was built up for no reason. Yes I was a tad bit annoyed having a few restless nights a couple days prior to these events and all these anxious thoughts floating around. However, I didn’t let that ruin things. I still went to all the events, made wonderful memories, challenged myself, and do not regret one thing. Even though I could feel my thoughts scrambling around, I still entered all the uncomfortable situations that turned out to be amazing and memorable.

I woke up today feeling proud, happy and strong. I saw a bit of myself that I thought I had lost. I saw her and know shes still there. That is why I chose to start therapy again.

I know I will come back stronger than ever.

Collaborations

Tis the Season for Holiday Greetings with Basic Invite!

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on Tis the Season for Holiday Greetings with Basic Invite!

It’s Timmme!

Okay, I tried to do my best Mariah Carey impression but I may need you to use that imagination of yours to create the perfect holiday sound. What comes to mind when it’s that of the year for you? How do you make it magical? Maybe place a few extra pieces of tinsel on the tree, play “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” on repeat or convince yourself you are indeed a top baker. One thing that comes to mind when the holidays are here is sending out gorgeous Holiday Cards! I am so pumped to be collaborating with a company called “Basic Invite”, to help spread that holiday cheer this season in the form of beautiful holiday cards and invitations.

Let’s take stationary to the next level. Whether it’s wanting to send out holiday party invitations for an exciting upcoming event, or maybe basic invite holiday cards, this company has got you covered! Make the holidays extra special with a touch of personalization, love and enhanced emotional connection. One thing that I love about Basic Invite that sets them apart from other stationary companies is the unlimited colour options that are available to choose from online. I don’t know about you beauts but one thing about me is I am the most indecisive person on the face of the planet...legit. So the ability to try different colours and preview your designs instantly is important and essential (infact, very few websites offer this). Individuals have the chance to actually play around and explore each element on the card once a set design has been chosen. It’s time to let the creativity run WILD!

If that wasn’t enough to get you dancing to Jingle Bells behind your computer or phone, Basic Invite offers over 180 different colour combinations to choose from! That means, crank the Christmas tunes, grab a hot beverage and get ready to create the perfect card or invitation this holiday season, just the way you want to.

I am one of those people who is a firm believer in going above and beyond for the WHOLE product. When you open a present, it’s about the crisp tissue paper or maybe adding an additional bow to complete the look. Even on the envelopes for cards, I always love to place a few stickers that correspond with the occasion. Hey, I can’t be the only one!

Bring on all the fun goodies! Seeing how a company stands apart from other companies is my favourite part about collabs. With Basic Invite, there are several topics I want to share that makes this company so unique from other stationary companies. Did you know Basic Invite allows their customers to order a printed sample before finalizing and going ahead with their order!?

This allows the customer to ensure the quality of the paper is exactly what they had envisioned as well as their design. I have had it in the past where I would design a custom product from other companies and it arrived not how I envisioned, which is a total buzz kill to say the least… You have the awesome opportunity to double check placement of elements, colour concepts and so forth. Afterall, these are YOUR holiday cards and invitations, we want them to be PERFECT!

Let’s chat envelopes.

When it comes to the holidays, presentation is everything like I said. So of course Basic Invite allows customers to choose the perfect colour even down to the evelopes. That’s right! With over 40 different colours to choose from, customers have the opportunity to match everything or maybe just a bold colour to stand out! All envelopes are peal and seal for easy application process and security. That’s the way we love to roll.

But WAIT!

Another fabulous quality about Basic Invite is their “Address Capturing Service”. What does this mean you may ask? This is a unique feature that allows customers to share a link to their social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and request for their family, friends or coworkers’ addresses. The best thing about this fun feature is that the address is then stored in the customer’s account and can be retrieved during the design process for easy access. Did I mention there are no costs on all card orders when it comes to recipient address printing offered at Basic Invite? Sign me up as nobody likes hidden costs.

Speaking of quality, another fabulous option are the Foil Cards! Looking for a unique matieral and texture design? The foil cards are available in the colours gold, silver and rose gold. Depending on the customer’s preference, they can choose either a flat or raised foil to be included on their cards.

Tis the season to try something new!

Eager to hear more about Basic Invite and what they have to offer? Be sure to follow them on their social media platforms listed below! Also use coupon code “15FF51” at checkout for 15% off your order today!

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Twitter

I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas and Holiday Season this year filled with extra love and happiness! Remember, it’s the little things that count, especially during the holidays. When everything’s lit up and everyone’s in a good mood, why not join in? Give out more hugs, smile more, and say something nice to people. These small acts can really make someone’s day, kind of like how Christmas lights brighten up a tree. This holiday, let’s focus on being kind and sharing love, not just on presents and big meals. When we spread love, it comes back to us in so many ways, keeping the real spirit of Christmas alive and well.

Also a huge thank you to Basic Invite for wanting to collaborate and spread some holiday cheer this season!

Stay safe during the holidays everyone!

Anxiety, Mental Health

How to know when to “reach out” for help.

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on How to know when to “reach out” for help.

Hi beautiful souls! I hope everyone has been having a great start to their new week. This week we are going to be diving more into mental health discussions but I promise we will be chatting about other things on here as well. I decided to still focus some more on these chats simply because it’s that time of the year where maybe a few people are strugging a bit more. When you think of the holidays you think of celebrations, family gatherings and being surrounded by happiness. However, this may not be the case. Holidays could mean heightened anxiety, high levels of stress, depression (I mean hello blackout at like 5:00 in the evening… jeeze!). For today’s blog, it’s one of those statements where you think individuals who are struggling would automatically know when to reach out for help. No, I don’t mean that as an insult…serioulsly think about it. Shit hits the fan, you are nowhere near that happy person you used to be, so you reach out right? Well… that’s the thing. It’s not an easy decision and one that people may be throwing around in their minds on a daily basis. Contemplating, debating and going back and forth. Some questions and reasonings could be, “am I being dramatic?”, “maybe this will be better tomorrow”, “it’s just a bad day”, “I need to be tough because I have a lot of people to care for (moms out there I see you)”, and the list could go on. I know this because I have been there and in fact, have recently been there.

I thought I was okay. I thought I could handle the thoughts and emotions flying around at full speed but I realized I couldn’t.

“I thought I was okay, but I wasn’t”.

It’s been about over a year since I last booked a therapy session. Honestly, I think during that time I booked only one or two appointments with my therapist. I started to get back on my feet, manage my anxious thoughts a bit better and I thought things were going ok. But hey guess what? Life is full of unexpected situations, stressful situations, uneasy moments which can affect ones’ mood immensely (hello wild thoughts on the loose). As I mentioned in my previous blog post, it’s been a hell of a year. One that caught me a bit offguard. I noticed a few signs where I should’ve reached out a lot sooner to book a therapy session but I didn’t. I thought I would share with you beauts some of these signs incase you may be experiencing the same thing, maybe this will help you find the courage to reach out sooner.

Signs to reach out for help.

ONE

Loss of interest in daily activites: I am more of an introvert when it comes to recreational acitivities that I enjoy participating within my “free time”. Hey that’s totally fine! We all are different. I personally would much rather enjoy staying home, maybe grabbing a book, throwing on a movie, chatting with family, blogging, working out or anything that is in the comfort of my own home. This section is a bit tricky because sometimes you may just feel so busy that it may be hard to find time to do things you enjoy on certain days. What I am diving into is when you do have that free time, but just have zero interest in doing anything. Nothing sparks joy anymore (no I am not talking about Marie Kondo lol). You try to open a book and your mind is completely somewhere else. Your family member brings up something that would normally make you so excited but you don’t feel anything. Maybe you feel you are in a rut but it’s been months now and you are thinking, “when the hell is this going to end!?” Finding yourself in a rut is normal, things happen and sometimes we wind up there. But it’s the feeling of being stuck in a permanent rut with zero interest in doing things you once enjoyed. This is exactly what I was starting to feel. I was not feeling excited for things that would normally make me super stoked. I felt like I was just “chilling”, or that I was just “there” everyday. I would even put off activities. I felt like I just completely lost interest in life but also felt guilty for feeling this way. I am blessed to have a beautiful and supportive family, an amazing boyfriend, a roof over my head, food on the table and I am a pretty healthy person. So why am I feeling this way? I want to feel excited when I pick up a new book again, I want to engage in conversations that are stimulating and I want to feel connected with my life again.

TWO

You are having trouble regulating your emotions more than usual: Okay, I am not talking about when it’s that time of the month ladies. Heck everyone watch out because bitch mode might be activated (apologies in advance). No I am talking about maybe feeling like you are ontop of the world one day ready to touch the clouds and the next you feel as low as ever. The lows are low. Talk about a massive whiplash! Nobody wants to feel this way, heck bring me all the highs and I’ll be just fine. It’s normal to feel angry, sad, happy, annoyed etc.. in your life. What it comes down to is paying attention to have often you feel these emotions (more so the negative ones). There can be a lot of reasons behind emotional dysregulation, in fact… we may not be able to pinpoint right then and there the reasons behind this and that’s ok (we are only human!) Within the past year, I was experiencing a lot of high highs and low lows. Something would go great one day, I would feel like a million bucks but one little thing could set me right off (I am talking about “it’s the end of the world” type of feeling). Not only is this mentally exhausting but it completely drains you. I remember going through these issues with my emotions and just wanting to sleep for the rest of the day. I felt like my anxiety was just at it’s highest peek daily, waiting for a chance to explode. I really want to learn how to regulate my emotions better like I used to.

THREE

The negative thoughts are extremely overpowering: We all experience those random thoughts that pop into your head during the day which really have nothing nice to say. I call her “Tina”, no offense to any Tina’s out there but “Tina, I don’t want to hear it” lol. Whether it’s “don’t even bother trying this”, or, “you sound stupid”…whatever it may be, we all have that voice that can interrupt at times (you know what I am talking about). Sometimes these thoughts can pop in a bit more than usual which can feel extremely unsettling, frustrating or sometimes scary. I get it and I’ve been there. It can take a huge toll on you for sure. Nobody wants to feel constantly belittled, ashamed, defeated 24/7 by your OWN MIND. It’s important to pay attention to when these thoughts feel amplified. When these thoughts feel like they are controlling your every move and you simply have a hard time even functioning. It’s ok to throw in the towel and simply say “maybe I need some help with controlling these unwanted thoughts”. That’s exactly what I am doing. I want to be on good terms with my mind again, have a better connection and not let these thoughts control my life.

Just know that you don’t have to deal with these constant battles anymore by yourself. I know at times we want to show ourselves that we are strong enough to get through the hard times. Maybe we don’t want to show any signs of “weakness” and automatically think that booking a therapy apt is weak. But it’s not. In fact, it’s far from that. It’s about taking the step to make that change and want to better your life, even through all the potential bullshit that may be floating around you. It’s about knowing the early signs and taking action. It’s about awareness of yourself, your body language, thoughts, feelings and emotions.

It’s about acknowledging that maybe you are not yet the best version of yourself, but you want to be.

“There is always room for growth. Even with a bit of extra help”.

Anxiety, Mental Health

Why I chose to go back to therapy

by alyssahotrum1 Comment on Why I chose to go back to therapy

Hello and good morning my beautiful souls! Wow, has it even been a long time since I last published a blog on my page. I have been pretty busy, to say the least, trying to sort things out in my life, figuring out what I truly want to do (don’t think about asking me because I am the most indecisive person on the entire planet haha), and trying to get a better handle on my mental health. It’s no secret that anxiety is a huge part of my life. I have discussed this on my page many times and love to share information and tips on my social media pages. In fact, I actually created a new Instagram page strictly dedicated to anxiety tips, tricks, and discussion of all things mental health. I absolutely adore discussing mental health on my page but knew that it needed its’ own page so we can dive deeper into more meaningful chats and sip coffee together (in a cute mug of course…duh).

Feel free to go follow my newest page addition @cupfullofworries which focuses on all things anxiety. Simply a safe space to spill some tips and to help pour out those anxious thoughts. I am extremely excited to have this newest addition and can’t wait to connect with other individuals who may be struggling as well. It’s very fascinating to me because if you do suffer from anxiety, there are different severities of it and so many different triggers that are out there. Sometimes you think, “Everyone must be going through the same thing”, or maybe on the other side of the scale “why am I the one that has to be so nervous and jittery all the time?!” In reality, though, everyone is different, everyone handles situations differently, and everyone is going through different things. However, individuals who suffer from anxiety can experience similar symptoms, whether physical, emotional, or psychological that we can all get together as a community and discuss.  That’s the beauty of this page and the vision I had in mind, welcome!

An open & safe space to sip on our cup of worries, spill some tips & help pour out those anxious thoughts🀍 All things anxiety.

Soooo…. to say this year has been a bit of a clusterfuck is an understatement. I know we all go through a lot, I mean that’s life. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, no matter how shitty they are. This year has deff had it’s ups and downs. I have been noticing changes in my mind and body this year that kind of alarmed me. To put it in blunt terms, I felt “like a zombie”, very “isolated” and “not myself”. I remember even thinking, “I wish I just simply existed but wasn’t noticed”. That thought scared me. I have had my “really rough times” with anxiety but honestly have never had that thought cross my mind. I tried to pinpoint what could be causing these and it wasn’t the easiest. One thing that I was certain of… I was not happy. I needed to figure out what was happening and decided to sit down to brainstorm. I analyzed my friend group, current relationships, work environment and other major aspects of my life. I came to the conclusion I was not happy at my job which in turn had a cycle affect on other parts of my life. I was not comfortable with a lot of things at work, which I am not going to get into, but I stuck through it. I realized this was a huge portion of which my anxiety was coming from. I tried to make my “free time” outside of work really enjoyable and tried to find things that made me happy, even if that meant something small. I showed up, did my job, went home and let out my stress at the gym. The problem was, I would often bring work home with me. I couldn’t keep it at work. My brain was working overtime and I hated it. BUT, I kept my job. Even though I was extremely uncomfortable, I reminded myself “it’s just a job”.

Everything happens for a reason.

I seriously think someone may have been looking out for me, or somebody knew that this wasn’t the environment I was supposed to be in. I ended up being let go from that job which was a blessing hidden in disguise but at the same time, nobody likes the feeling of being let go. During this time I really tried to focus on myself. I thought maybe since the biggest hectic thing that was going on was now gone, maybe I would be ok. However, this was not the case. In fact, the uneasiness didn’t seem to go away, I felt still the same levels of anxiety and isolation. I hated feeling like this. I remember telling my mom, “I feel like I am constantly walking on egg shells”. I felt like anything I did, my fear of judgement was amplified. Things I used to enjoy doing I no longer enjoyed anymore. I felt nervous posting anything on social media (not like me), I turned down plans with friends, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I felt like I was back to square one with my anxiety. Everything I have learned over the years felt like it was out the door and that was such an awful feeling.

I tried to remain consistent with my workouts because that was something I knew calmed me, but there were even times where I felt I had zero motivation or energy anymore. I was losing myself and I knew that. Of course I have had nothing but time to think about everything, really analyze my thoughts wandering around in mind and try to dissect them. It came down to one question, “What the heck was truly causing this?!” Seems pretty simple to answer, but it took me a while to finally figure out the true reason behind this very low in my life. I discovered that my self confidence was gone. I figured out that anything I would do, whether it was performing at a job, having a simple conversation with someone, or maybe wanting to try something new. I automatically was bombarded with intense thoughts of “You can’t do that”, “it won’t be good enough”, or even “I won’t do that well”. I didn’t have any confidence in my skills or abilities. I automatically thought I was not capable of doing something, and this included things I didn’t even try yet. How can you have these thoughts if you have never even tried a certain thing before? I do believe that at my last job I was impacted greatly through the diminishment of my self-confidence. I went through a lot. My confidence was left behind while I walked away. The biggest thing I realized was that I needed to find that self-confidence again. I needed that in order to ease my nerves and be ok with different situations that are going to arise in the future. I wanted to get back to the activities I enjoyed. I wanted to be happy again. I just turned 30 and I want to feel alive again.

“I want to feel alive again”.

I don’t think it’s morbid to say that. I think it’s brave and shows strength. I did want to feel alive again and that’s why I chose to pick up the phone, call the doctor and book a therapist appointment. I have been on the fence about it for a bit. I have been to therapy in the past and really enjoyed it. However, I honestly thought I didn’t need it again, that I was okay, that I could snap out of this mood and be fine. I realized I needed to speak to someone again. I have my first therapy apt coming up at the beginning of December and can’t wait to blog about it & share all the details with you guys. I enjoy documenting things as a reflection to look back on as well as spreading awareness that anxiety can be a pain in the ass but help is always there. It’s okay to feel like you have your shit together and then the next thing you know it is you feel completely lost.

One thing we need to remember is that we are not permanently lost. You will find yourself again and I know I will.

Inspiring Articles

“My Experience with Smile Brilliant & GIVEAWAY”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on “My Experience with Smile Brilliant & GIVEAWAY”
“Time to relax and unwind for bed”

Hello my beautiful souls! I hope you all are having a fabulous day and had a great week! Mine has been super busy but I am happy it has been very productive though. I have been organizing things and honestly trying to stay sane with all this Covid Stuff, who is with me on that? We got this guys! In today’s blog post I wanted to chat with you guys about sleep! Ahhhhh yes. I seriously adore my beauty sleep and really do enjoy sleeping in… probably a little more than I should to be honest! However, I am more of a morning person as opposed to a night owl, anyone with me on that? I am not the type of girl to wake up at 5:00 am and have my life altogether but I really enjoy starting my day at a decent time and really enjoying my whole morning routine. From my wonderful bold cup of coffee to my workout routine, I enjoy all these little activities that truly make my mornings so much better for myself. I am a firm believer in finding a steady routine that works best for you. A lot of trial and error for sure! I am very keen on ensuring I am having a good sleep. I try my best to get enough hours of sleep each night, however, that is not always the case. I have an extremely bad habit that I need to share with you beauts. I am a horrible teeth grinder. I know… it’s absolutely brutal. When I say “brutal” I mean picture nails on a chalkboard and a high pitch screeching sound. Not only is the sound absolutely atrocious, but it is also extremely unhealthy for my teeth,

Do you ever have a bad habit that you really don’t think is that big of a deal? I mean.. sure I grind my teeth, what’s it to you? It was not until within the past year that I really noticed how bad this habit actually was. I have always been a teeth grinder and I actually had gotten a mouthguard when I was younger. Not going to lie, I never actually wore it that much , didn’t put as much effort into my oral care as I should’ve and I didn’t care as much. When you are older, you usually start to take things a little more seriously and pay attention to these types of things a lot more. I know my dentist would always give me dirty looks whenever I simply stated “I don’t like to floss” when the teeth cleaning appointments rolled around. I got a rude awakening for many things such as needing to floss more and the flattening of my teeth, which was being caused by the constant grinding at night time. I was absolutely startled one time when my boyfriend decided to record how I sounded when I grind my teeth at night time. I was BLOWN away. I had no idea I was that loud and obnoxious when I was doing this while I slept. Not only was this a problem I have always dealt with, but now, it was becoming a major problem for my significant other as well. I had to do something about it pronto or else he may never want to stay over again let’s face it. I would not want to listen to that awful noise when I was trying to have a restful sleep.

“Professional Teeth Grinder is my middle name…”

Not only was the noise so intense, but the grinding was also leading to other issues I began to face as well. I am seriously always the type to get headaches and could not figure out why this was happening. Sure it could be the result of lack of water, or maybe I was stressed out, but headaches always seemed to creep around the corner even when these were not the case. I felt that Tylenol and Advil were always my best friends. It was terrible. Not only do headaches feel the worst but they prevented me from getting what I want to get done that specific day, holding off until I felt a bit better. I began to do my research. What could be causing these headaches all the time? I never would have ever thought it would have been potential symptoms of teeth grinding. Now thinking about it and knowing this, this makes complete sense due to the amount of jaw clenching that is happening. Sometimes I would even wake up come morning time with a sore jaw as well. I will often wake up having a very unrestful sleep and not to mention my boyfriend wants to kill me. The crazy thing that continues to baffle me is that I am completely unaware of this during my sleep. With all of these symptoms, it is clear to say that I needed some help and needed a night guard…pronto.

“Lets pray for a more restful sleep! Fingers crossed”

I was approached by a lovely company called “Smile Brilliant“, which involves a bunch of dental professionals with more than 3o years of teeth whitening experience. This company started by creating custom-fitted whitening trays for local dentists but soon developed a system that allows their customers to create their own dental impressions in the comfort of their own homes. This is so much more convenient and more cost-efficient than having to make your way to the dentist’s office to get these done (especially with Covid here). Not only does this amazing company create whitening trays but they also create mouth guards, have electric toothbrushes, desensitizing gels, and water flossers. I was so happy to hear that they ship worldwide, and I was beyond impressed with their overall customer service. Any questions that I had in regards to the process they were eager to answer, and they were extremely helpful with my experience. You can check out all their products located in their shop here: https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/night-guards/#itsthelittlethingsinlifethatmatter

When it comes to ordering your impressions kit, it is extremely easy which I loved. There are three different packages you can choose from which all vary. The “Deluxe Package” provides you with 4 ultra-durable mouthguards which last you up to 1 year for heavy teeth grinders. This kit retails for $179.00 compared to $750.00. With all of these packages, your dental impressions are kept on file for easy re-order which is fabulous. All packages include free shipping (prepaid US envelope) and a free impressions kit. The lifetime re-order for this specific package is only $25.00/ mouthguard. The second “Moderate Package” contains 2 ultra-durable mouthguards which last up to 6 months for heavy teeth grinders. This kit retails for $159.00 compared to $550.00. The lifetime re-order for this specific package is only $35.00/mouthguard. The last “Intro Package” which contains 1 ultra-durable mouthguard lasts up to 3 months for heavy teeth grinders. The lifetime re-order for this specific package is only $40.00/mouthguard (this is the package I received). I simply love how you have a lifetime warranty of the products and can reorder when needed. You are then given all the necessary products to create your dental impressions at home, which takes around 15 minutes (pretty sure I was watching some re-runs of Jersey Shore). Once you created your impressions, simply send them back in the envelope they provide for you. The lab then receives your dental impressions, crafts an exact mold of your teeth, and creates your own personal mouthguard. This part of the process takes around 3-5 business days.

Overall, I was very pleased with this process, in fact, I even emailed the company a picture of my impressions to ensure I created them properly. They replied back immediately with the “good to go!”. Knowing me I would completely mess something up haha!

Well...it’s the moment you have all been waiting for! I am super pleased with the progress I have been experiencing on several levels when it came to my symptoms from grinding my teeth. As you have read at the beginning of my blog post, I am absolutely brutal at grinding my teeth and would classify myself as a “heavy teeth grinder” (that’s my middle name, didn’t you know?). I have noticed a reduced amount of headaches while using this nightguard. I have been using mine for a few weeks now and will still be monitoring the progress that is happening. You do not know how happy I am to have noticed this! I have always been headache’s number one fan, they love me but I am completely sick of them. Truth be told, I never in a million years would have thought this would be caused by my immense amount of heavy teeth grinding while I sleep. It’s unbelievable. Not only do I notice my headaches disappearing but also my sleep has been a lot better. I am trying to work ongoing to bed a bit earlier, but that is another story, haha. Let’s focus on one thing at a time, shall we? I have noticed I am getting a more restful sleep when it comes to morning time with the usage of my mouthguard. I am trying to get into the new habit of wearing this every night and to be honest, it is actually quite comfy! Just slides right on and doesn’t bother me one bit. The jaw pain is slowly decreasing and I know my teeth are screaming at me saying “about time!”. I know they are pretty happy with my decision to try out this company for myself and see what they were all about. My boyfriend is also extremely happy that he can sleep at night without hearing a mouse screeching next to him. Phew!

I am very happy I tried out this night guard and would highly recommend it to anyone who is an avid teeth grinder like myself. I am happy to be saving my teeth before it is too late since I can already see a bit of flattening occurring. I also recommend checking out the other amazing products this company has to offer! I want to personally take the time to thank Smile Brilliant for giving me the opportunity to experience one of their kits for myself! You guys are awesome. OH and also…. not only are they a pretty wicked company but they gave me the opportunity to provide you, beautiful souls, with an amazing GIVEAWAY! Heck yes!

Who’s excited for this awesome giveaway! Here’s your chance to win your own “Light Night Guard Kit”!

All you have to do is simply click the link below and fill out the form to enter! THAT’S IT!

https://www.smilebrilliant.com/g/itsthelittlethingsinlifethatmatter

*The giveaway is open for two weeks and closes Friday June 25th 11:59 EST.

*Must enter via the link provided below

*Open to residents of US, UK, Australia, & Canada

(Even if you do not win the awesome giveaway, Smile Brilliant was kind enough to provide me with a discount code for you beauts! Save 20% off using my code: itsthelittlethingsinlifethatmatter20

Good Luck Beauts!


How Much Is Teeth Whitening
//www.smilebrilliant.com/widget-article/itsthelittlethingsinlifethatmatter


Home Teeth Whitening
//www.smilebrilliant.com/widget-/itsthelittlethingsinlifethatmatter/200/200

Collaborations, Fashion Finds

What defines β€œHappiness?”My Collaboration with “Happiness Is Inc”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on What defines β€œHappiness?”My Collaboration with “Happiness Is Inc”

Good morning beautiful souls! I hope you all are doing absolutely fabulous and having a great start to your week so far! I know things have been kinda hectic these few months with everything that has been going on, but it is so important to always check in with yourself as well as others. I know this can be a complete rollercoaster for individuals who suffer from a mental illness, myself included. To be quite honest, my anxiety has been up and down, somedays are way better than others and you know what? That’s okay. It’s okay to acknowledge that these are difficult situations we all have to go through, it’s out of routine, it’s out of normality. We have to make the best out of this situation and that is that. What has helped me tremendously is staying busy nonstop. This helps to preoccupy my mind, keep me moving and gives me something to do each day so I am not sitting there constantly thinking about when things return back to “normal”. Sometimes, this can be as little as planning a day where you are going to wash your makeup brushes and clean out underneath your bed. It could be organizing your room or finally sitting down and going through your closet. There are so many things to do, you just have to explore your options. Make a list. Make a list of things you want to get done each day! That way, you feel more accomplished and productive with your day. This is what I do, and it really helps me stay on track and plan better. On the topic of staying busy, it is so important to incorporate self care into your day. Again, the self care routines are endless as there are so many options out there. What makes you happy and feel good? Finding what works for you, puts your mind at ease and helps your brain unwind is key. Everyone’s self care routine is different, there is no right or wrong way. Tune into yourself, explore and find what you enjoy. Finding what you enjoy doing will put you in a great mood and bring you so much happiness!

“Happiness is…”

Happiness is everything and that is why I am so excited to be collaborating with this amazing clothing company called, “Happiness Is Inc.”. You beauts know I am all about positivity on my feed and blogging channel, especially during these hard times. These times are difficult and I truly find so much joy when I am scrolling through social media and something upbeat shows up. I don’t think I could’ve collaborated with a better company! Happiness Is Inc is a casual clothing company that inspires gratitude, connection and happiness. I simply love everything about this company, from they stand for, promote and help shed positive light on something that can he hard for some individuals to find. This company takes into consideration life’s struggles, fast-paced environment including stressful situations. Gorden Carton, at 95 years old, founded this beautiful company. He wanted individuals to find happiness within themselves and I absolutely adore that. He knew that it was impossible to have a lifetime of happiness but having the gratitude towards what makes us smile, and through the amazing connections we have with people around us, we can all be more happier. This is so true, I simply could not agree more! He knew that happiness is contagious and I am a strong believer of that myself. Sadly, Gorden passed away in the year of 2017, but his legacy lives on through his granddaughter, Andrea Armstrong. This amazing company strives on making high quality and casual/athletic clothing that brings a smile to your face when you put it on!

One thing I love about this company is that they are Canadian! You beauts know I am a huge supporter of Canadian companies! Their clothing pieces are made from biodegradable certified organic cotton and bamboo which is amazing. They have a wide range of sayings when it comes to their clothing company. Each article of clothing states “Happiness is….” and offers a variety of different sentences! This company has women, men and children’s clothing, so a little something for the whole family! Seriously guys… they have the cutest sayings ever that will make you smile in a heartbeat. They have a phrase that fits well with everyone!

I was so fortunate to be gifted this stunning, “Happiness is Morning Coffee” crewneck sweater. I think this completely defines me to a t! I absolutely love my coffee! I am always looking forward to my morning coffee, it is truly something that makes me happy all the time and is something I look forward to each day! I tell you, it really is the little things in life that are the best. It doesn’t take much to make me happy, I really do cherish the tiny moments life has to offer each day. This sweater retails online for $89.95, and comes in either ballet pink (what I received) or in charcoal. This is a crew neck sweater which I adore so so much! The material is super comfortable, stretchy and cozy! I always crack a smile and feel unreal when I am wearing this! Be sure to check out all of the other sayings on the shirts as well, way too cute! Some of the different categories you can explore are active lifestyles, on the water, moments of value and fun, as well as happy places. Lots to choose from that’s for sure!

“It’s the little things in life…”

So I am going to ask you beauts, what is happiness to you? What truly makes you smile and feel great? It’s so important to take that time to yourself and ask yourselves this question. I have come up with a small list of things that make me happy to share with you guys!

  1. Happiness is morning coffee
  2. Happiness is reading a great book that you can’t put down
  3. Happiness is grabbing Starbucks and exploring Indigo for hours
  4. Happiness is finding a pair of distressed jeans that fit amazing
  5. Happiness is giving your boyfriend the biggest hug when you haven’t seen him all week
  6. Happiness is getting a family picture of your 3 sisters altogether
  7. Happiness is grabbing your boyfriend’s hand when your walking on a crisp evening
  8. Happiness is looking up at the stars and seeing them fill the sky
  9. Happiness is sitting in the hot tub with your pumpkin tea listening to Owl City
  10. Happiness is remembering to turn on your fairy lights as you soak in the tub

Happiness is everywhere. Find what makes you happy….big or small. I want to personally thank Happiness Is Inc for allowing me to collaborate with their beautiful and inspiring company. I love everything they do, what they are about, and the the pieces of clothing they have to offer. So many amazing sayings and things to be happy about. Be sure to follow this company on Instagram at “@happinessisinc” as well as check out their website at “www.happinessisinc.com”. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week and keep on smiling!

Collaborations, Fashion Finds, Home Decor

My Collaboration with “Bloom & Blossom”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on My Collaboration with “Bloom & Blossom”

Good morning beautiful souls, welcome to my channel if you are new! Or, welcome back if you are returning! So happy to have you back! So I know it hasn’t been the most easiest couple of weeks that’s for sure. Whether you are practicing social distancing, in self-isolation or even quarantined… it’s not fun or easy. I know this comes with a lot of brainstorming! If you are a momma, this calls for keeping your kiddos entertained all day, which I am not a parent myself but I will not judge you if that cup of coffee secretly has some baileys in it, just saying! I give you so much credit and together, we will get through this. I truly believe in the importance of empowering individuals during these crazy times and giving out a bit more extra love than usual. We are all in this together.

On my channel, whether it be on my blogging site or on my Instagram feed, I always try to keep everything more upbeat and positive. I have always been the more optimistic type, but trust me, I don’t shit rainbows and butterflies if that is what you think! I have my days but for the most part, I love providing unique, fresh, upbeat and positive content for you to view! During these tough times, I am going to be on my A game 110%! I am way way WAY beyond excited to share this wonderful collaboration that I was so honored to be apart of! So, without further or due, shall we jump right in?!

When it comes to Spring Time, I always love a couple of things. First, a pretty good spring outfit of course, second, some cute spring accessories. But, there is something missing if I do say so myself. Since I am always pretty much carrying around a drink with me at ALL times……. what if your drink could look hella fashionable!? Would you be down? I sure would be! That is why I can not wait to share this amazing company I was so fortunate to partner with for this collaboration! I partnered with this amazing company called, “Bloom & Blossom”! They provide a whole bunch of adorable and unique products on their website involving CUTE sayings! From ceramic mugs, crew neck sweaters, decals, tumblr mugs, you name it! When I say this company has the cutest sayings, I mean…….they are STINKING CUTE!

I absolutely love the name “Bloom & Blossom!” and I wanted to know how owner and creator, Kennedy Stanton, came up with it! Kennedy states, “It took me quite some time to find a name. I didn’t want something cheesy I wanted something light, pretty and different. It’s a good reminder for me that we have to bloom & blossom in life to be who we are meant to be. I believe we do this over multiple phases within our life, remember we aren’t meant to be stagnant”. I absolutely LOVE this and the backstory behind this name. I am always so curious behind company names and I find this meaning beautiful. I seriously could not agree more with Kennedy’s thoughts behind this, so true & accurate!

I was also very curious as to how Kennedy started her lovely business, and what the process was like creating it! I have never owned a business myself so this really fascinates me! Kennedy shares that her work started as a hobby as she never actually had the intention of making it a company. She states, “Oddly enough the first item I sold was funny egg cartons with sayings on them. They blew up for me locally and I couldn’t keep enough in stock. Then I moved into apparel and people were buying those from me. They kept saying I needed to do this as a business. So finally I started my social media approx 9 months ago, my website 2 months ago and then incorporated in January of this year”. That is absolutely unreal and I am so proud of you! Who knew it would’ve started from egg cartons! That is amazing. Kennedy is a prime example that if you set your mind to it, you can do anything, just have to stick to it and keep going! Her business is so creative, and the sayings on her products are hilarious, cute, sweet and classy!

I was beyond excited when Kennedy wanted to collaborate with me! She had gifted me this beautiful Custom Tumblr which I seriously can not get enough of! I had always wanted my slogan on a mug/cup and this turned out AMAZING! BEAUTS…. when I received this in the mail I was blown away at how perfect it turned out, she did a beautiful job! Did I mention the colour is breath taking too! I received mine in a “Rose Gold” shade, and there are hints of sparkles in it as well, so stunning! She has so many colours and designs to choose from which I love. Her tumblr cups are safe for hot and cold liquids, stainless steel, and are 20 oz. These retail in store for around $20.00 which is amazing considering the quality of the product and how much detail she puts in! I am seriously going to be carrying this around with me EVERYWHERE, move over boring water bottles, this new fella is coming in to STAY. Some of the amazing colours that she has includes, “Matte Rosewood, Matte Blush, Matte Sea Glass, Matte Black, Matte Midnight and also Silver (they are all absolutely flawless and so aesthetically pleasing!). My product also came with care instructions as well which is always great to have, so you know how to properly take care of it!

I don’t know about you beauts, but I swear I live for products with adorable sayings on them such as mugs and cups. Each morning, when I go and grab my coffee I always have to make sure it is in a cute mug….am I a little extra? I swear this puts me in a great mood, starts my day off right, and also just makes me feel dang good, anyone else!? It’s all about the little things in life.

“They say good things take time, that’s why I’m always late!”

I have to say I am beyond proud of Kennedy for opening up this business and owning this herself! She makes everything, packages everything up, and still works full-time! Can you say GIRLBOSS or what!? She’s amazing, and so inspiring as well! You can clearly see all the hard work she puts into her company that’s for sure! Of course you can’t forget about her fiance who is her biggest cheerleader! Love that so much!

I want to personally take the time to thank her for allowing me to collaborate with her and this beautiful company! She truly is going places and can not wait what the future holds in store for her! I had an amazing time conducting this blog post and showing you beauts just one of her gorgeous products! If you beauts wish to check out some of her amazing products you can reach her on Instagram at “@bloom.n.blossom.designs” and you can check out her website at :https://bloomblossomdesigns.com/. Be sure to show some love & support by giving her a follow!

Take care beautiful souls, stay healthy & keep washing those hands!

Beauty, Collaborations, Fashion Finds

My Spring Collaboration with β€œCanadian Beauty Box”

by alyssahotrum2 Comments on My Spring Collaboration with β€œCanadian Beauty Box”

Good morning beautiful souls, welcome to my channel if you are new! My name is Alyssa! I am so grateful and happy you stopped by! I am super excited that spring is just around the corner and the nice weather is showing up! Literally, nothing like the birds chirping, the sun shining, bringing out the cute outfits, and feeling in a more upbeat mood! I don’t know about you beauts but this nicer weather is such a mood changer! With spring around the corner, you know what that means! Hello Spring collaborations! BEAUTS…. I am super excited to share with you guys this amazing company that I am so thankful to work with again! If you guys saw previously, I had reviewed their Winter Subscription Box. There were so many gorgeous products inside! Now I am super eager to share with you guys the Spring Subscription Box! Let me just say this…… you’ll want to grab one of these for sure, hands down! So…. shall we get started!?

“Live life in full bloom”

What I adore about this wonderful company is that they include so many wonderful Canadian Beauty, Fashion and lifestyle products, giving you all those mad spring vibes! This company helps support local Canadian companies which I absolutely LOVE. I love supporting local businesses! You also get to hear about so many unique and beautiful companies out there. which is amazing! Can we just talk about how stinking cute the packaging is! I love the design of these boxes, and I am loving the giant “EH” sticker! Such a nice touch to this!


So like I had mentioned earlier, there are so many wonderful products located in the box! I am going to share and review all the products with you beauts so grab a cup of tea or coffee! The first product located in the Spring Box is the “Agate Phone Grips “ by AA Designs. This beautiful company sells Aromatherapy and Gemstone Jewlery, ranging from wholesale to custom orders. Their pieces are STUNNING, and I simply could not get over how gorgeous the phone grips were! The phone grips help provide a secure grip for your phone, and also can act as a stand as well. Did I mention how classy and elegant they look? This product also includes a 3M sticker on the back so you can attach it to the back of your phone! You can find this company on Instagram at “@aadesignsjewlery” This product retails in store for $28.00.

“I swear I have never seen a phone grip that looked this cute before!”


The next product that I am going to share with you guys located in the box is this “Bare Blend Face Oil” by The Salted Rose. This company offers luxe natural self care & lifestyle products. This face oil is super gentle on your skin and includes a blend of high quality oils. This is the perfect product to keep your skin feeling nourished and hydrated! I absolutely love this product and love how it makes my skin feel! This is a must have in your selfcare routine that’s for sure! I also love and adore how cute the packaging is! It really is pleasing to the eye, and I love all the products this company has to offer. This product does not contain any essential oils and is safe for all skin types. You can find this company on Instagram at “@thesaltedrose”. This product retails for $30.00 in store”.

The third product that I am going to discuss with you beauts are these GORGEOUS earrings! These are the “Fringe Hoop Earrings” by Clover and Coast. You beauts know I absolute adore my earrings! I love a whole bunch of different styles, and love pairing them with different outfits! I love this beige neutral colour that I received, they go perfectly with so many looks! I love the fringe tassel look, and can not wait to style them in lots of ways! I truly think that jewlery can spice up any outfit and dress it up! Love these SO SO much! You can find this stunning company on Instagram at “@cloverandcoast“. These earrings retail for $26.00 in store. I tell you guys….. this is a must have in your spring collection! Just saying!

(These are literally the cutest earrings for Spring!)

The next product that I am going to be sharing with you beauts is the “Accurate Rumor Hair Clip” by Kash and Co. This hair accessory is so stylish and chic, I can’t get enough of it! I truly want to get more into hair clips and experiment with them a lot more! I love the pearl detailing on this particular piece, and love how classy it looks. You can pair this with so many different outfits! I love the variety of hair accessories this company has to offer. They have such cute scrunchies and hair clips. Who said doing your hair in the morning had to be boring? This Spring, let’s bump things up a bit! You can find this cute company on Instagram at “@mykashandco”. This clip retails for $18.00 in store.

(Something about pearl clips that makes me feel classy as hell!)

β€œ Good hair does not stay home on a Friday!”

Okay, so I know what you guys are thinking, how can a box have so many adorable and cute goodies in it! Hey…. we are just getting started my dear friends! The next product located in the Spring Subscription Box is the “Hot Mess Room Spay” by Arrow It Forward. GUYS…… I am absolutely obsessed with this spray and can not get over how good it smells! I literally spray this all over my room, on my bed sheets, pillow…. you name it. I have worked with this amazing company before and I am hooked on ALL her products. Her work is amazing, and the scents are heavenly. When I look for room sprays or candles, I want to ensure you can really SMELL them in the room! Trust me when I say this, you can for sure smell everything and won’t want to stop smelling everything! Did I mention how cute the labels are and the packaging! The label on the front of this product states, “a barely hanging on blend of leggings and dry shampoo” (how freaking adorable is that!). Pretty much when you’re a “hot mess!”. I am actually spraying this all over my room as I type this…no biggie or anything! You can find this company on Instagram at “@arrowitforward“. This product retails online for $14.00 (brb…. just going to bathe in this).

(This product contains notes of Jasmine, Sandalwood and White Amber. Can you say YUM?)
(This bottle pretty much sums up my life! Just saying)


Extra extra read all about it, Lyss is getting eco-friendly and we’re going to SHOUT IT! Guys, it’s happening! I am so happy to start using this product on a daily basis! This is the “Bambu Smoothie Straw” by AllBambu. This is such a unique product that I think everyone should carry with them! This straw is made completely out of bambu, it’s organic, GMO-Free, Vegan and also Cruelty-Free as well. I love how stylish and convenient this product is! It comes with a case and a cleanser too. Ps… I am one of those people that loves my straws and I hate asking restaurants for them! For sure going to be carrying around this litte fella in my purse! You can find this amazing company on Instagram at “@allbambu.inc”. This product retails online for $12.99.

β€œIt’s time to be Eco-Friendly!”

Peace out plastic straws, Bambu is coming through!

You beauts know I have been all about skincare recently and I love finding great skincare products that are good for my sensitive skin. I was so thrilled that Canadian Beauty Box added this unreal product in their box! This is the “Refresh Face Wash” by Medikate. I am absolutely hooked on this face wash you guys! It is so gentle on my skin and has such a nice minty scent and feeling to it! This cleanser helps to remove any dirt and makeup on your skin without striping any natural oils! It is so important to cleanse your skin daily, and this is by far an amazing product to include in your daily routine! This product is also great for all skin types which I adore. I love how refreshing it makes your skin feel too! For sure helps you wake up in the morning let’s just say that! You can find this company on Instagram at “@medikate.skincare”. This product retails online for $49.99.

This product is so refreshing on your face!

The last product that I am going to share with you beautiful souls is this amazing “Nail Serum” by Bitter Gold. First off, can we just take into consideration how beautiful and gorgeous the serum is! I love how it was designed, so adorable! This product is a clear and odorless serum that helps strengthen and harden the nail as it grows. There is Biotin and Silica located in this product which is awesome! I don’t know about you beauts but my nails currently need all the help they can get at the moment! My nails are so brittle and weak, so I can not wait to try this out! You can check out this beautiful company on Instagram at “@bittergoldnails”. This product retails online for $9.99! Let’s say goodbye to damaged nails!

“Life isn’t perfect, but your nails can be!”

I want to take the time to personally thank Canadian Beauty Box for allowing me to collaborate with your beautiful company again! You guys are amazing, and I had such a great time reviewing the Spring Subscription Box! If you beauts are looking to try out some amazing local Canadian Companies be sure to get your hands on one of these! I seriously can not get over how unreal this box was and how STUNNING everything is inside! Loving all the spring feels!

Be sure to use my discount code “ALYSSA” for 20% off your order today! Trust me when I say you’re going to want to grab one of these! I hope you beauts have a positive and beautiful day!