How to Dress Modest Bohemian

https://youtu.be/LohDUkvJE_0 I'm so happy to finally make you this video! In it you'll find tons of tips and info. I basically tell you every little secret I have about my clothing.  Oh my gosh, it's like you're coming over to my house! Welcome! I'll be honest  though, sometimes even I can't put my finger on the connection between what we wear and who we are. It all seems so silly. But then there are flashes of clarity ( usually when I get grateful Youtube comments!) when I get that it's all about our choices and how we choose to identify in this world. And that's pretty powerful stuff! Read more...

What I Wear to the Gym

After I posted the video "How to Dress Modest Bohemian" a lot people asked me to show them what I wear to the gym. So here it is: A very light (probably polyester) skirt Soft easy Yoga pants A long sleeve sportswear top. (Also soft, just a bit of Lycra) Here's a super corny picture that I took just for you. Note the sleepy eyes ( 7:30 am) and the lack of make up (free to get sweaty. And we are off!   You'll see that my sneakers didn't make it into the picture. That's because my son said they looked awful. He's right! Everything else is nice and new but my sneakers have gone on camping trips and been rained on and are pretty grungy. I thought it was pretty observant of him to notice that. And you know what it made me realize. I realized that I don't quite believe that I'm going to keep up this up. It's like I don't want to invest in myself. Even though I did buy the shirt and pants, sneakers are like a whole purchase, you know? I've had different era's of getting into shape and I'm not sure if this is an era or a fad. I'm hoping for an era ( and dreaming that it's a lifetime!) Q. Do you cover your hair during your workout? A. Yes. Q. Does your tichel fall off? A. No, I wear a no slip headband underneath it. My favorite tip is this - Bring your headband into the the shower with you and wash it after your workout. This way it always stays fresh. I have a few headbands but on a hot day instead of switching to a new one I like to wear the wet one under my tichel. It keeps me cool. Q. Do people look at you like you're weird? A. I don't know, I'm busy staring at the mile marker on the treadmill willing it to move faster. Q. Aren't you hot? A. Yes. I think  you're supposed to get hot during a workout - I might get hot a few minutes earlier, I'm not sure. Q. So when are you getting new sneakers?? A. Hmm, maybe when I keep this up for a month, I'm only two weeks in!   Read more...

Where Did My Zing Go? The Dying Art of Womanhood.

Have you ever asked yourself "Where did my zing go? "Why am I so tired -  dragging through the day and my responsibilities?" You know what I mean - it's when you joke about how old you are even though you're not remotely old. And you say these jokes to make it okay that you feel so disconnected from your younger self. When was the last time you  felt simply beautiful and worthy without the voice of the inner critic interfering? When's the last time you had an awesome belly laugh? Ask yourself: Do I have friends I can confide in and relationships I can count on? Do I feel energized by life? How is my marriage? Are we basically putting up with each other, or are we in love and growing more so every day? If you had trouble answering any of these questions you are not alone. Women are struggling. We have lost our way. We are groping  in the dark for inner peace and meaningful identity. The Art of Womanhood is dying. I see it sputtering on the faces of women and in their tired postures and I feel it weakening as I interact with married couples. What is the Art of Womanhood? The Art of Womanhood is a precious knowledge best passed down from mother to daughter over the decade and a half of childhood, fed in small bites and quiet lessons. It's the knowledge of the intrinsic worth of a woman and how to nurture that worth through actions and attitudes. It’s how you put your family first by putting yourself first. It’s how you set healthy expectations without being demanding. It's how you focus on giving, on growing, on stretching for your spouse and how you grow in the process. The Art of Womanhood teaches you how to talk to a man in a way that your needs get met and he feels like a million dollars meeting them. It teaches you how to protect your femininity by staying vulnerable while not losing anything of your strength. It teaches you how to have pleasure no matter what the circumstance. The Art of Womanhood keeps you youthful even as you grow old. Today we have all but lost the Art. Modern day life is structured so that it leans towards dysfunction. Feminism threw us for a loop. With all its gifts we lost almost as much as we gained. When we fought for our rights to be in the world with (supposed) equality, we also lost our intrinsic understanding of ourselves. The chain has been broken. There is very little role modeling for the Art of Womanhood.  There is even less for the Art of Marriage. Sexual trauma is so rampant and damaging that it inhibits many women from naturally knowing what they need to know - their gifts, their beauty, the joy available in a marriage. We need help. We are missing so much and it’s not our fault.  Many of us didn't have the role modeling of happy, fulfilled women in their life. How can our mothers teach us what they themselves are struggling to learn? And for those of us who were blessed enough to have these lessons from our mothers, our work is not done. The world has changed so much. The lessons of womanhood need translating into real world examples. We have so many things coming up against us. We have tremendous pressure to live with a life standard that keeps us on a never ending hamster wheel. We have pressure to look great, keep it all together, balance a home life and work life. We are asked to be the best of both sexes all the time. Honestly, we don’t get much of a break. What would life look like if you did get a break; if you were completely relaxed and in balance? What would your marriage look like if you had the wisdom that would transform it into a romantic adventure? How would your children benefit? What would it be like to be outrageously happy? My dream is for every woman to know how infinitely beautiful and worthy she is. For her to capitalize and revel in her G-d given gifts and enjoy life. I want to see mothers who have emotional space for their children and are full of vitality. I want to see wives that feel cared for and marriages that are flourishing. And I want to see young women carry themselves like the princesses they are. The Art of Womanhood teaches you this and much more. It teaches you who you are. It teaches you how to move through life with balance. How to maintain your joyful, connected Divine self through all the upheavals of life. How be a passionate, positive woman and get the  zing back in your life so you are consistently  happy. I did not make this Art up. I learned it growing up among women who were both fully expressed and fully nurturing. There is nothing that I want more than to pass it on - to give others the gift that I was given. For years women have asked me questions about marriage and spirituality, boundaries and roles. For the first time I am answering these questions in an online public forum. Starting the first week of January I will be offering a workshop that will explore every aspect of being a woman. Drawing from the lessons of my mother and sharing from my personal journey I will teach you the art of balance and pleasure. In interactive classes we will tackle the hardest subjects and change. We will change how we think, we will change how we act and we will transform our experience of being a woman in the world.  We will go from tired to energized, confusion to clarity and have a whole bunch of good laughs along the way! To join today and reserve your spot, sign up HERE. We will learn how to: Be emotionally available but have good boundaries. Love yourself  and be there for your kids Nurture your spirituality within the daily demands. Respect men and be appropriately embrace our feminine role. Love your body. Take your relationships to a new level. Have self worth but not be selfish. Live life as a giver but not lose yourself in the process. Embrace your femininity beyond what Western culture tells you that is. I am so grateful to be bringing this to you! I look forward to hearing your feedback, to having you join the class and to your thoughts on the Art of Womanhood. What do you think is lacking? What do you think that women need to hear? Read more...