Kimberly Wilson's Blog, page 97
September 22, 2016
You’re Invited: TDJ Live TONIGHT
What is TDJ Live?
An online video gathering. Reflect. Set intentions. Be inspired. Learn eight fall tranquility tips. Meet Mookie and Belle Starr, my rescue pugs. Play with your creative tools (journal, markers, washi tape, ephemera, pens). Chat with fellow tranquility-seekers around the globe. Take an hour just for you.
To join
Sign up here. Take a few deep breaths, settle in with a cuppa tea (or bubbly), and gather your creative tools. Click the link provided in your sign up email a few minutes before 8pm ET. Download your colorful PDF Playbook also in the link provided. Follow along, share photos and insights with #TDJLive.
Cherries on top
Receive a private discount code to shop locally-sewn, eco-friendly TranquiliT. Follow along in your full-color Playbook. Get a sneak peek into the latest Daybook. Push the pause button on your busy life.
Replay
As always, if you can’t make the live show, it will be available for $10 as an instant video download within 24 hours.
Get ready for our seasonal online gathering! I can’t wait to connect. You are beautiful. Bisous. x
The post You’re Invited: TDJ Live TONIGHT appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 20, 2016
Find. Fall. Tranquility.
Dear fall, I’m so glad you’re here. Love, me.
September 22 marks the official start to fall and I couldn’t be happier about it. Some love it for the launch of all things pumpkin spice. I love it for the crisp air and campfires. Okay, and the smores! Vegan preferred. {One spot left in next month’s Writing in the Woods—come savor all the above with me and your muse}.
On Thursday I’m hosting our quarterly Tranquility du Jour Live to connect as a community and share tips for infusing days with more tranquility. We’re busy. Life moves quickly. Smartphones invade our space. And we must make time to flip the “off” switch and savor those simple moments in front of us.
Below are 25 ways to find tranquility this fall.
1. Light a candle.
2. Read poetry.
3. Go to bed early.
4. Sip French wine.
5. Watch leaves fall.
6. Stop by a pumpkin patch.
7. Plant bulbs.
8. Cradle a steaming cuppa tea.
9. Stargaze.
10. Roast marshmallows around a campfire.
11. Bake kale chips.
12. Build a fire and listen to it crackle.
13. Pen your fall wishes.
14. Celebrate a success.
15. Write a love note.
16. Let go of something you’re clinging to.
17. Embrace a loved one and hold for ten breaths.
18. Take a stroll under a full moon.
19. Make apple butter (tart apples, cinnamon, lemon juice).
20. Go apple picking.
21. Sip spiced cider with a stick of cinnamon.
22. Simmer fall scents on the stove (cinnamon sticks, orange rinds, whole cloves, a few drops of vanilla)
23. Carve a pumpkin.
24. Wear a chunky sweater, leggings, and tall boots.
25. Lose yourself in a big book.
I’ll share eight more in depth on Thursday. Hope to see you there!
What are your favorite ways to find tranquility in fall? Wishing you a joyful launch into the new season. Bisous. x
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
The post Find. Fall. Tranquility. appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 19, 2016
Tranquility du Jour #379: Living on the Verge
Living On the Verge with Cara Bradley. We discuss living on the verge, various practices to help you do so, and how to show up and shine on purpose, every day.
Direct download: Tranquility du Jour #379: Living on the Verge
Share with me where you’re listening from and what you’re doing while listening. Laundry, commuting, gardening, running? Thank you for being part of Tranquility du Jour!
Sharon: I listen to the podcast on my commute to and from work, I work nightshift and often they help keep me awake on the drive home. You are top of my list along with TED radio hour and the Simple Sophisticate. Today I listened to the Buddhist monk podcast, it was phenomenal and actually brought me to tears more than once.
Upcoming Events
Fall TDJ Live + Daybook 5.0 Sneak Peek: September 22
Writing in the Woods: October 28-30 {1 spot left}
Hip Tranquil Chick 10-Year Online Celebration: December 4
New Year’s Eve Mini Retreat: December 31
Yoga, Creativity + Mindfulness in Costa Rica: February 18-25
Tranquility du Jour Guest
Cara Bradley is the author of On the Verge . She is a passionate teacher of yoga, meditation, and fitness who has been in the trenches of personal transformation as a “mental strength coach” for over three decades at her Verge Yoga Center, retreats, corporate training sessions, and with sports teams at Villanova University and Penn State. She lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Visit her online at www.carabradley.net.
Savvy Sources
carabradley.net
Find Cara on Facebook
Find Cara on Twitter
Daybook 5.0 pre-sale
TranquiliT’s fall look book
Sign up for Love Notes and access Tranquil Treasures
Weekly Doga videos featuring Mookie and Belle Starr cameos
Eye candy on Instagram
Pin along with me on Pinterest
Let’s connect on Facebook
Follow moi on Twitter
My 5 Books
New to Tranquility du Jour? Peruse my FAQs
Tranquility Tools E-courses
Shop slow fashion: locally-sewn, eco-friendly TranquiliT clothing line
Tranquility du Jour Podcast App: iPhone and Android
Read about my passion for animals
Pen a review on iTunes or your other social media outlets, s‘il vous plaît
Techy
To listen, click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes.
New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast 411.
Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episode as released.
Get the Tranquility du Jour apps to get the podcast “automagically” on iOS or Android.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
The post Tranquility du Jour #379: Living on the Verge appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 16, 2016
Week in Review {Pics + Links}
Week in Review
Happy Harvest Moon. A sacred time to harvest our energy for what matters most. And listen to Neil Young. And slow things down. And express gratitude for all there is to harvest. And reflect on what’s been sown so far this year.
Grateful for the fresh air coming through open windows. Last night I wore a beanie and boots. Tim laughed saying it must be 80. We checked and nope it was 70, so I felt justified in my fall attire. I’m ready for this brand new season.
This week included collaborating with clients, celebrating Tim’s birthday, sipping wine, practicing yoga, coordinating with my accountant, packing orders, shipping products, working on the Hip Tranquil Chick 10 chapter, two dinners with friends, a call with a friend, approving the Daybook proof, ordering items for the confetti-filled Daybook pre-order bonus, coordinating a pet adoption event at Tranquil Space, finding Belle the cutest winter coat ever, and watching some of Aaron Sorkin’s masterclass (a birthday gift to Tim) and Just Eat It.
Wishing you a weekend filled with reflection and intention. And a deep slowing down. And a soak in the tub with almond oil. Bisous. x
Pics in Review
Daybook video shoot prep
Belle Starr’s new winter coat
Save the date: Hip Tranquil Chick 10-Year Online Celebration is December 4
Love shipping out online orders
Tranquil Space turns 17 next month
A peek into a decade of my idea books
Savvy Sources
Piglet Jumps From Truck and Lives Happily Ever After
Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.
The New Better Off
3 Mindful Things To Do When You Get Home
Offline is the New Luxury
20 Easy Things You Can Do to Improve Your Life
How To Overcome Creative Blocks
Weekend Wish List
Practice yoga
Celebrate a friend’s birthday
Craft with colleagues
Savor brunch + a book event with a friend
Support Barktoberfest and play with family
Host a productive mentoring session
Write
Organize
Study
Save
Save
Save
The post Week in Review {Pics + Links} appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 14, 2016
Summer’s Last Hurrah + Fall Prep
Photo by Carla Coulson
What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.
—John Steinbeck
Next week we welcome fall. A season filled with so many treats—pumpkin patches, apples, tall boots, hay rides, campfires, layers, colorful leaves. For some it’s the new year, for others it’s back to school or simply the end of summer.
Wherever you are on this spectrum, consider pausing to honor summer’s last hurrah. A weekend brunch date with someone you’ve missed. A jaunt to the farmers’ market. Time with your journal. A picnic in the park. One final beach jaunt. An art journal spread. A yoga class. A hike through the woods. A long bike ride. Something that provides a moment of intentionality.
Before transitioning, I’ll often reminisce on the past season while also organizing the new season. As we enter the final week of summer and I prepare to host next week’s fall Tranquility du Jour Live, now feels like the perfect time.
Summer highlights:
Hosting Yoga and the Animals
Writing retreat in Ojai
Turning 43 in Vegas with Garth Brooks {+ Tim!}
Biking the Grand Canyon South rim
Hosting a virtual retreat
Humane Society of US conference
Guns n’ Roses concert
Time with family in Oklahoma
Adopting Belle Starr
Launching weekly doga videos for WooFDriver
Beach with pups
Brunch dates with friends
Writing workshop at Kripalu
Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down
Launching TranquiliT’s fall collection
Working on the Daybook
Afternoons at wineries
All in all, summer was a joy although it wasn’t without its’ challenges—water damage, health issues, writing frustration. I’ll sum it up as a travel-filled assortment of experiences, learning, and creating with a few big obstacles thrown in.
While writing in my journal this morning, I listed my Q4 projects and felt a surge of excitement mixed with a twinge of “oh my!” Having them tucked away in my journal isn’t the daily reminder I need, so I wrote them onto pink paper and taped them above my desk {with gold striped washi tape, of course}. I’ll also carve out time in my Daybook to work on these projects.
So far Q4 projects include:
Write piece for Unstuck.com
Host Tranquility du Jour Live
Host Writing in the Woods retreat
Ship Daybooks
Host Daybook playshop
Host Hip Tranquil Chick 10 event
Prep confetti-filled pre-sale packets
Take licensing exam
Celebrate Tranquil Space’s 17th year
Write Hip Tranquil Chick 10 chapter
Start Veterinary Social Work program
How do you honor transitions? Do you have a ritual or path of reflection? Making lists may not be your thing. Consider creating an art journal spread with photos from this season and tearing images from magazines that represent dreams for the next season.
These pauses create space to close one door and open another.
Here’s to what’s to come and a deep bow to what was. I look forward to celebrating the transition with you during next week’s free seasonal online event, Tranquility du Jour Live. Bisous. x
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
The post Summer’s Last Hurrah + Fall Prep appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 11, 2016
My 5 Daily Must-Haves
1. My Daybook and Pens
This is how I declutter all the things whirling around in my mind. Email so and so, do this, mail that. I document my daily to-dos and appointments plus week’s projects on the weekly spread. I pen dreams for the year and each month. I strive to incorporate various tranquility tools into my days, weeks, months, and seasons. The latest edition released on Thursday and we’ve already sold through more than half of the stock. If you’d like one, pre-order your copy.
I have numerous reused jam jars stuffed with pens on my desk, tote at least 10 in my bag, and can’t read or organize without one in hand. Papermate Flair and Jetstream are my two favorites.
2. Face Oil and ideas books
I’m newly obsessed with this Glowing Beauty oil by From Molly with Love. It reminds me of Linda Rodin’s fancy face oil at a fraction of the cost. Her headache helper rollerball is always within reach and the lavender rose lip balm is a moisturizing delight. Use code TRANQUILITY to save 15% off in her Etsy shop.
A small idea book is always found stuffed into a crevice in my tote. Inside I’ll capture thoughts, quotes, dialogue, ideas, and even take notes in my own therapy session. It’s small, portable, and serves as a quick catch-all when I don’t have my Daybook, journal, art journal, and writing Moleskine within reach.
3. Yoga Mat and Perfume
Daily movement helps clear my mind and open my body. I find myself becoming quite creaky from hours of sitting with clients or at a desk and simply being sedentary. There are pink and leopard-print ones in my condo and I never travel without a mat. This weekend I brought my leopard-print since we traveled by car. If I’m packing for air travel, I’ll fold my black Jade travel mat and place it at the bottom of the suitcase. Voilà, a studio on the go.
I love scents. After college I worked in a perfume store and could be smelled from blocks away. For years I’ve doused myself and studios in lavender—relaxing and refreshing. Yoga without lavender feels incomplete. Recently I’ve also become a fan of perfume oils due to their staying power and silky feel. When I’m getting ready in the morning and before getting into bed, I dab a bit of Tranquillité behind my ears.
4. Animals
I mean, look at those faces. Yesterday I snapped this photo before we went on a walk in the woods and love their expressions. The only thing missing is Jackson the cat and a pig or two. As I prepare for the Veterinary Social Work certificate program at University of Tennessee, I see my work transitioning more around animals. Their innocence, unconditional love, and lack of voice calls me to action.
5. Moments of spaciousness and cups of tea
Lately I’ve been waking up around sunrise and savor this sacred time. I’ll take care of the pups and settle in for writing or yoga with a cuppa tranquility tea. On busy therapy days, I’ll grab my writing Moleskine and head to a nearby Starbucks between clients to put pen on paper and sip iced green tea. During weekends, I no longer book events or make plans back to back and try to create ample space between them to regroup or nap. Space and tea are beautiful when blended.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
The post My 5 Daily Must-Haves appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 9, 2016
Week in Review {Pics + Links}
Week in Review
Today is Tim’s birthday so yesterday we packed up the pups and headed to the woods of West Virginia for a weekend getaway. After the homestead chaos of the past two weeks, it feels good to be among trees, birds, and country air. All I hear is an overhead fan, snoring pugs, and occasional chirp of a bird outside. Grateful for the quiet.
Although we head out to WV for a respite, I’m looking at three piles: books, magazines and a coloring book, study and writing materials. I always come prepared. Perhaps a bit ambitious about what work and leisurely activities can be completed in a weekend away. It must be the boy scout in me.
After months of dreaming, collaborating with my designer, and editing, the fifth edition of the Tranquility du Jour Daybook released as a pre-sale with four festive bonuses yesterday. We’ve already sold through nearly half the inventory, so I want to say a BIG thanks to everyone who has supported the project (this year or in the past). In a December 2012 post I shared how this creative baby began. Its’ evolution has been based on your feedback and even the cover was chosen by you this year. Your suggestions and encouragement are its’ raison d’être {reason for existing}. So thank you, thank you, thank you.
Summer’s coming to a close and my favorite season is around the corner—layers, hot cocoa, apples, fires, scarves, tall boots, tights, pumpkins. Fall signifies time for reflection. A slowing down and shedding. Also a winding down of 2016. On September 22 I’m hosting the last Tranquility du Jour Live of the year and will be sharing ideas for making the most of this special season. I hope you can join!
This week I collaborated with clients, had a session with my writing teacher, sipped wine overlooking a vineyard, hiked along the C&O at sunset, practiced yoga, launched the Daybook pre-sale, released a podcast on clearing emotional clutter, finished my second read of Old Friend from Far Away, did some writing, used the Unstuck app to find my type, sent a Love Note, and ate lots of bomb pops (don’t judge—heh).
Wishing you a joyful weekend infused with simple pleasures, laughter, and space to dream. Bisous. x
Pics in Review
New Daybook launched yesterday
Belle joining my morning practice
Pups after a brief hike on the C&O trail
Dog-friendly Barrel Oak winery
Sipping wine at Barrel Oak winery
Writing date between clients
On the mat
Savvy Sources
18 Must-Read Non-Fiction Books
Inside Oh-She-Glows Vegan Pantry
Jennifer Eagan on Writing
How to Meditate
Write Your Way Out Of an Emotional Funk
Stop Giving Your Power Away to Others
A 6-Day Writing E-course
Unstuck Website and App
Study Says Making Art Reduces Stress
Weekend Wish List
Celebrate Tim’s birthday
Finish a book
Study for licensing exam
Write
Nap
Walk in the woods
Watch documentaries
Save
Save
Save
The post Week in Review {Pics + Links} appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 8, 2016
Tranquility du Jour Daybook 5.0 Pre-Sale
I’m delighted to announce pre-sale of the Tranquility du Jour Daybook complete with four bonuses and sprinkled with love.
Stay in touch with your week’s MITs (most important tasks) and your life’s most important dreams. The Daybook is a pink and gold planner, lifestyle organizer, and wellness guide all in one. Infused with feminine details, you’ll find inspiration to live with intention and find tranquility inside. Use while sipping tea, juggling life’s surprises, and dreaming big.
This year’s version is 190 pages with a GOLD spiral and the cover was chosen by YOU. It’s been updated to complement the 52 Weeks of Tranquility Journal, has eight new seasonal Tranquility Tools, space for you to pen in your own daily and weekly Tranquility Tools, new colorful photos from travels and daily life, and more!
It’s currently with our veteran-owned printer in Ohio and ships late October. All former versions have sold out, so pre-ordering is recommended to guarantee your copy.
Pre-order your Daybook by midnight ET Friday, October 21 to receive these bonuses:
The November 25 4pm ET* playshop will be an intimate online gathering where I’ll walk you through my favorite tools for productivity and, of course, tranquility with tips on how to make the most of your Daybook. Get more details on the playshop here.
*Can’t make the event live? No problem, it will also be recorded and sent out within 24 hours of the event.
Tranquility du Jour Daybook 5.0 Pre-sale$49.00
Add to cart
Daybook 5.0 Sample Pages
Tranquility du Jour Daybook 5.0 Pre-sale$49.00
Add to cart
Save
Save
Save
The post Tranquility du Jour Daybook 5.0 Pre-Sale appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 7, 2016
Artistic Flair In Chaos
I’m sitting in a 4×4 space surrounded by all my belongings. Furniture is pushed into all the nooks around me and nine-foot wardrobes block my view. My throat is parched and lips are chapped from a beast of a dehumidifier. The industrial fans are deafening despite the heavy duty earplugs wedged deep inside my ears. Amidst this chaos sits a rainbow of markers in a reused Bonne Maman jam jar and my sparkly gold headphones are within reach.
When Christine Mason Miller reached out to write a piece on me for Bella Grace, I was honored. She and the magazine are among my favorites.
The fall issue arrived a couple weeks ago and I’m still digesting all its’ goodness. The 160-page magazine is filled with eye candy and inspiration. Her feature is a beautiful eight-page spread that includes my non-negotiable tranquility practices (journaling, time with animals, practicing yoga, sipping tea), answers to the Proust questionnaire, and more. There’s also two cameos by Mookie!
The title of the piece is “Cultivating Mindfulness with Artistic Flair.” I love how she took my passion for creativity and blended it with an interest in mindfulness. I’ve been pondering her term “artistic flair” and observing ways it’s infused in daily life.
During recent water damage at home, embodying artistic flair was the way I coped. Losing nearly half of my tiny home’s ceiling and flooring due to a leaky dishwasher in the unit above, left me and my safe haven in a state of disarray. And it didn’t help that it happened during a week that Tim was away so I was the sole wrangler of our three pets and had an abnormally heavy work load.
The day had started so smoothly . . . and then the ceiling began to drip.
The next morning I went into recovery mode. Stacking books into neat piles that had been tossed aside in haste to avoid water damage. Rearranging my home to live in half the space (300 square feet). Moving necessities within reach—pens, laptop, printer, in box, files, Daybook, candles, tea cup, water bottle, plants. These all found a home on my makeshift desk (formerly known as the kitchen table).
I swept the remaining floor, plugged in twinkle lights, and neatly arranged creative supplies such as washi tape, colored pencils, and stamps in their temporary home. Although I couldn’t access these supplies easily, placing them in order was pleasing to the eye in a space so out of control.
Exuding artistic flair when pulling ripe veggies from an organic garden, reading the Sunday paper with a cuppa tea in a Pinterest-worthy sun room, or choosing the perfect shoe to match the perfect outfit is easy. But what about when everything is covered in construction dust or when dealing with a sick loved one in the middle of the night? That’s when artistic flair can become a signature for getting through life’s unwelcome surprises.
Although my home—and life—felt anything but Instagram-worthy, I tried to comfort my soul with small doses of artistic flair. The photo below shows my temporary 4×4 work space. In this small nook I surrounded myself with items that allowed me to act as if life was normal.
Artistic flair is about creating experiences, living one’s signature style, and making the most out of life’s many twists and turns.
How we deal with drama like flooding, illness, or travel delays helps define who we are. Life is messy and the response to it is our choice. While the situation isn’t our choice, that response is.
Viktor Frankl famously said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In that response lies our growth and our freedom.” And here’s where Christine’s inclusion of mindfulness in the Bella Grace piece meshes perfectly.
Today I’m writing from my desk. My real desk, not my wedged against the wall kitchen table desk. I have a ceiling and a floor. The water stains are covered with fresh paint. The din of the fans and dehumidifier has been replaced by snoring pugs.
It’s those messy moments in between where artistic flair has the opportunity to shine and help defuse the drama. Here’s to more artistic flair within the messiness. Bisous. x
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
The post Artistic Flair In Chaos appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
September 5, 2016
Tranquility du Jour #378: Clearing Emotional Clutter
Clearing Emotional Clutter with Donald Altman. We talk about his journey from Buddhist monk to psychotherapist, how to stop riding the emotional elevator, and his definition of “inner-facebooking.”
Direct download: Tranquility du Jour 378: Clearing Emotional Clutter
Share with me where you’re listening from and what you’re doing while listening. Laundry, commuting, gardening, running? Thank you for being part of Tranquility du Jour!
Upcoming Events
Fall TDJ Live + Daybook 5.0 Sneak Peek: September 22
Writing in the Woods: October 28-30 {5 spots left}
Hip Tranquil Chick 10-Year Online Celebration: December TBA
New Year’s Eve Mini Retreat: December 31
Yoga, Creativity + Mindfulness in Costa Rica: February 18-25
Tranquility du Jour Guest
Donald Altman is the author of Clearing Emotional Clutter and several other books about mindfulness. He is a practicing psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk. An award-winning writer and an expert on mindful eating, he teaches in the neurobiology program at Portland State University. Visit him online at mindfulpractices.com.
Savvy Sources
Find Donald at mindfulpractices.com
Daybook 5.0 pre-sale starts THIS week
TranquiliT’s fall look book
Sign up for Love Notes and access Tranquil Treasures
Weekly Doga videos featuring Mookie and Belle Starr cameos
Eye candy on Instagram
Pin along with me on Pinterest
Let’s connect on Facebook
Follow moi on Twitter
My 5 Books
New to Tranquility du Jour? Peruse my FAQs
Tranquility Tools E-courses
Shop slow fashion: locally-sewn, eco-friendly TranquiliT clothing line
Tranquility du Jour Podcast App: iPhone and Android
Read about my passion for animals
Pen a review on iTunes or your other social media outlets, s‘il vous plaît
Techy
To listen, click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes.
New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast 411.
Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episode as released.
Get the Tranquility du Jour apps to get the podcast “automagically” on iOS or Android.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
The post Tranquility du Jour #378: Clearing Emotional Clutter appeared first on Kimberly Wilson.
