Live the Life You Love With JCov!

We all have a destiny we fill pulled to fulfill. We all have a mission that springs us into action. For me it’s motivating people and encouraging them to walk in their purpose. I truly believe we can create the lives we want to live if we are just willing to Believe we can. I am reminded of that as I sit on my balcony in front of the Pacific Ocean with the crashing of the waves as the soundtrack of the evening. I NEVER though in a million years I would leave on the beach. I didn’t see how it would be possible. Still, I put it on my vision board as a challenge, as if it say, “I can have ANYthing I want? Let’s see if you can pull THIS off!”. Less than a year later there I was on the beach.For a LONG time after that I didn’t even HAVE a vision board up, which was So unheard of for me. I felt with contentment no longer came the need for one. However, what was really happening was that I was scared to dream a bigger dream.

Anytime we visualize something for ourselves and it comes to manifest, it’s our jobs to dream a bigger dream! One aspect of my dream is to be involved in youth programming. I have no formal experience working with youth, but yet I feel strongly compelled to do this work. When I was in LA, I prayed and prayed about having the opportunity to realize such a dream. God put all the people and circumstances right into order and I, with a team of great people, was able to hold a workshop for girls that was absolutely magical! It was the start of something beautiful right?

Wrong. I was SO terrified by the success, by the possibility, I never did anything else! Sure I planned things out in my head, wrote them down and maybe even half heartedly pursued some things, but I was operating out of fear, and so the magic from before didn’t happen again. When this happens that is usually the Ego getting in the way. The Ego asks, “how are you going to top that?”, “what else you got?”, “Sure you can do this one, but if this is successful you’ll have years of material to come up with, where is that going to come from?”. Well a Spiritually grounded person knows Exactly where it comes from; The Unlimited Source of Love and Knowledge of course, God. To not trust yourself is to not trust the God in you, it’s to ignore that fact that you are an important necessary component in the Universal web we are all intertwined in. To think it’s about ‘you’ is all wrong, it’s about serving a higher purpose. Why is that so hard to remember some days and why is it so hard to act on even when we know better?

Well this year, like every year J I’m acting out. Going for it. Living out loud and I encourage you to do the same. That was the point of this blog to begin with. To encourage people to live out their dreams by writing anecdotal stories, testimonies and theories that push you closer to living the life that you love. This blog is meant to be a meeting of the minds and a community. It’s supposed to be fun and at the same time informative. I have shied away from writing as an effort to not “be seen” which is ridiculous because I’m here to

serve a higher purpose to which I am being called to. I hope that I can be a living example of the fact that you can create the life you love and continue to dream bigger dreams.

Like I said before, when I whittled down to what my dream life would look like, it was living on the beach and working with kids. I’m doing that now and I’m loving it. I’m learning so much and the necessary situations and circumstances are happening around me and teaching me so that I will be ready to take the next step when I am ready to expand even more.

This month, even though it feels scary to me, I am continuing to pray and meditate and ask the Universe where do I go next? What are we going to Co-Create together? What will the next year look like for me? It’s Vision Board making time!!

Fitness Confession

So it's stupid o'clock in the morning, and I'm awake because I pretty much laid around all day and now have woken up in the middle of the night. Argh! Sure today was going to be a Harry Potter-a-thon Day. My first day to just rest and chill and clean up the house. Instead it was taken to new levels of laziness and turned into, in bed all day, eating a quiche I made in the morning, then sunflower seeds all day and then a late night bowl of lentils and beans. There were some jellybeans and chocolate covered almonds in there somewhere too.


What's my point? My point is that I actually have a Fitness Confession to make. It turns out maybe in the past few months I've been feeling like I need to get healthy and into shape. The quick run down of THAT feeling goes a little something like this: Went to the States in January ATE like there was no tomorrow and LOVED it, then every month since then I have continued to eat the same way saying, well I just got back and so I'll get back "on it" soon. Well in JUNE I was like, "girl you didn't just get back that was half a year ago!". That was kind of my first wake up call. Also, when I got in the mood to make a vision board THIS is what came to be...a subconscious desire to be fit, healthy and active.

The feelings that came up when it was time to put my Health Vision Board on the wall were actually feelings of guilt and hesitation.

I am super "I Am Woman, Here Me Roar" in my beliefs. I know that we are all beautiful in our individual packages, I know that I am beautiful inside and out and I abhor these images and messages that we get from the media so much it makes me want to pull my hair out. I haven't owned a TV for YEARS for that specific reason and I just can't enjoy a magazine because the message that "you're not good enough" is so blatant... especially, in my opinion, against women!

SO as of late, being with my sweetie, who loves movies, I have been taking in way more visual media than normal and I wondered did that have something to do with my "motivation". I mean, if I am know that I am perfectly made in God's image why would I want to change? There is no perfect ideal, so what am I striving for?

One thing I have noticed is when I sit, I slouch and when I straighten up, it takes a conscious and physical effort to stay erect. I literally feel like I can't hold my body up! That means I def need to get my core stronger. Also, going up stairs, running after the bus and feeling winded is something new for me! All of these warning signs and more is what set the alarm off for me, that I need to get fit and strong again.

The thing about me and "working out" is that I don't do it. I just happen to be an active person, so my lifestyle and activities would lend themselves to me moving around. I went to dance class, yoga class, hiked, would ride my bike to work etc. Never have I been a skinny minny, and really never have I been super buff, but also I have never really been that concerned with my body like that. Like on FB when people post old pics, I'm like MAN I was kinda chubby in that pic and others I'm like man I was fit! I am never conscious of it at the time and I don't really mind the fluctuations, which is all the more reason why I'm so not used to actually being Aware of my body concerns.

So here I am wanting to get fit and kinda lost at how. Food. My fav thing. I am sure has to change. I was enjoying all the natural fruits and veggies of Ecuador, but then I sent a request for Cheezits, Goldfish, chocolate covered everything and more fav junk food from the States and my sweetie totally brought them so the apartment right now is like Willy Wonkas (oh I should have taken a picture of my shelf when we first unpacked everything!) I tell myself that once it's gone, I will go back to healthy eating, the thing is, I don't monitor at.all. what goes in my mouth and here, there is fried everything, ice cream all the time my thought is always "hey what's one ice cream sandwich!!?".

The other thing is activities. I am trying to get into running, but with the Machismo men here it's hard. A gringa running around just for fun is really asking for it, but I know it's a great way to get in shape. I also could do workouts at home, but that sounds Soooo boring and I get bored quick. What I need is an activity that just gets me up and moving. I am hoping to work out with the girl's soccer team the two days a week I am free to, and maybe just suck it up and run in the mornings and put in headphones to block out the whistles, hoots, and hisses from my admirers :0/, I am also actively looking for a surf instructor, I think THAT could be life changing!

The main obstacle I have to battle is the voice in my head that says "why are you doing this anyway, you're fine, no go lay down and take some jelly beans with you!" I need a new mantra, and a new healthy outlook so I can get on the path to my own Personal Best.

Any suggestions from my health gurus, workout gurus, and foodies out there!!?? (or anyone really!)

Peace, Love & Cheezits!!...I mean, Carrots :o)

(picture from FB that I saw and thought...huh, I was kinda fit then...I was hiking a lot then...)

Peru Travel/Lodging Edition

I'm trying to write this as soon after my trip to Peru as possible. I had such a blast and will never be able to capture all the little moments of laughter, storytelling and encounters. I would suggest taking this trip yourself and you'll see.

One thing that help me tremendously doing my research on Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu were Travel blogs and discussion threads. I was freaking out over crossing the border for example and people in discussion boards gave names on bus companies what they did to help you cross the border etc. It was great.

So in a act of giving back I'm creating a blog that maps out the details of our travel and lodging. I predict this will be long, so I will do an activities and sites blogs separately. Enjoy!


Alright for starters my sweetie and I bussed it down to from Esmeraldas to Guayaquil, about 8 hours on an overnight bus. We took Occidentales. I like this bus like as they are really clean, comfy seats and go directly to the destination with minimal stops. The only bus I know here in Ecuador that will go truly, truly direct is Transportes Ecuador. I love them! But they don't go to the Esmeraldas region.

Once we get to Guayaquil due to my research I knew we had two options. CIFA and Ormeño. I had looked both offices up online and it appeared they could both be found in the Terminal Terrestre in Guayaquil but we got the truth when we arrived.

The reason I chose CIFA and Ormeño as my two options is because they are the only ones I found that will stop AND wait for you at the border crossings, both in Ecuador and in Peru. There are several buses that take you to Huaquilllas (border of Ecuador) or Agua Verders (Border of Peru) and then you have to find another bus. In doing that you have to deal with a border town, cabs (That could be shady) and playing it by ear hoping a bus passes by. I wanted to cut down on the calamity as much as possible. I imagine you pay for the convenience though, but I'll get to that later.

We get to the Terminal and since our night bus arrived later than I had planned the 7:00am CIFA bus had left. I This CIFA Bus was going to take us through to Piura which is well into Peru and from there we would have switched buses. No problem we had a plan B...Ormeño AND rumor had it that Ormeño would take us all the way to LIMA!! our finally destination! The men at CIFA were telling us that we could catch a 10:30 bus or a 1:00 bus but they were stopping close to the border and I didn't want to deal with that. When we went looking for Ormeño however it turns out they are NOT in the Terminal anymore. They are around the corner...so that meant leaving the Terminal on whim hoping that this story about a direct bus was true. We figured it was worth the gamble. We grabbed a bite to eat and hopped in a cab for the office of Ormeño.

Turns out their office is located at (as of March 2011) Centro de Negocios El Terminal Blq C Lc 33-34, Guayaquil number 04-2130847. We took an 11:30 bus Straight to Lima!! Joy!!! They watched our bags while we went and bought snacks for the bus ride and everything. The bus from Guayaquil to Hauquillas (the border) is 5 hours, Huaquillas (passing through Agua Verdes, border of Peru) to Lima is an estimated 19 hours. I believe our trip was about that. Tickets cost $70.

I would like to go on record saying that the ride was a Breeze! I was nervous about being on a bus that whole time but the crew at Ormeño were awesome. We had 3 meals, dinner that night, breakfast in the morning and lunch before we arrived to our destination. They even honored vegetarian options, which I really appreciated. The ayudante on our bus was really helpful and prepared. Just as promised the bus stopped at the border leaving Ecuador and again arriving in Peru. When anyone hit a snag the ayudante was there to help. One lady had some issue and it held us up a bit, but I was like I Love this bus, cause they didn't leave her, it was a "we came together we leave together" mentality and hey, if that were me I would be so thankful the bus waited, so I appreciated it.

They showed movies, served snacks and provided a comfy environment the whole way. So thumbs up to Ormeño all the way. (1 472-5000 is their Peru number I believe).

So we arrive in Lima at their station that was luckily pretty close to Miraflores, the area we were staying in Lima. We took a cab...about 15 soles to our hotel. Oh by the way we exchanged our money at the Peru entrance border. They were safe and gave a pretty good exhange rate. It was really helpful having the money ready when we left. There is also an ATM at the Ormeño station however that I imagine would only be spittin out soles.

I would recommend the area of Miraflores. It's super cute and safe. I'm not always down for a super touristy scene, but it provided a way for us to walk around see sites, the beach, have food options, fresh air and not have to worry about cabs or ladrones.

We stayed Hotel El Ducado which I totally recommend. The people there were extra attentive and it was a cozy set up. Four of us stayed in a suite so we had a stove, pots, a microwave, dishes, dining table, living room, huge flat screen tv with cable etc. Really nice. Great bathroom and shower. The pricing on the website is user friendly and I'm blanking on actually how many nights we paid for as we all arrived at different times. I think my bill came out to be 916 soles which was for I believe two nights but check the website to be sure. They are located at 337 (can you believe it!) Juan Fanning, Miraflores Lima. #51 447 1919. I'll go over the sites and activities in another post.

After the night spent in Lima together the crew was all together so it was off to the airport to fly into Cuzco! We flew StarPeru. Now let me tell you about Star Peru. After being on their website a couple of times, I had to Google and make sure they are a legitimate company! Their site kept logging me out, not letting us make reservations, just loco!

However, it turned out to be legit and we ended up flying with them. A couple of things. It seems like the sooner you can buy your ticket the cheaper. We were all buying our tickets together and the first girl who bought hers got a a $203 ticket, but the end of that week the tickets had gone up $80 bucks, and as we bought each individual ticket the praise went up and up and up. So beware of that. Another thing is we had trouble buying all of our tickets together. I don't know if the site was just having issues or if that was standard ops for StarPeru. We had to buy them one at a time. Lastly and most importantly, you cannot buy these tickets if you have a free email address. ??? I know. So if the email you enter is gmail, hotmail, yahoo etc, those free services are not honored. We all ended up using my friends work email and that finally worked. We though our credit cards were getting rejected but it was all about the email. Talk about heavy security! All in all StarPeru can offer really affordable prices (and at the last minute! we were buying tickets a week before our trip). The plane was tiny but comfy. The flight is like an hour our two but they served us a snack, ham and cheese slider and cake. Not too shabby.

Once in Cuzco we stayed in Niños Hotels. I can't say enough good things about this place. If you go to Cuzco STAY There. It has a chill ambience, white and green decor which I loved AND the most important thing....The place is a hotel but also a foundation. All of the profits from the hotels are used to give 500 extremely neglected children from Cuzco a hot meal on a daily basis, a warm shower and medical and dental assistance! Plus so much more like support on their projects, help with homework the list goes on. All that good heart energy is felt and it's an amazing place. More on that in the Activities blog though. Apparently their are two locations we stayed in the Calle Meloc 442 y Calle Fiero 476, Cusco location. AMAZING!!! Please check out the website or hit me up with any questions about this place. Loved, loved, loved it. We stayed here both before and after our Machu Picchu trip.

We spend the night in Niños hotel and then we caught our early (and only) train on PeruRail. PeruRail I believe is the only way to get from Cuzco to Machu Picchu and the train leaves once a day. Coming back there are several options but going there is only one time. There are different train types. The Expedition is the "Backpacker" train and the Vistadome is the high end option. The Expedition ticket prices were about $56 (you KNOW that's what I was on) and it was a fabulous ride. It was a BEAUTIFUL View and the staff was helpful. Since it's the rainy season now (March/April) we had to take a shared van to another train station, but if you travel during these months PeruRail takes care of all the travel changes so don't worry.


When we got off of the train we were in Agua Calientes!!

We stayed at Hostal Varayoc which was okay. The family was super nice and it was certainly affordable. I think it was $35 for 4 of us a night and we had two separate rooms. They had an internet cafe attached which was open pretty late. The connection was slow, but hey you're supposed to be climbing mountains not surfin the web right!? There were times there were super accommodating, like when we just wanted to look something up really fast and didn't make us pay for the internet service or when we got drenched on the mountain and they let us change our close in the kitchen since we had already checked out. Another helpful accommodation was they let us leave our bags behind the front desk after checkout so we could spend one more day at Machu Picchu before our train. It wasn't a five star establishment by any means but it definitely fit all of our needs. I would check it out at least if you stay in Agua Calientes.

Note: The only place to stay at Machu Picchu is Sanctuary Lodge (starting at $925 USD) other than that you have to stay in Agua Calientes.

Another note: The van from Agua Calientes to Machu Picchu is $15 that is USD. You can walk up the stairs but that takes over an hour so be warned.

For all the fun had at Machu Picchu check out the Activities blog, we had a blast.

After our last day at MP/AC we took the PeruRail train back to Cuzco stayed at Hotel Niños and flew Star Peru back to Lima. Our bus didn't leave for Guayaquil until 8:30 pm that night and we arrived back into Miraflores in the afternoon. The folks at Ormeño let us "check" our bags for no cost, just a tip (I tipped 10 soles I have no idea if that was a good tip or not) and none of our stuff came up missing so that was a relief.

The ride BACK to Guayaquil was a grueling one. It was the same company but we didn't get fed as many times, they didn't ask about vegetarian, we stopped a lot and it made the trip a lot longer. Also, coming back is always a tougher trip than going, so I guess I should take that into account too. I still stand by Ormeño. After that we took Aerotaxi back to Esmeraldas. I would not recommend this bus line. There are so many other options while traveling within Ecuador. We chose it because their office opened first and we wanted to finally be home. Next time I will wait for TransEsmeraldas or Occidentales.

That pretty much concludes the Travel and Lodging Edition of my Peru Travels. Next up is the Peru Activities blog where I'll talk about what we actually did, restaurants I recommend and things of the like. I really hope this helps!!

Safe Travels!!!

Palms,Sand,Waves,Wind,Love...

Beach Camping With My Sweetie Is Just What the Doctor Ordered.

Thank you God for the Power to Create....

This week's Inspirations

This week I have been asking for signs of what direction I should be taking and I feel like very poignant inspirations have been jumping out all over the place...just this week!

Raul: 7th Child out of 14 children. Lived in extreme poverty growing up with an abusive alcoholic father and a understandable exhausted mother. His mother told him education was his way out of that situation. Raul has been working since he was 6. First job as a "parking attendent" (the people that watch your car on the street so they don't get broken into in a dangerous neighborhood) and he went onto various jobs. No matter what the occupation, he always kept his vision in mind. He wanted to DJ as a teen. He entered the radio station as a janitor and left as the main DJ and Program Manager. He wanted to work for a NGO he entered in as some fix-it guy and came out as the Director...or the Region. ALL the time he is master these feats he is also attending school. Always. School during the day DJ at night, Work during the day, school at night and weekends. He is not the Director of the orphanage I am volunteering with and he is going to school to study law. He also happens to be a Life Coach which you know is after my own heart. Talking to him about his history, which he doesn't discuss much because, 1) it's painful 2) doesn't want to come off as bragging, I was inspired to get the fire back that I used to have.

I was always criticized for burning the candle at both ends, but MAN you get a lot of stuff accomplished when you do... Alright, what I used to do was NOT healthy, but I feel I have mellowed WAY out and now I know how to focus on what is important. I'm working on Getting up Early in the morning, because well...when you sleep until noon you get a lot less done for some reason... I aspire to do a lot of things so I need to go after them with the same hunger and tenacity that Raul did and still does to this day. Thanks for the swift Kick Raul!


My GodBrother Lincoln: I don't even know where to begin as this brother has been a beacon of light and love for a long time. He's a brother to me, a friend and a someone who's always shakes up that "you can do it if you put your mind to it" itch in me, just by living the way he lives. He's a an example of entrepreneurship and connectedness. He has a great Spirit and really I could go on and on.

Since we are talking this weeks inspirations I can say Just This week I drew inspiration from his new tumblr blog specifically his first real post here. You can keep up with his blog under the Sun Sprites, Rays and Beams section of this blog or you can subscribe to his blog directly.

Agent IAEBC: Teaching me by being a living example of love, affection, patience and consideration, just to name a few. Being vulnerable and sincere take strength too.

Sra Lola: I just got word yesterday that a project I was working on in Guayaquil with the Mujeres de Lucha and Sra Lola just went though and they got money to start constructing a community center that is going to house all of the small micro enterprises allowing them to be in the same buildling! "She does it again!" I thought to myself. Sra Lola is TRUE Visionary. When everyone around her is telling her she can't, it's impossible, how dare she even dream that big, this woman continues to have the Audacity of Hope :) I can watch "The Secret" all day, but Sra Lola has it down. She only focuses on the Goal and the End Result and perseveres through it all. This is not fluff. If you could see the poverty, the violence the dismay that surrounds her and the ladies daily it's enough to kill any spirit. They encounter more devastating setbacks in a day sometimes than we experience in a year. Honestly, I know because I've been there to see it. When I am next to her I feel like I know what someone felt standing next to Rosa Parks (and ya'll know I love me some Rosa Parks!! sooooo.biggest.compliment.EVER). I credit us all working countless hours on the grant proposals, researching and setting up meetings, but I know that none of this would have ever been accomplished had it not been for the unwavering faith and steadfast vision of Sra Lola. She is living proof. Anything is Possible.

Oh and this just in as I logged into my blog. I had two super uplifting comments!!
So shout out to Sunkiss (another trailblazer and light!) and Musicfan. Thank you So much for you words of encouragement. You have no idea how taking just a moment of your day to send sunshine my way helped to light my path!

That's My Name & That Is So ME!

Confucius Theory

Confucius defined humanity, or jen, as a “love of people” stating “if you want to make a stand, help others make a stand.” That is, the Confucian theory of humanity exemplifies the golden rule. It is so central to Confucian thought that it appears 58 times in the Analects. Similar to the Christian process of seeking God, Confucius teaches seeking jen to a point of seemingly divine mastery until you are equal to, or better than, your teacher. The Confucian concept of jen encompases both love and altruism.

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I like it! It's all in the name I suppose. Can your name dictate your life's purpose? What do you think!?

Mocha Mamas on the Move!

From my Sunshine Builder Volunteer/Travels In Ecuador Blog it has been brought to my attention that there is a sub community brewing. There are Sistahs everyone breaking the mold and getting their travel on. I have received a lot of support from these ladies all over the globe and I'm going to return the favor. I'm going to spend a day, reading, following, commenting and linking to those blogs that I am able to, to both my Sunshine Builder Blog and BWWP. From there I will continue to follow and support. All of this social networking is about forming communities and I haven't been active in that. I'm calling this group Mocha Mammas on the Move!!

¡Dios Mío!

Alright let’s have the “religion” talk once and for all, as I'm getting lots of questions about what I believe...

You may have caught my “That’s How I Know That God Is Real” segment and also have heard me reference the Universe, heavily. For some that is a conflict , so allow me to explain (as best as I can). Please keep in mind this is My Opinion and My Point of View. Nothing More. (that's why it's posted on a SUN Day. My personal experience...)

Growing up I was taught that GOD was this guy in the sky that pretty much resembled Santa Claus. He, like Man, would get mad at some things, be pleased by other things, had a full plate of things to do, I mean watching over EVERY single soul on the planet! That’s a huge job right? Assigning GOD this identity was very limiting for me. We won’t even get into how his race and gender were polar opposites than my own (how can I not worry about favortism?) How could this guy, while VERY powerful, love all of us equally (and this love was Greater than any love in the whole galaxy), be forgiving of every action, be every where all the time, all knowing, omnipresent, inside of you and inside of me…etc the list goes on. Already, the concept is huge for our human brains to grasp, but put it in a package of a Man and it, for me, makes it even more of a challenge.

However, you talk about the Universe, the Mulit-verse and speak of how we are all made of the same things, the earth, stardust, energy, tiny atoms that make up flowers and trees also are a part of our genetic make up. It makes more sense. The omnipresent, all knowing, All Loving, Presence that is everywhere all the time, for eternity inside of you and me…makes more sense when I think of it as the Grand Universe. I Get it. Because the very word Universe opens up my Awareness and I can see it and I can feel it. It’s not to sound super metaphysical it’s just what makes sense to me. However, I call the Universe, God. Because I very much do believe in God, but/and it’s as the Universe that I understand Her ☺ and that is how I use the two terms. The Universe allows me to understand the Majesty that is God. So while some people get upset that I say Universe thinking I’m negating God, to me the Universe IS God. The Multi-verse IS God. God is everywhere, everything and God Is LOVE, and Love is all there is.




As you see, I also use different pronouns and descriptors to describe God. I will say Him, Her, It, The Supreme, The Light, The Great I Am or a mixture of those and maybe more. It again, is in effort to not limit my mind to think of a person with two eyes, two ears, a beard etc. It’s a way of shaking up my brain like an Etch- a- Sketch so that I don’t try to “see” a picture of the Presence and Power that I am referring to. Our human brains always want to form a picture and God is greater than anything we can “picture” in our minds.

Lastly, Religion. Organized Religion. I have tremendous respect for all religions and those who are deeply entrenched in their religions. My only problem with organized religion of any kind is that I have found that people use it as a foundation to start a fight rather than spread peace and love, and this baffles me for one and discourages me for another. The point of religion is to give people something to believe in, a guideline on how to live a Divine life. I would find when I would volunteer for churches some Baptist, some Catholic, just trying to do the good work of Love, the conversation would always turn to who is going to hell first (and everyone was Christian!). The people took pleasure in these discussions all the while saying “Lord Forgive Me for saying...” or “Pray for me ya’ll but…” It doesn’t make sense to me. I live in a country right now heavily dominated by one religion, and it’s one of the first questions people ask you. “What is your religion” and they are ready to fight and debate you EVEN if you say you are the same religion! Just to make sure you love God as much as they do! I think that is deviating from the point of organized religion. Followship, Communion and Community are some examples of the benefits of organized religion not standing on your soap box in a group to tear down another group.


Anyone who knows me knows that I am seeking the real answer to World Peace and many think that everyone needs to have the same beliefs so that we can “all just get along”. However, I don’t agree with this either. The toilet paper section in my grocery store takes up over half of the isle. What’s my point? My point is that if there is a demand for that many varieties of toilet paper what makes us think we are all going to agree on one Faith!? Just like all the other things that make us different, our Beliefs, when handled in a loving way, also add a great variety to our lives. The challenge is to be able to live harmoniously and still be able to have our different belief systems. When the Baptist, The Buddhist, The Rastafarian and the Atheist can all sit down at the same table in harmony (i.e. not imposing their beliefs onto the other, respecting honoring the others) to ME that is beginning to paint the perfect picture of World Peace.

artwork from:http://www.zuristanback.com/index.php/2009/12/17/peace-love-god/

New Voice

Hey All Agent SunshineBuilder here :)

Wishing everyone happy holidays and happy new year.
I started this blog just being led by the Spirit not really knowing where it was going to go or what it was going to be. It was going to start off as a collaborative effort between some friends and I, but we are all working on separate projects so right this is going to really be just my "voice".

The days of the week format will remain the same, but probably won't be posted as much as the Sun Day posts. Why? Well I don't know if I can single handedly keep up with every UN approved "XYZ International Day Of...", every Take Action Volunteer Opportunity, Every product to review and all the Fabulousness in the world. However, when something comes up in my world that fits under that category I will file it there. What I DO know is my life, my journey, my goals and aspirations. That I can speak on and I will do a better job of updating more often.

Promotion? Not so sure. I have created this blog, (along with my Ecuador Experience Blog) and I have preposted material that will last until 2012 already created and posted, but yet I do NOT promote it what so ever. What am I thinking? The cyber gods will just send the souls who are just meant to read this here? Do I really want people reading it? Who is my target audience? Should I look at this as an online journal?

I'm not really sure, and that's the fun in allowing yourself to just be lead and not always have a plan and always have the answers. As long as you have faith, and are able to let go of "ego" you create a space for Magic to happen.

So I guess that's what I'm hoping for, that The Universe has some magic in store down the road that I can't see and God will be giving me my next steps when they are supposed to be presented. It's the journey, not the destination. I Do hope that if people do read/are reading that my journey can be an inspiration for people to live the lives that they love, cause that's Exactly what I intend on doing/creating/manifesting!

International Volunteer Day!

International Volunteer Day is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985.
The declared aim of this activity is to thank the volunteers for their efforts and increase public awareness on their contribution to society.

As a volunteer myself I put this as a Sun Day post. Happy Day PCVs and All the other Volunteers out there!!

Hair Journal Entry Intro

Okay I know Sunday is about personal things, but I think this is way over indulgent and only maybe 5 people will even care. However, I can justify it. My mom is looking to create some classes around natural hair care and asked me to keep a journal and I was looking online to study people’s hair routines and I really couldn’t find that many. So for those combined reasons and more I’m typing out some things from my hair journal…My hope is that is helps someone alone in their natural journey….which is on of my personal Quests.

So being in Peace Corps…I wash my hair…whenever I feel like it…which sometimes would be 3 times a week…everyday wetting it or I would flip the calendar and be like..”ummmmmm….when was the last time…..”. So the first challenge was to wash my hair consistently at least every week. “Washing” doesn’t just mean washing..it means this whoooole program I’m about to write to you about. So here goes.

Alright so the Stages are:
Pre-Poo
Shampoo/Co-Poo/No-Poo
Condition/Deep Condition
Style

They flip flop depending.

Man I guess I need to do MORE background lol.

Alright a Pre Poo essentially is so kind of moisturizing application that you do before you know you are going to shampoo.

Various Shampooing/Cleansing/Clarifying Options:
Shampoo – Your typical shampoo that you either buy at the store or maybe you make one at home.

A Co-Poo- is when you “shampoo” only using other agents…for example my mother uses Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) (awesome for hair btw), any kind of conditioner and a dab of coconut oil. When I was Co-Pooing I would use V05 Conditioner as my shampoo. It’s gentle enough for natural hair but still cleanses.

A No-Poo- would be Baking Soda and Water from what I have heard. Not sure if there are other mixtures that are considered a No-Poo

Conditioning- You can do a deep conditioner before or after you shampoo. You can do a rinse out conditioner after you shampoo, or you can do a live in conditioner after you shampoo.

Style- where you arrange the hair in the desired style and add whatever final products you like!

I’ll post the journal entries in the next SUN Day I write...

Gifts.

Lick Samba.

Vision Boards.

Fan on Medium. Finally.

Kinky Curly Hair Product Review

For my first ever product review I would light to highlight some FABULOUS hair products I have come across!!

The Kinky Curly Haircare Products!

They are natural, cruelty free and totally work!

The Three Items I have tried are:
Kinky Curly Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo
Kinky Curly Knot Today Natural Leave-In Conditioner/Detangler
Kinky Curly Curling Custard Natural Styling Gel

Come Clean Shampoo delivers on what is says. It is moisturizing. This shampoo cleanses hair completely of silcones, oils and dirt effectively without stripping your hair. My hair is soooo try so I know! It’s always a challenge to find something that can both cleanse and hydrate my hair. The best part about it is it’s completely organic!

Knot Today is a great light weight but moisturizing leave in. It works perfectly with the Curling Custard as well. Before the Knot Today I was using Infusium which worked looong ago, but as of late was no longer cutting it. Knot Today has gotten me back on track for moisture.

The product that has everyone all a buzz is the Kinky Curly Curling Custard (KCCC).
It’s fabulous. It’s light weight and aaaallll natural. It has a slight vanilla sent that is quite pleasing as well. I usually don’t put “gel” in my hair, and while it is classified as a gel, KCCC is something all together different. People love it because when you apply it, it stretches out your curls avoiding the shrinkage effect after washing. I’ll go more into the process in a second.


So the website suggests (in short) that you:

First of all, use Kinky Curly products only because they were made to work together. Use other products and you may get undesired results.

Wash with Come Clean until your hair feels free of and dirt or product build up you may have had.

Apply the Knot Today and finger come your hair making sure you have no knots or tangles in your hair

Next divide your dripping wet hair hair in manageable sections and finger come KCCC throughout your hair. Starting at the root and working your way down and working the product into your hair. Just comb, comb, comb with your fingers stretching out your curls.

And your done! Results very depending on your hair type.
I tend to go back and two strand twist my hair to get a corkscrew effect.

Since the KCCC is also moisturizing my hair stays soft. Never crunchy or flaky.

I have specific journals on my hair journey that I post on SUN Days. So check there if you want to see some trial and error moments.

Check out the Kinky Curly Website and give it a try!

Gifts.

Nag Champas & Rain

Dave Brubeck

Friday Night In....

Inventory

Kinky Curly Come Clean

Kinky Curly Knot Today

Cantu Shea Leave In

Jojoba Oil

V05 Hot Oil Treatment (2)

Castor Oil

Curling Custard

Doo Grow

This what was in my package of what my mother sent me here in Ecuador to start my moisture experiment. I need to do some research to give you more info on each product.

Until then... Be Greasy :)

Natural Hair Journey

Big Chop: March 2004
Currently Style: Afro puff or two strand twist

I went natural because I have the coarsest kinkiest thick hair…the kind that the current standard beauty is against. Perming it was a way for me to alter what God had given me because I thought it was bad…every message out there told me it was an attractive, unprofessional, in need of control and wild. To embrace all of me and needed to embrace my hair .

I love it natural. People always tell me I’m their hair inpiration and that gives me strength to keep going.

6 years later I’m JUST now really getting the memo on how moisture is SO key. So I’m doing an experiment with Kinky Curly products and natural moisturizers.

Stay tuned!

Love, Peace and Hairgrease

Gifts

“Gifts” will be concise and sometimes abstract updates, visions and a potpourri of things in my current view.

Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present."- Bill Keane

What am I up to?

I said Sundays would reflect my current projects. So currently I am living in Ecuador serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I could go into detail or I could just link you to my frequently updated blog of all of my adventures. Enjoy!

SUN Days

How rude of me! I haven't even introduced myself!

I go by the name Agent Sunshine Builder. My mission put simply is to spread a message of Peace, Love, Freedom and Well Being. May sound cliche, but it's the only thing I'm really sure of in life. It's what I want for myself and for every individual soul on this Earth. It may sound crazy to some but I am hoping my message is or becomes a popular one and people can get on board!



Right now it's just me contributing to this blog. I am hoping that some of my fellow Agents join me as they are on the Living Free Movement. I'm not an expert writer (or speller for that matter), I don't have all the answers nor do I claim to be an expert in any topic really... What I hope for this publication is to serve as place for a community of like minded (and I use that term loosely) individuals to grow, share stories and encourage one another. I DO expect this to develop into a testimony and proof positive that you CAN live your dream life and follow your bliss. I don't know how I am going to do it just yet, but I know that I AM and we will be together every step of the way. I am hoping that SUN Days are going to feature my personal success with the projects that I am working on. If my friends join me, then we will be shining a light on their/our projects as well! Stay tuned...