My writings below are simply my reflections. I am not a doctor. I just love to share wisdom with anyone who may seek it. Please kindly send this 💌 to a friend or loved one who you know would benefit from the information. I hope whatever I write can help you and others even in the slightest.
Hi and Welcome to the first PTF Newsletter 💌!
Since we are in the early stages of this Newsletter and blog-- I would like to tell you a little about myself. My name is Elise and I am a Sicilian-American who loves a good bowl of pasta with broccoli. I have lived a very nonlinear career path which I am fondly proud of today. These multi passions have led me to live a life of forever-changing seasons and knowledge. Now….
I am on a mission to slow down to live the life I live just with more intention and feel.
A lot of these blog posts will be like letters to my readers.
Information that I have researched, curated, and applied to my own life and now I get to share it with you through this wonderful Substack outlet.
From wellness, art and design, fashion, cooking, and just plain old honest conversation.
Why did I start this?
My life took a turnaround for the GOOD when I was diagnosed with Pots and Mast Cell Activation syndrome. While I do not let this define me or my blog it indeed made me switch gears a bit.
Switching Gears... 🏃♀️🏃♀️
I have a passion for drawing, painting, fashion, and the arts in general. I will show you my latest artwork as we go along if I feel it's a good fit. I studied fashion Merchandising and was a manager of the Jil Sander boutique in Miami, however, had to let go of that and quite a few other things over the past 15 years to conquer my illness which I FINALLY DID!
Didn't I say I was switching gears? hahaha
Anyway!
I am married to my beautiful gentle soul of a husband named Alex and we have 1 daughter. We lived in the Dominican Republic for a while (Alex is from there) where Aliette was born. It was honestly a dream and I take pride in the multicultural lifestyle that my husband and I have built together. We now live in Carefree, Arizona where we traded the island life for the desert-dwelling….
I decided many months back to step away from normal life and create a life of more purpose and meaning. The life I was carrying was too much of a burden on me. I needed to lift that burden and get rid of all the clutter. I invited real life and contentment in.
I invited faith over fear, love over hate, sunlight over darkness, breathing over anxiety, movement over being sedentary, but most importantly I invited the love of my family.
Basically, the things that BRING ME JOY. PERIOD.
I mean don’t we all want joy? Maybe that is why you are here.
Whatever the reason is I am glad you made it!
I assure you that you too can create the most beautiful life filled to the brim with intention. It just takes a conscious choice every single day and I hope this becomes a little space where you run off along your journey back to self and peace.
Let's kickstart this newsletter with a Lifestyle Hack that has been my Holy Grail lately-SLEEP 😴
I call it Vitamin Z!
With the uptick in Sleep Apps and the valuable information they have provided on sleep in general, Frontiers conducted a study and noticed that just 28.1% of the subjects achieved high restorative sleep scores, meaning 71.9% did not. You can study and find the information here: Frontiers
I was exhausted and so tired every single night yet I was a night owl.
How does this make any sense? I am sure a lot of you can relate. I knew that SLEEP would be the hardest to conquer yet the one I needed most to get me to feel better on the path to a healthier lifestyle.
No one is a night owl by nature ….
and if you feel that you function better at night? Then I think it's time to reset your CIRCADIAN RHYTHM!
Did you know that we all have different sleep patterns? I have studied so much on this subject, especially through the wonderful information of board-certified sleep specialist Dr. Micahel J. Breus. His straightforward approach has been invaluable to me.
Dr. Breus brought to light the 4 different chronotypes that are based on our very own circadian rhythms. We all have our very own rhythm within these 4. What are the benefits of understanding your circadian rhythm? Well, check them out below!
Maximize your productivity during the day
Sleep better at night
mental health
Check out these bedtimes for each Chronotype according to Dr. Breus:
Dolphin: 11:50pm SLEEP + 6:30am WAKE UP
Bears: 11:10pm SLEEP + 7:00am WAKE UP
Wolves: 12:00am SLEEP + 7:00am WAKE UP
Lions: 10:10pm SLEEP + 6:00am Wake UP
After finding out that I was a Dolphin Chronotype, I needed to adjust and map out a few things for restorative sleep. After I did- My energy levels came back during the day and I was sleeping better at night. I discovered that this was a gift for my life and I made SLEEP PRIORITY #1 going forward.
You can find out your Chronotype here: Sleep Test
As much as we love a morning routine I truly believe in an Evening Routine because it sets us up for the next day! One thing that I have incorporated into my evening is baths with Baking Soda.
Yep! I said Baking Soda!
And do not confuse baking soda with baking powder. They are similar, but the baking powder doesn't give you the benefits like baking soda —
like silky smooth skin and complete RELAXATION!
Let's just say I get out of the tub so RELAXED that I can hardly make it into bed!! So for sure do it in your evenings when you are winding down the day. Let me know when you try it—
I add two cups to each bath at least 3 times a week. You can find the baking soda that I buy here at this link: Baking Soda
Print out the checklist I made for you guys below and keep in mind some of these gentle reminders that we should be doing for better sleep hygiene.
Now I sound demanding but I want you guys to feel good with me —-
Pay attention to how you sleep this week and notice the patterns. Start to learn them and also notice how you behave after a good night’s rest versus not. Take notes…
Then start to incorporate a few of these ideas and you will be
rolling into slumber in no time!
So did you know that research shows your chances of sustaining a healthy habit are reallllllly good if you do it with a friend? It gave me the idea to download an application called HabitShare. Let me know if you download it from the apple store and we can help each other track our healthy habits together.
Have any of you decided on your Gentle Shift for September?
I will be reading 10 pages each day of a book that my good friend Maria recommended to me a year ago and I finally got my hands on it:
Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
August Recipe:
I made this one up and I loved it!
Wait, Wait a tiny story before we start cooking——probably something you should know……
I was recently in Tuscany and there is no question that it sparked my curiosity about the cooking world that MY MOTHER (Sorry MA') is so grateful for.
Why is she grateful?
I HATED COOKING with a passion. Absolutely despised it. I was afraid of the kitchen.
Mom has been cooking the most incredible dishes my entire life yet, her daughter didn't know the way around the kitchen. (Most likely intimidated by the little Sicilian lady that she is).
And since I am Sicilian-American— you can imagine why my Ma' has a big to do with this part of the newsletter. Capeesh?
Anyway——I am on a mission to bring the recipes of my ancestors to the forefront of my family. To say the least-I finally fell in love with cooking and what I noticed….
IT truly is an ART!
and art I can do!
Roasted Cauliflower + Pancetta Lemon Pasta:
Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Red Pepper Flakes
5 cloves of garlic
2 ounces of Pancetta
8 tablespoons of butter
1 pound of Linguine or another pasta of your liking
2 Green onions chopped
2-3 Lemons depending on how much citrus you like (I used 3)
Cauliflower Prep:
Preheat the oven to 425° F. On a baking sheet, combine the cauliflower, 1/4 cup olive oil, chili flakes, and a pinch of sea salt + Pepper, Lemon juice + Lemon Zest. Toss together evenly all over the cauliflower.
Put Cauliflower into the oven and roast for 20 minutes and roast until your liking -tender or charred.
Pasta:
Meanwhile, make the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. I think Al Dente works best for this recipe. Remove 1/2 cup of pasta water just before it is finished boiling.
Sauce:
Oil, Butter, and the rest of the chopped garlic, chopped green onion, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning in a pan on low heat. Stir in pancetta. Keep on lower heat being conscious not to burn the garlic. Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir until desired.
Drain Pasta and put it back into the original pot. Add the sauce.
Put the pasta in bowls and serve each bowl with the cauliflower on top. Add REAL parmesan cheese for serving. ENJOY!
Toxic Free Product Feature:
Finally Something I found on the cheap that I love for my Skin and is COMPLETELY non-toxic:
In the coming newsletters, you will find out why I have had to rid of the chemicals from my environment and go non-toxic.
Random Things I Am Into:
,
Purging STUFF in the home Per usual to hopefully fill it with:
Blue Jean Jacket by Closed
Flared Jeans by Closed
New Anine Bing fan right here! 🤚
Love how this sweatshirt was styled with a Blazer
Ideas Running through my head
PTF Future Podcast ? What sparks your interest in the poll below?
Thats all for our first newsletter, friends! I hope to Goodness you liked it! I am open to hearing your thoughts in a message back. Have an amazing rest of your week and excited to “See” you in two !
I love the diversity of content you are sharing in this one piece. Multi-passionate reunite, I am also one who likes wayyy too many things, but that makes life fun :)