Deeper Looks

In life, we all face ups and downs. We make mistakes, have setbacks, and sometimes feel like we're drowning. But guess what? You're not alone! We've all been there. Life can throw curveballs, and sometimes we end up in places we never expected. But those experiences, good and bad, shape our stories. The key is to not dwell on our mistakes but to learn from them and grow. Not everyone has the guts to own up to their mistakes. It takes courage to face them and understand why we made them. But when we do, we open th e door to heal, learn, and come out stronger. You, my friend, have realized that there's a better way to look at your mistakes and failures. Instead of letting them drag you down, you're using them as stepping stones for growth. In the Slaying The Stressors bundle, I'll show you how to break down your mistakes, find the hidden benefits of accepting them, and release pent-up emotions. I'll share my own story of going from rock bottom to living a life I l ove . I’ll also share with you how to actually release and find relief from the things that are stressing you out, overwhelming you and straight up making your life unnecessarily hard. Our lives can improve and we are safe to truly enjoy it to the fullest. The journey of change isn't straightforward. It takes time, effort, and a willingness to step into the unknown. I'll walk you through the steps, from the initial spark of change to the big shifts that happen over time. My hope is that this bundle will guide you as you navigate the maze of mistakes and failures. Remember, you're capable of rising above your past, embracing your flaws, and creating a life that's true to you. Let's get started on this transformative journey together!

Initially, the prospect of working from home filled you with excitement—no more morning traffic, flexible hours, and the freedom to roll out of bed and ease into your day. But the reality has hit you hard. Working from home is not nearly as easy as you originally thought and it shows. Instead of feeling relaxed and productive, you find yourself not eating well, working longer hours, and feeling more stressed than ever. You're not alone. Many people struggle with work-life balance when they work from home. The distractions are endless: laundry, dishes, TV, and the lure of social media. It's easy to get sidetracked and lose focus. And when you're always "on," it's hard to truly relax and disconnect. Then there is the temptation to give into misplaced guilt and a sense of duty to overwork, answering calls and emails that are outside of your working hours. Don’t despair yet, it is very possible to create a successful and sustainable work-from-home routine. The key is to set boundaries and stick to them. This means creating a dedicated workspace, setting specific work hours, and communicating your boundaries to your family and friends. It also means taking breaks throughout the day and making time for yourself outside of work. Here are some tips for setting and maintaining work-from-home boundaries: Create a dedicated workspace: Having a separate workspace helps you mentally separate work from home. If possible, set up your workspace in a quiet, comfortable area where you won't be disturbed. Set specific work hours: Decide when you're going to work each day and stick to those hours as much as possible. Let your family and friends know your work hours so they don't interrupt you during that time. Communicate your boundaries: Tell your family and friends that you need quiet time during your work hours. Ask them to respect your boundaries and not to disturb you unless it's an emergency. T ake breaks : Get up and move around every 20-30 minutes to prevent stiffness and fatigue. Take a longer break for lunch and step outside for some fresh air. Make time for yourself: Schedule time for yourself outside of work, even if it's just a few minutes. This could be anything from reading a book to going for a walk to spending time with loved ones. By setting and maintaining work-from-home boundaries, you can create a healthy and productive work environment. You'll be able to focus on your work, get more done, and enjoy your time off.

One day in my Creative Writing class in College, we were challenged to create a short story using an article from the newspaper as the basis and inspiration for the tale. I had never done this before, but was excited for the opportunity to peruse the newspaper and recreate an event from my own imagination. Wasting no more time, I remembered I had grabbed an old newspaper, spread it across my desk and got busy looking for an exciting story. I had already decided not to look into the court cases, but wanted something that would jump out to me. What I found was the news article about a suspicious fire. As I read the article, I felt myself becoming suspicious of all that was reported. How did the fire start? Why was the older brother who didn’t even live with them the one talking to the media? I fired up my writer’s brain like nothing before and the next thing I knew, I had created a pretty wild short story. Years later as I look through this work, I still feel the same suspicions, but this time I get to really bring up the emotions through my improved descriptive capacity. It is my hope that as you read this short story, you connect with the characters, feel the loss the community will feel and understand the dichotomy of what her sons actually experienced. When a fire consumes the house of Mavis Walker, a stalwart in the small, close knit community of Baker’s Lane, it plunges the community into deep mourning and heralds huge life changes for Mrs. Walkers’ two sons.

Lana Franklyn and Andre Adkins have been best friends since their college days. Over the years they remained so close and connected to each other that everyone- including their friends who should know better- thought they were already a couple with blissful years of dating under their belt. Unfortunately for Lana ,those opinions couldn’t be further from reality. Now after two months of separation, Lana can’t hide the truth from herself or Dre any longer. She’s romantically in love with her best friend. Although super nervous, Lana is ready to confess her true feelings, but her plans hit a major roadblock when Dre drops the bomb that he’s planning on proposing to his beloved, unintentionally making Lana choke on her last sip of beer from the sheer shock of the announcement.

The real question you’re asking: Is it actually a bad thing to be too selective or ‘picky’? Am I being difficult, demanding and not appreciative? Am I making everything just too hard? These are the questions people who others consider too picky find themselves asking all the time and wondering if they are somehow hindering or overlooking a possible good- even great- thing by choosing not to settle for less than what they want. While you’re asking yourself these questions, you’re most likely grappling with self-doubt, wondering if you’re being overly demanding and ungrateful, or if you're making life harder for yourselves. However, I genuinely believe there is something to be said for being on the healthy spectrum of pickiness, and knowing what your standards are, because believe it or not there is a crucial distinction between unhealthy pickiness and a healthy level of selectivity. Understanding, accepting and enforcing your healthy life and relationship boundaries as well as standards are essential for life, especially in dating. And let me take this time to gently remind you that being picky has nothing to do with not knowing what you want, rather it's about becoming super clear on knowing what you desire and being empowered enough to accept nothing less. Ashlee says : Healthy pickiness = a happy dating experience. Let me say that again, but in a more formal way: healthy pickiness is not about being indecisive or unsure of what you want, rather, it's about gaining clarity on your desires and having the self-assurance to accept nothing less. It’s about recognizing what truly resonates with you and possessing the empowerment to seek it out. Contrary to popular belief, healthy pickiness doesn't lead to a miserable dating experience, but because of your clarity of what you desire, can result in a fulfilling and joyful journey towards finding the right partner. To help you understand how healthy pickiness can lead to a happy dating experience, I’ve challenged myself to do the research and have outlined these discovered principles in Ashlee Shares: Unexpected Dating Protocols.

I heard that you’re super intimidated by the sheer about of skin care products the beauty industry keeps telling you to add to your routine for ‘amazing results’ and you’re tired of just standing and staring at the different products in your beauty care aisle, completely frazzled about which one to pick, not to mention the PRICE of the ‘best ones for your skin type’! I heard that you’re like me, ready to join the few who actually just want to choose the best product for your skin without all the confusion and excess gimmicks. You’re one of the few who want to have a skin care routine that isn’t complicated, does not require all your savings monthly and you want to see results when you actually use these products. You’re probably also wondering if the only route to good clean, clear and glowing skin is only through the specially designed products…. I’m here to let you know that you are not alone in your musings or your pursuit to enjoy clean, clear skin without the burdens of ‘Am I even using the right thing?’. Believe it or not there are people just like you who are wondering the same, but the information out there seems to only be garnered towards face care . What about the rest of your body? I’ve got you luv! It’s for you that I’ve researched and curated this Skin Care Essentials guide. With all of the aforementioned thoughts and cares in mind, I set out to investigate what skin care actually means, what are the different skin types and what are both the general and specific ways to care for them. In this process, I discovered how much diet, exercise and even sweat can make a difference to your skin and how your skin type can change depending on age, genetics and even your environment. I also discovered what are some of the products, and active ingredients within, that can help certain skin types and the ones you should stay away from. I’m a curious cat who wants to empower you to take back control of your own skin care routine, feeling certain, confident and calm over what is good for you and what isn’t. I want the both of us to understand what overall skin care looks like- not just the beautification of the face, but the overall health and protection of the entire body!

The story of how two sisters weather their first category 5 hurricane just months after losing their mother.

When I stumbled upon the term ‘praise kink’ a few years ago in a random online book, I was seriously intrigued and low key excited, because up until then, I had no idea that such a thing as ‘affirmation play’ even existed. Obviously, I had to deep dive further into this concept, and share my discoveries with you! The praise kink as I’ve learnt through my research has been gaining popularity with the netizens as more learn just what it is along with the many different forms it can be expressed and utilised,- particularly as a soft power in the BDSM world.

The story of how my laptop and mobile glitching taught me to soothe emotional upheaval into neutral events.

The story of how a refreshing day at the sea cliffs jump started a new freedom era for me & my Inner Child.

The story of how strong coffee made me a successful entrepreneur and the wild story I wrote about it

The story of how a waitress became a hero in the middle of a brawl and shootout.