Creatively balanced FALL 2020
DIY's
FALL
Ceramic Vases Yarn Pumpkins
Travel
trends
Fall Travel Guide
Shop Shop your local favorites
Recipes Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Take the Balance Quiz
avashields.com
Table of
CONTENTS
3
5 6 7 10 12 13 16 19 21 22
WELCOME FALL COLORS 2020 palette
SHOP FALL FAVORITES Target
SELF self care tips
TRAVEL GUIDE how to travel this fall
DIY CERAMIC VASE PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE FALL DECOR how to style your home this season
BANANA MUFFINS DIY YARN PUMPKINS BALANCE QUIZ are you off balance?
WELCOME Hello everyone! I am so excited to be releasing my first Creatively Balanced Magazine! The vision behind wanting to produce my digital magazine was really to share the dream behind Creatively Balanced. Empowering women to follow their passions, live a life of joy and cultivate balance was the founding goal.
This is not just a magazine, or podcast, it is a community. This community is filled with inspiring women who desire to live life on their own terms. Women who like to have fun, deep conversations and who know that the true key to life is finding balance that is catered specifically to them. Gone are the days of fad diets, insane workouts, complicated business models and fake social media presences.
My goal is to give you a space to be authentically you. To give you permission to be messy and enjoy making things with your hands. Learn that a healthy lifestyle can include chocolate and peanut butter, simple yoga flows and a few glasses of wine on the weekend! I am so excited you are here! Let's dive in!
balance
01
SELF
02 03 H E A L T04 H WORK SPIRIT
RELATIONSHIP
05
Fall is here!
For my Fall 2020 color palette I wanted to stay true to my brand, which centers around warm, natural earth tones. Fall for many of us symbols a transition from the upbeat vibrant summer into the cozy holiday season. These colors represent the nostalgic, warm and natural elements of the season that bring family and friends together each year.
I love using Canva to create my social media graphics, advertisements and logos. One easy way to keep your branding consistent is to use their color codes. This allows you to select your brand colors and easily save them.
Here are my selected fall colors for you to use for your own creations!
Colors #A85B25
#CA9671
#77301C
#787D5D
#AB583F
Favorites
Fall 01
03
02
03
Amber Glass Vase Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia
04
Border Stripe Throw Blanket Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia
04
05
05
Decorative Wooden Bead Garland Natural Threshold™
06
07
Decorative Wood Ladder 3R Studios
07
Round Palm Leaf Decorative Baskets White Opalhouse™
06
01
09 08
08 Multi Texture Dash Throw Pillow
02
Mini Ceramic Candle Fig
Hearth & Hand™
Hearth & Hand™
with Magnolia
with Magnolia
09
20" Spectrum Pouf Jaipur Living
Pick Stitch Textured Stripe with Tassel Rug Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia
01Self
Ok girl, let's talk about self! The key aspect to living a fulfilled life is to start with the foundation... YOU! Lately, 3 topics have been on my own mind, so I thought we could dive into these together, shall we?
1. Shiny Object Syndrome Who else here struggles with this? Is this a creatives problem? I so often find myself bouncing from one idea to the next. Or sometimes I'll be so focused on one thing and put a ton of energy into it, just to jump ship at the last moment because some new, grander idea came to me. As an entrepreneur, this can be pretty frustrating, and the reason we often struggle in business.
2. Getting out of our own way. Oh man, we can be our own biggest hurdles. Weather it is over thinking, imposter syndrome or not being able to live in the moment, we can self sabotage our own success. Lately these are the things I am struggling with. It usually revolves around self-worth and imposter syndrome. Sometimes we fear too much about what
The definition, according to entrepreneur.com is "At its core, shiny object syndrome (SOS) is a disease of distraction, and it affects entrepreneurs specifically because of the qualities that make them unique. ... It's called shiny object syndrome because it's the entrepreneurial equivalent of a small child chasing after shiny objects."
others think of us. These beliefs and thought patterns can hold us back from our true potential. A few changes in your thought patterns can really help. For instance: "No one really cares about what you are doing." Always remember that no one is judging you the way you judge yourself.
When pursuing your own business, you will never be able to reach success if you are starting over every month with a new idea. A good tip is to write down your WHY, why are you starting your business. What is the goal, and WHO is your client? Remembering these can help remind you of your focus and your main goals.
The quality of your life depends on the quality of each moment. Instead of living in the past or future, focus on the now. That is what your life is truly made up of. If you are not happy in the moment, you will not cultivate a joyous life.
01Self 3. Managing energy.
Ever have that to-do list that seems never ending? Joni the club. In order to actually accomplish that to-do list, we need to budget out our energy. Burning out is one of the biggest issues for people. Sometimes we get so excited about a new business plan, or gym routine and we end up over expending ourselves within a few weeks. We create unrealistic schedules that are unsustainable. A good way to combat that is to plan out down
I was mad, disappointed and frustrated with myself. I felt defeated that I was unable to accomplish my goals for the week. I was frustrated that even though I had taken 3 days off, I still felt exhausted.
time. I try to stop working at a reasonable time each night. I leave time to make dinner with my boyfriend, maybe watch some netflix, or reconnect after the day and just unplug.
Wednesday, I had gotten dressed for the gym and ended up asleep face down in my bed. I realized, no matter how badly I wanted to accomplish certain goals for
But what happens if we burn out? I spoke about this recently, where I had just a really bad week.
myself, they did not align with what my body truly wanted.
On Sunday, I had told myself I was going to go to the gym everyday that week. I had taken off Thu-Sunday from the gym the previous week because I was sore and overall sleep deprived. I thought after a good weekend of rest that would have me ready to go for the next week! I set my goals and I was ready to go! I went Monday and Tuesday, and by Wednesday, I was burnt out. I felt just as tired as I had the week previous and I knew my body was just not having it.
I think this is something that can be applied to all aspects of life. We may set goals for ourselves and plan out aspects of our lives. However, if they do not align with what our hearts, minds or bodies truly want, it will not happen. And we cannot get mad or frustrated with ourselves for that. We should instead realign with ourselves and listen to our true needs and desires.
Travel
guide
Traveling has been put on pause for most of us over the last few month. Flying on planes and exploring new cities is not exactly ideal right now. So how can we still scratch that need for adventure? Here are some fun ways to get outside and enjoy this fall season!
Travel
guide
There is no better feeling than hopping in your car, rolling the windows down and feeling the Fall air! This year plan a drive out to your closest mountains and take in the beautiful scenery! Try to pick a spot and time with the best fall leaves!
Hipcamp is like Airbnb for camping! It helps you find the perfect camp spot near you, or anywhere on your maps!
"Discover and book tent camping, RV parks, cabins, treehouses, and glamping—everywhere from national parks to blueberry farms."
Alltrails is a great resource for finding local trails. "Whether at home or on the road, find your perfect hike, bike ride, or trail run. Filter by length, rating, and difficulty level. Easily find dog or kid-friendly trails. Great views are a few taps away."
diy
ceramic vase
This is a great way to add some decor without breaking the bank! This technique allows you to create a unique, textured look that mimics a beautiful ceramic vase.
Step one: Head to your local thrift store and pick out a few vases, jars. They don't have to be glass, you really just have to like the shape!
Step two: Mix equal parts baking soda and paint.
Step three: Paint 2-3 layers on your vase. It is important that each layer is completely dry before putting another layer on top.
Pumpkin Bread
INGREDIENTS
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (or 1 1/2
with maple glaze
cups fresh pumpkin puree)
½ cup butter melted ¾ cup brown sugar packed ¾ cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1
¾ cups all-purpose flour or all
purpose GF flour 1 TBS pumpkin pie spice 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp baking soda 1/4 cup Maple syrup (Not pancake syrup!) 1 cup Powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Grease a 9x5” loaf pan, set aside. 3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. 4. In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin puree and melted butter. 5. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until combined and there are no lumps. 6. Add eggs and vanilla and stir to combine. 7. Add dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth. 8. If desired, add mix-ins like chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, walnuts, etc. and stir until evenly distributed. 9. Pour batter in to prepared loaf pan and use a spatula to smooth out the top. 10. Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, or until a cake tested inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. 11. Let pumpkin bread cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing it, or overnight 12. Mix the maple syrup and powdered sugar together to create a glaze and drizzle on top!
03Relationships Who all has been quarantined with their significant
other? I'm sure you could tell me about multiple dumb things y'all have gotten into arguments over. I recently heard about an argument a couple had weather a blueberry was really blue or purple. Another was if yoga pants were truly pants?
Anyways, the point is, how do you BEST navigate communication. This is one thing I really feel like I have learned from Jordan. He is a great communicator and we now try to implement these tactics into every argument.
1. Actively listening. We hear this phrase a lot, but do we really do it? And how do we prove to the other that you were listening? 2. Most often, your significant other simply wants to be HEARD. Meaning, you truly understand what they are saying and you recognize how they are feeling. You don't always agree or understand their feelings, and that's ok. The point is compromise. How can you take actions to change or help address their concerns. 3. It goes both ways. Once your partner hears you say that you understand, communication can be so much easier. 4. Even if you are in the heat of it, and communicating rationally just seems impossible, it's important to not hold onto the grudge. A good rule is to never let the sun go down in anger. Most of the time letting down your ego to try and make peace is the hardest part. When you step back and look at the bigger picture of your relationship however, those practices become much easier.
"I HEAR YOU"
GOAL: TO
MAKE
AN
INCOME
WHILE MAKING IMPACT.
AN
Decor
FallÂ
Ready to turn that fireplace into a fall centerpiece? Well, if you are like me, you're on a budget... so I'm going to teach you how to style your space on a budget!
Decor
FallÂ
There are so many options for cheap fall florals. Pampas grass is the favored, most seen grass when it comes to fall decor. However, places like Michael's Crafts and JoAnns offer several dried natural grasses and usually have a coupon on their website. Pumpkins are a MUST! The only issue is they can add up in price. Of course, we all want the real deal, but if you want to re-use them each year without Display pieces. I find
Burlap is a perfect
dropping a lot of money each
unique display items at
backdrop for all things
season, there are lots of faux
antique stores or thrift
Fall. Found at all craft
options. Beware, craft stores
stores all the time.
stores, you can use it as sell carvable fake pumpkins. This
Some as cheap as $1
a table runner or under
makes them more expensive.
can really add to your
your Fall decor.
Check out Walmart for budget
overall display.
friendly display pumpkins.
A key aspect to creating a good display is to find an anchor. This could be a mirror, large center display piece such as my wooden cutting board or wreath. Next, add variations of height on either side to create a frame. When filling in the decor, such as the pumpkins, you want to keep a sense of balance. You can do this by having equal weight on each side, such as the white pumpkins. For the bottom photo, I created a center focal point, but kept it even on the sides with the orange pumpkins to frame the space and balance out some weight. Another tip is to always layer! I like to group smaller pumpkins around the larger ones. You can also use a bowl to display your pumpkins in and tuck greenery under them. This creates a condensed richness if you only have a few pumpkins and not enough to really fill out a table.
Peanut Butter Banana Muffin
diy
yarn pumpkins 1. Start with a styrofoam ball and cut off the two ends.
2. Round it out a bit to give it a “pumpkin” shape.
3. Next, cut a hole in the middle. Make a nickel sized hole in the middle and round out the edges on that as well.
4. Then, take your
5. Thread your needle (you want a long needle) through
yarn and tie it
the hole and keep wrapping it through until you don’t
through the hole,
see the styrofoam anymore.
hiding the knot at the base of the hole.
Note: one side will look worse than the other. When you’re done, tie off the end on the ugly side.Take a stick and hot glue it in for the base!
ARE YOU OFF BALANCE? There are 5 tiers of balance. In order to live your most fulfilling life, it is important that those tiers are equally maintained. This is a quick worksheet to help you discover what you may be lacking in!
1.
SELF
Balance within yourself is arguably the most important step. How many of the following do you struggle with?
Self-doubt
Procrastination
Lack effort with self-care
Self sabotage
Imposter syndrome
Depression
Fear
Negative self talk
Chronic illness
Anxiety
Push yourself too hard
Fatigue
Now rank yourself on a scale of 1-10 1 being you struggle with all the above, 10 being you struggle
My Score:
with none of the above
2. SPIRIT Spiritual balance is the daily practice of talking to God. Showing gratitude for your life and taking time to pray. It is also trusting in God for the things in which we cannot control. It is making sure that we are living our life in service to others as well as pursuing our dreams. Prayer
Volunteer work
Morals and values
Trust in faith
Pro bono work
Spiritual community
Gratitude
Positive attitude
Reflection/meditation
Bible study
Knowing your purpose
Forgiveness
Now rank yourself on a scale of 1-10 1 being you struggle with all the above, 10 being you struggle with none of the above
My Score:
3. RELATIONSHIPS Balance within your relationships, friends and significant others plays a huge role in the quality of our life. What could you improve on?
Communication
Boundaries
Compromise
Connection
Trust
Being yourself
Date nights
Active listening
Considering the other person
Shared goals
Accept disagreements
Allowing space when needed
Now rank yourself on a scale of 1-10 1 being you struggle with all the above, 10 being you struggle
My Score:
with none of the above
4. HEALTH Health is huge! It's something that I believe plagues women more than ever in today's society. With new diets, exercise trends, food trends... it's hard to keep up. Finding a balance that is right for you is so important.
Finding time to workout
Binge eating
Cooking healthy meals
Finding the right exercises
Anorexia
Sweet tooth
Self-image
Motivation
Yo-yo dieting
Proper nutrition
Self-control Rest/recovery/sleep
Now rank yourself on a scale of 1-10 1 being you struggle with all the above, 10 being you struggle with none of the above
My Score:
5. WORK Whether you are in a 9-5 with a side hustle, or an entrepreneur, finding a healthy work/life balance is something many people struggle with. It is so important however not to allow yourself to burn out and to know when to un-plug. Overwhelm
Balancing service & passion
Lack of joy
Anxiety
Unable to unplug
Time management
Feeling unmotivated
ADD/ADHD
Prioritization
Feeling overworked
Taking time off
Finding your passion
Now rank yourself on a scale of 1-10 1 being you struggle with all the above, 10 being you struggle with none of the above
My Score:
SO...ARE YOU OFF BALANCE? Carefully review your answers and your scores. What can you improve on, what areas are you feeling good about?
1.
SELF
I am good at ...
I could improve on
2. SPIRIT I am good at ...
I could improve on
3. RELATIONSHIPS I am good at ...
I could improve on
4. HEALTH I am good at ...
I could improve on
5. WORK I am good at ...
I could improve on
Balance is not created overnight. To cultivate balance starts with recognizing what's missing. Where can energy be placed in order for your life to feel more even?
Congratulations! You have already taken the first step. Really focusing on what you can improve on and making sure that you
Thank You
Creatively Balanced means living a life of joy. It means living a life where everyday when you wake up you feel successful. Successful in your personal life, your relationship, your relationship with God, and most importantly, with yourself. It is learning that hard work goes hand in hand with restoration. Balance means achieving your goals in an attainable, sustainable way. To learn balance means to learn that our life is precious, our time is a gift, and that the way we spend it should be joyous; but always on a pursuit to fulfill your passion through perseverance and hard work.  Creativity is the ingenuity to success. It gives you the ability to think outside the box, to solve problems, to create out of nothing. The more you are able to grow your creativity, the more you will begin to grow the muscle for curating the life you want to live, and you will do so joyously. I want to help you live the most successful life you can. Success in the quality of your life, and the wealth of love in your life. I am here to guide you, teach you, and grow a community for you, that will allow you to have that. From learning different artisan crafts, to nutrition, exercise, navigating your career, we will cover it all. Let me show you the way in which I have learned to live a balanced life that has lead me to pursuing my dreams. For a life full of love, creativity and joy is a life well lived.
Ava
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