Dear Diary, what day is it??

 Its been 223 days since my last blog…YIKES! What feels longer however, are the 38 days (and counting) that we’ve been safe at home thanks to Ms. Covid19. Well over a month in, and I still haven’t gotten into a quarantine routine.  To be honest, I thought that even though my three year old Isaac would be home with me, I’d take advantage of this time to get some much needed tasks accomplished.  Literally laughing out loud as I type this… boy was I wrong.

Don’t get me totally wrong, a few things here and there have been checked off the list.  Yet there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t beat myself up just a little bit, for not taking daily action on the handful of to-dos that I say are important to me.

Making time for this blog has now been scheduled in my morning block.  If it doesn’t get done in the morning before my household gets up, it just doesn’t get done.  And since I’ve had issues getting up before my little energizer bunny does, my morning block consisted of being woken up by Isaac on most days.  He isn’t consistent with what time he wakes up and despises sleep with a passion.  Not the greatest combo.  On the days I was able to wake up before him, I was able to accomplish washing my face and brushing my teeth before his little feet sprung downstairs; yay.

So my hopeful self says here’s to the next 223 days of consistent blogging.  I feel like I finally got my spark back and have so much to share. I’ve been spending more time on my action plan and recently joined an amazing coaching program for my real estate profession.  Things are thankfully looking bright these days despite the world chaos going on.  And on that note, Isaac is up.

5 Creative Ways to Maximize your Open House

Open houses can be a gateway for tons of business as a real estate agent if hosted correctly. Over the past 3 years in real estate, I have used open houses as a way to grow my business. Below are 5 ways you can easily maximize your exposure with potential clients; especially if your goal is to break into that desired neighborhood and be the go to realtor for that community.

My adorable little assistant, Isaac

1. Signs, signs & more directional signs– Try and have between 5-10 signs (at least!) The majority can be the cheaper directional signs but save your flashier, higher quality ones for main roads and to put around the subject property/street.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

2. Door-knock the neighbors with invitations to your open house– Make them feel special while showing them what a devoted listing agent you can be by personally inviting them to your exclusive open house. If the neighborhood is worth it, make a neighbor sneak preview event and host the open house for the neighbors exclusively, an hour or 30 minutes before the public open house begins. 

• 

  Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com

• 

  Photo by paul wence on Pexels.com

3. Set the mood– Bake if possible, light a candle if possible, house brochures, beverages, pretty much any simple thing you can do to make your open house more welcoming. I even like to have smooth jazz playing in the background whether from the sellers TV or better yet, from a blue tooth speaker you can purchase for cheap. Bonus points for having a a cute blue tooth speaker with your realtor logo on it. Way to make a statement to all of your guests aka potential clients!

Here is an example from one of my open houses.

4. Create an incentive for a successful sign in–  Purchase a $20 gift card and raffle it off to everyone who took the time to sign in to your open house.  Let them know that you will film yourself picking a winner that night and the video will be emailed to every participant.  Some ideas for gift cards could be Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Home Depot, etc.

• 

  Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

• 

  Photo by Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com

5. Follow up relentlessly– First things first, send the video email of you picking the winner to every participant. Then call all leads you captured from your open house. This should be done the very next day! Lastly, send a hand written thank you card to the ones who listed their home address or an e-card to the ones who you only have email addresses for. Thank them for coming to your open house and do your best to build a relationship with all potential future clients. Add them to your database and include them in your professional follow up system.

Breakfast for Plant Based Champs (who love carbs!)

One thing I have been attempting in the kitchen for breakfast meals is “dressed up” home fries/hash browns and having that be the main dish to work with.  Even though these hash browns aren’t formally dressed up, they still deserve a shout out for playing such a crucial role in curbing your carb-loving, morning appetite. 

These hash browns consist of onions, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and smoked paprika.  Toast has always been such a compatible breakfast option so I decided to add these carbs to the menu and dress them up as well.  This (Country White) pair includes an avocado spread covered in nutritional yeast and topped with clover sprouts.  Simple yet delicious and somewhat fancy!   

ZERO Waste Gift Basket for the Eco-Friendlies

I’ve gotten into the habit of including a useful basket when gifting instead of purchasing the common gift bag/tissue paper combo.  Most people just throw the wrapping away without skipping a beat and I hate the thought of a perfectly good bag ending up in a landfill instead of being reused.  With the exception of a few slip ups, I have managed to reuse most of the bags, boxes, bows, tissue paper, etc. my family receives from gifts.  The 3 main benefits of reusing these items are less waste (win for the environment), less money spent (win for your wallet) and the convenience of not having to go fetch these last minute items on top of the gift (win for your time).

This is one of the first gift BASKETS I created and it focused on zero waste & conscious living.  All the items shown were found at TJ Max and Marshalls here on the East Coast.  I used a cotton bath towel to play the role as tissue paper and kept the theme going with some other bathroom/spa essentials.  You can do the same thing perhaps with a bathrobe instead, or a bunch of hand/face towels.  The options are endless!  You can never go wrong with a candle and I was lucky enough to score an amazing vegan soy wax one along with bamboo toothbrushes, reusable face towels/pads and a container to hold said pads. Some items not pictured that were also added to the basket include a shampoo bar with a soap saver baggie and some knitted reusable cotton pads.

• 

• 

• 

I had a blast creating this basket and it felt good knowing the items play a beneficial role in improving our planet and health all around.  I intend to incorporate more conscious living items whenever possible as gifts to my loved ones and clients!

The Rollerblading Vegan

One of my very favorite things to do as a workout is rollerblading.  It’s a workout I do by myself (mainly because I don’t know many others who rollerblade lol) and I love the time it gives me to reflect on anything and everything.  It’s a form of meditation, as weird as that sounds.  The bike paths I rollerblade on have some amazing views and I do my best to take it all in as often as possible.  One thing I’m always cautious of however, are all the little creatures who are currently on the same route as myself.  I do my absolute best to avoid rollerblading over them even though I know it’s impossible to dodge every single one.  This is a prime example of how and when vegans aren’t “perfect”.   We as a species are bound to cause harm to many non-human animals simply for existing.  This is an argument I hear often from non-vegans who claim vegans think they’re perfect and claim to not harm any animal.  The huge difference between incidents like rollerblading or even walking for that matter, is that the harm is UNINTENTIONAL.    Unintentional harm is inevitable.  Farming vegetables causes unintentional harm, construction causes unintentional harm, even driving your car causes unintentional harm (most likely) every time.  These are unintentional deaths simply because humans exist.  INTENTIONAL deaths directly harm others simply for our benefit.  The most obvious being the billions of intentional slaughters that happen around the world every single year simply for our pallet pleasure.  The second most obvious being the intentional killing of the animals we kill to wear and test on. 

 Sheesh, just typing this makes me realize how vain we can be as a species.  One thing we can all strive for however, is to limit the intentional deaths as much as possible, wherever possible.  Most of us live in civilized communities where survival situations are few and far between.  Meaning we have (healthier) alternatives when it comes to food and clothing so there is no reason why everyone shouldn’t be striving to live a vegan lifestyle.  It’s the only way we can limit the intentional deaths (aka murders) of all the innocent non-human animals we share this wonderful planet with. 

NYC ANIMAL RIGHTS MARCH 2019 RECAP

AHHHHHH!!  What an amazing day 8/24/2019 was; especially for the animals.  Over 2,000 people attended The Official Animal Rights March in NYC and I am so grateful to have been one of them.  This was my first march and it was amazing to be surrounded by so many like minded individuals marching the streets of the big apple, demanding ANIMAL LIBERATION NOW!!    I traveled to the big city alone and I absolutely enjoyed every second with myself.  During the 3+ hour drive I had so much time to reflect on my activism and listen to podcasts that are focused on mind set (currently listening to The Life Coach School Podcast). 

I purchased all my sign supplies at Dollar Tree, spending roughly about $7.  I decided on “RESPECT EXISTENCE OR EXPECT RESISTANCE; GO VEGAN” for the front because it correlates with the direct action needed from activists to continue to expose the truth, coordinate lock downs and shutdowns at slaughterhouses, save lives openly and demand justice for all animals.  The back of the sign read BE ONE LESS PERSON HARMING ANIMALS; BE VEGAN!  It’s a more compassionate message that most people would agree with because lets face it, who (in their right mind) would ever want to purposely harm animals?!?  It’s just a damn shame that the majority still choose to harm them by supporting such cruelty with their dollars. 

• 

• 

• 

The more I embrace this Vegan journey and open my eyes and heart to all sentient life, the more I realize that being vegan is the very LEAST we can do.  The animals need us marching the streets every single day to wake the world up.  Vegans need to become active and activists need to continue to light up the world with the truth.  This past Saturday was one of those days.  The photos speak for themselves…

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Until next time, NYC!  And of course, UNTILL ALL ARE FREE!!!!

BE VEGAN.

Day 5 at WEEK OF TRUTH with AV

On July 13th, 2019 Anonymous for the Voiceless (AV) organized a Cube of Truth for 8 days straight, 12 hours per day, in the heart of NYC. This historical event took place at several different locations and on day 5, I was able to attend the cube that was organized at Astor Place.

What an amazing feeling to be part of an organization setting records with activism, pushing the limit and creating history. Animal liberation is inevitable; and AV is making sure they do whatever it takes to make that happen as soon as possible.

Here is the person responsible for AV, badass Asal…my hero

My top 3 highlights from this event were meeting the creators of AV who started the organization and meeting Hudson Tarlow, the badass 17 year old animal activist who dedicates his life to speak up for the animals. I never would of thought a year ago that I would have the privilege to witness Paul Bashir (co-founder/director of AV) outreach to someone while I was in the cube . I also got to witness Asal (Director of AV) outreach and I even captured a special moment with her. I was able to personally thank them both for all that they do and will be forever grateful for every single experience that took place that day.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

One of my favorite things to do during a cube of truth is to witness the expressions on everyone’s faces. Whether they stay to witness or just long enough to see what we’re showing, their expressions say it all. I love capturing these moments on camera because they tell a more compelling story than just showing the footage on the screens. People have decided to ignore the suffering of farmed animals to ease their conscious on supporting it; so showing footage it not enough. We must normalize the stance against animal exploitation and show people that being vegan is the LEAST we can do. We must stand up and speak up for the victims until compassion for all beings become the new norm.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

~UNTIL ALL ARE FREE~

COPLEY SQUARE, BOSTON MA~ CUBE OF TRUTH RECAP

UNITY CUBE OF TRUTH, JUNE 15,2019

On June 15, 2019 at Copley Square in Boston Massachusetts, over 50 members of Anonymous for the Voiceless gathered together from all over New England for a unity cube of truth.  A total of 205 seeds were planted (meaning, Anonymous for the Voiceless cards were handed to 205 bystanders who took interest into our message and seemed genuinely interested in learning more about veganism).  Out of the 205 seeds, I planted 10 of them.  This was by far, the most productive outreach I have been apart of and I left that night feeling so hopeful and inspired as an animal rights activist.

• 

• 

• 

• 

  Copley Square, Boston MA

The more cubes I attend, the more I try and observe people’s body language. Especially those that choose to stay and watch the footage long enough to see what exactly they’re watching.  These photos are some of my favorite from the Copley Square Cube because I felt they captured a powerful message behind the common body language I noticed. Most people are extremely uncomfortable with what they are witnessing and even more bothered to comprehend that they directly contribute to that amount of suffering on a daily basis.  Notice the different forms of crossed arms with the bystanders. Crossed arms are a classic gesture of defensiveness. If eating animals was as normal as the industries make them out to be, seeing the process on how animals get turned into “food” shouldn’t make us this uncomfortable.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Next month I’ll be participating in the 168 hour, Week of Truth even in NYC where there will be cubes set up all over the Time Square area for 7 straight days.  This cube event will most likely be one of the largest I’ll EVER attend, given that it will be hosted by the founders of Anonymous for the Voiceless themselves.  I’ll be cubing with some of my favorite social media activists and true heroes behind the movement.  This event will surely go down in history as one of the largest and longest demonstrations for the animal rights movement. That will be a recap worth reading, for sure.

One of my favorite conversations of the night. These ladies were genuinely interested in our message, asked tons of great questions and left that night taking veganism more seriously.

The reason we will never stop fighting…JUSTICE FOR ALL

4 ingredient Spicy Sriracha Chikn VEGAN Sandwich

The title for this blog took longer to type than this amazingly delicious sandwich did to create! Only four ingredients (five including the bread slices) and the only reason this sandwich took 20 minutes to make was because of the time required to bake the Quorn patties.

While the spicy patties are baking, toast the bread slices and smother with the sriracha mayo. Be generous; live a little! Then add some lettuces or greens of choice and patiently wait for the patties to be done for the grand finale. Five minutes before the patties are done, place some plant based cheese on them so that they are nice and melted once the patties are ready. I used the Follow your Heart, provolone cheese brand. Once you let the patties cool for a minute or two, you are now ready to apply to face.

5 PASSIVE WAYS TO GET ACTIVE FOR THE ANIMALS

1. WEAR IT– This one is probably the easiest since it is so diverse.  From hats, tops, bottoms, accessories, you name it, you can cater to your preferences and wear your message.  I currently am collecting t-shirts.  Most are short and sweet (Plant Based, Vegan Vibes, etc.) and a couple are more direct and aggressive.  My favorite shirt being designed by Leah Doellinger (favorite animal liberationist and creator of Meat the Victims).  My more direct message shirts I wear at cubes and protests.  My less direct ones I wear when I’m exercising; either at the gym or running outdoors.

• 

• 

2. SIDEWALK CHALK-TIVISIM–  This is a great way to use your creative side to spread a positive vegan message.  Do it in public areas like parks and bike paths; even if you do it during “off hours” to be more discrete. 

• 

• 

3. STICKER ACTIVISM– This is another area you can get as creative as you’d like to and revolve the stickers around your budget.  There are certain websites and Instagram pages (Activismstickers2 for example), that sell super cute ones and in a wide variety.  Or if you’re strapped on cash, buy your own labels and a sharpie or two.  Carry a few with you when you’re going out. Public bathrooms, bulletin boards and sign posts are great places to speak up for the animals.  I mean, if we have to look at other people’s garbage/graffiti all over the walls, why not use the same platform to spread the love.  I tagged up a few STOP signs in my day, and I don’t plan on stopping. ;o)

4. SHARE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT– Whether it’s slaughterhouse or factory farm footage, protests, open rescues or farm sanctuary animals, share as much and as often as you can with your social media following.  Our job as animal rights activist is to share their story and normalize veganism.  Most people already agree with the vegan message of peace for all beings and are morally against animal cruelty.  They have to constantly be reminded that they are indirectly funding animal abuse and that this shouldn’t be normalized any longer. Whether you share a plant based meal, rescue animal or graphic footage, the overall message needs to be spread as far and as wide as possible.

Meat the Victims Lockdowns/Protests- ALWAYS SHARE TO HELP THE FOOTAGE GO VIRAL!

5. VOLUNTEER– This is extremely good for the soul.  Especially if you tend to fall into the depression/helpless hole that most activists can relate to.  I find visiting a local farm sanctuary helps me stay grounded for the animals.  I’m fortunate enough to live next to a few and only a handful of hours away from Farm Sanctuary in NY (still on my bucket list to go visit!)  Surround yourself with some happy ending stories of individuals who survived the agricultural industry.

 Another option would be to join some veganism and/or activism Facebook or Meetup Groups to surround yourself with people who share the same message as you do.  This is extremely important to do to remember that you are not alone in the animal rights fight.  As often as you may feel alone and helpless as an activist, we have all been there and need to learn to lean on each other to keep fighting the good fight!