Category Archives: HOMEPAGE – BALANCE

Rebuilding El Salvador, One Wave at a Time

Just imagine the collective power of humanity, if everyone just gave a few hours a year and fully dedicated themselves to a cause that they deeply believed in. Anything would be possible. ” – Lissette Perez

Thousands of miles from the ice bucket challenges, change-your-profile-pic-for-a-cause Facebook button and presidential debates, lies the small town of El Cuco, El Salvador. There you’ll find Lissette Perez, her surf resort, and a town that has transformed through a few hours of belief, repeated. Her cause began with free spaghetti and swimming in the resort pool for kids who made good grades. Eventually, it would lead to rescuing an endangered species and a new high school.

Driving from the San Salvador airport to a small surf camp in an even smaller town named El Cuco, one quickly gets a lay of the land. Outside the open car window, farmers dry harvested corn in the middle of the highway. Brightly colored busses narrowly avoid one another, passing on curves as if in a NASCAR race. Round-faced children sell plastic bags filled with cane syrup-sweetened coconut water on the side of the road for pennies. El Salvador is a poor country that not so long ago was in the midst of a serious civil war and where drug related gang violence still erupts daily.

The taxi driver explains that there was a time when he would be dodging guerilla rebels instead of corn on the road. He mentions that earthquakes easily destroy the adobe and tin-walled shacks that house the region’s people. He hopes to soon have cinderblocks to hold up the walls of his family’s home. Truckloads of supporters for each side of an upcoming election pass by with loudspeakers like dueling Central American Blues Brothers promoters. Armed guards with shotguns stand at attention at the doors of each gas station. El Sal is still a very fragile place. As we drive, dusk closes into darkness and eventually the paved road turns to rutted earth, a familiar and almost comforting feeling that I’ve come to love in Central America. Eventually, we pull into the small town of El Cuco and drive up to The Azul Surf Club’s gate.

I’m greeted by the night guard and led to a small room with two single beds, not much more. It’s plenty to satisfy a surfer’s basic needs. Before the sun rises again there’s a knock on the door. It’s Lissette, the owner of Azul. It’s time to surf.  I meet some of the other guests and sit down with Lissette for a family-style breakfast under a thatched hut. I ask where she’s from.

“I grew up in California and went to UC Berkeley.”

I think, oh now I get it. She’s a rich girl who was given a surf resort.

“Where’d you grow up in Cali?”

“The inner city. My mom was a single mom, we lived on welfare.”

I stood corrected.

“Wow, so how did you end up in El Salvador?”

“Well, I started coming for vacation to surf. I fell in love with the ocean here, and wanted to open a bed and breakfast. The community here is really poor, but the people are great and it reminded me of where I grew up. I saw a lot of opportunity here and the chance to be more than just some foreigner invading the town with a flashy new surf resort. I saw the chance to build something bigger. To give back to the people in ways that aren’t so self-serving. Giving back feels better than getting.”

After breakfast, we all load into the back of a Ford pickup truck that’s as well-worn as the dirt road it has traveled. We make our way through the still sleeping town of El Cuco and to the Las Flores point break just a few minutes away. A blood orange sun is quickly rising now,

El Cuco El Salvador

quietly revealing the waves and the serene beauty of the small fishing huts that line the water’s edge.

For the next two hours we catch peeling waves on the point that are as perfectly timed and predictable as a wave machine at Six Flags. Smiles all around. On the way back to the resort, we find similar smiles coming from the local people in the town as we drive by. Shouts of “buenos días” and “hola” from the local children erupt as Lissette drives past with her cargo (a bunch of long-haired half-naked white men) in the back. The locals’ warmth begins to hint at the truth behind the fact that Lissette is more than just a surf resort owner.

In the center of the tiny town we pass a small yellow stucco two-story house with a wrought iron balcony with flowers draped over the walls.

‘That’s my new house,” Lissette says. “It used to be a concrete walled pseudo fish chopping spot.”

Since founding the surf resort, Lissette has worked hard to also build up the local town and everything in it, so much so that’s she’s now known to the local villagers as “The Mayor.” There was no election, no primary, no debate, no, “What is this girl from California doing here?” Lissette has just been acting out the mayoral role one day and deed at a time.

Since painting and hanging flowers outside her house (another one of those “few hour” acts) she explains that other neighbors in the otherwise monochromatic brown town have painted their houses. “It’s about showing a little pride for what you have, even when you don’t have a lot. One of my guests left me a nice tip so I used it to purchase flowers, a bicycle and a can of paint. That small act of a guest paying it forward has led to the town to seeing itself quite differently, literally.”

Lissette (nonchalantly as always) says, “When you have faith in the ability to effect real positive change in your own little world, the universe suddenly opens up and everyone wants to be part of it.”

Back at Azul, I tour the grounds of the humble and bohemian resort.

El Cuco El Salvador

I find a nice pool, cabana with fresh fruit smoothies, a two-story palm-roofed hut that serves as a yoga studio, surf lookout and hammock station. Below it I notice a sign: “Turtle hatchery, please do not disturb.” I ask Lissette about it.

“Well, I found out that some of the locals were digging up the turtle eggs after they’d been buried. Technically, you could say they were poaching but the reality is that they were harvesting the eggs as a way to help feed their families,” she explains. “So, I pay the men for the eggs, they use the money to buy other food for their families, we rebury the eggs, and the turtles hatch and go back to the ocean as nature intended.”

As an expat in a faraway land, it’s easy to think that the locals might not be too friendly to a foreigner coming into town to “Save the Whales!” or turtles in this instance. I ask Lissette about her integration to such a place. “There’s a big difference between doing good for the community based on what you think they need versus what they want. The turtle poachers just want food. They have nothing against the turtles. They just need to feed a family, their kids, who don’t have much to eat. If I  buy their turtle eggs, they can afford chicken eggs. Sustainable food. It’s as simple as that. I want turtles, they want eggs.” I immediately think of inventing some clichéd “farm-to-table” term for her philosophy, but quickly remember that it’s not about what you call what you do, but rather what you actually do.

baby sea turtle El Salvador

Before lunch there’s time for another surf session out in front of the resort. Lissette’s adopted El Salvadorian son and his friends are showing us how they intend to rule the breaks for a long time to come.

Surfing El Cuco El Salvador

During lunch, I ask Lissette more about what she’s doing in the community. “Well, it all started with spaghetti,” she says. “The kids here aren’t that motivated to do well in school, so I promised them that if they made good grades they could come swimming here after school and get free spaghetti. Their grades got better. So there was a chance they could actually get into high school. But their families couldn’t afford it. I couldn’t afford to send them all to high school either, but I could afford to send one. So I created a scholarship. I asked all the kids to write me an essay about why they wanted to go to high school. I didn’t expect any of them to do it. The next day I had 50 essays sitting in my lap.”

Lissette’s flood of essays quickly evolved into copious amounts of concrete being poured into a slab, along with brick and mortar walls. There wouldn’t be one scholarship. There would be a new school.

“I didn’t know if it was even possible. When we started building the school I didn’t have the money to even finish it. But I had a friend who was traveling around Central America who’s a contractor,” explains Lissette. “He found out the goal and pulled favors for us to at least complete the first floor. A few months later, 20 volunteers came down and we finished the entire second floor and the rest of the school in weeks.”

And it all started with free swimming and plates of spaghetti? “Yup” Lissette says, smiling brightly. “When you have faith in an idea and actually do something around it, people surround you to help. You don’t have to start big. Start small and it will grow. Building the school is up there with graduating from Berkeley for me. I grew up with nothing and to see my first class of teenagers graduating from that school this year is awesome.” She offers to take me by the school that’s just down the road.

When we arrive the children are instantly hamming it up for the camera, between carrying buckets of fresh water to and from a newly built classroom.

Lissette Perez El Cuco El Salvador

The school has the same tidy look as Lissette’s house. Freshly painted blue walls, school uniforms abound along with brightly colored tables and chairs, not dissimilar to what you’d see in most states.

Workers El Salvador

Azul Surf Club's Gate

Lissette built this primary school in part with funds from the surf resort. She proudly explains that this year its first class will be graduating from high school. Farther down the road we cross a small concrete bridge—something she has also built—before we arrive in front of a small dilapidated shack. “This will be the new dentist’s office,” she says.

Looking at the swampy water and ramshackle tin-walled box that’s she pointing at, a hygienic dentist’s office is a bit hard to imagine, but based on what I’ve seen at this point, it’s not hard to believe.

Back at the resort, a former peace corps employee named Colin gives an impromptu yoga lesson on the second floor of the top cabana before we head off for the third and final surf session of the day.

surf trip El Cuco El Salvador

surfing trip El Salvador

I ask Lissette why she’s doing all this, expecting some grand speech about changing the world. Her answer is as matter of fact as her actions. “Because now this is my home, and my hometown, and my people.” and “Why not.”

Lissette Perez El Cuco El Salvador

I leave thinking that solving the world’s problems suddenly seems a lot simpler than I imagined.

 

The Switch: 3 Ways to Save on Beauty Treatments

Trips to the salon and spa are a great way to unwind and keep yourself looking and feeling your best. But these biweekly expenses can sometimes feel a little tough on your wallet, particularly around that time of year when you’re trying to set aside your hard-earned money for gifts. If planning for the holidays has you looking for everyday ways to save, these three health and beauty switches are for you.

Switch: In-salon gel manicures for easy manicures at home

Gel manicures are very popular for their beautiful, long lasting, and chip-free finishes.  The fact that you can leave the salon the minute you’re done without worrying about smudging up your manicure is great for those of us always on-the-go. But these services can cost anywhere from $35-$50 (plus tip) and have to be redone every two weeks.

dreamstime_s_37477546
© Nilswey | Dreamstime.comWoman Having A Nail Manicure In A Beauty Salon Photo

Try giving your nails, and your credit card, a break through the holidays by doing your own at-home manicures. One kit that we like is the Naked Manicure by Zoya, which costs about the same as one gel manicure at the salon, but will last you through many on your own. According to Zoya, the Naked Manicure’s 4-piece kit contains vitamins, proteins, and botanicals to improve the health and look of your natural nails (their website contains instructions for use.) And, they even have a Naked Manicure kit for men.

Zoya Naked Manicure Women Starter Kit

Available at Zoya.com

 

Switch: Massage therapy at the spa for a massage ball at home

An hour or more of massage therapy can relieve pain and promote relaxation, but unfortunately, it comes at a price. For some of us, this might be an easy expense to temporarily give up for the holidays, since it’s somewhat of a luxury anyway. But if you have sore muscles and want a form of relief without breaking the bank, a massage ball is an inexpensive alternative.

dreamstime_s_45994674
© Gudenkoaleksandr | Dreamstime.comDeep Tissue Massage Photo

The Trigger Therapy Massage Ball comes in multiple sizes and will cost you about a quarter the price of a 60-minute massage. All you need is the ball and a wall, or even the floor. You can find instructions on the best ways to reach different areas of your chest, back, legs, and arms by doing a little research on the web. Another good thing about the massage ball is that it’s easily taken with you to work, the gym, on vacation, you name it.

trigger point mb1 therapy ball

Available at TPTherapy.com and sports equipment stores.

 

Switch: High-end facials for natural face masks

Facials are a wonderful a way to mind your mug; they can purify pores, help troubled skin, hydrate, and give your face a healthy glow. If you’re considering cutting out your facials in an effort to save money, remember that we’re entering the coldest and driest time of year; your face might need the extra TLC heading into the winter months. You can give your face the attention it needs without splurging at the spa by using face masks once or twice a week. They cost a fraction of a spa facial and take a minimal amount of time to use.

woman facial
© Alexnov | Dreamstime.comSpa Salon: Young Beautiful Woman Having Facial Massage . Photo

There are tons of options, so you could try a number of different kinds without spending too much. One that we like comes from Lush, Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. According to Lush, their products are made “from fresh organic fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils, and safe synthetics.” For dry skin, their Cranberry face mask is made with cranberries (for the holidays), argan oil, and rose clay. Plus, it smells amazing.

lush cranberry face mask

Available at Lush.com.

Day it Forward – November 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world, and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day it Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

The submission chosen for the month of November comes from Dori Walker:

In 2011 at our gender reveal ultrasound for our third child my world changed.  We were informed our daughter was “incompatible with life”.  Those three words broke me.  The days that followed I had a hard time getting out of bed to care for our two boys.  It was inconceivable for me to be happy when it felt like we were just waiting for her to die.  I was too scared to give her a name, it made the situation too real.  My salvation came in the form of Alexandra’s House Perinatal Hospice.  The founder, Patti, helped me find purpose, strength and beauty in the following 6 weeks she survived in my tummy.  That strength allowed us to give her a name, Mathilda Hope.  Patti was there for the decisions that you never plan on making.  She was there for her birth and her memorial service.  Alexandra’s House is a big reason we were strong enough to pursue adoption through foster care; we now have 7 children with one in heaven.  Mathilda Hope inspires us to be better and pay it forward in all we do!

Dori Walker and family

Sylvia will be donating $2,000 to Alexandra’s House. You can donate, too, here.

We also occasionally spotlight other charities submitted by readers each month:

  • Shannon Cutts submitted Mentor Connect, the first global eating disorders mentoring community. Sylvia will be donating $500 to Mentor Connect. You can donate, too, here.

To have your charity considered for December’s installment of Day it Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “December Day it Forward” in the subject line by November 25, 2015.

4 Healthy Fall Recipes

Sweet pumpkin, crisp apple, spicy cinnamon, buttery squash – all delicious flavors we can’t wait to savor the very second the leaves start to change and it’s officially fall.

If you’re at all worried about overindulging, you don’t have to be. You can enjoy the delightful tastes of the season without the guilt with these 4 healthy fall recipes.

 

1. Vegan Chai Tea Latte

Vegan Chai Tea Latte

Read the full recipe at Minimalist Baker

 

2. Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coconut Pancakes

Gluten-free pumpkin pancakes

Read the full recipe at Paleo Grubs

 

3. Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Read the full recipe at Wellness Mama

 

4. Low Fat Baked Apples

Low-fat Baked apples

Read the full recipe at Skinny Taste

The Switch: 3 Ways to Get Better Sleep

You know that amazing feeling you have when you wake up knowing you’ve gotten plenty of good, rejuvenating sleep? Bad news is, this type of rest is often limited to the weekends, or, for the extremely busy, holidays or vacations. Here’s the good news: small changes to your current habits could be the missing element to getting this type of sleep 365 days a year.

The following three switches might lead to more ZZZs, less caffeine, and feeling better overall.

Switch: Device screen protectors for blue light blocking shields

We tend to keep our cell phones, tablets, and laptops close to us at all times, and that usually means even in bed at night. What does this have to do with sleep? These devices emit blue light, which is apparently pretty good during the day, but pretty bad at night. According to a Harvard study, light at night, particularly blue light, is disruptive to circadian rhythms, causing us to get less sleep.

Image via Splitshire under license CC0

Sleep Shield has created blue light blocking shields, similar to the typical thin screen protectors used on cell phones and tablets, that they say reduces blue light exposure to the user. The shields are removable and can be reapplied, but you might as well let them do double duty as a screen protector as well. Limiting the use of these devices at night altogether is a great idea, but if that’s out of the question for you, these screens may help to decrease their negative effects.

Available at Sleepshield.com

 

Switch: Thin, perfumed lotions for essential oils

If you already have the ritual of applying lotion pre-bedtime, this will be an easy switch to incorporate into your routine. Perfumed lotions, while fragrantly pleasant, tend to be quite thin and provide little benefit beyond skin moisturizing. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, evidence suggests that lavender can promote sleep and relaxation and has been used for centuries as an herbal cure for insomnia, headaches, and upset stomach.

lavender satchel essential oils
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Lavender essential oil can be added to your favorite super-emollient, unscented lotion to reap these sleep- and relaxation-inducing benefits in a pure and natural way. dōTERRA has a full line of therapeutic-grade essential oils, including a lovely lavender option, to help enhance your life with unadulterated products. Add a few drops to your lotion before applying on your arms, legs, neck, and anywhere else you like. The pleasant scent can help you unwind and get more sound and relaxing rest.

Available at dōTERRA.com and dōTERRA wellness advocate spas everywhere.

 

Switch: Agitating buzzer alarms for dawn simulating clocks

If you’re like me, the sound of a buzzing alarm can be irritating and nerve-wracking. Why, then, do so many of us choose to start our mornings with them? Some opt to use their cell phones as alarms and, in doing so, are provided with more pleasant alarm options; but there is yet another way you can choose to start your day.

man sleeping
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Dawn simulation light therapy is used to gradually wake a person with light that increases in brightness as it approaches your wake-up time. An option I like is the Philips Wake-Up Light that uses both light and sound, and, according to the company, is clinically proven to wake you up with an “improved mood and energy level.” It also comes with “sunset simulation” to help you drift off to sleep at night making this the second item on our list to fulfill two functions.

I personally like the idea of simulating those Sundays when I get to wake up to light shining through my window, even on the days I’m getting up before the crack of dawn. As far as aesthetics are concerned, the device itself is a bit futuristic-looking but quite easy on the eyes, perfect for any bedroom décor.

Available at Amazon.com and Philips.com

Day It Forward – October 2015

We believe that every individual has the ability to make a difference in our world, and we want to give our readers a chance to bring attention to a cause that is important to them.

Every month, we will ask you to submit a one-paragraph essay on a charity of your choice. We want to know what the charity is about, why it is important to you, and anything else you think is important for us to know.

Your submissions will be reviewed by bestselling author Sylvia Day and she will select one to personally contribute to for the month. Your charity will also be featured in the following month’s installment of Day it Forward to bring more awareness to its cause and allow for readers of Beyond Words to donate as well.

The submission chosen for the month of October comes from Katie Crossan:

Crohn’s and Colitis UK
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was 18. I lost all of my friends and quickly closed myself off from the world, choosing to bury myself in books instead. I have been constantly tube fed on and off in the last seven years, I now have a line to my heart keeping me from starving to death, and take a chemotherapy drug everyday. I am hooked up to a machine every night that pumps liquid to my heart. The NACC (National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease) kept me sane. They support people with IBD and have a ‘Young People’s Forum’ where I met other young people who have become life-long friends and I also met the love of my life, my soon to be husband, there. The NACC encourages people to talk to each other, they offer a support line for people with IBD or family of those who suffer. Crohns can be an extremely lonely disease but with the NACC they make you feel less alone and accepted for being different. I have supported this charity with my family since I was 18 partaking in walks to raise money. IBD doesn’t get recognised for being a serious life altering condition.

Sylvia will be donating $1,500 to the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s disease. You can donate, too, here.

We also occasionally spotlight other worthy charities submitted by readers each month:

To have your charity considered for November’s installment of Day it Forward, please email your submissions to editorial@beyondwords.life with “Day it Forward” in the subject line by October 25, 2015.

Gifts that Give Spotlight: Global Girlfriend

When you buy a hand-woven scarf from Global Girlfriend, you’re not only getting a gorgeous addition to your wardrobe, you’re helping a woman in need. Global Girlfriend is an online boutique that sells high-quality, eco-friendly products made by women artisans who are facing challenges of poverty, illness and oppressive societies.

Stacey Edgar founded the company in 2003 with a $2,000 tax refund. She traveled the world visiting women and community organizations in India, Nepal, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Uganda and Kenya to source products that would translate into the US market.

Since then, hundreds of women’s lives have been changed. Each piece sold on the site is as unique as the woman who made it. Research shows that when we invest in women, women in turn invest in their families and communities, and everyone benefits. So, let’s go shopping!

Here are a few of the gorgeous handcrafted items you can get from the store:

 

Global Girlfriend Chevron Necklace

This chevron necklace was designed by Mata Traders in India.

 

Ugandan Washed Stripe Beach Bag

This beach bag is made from 100% Ugandan cotton by Gulu seamstresses.

 

Global Girlfriend Thistle Farms Body Butter

Thistle Farms body butter is handmade by women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction in Nashville, Tennessee.