Costa Women Blogs

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Advice about Moving to Spain as a UK National after Brexit
Many of you have been asking about the situation moving to Spain from the UK post Brexit. There is very little information about the new requirements since 31st December.  Is it too late to get your residency under the transition agreement if you were living in Spain before 31st December 2020?  You have decided to move post 1st January 2021, what do you need?  What happens if you have a holiday home, how long can you stay in Spain?  What’s types of residencia are there available for you?  Our Sponsors, My Lawyer in Spain shared their advice as part of A Place In The Sun webinar along with Charmaine Arbouin, the British Consul for Andalusia, Canary Islands, Ceuta & Melilla and Brett Hansen of Blevins Franks.     
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How to Set Yourself Free...
I welcome you all to this sparkling new year of 2021. Another year where dreams come true and the grand and Divine dream and bigger picture, continues to unfold. At least for the ones who follow the inner gentle urge to focus on themselves and expand their consciousness on their Awakening and Ascension journey. Awakening to the truth of who they truly are and of the power and magnificence they possess individually to change themself, their life and the world around them. Many of you joined in the Celebration around the 21st December 2020, welcoming in the linear time of The Age of Aquarius, a time when Earth is ready to support mass consciousness in Awakening. A time when Earth is in a high enough vibration to assist all Humanity in choosing to integrate and embody their individual birthright of sovereignty and freedom and fulfil their mission to be the DivineHuman and live a life of celebration right here, right now on the Earth plane. You can read more about my own Age of Aquarius Celebration I wrote about here in my Christmas and New Year Post. It is YOU who has made this Global Awakening possible… Make no mistake it is you who, in the past thirty odd years have done the inner work, cleared your sacred vessel and trusted yourself to physically birth your harmonic vibration; NewEarth from within, and ultimately brought in the potential for all Humanity to awaken and be able to experience NewEarth or unity consciousness together. You can be grateful for your inner work and that of your Divine friends. As we awaken to truth and change, we awaken the world to truth and change contagiously. Let’s give ourselves a big round of applause.  You surely remember from your own Ascension journey, how everything first had to fall apart! Clearing the way for a new experience of love, joy and peace to come in. So you must recognise how we are all NOW observing the collective experiencing the deep clearing of all duality, all fear and beliefs in lack… of how the individual is powerless and needy. It’s Time for all Humanity to Awaken now… It’s time for all Humanity to sense the truth, as our whole dual reality collapses before our eyes, although the main stream media still refuses to share the truth, each must follow their own inner guidance as to where and what the truth is for them. You can trust though that behind the scenes everything is playing out to once and for all irradiate the evil, which has deeply nestled itself into our world society and controlled and manipulated us all for thousands of years. It’s time to celebrate, knowing our grand and Divine dream is near. A time to stay calm and central in our sacred beingness and observe and listen to how it all plays out. We must certainly not attach ourselves or choose any side, but continue to hold our personal vision and vibration of unity and harmony and trust the Divine process of transformation unfolding quite magically. As more truth is disclosed, many will be shocked, not only to the depths of evil played out, but how we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated and led down the garden path! However, instead of staying in shock or disbelief, I want you to be quiet and breathe; gentle and deep, and feel your ‘Sparkle of Love’ within. Your Divine self, who reminds you of your birthright of being Sovereign and Free and how this is the most perfect time to fully awaken to your own truth of being Magnificently Divine, all powerful and loved by us all. Note: Be prepared, in the USA and worldwide for any blackouts, isolation and have warm blankets, candles, cash, food and water reserve available in these end times. Let’s take a look back in Time… For thousands of years we’ve all been caught up, playing the role of victim, believing we are powerless and weak and need others to develop and better ourselves, relying on the stronger and clever ones to help us to live the best possible life. After so much time and so much experience suffering and being vulnerable, many still remain completely traumatised and conditioned and believe without a doubt we are powerless and weak and continue to need others in order to survive. To consider the truth of our being Sovereign and free, having complete power over ourselves and our life, and are free to choose how we wish to live our lives in each moment is ludicrous thinking! Many continue to hope that someone else will change the outside world, plan a new future and release us from our prison! We believe an event, a time or a person will show up and point the way… to get back to normal! Yet the truth is, no-one can save another nor change another’s life for better or worse, we can only do this for ourself according to how we perceive ourself! We honour each other’s freewill as part of the game we all consented to play. To play the victim and give away our power to strengthen the aggressor’s role…. or visa vera… until we realise what we are doing and choose to change our story. In this way, we the awakened ones must continue to be the example of our being Magnificently Divine and loving, and allow our ripples to affect all Humanity in this great Awakening. How to set yourself free from the chains of tyrants… Allow yourself time to relax and be quiet and have the intention to listen to your heart and soul and feel the gentle inner urge, asking you, the Human identity to open up to your own truth, to receive your own Divine knowingness of how you are born Sovereign, Powerful, Magnificent and Free to choose to create and live life as a celebration. Allow yourself to realise, you are what you are waiting for; for thousands of years you have waited to be open and receive the truth or knowingness of who you are, and to embody and express this in the very heart of life. Allow yourself to be the embodiment of the DivineHuman who knows how you need no other, how you are self-sufficent and when you are quiet and listen to your inner voice, you guide yourself moment by moment and step by step through this great transformation regarding how energy serves you. ©Barbara Franken… Creative Visionary & Master CreatorInspiring New Energy Consciousness & Multi-Dimensional Living   A True and Magical Children’s Story about Love and Life, available as an Ebook for €4.19 You can read more about this book and where to purchase it here. A paperback and Digital Book is available from all Major online stores… Amazon and Apple.  I share my own magical journey, exploring Who I AM with the help of nine Elemental Beings and expand from a world of fear, struggle and limitation into a New Energy Consciousness of love, grace and freedom. It is in this loving space that I discover my Divine and ALL LOVING self and allow myself to integrate together as one Body Consciousness… a DivineHumanBeing… and Magnificent Master Creator who expresses and creates heart and soul passion on the physical plane and beyond..  Join my MasterCreator Class and emerge yourself in the celebration of life through dance, song, art, relaxed inner journeys and beyond everything known… preparing yourself for your NEW role on New Earth. There is no time like the present moment to Sign Up and give YOURSELF this magnificent gift… More Info: MasterCreator Class All the money raised from my books and classes go to my non-profit association The Magnificent Consciousness that holds free local Creative Art projects in Benalmadena, Spain.
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TOP TIPS FOR GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS
Just this week, I received EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE from a company that I had never even shopped with.  My best friend´s mother recently passed away, and I wanted to do something special and organise two beautiful rose bushes to be planted – one in her dad´s garden, and one for my friend´s garden.  I live in Spain, and my friend is in Scotland. Due to time restraints, current restrictions and the time of year, it was proving impossible.  Florabella Bothwell, a local florist in the area where I used to live, went above and beyond.  As they were unable to help, they tried to come up with another solution for me and were even willing to go out of their way, and in their own time to find something that might be suitable by going to a larger business and buying an alternative.  This was absolutely amazing of them.  I cannot recommend them highly enough, and there is no doubt in my mind, if I am planning to send flowers to any of my friends in Scotland, I would not look anywhere else.  Thank you   It´s get to know your customers day today! This takes place on the third Thursday of each quarter (January, April, July and October). It´s a good time to reach out to your customers and think of ways to go above and beyond and provide amazing customer service with the fantastic range of products or services you have available. Get to Know your Customers Day from Costa Women on Vimeo. Here are some top tips;   BE HELPFUL, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PASSIONATE You don´t need to just sell your products or services – you need to live them, and go that extra mile.  Be memorable! Answer questions fully Provide support over “pain points” Share useful information   CREATE A BRIEF SURVEY In the recent months, your customers attitudes and buying trends may well have changed.  Create some questions to help you find out. What has changed for them since COVID? What are their least favourite and most loved products/services that you provide? What can you do to make your services more convenient? These are just some examples.  Ask meaningful questions, thank your customers for their time, offer a small token of appreciation – perhaps a gift card or a discount voucher.   RESPOND ON SOCIAL MEDIA Be visible and consistent on your social media platforms. Respond to both negative and rave reviews/comments Prove that you are listening to their concerns and compliments by replying to comments.  Don´t just add an emoji! It only takes a minute to share your contact information Thank and acknowledge any third party referrals Comment and offer to help any enquiries Ask long term clients to leave a positive review BE PERSONAL – BE HUMAN – BE APPROACHABLE – BE YOU This is so important for rapport and building long term relationships and word of mouth referrals from your clients. Use your customers name A “hello” can make anyone´s day brighter, but using their name shows you have remembered) Whether in your premises, over email or on the phone, it´s a simple way to keep your customers from feeling just like another euro or number OFFER A LOYALTY PROGRAM They encourage repeat purchases Loyalty programmes are an easy way to see exactly what rewards motivate your buyers For example – what makes your clients lives easier – a free sample oil, or a discount from a massage? Use this data to inspire future promotions and address your clients “pain points” head on   KNOW WHERE YOUR CUSTOMERS HANG OUT More so now as we move much of our businesses online, it is vital you know this and are able to understand how the platforms can work for you. Do they use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn – or other platforms? Do they ask questions through your website, email or WhatsApp? Do they prefer to be face to face (or on zoom)? Get a better picture of your clients by spending some time and attention toward the social media channels they are using in their daily activities.   HOST AN EVENT Encourage your customers to get to know you.  “Know, Like and Trust” is what it is all about.  Some people will buy simply because they need something and you can provide it – others will take time to make a buying decision – but people buy from people, and if they know you, like you and trust you – why would they go elsewhere? Relationships are a 2 way street Make yourself available Invite clients to chat with you – maybe once a month or so ONLINE or over a coffee if you have premises/boutique or salon etc You could organise an “ask me anything” session, an open evening, casual chat, or networking event You could organise a private/VIP (numbers are restricted now anyway) for a beauty event, a preview of new fashion stock, a demonstration of how you design your jewellery etc   KEEP IN TOUCH Stay in contact. Be proactive, but not bothersome.  Don´t just wait until they come to you each time. Keep the converstation going over email/newsletter Follow up after a purchase with a thank you or ask them how they are loving their new item Send monthly emails with discounts or offers or a friendly reminder when you know they should be about to need your services or products again soon Communication doesn´t always have to be sales orientated – in fact, it shouldn´t.  It should be a mix of business, information, maybe something fun or personal or behind the scenes, offers and also asking for feedback   PERSONALISE YOUR SERVICE You can really only do this when you know your customers – but it will go a long way in receiving their loyalty and recommendations Offer discounts tailored to their needs Personalise your interactions with them (birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, number of years they have been your client etc) Offer special gifts/giveaways or even chocolates or flowers to your regular clients Please share any tips you might have for getting to know your customers.  We all need to pull together and help.  I hope some of the above ideas were useful as well as the fantastic example of Customer Care. REMEMBER – CUSTOMER IS KING! (OR QUEEN)    
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Word for 2021!
Do you have a word for your 2021?  Back in 2017 I started to have one word for my year.  It’s one word I could focus on every day. The one word could sum up who I wanted to be, how I wanted to live, or what I wanted to do. When I started the Planner project, back in 2018 this exercise had to be included in the Planner because it became my northern star, the compass for my year.  For the last 3 years in the Planner group we have been sharing and using our word for the year. And we discovered, if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, it will also shape you. Be careful which word you choose – it can take on a life of its own!     You can’t break a word as you could a goal!   Here’s my four easy steps to finding yours:-   STEP ONE: WRITE DOWN the first thing that comes into your head when you think of a Word. Some words to get your juices going could include COURAGE, MORE, EFFORTLESS, ABUNDANCE, GRIT, BALANCE, JOY, ENERGY, GRATITUDE, THRIVE   STEP TWO: LOOK UP the Word on Google and find the dictionary definition (and what the opposite means).  Search hashtags on Instagram and Pinterest and see if it feels right for your year.   STEP THREE: THINK HOW the WORD impacts your life in the following areas:-     My Self care With my Family & Friends …. My finances  … My Business …. Life Planning  … Learning …. Habits …. My Health ….   STEP FOUR: CHOOSE your WORD and write in down your Planner and share here.   Once you have decided on your word, surround yourself with reminders.   Create a Pinterest board Add images to your screensaver and phone screen, update your passwords to include the word.   Look for images and quotes which encompass your Word. Follow hashtags on Instagram. Create a Facebook Collection with the Word and save videos and quotes to your collection.   Search for books and blogs which help support you to make it happen.    What is your word for 2021?  Mine is Fearless! 
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CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK DAY
Clean Off Your Desk Day is all about preparing your workspace for the new business year and beginning things on the right note. As more and more of us are now working from home, it is important to recognise this day, and practise it on a regular basis – don´t just wait for the annual reminder! Remember, a messy desk is an invitation to chaos! A clean desk, on the other hand, helps you focus, be more productive, and generally makes you feel good about your workspace. And when we say clean, we don’t just mean dust or physical clutter – your computer desktop counts too. Drag those files into nice, neat folders! How you position and treat your workspace is not only good for your mind, but also for your physical health. Here are some ways to clean off your desk and start to bring some calmness, harmony and good health to your workspace. BE BRUTAL!  SAY GOODBYE TO THE JUNK Just like when you go through your wardrobe, you might put things into three piles – “Throw, Shred or Recycle!”. Cleaning begins with getting rid of what you don’t NEED. ORGANISE, DECLUTTER AND DESTRESS Even though I do believe in “organised chaos, a cluttered desk can create anxiety which will not help if you have a busy workload. BE HEALTHY AT YOUR WORKSPACE It is so easy to become engrossed in your work especially when working in the comfortable surroundings of your home, but as we have no social interaction, we tend to work more and take less breaks.  Often, we do not have the correct office furniture, and find ourselves working in unhealthy positions without realising. PHYSICAL CLEANING We all remember to clean and polish our desks, mop up any coffee spillages etc, but do we remember to clean the keyboards.  We are now used to using hand sanitisers, washing more regularly, but when we are out and about, we touch things, we touch our mobile phones and then our keyboards.   Aside from the recent crisis, did you know that in an office there could be as many as 16 million microbes!!! (One blessing about working from home). By at least taking some time to think about “Clean Off Your Desk Day”, perhaps it will make us more inclined to clean and organise our workspace to make it more functional and practical for us when working at home as now it is not just a temporary space.  When it is more organised, it will help us to be focus better, think about our health, be more productive and stress less. GET THE PROFESSIONALS IN We all probably think there is nothing wrong with the way our home office is set out – but here are some tips from the professionals as to how you can make some easy changes to provide the biggest benefits: HEALTH: Mariëlle de Bruin is a fully qualified Osteopath and Physiotherapist and sees many patients with problems that often-simple fixes at your desk and in your workspace environment could have prevented.  Here are Mariëlle´s top tips. DECLUTTER YOUR DESK/HOME OFFICE. Make sure it´s a healthy place! The following steps will take only 5 minutes to do. If you use laptop / tablet: ideally, connect them with an external keyboard and mouse. Place the screen on a little drawer organiser or similar so the top of your screen is about eye level. Place a pillow in the small of your back to support an upright position and make sure you sit back in your chair. In case your feet don´t reach the floor, place a foot support. (In these cold days it keeps your feet warm as well) place your screen and keyboard far away from you on the desk and pull your chair as close to the table as possible. This will allow your forearm to rest on the table, which relaxes your shoulder and neck muscles. Reading glasses are made for a short distance (reading a book). Your screen is further away than that. Usually, you need about 0.5 less strong for the computer (so +1,50 instead of +2,00) You can buy computer glasses, they have a special anti-reflective coating or tint that blocks the blue light of your screen, lessening the strain on your eyes. Taking short breaks in which, you take your eyes of the screen and move arms, spine and neck are the best way to prevent or reduce work related aches and pains. You can download a ¨behind your desk¨- exercise program and use a timer on your computer or phone to encourage you to remember to take these short breaks.   There is much more to say about how you can optimise your position behind the desk, but if you can build these “easy to do” tips into your routine, you will go a long way already to get the job done in a healthy way. Take care of yourself! Mariëlle de Bruin Osteopath – Physiotherapist 670663910 contact@marielledebruin.eu www.marielledebruin.eu FB: @osteopathycostadelsol   CALM: Nadine Kazerounian is a De-cluttering Professional and Personal Image Coach. “A tidy desk means a tidy mind”, so said my old maths teacher. And she was right! So, where to begin? Here are my Top Tips: Before you begin, take a picture from your office doorway, and take a long hard look at it to observe clutter hotspots & get a fresh perspective. Practise the FOUR R´s. Clear everything off your desk, sorting into boxes of ‘Rubbish’ (old Post-its & receipts), ‘Recycling’ (papers no longer needed), ‘Return’ (whatever does not belong there), and ‘Retain’ (all the essential work items). Clean & disinfect all surfaces including desktop & shelves ensuring all cables are tidy and hidden if possible. Reorganise with a purpose. Ensure essential items are always to hand & store what’s used less often to ensure a smoother workflow. Create work zones on your desk for ‘research’, ‘writing’, ‘meetings’, ‘emailing’ etc. When everything is accessible, each day will stop feeling like a struggle. Use desk drawer organisers, filing boxes and desk top containers for essential items. Go paperless – go digital – use cloud storage! Initially, break this task down into bite size chunks to make it less daunting, tackling one file box or folder of paper at a time. Thereafter, plan to do this daily until it’s finished. Be ruthless. Be consistent. Going forward, allocate 5 minutes at the end of each day to tidy your desk ready for the next day. Each new day brings fresh opportunities. Be ready for them! And at the end of each week, set your intentions for the following week, make your plan, and have a mini clear out so that, on Monday, you can start the week afresh. If you are seeking inspiration whilst at your desk, spend a few hours creating a Dream Board & put it up on the wall where you can see it every day to boost your creativity, your productivity, and your mood. An organised environment really does create an organised mindset. So, don’t delay. Begin now to set things in order and leave behind the frustration & stress of clutter that may have been holding you back. Follow Nadine on Facebook for regular Top Tips & Freebies: (3) The Style Guide | Facebook   HARMONY: S Lee Wright is a holistic & Feng Shui Interior Designer.  She believes you can creatively adjust your office space to meet your new requirements of working from home in an eco-friendly way which will leave your healthier, happier, and more empowered to be productive.  Home office designs need to be altered to emphasise self-sufficiency.  The outcome of this crisis brings the need for a renewed sense of appreciation for our workspace as most of our day is based there and is therefore the foundation of a harmonious working environment. Connection to nature, by either being near a window or by bringing nature indoors is extremely important.  A simple plant or some colour, even a picture on the wall can help calm the mind.  Aligning your inner vision with your physical environment is truly the portal to living and working in balance.  “It´s not just a pretty space!” Your home office can radiate happiness, health, and harmony. Why is Clutter Bad for You? The “Clutter Effect” limits our ability to think and act.  We have a decreased sense of pleasure. We eat unhealthier and have less self-control. Disorganisation leads to a loss of time.  Imbalance is a result from visual disorientation.     ·        Everyone needs a place to keep paperwork. Even in this day and age of paperless, and digital offices, we still seem to have a load of paper that comes into our lives that needs to be dealt with regularly. If you keep on top of it, you will be grateful later. ·        Gather all your paperwork together in one place. If you are like most people and do not have an organised system already in place or do but it gets overwhelmed, then this is always my first step.  So, go around and get all the paperwork together. ·        Separate into the read/file category, read/recycle category, read/do something category. Then there is the URGENT category of things you see that you meant to do ages ago but forgot to do.  Just do not get distracted and do them until after you have decluttered your paperwork. ·        If you do not have a system of how to manage the paperwork you ought to invest in designing and or purchasing one. They are a lifesaver of hours and hours of your life. No more time wasted looking for that document, or tax bill or letter.   Good things take time to build and this is one that the long-term benefit to your quality of work/life will vastly improve once this is your new norm. Mindfully addressing the things, you allow into your workspace is the first BIGSTEP you can take to regaining CONTROL of your life and creating a workspace that supports your overall health & happiness. https://www.changeyourspace.info www.holisticinteriordesigns.com www.linktr.ee/sleewrightltd    
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How to prevent a cold or flu in these cold and rainy days?
How to prevent a cold or flu in these cold and rainy days? I would like to share a very effective yet simple method to prevent a cold or flu and strengthening your immune system.  Have you ever heard about oil-pulling? Oil pulling is a relatively uncomplicated, very old procedure that is suitable for the daily detoxification of the body. It has its origin in the Ayurveda. By rinsing your mouth with oil, a wide variety of symptoms are cured and diseases are alleviated. Often, oil pulling even saves from a surgical intervention. This has to do with the fact that sucking and slurping the oil in the oral cavity has a certain self-healing effect. One advantage of oil pulling is that the natural flora of the mouth is not affected. The positive effect of oil pulling is based on the enormous healing process caused by the substances contained in the oil. Oil slurping prevents the destruction of the intestinal flora in the mouth and helps maintain a balance between healthy and disease-causing germs. Oil pulling is also a detoxification. All you need is a spoon of an edible oil, cold-pressed, organic varieties are best. Research says that it does not matter, which oil you will use, e.g. coconut oil, olive oil, sesame or sunflower seed oil, which I personally prefer to use. It rather depends on your personal preference. Of course each oil may have extra individual benefits.  The toxins and germs in the mouth after getting up are removed. It is as simple as that: In the morning after you get and do anything take a spoon of oil into your mouth and chew it for 15-20 minutes. By pulling and mixing with saliva, pathogenic toxins come out of the blood. For this reason, the oil should not be swallowed! Then brush your teeth.  Oil pulling can be supplemented by a final tongue cleaning. When taking the oil pulling cure, make sure that you are sober. Then the tolerance is at its highest. What are the benefits: – detox from bacteria, viruses and other germs – eliminate fat dissolvable toxins from your brain. This over time may contribute to more clarity in mind. – important in dental care, supporting healthy gums, great help with periodontal disease or receding gums  – helps with acidity of the organism, arthrosis, insomnia, psoriasis, migraines, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, asthma, eczema and inflammation of the frontal and paranasal sinuses … and much more… Considering this amazing effect, oil pulling is considered an inexpensive, gentle and easy-to-implement form of treatment for numerous acute and chronic ailments. I use it since many years for health supporting purposes.  When starting with oil-pulling may lead to initial worsening. As contraindication are considered amalgam fillings in the teeth as it may release mercury into the body. In this context, it should be noted that oil pulling is not a cure all remedy. It can therefore be concluded that oil pulling cannot replace sound medical treatment. Enjoy your practice! Thank you for your attention. I love to support your health and wellbeing: www.christine-heckel.com
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