Author: April Monterrosa

I’m April Monterrosa, the writer, social media influencer, content creator, & photographer behind shinebeautifully.me. My blog, along with my social media channels are my content collection that displays my life as a free-spirited career woman, entrepreneur, and auntie. As a true renaissance woman, my goal is to influence and encourage others (especially the busy professional like myself) to make time for family, fun, adventures, and self-care. My passion for writing as a young girl is what lead me to blogging and self-publishing my first book titled, “Shine Beautifully”. Born and raised in the Southside of San Antonio, Texas, I am very proud of my Alamo city, the neighborhood I grew up in, and being an ambassador for the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. I’ve been featured in Good Housekeeping, SAXtreme Magazine, Chicano Life Magazine, a former member of the SeaWorld Wildside Bloggers , a Naturally Lindy and James Avery Artisan Jewelry ambassador and a currently a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association. In my professional life aside from writing, I have been in the beauty and hospitality industry for over 20 years and worked in some of the most luxurious hotel resort spas in San Antonio, such as JW Marriott, Marriott International & Hyatt; it’s what also influences me to share my experiences and recommendations. Unexpectedly building up my own clientele is what motivated me to start my own spa studio business where I offer skin care and waxing services. Due to all my experience in the beauty industry, I was brought on as a brand ambassador for Naturally Lindy, an aloe vera skin care company in Beverly Hills, California. I am very blessed that I can mesh my passions together and turn them into my full-time career, all while bringing my friends and family along on my ventures. Hope you enjoy all you read, share, subscribe, and shine beautifully! ~April Monterrosa Want to work with a San Antonio Lifestyle & Travel Blogger? Contact me at: april.monterrosa@gmail.com.
Posted in Lifestyle & Leisure

Connecting with LatinTalks & The Peter Estevez Show (Videos)

Posted on by April Monterrosa

Unexpectedly transitioning from the beauty and spa industry to the media and publication world, my businesses April Mae Media and Live from the Southside have brought on such an interesting journey.

The big life change that’s taken about 13 years to get to this point has brought amazing the people and opportunities to my life. One thing that didn’t change, was the wearing of my entrepreneur hat; the grit and drive has also grown.

I have always believed that we connect with people we are meant to connect with. A few months ago I met Mr. Peter Estevez. He was born in Mexico City, Mexico and migrated to the United States at the age of 10. Peter is an entrepreneur and partner in several companies in the energy, gas and oil sector in Mexico.

Peter is a philanthropist and an advocate for recovery and mental health, as well as the writer and author of his upcoming book, “From Lies To Riches”. He is the host of the top-rated podcast, “The Peter O. Estévez Show”. (https://peteroestevez.com)

Mr. Estevez is also one of the founders of Latin Talks. Latin Talks is a series of a series of talks and conversations where local leaders share their answers and solutions to challenges and adversities they once faced.

The first five-city series included Austin, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio. I was honored to be on the San Antonio panel along with other community leaders entrepreneur Eliot Garza, Dr. Ray Altamirano, Artist Giovanna Dizurita, and our emcee for the event, Emmy award-winning journalist Erica Hernandez.

Seeing some of my closest friends, my love, and community support in the audience gave me an overwhelming feeling. What a day it was and I am looking forward to next year.

For more images, visit my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aprilmaemedia.

Before the event, I was interviewed by The Peter Estevez Show. It was pretty cool to be asked some interesting questions and discuss topics we tend to ignore. Here is the interview:

Visit Peter’s website: https://www.peteroestevezshow.com.

 

 

Posted in Wellness & Wellbeing

August celebrates National Wellness Month

Posted on by April Monterrosa

Self-care is so important for overall health, and August celebrates National Wellness Month. This month focuses on self-care, stress management, and creating healthy routines. If you are looking for an excuse to make a change, start this month in support of National Wellness Month.

I wanted to share a few favorite self-care tips and tricks from The Soul Publishing – an award-winning publishing co. behind one of the top five YouTube channels, 5-Minute Crafts. Being a spa professional in my early entrepreneur days, I still love products that make me feel like I am at the spa while at home.

DIY Bath Bomb: Baths are a great form of self-care and relaxation. Next time you’re looking to relax, try making this easy bath bomb! Mix baking soda, citric acid, coconut oil, your favorite essential oil, and coloring. Once mixed evenly, place the mixture into an empty ice cube tray and allow it to sit together to dry. Once hardened, pop the bath bomb out of the tray, place into bath water, and relax!National Wellness Month

Make Your Own Moisturizer: Add aloe vera gel, almond oil, lavender essential oil, and cedarwood essential oil into a mixing bowl and mix until evenly spread. Place the mixture into a container with a lid to store, and you’re all set!National Wellness Month

Honey & Brown Sugar Exfoliator: Struggling with dry, cracked skin? Try this easy-to-make honey exfoliator! Simply mix brown sugar, honey, and coconut oil together in a bowl. Once evenly mixed, scoop out the mixture and rub it onto your dry skin. Rinse off and done! Your skin will be left feeling soft and smooth.National Wellness Month

Find even more of 5-Minute Crafts’ self-care tips here!

 

Posted in Wellness & Wellbeing

Make time for yourself

Posted on by April Monterrosa

There are a lot of things we want to achieve and a lot of things that we want to do. But making time for yourself (and a priority) is not only important, its a great way to be more relaxed to be able tackle that “to do” list.

What are tips to making time for yourself? Well, these are few you can try:

1.     Try expressing the needs:

Being selfless is a quality that is considered good and appreciated. But this can also be draining. Sometimes we do so much for others and forget about ourselves. For this purpose, make sure to tell others and mainly yourself that you NEED some space. It will be good for both your physical and mental health states.

2.     Don’t feel guilty:

Most of the time, when we think about giving time to ourselves, we consider it like we are becoming selfish. But the main thing to know is you also need time for yourself, which is not something to be guilty about.

3.     Say NO:

Sometimes we feel hesitant to say no to anyone. Even if we are unable to make time, we are still hesitating to say NO. Try saying no to the tasks that are not meant for you or not worth it. This way, you can save time and make it for yourself.

4.     Set boundaries:

Set the boundaries for any task you are doing. Do not overload or overburden yourself. The reason is that you won’t feel easy and comfortable doing that.

5.     Do workout:

Work out every day and make it a routine. Normally we think it takes too much time or that we have to be a gym rat .A simple daily walk is also considered a “workout routine” and a great start.

6.     Solo lunch:

Another thing that you can do is take a solo lunch. We often feel uncomfortable doing lunch alone. But try to feel the pleasure and peace you will get while taking a solo lunch. Keep your mobile aside; your tv is off, and just enjoy your lunch.

Is it essential to make time for myself?

Making time for yourself will make you mentally relaxed. It is a form of meditation and gaining peace. You must give yourself some free time, almost half-hour a day, where you do nothing and sit and relax.

Make time for yourself

Posted in Wellness & Wellbeing

How to let go of what does not matter

Posted on by April Monterrosa

Sometimes we are unable to get what we wish (or hope) for. As a result, we can become upset and disappointed. This often leads to hopelessness, being stuck in a rut, or even the worse… we miss out on enjoying life.

It is essential to let go of things that do not matter. Here’s a few suggestions on how to.

1. Does IT really matter?
The first question is thinking about how much a situation truly matters or not. If you cannot get rid of thinking about it, think of a solution, maybe stop dwelling on things for a bit, or look for the positives in the negatives.

2. Try meditation:
Thinking about the past over and again can, mistakes you have made, or people that are no longer in your life can make you fall into depression. Try meditating exercises that will help you focus on peaceful things around you now.

3. Try doing things that inspire you:
You must try doing more things that make you feel joyful. Try to get rid of negative thoughts by doing positive affirmations. For this purpose, focus on the positive aspects of everything that happens around you.

4. Spend Time in Nature:
Nature is always good for the soul. Suppose you feel gloomy or sad and cannot get rid of that overthinking spell. Go out in nature and relax. You can enjoy nature by doing simple breathing exercises, yoga, swimming or even watering the plants.

5. Don’t Blame Others:
Everything is destined and happens because of fate. Never blame others for what has happened. The more positive you will think, the happier you will be. Leave everything to fate and try to move on. Try listening to positive motivational thoughts.

6. Try to Speak:
Whenever your heart is full, try to open up. Have a conversation with family, friends, or even your pet. If you have no one around you with whom you can share feelings, then go out in nature and talk to yourself while walking. Sometimes speaking things into existence is a great release.

Posted in Wellness & Wellbeing

12 Ways to Living a Happier Life

Posted on by April Monterrosa

Happiness… many of us struggle with finding it. Am I right? I have been trying to be less stressed and practice ways of living a happier life.

It’s made me to think about my lowest of lows, my highest of highs, and where I am at now. It also made me miss writing and sharing more personable content with my readers too. So here I go again, sharing personal thoughts as I am also finishing my second book.

Here are some tips I wanted to share:

Spend more time with your family and your spouse. Even something as simple as a phone call or a dinner weekly can increase communication and strengthen the bond between all of you.

If something doesn’t go your way, don’t dwell on it; pick yourself up and figure out what can make things better. Sometimes, we need to accept that some things are just not for us.

Do what you love. If you absolutely hate your job, maybe it’s time to turn that passion into a career.

Appreciate nature. Don’t take those beautiful sunrises and sunsets for granted. Take in all those tranquil colors, breathe, and start your day or end your night with taking in Mother Nature’s beauty we were blessed with.

Try new things. Foods, places, meet new people, get out of your comfort zone and branch out to your unknown. You will definitely learn more about the world and yourself.

Love yourself. We all have something to offer, are special, beautiful and play an important role in the world.

Ask for help. If you need a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen, a way to figure out something you are having trouble with. Don’t be afraid to speak up and out. We don’t always have all the answers for ourselves and sometimes our loved ones do.

Listen to more music and watch less TV. In my opinion, music livens up anything. If I am working at my studio, working at home, blogging, cleaning, I almost always have music on.

Say NO! If you don’t want to do something, DON’T. It’s ok to say NO sometimes. Don’t let people take advantage of you.

It’s ok to enjoy life’s guilty pleasures…these things exist to aid in our happiness. Eat the cake, drink the wine, put off doing chores till the next day, and sleep late.

Have faith. Pray. Have a spiritual outlet. Believe in a higher power, it’s around us. For those that do not believe in God…believe in yourself.

And lastly, lighten up! Though we all have goals, want to make dreams come true and work hard…don’t forget to enjoy your life and all you have in it. We only get one. Enjoy it.

Though most of these things seem easy to do, we often forget to do them. Be happy friends…it’s the best way to really live life and be successful.