The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired With Signature Style

Our mobile devices can help our lives run more efficient, but if not used correctly, can have significant drawbacks. In today's episode 12 rules for mobile manners are shared as well as four ways to make sure you are the master of your cell phone or smart phone. And in this week's Petit Plaisir, Shannon reviews CBS' Madam Secretary, starring Tea Leoni.

As a new season begins, it is a reminder that by unburdening ourselves of the unnecessary (events and ideas of the past that are no longer aiding us in our quest for a better life), we are better equipped to successfully strive toward the future and everyday life we wish to live. In today's episode four specific tips will be shared to focus on what you value, get out of your own way and maintain your decided direction. And in this week's Petit Plaisir, the classic recipe Sole Meunière is shared for a simple, yet gourmet meal.

What is the lifestyle grocery list? Any item that requires  money in your budget, but doesn't occur regularly (i.e. weekly or monthly), minus food or clothes. This list includes a variety of arenas of our lives as keeping these items stocked allows for our lives to run more smoothly, our confidence to soar, a healthy balance between work and leisure to be struck, networking and relationships to remain strong and our knowledge of the world to regularly stimulated and informed.

Understanding the power of money and becoming the master of it is crucial to a life full of contentment. In today's podcast, the definition of true wealth will be shared along with both monetary and monetary ways to attain it. 

If you enjoy living simply, but also enjoy entertaining from time to time, a bar cart is a wonderful, efficient way to combine style and function without the fuss. In today's episode, specific styling tips are shared on how to style your bar cart for your lifestyle whether it be a morning display full of pastries and tea, an evening of wine or a fully stocked mixed drinks bar, tune in to see why you may just want to add one to your sanctuary.

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of needs are the catalyst for today's episode. Shannon will dive into the definition of Self-Actualization, remind us all that we can indeed achieve it and why we all should make the leap to attain it.

Have you ever wondered what is at the foundation of the difference between a woman and a girl? Well, most importantly, it is a choice and something each individual can become once they recognize it all begins with taking responsibility for themselves. The gift of choosing to become a woman is that it empowers each individual to cultivate the life of her dreams and live a life of fulfillment each and everyday.

Twenty ways inspired by the French to live truly simply luxuriously each and every day.

The good news is anyone can have charisma. It is not something you are born with. Inspired by Olivia Fox Cabane's 2013 book The Charisma Myth, in today's episode, 17 habits are shared with specific examples that will help listeners become charismatic and ultimately help them strengthen relationships and reach greater success in their professional lives as well.   

Inspired by Shawn Achor's best-selling book Before Happiness, today's episode focuses on how we can shift the reality in which we see our lives. From setting self-imposed barriers to opening our lives up to more success and happiness, how we see the world and our own lives is a tremendous determinate in our everyday contentment. 

One of the most fundamental components to living well is mastering our thoughts on any given day. Regardless of life's events, how we respond will determine the outcome. In today's podcast, Shannon shares 10 tools that if practiced regularly can become habits that will improve the quality of your life. 

The part of being a romantic I want to grab onto and dive deeper into is the idea of thinking outside the box, of not being limited by the boundaries that are instituted by society or even by our own experiences. And as such, I want us to gravitate to a higher, more historically accurate definition of the term romantic - the Romantic:  "a life philosophy that prizes the rejection of pure rationalism in favor of intuition, imagination, and emotion; the embrace of nonconformity and sincerity; a tendency towards nostalgia; and the celebration of curiosity, spontaneity, and wonder". In today's podcast, I will share 6 realities that will begin to occur in your life as you embrace the idea of becoming a Romantic.

With 2015 quickly approaching, perhaps you are contemplating a few resolutions to pursue. Today, I will share with you 15 (plus one more) ideas of what you might want to pursue in order to improve the overall quality of your life. From challenging yourself, to adding habits that reduce your stress, 2015 will indeed begin auspiciously if we set our minds to make it so. 

A full life is a live that is continually changing, offering us opportunities that have never before experienced and becoming all the more enjoyable. However, to ensure that each of our lives is dynamic, we must cultivate regular everyday habits in how we respond to whatever life throws at us. In today's podcast, four habits are shared that will help listeners open their lives in ways they may have never before thought possible. 

Too often we are the obstacle that gets in the way of life unfolding in such a way that will bring us happiness. Whether out of ignorance or fear, we can unknowingly get in our own way and prevent a most amazing life from occurring. By letting go of the six fixed life ideas discussed in today's podcast, you will open your life up to more amazing opportunity and experiences than you could have ever initially imagined. 

Building a signature style involves knowing who you are, what your physical assets are and understanding what works best with your lifestyle. In today's podcast, Shannon shares 7 specific ways to narrow down and discover what your unique signature style is so that your best self can shine.

With just a little preparation and arranging of priorities, the holiday season can be the best time of year and set the stage for a wonderful start to the new year. With these eight strategies you will be able to plan and let go allowing the events to unfold as they will inviting endless opportunities for beautiful memories to be created.

How we treat and care for our skin is just as vitally important as what we eat and how we live. Amazingly positive results can reveal themselves naturally if only we are disciplined and have the knowledge to know how to properly take care of our skin. In today's podcast discover eight ways to properly care from your skin and discover why investing today will pay off dividends tomorrow. 

The key to being unforgettable is not to present perfection and agree to everything and everyone we meet. Rather being unforgettable begins with being our authentic selves, approachable, thoughtful and most importantly honest and trustworthy. Such qualities while basic foundations for building any lasting connection are often forgotten. Tune in to find out specific ways to unforgettable without regret. 

One of the pillars of living a simply luxurious life is building strong and healthy relationships. Whether at work, at home or in your community, these seven components will give you specific guidance on how to cultivate relationships that while requiring sincere investment will produce amazing life fulfilling rewards and memories.