The Blog of Kristen Helmstetter (Brisa Starr)
Fun news. I’ve been asked to present on Coffee Self-Talk at the online “Permission to Shift” summit. It’s FREE, it’s for 3 days, and it starts Friday the 25th, June.
I’ll be presenting in the morning on Saturday, the 26th, June.
A summit all about expanding your life, finding happiness and satisfaction, and being excited to wake up every day.
When my family first sold it all to travel the world, we primarily traveled by doing housesits for people. My family housesat for over a year in places around the United States, UK, Denmark, and France.
I’ve written about it in numerous places on the blog and shared how it’s a fantastic way to travel for many reasons: save money (especially for international travel), see amazing places you might not see with a traditional travel plan, meet new people, make friends, be with animals (especially great for traveling alone or if you have kids).
Today, I sat thinking about how housesitting is going to become extremely popular in the near future, which is great!
The Washington Post has a recent online article …
So there are a lot of new pet owners out there, and as traveling opens up, everybody is going to want to travel, and these pet owners are going to need housesitters! (Kennels will be overbooked, too.)
I share in my book, How to Win at Housesitting, how you can score some of the best housesits and travel the world doing it… and why it’s such an incredible opportunity.
For starters, it’s fun. And beautiful… my family now has life-long friends all over the world, just because we watched people’s homes and pets. I had never known that such an incredible way to travel existed, until I tried it myself. :) Housesitting is a secret world that few people know about.
If you’d love to travel more but thought it costs too much, then housesitting is for you! You can save money and travel to places you might not have considered before due to the cost. Housesitters usually pay for their own travel, but once you’re there, it typically means staying in free accommodations.
You can even eliminate your monthly rent or mortgage by traveling full-time, rent-free! Imagine paying off debt while you travel. Crazy? It’s possible!
I wrote this book to give you step-by-step instructions and teach you everything you need to know about housesitting, including how to score the best houses against competing applicants.
You’re going to discover…
How to Win at Housesitting is packed with all the practical tips for housesitting you need to know, including checklists! It shows you how to make your housesitting experience the best ever, and win the housesits of your choice.
Pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable travel experience.
It’s here!
In August of 2020, I published the book, Coffee Self-Talk, that soon
became a bestseller across much of the English-speaking world. The
book described a simple process for creating a five-minute morning
ritual of speaking to yourself in positive affirmations while drinking
your morning coffee (or other beverage).
Over time, this simple act reprograms your brain, changing your attitude, beliefs, actions, and ultimately, your life. Many readers even reported feeling a change in their mood or outlook with their very first cup of coffee.
Almost immediately, I began to receive emails from readers telling
me their stories about how their daily Coffee Self-Talk ritual had
affected their lives. Boosting their spirits during COVID, improving
their marriages, giving them the courage to ask for a promotion, or
finding a new direction in life.
Nowhere in Coffee Self-Talk did I say that the process was designed for
women. It’s not. Self-talk will work for anybody men, women, even
kids.
That said, the book was written by a woman (me), with women in
mind, as though I were talking to a friend. The examples I provided
were from my own life. Many would say the prose was feminine, with
words like shimmer, sparkle, glitter, and so on.
Also, hearts. Lots of hearts on the cover. Pastel hearts, even. And a
picture of girl drinking coffee.
As questions about applying the book to men began to accumulate in
my in-box, and feedback about couples doing the program together,
it became clear to me that there was a need for this book’s information
presented in a way that is more oriented for men.
This book is perhaps 95% identical to the original Coffee Self-Talk
book. I have edited certain lines and examples to be more gender-neutral
or masculine, or simply more relevant to men.
It wasn’t always clear what should be changed. I tried to avoid dumb
stereotypes, and besides, some women can get just as excited as men
about explosive imagery, power tools, beer, and uber strong
muscles. Myself included! I myself am a former competitive bodybuilder.
And men can be moved by natural beauty, sparkling, shiny things, and magic carpet rides.
But just to be safe, I enlisted the assistance of my husband, who
has also edited this book to ensure a proper degree of dude-worthiness.
In fact, I had such a good time editing the original Coffee Self-Talk book for this Dudes version. It fired me up just as much – I love them both.
Each book is great no matter your gender. But the reality is that some people resonate better with different language and I can appreciate that. So, here it is!
My self-talk ritual CONTINUES to give me the most magical, legendary life of love, joy, bliss, and so much success, and I’m shouting it from the rooftops.
I’m living proof of its power, and my inbox is filled DAILY with others sharing their successes after reading Coffee Self-Talk.
Hello, everybody!
It’s time for an update on my Happy Sexy Millionaire life. (If you’re unfamiliar with my Happy Sexy Millionaire journey I’ve written about, start here.)
Everything is going beautifully and wonderful and fantastic. My book, Coffee Self-Talk, is going gangbusters, and I’m excited and honored by all of the wonderful feedback and stories about how people’s lives are changing.
Yep, TM. We have a lot of things in store for Coffee Self-Talk, and I’m excited to share those things as soon as they are ready. Stay tuned!
Coffee Self-Talk is an integral part of living my Happy Sexy Millionaire life. It helps me keep my mindset elevated and empowered and my self-esteem boosted.
It helps me maintain my happiness as I dance through life and surf its waves.
And surfing them with ease is a critical part to the “happy” part of the Happy Sexy Millionaire equation. In fact, the reason I put the word happy first is because, when you are happy, then you’re feeling elevated emotions. And when you’re feeling elevated emotions, you’re putting out energy to attract more juicy awesomeness into your life.
The happier I am, the more my magical dream life is attracted right back to me. I’m living proof that my happiness, and doing things like Coffee Self-Talk, and self-love, et cetera, are foundational to my high vibe that is my norm. My default.
My uplifted energy feels so goooooood and it helps me manifest my dreams faster because more opportunities come my way, I see more connections, and heck… the journey just feels much better, right? I’d much rather be happy while working on goals than not.
Basically, happiness also reduces stress, which increases creativity. It makes more room in my head for neat new projects I’d never thought of, and more inspired business opportunities, which is another powerful way that high vibe emotions help me live my most magical life.
Happiness helps me feel sexy, and happiness helps me become a millionaire. I talked before about what “millionaire” means to me and how it’s a state of mind, and how owning my time makes me feel like I live a life of abundance. Working from home in my leggings and traveling the world does, too. Waking up when I want. Taking naps. Walking when the sun comes out. For me, these things make me feel free and wealthy, no matter what my bank account says…
But I’m still going to make and attract a lot of money, too. :)
So for those of you who have followed my blog, you’ve read about my joy and bliss living in Italy.
Well, I have an update.
Life’s flow has put us on an unexpected new trajectory, a very exciting one, that will soon land us back in the U.S. for a while. I can’t go into the details yet, but certain business opportunities make more sense being based in the states.
We will be returning to Italy, however. We plan to spend a few months of every year here going forward.
I love our existence here in Umbria, and I’ve really settled into a lovely la dolce vita groove, and we were super excited to really start exploring everything Italy has to offer, once COVID is tamed.
But I will simply take my la dolce vita happiness with me, and we are excited about the opportunities that have been presented as a result of new doors that have opened. You never know when it’ll happen, or how, and you just need to be flexible if you’re going to pounce when opportunities present themselves.
The realization that we would be leaving Italy required a mental adjustment. It was unexpected. But at no point did my spirits dip. I didn’t get sad about leaving this country that I love so much. Instead, I just opened all of my senses and awareness that much more, to soak up as much as I can before we leave. It has helped me be more fully present and grateful.
Sure, this change of plans is disruptive, and it requires much preparation. Many changes will occur. But I never once minded. I’m excited about whatever the Universe has in store for me!
It rarely gets revealed all at once. New glimpses open up constantly.
Other people reacted differently. They thought I would be upset. Or at least stressed. But I’m relaxed. I know this was meant to be, and great things will come as a result. They always do. I never got sad or upset. The one thing that stayed constant was my happiness.
A hundred things got dumped onto our to-do list the day we made the decision. Booking flights, selling stuff, ending our lease, getting health insurance… not to mention the new to-do items related to my business. It could have put anyone into a tailspin.
But you know what?
I was happier than ever.
You see, I made a goal on New Year’s that I would live my life with Unconditional Happiness. Literally unconditional. Meaning I’m happy, no matter what. I told myself, I want to flow and dance through life where the conditions of it don’t effect my happiness.
Prior to making that resolution, I was happy most of the time. I was Tao when life was up and down. I looked for, and always found, silver linings. I trained my brain to do this. I fired and wired that M.O. It became automatic. Effortless.
But I wondered if I could take that idea to the next level. I still had room to improve.
That’s when the idea of unconditional happiness took root. That happiness, every single day, is a decision.
And then a habit.
And that’s the headspace I’ve lived in since New Year’s. It was working. So when I learned we’d be leaving Italy, I said, “My happiness isn’t based on the condition of living in Italy.”
And it’s true.
I’ve even maintained happiness through a pandemic, because my happiness isn’t based on the condition of there being no pandemic. In his classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
Keeping my thoughts and feelings elevated attracts great things to me. I know this. I’ve lived it, and I see it happen all the time.
Sometimes it’s uncanny. Almost like magic. But I’ve come to expect it, and it continues to deliver. Thank you, Universe!
So when life nudged me out of a full-time life in Italy, I felt deep in my soul that bigger things are on the horizon, and it’s simply necessary for us to be in the United States for these next steps in our life. So I’m friggin’ stoked!
My favorite part of roller coaster rides was always the sharp turns, banks, and loops. Life will always have unexpected twists and turns. And if you can be open to those, hang on tight, always with an eye toward the Big Picture, and not let it effect your happiness, then life will be much more rewarding, and you’ll have way more happiness.
It’s all about expectations, really. And not being too attached to them.
And that mental flexibility will help you reach your dreams, making the whole journey feel like a brilliant, sparkly, magic carpet ride.
It’s a much more enjoyable way to live when working toward your goals. That’s Happy Sexy Millionaire living!
My new and dear friends, here in Italy, treated my family to this cake, Torta della Nonna.
Ellen and Arrigo are a couple here in town and engaged to be married this summer. She has dual citizenship, like me, but has been in Italy much longer. Arrigo is her Italian fiancé, and they are the cutest couple, always holding hands, snuggling, and teasing each other. I can’t help but smile every time I’m around them.
I met Ellen when she contacted me via Instagram, back in the fall, after seeing my family’s interview on CNN about moving to Italy. I knew after our initial chats via WhatsApp that we’d be lifelong friends.
(BTW: If you’re planning a trip to Italy, I can’t recommend enough that you check out their gorgeous website for the most beautiful accommodations.)
Now, the story of the day is that my new friends were helping me this week with Italian paperwork down in town. We donned our masks and winter coats, and we piled into their car for the short drive. (Navigating government things like taxes, utilities, or health cards in a foreign language can be hard so I was beyond grateful for their help.)
Naturally, I wanted to thank them by buying them lunch or a coffee or something!
How great was it that Arrigo had the idea that we stop by the bakery on our way home. I thought, “Perfect! I’ll buy them a cake!”
But what do you know? They won’t let me! They buy ME the cake!
Wait! What?! I’m supposed to pay!
But you know what? I chuckle, smile, and shake my head, because life isn’t always a balance sheet. Something I’m learning living here among such wonderful people in this beautiful culture of Italian hospitality and kindness.
Ellen and Arrigo, your warmth and generosity make me want to cry. I’m so blessed to have such amazing people in my life.
From Great Italian Chefs website comes this, “A classic, Tuscan-born tart, Torta della Nonna has to be one of the most widespread and well-known Italian desserts. Its success likely lies in its simplicity: it consists of nothing more than two sheets of slightly leavened sugar pastry enclosing a creamy heart of lemon-scented custard. The top is studded with crunchy pine nuts and dusted with icing sugar, and no variants on this theme have ever gained much momentum.”
I originally shared this post on my Instagram page where Ellen commented, “Arrigo would kill me if I didn’t mention – it’s origins are Central Italy, including Umbria! Those Tuscans, they like to claim everything!!!😂❤️”
This cake, tart, custard concoction is worth the trip to Italy, and, yes, of course, it’s better here, especially when it’s sourced from a tiny bakery in a tiny town.
…because it’s only slightly sweet (which means I eat three slices at a time – in fact, that night’s dinner was a big bowl of ground beef, carnivore style, and a lot of Torta della Nonna, Italian style).
It’s hard to eat just one slice with its delectable, cool and creamy-custardy filling, a cookie-like crust around the edge, and leavened pastry… giving you the blissful experience of a bite to please your whole mouth. Your body. Heck, your soul. When I had mine, I asked my family not to talk to me while I ate my piece(s); I wanted total silence, no interruptions, as I cherished each bite, fully present. Italy does that.
Experimenting with mascarpone
(There’s an update to this post at the bottom.)
In Italy you’ll always see mascarpone available in the refrigerated section near dairy.
I never really knew what this was used for until recently. My curiosity was perked.
Prior to buying it, a Google search told me that it was like cream cheese, and I thought “Oh OK! Yum. I’ll try that! I like cream cheese.”
But when I came home with it and tried it… cream cheese… it didn’t taste like cream cheese at all.
It doesn’t have the tang that cream cheese has. Or the heft.
Well, maybe they meant a creamy-type cheese–and not the cream cheese lyou put on bagels. I don’t recall now, but I’ll admit maybe it’s my error in that respect. But still… it does not resemble cheese to me, of any kind.
So I did more research and learned that it’s also considered like triple cream. Oh, this is more like it. If I had never spent time in the UK I might not even know what that meant.
Because in the UK you can buy “double cream” which is a most ultra heavy cream. It pours out of the container slow, almost like molasses. Almost.
Mascarpone, in this light, makes more sense to me.
Yes. It’s like super thick, like spreadable cream. Heftier than even double cream, as the description of triple-cream implies. It comes in a tub, mascarpone, like a step shy of butter.
I learned that you can put it on vegetables and bake with it, add it to soups, make desserts– all kinds of things.
Basically, it adds delectable creaminess to your recipe.
So, of course, I tried it in my coffee. It works! Just like cream or butter, though I had to whisk it, as if it were butter.
But look at that frothiness!
After that, I added mascarpone to soup. Nice.
Some people say it’s divine with honey drizzled over it. I can see that.
Another day, I made tuna salad with it, like a mayo replacement. It was perfect for that!
So there you go. Mascarpone.
Update: So today I’m on a walk with my Italian girlfriend. She mentions that she saw this blog post of mine and says, “Kristen… mascarpone is for tiramisu. You know tiramisu?”
I facepalmed myself. OMG. Duh. Yes. One of my favorite desserts which I haven’t had in far too long.
