Month: April 2019

The Story behind Selah Oasis

On By Shari SnyderIn Family, Lifestyle, WellnessLeave a comment

The PROBLEM gives birth to the DREAM…

My saving grace came in February, 2006, at a business conference, where the speaker was totally reading my mail. She had been in my shoes and found a better way. My whole life was turned upside down as the revelation of the life I really wanted flashed in front of me. I humbled myself, forgave all those who had hurt me in the past; I forgave myself and finally, I forgave God. It was the beginning of a whole new life of freedom, peace and joy, emotionally and spiritually, and I wanted everyone to experience it.   Shortly after that, our company flew Todd and I to San Antonio, TX, for a leadership retreat and training with the top income earners. They had hired a caricaturist to draw our dream at the end of the three days. Somehow I knew this was my chance to ask BIG!  I had achieved all the dreams on my vision board and quit dreaming. This was my chance to breathe life into my future. What did I want to do for the rest of my life if I could do anything and KNEW I could not fail?

Thirteen years ago, I was a burned out entrepreneur, a stressed out mommy, and struggling with my health. Although I achieved a high level of success in my company and attained a yearly income less than 5% of Americans ever earn, I felt empty and dissatisfied. I represented a wellness company and yet my body was showing the results of neglect and imbalance as I rarely took time for healthy meals, proper exercise, rest, and play. Climbing to the top and looking around at my marriage, my 3 children, and my other family relationships left me feeling regret! Those relationships were not thriving and I felt guilty.

“I want to create a healing center and wellness retreat where people can experience the kind of love You’ve shown me and I want miraculous healings and transformations to occur so people all across the globe will hear of Your power and goodness.”

Our JOURNEY…

What I now call “Selah Oasis” was birthed out of that.  Fast forward to 2016, when we sold the “big dream home” our family had spent the last 3 years tearing apart and remodeling together.  People couldn’t understand why we would make that sacrifice that to move in to a tiny home. I wanted something MORE THAN THAT BIG DREAM HOUSE; I WANTED MY BIG DREAMS TO COME TRUE! Having absolutely NO MORTGAGE was our reward and the freedom we gained was worth it!

“Selah Oasis” will have tiny houses for tourists to come in and experience our wellness retreats.

Our VISION…

Our vision is to create a flourishing, joy-filled wellness community that attracts the attention of the world to duplicate this model.  We define a wellness community as “a group of individuals working toward a common goal of nurturing our bodies and our relationships to bring joy, a sense of belonging, and purpose through meaningful contribution”. We believe an authentic community of wellness offers almost everything our heart has been asking for all along.  At the core of our being is a longing to belong and contribute our unique value to the greater good. Without “holistic wholeness” in body, soul and spirit, we cannot accomplish this.  The goal is to make wellness and a simplistic luxury lifestyle affordable. Our core values are: freedom, wellness, simplicity, and sustainability.

WHY US…

We’re willing to do the hard work, work long hours, live in the village, and serve every day. Our faith, passion, and “get’er done” track record make us qualified to tackle this project and see it to completion.  We are a Texas family owned business in the hill country. We have just got to pursue this, step out on a limb, give it our best shot and trust God to fill in where we lack.  And so the journey begins…

WHY I LOVE OCTOBER

On By Shari SnyderIn Family, Lifestyle, Tiny LivingLeave a comment

October is a significant month for the Snyder family.
October, 1995, Todd declared his love for me.  
October, 2008, we had the vision for what we now know as Tiny Town Texas.  
October, 2011, we moved our family to Texas.  
October, 2015, was our miraculous marriage makeover and second honeymoon (exciting story I’ll share with you one day).
October, 2016, was The Big Reveal for the birth of Hill Country Tiny Houses.  (see https://sharisnyder.com/)
October 8, 2017, was the maiden voyage of the Vintage Retreat to Arlington, Texas, for the National Tiny House Jamboree October 20, 2018, REVEAL of the TV series coming soon called Tiny Town Texas

What surprises will October, 2019 hold for our family?

https://youtu.be/bhXJnC5c70M

Follow our journey on FB and IG for live videos and clues to guess what it is. We will send a free t-shirt to anyone who can guess our secret before it’s revealed.

Happy Easter, friends!!

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment

Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!!
I have learned it’s not about rules and religion, but about a relationship of love and friendship that has transformed me and given me a love for others, even those who hurt me.
I have found peace and joy and freedom through my trials and pain. 
Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!!

https://youtu.be/LP6-zZyporw

Hill Country build coming to A&E 4/17

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment
Dallas, TX, during the build

We got to build the shell (ie. trailer, frame, rough in plumbing/electrical/heat) for a sweet Family of four near Dallas who finished it out with Zach Griffin of Tiny House Nation. The show airs tonight on A&E @ 9pm CST!
Their episode is called “Two Turntables and a Tiny House” from Season 6, Episode 6

Follow them @thetinybonnielou on Instagram for more!
Coming to Netflix in August!

10 steps and 10 weeks to a “FIT MOTHER OF THE BRIDE”

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment

The countdown is on!  

Our daughter’s wedding is June 22. 

What am I doing to get fit?  

GOAL:  Lose 10 pounds. I weigh 149 right now.  GAIN Muscle!!  I am especially targeting the flabby arms and cellulite on the bottom half. The Six Products below are my daily companions to help me win this race to a Fit mother of the bride! Join me if you want to be accountability partners. Use this link to see if you qualify for a discount.

I will show BEFORE and AFTER photos after the wedding!
  1. Interval training for a 45 minute walk 3 x a week with my 2 pound weights.  This means a 30 second sprint followed by a 90 second walk. REPEAT!  
  2. I will ALWAYS eat an Access Bar 15 minutes before my workout*. Why? Read below.
  3. Strength training.  I’ve never been faithful at this one and I’m trying to find a routine I can stick with.  More details below.
  4. Of course my peak performance packs for my daily nutrition**. Why?  See below.
  5. Fiberwise is essential to lose stubborn fat and have a healthy clean digestive tract.*** WHY?
  6. Protein drinks.  Since we lose muscle mass at a rate of 3-5% after age 30, I need 90-100 grams of protein daily so I will eat two 30 gram shakes daily.  I will take one shake within one hour after my workout and one to curb the evening snack attack.****
  7. GC Control: GIVE YOUR BODY THE GREEN LIGHT TO BURN FAT vs. STORE FAT!*****
  8. Nutratherm:  one tablet twice daily.******
  9. Of course drink my 80 ounces of water daily.  
  10. Eat 1200 calories per day of smaller healthy snack/meals.  See below for Foods I will avoid the first 2 weeks to kick start my fat burning.

P.S. I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE DELICIOUS TASTE OF ALL THE PRODUCTS BELOW!
It’s a treat I look forward to every single day!

Some of my favorite products on this video

1. *Access:  scientifically proven and patented to block your body’s “fat guard” so you can burn stored body fat as fuel, giving you greater endurance and less soreness.  Also helps prevent weight regain.

2. **I take my AM and PM peak performance packs so my body is not lacking nutrients and going into starvation mode, but can easily shed the fat cells safely.

To read how these packs helped me overcome an autoimmune disease, read this post.

3. ***Fiberwise:  promotes healthy weight loss.  Research says consuming 30 g fiber daily helps you lose as much weight as a complicated diet.  Improves regularity and digestion as well as sweep away toxins and waste.

4. ****Protein also helps limit cravings and of course build muscle and help you feel full and satisfied. Of course to build muscle, but I’ve noticed recently big ridges in my fingernails and thinning hair. These are lack of protein. I use Elevate PROTEIN, GF, 30 g protein, 6.8 BCAAs and 0 g Sugar.  It’s only $1.50 per serving. If you prefer no soy and plant based, they offer that too.

5. *****GC control: The name is because it helps you control your glucose levels.  It’s a natural blood sugar and weight support.

6. ******Nutratherm:  Burn FAT and Fire up your metabolism with Green coffee bean extract, green tea phytosome complex and capsaicin extract from peppers provide stimulant-free fat-burning support and helps slow blood sugar absorption.

FOODS I WILL AVOID IN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS:  bread, fruit, crackers, oatmeal, cereal, all beans, aspartame artificial sweeteners (I use Trim Healthy Mama Stevia called Super Sweet), diet products, fat free, sugar free, peanuts/peanut butter, soda, sweet tea, juice, corn, peas, carrots, pasta, rice, potaties, quinoa, popcorn, chips, cookies, cakes, ice cream, jelly, meat marinades, BBQ sauce, ketchup, tomato sauce, honey, agave nectar, edamame, veggie chips.

Salad dressings light or low fat.  Butter, half and half, milk in moderation.  NO Alcohol first 2 weeks.

My Cardio and Strength training routine:  

Day One: Leg routine

Day Two: Cardio

Day Three: Upper body

Day Four: Cardio

Day 5 :  Core training

Day Six: Cardio

Day Seven: Yoga

Legs:  1. 10 squats 3 x. 2. 10 lunges 3x each side alternating. 3. 10 donkey kicks each leg 1 time. 4. Jump squats 10 x for 3 sets. 5. Side lying leg series 10 x for 2 sets alternating legs. 6. single leg bridge.

Upper Body: 1. http://thelivefitgirls.com/2015/06/sun-out-guns-out-arm-workout/2. Pushups 10 x for 3 sets 3. Tricep dips 10 x for 3 sets.

Core: Do each exercise 5-10 x for 3 rounds. 1. http://pumpsandiron.com/2016/03/10/21-minute-bodyweight-workout-amrap-pyramid/2.  http://www.yeahwetrain.com/img/96/easy-female-abs-workout-sixpack-exercises-healthy-fitness-gym/

P.S. If you have any tips especially on strength training, please do comment and I promise I will read and reply.

If you’re ready to take the plunge, join me if you want to be accountability partners. Read more about my favorite products here.

And this is the day of the wedding!

Welcome a fellow Minimalist

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny Houses, Tiny Living, Tiny Town TexasLeave a comment

Last October, Todd and I had a fun conversation with Josh Grimley at the five star resort our company invited the leaders to for R and R, networking, and training.  We were hanging out in the hot tub (Andrew was with us too) and Josh wanted to know all about our venture to “go tiny”.  We could tell he was ready for a change and as I read his FB post below, just 6 months later, I told him I was so proud of his courage to downsize, and become a minimalist too!  

“Kissing stress, overwhelm, high mortgage debt, wrong priorities and values goodbye was one of the best things we did as a family and we’ll never go back! It made me smile to welcome Josh and his family into the world of minimalism! 
Will you be next?  What are you waiting for?  A whole new life can be yours for the taking.”

Josh’s FB Post today: 

“I started my business 6 yrs ago; the last 3 have been on cruise control as I enjoyed being a stay at home dad with my wife.  I made the decision to get back in the drivers seat and not only get back to my grind, but go 10X, eliminate all distractions from my life.  My life consists of Family, Friends that add value to my life, and my business.  I downsized and became a minimalist. There was so many things in my life I thought would add value that in the end doesn’t.  I thought spending money like it’s going out of style would make me happy. I blew through a million dollars the past few yrs and realized I should have listened to my mentors, paid off all my possessions & mortgage to live a debt free life 3 yrs ago. I made the hard decision for my family to sell our big house since we weren’t using half of it & buy a house we would actually use. It wasn’t an easy decision as having a theatre room was nice for the once every few months we would actually use it but it really didn’t add value to my life. Every decision from here on out is, “Does this add value to my families life?”  If it doesn’t, I don’t do it. 

I realized money doesn’t make me happy. The more money I have the more I spend on things I don’t need.

What makes me happy is serving, helping and changing others lives. Giving them hope and bringing the sparkle back in their lives. 

I built my business in the beginning to make money, lots and lots of it and I have. Now I am building my business 10X bigger and will make 10X more but not for the sake of money but for helping others. 

Jacki and I have set up a non profit to help families going through medical trials such as Liver transplants, Cancer Treatments etc. 

We will be 100% debt free by the end of the year including our mortgage. 

Nothing brings happiness in my life more than helping others and spending quality time with my wife and kids.”

#Priorities #EnhancingLives #10X #FinancialFreedom #Teaching #LeadingByExample #Minimalist #GoBig #WarriorForGod

Be the hands and feet of Jesus

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment

Benny and Dee will never forget how they were able to be Jesus to a neighbor facing a difficult situation. Cindy and Ron Stone were looking for a home in San Antonio five years ago, church bells rang in the distance as they visited one particular house in an Alamo Ranch neighborhood. Ron mentioned to Cindy that the bells must be a sign. They soon moved into the neighborhood not realizing that they would  find comforting help from Christian neighbors during a painful tragedy. But God knew.

Cindy was at work when she received the call from a neighbor — Ron, her husband, was having a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital and soon entered into a coma. Since that heartbreaking day of loss, neighbors have cared for Cindy by doing everything from giving her a  shoulder to cry on, putting salt in the water softener, and hanging Christmas lights.

Benny and Dee were Cindy’s neighbor and they were especially instrumental in helping her through her loss. Cindy found courage and help from the family of Christ during a great time of need. “My neighbors have been the hands and feet of Jesus. There’s no better description of  what they’ve been to me than that. God’s love and the love of Christ just really shines through them.” 

Benny and Dee made themselves available to share the love of Christ with a neighbor and they brought comfort and courage to a hurting heart. But that is not all they do to share the love of Christ, they are also serving with the Children’s team during our Sunday service where  they teach children about Christ’s love and how they can love their neighbors too.