Throwback Post: Plum 100 Photo Shoot

**THROWBACK POST**

October 7 2012:

Thank you Ashley Graham for making ALL this happen! You are a rockin, fabulous and amazing woman!!

Thank you Jeramie Lu for the FABULOUS photos!! We had FUN doing this photo shoot y’all!!!

Thank you Janet Storie for loaning me beautiful and fun jewelry from Sparkles to wear for the photo shoot!!

Thank you Tina Mokuau of Tina Mokuau – The Makeup Artist for powdering my nose too!!!!

I’m grateful to everyone involved and blessed to pieces to know y’all!

____________________________
Top honorees from last night’s Plum100 Celebration Awards Show:

Artists & Icons: Grae Warren, Reno Tahoe Tonight
Community Leaders: Pete Parker, Summer of Service & NPCatalyst
Charity Drivers: Marty Ozer, Ronald McDonald House
Foodies: John Pinocchio, Pinocchio’s Bar and Grill
Risk Takers & Visionaries: Chris Riche, Discovery Museum
Business Owners & Industry Experts: Toni Suttie, Integrity Casting
Extraordinary: Camilla Downs, D iz for Different
Scientists & Tech Savvy: Eren Ozmen, Sierra Nevada Corporation
Super Heroes: Michael Hernandez, Reno Fire Chief
Beautiful Minds: Wendy Calvin, Geology-University of Nevada, Reno

Thank you to everyone within the Plum100 you are all incredible and influential.

____________________________________
Celebrate the courage and character of the Reno region with the 100 most influential people within the area.

We are recognizing Super Heroes, Business Owners & Industry Experts, Community Leaders, Foodies, Extraordinary neighbors, Charity Drivers, Artists and Icons, Scientists, Savvy Techs and our region’s Risk Takers and Visionaries who lead our economic engine.

There are ten people within the ten different categories which make up the full list of 100 and only one of them will be awarded as the top influencer within their category. This won’t be your average awards night!

See the Full Plum100 List: https://issuu.com/pluminfluencemagazine_reno/docs/plum100

This event comes complete with two film crews, outside influencers, photographers and media coverage.

This inaugural event brings our regions most influential leaders together along with the community in order to show the world who we really are. Join us and join an eve of a new era for the Truckee Meadows.

Throwback Post: D iz for Different Review: Invaluable Information

**THROWBACK POST**

October 9 2012:

Thank you Mark Sogard for the GREAT Amazon review … appreciate it tons and tons!!

“While it is a breath of fresh air to see a book written for parents of special needs children,do not think that if you don’t have any special needs children you won’t get anything from this book. Not only does it contain invaluable information for special needs parents, it contains inspiring uplifting tips for the journey at the end of every chapter-and who doesn’t need that type of help in this fast paced society that we live in? Very well written and inspiring.”

Throwback Post: D iz for Different on Special Needs Book Review

**THROWBACK POST**

December 3 2012:

Thank you tons and tons to Lorna of Special Needs Book Review for sharing about ‘D iz for Different’!!! Check out the FB page .. GREAT resources y’all!

“Feelings of isolation and overwhelm keep special needs parents stuck, especially when coupled with deeply ingrained erroneous thought habits,” said Ms. Downs. “Special needs parents can unknowingly isolate themselves and begin viewing their lives in a negative way. These findings from the discussions and interviews that went to the writing of D iz for Different have been further confirmed by the hundreds of discussions that have been generated since its publication in May of 2012,” she added. Downs wrote and ….

Special Needs Book Review is pleased that yet another author agreed to introduce her book to our readers. This guest post is by Camilla Downs the author of D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance. Since the book’s publication, Camilla Downs has undergone her own professional transformation with a career change from social media consultant to special needs parent coach and mentor, offering hope and guidance to others parenting kids with special needs. Congratulations Camilla on all your achievements! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. First, who is Camilla Downs?

Camilla Downs is a special needs parent mentor, guiding parents to help them decrease feelings of overwhelm by shifting their views and showing them they are not alone. Her book, D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance, was published in May 2012. The book offers Ms. Downs personal experiences in facing and overcoming life’s trials with grit and humor, along with providing practical “Tips for the Journey” throughout the book. Others parenting kids with special needs will be able to relate to Camilla’s journey.

More About the Author

D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance by Camilla Downs will be of interest to others parenting children with special needs. Camilla Downs is also an advocate of living an adventurous, inspired and different life than expected. With these new life experiences, Camilla has now become a motivational speaker.

Team TLC helps parenting Kids with Special Needs Camilla is mom to 11 year old Lillian and 7 year old Thomas. Lillian is a child with special needs who was diagnosed with 18p- when she was 3 years old. They call themselves Team TLC and share their journey on the Team TLC website .

What Is 18p-?

D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance- Powerful Truths for Others Parenting Kids with Special Needs by Camilla Downs

Camilla Downs is a Reno-based single mother of two children, one of them with a significant chromosomal disorder. Ms. Downs’ personal struggles inspired her to write D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance specifically for parents of children with special needs. Downs’ work underlines a clear message: You need not feel isolated and overwhelmed. She offers this group of families, now numbering in the millions in the U.S., inspiration, hope and specific advice and actions to help them become unstuck and more effective in their personal and professional lives.

“Feelings of isolation and overwhelm keep special needs parents stuck, especially when coupled with deeply ingrained erroneous thought habits,” said Ms. Downs. “Special needs parents can unknowingly isolate themselves and begin viewing their lives in a negative way. These findings from the discussions and interviews that went to the writing of D iz for Different have been further confirmed by the hundreds of discussions that have been generated since its publication in May of 2012,” she added.

Downs wrote and self-published D iz for Different in less than a year, prompted by her experiences as a single parent devising creative solutions to life’s challenges, including financial struggles. Friends and professionals who saw the value of a self-help book geared towards parents of special needs children donated services including the book’s cover artwork and design, editing, proofreading, interior layout and design.

Endorsements for D iz for Different include Julie Zigler Norman, author of Growing Up Zigler: A Daughter’s Broken Journey from Heartache to Hope, and Jim Stovall, Emmy award-winning best-selling author of The Ultimate Gift.

Here is a short book trailer of “D iz for Different”

Amazon reviewer, Kathy Buchanan said, “An uplifting and honest book about facing life’s challenges. The book teaches you that how you respond to adversity is within your control and that you can still be happy even when circumstances are less than perfect…”

Camilla Downs author of book on parenting kids with special needsIn another Amazon review, Liz Arches said, “A is for Amazing, B is for Beautiful, C is for Camilla and Courageous…When you see someone who is making such a fantastic job of parenting in difficult circumstances as Camilla is, it can be awesome in the sense of ‘daunting’ as much as ‘inspiring’. It might be hard to imagine that you could ever do anything like the same. But first-time author Camilla is happy to admit that none of this came easy to her, and to acknowledge that it doesn’t come easy to anybody. She just wants to share the positive attitudes and techniques that have worked for her and which might be helpful for other parents, offering parents the opportunity to enjoy every minute of every day with their children. And it’s all presented in short, pithy chapters, so you can get on with that enjoyment all the sooner!”

https://www.specialneedsbookreview.com/2012/12/01/d-iz-for-different-parenting-kids-with-special-needs/

Z is for Zigzag

(Excerpt from my book, “D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance”)

Conventional wisdom says “do it this way, this is the way it’s always been done.” I am the type of person who questions conventional wisdom. I pause to think about whether the way it’s always been done is really the right way for me and my family.

Conventional wisdom says that the best path for Lillian is to attend traditional public school to benefit from what she’s entitled to according to federal laws and what’s established in her IEP. Well, that worked for us through fourth grade, but it doesn’t work now. You see, I simply believe with all my being that this little lady will not follow any conventional route in her life, or in her career. I believe she will be self-employed, and I don’t believe she will reach her full potential staying in a traditional public school. Of course, I will accept whatever career path she chooses, but for now, I choose us to zag instead of zig.

I’m not saying that we should always zag when others zig. But, that we pay attention when something inside us is saying, “not so fast there, find a different way,” or “don’t keep doing that.” We may hear these messages, but dismiss them due to doubt, fear, or laziness. As these messages bounce around in our mind, we find that we have invited another person’s voice telling us we are crazy for thinking that way.

Happy and successful people didn’t get where they are today by making the same choices as the masses. If you take time to study them, you will find there’s something different in the way they think, their attitude, and how they make choices.

One of my kids made a statement once that we are poor. I explained that I don’t agree and here’s why. We may be broke at the moment, but we are not poor. I consider us to be rich because of our relationships with one another, our adventures, and the joy we experience. I believe there’s a fundamental difference between being poor and being broke. Poor vs. rich is all in how you look at it. Being broke is temporarily having no money. Being rich depends on how our attitude and thoughts perceive our reality. How do we measure “rich”?

It is most important to me that I try to not take myself so darn seriously. I fully understand that we have some serious situations to deal with, especially as parents of children with special needs. I’m not advocating that we ignore serious medical conditions. I’m only suggesting that we become aware of our attitudes and thoughts concerning serious matters. Do your best not to dwell in the past, or get stuck in the “why” questions. Accept the present moment for what it is. Really and truly listen to your gut. Listen even if you don’t understand why it’s pushing you in a certain direction.

The bold overriding theme of this entire book is the ability to accept ourselves, listen to our intuition, and live in the present moment. That’s why it is repeated throughout this book. I know I need to be continually reminded of this. I forget. Acceptance, courage, flexibility, and our view of life all comes back to how we think. Our emotions are an expression of our thoughts. Take it slow and have patience with yourself.

Tip for the Journey:

Awake each morning and realize with awe that you have been given a very special, unique gift. You have been given a precious gift of another full twenty four hours to make your own. Twenty-four hours to do with as you choose, to experience joy and happiness, and to share with those around you. I truly believe the more we share joy and happiness, the more it will spread. Every day you get another twenty four hours to work toward your dreams and goals, and another day to enjoy the heck out of while you’re on your journey. I like to refer to this as a Sunrise Gift and no two Sunrise Gifts are the same. You choose the nature of the gift and what you will do with it. Make the most of your Sunrise Gifts.

Heartfuly Inspired,
Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

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Your Intuition Knows What To Write

“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.” – Ray Bradbury

I was given the wonderful opportunity to guest post on 2 Dream Productions’ blog about why I write and what led to the writing of my first book, “D iz for Different”.

Here’s an excerpt:

How Purging the Garage Led to Writing a Book

Call it intuition. Call it my gut. Whatever it’s called, there is something inside of me compelling me to write. Sometimes gently, other times strongly, it nudges me saying, “You’ve just got to share that.” I fought this feeling for a long time, thinking I had nothing meaningful to contribute. At this point in my life, I know that the treasure lying within me, the one I am to share with humanity, is my view of everyday life. I most often share this through writing.

Sometimes I question myself with thoughts of, “What are you doing? Why are you wasting time on this? Who cares what you think? Who cares what happened with you today?” These thoughts can be very discouraging and cause me to doubt myself. However, time and time again, I magically and miraculously receive confirmation that what I’m doing and the path I have chosen is inspiring and helpful to others. These powerful, undeniable moments cause my fears and hesitation to disappear.

My writing journey started …. ” (Go here to read more.)

Head on over and check out 2 Dream Productions if you are an author or aspiring author!

2 Dream Productions, Inc. is a book publicist company that specializes in working with authors and publishers to get more publicity for their books, brands and products. 

Blessings,

Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

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F is for Flexibility

(Excerpt from my book, “D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance” – published 2012)

Flexibility, fun and faith . . . that’s a trio I definitely want in my life!

There are times in our lives when fun does not fit in with what’s going on! It’s not possible to always have fun, or find the joy in every situation. However, it is possible to be at peace with the experiences life deals us. To be at peace is to be in a state of acceptance, and be present and attentive in the here and now. Once we have achieved the place of acceptance it is easier to see the joy, humor, and fun in the everyday happenings of life, and ultimately have faith.

With each passing day acceptance becomes easier. I am more attentive and present when Thomas and Lillian are talking to me. I am really listening to what they are saying. Sometimes, I must admit, it is just plain funny! One morning Thomas, Lillian and I had a conversation that each of them are actually aliens from Planet Mercury. They told me they are just here visiting and will have to go back home soon. We had a thirty minute conversation about their home planet. I told them I would miss them so very much when they go back home. They said they would miss me too. After breakfast they began packing for their return voyage back to Mercury. Not your typical Saturday morning breakfast, but we had tons of fun using our imaginations. I choose to stimulate their imaginations instead of discounting what they say. Being able to call upon their imagination is a skill I want them never to lose.

As often as possible, I attempt to create an adventure out of as many minutes, hours and days that I can. It may sound like a lot of work, but really, it doesn’t have to be. Adventure is what one makes it. If we remind ourselves to be flexible and think simplistically, it isn’t hard at all to create adventures. I find great fun in turning a simple task or event (something we are already doing), into an adventure.

Something as simple as going to the library can be made into an adventure by having a scavenger hunt for certain types of books. One day, I had Thomas and Lillian make a list of about five places or things they wanted to see, or find. We had a great time driving around all day to parks and stores finding the items on their lists. We didn’t buy anything, but I marked their success by taking a photo of them in front of the place, or with the item they found (you can see some in the photo gallery).

Being flexible decreases stress, and allows us opportunities to be creative. Flexibility also serves us in releasing our attachment to rigid expectations. When we choose to be flexible rather than rigid, it is much easier to accept change when situations do not turn out as we may have planned.

Flexibility is a characteristic that serves me well as a parent, definitely as a mom to a child with special needs, and in life in general. I am sorry to say that the old Camilla was not a very flexible person. Things had to be done my way, or someone was going to pay! I cringe when I think about how rigid, and inflexible I used to be.

The awakened Camilla has learned the wonderful quality of being flexible. To some, it may seem like indifference when I shrug my shoulders, or turn the other cheek, but through practice, I have learned to be okay with whatever happens.

F is for Fear

I could not let this chapter be complete without mentioning fear. Fear is something that every parent experiences. In fact, everyone has fears. Parents of children with special needs have an entirely different set of fears, and then some, compared to parents of kids who develop typically. Fear is one of the stages we move through when we first learn of our child’s diagnosis. These fears can get the better of us if we are not managing our thoughts in the present moment. For instance, we may take one little comment from a doctor, nurse, parent, or friend, and let our mind run away with it. We fabricate in our mind what the future would be like; what about the next time …next week…next year…from now to when our time here is over? I am not saying we shouldn’t make plans for our family’s future. Make those plans, get everything lined-up, and set in the best way for your child with special needs and their siblings. Just remember not to always play out future events (school, friends, sports, marriage etc.) in your mind.

Learning to have faith in myself, and the decisions I make has absolutely helped me along this journey. Even though I still experience moments, days, and even weeks, when my faith in myself gets weak, I never ever fully lose sight of it. Having a rock solid faith in ourselves, is the foundation for the journey we are traveling.

Tip for the Journey:

Learning to be flexible comes with patience and practice. Choose one situation a week to be flexible about. Then take it to one situation per day. Each morning when you wake up, say to yourself with love and joy, “I choose to be flexible today.”

Developing the habit of having consistent, strong faith in yourself and your choices will only come with time and practice. To battle being your own worst critic, put sticky notes on your mirror, in your purse, in your car, and wherever else you need them, with reminders that you are amazing, you are perfect the way you are, to have faith in yourself, trust your path and trust your intuition. Choose whatever phrases or quotes are meaningful to you and put those on the sticky notes also. It can be hard to keep faith in ourselves; but the more we practice being kind, the quicker we will pull ourselves out of those times when we lose the faith.

Heartfuly Inspired,
Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

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Inspiring and Positive: D iz for Different Amazon Review

★★★★★ D Iz For Different is a wonderful book. The story is informative as real life trials and triumphs are discussed. Positive solutions are always put forth and the reader is left with an uplifting experience. The book inspires the reader to think about things in a positive new light and to think outside the box we so often find ourselves in. I highly recommend this book. Blessings! Cheryl

If you would like to write an Amazon review of D iz for Different go here (amazon affiliate link). It’s not necessary to have purchased the book through Amazon. If you have an Amazon account, you can write a review.

Grace – D iz for Different Amazon Review

(Tele at her Breakfast at Tiffany’s themed 50th birthday party with Noreen Leary on the far left – May 2012)

★★★★★”Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” ~ Wayne W. Dyer …. This is the premise for Camilla Down’s message in her book “D Iz for Different.”

Taking sets of circumstances that could be seen as devastating and looking for the good and building on that for her strength. These lessons can be applied to everyday life and everyday challenges shared in heartwarming words of wisdom from years of getting back up, dusting herself off and moving forward with Grace. You owe it to yourself to read this book. – Tele Raack – March 25, 2013

If you would like to write an Amazon review of D iz for Different go here (amazon affiliate link). It’s not necessary to have purchased the book through Amazon. If you have an Amazon account, you can write a review.

Bravo – D iz for Different Amazon Review

★★★★★ This personal journey is full of courage and encouragement. I am challenging myself to live a life of acceptance and joy with the help of this wonderful resource. How brave of Camilla to put herself out there with the hopes of improving the lives of others. Bravo! – Ian and Susan Moran – June 16, 2012

If you would like to write an Amazon review of D iz for Different go here (amazon affiliate link). It’s not necessary to have purchased the book through Amazon. If you have an Amazon account, you can write a review.

 

D iz for Different Kindle Release

 

FREE for the next three (3) days! 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 28, 2013 through midnight, Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Help me out y’all! Even if you never plan on reading “D iz for Different“, please take a minute to download it while it’s free! The more downloads the book receives the more exposure it will receive. Go here for the kindle version of “D iz for Different”.

Feel free to leave a comment here when you download or tag me on facebook! Also, feel free to share this post or the facebook event with your friends. If you comment here, tag me or post on my timeline that you downloaded the book during this 3 days, I’ll draw one person to receive an autographed paperback version of “D iz for Different“!

I’ll owe you a big hug when next we see one another!

(iPhone, iPad and Android users can get the ebook for free also by downloading the free Kindle app!)