how to create a cozy autumn atmosphere

Autumn is here & I couldn’t be more excited–It’s my favorite season! Everything feels so fresh, so crisp and cold. After a long fall day, it’s time to unwind, and to be able to truly relax, you need a perfect atmosphere! Today, I’m going to be talking about some things that are essential for a lovely atmosphere.

1 // candles

There’s something about candles…not only do they fill the room with yummy scents, but they create a feeling of warmth. I always have at least two or three candles going at once. A lot of candles have very strong, artificial scents that fill your home with chemicals that you don’t want to be breathing in, so make sure you buy a candle that isn’t too strong!

If you’re feeling creative, you can even make your own candle. My mother makes candles with beeswax and essential oils and they always smell so delicious & warm, plus the essential oils will fill your home with healthy scents instead of chemicals!

2 // fairy lights

Aren’t these lights adorable?

Candles & fairy lights will give your house/room a feeling of warmth and comfort! There’s just something about filling your room with lights–it instantly makes the space feel more cozy and warm.

3 // cozy blankets & throw pillows (plus a cute dog)

I have an obsession with large, fluffy, cozy warm blankets. (Admit it–you do too.) On a chilly autumn night, there is nothing better than climbing into a clean bed filled with warm blankets and pillows.

4 // soft music

Music can really help to make your house/room feel more inviting and warm! I have a playlist on Spotify dedicated to soft, low music, and I love turning the playlist on in the evening while stretching, relaxing, and unwinding after a long day. Treat yourself, people.

5 // decorations

Don’t forget your autumn decorations! This adorable little pumpkin is from Target for only a few bucks–and it won’t go rotten like real pumpkins! This is too cute, guys.

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Hope you enjoyed the post, thank you for reading!

Catch you on the flip side.

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appearance & self love | personal growth series #1

Hello & welcome back to my blog! I hope you are all having an amazing day. Today is the first post in the Personal Growth. I have some awesome posts coming up on this series, so stay tuned. You won’t want to miss it!

Today we’re going to be talking about self-love. I could write an entire book on this, but I’ll try to limit this post! (You’re welcome.) Ready? Let’s get into the post!

A while back, I read something that really stuck with me. It said something along the lines of If you want to love others to your fullest ability, first you must love yourself. We all go through those days where we feel so ugly, and whenever I’m having a bad day, I always think of this quote. Why? Because it’s true. You can’t expect yourself to be the most loving person on the planet if you don’t love yourself. 

Unfortunately, these days, if you love yourself, people will say you have a large ego, you’re a narcissist, etc. Well, look at the description for self love!

You see advertisements with photoshopped people, and society tells you with this or that, you can look like them. It’s crazy. Work out, lose weight, whiten your teeth, get a haircut, diet, buy trendy clothing, act like everyone else…why can’t we just be the way we are?

Why can’t we just love ourselves, flaws and all? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be in shape, have good hair, etc. But you don’t need to do any of those things to be beautiful.

Let’s say there are two girls. One girl is extremely beautiful, but she doesn’t have a beautiful heart. She is constantly jealous, thinks negative thoughts, and doesn’t care about others. The other girl may not be the thinnest, her teeth might not be bright white–but that doesn’t matter. Because if she has a beautiful heart, that is all she needs.

Compare these two girls. In your opinion, which one is prettier?

I was raised to love myself. I’ve said this in a different post, but I’ll say it again: I was raised to love myself in a kind way, not an egotistical way. I was raised to be kind to my body, to eat healthy food and get sleep. I was always raised to be kind to my mind–to think positive thoughts and be grateful.

So, it breaks my heart when beautiful girls & women say they’re ugly. It frustrates me, too–because your appearance does not matter. Let me say that again: the way you look is unimportant. If the world was blind, how many people would you impress? Think about that for a few seconds. Would you impress people with your kindness, your laugh? Would you impress people with your good heart?

If beauty was judged by your soul instead of your appearance, would you consider yourself to be beautiful? The next time you think you’re ugly, remind yourself that your appearance does not matter. You have a beautiful heart, a beautiful mind. That’s what’s important.

 – Tips to Increase Self Love –

• Hang up inspirational signs or write yourself notes
• Every night, write something you love about yourself. Anything.
• Take care of your body. If you work out and eat healthy foods, as well as getting sleep, you are more likely to love your body and yourself!
• Let yourself cry. So many people bottle up their tears, but you need to let yourself cry. Let it all go.
• Don’t put too much on your schedule if you’re already busy. You don’t want to always be stressed and tired, so remember it’s okay to say no to things.
• Do yoga.
• Set goals for yourself, and try to achieve them.
• You are not perfect–no one is. Love & embrace your flaws!
• Helping others will help you love yourself.
• Every night, look in the mirror and say things to yourself, like “I am beautiful” “I am strong” This really works!
• Every morning, hug yourself and take a deep breath. You’ve got this!

– Self Love Quotes –

“Own who you are.”

“Be twice as powerful as you think you are.”

“She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

“You owe yourself the love you so freely give to other people.”

“You, alone, are enough. You have nothing to prove to other people.”

“If you’re searching for that one person that will change your life, look in the mirror.”

“Do not look at yourself with disgust, you are a gift to this earth. You are beautiful, you are a light, an energy, an essence. You are nature itself.”

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That’s it for today’s post. I hope you enjoyed today’s post, and I look forward to talking with all of you in the comments. Have an amazing day.

What are your thoughts on this post & self-love?

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No-Bake Chocolate & Nut Treat

Hello, hello! Welcome back to another post!

I have a super fun treat to share with you guys today. In my opinion, anything that includes chocolate and nuts and doesn’t need to be baked is the best thing ever.

Take a look at these! Some people call this treat cowpatties, but that’s gross (sorry, but it is). This treat takes 10 minutes, needs only a few ingredients, and creates a small amount of dishes. Could it be easier?

Ingredients:

• One bag of dark chocolate chips
• Nuts of your choice (I used peanuts and almonds)
• Coconut (optional)

Begin by placing your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. You may not need the full bag, it depends on how many you want to make and how many nuts you have. Just in case, I used the whole bag, because I wanted to have an extra-chocolatey treat.

Next, microwave the chocolate for as long as it needs until it is smooth & fully melted. You will need to mix the chocolate chips every 30 seconds to make sure the chocolate does not clump together.

I unfortunately didn’t get any pictures of the process, but all you do now is mix the nuts together with the chocolate. I just used a regular spoon to plop them on a tray lined with wax paper.

This is how they looked! I put coconut on some of them for a nice garnish.

Put the tray in your freezer for 10 minutes, and then voila! You have a yummy treat that will disappear from the tray quickly! Make sure you store them in the fridge, not the freezer. My family ate these in a day, they’re so good. These treats are also guilt free! The dark chocolate and the nuts are healthy, so don’t worry!

Thank you for reading, I’ll catch ya on the next post! Have a fantastic day!

Have you made these before? Do you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

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Why I Workout

Hello, and happy Monday! How are you? I’ve been a bit behind on posting, but no worries, I have some awesome content coming your way, so stay tuned. Let’s get into the post!

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Well, it’s that time of year, when people are flocking to their gym, treadmill, or yoga mat, to get ready for summer, to get the glorious bikini body that everyone seems to want! Recipes on eating healthier and getting smaller are popping up online, swimsuits are showing up in stores, and people are working out harder, faster, and longer.

But around this time of year, I always find myself wondering why? Why are there so many workout videos on Youtube on how to get the perfect bikini body? And what is the perfect bikini body, anyway?

For me, this season isn’t about getting ready for summer. Track & Field started a couple weeks ago for me, and I’ve spent this month sweating and working out every day! Track is really fun, but it’s also extremely hard and competitive. You need to give everything you have, and make sure you’re giving 110% so you’ll do well at meets.

What I’ve always loved about track is that it’s about YOU. If I lose in a race at a track meet, I can’t blame it on the team or the coach, because if I lose, I’m responsible. Yes, I’m on a team, and yes, we support each other! But in the end, it comes down to how hard you work and how fast you are.

I’ve learned to love this mindset, and I wish that anyone that struggles with confidence of their appearance would adopt this mindset as well. There is no “perfect” body, and there is no perfect way to workout. Humans are made to move. Slow or fast, we were made to workout and take care of our bodies and be healthy. And I think that’s more important than focusing on trimming your body down so it looks good in a bikini.

Even if I didn’t do track, I would still run and workout. Some days I’m exhausted, some days it’s really hard for me to keep running or keep working out, and sometimes my muscles are trembling. But I forget to work out early in the day, I’ll work out in the night. Even if it’s 9:00 and all I want to do is relax, I’ll roll out my mat, start a timer, and workout.

Why? Because I love it. Honestly, I do. I love the feel of sweat rolling down my back and my muscles straining. I love the feeling of satisfaction when I beat boys in arm wrestling or racing. I love proving people wrong, I love showing people that girls are strong. I workout so when someone asks for “a few strong boys to help”, I can jump up and help also.

I’m not dissing anyone that works out because they want to look good for summer. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with that. But make sure you’re working out to look good for yourself. Work out because you want to be proud of your hard work.

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This was a short post, but it’s something that I have been wanting to post about for a while. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope I haven’t offended anybody, because that was not my intention. If you’re reading this, just remember that you are a beautiful, amazing person. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Why do you work out? 

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My #1 Tip For Self-Love

Hey, welcome back! How was your Easter?! Mine was fantastic. I had so much fun going to church, hanging out with my family and eating some delicious food.

Guys, self love is so important. If you want to be able to love others to your fullest ability, you need to start with loving yourself! I could give so many tips, but lately I’ve found one thing that really increases my self-love and self-confidence.

I keep a journal and fill it with things about myself. Things that I love about myself, little thoughts I have–basically, I write down things that come to my mind about myself. Everything that I write down is positive. I flip through the journal every day, and it really has helped me to be more confident about myself.

When you write down positive things about yourself, these things will come to mind whenever you’re having a hard day. When you train your mind to think positively, over time, it will come as second nature!

You’re probably wondering what do I write?! This is your journal, this is your space. Write whatever is important to you. Your favorite songs, your favorite quotes, things you love about yourself…anything! You can tape pictures in the journal, doodle or draw something–make it creative and have fun with it.

Don’t be embarrassed! Brag about yourself! Do you like your laugh, your positivity, your hair? Write it down, and come back to it every day to gain confidence.

What are some tips that help you with self-love and self-confidence? Thank you for reading! Have a fantastic, positive day.

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March Wrap Up & Favorites

March has come to an end, folks! This month was unfortunately meh for me. I just wish Spring would hurry up already! How was March for you? We’ll chat in the comments, but in the meantime, let’s get into the post!

My newest cleanser, the Aveeno Ultra-Calming cleanser, is wonderful, and is definitely my favorite product from this month. The cleanser is made specifically for sensitive skin, which I have. As it says on the bottle, the cleanser foams when it comes out, which makes my life easier, since I don’t have to lather it up. Another plus: it’s fragrance free, which is a must for me when it comes to cleansers!

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch was my favorite book that I read this month. It’s a YA Fantasy, and is a real page turner–the plot is fascinating, the characters are well-developed, and the world-building is incredible. For all of my book-lovers out there (or book-haters), read this. I’m sure you’ll love it.

For some reason, my hands were really dry this whole month! So, I pretty much always had this lotion near me, and I’ve had to apply it a few times every day. It has a soft, feminine scent that isn’t strong. The cream has helped my hands look & feel more hydrated and healthy!

I’m sure May is going to love reading this! My favorite food from this month was mango strips–but who am I kidding, mango strips are my favorite snack year-round. Pick these up at your local Trader Joe’s or healthy food store! You’ll eat the bag in a day, I swear!

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What was the highlight of your month? What are your hopes for April? Thank you so much for reading!

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Tips For A Better Night’s Sleep

I’m tired just writing the title, folks. Hey, how is it going?! For those of you on Spring break, how has your break been so far? In today’s post, I’m going to be sharing my tips for a better night’s rest, because when you sleep better, you have a better day.

I used to be very insomniac, and it was hard for me to fall asleep. Luckily, I’ve found some things that have helped me fall asleep easier, so hopefully, those tips will help you as well. Shall we get into it?

-Get Cozy-

Okay, this should go without saying, but you need to get cozy, people. Grab some blankets and cozy socks, snuggle up in your little nest of warmth, and relax. Let go of any stress and just chill. Put your electronics in another room, turn on some soft piano music…the works. This is your time.

-Treat Yourself-

Treat yourself, people! This is similar to getting cozy. Put on your best pajamas, slather yourself in lotion, grab a pint of ice cream (okay, maybe not), put on your slippers…set aside time for yourself. You survived the long day, you deserve it.

-Read A Book-

Reading a book is a wiser option then being on your phone or laptop before bed–otherwise, it will be harder to fall asleep. My favorite book of all time is Heartless (have any of you read it). Just look at that cover. It’s gorgeous.

-Use A Fan-

I talked about this in my post about my evening routine. A lot of people told me in the comments that they use a fan to fall asleep as well! This really works. It seems strange, but if you get a small fan, the relaxing noise of the fan blowing and the cold air will make it easier to fall asleep. I always make sure the air is blowing right on my face, so it makes me feel cold, and I bundle up under the covers. Make sure your fan doesn’t have an annoying noise, though, or it could make it hard to fall asleep.

-Do Yoga-

I know many of you do yoga, but if you don’t, give it a try! I love doing the Yoga for Bedtime practice from YWA, but if you don’t have a lot of times in the evenings, she has a seven minute practice. Yoga will definitely help your body to relax and prepare you for sleep.

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I hope you sleep well tonight! Do you already do some of these things? Let me know! Thanks for stopping by!

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Morning Routine + Abs Workout

Happy International Women’s Day! How are you? (I’m pretty good, thanks for asking!)

My morning routine was requested by a few people in my evening routine post, so without further ado, let’s jump right in.

It always depends on the day, but I usually wake up around 7:00 to 7:15. On some days, I have to get up at 6:00, and on weekends I sleep in until 8:00 or 9:00.

After making my bed, the first thing I do is workout. I usually go for a HIIT run on my treadmill, but if I don’t have time, I’ll do a quick workout on my abs. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with my abs, and I made a quick workout that I do every day. It may look easy, but trust me, your heart will be pounding by the end. Be sure to try it out and let me know how it goes for you!

When I’m done with working out, I eat breakfast. I usually have either toast, fruit, or cereal. Sometimes all three, if I’m really hungry. 😉 Breakfast is the foundation of your day, so it’s important to eat something healthy and filling.

I try to fit this in every morning. I write down a to-do list in my planner and check my email & WordPress. This is the calm part of my morning where I can plan for the day and jot down some post ideas.

After showering, brushing my teeth, doing my hair, and getting dressed, I put on some makeup. Most days, I just wear mascara and blush to feel put together. When I’m going out in public, I’ll put on a layer of Erase Paste to hide my blemishes, but heavy makeup like foundation and eyeshadow is reserved for special days. But since I don’t really need makeup, I don’t wear a lot. (Or own a lot, for that matter.)

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One more thing before you go–my blog has over 800 followers now! Gosh, that’s pretty cool. Thank you so much!

If you would like to share your morning routine or if you have a morning routine post on your blog, let me know! I hope you have a great rest of the day. Thank you for stopping by.

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My Evening Routine

Hey, welcome back to another post! This is a common post idea for bloggers, and although I prefer coming up with my own content, I really wanted to do this. I have a long evening routine, so I thought I would share it with you. Let’s get right into it!

I usually start my evenings with stretching and yoga, which is the best feeling after a long day. If I didn’t workout earlier in the day, I’ll squeeze in a quick run or some cardio (if I feel like it).

When I’m done with yoga, I wash my face with the Calia facial cleanser. I’ve done a review on this and other Calia products; here’s the link. This cleanser has high quality ingredients and works well to remove makeup and sweat.

I didn’t take a picture of this, but I usually use some oils on my face for my acne. Lastly, I moisturize my face with the Cetaphil daily facial moisturizer and brush my teeth. Many people rave about this moisturizer, but unfortunately I’m not a fan of it. It gets the job done most of the time, but lately my face has still been dry after using it.

I don’t go on electronics before sleep, because it makes it much harder for me to fall asleep. Instead, I read my Bible, write in my gratitude journal, and cross off things in my planner. If I feel like it, I’ll write a schedule for tomorrow of the things I need to accomplish. This is my favorite part of the night! I can get all the thoughts out of my brain and spend some time talking to God. 

After I’ve cleared the thoughts from my brain, it’s time to get comfy, relax, and destress. I light a candle, turn on my diffuser, and snuggle up with cozy blankets and read a book for an hour or so. 

I fall asleep within minutes, and over a few years I’ve developed ways to help myself sleep easier. The best solution I’ve found is to turn on my small fan. (Yes, even in winter!). I can’t sleep without my fan on. I then snuggle under tons of blankets and the relaxing noise of the fan and the cold air hitting my face helps me to fall asleep.

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If you’re interested, I would be happy to share my morning routine as well! Just let me know in the comments. Thank you for stopping by! Sweet dreams, and I hope you have a wonderful evening.

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How To Live A More Positive Lifestyle

Heyo, long time no see. I’ve been on vacation! My family & I went to Lake Placid, NY (a few hours away from here we live). I’ll have a post up on the blog soon, so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, shall we get into the post?

This is something I’ve wanted to post for a while. I struggle with being negative, and I’ve found a few things that help me think & act more positively.

-Keep A Gratitude Journal-

I’ve actually written a post on this–here’s the link if you feel like taking a peek and learning more. Here’s how it works: every night, I write down a few things that I’m grateful for. Boom, done. try to think out of the box–food and Netflix definitely make the list–but sometimes I’m just grateful for nature and rainy days. Whatever comes to mind, I write it down.

You don’t even need a journal. When you go to bed at night, think of a few positive things that happened during the day that you’re grateful for. This wires the brain to think positively and focus on the good things during the day rather than the negative things that happen.

-Talk To Yourself In The Mirror-

Don’t freak out on me. Don’t you dare scroll down, either, this is important. One of my friends does this, and she recommended it to me. What do you do? It’s simple. Go to your mirror, look at yourself, and talk. Say things you love about yourself, smile, keep your chin up. This branches off into self-love, which is fantastic, because if you want to live a more positive life, it’s important that you aren’t negative to yourself.

Every morning and night, I look in my mirror and tell myself that I’m strong, capable, smart–whatever I feel like I need to say. But be specific–don’t give yourself random adjectives. Throughout the day, I remind myself of these things, and it helps me to remember to smile and take a deep breath. The show must go on.

-Read The Bible-

This may be something you already do, but it’s so important. The highlight of my night is reading the Bible. Reading the Bible & praying lifts my spirits, it makes me feel cheerful and positive, and I almost always wake up with a smile on my face. A few different bloggers have talked about journaling in their Bible, one of them being Styled By McKenz, and I love doing that now!

-Workout And Do Yoga-

Isn’t working out amazing? The feeling of moving, breathing deeply…it’s just fantastic. You probably know this, but studies have proven that when you excercise, your body releases endorphins–helping to release stress and make you feel happier and positive. I love working out and yoga, and trust me, if you’re feeling negative and cranky, go workout. And grab some chocolate, too.

Ever since doing yoga, my head is clearer and I feel happier in general. I talk about yoga so much on my blog, but it’s something I’m passionite about; I can’t say enough about it.

My last tip? Smile. Just keep on smiling until your cheeks hurt. Whether the sun is shining or the rain is pouring, you’re alive. Life goes on. I would love to hear your thoughts on this post, so be sure to let me know if it was helpful. Have an amazing, positive day/night!

Photos edited with VSCO.