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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new summer series | personal growth

Hello & welcome back!

People can change a lot over the summer. Some people grow taller, get a tan, dye their hair, get their ears pierced…there’s almost always some kind of physical change. (I’m praying to grow taller. It doesn’t seem to be working.) But people can also change a lot emotionally and mentally.

That’s my goal for the summer: positive personal growth. I’ve been working on becoming more confident and not caring about what others think. Well, today, I’m really excited to announce my new summer series: it’s all about personal growth! I’ll be doing posts on gaining confidence, loving yourself, and feeling good all the time! And so much more, of course. Obviously.

I really hope this series will be fun for all of you, and hopefully, it will be a way for us bloggers to become closer, since we’re all one big family! Remember, real queens fix each other’s crowns.

My hope for this series: at the end of every post, you will walk away feeling positive and inspired. I hope that this series will help you with personal growth, and that you will get something out of every post.

Give yourself a big hug right now. You are amazing, you are beautiful, you are strong. Thank you so much for reading, have a fantastic day, God Bless every single one of you!

Any thoughts on the series? What kinds of posts would you specifically like to see in the series?

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April Wrap-Up & Favorites

Well, well, well, look at that! April has come and gone. It’s been a great month! It’s been super sunny, flowers are blooming, and our grass is finally green. I only have a few more weeks before school ends, and then it’s summertime!

Anyway, enough chit-chat, let’s get into my favorites from this month!

My first favorite from this month is the E.L.F. concealor in the shade Ivory. The color is the perfect shade for my skin, and this concealor has really done a great job of making my face look vibrant and brighter. Plus, it’s only a couple bucks.

I ran out of my Maybelline Great Lash mascara in the beginning of April, so I bought the Great Lash “Blackest Black” mascara. It’s much darker than the regular Great Lash mascara, and I honestly like it more than the original.

I think what makes this version better is the mascara wand. I’m not sure if it’s the same wand as the original, but nonetheless, it does a better job of separating my lashes.

Plant Therapy recently released this oil, the Pink Grapefruit essential oil. This is my new favorite essential oil, and I’ve only been using it for a week! It smells so good, and I can’t stop sniffing it even though I’m not a big fan of citrus scents! But this oil has such a fresh, vibrant smell, plus it works wonders on my blemishes. More on that later, so stay tuned!

I have been obsessed with my new Nikes this month. They’re so comfortable, and they make working out more fun! Whenever I wear cute workout gear, I’m more likely to have a fun workout than when I throw on an old t-shirt and leggings.

Lastly, I’ve been loving flowers this month! They’re popping up everywhere, and just seeing them makes me feel more positive and happy. Buh bye, winter.

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Thank you for reading! I hope you have a great day.

How was your April? What are some highlights from this month?

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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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Spring Photography + Photoshoot

Hello, Happy Monday! Wasn’t the weather fantastic yesterday?

Yesterday, I went outside and took some pictures, and my amazing mother & I did a bit of a photoshoot. I put a lot of fun effects on the photos, and I’m really excited to share them with you!

If you’re reading this in the WordPress Reader, go to my website, the photos will be larger and have higher quality!

This picture is one of my favorites! We took it right by the pond. It was one of those photos that I wasn’t expecting to turn out well, but it did.

Look at this fresh moss! The snow is finally gone, folks. Cue the rainy weather and mud, and then we’ll finally get some buds and new growth.

Please ignore my crazy hiking boots, haha! This picture was a fun one to take. It involved climbing through a ton of branches to get to the thick branch on this tree. The things I do for you guys…;) I was so afraid that I was going to fall into the water, but luckily, I didn’t.

This black and white photo of me is the grand finale–it’s my absolute favorite picture of the ones we took! Am I smirking, am I smiling, am I frowning–nobody knows. My expression is weird. But I love it!

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As always, thank you for reading! Which photo is your favorite? Is Spring arriving where you live? Have a fantastic Monday, and stay tuned for Wednesday, I have a fun post to share with you.

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I’m Learning To Let Go

Hello, and welcome back!

As you know, I post a variety of different things on my blog, so today’s post is going to be a bit of a short personal post. Get comfy and grab a snack, and we’ll jump right in! 

The picture I’m holding up is from 2015, when I was 11. 

The title of this post is “I’m Learning To Let Go”. What am I learning to let go of, you ask? Little things.

I’ve been known as a worrywart my whole life. I always need to know the little details. For example, if my family is going somewhere, I always need to know where we’re going, what we’re doing, and when we’re doing it. If I don’t have those details, and the future is unclear, I ask a lot of questions, and I won’t be able to have fun when we go there.

And when things aren’t close to perfect, I worry. If the curtains aren’t arranged nicely, the chair isn’t pushed in all the way, and the comforter isn’t smoothed out, I can’t relax. All I can think of is the messy comforter, and it nags in my brain until I have to get up and smooth it out.

It’s hard, it’s so hard, but I’m learning to let go. I’m learning to move on. Life isn’t perfect, and it never will be, so I can’t keep focusing on the little things. I’m learning to focus on the big picture. You only live once, and if you spend your whole life focusing on small, tiny, unimportant things, are you really living?

As Ernest Hemingway says, “If something is wrong, fix it. But train yourself not to worry, worry fixes nothing.” If you’re a worrywart and you know how I feel, I hope you’ll learn to let go with me. When you find yourself worrying about something, ask yourself this: is this going to matter in a year?

A great way to relieve yourself of worrying and questions is to write down everything you’re afraid about, get it out of your brain, and let go of it. Throw it away. Let go of any negative thoughts that aren’t helping. Also, know when it’s proper to worry. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be nervous about something. But you should push the fear out of your brain and keep living.

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Thank you for reading! This is something hard to share, but something I wanted to share with all of you. If you’re like me, and relate to this, leave me a comment and we’ll chat down below. I hope you all have a fantastic, worry-free day.

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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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.

Coconut Oil Hydrating Mist Review

I’ve found my hair holy grail. Isn’t it amazing when you find a product that’s perfect for your hair, smells amazing, and is super inexpensive? Well, folks, I found that product, and I’m obsessed. I mean, I might as well tell you to buy this and wish you a nice day, but since I like going in-depth with my reviews…let’s get into the post!

This product is the OGX Nourishing Coconut Oil Hydrating Mist–holy whoa, what a mouthful.

I have thick, long hair, and so I can’t use a lot of products–I’ve found that putting too many products in my hair weighs it down and dries out my scalp. Lately, thanks to the freezing winter air, my hair has been super dry and brittle–a.k.a. the two words that you never want to have to use to describe your hair. I went to the store in search of a hydration spray & voila! I found this.

Note to self (and everyone reading this): Don’t use this on your hair unless it’s wet. I tried this when my hair was dry and it got super greasy. Make sure you spray a small amount on your ends & scalp right after showering.

Positives

• This is super inexpensive!
• It smells heavenly.
• It has readable, well-known ingredients. (Buh-bye chemicals)
• I feel like this mist really hydrates my hair. I definitely notice a difference when this is in my hair; it makes it more shiny & touchable, and smoother.

Negatives

• You have to use a tiny amount of the spray, or your hair will become really greasy.
• The smell is heavenly, like I said above, but it’s also strong, and the coconut smell made me slightly nauseous.

Have you tried this product or any other OGX products? I would love to know your thoughts if you have. Also, what’s your hair holy grail? Thank you for reading!

Ice Skating & Winter Wonderland Photography

Ye be warned: this post has a ton of pictures. Well, wishes do come true, apparently! (Or is it dreams?) A few days ago, the pond froze over and we were able to go ice skating. The ice was like glass, it was so smooth and perfect. The sun was shining, it wasn’t too cold outside…it was a beautiful day.

Charlie had fun too, apparently! He ran all around the pond barking at the neighbor’s dogs.

My eyes are a bit squinty–the sun was shining right in my eyes. Oops.

Today we got a ton of snow–it’s still snowing outside–and my fingers were itching to take some photos. My fingers were freezing, the wet snow was hitting my face…it was bliss. 😉 The fresh, crisp air felt amazing. I always feel so peaceful when I’m outside, especially when I’m in the woods behind our house.

These photos honestly don’t do justice to how beautiful it was!

I hope you enjoyed these photos! Thank you, as always, for reading! Have a great day y’all and be sure to grab some hot cocoa.