Live Your Best Life Now
Wow! What a week so far. Texas has now adopted Michigan’s weather and Spring seems about a million years away. This week temperatures dropped to plunging degrees. I meaning lowest than they have been in decades. Being that I live in College Station, TX where a normal “Winter” is about three weeks and maybe includes an icy road here or there… this is our second snowfall to date this year. Apparently the week isn’t over and Winter isn’t either. With the power constantly going in and out, home internet being completely down and then a leak happening - my daughter and I decided to swipe on a little lipstick and spend the afternoon playing dress up. As the global pandemic continues to be a stressor, crazy weather patterns and so much uncertainty I realize now more than ever how important it is to make the most out of every single moment.
After having several conversations this past week with various friends I realized there is a common theme in our speech these days - when Covid is over, when the weather gets better, when it’s back to normal… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said this myself. The truth of the matter is that we don’t know when or if the world is going to go back to normal. In fact, we may need to accept the fact that it may never go back to normal. The world may forever be impacted by these changes and we have to be willing to pivot to the new life. Mental health issues are on the rise and I believe the longer we allow this impact to affect us, the harder its going to get. I believe we can live our best life now, not tomorrow, not next week, not next year - the power is in NOW.
I challenge you this week to do something that brings you joy. Plan a family vacation that’s socially distant. Bake something from scratch. Grab yourself the best skincare products you can get your hands on and then refresh your skincare regimen. Take long bubble baths and read books on actual paper instead of your phone. Make a bucket list for this year and start crushing each one off one by one. Collect memories so that no matter what life brings you your world is beautifully crafted. Most of all - don’t forget the next time you feel down to grab a swipe of lipstick and wear the dress.
Shop the Dress
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Five months ago Baby Max was born. Getting back into a fitness routine was a journey to say the least! For reference, I am 39 years old and gained 38 lbs in pregnancy. Had a natural birth with no medication or epidural at a birth center and went home the night I had Max. Did not even take ibuprofen...
This past year has amounted to an extreme amount of growth. Almost a year ago, I made the decision to go back to one-on-one counseling to sort out some stuff that was surfacing emotionally in my life. It was so hard, but I finally feel like I’m on the upswing and things are more manageable. It’s easy to make excuses in our lives for behaviors we did when we were not at our best. It’s also really easy to blame others for the things that went wrong. Ultimately, accepting full responsibility for my life has given me freedom and inner power I did not know a few years ago. I’m going to share with you today 10 Things I Learned this Year in hopes of inspiring you to rise above your current state of being into a higher version of yourself.
Happy New Year! I know we are already over a week into 2024, but I took some time over the first week to set intentions for the year. I hope each of you had an amazing time over the holidays and found ways to celebrate with your loved ones. Before fully moving into the new year I wanted to take a few minutes and highlight last year and share a little about my journey during 2023.
Insecurities are something we all have. Many of them were formed in childhood and then reinforced throughout our teenage and adult lives. For some of us the insecurity lies in our physical looks (here is a great post for how to have a better body image) but for others, our insecurities lie in feeling loved in our relationships. I’ve been going through intense therapy this year and we’ve been digging deep into my childhood, doing shadow work, and healing my inner child. I’ll share a few ways that therapy has helped me over this past year and what I’m currently working on.
First and foremost, I wanted to begin by thanking all of you for your sweet comments and encouragement. Each DM and comment you leave has truly filled my heart and I’m so thankful for you. The past couple of months have been beautiful and have also been a little bit of a roller coaster. We found out very early on in July that we were pregnant and it was a true shock for both Marshall and I. We are in our late thirties (I am 38 years old) and I did not see this coming. You can read more about our pregnancy announcement in this post but I wanted to share more insights for what I’ve actually been going through. It wasn’t easy. This is now my second pregnancy (I have a beautiful 14-year-old daughter) and it has been drastically different than the first time around.
Years ago I struggled with having an unhealthy viewpoint of my body. I grew up in an environment where I was oftentimes criticized about my body shape by one of my major role models and was told things like… “you have full thighs,” “if you keep eating cheese you’ll be fat…”, and “your derrière is big.”
Looking back at my pictures I was NOT ever at any point overweight as a child but I did have a different body shape than my younger sister. Of course, I would be different, I’m adopted. However, the critical words I heard regularly throughout my childhood burned into my mind and shaped an unhealthy thinking pattern.
Nothing in my life has been a product of chance. God gives us free will to walk the Earth and if we make a decision it has consequences one way or another. On March 22, 2019 I kissed alcohol goodbye for forever. I was at a place in my life where I was lost, miserable and completely heartbroken. It was at least a year of turmoil or more and I was in deep depression. Some of my friends will tell you I was a wreck. Others will tell you that they just couldn’t figure out what was going on. All I knew is that no matter what, the alcohol had to go. At that exact same time, I was in a relationship with someone who regularly drank and partied. I knew that I was on a path to sobriety but I had no idea the things I would be giving up when I made that rock bottom choice. Including that relationship and many more as the years would pass by.
A shirt designed to remind you that the best kind of party is a party you can remember. Slip this baby on for your next event or girl's night out and feel immediately empowered. This top is tight-fitting but still incredibly comfortable, and it hits just above the navel. Fits true to size.
Last weekend we met in Salado, Texas at Greenfield Coffee to catch up and shoot these incredible dresses from friends at Wneedu on Amazon. They sent us each a dress to share with you! We both picked out our colors to fit our own personalities. I chose a bold leopard colorway and Tiffany went with a beautiful shade of deep mauve. Great style is available for everyone. No matter what your age or body type you have when you walk with confidence in your own skin a new sense of style seems to follow. That’s one of the things I love about our conversations!
After a grueling weekend last week, I made a decision Saturday afternoon to do a 48-hour social media detox. Being a blogger and influencer comes with the price of constantly being on social media through posting content on multiple platforms, engaging with followers, and then responding in direct messages. It’s such an incredible way to create a space in the world but sometimes we all need a break. I desperately did. I started feeling a little out of touch with myself. I felt like I had a million things tugging at me and I was struggling with mindfulness. I put a quick plan together and then alerted my boyfriend and kiddo that I would be offline and intermittently checking my phone for the weekend. Here’s what I did in hopes to inspire you to take that much-needed downtime.
You deserve happiness. You deserve joy. You deserve to have a life filled with positivity. That’s the entire reason for my GLOW UP course which gives you a 60-day plan and a community of accountability partners to chat with as you continue to affirm yourself into your dream life!
Today I wanted to share the new cropped sweatshirt! It comes in mauve, dusty blue, and black. It’s designed to be lightweight enough for Spring and Summer months but also is the perfect amount of soft and cozy to slip on after a workout or when you are feeling like you need a little lift for your mood. I love the perfect shade of this one and how the cut shows off your hips and waist.
Sometimes we don’t need a long blog post, we just need a quick reminder and that’s just what I’m here to do for you. Remind you that you were created for something purposeful. You were created to shine a light on this world. You were created to shine. So go now…shine bright like a diamond.
Yes, you heard me. This boss babe right here is intentionally going slower in life. For the first time, ever. I’ve put extra time in between tasks. I’ve taken things off my to-do list. I’ve spent the last few months asking myself what is really important. I’ve gone inward to figure out my priorities. I’ve taken tons of time to journal, reflect and pray. The thing I’ve learned is that we can become addicted to anything including activity. Next time you are wondering what you should be doing with an extra five minutes? Breathe. Yep. Sit down and take 5 minutes to just breathe. I promise your entire life will change from implementing this one tactic. Your heart rate will be calmer. Your thoughts will be clearer. You will feel less rushed. You will be recharged.
It may be February and I’m a minute late to the game but better late than never. As I realize the Earth’s energy is going to keep speeding up I’ve given myself so much more grace for emotions to roll in and out. For the first time in most of my life I am allowing every emotion to surface, be categorized and processed and then released. It hasn’t been an easy process but it is leading me to more vitality.
The thing is… sometimes we have to have emotional lows to get back to the highs. It’s a contrast. When we have to let go of something really big in life oftentimes we are left with an emptiness. That emptiness takes time to refill. So what can you do?
I’ve been told my whole life I needed to slow down. A life of 12 cities in my first 17 years as a military brat conditioned me to feel like I always had to keep moving. I kept up that pattern in my 20’s and 30’s.
It didn’t matter where I lived, the maximum I could stay anywhere was 2 years before feeling like I needed to switch… switched companies I worked for, switch positions, switch challenges, switch homes…
Some of you experienced a life of constant movement and chaos. You know the feeling I’m describing. It was a need to constantly take on something more because I felt empty. And I longed to feel at home… but nothing was home. It felt like each job, location, and each overcome challenge felt like I was putting clothes on that weren’t me.
The past few months have been by the far the most transformative months in my life. I wrote a little about the past three years in my last post, but the past few months have grown in a new light. I reached a point where the universe gave me the opportunity to pair up with someone and grow with them. In the course of this healing process, I broke free from generational ties, and limiting beliefs and began doing exactly what I loved every single day. I believe that what we attract, we get. I believe that you can have the life of your dreams. I believe that the universe supports you when you give love. I believe that the greatest of all the gifts we receive is the power to go within. I also believe that you can have, be and do anything given enough time and resources.
It will include how to get your glow back through a variety of methods - nourishing, rest, affirmation, and more. You will walk away with a better outlook and tools to help you roll into the holidays with your inner glow! Cannot wait to see you there
Are you feeling stuck? I understand. I’ve been there several times throughout my life. Sometimes I was facing a blockage that needed to be cleared and other times I had resistance. I’ve found one thing to be true in both situations. If you feel stuck, time to work on yourself. Look to your daily habits, what you are feeding yourself and how much joy you are experiencing. The thing is, we all get off track sometimes. We all have dips and valleys in life. It’s what makes the high points so pleasurable. If you are lacking glow right now, here are five ways to get it back. PS - I recently shared these on Facebook in a quick video!
Three and a half years ago I decided I was willing to give up anything I had to to make my life better. I was no longer willing to let a single excuse get in the way of being the best version of myself. It was like I just couldn’t go on another day being chained to the things I had been chained to. So, I quit drinking alcohol and dove to the depths of my soul to figure things out. I completely surrendered. It was the hardest thing I ever did.
I’ve been on a conquest to get to the root of my being. For the past few months, I took time throughout each day for inward reflection… Constantly asking myself if what I am currently doing is what will lead me to the highest version of myself. I examined forward and backward each small habit, every conversation I would partake in, and each movement I would choose to make. We are a sum of all the little choices we make throughout the day. Our character is a combination of actions we choose. After years of feeling obligated to do certain things, have certain jobs, and run what you would consider the rat race I decided I couldn’t do it anymore. My soul just needed more.
I believe the world is a giant playground filled with magical corners. I believe heaven lies in running through a sunflower field at sunset, floating on the river with people you love, and being able to take long sunset drives with someone special.
Do you journal? I do! I use it to help process emotions, list ideas for the future and things I’m grateful for. I’ve been journaling for years and it has completely changed my life and mindset. If you are struggling to journal, that’s okay! Try this to get started…
It doesn’t have to run your life. You have options! Look towards the light. Remember that anxiety is a dive into lower vibrations.
We have to have lower feelings to understand how positive we can feel.
The mind can be a battlefield. If you’ve ever experienced a panic attack you know firsthand what mental hell is like. In my late twenties and early thirties, I had panic attacks all the time. I mean on the daily and oftentimes multiple times a day. I would freeze and feel like I couldn’t drive my car. I didn’t want to go very many places for fear of getting overstimulated. Being extroverted this felt really difficult. I was torn between what my soul and body wanted to do every day. I needed to bring my body out of fight or flight but being stuck at home to do so in a calm environment was torture in itself because then I was alone with my thoughts. Over time I would get therapy and begin working on training my brain to focus on new things. I would learn different coping techniques that were not full proof but would oftentimes get the job done. It took work. Each day I’d start going down the same worry wormholes and I’d spend time and energy pulling myself out. I figured some of you might be dealing with this, too. Here are three coping tools you can use when you go down a negative mental path:
Wow! I cannot believe it’s been almost two weeks since I wrote the last post on here. It’s been kind of a blur. Something really life-changing took place last week and created a positive shift in my life. I’ll be sharing more about the experience in the coming weeks, but one thing I’ve learned is to take some time to the first process. That’s exactly what I did yesterday. I took a few hours and went a few miles to clear my head and combat the stress I was feeling. Stress is stress even if it’s positive. When big things in life hit, give yourself a little breathing room. It’s okay. You don’t have to have all the answers. You’ll be able to work things out, but for now just process. I loaded up my backpack with water and snacks, grabbed my boots, and set off with my Mojo coffee in hand for an afternoon of getting lost in nature. It was so healing! Every time I do this, I come back as a better human being.
When this blog was initially created, I set out to share the magic that happened in my life on a daily basis. I had no idea at the blog would become my life story a decade later. I seek every single day to find magical moments. Life is busy. There’s so much happening. Slowing down in the mornings and evenings has given me the ability to discover more magic. Sometimes it’s how the sky lights up at sunset on a walk with the cool breeze blowing across the grass. Sometimes it’s the light wind rustling in trees and the way they look like pieces of lace overlapping one another against a blue background. Sometimes it’s the giggles of my daughter or the jokes we make on our drives together. Seeking magic every day is what makes life sweeter. Here are a few ways to make each day special…
Time is precious. It’s the one form of currency we cannot get back. Over the past few years, I’ve grown to be more and more intentional with how I spend my time. Taking out and saying no to activities that are energy draining. Spending time doing the things that bring me joy. Intentionally carving out special moments with people I love and care about. As I’ve done this day after day I realize most days I am living a dream I had years ago. Back in 2017, I went through a period of life that was incredibly trying. During that time I remember having a vision where I spent my time as much as possible in nature and traveling to see things I love. It was a peaceful vision. I’m happy to report that five years later much of my free time is spent doing just that. If you want your life to change, start taking small daily steps towards that life. Here are ways to build your dream life every day.
The past six months of my life have been emotionally challenging. Postpartum combined with several joyful life changes left me feeling like I had new roles to step into and the pressure was high. Right before my husband and I had our baby we made the decision to start a new business. From the outside it looked like I had it together, but the next few months would unveil a completely different side of me that I wasn’t prepared to deal with.