the season to be kind to everyone (including yourself)

Yes, those would be my super-duper white legs on the abductor machine at the rec center. 

Yesterday I went to the gym and had a little...I don't even really know what to call it. Call me crazy, but I had a little conversation with myself in my head.

Just the average day at the gym with Daniel... (he's a total workout/ health nut) and I wasn't feeling very motivated. That was, until I saw HER.

I had absolutely no clue who this girl was, but I didn't need to. Just looking at her was enough to know her personality. The girl was toned, tanned, blonde, poised, and pretty much any other desirable physical trait you could want. And the girl carried herself like she knew it. Not in a cocky, look-at-me fashion, but she definitely had confidence and was sure of herself. She walked around that gym like she had just as much right to be using those machines as the other buff guys did. And you know what? I instantly LOATHED her.

Here starts the conversation in my head part. "Look at that girl, acting like she's hot stuff, walking around like she owns the place and thinks she's better than any other female in here.  Pshhhhtt, look at how tan she is. Fake baker! And look at those calves, she must not have anything better to do than go to the gym!" Yeah, really harsh and bratty of me, I know.

There I sat on my mat to do some crunches just mentally ripping this girl that I didn't know to shreds. And my fiery thoughts motivated me to be better than her. But the more I watched her walk around, the more a conclusion dawned on me.

I didn't dislike her muscular calves or tanned skin. I disliked my tone-lacking calves and pasty skin. And even worse, I disliked my lack of self confidence.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not some self-despising female who feeds off of hatred for other seemingly "more perfect" gals. I feel pretty good about myself most days, but yesterday something in me was lacking, and I chose to take it out on this poor girl (well, mentally).

And then another thought came to me. Why should I instantly dislike someone because she has a  trait that I don't? I may not be a gym buff, and she is. But maybe I can play piano, and the girl has never picked up an instrument in her life. And I'm sure she has some insecurity with herself, just like me. And I'm sure she loves something about herself too, as do I (I don't like my legs, but I love my long hair). And that's okay. That's normal! But no matter what we love/dislike about ourselves, those features make us unique! You might hate your freckles or something else, but they make you YOU! And I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. Different times I'll get a blemish on my cheek and I remark on how I hate it. Daniel always tells me that he thinks it looks like I have rosy cheeks...he says it seems so me to have rosy cheeks and he loves that about me. I also have this little cluster of freckles on the back of my arm that isn't exactly my favorite, but my sister loves it and tells me it's cute. I would have never picked that out to be an outstanding trait of mine, but she did! It's something that's mine and mine only. America's Next Top Model may have million dollar legs, but she doesn't have that freckle spot on the back of her arm. I may be no model, but then again, no model will ever be me!

So whoever is reading this, you are beautiful. Don't ever forget that:)

coconut hair don't care

I have been feeling extra DIY lately...

My mottoes as of this week have been, "Why buy it when you can make it yourself?" and "Why take the expensive route when you can do it cheaply?" Not to say that I'm not a crafty person, but this week I've really been in the mood for it.

So, I've been wanting to buy/try a deep restorative hair mask. I have naturally curly/frizzy hair that I straighten and abuse like nobody's business. Plus my hair is halfway down my back (and I'm not the queen of getting a trim like I should) so you can imagine the split ends and damage. After hearing about the wonders of a coconut oil treatment I decided to give it a whirl.

I was a little unsure about coating my hair in oil...I'm usually trying to do the opposite (I'm notorious for skipping one hair washing day too many and then showering my hair in dry shampoo...oops). But I had time (and a new Cosmo mag to read) so I figured if it got a little too greasy I could salvage it. 

So here's what I did:

1) I started with organic virgin coconut oil. (I actually had this in my kitchen cabinet, but I believe it can be purchased at a heath food store) I ran hot water over the jar to soften it.

2) Once it became a liquid I applied it to my dry hair. I've heard different methods about applying it when it's dry vs. when it's wet, but since I hadn't showered yet I just applied it to my dry, just-brushed hair. I've also heard various amounts that you should add, but I used enough to coat my hair. From root to tip, my hair looked wet with oil (At this point I asked Dan what he would think of me if I let my hair get like that from not washing it...he just gave me "that face" haha).

3) Once my hair was saturated, I piled it up into a plastic processing cap, and turned on the blow dryer to warm up my scalp. This helps to open the cuticle of your hair and really let the oil go to work (so I've read). I only did this long enough to make my scalp feel warm to the touch.

4) I let it sit for a little over an hour. You can do a really intense overnight treatment, (which I intend to try sometime) but I planned to shower at night so this was my best option.

5) After the hour passed, I showered and shampooed twice. I could still feel a bit of the oily texture in the shower even after I shampooed once. Two times seemed to do the trick.

Unfortunately, I don't have an after-photo. But I will say this, my hair was DEFINITELY softer. Plus it really gave my hair a great shine. I'm excited to keep up with this regimen once a week and see the long term effects! Plus it was easy because with hair cap you can pretty much do anything while the oil sets (except going out in public, it's not exactly the latest in hair accessories ;)). And it sure beats spending loads of money on an expensive treatment! And I'm all about that!

picture this

Ok, I'm going to start off by bragging a little. I am SO ahead of the game right now with my Christmas shopping. As in, I have most of my gifts shopped for AND wrapped (that happened last night with a Sparkling Snow candle burning by my side) and tied up with ribbon. Yay! I have a few gifts to buy yet and then I'm done! 

Due to my not-procrastinating, I decided to be a little crafty and try my hand at personalizing a picture frame. It's a project I've seen spread across Pinterest, and always thought it was cute but never had an occasion or the time to try it.

I had one of those moments where I KNEW my game plan for making this thing. I didn't need to look back at those directions online for help (haha yeah right). So I Mod Podged my frame with cute scrapbooking paper, hacked and slashed with my Exacto knife, struggled to put the darn thing back together (scatterbrained moment, don't ask) and then took a step back to look at my work.

Ehh...It was alright....

But not something I would feel fully proud of giving away as a gift. Yeah, it would have suited me, but the edges were a little rough and cut crooked. It looked more 4th grade classroom project than Pottery Barn treasure. So I decided to try again (and I gave Dan a nice new frame for his room :)).

After more crafting, sighing, throwing a mini tantrum (yes, by this point I was getting very frustrated), I finally finished.

This time around, I embellished my frame with paper flowers and buttons. It still needs a little sanding and tender loving care, but I'm pretty satisfied with the final result. Is it something I'd do again? Maybe, if I have another occasion, the time, and a LOT more patience :)

a little weekend cheer...

I woke up with a case of the Fridays. Or rather, I went to sleep last night with a case of the Fridays. You know, that feeling when all you want is for it to be 4 o'clock (or whenever your weekend truly begins), and that's the only thing standing between you and relaxing!

Plus it's as dreary as can be over here on the East Coast. All I wanted (besides the weekend to be here!) at work was a hot drink to get me through my morning. 

Last night, when I was in that barely-awake-but-not-quite-asleep state of mind I had an idea. I created my own little recipe for a little holiday treat for myself.

This morning I filled my coffee tumbler 3/4 of the way full with coffee. Then I added:

4 creamy peppermints (the smooth kind that dissolve fast)

A teaspoon of hot cocoa mix 

A splash of chocolate milk (replacing plain white milk/creamer)

I mixed it all together with a spoon and gave the peppermints a couple of minutes to dissolve. I must say I was pretty impressed with myself. Chock one up for my pure genius-ness ;)

It's no Starbucks, but hey, it sure brightened my morning! Such a season-appropriate drink too! I should have listened to Christmas music while sipping :)

all my love is for you.

I love this handsome guy with my whole heart, soul, being. He inspires me to be the best person I can be, and he makes me and my heart smile and laugh like no other. I couldn't imagine my life without him.

That is all for today:)