Note To Self

Sometimes I manage to get so wrapped up in my "To Do" and "Things That (I Think) REALLY REALLY Need To Get Done" lists that I forget to just relax. We all do. Today is one of those days where the stresses of every day life just pile up on top of me and I feel like crumbling. Almost as though I've been on auto-pilot for the past 2 weeks and forget to feel things haha 

Today I'm allowing myself a break. I plan on enjoying my anniversary with my sweet mister (dating anniversary!), and playing baseball with my little dude in the park. I'm not doing myself (or anyone for that matter) any favors by pushing forward when I've hit a wall.

Whether it's today, tomorrow or a week down the road, if you're feeling stressed or "over it", treat yourself well and take a break. Sometimes all it takes is one afternoon of carefree action. Reading a book, taking a walk, whatever. Here's to hoping it amps me up for tomorrow and reminds you to treat yourself. :)

(image via.)

Feel Good Stuff

It's been a long time since I did a little "feel good" inspirational round-up on the blog, but I just woke up feeling awesome today. Our little family slept in a little later than normal, and I'm well on my way to a wee bit too much coffee for one day, but I am in such a good mood! I'm throwing today's scheduled blog post to the side and scouring some of my favorite Pinterest boards for some lovely words of wisdom to share with you. What good is happiness if you don't share with others? Hopefully these will put a pep in your step, too!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

I'm a total sucker for positive quotes, photos and manifestos. There's no denying that! If you like posts like this, let me know! I'd love to throw them back into the regular mix of things. Hope you're having a happier day now! xo

The Optimist Creed

The Optimist Creed by Christian D. Larson is one of my favorite writings, so I recently whipped up a little black and white poster for my cork board in my office. It's perfect for a Monday morning. I think you might enjoy it, too! (If you prefer a white-on-black version, click here! I can also provide the hi-res copies if you want to print it out.)

Have a great day, friends! xo

30 Day Detox: Up To Speed!

Hello honeybees! How's Thursday for everyone?! Today is officially "Day 11" for me in the 30 Day Detox challenge! It may be your 11th, 6th, 1st or merely the beginning of the idea for you and that's perfectly fine and acceptable! In fact, it's recommended! I was so tickled that so many of you were on board to banish the negative and start treating ourselves with the respect we deserve! Since I've finished the first 1/3 of the challenge, I thought it might be good to reflect back on what all has happened since taking the pledge!

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Positive Mind: While "unfortunate" or negative things do still happen, I find that by not tweeting about it or dwelling on it, the feeling passes much quicker. If I'm to tweet something negative then someone will reply to it and thus it spirals into a conversation about that negativity, whether it be that they agree with me or are trying to offer up some sweet words. By not putting those thoughts into someone else's mind, it's much easier to move on from it all together. I still get cut off in traffic. I still get rude cashiers in the market, but when it's all said and done, they're merely a tiny tiny fraction of my day. Why not focus on the brilliant instead, yes? Yes!

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Positive Body: I have successfully given up all soda products thus far! 11 days in and I'm feeling great. I'm not even the slightest bit tempted by diet cokes anymore! My water intake fluctuates every day but at this moment I'm currently 50 ounces into my daily water and it's only 1pm! One of my goals was to reduce my sugar intake to almost nothing but that was derailed after day 1 but to make up for it, I've been removing one item from my available foods every so often and that's proving much more successful than just quitting something cold turkey. I'd like tortilla chips to make their way off of my menu but they are my vice! Undeniably delicious! I have removed queso dip though! It's a step in the right direction! And while I'm not one to use table sugar in anything, I am a fan of Splenda... and we all know that Splenda is pretty much the devil himself. Instead, I opted to try the Truvia sweetener stuff (ew!) and Agave Nectar (yum!). My new favorite breakfast is oatmeal with agave! My new favorite snack is a Fuji apple straight from the fridge! Something about cold apples is just splendid. I've also marked of "Hot Yoga" on my 23 before 24 list! I started a hot yoga class last night and boy oh boy, it was rough! I've never sweated so much in my life! My body isn't used to the insane heat yet so it'll be a few classes before I can make it the whole 75 minute session without lying down. I'm still determined! After the full month I'll be good to go in regular yoga classes at the Y! I'm heavily increasing my water intake for that class seeing as it's so grueling.

I'm hoping to find that doing this yoga will help me become slightly less introverted as well. I'm not quite sure what has happened to me over the past handful of years but I've become much more shy and standoff-ish. I was always quite comfortable with being very extroverted and out there in high school, etc, but hopefully this will make me a little less awkward in social situations.

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How about you?! How has your 30 Day Detox challenge proven?! I'd love to read and share your stories and experiences! I loved reading all of your initial posts so I'm sure you've come quite a ways because the Twitter feed (#30DayDetox) is blowing up and full of so much motivation and inspiration! If you write about your journey thus far, please leave a link in the comments and I'll try to come back to this post and include them all at the end!

Do you have any awesome tips, tricks or suggestions when it comes to the Detox? How do you handle negative thoughts? What are your favorite snacks and healthy treats for yourself? Got some awesome recipes you wanna share! Chime in below, sweet bees!

If you haven't taken the 30 Day Detox challenge and you're interested in it, feel free to CLICK HERE to read all about it and snag the button for yourself! xo

Right On Time

today is a new day. started with a new (brilliant!) cup of coffee. new kisses on the face of my future husband. new cuddles with my favorite furry girls. new tasks on the to-do list. new things to be grateful for. new friends to meet. and new adventures to seek.

today is a new day and i am excited!

happy wednesday, honeybees! 

i hope this is the best wednesday yet! xo

Be magical!

Be magical. Be inspired. Be inspiring. Be ambitious. Be bold. Be excited. Be beautiful. Be honest. Be charming. Be impressed. Be impressive. Be sweet. Be kind. Be courteous. Be gentle. Be awesome.

Believe in magic. Believe in love. Believe in unicorns. Believe in fairy dust. Believe in second chances. Believe in fate. Believe in yourself.

Eat pancakes at 8pm. Drink milkshakes at 3am. Ride with the windows down and the music up. Sing along to all songs, even the ones you don't know (make up the words as you go!). Love everyone. Blow bigger bubbles. Hug a stranger. Enrich your life.

In order to live a charmed life, you must make one! Here are some inspiring images to make you want to be your best! xo

♥ ( via weheartit ) ♥

The Power of Positive...

Yesterday I had a bad day. It started bad. It was bad before midnight even rolled around and Monday it became. I found myself not being able to fall asleep until well after 3am. Leaving me with very little sleep and of course I spent the major part of work falling asleep at my desk. It was worsened by the internet shorting out and not being able to get work done. And then I come home to find Anon getting riled up about a misinterpretation of my words. It just wasn't a good day. But the amazing thing is that that was yesterday. And today is a brand new day. I cozied into bed last night, got a wonderful night's sleep, and woke up feeling like a new person. I truly regret letting something as silly as miscommunication get under my skin, but I also realize that I am human, and as a human, I have feelings that I sometimes can't let go, and I reacted in a way that I'm not ashamed of. BUT, I didn't have to bring it to my blog and put it on your shoulders. Even when something goes wrong, I shouldn't fluff it up and give it more attention by bringing it to this platform because even though I adore every last one of you, some of you are like me... you stick up for people even when you're not involved. It warms my heart that some of you want to fight for me against a nasty anon, but that isn't your place, and I don't want to put you in that position. So rather than focus on the negative anymore, I'm doing an overhaul! For the next seven days, I will not blog or tweet a single negative thing. Got a headache? Take some medicine. Rip my tights? Look at it as a new way to wear them. You get back what you put into the world. Positive vibes reaps positive rewards.

I realize seven days isn't a long time, but I know that I do better with short term goals. When day 7 rolls around, I'll try to tack 7 more days onto it. Or a month. Either way, I'm going to practice what I preach and stay positive always.

I get asked a lot about how I manage to change my mood and just look at the bigger picture. Well, you've seen how I sometimes fail at it, so now let me share the way in which I succeed. Positive affirmations! Positive quotes! Positive photos! It's simple really... so now I'm going to share with you some of my favorites from my stash (I have a lot!)

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"The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity." - benjamin franklin

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." - w. clement stone

"It is important that you recognize your progress and take pride in your accomplishments. Share your achievements with others. Brag a little. The recognition and support of those around you is nurturing." -rosemarie rossetti

"Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right; decide on what you think is right and stick to it."

"Persons are judged to be great because of the positive qualities they possess, not because of the absence of faults."

"If you think about disaster, you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience." - swami viekananda

"The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible."

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." - herm albright

"You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination." - ralph marston

Do you have any positive affirmations or quotes that you try to live by? What helps turn your mood around? Certain type of music? A certain song? Let's hear 'em! 

xoxo