So Danielle and Mallory gave me these little awards! They both have great blogs, and you should definitely check them out :) Here are the rules:
1. Link back and thank the person that gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 5 recently discovered blogs.
4. Contact them and tell them about their award.
Seven Things:
I love reality tv. I'm a huge fan of Survivor and have watched since I was in 4th grade! I also love Top Chef and lots of other competition reality shows.
I'm an English major, and I love poetry and classic novels... but I also can't resist some chick lit or a magazine. I like it all!
I have freckly elbows.
My favorite food is goat cheese. I love food in general, and my mom is a chef!
I became interested in musical theater after seeing Spring Awakening a little over a year ago.
I look terrible in mint green! It's the worst possible color for me to wear.
Ok, I can't exactly do five blogs since I don't follow that many people. I'm just going to pass these on to ONE person.
Here you go, Patti from The Young And The Prepless!
I'm not naturally optimistic. I'm a worrier and I tend to plan for the worst. That's just part of who I am.
I decided to make the effort to be a more positive person after last semester. It was arguably the most difficult time I'd ever experienced and I was tired of being sad, tired of being angry and tired of thinking my future was bleak.
So I started using my tumblr as a place to encourage others and myself. I changed my view of things and started believing in myself. I stopped counting grievances and started counting blessings.
There are so many reasons to stay positive, but the best thing that has come out of it for me has been the responses from others. When I chose to wallow in my sadness, I felt guilty whenever anyone encouraged me or supported me. Now, I feel great. People like happy people, and that's just a fact. I've met more people and felt better about my friendships since starting to be more positive.
Before I go, here are a few things that I do to stay positive. Some of them are silly, but all of them work.
1. Keep a gratitude journal. This is something I've done in the past, and have decided I need to start again. Writing down things you're grateful for will help you reframe and focus on the positive. Fly Journal from Papaya
2. Above is a video of "Positive" from Legally Blonde the musical. This song gets stuck in my head all of the time. My advice to go with this song is to be silly. Being positive is FUN. If you're having a hard time--- fake it. You'll start to feel better when you decide to be happy, trust me. "Cheer-up, chin-up, It's time to bring a happy attitude" If nothing else works, try listening to show tunes. They always cheer me up :)
3. Help someone. This is an obvious one. Helping other people makes you feel happy. Volunteer with something you're passionate about. Help a friend get through a rough day. Just be there for someone. It will make you feel incredible.
4. Treat yourself. My great aunt once took me to get a mani/pedi after a hard day. She told me that I deserved to be happy and needed something nice. Since then, I've always remembered to take care of myself and spend a little time and money on making a bad day a little brighter. It doesn't have to be a mani/pedi by any means, but go ahead and treat yourself to something. You deserve it :)
5. Change your words. I've found that when I stop cursing and saying "that sucks" or other negative things all the time, I feel better. There are so many great words out there, why use
the same tired swear words? Most of them are really negative, anyway. I'm not saying that you have to stop cursing all together, I'm just saying that when you choose to use more positive words, your actions and attitudes will follow suit.
6. Celebrate. Our society tends to think that it's narcissistic to want to celebrate our successes. I say it's necessary. Make holidays out of everything you can, and celebrate the successes of all of your friends. If you do something awesome, you should enjoy it. It doesn't have to be expensive or extravagant, it just has to be fun. We don't celebrate enough, in my opinion.
How do you stay positive? Leave a comment with more ideas, I'd love to hear them :)
My mom says I grew up with good self-esteem. She tells a story about trying on swimsuits with me when I was eight. I picked out a strapless tankini with big, horizontal stripes across my tummy. Apparently, it was awful on me... but I didn't see it. I thought I looked awesome.
I'm lucky. I'm lucky that I didn't grow up hating my body. So many girls see tons of things they want to change when they look in the mirror, and I don't dwell on it. Sure, I've got my issues, but at the end of the day I'm alright with who I am.
It's been a little harder for me to keep up that good self esteem with all of my health issues. My skin is scarred from shingles, my arm is bandaged up with a picc line and my weight loss has been totally halted by a Crohn's flare. I rarely wear makeup or get out of sweats, and even showering is a huge hassle with my picc line. I don't feel like myself, or beautiful at all lately. Worst of all, I have to go swimsuit shopping for a cruise soon!
I'm not going to let this beat me. I am beautiful, and I shouldn't have to feel otherwise.
Here are a few things that are inspiring me to feel more beautiful, wonderful and fabulous every day.
This show is such an inspiration. Betty is beautiful because she is truly herself.
Whitney Thompson- America's Next Top Model Winner!
She's a size 14 and looks INCREDIBLE!
Songs that make me feel beautiful, perfect and a little like a "firework."
Yes, I included the Glee version ;)
Lea Michele is gorgeous and accepts her unique beauty:
“I was one of the only girls in my high school that didn’t get one,” Michele said. “And if anybody needed it, I probably did. But my mom always told me, growing up, ‘Barbra Streisand didn’t get a nose job. You’re not getting a nosejob.’ And I didn’t. That’s why I’m proud to be on a positive show and to be a voice for girls and say, ‘You don’t need to look like everybody else. Love who you are.’”
At the end of the day you're the only person who can make yourself feel beautiful. Accept who you are and love yourself. You deserve it!
So today my mom and I drove up to Asheville to tie up loose ends, eat at our favorite restaurant and shop a little bit. It's not too long of a drive, but every drive needs the perfect playlist. The one I created was really long, but it featured a lovely little artist called Mozella! She's been a favorite of mine for a long time, but I just bought her "The Love" EP. It's amazing, as all of her songs are! Here's her little section of my spring/summer playlist:
Once we got to Asheville, I went and make a very brief appearance at my old university to collect some mail and turn in my mailbox key. After that, it was off to LUNCH! We went to my favorite Asheville spot--- Tupelo Honey Cafe. The food is new southern and always delicious!
I ordered the incredible Eggs Betty and my mom got soup and salad. If you're ever in Asheville, you've got to go to Tupelo.
I haven't felt much like blogging since I've been so sick lately. The past few weeks have been a blur of the hospital and doctor visits and a lot of sleeping. Not exactly great blog material, right?
Well I'm going to try and channel some of the things I've learned about the art of staying in bed for a day (or too many days, in my case!)
So if you're sick or just needing a little staycation, here are a few of my favorite things:
Reading Wedge Pillow This pillow is a lifesaver. It doesn't look so cute here, but with the cover (which they'll monogram for free!) it's absolutely adorable. Mine is navy with my name in pink on it! It's a hugely supportive pillow and it's great for days in bed or late-night blogging sessions! I prefer the bigger pillow, but that's just me!
Netflix Watch Instantly is my BEST FRIEND. I love to find an old show that I've never watched and start from the pilot! Ugly Betty is my latest obsession--- such a sweet, funny show! The point is, Netflix is worth the $8 a month.
If I could eat this hand cream- I would. It helps to feel pampered and soft when you're sick. The little things make a big difference!
MAGAZINES! There's nothing like the sight of a magazine in the mailbox! If you don't subscribe to the insane amount of magazines that I do, try picking a few up at the grocery store and then treating yourself to a year of your favorite! Marie Claire is currently 3 years for $15!! I love reading from cover to cover in bed :)
The rest of what I have to offer is just a little advice: whether you're in bed for a serious illness or just a mental health day, take the time to relax and pamper yourself a little. Don't be afraid to splurge on something if it makes you happier! My great aunt once treated me to a mani-pedi after a bad (and very sick) day and told me that I deserved a treat. Whenever you're feeling sick or down, try and treat yourself a little. It doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to make you smile.
