{Showered With Love}

My bridal shower was the most prettiest bridal shower ever because it was so outdoors and included lots of flowers, candles, lace, and most importantly, books! The girls know how much I love books so they made my shower book themed. I was blown away at how beautiful everything was and at how many girls came to share my happiness with me. I am still speechless from the countless blessings in my life. I will forever remember this day as a happy one where I got to be with those that love me and be showered with love from everyone. Everything was so beautiful, the food was amazingly delicious, and the girls were gorgeous! Thank you each and every one of you for attending and spending time with me before I move away. Also, a great big thank you to my bridesmaids for putting so much time and effort into making it a dream come true! I don't know how I could ever repay you for all that you have done. I love you girls!

love this idea

how cute is this little setup?

some of the many beautiful gifts

the favors were so precious

mmmm yummy

I love them all

even my little sister made it

the fabulous moms

{You're Beautiful Just the Way You Are}

Over the years as I was growing up I have been battling with self-confidence issues. I never felt like I was beautiful or even pretty, maybe just cute on my good days. But the majority of the time I was self-conscious about my appearance and did not feel confident in my own skin at all. I would always have something very mean to say about my appearance especially regarding my weight and face. I never felt comfortable and would always call myself "fat" or "ugly". This past year I have been learning just how wrong I am. Every time I say something like purely out of habit I cringe on the inside. I am so sad that I have grown up thinking negatively about myself and for not thanking God for all that He has done for me. He created me healthy; I have legs and arms that work, eyes that see, ears that hear and I have forgotten to stop and thank Him for all of that. Instead I was hurting Him by calling myself, His creation, all sorts of mean names. I am so embarrassed by my actions and am regretting all of the words I said. I want to take them all back because what I should have been doing the whole time was praising and glorifying God for His love and grace.

I have realized just how beautifully God has created me and how thankful I should be to Him that He created me that way. I want to encourage each and one of you to stop and think about the things we have been hating on and upset about and rethink them all. I want each one of us to stop and think and make a list (be it on a paper or in our minds) about all the amazing things God gave us. Think about all of those people out there that are blind, deaf, missing limbs, starving, tortured, beaten and thank God for our own lives. We are truly blessed and so lucky. Never forget that no matter how you look, it was God who created you and you are beautiful to Him because you are His creation. Stop and think that before you go on to say how ugly or fat you are. It has definitely changed in my life. I have decided to honor the temple that is my body by treating it right and taking care of it. I eat right and participate in a healthy lifestyle and love my body!

{ Beauty & Health- Did You Know?}

Did you know that sugar is a better exfoliater than salt?
The reason for this is that it's more gentle so it doesn't tear the skin. Dead skin cells need to be scrubbed off regularly so grab 2 Tbsp sugar and 3 Tbsp warm water and mix it until sugar melts, then apply gently to face and scrub. Rinse with warm water.

Did you know that coffee can be used not to only wake up your body, but also your skin?
Coffee masks are a popular thing because coffee has the magic stuff that seems to decrease the puffiness in the face and brighten your complexion!
Mix this mixture up in your own kitchen and see your face change from a dull color to a clean shiny color within minutes:
4 Tbsp of any kind of coffee that you have on hand
4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
8 Tbsp dairy product (your choice of milk, yogurt, etc.) Optional substitute: egg or olive oil
2 Tbsp honey (for dry skin) or lemon juice (if you have oily skin)

Did you know that an average human being loses about 40 to 100 strands of hair per day?

Did you know that laughter reduces stress?

Did you know that it's possible to die from a broken heart? There is even a medical term for it, Stress Cardiomyopathy.

Hope you enjoyed these little tidbits of information and I will be back with more some other time. For now take care and enjoy the last few weeks of summer vacation! 

Stay Smart...