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Display Date:
02/20/2012 (All day)
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Hey everyone! It's Amy here today to introduce self-love challenge #3. We hope you've been enjoying our little self-love revolution and that you've taken some time this month to love yourself! You can see challenge #1 here and #2 here.
This week's challenge is all about being our own best friend. We are always telling our friends how great they are and sending thank you notes to those we care about. But how often do we take the time to tell ourselves that we're awesome? Probably never, and this week, we're going to change that!
I know, I know--it sounds so silly! But I promise it can be a very therapeutic exercise if you just roll with it.
What we want you to do this week is visit FutureMe.org and write your future self a little love note. This website will help you write the letter and then schedule a date in the future to email it to yourself. You can send your love letter tomorrow, next week, next month, next year--whenever you think you might need a little reminder to love yourself! You'll totally forget about it and then get a nice little love note in your inbox on a day when you might just need a little boost of self-esteem.
What should you include in your letter? Whatever you want! Here are some things I included in my love letter to myself:
-Everything I've accomplished in 2012 so far
-Everything I love about my physical self
-Things I love about my mental self
-Words of encouragment for the upcoming year
-Words of gratitude for everything I can do physically--run, dance, see, etc.
-A list of everything I love at the moment and a reminder to always make time for hobbies
Write whatever you want and go crazy with all kinds of positive self admiration and then schedule it and see just how much a love letter to yourself can make your day.
What will you include in your love letter?
Display Date:
02/13/2012 (All day)
Hey everyone! It's Amy again, and today I've got challenge #2 for you! If you're new here, let me explain: each week throughout the month of February, we're going to offer you a self-love challenge--something easy you can do to show yourself that you're worth it and encourage you to give yourself some much-needed love and care. You can view the first challenge here as well as sign the self-love pledge here. Now to this week's challenge!
That's right--this week it's all about digging that crazy dress out of your closet that you've been dying to wear but haven't had the guts to do it. Put on some red lipstick, some crazy shoes, or whatever it is you've always felt like you couldn't "pull off" and work it!
I can't tell you how much I hate when girls say "I just can't pull it off." I'm a firm believer that there's no such thing as pulling it off. If YOU like it and YOU feel good in it, then that's all that matters.
Take a second to think about why you haven't worn that bold-colored dress yet or why you haven't worn red lipstick--you're afraid of what people might think of you, right? But what if just once you decided to not care what others think about what you're wearing? Would it be the end of the world? Probably not. And honestly, if they really think what you're wearing is stupid, then who cares--you don't want to be their friend anyway, know what I'm saying?
So this week, we encourage you all to go crazy, put together an insane outfit, and wear it with pride! It works if you work it. And to kick it all off, here's a crazy outfit I wore recently. I've always been afraid of pattern mixing, but after reading Elizabeth's post on the subject, I decided I better get real and try it out! It was bold, it was crazy, and you know what? I loved it and just went with it.
Now it's your turn! Wear something daring this week and let us know how it went! What have you always wanted to wear but just haven't had the courage to go for it? A pair of heels? Bright lipstick? A daring vintage dress? Tell us! And if you blog about it, leave the link below! We'd love to see you working it. :)
Display Date:
02/06/2012 (All day)
Hey everyone! It's Amy back again, here to introduce you to our month of self-love challenges. Each week throughout the month of February, we're going to offer you a self-love challenge--something easy you can do to show yourself that you're worth it and encourage you to give yourself some much-needed love and care. So here we go! Self-love challenge #1 is...
This week it's all about taking the time to pamper yourself--taking a little bit of girl time to relax and do something nice for yourself because you deserve it. It's far too easy to get caught up in the daily grind and not do anything for yourself, but I've found that if you just take a tiny block of time that's ONLY for you, it makes a whole world of difference. Need some ideas on how to pamper yourself? Try out some of these awesome nail DIYs!
Or you could make your own lip gloss using this tutorial from Maie Dae. I did this for Christmas gifts last year and it turned out great! It's super easy, too.
You could make yourself some homemade sugar scrub and enjoy a nice bath using this tutorial from Homemade Ginger.
Or you could make yourself a heart sweatshirt using this tutorial I did last year. It's super easy and you can use thrifted sweatshirts, making it super cheap, too!
Whatever you decide to do, take the challenge and do something nice for yourself this week! What's your favorite thing to do to show yourself a little love? My personal favorite is enjoying a big fat sugar cookie. Yeah baby!
Display Date:
02/15/2012 (All day)
I am loving the idea behind the Self Love Revolution that newest member of Blowfish, Amy started and blogged about last week! Not only should Valentine's Day be a time to celebrate your loved ones, but also to celebrate yourself, and love yourself. Spreading a positive self-image & self-awareness is definitely an amazing thing for this month of love, so thought I'd start with some self-love too by sharing quotes I find truly inspiring.
1) "You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love & affection." - Buddha
2) "We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light." - Mary Dunbar
3) "What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
4) "Don't worry about growing older or pleasing others. Please yourself." - David Brown
5) "I was once afraid of people saying, 'Who does she think she is?' Now I have the courage to stand and say, 'This is who I am.'" - Oprah Winfrey
- Kathleen
Display Date:
01/25/2012 (All day)
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Hello, everyone! My name is Amy, and I'm the new blog outreach coordinator for Blowfish. I'm wildly tickled to be here, and I'll be contributing to the Blowfish blog quite often from here on out. I'm feeling pretty pumped to party it up with all of you, so get ready to live--Blowfish style. Yeah baby!
Just so you don't feel like you're interacting with a stranger, here are a couple of things about me. You know, so we can get nice and cozy up in this party!
-I currently reside in the heart of Salt Lake City, UT.
-I'm a 24-year-old cat lady addicted to all things vintage, thrifty, and cat-related. I'm a recent sewing addict with more heart than skill, and most of the time the things I sew turn out horribly.
-I am vintage obsessed. I actually have to put myself on a strict thrift store regimen so I don't land on the TV series Hoarders, which you may have seen. No joke.
-I love writing but secretly know that deep down inside design will always trump the pen. But seriously, though, not really. Writing is my first and probably only true love.
-I own a 1984 Westfalia Vanagon. We take it on road trip adventures unparalleled by Kerouac himself. Someday I will regret saying that I love this Westy more than I will ever love my children. That's not a lie. During spring and fall you'll find lots of posts about our excursions in the Westy. She's kiiiiind of like our first born. Here's a picture of her so you can get nice and acquainted:
-I love music more than is socially acceptable. I own a record player that is starting to change colors where I hug it so much. No really. I love it that much. I listen to music 23 out of every 24 hours. And that's not an exaggeration.
-Lastly, I spend most of my spare time being a silly blogger over at A is for Ampersand. Come and visit sometime! It's sometimes a party, too.
So there you have it. Amy in a nutshell. I'm so happy to meet all of you, and I'm stoked to see you around here often. And in the meantime, I want to get to know you! Leave your blog link in the comments below and say hello! I'd love to meet you.
Display Date:
01/27/2012 (All day)
Some inspiration for upcoming seasons like Spring and Summer! What are some of the things that inspire you?
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Display Date:
01/06/2012 (All day)
I've been seeing tons of people's resolutions around the web this week, and all the positive energy is really inspiring. I already shared my goal of living with no regrets and actually pursuing my dreams instead of just dreaming them. I made a list recently of habits that I'd like to develop...they're not really resolutions in the traditional sense, but just things that I think would make my life happier. I think they're fairly reasonable and achievable, so I wanted to share them with you! I've also found a few articles recently that have got me all inspired, so I'm sharing those too!
Elise's Good Living Guidelines
1. Leave work on time and don't do too much work at home!
[I am so invested in this job that I get crazy stressed and can't leave work at work. It's taking over my life though, so I need to keep myself in check!]
2. Exercise daily - EVEN if it's just for 5 minutes.
[I am usually too hard on myself and don't see the point in exercising if it's not going to be a thorough workout. But limiting myself like this does not help me develop a good fitness habit!]
For TONS of good tips on developing one, check out this Zen Habits post!
3. Journal daily
[It clears my mind IMMENSELY! Also I've started working on The Artists Way, a book to help you rediscover your creativity, as recommended by the awesome Amy. She wrote about it in an awesome post about staying inspired on the MaieDae blog here.]
[**SIDE NOTE: If anyone else wants to grab their own copy of The Artists Way and join us as we work on the weekly projects, PLEASE DO! We're trying to get a little book club formed to keep each other on track! Just hit me up on Twitter @BlowfishShoes if interested!**]
4. Work on art/creative projects [15 minutes daily hopefully!]
5. Watch less TV! Listen to more music! Explore new music!
6. Spend one night a week with friends, and reserve one night a week for date night.
[I've found that if we don't keep this in mind and make it a point to schedule BOTH, Logan and I slide either into being hermits or into having friends over 24/7 and never getting a break.]
7. Cook real food and cut down on sugar.
[My body is not happy with what I've been feeding it. I also want to start cooking food at home to take to work during the week!]
[For the ultimate inspiration on cooking for wellness, check out Sarah Wilson's blog. She's totally amazing. I'm a fan of these posts:
17 of My Best Cooking Tricks for Real Wellness
I Quit Sugar Program: Let's Start]
8. Remember that EVERYTHING will be ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's just not the end yet. :)
Just keep in mind:
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xoxoxoxoxoxo LOVE YOU ALL TONS AND TONS!
e
Display Date:
12/28/2011 (All day)
Hey lovely friends! The year is almost over and of course I've been doing some reflecting on how 2011 went and what I'd like to change in 2012. Take a listen to the track above by Aesop Rock, I always find it really inspiring and I thought now was the perfect time to share it with you.
My favorite line comes near the end:
She'd never spoken once throughout the spanning of her life
Until the day she leaned forward, grinned, and pulled the nurse aside
And she said:
'Look, I have never had a dream in my life
Because a dream is what you want to do but still haven't pursued.
I knew what I wanted and did it till it was done
So I've been the dream that I wanted to be since day one.'
I LOVE IT! However, I'm realizing that I've been living pretty much only with dreams - things I want to do but have not made any effort towards. I want to change that in 2012. I want to convert my dreams into MISSIONS, and actively, purposefully pursue them. I also need to stop speaking and thinking in this wishy-washy way...instead of 'wanting' to do things, I WILL do them!
In 2012 I choose:
- to 'show up' for life: to be fully present in and committed to whatever activity I find myself doing
- to stop eating sugar and make healthier choices
- to exercise three times per week [I desperately want to feel more in-shape and in control of my body!]
- to make time for personal creative pursuits [art, craft projects, blogging, writing, etc]
- to make time and go see my friends, even though they may live far away
- to watch less TV/movies
I feel like I've been living a semi-life personally. I'm 1000000% committed professionally, but honestly I let work take over my life. I need to be just as committed to things in my personal life. I'm not happy that I've been coming home and ending up zonked on the couch watching Netflix. I've been wanting to write in my journal, make art, send letters, paint, craft, collage, ride my bike, try yoga, have a blog, etccccc...but not doing ANY of it. It's time to change!
So, for 2012, I make this promise to you:
I will turn my dreams into missions and make them happen.
I'll keep ya posted! ;)
What about you? Have you been living purposefully? Or have you been just dreaming without doing?
xx
NOTE: The winners of our Nice flats giveaway from last week are: Diane Mason & Jasmine!! I'll be emailing you today!
Display Date:
12/21/2011 (All day)
Hi friends!!! We've got a special treat in store for you today....a chance to win a pair of new flats in our awesome tribal prints! WAHOO!!!
