Monday Motivation: December #5

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, if you celebrated, and if not, I wish you're all having a great holiday season! My favorite thing about this time of year is seeing everyone coming together. It just makes my heart swell with joy! 

Also, I can't believe that this is going to be the last Monday post for the year! I remember starting this series sometime around September, if I'm not mistaken. I'm glad I stuck with it because I've been getting a lot of positive feedback from you guys! It honestly makes me so happy to know that my posts leave at least one of you feeling inspired because ultimately, that's the purpose of this blog! :)

To close off the last of this year's Monday Motivation posts, I've decided to share a video that one of my friends recently showed me. It's a video with a very powerful message, in my opinion, and whenever I watch it, it motivates me SO much. So I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

As we welcome a new year, please take it as an opportunity to finally give yourself a chance to live your own dreams. Take baby steps if you have to, but do something everyday to get you there!

I hope you all have a lovely Monday and an even lovelier week ahead.

Kisses,

S

Previous Monday Motivation posts:

December #4

December #3

December #2

December #1

13 Things 2013 Has Taught Me

2013 has been a roller coaster of a ride and while I'm still struggling to understand how it's already coming to an end, I couldn't be happier to jump into a new year that holds a promise of better things ahead.

Although this year has been filled with many beautiful moments, it has personally also been quite hard for me. I prefer not to go into complete detail but I can say that the saying "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" is 100% accurate. So, as this year comes to an end, I thought I'd share some of the things it has taught me.

1. You are your own worst critic.

2. You can't succeed if you never want to go out of your comfort zone.

3. Life is not always fair, but it doesn't mean it's not worth living.

4. It's not about the quantity, but rather about the quality.

5. There's always a reason to smile. Always.

6. No matter what you do, people are still going to judge you, so you might as well just do it!

7. Being a mother is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Be grateful to yours!

8. Laughter, love and prayer can cure almost anything.

9. Kindness always pays off.

10. Love yourself first.
11. It's okay to feel lost sometimes. No one has it all figured out.
12. Take time to appreciate the little things.
13. Never, ever give up on your dreams. Ever.

How has 2013 treated you? What are some of the things you loved and/or hated about it? I'd love to know so tell me in the comments below! No matter how rough this year has been for you, I believe everyone can come out of it a better person somehow. So, take this year and use it as a launching pad to make the new one, a better one. At least, it's what I plan on doing.

Happy New Year's everyone, and thanks for sticking with me this past year! Here's to another year filled with great moments and memories!

Kisses,

S

Monday Motivation: December #4

Hey guys! I know everyone (if you're still in school!) by now is already on their winter break so you won't be needing any Monday motivation to get you through this coming week because Christmas is coming up and honestly, that's all the motivation we need. However, the rest of the world still has to go to work (that's me included *sigh*) so a little pep talk won't hurt, yeah?

In the week's post, I'll be borrowing some words from Paolo Coelho's blog. Click here to read the full post.

In a certain village in Umbria (Italy), there lived a man who was always bewailing his lot.

He was a Christian, and found the weight of his cross too heavy to bear.

One night, before going to sleep, he begged God to let him change his burden.

That night he had a dream; the Lord led him to a warehouse.

“Go ahead and change it,” he said.

The man saw crosses of all sizes and shapes, with the names of their owners. He picked an average size cross – but when he saw the name of an old friend written on it, he left it aside.

Finally, as God had permitted, he chose the smallest cross he could find. To his surprise, he saw his own name written on it.

Isn't it sad how we think our own problems are so big when in reality, they only measure so little as to how much other people have to bear? It's only when we're handed out the burden of other people that we come to realize how light our own is that we'd rather hold on to it instead. 

I strongly believe that God only gives us what He knows we can handle. So, even if your problems seem so big today, trust that they're given to you knowing you can get through them.

We might have different interpretations to the story above and if you do, please leave it in the comments below. I'd be really interested to read it!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead, and a happy holiday season!

Kisses,

S

Previous Monday Motivation posts:

December #3

December #2

December #1

Monday Motivation: December #3

Happy Monday, my lovely readers! I want to start this post off by thanking you all once again for visiting this blog! I still can't wrap my head around the fact that this blog has already generated over three thousand page views. Like honestly, what!? It makes me so happy to know that there are people out there who are interested enough to keep coming back and reading! So thank you, and please accept this giant, floppy hug I'm giving you through this computer screen. :)

For this week's Monday post, I wanted to talk about something we can all relate to - forgiveness. Surely enough, at one point in our life, it's been asked from us or we've asked it from someone else and it's probably one of the hardest things to give and also to accept. I know that feeling when someone goes behind your back and hurts you. It's really not the easiest thing to just go ahead and forgive them. But you know what? It's actually the best thing you can do. Not for them, but for yourself. You see, when you hold a grudge against someone, you're only proving one point and that is that that grudge is what you value most. Is that anger you're holding against them really helping you move forward in your life? The answer to that is probably not. So, let it go. I've found that when I allowed myself to forgive someone for their actions, no matter how terrible, it gave me a small sense of satisfaction. It sounds ironic, I know, but think about it. If you don't forgive, you are allowing yourself to carry unnecessary negative baggage that you won't have room for any positive in your life. Instead, you have the power to choose to leave it behind you and move on from there.

So today, my challenge for you is to forgive that person whose been keeping you from moving forward with your life. I'm not asking you to become best friends with them, but just allow them to know that you've chosen to let the past go and that you've decided to move forward from it. Trust me, you'll feel a million times better.

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead!

Kisses,

S

Previous Monday Motivation posts:

December #2

December #1

A Gift Guide for Map Enthusiasts!

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." - Jawaharlal Nehru

Travel. I love everything about it. Perhaps it's unraveling the mystery of a place I've never seen before or revisiting an old and familiar place that floods me with countless memories. Whatever it is, I can spend hours just sitting and staring at pictures that have anything to do with traveling. What fuels my fascination for travel even more are world maps. They signify a whole lot more than just locations of countries around the world. To me, they're a reminder that there's a world out there that still needs to be discovered and that alone already gets me really excited. Anything that has a map print on it instantly pulls me into a daydream. So, I thought I'd put together this gift guide for anyone who's got the travel bug or is just simply in love with map prints.

(1) City Puzzle Map

(2) World Map Cork Board

(3) Map Infinity Scarf

(4) Crumpled City Map

(5) Map of the World Mugs

(6) Old World Globe Ornament

(7) Antique World Map Potholder

(8) Round Trip Travel Wallet

(9) Whole Earth Map Luggage Tag

(10) Travel Journal

(11) World Map Necklace

(12) Around the World Watch

(13) World Map Phone Case

(14) World Map Compact Umbrella

(15) City Map Glass

(16) Desktop Globe

(17) Urban Gridded Notebook

(18) World Map Shower Curtain

(19) Map Duvet Cover

(20) Scratch Map

(21) Map Coasters

(22) Map Wrapping Paper

(23) Map Bookends

My personal favorite out of all these items would have to be that scratch map up there! I think that it's such a cool concept. Anyway, I think this is probably going to be my last gift guide for this year since we're getting so close to Christmas! However, I still have a lot more posts I'm planning to put up hopefully before then! :)

Kisses,

S

My other holiday gift guides:

A Gift Guide for Cat Lovers

A Gift Guide for Guys

Holiday Freebies for You!

Hey guys! Recently, I've really been enjoying playing with photo editing programs to make pictures for my blog posts. So, I've decided to make some iPhone wallpapers for you guys! Feel free to use any of them, any way your little heart desires! I also want to thank you all for taking time out of your day to visit my blog! I just hit 3000 page views and that in itself is an insane thing for me! So thank you thank you thank you!! <3

The ones on the left row are for 4S & below and the ones on the right row are for 5 & up. To use any of the images above, first click the picture to open it up in full then right click and save it to your computer!

Kisses,

S

A Gift Guide for Guys!

If you're anything like me, you know that shopping for a guy is probably one of the most difficult things out there! When it comes to getting something for a guy, the most common things that come to my head are watches, shoes and clothes. Those are great options but today, I'll share some other ideas that can be worth considering! As always, these are just ideas to help you guys. The best gifts are the ones that are personally picked out! :)

(1) Space Time Flies Perpetual Calendar - $27.99

(2) Periodic Table of Elements Shower Curtain - $25.99

(3) Tea Creature Mug - $9.99

(4) Superman Apron - $19.99

(5) How to Speak Zombie book - $11.99

(6) Laptop Sleeve - $35.99

(7) Swiss Army Pocketknife - $42

(8) Guitar Pick Punch - $25

(9) Beavis & Butthead Pullover - $49

(10) Portable Robot Speakers - $40

(11) Sriracha Mug - $12

(12) SEGA Game Console - $68

(13) Inception Spinning Top Replica - $14.50

(14) Skull Shaped Eggs Maker - $9.99

(15) Ninja Star Coat Hanger - $11.04

(16) Light Saber Lamp - $31.99

(17) Melting Clock - $19.99

(18) Party Cup Trash Can - $19.99

(19) Mini Briefcase Card Holder Wallet - $10.49

(20) Astronaut Phone Stand - $38

(21) Revolver Cylinder Pen Holder - $25

(22) Laser Gun Alarm Clock - $24.99

I hope you enjoyed looking through these! Hopefully it gave you some ideas to work with! I'm working to put up more of these type of posts soon so look out for those if you're interested!

Kisses,

S

My other holiday gift guides:

A Gift Guide for Cat Lovers

Holiday Nail Inspiration

The only rule for nails when it comes to the holiday season is there are no rules. It's the perfect time to go crazy with glitter, metallics, stickers or whatever it is your little heart desires and no one can judge you (or at least they have no right to!). Today, I'm gonna share a few fun nail tutorials from some really talented ladies that are perfect for this time of year! 

Candy Cane Stripes

Glequin Christmas Trees

Easy Christmas Tree

Candy Cane

Holly and Berries

Baubles

Gift Boxes

Gingerbread Men

Christmas Nails

Christmas Lights String

Penguins

Rudolf

Reindeer

Santa Suit

Frosty the Snowman

Glitter Snowflakes

Blue Snowflake

Snowmen Heads

Tree Lights

Kisses,

S