Monday Motivation: May

Hey guys! I've been horrible at taking care of my blog lately and I could stay all day listing down reasons but I won't! I've found that since I started my new job, I don't find myself having as much free time as I used to. It's not a bad thing though because I've finally found a place I'm comfortable with. It was a little challenging when I first started because everything was completely new to me and I would have to learn on the spot. With everyone experienced around me, I couldn't help but feel a little...stupid.

Early this year, I started reading Demi Lovato's book - Staying Strong, and I came across a chapter a few weeks ago that I believe was no accident and I feel was written just for me! I wanted to share it with you today just in case any of you are going through the same thing.

April 22 

"Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be." - RICK WARREN 

Most of our lives move at such an accelerated pace we don't always have the time to stop and reflect on how far we've come. We are usually too busy looking ahead. But it's so important to keep checking in with yourself. We change all the time. It's easy to get caught up feeling dissatisfied with where you are when you don't take the time to appreciate how far you've come. You don't have to be exactly where you want to be, but the fact that you are on your way is remarkable. Good things and progress take time. 

Goal: Make today all about celebrating how far you've come in your life since last year. What is something you've changed in your life that you are proud of?

I highly recommend checking out Demi's book if you can! There are motivational messages, like the one you read above, for every day of the year. It's pretty awesome. Anyway, I hope you had a nice weekend and I wish you all an even better week ahead! :)

Kisses,

S

My Top 10: Scents & Memories

Scents can be very nostalgic, at least to me. They have the power to bring me back to a specific memory and it's quite surreal and amazing at the same time. Today, I wanted to talk about my most favorite scents and the memories associated with them!

1) Coffee. Mmmmm! I'm not a huge coffee drinker but I adore the smell so much! There's something about it that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside which is a little strange since most of the memories I associate with coffee include all nighters and school.

2) Roses. I'm talking fresh roses, the kind that just whisper sweet notes that you can only hear with your nose. One of my all time favorite shower gels is Rose Jam from Lush and it wreaks (I mean it in the best way!) of roses and ughhhh it's SO good!

3) Chocolate. I mean, of course. When I was younger, I would dream of opening up my own little chocolaterie, kind of like the one in the movie 'Chocolat', mainly because I'd always have a reason to be around chocolate! 

4) The beach. The smell of the water, sand and sunscreen combined bring me back to summer and I always associate that with some of my favorite memories!

5) A Lush shop. The smell of a Lush shop can be a little overpowering for most people but it smells like soap heaven to me! I give myself little Lush treats once in a while and they truly make me so happy!

6) Freshly cut grass. This might sound odd, but I really do enjoy the smell of grass! When I was in college, my apartment was close to a lot of greenery and I don't know, this particular smell just reminds me of mornings where I would just walk to school and enjoy the sunshine.

7) Peppermint. Hands down, this has to be the scent that relaxes me the most! Peppermint, naturally, reminds me of Christmas time but mostly, it takes me back to nail salons and massage spas!

8) Bread. Another one of my dreams included owning a bakery! Baking is one of my favorite things to do and there's really nothing like the smell of a freshly baked loaf of bread.

9) Garlic + Coriander. Coming from a Lebanese family, garlic and coriander are two of the most popular ingredients in it's cuisine. When these two are being cooked together, it creates one of the most amazing aromas that instantly makes my mouth water!

10) Citrus fruits. Specifically tangerine, lemon and grapefruit! They carry a ton of summer memories but also, they're one of my favorite scents that I like to wear all year round.

This post was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoyed reading through it! I'd love to know what your favorite scent/s is/are! Tell me in the comments below.

Kisses,

S