What I learned about New Years Resolutions

Every December, the talk begins. What I will accomplish in the new year? What I'll do away with etc. 2017 and 2018 were the first time that I successfully completed my goals... read more to find out how!

New Years resolutions, goals, whatever you call them always overwhelmed me which is why I dreaded doing them. Although I'm a planner at heart, planning too far ahead was something I had difficulty doing.

So in 2017, I decided to take on this approach a little differently. First step, doing away with the year long goals.

Attacking your goals in strides is better than trying to attack them all at once. So I broke them down, in 2017 I focused on my goals quarterly. Only printing or writing down the ones for the next few months. At the end of the quarter I'd review and adjust. If I didn't complete one it would be added to the next quarter.

For 2019 I'm doing something similar! I'm attacking my goals month-to-month. For January, I have a goal to not spend my money eating out. I realized last year that I was becoming a little excessive with this expense. So far so good, if I misstep it's easy to fix because it's the main goal that I'm focusing on for the month.

In February, I hope to be more organized with my day job and my blog job. Planning as far ahead as possible. I realized towards the end of 2018 how much peace I gained when I scheduled my work far in advance. It's the only type of super planning ahead that works for me.

The last thing I learned about resolutions is that it is okay if they carry over to the next year. I think sometimes we are too hard on ourselves and expect to check off every box, but if you're working towards something that can still be measured as success as well! Take it in strides.

xo,

Last Minute Stocking Stuffers under $25

Let's face it, no matter how hard we try... we all seem to manage to still be shopping for Christmas gifts the week of! Thankfully stocking stuffers are great fillers that make anyone feel special! Keep reading for quick ideas on how to stock up on gifts last minute!

For Her:

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1. Jade roller
2. Aromatherapy candle 
3. Jewelry holder 
4. Silk hair scrunchy 
5. Lash box holder 

For Him:

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1. Portable charger 
2. Amazon firestick 
3. Travel mug 
4. Beard oil
5. Cologne 

For Anyone:

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1. Phone case
2. Pop socket 
3. Collapsible water bottle
4. Tea or Coffee

 Merry Christmas!xo,

Jewels & Gems: We are Amazing!

I think DIY-ing can be so fulfilling! Watching your very own piece of work come to life from start to finish is amazing to see! For the past year, I've had the pleasure of leading fun DIYs with a group of young girls, who have grown to mean so much to me!WARNING: Personal, sappy content BELOWThis year has been...different. I think if I were to write a book I would call it the year of silent suffering. But I still had my saving graces and I'm hopeful that there's a great change ahead. One of those saving graces, were a group of young girls!I started Jewels & Gems, a mix of Proverbs 31:10 and DIY craftations (made up word) with every intention of pouring into others, but little did I know that these girls were pouring back into me. I (maybe we) often feel unworthy, stuck between trying to have it all together and watching it all fall apart, so naturally, I felt unworthy. I often contemplated canceling our Sunday sessions because of this feeling. And while I know I'm called to do so much, I still felt as if I would always fall short.I'd ask myself how can I lead when I'm confused or scared, angry, out of it..and the list goes on. How can I help these girls see how great they truly are all on their own when lately I'm finding that I'm not as great as I may appear to be. This battle in my mind was constant but these young girls helped me realize something new this year. Their excitement, desire to be around me, willingness to listen mended the breaking pieces inside of me. They reminded me of what I often try to remind others, that it's okay not to be PERFECT. Perfection is overrated. And in life, I don't have to be perfect to be used by God, to further His agenda for my life here on earth.

I am indebted to these girls. I couldn't be more grateful for each and every one of them. They are everything that my shirt states. Extraordinary, inspiring, passionate, awesome, fearless, creative, important (especially to me), joyful, incredible, kind... They are AMAZING! More info about Jewels & Gems:I started Jewels and Gems in 2018, a DIY session with young girls (7 over the year) to instill confidence and creativity! Each session we create our very own DIY and review an uplifting bible verse. The name Jewels and Gems comes from Proverbs 31:10...She is far more precious than jewels. And of course, Jewels & Gems linking to fun DIY pieces for girls! I am hoping to expand in 2019 and open up J&G to more girls throughout the surrounding communitiesPurchase the shirt ---> AMAZINGI love this shirt, but what I love most about it is that the brand has paired with a non-profit organization that empowers young girls! Everything that I'm all about!xoxo,

What makes you beautiful?

I think as humans it's normal for us to be moved by what we see in society  or what people say about us. I think it's normal at one point or another to have a self esteem issue or feel a little bit less than based on our appearance.But one thing that I've learned over the years and I'm still learning is that there are so many kinds of beautiful. It is not confined to a certain look, hair texture, complexion or body type. There are so many different things in this world that make people beautiful, and I think it's important to focus on things that make you beautiful. That's what people see, that's what others can relate to, your unique beauty!

The fact of the matter is everything on the outside is fleeting and fading, the older we get the more we will change and I think it's important to not ground  your sense of identity or the way you look at yourself on your appearance.

Most people will probably find this funny or bizarre but for a long period of my life I struggled with my physical weight. In America we tend to focus on people being overweight, but coming from a minority background and being Latina, where woman are praised for their curves it was hard for me to love myself because I didn't like the way my body looked. There was certainly a point in my life that if someone came up to me and said "wow you're reallyyyyyyyyy skinny" I would immediately become unhappy and would proceed to eat ridiculous and unhealthy amounts of food in hopes to change the way that I look.But what I needed to change was my way of thinking. So I came to a point in my life where I realized that I can better myself, look healthier, go to the gym and if in the process I gain a few pounds in my butt I won't be mad, but I had to stop allowing the way that I looked at myself, my insecurities and how someone viewed me to control me.What I wanted to share today was how we should learn and focus on more things that make us beautiful and not allow society or insecurities we struggle with control how we live our lives. Personally I started to focus on the things inside of me that made me beautiful. The way I cared for people, my sense of loyalty and desire to try (even when it's difficult) to find the good in others. It was at that point that I started to realize that my beauty was so much deeper than the length of my hair or my body type and  I truly became a lot more comfortable in who I am. I know that sometimes this can be hard because of how cruel society can be at times, but society changes constantly and I truly believe they don't know what real beauty is so we can't let them define it. You are beautiful, don't let anyone (including your mind) tell you otherwise.

Confidence is beautiful. Uniqueness is beautiful. Your soul is beautiful. God made you beautiful.Focus what it is that makes (insert your name) beautiful!Xx,

What to do when the winter winds blow!

Stay INSIDE! I'm thankful for the seasons, I truly am. It's one of the reasons why I won't move out of the tristate area (for now), because I don't believe that other areas of the United States can experience the seasons in their totality. But this weather right here (anything under 40 degrees) is NOT for me!It-is-cold! And not just that kind of cold where you can throw on a cute fur jacket or your ugg boots and be good! It's the type of cold where you really shouldn't leave your house, and if you have to leave, you need to wear leggings under your jeans and multiple sweaters; not cute!My only feasible option on how to deal with this weather is to stay inside, but if you must face the cold winter air, you should have one of two things with you!TEA or COFFEE! Funny thing is, if you would have spoken to Kelsley 2-3 years ago, neither of these two items would be in my personal pantry. I try to avoid caffeine at almost all costs because of the effect I've seen it have on my skin. As far as tea goes, I've always thought that only a particular type of person enjoys tea, because it's always been nasty to me! But as of lately, that's been the only two consistent things in my diet!I may be a little biased when I say this, but Wholesome Pantry's mint tea is by far the best mint tea I've ever had! I find myself drinking two cups a day which is definitely not the norm for this non-tea drinking girl! I can't pinpoint what it is, but it has just the right amount of mint to soothe my mind, body and soul!GIVE ME CAFFEINE! Like a said above,  I really do try to avoid caffeine, but when I need it, I try to stick to the coffee in my house (dunkin and starbucks give me the jitters) and I add a tonnnnnnnn of sugar! Because in my personal opinion, it's not the taste of coffee that keeps people coming back, it's the low key addiction that they're in denial about. Coffee never tasted good to me until now. Peets dark roast coffee is delicious, it's the only coffee that I've been able to drink with no sugar, no milk, no nothing! And the best part of it all, is that it gives me the boost of energy I need without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack!So if you're currently staring out your window at the frigid winter air then grab a cup of tea or coffee, your choice, kick up your feet and stay cozy inside!

These Winter Winds keep blowing...

Xoxo,