My Word For The New Year.

Well, here we are. The last day of 2018. in one way it is hard to believe that here we are at the end of another year. In another,  I am breathing a sigh of relief. I made it!! I have survived, even if I feel as though I barely made it in one piece. I did.

Every Year I strive for a new word to be the theme of my new year. I don’t believe I posted a “word” for the new year last year. Which in a way turned out to be for the better. In the coming year I decided to not only pick a word, but to do a bucket list of goals for the coming new year. A list of things that I know I can accomplish. It also goes hand in hand with the word that I picked for the new year.

My word for the new year is: PURPOSE. 

I am going to live my life out in the new year with purpose. I am going to live fully and purposefully. I am going to take what I learned this year about being myself and carry it over throughout the new year as well. If you read my post about how I am going to try and blog more.

I am going to get myself healthier in the three big areas of my life; physically, mentally and spiritually. I am looking forward to the new year and the changes that await me. I will be heading into my 28th birthday, my sixth wedding anniversary…. I already have some fun blog ideas for the new year, to help establish where I want my blog to be by this time next year. I am looking forward to exploring and navigating this crazy thing called life in this new year!

Happy New Year my friends!

xo

B

brandyrstrong1 Comment

December Favorites

It has been forever I have done a favorites post. So I figured now was a good of time as any to post the things I have been obsessed with this month! I haven’t really read anything lately so there are no books in this post. Which I am surprised because I normally read a lot. I am about to start reading a book so I will include that. This month I have been really listening to more music then anything.

  1. Music

It has been a musical month. I have been listening to more music this month. Not complaining because I love music. So here is what I have been listening to on repeat.

(1) Fleetwood Mac- One of the few bands that my husband and I both really like. In March we are going to see them live. I love their easy listening sound. Some of the songs I have had on repeat are: Dreams, Landslide, As Long As You Follow, Little Lies, The Chain

(2) Queen- I have always been a fan of Queen and the movie Bohemian Rhapsody was so good, that I have been listening to some of my all time favorites. Some of the songs on repeat are: Another One Bites The Dust, We Are The Champions, Radio Ga Ga

(3) The Mamas & The Papas- California Dreamin’ has been a song that has been a favorite of mine for awhile, but I have been listening to it while staying warm!

(4) Fleurie- I love her voice and lyrics are gorgeous. I have been loving: Paralyzed, Hurricane and Summer Girl.

2. TV Shows

I have been watching a lot of TV lately as well. I post more of my fangirling about TV on Twitter. Some of the TV shows that I have been watching and loving are:

(1) Riverdale- Yep. If you follow me on Twitter you already know this, but I do love Riverdale. Waiting till January is going to be rough. I am not to sure about how I feel about the weird twist this season is bringing, I am on board so far. I am hoping to eventually see Betty and Archie become an item, not because I don’t like Veronica or Jughead…. because I do, and I don’t hate the coupling of them with Betty and Archie…but come on…. Betty and Archie are adorable. The end. 

(2) Sailor Moon- Talk about flash backs to the good ole’ days! I had no idea that Sailor moon was on Hulu… If I did… I would have gotten it sooner… 

(3)Gilmore Girls- I always watch Gilmore Girls.. but come on.. I have to add it!

3. Books

I am currently not reading anything, nor have I read anything this month. I am going to get ready to read Kiss Me In New York by Catherine Rider. It is a short book (189 pages) and it looks cute. With all the holiday prep this week, it is something I can read in between all of the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christmas!

4. Beauty

There are a couple a beauty items that I have been enjoying. Ironically none of it has been makeup this month. It has been skin care and hair kind of month.

(1) Pantene Pro-V Blends Micellar Shampoo and Conditioner- I picked these guys up because I needed more shampoo and conditioner. I really wanted to try something different so I gave these guys a try…boy do I love them!  They smell soooo good! Very clean, and because I use a purple shampoo to help eliminate some of my brassy tones, it doesn’t make my hair feeling dry and dull. I love it!

(2) Pacifica Super Flower rapid Response Face Oil in Rose and Blue Tansey- I love using a face oil in the morning. I try and keep my morning skincare light as I do a lot in the evening. I love this stuff, and I am starting to see an improvement in my skin!

So those are a few of my favorite things! Tell me some of your favorite things!

 

 

 

 

 

brandyrstrongLeave a comment

Updates and Changes

Lately, I have been putting out some very soul searching posts. So I wanted to take a moment and talk about some fun updates and changes. As the year comes to a close, I always try and plan new ideas for the blog. One of the things that I have struggled with has been a consistent blog schedule. So one of the things I am trying to do is have a upload schedule. My goal is to have two blog posts, two days a week. I don’t have any days in particular right now, but I do want to try and have something up.

I have a few posts that I am working on that I will post up till a couple days before Christmas and then start back in the new year. Hopefully with a better idea of a schedule for posting. I try not to have too much of a tight schedule to leave room for creativity and growth.

I am looking forward to make some changes and look forward to a more organized  blog! lol

~B

 

brandyrstrongLeave a comment

“You Found Yourself”

“It’s ok. You just forgot who you are. Welcome back.”

A week before Thanksgiving, my husband Colin and I decided that we really needed a day of fun. So we got into the car and we went to a larger mall about 45 minuets away from where we live. We had lunch and just enjoyed window shopping. I went into to a store and found a dress on sale that I thought was pretty. I debated back and forth about buying the dress because while it was my style, I honestly wondered what others would think. I know, insane right? We tend to do that do we not? Worry way to much about others thoughts despite what makes us feel most like the creations we are.

So I decided, what the heck, and I got the dress. I decided that I would wear it to church for the Thanksgiving dinner that we have every year the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I did my hair and makeup and paired the dress with some boots and a hat. I looked in the mirror and I saw myself. I loved the way I felt and I took a deep breath and I walked out the door.

I got so many compliments. It really is amazing what kind words can do for a person’s soul. However there was one comment that struck me to my core. A very sweet lady who had complimented my outfit earlier that morning came up to me and said ” You know what, you found yourself.” As she walked away, I stood there and let her words sink in.

Did I really?

Did I really find myself?

This morning I found this quote and I posted it to Facebook:

‘Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?’-k.w

It was one of those moments that made me sit there and think about it for a moment. To be honest I don’t know that I remember. Why do we allow the world to tell us who we are? All the negative thoughts it plants in our minds, yet there is a God who shares the positive identity. True, we live in a fallen world, filled with sin. In our sin we are living in a negative world, enslaved to the emotional trauma of not being allowed to be yourself. The world likes copies, while God created individuals.

Psalm 139:14a

‘I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made….’

If you look at verse 13, it states that while we were in the womb we were being created. He knew us and loved us. He gave us His only Son so that we may live forever with Him (John 3:16). So why would we rather accept the worlds opinion of who we are suppose to be? The world likes to crush the free spirted dreamers. we are suppose to look, talk, act and dress a certain way. You do these things and then you are told your just like everybody else. So you can’t be different, but you can’t act to much like everyone else. No wonder our generation is so confused! We are not allowed to be free thinkers.

So if a God who created you just the way you are, from your looks to your general makeup, why do we not learn to love ourselves the way we were created?

I have come to a point that in my life that I would rather be myself and not some copy of someone else.

So let’s do just that! Let us be ourselves because it is much better then being just like everyone else.

-B

 

brandyrstrongLeave a comment