How minimalism has impacted my life

Minimalism has changed my whole outlook on life in a positive way. I noticed that I feel a lot happier, lightweight, and stress free. My room looks a lot more visually appealing and everything is very convenient to find. When Snookie escapes the house and runs down the street, I don't get mad, I just laugh at her running. Just a month and a half ago I would get mad at small things like that. When I go out shopping, I notice that I ask myself if I really need it. I'm getting to be a smarter shopper and I've been saving money. I used to just buy things because I felt like I had to spend my money. But it's completely my choice. I don't have to do anything if I don't want to do it. 

Finding out about minimalism has made me realize that less is more.  

I'm not against having materialistic items and consumerism. I love going shopping, but I don't buy much, only the stuff I need or will use on the regular. You can treat yourself to items, but just don't let it get out of control. 

I find myself questioning why people hold onto certain things that they truly don't need. People will hold onto things because they are sentimental or because they might need it "just in case". But most of the time you won't ever need it "just in case". Sentimental items can be hard to get rid of because of the emotional attachment. But for those sentimental items, allow yourself a box to put the most important sentimental items into and the rest donote, sell, give to a friend, etc. 

Every time I go through my stuff, I feel lighter and a sense of freedom. I ask myself, Did I use this recently? Why am I keeping this? Will I wear this? These questions have helped me get rid of the excess. I don't overthink it, I just ask these simple questions.

So overall minimalism has made me happier, saved me money, reduced the stress, and made my life easier. 

Day in my life: Holiday break

I wake up around 5:45 am.Then I usually go hangout downstairs for a bit and check snapchat and instagram. I also work on my blog and go on tumblr. You guys can check out my tumblr. It's just made up of photos I love to look at.http://sugarcoatedbears.tumblr.com/ I also play with Cherry in the morning. I've been playing a tug game with her lately. It's where she bites onto the end of the stuffed animal and I hold the other side and we both try to get the stuffed animal out of each other's grip. It's funny how she will put all of her strength into getting the stuffed animal. 

Then I wash my face. I decided to use a face mask today. This one works really well and makes the gross stuff go away. I will probably review this face mask on here in the future. Then after that is done it's usually lunchtime and I eat. I've been enjoying smoothies and rice lately. 

After lunch is when my day really starts. I go out and take photos and explore. I love going on bike rides. I also sometimes bring my journal and write things down in it. I like to listen to the birds also. It's unique how all of them make different sounds. I usually explore for an hour or so and then I come back to the house. I stay at the house for a little bit. At the house I like to just dance around while listening to music. It's very fun and dancing around is good exercise. Then I go back out around 4:30. 

I like to watch the sunset. I also do a little bit of workouts when I go watch the sunset. I've been doing running exercises, jumping jacks, leg lifts, and push ups. Then I go home and I cook myself dinner. After dinner I usually organize things and go on the Internet for a bit. I go to bed whenever I'm bored since I'm never tired. I do usually go to bed around 8:30 since I love to sleep. And that is pretty much how my day goes. But of course this is not the same for everyday, I switch up a few things here and there. 

The meaning of life

Life is a gift. We should be delighted for everyday that we are still breathing. We never know when our live may end, so I believe we should live our lives to the fullest. Life, it goes by in a blink of an eye. Life is too short to be dejected. What's the point of living an unhappy life? If your unhappy, try to take action on what you need to do to make your life happier. Get off your ass and take action, it's the only way to achieve your goals. Taking action can be strenuous but I can help you out with that. Plan out what you want to take action on. Next is changing your mindset. You will find yourself doubting what you need to do and you will want to put off your task. Don't put off your task. 

Now, try to have an open mind. Start saying yes to more things, try new things. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. People fear stepping out of their comfort zone. But what is there to be afraid of? What are you scared of? Face your fears, it's the only way to get over them. I used to be scared of the dark, I turned off the lights one day without my night light on and that is how I got over that fear. Now I can't sleep if there is even a tiny bit of light. 

I think the meaning of life is to find out who you are and to be happy. For some people it comes easier than others, but just work at your own pace. Life is all about having fun and making astounding memories. For me, I know myself and I'm pretty happy. I'm about 100 times happier than how I was last year. But I don't care about the past because I'm living in the present. I like to watch sunsets and explore new places and that helps a lot because I'm getting out there in the world. Nature relaxes me a lot, I feel a sense of freedom when I'm out in nature. By simply going on a walk, it will put you in a better mood instantly. 

I asked a few of my friends about the meaning of life. These are some of their responses. 

Amaya-Find happiness

Kira-"It's not about the destination, it's about the journey"

David-Fail and succeed and have a good future 

Lizzy-Never let people drag you down, be yourself, be happy, plus be weird. 

How minimalism can improve your life

What is minimalism?Minimalism is about living a meaningful life with less. It's getting rid of the stuff that is cluttering your life. It's living with the things you actually use. It's living with fewer material possessions. It's a way to free yourself from the stress that is building up in our lives. It's focusing on what is really important. Now ask yourself, 

What is really important?

You may be thinking, "What is the benefit of living with fewer materialistic items"? 

*It eliminates our disconnect

 *Have more time

*live in the moment
*More freedom
*Your space looks more appealing

*Pursue your passions
*More confidence
*Easier to clean your place

*You're happier

*Grow as individuals
*Spend less money
*Less greedy

*Focus on our health

*Contribute beyond ourselves
*Set an example

*Not tied to the past

*Find things easier
*Less stress

*Discover the purpose in our lives

People have grown too attached to their stuff. It's getting in the way of our personal growth. We need focus on the things that really do mean something, and the things that are important in life. By just cleaning out your room, it makes you feel better right? Clean up your junk and donate all the things you don't need and the stuff you don't use. By donating the stuff you don't need, it supports people who do need those things in their life. It will make you feel good to know that you're giving to someone.

You see, I'm just trying to change people's mindset that materialistic things are happiness. Life is more than just an endless shopping trip. 

Auntie Marilynn visits North Carolina

Hey everyone! Auntie Marilynn came to visit us for Thanksgiving. On Wedesday, we went to see the new hunger games movie. It was really good, and I'm glad it was a happy ending. The next day I got to hangout with Auntie Marilynn was on Friday. We went to the mall for some black friday deals. I found some cute boots for 20 dollars! I don't get them till Christmas through. Then on Saturday we visited downtown Wake Forest. I love going in the antique shops there. We hit the coffee shop too, I ate the best chocolate muffin there. It was so awesome to see Auntie Marilynn. 

How to make cooked cinnamon banana slices

Hi! Today I'm going to tell you how to make yummy cinnamon banana slices. This recipe is great for the fall time. Plus it makes the house smell good after wards. 

Ingredients:

-Banana

-Cinnamon

-Vegetable oil or Olive oil

Steps:

1)Cut the banana into small pieces

2)Get a small pan and put it on the stove

3)Turn the heat up to 9/high

4)Spread some oil on the inside of the pan

5)Put the banana slices inside the pan and wait a few minutes for it to cook

6)Once done cooking, put the banana slices in a bowl or plate

7)Dump some cinnamon on there and mix cinnamon around 

Boom! your done

Fall lookbook

1)Stylish mademoiselle

2) Creek Nymph 

3)Wondrous stroll outside

4)Dainty Doll

Flower's effect on your home

Flowers can be used for decorating your home in many ways. They are very pretty and delicate. If you want a girly look to your space, flowers are the way to go. You can even pick your own flowers and display them. I picked the flowers displayed in the photo below. Flowers create a soft, and cozy aura to your home. When you first get the flowers, they will make your home smell really nice, and fresh. You can display the flowers in a vase, hang them on a wall, scatter them on a table, and there is so many more ways you can incorporate them into your home. I hope I helped give you ideas, see you next week!

My beauty secrets

I'm going to share some of my beauty secrets. These tips will help you have inner and outer beauty. This isn't about what stuff I put on my face. It's about feeling and looking your best by simply doing small things and being confident in yourself. These tips will show you that you can be beautiful no matter what.

1)Say one good quality about yourself everyday
2)Drink lots a water everyday
3)Don't cake on too much makeup, you don't need it anyways
4)Eat mostly healthy and cut out sugar
5)Compliment people everyday
6)After washing your face use a ice cube to close your pores
7)Be friendly to everyone, something good will always come back
8)Walk around with confidence
9)Don't let negativity effect your life
10)Most importantly-always smile

DIY Smoothie desert

Hello everyone today I'm going to talk about making your own smoothie desert. This is completely healthy and there is no sugar added. This is a very nice and simple desert.

Ingredients:

-Blueberries

-Banana

-Orange juice

-Flax seed

You will also need a blender for making this desert

Steps:

1)Put all your ingredients in the blender

2)Put less orange juice than you normally would in the blender

3)Start blending(Make sure to not blend it that much since you want it to be thick. A good amount of time to blend is 7 seconds)

4)Stop the blender and get out a spoon

5)Your done!

Lush review

I'm going to be reviewing two products from Lush. Lush is a company that creates fresh, handmade ingredients in beauty products. They don't test on animals and use natural ingredients in their products. You can find lush at the mall and online. The first one I'm reviewing is a shampoo, and the other one is a cleanser.   

1) Fairly traded honey shampoo

This shampoo works great. It makes my hair smell really good. My hair is also smooth after using this. Most of the shampoo is honey and honey is good for your hair. Most of the ingredients in the shampoo is natural. 

Buy shampoo

2)Herbalism cleanser

This cleanser works wonders for me. I highly recommend this if you struggle with oily skin. Once I started using this I noticed a big difference in my skin. This cleared up my pimples and my oil. I used to always have a very shiny, oily face. After I started using this my skin is like brand new. I don't struggle with oily skin anymore. The ingredients in this are nice and all natural. 

Buy cleanser

Review on Korean beauty products

Hello everyone today I'm going to review two of Tony Molly's products. Tony Molly is a Korean skincare brand. I love their products and the packaging is adorable. I bought two of their products for Christmas last year. I haven't done a review of the products yet so I thought I would do that.

The first product is the Hello bunny perfume bar. I got this product in the Dodo rose scent.

When you pop off the cap of the bunny there is a cap on top of the perfume bar. I like this feature because the product is clean and it's very convenient. 

The scent of this is floral and smells like a sweet rose. The scent lasts long and it's very feminine. There is a lot of  perfume bar that comes in the container. It is worth buying if you love floral scents. 

The next product is the Panda's dream so cool eye stick. This product is meant to moisturize your under eyes. this is great when you wake up because it wakes your eyes up. 

This product does have a cap on it too. I love how both products have caps. 

This product is great for those days when your feeling half asleep and you need something to feel awake. It works well at moisturizing your under eyes. If you have dry under eye circles I would recommend this to you. It comes with the same amount of product as the perfume bar.