Tag Archives: smile

Dandelion Days

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Dandelion Days

Hi everyone and happy Monday! From as early as I can remember, I have always loved dandelions. Apparently, I used to spend countless hours in my youth squatted in the yard and plucking dandelion bouquets for my parents and grandparents. I also had many a temper tantrum when my parents wouldn’t stop the car at random fields to let me go dandelion crazy. But, that’s neither here nor there. And now, twenty years later, I still take delight in seeing the yellow blooms sprouting up in my neighborhood.

A weed and an inconvenience to some has always been viewed as a treasure to me. As soon as the dandelions begin invading the yards and fields in my neck of the woods, I know that spring is here. And, when the tiny yellow petals fall away, a puff of new seeds will come back that are perfect for making a wish on.

While walking through the neighborhood, I saw the perfect little lineup of dandies poking out of one of the driveways, and it brought me so much pleasure that I had to stop and snap a picture.

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It doesn’t take much to make me happy, but it sure is hard not to smile at the yellow pops of color scattered throughout the grass. 🙂

What was one of your favorite activities to do as a child? Who else was a fellow dandelion picker? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Frugal Flowers

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Frugal Flowers

Hi everyone! One of the things that both my parents and myself love having around the house is fresh flowers. Whether they’re picked from our yard or selected at a farmer’s market or store, there is nothing like a huge bouquet sitting on the kitchen table to make you smile.

We never look to spend too much on satisfying our flower fascination, and my mom seriously took the cake with the last bouquet that she bought when it comes to saving money. She got four bunches of the flowers seen below for ONE DOLLAR at the store. You definitely can’t beat that!

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When it comes to the little odds and ends that make you smile, I always say:

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Whether it’s a dollar bouquet of flowers or that new color of lipstick that you’ve been dying for, a little pick me up certainly goes a long way!

How do you like to treat yoself? What is your favorite flower? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Smile!

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Smile!

Hi everyone! On Friday, I went to visit the Akron Zoo and couldn’t stand the cuteness of one adorable animal in particular – the puffer-fish! I seriously could have stood in front of their little home for hours watching them float around and being simply charmed by their tiny smile. Take a look:

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Cheese!

It was hard not to be totally enamored by this little guy, so much so that I basically bellowed “HE’S SO CUTE” to no one in particular. In fact, I was so busy watching him, that I didn’t even notice the little girl standing beside me who yelled “HE’S SO CUTE” just like the goofy redhead who screamed it seconds before. Of course, I had to acknowledge the little lady with great taste in fish so I turned to her and replied with, “HE IS SO CUTE”!!! It was really something. :’)

If you’re having a down and out Tuesday, just remember that puffer-fish are adorable creatures with a tiny smile and that should brighten your day right up. If your day is going fantastic already, make it even better by remembering this little post. 😀

What is your favorite animal? Which animal smiles do you go gaga over? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Flickr

Confidence Boosting Secrets You Can’t Deny

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Confidence Boosting Secrets You Can’t Deny

If you are looking to improve the way that you think about yourself, it is a good idea to be aware of the many options there are available for you to do just that. The more that you know about how to boost your confidence, the more likely it is that you will be able to maintain a real sense of it for longer. In this article, we are going to look at some of the secrets to boosting your confidence, which you can’t deny are powerful. Give all of these a go if you want to feel as confident in yourself as possible. You might be surprised at the power that these methods really do hold:

Improve Your Appearance:

People often get confused or upset about the subject of improving your appearance. The fact is, that you don’t need to try and make yourself fit into a typical beauty standard in order to be confident or happy. It’s not about looking in such a way that society wants you to look, or even about trying to attract the opposite sex. It’s all about looking the way that you personally want to look, despite what others might think. For some people, the only thing they want is a breast augmentation. For others, all that is required is to dress differently or slim down a little. Whatever your own idea of beautiful is, follow it with your heart and it will lead you to a place of better self-acceptance in no time.

Go Outside Of Your Comfort Zone:

Probably the single most powerful way to build your confidence is to engage in acts which you find difficult or scary to engage in. In other words, you generally need to go outside of your comfort zone regularly if you are to try and feel as confident in yourself as you would like to. This can be done in a variety of ways. It might be a case of trying to complete a new kind of project – or maybe you just want to get involved in a new sport that you haven’t tried before. Whatever it might be, trying new things and becoming generally more adept at them will make you feel like you can do anything – which is absolutely true. You can.

Smile:

It’s a proven fact that smiling regularly boosts endorphins and helps you to feel better about yourself. If you are struggling with any other confidence-boosting method, then a simple and powerful one could be to just smile and relax. Even if you don’t feel like it, giving a great big grin could sometimes be the best thing to do. What’s more, doing it regularly will help you to change what you think of yourself in a profound way, so it’s definitely something that you should try out. You might be amazed at just how much of a difference it makes – and how fast it happens, too. For that reason alone it is something to consider, regardless of whether you have thought to do it before or not.

In this world, confidence is key and boosting it could be the best thing that you do for yourself.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Hello! Today is a special day, because it is my beautiful, amazing, wonderful mother’s birthday. Saying that my mom is my best friend is a severe understatement. I don’t know what is better than a best friend, but that’s what she is. She is my confidant, my TJMaxx partner in crime, and my viewing buddy for Ellen DeGeneres, The Voice, and America’s Next Top Model.

Although my mom and I love being women on the go, I love being able to just hang out and enjoy our lunch or dinner together when one of us isn’t working. It’s such a treat to sit down and chat while sharing a meal or one of her to die for grilled cheeses on her homemade bread. YUM.

Through simple pleasures and sweet surprises, my mom brings so much joy to my life. I literally can’t look at her without smiling. Every day, my mom teaches me something new about physical and emotional fortitude, kindness, and just taking life one step at a time. Through both good days and bad, JANE radiates positivity wherever she goes, and I think that anyone can take a page out of that book.

To the best mom and friend in the world, we raise our Margarita glasses to you!

Happy Birthday, Mom! ❤

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(And shout out to the man in the blue shirt on the far right who has no relation whatsoever to my family. Best photobomb ever.)

Who else is celebrating a birthday soon? What is one of your best birthday memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Little Ladybug Friend

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Little Ladybug Friend

Hey everyone and happy weekend! The little things in life are what makes me the most happy. Whether it be a tiny flower blooming in my yard, a sunshiney day, or a little ladybug saying hello to me – I love it all. On Tuesday, while I was watching my guilty pleasure of America’s Next Top Model, a ladybug that managed to get into the house kept me company the entire time:

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I honestly can’t believe I didn’t squish the poor little guy, because he was crawling on the floor dangerously close to where I do my nightly crunches. I didn’t even notice that he was there until I sat up! For a little while, the ladybug would crawl on my fingers and hand and then fly away. Then, a few minutes later, I would find the tiny spot of red crawling about on the floor again.

A few times, I tried to deposit him onto one of our potted plants, but he managed to come back to my general vicinity each time. Maybe he was attracted to my hair?! Either way, it was sure nice to have a little buddy to enjoy Tyra Banks in all of her glory with me. 🙂

Who else is an America’s Next Top Model fan? What is your favorite type of insect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Heal

Christmas Surprise Pt. 2

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Christmas Surprise Pt. 2

Hey! Someone who is very dear to me is my neighbor, Alice. After years of living next door to her, we have recently become close and I revel in our almost weekly coffee dates at her place. About a month ago, we ventured to the darling Two Cafe in Solon, Ohio for lunch and had a total blast. Not only is Two a cafe but it’s also a boutique with the most beautiful handcrafted items for sale.

Included in the boutique section of Two was a little red ice skate that we both agreed was made for me, as a former Lil Red skater girl. During our gift exchange, I learned that Alice made the almost forty minute drive back to Two to get me the skate decoration for Christmas. Take a look:

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Besides for absolutely LOVING this gift and how adorable it is, I love the thought behind it the most. Alice literally saved this in her archives as my Christmas gift and made a special trip to get it just for me. That’s better than any gift that I could ever receive. I value my neighborly friendship so much, and her care and beautiful thoughts behind this present are something that I will never forget!

What is one of the most thoughtful gifts that you have ever received? How do you put special thoughts into your gift buying? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Smile With Confidence

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Smile With Confidence

Are you one of those people who feels too shy to smile with an all out toothy grin? Do you try to hide your teeth behind your own lips out of embarrassment for how they look? There’s something particularly heartbreaking about a person who doesn’t feel able to show the most basic of emotions because of self-consciousness about the state of their teeth. But all is not lost – if your teeth makes you shy, give some of these things a go:

Embrace Imperfections: If you think your teeth are too big, too crooked, or your smile is too gummy, it can be really difficult to grin with abandon. But we are our own worst critics – what we see in the mirror is almost a caricature of ourselves, with bright spotlights focused in on the aspects of our image that make us feel self-conscious. What everyone else sees is an overall picture. They don’t focus in on the spot on our chin or the slightly wonky front tooth like we do.

If the imperfection is having a tremendous impact on your self-confidence, it could be worth speaking to an orthodontist about restorative work. Now, you can straighten teeth with Invisalign so you don’t have to worry about a mouthful of metal. Invisalign is offered as a treatment by most orthodontic practices, so simply search something like “tandreglering göteborg” (Orthodontics Gothenburg) to find an orthodontist near you. If it makes you feel better about smiling, then it’s totally worth it.

Go Bright White: Everywhere we seem to look in the media there are women with huge, bright smiles and pearly white teeth, and it can be difficult not to compare ourselves to them. But those smiles are completely available to everyone with the use of veneers or even home teeth whitening kits, depending on how permanent you want the change and how much cash you have to throw at it. Some women swear by just rubbing baking soda on their teeth regularly to remove staining caused by coffee, wine, or smoking.

Floss: There is nothing more reassuring than knowing you have dental floss in your handbag, especially when you’re going out for a meal. Not being sure if everyone can see the food stuck between your teeth is a surefire way to put you off smiling. When you’re feeling self-conscious, nip off to the restrooms and give yourself a quick tooth checkup. The handbag floss is a lifesaver, especially when you have a huge piece of lettuce lodged between your two front teeth!!!

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I definitely need to floss more -___-

If In Doubt, It’s All About The Lippy: Certain colored lipsticks have an amazing ability to either detract from teeth or to make them seem far brighter and whiter. If you choose a lippy with a more blue-based formula, rather than orange reds, they detract from any yellowness in teeth. In a way which seems more like magic, the blue forces the eye to balance the two colors out, whereas orange colors flag them up like a beacon. According to Elle magazine, MAC Ruby-Woo is the ultimate tooth-flattering lip shade. And it’s a beautiful color and consistency to boot. A must buy!

The key to smiling with confidence is realizing that nobody notices your imperfections quite like you do. But there are also ways to diminish things which you deem to be problem areas, like staining or dull teeth. The most important thing to remember is to hold your head up high, and feel fabulous in who you are. A smile is worth a thousand words, after all.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Today is a special day because it’s my mommy’s birthday!! As I’m sure that you guys have gathered by now, my mom is basically my best friend. We love to hang out together, cook, watch movies, go shopping, pet dogs, and play Scrabble. My mom is easily one of my favorite human beings on the planet and everyone who has the honor of knowing her feels similarly. It’s hard not to!

I am so thankful for having a mom who is as funny, smart, wonderful, and perfect as mine. Not to mention how caring, supportive, and encouraging she is. I can always count on good ol’ JANE to be there when I need to talk and am appreciative to have a mother who is a fantastic listener. No matter how my mom and I spend our time together, I always enjoy it because I am seriously in the best of company when I’m with her. I love you so much, mommy!

Happy Birthday!! ❤

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Dental Differences: 3 Differences Between Male And Female Oral Health

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Dental Differences: 3 Differences Between Male And Female Oral Health

Men and women have some very obvious differences when it comes to our bodies. However, did you know that something like our teeth can also have stark differences when comparing the two genders? For example, men often only visit their dental professionals when there are serious issues that need to be dealt with and, as a result, they have less dental checkups than women do. Here are a couple more differences between men’s and women’s dental health that you probably didn’t know about.

Men Usually Have More Dental Issues: Women often take care of their teeth more than men due to regular checkups and the lesser likelihood of using products such as chewing tobacco, cigarettes, and alcohol. As a result, men put themselves at risk of developing more dental issues than women. Oral diseases usually come with very few warning signs. Bleeding gums, tartar build up, and slightly annoying pains are usually ignored by men and they get on with their daily lives. Women, on the other hand, see it as a problem and deal with the issue before they develop or let the symptoms worsen.

Oral health issues can often go unnoticed until the disease fully develops. So regardless of if you’re a male or female, make sure you check out a dental practice like Bulverde North Family Dental where you can get the optimal care not just for you, but for your entire family.

Women Brush More Often Than Men: Women are, on average, more likely to brush their teeth at least twice a day when compared to men. Women are proven to be more disciplined when it comes to oral health care. They are more likely to stick to brushing at least twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and using mouthwash at least twice a day.

Men, on the other hand, are more likely to skip out brushing days, forget to floss, or go to bed without even using mouthwash. Women are also more likely to brush their teeth and floss after a meal, while men ignore it most of the time. No matter what gender you are, you need to make sure that you brush at least twice a day in the morning and before bed. Flossing is best done at night if you can’t stomach doing it after meals and mouthwash can be skipped if you already have good teeth because it can do more damage than good in some cases.

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Women Go To The Dentist More Often: Women often care more about their health, attending regular checkups and appointments, and making time for it no matter their schedules. Dental appointments are on that list of regular visits, and women often visit a dentist at least twice a year every six months. This is recommended to both men and women, but women are far more likely to stick to this schedule. In addition to going for an initial appointment, women are more likely to attend follow-up appointments or, in some cases, book several checkups in the event that something needs to be fixed, cleaned, or treated.

Featured Image By: Pexels