New Year’s Resolutions You’ll Want To Stick To

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The dreaded New Year’s Resolution time has come again. You could always pick the basics: eat healthy, get a gym membership, budget your money better.

But who is really going to stick to those? NOT ME. If you really want to improve yourself start small. You aren’t going to want to get out of bed at 5 a.m. January 15th and hit the treadmill any more than you do right now.

So, here are some suggestions on how to start small, and then reach for a bigger goal once you have succeeded.

1. Limit yourself to 30 minutes of social media a day.

This one may come easy to some of you, but I find myself checking my personal social media way too often. Pick a certain time of the day (morning, lunch, evening), set a timer, check your Facebook, post something you’ve been wanting to share– but then get back to your REAL life.

2. Don’t bring your phone to bed.

So…you lay down at 10 p.m. and get suckered into watching a cute video of a puppy….. somehow it magically turned to midnight?

Sleep is important!

3. Keep a food journal.

Even if you don’t keep exact track of it, it does make you aware of how much you subconsciously eat throughout the day. (Good one for people who want to lose weight!)

4. Drink more water

These water bottles are an AWESOME way to stick to that resolution!!! Get one here.

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5. Drink less alcohol

Replace with water ^^^ 😉

6. Start replacing some of your usual groceries with the organic version.

Yes, they are more expensive– So are medical bills due to health complications.

7. Add 15 more minutes to your cardio. Or try something new!

Do what you usually do, just go for longer! Instead of walking or running on the treadmill for 30 minutes, go for 45. Usually go to Yoga? Try boot camp or Zumba!

Any changes you make (even small) and stick with are a success.

Here is to a wonderful 2016!!!!

 

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Blanket Scarves

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Yesterday at Cocos we got a shipment of these gigantic plaid squares. Come to find out, they were scarves. As I held one up I had a “WTF” moment. –How can this possibly be a scarf?? How to do I wear it? Why. is. it. so. freaking. large.

Then I tried one on. And…….  HOLY CUTE!

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Am I right?

Definitely going to be obsessed with these this winter and did I mention there are like 7 different ways to wear them??

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 {My favorite way is the triangle!}

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Find these scarves here. $19

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10 Qualities of Healthy Relationships

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Looks like my Master’s Degree is paying off already! One of my millions of assignments for Theories of Human Communication this week was to read the chapter over “Relationships” and teach it to the class.

Ironic because I am probably the last person on Earth that should be teaching others about relationships.

Anyway, as I was reading I came across a list that Carl Rodgers (a 20th century psychologist) theoretically constructed about what a healthy relationship possesses:

  1. Communicators are perceived by one another as trustworthy, or consistently dependable.
  2. They express themselves unambiguously (AKA clearly)
  3. They possess positive attitudes of warmth and caring for the other.
  4. A partner in a relationship keeps a separate identity.
  5. A partner permits the other to do the same.
  6. The partner accepts the various facets of the others’ experience as communicated by the other person. (AKA they aren’t disapproving of the others past)
  7. The relationship is marked by empathy, in which each attempts to understand the feelings of the other.
  8. The partners respond with sufficient sensitivity to create a safe environment for personal change.
  9. Communicators are able to free themselves from the threat of evaluation from the other. (AKA they feel free to say anything without being judged)
  10. Each communicator recognizes that the other is changing and is flexible enough to permit the other to change.

The relationships that I view as “healthy” in my life have EVERY single one of these qualities. I think about my best friend and how much both of us have experienced and changed over the years. We are so different from each other and instead of growing apart, we have embraced these qualities and have created a friendship that will literally last forever.

If you are in a relationship, whether it be a family member, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, etc. and none of these qualities are present– get out of it! Everyone deserves healthy, happy relationships because in the end– that’s all that we have!

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Troubles will come & they will pass.

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Do you ever have one of those days where you just CAN’T get happy? I mean, It’s not like my life is awful. I have SO much to smile and be happy about. But even so, sometimes it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Between working full time, going to graduate school full time, homework, and a photography business it’s hard to keep my sanity.

(I don’t know how people go back to school when they have kids, seriously!— Whole new level of respect for them!)

I want things in my life to fall in place and they just aren’t. No matter what path I choose, something goes wrong. It makes me feel like it’s my fault. Like there’s something wrong with me.

I tend to overthink mostly everything. (I need to work very hard on changing  that about myself.) But when I step back and look at the BIG picture of life, how lucky I am to even be living, how lucky I am to have a laptop and a cell phone to use whenever I please, how lucky I am to have an entire family that loves me– I remember a line from one of my favorite songs ever, Simple Man.

“Troubles will come, and they will pass…”

Although life isn’t exactly comfortable or easy for me right NOW doesn’t mean that it won’t be next week, or next month, or even next year.

I just need to be patient and remember I get the privilege of waking up every morning to work towards a future goal.

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3 ways to keep bleached hair healthy

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Balayage and Ombre are so big right now it’s hard to not want to be part of the trend.

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But, as we all know bleaching hair can really damage it. I’ve learned from experience. Chopping all your hair off is usually the result. (Why my hair is so short in both pictures!)

Now, I’m on the road to recovery. I  LOVE my ombre because there is NO upkeep. I can let my natural color grow for as long as I want and save so much money from going to the salon less.

It’s just the ends I have to worry about. Here are some ways to take care of your hair to keep it healthier and longer.

  1. Make sure you are washing it correctly. 

Don’t wash it everyday! Seriously, dry shampoo works wonders. When you do wash it, put conditioner on just the ends of your hair before you shampoo it. Try to keep shampoo only towards your scalp & try to keep condition just towards the ends.

2. Use Anti-Snap

I can’t use any oils or serums on my hair because it will make it too oily. But I can’t use nothing because my hair is too dry on the ends. Extreme_AntiSnap_150x250

I use Redken extreme anti-snap and LOVE it. Anti-Snap has made it harder for my hair to break off, which has made it grow more.

3. Weekly hair treatments

Coconut oil is my #1. On nights that my hair is dirty and I know I will wash it the next morning, I COVER my hair in coconut oil & sleep in it.

You can also buy weekly hair treatments at Wal-Mart or Ulta, I just think coconut oil is easiest because I use it for other things as well.

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Things Could Always Be Worse

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This morning I woke up at 5:45 to go workout like always. Chugged some pre-workout, slipped my shoes on and tied my ratty hair up into a bun. My brother-in-law was in the kitchen waiting on me so I yelled “I’ll drive to the gym!”

Little did I know 8 minutes later I’d be getting pulled over for ignoring a “Road Closed” sign that I literally have gone around everyday the last month. (not exaggerating.) One $139 ticket later, I was pissed. Why did I say I’d drive? Why couldn’t that cop just have told me not to do it again?

Needless to say my workout was horrible. When we got home I knew my day was going to be that much worse if I didn’t get a good sweat in so I decided to go run. (Exercise is seriously the BEST stress reliever, next to eating a huge cheeseburger)

As I was running by an Arby’s restaurant (wishing I was inside eating a huge #2 with curly fries) I thought to myself “thank god I don’t have to work at a fast food restaurant.” I’ve had my fair share of bad jobs, and that is one that I would never want to have to do.

My point here is things could always be worse.

The rest of my run I focused on all the positives I have in my life. Focusing on the good made a $139 seem so pointless in the scheme of life.

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Flash Tattoos & Bull Riding

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This weekend was my sister’s bachelorette party which called for something special. Something flashy. Something awesome. Something you can wear all day long AND get wet. (From pool water to sweat from dancing all night long.)

Have you ever heard of flash tattoos?! They are basically exactly like the temporary tattoos we wore when we were little, only more appropriate since we aren’t 7 anymore.

Seriously, they are awesome! I got so many compliments from my sister’s friends, and most of them decided they wanted to wear one too!

EVEN my mom decided she wanted to wear one:

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Awesome, right? (Find them here)

After the pool party we had going on, we went out to the bars to celebrate Kylie’s last fling before the ring.

This is how it ended:

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Fun times & Great memories. (P.S. Kylie isn’t passed out, just wanted to snuggle me for the picture lol)

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1980’s Ray-Bans

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So…

My birthday was last Sunday and I am officially 22. And yes, for those of you who are wondering, I still have no idea what I am going to do with my life.

I wish that when I woke up Sunday morning there would’ve been a magical card with details of which path to choose and where I would end up, laying next to my head. But instead I woke up with my sticky bra half on/half off and a headache that would have stopped Marlin from trying to find Nemo. (Had a little too much fun at a wedding the night before.)

Anyway, the day really turned around when I went to meet my family for lunch. Everyone was there, which is a birthday present in itself because they are my favorite people on the planet.

After lunch my dad came to my car and handed me his pair of 1980’s Ray-Ban sunglasses and said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”. I had told him that I wanted them awhile back, but I never thought he’d trust me with something of his that was old and valuable.

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Cool right?? (My other accessories are pretty on-point today as well)

It makes me feel good that I have people who care about me and want to spend time with me on my birthday, even if I feel like I don’t deserve it sometimes.

They’re just sunglasses right? You’re probably wondering why I am so happy about them. I don’t really know how to answer that, but I do know that I will cherish these sunglasses forever and ever. Even when they go out of style again I will hold onto them and remember the day, my 22nd birthday, that my dad gave me something of his to keep.

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Firefly Lane

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I am not much of a reader, but at night when I am having trouble falling asleep I can read a few chapters in a book and sleep like a baby. (Seriously, it works every time)

I started a book called “Firefly Lane”  by Kristin Hannah a few weeks ago and I REALLY like it. It takes a lot to keep me interested, especially when it’s something like reading. But this book has kept my interest and actually WANTING to read it!

The story is based around a family that has lost their mother and how they are dealing with the struggles that losing her has brought.

I would recommend this book to young and old (my mom is actually the one who gave it to me!)

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What to Wear: Shark Week Party edition!

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So, your boyfriend is obsessed with Shark Week just like the other 80% of the male population. Or maybe you are the one with the passion for those great white beasts! Either way, Shark Week viewing parties are a fun, and a great way to get your friends and your significant others’ friends together!

Drinks and snacks such as the “Shark Attack” and “Great White Shark Cocktail” will of course be involved.

But the most important part of this day is hands down going to be the outfit. You could of course go the cliche way and wear something with a shark on it. OR you could wear an adorable styling outfit INSPIRED by a shark.

1. Tiger Shark:

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Wear a blue colored maxi (get one with some thin stripes to make it even more dramatic) Add some sea-colored stack-able bracelets and your favorite necklace.

2. Great White:

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Some adorable grey denim and a grayish-blue top will do the trick for this one! And how could you ever go wrong with those sandals?!

Shop lovecocos.com for these looks and have a GREAT SHARK WEEK!

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