with a new year comes new resolutions. resolutions shouldn’t become a daunting to-do list. a resolution should challenge you to better yourself, to grow and to enjoy the blessings of life. truly, any day is the perfect day to start a new resolution. there are no rules stating you have to wait until january 1st, but on with tradition!
this year i am setting a resolution to collect more memories and less things. i’m constantly cleaning out my closet, or getting rid of things i no longer use while talking myself out of “well, i might wear this one day” scenarios. even then, i’m clearing it out just to replace it with something new. anyone else find themselves in this cycle? don’t get me wrong, i’m all about retail therapy [ firm believer in its’ healing powers ] but this year i want to serve the Lord the best i can, enjoy the things i do have, appreciate anything and everything new and while doing this, collect as many memories as i can.
God filled this world with so many frivolous beauties like clothes, lipstick shades and great handbags. we were given these gifts for a reason and it’s a-okay to enjoy them and appreciate them for what they are because ultimately, true beauty comes from within.
the most pure form of love and beauty comes from having faith. it comes from knowing we are undeservingly saved and loved beyond our own comprehension. that right there is true beauty. yes, a good pair of shoes will always know how to brighten my day, a bold, red lip will always boost my confidence and comfy sweaters are something i live in. that’s just fine. there is nothing wrong with enjoying the frivolous things of life. but a new pair of skinnies will only give you confidence in the now, not an everlasting one that you can only find through faith.
so this year, while serving the Lord and doing my best to encourage others to love and live life to the fullest, i intend to indulge in the company of friends, engage in belly-aching laughter, cherish the support of family, and experience the excitement of exploration and so much more. i want to make memories that i can look back on with a smile, memories that last a lifetime.
hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebration and were showered with love! i went home for the weekend and enjoyed relaxing, eating way too much and catching up! the ever-so-popular #nsale is back just in time to use those Christmas gift cards. the mall can be just as hectic after the holidays as before. so skip the hustle and bustle and shop some of my favorites below from the comfort and warmth of your very own home 🙂
i have a permanent smile wearing this frosty sweater and am slightly obsessed. [by slightly i really mean i haven’t taken this sweater off]. it has a loose comfortable fit and is incredibly soft. i tagged a couple of holiday ones you can scroll through. all the same brand and same level of comfort. these boots are amazing and keep my feet warm and most importantly, dry while trekking around in the snow. they do run a little large. order true to size if you want some wiggle room and space for thick winter socks. if not, try a half size down.
there are only 2 days left until Christmas which means it’s down to the wire! every year i try to ‘finish’ all of my shopping early but Christmas just has a way of sneaking right up. it’s late, but not too not to late to order Christmas goodies! most online retailers offer expedited shipping for the holidays or at least have 2-day delivery as an option for all you last-minute shoppers out there [ like me! ]. so take a deep breath, have a cup of hot chocolate and finish crossing off your list. gifts are an expression of love and gratitude. they don’t have to be perfect, it’s the thought behind them that counts. 🙂
hope you have the merriest Christmas filled with so much joy!
“every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
i should have prefaced my picture overload with how excited i was to experience the beauty that is capri. thanks to pintrest and my self proclaimed addiction to travel, i had been looking forward to the wondrous and gorgeous capri for years. my dreams of seeing the blue grotto and swimming around while frolicking into the clear blue waters was about to become my reality. i was stoked for this part of the trip. like a little kid going to disneyworld for the first time ever kind of stoked.
the first stop along the amalfi coast was at the beautiful cliffside village of positano. positano is a pebbled and peaceful beach. it was perfect. we spent the day relaxing while sipping on refreshing drinks and listening to the waves crash along the rocky shore. it was a very nice change of pace for us. the perfect afternoon was followed by a beautiful dinner in sorrento overlooking mt. vesuvius. the food was incredible but the view was even better.
my perfect day of soaking up the italian sun and having a delightful dinner by the water took a turn by nightfall. one minute we were worried about getting a sun burn and the next we were surrounded by torrential downpour coupled by booming thunder and lightening. we were quite literally trapped at our dinner location [which was outdoors under a covered patio] just watching the lightening strike and rain pour down from up above.
i was terrified. i tried to play to it cool, but i couldn’t. if i’m not snuggled up in someone else’s arms [thank you for being those arms, college roomies 🙂 ] or hiding underneath my blankets during a thunderstorm, then chances are i’m trembling and jumping at each and every flash of light and clap of thunder. that’s normal, right? so there we were, bellies stuffed from an amazing italian meal and stuck. lucky for me, i had great company. we sat and waited as we watched lightening light up the sky just above mt. vesuvius. it was actually pretty cool, terrifying, but cool. about 30 minutes into the storm my fear eased up. coincidentally, the storm calmed down shortly after my fears did [or maybe it was the other way around] and i started to enjoy the peaceful sounds of the rain trickling around us before making it back to the hotel safe and sound.
i had a gut feeling the blue grotto would not be open to the public after the storms we survived that night. i went to bed enamored with my wonderful day but still feeling pretty bummed. okay, bummed is an understatement. i tried to remain positive and remind myself that i was in italy. there is still plenty to see! but i was let down. let down by something i built up in my own head and by a situation that was uncontrollable.
the next morning brought clear blue skies, so blue grotto or no blue grotto, we still ventured out to capri to sightsee. to get to capri from sorrento we took a bus [one of the only means of transportation]. it was a windy and whirly bus ride that shakily drove on narrow mountainous paths. the bus ride was followed by a large, i mean large, boat that took us to the isle of capri. the massive boat rocked back and forth and then back and forth the entire time. i fought motion sickness the whole ride. at this point, it was getting more and more difficult to remain positive.
as soon as we arrived, i kissed the ground and shouted, “land!” kidding. but i did in my mind. it felt so great to walk on solid ground and to get off the rocking boat. [makes my tummy churn just thinking about it!] after my stomach settled down and i took a look around me, all my disappointments of that morning disappeared. i was in capri!
because of the after effects of the storm and the dangers associated with the small space at the blue grotto, it was indeed closed to the public. missing out on the blue grotto was definitely unfortunate but i still had so much to be thankful for. it turned out to be a gorgeous day and there was still so much to see in capri, the white grotto, the green grotto, and ahem, capri!
one of our first encounters was with a salesman who offered us a private boat tour. then another salesman offering the same thing, but at a lower cost. we took it. there’s both a private and group tour around the island. the private tour allows you to jump in the water, and the group tour does not. the private tour was definitely the way to go. this was the coolest experience, ever. in fact i think i said “this is so cool” at least 100 times with video proof [ it really was so cool!!]
i was so excited i was literally smiling from ear to ear. about 5 minutes into our ride while relaxing on the boat with the wind blowing through my hair, i had completely forgotten about the blue grotto. i was just enjoying what was right in front of me. i can’t even describe the views from this experience because they were beyond breathtaking. pictures can’t do it any justice. and even better, because we had opted for the private tour we were able to jump off and snorkel in the water. i lived out my dream of playing in the gorgeous italian waters after all. it may not have been what i originally thought it was but it was a great reminder that someone much bigger than i is in control and His plans are much greater than i can even fathom. capri turned out even better than my dreams. it was incredible and to date, one of my most favorite memories.
beach essentials
travel tips
bring comfortable shoes with support. most transportation from hotel to beaches is by foot.
drink water and stay hydrated. the last thing you want is to feel crummy on vacation!
bring sunscreen [you can buy it by any of the beaches but like most touristy spots, you’ll be paying double]
if you take the boat from sorrento to capri, try sitting in the most center of the boat. this is the most stable area and will help prevent motion sickness.
taking the time to give thanks for our blessings is so important. it makes us appreciate what we have. it’s easy to lose sight of what is right in front of us sometimes [especially after all the wants and needs of black friday and cyber monday]. today is a special kind of day, it’s a day devoted to giving back. with the holidays in full swing, there are so many opportunities to give back to your community. churches are a great place to start to find a way to get involved. i’ve listed some charities below that offer ways you can be a blessing to others. there are so many ways to help.
have you ever thought of packaging water bottles, granola bars, a toothbrush and poncho to hand out to those that are begging on the streets? i understand some people don’t like giving out money, but how about something useful? especially if they’re standing out there in the rain!
have you ever started the starbucks trend and paid for the person’s coffee behind you in the drive-through lane? the pay-it-forward is contagious and could last all day!
have you ever paid for someone’s layaway? i did this as a part of my 25 in 25 [my first blog] and it was the most rewarding experience i have ever had. i will be doing this again soon. i just went to the layaway counter and asked for someone’s layaway with children’s items and that have already started payments. i asked for someone who had already started payments so i know they would come back for it. if they’ve already put a couple dollars down, then you know they are coming back. [the store will also call the customer to let them know their items are paid off and ready for pick-up]
get creative, there are so many ways to be a blessing to others. i would love to hear and share ideas that you have come up with!
simply pack a shoe box with gifts and essentials and you can actually track the location of your box to see what lucky child receives your gift around the world!
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