11/26/15

gratitude

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I read a quote a few months ago that said "Combat anxiety with gratitude." That really stuck with me as this has been quite an anxious year for me. When my mind is focused on looking at the things I am grateful for in anxious moments, I see that things work out sometimes, that I have people who love me, that there is hope and good in the world. 

I'm really focused this Thanksgiving on seeing the good in life. There is a lot to be thankful for. Even when I was in the throws of depression, I could write pages on things that were good. Even in the worst moments, there is good. 

I think about our world, and we need the good so much right now. Maybe if we all fill our hearts with gratitude and hope it will spill over to the people around us. If we can give just a person or two a good moment, it has the possibility to change more than just those few seconds.

Let's start the kindness and gratitude within ourselves and then pass it on to others. Write a gratitude list (I call them "good things lists"), tell someone how much they mean to you, be kind to yourself today, tell yourself how valuable you are. 

Here are a few things on my good things list:

This is my first Thanksgiving depression free in ten years!

I'm so lucky to have my husband R be my best friend too.

Our four pups who are wild, and work, and wonderful.

The red leaved trees in our neighborhood that are so beautiful.

Cold nights with warm fires.

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What are some things you are grateful for?

xo, C



11/19/15

gifting with love

Hi Loves!

The holidays are coming and I am really excited. This is my favorite time of the year for sure. I think we often get caught up in the hustle and the 'must do' that we forget to make the holidays about peace and love. When I give gifts I want them to be from the heart, rather than from a wish-list. I want to give gifts to show affection and tenderness rather than out of a sense of obligation. 

I really like the idea of making something by hand for friends and family for the holidays. Whether it's baking pies, giving a plant, or sewing a goodie, these are all fun ways to show you care. Another thing I love is giving your time. We get so caught up in doing our own thing, what if you set up a day out with your niece or a beach adventure with one of your girlfriends? I also think donations are great and supporting artists worldwide. Here are a few of my holiday gift ideas!

Lavender sachet DIY
Homemade lavender sachets. Not only are these super cute, 
they are functional, and the scent is so relaxing! 
Such a great goodie to give!

glitter plant pots DIY
I love these glitter plant pots, I am such a plant lady so 
I'm a sucker for all things green and living! Succulents are a 
great option to put in these pots for gifts, easy to keep alive even if you
don't have a green thumb!

Kitty eye mask DIY
This kitten eye mask is just too cute! What a great goodie for a new mom,
busy friend, or someone who travels a lot.

Sudara Clothing
This is an awesome clothing shop! It is run by Indian women who want
to fight going into the sex trade. They specialize in pjs, and the clothes look so comfy!

Give to Syrian refugees
The crisis in Syria is real and tragic. I think most of us get overwhelmed
by it and don't know what to do. The best thing we can do is give money to 
charities like UNICEF. This link takes you directly to help Syrian children. 
Even if you can only give $10 or $20, it will make a difference!

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If you want to be a little extravagant this season you can even combine some of these gifts. Eye mask, pjs, and a girls night in date! Or a plant and a promise for hope for the Syrian refugees.

This year let's try not to give out of obligation. When we give out of obligation or without intention it can really cause us to lose the whole point of the holidays, which is connection, love, peace, and rest. It is a pause. A time to reflect on what we have and to be thankful. A time to show appreciation to the people we love. Your gift doesn't even have to be handmade or charitable. What matters is the thoughtfulness and love you put into it!

xo, C


11/17/15

The reveal


Welcome to the new Life Collection! I'm so glad you're here! I reimagined this space after getting pretty burnt out with my old way of blogging, which was basically posting here and there about whatever I felt like at the time. I really lost my direction and thought about giving it up. Then after a bout of loneliness I came up with a new vision for this space, and I am so excited about to share it with you!

I want Life Collection to be a kindness blog. Not just kindness to those around us, but kindness toward ourselves. I have learned that loving yourself first is the real key to being able to have empathy and compassion for those around us. This is where the tag line "love you, love all" comes in. I think if we love ourselves it gives us the capacity to love everyone around us.

I want to share my own journey toward self-love (which I'm still working on intensely), tips and ideas for caring for ourselves and those around us, and just about anything and everything loving and kind.
I hope Life Collection is a positive space where we can share our own kindness stories. I want to get more interactive and maybe I'll even share some guest posts. I want us to talk about happiness, joy, good things. We talk about feeling positive emotions, but what do those emotions look like? What triggers them? What is a good day for you? For me? For those around us? I'm sure it is diverse, and that is exciting!

We see so much tragedy in the world and it's devastating. What can we do about it? We can get bitter, or we can get compassionate! Let's choose kindness! Let's sprinkle compassion around like confetti! Let's do our best to make even one person's day better and see where it goes!

Thanks for being here! Let's do this!

xo, C

11/4/15

changes are coming!


Hi Love,

A few weeks ago I had a new idea for the direction of Life Collection. I've been blogging for years all over the internet and lately I feel so flat and pointless about it. I have been posting less and less and feeling lost. So it's time for a change!

I'm really excited about the new vision I am developing and am going to do a total overhaul- from design, to post topics, and the whole purpose of the blog. I want my blog to exist not just as an online diary, but as something helpful to my readers, as an inspirational and purposeful space.

So stay tuned. I'll post on social media when the big reveal happens. It will probably be sometime in late November.

Looking forward to joining you in the redesigned space!

xo, C