Category: Uncategorized

A Thank You Letter to my Mom on Mother’s Day

Thank you, Mom, for showing me discipline by putting me in dance. It taught me to show up to class early, work with a team, remember a routine week after week, be reliable to others and it taught me to get in front of an audience and smile. Today, it reminds me that hard work always pays off.

Thank you, Mom, for always taking an interest in my life.

For all day shopping trips since I was a little girl and telling me that everything, I try on looks good on me. I never would have been interested in fashion if it weren’t for those trips.

For making me realize teachers are people too.

For listening to how my days were even if they were hard ones but then giving me advice on what to do.

For always sending me birthday cards.

For reminding me it’s better to be alone than in a bad relationship. This made me unafraid to live completely alone.

For understanding my choices and decisions.

For never leaving the car before finishing singing a great song.

Thank You, Mom, for teaching me to laugh during this crazy life of ours. ❤

Happy Mother’s Day ❤

Motivational Monday: The Importance of Compliments and Saying Thank You

It is SO important to say thank you, to compliment others and to tell them what a great job they are doing daily. Especially, for anyone who is struggling with a difficult situation or going through the motions of their day. It is such a nice gesture to show up on a text message, email, phone call or by mail to make a compliment or say thank you. By doing this, you may have just made someone’s day. You may have made them realize that their hard work is paying off. Even more so, you have may made them feel like whatever you complimented them on means they should continue to do the work they’re doing. If you receive a compliment about your work or yourself, hold onto it. Think about it during a negative situation or share it with someone else. The more you remind yourself of what someone else said, the happier you’ll be.

When someone compliments you for the hard work you’ve done all month or reaches out to say that they’ve enjoyed your work, or was generous with their time or money, always say thank you to them. Saying thank you means just as much to someone as a compliment and it is just as important. Thank you means you’ve acknowledged what they’ve done for you.

I know from personal experience it can be hard to listen to someone’s compliments when you feel stuck. It’s easy to say Thank You and continue to be upset while staying in a negative headspace. However, if someone is taking the time to really say that they are proud of you, will be there for you or just want to make sure you are okay then that is a person you want to hold onto. Knowing they’ve reached out once means you can reach out when you need support.

There will always be difficult experiences in life and there will also be loving people to compliment how well you’re dealing with that experience. When you feel stuck, remember their compliments of what a great job you’re doing while going through hard times and always remember to tell them thank you for thinking of you.

What was something nice someone said to you while going through a difficult time? Or what was a wonderful compliment someone gave you recently?

Motivational Monday: Don’t Be Afraid of Anyone

When I was young I had the privilege of growing up around people who were older than me. I got to know these people on a personal level and because of this, I saw them for who they really are. However, once I hit adulthood and began working I saw so many people in my life be afraid of their bosses, co-workers, instructors, Corporate bosses and even friends. I saw people break down in front of these people because of their high demands and I also saw people get extremely angry behind their back, claiming they “weren’t afraid of them.”

If you’re afraid of people you won’t be able to ask them for help when you really need it.

Seeing all of this made me realize, whatever happened to just talking to people? You know, being nice to people, having a good conversation about life. Everyone in this life is truly the same. We are all people, we all eat, sleep, get dressed, work and have lives. It made me realize that everyone is just a person, and no one scares me. It doesn’t matter what position they hold at their job because the people you work with are there to collaborate with and learn from. If you’re hanging out with a friend who you’re afraid to give your opinion to or speak up against when you don’t want to do something, then try giving your opinion anyway and see what they say or if that person is toxic to your relationship, it may be best to part ways. Or, if you see someone you admire but are too afraid to say hello. Go up and say hello anyway. Yes, it might be awkward to meet someone new, but I bet they’ll appreciate you for saying hi and you’ll feel good once you talk to them.

The point is, don’t allow yourself to be afraid of people. You don’t have to go off on them by yelling to get your point across, you don’t have to tell everyone to be afraid because of the job title they hold, and you definitely don’t have to hide from them. Learning from others is the best thing in the world. It can make you smarter, open new doors for you and open you up to seeing things in a new light.

Happy Monday! ❤

Dreams of a 32 Year Old

Dreams of a 32-Year-Old,

If there is one thing I’ve realized going into my 32nd year of life, it’s that dreams can change as you age and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher had the class share what we wanted to be when we grew up. Most said, a teacher, vet or doctor. I said Princess. Clearly, I will never be a real princess, but if there is one thing I know, it’s that I can be a princess in my own way-I can build my life how I want. I can spend every day doing what I want-going to a job I enjoy, blogging about things that make me happy and help others, working out, eating foods that make me feel good, spending my money on things that bring me joy and spending time with people I love.

I’ve done a LOT of work on myself this year from going to therapy, listening to multiple podcasters talk about how to better yourself-to define success for yourself and go for your dreams. These women have made me realize that the only way to be successful is to work hard. Before starting my blog, I was lazy on the weekends and had no ambition and cared too much about what everyone else was doing without me. But now that I put in the effort to do something I enjoy, it’s taken the place of that negative space that was overgrowing with sadness.
I have also learned that treating myself to a vacation away from my everyday life is MUCH NEEDED. Earlier in the year, I thought I’d take a solo trip to Florida and lay by the ocean all week, but because Style Collective was having a conference I decided to take a full four days to NYC where I’d attend the conference, go to see a Broadway play, stay at a really nice hotel and eat in new restaurants. The point of the trip was to push myself outside of my comfort zone and this DEF. did! I decided on the conference over a beach vacation because I knew I’d grow more as a person-I’d learn more on the blogging industry, meet new people and learn to be okay with being out of my comfort zone.

Side Note: Now that I’m older I LOVE to learn! Learning from others is one of the greatest gifts especially when it comes to bettering yourself. ❤
Stop living in the past and live life day to day. I’ve learned that the worst thing you can do for yourself is stay stuck in yesterday, a year ago or five years ago. If an old memory that makes you uncomfortable appears online, don’t look at it, if you see a person who only brought you down, don’t engage with them, if someone is constantly questioning your personal life, give them a vague answer if you don’t want to get into it. Staying in the present comes down to knowing yourself. If you know something you see, or a conversation will upset you then don’t look at it or walk away from it. It’s the only way you will grow as a person.

What my dream (much like what society says) used to be was having a perfect house, relationship, family, career and at 32 I’m not even close to most of that. But you know what? I’m okay with the life I do have because I know that my life is what I want it to be. Every single day we make decisions on what to do next with our life. For many years, I stayed stuck in the past (and in my old dreams), and now I realize I don’t have to anymore. I can only compare my life to myself and no one else’s.

Cheers to 32! Another year of growth ❤

❤ Always, Amy Beth

What have you learned this year? What was a dream you swapped out for a new one? Let me know in the comments!

Beauty Giveaway on Instagram

Hi Everyone!

I am partnering with Tiffany Williams-skincare specialist of Naturally Lovely Kinks, to giveaway her top sellers. You will receive a hair and body gift basket that includes: Nourishing Lavender Chamomile Hair Spray

Natures Seduction Body Lotion

Apple Turmeric Radiance Scrub

Hair Pudding Rosemary Delight and Knot Free-Knot Today-Knot Ever Hair Conditioner.

Naturally Lovely Kinks provides 100% organic skin and haircare products. I love that the products are handmade, organic, vegan and rich in vitamins. I’ve tried the Natures Seduction Body Lotion and it provides hydration all day! Tiffany is an incrediblely motivated woman who inspires everyone to be positive and be themselves. Check out more of her products on her site:

http://www.naturallylovelykinks.com

To participate:

Follow @StylesToMakeYouSmile & @NaturallyLovelyKinks on Instagram

Like the post on NLK page

Tag one friend, you can tag more than one person for multiple entries.

Giveaway for US residents only.

This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram in any way.

Winner will be announced on NLK IG page on 6/23 at 4pm EST

A Special Father’s Day Post

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there! I thought I’d share some lessons my Dad has taught me over the years. But first a little background: He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, ran a family owned restaurant, worked as the Chief of my grandfathers Country Club and is a semi-retired successful businessman.

How to cook pasta-this something he learned growing up and passed down to my siblings, nephews and I earlier this year-See the post I wrote about here: How to make fresh pasta

The fun of cooking-When I was growing up he would cook me pancakes with an A in the center!

He can always tell you what the weather forecast is!

A love for cooking for family and community-During the holidays he cooks a prime rib dinner and Italian soup, and chicken and burgers for the annual family summer picnic.He works the church dinners which serve hundreds of people.

How to be a good sport-He danced with me during my senior year dance recital to I’ve Had the Time of My Life. He and my Mom dance every Friday night with friends.

He’s shown the work it takes to be a successful businessman which is long hours, dedication and partnerships.

A love for his home-He always does a beautiful job with the landscaping around the house, he has a garden and has hanging flowers on the front and back decks.

He has an incredible knack for knowing directions! Wherever you are, he can tell you exactly what roads lead home.

Love you, Dad!

Lessons My Mom Taught Me

My Mom has taught me many lessons over the years, from the importance of pictures, as they always spark a remember when conversation to sayings I’ll always remember. Here are some of my favorites that I hope you can learn from.

 
1. “Only buy it if you love it!” This is her ultimate saying while clothes shopping. If you know you’ll wear a piece of clothing all the time then buy it or if you need to buy something that’s expensive but you know you’ll use it, buy it! The value of something outweighs the cost based on how much you use it! See how I relate this lesson in this post-Tips For Your Next Clothes Shopping Trip

2. How to SAVE MONEY! My Mom received the “Bank of Mom” title from my Sister when we were growing up because Mom would always save money for big projects-the house maintenance, a vacation, college education, etc. This lesson stuck with me and it is how I was able to buy my first car. It’s not always fun saving money vs. buying things immediately but the tradeoff is when you finally purchase the thing you’ve saved for, which makes it worth it in the end.

3. “Don’t let WANT be your middle name”- I can hear her saying this to me when I was younger. She is right, there needs to be a clear understanding of want vs. need in life. And if it’s something you want that’s expensive, you’ll need to save money for it, then it will be worth it in the end because you’ll always remember how much you paid for it!

4. How to have fun and laugh! My Mom always has fun wherever she goes-out to dinner, having a party at home with friends and family, in the car jamming out to her favorite song-she once told me she waited in the car until a song was over and I TOTALLY do this too! Haha. We can always find something to laugh about no matter the situation.

5. How to do things by yourself-My Mom taught me it’s okay to do things alone because then you can do whatever you want when you want. See this post-Learning How to go to Events Alone & Painting Tips

6. How to shop for clothes-Twice a year we’d go on a major clothing spree. We’d be at the mall from the time it opened until the time it closed! We’d meet my Dad for dinner and he’d ask if we’d had good luck finding clothes and it was always as YES! She’d teach me about what looks good and flatters my figure, etc. and it’s how I’m able to share all the clothes shopping tips on my blog!

7. A love for dance-She passed along her love of dance to me, as she’s danced for many years and I’ve been dancing since I was a baby. My senior year of high school we ended my dancing journey with a jazz duet where we did the kick line at the end of the dance and everyone clapped for us. We laughed and hugged at the end of the dance. *I also got to do a dance with my Dad my senior year! She’s the reason why I love the ballet and Broadway shows.

8. The importance of family-Whenever my family gets together it’s always a good time! We all laugh over past memories and find anything in the present to talk about that’s funny. We give each other advice and always make time to see each other on the holidays. And, if we go out to dinner, we are ALWAYS the last ones in the restaurant because we like to talk! I remember one specific night when I was younger where we stayed at the restaurant until it closed and said goodbye to the workers as they headed home while we just stood in the parking lot talking all night!

9. Pictures are everything-On Christmas Eve, my Mom’s side of the family gets together and it’s a tradition to take pictures of each family. And when I say pictures, I mean, the ENTIRE FAMILY TAKES PICTURES AT THE SAME TIME-SO YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE TO LOOK! Ha! My Mom always has pictures printed and put into albums so you can always look back at them. In my parent’s home there is a wall with shelves dedicated to family albums. *My Dad always loved taking videos and it’s also fun to watch them and see how everyone’s grown.

10. “Enjoy the age you are because you’ll never be it again”-Oh how true this statement is! You only live once, so enjoy everything that each year brings you! It’s taught me not to worry about getting old but to focus on the age you are and making the most of your years.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! Love you!

What are the lessons your Mom taught you throughout your life? Share with me in the comments or on social media-Instagram-@stylestomakeyousmile or Facebook Page-Styles to Make You Smile

Motivational Monday-Acceptance

I began writing this post last week but didn’t feel like I was at a good place in life to talk about accepting life for where I am now, so I didn’t write it. I then talked to someone who gave me advice about acceptance. She made me realize that my life is going to consistently change (think of an up and down hill that I’ll forever be climbing) and that acceptance is something I am working toward. As my mother says, “It’s always something.” Meaning, if it’s not one thing going on in your life right now, it’s another; your health is fine and then suddenly you get really sick or you just bought your car and you need new breaks on it.
I believe that by accepting life for where you are without comparison to others or judgement from yourself is key to moving forward. When I was in my early 20’s I imagined what my life “should” look like at 31. Eleven years later it doesn’t look like what I thought it should and that is okay. I think it’s important to go through life learning who you are and a part of that is accepting everything you’ve gone through in life. No one has been through the things I have, thinks the way I do or owns my life. Once you’ve thought about these things on a grand scale, it shows that you can’t compare yourself to others and why your life is much different than someone else’s. It also means you can’t compare your life to how you thought it would work out because of life’s changes.

Acceptance means you’re facing reality. Don’t tell yourself sayings like: Get Over It (this saying sounds harsh and is not a nice way to treat yourself). You can accept things by fully living within the present. To stop thinking about the past, breathe and focus on the present moment. Accept your life as a whole, every challenge and success you’ve faced has led you to the present moment. While I know there will always be setbacks in life, acceptance is something that I am working toward.
How do you accept your life for where you are?

%d bloggers like this: