Happy New Year everyone! This is my first blog post of our new decade and I’m thankful you’re still here reading OR glad to have you if you’re a new reader!
I’m going to flip the script a little on this particular blog post. There won’t be any talk of how-to draw on fierce winged liner or sharing what my current-of-the-moment-foundation favorite is. But I promise, all of those topics are coming…
Today I’m going a bit more under the exterior. Over this first week of 2020, I have been in my head reflecting, overthinking, worrying, and being excited for ALL aspects of my life. Anyone do this with the start of a new year??
This happens to me ever so often, where I start second guessing everything. Seriously, everything. It could range from, what more should I be doing to continue to grow my freelance business and this blog? Should I spend LESS time focusing on Instagram or MORE time focusing on Instagram? How could I better nurture my relationships with others and more importantly, my husband? Should we be making date nights with just the two of us a bigger priority??
And then of course the biggie, MOTHERHOOD. Am I a present parent? Are my kids happy?? Is it damaging to my 13 year olds social life that we STILL won’t give him an iPhone and social media? (Yeh, that’s a worry at his age.) Should we quit eating SO much Chick-Fil-A??
While my work as a makeup artist is important financially, and I do love what I do, it’s not as fulfilling as being with my kids. I’m sure most parents would agree with this statement and their careers. I’ve slowly been thinking that I should incorporate more parenting content to this blog, because being a mother is so much a part of who I am. It starts to feel empty when all I talk about is makeup on here. I’m just still trying to figure out how I would tie it all in.
“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” – Josh Shipp
I’m right in the stage of parenting preteens and teenagers. My two sons are 13 and 11 and the youngest of the family, my daughter, is 9. I don’t even want to utter that she’ll be out of the single digits this year. Little girls and boys are complicated and so is life. But trying to raise kids to be kind, compassionate, courageous, and confident adults could be one of the most difficult, yet rewarding, jobs on this earth. And I just don’t want to screw it up.
With this being said, I feel I have a different responsibility for raising my daughter than I do my sons.
I can’t clearly explain why, but the obvious would be, well, I am a female like her. She gets me like I get her. She wants to hold my hand ALL THE TIME, even when we are just walking around inside the house!! I also have lots of experience on how to handle certain things Vivian will have to deal with in the near future.
But before I get into the topic of “wise words” for my daughter – I feel there is one very important thing we moms of daughters should do outside of verbal parenting, and it’s been uttered a million ways, but it is this…
“Practice more self love and self acceptance of ourselves. This will be the best example to show our daughters how to have higher self esteem. “
Quotes are one of my favorite things to look up on Pinterest.
I’ve got more pins about words than any other board on my Pinterest account – even over beauty/makeup/and skincare pins!! It’s because words can really make a quick + memorable impact on our psyche and hit us right where we need it. I have a hashtag on my Instagram account, #jsmquotes, that honestly get more likes and interactions than most of my other posts! It’s a thing – people just love funny, encouraging, and inspirational words.
Here’s a collection of 10 wise quotes and things I want Vivian (and really all the other females in my life!) to know and commit to memory as she grows up.
People can be mean. Don’t take it personally. It says nothing about you but a lot about them.
*
Kindness starts with being kind to yourself.
*
Never allow waiting to become a habit. Live your dreams and take risks. Life is happening now.
*
Don’t say maybe, if you want to say no.
*
Admire someone else’s beauty without questioning your own.
*
Good skin comes to those that wash their face before bed.
*
Seek respect, not attention. It lasts longer. (hello Social Media likes!)
*
You don’t have to be perfect. Most men never think like that.
*
Nothing makes a woman look so old, as trying desperately hard to look young. – Coco Chanel
*
A bad attitude is like a flat tire, you can’t go anywhere without changing it.
What wise words would you say to a daughter OR any special female in your life? Please share below if you have some good ones!
Afterthoughts… Won’t you come join me here on my Pinterest account?! I’d love to see you there. I just listened to the BEST podcast about Progress Not Perfection – It was a serious game changer for me mentally and I believe everyone can benefit from listening to this episode. Mine and Viv’s cute Georgia peach baseball-ish tees are by HuntTheJones.com (fyi, they’re not kid sizes, Viv is wearing an XS but it’s more of a sleep shirt on her right now but she’ll grow into it!)
