Dressing Your Truth

- All photography by Adrianna Joy Photography -

Find AJ on Instagram and on her website 

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  Happy Tuesday loves! 

So I have a couple questions I want to ask:

1. Have you ever put on an outfit just to take it off again because you just didn’t feel like yourself?
2. Have you ever bought clothes you thought were really cute and then never wore them more than once or twice? 
3. How often do you finish getting ready and walk out of the house feeling totally confident in what you’re wearing?
   

       Today I’ve partnered with Dressing Your Truth to share a few quick thoughts on the power in discovering what type of beauty you express, the freedom of developing your own personal style, and some tips on how to get there today!

       If you were like me as a little girl then you loved dress-up, and if you’re like me now than you still do.haha The thing I loved most about playing with costumes as a child and even today is that just by changing my outfit I am transported to a different time or a different lifestyle, and if you think about it, it’s the same with the clothes we wear every day! 

      

      You can probably think of clothes you have that help you feel comfortable or fancy or maybe productive, but more often I think we put on clothes and find that they make us feel out of shape or self-conscious, shy, or like we’re trying too hard.

      

       I used to stand in front of my full closet and look around my room feeling like I had nothing to wear, and it’s taken me so many years of frustration and experimenting to finally feel confident in what my personal style really is. So, you can imagine how excited I am to share a way that you can discover your unique type of beauty and style starting TODAY, and that’s by using the Free Beginner’s Guide from Dressing Your Truth!

      The free guide begins with helping you find out which of 4 different beauty types is the most dominant for you, and then is followed up by hours of free tips and information for each of the 4 types. Things like choosing haircuts for your type and hair-styling tips, the most complimentary makeup shades for you and, of course, lots of guidance about picking clothing that will help you feel excited to get dressed every day and leave the house loving how you look and feel. 

- All photography by Adrianna Joy Photography -

Find AJ on Instagram and on her website 

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• Find out what type of beauty is your dominant type, 
• Finally learn how to pick clothes, hair, and makeup that truly highlight you, 
• Learn how to stop the battle with your closet and the dressing room mirror, 
• and discover real answers about how to look and feel like the best version of yourself.

       Click Here to view the free guide from start to finish, and then come back and tell me which type you are! I felt pretty giddy when I found my type (I’m a 3!), and I was surprised how much I quickly identified with and related to other type 3s and their testimonies. I’ve had so so many of you ask for advice on how to look and feel more confident in what you wear and how you style yourself, and I really believe this fun and simple tool holds so many answers and can be life-changing in many ways!

       Thanks so much for reading, and have a great rest of your week!

P.S. Are you someone who loves personality-type tests like I do? I go big and dive into my type and learn all I can. It’s so fascinating to me. 

        xoxo

#AllWhoWander ... Are Not Lost

   
     Hey beautiful friends, thank you so much for visiting today! I'm currently in Nashville at the one and only Blissdom Conference (more on this later), but this week was the newest boho bridal label launch called All Who Wander, and I knew I had to share more about it with you guys here on my blog!
     
      The collection has 17 gorgeous bohemian-inspired styles and I had the honor of wearing the Emery Gown. I mean, how incredible is this dress??! It was so hard to pick just one favorite that I wanted to feature, but this dress just spoke to me with it's clean lines and drappy silhouette. My draw dropped when I first unzipped the bag and carefully took out the hanger. The lace bodice and cap sleeves are so flattering I think, and the open back leading down to a line of buttons on the silky train is just so elegant and etherial, I didn't want to take it off!

      My favorite part about this dress though was, funnily enough, the passionate Spirit Statement behind the whole collection and how much it resonated with me:

"For every free spirit in pursuit of a dream.

For every adventurer craving anything but ordinary.

For the fearless heart, embarking on an epic romance that begins with a single "yes".

Discover a gown that embodies your beauty, sings to your soul,

and reveals a part of you that is never lost.

For All Who Wander

     I don't know about you but that is such an epic way to start out on your new journey with your spouse. So I hope you go check out this Emery gown HERE if you love it, and also you can view the rest of the collection in the Dress Gallery HERE. The Finn gown and the Rowen gown are my other top favorites so check them out for sure!

    Thanks so much for visiting today, and I'd love to hear a sure sign that someone has wanderlust in the comments, and also I'd love to hear your favorite All Who Wander dress- or both!

    Lots of love me people,

P.S. this is not a sponsored blog post, however, I have done paid content on Instagram

 for this launch and all words and opinions are mine!

A weekend that changed my life (& can change yours too)

               Hey loves!
       I can't believe we have just a few weeks until the first day of school. This year we'll have the older five kids in school with Lydia starting Kindergarten and Evie in preschool, and while I'm so super excited for them of course, I'm going to miss my babes being around me all day every day. *sniff sniff*

       Anyways, today I want to share some quick thoughts on one of the most life-changing experiences I've ever had (NOT sponsored:)), and details on how you can have the same opportunity! I'm talking about my time at the Radiant & Rooted Retreat and the incredible impact it's had on me. Considering that I attended the retreat that was last March, I feel bad that it's taken me so long to get this post written, but even now I don't feel equipt to write well enough to do it justice. There are emotions I felt that I can't quite put into words, and spiritual breakthroughs that I feel are too sacred to even try to share, but I'll start with a little break-down after these pictures:

All images by Kallie Porter Photo for Radiant & Rooted

All images by Kallie Porter Photo for Radiant & Rooted

What:
Radiant & Rooted Women's Retreats
A 3 day retreat to renew your soul and ignite your life!

      The retreat I attended in St George last March was in a peaceful secluded spot with just a handful of other women (as opposed to a really large group) so I couldn't 'blend into the background' or be overlooked. They had comfy beds in an incredible house and truly AMAZING food all day long. There were tons of awesome 'swag'/gifts from awesome companies. The team included energy workers and healers to help guide and teach, and I was encouraged (not forced) to explore my doubts and fears, address my limiting beliefs, discover my inner power and the energy that holds me back and holds me up. There was morning yoga, guided meditation, gorgeous hikes, swimming, time to connect with the other attendees and find our commonalities, time to be on my own, but most of all I just had lots of fun, and lots of crying.haha

      Also, I just need to add that the incredible group of friends behind these retreats are some of the most caring and compassionate souls you'll ever meet. They have nothing but pure love and compassion in their hearts and truly just want to help empower women to be their best selves and to unlock their incredible power and potential. They've dedicated SO much time and ENDLESS effort to create what I consider to be a sacred environment and atmosphere that is dedicated to helping you feel safe and understood, valued, appreciated, and absolutely full of life and hope.


When and Where:
      Again, the retreat I attended was last March in St George, UT, but the next one is coming up THIS WEEKEND!!!! It's from Friday, August 2nd to Sunday, August 4th and it's in Island Park Idaho. The link to purchase is right HERE if you want to click over and snag one before the last sell out:) Please please please consider investing in yourself (and by extension everyone you come in contact with) and just go.lol I can't recommend it enough. And no once again, I don't get anything by anyone purchasing a ticket, I just believe in these retreats with all my heart and my guts.haha Okay moving on.


Why go:
      Because investing in yourself is a powerful and immensely rewarding course of action,
because you deserve to step away from all the hustle and comparison and laundry and noise and to find some clarity and connection with other like-minded souls who are searching for many of the same things you are,
because now is the perfect time to gain some amazing new friendships and perspective, and to find some answers and peace, because Radiant & Rooted is the catalyst you need to move into the next phase of your life, no matter where you're at right now, should I go on? haha
      That's what it ended up being for me at least. I honestly pulled up a little late and was hesitant to get out of the car to go inside. My insecurities were eating at me that I didn't have anything to bring to the group and that I was in too dark of a place to receive any sort of enlightenment, but I was so wrong. I was shocked at just how safe it felt there and how vulnerable I was able to be with women that I'd just met, but once people started opening up it was like a trickle turning into a flood of connection and understanding and all of us being reminded that we are all in this together. It was incredible.

What I Didn't Like:
      I can't think of a single thing that wasn't perfectly thought out or planned or beneficial, etc, but if I have to pick something I do wish that it could last longer.haha Mostly because I didn't want it to end! I knew that that amazing feeling would start to fade as soon as I got in my car to leave that group of women and I was so sad at the thought, but I also couldn't wait to see my family again and be able to start applying the things that'd I'd learned and watch the transformations happen in our life. Also, we started a little facebook group and have kept in touch pretty well which is great.

All images by Kallie Porter Photo for Radiant & Rooted

My Favorite Part:
      I was so happy and touched to see that Kallie caught a photo of me (directly above) during this moment right near the end of the retreat because this was during one of those unforgettable experiences that I wish absolutely everyone could have! It's hard to describe exactly what I was feeling, but this is me surrendering. This was during a sort of meditative exercise that involved connecting with our younger selves, and maybe you can't tell but I was just Sobbing. I don't want to spill too many details, but a part of the exercise was to face the sun with our eyes closed as other members of the group would take turns whispering special words to us, and before we were five seconds into it the walls just came down, and I was shaking and audibly sobbing after having kept my composure pretty well since the beginning of the retreat.
      I was just overcome with adoration for all the women out there in the sun with me and their amazing strength in adversity, I felt such tender love for that little Emily who once was consumed by worthlessness and loneliness, and my heart broke as I pictured so many young people just like I was who have no idea of their value and potential.
      I saw how many lives and precious time is wasted with comparison and jealousy, gossip and selfishness. All the pain in our lives and in my own life seemed to stack up then and I felt crushed under it all, but a whispered phrase of support from one of my new sisters and that weight quickly turned into immense pride at how far I've come and how much I've survived. I felt my angels surrounding me and an assurance of our divine nature, and I felt so much peace with my life, the choices I've made, and the purpose ahead of me and my little family.

     There were a couple other incredibly sacred moments that happened between then and when we had to actually leave, but I'll save those for later I think:)

Would you recommend?

✩ One Ba-jillion Percent. ✩

      I'll wrap up with a quick reminder that the next retreat is this weekend but you can still jump in at the last minute if you hurry my dear!! I would be so all over this but we had a family reunion planned for the same time since last year, so it was not in the stars.

Update: The next one is going to be in Costa Rica in March of 2020! And I'm definitely gonna be there:) So if you guys would like more info as they release details just let me know and I'll do my best to keep you updated, or you can also follow them on IG right here. 

      One last big massive uncomfortable hug to all the marvelous souls that shared their hearts with me that weekend, and to Amy and Bri and Rach, y'all are angels and I love you forever. Thank you thank you for the work you do.

      Have you ever been to a Radiant & Rooted or another similar retreat or conference before? Have you had some other type of moment that changed or impacted you in a hugely positive way? I'd love if you could share in the comments:)

xoxo

5 Simple Ways to Simplify Your Day

     Hey there loves, I hope you're having a great week so far! We're about a month into our Summer break at this point and I'm happy to report that we're settling into a pretty smooth rhythm. Part of establishing that rhythm or schedule is giving ourselves space and the time we need to breathe, to really prioritize, and then to simplify everything down as much as possible.

     Today I partnered with Pampers Pure to share a few quick ideas for simplifying your day, and I hope that they offer a little inspiration for you!

1. Plan out the week's meals: 

We've all been to that point where it's 5:00 and it's too late to start the dinner we had planned, so we get frantic and have to toss something quick together or get takeout. That cycle can end when you plan out your week in advance, and then decide when you need to start prepping to have meals ready on time. You'll be amazed at how much having scheduled meals will add structure to your whole day, and mealtimes will become more intentional family time instead of a haphazard mess.

2. Prepare the night before:
The biggest thing that helps my day go smoothly is making a list of my to-dos the night before, but there are a lot of things when you think about it that may take little effort today but shave off lots of time tomorrow. Things like picking out your outfit, packing lunches, tossing smoothie ingredients into a bag ready to be blended, etc.

3. Create a morning routine: 
I used to think that a morning routine was unattainable with so many little ones and variables in our day, but as long as you can be okay with not achieving the routine perfectly every day, establishing goals for your morning and putting them somewhere you can see them will help you to focus and greatly increase your productivity! Checking off boxes in the morning will set the mood for the whole day, and instead of feeling like you're playing catch-up you'll feel ahead of the game from the get-go. I can share our routine later if you'd like, but it's just a list on the fridge of morning goals and it works great!

4. Limit TV time:
I don't want to discount how important some downtime is for the soul sometimes, but when you have a schedule to keep or a deadline to meet, you have to set some limits so the day doesn't get away from you. One trick that helped me a lot was committing to only watch shows while I was exercising or folding laundry, etc. Normally I don't think multitasking is a great idea, but in this case, it helps me get more exercise in and the menial tasks go by a lot faster too.

5. Automate as much as possible.
If you don't already have your bills set to autopay, that's the place to start. Getting those off your plate and out of your mind is a huge stress reliever and time saver. In addition to automating your bills you should be using the subscribe and save option on Amazon.com to have lots of your groceries and essentials sent every month, you can join co-ops to have fresh veggies and fruits delivered, and if you're mama you need to be a subscriber on PampersPure.com to have your diapers and wipes delivered every month! Pampers Pure actually recently launched a new option called Pick Your Prints on their website as well as tons of new adorable prints to choose from! I'm showing just a few below. My favorite is the croissants and jam:) What's yours?

     And that's all for today! Thanks so much for visiting and I'd LOVE if you could add a tip or two of your own that you feel helps you simplify your day.

     Take care gang,