Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Resolving My Resolutions

At the beginning of this year I wrote out my resolutions for 2014. Now that this year is coming to a close and 2015 is approaching faster than any of us would like, it's time to look back on this year and see if we ended up accomplishing any of the goals we set for ourselves.

Completed:

To workout more.

This resolution may have taken me a little while to get started, but I believe I am currently on track. Earlier this year I began following Kayla Itsines, creator of the 12-week Bikini Body Guide, on Instagram. She posts many before and after photos of her clients who have followed her guide and I was inspired. At the beginning of this month I decided to purchase her guide and I have been doing my best to follow it thus far. Well into week 5 right now I am so excited with how far I have come and to see where the rest of this guide will take me.

Stop being so judgemental/Be happy for others successes/Be the person you'd want to meet.

At the beginning of this year I was pretty insecure with myself, I would judge others because I was not happy with where I was in my life. I believe I have done a better job at focusing on bettering myself, which in turn has removed the focus from judging others and allowed me to be happy for their successes and made me someone who I would 'want to meet'.

Say yes to things/Don't be so afraid of the new.

This summer I held two internships, accepted a coaching job at a local high school, have been on a couple dates throughout the year, needless to say I definitely said 'yes'. Many of the things I said yes to scared the crap out of me, but they definitely opened my eyes and allowed me to grow this year.

Be on time.

I have definitely made major strides with this one this year. I was constantly late and ran on 'my time' which was extremely inconsiderate. Am I always on time? No. But I definitely feel as though I am on time much more than I was in 2013.

Get on a normal sleep schedule.

I have come so far with this one. Yes there are times where I stay up all night for no good reason, but for the most part on school nights and nights that I have work in the morning I was in bed before 2 am, which is a major stride.

Get the grades you're capable of.

I am so happy with this resolution because it is the one resolution that has physical evidence that I have accomplished it. The spring semester wasn't the best when looking at my final grades, but this fall semester I didn't make below a B in any class and made the Deans List, an accomplishment that I honestly didn't think was going to happy in my time in college. It just goes to show what a little motivation and hard work do.

Look presentable for class.

This definitely could have been better but I am grading this resolution on the fact that for the most part I put on some kind of face makeup every single day, which to me means 'presentable'.

Spend more time with loved ones/Give time to those who love you/Stop repeating mistakes/Make someone else happy/Give yourself to someone who wants all of you, everyday, because you are perfect being you.

All of these kind of snowballed into one specific category when I was writing them a year ago. They had to do with dating an relationships. No, I didn't have a relationship this year but I think that's what made me accomplish these goals this year. I was perfectly happy being single and there wasn't someone who came along that I felt was up to my standards for dating. This has nothing to do with the people I may have gone on dates with this year, they were all fine people, but not right for me. Which allowed me more time to better myself for my perfect man who is out there somewhere.

No regrets/Do something outside of your comfort zone.

I've always been the type of person to never regret any of my decisions. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. That being said I was terrified to do some of the things I did this year. Coaching high school kids was extremely out of my comfort zone, I have only coached middle school age so that was a big step for me. However it allowed me to grow and learn more about myself than I ever thought possible. I'm so happy I decided to take a leap and change for the better.

Needs some work:

Drink more water.

I could have definitely done a better job at this throughout the year. Instead of having a soda or milk I could have just reached for a glass of water, definitely something I need to work on more in 2015.

Read more and turn off Netflix.

Of course this hasn't changed, who's really surprised. I could absolutely watch less Netflix, but as a whole I feel like I did a good job of getting out in the world and not watching as much TV which is what I am most concerned about.

Stop procrastinating.

I feel like I wouldn't be me if I didn't procrastinate. Yes, procrastinating isn't the greatest way to get your work done, but I think I've manipulated my bad habit into working for me instead of against me.

Give more compliments.

I believe I could have done a better job a this. Everyone wants to be complimented and I think if that could come from me, that would make me feel even better.

Put down your phone.

We live in an age where we are so reliant on our hand held devices. This year was no different. This is one aspect of my life I feel as if I could drastically improve, and one of the details in my life that needs serious attention in 2015.

So there we have it, my 2014 resolutions. I feel as though for the most part they were completed to the best of my ability. Could all aspects of my life be improved? Absolutely. However, each day is a stepping stone leading us to the people we are destined to be. And how we spend those days shapes the person we are going to become. Choose wisely.

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Monday, December 29, 2014

Chi Me, Baby

I realize it's been what, practically a year?, since I posted about my way to achieve my silky smooth, straight locks, and the science behind it. However, since i'm attempting to make a return back into blogging I figured I'd just pick up where I left off.

The third and final step I take before I put my straightener to my hair is I add about a dime size amount of the Chi Silk Infusion to the ends of my hair and work my way up to about halfway between my ends and roots.

I know this product works wonders simply for the fact that every time I get a hair cut it is the one product they continually use on my hair. I've heard rave reviews from many hair dressers as well as the beauty guru community on YouTube who can't stop talking about this product. It keeps my hair even more silky smooth on top of the Moroccan oil that I used in my first step.


The great part about it also is that it can be found for a relatively inexpensive price. I've seen it at tons of beauty stores and also at discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. However if you are looking to buy it online they can be found on Ulta.com, $25.50 for a 6 oz bottle which can last you for a very long time depending on how much you use.

So tell me, what is your favorite brand of hair products?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Saturday, December 27, 2014

We Found Wonderland

For today's Serenade Me Saturday, I have decided to dedicate it to the woman who stole my heart this year - Taylor Swift.

But seriously guys, did anyone see her in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show? She absolutely stole the show. I was more concerned with watching her than what the models were wearing.

Any who, I have been obsessing over Taylor's new album 1989, and for good reason - it's flawless. Every single song on the album is wonderful, right down to all of the bonus tracks on her deluxe album. However I am here to talk about one song in particular, Wonderland.

Wonderland is one of the bonus tracks on 1989 and it has quickly become my favorite song on her entire album. Even more than Blank Space and Style which are hard to beat.

So check it out! I'd add a link to the music video but there are none that haven't either been tampered with or the audio has been pulled for copyright reasons. So I would do your own searching, or buy the album and check it out for yourself! You won't regret it.


Until next time,

Casey Rose

Friday, December 26, 2014

Sequins and Things

Today's post for Fashion Friday's displays my picks for New Years Dresses. Good news too, they're all under $50! So you can look good and not have to break the bank while doing it (which let's be honest, most of the money you would have spent on a dress will go towards drinks for the night).

Whenever I think of New Years I always imagine a lot of glitz, sparkles, and sequins. My dress choices are no different. I added some extreme examples as well as some 'tamer' pieces that you can dress up with accessories and jewelry so you can take your own spin on your New Years outfit choice. I hope you enjoy my picks!

Sequins and Things




Let me know what you think and what your New Years outfit will consist of!

I hope you all have a fabulous end to 2014 and I wish you all the best in 2015, I hope it's your best year yet!

Until next time,

Casey Rose