As we draw close to the end of another year I'm excited for all the things that 2020 will bring; the new adventures, inspirations and growth. Looking back at these photo blogs each year stir up thoughts on why I chose each image and TBH I'm really enjoying it.

Would love to know if you make one of these too or if you have other end of year rituals.
So without further ado, my Gala Darling inspired photo reflection of 2019...

​2019  SUMMARIZED IN ONE PICTURE…

First up, It's been a while and a whirlwind.
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So much has been happening in my day to day that I haven't been able to keep up a regular blog schedule; which should be a reminder to check in with my priorities/goals before I became overwhelmed! Needless to say the Universe replays messages until we get them and if we learn to lean into the seasons we're about to learn how good it feels to let go of things just like the leaves on the trees. 

Sitting with the Seasons is a concept I've been toying with for some time. Autumn is such a good example of this concept. I'm all about feeling the vibes of the seasons and Fall is about letting go. We often know we should let go of things when they no fit, are useful, etc. However, I find it's often the memories associated with that thing/pattern that we have a hard time releasing. 

This is where the trees can teach us a thing or two. ​

I've always liked to write and while I love my blog, there's just something beautiful and magical seeing your own handwriting on paper. Growing up I kept a diary to help process my thoughts and keep track of those exciting moments. Now-a-days I see my journal work as a key component of my self-care practice. ​

​How, you ask? Check out these four different ideas on how to use your journal for self-care.

Today is my birthday and I'm super excited to continue my yearly self love tradition as a gift to treat myself. We all deserve a little extra love and care on our birthday and who better than you to treat yo'self?! (Cue Parks & Rec Tom & Donna montage).

I'm all about simple self love rituals; whether its buying yourself flowers or treating yourself to the "fancy coffee". Self love and self-care do not have to be about expensive spa days--though it could. It's about taking the time to acknowledge yourself and gift yourself some "me time". ​

This ritual is simple but requires a few items to amp up the ambiance. If you don't have the exact item, try substituting whatever makes sense via your beautiful intuition. This ritual is designed to happen before you shower, but if you're pressed for time you can at least bring that sugar scrub in the shower and feel luxurious afterward. Or treat yourself to a long hot bath after complete with rose petals, your beverage of choice and a good book. 

Those of us who keep track of Mercury's crazy cycle know how much we dread hearing those words, "Mercury's in Retrograde." Mercury is said to rule over communication, travel and technology and in our fast paced world those things going haywire can cause quite a few issues. Have you ever experienced flight cancellations and tech failures during a mercury retrograde? Those things alone can cause some communication issues...

But what if we took Mercury's patterns as a sign for us to look backwards and slow down?

When Mercury goes "retrograde" it appears that Mercury is moving backwards in the sky and lucky for us we just started another round on Sunday, July 7th. 

There are times our confidence gets a bit of a shake up and who can blame you in this fast paced world where information, opinions and facts are all flying at us at once from all sides! While I believe it takes time to build up your self confidence and a healthy dose of putting yourself out there, there are a few little tricks you can employ to feel confident at any moment. ​

When I think of this first one, I'm always reminded of that episode of Grey's Anatomy when the neurosurgeon strikes a pose before a super intense surgery. I'm not saying you have to be brain surgeon for this one to work, but perhaps this idea could gift you some of that confidence in the face of your challenge. ​