True Beauty Archives - Embracing Beauty

Dove – True Beauty and a Deal

November 1, 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Post sponsored by Lunchbox. Opinions are 100% my own.

Self-esteem is vital to a healthy life. When we believe we have worth, we treat ourselves better and others around us better. Dove wants to encourage this mindset through their Self-Esteem Project to help girls build self-esteem, reminding them they’re beautiful the way they are. You can help support Dove’s initiative by shopping your favorite Dove products at Rite Aid. (Plus, you’ll get savings!)

The Dove Self-Esteem project has reached 15 million young lives with its self-esteem education. We see girls in our society who want to revamp their looks. I encourage you to watch Dove’s video, “Change One Thing.” Spread it to help girls realize that they don’t need to change anything about themselves; they are beautiful the way they are. Your repost of this video helps girls and women realize their beauty.

Check out my cute little Tae Kwon Do cutie! 🙂 It’s one of my missions in life to teach her about real beauty. True beauty. Beauty that is deeper than skin. Beauty that no amount of make up will every form.

The deal I mentioned: buy $12 in Dove Products from 11/1-28/15 at Rite Aid and earn 400 Plenti Points*. Here are a few items to fill your basket. Dove Deep Moisture Body wash is dermatologist recommended and even provides softer, smoother skin after one shower. The Dove White Beauty Bar hydrates skin better than any other bar with its moisturizing cream making skin feel more firm and elastic compared to ordinary soap. Dove Intensive Care Shampoo and Condition has Keratin Repair Actives immediately repairs the hair surface ending hair damage. Dove Advanced Care Nourished Beauty Deodorant delivers 48-hour odor and wetness protection plus an elegant floral scent.

Offer: Buy $12 in participating Dove products at Rite Aid and earn 400 Plenti points*. Plenti point offer good from 11/1/15 through 11/28/15. *Plenti is a rewards program. Limit 4 offers per card. Terms and conditions apply, See Plenti.com for details. Offer good from 11/1/15 through 11/28/15.

Filed Under: Skincare, True Beauty Tagged With: Dove, Lunchbox

Cultivating Joy

October 13, 2015 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links.

Does your joy come from within or from the outside. My introvert self NEEDS downtime, time to recharge, so it’s hard for me to remember that other women can help me the joyful creature I need to be. Our relationships with other women can be incredibly helpful, but sometimes they’re just not. It seems so easy for us women to cluster together and just complain, and then try to “out complain” each other. Sometimes we just need a new perspective to find the joy we need and want. You have to check out this new book: Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Cultivating Joy discusses joy and several ways to attain it.

It’s so easy to take a new situation and look at it as a cause for grief. In the words of our menfolk, change means work. Whenever we want a change in the furniture being rearranged, that means work for him to move it around. In the same way, we can look our jobs, home, and abroad and just get discouraged. In my life, I get discouraged by the the mundane, clutter, apathetic people, and on and on. Sometimes I look at the frustrations of my life and just let out one giant sigh.

Why in tarnation am I not thankful for the life I have? I am blessed with a good life, not perfect but very very good, and why can I not take a new look and be excited and relieved that my life will continue to be as good as it is now.

When I do my chores, why do I look at all the has to be done and become sour faced and grumpy? I lack perspective. Joy comes when I take control of my emotions. I can choose what will be appreciated and cherished.

I encourage you to read along with other positive women their stories of having joy. Along with Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Cultivating Joy you’d receive thousands in bonus gifts from over 50 visionary women (for a limited time only). To received your free gifts you have to buy the book from Amazon and then go here to request your freebies! Enjoy!

Filed Under: True Beauty Tagged With: beauty, Books, Joy, True Beauty

Rite Aid Dove Plenti Points & $50 Giveaway #SpeakBeautiful

September 19, 2015 by Ashley 11 Comments

Post sponsored by Lunchbox. Opinions are 100% my own #speakbeautiful

I love my sweet little girl. I want her to know that she’s beautiful, not by the world’s standards like her features are symmetrical and her button nose is bumped at the right angle. Though she does have many American beauty attributes, I want her to realize that beauty comes in different shapes and sizes. And one day I want her to see that confidence is beautiful.

I think middle school is the place where confidence shys and strays or blossoms and blooms. Remember that young age when you weren’t sure whether your outfit made you look cute, puffy, or like a baby (because who at the age of 12 would be seen dressing like a baby? We were all trying to convince our mothers it was time to shave our legs for heaven’s sake!). Bless the day when we finally figured out that confidence and grace gave us the mature, beautiful look we all desired from Seventeen.

Also as preteens (and teenagers, and college girls, and wives, and moms…), we stood by mirrors and talked about which of the features we didn’t like and expected each other to join in. While psychology tells us that self-actualization is a part of growing up, it doesn’t seem that women grow out of criticizing ourselves. Last year WOMEN sent over 5MM negative tweets (Twitter alone!) about beauty and body image. For the sake of our next generation, I beg you to start positive trends with me. We can change the flow of verbal self-harm to self-care. We gawk that people have the “audacity” to abuse themselves, but being overly critical of ourselves has the same impact mentally. So I’m going to start a different, positive trend now. I love my hair. I love that it’s thick and strong.

Mainstream media often doesn’t encourage us to promote our natural beauty, but I really appreciate Dove’s message which backs what I want my daughter to believe. (By the way, Dove products at Rite Aid can earn you 300 Plenti points when you buy $12 worth of products now through the 26th of September. Plus, you can stack coupons to drop the final price even further! But you’ll have to hurry, the current newspaper coupons are set to expire on 9/20.) I wish more companies would support women in this battlefield of the mind.

Take a few moments and check out their “Speak Beautiful” video.

$50 Giveaway exclusively for my followers on Twitter!

You will need to Tweet to enter, but don’t let that stop you! You can read the Official Rules here.

Tweet a positive message and tag @Beauty4Moms (me) & @RiteAid, along with the hashtag #SpeakBeautiful. Good luck!!!

Tweet a positive message to start a trend #speakbeautiful #riteaid and you can win a $50 @riteaid gift card @Beauty4Moms

— Ashley (@Beauty4Moms) September 21, 2015

Filed Under: Body, Deals, True Beauty Tagged With: Dove, giveaway, Lunchbox, Rite Aid, True Beauty

My #BeautyStory and Beauty Inspiration

May 6, 2015 by Ashley 6 Comments

This is a sponsored conversation on behalf of Dove and The Motherhood.

Mom knows best, right? I think that’s true most of the time and when it comes to beauty I definitely think that’s true – in my case it is! My mother was, and still is, a beauty. Here are a few of the beauty tips that I learned from her, that she probably learned from her mom.

– Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. A good moisturizer is a woman’s best friend.
– My mom taught me that my neck and clavicle have the same skin as my face so I should moisturize it just as often and with the same product.
– My mom taught me to wash my face with Dove every night before bed. I was eager to try fancy scrubs and masks but she said a simple gentle cleanser is all I needed.
– Use baby oil as an eye-makeup remover. It’s cheap, gentle, and works great.
– “Never leave the house without lipstick” is something my grandmother ingrained in me from a young age. At times I might opt for lipgloss instead but there’s always something colorful on my lips. Like mother, like daughter. From a young age, I remember admiring my mother’s skill for applying lipstick without a mirror.
– Drink water all day long. It’s good for your body and your complexion.
– “Don’t touch your face.” My mom used to give me a hard time about how much I touched my face and how it would give me breakouts. I’m still working on this one!
– Use conditioner on the ends of your hair every time you wash it.
– “If you’ve got a good complexion make up will just be icing on the cake.” My mom had me using good skin care products since before I was 18.
– Age gracefully. My mom still doesn’t have grey hair but when she does I know she’ll embrace it with gusto.
– She always encouraged me to learn what colors and styles looked good on me and ignore the fads.
– Last but not least, my mom taught me to smile. She told me that a smile always makes you appear prettier. I try to remember this every day but especially on days when I’m not as put together as I’d like to be you can bet that I’ll be smiling.

A Dove survey finds that most women (84% in fact) trust the women in their lives more than celebrities for beauty tips and advice. From all the advice I learned and still incorporate from my mom and grandmother, I’d believe that to be true!

What tried-and-true beauty advice was passed onto you from the women in your life? Share your own #BeautyStory to celebrate the real women who have shaped it and take a look at this video from Dove for even more inspiration.

Filed Under: Makeup, Skincare, Tips, True Beauty Tagged With: beauty, Dove, The Motherhood, Tips, True Beauty

A Beautiful Storm

October 10, 2014 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Today I enjoyed watching storm clouds roll in while I was playing outside with my daughter. Mostly, I enjoyed watching the amazement in her eyes. I can’t blame her for being captivated because it was a beautiful storm. I wish my pictures did it justice.

About thirty seconds after I shot this photo it poured down. We had a blast!

Filed Under: True Beauty Tagged With: Write31Days

Happiness and Beauty

October 8, 2014 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Happiness resides in the ability to appreciate little things. In a friends smile, in dinner with a loved one, in a cozy sweater, in walking and focusing on the trees, flowers, ground, sky, and in the beauty of nature.

What beautiful thing have you taken note of today?

Filed Under: True Beauty Tagged With: Write31Days

The Beauty of Childhood

October 7, 2014 by Ashley 1 Comment

Enjoy the little things.

Today I’m enjoying the beauty of childhood.

Filed Under: True Beauty Tagged With: Write31Days

The Beauty Of a Walk

October 5, 2014 by Ashley 23 Comments

If you’re ever feeling unmotivated, down in the dumps, angry or just plain crummy, go and take a walk. It’s a fabulous way to hit the reset button on your emotions. There’s something about getting moving, being in nature, and getting away from distractions of life that can help you get over any emotional hump. Even if you’re in a good mood it will raise your spirits even higher.

Today, enjoy the beauty of a walk.

Filed Under: True Beauty Tagged With: Write31Days

Embracing the Beauty in the Everyday

October 1, 2014 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Starting today and lasting through the month of October, I’ll be participating in The Nester’s 31 Days series. Each day I’ll share a little bit about Embracing the Beauty in the Everyday of life. I hope you’ll join me in this journey!

Day 1 – Beauty Of a Book

Day 5 – The Beauty of a Walk

Day 7 – The Beauty of Childhood

Day 8 – Happiness and Beauty

Day 10 – A Beautiful Storm

Filed Under: True Beauty Tagged With: beauty, Photography, Write31Days

The Beauty Of a Book

October 1, 2014 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This month’s theme is Embracing the Beauty in the Everyday. The everyday things of life can be beautiful but too often we’re too busy to slow down and see them. This month I want to purposefully slow down and reflect on something each day that we can be thankful for and see the beauty in.

Today’s everyday moment for me was enjoying a warm cup of tea while reading a good book. Do you realize what a blessing it is to even be able to read? It does my soul good to remember that while I take reading for granted many, many people in the world today can’t read. Think about that for a moment and really let it sink in. While my words my not be profound and they sure aren’t the most eloquent you’ll ever read it is still an enormous privilege that you can read them. Most certainly not because they’re mine but because you have the ability to read.

Have you ever noticed the magic that happens when you give books to children? Their smiles widen and their eyes sparkle and dance as their imagination awakens.

As adults we can lose that enchantment as we’re forced to read dry text books and long legal documents but reading can take us anywhere and make us become anything we want to be.

Can you tell I’m passionate about reading? Being a busy mom of two I don’t have time to pour into books like I did before but I still manage to sneak a book or two in every month.

One of my recent favorites is pictured above. I had the honor of being asked to write an endorsement for this book and after reading it I was more than pleased to do so. It’s an refreshingly honest and immensely encouraging book. Here’s what it’s Amazon description says,

Do regret and shame over your failures, sins, and shortcomings make you wonder how you could ever be loved, much less used, by a holy God? Tracie Miles felt the same way until she discovered the path to healing, peace, and significance.

She helps you recognize that God not only has a purpose for you, but He has prepared you for your divine purpose based specifically on the experiences of your past.

If you’re looking for a new book to enjoy, this is a great pick! Plus, it’s on sale right now on Amazon from $14.99 to only $11.09.

Whatever you’re reading right now, slow down and be thankful for the opportunity to.

Have a beautiful day!

Filed Under: True Beauty Tagged With: Write31Days