Saturday, November 30, 2013

DIY sugar scrub

hello everyone!

I decided I would give the diy sugar scrub a go for this holiday season. they make great gifts for family, friends, and even for yourself and can be made in ALL SORTS of delicious scents.

*not to mention...this diy project is super duper easy.* :)

let's get right into it...

what you will need:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil
15-20 drops + of your preferred fragrance oil (I picked up lavender, vanilla bean & spice, and juicy berries & apples)
5 drops of honey
mini mason jars
ribbon, fabric, any fun decorative item you would like!

*this makes enough for one mini mason jar*


step 1
combine sugar, coconut oil, fragrance oil, and honey into a mixing bowl. 

step 2
place mixture into mason jar.

step 3
decorate the mason jars to your liking! 

and literally you guys, it is easy as that. :) if you do this diy please let me know the combos you tried and the creativity you used with your mason jars! I would love to see photos! 

happy holiday season to you and have fun diy'ing. ;)

xo, 
hailey mae





Saturday, November 23, 2013

I am thankful for...

in honor of Thanksgiving coming in just under a week, I decided to write a post about being grateful.

p.s. is anyone else in shock at how fast this year has gone?!

I try my absolute best to remember the blessings that God has given me each and every day; and since I am a total “list” person, what better way than to keep a running list of these blessings!

keeping record of these types of things not only reminds me of the greatness life has to offer but it keeps me in check to focusing on these positives rather than the negatives. we have all been there in life when it seems like nothing is going right and it seems we cannot do anything to help it. it is in this moment when I have a sort of mental run through of a few things that make my life so special.

• my mom. we have our share of ups and downs but when it really comes down to it, she is my absolute best friend. I truly do not know what I would do without her by my side. she works incredibly hard every day setting a wonderful example of what it really means to work for your heart’s desires. I have so many sweet memories of mother daughter time when I was a little girl and the memories only continue to grow.


• my dad. he passed away when I was nine in a tragic motorcycle accident on Father’s Day. I still have an extremely hard time dealing with this loss as it has affected me greatly. he was my absolute best friend and I was your typical “little daddy’s girl.” he taught me more than I could have ever imagined at the time about life and living it to the very fullest. his entire demeanor embodied such a carefree lifestyle, befriending everyone he came in contact with. his bright smile and joyful laugh could light up your heart beyond measure. not a day goes by that I do not think of this one of a kind father.


• God. my faith has been continuing to grow over these past few years in particular for which I could not be more grateful. this rising faith has gotten me through many tough situations and has made me realize that with God, all things are possible. his love for people is so vast; it is just such a perfect love to be inspired by.


• family. I have two incredible families that have been such an amazing support system, and I hope I have been the same for them. both mom’s and dad’s side are full of people with a passion for helping others and a family bond that simply cannot be broken. I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of each family. someday, I would love to raise my future children in a similar family setting as most of my best childhood memories come from playing with cousins and family get-togethers. here are only a few of my family members...both sides are pretty large!


• friends. being the early 20-something that I am, I have quickly learned that friends come and go but family is forever. (yes, I know that is pretty cheesy but it’s so true, right!) I feel like I am at that age where I am still learning who I am as a person and it’s the same with the people around me. this means we are all changing and growing into the people we are meant to be which unfortunately can sometimes lead to loss of friendships. however, this also means that we make room for the people who are truly important in our lives. I am grateful for the best friends I have who I can share absolutely anything with and we can have entire days dedicated to the “ab-boosting laughter.” :)





• my education. I am exceedingly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend not one, but two great colleges and pursue degrees that truly interest me. I have my days when I gripe and grumble about having to study study study, but education is so important and when you have the chance to obtain it, go for it and be thankful! (although, it is definitely still okay to have a complaint here and there...maybe just supplement it with the college go-to, coffee. :)



• my pug. yes, I said my pug. what can I say, I am an all-around animal lover! I grew up with a pug named Baikka...my dad named her, and his reasoning is quite hilarious. apparently he thought her eyes looked “baked.” nice, right. haha. she was literally like a sister to me because she was only 8 weeks old when I was born. she lived for a happy 14 years. we decided to get another pug after Baikka passed away and she has been nothing but ornery. only kidding, she is an ornery angel. her snores can be heard from across our home and she could spend hours snuggling. either way, I love her with all my heart.


• travel. my love for travel continues to grow stronger by the day. an ideal job to me would be to travel constantly and see what the world has to offer. I absolutely love flying and yes, even airports. there is something so intriguing about that feeling of being surrounded by aircrafts and tons of people off to different destinations. I love it!


• coffee. I may or may not be slightly addicted to coffee. ;) preferably doctored-up; I love me some gourmet flavors.


• the holiday season. the colors, smells, positive feelings, food, music; I love it all! the holiday season brings me so much joy as I am sure it does you too. I love to celebrate this special time of year with family and friends. the holiday cheer is measureless in each and every day.


• this journey called life. just like some people, I have been dealt hardships that started at an early age. this has molded me into someone that is continuously learning and growing into the woman I am ultimately meant to be. through all of the good and the bad, I am truly grateful to be where I am today. I am thankful for this journey and cannot wait to see where it all leads. :)

I hope everyone has a great day and until the next post, have a happy weekend!!

what are some things that leave you feeling thankful?

xo,
hailey mae



Friday, November 15, 2013

What Does Service Mean To You?

Most of us live more blessed lives than we will ever know. We seem to enjoy picking at the small things that “ruin” our day like stressing about having to wake up early for work or class, upset about the fact that the line at the bank’s drive thru is too long, or grumbling about our Starbucks coffee taking 10 minutes to create when we are in a rush. Everything is so fast-paced and we do not necessarily make time for what really matters.

Faith. Family. Service.

Today, a classmate and I had the opportunity to volunteer at a local Christian boarding school for children who have been separated from their families. The majority of the students have been taken in from Ethiopia and one student is from the United States. We learned the background stories of all these children.

These children have lived lives that none of us could never even imagine. Poverty living arrangements and neglect that we absolutely cannot fathom. However, people like the directors of Heritage Mission have opened their hearts and their home to these remarkable children. Transforming their lives into extraordinarily family and faith based. All of the students have developed big dreams and big hopes for their future.

We were honored to have met the students and we felt so welcomed by them in numerous ways. We helped do various projects such as crafts for an upcoming local Christian festival, set the table for lunch, help prepare lunch, and help with dishes. All of which they thanked us over and over with a bright smile on their face. I must say, I was blown away at their kind gestures and ability to make us feel at home.

One of the students, 8 years old, came from a troubled childhood including medical problems that have caused her to become blind. She was so very quick witted with my classmate and I that she had us cracking up laughing. And she loved it just as much as we did! In the time we spent with her, she was probably laughing 90% of it. Her positive spirit is so contagious, just like the other students’.

The wonderful thing about these students is how strong of a faith they have for God and their hearts for service. Just by their smile alone you can feel their desire to help others and to better not only their own lives, but those around them.

I am beyond amazed by these students and people of God, humbled by their generosity of letting us into their home/classroom, and thankful to have had the privilege to see this incredible school first hand.
Something tells me Heritage Mission will become a lifelong relationship. :)

On that note, what does service mean to you?

Romans 12:9-13 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.





Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Fitness Routine


woohoo it’s hump day!

this week has been nothing short of CRAZY…but what’s new. :) I decided today I would share my own fitness routine I have designed for my personal goals. what can I say, that Sunday morning run with my nephew inspired me! my major in college is health and exercise science as well as physical therapist assistant so my interest and knowledge of healthy living is quickly growing.

before I get into the fitness plan, I want to discuss what my  ultimate goals are because this routine is something that is customized to my body and everyone is different; although, our goals could be quite similar! either way, you can definitely still get some great ideas to put to good use. :)

my goals:

build endurance.
gain muscle.
tone abs.
give that butt a boost. (what girl doesn’t want some bootylicious going on?!)
tone arms.
build quads and hamstrings.




NOTE: these exercises are not meant for an everyday routine. I split them up by days of the week with Sunday being a rest day. this will add variety to each week!

some reminders:

drink PLENTY OF WATER.
eat HEALTHY. (again, a healthy diet can vary from person to person)
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
stay COMMITTED.

it is proven that exercising enhances your mood and overall well-being by releasing endorphins. this will result in stress relief, better sleep patterns, and give you a positive outlook on life in general.
so next time you decide to skip a workout because of whatever reason, tell yourself everything that will benefit from even a small workout. exercising even in a small amount is great for your health, you just may not reach your goals as quickly as you had originally desired.

I hope this post helps you and feel free to share some of your fitness ideas or even your routines! I would love to bounce some ideas back and forth. :)

xo,
hailey mae

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Welcome & Sunday Thoughts

happy Sunday everyone! :)

I wanted to "formally" welcome you to my blog and thank you for coming by. I have loved reading lifestyle type blogs for a long while now and decided to join the blogspot community to share some of my own interests and thoughts. :) the blogging community in general seems so friendly and open to making new friendships so I figured, why not!

currently I am sitting on my mom's new sectional with our pug, Myah, drinking hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. the weather here is making its chilly transition into winter. honestly this is one of my absolute favorite pastimes. there are few things I enjoy more than snuggling up in pj's with my puppy on chill Sunday evenings. it seems to be one of the best escapes from all of the studying that consumes my life these days. that or going out for a night of dancing with friends and jamming to some good ol' country music. ;)

today was a wonderful day full of family. my two nephews, ages 14 and 6, spent the weekend with my mom and I which was a blast as always. the youngest one may or may not have had too much sugar...needless to say...he was bouncing off the walls. but I wouldn't have had it any other way because eventually my sister has to take over hehe (sorry sis!) the oldest one has taken a liking to all things fitness which I love because that has a great deal to do with my major in college. we decided a morning jog would be perfect on this crisp morning. I quickly regretted this decision as I am not huge into running, although I wish I was! long story short, he got a good laugh out of the situation and we were able to bond over the experience. p.s: if anyone has any running tips, feel free to share. it would be greatly appreciated. ;)

my dad's side of the family gets together every Sunday after church for lunch, today we decided on Chinese buffet. we have carried out this tradition since before I was born, so over 22 years. :) love them with all my heart!

on that note, I hope you have had an amazing Sunday and you are ready to rock this coming week. thank you again for visiting!

xo,
hailey mae


before the insane morning run


meet myah


the youngest silly nephew