Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so we're going to talk a little about gratitude today.

If you know someone who is getting married and want to get them a fun gift, I really recommend a bridal box subscription. My favorite? The Ring Boxes!

Yes, I'm celebrating and enjoying every single second of being engaged. I kicked off my engagement by treating myself to a Miss to Mrs Box.

 I'm back with some of the most exciting news! I'm engaged!

I've talked about David a few times here, but I would like to formally introduce him to our little community here. 

David and I started dating almost 9 years ago in high school. We met before that when his dad coached my youngest brother in baseball, but it wasn't until high school that we became good friends and eventually, started dating. We are truly best friends and know how to do life together... that may just be my favorite part of our relationship. 

Also! Our proposal was featured on How They Asked, so be sure to take a look!

We went to Tybee Island for the weekend with my family. It is one of our favorite places and holds such a special place in our hearts -- especially after this weekend. Before dinner, David said that he and my brother needed to run back to the beach. I was still getting ready, so my mom said we would meet them. Once I finished getting ready, my mom and I headed to a secluded part of the beach where David and I had actually spent the day. We walked towards the beach and he was standing there! He hugged me and said sweet words and by then, I knew what was happening. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!

My mom, brother, and best friend (I did not even know was there until she popped up from behind a bush!) all were part of the special moment. It was sweet, intimate, and at one of my favorite places. After, we grabbed dinner and went back to the beach and just talked and celebrated a moment nearly nine years in the making. 

We told family and close friends but did not publicly announce the engagement until Sunday night. We wanted to enjoy the weekend and we knew if we immediately posted, we would be glued to our phones replying to everyone. It was sweet to have 48 hours to just soak in the sweet moment.

I'm so thrilled to share the exciting news here. It is a moment that I have been waiting for and I'm so excited to share everything about being engaged, planning a wedding, getting married, and just this sweet, new chapter.

Thank you for your continuous love and support. I am on cloud nine.

xx,

Amanda

Are you looking into changing out your countertops? Congratulations - that is so exciting!

Both my parents work in the home design and improvement industry, so as you can imagine, I've picked up a ton of things just by watching them work. Something that is so common and makes a surprising difference in the look of a home - countertops!

Picking new countertops has the potential to be a bit stressful, but if you choose the right company and do your research beforehand, it can be an easy and stress-free process.

Before you start, your first step is to pick your stone. I recommend quartz! Are you wondering why? Here are some of the benefits and options when it comes to quartz countertops.

Benefits of Quartz Countertops

There are so many benefits of choosing quartz countertops! They are non-porous, it is very low maintenance, and they are basically indestructible, especially when you compare it to other countertop options like granite or marble. 

The reason why they are so durable is that quartz countertops are typically man-made slabs of stone, which means they are made up of about 90% quartz and 10% binding polymers and colored pigments. This high quartz content makes these countertops exceptionally hard and durable. The durability of this material makes it a great option for countertops where you will probably be banging down pots, pans, knives, cups, and plates. Quartz is tough and it is very resistant to scratches, chips, and stains. The durability of these countertops allows them to last for many, many years. You’ll be able to enjoy your quartz countertops for years without worrying about fixing chips, scratches, or cracks. If you have any children, this is especially handy! 

Another benefit of quartz is that they do not need any sealant or wax coating to “finish” them. This means that quartz countertops require less maintenance compared to some other countertop materials that you may be considering. And because quartz countertops are nonporous surfaces, they are super easy to clean and maintain. You won’t have to worry about getting stains out with an intense scrubbing session like you would with other countertop materials. Simply wipe them down with a cleaning wipe or with a cloth, soap, and water, and it will be all set.

Click Countertops says to use non-bleach, non-abrasive liquid household cleaners when cleaning, such as Simple Green Lime-scale remover, Formula 409 Glass and Surface Cleaner, Vinegar cleaner (diluted), Lysol, Bar Keepers Friend, and Greased Lightning”

There are MANY benefits of choosing quartz and these are just a few of them

Quartz Countertops Options

While there are many quartz countertop options, there are some more popular options out there. I pulled these options from Click Countertops, in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Churchill Honed

Churchill Honed Quartz has long, delicate white veins that add subtly detail to this beautifully neutral slate-gray.

Catalina Quartz
Catalina Quartz offers a soft white background and light gray veining for an unfussy elegance that suits nearly any design style and color trend.

Regal Statuary
Exquisite and unique, Regal Statuary Quartz stuns the senses with its clean whites and striking through-body veining.

Yes, you can be your most vibrant, happy, shining, best self!

Why a photo of the beach? Well, that is where I feel like my best self. It is where I feel the most carefree, happy, safe, and grounded.

For a couple of years now, I've really focused on becoming my best self. I read self-improvement books and take in all the content related to it. I focus on starting my day strong to help set the tone for the rest of the day. I write down my goals. I talk positively to myself. I've really been working on myself and let's get real... the work never stops.

It is so rewarding to do the work on yourself, though. I believe that I am happier and more positive than I was years ago. I live in less fear than I did before. I am kinder than I was before. Each day, I am becoming better and better.

There are a few simple ways to get started on working on yourself and I wanted to share a few tips with you today.

Surround Yourself Around Joyful People

Joy is something that is needed in order to reach your full potential, but it’s hard to really soak up when you are surrounded by people who are not so joyful. If there is anything that you take away from this article, it should be this. Find joy and make sure that you surround yourself around joyful people so that you do not have trouble keeping that joy in your life. You are who you spend time with and if you spend time with those that bring you down, you are no better than them.

Make Sure You Love What You Do

Finding a career that you love is extremely important. You spend a good chunk of your life commuting to and from work AND spending time at work, in your office (or in the field). Because of this, you need to make sure that you love what you do. Your job has the potential to make or break each day. It affects you as a whole and has the potential to turn you into a positive or a negative person. If you are leaving work in a bad mood each day, you might need to rethink some things. Not only is that affecting yourself, but it is affecting the people you come home to, or go out to dinner with, as well. 

Never Settle

Another great point that I want to make in this article is never settling in all of life's facets - especially when it comes to your relationships. Maybe this means that you need to work on your relationship, you need to get over your ex (from an unhealthy relationship), or you need to build your own self-esteem so that you can give your all in your current or future relationship. Whatever this means to you, just make sure you are never settling. You deserve an amazing relationship!

If you need help to get there, consider reaching out to Pure Hypnosis | Sean Wheeler. Sean is known as The Heartbreak Hypnotist® and has proven his methods and skill on both the radio and TV shows. He is extremely well-known in the hypnosis world and is also extremely talented and effective when it comes to his work. He is most commonly known for his work helping people with relationship issues. He can help people move on after heartbreak, get over their ex, get through a divorce, build self-esteem, have more fun dating, attract ideal mates, end destructive relationship patterns, overcome shyness, and more.

You can check out the Pure Hypnosis YouTube channel to get more information on him and Pure Hypnosis. He is Atlanta’s best-known and best-reviewed hypnotherapist. He has a five star rating on Google, which is amazing! You won’t find a bad word written about him. If you are looking for hypnosis for weight loss in Atlanta, hypnosis for smoking, heartbreak, and more, reach out to Pure

Hypnosis! I know it might not be the most conventional thing, but sometimes just stepping out of our comfort zone is the best thing.

Find A Way To Live Simply

When you don’t need (or want) much, you can really find your full potential. Instead of finding happiness in things, you will begin to find happiness in the simple things and in making memories with the people that you love. Getting back to the basics is a great way to find your full potential in life. A simple life definitely has a different meaning and also a different value for each individual person. For some, it means eliminating everything but the essentials. For others, it means getting back to the basics in some aspect of life, but not others. No matter how you choose to live simply, that’s all that matters. Getting rid of many things so that you are able to look past the things and spend quality time with those you love is important to me, but that is a personal opinion. Getting rid of the clutter so that you are left with only the items that actually bring you joy is a great place to start for a lot of people. But, keep in mind that getting back to the basics and finding a way to live simply is all but simple. It is definitely time consuming and it becomes a journey. There will be times where you will move two steps forward and then four backward. That is okay! As long as you are progressing and finding a way to do the best for yourself, that is all that matters.

Try New Things

And finally, in order to be your best self, never let yourself become complacent. Fear of change is your enemy. Instead, you should always welcome change and push it on yourself, no matter how scary it might be. I urge you to regularly try something new and unexpected. Push yourself to reach new limits and be adventurous. Consider doing things such as scuba diving and skydiving. Scary? Maybe. Fun? Probably. The new things that you try do not have to be scary, though. You could always try something that you’ve always wanted to take up such as watercolor or photography. No matter what it is, set aside time to try new things, take up new skills, and learn more about what you *might* like!

It is always a great thing to surprise yourself by pushing yourself outside of your bubble, your comfort zone. Not only will it increase your happiness, but it will also make you feel more confident and allow you to explore sides of yourself that you might not have known existed beforehand. Trying new things might sound scary sometimes, but it will also allow yourself to have fun and relax from the daily stressors that life throws your way. Downtime gives yourself a time to recharge and doing things outside of your comfort zone gets your mind off of stressful situations. No matter what you do, remember to embrace life and try something new that you might like each day!

xx,

Amanda