How To Make Valentine’s Day At Home Feel Like A Special Night Out

Even before COVID, Nick and I have liked spending most date nights or Holiday’s in and the last couple of years have spent Valentine’s Day in on purpose. There’s less cost, less people and in general easier to relax and enjoy this precious holiday. So if COVID has got your valentines day plans all messed up, here’s some advice on how to make the evening a fun one.

Decide on the Mood

First you have to decide what atmosphere you’re setting. Is it you and the girls and you want to have a playful, fun girls night? Are you and the girls in the mood to dress up and have a fancy night in with a three-course meal and champagne? Maybe you just want to wear your comfies and watch romantic comedies for the evening? Once you establish the vibe you’re going for, the rest of the plans fall in order much easier.

Yummy Food

Instead of buying all those heart shaped candies and cakes or molds for pancakes or waffles, spend the time to get things that your loved ones, well… love! That still might include grabbing their favorite candy bar or sweets but make it fun and delicious. Having a bunch of snacks or a three-course meal (whatever mood you’re trying to go for), make sure you include things that they will love too. Nick and I like to get things for another that we both enjoy.

Decorations

This is a pretty subjective one for me since everyone has their opinion on if decor is needed for valentines day or not. Alas there’s always balloons at the dollar store, that make a cheap but super cute and easy way to make any room feel festive. I’ve always wanted to fill my entire living room with balloons for valentines day but just haven’t gotten around to it. Either way, my advice here, is the less you have to clean up afterwards the better. Go for something that fits your plans for the night.

Gifts

This is another tricky one but let me be totally honest. MEN LISTEN UP, every single woman on the face of the planet if lying if she says to you that she doesn’t want anything for valentines day. There I said it. Sorry I gave up our secret girls. If it’s your very first valentines day together, no harm in getting a teddy bear, if it’s year 5 or beyond please don’t keep getting her stuffed animals that she’s likely never going to use. Flowers always good, candy (even a healthier version) always good, candles are always good…I can keep going if you need more help but all-in-all this is a special, sweet and fun night just to shower someone with your love and affection. That could be a sweet card or something more lavish, but make it meaningful.

Entertainment

You really can’t have a fun night in without some form of entertainment. That could be games, music or movies. No matter what you decide, make sure that you’re doing something for you to spend time together with the people you’re celebrating with. For example one year my three girlfriends and I got together for valentines day. We were all single at the time. We made dinner together, hung up the decorations, ate, watched a movie and then spent some quality time just chatting. Nothing too lavish but everything we did was us doing it together. We made it entirely about us spending time together and it was so fun and memorable.

Pre-Plan

A big part of all of this it to PLAN. This is one of those holidays that I hate to see someone rushing to the store last minute trying to find something and everything is picked over or way too expensive. If nothing else, being stuck at home with our loved one’s allows us the opportunity to get to know one another better. If you want to make the night special for someone, you should be able to sit down and plan a fun night for you both or all 🙂

Friend please keep in mind that this is just another chance for you to love on someone. Hopefully it’s not the ONLY night or day of the year that you make special for your loved one’s but it doesn’t hurt to give someone a little extra love and affection.

Ladies I also want to end with this. If you have something specific that you want, ASK FOR IT!! Do not fall victim to thinking he knows what you want. My husband would be perfectly fine if this was just another day of the year, and had I not set the precedent of what my expectations are, he would never have know. Then I would have been left hurt and disappointed. It’s perfectly fine for you to make it clear that you desire certain things.

Fellas that goes for you to. For example my husband let me know what the budget was for this holiday (lol) and that he wanted to take care of planning dinner. You have just as much say as the ladies.

Hope you all have a wonderful, adorable and FUN Valentines Day and just LOVE on one another. Make it a chance to simply enjoy being with one another.

XOXO,
Camille

January Favorites

I can hardly believe I’m writing the first of this years favorites but here we are! One month into a brand new year. How are we feeling? I know I’ve been incredibly busy but productive and just trying to make this year every bit as wonderful as possible. This year favorites will still fall on the last Friday of each month so be on the lookout for that. Let’s dive in!

Abercrombie Puffer Coat
I vividly remember my mother’s long black hooded puffer coat that she had when I was in high school.. I endlessly ridiculed her about how silly it looks. Now at 29, I added this to my Christmas list. HA! The joys of young women just slowly turning into their mothers is hilarious to me. Anyway, this coat is everything I could have dreamed of and more. It’s buttery soft, lined, has zipper and buttons, is the perfect level of warmth and isn’t too puffy that I feel like to Michelin tire man. It’s a little pricey but I’ll definitely have this coat for years and years to come which means the investment was well worth it. THANKS MOM for being fashionable before the times.

Nude Chunky Boots
One of my favorite pair of shoes has been these nude chunky boots. They go with anything and are SUPER comfortable. Also, being 5’4 it’s nice to have a little extra height sometimes and these are perfect. If you’re into the chunky boot trend, these are a perfect pair.

Buttery Soft Matching Pajama Set
There’s a new line at target that makes THE most comfortable and cutest matching sets for really good prices. This set has been worn non-stop since the beginning of December and I don’t plan on NOT buying more (sorry boo). This one is technically a PJ set but ya girl has definitely worn it under a long trench coat and no one has known otherwise 😉 I’m 5’4 and I got a medium. I have a rather short torso so that size was perfect since the top is cropped.

Fabric Shaver
I put off buying this for forever and decided to throw it into my Christmas list. Thank God I got it!! It seems like an unnecessary tool until you have it. I have used it on basically everything you can imagine and now I have an entire closet of clothes that look brand new. I’ve even used it on some blankets and pillows to make those look brand new too. For the low cost, it’s a perfect item to SAVE your clothes.

Acrylic Jewelry Case
I’m incredibly happy that I got this because I ended up loving it more than I even thought. It’s got the perfect amount of space for my rings, earrings, and the items I wear daily plus it looks very chic and cute on my dresser without taking up too much space.

Small Gold Hoops
Another awesome Target find that I actually bought, misplaced and found again LOL This set comes in a pack of three and I use one for my cartilage piercing so that my earrings all match when I wear the hoops. I absolutely love these since they hug your ear and look cute but aren’t heavy or really even noticeable at all.

Snakeskin Combat Boots
I got my true size in these and there’s still a little room for wearing big chunky socks in the winter if you need to. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!! Wearing platforms and chunky shoes is my new go to. I’m taller than ever and it helps balance out my looks when I wear skinny jeans or my spanx leggings. These are super cute and really affordable since they look a lot like other designer brands.

Neutrogena Face Masks
I’ve actually been using these for a few years but I always like to mention them in my winter favorites. I have pretty neutral skin but in the winter I definitely can tell that my skin needs a little extra moisture. These face masks are perfect for that and my favorite part is there only about 2 dollars a piece.

Plain Black Sweatshirt
I have about 10 black sweatshirts but none of which lacked some type of graphic on them. A few times I just wanted a PLAIN sweatshirt but didn’t want to spend an arm and leg on them so I got this one when it was on sale. I got the size small but you could also get it oversized and wear it with basically everything.

That’s all for this month’s favorites and I hope you see or find something you love!

XX,
Camille

How To Read The Entire Bible This Year

If you’ve been following along this month then you know that I’ve been spending the month of January tackling some of the topics that hopefully will help you set yourself in motion for a great 2021. One of the best things you can do for yourself this year is to commit to daily time reading the Bible. Just a few verses a day and before you know it you’ll have read the entire Bible in one year.

Bible App

Not tooting my own horn but I’ve read the entire Bible for 7 years (in a row) as of 2020. Again, that’s not to make myself seem great but to show you just how easy it can be done, if I can do it, I’m positive you can too. Does that mean that every single day I read the Bible? Nope! There were some Monday mornings or Friday evenings that consisted of me catching up on 5 or 6 days but either way, I finished the entire thing in one year because of this super crazy simple bible app. You download the YouVersion Bible App, choose which Bible in one year plan you want and off you go! They even let you set reminders for yourself if that will help keep you on track.

Bible Study and Devotional

If using an app isn’t really your thing or you prefer something you can write in then have I got a surprise for you! This bible study has broken the old and new testaments into two books that include a TON of information along with ensuring that you finish the entire Bible in one year PLUS get to write down inspiration and learn a ton of historical and relevant to today information about the Bible.

Journaling

Some people love to doodle and just write their thoughts down; Why not couple that with reading the Bible and at the end of 2021 you could have done all that fun coloring AND finished the Bible in a year! These journals are what I bought myself and a few girlfriends last year and I have absolutely LOVED it. It gives me a few verses a week and allows me to write my thoughts, dreams, hopes and prayers down in one place too.

Intentionality

Obviously the key here is the be intentional. As I mentioned above, I certainly have not made it one single year that I actually read the Bible every day of my life. That is still a goal not yet obtained. With that being said, I’ve set myself accountable for reading the Bible every year, not because I want to achieve some accolade but because I know how much it nourishes my soul and spirit. I know how much it keeps my mind right and focused every day and I know how much MORE I know about God because I am constantly in His word. I have to have an INTENTIONAL relationship with God just like anyone else.

Discipline

Committing to doing literally anything every single day of your life is choosing discipline. Do I feel like working out every day, no but I know how good it is for me so I do it. Do I feel like cooking all the time? No but I love my husband and I know that I get hangry if I don’t so I do it. Do I feel like reading the Bible every day? No, but I know how important it is for my mental, spiritual and emotional health. The key here is that there are very few things in life that you’re going to wake up every morning and FEEL like doing but if you learn to discipline yourself to do things that you know benefit you even when the feeling isn’t there, your life will reap all the amazing benefits of that. I look back on days that I didn’t feel like doing something and almost every single time I ended up feeling AMAZING afterward. Today me is so grateful for past me that did hard things at the time because I’ve come so far from those small sacrifices.

Get Practical

One of the hardest parts about finishing the Bible in a year is that we don’t find a way to make it a practical application. If you go with the app version, there are daily notification reminders to help you. If you choose the journal, devo or book way then put them somewhere that you’re going to see it daily and actually have time to sit down and read it. Also SCHEDULE time for you to read. Get into the habit of scheduling time for yourself in the day and just like you wouldn’t cancel an important meeting with your boss, don’t cancel an important meeting with you and God either.

In short there are a ton of resources out there for you to find what fits your style. The hardest part is just doing it. Try a few ways until you find one that sticks. I’m somewhat of an overachiever so I do every single one of these methods and truthfully I find that I learn something new from each one of them. Once you found the way that works for you, stick to it and just rock with it. I promise 2021 will be off to the best start you can possibly imagine if you make this commitment to yourself and to God.

Xoxo,
Camille

How To Refresh Your Home For The New Year (For Free)

One of my favorite things to do is to make minor changes to my home when I’m feeling stuck or needing something to refocus my attention. I take a short little break from work, move some stuff around, clean a few things and I’m back to new.

One thing for me this year has been trying to remove anything that makes my space feel cluttered, disorganized or otherwise un-lovely. The key is that I spend little to no money on these little updates and still enjoy the feeling I’ve accomplished something big.

Move Things Around

Hopefully you had a thought that this would be the most obvious trick. Sometimes all a space needs is a different traffic patter or a switch out of a couple of chairs. The best advice I have here is to make a little drawing of the space (don’t worry nothing too fancy) and just keep drawing it until you find something that you like. Or you could be even more like myself and just keep carrying things from one room to the other while your dog and husband grow more and more confused at what you’re doing. Whichever works best for you.

Clean Up

Another pretty obvious one is to clean a space up. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have found something pushed back into my closet that I thought was missing but really just misplaced. Cleaning can also just make a space FEEL brand new even if literally nothing else has changed. A big one for me is cleaning the baseboards in common areas, and specifically ones that you have to stare at like the bathroom. Nothing feels better than cleaning those little piles of dust and dog hair out of the corner of the room and suddenly I feel majorly accomplished for the day.

Reorganize

Similar to cleaning up is to reorganize a space. Short of going out and buying fancy things to store your stuff in, you can also group like items together or find a new way to house things that maybe you weren’t before. Take an inventory of what you have in a specific room and find new ways to keep all of those items organized or put away. For example, one of my favorite places to reorganize all the time is the kitchen. In might drive my husband insane because he no longer knows where the tortilla chips are, but I am one happy girl.

Donate

Another obvious one is to GET RID OF STUFF!! Perfect time to do this is now since it is right after Christmas. Get rid of duplicate items or things that you no longer need. Find a way to let go of all the old stuff that you know someone else could use instead of you and just let. it. go. One of the best feelings is giving things to other people and even better knowing that it’s out of your house haha!

Fix Items

Following the trend here and giving you another probably obvious idea….fix broken things! Schedule some time for yourself and fix items that you need to fix. This could be repainting something with your old paint from the storage room or fixing a scratch on wooden furniture. Either way set aside the time and you’ll feel like you’ve really tackled something I promise.

Those are all the ideas I have that are free but obviously there’s other things to be done to refresh a space like painting with new colors, wall paper, new little decor items or new furniture pieces just to name a few. Either way I hope you’re inspired to refresh your space this month to hopefully set you on a good pace for the rest of the year.

Xoxo,
Camille

How To Set Goals for Mental Health (and why everyone should be thinking about it)

Setting goals is the most common theme in the first month of a new year. Most of which are focused around your weight, your finances, your career or entertainment (like traveling). Very few people think about setting goals to have better mental health, mostly because very few people think they need to focus on their mental health in general.

Unless you’ve dealt with any type of mental health issue like depression, anxiety or other common issues, then you probably don’t think very much about it. Have you ever stopped to consider that perhaps focusing on your own mental health could actually assist you in obtaining some of those other goals too?

Mental Health Culprits

Everyone is familiar with depression and anxiety and we’ve all heard of stress but do we actually know what to do to combat these? Did you know that statistically 100% of the population will experience at least one of these three common mental health issues at some stage of their lives? We are lead to believe that depression and anxiety are much less common than they are but the truth is you’ve probably experienced them before without even noticing. Depression can look like many things, anxiety effects everyone in a different way and stress can show up in the most unlikely of areas in our lives.

What Can Be Done?

Aside from something more serious and seeing a mental health professional, the obvious answer here is to turn to the Bible. So what does the Bible say about these conditions?

Stress

Proverbs 3:4-6

“So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Anxiety

Philippians 4:6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Depression

Psalm 30:5

“…For sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning…”

These are just a few examples of what the Bible says about these more common mental health issues, but my suggestion here is to google verses, write them down and repeat them every single day. Nothing makes you feel better than to hear the word of God. Luckily for us, God’s living word is so full of real life examples, stories and scriptures for us to read that help us navigate through anything in life.

Goals To Set

1. Get 30 minutes or more a day of moderate exercise (preferably outdoors)
2. Get plenty of rest but not too much (too much sleep is just as bad as not enough)
3. Spend the first 10 minutes of the day doing something you enjoy instead of getting straight into something you don’t.
4. Spend the last 10 minutes of the day doing something you enjoy
5. Spend less than 3 hours per day on your phone
6. Take part in meditation or other relaxation techniques

Pray & Worship

The answer to all of the above is to PRAY! Prayer is one of the few things in my life that I can always depend on. Prayer truly shifts things in the atmosphere and no matter how I am feeling or what I’m going through I always feel better afterwards.

Worship music just hits different. The key for me is to listen to certain types of worship for different things. When I’m depressed I put on the fun, upbeat, gospel filled music that just lifts my spirit right up. When I’m anxious or worried I typically listen to more congregational worship or ballets that help me focus on truly worshiping God and focusing less on my problems around me.

That’s all the tips and tricks I have for you today friend. Please keep in mind that this is not professional advice, rather advice from a friend who’s been there. A friend who has experienced all types of mental health “issues” and who God has healed over and over again and who is here for YOU. As we all spend this first month of a new year realigning our goals and shifting our focus on the year to come, know with confidence that someone is here for you and is in your corner.

Xoxo,
Camille