10 HoliDAYS of Self-Love: Day 2

What are the 10 holiDAYS of self-love? Well, it's very simple! During this very stressful holiday time, especially for those of us who struggle/have struggled with eating disorders, social anxiety, and low self-esteem in general, the abundance of food and holiday parties can be very stressful. So join me in the journey: 10 days, 10 challenges each day to improve your self-esteem and make this holiday season more pleasurable. Enjoy!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it?

Cramming for final exams, watching your bank account dwindle due to Christmas shopping while your weight takes a hit from all the delicious holiday treats; this time of year sure can be stressful.

But you don’t have to let it take over your entire life, especially not your health and beauty. So sit back, pour yourself some hot cocoa, and treat yourself to some homemade, all natural face treatments! Here are some ingredients you can’t go wrong with:

1.    Sea Salt

If you don’t have sea salt in your beauty cabinet, you better get yourself to a supermarket-quick! Mix this secret ingredient in with a bit of water, honey or olive oil to create a gooey consistency and gently use as a scrub. Not only does it act as an exfoliator when removed, scraping off dead skin cells and leaving your skin silky smooth, but it also has numerous health benefits. It controls blood pressure, regulates sleep patterns, detoxifies skin, but most importantly during this hectic season; it relieves stress! Ancient Greeks and Romans used warm sea salt baths to help them relax-why can’t you?

*pro tip: leave the scrub on your skin for a few minutes to let your body truly absorb the sea salt

2.    Avocados
This fruit is the holy grail of DIY beauty treatments. In these cold winter months, the natural oils of avocados can work miracles on dry patches and flaky skin. Plus the amino acids and antioxidants with which this creamy fruit is packed target fine lines and crow’s feet! Slathering this mask on your skin also helps you to calm down: rich in glutathione, a substance that combats internal oxidative stress, avocadoes wash those worries down the drain!

*pro tip: avocadoes also make for a great hair treatment: pair it with olive oil or eggs and you have an instant parched-hair solution!

3.    Blueberries

Jam packed with antioxidants (one of the highest rate in all foods!) and phytochemicals, a blueberry face wash helps protect skin cells from damage, making the skin look younger for longer. Mash a few dozen fruit in a bowl, mix with water or yogurt, and apply to the skin and wash away to find radiant skin. And when it comes to stress, the vitamin C levels in blueberries are hard to beat! In fact, German researchers tested this by asking volunteers to give a speech, and then do hard math problems. Those who had been given vitamin C had lower blood pressure, hence less stress! What’s not to love?!

*pro-tip: Try to mix in other types of berries to find a texture that works for you; most berries have high vitamin C concentrations!

I hope this helps some of the anxious butterflies out there!

Have a lovely day,

Gabby

From The Fudge Perfection Project

fudgeperfection.blogspot.com

sources: 1.  http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/healthy-foods-reduce-stress-and-depression/berries

2. http://www.livestrong.com/article/156225-benefits-of-sea-salt-for-the-skin/

3. http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/top-10-superfoods-for-skin-and-hair/

4. http://healthiestfoods.co.uk/the-top-4-avocado-skin-benefits

Self Care Saturday

Hello my angels!

Today is Self-Care Saturday; the day you sit your butts down and take care of yourselves!
After battling gruelling exams or the cold winter air, we all just need a little down time, aka as a treat-yo-self day, brought to you by Parks and Recreations.

Here are some of my favorite self-care treats (pssst: these would make some great gifts...)

Face Masks 


Hello, my name is Gabby, and I'm a face mask addict. I don't know what it is about sporting a bright green layer of clay that makes me feel special, but lord knows my skin appreciates it in times of stress. Freeman sells some great cheap ones, or you can make your own by using natural ingredients (list of organic ingredients for your skin, written by yours truly: http://www.dropofpink.com/2013/12/07/3-natural-ingredients-for-skin-and-stress/)

Aromatherapy

If you know me at all, you know the biggest loss of my life was when I had to leave my beloved candles at home due to my dorm's no-setting-fires rule. How oppressive, I cried! However, it makes it that much more special for me to light a holiday-scented candle this time of year.

Not a candle fan, or want a portable aromatherapy solution? An adorable mini-perfume is the way to go.

Are the winter blues getting to you? A great body butter or lotion with a tropical scent can pick up your mood and smooth out that dry winter skin. Score!

Nourish 

The best self-care ever? SLEEP.
If you want to make your ultimate off-time even more replenishing, find yourself some hair oil and a strong face cream, pop them on before bed, and wake up looking and feeling like a goddess.










Well, that's all I have for today.
Take good care of yourselves:)

xoxo

Gabby

ANEB Fundraising & My Anxiety

Hello my lovely fudgies! :)
(if you just want to read about the ANEB fundraising, skip to the bold text at the bottom of the page)

My name is Gabby, I suffer from anxiety, and that's okay.
I know it's okay because we all have things about ourselves that make us feel weak.
But I also know it's okay because it doesn't have to limit me or my goals, au contraire. 

In fact, one of the many reasons I started the blog was because I wanted to get my thoughts, my feelings and my story out into the world, but I wasn't always able to do so when talking to someone face to face, because of said anxiety. This might sound funny to some, since I can be quite a sassy, sarcastic b**tch writer, but trust me, that's just what the voice in my head sounds like, not the one that comes out of my mouth.  So I wrote. I wrote about my life, my victories and my struggles. I wrote about all the things I couldn't tell the people around me.

And because I started writing, and more and more people started reading, all these amazing things started to come my way. I started writing for some of my favourite blogs and magazines, I interned at various mental health non-profits, and, to be completely honest with you all,  I never would have gotten into the school I now attend had it not been for the FP.

So all these wonderful opportunities opened up to me in some way due to my anxiety ridden brain.
But the FP hasn't taught me to use my vulnerability as a crutch or a shield, to play the victim and let it run my life.
OH, NO. TRUST.
The FP has also pushed me way, like lightyears away, out of my comfort zone.

When I heard that ANEB, an eating disorder non profit that has always treated me kindly was going through some difficult financial struggles, I felt personally compelled, as I know many of their employees and volunteers, to help out as best as lil' ole me could.

So as mentioned in my Help ANEB Help Others article, linked right here, I set up a few bracelet displays around my area at independently-owned salons.
What I didn't mention was what I had to go through to get my little booty into those stores.

Now I have a terrible fear of counters, sale's counters (basically the cash, IDK what it's fancy name is) and receptionist's desks, because I am prone to having panic attacks when I go up to these aforementioned satanic spots (kidding).

So i think you, especially those who also suffer from anxiety, can imagine how nervous I was to go up to a counter, on my own, and ask if I could sell my bracelets there. Unreal. I considered spiking my orange juice with some strong liquor to calm myself down, but I figured drunk Gabby wasn't a great rep for ANEB's cause.

So as I got to the strip mall where my first stop is situated, running my speech over and over again in my head, I headed towards the salon. I was walking, I was getting closer, but then the receptionist looked at me and I thought NOPE, completely chickened out and headed towards the drugstore.
I then collected myself, put on a bright albeit ridiculously fake confident smile and set my sights on the salon, but again, panicked, pulled a 180 and hid behind the magazine counter.

I repeated this cycle at least 3 times, I KID YOU NOT MY LOVES, until I finally got to the counter. The lady behind the desk looked up from her magazine and I quickly, inarticulately blurted out my prepared sales pitch, and for some reason, THEY SAID YES!

I couldn't believe it, I practically rode home on a cloud of excitement fairy dust.

So because I buckled down and pushed past my irrational phobias, in 2 months, with the help of local salons, we raised 103 $ for ANEB and I cannot tell you all how amazing that feels. It's obviously not enough to fill their entire budget deficit, but the little things can always make a difference.

So that's my challenge to you. Find something you really want, but you never thought you could do. Here's the truth; mind over body. Your body is capable of saying, performing and doing so many incredible things, you can't let your brain crush who you have the potential to become.

I  hope my silliness has been entertaining for you all,
Have a fantastic week my babies <3

xoxo

Gabby

Forgiving Yourself

Once upon a time there was a girl, and to be frank, she was not a great friend.

She wasn't always supportive, she wasn't the epitome of kindness or patience, and lord knows she was ruthlessly unforgiving.

Many said she was cold, or bitter, or just a bad person, a sentiment that, while duly presumed, was entirely off base.

Because it wasn't that she wanted to treat others, especially the ones she cared about, in such a poor manner.

It was that she didn't know any better.
Because she was completely unsupportive, harmful and impatient, but most of all simply unforgiving towards herself.

How can you expect someone to respect their loved ones when they clearly have no respect for themselves?

My advice is simple: learn to forgive yourself. You are not the sum of your mistakes. Letting them fester within you will not only hurt you but also your relationships. Take responsibility for them, and move on.

This young girl wrote down all the things she has done wrong, and why she did them. She apologized, then folded the piece of paper and threw it into the recycling bin. Over and out.

She is not a perfect person by any means, or a perfect friend at that. But that's okay. She can forgive herself for that too. :)

The End.

PS: a big thank you to my amazing friend Molly (facebook.com/MollyPopsOfColor) for giving my drop of pink article a shout out. Check out her insane MUA skills; but beware you may die of talent jealousy. You have been warned:)