Summer is upon us now, and it is time to head outside and enjoy the warmer days. Well, at least in my area of the Show-Me State, it can be too humid to spend too much time outside. The air can be so thick that breathing is a challenge. Maybe on a cooler day with low humidity, it would be great to spend an afternoon in the park with your family and enjoy a picnic lunch. Here is your chance to win a picnic set from Katherine and my giveaway friends.
summer picnic giveaway
the giveaway gals at Katherines corner
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The key to gaining confidence in how you look is all wrapped up in taking care of yourself. With a positive mindset and a goal to put your best self out there, you can gain and maintain confidence in no time! If you’re feeling insecure about your looks, check out these four ideas to boost your confidence and maintain the glow that you already have within you.
Groom Yourself One of the best ways that you can refresh yourself is through grooming. While grooming, you can do the bare minimum of showering, shaving, and moisturizing. Or you can pamper yourself with a self-care routine. Here are a few examples of some self-care activities:
– Take a bath – Paint your nails – Throw on a beauty mask – Exfoliate your skin – Moisturize your lips – Play around with makeup – Do a hair treatment
Engage in Exercise Exercising is a great way to gain confidence. You can create health goals, strengthen your body, and try out new routines to give yourself more energy. When you exercise, you are prioritizing your health and your body. Exercising also gives you a goal to work towards and motivation to better your overall health. You can start with a simple routine or create a workout calendar with designated health goals if you’re a beginner. One of the best parts of jumping into an exercise routine is that you can choose one that best suits you.
If you want to be more flexible, you can do yoga, or if you want to build stamina, you can start including a run in your weekly schedule. Whatever you choose to do, remember that you’re doing it to make yourself feel better. Go with an exercise routine that’s fun.
Here’s a beginning workout video:
Take Care of Your Smile Smiling is a great way to build your confidence and show everyone around you that you have command of the room. When you smile, you want to feel strong and good about yourself. That’s exactly why taking care of your teeth is extremely important. Give some love to your teeth by visiting the dentist, brushing and flossing your teeth, and rinsing your mouth with mouthwash. Nothing screams confidence more than a nice smile! You can add this to your self-care routine and call it a day.
Dress For Yourself Everyone’s heard the phrase, “dress for success.” But what if you started dressing to impress yourself? Clothes and fashion play a powerful role in expression and identity. You can try new styles out and see what look fits your personality the best. When you take the time to wear clothes that make you feel good, you nurture your confidence and self-esteem. At the end of the day, do what makes you feel good, and your self-love will follow.
When it comes to gaining confidence, you can practice self-care, dress up, exercise, and take care of your smile. Once you set out on a journey of self-love, you will be able to gain the confidence that you’ve always wanted.
Selective breeding has long been a big part of the dog trade. There is a lot of demand for dogs with a specific appearance, which often means that dog owners will choose their animals based largely on what they look like. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the best approach to take, often leaving owners with dogs that look wonderful but lack the personality that they wanted in the first place.
It makes a lot of sense to pick a dog based on how it will act down the line rather than the way it looks. While it would be impossible to guess exactly what a dog would be like down the line, there are a lot of different things you can look for to make sure that your new dog has the personality you want. Let’s take a look at some of these areas, giving you the chance to free yourself from the trap of vanity.
The Breed There are many different dog breeds in the world, giving people ample options when they are choosing a dog based on the way it looks. The breed you choose can have a big impact on the temperament of your pet, though. For example, Labradors have a very good reputation for being good with children, and this is because they are naturally gentle dogs. On the other hand, other dog breeds are known for being aggressive, hard to control, and even downright naughty, though you have to be careful to ensure that this isn’t the only thing you consider.
The Background Like humans, a dog’s personality will be partially shaped by its upbringing and background. Dogs that have received loads of love from a young age tend to be needier than others but will also be more receptive to the emotions you convey. Conversely, though, canines that have been largely neglected or even abused will be much harder to live with. Work and dedication can solve this issue, enabling you to give your pet a better life. This can make it well worth putting the work into your animal.
Your Lifestyle It’s also essential to make sure that your pet suits your lifestyle. Dogs require a lot of time and attention. Some breeds are less demanding than others, as active working dogs need a lot of exercise, and lap dogs sometimes need more love and attention. If the dog has health problems, you must take care of it.
If you have a busy lifestyle and it’s challenging to fit a dog into your way of life, consider other options. Some people use dog-sitters and walkers to keep their dogs company throughout the day, which is an excellent option if everyone is at work or school for a long time.
Another option is to find a lower-maintenance pet. Cynthia Maro offers some suggestions to potential pet owners to help them find dogs or other kinds of pets that require less maintenance.
The Training Whether you’re adopting a dog or buying one from a breeder, training will be crucial to their personality. Some dogs are harder to train than others, but this doesn’t mean they will be impossible to set on the right track. It makes sense to plan to train your new dog while also looking for dogs that have already been trained if you want to adopt. This doesn’t affect their appearance, but it can make a huge difference in a dog’s personality.
Spending Time With Them It can be challenging to know how a dog will act when you bring it home. This makes it challenging for new dog owners to feel confident they’re choosing the right pet. Most adoption organizations and even breeders will let you spend time with the dog you want before committing to taking them home. This gives you a great chance to learn about their personality while also making it possible to start building a bond with them. For puppies, it can be just as valuable to meet their parents.
Getting A Beautiful Dog While a dog’s personality is significant, many people also care deeply about their dog’s looks. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, and it can make a lot of sense to go for an animal that you like the look of, especially if you have kids. It’s always worth keeping in mind that this approach can come with some challenges, though. It could also be unfair for the dog you choose if you don’t take the right steps.
Many of the most popular dog breeds in the world are breeding practices that most people would consider unethical. This is usually because the dogs themselves will end up with health issues when bred to have a certain appearance. A blue-eyed pitbull is a beautiful dog that will be largely free from health issues, but a pug could be a very different story. It’s always worth researching the dog breeds you like to ensure that they won’t face issues down the line.
As you can see, personality is far more important than appearance when you’re choosing a dog. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pick a dog that you like, but you should definitely consider more than just the way they look.
I want to take this opportunity to wish all of the fathers a very Happy Father’s Day. I’m not going to lie. For me, this day is tough. My father passed away when I was twelve. To be honest, I use to hate it. Having to ‘celebrate’ it without him was tough, especially when I would see other people’s fathers were still alive. What made it even harder is that my father’s birthday is June 13th, usually just days before Father’s Day. As time went on, I was able to turn my grief into joy. And today, I can take what was a sad day and still celebrate Father’s Day even though my own father is in Heaven.
Jay with his father
I know that many people who have lost their fathers will spend the day at the cemetery. For me, this is a big NO. I have done that in the past, and I felt more depressed and sad when I left. I refuse to go to a cemetery unless I am there for an actual funeral. For me, a cemetery does not bring me good feelings for my father. It just reminds me that he is gone and not with me in the physical world. And I am surrounded by the reminder that family members and other people are no longer with us. There is something about a tombstone that doesn’t bring me peace. So that is why I am not going to a cemetery unless it is to honor a family member or friend who recently passed.
When I am in a cemetery, it makes me focus on my father’s death. The last six weeks of his life were extremely hard for him. He lost his battle with lung cancer. I don’t want want to focus on that or how he struggled to live. I want to focus on his life and how he lived it. I want to focus on what he meant to me, my mother, my family, and the people he knew. Although he walked on this earth for only 54 years, he greatly impacted the people who knew him.
I want to remember him as the man who started a construction company with only an eighth-grade education. I want to remember the man who provided for this family, for his employees, and the partners even when he struggled through the tough times in business. Finally, I want to remember the man who told my mother that he wanted just one more child, which is why I am here today.
On Father’s Day, It is easy to think about the times that I lost out with him not being there. The first shave, my graduation ceremonies, my wedding, or the father-son talks that he missed out on. But I focus my mind on thinking about the good memories that I have of my daddy. I would spend time traveling to the construction sites; when he would give me a paycheck for helping him on the job or watching him build things in his woodworking shop. I had to train myself to focus on the good memories and to cast aside the bad memories. I had to work hard to focus on how he lived his life and not think about how his life ended. As the years went by, it became easier for my mind to stay focused on the good times. And now when I think about him, or his birthday or Father’s Day,
On this Father’s Day, I want to honor and thank my father. He is the reason I am here and why I am the man I am today. Even though his death has separated us in the natural for almost thirty-four years, I will always have him close in my heart.
Thank You, Daddy!
I Love You!
If your father is in Heaven, how do you remember him on this day?
I pray that you are having a wonderful day and keeping cool during this heatwave that we are experiencing on the first weekend of summer.
Today is June 19th, and I remember my mother today because it’s her heavenly birthday. Today has also been designated as a new federal holiday, honoring the legacy of Juneteenth. Many people may not be familiar with what Juneteenth is and why it needs to be celebrated and remembered.
June 19, 1865, marks the official end of slavery in the United States when the last remaining slaves were freed inTexas. The Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln, became law on January 1, 1863, and marked the end of slavery in the United States. But it would take two and a half years for all enslaved people to experience their freedom. Texas was the last of the confederate states that stood in rebellion following the Civil War. However, due to insufficient Union troops and officials in Texas, the Emancipation Proclamation was not easily enforced, and enslaved people were still being held captive there.
Union Major Gen. Gordon Granger and his regiment rode into Galveston on June 19, 1865, with news that the Civil War had ended in April and that the more than 250,000 enslaved people living in Texas were now free. Granger proclaimed,
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
Almost immediately, enslaved people in Texas celebrated their freedom with great joy and jubilation. They coined the celebration as Juneteenth. And in the years that followed, the newly freed men and women and their descendants would celebrate the day with music, BBQs, and prayer services. There is even a Miss Juneteenth Pageant in Fort Worth, Texas.
And now, one hundred and fifty-six years later, Juneteenth becomes a federal holiday. But how should we be celebrating or honoring this day?
I believe it is an opportunity to teach people of all ages about the stain that slavery has left on our country. The United States was established on the principles of freedom, but that freedom was not given to all people.
I believe it is an opportunity to teach people of all ages about unity and acceptance of all people, regardless of skin color or ethnicity. No matter what they believe in or who they pray to. We need to look at their heart and their character and learn to love them for who they are.
I believe it is an opportunity to teach people that history is not an easy thing to understand, that there is more to understanding it and learning it than what is presented in our textbooks. That the history of people who don’t look like us still needs to be studied and learned.
I am interested to see how, in the coming years, Juneteenth will be celebrated and honored. I see it as a great opportunity for healing and unity in this country. But only if everyone makes that effort and takes a step closer together.
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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