Celebrate Valentine's Day and Every Day!

This year, more than ever before, I'm in the mood to celebrate Valentine's Day!  I've written about the shift in my life over the past several years, and maybe that's the reason that I want to celebrate!  These pictures, obviously staged, were so much fun!  At the time, I thought that I was going to be alone on Valentine's Day because my husband travels for his job and he was supposed to be gone.  Even though I think Valentine's Day has become over commercialized and I hate to go out to dinner when it's crowded, I was still already feeling lonely.  I was imagining what I would do if I was at home alone on Valentine's Day and I thought that drinking champagne and eating chocolate would be fun (why not?).  Turns out that my husband was able to change some things around and he'll be here so instead of sitting on the counter eating chocolate, I'll be with him and our friends celebrating at a local wine bar.  I'm looking forward to Valentine's Day this year, but what I'm really looking forward to is leaving for Naples, Florida the next day!  Having said all of that, this photo shoot was lots of fun and I hope you enjoy...I won't promise that this is the last Valentine's Day post!

I'm also sharing a few things to think about this February, so keep scrolling!

Some moments, days, months are harder than others.  That's kind of how these pictures came to be.  I was dreading being home alone on the night that's supposed to fun and romantic.  I was imagining how I could make things better.  There will always be challenging times and that's how we grow.  During these times, it's nice to have something tangible to turn to to help us get through.  Make a big list of all the things that make you feel great, and do at least one thing on it every day.  It doesn't matter how big or small it is.  When you do something that makes you feel good, it's an act of self love.  Don't wait for other people to make you feel good...it's not their responsibility.  Practicing self love empowers us to feel how we want to feel and know that we can make a less than ideal situation better.

Make gratitude a requirement.  Practicing gratitude shifts our focus to the good in our lives and makes us more positive people.  It's hard to appreciate what you have and still be caught up in what you don't.  Share three things that you're grateful for every day with someone you love or write them in a journal.

These pajamas from Victoria's Secret are perfect for Valentine's Day!  You can get in lots of different prints here!

I bought a chocolate cake from the grocery store and decorated it with fresh raspberries...it looked pretty and it actually tasted really good.  It's an easy way to have a pretty dessert if you're cooking and pressed for time on Valentine's Day.

Store bought macaroons are a great gluten free option and they're delicious any time of year!

Why not take one of these cute mini bottles of prosecco next time you go to the movies, along with a straw, and sip while you enjoy the movie!

This picture was taken at Christmas, but the top (similar here) would be amazing for Valentine's Day along with the perfect red lip!

The suggestions in this post obviously apply to any day of the year, so go ahead and create a list of things that make you feel great and start writing in your gratitude journal.  It might just change your life!