New Year, New Me!

I absolutely adore New Years Day! I love the idea of a "clean slate." You can take all the stuff you didn't like from this past year and make a resolution to make it better. This year, I am going to write out my list of resolutions and then, a year from now, see what all I accomplished. Anyone else want to join me? 

• Get rid of the negativity! I am going to have a serious facebook and twitter clean out.  I want to start with weeding all the negative people from my life. I want to surround myself with positive, inspiring and uplifting people! (Some people I follow: Joel & Victoria Osteen, Kimberly Jones-Pothier, Joyce Meyer...etc.) Over the past two years, I have had a lot of people who I thought were friends or love ones really hurt and betray me. I want only people I trust, and positivity in my life. Overall, I want meaningful relationships in my life.
• Read my bible. I don't mean read my bible in a year, I mean study and reflect on the word. I cant tell you how many times I have read it just to quickly read what I needed for the day. I have read the whole bible. Yet, there is so much I don't remember because I didn't take my time reading it. I'd rather take my time and actually get something out of it than to read it just to say I've read it in a year.
• Get healthy! No, I'm not talking about losing weight. I don't care about how much I weigh. I want to be more mindful of what I am putting in my body. I want to transition into a much healthier lifestyle.  My sister has seriously inspired me to be grateful for my healthy body and to take care of it. 
• Be more organized. I used to be more organized when I was in school.  Then, I went a while after graduation with out a job.  I just haven't been organized since. I feel a bunch of anxiety in my life because I am constantly looking for something, or forgetting something because I didn't write it down. Enough is enough and I NEED to pull my crap together!!!
• Make goals. There are some personal things I want to accomplish real bad this year.  I want to write them down and put them out somewhere so it reminds me every day of my goals. I think I will have a much better chance of accomplishing them when I have reminders everywhere.
• Live. I am in such a rush all the time that I miss out on the little things in life.  My sister has put so much in perspective for me. I need to slow down, relax, and live. Life in the moment and simply enjoy life. 

What about you?

What are your resolutions?

I'd love to hear them!!!

Top 5 Of The Week

1. Christmas. As you have read before in Our Christmas Miracle post, we were beyond excited to spend this Christmas with my sister. So blessed God has given her a new life! We spent the majority of the day in the hospital, but hey, we were all together!!! That was all that mattered!!! She has had a few really good days this week. We are so thankful for that! Nothing I love more than seeing that beautiful smile on her face!

2. I am soooo in love with these leggings my bestie got me for Christmas!!!! Super comfy too!

3. Ugh! I saw it. It made the boyfriend very happy so that's all that mattered!

4. I now have Sirius.  I am loving it! I listen to 128-Joel Osteen, 117-HLN on weekends and evenings to listen to Forensic Files, (I know, I am a huge nerd!) And occasionally 184 for current hits and sometimes christian praise music. 

5. We went on a road trip today, and since we missed church today, we listened to Joel Osteen. I just love him! He is so full of inspiration!!! He inspired me and gave me a little hope on a situation that I am at a crossroads at this point in my life. 

Book Review: Leaving Time

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Goodreads Synopsis:

For over a decade, Jenna Metcalf obsesses on her vanished mom Alice. Jenna searches online, rereads journals of the scientist who studied grief among elephants. Two unlikely allies are Serenity Jones, psychic for missing people who doubts her gift, and Virgil Stanhope, jaded PI who originally investigated cases of Alice and her colleague. Hard questions and answers.

My thoughts:

I have always liked elephants, but this book really goes into detail about them.  I learned so much about them, I love them even more than I did before! This book was so good.  It is one of those books that catches you off guard at the end and you shake your head wondering if you've read that right. This has to be by far, my favorite Jodi Picoult novel yet! 

Have you read it? 

What did you think?

I would love to hear from you!!!

Top 5 of the Week

1. I finally finished my book club book for December! Wow, was it good! (Book review to come!)

2. I tried to get a little festive with my nails, but I will paint them again before Christmas! 

3. Had a girl's day and painted this little gem! I love it!!!

4. It's starting to look a lot like Christmas in this household!!!

5. This is an absolute must have!!! I use this every day I don't shampoo my hair. Throughout the day, when I turn my head, I get a faint whiff of it and it smells so good!

What was the top 5 of your week?

Our Christmas Miracle

She wanted to hold pinkies as she slept.

The past week and a half has been one huge emotional roller coaster for me and my family. My sister has a terminal illness. She has had it since birth and it has progressively gotten worse over the years. Last Tuesday evening, we got a call. It was a hospital saying they had a set of lungs for her. By Wednesday, she was in surgery for the transplant. 

My sister and I are incredibly close. Actually, me and my whole family are close! This is by far, the most scariest thing I have ever been though in my whole entire life. Especially, when the surgeon pulled us into a private room and told us there was a complication; They nicked her artery and was having a hard time stopping the blood loss. They were finally able to stop it, and she came though the surgery amazingly! She is on the road to recovery, but she is in immense pain.  

After her surgery was over, they couldn't close her chest up right away. (In case she started bleeding again) Her chest was open for 3 days.  While in recovery, and on a ventilator, my sister knew everything that was going on around her. When I was finally able to see her, she had the nurse take my hand an place it on her heart.  That's right, her heart!!! I could see it and feel it beating in my palm. While her chest was open, they had this stuff that looked like saran wrap, wrapped around her chest cavity.  It the most amazing thing to see and feel that beautiful heart. 

While this has been the scariest week of my life, it was also the most humbling. I am a christian, I go to church, I pray to God, but to put 110% of all your faith in him and still not worry is hard! To say I feel blessed is an understatement! This whole experience has put everything in my life into perspective. It completely changes the way you look at life. Things that seemed so important before, just aren't as important anymore.  I am overwhelmed by all the love and support from my little hometown. 

This is my family's Christmas miracle!

November Favorites

1. One 'N Only Argan Oil I have been trying different oils for my hair this year.  I have come to realize I don't think I will ever like any oil like I love this one.  

2. Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser I used this a couple of times last year. My mom was talking to me a few weeks ago about how she started using it and how much she likes it. Once I ran out of my usual cleanser, I looked in my bathroom closet for this jar of Ponds that I only used a couple of times. I found it, started using it, and now I am loving it!

3. Essie and Nicole Nail Polishes This is my favorite fall duo! I love using Essie Mink Muffs for my nails, and Nicole On A Gilt Trip for my accent nails.

4. Boots Botanics Moisturizer I ran out of my usual moisturizer, so I decided to try this.  I'm impressed! I really like this oil-free moisturizer! 

.5. Lush Sex Bomb I bought a few of these this past summer.  I love, love, LOVE the Sex Bomb!!! I have tried different bath bombs from Lush, but Sex Bomb is by far my favorite. The scent is amazing and I love how silky smooth my skin feels afterwards. 

6. L'Oreal LaLaque Lipstick if you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed I put it on there. (@faithlovelipstick) Its a beautiful natural pinkish-mauve-y color. I used to post a Lip Color of the Week on Instagram and on here. I quit doing it, but what do you think? Do you think I should start it back up again?

Have you tried any of these products?

What did you think??

Have any suggestions??? 

I LOVE hearing from you!