the self-love handbook

Hello, dear readers of mine.

This is it. The 20th post.

Once I hit publish, I will be (technically) done with my blog. The self-love handbook will turn its last page.

However, I would love to continue my blog. I plan to update it from time to time, even though the class requiring this blog will be over.

I am so proud of this blog and the community that has rallied around it. I am so passionate about self-love. There is a fire in me that will never go out, and it all starts with loving myself. My hope is that I have expressed that fire to you through this blog, and I have ignited the same passion in you, too.

Just because the blog is ending does not mean that your journey is over. Wherever you are in your self-love journey, it does not end here. Keep going.

Keep fighting. Keep choosing yourself. Keep loving.

I would like to thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support I have received since the beginning of the self-love handbook. I can never repay you for the kind words and the encouragement. It means the world and more to me.

I will leave you with this: Keep fighting the good fight. Keep doing what you love. And never forget that it all starts with you. Loving yourself is the key to unlocking a lifetime of self-actualized fulfillment and happiness. I promise you.

Ladies, the future is female. Keep empowering each other.

BB

Hello, dear readers of mine. This is it. The 20th post. Once I hit publish, I will be (technically) done with my blog. The self-love han...

Hello, dear readers! Today, you are listeners.

That's right - today, I am coming at you all with a podcast. What a lovely change of pace!


I hope you all enjoy hearing me instead of reading my words for a change. I find it very refreshing, and fun, too!

Thank you so much for keeping up with my blog. I can never repay you for giving me your time of day and making my words meaningful.

& don't forget - choose to love yourself today.

xoxo

BB

Hello, dear readers! Today, you are listeners. That's right - today, I am coming at you all with a podcast. What a lovely change of pa...

Hello, loves of mine.

I know that reading my blog posts can be a long and tedious process. I wanted to make something other than my blog that you could run to whenever you're feeling down, or having a particularly bad day, or hating something about yourself.

So, I made this slideshow. It is full of wonderful quotes and words of wisdom.


One of the pages is full of nothing but quotes by me that have been sprinkled throughout this handbook. They are my favorite "pull-out" quotes, if you will.

I hope you consider this slideshow a companion to my blog, and another tool in your arsenal of weapons against self-hatred.

Remember to love yourself today.

Enjoy.

BB

Hello, loves of mine. I know that reading my blog posts can be a long and tedious process. I wanted to make something other than my blog t...

Over the course of the past week, I've felt like I've been living on another planet. 

Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States. 

A man who has been recorded on tape saying awful and invasive things about women will soon hold the highest office in the developed world. Millions of people cast their ballots in his name despite all that he has done and said over the past year and a half.

Many are shocked. Many are disheartened. Many are terrified.

For those of you who are scared, and angry, and hopeless, I hear you. I am all of those things, too. I want to encourage you not to forget about self-care in the coming months (and the next four years). I know this is a hard time. But we must not lose hope, and we must not forget to take care of our bodies and minds.

Drink water. Take some time for yourself. Do something you enjoy doing. Watch the sun rise. Treat yourself to an ice cream cone. Call your mom. Have a picnic with a loved one. Catch up with an old friend. Re-read your favorite book. 

Be angry, but do not let anger consume you. Be informed, but do not remain glued to your screen. Hold strong in your beliefs, but do not become hateful.

Spread love to those around you who are also scared. Be there for each other. Unite. We are stronger together.

This is a very difficult time for many Americans. Now is the time to seek compassion in the very depths of your heart and feel the pain of others reverberate in your lungs. We are all on the same boat, and it is sinking.

Be strong. Be brave. Fight back. & love yourself. 

BB.

{This blog post is dedicated to Hillary Clinton, an incredibly strong woman who worked tirelessly her entire life for a shot at the presidency only to be defeated by a man with zero political expertise whatsoever. I'm so sorry, Hillary. My heart absolutely aches for you. You weren't my candidate to start with, but I voted for you with peace in my heart. As you watch the popular vote continue to climb in your name, I hope you know that it should have been you, not him.}

Over the course of the past week, I've felt like I've been living on another planet.  Donald Trump is the president-elect of the Un...

Hi, all! Hope each and every one of you is doing well.

For those who don't know, I am an avid reader. I love to read. I used to be very into fiction books and novels. However, lately I've been enjoying non-fiction memoirs, collections of stories from notable figures, and "self-help" books.

I think "self-help"-type books get a bad rep. I like them. If they're not too corny, they can be very inspiring and uplifting to read. 

My Amazon cart has been full of books for a while now, and I finally decided to order some despite being a very busy college student with little to no time to read for pleasure.

All of the books I ordered are centered around women. My favorite topic!

Following are the books I purchased:

"Stripped: A Collection of Inspired Writings for the Evolving Woman" by Cara Alwill Leyba. This is a very beautiful and light read. It's a collection of short poems and prose for the woman on the brink of change. It's nice to have something like this at your disposal to just pick up and flip to a random page. It is done well and very refreshing.

"Rise Sister Rise: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within" by Rebecca Campbell. This book urges the reader to get in touch with the "divine feminine" and harness her inward womanly powers. It encourages women to lead and make the world their own. This is a very inspiring read and quite interesting. It really makes you feel proud to be a woman.

"In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs" by Grace Bonney. This book is of the "coffee table book" style and features interviews with successful women from all walks of life. It features stunning photographs and inspiring stories from hundreds of women. I absolutely love the idea behind this book as well as its execution. Such an amazing book to own! I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading and re-reading the stories.


There you have it! I believe that connecting with and embracing your femininity is a powerful tool in any woman's self-love journey. I hope you enjoy these picks and derive as much meaning from their pages as I did.

Happy reading.

BB

Hi, all! Hope each and every one of you is doing well. For those who don't know, I am an avid reader. I love to read. I used to be very...

Something has recently come to my attention that I want to address here on my blog.

I realized that many of my posts are all about body positivity and loving how you look.

While these things are definitely important, and vital to self-love, I want to make it clear that self-love goes deeper than how you look.

You should also love your mind.

This is where I've been getting it wrong. I've been focusing too heavily on outward appearance, and not placing enough emphasis on how absolutely undoubtedly unequivocally important it is to love your insides, too.

Your mind, your personality, your sense of humor, your compassion, your confidence, your attitude, your outlook, your opinions, your sense of self, your work ethic, your kindess: all of these things are more important than how you look. And each of us need to make a conscious effort to recognize and love these things about ourselves.

Self-love is more than skin-deep. Self-love is about loving every inch of your body and then some. It's about loving who you are, inside and out.

You are more than pretty. You are smart. You are brave. You are inspiring.

I love how opinionated I am. I love that exude confidence. I love how I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I love how much I am capable of loving others. I love my sense of humor.

I love myself for more than how I look. I love my mind.

Dear readers, I am very sorry for neglecting to emphasis this thus far. Please know that this is very important to me.

This week, I challenge you all to think of three things you love about yourself that have nothing to do with your outward appearance.

Furthermore, try to integrate this inward angle of self-love into your journey and mindset.

Happy inner beauty-ing!

BB

Something has recently come to my attention that I want to address here on my blog. I realized that many of my posts are all about body po...

Who knew a toiletry company could be so inspiring?

Many of us use Dove products, or have used them in the past. They make lotion, body wash, deodorant, and hair care products, among others.

But Dove has started a campaign that goes beyond toiletries. And - you guessed it - it's all about self-love!

The Dove Self-Esteem Project aims to tackle the issue of lacking body confidence in women and girls. Their mission statement can be read here: http://selfesteem.dove.us/Articles/Written/Our_Mission_in_Practice.aspx


They offer resources for parents, teachers, and youth leaders/mentors to help them connect with the young women in their lives and help them gain more body confidence in themselves.

Dove's movement is all about female empowerment, body positivity, and self-love. Three of my favorite things!

I absolutely love how Dove has chosen to popularize this campaign and make it their mission to help thousands of girls. They used their platform as a well-known company in an inspiring and valuable way. To further their reach, they also engage in social media campaigns, using hashtags to encourage women to speak positively about themselves.

This just goes to show how one company made self-love an integral part of their public appearance. (As a PR major, I see the value in this!)

Dove, I applaud you.

BB

Who knew a toiletry company could be so inspiring? Many of us use Dove products, or have used them in the past. They make lotion, body was...