My NEW blog

It has been a long time since I have written on this blog.
I have been up to A LOT since I have written here last. 
I competed in Miss Murray for the very last time this last September
and when I didn't capture the crown,
a new dream was lit in my heart.

My platform for this pageant was called "The Power of One",
The Power of One is a program in action I created! It is all about going a little out of your way each and every day to make others feel loved and special. 



I am a firm believer that Self-Esteem and Service go hand in hand. I know this by personal experience. As a young girl, I struggled with Self-Esteem issues. I focused so much on myself and what others thought of me that I became very insecure. Then I learned to serve.



By changing my focus from myself to others, I was able to truly understand the defining philosophy of losing one's self in service. My identity became rooted in serving my family, friends and community. I will share this with Murray City as a whole, especially focusing on children. When a child sees the benefit of their service, it boosts their confidence. Confident children make wise decisions; do better in school and all areas of life. In short, service-oriented children mean more successful adults and a better community.



When I do a Power of One presentation first we talk about self-esteem and service, then we SERVE right there on the spot and then we stop to reflect about it so it becomes a lasting impression on them that they never forget. 

I strongly believe in this program, I have lived it and I know that
serving really does help you to be happier with who you are inside.

Well when I wasn't crowned Miss Murray,
I was determined to get my message out some other way!

So I started putting self-esteem workshops in high schools
and I started "The power of One blog".

This is my new blog...go check it out!
Here you will find inspiration & tips on topics such as 
confidence, giving, creativity & crafting, beauty, health and more!

You can even follow me via bloglovin'



I want my message to reach the heart of everyone young & old...
but especially high school and college students!

Will you do me a favor?
Will you go follow my new blog and then spread the word
to any one and everyone who could relate to a self esteem blog?

Also go check out my Powerofone shop!



Thank you SO MUCH!

Together we are going to make a change in the world!

College Text Books!

This post is for all you college students out there. I am strong supporter of nonprofit organizations and I found a great company that supports an amazing organization while saving you money on college textbooks!

The company is Campus Book Rentals!

Here are some GREAT perks of this company!

• When you rent textbooks from them...you are saving 40-90% off of bookstore prices! {Crazy right? and if you have ever purchased a college textbook -  you know this is A LOT}
• Free shipping both ways!! SCORE! :)
• You can highlight in the textbooks! {And if you think about it - you will probably be helping future students when you mark up your textbook - so you are actually doing a GOOD DEED!}
• Flexible renting periods
• AND like I said before - you rent from them you are supporting an AMAZING ORGANIZATION because when you rent from them, they donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented! {Talk about paying it forward! :)}

Go check out there website to learn more about them! CampusBookRentals

I wanted to show you a quick example of how much you save. I needed this book for my Astronomy class this semester. If I were to rent the book from CampusBookRentals.com it is only $26.66 the WHOLE semester but if I were to buy it off of Amazon, it would be $108. 

HUGE difference right?

Check out this video to learn more about how renting works!

I also wanted to tell you more about the AMAZING organization that Campus Book Rentals supports! 

Operation Smile is a international non-profit organization that is healing smiles and changing the lives of children forever.

Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft — often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can't afford to give them the surgeries they need to live a normal life.

Since 1982, Operation Smile has provided more than 2 million patient evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

INCREDIBLE Charity right?

Learn more about this amazing organization at www.operationsmile.org

This nonprofit is near and dear to my heart because when I was in young woman's, my favorite leader was a nurse and so every year she would go travel out of the country to help with the Operations. I was always so inspired by her and she is one of the main reasons I fell in love with service!

I just found this company to be unbelievable and wanted to share all the perks with you!

Giveaways on other sites!

So I haven't blogged forever but wanted to tell you about an awesome giveaway going on!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oh and my best friend is having one as well!

http://eliseypants.blogspot.com/2012/06/555-giveaway.html


Check them out!

Have a great Friday!!!

Shine Project - Try something new

If you haven't noticed already,

every Friday I link up with The Shine Project

for the challenge that Ashley gives us.

These challenges lift and inspire me and help me to become better.

They help me to become my BEST SELF!

This week the challenge was to try something new!

This week has been a whirlwind. 

I have been super busy helping with Utah's Distinguished Young Women Program.

It has been busy but worth it in every single way.

I got the honor of talking to these girls (28 of them) 

about service...it was a dream come true.

I talked to these girls about gratitude, love and making others feel important.

I gave each of them a heart stone and told them to keep it with

them at all times throughout this week.

I told them to put it in their shoe or in their back pocket...

just anywhere that would feel really uncomfortable.

Any time they feel the pain of the stone and are reminded

of this little heart, they are to stop what they are

doing that moment and either serve someone or thank someone.

A little bit after, one of the girls came up to me and thanked me for the stone.

She said...."It's so awesome, it's working". 

I just smiled at her and said I am so glad.

I talked to these girls about gratitude and made them each some thank you cards

to carry with them everywhere they go.

This it where it relates to The Shine Project challenge.

I started carrying thank you notes with me this week every where I go.

I figured if I am challenging all these girls, I better challenge myself too.

So this week I really made an effort to thank others more.

Any time I get excellent service or just want to thank

someone for being nice, I hurry and take out my

thank you notes and I write a little note and I leave it with them.

Sometimes I even leave my business card with it.

It has really started to make a difference in my life and 

has left me feeling happier and more fulfilled.

I am so glad I got to try this new process this week.

In honor of this challenge

the thank you notes that are in my shop

are on sale this week

Use code THANK to get 40% off till January 24th!

I will try my absolute hardest to put more in the shop today!

Please enjoy this video of all the girls

volunteering at a very successful

Make a Wish Party!

Sunday Blessings

I have so much to be grateful for...

Serving - My sister is on the Peer Leadership Team for her high school and they were doing sub for Santa shopping. We got to go shopping  right before Christmas for hats, scarfs, coats and gloves and we had so much fun picking out warm clothing for those kids who were so desperately in need. We started to talk about how fun and neat it felt to be shopping for others and to forget our selves at the moment

The Miss America Pageant - Last night I watched it on ABC -- and my family and Jeffrey watched it with me. I felt so blessed that my family was so supportive to watch it with me and I even made crown shaped no bake cookies. It was so much fun and I felt so inspired by these girls. They make me want to work HARDER, practice my talents MORE and be a BETTER role model for the community and the world. These girls stand for something. These girls make me BELIEVE in my dreams.

{Congratulations to Laura Kaeppeler Miss America 2012...she will serve our country well!! :)}

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Moments of inspiration - I had a dream last night that I was the relief society president of my singles ward and Jeffrey was the Elders quorum president. It was so inspiring to me because I knew that at every moment I never knew who was watching but I had to be an example for everyone. I knew I had to focus really hard on having compassion for everyone and really trying to get to know and love each of those girls. I felt empowered and I wanted to live a better life. I had so many ideas of uniting the ward together more and helping those girls realize just how special and amazing each of them is. It hit me that this is WHY I want to be Miss Murray so bad. To me Miss Murray and a relief society president are the SAME THING...it's all about serving and trying to be the best you can be. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I need to try harder to be a better me and everything will just magically fall into place.

My Eyes - I wear contacts. Yesterday I lost one of my contacts so I had to go around seeing out of only one eye. It was no fun and it was very hard to do. I could tell it was over working my eyesight too much in one of my eyes. It made me realize how grateful I am for my eye sight. My eyes allow me to do SO MANY THINGS!! I am so grateful that I can see and I pray that I can be a better support for those who can't.

Courage

I was so excited when Ashley from The Shine Project told us the challenge for the week

would be to do something you have needing to do that takes courage.

I immediately knew what I needed to do.

I needed to do something for my business that would not only

help my business grow but help me personally as well.

I knew I needed to call some friends that I hadn't talked to in a very long time.

I needed to book some parties to jump start my business.

Calling to make bookings scares me.

It really does and I have no reason for it to.

What if they say yes, then what?

What if they say no, does it mean they don't like me?

What if they judge me for doing Mary Kay because they have had 

a bad experience with a consultant in the past?

What if?

In reality though everyone has an opinion about EVERYTHING

so it simply does not matter what they think

because believe me...they will think something.

But the ONLY thing that matters is that I stay true to myself

and what I believe.

If they say no, who cares!!

I can't get the yes' if I don't get the No's!

I truly believe that if I go full force with my Mary Kay business

that I will change the lives of women's 

which will then change the lives of families

which will then lead to changing the world

and not only that but when people host a party with

me I donate 10% off all sales to a charity of the hostesses choosing!

So this week I got up the courage to call some friends and 

see if they would book a party with me.

Did it scare me? 

YES

Did it take all the courage I had inside of me? 

YES

Do I regret it?

ABSOLUTELY NOT

My friends were a lot more excited about it then 

I expected them to be.

AND it renewed those friendships that I was afraid of loosing!!

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I LOVE COURAGE!

It may come deep from within but when you let it out

it just may change the world
and you just may find yourself living your dreams!

Fashion Show - The one I was in

Did I ever tell you I was in a fashion show?

Last year I was given a wonderful honor to model dresses 

for this amazing dress store in

trolley square.

It was so much fun and I

learned so much.

So for your Saturday entertainment...

ENJOY!

P.S. It is on my bucket list to hold a fashion show

for a really important cause.

One day I will do it!