Author: Madison Lavelle

Make the Decision to Gain Confidence and Love Your Life

Women today face a lot of adversity to their own bodies. We shame ourselves if we eat another cookie, others shame us for the clothes we wear or how we look in them, and sometimes that can be a lot for people to handle resulting in eating and mental disorders. We need to learn to love, respect, and treasure our bodies no matter what others may tell us. This article will cover simple changes to help you love your body and boost confidence in yourself!

Be Health Conscious

Everyone and their brother tells you the number one way to feel better about yourself is to diet, diet, diet. On the contrary, dieting is not the way to make you feel or look better. Dieting is seen as short term when really being healthy is a lifestyle choice. Your goal should not be to lose weight, but rather to get healthy! My advice is to take one unhealthy thing and substitute it for something more nutritious. For instance, if you drink soda every day, replace this with a seltzer water with a splash of pomegranate juice. If you do this one step at a time you will begin to not only see healthy weight loss, but you’ll begin to feel a difference in your energy and life.

Exercise is Key

Most people are intimidated by the word “exercise,” and not many enjoy it. I’m not saying you need to do anything super intense or hardcore, a yoga class or simple one-mile walk a day will not only make you feel connected with nature but is proven to help clear your mind. When you work out, Endorphins are released in the brain sending happy vibes and positivity throughout. Yoga is an amazing way to relieve stress, and we all have stress, so taking an hour out of your day to get in touch with your body is a great step to nurturing and loving yourself. This will result in a happier, healthier, and stronger you!

Treat Yourself

Beauty on the inside is extremely important, but making yourself feel pretty on the outside is great too. Although you shouldn’t make this your priority, everyone wants to feel good about the way they look. A fun way to feel good is to make your own facials and body scrubs! Making sure to use all-natural and clean products for the best results is crucial for your health and will have prolonged benefits. Clear, glowing skin is not only a great way to boost confidence but is a fun way to spend a weekend night with the girls.

Eating right, exercising, and pampering yourself are great ways to boost your confidence and love the body you’re in. It takes effort but with the right guidance, everyone can love themselves. Let’s create a movement to redefine body imaging.

Will you join me? Show us how you are redefining body imaging by tagging @CFashionista!

Looking for an Escape? Come Discover the Meaning of Pura Vida

Costa Rica—a nation situated in the heart of Central America. It’s land largely untouched by civilization, dwellings vibrantly colored, and its people the most welcoming you will ever meet. The locals have a saying that flows into every aspect of their lives: “Pura Vida,” meaning, “it’s all good.” No matter what happen,s everything will be alright because they appreciate life. Step off the plane and begin experiencing this mantra. Unwind on one of the many sprawling beaches, or do as the locals and experience all that is Costa Rica. Brush up on your Español because this article is taking us right into one of summer 2017’s hottest places to visit!

Our first stop on this Costa Rican adventure is the beach. To my surprise, the shores are pebbly and large volcanic rocks surface at low tides. However, don’t let this discourage you from visiting. The majority of the time you can walk little ways down the shore and reach soft, white sand perfect for laying out and getting your tan on. Looking for more action? Rent a car and visit a local surf town where they offer lessons.

For the love of coffee

It’s summer vacation and everyone wants some time to catch their breath and unwind from the stresses of college life. Soon enough we’ll all be thrown right back into the whirlwind of classes and assignments. Those late-night study sessions at the library have definitely encouraged all of our coffee drinking habits, so what better way to appreciate this life-sustaining drink than by making our second stop on a tour of a small coffee “factory.” Costa Rica is rich in coffee production due to its high altitudes in the mountains and acidic, volcanic soil. At this particular factory, and by factory I mean one room and one machine building, they taught of the roasting process. This cranberry-like fruit is transformed into the glorious black bean we associate coffee with. Being the coffee aficionada that I am, this was a considerable highlight of my trip.

Monkeys, iguanas, and sloths, oh my!

For our final destination, we head more inland into the rainforests. Over half of Costa Rica is covered by these lush, green forests. They are home to some of the most amazing wildlife you could ever expect to see. Not only will you see various varieties of monkeys, you can see sloths, brilliantly colored birds, and flowers that look like they should belong on an exotic tapestry. Hire a guide to take you hiking through the rainforests surrounding active volcanoes. As a result from the volcanoes, thermal springs and waterfalls are abundant. Jump in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

If you could step out of the chaos of our modern-day lives and be greeted by those who find joy in the simple pleasures of natural beauty, would you put down the phone and social media to join them and experience Pura Vida? Post your thoughts in the comments section below!