Beauty Tips

I am not claiming that these are the reasons I am thin. They aren't. God decided that one for me. I just got this lucky blessing to be thinner after having children than I was before. However, I will say that these tips can help anyone to at least be more aware of their figure, but more importantly, they way you are conveying your image to the world (and most importantly, your husband).
1. Wear appropriate sized and fitted attire. When your jeans get tight, you'll notice and do something about it rather than downing a gallon of chocolate icecream. Besides that, when you see yourself as beautiful, you treat yourself as beautiful. So wear those pretty clothes hanging in your closet! "Pretty is as Pretty does."
2. Don't justify your eating habits. We all look at food just a little differently. The point is that food doesn't control you. You choose what goes in your mouth and, therefore, on your hips (or belly or other undesirable location). Be consistent and you'll never end up in the binge-diet routine. Remember, we are all on a "diet" because a "diet" is what you eat.
3. Drink more water. Put away all of those diet drinks and carbonated beverages. Your body doesn't need that stuff. What it needs is pure, clean, unadulterated water. Drinking more water will not only improve your skin, but your entire body, including your brain. Better brain, better thoughts about yourself, right? Better brain, better ability to schedule good things for your body. That equals a better body, too!
4. Play with your kids and keep the house clean. I know it is good to get some "real" exercise in, but if you are truly implimenting active play time with your kids (when is the last time your family played tag? that'll get your heart rate up from the exercise AND the laughter) you won't need it or at least as much other exercise. Go get that "old fashioned" mop and turn on some music. You are going to work some abs as you clean the floor!
5. Stay away from the scale. Seriously. Use your clothing as your judge and jury rather than a number on the scale. You can weigh ten more pounds than you "want" but if those ten pounds are muscle, are you really going to be upset? If you haven't heard my silhouette experiment, ask. Some day I'll get to try it out.
6. Write encouraging thoughts on your mirror with a dry erase marker. My husband did this for me a couple of years ago. I'm not sure how long I left those words on the mirror, but it changed my opinion about the way I look into a mirror. In order to see my face to pick it apart (my skin is too pale, my nose is too big, my head is shaped EXACTLY like an egg), I had to look past words like "beautiful" and "smart". When we get nit-picky, that is exactly what we are doing: looking past our true qualities to be mean to ourselves. Who needs to do that?
7. Pay attention to your husband. This sounds pretty simple and not exactly like a beauty tip, but it is probably the most important. Those of you who are not yet married, see yourself as your best guy friend sees you, or maybe even your dad. I guarantee that these men look at us completely differently than we view ourselves. A lot of our frustration about our bodies stems from society and the view of "the other woman" rather than ourselves and our husbands. Maybe I'm naive, but I will also reference "EAT, PRAY, LOVE" because our men are NOT complaining about those "extra five pounds" or whatever it may be.
This isn't going to make you a size 0 or a size 6 or whatever. It WILL make you happier with the body God gave you. Enjoy it! Your uniqueness makes you beautiful!