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Meagan Rigney

What I’ll be wearing all summer long

May 31, 2016      Leave a Comment

Free People top; Madewell shorts, similar; Target sandals and bag; Baublebar choker; Old Navy sunglasses.
Hi guys! I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend! We went to the beach on Saturday, and had an amazing cookout for our Coast Guard family yesterday. I love weekends spent with friends and as a family, and having some time to enjoy the beach is a personal fave of mine, too. The weather was also AMAZING. Summer has arrived here and I couldn’t be happier. 
I’ve worn this top a ton of times since I bought it early this Spring. (It’s now on sale, too!) I wear it under my overalls a lot, I love how the off the shoulder ruffles look with the denim and straps of the overalls, for some reason. I also love it tucked into a pair of high waisted black jeans for a date night. Now that it is warmer I just throw it on with a pair of cutoff shorts and these amazing sandals from Target. I have worn these shoes constantly! They are really comfortable and the straps don’t dig into your legs. (Though they leave interesting marks when you take them off at the end of the day!) I like how the neutral color goes with everything, and how simple they are. Simple sandals from Target are always a summer staple of mine.
Also, I’m never taking this choker off. I’m obsessed. Be prepared to be sick of it;)

Tell me, what do you like to throw on this time of year?

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Oh, hey there!

Hi, friend! My name is Meagan and I like to overshare on Insta-stories, LOVE finding the best stuff for everyday life, and I truly believe that life is more fun when you feel good about yourself, both inside and out.

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meaganrigney

A few things I have created lately! 
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I've been playing around with some abstract, mixed media art and loving it! It's just really fun to play around and see what comes from each piece. I've added some new ones to my Etsy shop (link in profile or MeaganRigneyCreates) and I am working on more! I have also done a few new watercolor home portraits as a surprise for a few people, my fave is adding in the little details that often make people cry when they notice them. There is something about a beloved house that I think we can all appreciate. 
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Next up! I'm going to create a large canvas for myself, for my office! I'm really excited to get started, I haven't done a larger painting since high school. 
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What type of art do you like in your home?
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(I have a mix of landscapes and pieces I just think are pretty, as well as a few things I have created!)
How to love yourself even when you are uncomfortab How to love yourself even when you are uncomfortable with what you look like....
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The other day I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror at the gym and it made me uncomfortable. I just looked different than how I felt in the moment, and it caused my brain to compare myself now to an earlier version. My brain spirals, sometimes for a minute and sometimes for a day or more. I have to catch it, the thoughts that took a lifetime to take hold and I have been openly working on reprogramming for the past 2 years. The thoughts that tell me I need to be perfect, that I am letting myself go, that I need to control my diet more, exercise more, the thoughts that tell me that my body is the most important thing about me. So then my work begins.
1)When I catch this happening, I repeat mantras.
I have a body. I love my shape. I love my body. My body is a vessel for my soul. My body is an instrument, not an ornament. Repeat as needed to interrupt the limiting beliefs 2) I remind myself that I wasn't happier when I weighed less, or wore a smaller pant size. I always thought I could be better, smaller, happier and there was no magic weight of happiness. EVER. I just gently remind myself that my brain is lying. 3) Happiness comes from within, with a knowing. A knowing that I can care for myself and love myself, and still be uncomfortable. It's okay to be both. I am mentally happier than ever! I am leaving behind a lifetime of insecurity and disordered eating and growing this way, mentally and physically, is uncomfortable. I can say this, I think about food less and my body less than I ever have, and I am re-learning how to love myself, as a soul and a person. I am more than my body! I am not my cellulite or extra weight or wrinkles. I have value that is beyond that and it has taken me a long time to know that. 
I don't love my body all the time right now, but I value myself  and my happiness more now than I ever have. How about you?
What have you missed the most this past year?
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I miss travelling (like on a plane, to Hawaii if I'm being particular,) and having trips to look forward to. We did move across the country last Spring and I did do a mini bday trip in August, but no other plans. Which is weird for us. *Renovating the house also took the extra $$$$ we'd typicaly travel with, so maybe we wouldn't have travelled anyway. BUT STILL. I miss you Hawaii. 🌴
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I also miss not having to wear a mask, and wearing lipstick for others to see (I still wear it no matter what!) Wearing a mask with glasses is not the best either;)
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Oh! And I miss my kids being in school full time! Which hopefully starts again this week? While I have enjoyed the extra time with them, they need social interaction and I need a hot minute to do things without them being rightthere every second.
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How about you?
On this day 13 years ago I became a mom...
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I wish I could go back and infuse confidence into my new mom self. Confidence that it all works out, that the bad days don't really last forever. The late nights and early mornings, the tantrums, potty training and exhaustion, and all the things that come from having really young kids. Motherhood is a process, of trusting that you do know what to do, and shutting out the rest. Trusting that you are enough, that you are doing enough, even when it feels like you are failing. 
I used to be scared of having a teenager. I wanted little babies and cute toddlers, but couldn't see how you parent an older kid. The thing is, you do it day by day. They don't wake up and become teenagers, they evolve as you do. You mess up and learn and begin again each day. 
With her, we are learning together. Learning how to navigate social media and middle school and stuff she hears on the school bus. We talk a lot and I make her mad and she makes me doubt myself, but we do it together. 
I'm here to guide her and allow her to become who she is meant to be, not who I think she should be. She teaches me daily how to let go, to let her blossom into her own person, not an extension of me. She dynamic and fun and quirky and strong willed. I hope I'm teaching her to feel enough in who she is right now and forever, to value her authentic self and trust her intuition. To process her feelings and be open, even when she thinks it is annoying when I bug her about it.
It goes by really fast, you guys. I was a mom of a baby ten minutes ago, right?  The ages of 1-5 crawl and then they hit elementary school and it FLIES by. It's crazy. 
Also, for those that dread this age, it is really fun. The conversations and how you can enjoy just being with them and doing things. I love it so much. I'll always value the toddler years, but this, right here, is really magical. 
Happy birthday Molly Amelia.
How many coats are too many? Wait, don't answer... How many coats are too many? Wait, don't answer....
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I'm sure you've probably guessed this about me, but I LIKE options! When you live in the cold it is nice to have a few different coats to rotate through depending on the day/how cold it is. ❄️
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My 3 recent faves are all from Amazon and I wrote a post about them on my blog for you. Basically the pro's/cons of each and sizing and all the good stuff. 
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You can find my blog via the link in my profile or head to www.meaganrigney.com ✌🏻
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You can also shop these outfits directly via the Shop My Instagram page on my blog or via the @liketoknow.it.usa
Learn how to value yourself not just when you feel Learn how to value yourself not just when you feel you look good, but when you FEEL good. ❤️
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I often feel my best right after I move my body, either at the gym or at home. At that moment, when I know that I accomlished something I knew I needed for self care, I feel amazing. It makes me feel good to honor the commitment to myself, no matter how much I might not have wanted to do it when I woke up. 
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(Also, let's realize it is okay to rest and not go if that honors you! Every once in awhile when I am burned out I choose not to move my body and that it okay. However, for the most part it feels good mentally and physically to honor myself with exercise.) 
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A good question to ask is, what makes you feel good? How can you do more of that? Can you schedule it into your day, even for five minutes? 
I have a few things I do that make me feel good...
1) I get up before my kids 5-7 days a week and listen to podcasts, journal, and meditate. This time is KEY to my mental sanity. It is time for ME and for drinking coffee alone and I look forward to it each night.
2) I don't look at my phone for one hour after I wake up (except for the podcast and meditation app) and I put my phone upstairs after dinner so I don't check it. I am on my phone a lot in the day and putting it away/taking time without it is good for my mental health. I am not always reachable and I answer texts late and that is okay. 
3) I work hard to create before I consume. For me that is writing (my book and these posts,) and creating art for my Etsy site. I am also working on setting timers for when I do consume/scroll so I don't lose too much time (my anxiety can ramp up over consuming.) 
4) I do (virtual) therapy right now and that has been great! Also, CBD oil is my friend.
5) I read, a great passion of mine! I read a ton, about a book a day, and it is a hobby that has sustained me for a lifetime.
"How many happy face sweatshirts do you have, Mom? "How many happy face sweatshirts do you have, Mom?...." 😊
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First of all, I don't need that kind of negativity in my life...and also, too many. ✌🏻
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Right now I get most of my happy face gear from @dressedinlala and I am obsessed. They honestly just bring me joy when wearing them and don't we all need that right now?
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P.S. Use code MEAGANxLALA for 10% off your purchase. Not sponsored, just a brand I love and shop from often.
Work from home attire...
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Sweatshirt from @dressedinlala 
Fuzzy slipper shoes from @fabrikstyle 
Plaid pants that look fancy but feel like sweatpants from @target ✌🏻

Anyone else get snow today? What’s your weather like?
It's been all over social lately, how some of the It's been all over social lately, how some of the younger generation has deemed skinny jeans and side parts and the 😂 emoji "old." There's been so much attention to whether or not you can wear these things and still be cool, and it makes me laugh. 
Here's the thing, I think if you get old enough you have seen how quickly things come and go. When I was a teenager my mom wore mom jeans and button down shirts open over a tee (shackets, lol) and Birkenstocks. All decidely uncool then, but now? Very much IN. Back in the 90's we loved scrunchies and huge Champion sweatshirts and lug soled shoes. Over the past twenty years I have seen things come and go. I seriously never thought scrunchies would be made cool again, or freakin turlenecks under sweaters? (did that in 1995.) 
I think as you get older you see so much come and go, that what is deemed "cool" just doesn't really matter. I wear what I like, regardless of the opinions of others. Sometimes the trendy stuff feels good, and other times it is something that just feels comfortable to me. I'm not really phased by the decision that what I like is cool or not, and being seen as "cool" by teens is honestly not a goal for me. 
I remember clearly being a teen, and being so set in my opinions and ways. It's part of growing up, realizing that there are many ways to do things, and being a part of the trendy and popular crowd isn't really a goal. You learn that there is more to life than thinking in one black and white way, life is nuanced and there often isn't one right answer to any question. 
I'll part my hair the way I like best, and wear the clothes I like, and continue on my merry way, knowing in another few years what was decidely 'uncool' will be cool again. And another generation will age, and their kids will tell them how lame they are and we can all smile at each other and KNOW. This is life and it is pretty cyclical in nature. ✌🏻
A few new art pieces I have added to my Etsy shop! A few new art pieces I have added to my Etsy shop! Besides the custom watercolor home portraits I do (which are so fun!), I have been playing around with making Abstract Mixed Media art pieces. 
I'm selling these one of a kind, original pieces that are perfect as a part of a fun collage wall or on their own. Creating these has been pure joy for me, a balm to my soul on cold winter days. One of my favorite things is sitting at the table and painting beside my daughter, who is a really talented artist. 
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You can find my Etsy shop via the link in my bio or head to Etsy and search MeaganRigneyCreates
I found this picture the other day, tucked in a bo I found this picture the other day, tucked in a box in my basement. It's from the day my then boyfriend, now husband, graduated from The Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. 
What strikes me the most is that this was the year my anxiety and disordered eating really came into play. I was the lowest weight I had ever been, far lower than was healthy, and lived off of very little food. School was stressful, I had to take a ton of classes to make up for screwing around the first two years, I was working part time and in a sorority and life was nuts. I had very little money to buy groceries and I had discovered that controlling my food and my environment gave me a false sense of control. If I could control just this one thing, I wouldn't feel like everything wouldn’t fall apart any moment. I also used extreme organization to feel better as well, with color coded notebooks and an ironclad scheduled life. As long as everything went the way I planned, I would be okay. 
When I look back now, I was dangerously thin, and thought about food all the time. I felt guilty about food all the time. If I wasn't eating what I normally did, life felt out of control, something that stayed with me until recently. I also got a ton of compliments at this time, "you're so skinny!", "you're so tiny!" Little bits of encouragement that fueled me on. THIS was how I could be validated. I could control every bite of food I ate and work out too much and get tons of compliments. 
My hair fell out, my bones stuck out, and it hurt to lay on my side without a pillow because my knee bones would rub together. In the space of one stressful year I was wasting away. 
I see this girl in this picture and can feel how stressed and anxious I was. It makes me sad. She needed help. 
I talk about this here because back then I wish I knew what I know now. My mission is to teach others what I have learned and what I wish I knew then. We deserve better.
Some recent Amazon finds......
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I KNOW I don't have to share the lifechanging magic of Amazon and virtual overnight deliveries (I mean, HOW???), but I have gotten some real gems lately.
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1) First, I have seen this style of bag on a bunch of girls on the Internet lately, and I was intrigued. Most bags I saw like this were too small.  I mean, I need to carry a huge wallet and 5 different lipsticks and glosses that only my mask sees, you know? Anyway, I saw this on Amazon for under $30 and ordered it ASAP. It has an adjustable canvas type strap and a weird coin purse thing I'll never use, but holds what I need. Not as much as my trusty tote, but the essentials anyway. I like that I can wear it crossbody under a coat and not have to struggle to fit a purse handle over a bulky down covered shoulder. (Btw, I still sometimes say pocketbook, is that weird?)
2) I also saw some cute cloth headbands in fun prints that I thought could make my graying and thinning hair look better lol. I used to wear these headbands across my forehead years ago on my blog (and still might...), but will settle for this way for now. I felt cute, won't delete later. 
3) Not shown, but since my daughter got two gerbils for Xmas I buy a ton of gerbil toys from Amazon and this is who I am now? I browse and think of how I can bring them more joy in their daily life and this is what a year of quarantine has done to me.
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Have you bought anythign good on Amazon lately? DO share!
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*Shop this post via the Shop My Instagram link in my bio, or head right to my blog www.meaganrigney.com and shop there.
What you see on Instagram is not always real....
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I found this filter last week that changed my face so much I couldn't believe it. It filled my lips and buffed out every imperfection and it honestly made me sad for every young girl that may see something like this and not realize it's fake. 
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I remember growing up and seeing models in magazines and wondering how they were so perfect and why I wasn't? It set me off on years of issues, honestly. I kept striving to be perfect like them, not realizing that most of what you see in magazines was fake. The same is true for social media now. You can edit any picture to look the way you want, from thinner to taller, to wrinkle free and more toned. There are a million apps and editing tools to do this.
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Yet, a lot of the young girls and women out there aren't aware of how much this is used. For most, this is a job and a business, and curating a beautiful feed is part of it. Looking perfect on social takes work and there is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes to make it so. Often huge teams and professional shoots. 
I'm not knocking any of it, I enjoy a beautiful, curated photo, but I also understand the behind the scenes maneuvering that it takes to get the shot, or the story. It is all staged. Almost always. 
So then what? We need to teach our girls these facts. Often that perfect girl in the photo or video? She doesn't even look like that in real life. Just like the filters in these photos make me look different than I do it real life. Now do I use filters most of the time? Of course! I like the aesthetic of them in my stories, but every Friday I go without to show the real me, the me that is messy and human. I want anyone that follows me to know that I am flawed and imperfect and human, as we all are. I'm open about it. 
Don't believe everything you see on social. Don't judge your real life based on the 1% people show you. No one is perfect.
It doesn't happen as much right now in the dead of It doesn't happen as much right now in the dead of winter, but sometimes I take off my oversized sweatshirt and leggings and get dressed for real and feel like the real me again. The me that loves clothes and sharing new things and sharing daily outfits. Remember those? 
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I have this top in two colors, black and cream, and it is a great basic top! I am wearing a medium and it fits close but not suffocating;) I love that it looks like a bodysuit but without the weird snaps at the crotch and thong botoom thing going on (WHY?) 
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These jeans. They are from Old Navy and everytime I look for them online they are $22. I wear them as much as I do my beloved Madwell skinnies (which are $100 more in price.) Seriously. These jeans are quality and fit perfectly. I love the color and the subtle distressing. I am wearing my true size and they stretch a teeny bit with wear, but in a good way. My daughter also has a pair and they fit her really well, too. 
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I went to the dentist last week and she complimented me on my boots and thought they were Doc's. While I wouldn't mind a pair of those, these were a lot less money and have a zipper on the sides so you can put them on quickly. They also have cute studs around the edge and I feel infinitely cooler when I wear them. 
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What is your fave bargain buy that you have scored lately?
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Shop this outfit via the Shop My Instagram link in my bio or head to my blog www.meaganrigney.com
Are you playing the long game or the short game?
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Whenever I am trying to do something in my life, achieve a goal or try something new, I ask myself this: could you sustain this activity for the rest of your life or just for a little while? 
I think this is why resolutions and a lot of goals fail after awhile. We make huge plans and go at them with the intention to always go at a maniacal pace. At first we think, " I love this! I love how I feel and I will go this hard FOREVER!" Which is always untrue. I do it, too. I get pumped up and I say I'll do something really big and it becomes too big to keep up daily and I stop. This is why diet programs fail, they aren't sustainable in the long run.
Whenever I want to change something in my life I break it up into really small pieces. I find the bare minimum that I can accomplish daily to reach this goal. I make it really easy! When I wrote my book last year I set a daily word count that I could write in 20 minutes each day and I could easily get done. 
When starting something new, ask yourself "Could I do this forever, just like this?" 

Could you eat like this, think like this, move your body like this, talk like this, forever? Is it sustainable? Would you WANT to do this forever or is it a quick fix?

So many of us are looking for the quick fix, the quick weight loss or fast journey to wherever you wish to go, except there is beauty in being patient and playing the long game. There is satisfaction in doing small things each day that bring you to a bigger goal, a lasting goal. 

Doing small things each day that bring you to your goal isn't flashy, there are no quick results. They build over time until one day you look and are surprised to see you did it. It becomes ingrained in habit to keep going.
 A lot of the things I do daily aren't super exciting, but I know they will pay off in the long run. I'm in in for the long haul, are you?
What if it all works out? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What if it all works out?
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Last year when we went into lockdown we had just found out where the military was moving us (Alabama to Michigan!) and were about to put our house on the market. I was supposed to fly up and go house hunting in April, and even though moving is stressful on a good day, we had done it many times before.
But then, it all fell apart. Michigan shut down literally everything and we couldn't even look at homes virtually with a realtor until May (the month we were moving.) During house showings in our current home we sat in our car in a parking lot b/c there was nowhere to go. We had three offers fall through. It was a lot, on top of the world being a lot. We eventually did sell our house in Alabama and found a home in Michigan with 2 weeks to spare before we moved (that we bought via a trusted realtor and Facetime.)
We kept saying, I'd enjoy this more if we knew. If we knew we'd find a house and not have to live in a hotel. I'd enjoy this more if I knew that our home would sell and the move would go smoothly. I'd enjoy this more if it wasn't the year we have to move cross country. 
Funny enough, both of our kids loved quarantine. They loved that online school was still pretty flexible, that we were all home, that we played board games daily and watched movies every night. I loved it, too, but there was always the worry in the back of my mind. Will we sell this house? Will we have a house to move to? Will they cancel our orders?
I was thinking about that today, sitting in the house we bought, that we love. We are happy and safe and it all worked out. It was hard, but it all worked out. 
I need to remember this during the hard times. How many things have worked out, even when I was worried they wouldn't. Things can still be hard, but so far, I've managed to survive through it all. To persevere.
What if everything works out for you? This things you are worried about? What if?
Got dressed and wore real shoes instead of slipper Got dressed and wore real shoes instead of slippers for once! My outing was the dentist, which is so sexy I know. ❤️ This gal had three cavities and then we replaced some old silver fillings with fancy tooth colored ones and then my face was numb for 5 hours and I couldn't pucker my lips to kiss my husband when he came home lol. 
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Also, spend the $50 bucks for the laughing gas if you are a sensitive teeth person like me, it literally makes you not care that they are drilling into your teeth. You just sort of drift off and feel like you are at the beach with waves crashing over you. It's amazing. 💫
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I added this outfit with shoppable links to my Shop My Instagram page on my blog (lin in bio or www.meaganrigney.com) and added tons of options for you. These jeans are one of my faves and fit amazing! Plus, the dentist thought I was wearing Doc Marten's and I was pleased to tell her they were from Target instead.  Also, swipe to see what adding on a down jacket in 20 degree weather looks like. (The jacket is suuuuuper warm.) I also linked up some cute jackets if you live in a frozen tundra like me. ✌🏻❄️
Do you have a home that makes you smile? Maybe it’s the one you live in now, or the one you grew up in? Perhaps it’s the home you brought your babies home to, or the one you remember your mom in. 
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I love painting pictures of places that hold memories, and creating a lasting memory for people of a special place has been amazing. 💫 This particular home was the childhood home of a friend, that unfortunately burned down last year. Through a series of Google photos and a few emails to get the details down, we got to recreate this for her and her mom. It brings me so much joy to do this! I've gotten to do this for a lot of people, including a friend where we did every home she has lived in as  Coast Guard wife. I really love the power of having meaningful art in your home, something that connects to you and your story. Something I have learned over many years and many moves, it's these pieces that make you feel at home, no matter where you live. ✌🏻
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Do you have a home that is sentimental to you? 
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P.S. If you'd like a custom watercolor of your home, visit my Etsy shop via the link in my profile, or search MeaganRigneyCreates on Etsy! We can work together to create a beautiful, custom piece of a home that is meaningful to you (or as a gift!)
I'm typically really good now about not listening I'm typically really good now about not listening to what my brain tells me about my body. That constant buzz in the background that most of us hear on repeat from a young age.
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The one that tells us we aren't enough, that we can't eat THAT, that we will be happier when we weight less or wear this pant size. The one that listens to the diet commercials or sees a paid ad on social that promises that THIS diet will work. 
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I plug away. I move my body and I eat what sounds good to me. I HEAR the thoughts but I don't LISTEN to them. I focus less on picking myself apart in the mirror while I wait for my shower to heat up, I practice gratitude for what I do have. 
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But still, every once in awhile it creeps in and I do listen. I stare at what I look like now and try to compare it to a before, which is nothing new. No matter what I have weighted or looked like, from my smallest to my biggest, my mind trys to tell me I looked better THEN. That I should do more, work harder, not be  THIS. I let myself go there and I listen sometimes. I listen to the voice that has been my constant companion my whole life. 
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But then, my sanity kicks in. All the things I have learned over the past coule of years. YOU ARE ENOUGH, I repeat. Stop, no. You weren't happier then, you were comparing yourself, always. That body didn't make you happy, or the one before that. 
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I step away from the mirror, where I am critical. I repeat my mantras, even if it is harder to believe them sometimes.
I love my body.
I love my shape.
My body is a vessel for my soul.
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I repeat these over an over until the other voice fades into the background. She'll be back, and that's okay, but she won't be as loud. Slowly she is fading. It's like she's the passenger in my car and I've put on earplugs. She won't ever get out, but I don't have to listen.
And neither do you. 🙏🏻
How to have peace with the aging process...part 2. How to have peace with the aging process...part 2. 
To recap, first we need to see how society places value on being young and ageless and how we all buy into it! The truth is, we will all (hopefully!) wrinkle and sag and look nothing ike we do now. Whch is scary, yes? But inevitable. No cream or peel or injectable is going to stop this. Slow it down maybe, but not stop. 
So then what? We don't have the power to stop aging and basically changing each day till we die, but we DO have the power to embrace it. Because seriously, each day we have is a gift and I'll take being here to love my babies and husband as a blessing. Reframing our thoughts is important. Can you notice your thoughts? Can you reach for the next best thought instead? From "look at these wrinkles, I look old," to "my soul shines brightly no matter what I look like." I mean, you can say anything positive you want, just say it. You might now even believe it, but one day it will take hold. You'll realize your self worth isn't tied up in how you look. You'll realize that society values the young, but it is age that brings wisdom and peace. I wouldn't trade my 40 year old self to be 20 again, because my 20 year old self never, ever felt enough. She was terrified about failing and not being pretty and felt like an imposter. I may have more wrinkles and cellulite now, but I wouldn't trade the feeling of peace and worthiness I feel now. 
Can you focus on what your body can DO? In my late 30's my body ran its first half marathon and continues to do things my younger self never thoguht possible. My body allows me to do so much, from running to breathing and everything in between. Focusing on that helps, rather than staring in a mirror and seeing the beginning of what "getting older" looks like. Gratitude and positive thoughts, take it day by day, and you might find that there is more peace in that than clinging so tightly to something we aren't meant to be forever.
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