Lady Etiquette: Self-respect

As part of my desire to uplift women, I wanted to begin a small series called Lady Etiquette, a loving reminder of how we ought to live and the kind of person we should desire to be(come).

More and more I am learning how important it is to nurture and encourage one another. And not just each other, but future generations, as well. Sadly, bullying doesn't only exist within our children's schools, but within the adult community too. Adults are harsher than children. I've been a victim of this nearly my entire life. I think the best way to stop this kind of behavior is with love.

For some these may be reminders, but for others it may be a moment of enlightenment. If it's only a reminder for you, then take these reminders and share them. The sad (and disgusting if I'm being totally honest) fact is, we have reality shows about girls who get pregnant at fourteen years old. We're making money off young girls having sex! I don't see how it is loving to exploit this racy behavior, but rather to encourage them to have more respect for themselves and for their bodies.

And that is only one example out of thousands. I know we could line up an astounding list of comments of ways ourselves and our kids are bullied and taken advantage of. Of ways we all, little by little, are stripped of our self-respect, or worse, never taught to have any at all.

This isn't a lesson we stop teaching at age 13, or 18, or even (for me) 30. It should be a daily reminder, RESPECT YOURSELF!

Love dearly,

Steph

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Chicken Stew Recipe

Sometimes the best meals are the ones you make up with whatever you find in your pantry, and take little to no effort. Yes, those are my favorite recipes, the ones that pretty much cook themselves. This stew became quite a hit in my house on Saturday night. My kids gobbled it up. Since clearly this meal is kid friendly, I asked my daughter, Lana, what we ought to call it for the blog post.

Her reply was, "'Everything Good For You Stew,' because it has everything good for you: beans, vegetables, meats, and lots of sour cream. I love sour cream!"

So there you have it, condensed, it became Chicken EGFU Stew. I figured EGFU sounded better than EGFY.

Chicken EGFU Stew
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb Ground chicken
2 stalks celery, chopped
14.5oz Chicken broth
14.5 oz can Organic diced tomatoes
15.5 oz can Northern beans
15.25 oz can White corn, drained
15.25 oz can Black beans
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Minced Onion
Cumin
Coriander
Basil
2 Bay leaves
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Warm oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add chicken and celery; cook through. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 20 minutes.
*Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheese bread.

Variations might include:
Substitute ground chicken for Italian sausage or chorizo
Use red kidney beans

Let me know your variations.

Love dearly,
Steph

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Rainy day blues and gold makeup

Image via Snobka

Pinned

Last week the lovely Maria @ Agape Love Designs prompted her readers to re-create a Pinterest inspired look. I knew these blue and gold hues done by Polish blogger, Snobka, were just what I needed. If you head over to her blog, she has the complete start-to-finish tutorial for you.

My end result ...

Coat: thrifted // Sweater: H&M // Necklace: Maurices

Makeup eye pallet: POP Beauty Cosmetics // Lip pallet: Clinique & Covergirl

The weather here in Boone has been abysmal. It has been overcast and rainy for over a week. Flooding has begun, as well. At 6:01 AM I was awoken by an automated phone call from my sons school informing me that class is on a two-hour delay due to the closing of some streets.

I fear I've forgotten what sunshine is like.

I needed a perk -- and makeup was it. I stepped out of my sweats, donned my fur coat and applied some airy and delicate makeup, with just a dash of glitter eyeliner. I even incorporated The Beauty Departments 3D Lip Illusion into my pink lipstick. Then I made my honey suck up the rain with me and take pictures. (More on him later!)

Of course after only a few minutes, the hem of my skirt soaked through and I was shivering from the cold. So I bolted back inside and got reacquainted with my sweatpants again. But the makeup remained. That's all that counts in my book.

I'm hoping all these April May showers will bring colorful flowers. I've been told spring comes a little later here. There are huge trees outside my living room window I am anxiously awaiting to sprout. When they do, you can count on me sharing them. Who knows, maybe it will inspire some  green hued makeup.

Till next time, friends!

Love dearly,

Steph

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