Why It's Okay to NOT Love How You Look

I almost wasn't going to share this post today because I feel like there are too many "self love" posts out there - and this goes against them completely. 

Why? Because I'm telling you it is okay to not love how you look all of the time. 

We live in a world that is obsessed with perfection and personal image. 

Anti ageing creams line the shelves of supermarkets and department stores, weight loss products promise you "the body you've always wanted", Instagram is constantly flooded with before and after photos, botox and fillers are injected with gusto, clothing brands are pushing the latest and greatest fashion trends that you have to have, the list goes on and on... 

and yet? We're still not happy. 

Self love and positive body image have become buzz words and yet, whilst we know we should be nicer to ourselves, we still can't get past it when we're feeling a little vulnerable or blah. 

But do you know what I think? 

I think it's completely unrealistic to love yourself all the time. Why? Because we hold ourselves to ridiculous standards - and we're also human. 

We each view the world differently and we each have different perceptions of perfection - which means perfection doesn't actually exist.

What do I mean by that? 

Think about someone you think is "perfect". They have the perfect body or amazing fashion sense or whatever you think is perfect... 

Meanwhile, that person might have a completely different perception of themselves - and someone else will have a completely different perception of them too. Whilst you think they're perfect, that's just your perception. 

Take the above photo. 

I saw that and I thought; 

• Frizzy hair
• My left eye is bigger than my right eye 
• My posture is weird
• My face looks puffy 
• That's a weird half-smile
• I'm totally getting smile lines 
• That is a terrible photo

I'd almost hit the delete button on the camera when Jesse said "I really like that photo". 

And then I realised. I really am my own worst critic. Sure, you might look at that photo and see those "flaws" too.... but do they really matter? 

When I look through our photobooks, almost all of our photos are of Jesse - with a few of me sprinkled throughout. Why? Because I hate photos of myself - so I am always behind the camera (that's the reason we have photos taken on our anniversary each year - because sometimes they're the only photos of me in a year!). 

But what happens when I'm old and want to show my grandchildren the adventures we've been on? There will only be a few photos of me to look at. 

When I look through my grandparent's photo albums - there are imperfections everywhere, but those photos are perfect to me. I love seeing where my grandpa has caught a candid photo of my grandmother swinging on a swing in the backyard with laughter in her eyes and love on her face. 

I love seeing the photos of my grandpa pulling silly faces or photos that are blurred with the rush of children in the background. Or photos of smiling faces with backgrounds of mess and clutter that shows life and reality - not chaos and disorganisation like my type A personality would believe if that photo was of me. 

If those photos were digital, would I have ever seen them? Not if I was the one doing the curation. 

So you know what I've realised? It's okay to not love how you look or what's on the outside all the time. 

Why? Because it's not important. 

I'm seeing my imperfections and realising, you know what? That's okay. I'm perfectly imperfect. 

When I'm old, I'm not going to look back and say "oh wow! I am SO glad I had an amazing butt from all of those squats" or "you know what? My life was amazing because my hair was always perfect". 

Even though I would change things in a heartbeat (let's be REAL - I'm a flawed and naive human!), I'm going to stop beating myself up. 

Yes, 

I don't like photos of myself but my husband does. 

I have cellulite but I also have legs that are strong and have taken me to the most incredible places. 

I have acne and pimples and blemishes but I have hormones and a reproductive system that works and that's all part of the package. 

I have crazy frizzy hair, but it's also thick and healthy and I can rock a killer mermaid 'do after a day at the beach. 

I don't have killer abs but I do have working organs that keep me alive and healthy. 

I don't have an incredible physique but I have copious amounts of free time to spend with the ones I love - instead of slaving away at the gym. 

My list could go on and on - and I'm sure yours could too.... but those lists are silly. 

Instead of focusing on external appearances, why not focus on just living life? 

Do you really want to miss out on an awesome day at the beach making memories just because you're too concerned with what you look like in a swimsuit? 

Do you really want to skip a date with potentially the man of your dreams just because a pimple decided to rear it's giant head why you were sleeping? 

Do you want to be the dull one at the party because you're so worried about your appearance that you can't bring yourself to talk to anyone or have fun? 

Or do you want to be like me and have your photobooks filled with photos of everyone but you, just because you either won't get in photos - or you don't like the ones that are taken? 

I don't think so. 

Give yourself a little grace and realise it's normal to feel insecure and unsure at times. It's normal to not always love the way you look. Sure, it sucks - but that's human nature. 

What you really need to remember, however, is that none of that matters.

We're all perfectly imperfect and that's okay. 

Let's be REAL;
Tell me, what's one "flaw" you get caught up one that you really need to get over?
And what do you really want to change your attitude about? 
I'm always fussing too much over my skin and my cellulite. I'm changing my attitude to photos and bikinis. Does it really matter what I look like in either if I'm missing out? 

    

   

Free Weekly Meal Plan & To Do List Printables to Start Your Year Right!

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I'm not much of a resolution maker, however, this year I've decided I need to be more intentional about meal planning.

Nothing annoys me more than the question of what's for dinner. It starts around 3pm and it always seems like whatever I feel like Jesse doesn't feel like and we end up settling on something that is kind of sub par. 

Whenever I plan our meals, however, I have the time to prep whatever needs to be prepped and we have a whole week full of delicious meals - not to mention the fact it often ends up cheaper as I can plan to cook whatever is on sale. 

To make meal planning super easy this year, I put together some printable menu planners for myself (in two designs - a girly floral version and a more neutral gray theme) - and I thought I'd share them with you too! 

So here they are! >>

Good vs Bad Palm Oil: Is There a Difference?

Palm oil. It's been a bit of a buzz word in recent years. There's shared Facebook posts demonising brands, people who sing their hatred of palm oil from the rooftops - and there's even information on palm oil plastered on the walls of the orangutan enclosure at Taronga Zoo. 

But what's the truth? Is there such a thing as good palm oil and bad palm oil? 

I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to claims as I don't like to believe anything I hear in the media before researching it myself - and the same goes for palm oil. I wanted to find out what was actually going on with the palm oil trade and what it means for our world. 

Around 50% of foods sitting on grocery store shelves around the globe contain palm oil. It's in our packaged foods, shampoo and conditioners, soaps - even lipstick and cosmetics. Sure that's not good news for wildlife, right?!

Wrong... well... sort of wrong. You see, there is such a thing as "good" palm oil - good meaning sustainable - and sustainable meaning  the production processes do not destroy rainforests and ecosystems or cause air pollution (which further increases the risk of extinction for creatures living in that environment). "Good" palm oil also benefits local communities with fair working conditions. 

Unfortunately, only 17% of the 74+ million tonnes of palm oil consumed around the world is from these "good" sustainable sources. The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) are trying to change that though - and they are already starting to see change!

The RSPO trademark movement is gaining momentum with 13 countries currently listed with RSPO certified producers and many companies choosing to use only RSPO certified palm oil in their products. 

RSPO are trying to inspire change through social media with their #GoodBadPalmOil social media campaign - and they asked Jesse and I to jump on board. As a couple with a heart for the developing world and the people and creatures who live there, we couldn't say no. 

Palm oil doesn't just affect animals. It affects our sponsor children and their families and it affects our world as a whole. 

When we have the opportunity to share our voice and opinion with the click of a single button, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to get involved to inspire change.

So what can you do? 

1. Learn more about Palm Oil here.
2. Say yes to sustainable palm oil and share it with your friends on social media to help spread awareness of RSPO's campaign.
3. Buy products from RSPO certified companies (find a list here)

How do you know when a product uses RSPO certified palm oil? Look for the symbol! In Australia, RSPO members include Arnotts, Coles, Woolworths, Jurlique, McCain, Nuttelex and so many more.  We ALL have a choice - and we also have the opportunity to put pressure on the industry to change. 

 

But tell me, do you ever think about where the ingredients in your food come from? 

    

   

As always, this post was written entirely by us, though it was created in partnership with RSPO. We're passionate about inspiring positive change in the world and for us, a blog post like this is one little effort that has the potential to make a difference. We'd love you to support us by sharing this post and sharing the love with our friends at RSPO. 

How Healthy Living Bloggers Like to Spend Their "Me Time"

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So, last week I shared my tips for How to Make More "Me Time" When You Have a Busy Schedule but I thought you might be in need of a little more inspiration. 

As I said in my last post, everyone's "me time" looks different - so rather than just share my ideas, I thought I'd get a little help from my friends! 

Today, I've rounded up a bunch of ideas from my very talented blogger friends who also happen to have healthy living blogs of their own! Not only will it give you some ideas for your own "me time" - but you'll probably find a few new blogs to add to your must read list too!

And, of course, in true Kristy fashion; the doodles are back! And apparently my little cartoon friends are feeling the cold this week as I've drawn a few of them in long sleeves :P

So here are our favourite ways to spend a little "me time"! >>

Recipe: Single Serve Pumpkin Pie Baked Oats (Healthy & Vegan)

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It's no secret that breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I'm a morning person so I tend to bound out of bed, ready to eat and start my day - but my love of breakfast is only because I get to eat delicious breakfasts. 

Toast with boring toppings or plain old cereal bowls don't appeal to me (or my stomach that's grumbling just moments later), but breakfast bakes, baked oatmeal, overnight oats and other delicious breakfast creations? SIGN ME UP! 

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But the best breakfast creations of all have to be ones that feel like eating dessert for breakfast - and this recipe is exactly that!

With all the flavour of pumpkin pie in one healthy, single serve breakfast package, this Pumpkin Pie Baked Oats Recipe is one you'll be making over and over again!

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I tend to make them up the night before whilst I'm making dinner (because every time I make something with pumpkin for dinner, you can guarantee I'm saving extra pumpkin for this!) and simply reheat it in the microwave (or oven if your oven doesn't take thirty three years to heat up like mine) in the morning and smother it with toppings.

If you prefer your breakfast cold, I also love this cold with nut butter or cream cheese and maple syrup (mix it for a faux frosting!) on top!

However you have it, it's a seriously delicious breakfast that will fuel you through a busy morning and keep you full for hours!

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

How to Make "Me Time" When You Have a Busy Schedule

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So, remember when a few weeks ago I told you that May was going to be Not Cray May? Well, that totally didn't happen because my schedule is never anything other than busy.  

In fact, we all lead pretty busy lives - whether you're chasing around kids, rocking the 9-5 or owning your own business, life can get seriously hectic - and if you're not careful, it's easy to forget to look after yourself!

"Me Time" is seriously important. Why? Everyone needs time to unwind and relax - especially if you want to do life at your best. "Me time" looks different for everyone - but it's all about self-love and looking after yourself. 

Lately I've been hearing too many friends tell me that they just don't have time to look after themselves or don't have a chance to relax even for five minutes - so I thought I'd share some of my favourite ways to squeeze a little me time into even the busiest of schedules! 

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If you're someone who loves schedules, be intentional. 

If you're like me and tend to perform your best when you've got even a vague schedule in mind, be intentional about making your me time! Schedule something specific that will help you to unwind each and every day.

Kick Start The New Year - Our Favourite Protein Snacks

Hello my sweets! We're currently exploring beautiful New Zealand, however, before we left, we decided that January was the perfect time to share some of our favourite protein snacks with you! 

As many are thinking about their New Year's Resolutions, we thought you'd give you some tips to kick start the new year - and what better way to start that with some delicious snacks to keep you fueled and on track! 

Protein bars and protein powders can be expensive - and it's hard to know what to choose! We've taken the mystery out of the selection and rounded up the best of the best gluten free protein snacks to share with you!

Here's our favourite protein snacks of the moment! >> 

My Winter Fashion Must Haves - From Workouts to Days Out! {2015}

Now, I want to start this post by telling you that I am, by no means a fashion blogger. In fact, more often than not I'll dress for warmth rather than style in winter (as my friends and family will tell you I'm completely usless if I'm cold) - but I probably dress like you do when you're not off to a special event because, like you, I'm a real person.

I'm not a hoity toity celebrity with red lined shoes and I'm not someone who prances around in their million dollar sneakers - I'm just a real girl with a real life - and that's exactly why I thought I'd share my winter must-haves with you!

I've also included pinnable images for every outfit so, if you're like me and loveeeeeee pinterest, you can pin away! You'll see the red Pin It Button () which will pin the entire post or a pink Pin This Outfit Button ( - NB: It seems some computers automatically change this button to a grey Pin It button so looks for the (Outfit Pin) label if that's the case) which will give you just that image!

So let me share what I'm loving now that the weather is cooler! >>