Fact: When you look good you feel good. You shouldn’t only dress your best when going out in public or meeting up with friends but also when you are hanging out solo, going to the gym, doing house chores, or having some time to yourself. Surely you have noticed that you feel great when you get dressed up, and it’s because you feel good about yourself. I’m not saying you should wear an evening gown while you do laundry or read a book, but small efforts at style can have you in a good mood all day long. The following style and beauty tips can help you feel your best today!

1. Arm candy - stacks on stacks of bracelets. Not edible, but fun to wear and look at!
2. Buy a pair of yoga pants or leggings for lounging at home that fit perfectly and makes you feel confident about your curves. I love how flattering basic black can be, but they also come in an unimaginable number of patterns and colors if you want something brighter!
3. If you love makeup, don’t skip it just because you’re staying home. 
4. Smile, it tells your body that you are happy even if you aren’t really feeling it. 
5. A stylish manicure or pedicure even if you did it yourself. 
6. Take a shower with some fruity smelling body wash, like melon or citrus, so you will feel fresh throughout the day. 
7. Have something personalized. Here are some examples: a monogrammed sweater, a piece of jewelry with your initials, or a shirt with your favorite team or band's logo. These kinds of personalized pieces should remind you that its okay to focus on yourself and your own interests sometimes, and that YOU are important! 

Try out one or all of these tips! Most of them focus on what is outside, and while they can definitely give you a boost, feeling good always starts on the inside! Take time every day to tell yourself things you are thankful for and things you are looking forward to for the day or week. Even when there are dark clouds there is always a silver lining (or maybe some silver bangles on your arm) to set your sights on!

Wearing some cute arm candy while lounging at home and reading a magazine.

Sequins and sparkles aren’t just for New Year’s Eve; you can wear them all year long! Hopefully you brought in the New Year with fireworks, celebrating, and maybe resolutions too. It takes confidence to wear sequins, but let’s make a resolution to make this year our boldest when it comes to fashion. This week I wanted to buy myself a gift to celebrate a new job. I found this amazing jacket, it was lavender (a color I haven’t seen in a while despite the popularity of purple shades in the past year). I was shocked, and then dazzled by the jacket’s entirely sequin hood. I tried it on and stared at myself in the mirror. I would adore this on someone else, but was I bold enough to pull it off myself? I put it back on the hanger feeling doubtful when a sales associate came up to me. “That looked so good on you,” she told me as I put the jacket back on the rack. With some courage and a small confidence boost from the sales associate I bought it.

Clothes have the ability to transform how you feel about yourself. I challenge you to go out and find a bold piece that you can sparkle in all year long feeling confident and fashionable. Maybe it will have sequins, intricate beading, a tribal pattern, or simply a bold color you don’t usually wear. Whatever you find—wear it walking tall into you boldest year of fashion ever.