'Wine Culture' and How I Fully Bought Into It

Guys, I LOVE wine.

Like, really, REALLY love wine.

If you asked my kids what my favourite thing in life was, they would probably say wine. And I don't know if I'm ok with that anymore.

We're told that it's totally acceptable though, aren't we? There are memes all over Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram just to name a few.

We're told that "It's Monday...you deserve a glass of wine!"

"It's Friday....celebrate with a glass of wine!"

"It's the weekend/ vacation...wine is acceptable at ALL meals."

And, goodness knows, I dive right in. Happy that my love of wine has become so completely socially acceptable. I never get hungover and wine made me feel SO good about life. But then something changed for me.

It changed recently when I began to slightly panic if I knew there wasn't wine in the house. How could I deal with five kids and a husband without my wine? But, I told myself it was the ONE thing that I got for ME. It was simply to calm me down to cope more easily with:

* Fighting kids.

* Cling-y kids.

* Sick kids.

* Not-going-to-bed-kids.

* Snow days.

* Rainy days.

* Fights with Hubby.

You get the picture...

I told myself that it made me a better Mom, a better wife. It made me more 'playful' in the bedroom, and super funny and witty and the best version of me. But of course it didn't.

Marriage is hard. Parenting is hard. And wine was my escape.

I recently heard a quote by Brene Brown,

and it hit me right in the gut.

That's exactly what I was doing. Things were tough with the hubby? Drink wine, it makes it all better. Kids were especially exhausting? Drink wine, because it makes it all better. But truly, I was wanting to be numb. Not better. 

Why did I feel sad? Why was I feeling lonely? Because I was numb. Because I was too numb to feel the good feelings while trying to silence the bad. And that was a seriously eye opening moment for me.

Do I want my kids to grow up thinking that adults need to drink EVERY day to cope? I absolutely do not, but I was showing them a different picture. I want to find joy in my children, to savour the short time that I have with them, not simply get through until tomorrow.

My oldest son will be twelve in November. I am realizing that I don't have a whole lot of years left with him at home. I want to be completely present for the years that I do have him with me. 

To be clear... I am not blaming wine. I will continue to drink it and enjoy it once in a while when we're out. But I will not be bringing it home with me. I believe life is fluid and we are always changing and this may change as well. But for now, my unhealthy crutch must stay out.

Because I'm just too strong to be numb.

Blessings.

Toxic-Free, DIY Laundry Soap

Well Happy Friday, friends!

Things, they have been a-changing over here at my household!

I am starting a home-based Aesthetic business in my home, I left a direct-selling company that I was with for over a year (and doing well with), and the kiddos are growing every day.

When I left SeneGence, for various reasons, I was given the opportunity to really reflect on what line of products I would be using in my Beauty Space. I was able to dig deep and go back to my roots. I realized that of COURSE I wanted to use a line that was Fair Trade. A line that was sustainably sourced. Canadian. I found all of that and more in the skincare line that I am using now- Skin Essence Organics.

I have been so happy with how my skin is feeling and because our skin is our largest organ in our body AND we know that what we put ON our skin, goes IN our skin, I've been thinking more about other areas of my life. I'm working on creating affordable all-natural cosmetics. And I'm looking again at my cleaners.

I used to be SO GOOD about only using All-natural cleaners, but kids came and I got busy. I know that makes no sense. I should have been MORE wary of what I was using in the home and in our air.

So, I'm going back to basics. All-natural Dry Shampoos (Post on that to come), homemade scrubs and body wash. AND homemade, Non-toxic Cleaners.

Now, I am not throwing out eveything that is not Toxin-free. I will still wear lipstick (once in a while). I will still spritz some perfume on when I want. BUT as I empty products around the home, I WILL be sourcing out a way to make it myself, Toxin-free.

And so it happened that I ran out of our SUNLIGHT Laundry powder. I had picked it up on super sale one day and it had washed a ton of our (Family of 7's) laundry. But I wanted a Non-toxic formula going forward. 

And so I came upon this recipe and I am in LOVE. Simple, cheap and Non-toxic. All wins.

Here it is:

*1 bar of Laundry Soap ( I bought Aurora's Linda Laundry Soap at No Frill's for less than $2)

 *3 cups of Borax (fyi, Borax is great for cleaning the toilets- just sprinkle in the bowl and leave it overnight)

* 3 cups Washing Soda (NOT Baking Soda)

That's it! 

I grated up the bar of Laundry Soap and mixed it all together. It uses 1/4 cup per load and I just put it in an upcycled coffee container.

It smells SOOO GOOD, like a very light citrus-y scent.

And as a pleasant surprise, it cuts down on static!

What do you think? Would you DIY your own Laundry Soap?

Thanks for reading!

Blessings.

Hope Hiding In A Broken-Down Bookshelf

One of my favourite things in life is when I come across an ugly piece of furniture while thrifting, but I can see potential in it.

That's when I strut up to that checkout like I just won the lottery.

And that's how I looked while buying this ugly bookshelf a couple of weeks ago.

I'm sure people wondered WHY I would pay money for this monstrousity. Even if it was only $8.99.

The shelves were peeling and cracked. But I liked the dark wood. And I had a plan.

A few years ago I used some 'Stainless Steel' Contact Paper on my dishwasher (see post here).

I had some of that Contact paper left over, and that I what I had planned to use to fix up this bookshelf.

Above- Top shelf done.

You just have to be careful to smooth out the bubbles as you go.

Here is the finished product. I'm SO happy with how it turned out!

Not bad for $8.99!

It will be perfect in my home Lash and Beauty Bar once I get it all set up!

Thanks for reading friends!

Blessings.

Somtimes Tuesdays Feel Like Mondays

I hope everyone enjoyed their (hopefully) long weekend last weekend and had time with loved ones celebrating Easter!

When I was heading out the door on Tuesday, I was feeling like I had it all together, considering that it was a Monday! It wasn't until later that morning I realized that it was actually Tuesday. Some days are just like that, haha.

BUT, I wanted to share this outfit because as I headed out, I realized that it was half FREE!

I also wish that I could have gotten my grey booties in the photo because I love them AND they were $7.99!

Purse: $12.99 Value Village

Black Tee: $4.99 Talize

Black Jacket: $12.99 Talize

Scarf: Christmas Gift from my step-daughter

Dark Wash Jeans: Castoff from a friend

 I realized that I do not wear this scarf enough! I absolutely love it!

Decided on Hazelnut LipSense (one of my ride or dies) and some Seafoam Shimmer ShadowSense on my eyes.

Thanks for reading!

 I have ONE Seafoam Shimmer in stock if you'd like to snag it! Check out other beauty tips/ tricks in my VIP Beauty Group: 

Courageous Beauty with Melissa 

Have a great weekend, friends!

Blessings.

Thrifting For My Senegence Seminar

The other day a friend asked me if I was still thrifting.

It surprised me, actually. OF COURSE I'm still thrifting.

When you have a value that is SUCH a huge part of you- I don't know how I could ever go back to my old ways!

I thrift for SO many reasons. For one thing, I do it for the earth- I can't stand how much waste we as North Americans make. I refuse to contribute to the 'disposable' mentality that we are encouraged to live by. The FAST FASHION movement is one of the worst movements for our planet. BUT, I won't get into a rant over that today. 

But her comment did make me realize that I obviously am not sharing my thrifting finds the way that I used to - And I pledge to get better at that again. This blog needs some serious cleaning up- and I WILL get to it. Hopefully soon.

My recent thrifting trips have been looking for clothing for my upcoming SeneGence Seminar in Calgary, AB.

We are asked to wear "Seneblue" (Cobalt Blue) business attire to the sessions and we have 2 evenings where we need to dress up.

I do have a number of things to wear, but I did need some shoes. My absolute FAVOURITE booties that I thrifted years ago broke on me. I will definitely fix them (NOT disposable in my mind), but I wouldn't be able to get them fixed by Wednesday when I leave.

I found some really cute beaded black pumps, a pair of nude pumps, a clutch, some fip-flops (since mine broke in the Dominican in January) and a blazer that I am in love with!

And I got ALL of those items for under $40!

Here is my haul:

 I am REALLY in love with these beaded black pumps. 

Just a hint of the 80's but oh so glam.

Pumps: Talize $9.99

I am always on the hunt for a pair of nude pumps. So happy that I found a pair to bring with me to Calgary! And this clutch was too cute to leave behind!

Pumps: Talize $14.99

Clutch: Talize $3.99

I'm very picky when it comes to blazers. They're usually too tight in the arms or too loose in the waist area. I don't want to look boxy.

This blazer is perfect. AND it was $7.99. 

And yes, I needed some flip-flops for the hot tub (assuming there will be one- I should probably double-check on that! Haha.

Pretty sure these were brand new and were $1.99. 

I do realize, of course, that Old Navy sells some for dirt cheap, but I would much rather save a pair from the landfill than buy from them. Also, I strongly disagree in the manner that they run their company/ have their clothing made- so I won't buy from them (and many other companies).

So there you have it. My pretty sweet scores for under $40! I'm pretty pleased.

Thanks so much for reading! Enjoy your Monday!

Blessings.

Thrifting Thursday! Halloween Costume Edition

Okay, so this second-hand 'Morphsuit' that I found at Once Upon A Child felt like SUCH A WIN! My midde had just mentioned the day before that he would like to either be Thanos or wear a morphsuit. Since Thanos looked pretty much impossible to recreate on my own- I almost danced for joy when I found this blue morphsuit for $7.99!!

Anyhoo, sady for me, my middle decided he ONLY wanted to be Thanos. More on that to come.

On that same day that I found the morphsuit, I found a Mr. Peanut costume while thrifting at Talize. I was not LOOKING for a Mr. Peanut costume- but I immediately fell in love and paid the $4.99 in hopes that ONE of our 5 kids would wear it.

THIS costume was the biggest hit of any costume that any of my kids have ever worn! No joke!

His teacher's loved it and STILL bring it up when I see them weeks later! Strangers on Halloween night commented on the cuteness- I mean, He WAS adorable. I couldn't find a thrifted Top Hat, but found one at a Halloween specialty store for $1.25. So, my youngest son's costume cost less than  $6.00!

My oldest finally decided on a costume a couple of days before his first Halloween party. He decided on a werewolf, which was pretty easy because of his already-crazy-hair and he already owned a plaid shirt, jeans and used my vest. I painted his face and hands and used grey hairspray in his hair. Oh, and he borrowed my vest.

(Products used: Rustic Brown, Granite, Snow Shadowsense.)

I decided on Halloween day to be a Werewolf Mama, to kind of match with him. Low and behold, he changed his mind COMPLETELY for Halloween night and decided he needed to be a mime. Yep, a mime. He wore a black sweater out that he already owned and a black hat as well. At least this last minute costume was completely FREE.

(Products used: Snow, Onyx Shadowsense. Blu-Red LipSense)

Back to my middle. I was at a loss as to what to do to make a big purple bald-headed bad guy. With a magic gold gauntlet. My friend Leanne suggested a purple hat for the bald head. That felt doable.

So, I grabbed a lavender coloured hat from Value Village for $2.99. I found gold gloves and gemstones at the dollar Store to make the Gauntlet. Sloan actually enjoyed glueing the gems into the proper places on his 'Gauntlet'. I found a muscle-y undershirt at Talize, and used felt to make the gold accents on Thanos' outfit. Thank goodness he's 7 and likely did see Thanos when he looked into a mirror after I painted his face purple.

(Products used: Amethyst Shadowsense, Black EyeSense Pencil)

I grabbed my step-son a Spiderman Costume from Talize as well. I have a few around the home but wanted him to have his own, AND it was only $5.99.

Since my oldest would not go out as a Werewolf with me, I dressed my husband up as one with me. He hated it, but was a good sport anyway. Haha.

(Products used: Rustic Brown, Granite, Snow Shadowsense, Blackberry LipSense, Black Eyesense Pencil)

I have to say, I have painted my kid's faces for many years now- and I absoloutely LOVED that the SeneGence shadows, pencils and lip colours were smudgeproof and stayed all day/night!!

So, thanks to thrifting, Halloween cost me a whopping $22.25!!! Not bad for 7 costumes!!!

Thanks for reading friends! If you have any questions about WHY I thrift or for tips on thrifting send me a message!

I realize now that when I changed the name of my blog from NeverNew to Courageous Beauty Co.- all of my links that I had set up are now wrong..so I need to go through my last 7 years of bogging and fix that!!

Happy Thrifting Thursday! 

Blessings.

Who Am I Anyway??

I realized today that I have never really introduced myself. Or told my story- an abbreviated version, of course!

Over the last 20 years I have had the following terms used to describe me:

Pastor's Wife. Divorcee. Infertile. Knocked-up. Engaged three times. Runaway bride. Depressed, unable to get out of bed. Independant home owner. Single Mom. Step Mom. 

I think some of you may have the incorrect impression that I have it all together. It’s true that I may appear that way.

But here’s a little about me…

I moved to Calgary when I was 20 from Thunder Bay. I became certified as an aesthetician and got married there. We moved to Hamilton in 2003 so my (then) husband could get his Master’s Degree in Divinity at McMaster and I finished Hairstyling School in 2004.

We struggled many years with infertility. Then we had my oldest son (now 11). I still remember those dark times of wanting to be a mother SO BADLY- but they were somehow forgotten, as well. While I was pregnant with my second son, my (then) husband and I split up.

Those were difficult times as a single working mother. I remember nursing my baby in a sling while I gave my clients pedicures in my living room. But you know what? That time makes me SO PASSIONATE about helping other women.

As if dealing with Infertility and Divorce were not enough- I then had an unexpected pregnancy while I was a single mom! (Blog post here) Ooops. When I had my third son I was not even on speaking terms with his father. Shortly after my youngest son’s birth, we tried hard to make it work and to be a family- even to the point of getting engaged. But I called off the wedding 5 weeks before walking down the aisle (Blog post here).

Fast forward to now.

I am married to a man that I adore AND I have struggled through a heart-breaking divorce. I now have 5 kids/ stepkids, AND I wept my way through years of Infertility. I have been a Single Mom who was able to buy 2 houses ON MY OWN- AND my ex-husband and I went to Food Banks when we were young, newly married and broke.

I have always LOVED mountains. They are why I wanted to move to Calgary (and also my friend Danielle!). The wonderous immensity of them- they always take my breath away!

That is probably why this quote resonates so much with me- "You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be MOVED."

I have battled through. I am strong. But I have also felt weak.

And I am SO privileged to be able to have found a  job that lets me encourage, cheer on, and watch other women work toward their dreams. And find strength in themselves.

If you are curious about what it is that I do, or just feel like you are ‘looking for more’- contact me! I’d LOVE to chat!

Blessings, friends.