Pieces Of Ashley

I love motivating others and encouraging people. I believe everyone deserves happiness in life. There are times when I have my downs, but as of today "I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel"! There have been times where I've given up, but then I think about the people that are going through tough times. If they are not giving up, I shouldn't give up either. If you believe in yourself, you are capable of making your dreams come true. Nothing happens overnight, trust me I learned that the hard way. But if you're dedicated and passionate about something go for it. As I always say, I'm still a work in progress but I now know what it means to be truly passionate about something. Whether it may be a cause, a dream, a goal; no matter how big or small. I was never a negative person. Don't get me wrong, my self-esteem isn't the best but I've tried seeing things in a positive light. I want you to know that it's ok to fall dow...

  Lately, I been debating on where I want my blog to go. I love my design, but now I don't know about my blog in general. I consider myself a beauty & lifestyle blogger. But isn't beauty related things apart of life? So when I need some blogging inspiration, I like to read other blogs to get motivated. I can literally spend hours looking up new blogs, reading my current favorites blogs, or helpful tips. In this post, here's some blog posts I've found to be very helpful and useful. Everyone's experiences with blogging are different, so there is no right or wrong answer to this. These are just here to help! Why Blogging Is Hard Work  by Malu Swartjes  5 Important Tips for Bloggers!  by Krystal Twitter Chats for Bloggers  by Sarah Tips from bloggers  by Jayne 25 Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas by Mandy How to start a Lifestyle Blog by Katie  Lifestyle Blogging 101 by Rosie Blogging Tips by abeautifulmess Beauty Blog Tips b...

We all desire to have smooth, soft, and hydrating looking skin. Those commercials for soft skin are so nerve racking. It's like they have soft skin and I'm over here with piles of exfoliators! Am I the only one?   During the Summer and even the winter we experience dryness and cracks in our hands. It can be irritating and it hurts as well. Here are 3 products I recommend you to tryout. The Suave Creamy Tropical Coconut Body Wash, definitely moisturizes and softens the skin. Suave body wash is enriched with Coconut extract and infused with Vitamin E. Vitamin E is an essential part for healthy skin. This product also contains milk protein, so beware if you are allergic. The scent lasts on you for hours. I definitely recommend this to you. This was also my first time using a body wash, I usually use soap. I still do, but I am loving this too. If I was to just use body wash, I would continue to use the soap while washing my face. Some soaps ca...

I've been enjoying my creativity when it comes to cooking. I have a few recipe posts on here, but only one of them I made with my own recipe. If you want to checkout my barbecue sauce click here: My Barbecue Sauce Recipe! So this time I will share with you my spaghetti with ground turkey recipe. It's very simple and only needs a few ingredients. You are more than welcome to adjust or change the ingredients and measurements. Most of the time I don't measure I just eyeball it, but I wanted to share with you so I made it into a recipe! I used 1 tomato paste with no salt and the other one with salt. The other paste is flavored with roasted garlic. Sauce works fine with this, I just didn't have any. I also used Muller's spaghetti, just because. But you can use another spaghetti or pasta. I do not use this meat sauce just for spaghetti. Also this is good with ground beef as well or sausage. The only thing I would add is the onion and the pepper. The sausage alread...

If you want to see a positive change in the world, you have to start the trend. In our society, we are experiencing the struggles of accepting others and even more importantly ourselves. Everyone wants to be accepted and they deserve to be. They deserve to be comfortable with who they are. It's the 21st century, our society should stop being judgmental and start accepting that everyone is different. I love the fact that people are different! What if we all dressed the same, acted the same, and ate the same meals? That would be so boring. The bullying and the hate is so toxic and it's bringing us all down. We all have the right of "Freedom of Speech", but there is a fine line between stating your opinion and being down right ignorant. In this day in age, it is so hard to accept ourselves because of the society we live in. I'm not saying all people feel this way, but enough of are. I've always felt this way, but because of recent topics and videos, I thoug...

I am sharing with you the Exuviance Giveaway. There will be 25 lucky winners chosen for this giveaway. This giveaway is for U.S. residents only and will run for 3 weeks.   About the Product The Daily Protector SPF 50 blends well on clean skin, it also works well under makeup. SPF 50 protects your skin against photo damage, the main cause of signs of aging. Multi-Antioxidants such as, Vitamin E and Lactobionic acid fortify skin's natural defense, created by environmental toxics before they cause premature aging. A purified concentrated form of Green Tea reduces cell breakdown and helps protect cellular DNA, for healthy skin. This product is suitable for all skin types. It's also fragrance, paraben, and oil free. For more on this product click here: Exuviance Daily Protector SPF 50.  Enter this giveaway by clicking the link down below!   http://bit.ly/1CAYdrZ     *This giveaway post is sponsored by Exuviance via Brandbacker. I am not...

If you love Shoulder bags, then enter this giveaway for your chance to win! The Fricaine Duchess Shoulder Bag Giveaway #Fricaine Deliciously Savvy is hosting another giveaway for 1 LUCKY winner to win this fabulous bag from Fricaine! It is gorgeous and is a bag to cherish for those special moments and events! ($138 ARV) Read My Review HERE! Sponsored By ~ Fricaine Hosted By ~ Deliciously Savvy Co Hosted By ~ Here We Go Again Ready? / Joyful Gifts by Julie / Amy & Aron's Real Life Reviews / PaulaMS' Giveaways, Reviews, & Freebies / EasterBabe's Theory / My Silly Little Gang / Jingle Jangle Jungle / Michigan Saving and More / Heartbeats~ Soul Stains PLUS a Big Thank You To All Blogs Participating To Make This Giveaway a Big One! You All Rock! Check Out Fricaine On Social Media FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST Total Value Of The Fricaine Bag Giveaway for 1 Lucky Winner is $138 RV And Now The Giveaway!!! Giveaway Da...

  Over the past few years, I've learned a lot about taking risks. "You never know how something will be unless you try it", this is so true. I am a cautious person and I was not the biggest risk taker. The only risky I did was cross the street while a car was close. It's important to take risks and it's more important to try something out. For me I am taking baby steps. It doesn't have to b major, it can be small. About a month ago, I finally put a picture of myself on my Twitter and Facebook page. I was so nervous, but after awhile I felt a relief. I was relieved I took that first step.      I started out wanting to make YouTube videos, but I didn't want to be on camera. So that's when I found blogging. Blogging has given me the confidence to follow my dreams and put myself out there! I guess I am or was afraid of being vulnerable.   I've faced rejection with certain opportunities and I failed at things. Even tho...

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Lately I've been into exfoliating my skin, it's very rejuvenating and refreshing. While in Walmart I saw the Spa Splendor. I have never heard of Spa Splendor before, but I was willing to give it a try. It was under $3, which was great especially if you're on a budget! I decided that I would do a first impression about this product.   On the back of this package it says that, this is an exfoliating towel that refreshes and renews the skin. When I read this, I thought this was great for me. Everyone wants smooth, refreshing, and soft skin.      Usage -Use for bathing or showering/ wet or dry. -Apply favorite soap or gel. Lather and gently massage into skin. -After use, rinse and air dry.   First impression This towel didn't really work for me that well. To be honest, I did not see a big difference in my skin. The towel does opens up and it's thin material. When using this I preferred the towel folded, because I tho...

  During one of my favorite chats #ltbloggers (lunchtime bloggers) we talked about blogging. While I'm interacting, I think about all the flaws I have as a blogger. The three listed below is something I've always felt. Since I am turning over a "new leaf" and since I am happier as a blogger, I thought I would share them with you.   Is my blog good enough? Worrying about whether my blog is good enough, this is something I think a lot about. I always try to encourage others, but I also have to take my own advice. I want my blog to attract others, but most importantly I want to like my own blog. From interacting with other bloggers on twitter, I realized I am not the only one who feels this way. Sometimes I'm guilty of comparing my blog to others. "Their blog is so great, why can't mine be that way"? "I work hard on my blog posts, is it boring"? "I'm just being myself, is that a bad thing"?   Is this design right f...

  A while back I wrote a post on helpful sites for bloggers, that would be useful for them. Since then I have found more sites that are great as well! These sites have helped me a lot, I am not an expert but I have learned enough! I will put some of the old sites I still use, but if you want to read the first post click here: Resources for Bloggers!   Create your own Blog Header/Button Picmonkey You don't have to sign up in order to make headers, buttons, or edit pictures. It's for free, but if you want more options than you would have to sign up.    Free Templates Sora Templates VeeThemes themexpose   These templates are for free. But if you to fully customized them without the footer credits and more, you can purchase them for less than $10. That's pretty sweet! Affordable Templates Sarah @SazBomb Sarah's etsy shop "The Blossom Cart" has beautiful templates for under $5, that's amazing! I would definitely rec...

  When I look back on the days I was kid, I miss it a lot. Who doesn't? I mean you didn't have to worry about anything like: School, Work, Bills, "The Real World". Back then I was a "worry wart". I worried about fitting in, I worried about how I looked, and I even worried about gym. I know everyone says gym is like the easiest class, I mean that's true but I didn't like it. I you didn't hit the ball right or didn't run fast enough, the other kids would pick on you. Do not get me wrong, I did have some good times in elementary but it wasn't enough.   When I think about it, my experience was only bad in the 3rd grade. The girls in my classroom were so mean to me and when we had recess inside, it was bad. They kicked me out of their circle and I was alone. I was by myself and they laughed at me. I would come home upset and my mom would encourage me. Moms are so important, they are always there for you. I'm sure we all can agre...

Picture Source I am not one to express my feelings a lot, but this is what's on my mind. I felt it was only right to let my feelings show. Nothing could have ever prepared me for what I experienced a year and a half ago. Sometimes I just sit and think and I start to cry. I am filled with a lot of emotions, but there is a piece that is still broken. My mind is on overdrive and the feeling inside of me is still in disbelieve. Losing a family is hard, there are a lot of people that have experienced loss before. But how do you deal with it? Is there really a way? I honestly can't answer this. I keeping thinking back to when everything happened and it still doesn't seem real to me. Looking back on all of the memories I have with my Pop Pop are even more special to me now. Knowing that I am writing this, makes me even more sad, because I know he's really not here anymore. I guess what they say is true, "people think the most when it's night time".   May...

I love tags, there a way to get to someone. I was tagged by Tarnya from Sweet Allure and Elle from Simply Caramelle . You should definitely checkout their blogs and maybe give them a follow! The Rules: The rules for this tag is pretty simple. List 10 things you love and 10 things you hate (dislike), then you tag 10 bloggers for this tag. If you cannot find 10 that's ok. These are the 10 things that I love. I do have more though, but this tag only requires 10! 10 Things I Love!: Family - My family means so much to me. My mom and sister are always there for me, I love them to pieces! Listening to Music - Music is something that's apart of my life. My whole family loves music. I pretty much "old school and new school music". TV& Movies - I love watch reality TV, but not the kind that has a lot of drama. Although sometimes I watch Gypsy Sisters! I like to watch Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, Duck Dynasty, The Wahlburgers, Donnie loves Jenny, S...

In every nail post, I write about how obsessed I am with polish. My favorite brand is NYC (New York Color). I am not affiliated with them in any way. Their polish just works for me and it lasts me a week. I do not base my polish on the seasons, it really doesn't matter to me. I guess it just depends on my mood! But a lot of these colors, if not all go great for the Summer. Some of these Polishes look different, that's because they are. Some of them are quick dry (In a Minute) polish. They dry really fast in about 5 to 6 minutes. The others dry between 8 to 12 minutes. I got these at Walmart for under $2! These pink polishes are so pretty. If you want a simple polish look the light pink (Upper West Side) is perfect. This one is my top favorite! The others are not simple at all. But I love Fuchsia Shock and Pink Promenade. They are worth the try. These Reds are stunning. I am obsessed with Times Square! I have not tried Big Apple Red, but I know it's a beautifu...

  Since Summer is here, I decided to share my favorite songs to jam to! I love listening to old songs, not just the new so don't be surprised. I have so many, but this would probably take a few days for me to share. These are just the one I've been listening to lately. These songs aren't just for the summer, it's all year long. I could listen to them all day. I am glad to share them with you!   Black Magic- Little Mix   Worth It- Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink   You're So Beautiful- Jussie Smollett ft. Yazz (Empire)   Drip Drop- Yazz & Serayah McNeill (Empire)   I Want It That Way- Backstreet Boys   Everybody- Backstreet Boys   Latch- Disclosure ft. Sam Smith   Ace of Base- The Sign   Rather Be- Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne   T.G.I.F- Katy Perry   California Girls- Katy Perry   Firework- Katy Perry   S Club 7- S Club Party   This Is H...

                                                                A while back in a post of mine, I talked all about the "Nutra Nail Hardener" I've been loving. In that post I talked about how I started to do my nails myself, instead of going to the nail salon. If you want to know about it click here: Nail Hardener . I'm going to give you all a little summary about my nails. Over the years I have had a love/hate relationship with my nails, am I the only one? I did not like my nails without tips, they just did not look right to me. But recently for the past few months I decided to do my nails myself. I do my nails every week. That's how long my nail polis...

Summer is a refreshing time of the year, so what better way to celebrate by entering this giveaway! There are a lot of cool prizes to win, don't miss out on your chance to win. Welcome to the Summer Dreams Giveaway & Blog Hop! Hosted by Michigan Saving and More Co Hosted By Deliciously Savvy Heartbeats~ Soul Stains kraftymax.com Life in a House of Testosterone LivingWithBeth.com ALSO I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE THANKS TO ALL THE PROMOTING BLOGGERS. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL SPONSORS! JClaw Tek – Flash LED Headlamp – See review HERE . JClaw Tek – Fire Talon Multitool – See review HERE . Kobert International – Waterproof Case (Deluxe Pro Edition) – See the review HERE . Kobert International Exercise Armband See the review HERE . Box 4 Blocks – See the review HERE . IntelliARMOR Hardened Glass Screen Protector See review HERE . MERSEYLEA INTERNATIONAL – Money Belt and RFID Passport Holder – See Review HE...