I've been in a slump lately. A really bad, no good, horrible slump. Entire days have passed by with me accomplishing not much of anything. Yes, I realize that just chasing after a three-year old and taking tween kids to various practices and meetings is work in itself. But I know that I've got more in me. We all get the blues sometimes, and what I've been going through may even be considered depression. True to my "baby steps" philosophy, I know that I need to just put one foot in front of the other to take positive steps in the right direction and change the path I'm on.

One thing I decided to do was to give my hair stylist a call and schedule an appointment for a whole new do. It's been months since my last haircut. I really have no excuse because I blog for a fantastic salon and can get nearly any service I want done without paying a dime out of my own pocket. I've simply let things become routine in my life and not taken the energy to step out of that routine. Leaving routine behind is why I started this blog in the first place - to remind myself that it's the "everyday baby steps" that make all the difference. You have to continue making those small changes in order to see any kind of results. So here's the difference you can SEE after taking those steps to the salon.

Here's my crazy before picture, with the frizz and roots growing out from summer. I was trying to let it grow out long. This is actually the longest it's been in awhile. However, I wasn't satisfied with it. I knew that I really preferred to have a shorter, sassy kind of style. So I went with my gut and asked my stylist to chop it. Here's the results.

These pictures show my hair right after getting it done. It's straight because I had a treatment called Brazilian Keratin Treatment, or BKT, done. There is a very expensive version of BKT, which I've blogged about before, but this is simply a maintenance treatment that lasts for 4 - 6 weeks and helps to lessen the frizz. I also got a richer, cinnamon color with blonde highlights done, and I love it!

Here's my new style curly, right after letting it dry. All I did was add some product, scrunch and let air dry most of the way. Then I dryed the rest while scrunching. It's so easy. And it's cute! The back is stacked and adds just the right amount of bounce.

Sorry I couldn't make this bigger, not sure why. I really like the versatility of this cut. Having a new hairstyle makes me feel better about my appearance and gives me the kick I need to choose a nice outfit and put on some makeup. After that, I'm more energetic and ready to face the world. What small changes can you make to change your outlook and energy level? If you can't afford a whole makeover, I totally understand. I wouldn't be able to, either, if I didn't trade out the work for blogging. Is there a hairstylist among your friends or family who could help you? Another possibility is to buy a few accessories to jazz up your wardrobe. Maybe you could take a class at a local community college to learn something new. Or start a new project like a craft or a new blog? Whatever it is, making a small change can totally transform you outlook. I truly recommend it.

I began working toward becoming a freelance writer nearly three years ago. When I started my journey, I had no idea the potential the internet would offer. In fact, I had intended to pursue writing for print media such as magazines, journals and trade publications. I'm happy to say that today I'm earning money as a writer. However, I've never written anything for print. Everything I've been paid to write has been online, and my writing career truly started with blogging.

I began this blog shortly after the birth of my third child, and the loss of my steady job, as a way of simply practicing my writing and creating a platform with which to show editors my abilities. I had no idea the path blogging as a profession and movement would take, nor did I ever imagine the opportunities it would provide. Blogging has given me:

• Practice to hone my writing skills
• The opportunity to network with potential employers and friends
• Knowledge and proficiency in using social media
• Business sense and excitement about entrepreneurship
• Confidence in my abilities and worth as a writer and a marketer.

I've spoken and written countless times about putting yourself out there and knowing your worth. But then I seemed to forget my own advice, and I got lost for awhile. Lost in the day to day of just getting by, rather than making a plan and setting goals. Somehow, recently, I've managed to snap out of it. I've been more assertive about making my own opportunities and reaching out for the kinds of writing I want to do. And it seems to be working!

At the beginning of the year, I reached out through a letter of introduction to the owner of a website I was interested in writing for, and that bold move paid off. I now have a regular gig writing on topics related to education and career. The icing on the cake is that the job pays pretty darn well! I've also started to be more assertive about getting involved in affiliate marketing and in selling advertising on my blogs. In fact, I recently pitched my ad services on GigCoin as a means of promoting what I have to offer. I'm tired of sitting around waiting for good things to happen for me!

It takes a lot of work and a lot of courage to put yourself out there and step out of your comfort zone. I can see already that it's worth the effort. I'm even getting excited about building up some of my other long set aside projects and hope to give you an update on them soon. It all really comes down to confidence. For me, getting past the fear and moving forward has led to small successes. These small accomplishments have increased my confidence and will likely lead to even greater successes. The year's off to a really good start.

What about you? What kind of changes are you making to take steps toward achieving your goals? I really want to hear about them. Let's encourage each other!

* Sponsored post, but every word is true.

This is an article from Anna De Souza, an in-the-know beauty and style reporter. As a beauty junkie and a former career counselor, I can personally vouch for all of these tips. The Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray was provided to me for review, and it is remarkable! It helps your makeup to last all day without fading, and it really does give you a smooth finish that takes years off your appearance. I won't be without it from now on. Seriously love it! Here are Anna's tips for a beautiful job interview.

Pound the pavement with the right base. Begin your beauty regime with a primer that fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish! Give Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer a try.  It helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen so you can look flawless for years to come at your corner office.

Sleepless night from nerves? Cover up those under-eye bags, puffiness, or any other perfections with Tarte's Dark Circle Defense. The finely milled light refracting minerals actually brighten skin to help camouflage dark circles, puffiness, refness, fine lines and wrinkles. And there's 56% reduction in eye puffiness after 4 weeks--but we know you'll nail that interview the first go-round!

Sparkle and glitter aren't office appropriate. Opt for a matte shadow in a natural hue on the lids. We love Revlon's ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow in In The Buff. Better yet, go for a thin line of smudged pencil eyeliner. Sue Devitt's Eye Intensifier Pencil is great. Nylon and a number of other ingredients lock in moisture and  expand and contract with facial movements without creasing to create a long-lasting, luminious eye.

Stop fussing with and reapplying your makeup! Ditch the trips to the ladies' and mist on a product that holds concealer, foundation and eyeshadow in place for up to 16 hours. Skindinavia Makeup Finishes creates a flawless look so there's less touch ups throughout the day. Since it resists heat and humidity, the mist is also great for when that mid-interview perspiration occurs!

Now go out there and ace that interview, feeling confident and beautiful!

I had something exciting happen to me over the weekend.  I won a contest.  You all know I LOVE contests.  This one was a contest by Allison Worthington, also known as Mrs. Fussypants.  See her link down there on my blog roll?  I love her.  She's also the editor of Blissfully Domestic, the online lifestyle magazine I contribute to.

Alli put out a tweet on Twitter last week asking people to submit their idea for a new Blissfully Domestic tagline.  The prize?  A piece of jewelry from her boutique, Fussypants Designs.  When you see this jewelry, you'll understand why I started brainstorming.

I don't consider myself a very creative person, but a cute tagline idea did come to me, so I decided to tweet it to Fussy.  I didn't give it another thought until yesterday morning when I received a message from her saying, "morning. You won the BD tagline contest. Email me your address, OK? I haz bling 4 u!"  Ooh, bling!  I was ecstatic.

Then I realized that I wasn't happy simply because of the prize itself (although I do love beautiful jewelry, don't get me wrong), but because of the other gift Alli gave to me - validation that my ideas are good.  You may remember that I left my previous job as a college adviser due to a negative work atmosphere, with people who really brought me down.  I spent a long time in that working environment, feeling like my ideas didn't matter and wouldn't be received favorably.  I allowed my self-esteem to plummet.

Since leaving my job, I've worked very hard to get back to my former self.  Starting this blog has helped me more than I can express.  Receiving a nod from Alli and the Blissfully Domestic editors that my tagline was the best submission for the magazine means the world to me and helps me to remember that I am a smart and savvy woman with some great ideas.   Thank you so much for choosing my entry and helping me to regain my sense of who I am.

** I will not divulge the tagline yet, as I'm not sure what Alli and the Blissfully Domestic editorial staff have planned for its unveiling.