Sometimes we're our own worst enemies. We compare ourselves to others, we pick at things we're bad at, things we don't like about ourselves, and we let our past mold who we become.

We also let negativity cloud our judgement.  As a teen and as a young adult, I associated myself with people who put me down and who didn't believe in me. I didn't stand up for myself and I let them walk all over me. I could sit here all day long and blame them, but the truth is I have to own up to not walking away sooner and for not taking a stand. I am in charge of my life, I get to say who I can be, what I am capable of, and how far I can go. 

If you're struggling right now with who you are, where you are in life, and seeing a brighter future for yourself, you're not alone. Our struggles make us who we are, they are part of our story. To get passed these trying times, you have to start believing in yourself, stop comparing yourself to others, and you have to choose to be happy. If that means stepping away from negative people, searching for a new job, or leaving a terrible relationship, know that you can and believe that you will. Seek out the positive and surround yourself with people who encourage you, activities that will inspire you and your life will start to get better each step of the way. 

Here are a few prints I put together for those days when you are struggling and you need a little motivational reminder, which we all need from time to time. 

Happy #MotivationalMonday, thanks for stopping by have a great day! 

Happy Easter!

{Egg background photo found here}

Happy Easter and Passover. Wishing you a beautiful holiday with your family!  Our kids are coming over tonight for dinner and egg dying! 

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by! 

Simple Strawberry Muffins {and a Giveaway!}

Today's post is sponsored by Finlandia, but my love for their butter is all my own! 

Is there anything better than waking up in the morning to the smell of fresh strawberry muffins? Well there is, and it's topping those strawberry muffins with Finlandia butter! 

You may have heard of and tried Finlandia Cheese, but soon you will hear many speaking of how much they enjoy Finlandia imported butter. 

I used the unsalted in my strawberry muffin recipe and topped it off with the perfectly salted butter. I was really surprised by the rich taste, it's probably the best butter I've ever had...seriously! {No April Fool's joke here!}

The recipe called for two sticks of butter and Finlandia butter comes in 7 oz packages, just shy of two sticks, which usually measures to about 8 ounces. Despite the slight difference in the amount of butter used, the muffins turned out quite delicious! 

Fun Facts about Finlandia Butter: 

"Finlandia Butter provides authentic flavor still made the old fashioned way. With Pure fresh milk from cows cared for on small Finnish family-owned farms. Nothing artificial. No added Hormones. This creamy, delicious butter starts with the purest milk in Europe from small Finnish family-owned farms where the cows are treated humanely and not given rBST or any artificial hormones. The fresh milk is carefully churned and cooled to a perfect temperature that creates a delightfully creamy flavor and smooth texture. Chosen by the most discriminating French chefs to create their famous baked goods and croissants, Finlandia Imported Butter is the ultimate butter for baking, cooking and especially, eating!"

So before I get to the giveaway for a ShopRite® gift card so you can try Finlandia butter yourself, I'm going to share my simple strawberry muffin recipe with you, so when you pick up the butter you'll have a recipe on hand to try out! 

Simple Strawberry Muffin Recipe

{Makes about 18 muffins}

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 7 oz unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups diced fresh strawberries {I thawed out frozen ones}
• 1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the cupcake liners in your muffin tins and sprinkle a dash of flour in them so the muffins don't stick. 
2. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl until combined.  In a medium bowl combine milk, eggs, and melted butter. Make a well in the the dry mixture and pour in the wet mixture. Stir until combined. There should be some lumps, so don't over mix the batter. Next, mix in the strawberries and sugar and stir to combine.
3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups {I used an ice cream scoop}. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, check with a toothpick and if it comes out clean your muffins are done! Let them sit for a few minutes in the tins, then place on cooling racks to sit until ready to eat! 

{Recipe modified from Food Network}

Simple...right? Do you know what else is simple...entering my ShopRite® $25 gift card giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{US entries only please. Giveaway will end on April 8th. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to reply. After this time a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Twitter. Thank you and Good luck!}