Thank you to Blair Nicole for providing me with 31 Days of Self-Compassion and soy-based candle for review.

All opinions are 100% my own.

As women, I feel like one of the biggest struggles that we face, is that of comparison. We live in a society and time of social media in which, we see people post about all the amazing things that they can do as moms. That sense of comparison can leave us feeling like we’re not good enough, that we’re not worthy of anything which can lead us down a dark path of negativity. These thoughts can start to take their toll on our self-confidence and spirit.

When I became a mom, I found that I was feeling pressured to do it all…I was supposed to be this supermom who had all of the answers and knew the exact needs of my child every second, and what activities to do with my child. At the same time, I was to be a wife that had it all together with home-cooked meals, time for my husband, and a clean house. All of this while also being a small business owner and advancing my career in education as an assistant principal. Who put these pressures on me, you might ask? Just me. I was so busy comparing myself to everyone else that I started to lose myself in the glorified burnout. I also realized very quickly that moms don’t have all the answers, which then can lead to the feeling of mom guilt and unworthiness.

Blaire Nicole, who has a master's degree in psychology, wrote a book called, 31 Days of Self-Compassion and owns The Self-Compassion store on Etsy. In this book you go through 31 days of affirmations and uplifting anecdotes, accompanied by exercises on how to reset your mindset and those harsh emotions. The author does a great job of building up positive emotions while still acknowledging those negative emotions, which helps you realize that it’s OK to feel the way that you feel. This book highlights that self-compassion allows you to learn, love, and accept yourself in every way. The book also helps the reader navigate through changes, hard decisions, healing, relationships, and self-love.

Each day, the reading, and then the exercises, which usually include some type of writing so definitely have a pen and journal or some type of paper close by, generally take up to five minutes I know with busy days and busy schedules. Taking time for yourself is very hard, but trust me it’s worth it. The author also includes additional resources and ways to personally connect with her at the end of the book as well.

Another offering from The Self-Compassion Store, are soy-based inspirational candles. This candle smells absolutely divine and gives my whole house a fresh and clean scent. I have lit it time and time again and the scent has not diminished at all!

I believe that this book and candle would be an amazing gift for a new mom in your life or even a friend who doesn’t realize how much of a queen she is. Better yet, treat yourself and get these amazing gifts for you!