HI FRIENDS! If you are anything like me which at this point means highly OCD about your life or maybe you just want something fun to do to your books then I have the perfect DIY for you. While on my journey of decluttering I found myself kind of going crazy over certain things that I still wanted to keep but didn't fall under my black, white, grey category. I did some searching and couldn't really find anything which was shocking. I did find someone who used transfer paper to cover notebooks for school and I thought well that shouldn't be too hard to do for books. I'm sure this is something that has been done before but I personally couldn't find any videos or links to help me. So I thought I'd share this with you all in hopes to be that source if you were struggling like I was. I only spent money on the contact paper which was under $2. Here's what you'll need: Now I highly recommend that if you have a book that is a dark color you use black contact paper.  I would have preferred to use black anyways, but Lowes did not carry black. I will probably order some in black from amazon and do the rest of my darker books that way.

   I cut two notches where the spine of the book is so that way it bends easier and you have room to cut the extra off. Whenever you get it where you want it go ahead and peal and stick starting from one side to the next. Cut any extra and fold over the cover.  Here is a video tutorial for you as well:  

There you have it! Perfectly monochromatic books to match the rest of your home. It only took me about 10-15 mins to do two books. I suggest using a book that your not in love with at first to do a trial run but all in all this is a pretty simple quick DIY that anyone can do. If you recreate this make sure to tag me in your photos or DM me on Instagram: @thesuperiorpeach. XOXO // AMY

1. My Diet
    In early October of 2015 I decided to go Vegetarian.
    Now, before you roll your eyes because I know what a stigma this holds just hear me out.
    I chose this after educating myself with both documentaries but text as well.
    It's something that I never knew impacted our environment so much. I decided to make the change
    for the sake of our earth. If you're not sure why or how this makes a difference please see this
    quick reference. I'm in NO WAY forcing any of this on you but if you are one who loves learning
    and information then it's definitely something to at least glance at. This is some serious stuff man.
    Our earth is why we are here today breathing. We gotta take care of it. It stuck with me and
    literally after that I changed myself over night. No more meat.

2. My Thought Process
    In January I was introduced to an interesting way of thinking and living life called Minimalism.
    This is something that people can use in many different aspects of their lives.
    Aesthetic - Mental - Physical
    Decorating your home in a minimalistic fashion is usually geared towards monochromatic colors.
    It also means having less stuff and clutter. Why have 3 cutting boards when you could only have 1
    and get the optimal use out of it? Why have three boxes full of memorabilia that just sits in your
    attic? It just started to not make sense to me. I was a hoarder of things. I didn't care if I had 12 of
    something I would find a reason to hold on to it or buy another one.
    Also, when having a neutral toned pallet to work with you find yourself buying less because it
    doesn't fit in with your design. Getting rid of mental clutter is very important as well.
    You will start to realize just how valuable that space is to you. You might have people or things
    in your life that just aren't creating enough positive influence that you chose to let go of them or
    it. It has helped me immensely with so many aspects of my thought process and I could not be
    more grateful.

3. My Physical Wellness
    In January I also joined a gym (again). They got a new location that wasn't half way across town.
    So with an easily accessed location I was happy to start back up again.
    I also started doing Yoga again. You learn a lot about yourself when you make time to have those
    little moments it creates a breath of fresh air. When you start to take care of your body things will
    happen. Your mind set will shift towards a positive direction. Your confidence will go through the
    roof if given the opportunity. Seeing yourself improve each day and not giving up is key here.
    Physical wellness is such a personal journey. Looking at pictures of abs might be a little motivation
    but looking at pictures of your body's weekly change and the positive mood shift is enough for me.
 

Shot a Lookbook for my easy every day Winter fashion.
I have listed links to similar items that I am wearing in the detail section of this video.
If you're interested in that, click here. What are some of your favorite Winter looks?  I like anything comfortable and simple.
- Amy

Hello everyone, I am really excited to share with you something that has truly changed my life.

I'm not sure if this happens to most teens or not but as soon as I got out of the house and started living on my own I went absolutely crazy. I needed everything. It was my money after all and I had no one to guide me. I knew nothing about budgeting or how to be smart with money.
But at that time I didn't have any bills either aside from the essentials of a roof over my head, food in my stomach, gas in my car, etc. It's all fun and games until someone tells you about this amazing thing called a credit card. You mean you can spend as much as you want and only have to pay a fraction of the price back every month? Ok, sign me up!

This is where it all went downhill.

 Once I realized the severity of what I've done it was too late. They got me while I was young and uneducated about finances. My mentality for a long time was that I needed stuff.
All kinds of stuff. Because it made me feel happy in the moment.
I wasn't focusing on experiences or what really mattered. My husband thankfully was so
anti-spending money that it helped draw me back a lot. Ok a little. Now four years into our relationship I realize that my way of thinking about money has to change.
This is where Minimalism comes in.
A little while back I found two Youtubers named Rachelaust and Lightbycoco. You could say they more than inspired me to give up my old lifestyle. It was like a wakeup call I couldn't turn back from. I spent a whole week. Yes, a whole week. Tearing my apartment apart and getting rid of anything that did not have a purpose or a place. I still feel like I own too much and I got rid of so much stuff. Stuff I do not miss at all.

 1. Get yourself out of debt

You begin to think of how you spend you money differently. Do you have room for it, does it serve a purpose, are you willing to give up 2 other things to bring this home? You will begin to see the $3 section at Target as a clutter zone waiting to happen.

2. Reduces stress

I don't know about you guys, but when my house is a mess or when I see how much money I spent on a trip to the mall it completely stresses me out. By keeping things simple and organized your stress levels will follow suit.

3. Focus on your relationships

Sometimes we get so caught up in "things" that we forget about the people surrounding us. When you start making plans to just hang out with someone instead of going to the mall or seeing a movie, you might actually learn something new about them.

4. Increase productivity

Having a clean well kempt environment and life will boost your confidence and make you feel more capable of doing even those little tasks.

5. Clean home

I cannot emphasize enough how much happier I have been since we've downsized our home. By owning less our messes are less intimidating when it's time to clean up. Instead of letting our dishes sit over night, we do them right away. Which in turn makes it easier and more inviting at breakfast time. When you own less you pick up less. It just makes sense.

To sum it all up //
Things like this are a major lifestyle change. You are going to have to want it and see why it would improve your life. This also is not for everyone. Some people find that their happy place IS by having things around to comfort them. That is totally ok too. For a long time I felt like I was never going to find myself but here I am doin' it. Find you, Be you, & Breathe you. Your journey is special and unique.
 -Amy