Dotson Love joins the #iambraveandbeautiful movement

It's a movement people!!! I like a good movement. But this one is a movement that I HAVE to get on board with!!! This morning while I was scrolling through IG I saw a post by Brassy Apple. Inspired by Colbie Caillat's song Try, Brassy Apple and a bunch of other bloggers have come together to start the #iambraveandbeautiful movement. I L-O-V-E love this. It seriously speaks to my heart and soul!

So... I had just sent my son off to school and I decided to take my own photo of ME (No make up and scary hair) to post on IG and join in on the movement. That turned into me taking pictures of all the things I haven't been happy with myself but that I'm OK with now that I love myself. And then that turned into me recording a video. Seriously! I am not going to lie... I feel like a complete dork and part of me is worried what people will think. To the world's standard I should not be putting a video of me out there looking like I do in it. But that is the point... I'm sharing my feelings and my message while looking... very not "beautiful". Or at least how society determines beauty. I am seriously so nervous to share this video. I am writing as it is downloading to my YouTube channel and I keep thinking maybe I shouldn't! What if no one even watches or cares? What if people do watch and use it to make fun of me? What if it goes viral and not in the good way??? HAHA!! But I have something to say. I am on a mission. And this video is a way for me to do that! So... I am uploading and hoping that it doesn't end up being a joke. ;) LOL

       

Along with the video I want to share a couple pictures. These two pictures are of me. The first is one I took this morning. No make up. Hair is a mess. The other is a photo I used for a guest post I did on The Mumsy Blog a couple weeks back. It was my first feature and I wanted to look good. I wanted to look like myself though. So I did put on my makeup and I did my hair all curly. I put on my favorite dress and set up my ca,era in my living room. After lots and lots of photos via self timer on my camera I sent them to my sis to have her edit them a bit. I like this photo but I have to be honest... I feel more myself and beautiful in the iPhone selfie. It's just more... me. But if you would have asked me just a few months ago which I was happier with I would say the other. It's crazy what can happen when you let yourself love who you are! I love the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." In my eyes beauty has so many different faces. Why does beauty have to be one certain look or type. And who decided what would be considered "beautiful" and what would not? If you think that those women you see in the magazines are perfect let me tell you something... they aren't even real! Those women do not exist! So stop comparing yourself to them! Don't compare yourself to anyone!!! We all have insecurities. We all want to change something about ourselves. I am at the best place confidence wise that I have ever been and there are still things I don't necessarily like. But I try not to focus on them. We can't poke at our insecurities or with others. Let them be. Magnify your strengths and do the same for others. Love who you are! Believe that you are beautiful! And the more you do these then the more beautiful you will feel.

#iambraveandbeautiful

XOXO,
Katie

Dotson's Loves - My kidlets

They call me mama.

They give me lots of hugs and kisses.

They love me no matter how I look or how much is in my bank account.

They smile at me with messy faces.

They give me so much to live for.

I will teach them...

To smile when skies are grey.

To love with all their heart and soul.

To not fear mistakes but to learn from them.

To be strong and steadfast in their beliefs.

To be kind to all who cross their path.

To believe in themselves.

To be ambitious and hard working.

To dance when they are happy.

To pray when they are sad, happy, lost, found, excited, nervous.

To be true to who they are.

I pray that their lives will be beyond wonderful.

I love them so much.

XOXO,

Mama (AKA Katie) 

Every Life Matters Q&A - Natashia McLean

Oh my goodness! I am so excited!!! I wish I had a way to let you all understand how excited I am! The first Every Life Matters Q&A! WOOHOO! The first of many amazing people to be involved in the E.L.M. Q&A is Natasia McLean from one of my favorite blogs, The Mumsy Blog. I can't wait for you to read Natashia's Q&A. But first I wanted to tell you how I met this gloriously awesome human being.... 

Natashia and I met at Bright Night Event last July. She was so stylish and had this spirit about her that seriously made me feel so comfortable and accepted. After a night of dancing our socks off at the dance party I knew I had to keep in touch with her. She is a breath of fresh air! And not to mention super creative and genuine in every way! She's become such a dear friend in such a short amount of time. I just had to share her with you all. So without further ado... Natashia!

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in So Cal and grew up in Las Vegas. I am the oldest of four and me and my siblings are close. I met my husband while going to UNLV while he was selling pest control in Las Vegas. We got married a year later and moved to Provo, UT where he was going to school. We have been married eight years now. We have three boys and a baby girl. I'm crazy and like to do almost anything. I like to hike, draw, cook, read, shop, decorate, play card games, write, and be with my kids. I am currently a stay-at-home mommy. But, on the side I teach fitness classes and write and help run The Mumsy Blog.

Q: What/who matters to you?

Family is definitely first. Afterward helping others is important to me as well as education. I like to learn something new every day. Health is very important to me. I have anxiety and also know that I am heavily affected by the foods I eat. So it's very important to me to be careful about what and when I eat. Being a fitness instructor naturally makes me a lover of health too. I strive to eat healthy, exercise, and get a good amount of sleep.

Q: What is something that you do for yourself each day that matters to you & makes you happy?

I make sure to be selfish a little each day.

Q: Why do you think it is important for you to do that?

I can soak in a tub, go shopping, draw, or just take a step outside. But I make sure to do something that I like and is for me. Being a mother is a selfless calling. You wake up, get kids dressed and change diapers. You feed them throughout the day and make sure they are safe and content. Your concerns until sun-down are your child or children. And even after sun-down your still on mommy duty with sick kids, babies who party at three am, and some kids, like my son, who have bouts of insomnia. So I make sure to be a little selfish sometimes. I buy a candy bar at the store just for me. I eat it when the kids aren't looking of course, cause that would just create a whole other problem. But, I try to make sure I give myself little rewards. Because in motherhood no one is giving you raises or trophies. You have to praise yourself and make sure to have moments for yourself, whatever way that is.

Q: Tell us about a time in your life when someone made you feel like you mattered.

I have been really grateful for my family, friends, and the social media community. Those people who support our blog really have been so kind to follow and comment on the work I do. When I sit down and write (like right now) I put pieces of myself into the writing. I share my life and trials and sometimes advice. And when I get positive feedback it definitely makes me feel needed. Every time I get a positive comment or response I think, "Yeah, I helped someone." Or I think, "Yeah! I'm not alone." So thank you for asking me to write this guest post, it definitely makes me feel like I matter. 

Q: As a mother how do you show your children that they matter to you?

It's all about quality time for me. I make a point to stop what I am doing when my kids talk to me. I  look them in the eye. I try to hug them often. I rub their backs. I also make time every day with them. And I say that I make time because as a blogger with numerous other hobbies, I have to make time. So I pick hours each day to do nothing but play with the kids. I try to put down my phone and engage in an activity with them. Occasionally we get treats or prizes. I try to make them feel like I love them and they are special to me, because they are.

Q: How do they show you that you matter to them?

 My kids are really sweet most of the time. They say they love me often. And they even say I'm the best mom. Yeah, I'm not going to lie. That makes me feel pretty awesome. They draw me pictures and love to snuggle with me.

Q: If you could give one message to those reading this what would it be?

This is a tuff one. There's so much to say. But if I had to pick one thing, I would say keep trying, you're doing your best, we are all imperfect. Whatever you have as goals in life, keep trying. If you want to be a better mom, keep trying. If you feel like you have messed up, keep trying. There's always another day. And today you did your best. It my not be perfect, but it is done and we can try again. There's usually a way to reconcile issues. Life can be better. We are all imperfect and make mistakes. We all fall short. Never compare yourself to others, this is poison. Be who you are, and if you want to be a better version of yourself, keep trying. You are in control of your own destiny and each day.

Why Blogs Matter.

Blogging. Why do so many of us feel the need to write down our thoughts and feeling? Why are we so interested in each others thoughts and feelings? Why do I feel the need to blog and share my life with you all?

I can't tell you why others do it. But I can tell you why I do. It's actually very simple. I share my life in hopes that it will help me see things more clearly and that maybe as an added bonus someone who reads it will get something out of it. I made (still make) the mistake of letting myself worry about what other think about my blog. Do they take me seriously? Do they care? Do they know how important this is to me? I let those worries keep me from starting a blog. It kept me from sharing what I feel I'm supposed to blog about for a very long time. But I have an important reason for blogging.

I believe very deeply that this life we are all living has a purpose. I am an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Our faith is built on the foundation of love. I was raised in a loving home where I was taught to love and respect people no matter who they were or what they believed. I was brought up to be kind and loving to all who crossed my path. I have lived my life in love for the majority of my life. But there have been times when I have let hatred and bitterness grab a hold of me. I am not proud of those moments. I have seen the affect both love and hate can have on someone. I have seen the influence others have had on those people. And I have learned that life cannot be fully lived without support and love from one another.

I don't like the term "dog eat dog world" at all. I totally disagree with that. It can be a mean world. There are terrible things that happen. Negativity and hatred can destroy so much. But there is so much more good and beauty out there. I'm a very visual person and I have always pictured in my head this war between good and evil as light and darkness. And if you remember learning about it in school you'll remember that darkness is just the lack of light. When there is light there cannot be dark. When there is kindness and love there cannot be cruelty and hatred. We are in great need of more love. Love for life. Love for ourselves. Love for one another. I'm fighting for love. (I know it sounds so cheesy... But I'm cheesy so get used to it.) So this is why I blog. This is how I can do my part to help the light shine a little brighter. This is how I can keep my light shining brighter to keep the darkness away.

We need to just enjoy life more! Be happy! There so many amazing things to be happy about! Let's celebrate them! We need to help each other to be happy. I can't stress the subject of kindness enough! KINDNESS MATTERS! I want to do my part to let everyone I meet know that they matter! I'm so excited to start my *Every Life Matter* Q&A Series tomorrow! The fabulous Natashia of The Mumsy Blog will be answering some questions about what matters to her. You won't want to miss it. OH MY GOLLY!!! I am so excited for the future of this blog! I hope and pray it become a place where others can come and get a great big dose of goodness! :)

Love one another.

Love yourself.

Love life.

XOXO,

Katie

Small and Simple

I've had a hard time getting my thoughts and words to come together. I've tried to write this post over and over. I want so badly to express my desire to have this blog can be successful. And my hope for it to be a success is not for myself to become popular or recognized. It is for love to become popular and recognized. I can't begin to tell you how important it is to me that we start living lives filled with love.

When there is love than we really don't have to stress the other things. Kindness, happiness, respect, and compassion are all part of the package. Can you imagine how amazing it would be??? We can all make a difference. It doesn't have to be huge gestures. The simplest act of kindness can do more than you realize.

Let me tell you about an experience I had last July. I attended an event called Bright night Event. It is such an amazing day retreat for women! I went after winning 2 tickets for myself and a dear friend of mine. I was so nervous to go and the closer it got the more nervous I became. I felt as if I would just be totally out of place. Almost all the women that would be there were crazy talented successful bloggers and business owners. I couldn't help but feel so lacking when I compared myself to the kind of women that would be there. The day of bright night I was so nervous. It was like I reverted back to my Jr high self, "Will they like me? Will I fit in? What if my clothes aren't cool enough? Will I make any friends?" Seriously! It was so lame. I have battled low self confidence for years and had recently been working extra hard on improving my self esteem. But it was like all the work I had done went down the toilet!!! So I did what I always do when I begin to feel overwhelmed and know my self esteem is slipping... I prayed. I prayed that I would be able to be myself. I prayed that I wouldn't worry about what others thought of me. I prayed that I would be able to forget all those side effects or being self conscious and be outgoing and have fun. So when I got there I just let myself be me... Goofy, silly, excited, dorky me. And guess what? I was OK! I was having fun! I was able to be outgoing and talk to and get to know so many amazing women! Women that have truly become dear dear friends! One experience later at the dance (yes they have a rad kiss butt dance) I ended up being alone because my friend I had come with had to leave. I almost left as well but decided I needed to not just skip out because my friend had left. So I did something that I never do... I saw a group of gals that I had talked to a little earlier that day and I approached their group. I said hi and asked them if they wanted to be in the slow mo video (seriously so fun) with me! I just said that my friend had to leave and I really wanted to do the slow mo cause it looked fun and asked if they wanted to be in it with me. I seriously felt sick because I felt like such a dork. But they were so sweet and they of course said yeah! But after that they didn't just leave me alone. They talked to me. They asked me about myself and what I did and about my family. We laughed and danced and I felt so comfortable with myself around them. I remember thinking "Wow! They like the real me." It was a huge turning point in my journey. I felt more confident as myself... Not pretend myself... My actual self. These amazingly talented, creative, successful ambitious women liked me for me. I started seeing myself differently after that night.  I am so thankful to those women for being kind and loving to a stranger. I'm sure they had no idea that their actions and contagious positive spirits would have such an affect on me. Their small and simple acts were not so small and simple to me. I am so thankful for them.

Small and simple things... Little acts of kindness and love can and will make a difference. I'm living proof. It didn't just make me feel better about myself and end with that. Because I felt better about myself I was able to love and accept me for who I really am. And that lead to me believing in my abilities. Which lead to me actually making goals and going after what I have been wanting to do for so long. I have felt for a long time that I could and Gould blog about the things I have learned in life and my loves. After so long I finally felt like I could do! Why not? Why not me??? I'm reaching and achieving so many goals and all because a few ladies I barely knew showed my kindness and love through such small and simple ways.

We can't be greedy with love. It's not meant to be kept. It's meant to be given. If you feel like no one could love you then do this... Love someone else! Say hi to the person in the grocery store line. Help someone in need. Smile. Get to know the other moms at the park. Don't worry about what they will think. Maybe your small and simple act will be just what that person needed. 

If we all can learn to love life, love & accept ourselves and have the courage to let others in... I can't even image how great that would be! And I'm sure I sound cheesy but I can't help it. I believe every deeply that it's possible. And I'm going to do my part to make it happen with small and simple acts of kindness. Will you join me?

XOXO,

Katie

Dotson's Loves - Family Adventures

I'm so excited to start my "Dotson's Loves" videos on my new YouTube channel! I will be posting videos of my loves. Things that make me happy. The really important things in life are the ones that make you smile!

My very first YouTube video EVER is of my lil family exploring our area we live in. We went to Flaming Gorge for the first time yesterday. 

 It was so fun. I love Utah! Utah I just so rad!!! And I have been blessed enough to live in this beautiful state my whole life!!! And I'm still finding new discoveries and being blown away by the beauty around me each day. And getting to share these fun adventures with my family is the icing on the cake.

Create your own adventures with your family! Make memories! Love life!

XOXO,

Katie

I am who I am.

My mom read my first couple posts and mentioned that I need to put a little more of my blog. I totally agree! I don't want all my posts to be serious. I'm not a serious person for the most part. I like to be silly and goofy. I love to embarrass my family when we are shopping or in public by acting crazy. I'm just a dork and I'm proud of it.

This picture was taken a year after my divorce. I loved it cause I felt like I was "moving on" or something. And it was the first time I felt pretty in a long long time. And it was one if the first times I felt proud to be me.

I learned the hard way that you can't change who you are to try to fit in or please someone else. You just can't. I know because I did that for years. And after a while I completely lost myself. I wasn't happy when I wasn't myself. When I was 26 years young I was divorced. And after a long time I began to let Katie be Katie again. It felt great. One day my brother in law told me that my sister would tell him all these stories about how crazy & goofy I was. He told me that he was beginning to see that Katie that Mandy reminisced about. 

I love being giddy, happy, dorky, goofball Katie. I promised myself that I would never lose that part of me again. And I haven't! When I started dating Dustin I remember thinking that I needed to hold it back. But I didn't. He knew what he was getting from the get go. And now when I'm shakin my groove thang in the kitchen and he looks at me like I'm a dork I just wink at him and say "You knew what you were marrying!" And then he smiles at me. I love it.

I've spent too much time in the past hiding or trying to change myself. I'm proud of who I am. I will never lose myself again! Goofy Katie is here to stay. And I hope I can put more of myself into more of my posts. I want you all to know me.

XOXO,

Katie

My girl.

She's so sassy. I blame her stubbornness on her daddy. But we all know she got it from both of us. She has my emotions. I worry about those dramatic preteen years. How will I survive? 

I look at her and I can't even help but smile. I want the world for her. I want her to be confident. Not conceded. Confident. I don't want her to stop being stubborn. She is such a determined little babe. I hope she never loses that. But I pray she channels it in the right way. I want her to dream big & believe in herself. But more than anything I want her to be my girl forever. My spunky, silly, stubborn, beautiful baby girl. 

XOXO,

Katie

Raised in love.

Today I was to emotional. Ok ok... I'm always emotional. But today I was extra emotional. And we all know why. September 11th is a day that I will never forget. I remember just about everything about that day. But what I remember most is the way I felt. There was sadness and fear just bursting out of me. What was going on in the world? How could people hate so deeply? Over the years I have thought about the differences of my upbringing and the upbringing of those terrorists. I was raised in love. They were raised in hate. I was tought to be kind, caring and understanding of others beliefs. They were tought hatred, lies & evil. I am heart broken for those who do not know love.

I am so grateful that I know love. I look into the face of love each day. And I hope and pray that I can raise my children to know that love as well.

13 years ago hatred tried to destroy us.

It failed. Love conquers all.

XOXO,

Katie

Be cool.

I found myself worrying the other day about how "cool" my son would be when he grows up. I know... I know... It sounds terrible! But there is a reason that will totally make sense. As a mom I worry about my kids. And one of the those worries is how my kids will be treated throughout their childhood and teenage years. Of course I think my Coopster is as "cool" as they come! He's got an awesome sense of humor, he's quick witted, has the biggest heart and can really bust a move!!! Seriously... this kids dancing skills are top notch! I see how amazing he is and I don't want him to change. But all kids want to be liked and accepted. And with that need to be accepted by their peers usually comes a change of who they are to fit in.

Why do we have to be the same to "fit" in with one another? Why is "cool"a certain type of person... The jock, cheerleader, fashionable dresser,,, Why are they the "cool" kids? I want me kids to be them. I want them to be comfortable in their own skin. And I want them to know what "cool" really is. If they can be confident enough and genuine to be their true self than I will be one happy mama!

So this is why I worry about how "cool" my son will be. Will he be what society dubs as "cool"? Am I doing enough to give him what he needs to be confident and comfortable with who he is? When the time comes when society tries to tell him he won't fit in unless he wears a certain brand or play a certain sport will he be able to look that lie in the face and stay true to himself? I hope I am. Because the world needs more genuinely awesome kids like him around.

XOXO,

Katie

Dotson + Love

Welcome to Dotson Love. I'm Katie. First things first... I am not a writer. I will make grammar and punctuation mistakes. When I do write I usually write what is going through my mind and I have to just type and try to keep up. So... Sorry for the mistakes I will make. So... with that being said I would love to introduce myself. I'm Katie. I have been feeling like I should start a blog for some time now but just never did. Recently I have been going through some much needed changes and I feel that by sharing them I can help myself and others. I hope that by sharing the things I love and what I am passionate about I will be able to help spread the love.

.

What do I love? Just to name a few off the top of my head...

My family. Life. Music. A good dance party. Hugs. Kindness. People. Confidence. Corny Jokes. Good food. Flowers. Love stories. Inspirational quotes. Instagram. Photos. Cupcakes.

What am I passionate about?

I want to do all I can to spread the message that EVERY•LIFE•MATTERS! It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, what job you have, how much money you make, what social status you have been placed in, how you dress, what you believe or how old you are. We all matter. Our worth is the same. We all deserve kindness & respect. I have lived most of my life with self doubt and low self confidence. But recently I have been able to really work hard on changing that. I have gotten to know myself and take better care of myself and as a result I am much more confident and happy with who I am. I want everyone to be happy, confident and excited with who they are. How cool would that be! 

Thank you for checking my blog out. Keep in touch! I have some great posts and interviews coming. And remember that life is too awesome to waste on worry and doubt.

Loves XOXO

Katie

My pledge

I grew up in a beautiful small town in southern Utah. I had one of the most amazing childhoods. My memories are filled with tons of adventures, outdoors, laughter, family & friends. I loved it.

There were many many moments and people in my life that were positive roles in who I am now. But there were those that were not so positive. And I don't like to dwell on the negative, but one of my goals with this blog is to help us all understand that what we do and say can have an effect, positive or negative, on so many. So I am writing about the negative to help understand how deeply it can effect us, especially children.

When I was little I learned something very quick. Girls can be mean! And if you aren't a mean girl than you are the one that the mean girls are being mean to. It's so not cool. I had this one girl who was just mean and unkind to me for years. There were other boys and girls off and on throughout my life that gave me a hard time, but this one girl really did some damage. I'm sure she had no idea how badly her actions and comments were effecting me. And I'm sure she has zero idea now that I have had self doubt and all that junk because of things that happened years and years ago. I'm not saying that she is the entire reason for my problems with low self esteem and all that. But I have thought about it and can't help but wonder how different my life would have been had I not had that person poking at my low self confidence for years. Would I have been able to believe in myself more? Have more self esteem to do those things I dreamed about? One of my dreams when I was younger was to sing. I loved singing! I still do! But along with my stage fright I was always so worried about others thinking that I thought I was so good and than being made fun of & teased. So I didn't do much to chase that dream or better my skills as a singer. Would I have done something with my love for music? I know I would have played the piano. I have this memory of this girl and her friend teasing me about how bad I was at the piano. I hadn't been playing for long and she went to the same teacher. After that I talked my mom into letting me quit piano cause I felt so stupid. I was just a little girl and couldn't handle being told by my classmates that I wasn't any good. And I believed her! I really wish I hadn't quit.

Ok... You might be thinking that I am being a cry baby and need to just let it go! (I totally sang that in my head BTW) And I totally agree with you! I do! And I've been working on it. It doesn't really effect my life negatively now.  I am over it. It does effect my life though. I want to share these memories and feelings because I want us all to understand how important it is to do all we can as parents to raise our children to be kind and caring to everyone! Can you imagine how amazing it would be if our children all cared for and were kind to one another?

So what can we do?!?! As a mama to my 7 yr old boy & 14 month old girly I have really tried to be more kindly in my actions. We teach by example! I know I haven't always been the best and I'm sure I've talked about someone or something unkindly in front of my kids. But I am pledging right here and right now to start raising my kids to know kindness and how important it is by being an example through the way I live my life. I will not judge, talk down, make fun or talk cruel to or about anyone in front of my children! I won't do it even without them around! I will do all I can to teach them that EVERY LIFE MATTERS! How about you? Will you join me in a pledge to teach our children to be kind be our examples?

It's possible to change things. All it takes is action. And we are capable of changing how unkind & cruel our world has become.

XOXO,

Katie