treat yo' self

Before we go any further, it is extremely important that you watch the following 25 second video. I know that it is a lot to ask of you, since we aren't really video BFF's yet, but we will be. Just... just do it. Consider it backround information vital to the rest of the blog. And also laugh, because laughing is good for you. So saith me.

See! I told you it was funny!

It was a few months ago that this clip kept coming to mind. And why wouldn't it? Parks and Rec is hilarious, and I am oh so glad that it just keeps getting good ratings, because when I like a TV show it almost always means it is going to get cancelled. But not this time! At least not for now... hopefully I didn't just jinx it.

ANYWAY. Beside the point. Although not really. Just keep reading to find out.

The concept of Treat Yo' Self is something that my friend Alyson and I adopted almost immediately. We started saying it for anything and everything. 

Diet coke sounded good? TREAT YO SELF. 

Like a pair of earrings? TREAT YO SELF.

Feel like going to the craft store for no reason? TREAT YO SELF. 

Go to the movies and pay full price for the ticket AND popcorn? TREAT YO SELF.

Want to wear sweats to the store? Don't treat yo self. No. I am staunchly against this. After all, you should never leave the house unless you are prepared to meet an old enemy or a dashing stranger.

All of the treating, amazingly, didn't get out of hand. But we did realize that we had been finding ways to deny ourselves simple joys by not indulging little whims. We were responsible with our treating- if we couldn't afford a shopping spree, we obviously didn't go. But if we wanted a milkshake once a month and the only reason we weren't having it was because we didn't have a "real" reason to, well that was silly. So TREAT YO SELF became a part of our lives.

It was no surprise then when I was driving one day and I decided that the girls in our youth ministry needed a reminder of how much God loves them, and that the event should be called "TREAT YO SELF." So Alyson and I got to work on gathering donations for manicures, pedicures, cupcakes, friendship bracelets and all sorts of fun girl activities. Since we work with girls from middle school all the way through college, we wanted to keep it classy but fun. So we turned our gym into a spa and invited all the girls to come treat themselves to an afternoon of pampering. Here is what we ended up with.

The straws I made to go with the lemonade punch        Our box centerpieces for elevated cupcakes

All the girls while we were wrapping up                       The bracelets we made

It was a great success. Fun was had by all! And it was so simple. It doesn't look like much, and it is hard to completely transform a big space like that, but the girls got the message: God loves them, and they are valued by the people around them :-)

p.s. sidebar: I arrived at my parents house tonight to find that my little brother (he's not little... I guess. He is 13. But he will always be my little brother.) had gotten me this pillow. It is one of my new favorite things :-)

Happy weekend!