Yesterday's "Lets Say Thanks" blog made me think that maybe I should dedicate the Beauty Blog to Inner Beauty from now until Christmas. 

I'm going to give you some suggestions about how you can "give back" this holiday season in order to help you make your insides as beautiful as your exterior. 

Yesterday I suggested the "let's give thanks" program, which literally takes no effort at all. It is a simple click of the mouse.

Today, Im going to suggest something that takes a little more effort, but it just as meaningful and should make you feel just as good.

1. Give up that great parking spot.

When you're out doing your last minute shopping this Christmas Season and you are having a stand off for the second-from-the front spot outside the mall, let the elderly couple, or the woman with 3 kids have it and walk from the end of the parking lot.

Let me tell you a little story directly related to this very subject:

Last weekend a friend and I were leaving the mall. We are parked relatively far away, and we're carrying all of our bags when we hear a "beep" next to us. When I looked to see what the problem was the woman in the SUV was motioning for me to hurry up. It turns out that she wanted our parking space and we weren't getting to it fast enough for her. So much for Christmas cheer right? This totally changed my mood for the rest of the afternoon. As much as we wanted to get in the car and sit there until she drove away just for spite, we didn't. We decided to "Rise Above" and let her have it anyway.

I know you're in a hurry, and you're stressed out, and you have A MILLION things to do, but guess what? So does everyone else, and if people were a little bit more considerate of each other it might make for a much more pleasant experience for everyone.

It may not seem like much to you, but it might make their day.

2. Donate a Toy to a needy child.

You've all seen the collection boxes or been asked at the register of the toy store if you would like to donate a toy or money to a underprivileged child, and most of us just blow it off, for one reason or another. It's so easy to justify it, or to say you don't have the money, but as you're buying the 50th thing for the child in your life to open on Christmas morning think about the children who don't have anything to open.

Would you rather your child have the 10th star wars figurine or toy truck that he's not going to play with or the socks that match the slippers that go with the robe that match the jammies that you got her, or would you rather another child have at least one thing to open? 

I don't think most of us have any idea what a child would feel like if Santa didn't come to their house. I certainly know I don't! 

Be honest, there is at least one person on your christmas list that won't miss a $5 or $10 gift, and if they could give it up to make Christmas for a child, they probably would.

These are just 2 simple ways to make someone else's Christmas brighter and to make your insides just a little prettier, and it requires hardly any effort at all

I hope you choose to take my suggestions. I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy New Year

Thanks,

Bethany