Blog : bettertogether

Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • March 20, 2020
  • Instagram

It doesn’t get more real than this. It doesn’t get more real than battling worry or silencing deafening, fearful thoughts. Or having chapped hands from over sanitizing because hubby still has to go to work & all you want is to protect your family from germs that could be carried too close to home. It’s REAL to wonder about your kids schooling or if you’ll have a job after all of this, to think about the impact this will have on those littles who need the stability and protection of a dependable, safe school where they can get an extra full belly or our elderly loved ones & immunosuppressed that need extra safe shelter from the outside world. It’s real to dread running to the store to find empty shelves. But you know what else is real? God is BIGGER. The vastness of His love covers this world & bridges hearts all across the globe to support to each other! Organizations that can provide meals for kids are being financially poured into, we have more time to BE with our families – to teach our kids & to protect them. Grocery stores have established hours just for the elderly to safely shop, we are choosing to protect our neighbors & those at higher risk by quarantining so we stop the spread. We are choosing each other in a world that so often chooses ourselves. There are far too many unanswered questions & too many opportunities to worry but if there’s one thing we can put our hope in, it’s God! He created us to heal. He’s redeeming, He fights for us against an enemy that comes to steal our peace, kill with a virus & destroy our economy. If you don’t have hope that God is greater, what do you hope in? He will keep fighting on our behalf but He calls you to fight the good fight of faith too, don’t carry fear onto IG or spread it along with the virus. Choose to speak hope, to believe in the good that the world is creating in the middle of chaos, to have faith that God is still good in a broken world. And when this is all over, keep choosing each other. .
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#choosekindness #hesgotthewholeworldinhishands #godsbigger #nofear #holdontohope #inthistogether #godisgood #speakhope #peace #standtogether #bettertogether #thistooshallpass #godisbigger #hope #hopeinjesus

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Photo taken at: Carlsbad, California

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • January 15, 2019
  • Instagram

Only a liar can make you feel isolated in a world full of people fighting the same battles as you. Depression, anxiety, divorce, miscarriage, grief, insecurity, self doubt, fear… we’ve ALL experienced something that’s left us broken. Every. Single. One of us. (Yeah, it’s gettin’ real up in here.) The catch is that most of the time we to choose shame and isolation from our brokenness over believing that it doesn’t define us or determine our future. A perfect Insta photo is lovely but it’s too easy to hide behind & we can’t maintain a life that appears beautiful when everything behind the scene is falling apart. It took me a long time to stop feeling shame for miscarrying 3 of my 6 babies. Who told me that was MY fault?! Who says you deserved to be abused? Who said you aren’t good enough to chase after that dream? Those are lies that too commonly take the place of our truths – that we are beautiful, we are desirable, we are strong, we’re fighters, we’re creative & fierce and capable! These truths & lies bleed into every area of our lives including how we dress & carry ourselves. Welcome to my WHY! I don’t believe that any woman should wear clothes that lie to her every single day & tell her she’s not worth looking good and feeling good. Clothes that make her feel unattractive & uninspired. Not when it’s something we can work on gaining control of. Clothes trigger our insecurities or they make us feel confident! Go through your clothes, don’t hold onto the things that keep you feeling uninspired. Save a little money & replace that item with something that makes you feel killer incredible! Even if it’s just one piece at a time, eventually your wardrobe can be a safer place for you. I want that for you with all of my heart!
Photo: @happyphotoco
#momlife #bettertogether #raiseyourvoice

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • June 24, 2018
  • Instagram

What if she could be saved BEFORE she enters a life of trafficking?! It is an honor to partner with @lovejusticeintl to bring awareness and opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people around the world! Did you know that 24-40 million people are in slavery around the world? That is absolutely horrific. LoveJusticeInternational steps in during the process of trafficking to rescue women BEFORE they’re tricked into a life of slavery. They have saved over 13,500 lives… YOU GUYS!! We have the chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus, even if that’s simply investing in & equipping people like LoveJustice to be able to continue to do their work! It costs a little over $100/month to save a life, to SAVE A LIFE! I am moved and shaken by this organization and hope you feel a tug in your heart to support them!
Why ‘Project Beautiful’?
“We believe every life is beautiful.
She is a child of God, and He knows her by name.
She is worth everything to Him.
She is not just a victim.
She is human. She is precious.
She deserves to be free.
Because every life is beautiful.”
?: @kelseyhettinga
#projectbeautiful #projectbeautifulpartner #maydayforjustice
#moderndayslavery #humanrights

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • June 19, 2018
  • Instagram

I’ve been so out of my groove, you guys! I mean in all honesty – I struggle like mad with the whole IG thing. Mostly because it can be such a time suck! I love that it’s such a great tool for building community & supporting people/things I believe in but I hate that it also really messes with people who come searching for validation on a platform that lacks so much real ness. Whatevs though, ya know!? I know… deep. ? Shout out to @clothandcabin for this gray shirt I’m totally obsessed with!
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#ootd #whatiwore #outfitideas #feminine #womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment #bettertogether #dreamer #doer #dreamchaser

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • May 3, 2018
  • Instagram

What happens in the quiet moments in your life? When you press pause on social media, when the tv goes dark and the only sound is your breathe, the only movement is your body in your cozy bed. I find myself in my most vulnerable form in those moments. When I reflect on my life – what I’ve suffered and accomplished, the areas in me I see growth and the areas I ache for freedom. When I let my heart wander through the opportunities I’ve been given to leave a simple reminder of Jesus’ love for someone who needed it & if I’ve been faithful in my calling to be His hands & His feet in this world. I know the quiet moments can be hard for so many people, anxieties sneak up so easy in the dark & quiet – A.W. Tozer said, ‘we need never to shout across the open spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thought.’ Even further, God doesn’t run when we have a dark thought, struggle or emotion…He simply remains. I crave the quiet, maybe because I’m a mother of 3 and quiet is so rare around here but maybe because instead of fearing the quiet, I’ve learned to embrace the chance to sit & be present with a God who challenges me to grow beyond the limits I’ve set for myself and embrace who He created me to be. (((Be still & know that I am God. Psalm 46:10.)))
? @kelseyhettinga

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • April 15, 2018
  • Instagram

You were designed to shine in your own shade of brilliant! Dig deep, find what stirs magic in your heart and start writing it all down. Don’t be afraid to dream, don’t be paralyzed by fear of being good enough. Believe that you were given dreams, hopes and desires by a God who has seen every step that will get you where you dream of going! By a God who opens the doors that illuminate the path ahead of you! The world can be an ugly, judgmental & unforgiving place – offer your splash of authenticity, creativity & grace to the world around you! Side by side we can influence the world by being who we were created to be! .
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#authentic #beyou #bettertogether #beauthentic #dream #dreamer #dreamchaser #entrepreneur #woman #creative #fashion #personalstylist #influencer #confidence #madewithpurpose #createdequal #dontbeafraid #grace #courage #brave #womensupportingwomen #shine #darling #thatsdarling

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Photo taken at: East Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • April 2, 2018
  • Instagram

Delaney. Oh how I love you, my girl. Lipstick and oranges, she does things right!
Here’s a little homage to raising daughters. They watch & learn from our every move as a mother & woman, they mimicking our body language and notice how we respond in moments of upset. They hear our quiet comments about our bodies or the fact that we can’t leave the house without make up on; although some days I intentionally choose to go without a painted face simply because I know she notices – there’s so much power in what they observe. I am so grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to raise this beautiful girl, to show her how to get her hands dirty & work hard but also how to slow down and value ourselves with the brightest pink nail polish & some dancing in the kitchen. I’ve done my best to show her how to respond in love but also that humility in acknowledging our shortcomings & offering apologizes when necessary is another form of beauty. She challenges me to be aware of my heart, she doesn’t even know that she pushes me to be reach farther and sprint after my dreams so that she know she can do the same. I commit myself to raising her to love Jesus & understand His grace, to be kind & accepting, silly and free spirited, strong & confident of who God made her to be & always know that I’m a safe place for her. Delaney has the most beautiful heart and I am so grateful she’s mine forever! .
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#daughter #daughters #mygirl #raisingstronggirls #grateful #mama #likemotherlikedaughter #family #lipstick #grandrapids #michigan #mompreneur #entrepreneur #strongwomen #bettertogether #fashion #kidsfashion #fashioninspo #darling #ruffles #oranges

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • March 26, 2018
  • Instagram

These three. I have never second guessed pressing pause on my career to give them all of my heart, I think that’s because I never let myself stop dreaming. That doesn’t mean I didn’t fight with thoughts of doubt – I definitely did. A lot of women feel like they lose their dreams when ‘mama’ becomes their title, understandably so! The demand to be present and available for them doesn’t leave much free time to invest in ourselves as women apart from being a mom. But can I just throw this out there… choosing to be a mom first in no way disqualifies you from chasing after your dreams! They might get a little dusty but they’ll still be there when you’re ready to pursue them! And for mom’s who need to work to provide, that doesn’t discount you as a mother! Finding the balance is HARD! I continue to see women show up, give it their everything in their careers and at home and seriously right now, y’all are BOSSES. I’m just really proud of so many of you for doing what you can to hold onto your dreams through the sacrifice of raising kids & when the time comes for YOU to shine, God honors the sacrifice and it doesn’t go unnoticed by those around you. I’ve become a pillar of strength in my kids eyes, a place of refuge & peace – someone I wasn’t familiar with before my kids helped me see that that’s part of who I am to my core. Raising those babes is a beautiful sacrifice! #proudmom #mompreneur ? @kelseyhettinga

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • March 20, 2018
  • Instagram

This little quote just keeps circling around my heart. Isn’t it so (unfortunately) normal for us to consider ourselves a mess instead of a work in progress or a story worth writing? Life can most definitely be messy & for some the messy chapters feel like the end of their story. My story has been full of love, pain & beauty. It has bursted with adventure and challenge & it’s a story of loss, hope and healing! My story is about a girl discovering the depth, width & constant love of Jesus! For the refugees that are rebuilding their life in a foreign place, the mothers who are raising babies on their own, or babies who have grown without a mother, the people who have suffered the loss of a loved one or have dealt with depression and heaviness – YOU ARE A STORY WORTH WRITING! •“If here is hope in the future, there is power in the present!”-Zig Ziglar •“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you hope & a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
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#bettertogether #real #hope #future #story #iamastory #worthy #encouragement #jesus #messy #life #lifeisajourney #zigziglar #fashionstylist #personalstylist #gr #grandrapids #michigan #michigrammer #insta #realtalk #quote #quoteoftheday

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Olivia Fitzpatrick

  • By Olivia Fitzpatrick
  • March 17, 2018
  • Instagram

Dear Mr. Sun,
Thank you for coming to visit and shining oh-so-vibrantly today!
So, this morning I went to a kickboxing class at 7:45am, I was still wiping sleep drool from my chin when I pulled up. So early. But! It was my first time & can I just say, I felt like such a BOSS. Seriously. The whole time I was taking to my punching bag, “my arms might be skinny, but fool you’re going down!!” It was an entirely different kind of satisfying than I had anticipated! I won’t be able to walk or lift my arms tomorrow but it was def worth it. After that I came home with a tray full tasty Starbucks drinks for my hair dresser (& lifelong friend), one of my closest gals & myself in preparation for a spring hair makeover in my kitchen! (Pics to follow someday, we all know I’m not the best at posting often…Is it bad that I don’t care?!) It’s been a really happy day and I’m a really happy girl. Also, any chance you noticed the incredibly fantastic top I’m wearing in this picture?! @clothandcabin Spring line gives me all the feels! So many good pieces for you to drool over, good luck only picking 7!! Happy Saturday!! .
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#fashionstylist #personastylist #personalshopper #wardrobe #wardrobestylist #stylist #lifestyle #lifestylephotography #oranges #happy #fashion #style #stylegram #dreamer #dreamchaser #darling #holland #grandrapids #gr #grmichigan #michigan #womensupportingwomen #beyourself #bettertogether #kickboxing #kickedmybutt

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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