hello

Just wanted to say a quick hello and give out some recipes I tried this week.

This one I found on Pinterest (imagine that), very simple, and a great after school snack. And a way for me to use up some left over cornflakes.

Peanut Butter Cornflakes
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 1/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
4 cups cornflakes

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan and let it boil about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Add the cornflakes. Drop onto wax paper in spoonfuls and let it set. Once cool store in airtight container.

I also made some granola to top my morning yogurt. I've had this recipe for a while that a friend had given me. I like to change it up to add new flavors. But it is very simple.

Granola:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
5 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
1/2 cup instant dry milk
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
nuts, wheat germ, dried fruit, coconut (all optional)

In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, oil, honey, and oatmeal. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add raisins, dry milk, cinnamon, salt, and any optional ingredients. Mix well. Spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately.

I think the end of winter does that to me. Life, kids, family, work. All of it comes buzzing through my head at speeds I cannot control.

I've also been thinking a lot about this blog, what it means. Community, sharing our lives. I've had so many thoughts and ideas on how I want to think back to our every day moments. Our feelings, our motions. What I have had to decide is that I really have come to love this little corner of my mind. Looking back at older posts and having the ability to transport myself into the past a little. What we were doing, what are lives were then, how the kids are growing.

It's a gift that our own parents weren't able to experience. Not like we can today. Technology is a great and fearful thing. Some days I want to close shop. I want to put curtains over the windows. I want our world to ourselves.

Then after reflecting and many conversations with myself (no I haven't checked into a psych ward yet), I have found that the gift is within the everyday moments. It's when my 5 year old daughter sits down with me to learn to fold laundry (ah, finally!) or seeing my son get ready to play baseball. It's not in the grand productions. The big number. It's the day to day. And this blog represents that.

It is something that makes me happy. Something to share. We are all connected. I really do believe life's purpose is in that one statement. And I hope we all have that sense of community in our lives. We are still setting up our own here in our new surroundings. But it's coming.

So I post because I love to post. This blog brings a lot of smiles and memories that are our own. Thank you for reading. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to see what's going on in ours. I still think everyone should have a blog. A voice. We all have one, and we are all so very important. Like Katelynn said at the dinner table tonight, "our family, we do the right stuff." I think we all do the right stuff, by being present. Every day, in every way we are showing up.

Right now, I'm enjoying the right stuff.

Weekly phone dump:

I also want to say that we are thinking of a few families who are going through some recent health-related issues. Tony and Shelia, Gary and Denise...you and your families are in our thoughts and prayers this week.  

oh, guilt

I go through my day to day with a lot of guilt.

Not head in hand, can't do anything but focus on guilt-guilt. More like the nagging every time my mind has a rare moment of clarity-guilt; it comes pushing through like a crowd at a buy one get one free sale.

Look, we can get mommy guilt with wife guilt for free.

And look at all of the others well in stock...

Work guilt.
Need to lose weight guilt.
Need to get outside more guilt.
Seize the day guilt.
Seize the nap time guilt.
Do more dishes guilt.
Cleaner house guilt.
Laundry not started guilt.
Dinner not made from scratch guilt.
Play with your kids more guilt.
Call your friends more guilt.
Have I sent that birthday card guilt.
Read more books guilt.
Get through the Tivo guilt.

As you can see the list will go on until I let it all just stop. And that's a rare feat. Many times this just becomes an avalanche that blows in on my rare moment of clarity. I am then forced into a ball on the couch eating out of a bag of something and watching a rerun of Seinfeld. Nothing against Seinfeld-respect.

Ever think maybe we don't need all this day to day guilt? That life isn't meant to be like this. We aren't supposed to have this constant pressure to keep all balls up in the air. Our life would be so much more enjoyable if we could let go. The deals we keep making with ourselves to stay up long hours, cut corners on important things, over commit ourselves to the point that we have a booked calendar with no room to breathe.

I keep thinking that maybe I'll actually pick myself up after stumbling one of these times and learn my lesson.

Drop the guilt.

Free myself from all these mega crazy expectations. That's right, I said it.

I want to try living in the moment, and stop trying to anticipate the next 3 steps. Enjoy the here and now, not obsess over who or what I'm letting down.

It will all get done when it needs to. I may not be known for my punctuality on birthday cards, or having enough made from scratch meals. But I want to know at the end of the road somewhere I can look back and say, "hey, you did your best." Not "hey, you really had a stellar clean house."

As for as the relationship guilt. Being the best wife, mom, friend. I think those who know me best know of my unwavering love. And I will spend the rest of my journey making the most of every opportunity to show it.


"Guilt is the price we pay willingly for doing what we are going to do anyway."
-Isabelle Holland

If I could have a heart-to-heart with myself...

Things I wish I could have told myself 10 years ago.

This is a fun practice that you can do at any age...a timeless practice.

And I think it brings out some good hidden, raw advice.

Let me try it:

Act your age.
Don't lose yourself trying to find love.
Learn how to cook three good meals. Like from scratch.
Wash your clothes. Weekly.
It's okay to stray and not attend college right out of high school.
Take care of your body. It's not unbreakable.
Appreciate silence.
Dare to dream.
Brands and labels are just more stitching, and its not worth the debt.
Work hard. And when you think you're there, push yourself that extra mile.
Volunteer. Lend your hand and heart to those that need it more than you.
Travel.
Keystone Light is really not that good.
Invest your time in good friendships.
Nothing beats rolling with the windows down, and your favorite song on the radio.
This will be a lifelong addiction.
Smile. Life's not supposed to be all figured out yet. Ever.
Hug your grandparents a lot.
And your parents.
Get a puppy.
Pick up a camera.
When you're in a bind, two words: don't pawn.
As much as you swear off the 80s, they will come back.
And you will one day love the cheesy Molly Ringwald movies you once swore lifelong hatred to.
Your high school crush was an idiot and the sooner you let it go the better.
Go to more concerts.
That one time you...never mind, do it. You learned a good lesson there.
Be original.
There will be a day you're driving a minivan...drive that convertible like it's going out of style.
Because it will.
Don't accept other's definitions of who you are or who you want to be. Even those who you love.
You're the one holding the dictionary.
Start a collection. One that you'll be able to show off to your kids someday.
Pray.
You really can fall in love and meet your soul mate right out of high school.
And it will lead you to some of the best breathtaking moments in your life.
There's nothing wrong with your legs.
Or your hair.
Or your face.
It'll all get better.
Use sunscreen.
Tanning is for lack of a better word, stupid.
Start a savings account. A modest one is better than none.
Country music is not so bad. You'll start listening to it.
I know Dad, not a proud moment.
Stay grounded.
When life throws you curve balls at least you can say you swung.
Keep playing sports.
If you don't love it, don't do it.
I know those odd jobs you took seemed ridiculous at the time, but it beefed up your skills section.
And you learned how to count back change.
You're worth it.
And don't be afraid of the future.
It's going to be good...

keep dreaming

"Keep your dreams alive.
Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in 
yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication.
Remember all things are possible for those who believe."
-Gail Devers


Lately, I have been finding out the value of dreaming. Dream big. Dream little. Dream anything at all. Whatever the size they are, or however you dare, do it. Dream. Think outside of the box,  you don't always need to follow the yellow brick road.

Make them yours.

Ask yourself what you want out of life.

Is it waking up next the beach everyday? Grab a sleeping bag.
Start a new profession? Go back to school.
Sing in a band? Pick up a guitar.
vogliono imparare I'italiano? Find a tutor.
Build a dream house? Start digging.
Become an expert? Read, research, learn.

You are the master planner of your opportunities. Don't blame others, the economy, your circumstances. Don't make excuses. If you want it, go out and grab it. Or do anything and everything to grab it. Say for some awful and disappointing reason you fall short. Well hey, at least you can say that you tried. And you have a great story to tell.

No one else can do it for you.

All I know, is someday I am going to wake up old and gray, God willing, and I am going to smile at all I have done in my long life. All the wear I've put on my old bones. All the wrinkles I've etched into my tired face. But I will be satisfied, because I dreamed. And I wasn't afraid to make my dreams into tangible, beautiful, greatness.

What will you dream? Where will you go? Only you are author of that one delightful story.


Weekly phone dump:

"I'll do my dreaming with my eyes wide open,
and I'll do my looking back with my eyes closed."
-Tony Arata

be you

It's hard to believe it. I know I've been in denial. But superficial reins.

We're living in a world where looks get you places. Status can depend on your hourglass curves. If you have straight teeth. What designer label you wear.

Outward appearance is the factor in which people decide if you are worth their time.

Appearance.
The state, condition, manner, or style in which a person or object appears.


It's not the actual, instead what it looks like. That is what we base most of our opinions of people. How we perceive them, not how they actually are.

Very sad.

You know what I have to say to that?

Very simple. Be you.

You know that clumsy-spill everything when you wear white-trip over your feet with nothing in the road-drop all your papers at any time-you. Stand up, be proud. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about and that's not you, well get on with your suaveness then and leave us clumsy's to ourselves.

Be bold.

And don't judge others by outward appearance. Don't judge them by their inner appearance while we're at it...I'll save that for another conversation.

We all need to cut each other a little slack. We're not perfect and we don't live in a perfect world. We're human, and the beauty of that is we are all unique in our own special ways.

Life is a gift in that we get to figure ourselves out.

We get to learn to laugh at ourselves (which by the way we should do much more often than we do). We don't get to be so serious. Cut loose. Find out what makes you who you are. Do you like to dance in your living room with no one else around? Well, I do.

If you have 10 extra minutes what do you like to do?

Are you a leader or a follower?

Do you write or internal monologue?

Will you wear that bright pair of orange socks or the subtle beige?

Look at the mirror and straighten your shirt or make a goofy face?

All I'm saying is we have several opportunities to lighten up. And if you can't think of any, just crank up your iPod and practice some of those insane dance moves you've been bottling up. It'll all trickle out from there.

Put a smile on your face every day. We are in charge of our own attitude and outlook on life. It is what flows from our fingers to our toes and we get to decide how fast it pours out.

Be you, be proud.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."

-Dr. Seuss

keepin it positive

This is such a hard subject. I've always aspired to be a positive person. You know the "half full" glass drinker. We all tend to think we're fairly positive people. And we are, when things are going good, when all is how it should be. But who are we when things don't go our way? When trivial things come up in our everyday lives. We gain 5 pounds, don't meet budgets, kids throw tantrums, and the list goes on. Who do we become. Well, unless you are a perfect saint (and don't fool yourself), we all become negative in some form or another. The complaints start like a well-fed waterfall.

"I can't do anything right."

"Why do I bother."

"I'll eat what I want."

Trust me. I'm the biggest offender. I get so worked up that emotions run high. I over analyze every little detail. Things could not get any worse. Why must I endure such hardships? Am I on karma's hit list?

Have you ever noticed how the flow of negativity always gets more and more built up? I remember sitting in a psychology class...or was it anatomy...when I learned that negative thoughts and emotions will continue to build and build. That it becomes easier and easier to stay in that frame of mind. It's programmed in us. A gang that continues to initiate new members. New negative thoughts that get us into a frenzy.

Not only do negative thoughts make us become more cynical, condescending, not fun people to be around. But it also causes our body to get all out of sorts. Main point of the story: we do not do negative well.

Just like my work in progress speech, I'll continue to pursue positivity in my life.  It's going to take work, in some situations more than others. But I guess that's one of the great challenges we all have.

I have this new book called "Gratitude" and it is full of glorious blank pages. I don't know why, but I get more excited about blank books than ones filled with other people's thoughts and ideas. I guess it's because I'm a writer at heart. I love the opportunity to write your own story, dig deep into your own consciousness. We're all writers. We're all full of great thoughts and ideas. I'm challenging myself to write something I am grateful for, thankful for, or generally recognize as a wonderful positive thing every day in this book. Maybe more things if I can come up with them. All it takes is giving ourselves moments, however frequent we may allow, to look around and keep it positive.

And when we start feeling ourselves get into that negative frenzy, stop and think about it. What can we be thankful for at that exact moment? Stop the downward cycle with one positive thing. And trust me, it'll go up from there. If you have trouble, and for some reason can't think of one positive thing. Think this: you are alive. You are breathing, you are here. You have the opportunity that others may no longer have. To change it up, and walk a different path.

Things I am thankful for right now:

Saturday lazy day...family pajama and cartoon time.

Rain, and getting to go outside when it was finished.

Happy, energetic littles that we get to claim as our kids.

And so very much more as I sit here and write. I am thankful for the opportunity.

Yeah, I'm going to ride this wave.

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you,
till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer,
never give up then,
for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."
-Harriet Beecher Stowe

s-t-r-e-s-s

Life is hard sometimes.

Like sweat in your eye, hold in your breath, hard.

With the hard, it's very common to forget the easy.

Like laying next to the one you love. Breathing fresh air. Making choices, from what you wear to what you eat.

Life is full of the easy and the hard. Our challenge is to balance the two. C'mon how often have we heard that? No matter how much I've heard it, I seem to always need a reminder. See, I'm one of those natural high-strung people. I take at least two days at a time. Sometimes two months at a time-depending on my level of planning. I thrive when I hear challenge. Oh, what was that...a birthday party, college paper, kid's homework, and have dinner made all in a few hours. Why not? Let me see if I can beat my personal best time of cram-a-lam-thank-you...damn. And whatdya know-I burn out. That evening you'll see me crunched up on the couch with a bowl full of something high carb, high sugar, and if we're lucky smothered in chocolate. 

Stress.

I throw it around like a favorite blanket. Let's cover this in my super comfy, worn in blanket of stress. What does it hurt? You should have a little stress in your life to keep the wheel turning, right? It's healthy to have a little stress to keep us up when we want to come down. We have had stress as a motivating factor since the dark ages. Fight vs. flight anyone? Neither would exist without the central nervous system's special $2 cocktail...stress.

Well, something I've learned with time (ahem, age) our bodies don't really like stress. Don't get me wrong, it's handy when you actually need it. And studies show that a certain amount of stress helps motivate us to not just be a bunch of couch potatoes all of the time. Well, apparently we don't need any help with that lately, with the obese population rising. But our bodies reject chronic stress like it's a bad habit. Our blood pressure rises, we get constant headaches (even named "stress headache"), open ourselves up to heart disease, become more likely to get OCD and anxiety about every little thing. We can get ulcers, diabetes and increase our odds of getting cancer. Obviously our bodies don't dance with chronic stress very well. But so many of us have it as an underlying part of our every day.

What can we do? How can we battle this love-hate relationship with stress?

Start small.

Find pockets of time throughout your day when you can separate yourself from the everyday chaos and breathe. Listen to some uplifting music (I highly recommend the Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong station on Pandora) .

Improve your lifestyle. Eating healthier and getting regular physical activity gives your body the tools it needs to handle stress. Then you're not faced with having to sit on the couch recuperating with something saturated in carbs and sugar. Prevention is the best medicine.

Unplug yourself from the media. Stop tapping into every news source known to man. It's amazing to me how much is out there, and how many things take up space in our mind. Stop the 24 hour news channel on TV, or surfing the endless sea of websites-does it really count to be "up to the minute" on trivial things. Don't get me wrong, it's good to stay informed. But our society can drive us to take it to the extreme.

Don't be afraid to say no. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. For some reason we have this image ingrained in us that we have to stay busy and stay involved in everything. Don't sacrifice your precious time with commitments that don't really do anything for you. Your mental health and stress level is priority, not the PTA.  I'm not saying don't be involved in volunteering or taking on side projects here and there. Just know your limit, and don't be afraid to stand up for your sanity.

Keep it simple. Find ways to embrace the moment. Stop tallying up the invisible to do list. The laundry can wait. Get outside, take a walk. Pick up a toy, play with your kids. Dust off the old book, got lost in fictional worlds. Life doesn't have to be taken so seriously. Who's keeping score? Step out of the rush to get this day over with so you can move onto the next. Today is worth living, each minute more precious than the last.

Soak up the beauty that surrounds us...I took the photo below this morning after I got home from work. Fog filled the air, and everything thing was beautifully still. I stood there and embraced the moment. Challenge yourself every day, to take the time to stop, look, and listen. It's out there.  

Stress is highly overrated. It's not a badge of honor, or a medal we should show off. Keep the old worn blanket around when you need to warm your toes now and then. But try and find a way to keep it folded up in the closet.

You will thank you.


Playing catch up on the weekly phone dump:

welcome new year 2012

It's New Year's Eve, baby!

And I'm on call.

Yeah, pretty lucky, huh?

Actually, I feel pretty lucky on many levels. I have a happy, healthy family. Great husband. Great kids. Great friends. And plenty to feel happy about. So, here's a tea-cup cheers to a wonderful new year.

I know it's pretty cliche to make resolutions. But how can you not? Looking back on the past year makes me feel good, but also gives me hope for something more.

Sure I want to eat better (drop some holiday pounds-obviously should have wrote more health tips!), I'd like to exercise more. Get outside. Write more (insert-blog more). Take more pictures. Read more (see Mark's latest post). Get more organized. Breathe. Take advantage of time "off".

Obviously, there's a lot that I'm wanting to accomplish. It may seem like a pretty big list. But I feel like I am always a "work in progress".

So, why not keep progressing? We may put a lot of stock in new year's resolutions. But we can keep working on them throughout the entire year. Not just the first few weeks (or months, if we're diligent).

Here's to 2012.

May you find me healthier, even happier, and a work in progress. I'm not perfect. None of us are.
May you find me forgiving. Sometimes forgetting the things I need not hold on to.
Find me to offer a helping hand. Scratch that. A non-judgmental helping hand.
Find me curious, always asking questions.
Find me a giver. Putting myself after others.
At the same time may you find me breathing.
Taking it all in, one breath at a time.
Not getting caught up in the day to day. But instead, the moment to moment.
May you find me rocking out. Listening to music, shaking my head, and tapping my feet. Anywhere. Anytime.
Find me soaking up the sun. Making any excuse to get outside, a reason to get into nature.
Because that is where we belong.
May I not be bound by excess. But live simply, within my means.
Find me putting pen to paper, click to shutter.
Documenting these precious and ordinary moments that make life what it is: grand.
Find me kinder, gentler. To myself. Appreciative of who I am, and what I offer.
Fast to compliment, slow to criticize.
Find me a learner. My mind a sponge. Whenever, wherever.
May you find me fearless. Embracing challenges, and not backing down.
Find me content.
I'm not asking to be happy-go-lucky, dripping with fulfillment all hours of the day.
Just content.

Resolve to be who you want to be, and continue to become.
Resolve to live. And most importantly, celebrate.
Here's to a wonderful 2012!

challenge: Day 30

Self portrait.

Well this is it. We're at the end of this 30 day challenge. And it's kind of bittersweet for me. I've really come to like this frequent posting. Well, maybe not as frequent as every day. But something I have learned is that you should always have your camera handy, because you really never know what moment you're going to capture. And every moment in life has that potential.

I'd love to stay and reflect more, but I'm actually on my way out the door for another night at the hospital. RN style. I will say this 30 day photo challenge has definitely opened my mind to other 30 day challenges that would be good for one's inspirational soul. So, we shall see what lays ahead. Goodnight all!

"Last" Quote of the day:
"People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
-Abraham Lincoln

challenge: Day 29

Black and white.

This necklace has a history. I bought it on one of the trips to Athens. When Mark and I would drive the long 16 hour trip, trading places at the wheel. When we would finally get to our destination we would be exhausted. Beyond exhausted. It would usually take us a day to recover. But when we were able to, we would get out and about. The funny thing is, when we came here to visit, the conditions were perfect. The weather would be glorious. The people kind and helpful. All good experiences that eventually led to our move here. One day when we were strolling the streets of downtown, and going in and out of the one-of-a-kind shops that lined the streets, I stepped into a local jewelry shop. I loved everything about this shop. Every piece of jewelry made by local artists...the man sitting behind the counter that told stories of the little town that captivated our hearts. I bought this necklace at that quaint little shop. The three pearls in a nest symbolizing the three most important people in my world. I wore this necklace all through the rest of nursing school. It was a way to connect back to Athens. To restore hope when I felt overwhelmed with the task ahead. It worked. And it's held a special place in my heart ever since. 

Quote of the day:

"We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude."

-Charles R. Swindoll

challenge: Day 21

Faceless self-portrait.

Don't you just love those days where you have nowhere to go, nothing to do. You stay in bed a little longer, sip your coffee a little slower, take your time to greet the world. Today is one of those days, and I couldn't be more happy to have the chance to start the day in slow motion. The kids are content watching Saturday morning cartoons, the husband is gearing up for football watching college gameday. And I am here reflecting on the week, the time we spent with family last weekend in Kansas City. When you move halfway across the country, you really appreciate those moments you get to spend with family that are so far away. When you can't call them up for a random dinner date, or trip to the zoo, you start to really cherish the time that you do get to spend with them. Even if it's only for a quick weekend trip.

This week was a lesson in attitude for me. Life can really get you down sometimes. The everyday chaos that can surround work, school, and everything else. A good, honest, long phone conversation with one of my favorite people helped bring attitude to the forefront. Life doesn't always go our way. Actually, more often than not, it really doesn't go our way. But it's all about your outlook, what you make of a situation, that makes a difference in your happiness. So, I am going to put more concentrated effort to make the best of every situation. The bad can always get better, and the good can always get greater.

What's on the agenda this weekend? Shopping in my favorite neighboring town, Greensboro, with my favorite little girl. The K-State vs Oklahoma game of course, (and Georgia vs Florida game). Then tomorrow we're taking a drive up to the northeast Georgia mountains to look at the beautiful fall colors that are gracing the trees up there right now. Yes, it will be a very good weekend.


Quote of the day:
"If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be."
-John Heywood

challenge: Day 9

Someone you love.

Let me tell ya a story about a boy and a girl who met in an unlikely place some 10 years ago. Love, marriage, carriage, you know the story. Well there's something they don't tell you in the fairy tales. That everyday you will wake up and love them even more than the day before. The strength you have with each other far outshines anything you had by yourself. And my favorite...teamwork makes the dream work.

So here's to someone I love. My soul mate.

Love you.

Quote of the day:
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
-Aristotle

And speaking of love!
Congrats to Lisa and Ryan who will be getting married this week! We wish you both great happiness, and cannot wait to hug you both :) 

rutting it

By the way, yes rutting is a word. And not only is it a word, but it means several things. Weird things. But the meaning that I am putting it to use is of the context "I feel like I am in a rut." So, for my purposes, I'm rutting it.

Though I have been diligently posting on a weekly basis, better than I had in the past, I still feel like I am in a creative rut. This is not good. See, I am the type of person that does best with a dabble of creativity present in at least one area of my life. Lately, this has been slacking with finishing school, the move, getting a new job...yadda yadda yadda.

Announcement time: I am taking a challenge. A 30 day photography challenge. I have a set of guidelines that I downloaded off some site to help me take pictures out of my usual comfort zone (i.e. the kids, outings). This will hopefully give me some kind of insight or direction at the end of my challenge. If not, at least you get to see some pictures of whatever it is that I can shoot that day. Don't worry, I will still be faithful about posting pictures of the kids and family weekend-type things. But hey, we all have to step outside of the box every now and then, if not to realize that we were residing in a box to begin with.

So, I will start with Day 1.

Self Portrait.

Weekend outing...

We decided to venture into the big city.

Atlanta has a lot to offer. But mostly we go seeking this beauty.

With aisles and aisles of this.

We also slowed things down to have our traditional Sunday breakfast for dinner at one of our favorite spots.

Gotta start the week off right, right?

Hope ya'll have a great week!

Will be back shortly with my 30 day challenge...

be still

I tend to be a busy body.

Not by choice, by the way.

Okay, so it's a little by choice. I mean I'd be lying if I didn't say I take joy in signing up for extras. Moving to a new place definitely opened up all kinds of possibilities. But it did something else. It cleared the slate.

So, while looking at this open slate (otherwise known as an open google calendar), I started getting ancy. You need to fill it, I nervously told myself. There needs to be a meeting there and a practice here. I began researching on local activities for the kids. Then on to myself. What about getting into projects? How can I get this calendar more "full"?

What I didn't realize is that you don't have to fill it full of extras. Focus on the essentials.

Just be.

Have some girl time with your little one.

Paint your fingernails the shimmery shade of glitter with her, and hold them in the sunlight.

Cook a meal. And slow down the burner so it simmers slowly. Enjoy what you are creating to go into those precious tummies.

Take a day trip somewhere fun.

Be silly. Be that parent that makes your kids laugh. Or at least yourself laugh.

Slow down. Order a shake and sip it without giving yourself a headache.

Teach your kids that life is meant to be enjoyed while taking your time.

No agenda. No full calendar is needed. Look at those empty squares and leave them that way. Instead of hurrying to fill them. Really look them over if they are full, and ask yourself if those tasks are worthy of taking up your precious time. If they don't, then do your best to either eliminate them or dwindle them down to take up as little time as possible.

Because your time is valuable. And not just anything can take away from this.

Be still, be quiet. And sit back to enjoy the sweet taste of time.

Happy Weekend All!!

i like originality

Staying up late watching the great movie of "Juno" brings me to several realizations.

I like individuality.

I like it when colors don't match.

Listening to music that isn't mainstream.

I like it when things are unexpected.

When personality comes in forms of phrases like: "he is the cheese to my macaroni."

I like finding the inner voice.

Not giving in to a quiet mind.


Moments like these are little treasures.
Keep them locked up and guard them.
Open them when you're being challenged.

When the world is calling your name.
Find out why you aren't someone else.
Why you are who you are.

Break the rules. 

Make your own.

Shine in your own light.

And if someone questions you, wants to know how you found your answers.

You'll know.

You didn't look them up from a book that was already written.

You wrote your own story. 

They are your words. 

Pages with your lines. 

Be proud.

Always make it you.