Today is Halloween, one of my favorite holidays! I love the playfulness of dressing up as something else. I enjoy seeing what everyone chooses and how creative people get. And I love coordinating with my husband, and now daughter, as we come up with a family theme. This year we are Alice in Wonderland theme.

I love all the fall festivities around this holiday like carving or painting pumpkins. I love the events that are put on by churches and cities as people come together with their kids to enjoy bouncy houses and outdoor games. I don't even mind going out in the cold weather for the festivities.

I'm grateful to connect with my child-self this time of year as I plan a costume. I'm grateful for the giddy feeling I get as we set our Halloween night plans. I'm grateful to be reliving the fun of my childhood through my daughter as we prepare to take her trick or treating tonight. I'm grateful for how well my daughter has picked up the terms of the holiday and I'm grateful for her little voice ringing out as she points out ghosts and owls and calls "trick or treat" though it takes a well trained ear to understand. I'm so grateful my husband willingly dresses up each year to make me happy. I'm grateful for all the people who help make this holiday a safe, fun event for children of all ages. And I'm grateful to embrace the playfulness and celebrate today.

If you could dress up as anything, what would you choose? How can you reconnect with your child-self today?

May today be full of child-like joy and safe, happy hauntings. Have a beautiful day!

Yesterday my daughter went to her first Trunk or Treat. She did marched around, zigzagging through the parking lot with a purpose. We even got her to say "trick or treat" a few times, though at this age it sounds a bit more like "tip teat" and the excitement was distracting.

The funniest part was that at eat trunk she would put in the candy in her hand to pick up the next treat. It was Trick or TRADE for her. We all got a good laugh.

As I thought about it later I wondered, what if we all had that attitude. If my hand is full and someone is offering more, whose hand is empty that I can fill? If I am taking, what can I be giving? 

Sometimes the lesson is to receive. In fact that lesson can be difficult at times. But an equally important lesson in life is when to give back. Today I vow to go through my home and find some more things to donate. We have a small pile but I know there is plenty more we are not using. And what better way to embrace this reminder than starting today with a task already at hand.

I'm grateful for all I learn from my daughter. I'm grateful for the funny things she does. I'm grateful for her social personality that brings a smile to so many faces as we are out and about. I'm grateful for all the smiles she brings me. And I'm so grateful to be the one lucky enough to be her mom. Today I am grateful for the lesson of trick or trading and I'm grateful to put that lesson into practice.

What can you trade? What can you give? And what do you want to receive?

May today bring balance to our lives as we give and receive. May we grow into the loving society we were designed to be by simple practices like this. Have a beautiful day!

After a night of listening to my baby cry for the better part of two hours because she wanted to nurse more than I now produce and then spending the first hour of the morning listening to my dog whine and bark because she feels she isn't getting the attention and service she deserves immediately I am nearing my breaking point. I recognize it as I feel the frustration build and the self-doubt creep in. 

I am a good mom, I reassure myself even if neither of the littles agree right now. Time to switch everyone's focus and try to find some humor; put some "happy" back in our morning. Luckily I found just the thing in the recesses of the cabinet yesterday afternoon as I searched for the pumpkin carving supplies. It is an egg ring that turns ordinary eggs into an owl! And luckily I have a daughter that loves owls as much as I do right now.

I'm grateful to have found this owl egg ring yesterday. I'm grateful to recognize my limits and change direction. I'm grateful for the "whoo"-mor and laughs my daughter got out of owl shaped eggs. I'm grateful she ate nearly one and a half eggs so that her hunger will be satiated for a bit. I'm grateful to hear her happily walking through the house calling "whoo whoo". I'm grateful to have finally met all the dog's immediate needs as well so she can go lie down and give me a break. I'm grateful to give myself credit for being human and vulnerable and accepting that my best is enough.

What pushes you to your limits? How do you back up and find humor? 

May today remind us to pat ourselves on the back for doing our best. May we remember we are human and know that that is still good enough. And may we find a little humor as we walk through our day. Have a beautiful day!

I know many of my friends are cringing right now. Cutting sugar out of the diet has so many health benefits. But when Panera offers me a free Cinnamon Crunch Scone for my birthday, there is no way this girl is turning it down. There is just something magical about the combination of cinnamon and sugar.

After being up all night...again, with my little one I know what my body needs is protein. And I will gladly make eggs for breakfast once the baby wakes. For now, as I sit in the kitchen with a little bit of solo quiet time, I indulge.

I'm grateful for the delicious taste of cinnamon and sugar. I'm grateful for the person who came up with cinnamon scones. I'm grateful for Panera and the delicious food they offer that I can feel good about eating. I'm grateful to indulge in this sweet treat. And I'm grateful that it is large enough for me to indulge in on multiple occasions before it is gone. I am also grateful for snickerdoodle cookies, though I haven't had one in a long time. I'm grateful for the fun name as well as the sweet, cinnamon treat itself. And I'm grateful to identify with the symbolism in the treats I love as I practice being a little sweet and a little spice as I navigate this life.

What is your favorite indulgent treat? Does it reflect your personality or just your taste buds?

May today remind us to live life with no regrets. May we consciously choose our vices and be flexible in changing them down the road. Have a beautiful day!

Today is International Artists Day. I love art. I am not a famous artist and I wouldn't even say I have refined taste in art. Yet I love to create it! I love editing my photos in creative ways or putting paint to canvas. I love crafts too. 

This morning I was thinking how I haven't had as much time for art lately. Then I realized that was a very limited perspective on art. I may not pull out my paints as often; that requires quite a commitment with a one year old running around, but I create in other ways. I create stories for my daughter of what her stuffed animals are thinking. I create toys out of recycled containers so we can have a band. And I create my day in fun ways.

That's right, I think we are all artists in some way. Even if it is just to create our reality and our day in the way we choose, we create. We are creative by nature. It doesn't require paints or pastels. It doesn't require a camera or even glue. It simply requires us to be present in our life and which direction we'll take it. Being an artist doesn't require something tangible to sell and making money is definitely not a pre-requisite. So how will you apply your art to your life today?

I'm grateful to have a creative personality. I'm grateful for little arts and crafts projects for and with my daughter. I'm grateful for my art supplies even if I do not use them as much as I would like. I'm grateful to create in my mind as I weave stories both simple and complex for my daughter. I'm grateful for my imagination and for the ways I already see my daughter's imagination coming out. I'm grateful to know that aside from the traditional sense of the word I am an artist in life. I'm grateful to weave my story in beautiful ways and know that the plot twists will add to the adventure. 

What story are you weaving? What is the current chapter of your life titled?

​May today remind us of our creative power. May we write the story we wish to live and celebrate the art of simply living life. Have a beautiful day!

I used to think that one measure of my success was having my "ducks in a row". I had a schedule for when I woke, meditated, did yoga, etc. It was planned out and while each day was different because of my job, it was still scheduled.

These days my schedule seems dictated by a two foot tall mini-me. I wake when she calls and go to bed shortly after putting her to sleep. I do my best to keep a schedule for her naps and if I'm lucky I can get in a couple yoga stretches or a quick meditation while she's down. Sometimes I can even convince myself this is what having things in a row looks like as a parent.

Other days feel like chaos as I debate if I should wake her so she can have a nap before swim lessons or the opposite, wondering how long to let her fuss in her crib because my body says it is way too early to be up. I come downstairs to a living room scattered with puzzle pieces, books, and toys, with a sink full of dirty dishes. I type one sentence of my blog at a time in between fielding requests from a still tired one year old. There is nothing neat or in a row about this life.

More and more as a parent I am noticing the latter. Life as a parent is messy. Even when things are in a row, those rows come with fingerprints and a new set of priorities that say, "who cares if the bed got made." Instead of being in a row like someone with OCD, it is in a row like someone who has a few glasses of wine. 

As my daughter runs over for the twentieth time in ten minutes to ask to get up on my lap and show me a letter she found, I have to admit I like the wine row better. My life may have been organized before but it was missing a piece. And this little human with the destruction power of a tornado and a heart twice as big of pure gold is a whole different kind of success and well worth the mess.

I'm grateful to observe the changes my life has undergone. I'm grateful for the vineyard both as symbolism and as a source of wine. I'm grateful to know I am doing my best for my daughter and I'm grateful to know that is the only measurement of success there is in parenting. I'm grateful for all my daughter has brought to my life, yes, the love and the chaos. I'm grateful for the days I have my "ducks in a row" and equally grateful for the days I don't because my gosling took a left turn back at baby gate junction. And for that matter, I am so grateful for baby gates! Haha! I'm grateful. I'm grateful for this beautiful life that is nothing like I imagined but so much more. And on that note, I must go help my daughter as she got her tricycle stuck in the kitchen...something the "ducks in a row" pre-mama baby never would have said but I say now with humor and gratitude.

What in your life is "in a row"? What in your life is not? Which things are you most grateful for today?

May today remind us to laugh off the hiccups in the plan. May we do our best and celebrate that as our success. Have a beautiful day!

Friday was my birthday but the whole weekend was full of celebrations. I think birthdays should be fully celebrated as one year of life ends and I have the beautiful blessing of another year ahead. 

The festivities this weekend included the Deanna Rose Petting Farm and a local festival called The Maple Leaf Festival. The weekend also included lots of delicious food and meeting up with friends and family. It was wonderful!

On top of the great festivities, I was given gifts! I loved all the gifts I got this year but possibly the best was from my daughter. She slept in every morning of my three day weekend. It was wonderful!

Today it is the return of everyday life. Waking up way too early with my daughter and a day of chores and errands, followed by work. The year ahead will have many "average" days, possibly some rough ones, and lots of great days. There will be laughter and lots of family time. It will be full of gratitude because this year is a blessing.

I'm so grateful for a weekend of celebration. I'm grateful for everyone's time and attention and well wishes. I'm grateful for the outpouring of love and kindness I received. I'm grateful to look back at the last year and say it was a great year. I'm grateful for the year ahead and all the beauty and blessings to come. I'm grateful for all the average days that make the great days that much greater. I'm grateful for my amazing family. I'm grateful to get to pick several ways to celebrate and I'm grateful for everyone, including the weather's, cooperation. I'm grateful for all the love I feel. 

What were some blessings you experienced over the last year? What will you celebrate about the year ahead? 

May we all find joy in the gift of another year. May we celebrate the beauty in each day. Have a beautiful day!

Today is my birthday and I am overwhelmed with gratitude and love for this life! Even my daughter seems to have gotten the memo and she slept in this morning. I am looking forward to the day ahead but also want to pause and reflect on all the blessings in my life.

I'm grateful for this blessed and beautiful life! I'm grateful for my amazing family. I'm grateful to wake up to a phone full of texts and voicemails saying "happy birthday". I'm grateful for my wonderful husband who took today off so we could have a fun family day. I'm grateful for all he has done to help me build this beautiful life. And I'm grateful for his playful, generous, and intelligent personality. I'm grateful for my amazing, smart, happy daughter. I'm grateful she slept in today and woke in her cheerful mood as usual.

I'm grateful for my parents and all they have done and continue to do for me and my family. I'm grateful to get to see them so often. I'm grateful for my brother and sister-in-law who are so loving and teach me to find balance in work and fun. I'm grateful for my mother-in-law who is so generous and always welcome me with open arms. I'm grateful for all my friends that have become family over the years and for all my new friends that celebrate my transition into motherhood. And I'm grateful for my clients that are so sweet and generous and have become more like friends.

I'm grateful for my beautiful dog, Austin, who shares this birthday with me. I'm grateful for the thirteen of her fourteen years we have gotten to spend together. I'm grateful to have been chosen by her at the shelter that day and for all the love and warmth she has brought to my life. I'm grateful for her choice in fur-sisters. I'm grateful for Pippin and all the spunk and laughter she has brought to my life.

I'm grateful to look at my life and say that I truly am living the life I dreamed. I'm grateful to recognize that even the dream does not have to be picture perfect and I'm grateful to find even more beauty in the messy reality that is everything I ever wanted. I'm grateful to each of you who reads this blog and finds your own gratitude in life. I'm grateful for everyone who does their part to find the positive in this beautiful world.

What are you grateful for today? What inspires your gratitude this year?

May today be blessed and beautiful. May we find gratitude and abundance in each and every day. Have a beautiful day!

B is for baby. Baby decided her new routine is to get up at five in the morning. S is for snuggle and be held which is all baby wants at five in the morning.

M is for Mommy. This mommy is very tired. This mommy is tired of waking up so early just to sit and hold a baby that goes back to sleep. This mommy is testing out a different letter. C is for consequences.

A is for awake and this morning when the baby woke way too early, this mommy used the letter G. Good morning, baby. If Mommy is going to be up, so is baby. N is for no more using Mommy as a pillow. 

T is for tired. This mommy and baby are both very tired. H is for hope. The hope is baby will decide next time she would rather sleep than get up so early.

C is also for cycle because this all seems to be part of her cycle of sleeping well and then progressively waking more and more until we sit here way too early in the morning. 

E is for excited because I am excited for the next swing of the cycle when the baby starts sleeping well again. But for now, P is for play and let me say that at 5 a.m. playtime looks a little different.

G is for grateful. I am grateful to recognize this cycle that my daughter and I have fallen into. I'm grateful to observe so that I can stop this loop and get us both consistent, good sleep. I'm grateful to still be able to put on a happy face and play quietly with my daughter this early in the morning. I'm grateful for her love of letters and learning. I'm grateful for these times, even when exhausted, because it teaches us both so much.

What letters are creating your morning? What letters are you grateful for today?

May today bless us with humor. May we observe what needs to change and find a fun and loving solution. Have a beautiful day!