It is with mixed feelings that I post today. I have been informed that in ten days I will no longer have access to my blog format through the company that hosts my website. I have weighed my options moving my website completely or making the change to a different form of media through this host. 

I have decided that at this stage of life, with the many transitions ahead, the natural course of action is to close Rey of Gratitude. I have not hosted my workshops in a while and I have only been blogging once a week. It seems the Universe has been steering me in this gentle direction for a while now. 

It is the end of an era. I started this blog and this site on the tail end of an epic journey and major life changes I was going through. That was nearly ten years ago. It has been such a blessing and privilege to share my journey with you. I hope my efforts to put gratitude and positivity into the world has made some small ripple of light. I hope you will continue your own gratitude journey.

I am contemplating opening a new website, Rey to Thrive. It will be a blend of my coaching and massage practices. But I have no timeline for that yet and I have not decided if I will return with a blog. I will continue to have my Rey of Gratitude Facebook page if you are wanting to reach me. I will also still be available through email. I'm excited about the endless possibilities ahead and curious which way the journey will lead me next. 

I'm grateful for you, my readers. I'm grateful for the beautiful light each one of you puts into this world just by being here. I'm grateful for the last decade of sharing this space with you. I'm grateful for all the kind words I have heard from each of you. I'm grateful to see the natural path and not fight it. I'm grateful to see what adventure is in store for me next. I'm grateful to know that if it is meant to be, our paths will cross again. Love and light to all of you. And please keep asking yourself, "what am I grateful for today?" Shine your light!

As I look back at the busy schedule of the last two weeks and the busy weeks to come, I am so grateful I have refocused on my mindfulness practice. It is a key factor in allowing me to stay somewhat balanced in all these demands. 

We cruised through the holiday weekend with fireworks and family. We cruised through a very busy birthday weekend for my youngest. And the playdates, camps, and trips are back-to-back from here through August it seems. One thing is sure, we are making the absolute most of our time together this summer!

I'm so grateful for all the memories we're making. I'm grateful to be home most days with my girls to cherish this time. I'm grateful to be here witnessing how fast they grow. I'm grateful to try and find a balance between being safe amidst another pandemic surge and staying social and active. I'm grateful for little, planned nuggets of downtime to recenter and focus on the next adventures. 

How do you stay balanced? Do you meditate, take a daily walk, or just find a quiet place to sit? 

May today remind us that everyone has their own look to "balanced". May we do what we can to keep our own balance as we navigate this every shifting life. Have a beautiful day!

Hello! How are you? It has been a little while since I made a post. About two weeks ago my computer stopped working. I reluctantly took a break from blogging as I waited to hear from the techs. 

As with most things, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The weeks were filled with activities with the kids and having just one less thing on the daily list was a blessing. Instead, I used that time to jumpstart my meditation practice again. I gave myself time to tune into my body and really reconnect and be mindful. It was such a beautiful blessing!

In all honesty I am not sure how often I will continue to blog. I love sharing positive messages with whoever wants some extra beauty in their life. But I also found a beautiful balance in taking time for myself. Rather than making a commitment to it a certain number of times a week, I plan to listen to my heart and body on when to share. 

I'm so grateful for the change of course a simple computer malfunction gifted me. I'm grateful to see how much time I was spending online that wasn't necessary. I'm grateful to be back to share a positive message. I'm grateful for the beautiful blessings that come in the strangest ways. I'm grateful to be reminded to trust and go with the flow. I'm grateful to have a computer again. I'm grateful to spend this summer with my beautiful souled daughters that are growing so fast. I'm grateful to commit to tuning back in and being more mindful. 

How often do you meditate? Do you tune in during prayer or a different time during the day? When do you feel connected and in the moment? 

May today bring us back to ourselves. May we see the static in the world as a challenge to love deeper and may we start by caring for our own souls. Have a beautiful day!

Life is a cycle right? Or a series of cycles anyway. There are times of growth and moving forward, times of rest, and around it goes. 

It also feels like mood is a wavelength. There are the regular ups and downs but then there are the jagged, more angry times like WWWW, or the glum times where the ups and downs seem inequal and stretched out. There are the nice swooping times where I feel in sync with what's happening around me. 

The thing is, right now all these things seem off. The energy of the whole country just feels...derailed. Respect seems hard to find and listening to each other's perspectives seems to be too much to ask. It feels like static everywhere. 

At a parade this weekend, with my mom and children, we watched as Mom's Against Gun Violence marched down the street with posters calling to end the violence and protect the children. A man not far from us started yelling at them about taking away people's rights. One woman tried to pause and speak to him, assuring his she was a gun owner and they simply wanted to help end violence not take away guns from legitimate owners. He began using expletives and she went on marching, letting his rant run its course on deaf ears.

As a mom of two small children I appreciated her de-escalation. I had to shake my head at when it became okay to scream and rant at people in the middle of a family event. But as we continued to watch the parade several candidates marched, shouting their beliefs for all to hear. I understand being in the parade and handing out flyers to get your face and name recognized. But I do not appreciate the questions I have to field from my five year old on why they are so angry and scary and what does he mean people are destroying our country. 

Parades are for children. They have enough on their plate coming through a pandemic, riots, and mass shootings of the last few years. Let them be kids. Let them enjoy a simple parade. Speak to the parents and make your political views known later. 

Now this may seem like exactly what I said, not wanting to hear a different perspective. Far from it. In my family we have a wide range of views and beliefs and we openly share...when it is appropriate. There is a time and place. Just like there is a time and place for using a gun and it is not in the midst of a mass of innocent people. 

I'm tired. I have battled my own anxieties and depression waves through my lifetime. This static, this disrespect and upheaval feels the heaviest. It feels like it has permeated my body and it is hard to kick all the other energies out. Perhaps that is why I have thrown myself more into activities with my kids and even returned to therapy rather than sitting here writing a blog. 

If you are feeling this weight too, know you are not alone. But the best thing we can do right now is to take care of our own mental health. We can focus on respect. We can set boundaries. We can take the time we need and focus on something that brings us joy. We cannot fix everyone out there. But enough of us fix the person inside us, the more ripple we make in healing the wavelength and returning to a more peaceful cycle.

​I'm grateful to just observe. I'm grateful to see the static and try to clear. I'm grateful to try to find balance between listening and drawing clear boundaries. I'm grateful to be there for those who are struggling. I'm grateful for all those have been helping me as well. 

What are you grateful for? What struggles can you lay down? Where can you release anger and find healing? How can you help move us all forward?

​May we keep moving forward in peace. May we hear the pain without embodying it and may we nourish ourselves so we may be the rock for those who need us. Have a beautiful day!

It is hard to believe that we are already on our third week of summer break with the kids. It is going fast!

I'm trying to keep a balance of days we have activities and days we just relax. It can be a tricky balance when there are so many fun activities to do.

This week was the beginning of weekly swim lessons. Making time for playdates is a must. Later this summer there will be camps added in too. But I have also carved out time to just sit and read with them. I even went out for a ladies' night with friends, an overdue adventure! 

Balance is so important. The activities and spending time with my kids is helping balance a different aspect of my life as well. It is helping bring balance to this new phase as I prepare to let go of the baby stage and all the material items that went with it. As I clean out the closets and prepare for a huge garage sale of baby stuff, I am surprised at the struggle I feel internally. I also know this next stage of a little more independence will be beautiful.

Even the weather seems to be finding its way to balance as it goes back and forth from cool torrential downpours to sunny and hot. It is a season of change. Everything is being drawn forward into the next stage of the cycle. I'm glad to be seeing so many blessings along the way.

I'm grateful for a new stage. I'm grateful to see more space cleared out in the closets. I'm grateful to be making peace with letting go of the material reminders of my children's first years. I'm grateful to be seeking balance in everything. I'm grateful to see even the weather is working on it- I'm not alone. I'm grateful to spend more time with my kids and let go of some of the other "balls" that are being dropped.

What connection do you see between your own stage of life and nature? What balance are you seeking?

May today remind us it is all a process. May we take a deep breath and just trust. Have a beautiful day!

Somehow in my mind I thought time would slow a little for Summer break. If anything, it seems to be going faster. We've soared through another week! 

My husband and I celebrated another anniversary. The kids had more adventures and playdates. We've packed as many lunches as we've had at home, if not more. We haven't even started camps yet. 

Time just flies by. Maybe it is because I'm having so much fun. Maybe it flies by because things truly are more fast paced than when I was growing up. Either way it is nice to pause and just soak up these moments. 

I'm grateful to spend so much time with my kids. I'm grateful for the fun summer activities that are abundant here. I'm grateful to have a whole weekend with just my husband to celebrate another year together. I'm grateful for wonderful food and good conversation. I'm grateful to let the kids choose today if we went out for an adventure or just played at home. I'm grateful for their adventurous spirit. I'm grateful to know there will be some days to rest soon too. I'm grateful to take time to just enjoy this stage of life.

How is your month going? What do you want to do this Summer? How much time will you give to rest and how much to adventure?

May we find our own perfect balance. May we cherish these moments, even as they fly by. Have a beautiful day!

Wow! I think a whole week has gone by in the blink of an eye. We have been kicking off summer with plenty of activities. 

All weekend we got to do fun activities at home as we quarantined from a covid exposure. We filled the kiddie pool and spent a lot of time outdoors. It wasn't what we had planned for the weekend and we were disappointed to miss my niece's graduation but we made the most of it.

Monday brought negative covid tests and the end of quarantine so we were off to explore! We enjoyed the petting farm and swim lessons. Then Tuesday was more, fun seeing my best friend from out of town. 

Today we decided to kick back again and just relax. In fact, my kids haven't even got dressed yet. It is definitely summer break!

I'm so grateful to have some quiet time as a family. I'm grateful to see pictures from my niece's celebration. I'm grateful to get negative covid test results. I'm grateful to get out and explore. I'm so grateful to have spent yesterday with my friend. I'm grateful for my kids' ability to have a little independence so my friend and I could talk. I'm grateful to have a laid back ay today as we gear up for more fun later this week. I'm grateful for a special anniversary to celebrate with my husband on Friday. I'm grateful for concert tickets and other fun plans. I'm grateful for wonderful parents who are willing to babysit to accommodate us celebrating. I'm grateful for this beautiful life.

What are you looking forward to this summer? What are you grateful for today?

May we find our best balance in living life. May we find simple joys each day. Have a beautiful day!

Whew! Give the Universe a place you want to grow and the challenges come raining in. Remember how I said yesterday that I was working on tone? Well there have been plenty of opportunities to manage my tone...and my temper in the last forty-eight hours. 

Part of me wants to throw my hands in the air and say, "never mind, let's work on something else!" I would much rather give a certain company a piece of my mind. I want to rant and rage. But that would solve nothing. It doesn't change what's already done. 

The world is full of injustices. In the scope of the world this is a minor first world problem, even if to our family it meant so much. So we dust ourselves off and do our best to find solutions. It's part of our family motto after all, focusing on solutions. 

I'm grateful for my husband's level head. I'm grateful for my brother-in-law's efforts to help. I'm grateful to recognize there are much worse problems to have. I'm grateful to do my best to find solutions. I'm grateful for my daughter's song about taking a breath in and letting it out slow. I'm grateful she is learning some of these great techniques at such a young age. I'm grateful to accept my feelings as one hundred percent valid. I'm grateful to keep checking my tone and keep trying to see the beauty around me. I'm grateful for the sunshine and time outside.

What makes you feel like raging and ranting? What are your favorite ways to reframe?

May today give us perspective. May we be willing to accept the opportunities for growth that come our way. And may we sleep well at night knowing we have done our best. Have a beautiful day!

This weekend was Mother's Day. It was a beautiful weekend of spending time with my littles and getting to see my mom. I wish we could have seen my mother-in-law too but at least we got to have a good chat on the phone. 

Mother's Day is so nice. As moms we don't do what we do for the recognition or glory. We do it because we love our children and want what is best for them. But receiving a little thanks and attention is always appreciated too!

I'm so grateful to get to doll my daughter up for her first Daddy Daughter Dance. I'm grateful to have a little date evening with my youngest while they were gone. I'm grateful for the shift in weather that brought warmer temperatures. I'm grateful for my mom and mother-in-law and all the love and support they provide. I'm grateful to have beautiful, amazing moms to look up to. I'm grateful for all the mamas out there and all their hard work. I'm grateful for my beautiful daughters that made me a mama, my dream come true!

How do you celebrate Mother's Day? What special women in your life deserve a little extra recognition this week?

May we cherish the moms of the world who are all trying their best. May every child know they are loved. Have a beautiful day!