Last night I came home from work feeling pretty stressed. My engine light had come on and with a little inspection the oil was low. I take good care of my car. I never miss a service and if it weren't against the rules of my warranty I'd just service it myself. What was going on?

After talking to my husband and the dealership it was agreed that I could simply top off the oil until my service in a few hundred miles. So my husband, being the sweetheart-white-knight that he is, ran out to pick me up some motor oil. 

This morning before taking the girls to school I opened up the hood to give her a drink. I was a little flustered because of the rush for time but then my daughter said something that made me pause. "WOW, Mom! I didn't know you were a real life mechanic! What is that? What does that do? What's that hole?" 

The pride and excitement in her voice over something so normal to me gave me pause. It brought me joy! I got to tell her how her Papa used to be a mechanic and how he had taught me everything I know. We explored some under the hood and talked about why the car needs oil. I couldn't help but love this beautiful moment between mother and daughter. 

When I got back from dropping her off at school my little one and I planted some daffodils. Daffodils always bring me such joy in the Spring. It was nice to dig in the dirt together. Again I found myself just in love with this beautiful, dirty moment with my other daughter. She asked questions and I explained why we have to cover the bulb with dirt and mulch and water it. Then we watched a large grasshopper as he wandered by. 

I may not be able to teach my girls the best way to put on eyeshadow as they get older. I can mostly manage my way through a french braid if they sit still for me. And it is a rare site for me to be in a dress. But stereotypes and meant to be broken. Women are more than just being dolled up. And for me a little motor oil and playing in the dirt is just about the best day I can picture for a regular Tuesday morning. 

I'm grateful to show my girls that girls can do anything. I'm grateful to pause and answer their questions. I'm so grateful to let the pride in my daughter's voice fill my heart. I'm grateful to teach and to learn every day. I'm grateful my car let me know something was wrong before any damage was done. I'm grateful for the smell of motor oil that brings back so many memories. I'm grateful to get my hands dirty. I'm grateful to know there will be new daffodils in the Spring. 

Where do you shine? What stereotypes do you break? When do you feel proud and happy?

May we break out of the box. May we quit building the stereotypes that need to be broken. And may we find joy and pride in doing what we love. Have a beautiful day!

This weekend was the beginning of my birthday celebrations as I spend time with my parents and siblings as well as a date night with my husband. My mom made one of my favorite lunches. My dad did a mini hayride for me and the kids. And everyone shared the dessert.

I love this time of year. I love all the Fall Festivals, pumpkins, hayrides, and bonfires. I love getting to be near my family so we can celebrate together. And the weather this weekend was perfect for sweatshirts in the morning and t-shirts in the afternoon.

I'm grateful my birthday falls at such a fun time of year. I'm grateful for all the celebrations in the Fall. I'm grateful to kick of birthday celebrations early with my wonderful family. I'm grateful to get a date night with my husband. I'm grateful for my dad's thoughtfulness in his little mini wagon rides. I'm grateful for all the effort my mom goes to to make everyone's favorite birthday foods. I'm grateful to be silly and celebrate with my kids. I'm grateful to be coming up on another birthday and another beautiful year to come.

What is your favorite Autumn activity? When was the last time you took a hayride or wandered through a pumpkin patch? How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

​May today be a celebration for all. May we find what we love and add it into our daily lives as much as possible. Have a beautiful day!

Grandmas are such amazing forces in a child's life. They can make you feel like the most important person in the world. They can sneak you treats that your parents would never let you have, or at least not in the bulk a grandma can provide. And hopefully, they are someone you can turn to if you need to talk something out that maybe you can't say to your mom.

There was a time when I was a Grandma's girl. When I was too shy to be the center of attention, she stood with me. We went camping. She made me the most personal homemade gifts. There were times that I would call her from college and ask her to tell me stories just so I could hear what it was like when she was my age. 

I will never forget the day she was pulled away so unexpectedly. But I will also never forget all the love she shared with me while she was here. Today is her birthday and no matter how many years pass, I will always remember. 

I watch my girls building this same beautiful bond with my mom. I watch her step into the role of grandma so beautifully and gracefully. I watch them camp and pretend not to see the extra treats that get slipped to them. It takes me back to that bond I had and I am so grateful they have that relationship too.

I'm grateful for all the beautiful moments I had with my grandma. I'm grateful to celebrate her today. I'm grateful my own daughters have two amazing grandmas. I'm grateful to watch my mom move into the grandma role and fulfill that dream of hers. I'm grateful for all the memories they are creating. I'm grateful to focus on the beauty and blessings today.

Did you have a relationship with your grandma? Did you have a person in your life that filled this role for you? 

May every child know the beauty of unconditional love. May we take the time to find someone who fills the grandma role for us and may we be that person for someone younger as well. Have a beautiful day!

This morning was another rainy, thunder-filled morning. While I absolutely love these kind of mornings, my girls were thinking it maybe wasn't their favorites. For my older daughter it meant darkness, indoor recess, and just wanting to have a movie day rather than go to school. For my little one it meant scary thunder and flashes outside the window and the sun was "missing". 

Some days need a little turn-around right at the beginning. I could tell that this may be one of those days. I told them how much I like rain but also how much I like rainy music. We put on some of our favorite dance tunes, starting with a little Eddie Rabbit, "I Love a Rainy Night". My little one decided she needed her rain boots on in the house to dance to rainy day music. Then my older daughter decided we should turn off the lights so the rain boots really stood out when they flashed and lit up. We had a blast dancing around to the light-up boots and tunes!

I love how just five to ten minutes of silliness and play can turn the day around. I'm grateful to have such a fun morning. I'm grateful to have woke a little early so we could have a few minutes in our schedule for this silliness. I'm grateful for the storm that inspired us. I'm grateful for Eddie Rabbit whose voice encouraged us. I'm grateful to have these beautiful moments with my girls. I'm grateful to watch the storm rolling out and the sun peeking through the clouds. I'm grateful to know the plants have had a good drink.

What do you do to turn your day around when it starts to go sideways? What is something fun and silly you enjoy? How can you build in time in your day for play?

May we connect to our child-like heart. May we take time to play and never stop dancing! Have a beautiful day!

I talk a lot about balance and being balanced. Lately that has not been the case and I've been feeling more resonance toward a different word, planted or even rooted. 

The act of balancing is continuous work. If one thing lands out of place the whole balance can be shifted and topple. Which is exactly how it felt like things were going last week. The balance was off and when I tried to compensate, it ended up feeling like I was toppling a different way. 

We did some yard work this weekend. Our yard has been mostly taken over by honeysuckle. We cleared a couple sections and my husband planted a few little trees in one of the areas. 

Besides it looking nice, it really felt good to get out and work in the dirt. As I worked to uproot the large weeds a new resonance started forming. Honeysuckle is neat in that it's roots are connected to many plants. It is very strong and stable. While this is not great for the plans we have for our yard, it gave me a good metaphor for what I was looking for in my life. It wasn't balance so much as to be planted with roots deep and connected. 

This is exactly what I found this weekend. I drew on my "root system", my family and friends. I focused on being grounded. I looked at the nurturing we were giving to our new baby trees and I gave myself nurturing too. I am growing my roots deeper and wider to regain that stable foundation that has seemed rocked lately. I have planted myself.

I'm grateful for a new visual. I'm grateful to have some baby trees to show me the way. I'm grateful to feel more steady again. I'm grateful for all the wonderful friends and family that I get to see each week. I'm grateful for last minute zoom calls to have a quick chat. I'm grateful for the wonderful wisdom shared from all around. I'm grateful to start at the ground and work my way up.

What words are resonating with you right now? Perhaps these words have been ones you have used for a while or maybe there are new words calling to you. What shifts are you feeling? What helps you get back to balance or a sense of being planted securely?

May we take time to get our hands in the dirt. May we reconnect with nature. May we listen to the words that are resonating and let it guide us. Have a beautiful day!

I spent a good portion of my younger years searching for my voice. I mostly have a pretty good grasp on it these days. Kids have a good way of helping teach, both in projection and in voicing boundaries. 

Lately though, as I find myself rambling away with friends, I feel a longing to just listen. It took so long to get my voice going that now it feels like a runaway cart sometimes. I miss all that I learned and heard by just being quiet. 

In everything there is a balance to seek. This is mine for now. The pendulum has swung a little too far and I focus on bringing in back. 

It is interesting the thoughts and fears that come up as I lean toward this shift. It shows things I thought I had healed, still wounded on one level or another. It shows the challenge in this age of either overly engaging or completely checking out via media. 

But I feel the stillness calling me. I feel the quiet opening its arms to welcome me. And I notice the reactions of others as I do this. They have their own internal story, as I do, that gives them a context whether true or not. 

I'm grateful for the void of voices. I'm grateful to witness the pull and push of these two options. I'm grateful to have the different perspectives even as I move toward shifting to a place of better balance. I'm grateful to know my silence will be filled with beautiful sounds of the heart. I'm grateful to listen. I'm grateful for this practice that pairs so well with witnessing my breath. 

One of my favorite quotes is "Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much." Time to ease back in to that resonance. 

When do you find yourself talking more? When do you speak little? How do you find your balance in expressing yourself.

May we speak knowing we are heard and may we listen to gift others this same respect. Have a beautiful day!

Last night a friend shared a podcast link with me. This morning I listened to it while I was working out. It was about happiness and adding more play into your life. Obviously this resonated very well with me and she touched on two specific things that really stood out to me. 

The first thing she said that really grabbed my attention was that even though she was a happiness expert, she was feeling like she was in a slump. I have been living my own version of this. I am a gratitude coach that writes a gratitude blog and yet there have been quite a few times over the last couple years that my own practice hits a slump. Even experts are human who go through ups and downs.

The second thing that grabbed my attention was her talking to an author about his essay writing on delights. Delights can be anything that catch your attention and bring you joy. That spark of good feeling something brings is delight. The challenge the podcaster was giving herself was to find at least one delight every day.

By this point I had finished my exercise routine but I wasn't ready to pause the podcast. I wanted to hear more from the author and from this speaker. I also know myself enough to know I hear better if I am fidgeting with something non-distracting. (I realize to some this may not make sense...but to some people it will completely make sense.) So during the podcast commercial I asked myself, "what would bring me some delight as I listened?" Out came my markers and owl coloring book!

As I colored I listened to more about delight and the ending thoughts. I enjoyed the tip that when you find a delight you say "delight!" out loud. I can also see the benefit of their suggestion to write down a quick blurb by hand about what the delight was each day. There is actually real benefit (shown in studies) in writing things with pen and paper for processing emotions, building self-esteem, and growing gratitude and joy in your life.

Thankfully I already take time in the morning to write four gratitudes in a journal and then in the evening write at least 4 gratitudes about my day as well as the best thing to happen that day in another journal. It would take a mere few seconds more to write my day's delights!

I'm grateful for a new word for expanding my daily practice. I'm grateful for the word delight. I'm grateful to find delight in coloring this morning. I'm grateful to have woke early enough to work out and still have time to color! I'm grateful for my friend sharing this podcast and for the woman sharing her vulnerability and process with the world. I'm grateful to also find delight in the stop light turning green the second I arrived, the colors beginning to change on the trees, and deeply defined clouds in the sky this morning. I'm grateful to share this message with you in hopes you find some delight in today as well.

What brings you joy? What delights may be waiting for you to discover today? 

May today inspire us to look for the beauty in each day. May we be delighted by the little things. Have a beautiful day!

"Two roads diverged in a yellow road..." We are blessed to have so many choices each day. As adults we can choose what to wear, when to go somewhere, how to get there. 

For kids a lot of the decisions are made for them. My husband and I have been making a conscious effort to give our girls more choices over all the regular ins and outs of the day. We give choices for them to tailor their meals within reason. We give a window of time for them to choose to head to bed. And I have begun letting my little one pick what we do for an entire morning at least one day a week while her big sister is at school.

Most the time they make really great choices even without set options. Today was waffles for breakfast. My youngest chose to spend the morning on a long walk at the park followed by a little playtime at the playground. Lunch was black bean nachos with black olives and avocado. They each chose two books before their quiet time and they both went without a fuss. 

Will it always be this smooth? No. Most of these things they have always had some say over anyway so it isn't a major change. But the focus on how we are wording things helps to show them their opinion really is respected and they do hold power over their day. 

Isn't that what we all crave? We all want to be heard and to have a little control. As adults we have that...sometimes we may even want to give a little of that back. Kids are no different. 

I'm grateful for the fun we are having with letting the kids have more say. I'm grateful for the way it helps transitions go more smoothly. I'm grateful for a beautiful morning walk with my little one. I'm grateful she is happily content just wandering along a path and exploring where it goes. I'm grateful to hear her speaking up for what she wants. I'm grateful my oldest has always had a strong voice and opinions about things. I'm grateful to practice giving her more choices and watching her grow into that role.

What choices have you made today? What will you choose differently tomorrow? Which choices brought you joy?

May our choices be conscious and intentional. May we make choices that lead us toward joy. Have a beautiful day!

Yesterday we gathered to watch football with the family. It has been a while since the family got together like this. Even though our team lost it still felt good to spend the day together.

Family is a big part of my life. I know not all families are that way, but I am still very close with mine. I hope to raise my girls the same way, with celebrations at each holiday and lots of time shared laughing together. 

It is good to have a family, whether born into or found later. It provides security. It gives you people to lean on when life throws a curveball. Win or lose, family has your back. 

There are people whose family has not acted like family. Hopefully everyone can identify some person that has become their family; someone who has their back no matter what. 

Maybe the place to start with world peace is right there with the idea of family. If we treat each other as family should, always there to help someone up or offer love rather than judgment; that is a good step toward peace. I can't say it is always easy. I can't even say I am great at doing this for people outside my family. But I can try. I can put in that effort and so can you.

I'm grateful to know that win or lose my family is here for me. I'm grateful for all the love and support I grew up surrounded by. I'm grateful to have a large extended family. I'm grateful for the wonderful family I gained through marriage. I'm grateful to give love as often as I can and keep watch on judgments that I feel creeping in. I'm grateful for a day spent with family yesterday. I'm grateful for many more of those days to come.

Who is in your family? How can you take steps today to treat those you meet as family?

May today bring less judgment and more love. May we love each other and always support each other. Have a beautiful day!