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!

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!

Friendship is a wonderful gift. There is something about spending time with a friend that lifts my spirits. And I am so blessed to have such a wonderful variety of friends.

I'm grateful for friends who take time to make my kids feel special. I'm grateful for friends who can hold a conversation even with frequent interruptions from little ones. I'm grateful to make time to see my friends when I can. I'm grateful to invite them to tag along, even on errands, just to connect. I'm grateful for phones and internet that allow me to keep in touch over the distances. I'm grateful for beautiful flowers. I'm grateful for breaths of fresh air. I'm grateful to be emerging from my winter "slumber". 

Who has been your friend the longest? What friendships have spanned long distances? What are the best traits you bring to a friendship?

​May we take time to stay connected. May we cherish our friends like family. Have a beautiful day!

This weekend was a busy one. We spent a whole day at the zoo walking the different continents to see the animals. Then the following day my oldest daughter and I spent a few hours at the Ethnic Festival, watching performances and tasting the food. We stayed within an hour of home, but it felt like we traveled for the weekend. 

I love experiencing other cultures. I love seeing the beautiful animals of the world. I love making donations that I feel make the world a better place. And I love sharing these experiences with my kids.

I'm grateful for a wonderful local zoo. I'm grateful for the care they are taking in updating their habitats to make the animals more comfortable. I'm grateful to take time to walk all around and share time with friends and family. I'm grateful for events like the Ethnic Festival that help spread knowledge about the different cultures and traditions. I'm grateful to watch some traditional dances from around the world. I'm grateful for representation for Ukraine at the festival. I'm grateful for good food. And I'm grateful for the opportunity to get up on stage and take a hula dancing lesson.

Where would you love to visit? Which cultures call to you? What are your own favorite traditions?

May we celebrate our differences together. May we share the beauty of our cultures and build a word of understanding and respect. Have a beautiful day!

It may sound like a lot of work to pack, load the car, and cart the family out of town. It can be. But sometimes the change of scenery is what we all need. And if the destination is Grandma's house then it is well worth it!

I'm grateful to get out of town this weekend and reset. I'm grateful to be spoiled with great food. I'm grateful to get to walk the botanical gardens, even if it was mostly the kid section. I'm grateful to see fairies tucked in among the display. I'm grateful for the beauty of tulips. I'm grateful to be back home and getting back to routine. I'm grateful for the love of grandmas and mothers-in-law that make everything better.

How do you reset? What is your favorite change of scenery?

​May today bring just the change we need. May we take a moment to stop and smell the tulips. Have a beautiful day!

Sometimes we just need a day to laugh it off. Perhaps it is my lack of sleep or maybe I have mentally "cracked" a little bit, either way I'll take the laughter over the stress any day. 

When school pictures arrive and your kid's tongue is sticking out. When the cashier tries to charge you for a gift card instead of using it for your purchase. When your child insists on singing the potty song even in public bathrooms. When you trip on your own pants. These are moments for laughter. Just let it out. It's minor. It's silly. So enjoy the moment and just laugh. 

I'm grateful for the shift in energy. I'm grateful for shenanigans. I'm grateful to just laugh. I'm grateful for a fun day spent with my mom. I'm grateful to just sing, potty song or whatever my kids request, without care of who will hear. I'm grateful for my daughter's commitment to being one hundred percent herself, even on picture day. 

What helps you laugh? What shenanigans are going on in your life this week?

​May we never lose our sense of humor. May we enjoy the little moments as they are happening. Have a beautiful day!

Life can be challenging sometimes. As a mom, it is hard when I see my kids struggling. It is moments like these I am grateful to have the superpower of the title "Mom". 

It doesn't matter if I actually feel like a super-mom. It doesn't even matter if I feel like I'm flopping as a mom that day. If my child is crying, scared, or had a bad dream; mom is the only person who will do. They call for me and it kicks on the superpowers. MOM IS HERE! 

Honestly, it isn't even just my kids. I do the same thing. Sometimes...okay a lot of times, I just need to talk to my mom. Most the time it doesn't even matter what she says in response, it's just that comfort of knowing she's there. 

I'm grateful to be a mom. I'm grateful to be able to claim this superpower that my kids see in me. I'm grateful to be able to help fix some things with just a hug or holding their hand. I'm grateful to be there for them, as my mom is there for me. I'm grateful to be blessed to spend a lot of time with my mom. I'm grateful for all my mom has done for me to help me grow into the person I am today. 

What brings out your inner superpower? Who do you lean on when you need a hug?

May today remind us that we are all superheroes in our own way and we all need a hero every once in a while too. Have a beautiful day!

Something tells me the little guy in the picture above is not really feeling as "smiley face" as his response. While I got a good giggle out of the irony of a dead bug on the feeling good symbol, it isn't as funny to think how accurate this is. 

How many times do we get asked how we are doing and say okay or great when that isn't really the case at all? We tell ourselves the person is just being polite or doesn't want to hear the real answer. We tell ourselves we are maintaining boundaries or protecting our privacy. Or maybe we think if we say it enough it will come true.

But what do we gain from hiding away like that? What do we gain by never sharing negative feelings? We create a wall and a stigma about what is okay to share. When, in fact, we all have shitty days sometimes. What if we could just say, "you know, I'm not doing well." What if we answered, "I struggling today."?

Would it be so terrible for people to know we're human? Would it be terrible for someone to know our life isn't perfect every minute of every day? And let's be honest, they still have the option of how they choose to respond to that answer. They may let it go at that or they may just show a deeper level of caring than you realized and lend and ear. Either way is perfectly fine. 

I'm grateful to be seeing more push lately to erase the stigma of our emotions. I'm grateful for more people taking off the "perfect" images on Facebook and admitting we all have issues. I'm grateful to try to be catching myself and giving real answers instead of mindless ones. I'm grateful to admit when I'm not doing great and see the amazing people in my life give support. I'm grateful to do the same for my friends and family. I'm grateful for clients that confide in me. I'm grateful to do my best to teach my kids all emotions are okay. I'm grateful for this bug and his big dying message. And I'm grateful to find a little humor in the message as well.

How are you today? Who can you be real with and who do you allow to be real with you? 

May we give everyone the respect of being real. May we make room for the unpleasant. May we accept not every day is great. And may today be beautiful no matter what it brings.