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!

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!

Do you ever have things that you just feel set on? You feel like it just has to continue a certain way or you have to get something done at a certain time? Sometimes I get stuck in moments like that. Sometimes I find myself caught in an all or nothing loop. 

I have been trying to decide whether or not to keep this blog going. I don't get much feedback these days and my content doesn't always feel as deeply connected as before. Most of that is because I feel more of a time crunch than I used to and at least one of my children is always with me while I'm writing. Some days I feel like giving it up but at the same time I love writing this blog and having a reminder to bring it back to gratitude.

While I have been monkey-minding this decision, I have somehow subconsciously already created the solution. It isn't all or nothing. Would I love to write my blog every weekday still? Yes. But at this stage that just isn't possible. But that also doesn't mean I have to let it go completely. I will write when I can. Mostly that will look like Monday through Wednesday. A few blog posts to move through the week. Each stage I can assess the situation and see what I can give.

I'm grateful to rethink. I'm grateful to recognize I was stuck in an all or nothing loop. I'm grateful to also realize I had already created the solution. I'm grateful to keep putting positive messages out to the world. I'm grateful to each of you that reads this. I'm grateful to know that this blog is real, not forced gratitude. I'm grateful to understand that some days that means deeply connected writing and other days it is just musings of the mind. I'm grateful to give what I can.

May we recognize our limits but also our joys. May we do what we can to make this world a positive place. Have a beautiful day!