Today was a beautiful day of abundance and generosity. My mom came to stay with my daughters so I could make it to work. It is a huge help that she was generous enough to do that for me. 

Then at work I took a few extra minutes to make sure I did my best and to fit one last client in. It was only a few minutes of my time but made an impact on three people. It felt good to be able to help. 

As I was leaving they gave me an envelope. Inside was a generous gift of tips they had collected for me for the holidays. It was a beautiful surprise!

When I returned home I took some extra time with the baby, making sure she was well and set for nap time before eating a late lunch. I then got to spend some time chatting with my mom which is one of my favorite things to do.

It felt like the day was in the flow of abundance with generosity given and received. These are the beautifully simple days to celebrate. It is nice to be in the flow and see how blessed I am in so many ways.

I'm grateful to give and receive. I'm grateful for everyone's generosity and help today. I'm grateful to accept their gifts. I'm grateful to use my talents to make a difference. I'm grateful to give. I'm grateful to take the time to help others even beyond what is asked. I'm grateful for those who do the same. I'm grateful to work from the heart.

How do you know when you are in the flow? What abundance is showing up in your life? How do you balance the giving and receiving?

May today bless us with balance. May we find generosity at every turn. Have a beautiful day!

Despite a pretty good night, we were awakened at five thirty this morning by a distraught three year old who had just thrown up in her bed. Our hopes that her stomach bug had passed were tossed as we got to work on clean up and comfort.

The baby woke congested and gagged on mucous throughout the morning. She threw up a little milk a couple times too. Other than needing to be held she was pretty laid back as usual.

I couldn't help but think this morning "remember when life was simple and there was only one kid throwing up." For that matter, remember when life was simple and I only had to take care of myself. And yet even as I thought these things, with a laugh, I had to admit I wouldn't change it. I wouldn't change the sick days or even the tantrum days if it meant missing one single smile or hug from my girls.

There are moms out there who have this blessing taken away. There are moms out there that never get to physically become moms, only dream, wish, and pray. So I will take every single day as a blessing with my girls even if it means cleaning up some puke. 

I'm grateful my life isn't "simple" anymore. I'm grateful for each day I get to see my girls' beautiful, loving faces. I'm grateful to get to be home with them today as we worked through their separate symptoms. I'm grateful for the love and care I feel taking care of them. I'm grateful to be a mom after years of thinking this dream would never come true. I'm grateful my preschooler was a trooper and handled throwing up like a champ. I'm grateful that (hopefully) her stomach is on the mend and tomorrow can be a day on the mend. I'm grateful for all the time I got holding the baby and getting nothing else done, because these days are rare and going by too fast. I'm grateful for this beautiful life.

What is NOT simple in your life? How has it enhanced your life and who you are as a person? 

May today make life a little blessedly complicated. May we rise to the occasion and find gratitude along the way. Have a beautiful day!

There are some celebrations, like a loved one being cancer free, that are pretty universal. I think pretty much everyone can celebrate when they learn this news. Things like a new job or new baby being born are also generally celebrated.

Then there are celebrations that are dependent on the situation or person. One example would be the other night at dinner. I went to take a bite of broccoli and it had a heart shape made out of a missing piece. I love finding hearts on my food, or anywhere really. And my three year old was happy to celebrate with me...and eat it herself. 

Today was one celebration that was completely foreign to me. While driving down the road my three year old told me her stomach felt funny and she was going to throw up. I quickly dumped a small container I had in the front seat and passed it back and heard vomiting begin. I was surprised and trying to find a place to pull over. By the time I pulled over, ran around the car, and opened her car door she had finished. 

I was expecting to comfort a distraught, sick child. Instead I found a preschooler with a full smile. She held up the container, nearly half full, and exclaimed "look at all that puke I did, Mommy! I did a great job!" She held it with such pride there was a split second that I considered taking a picture...then quickly decided not. 

I agreed that she had done a great job and also complimented her on recognizing she needed to get sick and getting it all into the container. It definitely was nice not having to clean up the car and carseat. I will admit I was double shocked between a kid that was acting absolutely fine yet just threw up and also that her reaction was happy and not the freaked out wailing of the last time she got sick. I guess that's something to celebrate.

I'm grateful for good news from a loved one today. I'm grateful for love in my broccoli. I'm grateful to have an awesome kid that never ceases to amaze me. I'm grateful she took it in stride this morning. I'm grateful to know we have strong immune systems and can fight this off quickly. I'm grateful that so far it is just my preschooler and hasn't been picked up by the rest of us. I'm grateful for celebrations no matter how big or small. 

What do you celebrate? What is the craziest thing you ever found yourself celebrating? What can you celebrate in this moment?

​May today remind us to count even the little wins. May we celebrate every chance we get. Have a beautiful day!

The Christmas season can be a challenging time. There are events to attend, meals to host, presents to buy, jobs to tend to, and children to raise. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming.

In the past I have struggled at this time of year. Thankfully, this year has not been as challenging so far despite even more demands. There are still moments of overwhelm or frustration but overall it has been a great start to the season.

Today my husband and I made three batches of meatloaf and (my husband) smoked six game hens. We hosted family lunch. I worked a little. We cleaned. And yet we still had time to sit around and watch the football game and enjoy both lunch and dinner together.

Best of all, both meals were full of laughter and sharing. At dinner my preschooler was singing Christmas songs with adorable mistakes, like "the one-th day of Christmas". The baby, in constant adoration of her big sister, was giggling and "talking" excitedly. And at one point we all had the giggles, including my husband.

I'm so grateful to laugh together. I'm grateful for beautiful family moments like this to cherish. I'm grateful for the love my girls have for each other. I'm grateful for a day of family and great food. I'm grateful to laugh. I'm grateful to be finding ways to take this season in stride. I'm grateful for all the ways my wonderful family helps me find the beauty and support in this season. I'm grateful o hear my girls laugh and to be able to join in.

What brings you joy this season? What makes you laugh? When was the last time you got the giggles?

May today bring light through laughter. May we find the beauty in the season and loving support from the ones we love. Have a beautiful day! 

The morning definitely started out a little off. There was little sleep to smooth the start and among the bumps was the dog returning from her morning bathroom break having stepped in poo. 

Deep breaths and consciously focusing on the good was sure to turn it around.

Well drop off went smoothly and I had a little time to spend on something I had been looking forward to before I needed to take my youngest for swim lessons. Instead, I arrived at the desired location, pulled the baby out of her carseat and found... you guessed it, poo. A large blowout had covered her outfit as well as the carseat cover. The desired location was not one for cleaning up this kind of mess so that got shifted to some day in the future as I strapped the baby back in and drove to a better place to clean her up. 

Swim lessons seemed to rinse the rough start off. (Figuratively) We headed on our way to pick up a happy preschooler, grab a delicious lunch and meet up with a friend of mine I haven't seen in way too long. Something clicked and everything started falling into place.

My girls both went down easily and took long naps, allowing me to converse and catch up with my friend uninterrupted. Then off to work which went fine. Bedtime routines were already in motion by the time I made it home and I got to swoop in for the "I love you"s and cuddles. 

I'm grateful to not let myself get wrapped up in the poo kind of morning. I'm grateful to make a conscious decision to not let it color my whole day. I'm grateful for my amazing daughters who were so cooperative today. I'm grateful for great food. I'm grateful to catch up with an amazing lady. I'm grateful to feel renewed and refreshed just by having this reconnection. I'm grateful to know the weekend is just around the corner.

How do you keep "poo" from coloring your day poorly. What helps you turn things around? What do you choose to focus on?

May today remind us our focus is our power. May we have more "I love you" moments than poo ones. Have a beautiful day!

When the wheels of the mind get turning, sometimes I struggle to turn it back off. Tonight I found myself juggling four "plates" while simultaneously sorting through several mind puzzles at the same time. 

Between empathy overload and logistical chaos it was hard to stay present. Ok, let me be honest, there was no staying present. My mind was racing and in sync my anxiety kicked into high gear. 

I returned home to a list of demands that all needed instant attention and I said "I've got this." Did I? No. It was a good reminder for me to remember to ask for help when I need it. This lesson has always been a struggle for me so the reminder is nothing new.

The result of not reigning it all in was failure. I failed to stay present. I failed to ask for help. I failed to connect to my preschooler the way I wanted to before bed and instead only found more frustration and anxiety as she went to bed in tears.

It would be easy right now to go down the road of guilt and self-flogging (mentally). I will admit that I am great at both these things and partake more often than I would like to admit. Just last night my husband and I were discussing the idea of failure and my high standards for myself. It was a great conversation to lead up to today because it was a great reminder to give myself grace.

Failure is, ninety-nine percent of the time, in the eyes of the beholder and not a permanent crash. Most of the time we can shift the failure and turn ir back around at some point. In this case by my own awareness and taking the self-care steps needed to start tomorrow off better.

I'm grateful for the reminder of grace. I'm grateful to hold a high level of compassion and empathy. I'm grateful to recognize when I am letting those positive traits overpower me and start to take a negative toll. I'm grateful to love my children so much that I strive to do right by them and hold myself to high standards. I'm also grateful to know they do not hold me to those same standards and love me despite my perceived failures. I'm grateful to know I can juggle what needs juggled and that it is also ok to not juggle everything. I'm grateful to prioritize and take a step back. I'm grateful to have had so much time to play with my girls today even though it came at the expense of the house not getting cleaned. I'm grateful to get to kiss my girls goodnight.

What constitutes failure in your eyes? How do you reset and try again? How do you reframe?

​May today remind us we're human. May we give ourselves grace and move forward. Have a beautiful day!

Today was a great day! My daughter's first day back to school included a happy face and barely a wave as she marched into class. She had plenty to tell us when she came home after playing with her friends. 

The sun was shining. The grocery shopping went smoothly. And I even got the last box of Pumpkin Spice Cheerios! 

My husband was off today so we all got to enjoy lunch together. We ate out as a special treat and I even treated myself to lemonade instead of water. 

When we got home from lunch I talked to my daughter about how some kids do not have any books to read. She was shocked as reading is her absolute favorite thing to do. I told her that her school is holding a book drive to help collect books for kids who don't have any. She asked me how they do that and I told her that it means kids like her give away books they no longer read. At first she was very skeptical and said maybe we should give away some of my books. I showed her the stack of books I had pulled out to give away. She went through her shelf and found four or five to donate. I was really impressed because she even gave away one of her musical books. 

Last weekend we had written a letter to Santa. I explained to her that Santa, like Jesus, tries to bring things we need. He might throw in something we just want or he might pass that information on to moms, dads, aunts, uncles, or grandparents to handle the wants. I told her to think about what she really needed and then we would write a list. The picture above is her list; she dictated and I wrote. 

She had been emphatic about everyone having a merry Christmas. Today I got to point out that by donating books she was doing her part to ensure everyone would have a merry Christmas. It warms my heart and reminds me that I can give in more ways myself.

I'm grateful for a great day. I'm grateful for the beautiful ways to give during this season. I'm grateful to see my daughter growing into such a kind and generous person. I'm grateful to let her be a part of the giving. I'm grateful she picked a book to give to her sister for Christmas from her own collection. I'm grateful she is also offering to donate some of her toys too. I'm grateful for the ways we can help our community and other families have a great holiday season. I'm grateful to have my heart swollen with love.

How can you make a difference for someone else's holiday? Is there something you can give away you aren't using? Can you donate some time?

May we open our hearts this year to those around us. May we find ways to brighten the season and spread love. Have a beautiful day!

Thanksgiving and the subsequent long weekend was wonderful! We had a great time with family. There is something to be said for getting back into routine though.

Today was back to swim lessons and regular nap times for the girls. It was also back to work for me. We all joke about having to go back to work and the long five day work week after a holiday week. I had a little sadness as I headed out the door to know my girls would once again wake from their nap to have me gone. Yet once I got to work the groove felt good. It was nice to reconnect to the outside world and feel like I was making a difference in some small way.

I'm grateful to love my job. I'm grateful to come back to work for great clients. I'm grateful my girls handled the transition back well. I'm grateful for the hope of sleep coming soon as we still navigate the waters of sleep regression with the baby. I'm grateful for all the delicious meals we ate over the holiday and I'm grateful to get back to our smaller, normal meals today. I'm grateful to get to have so much time with my family and my girls on a regular basis. I'm grateful for the comfort of routine.

What do you enjoy about your daily routine? What parts feed your soul and which parts would you like to change? Is your job one that nourishes you?

May today remind us the beauty in our everyday lives. May we appreciate our jobs and routines that fulfill us and make changes to the things that doesn't. Have a beautiful day!

I realize the saying is "lights, camera, action" but that phrase was for movies, not for real life with two small kids. A week ago I would have told you my preschooler was doing a bit better with sleeping through the night and the baby was a great sleeper. Thanksgiving week seemed to throw them both off schedule.

Between family in town, late nights, and of course the big Thanksgiving shindig both girls seemed to regress in the sleep department. If I know one thing about myself it is that I am not my best self when I don't get enough sleep. Yet having had sleep troubles the majority of my life I can understand their dilemma as well.

The main thing I wanted to accomplish over this weekend was to get the new Christmas tree up. Success! I love minimal to do lists because it makes it so easy to achieve. There were other things I had in mind to do but with lack of sleep I was happy to get this most important one checked off even if little else got done.

We did get to paint ornaments which is a family tradition I have done since I was a small child. I love how they turned out. Who says Santa can't be orange, green, and purple...and four layers thick of paint? I hope my daughter appreciates these cute keepsakes when she is an adult like I do. 

I also took time to go through a few of the family photos we took a week ago. And I snapped some cute photos of my girls as we enjoyed some down time this weekend. It warms my heart to capture these sweet memories.

Last but not least we have the girls mostly back on routine with naps and bedtimes. The baby is sleeping better again even with a little reflux and teething going on. The preschooler took a long nap today which went a long way toward improving her attitude and coping skills, getting her back to her usual playful self. And with any grace I will get to catch up on a little sleep tonight myself.

I'm grateful for a fun weekend. I'm grateful my mother-in-law visited and painted ornaments with us. I'm grateful to see the areas I struggle to let go and the areas I can just be in the moment. I'm grateful to get the most important things accomplished, mainly time with family. I'm grateful for the new tree and its fun lights. I'm grateful for my girls' laughter and smiles. I'm grateful to get everyone sleeping a little better again. I'm grateful to be starting to catch back up myself. I'm grateful for a laid back weekend.

What does your to do list look like? What can you cross off and where can you let go? 

May today allow us to be in the moment. May we celebrate the little things. Have a beautiful day!