I walked outside to check the garden just before lunch today and it was beautiful out! It's been nineties with high humidity lately so I was expecting it to feel sticky. Instead it was overcast with a breeze and according to my watch had only reached the seventies.

The garden, and I use the term loosely as I refer to a bunch of pots and buckets with vegetables, was doing well after last night's rain. Even though we didn't need to stay out to water the garden, my girls and I stayed out playing on the driveway. We stacked rocks, played with crunchy leaves, explored buds getting ready to flower, and the baby enjoyed a good game of throwing a pine cone and then chasing it across the driveway. 

When it was time to go in and get lunch prepared I realized I was just as reluctant as my girls to head inside. "Just five more minutes," I could hear inside my heart. Rather than procrastinate and have overtired and hungry kids at lunch, I changed our plans. A picnic outside was exactly what we needed!

The more I get outside the better I feel. It helps me ground and stay centered. It helps me shake off the fears that creep in with the bombardment of negative news lately. It helps me just be, breathing deeply and relaxing. 

I'm grateful for the cooler, cloudy weather. I'm grateful for the rain last night that nourished my plants. I'm grateful for the fun we had outside without the need to drag out toys. I'm grateful to just sit and enjoy. I'm grateful for the laugh I got watching the baby entertain herself with just a pinecone. I'm grateful for my older daughter's curiosity and love of leaves and flowers and all things nature. I'm grateful that our picnic was almost entirely bug free. I'm grateful my husband even came out to join us for a few minutes. 

When was the last time you had a picnic? When was the last time you got out and interacted with nature?

​May today remind us the healing power of being out in nature. May we find simple joys in something as small as a pinecone or as large as the shape-shifting clouds. Have a beautiful day!

I have been so focused on everything that is going on and the short term. It was nice to take a break today and look a little further into the future. It was nice to construct some dreams and take steps to making them reality.

I read a study several years ago that said it was good for your mental health to plan a trip. The study said people who were planning a trip and looking forward to going somewhere were happier and mentally healthier. The study also found that people were actually happier while planning the trip than actually taking it.

It makes sense. There is all the excitement and anticipation in planning and none of the "plot twists" and hiccups that actually going may entail. For the last several years I have held on to this idea and when I am feeling low I will plan a trip.

After being cooped up at home for the majority of the last four months, however, I am seeing the very real need to physically go somewhere. Even if there are hiccups and plot twists and tantrums from two kiddos who haven't been socialized well for a third of a year; we still need a change of scenery. 

I'm grateful to plan. I'm grateful for the uplift just this tiny step makes in my mood. I'm grateful to take it a step farther and take steps toward getting a camper for our family. I'm grateful to see nature calling and a clear path to achieving our goals in this category. I'm grateful for the excitement our preschooler has over the idea too. I'm grateful for all the things that fell into place for this to be possible. I'm grateful to have a solution for getting out in this crazy time.

What are your dreams? How are you working toward them today? If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

​May today remind us to dream. May we take steps each day to reach the dreams that will fulfill our hearts. Have a beautiful day!

Yesterday started off lovely as my husband and I took the girls out to a walking trail and enjoyed some nature time. There were other people out but we purposely chose a path a little harder to get to and it paid off even for a beautiful Saturday. We had plenty of space to wander along.

As we finished up at the park we decided to grab some lunch on the way home. Up until this point we have only picked up food and taken it home but the place we wanted had a packed drive thru and no one at any of the outdoor tables. My husband went in to order as I cleaned off a table and got the girls and myself situated. 

Overall it was a fine experience and gave the girls a change of scenery that they haven't had much of for months. One other group came out to the tables and my preschooler asked about her own mask because the other group had theirs. I told her we had forgotten them in my car when we took her dad's car out but it would be okay since we were just going to eat and go and we were outside away from others. 

Unfortunately the woman from the other table felt the need to respond to this with a rebuke directed to me. I do not like confrontation and had no response so I just chose to keep my attention on my children. It saddens me though to see all the hostility in the world right now. 

Between fears and pandemic, racism and violence, and now masks becoming a politically heated topic I feel like we are living on a volcano that is going to blow any moment. As an empath it is painful and draining. My energy has become an ocean of waves and I find myself trying to bring it back into balance while still meeting my family's needs and caring for my clients. 

So what do we do when the ocean is calmer than the land? How do we find our common humanity and kindness for each other when the world seems split into so many fractions? Where do we start?

We start with ourselves. We start from the heart. We take the next steps from a place of compassion and grace for where other people are coming from. And we do our part to put love back into this wounded world.

I'm grateful to see bigger things at play as mother nature moves her pawns. I'm grateful to know that to "win" doesn't mean someone else has to lose. I'm grateful to believe we can use these challenges to grow and change Together. I'm grateful to believe. I'm grateful to have faith that humanity and love can come out on top. I'm grateful to be vigilant of my own energy as I strive daily (and sometimes hourly) to find balance in the waves. I'm grateful to know my strength and know I can survive this. I'm grateful to give love.

How will you make a difference for the better? How can you give LOVE to the world no matter where they stand? How can we work together to heal this?

May today remind us we are stronger together. May we stand together to raise us all up to new levels of understanding and compassion. May we find equality, love, and healing. Have a beautiful day!

Since things began reopening in mid-May, exercising has been non-existent in my routine. On occasion I have done a little yoga to get my mind back on track but I have not had a good aerobic or muscle building kind of workout.

Yesterday I woke up early and snuck downstairs. I worked out hard, pushing myself farther than I normally would without a trainer watching. My workout was cut short, which is typical no matter when I try to squeeze it in, by one of my kids waking up crying for me. At the time I felt disappointed because I didn't get the satisfaction of finishing the workout I had in my head.

Today, however, I am reminded how important it is to work my way back up to where I was over a month ago. Wow, I am sore! Ha! But it is a glorious feeling to feel my muscles sore and talking to me. It is great to feel that encouragement to get back in shape and commit to making exercise part of my weekly routine. 

I'm grateful to feel sore. I'm grateful for the push I felt yesterday to drive myself harder. I'm grateful to have the interruption so I can still move today. I'm grateful to commit to pushing myself each day and getting my exercise regimen back in place. I'm grateful to feel great after just a couple workouts. I'm grateful to feel the energy burst that working out gives me too.

When did you last workout? What is your favorite form of exercise? Did you know it boosts the mood and cognitive function by getting your body moving?

May today dissolve our excuses and get us moving. May we find the type of exercise we enjoy and stick with it. Have a beautiful day!

Today was a challenging day, mostly because I got less than three hours of sleep last night. Teething is a rough time for the whole family and, while we banded together pretty well today, it was clear we were all lacking sleep.

My husband and I powered through as parents do; making an extra effort to consciously respond patiently and with understanding as the kids melted down time after time after time. When bedtime arrived our routine was thrown off by some damage being caused to our property while we were gone this evening. While my husband dealt with that I took on both girls' bedtime routines, praying for a quick easy time since they were both tired. There were a few hiccups and meltdowns. The baby stuck it out for nearly an hour of wailing but has finally drifted off, at least for the time being.

It is hard to drag my mind through the process of finding the positive side when I truly just want to go to sleep. But what comes to mind is last night's events. The baby screamed for nearly 3 and a half hours straight with nothing helping. I was mentally and emotionally ravaged and felt completely shattered. My husband held me together in a hug for nearly thirty minutes when our daughter finally went to sleep. The visual that came to mind was that of a chrysalis hugging a caterpillar as it morphs into a butterfly.

As I lay in bed after having my own meltdown and "cocooning" I focused on these questions. What do I want to fall away and what do I want to emerge? This was an opportunity. It was a challenge designed to make room for growth. So how will I choose to grow and emerge?

The answers are not simple. They are not going to just happen overnight. But in changing my focus from where I had "fallen short" in my mind to where I could grow, I can begin to let some light into the chrysalis and start my transformation to emerge.

I'm so grateful for my husband. He truly is my rock. I'm grateful he can be the shore that catches me as I crash in. I'm grateful to let the tears fall and accept responsibility and also forgiveness. I'm grateful to be a pretty good mom even as I see all the ways I need to work on myself. I'm grateful for the opportunities for me to grow that come to me through my beautiful children. I'm grateful to try to stay in this place of grace as I focus on the changes I want to make.

What challenges and opportunities for growth are presenting themselves to you? Who has your back? How do you make room for growth?

May today remind us there is no limit of times we get to re-emerge and grow. May we see the opportunities life gives us and make the changes we want to see. Have a beautiful day!

Asking for help can be a struggle for me sometimes. So what if I change it up; ask in a different way? Falling back on the minimal knowledge I have in other languages may be the ticket to breaking whatever stigma or negative energy I hold towards asking for help. 

Is this real? Yes and no. I use the technique when I am getting frustrated with my preschooler and needing to tell her something for the hundredth time in ten minutes. Zapatos, por favor. (Shoes, please.) Sietete. (Sit down.) It just kind of mixes it up for both of us rather than hear me say it in english once again. And there is something truly helpful about triggering this other portion of my brain. 

It has even encouraged me to seek out how to say common words and phrases in more languages so I can continue to trigger my higher brain rather than give in to negative energy. So perhaps this same tactic can be used when I am feeling overwhelmed and needing help. Perhaps I can erase the word I struggle with and reconnect to my higher brain function to find another way to ask. Ayudame, por favor.

I'm grateful for random ideas. I'm grateful when they work. I'm grateful to "use my words" as I try to teach my daughter. I'm grateful to ask for help in english tonight and then sit in the tangled process trying to sort its roots. I'm grateful to give myself another option for the days that may be too much to ask myself. I'm grateful for my daughter who helps me grow both in her playful moments and the challenging ones. I'm grateful for basic knowledge of spanish and to be learning some other language phrases too. I'm grateful my child does not know other languages well enough yet to correct my pronunciation. I'm grateful for a supportive, ready to help husband. 

How do you give yourself permission to do something that may be a struggle? Do you ever use other tactics to get around the challenge in the moment?

May today give us grace in navigating hurdles. May we find ways to grow even during challenges. Have a beautiful day!

We have a phrase in our house when things go sideways. We say "plot twist!" It started as a way to try to help our daughter cope with the unexpected. She would freak out over her cup being spilled or anything not going as she planned. (It is hard being three.) 

We started saying "plot twist! You thought the milk would stay in your cup but your elbow just popped up there and gave you a plot twist. How are you going to finish the story? What happens next?" (She LOVES books.) It gave her a way to reframe and put herself back in charge. It gave her the power moving forward. It is still a work in progress but it helps.

The thing about parenting is that 99 percent of what we teach is in what we model. Rarely if ever is it our words that our young children learn. Well today I got opportunity after opportunity to model this lesson. Mostly I modeled it well and was proud of myself. But I will admit that internally I was thinking "if this story gives me one more plot twist I'm chucking this story out the window!" 

I'm grateful to be reminded how hard "plot twist" can feel when it is a big deal to you. I'm grateful to keep that perspective as I think about how my daughter must feel on the days of lots of her own plot twists. I'm grateful to do my best to hold it together and model plot twist but also problem solving. I'm grateful for a spare tire. I'm grateful to know the basics of changing a tire myself. I'm grateful for my husband to come help me with it when roadside assist doesn't answer and the spare tire is not aired to the needed pressure. I'm grateful for my always ready husband that has a travel air compressor. I'm grateful to be able to find solutions to each plot twist today (and there were many). I'm grateful to award myself a silver medal for today's plot twist olympics and I'm grateful for the hope (and prayer) that tomorrow doesn't require quite as much modeling of this idea.

What plot twists did you navigate today? How are you choosing to write your story?

May we pat ourselves on the back for the plot twists we handle well. May we dust ourselves off from the times we stumble. And may we always have the courage to try again. Have a beautiful day!

Today was a splash as my girls and I cooled off playing in water. We filled up the water table and the inflatable baby bath out on the back deck. My littlest was content to sit in the freezing water, splashing happily. My oldest and I had a chilly water fight. It was a great!

Then in the afternoon I treated myself to a fresh, summer haircut! It is rare for me to cut my hair, let alone only six months after I had already cut it. I decided I wanted a 'do for myself, not just one to grow out this time. While it had some mixed reviews upon my return home, I love it and that is what really matters.

I had a steak dinner cooked for me courtesy of family dinner at my parents' house. I even had a chance to mend a few things while I was there as the girls played with their grandparents. 

There were hiccups in the day as there always are but overall it was a pretty great day. 

I'm grateful for some water play. I'm grateful to push off lunch and even all stay up late to get some special connection time in with the girls. I'm grateful they both fell asleep easily. I'm grateful to have my new hairdo. I'm so grateful for such a thoughtful gift from my mother-in-law for mother's day. I'm grateful to do something for myself. I'm grateful for cuts that are cute but also easy as I'm not a big "doing my hair" gal. I'm grateful for great parents that help with the kids and invite us to meals. I'm grateful for my sewing machine.

What were the highlights of your day? What refreshing activities can you add to tomorrow's "to do" list?

May we remember to add fun and self-care into each and every day. May we let loose, bend our schedule, and give ourselves a little freedom to fully enjoy the moment. Have a beautiful day!

In general I am a pretty playful, imaginative, and creative person. Yet when life gets stressful I tend to forget these traits and focus on the "need to do". The imbalance comes when I get stuck in that mode so long that it becomes my norm and I feel like just another cranky adult. 

Today started that way due to another night of lack of sleep and just a general loss of humor on my part. My crankiness rubbed off on my preschooler as she is such a sponge for others' energy. Luckily, with a little awareness and her help we were able to turn it around with some imagination.

We pretended we were butterflies. We pretended we were blowing dandelion puffs (that are no where to be found today much to my husband's joy and my daughter's disappointment). The dandelion puffs we imagined could go through walls and travel farther than ever on just a single big blow from our powerful lungs. And then what fun day would be complete without a little bit of making funny snorting noises and pretending we were magical pigs that could do silly things. 

Imagination is so healing. It brings laughter, creative solutions, and just eases the mind. It smooths out the bumps that life tosses us and gives me a great way to connect to my kids as well as my child-self.

I'm grateful for fun games. I'm grateful to have a preschooler that can remind me how to use my imagination. I'm grateful to be a pretty imaginative and creative person anyway. I'm grateful my daughter enjoys my silly antics. I'm grateful to stop and play and let go of what is bothering me at least for the time. I'm grateful to hear my daughters' laughter. I'm grateful to laugh and feel that healing energy.

What makes you laugh? How do you use your imagination? How do you use creativity to picture your goals or get you over bumps in life?

May today remind us to laugh. May we just be silly and play today. May we release our stress and feel the freedom imagination can bring. Have a beautiful day!