Every day history is made in one way or another, some days we move forward while some days feel like perhaps we are going back. Not every moment of history is momentous but it writes history and paves the future either way.

Today I was hit by an unexpected wave of emotion as I watched Kamala Harris being sworn in as the first woman to hold the Vice-Presidency. I sat there with my two daughters watching as Sonia Sotomayor voiced the oath for VP Harris to vow. 

While I tend to be an emotional person, I am not usually emotionally moved by important moments like these. I am grateful and pleased most definitely, but rarely emotional. 

I watched Christina Koch and Jessica Meir perform the first all female spacewalk in 2019. At the time my daughter asked why hadn't girls done that before and that resonated with how I generally feel about such events. It is great that it is happening but why has it taken so long and why is it still so rare for these special events for women that we have to make note that it is a woman? 

Something about watching these two amazing and powerful women today though, made me well up a little. These are the barriers I want to watch crumble. I want my girls to grow up in a world where truly any dream is possible. I want them to shoot for the stars, for whatever their hearts desire and not be held back by something so simple-minded as being born a woman. 

I'm grateful for the emotion I experienced today. I'm grateful to get to witness so many amazing women in my lifetime. I'm grateful for my girls, young as they are, watching this process with me. I'm grateful to see them enthralled by the beautiful young poet Amanda Gorman and I'm grateful for her powerful words. I'm grateful for a peaceful process today. I'm grateful for the sun shining. I'm grateful to feel like a new leaf is being turned over and while there will always be some days forward and potentially some back I am grateful to feel a new hope for love and unity. 

What moves you? What mark are you making in history today, even if it is seemingly that in "just" your own story? How do you imagine your life and your story impacting the world around you? How can you make a beautiful mark in history?

May today remind us we all have the power to inspire and bring change. May we use our powers to bring positive, loving change. May we take the time to consciously choose how we will make our mark in history. Have a beautiful day!

Sometimes I forget just how easy it is to travel without a care. Luckily I have a four year old to help remind me. In a few hours time we managed to visit a bear cave, have a snowball fight indoors, and go camping with about twelve animals ranging from hedgehog to unicorn. 

I have wrote in the past about the studies that show planning a trip can elevate your mood. In the studies it was found that while planning a trip increases happiness, sometimes actually taking the trip decreased that same happiness due to stress and logistics. It is sometimes more fun to plan the perfect vacation that actually take it.

This study suits me well as I do absolutely love planning trips. I enjoy researching what the best off-the-beaten-path activities are and imagining how fun it would be. Yet it is also true that I do tend to stress and overpack in the days or hours before the actual trip. It is always still well worth the getaway but skipping the stressing part is definitely a fine goal for me. 

My four year old has the solution. Even if we are camping on the moon and we forget something, we just grab it. It is like we never forgot it at all. Plus when I camp with her the s'mores are always perfect looking and I never end up sticky. It is no problem to climb a mountain and cuddle in with some hibernating bears. And if something better comes along, you just change the scenery of your mind. 

I'm grateful for a day of play. I'm grateful for our fun snowball fight that didn't even require a jacket. I'm grateful to get to go camping and even get to hold the special lantern. I'm grateful for the delicious s'mores that left no mess. I'm grateful to watch my daughter's mind at work as she spins the story for me and navigates me to which role I am supposed to play. I'm grateful to get to be the "kid" and let her handle all the cooking and camp set up. I'm especially grateful for sweet laughs and hugs shared. 

Where would you go if you were planning a trip in real life? Where would you go if just in your imagination? What wild activities would you dare to do in your fantasies? Which of those things would you be willing to push your comfort zone and try in real life?

May today open up our possibilities if even just in our imaginations. May we remember how important the mind is in creating our life and world. Have a beautiful day!

Today nature was calling. It is rare to get a day in the fifties in January. Even though it hadn't neared its peak temperature and the clouds were heavily in place, we decided to get outside and go to the park today.

My little one woke early so she was pretty tired and mostly observed from the stroller. My oldest cruised the whole time on her bike. Some places were still a bit icy where the shadow of trees hadn't melted it away but really that just added to the adventure. My preschooler really enjoyed trying to ride on the ice. And we all got to take in the beauty of Canadian Geese, Mallard Ducks, assorted other small wildlife, and even saw two trains up close! 

It was a so refreshing to be outside. Usually in the winter I am snuggled up in layers avoiding going out. I'm still not a fan of being cold but I made a mental commitment this year to see if getting outside more in the winter would also help the seasonal affective disorder. It really does seem to make a big difference! There is always a nice warm home to come back to, thankfully, to thaw in later. 

What elevates your mood? What invigorates you? What motivates you to try something new or do something you normally wouldn't? 

I'm grateful to get outside today. I'm grateful to be keeping my commitment to get outdoors this winter. I'm grateful my girls love being outside and the cold doesn't seem to bother them. I'm grateful for warm hats and coats. I'm grateful for a cute knitted hat. I'm grateful for a warm fuzzy blanket now that I am back inside. I'm grateful for strollers that allow tired little ones to cruise along and keep up. I'm equally grateful to slow down a bit when they want to walk and participate more fully. I'm grateful and proud for how well my preschooler is doing with her bike. I'm grateful for the multitude of questions she can come up with that make me slow down and really see things I otherwise would have missed. I'm grateful for so many beautiful parks to choose from in our area. I'm grateful for some that even have some flatter trails for beginner bikers. I'm grateful for the fresh air and feeling the coolness as it went into my lungs. I'm grateful to watch my breath as it curled and floated back out into the world. I'm grateful for these beautiful little moments.

May today be the breath of fresh air we needed. May we choose to push ourselves to grow and love each minute of the process. Have a beautiful day!

This year I have challenged myself to read at least ten minutes each day. It seemed like an achievable goal that would bring me some joy and so far it is working. To add to the pleasure I have chosen a book called A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen. 

I will admit this book has been on my "want to read" list for a couple years now. The Complaint Free World movement started not too far from my hometown which makes it even more special!

The choice to start with this book came from a feeling of not really feeling like a gratitude "coach" anymore. I am great at digging gratitude out of regular days or even rough days but it was feeling like a lot of my words were negative. Even here in this blog I have noticed it goes something like "this went wrong and this went wrong and this went wrong but I am still grateful". While this ability is an important practical step of any gratitude practice, it is better if we focus on what is going RIGHT to begin with; as you may imagine this makes gratitude even easier to find too.

So I am taking the beautiful challenge to make it 21 days without complaining! According to the book this takes people, on average, four to eight months to be able to go 21 consecutive days without complaining. A reminder bracelet is worn and each time a complaint is voiced, the bracelet is moved to the other hand. It trains us to recognize when we are complaining. I imagine this also does a good job of making us mindful of the triggers or situations where we complain most.

Today I have moved my bracelet no less that six times. The eye opening part for me is that a lot of my complaining is actually to my preschooler. I am certain we will both benefit from my commitment to this challenge. I'm excited to bring more positive messages back into my conversations!

I'm grateful for this book. I'm grateful for Will Bowen that started this hoping to impact his community. I'm grateful to hear that so many people worldwide have now taken the challenge. I'm grateful to be learning about my communication. I'm grateful to be gaining mindfulness about my triggers. I'm grateful to see how it plays out within different relationships. I'm grateful to be taking simple steps to be changing my life, holding my power, and voicing my beauty. 

​What goals have you set for yourself lately? Are you interested in raising the vibration of your life? Are you ready to find more beauty, more joy, and more gratitude in 2021? 

​No matter what this year brings, I believe, there is beauty to be found. May we choose to view and voice our story in a positive light. Have a beautiful day!

Today has been a beautiful day! It has been full of some of my favorite "s" words.

It started off with SLEEPing in! This is rare in my family, especially on a day when my husband has to get up for work. 

Then my daughters and I sat on my preschooler's bed and had some SUNRISE SNUGGLES! I love those two words individually anyway but when they are together it makes for a pretty perfect start to the day.

Now that my little one isn't taking a morning nap most days we have had to get a little creative with schooling my preschooler. Luckily the SISTERS were happy to help each other learn today. Overall it went really smoothly!

While we were playing playdoh a deer came walking through our backyard. I think I was even more excited than the kids. We used to have lots of deer come through but it has been a while since we've seen one. I sat there SMILING and gazing out the window. I couldn't help thinking to myself, "it really is the SIMPLE pleasures in life that mean the most." 

When I am in the moment and focusing on the beautiful moments of life, it is easy to SOAR. It makes any little bumps so much easier to just float passed. 

I'm grateful for these wonderful "S" words that help describe my joy. I'm grateful to have enjoyed so many simple pleasures in one day! I'm grateful for the new book I have started reading to help me be more mindful of my words and focus on the positive. I'm grateful to feel my SPIRIT lifting. I'm grateful to witness the sweet bond that is forming between my girls. I'm grateful to have this time with them.

What are your favorite simple pleasures? What "S" words are your favorite? What letter is helping you describe the best parts of your day?

May we give credit to the little things that bring us joy. May we express our gratitude in whatever way fills our cup. Have a beautiful day!

If I asked you how full your "cup" is today, what would you say? If I asked you how happy you are with your life, what factors would your look at before answering? How do you choose to measure and how can you increase that measurement?

Is there a cap on happy? Is there a limit on joy? If there is, how can we reach that mark? If there isn't, then what are we waiting on to increase it?

I think the answer is probably a little different for everyone. I know gratitude is a universal way to increase the overall feeling of happiness or satisfaction with your life and situation. Obviously that is one reason I am here blogging each day. But what other factors can contribute?

Studies have shown a big part of it is our social network. The feeling of belonging, acceptance, and love go a long way toward increasing our joy and even the length and quality of our lives. 

Knowing our strengths and being able to use them in our everyday life is another factor I have read. It boosts our confidence and gives us strategies to work through challenges. If you don't know your strengths I recommend searching for a free online VIA strengths test or similar resource. 

Doing the things we love definitely brings us joy. If you love gardening, find a way to make that a part of your week. If you love to paint, ride motorcycles, whatever the case may be; find a way to routinely make time for it. 

Making a difference is huge. Giving to others, whether that be financially or with our time, gives a nearly instantaneous mood boost. We are wired to want to feel like we are contributing. The holidays spark the giving and volunteering effort for a lot of people but NOW is a great time to do your part. Just because the holidays are over does not mean the need is gone. Call up a shelter and ask what they need. Find out where to volunteer. 

There are so many ways we can choose to increase our joy and satisfaction with life. What are we waiting for? Sure, sure there is a pandemic and that alters how some things look and operate right now. Get creative! If you love teaching painting classes, send out some kits and set a time for an online tutorial. If you can't dish out food to the homeless then drop off some cans or offer to prep meals for a delivery service. If you are facing a struggle of your own, look at what strengths you have and find a way to use them in your situation. Find the people who love and support you no matter what and make sure you do the same for them. While your at it, taking a quick peek at what you're grateful for wouldn't hurt either. 

I'm grateful for so many resources and studies that focus on shedding light on joy. I'm grateful for get studies emailed to me so I can learn new fascinating things all the time. I'm grateful to pose questions to myself and anyone who wants to listen to encourage digging a little deeper. I'm grateful for the idea of limitless joy. I'm grateful to know that even if there is a cap, it is more than enough. I'm grateful to seek gratitude each day. I'm grateful to help others find their gratitude. 

Take a moment today to reflect on your life. Where can you add just a pinch more obligation to get a whole bowl of joy? Is your measurement tied to anyone else's measurement? Why? What do you love to do and how can you do that more?

May today remind us that we are in charge of our own joy meter. May we take the steps necessary to build a joyful life and live it daily. Have a beautiful day!

If 2020 taught us anything (besides the reminder to wash our hands) it would be to notice all the things we usually take for granted. It reminded us to prioritize and to enjoy the beauty of nature. 

The pandemic definitely dealt a few curveballs and some hardships. Some people were affected much more than others. There were jobs lost, loved ones ill, and changes made to nearly every aspect of life. 

It was a politically turbulent year with elections. It was a year that opened so many of our eyes to the racial injustice that is still ingrained in every aspect of our society. 

Hopefully these hardships, challenges, and opened eyes have made us better humans. Hopefully built our strength and resilience. Hopefully it opened new doorways to progress and dreams. Hopefully each person can find some glimpses of gratitude as we look back over the year.

In honor of 2020, I would like to challenge myself to find twenty moments of this year that inspired gratitude. It is always nice to reflect back on the year and see what good came from it. One great way to do this is to jot down the best thing that happened each day or at least each week on your calendar. At the end of the year just flip back through and let the good memories close the year on a joyful note. 

Here are twenty of my noteworthy and gratitude inspiring moments.

1. I'm grateful to have started off the year with a trip to visit family in Texas. It allowed me to get to know them better and it truly was a positive experience.
2. I'm grateful my husband let me throw him a theme birthday party for his 42nd. I'm grateful to all his friends that came. I'm grateful to go a little over the top. (And I'm grateful it happened before the pandemic hit.)
3. I'm grateful to for a trip to the zoo. My littlest is just getting to the age to appreciate and be interested in the animals (7 months old at the time-March). My oldest was a blast and very helpful with showing her sister the animals. I'm grateful to get to spend a long time watching the penguins together. (About 2 weeks before the pandemic closed things)
4. I'm grateful to just hold and snuggle my girls as they fight off a bug.
5. I'm grateful for clear guidance from the national massage board (and later from the city) as I navigate this unprecedented time. I'm grateful to get some (mandated) time off.
6. I'm grateful for Zoom and all the ways there are to stay in touch with family when we can't be together in person. I'm grateful to start regular calls with my mother-in-law and help foster a stronger bond between her and my girls.
7. I'm grateful to get to be home to see my baby crawl for the first time! I'm grateful we were all home together so my husband could witness this milestone too.
8. I'm grateful for all the family time this shelter-in-place order has given us. I'm grateful to get to see my husband at every meal and to eat as a family. I'm grateful for the extra time to watch my girls growing (too fast).
9. I'm grateful to get creative. I'm grateful to start doing Wacky Wednesdays and to take the time to make the house wacky overnight for a fun delight for my girls in the morning. I'm grateful for these silly, fun times together.
10. I'm grateful for a trip to see my mother-in-law. We haven't been out of the house in a long time (May) and it is nice to have a safe place to travel to and to get some in-person family time. 
11. I'm grateful for all the resources available in this area. I'm grateful there are still some schools with openings as we learn of my daughter's school being closed permanently. 
12. I'm grateful to venture back to work cautiously and with lots of safety protocols. I'm grateful to know that in time these new protocols will feel normal and not so overwhelming. I'm grateful for a way to do my job and still keep my clients and my family safe. 
13. I'm grateful for all my boss does to keep us safe and provide. It isn't easy being a small business right now but I'm grateful he is smart and doing what is necessary to ensure our jobs and our health.
14. I'm grateful to get to celebrate fourth of July with my parents. It is one small bit of normalcy in a year that has been anything but normal. I'm grateful to watch my girls enjoying playing outside and being with their grandparents.
15. I'm grateful to celebrate my baby's first birthday! Well...ok, mixed emotions on that if I'm being honest. It definitely wasn't the big party we imagined but it turned out the small party honored her shy personality better anyway. I'm grateful to get to have just a couple people be a part of this important day. I'm grateful she enjoyed the blueberry pie!
16. I'm grateful to be able to give my daughter a small, outdoor birthday party with friends. I'm grateful to celebrate her turning four and to share that with her few besties. I'm grateful for how well she has coped with her whole world being changed practically overnight. I'm grateful to get creative to give her a happy birthday.
17. I'm so grateful to be the happy new owner of a camper. I'm grateful the build was done in time to still carry out our vacation plans. I'm grateful for my parents' help and support in traveling with us to get it. I'm grateful to see the pure joy as my girls get to splash in a river for the first time.
18. I'm grateful for the renewal of spirit a camping trip gave to my sweet dog. She is getting older and had been really struggling. I'm grateful to see her playing in the river like a pup again.
19. I'm so grateful to have my mother-in-law visit each month. I'm so grateful we can be a safe place for her to get out and visit. I'm grateful for how it has strengthened the bond between her and my girls. I hope this is one thing that continues even after the pandemic is over.
20. I'm grateful for a year of being creative. I'm grateful to homeschool so we can get to see grandparents. I'm grateful to find fun ways to celebrate the holidays in new ways. I'm grateful for family halloween costumes. I'm grateful for candy hunt "trick-or-treating" and carnival games at home. I'm grateful for small, low-key Thanksgiving and Christmas that allowed us to be safe and enjoy the days. 

There are so many more glimpses of 2020 that were gratitude inspiring but I will limit it to these. I invite you to think back over your year and find some of the beautiful moments that you experienced. What were your 2020 highlights? What inspired your gratitude?

May 2020 leave us with some fond memories. May we move into 2021 with appreciation for all the things we used to take for granted. May we stay healthy and full of gratitude. Have a beautiful day!

As I busied myself making the final arrangements and tidying up for the holiday, it occurred to me that it is time for a well earned break. Everything that really needs done is done.

Sure there are a few details that still could be taken care. These tiny details are not important. The cob web in the upstairs hall will be just fine until next week. There is no reason to try and cram a weeks worth of cleaning into one or two days, especially at the holidays. 

It is larger than just cleaning. We have been doing homeschooling since the beginning of September and, aside from a sick day, have not taken any breaks. Part of the reason is my daughter loves the time together so much that she can hardly wait for Monday to roll back around again. But I think we have both earned a Christmas break and we can find some other fun way to spend time together like playing games and reading books. 

I have also gifted myself a week off work. Between the rising covid cases and the number of clients who will be celebrating the holidays with family it just makes sense to take a little break. It will be well worth the peace of mind and a good time for me to rebalance and return refreshed. 

I'm grateful to be reminded it is good to slow down and even stop sometimes. It is good to find the balance. I'm grateful to gift myself time off from work, teaching, and cleaning. I'm grateful for my husband's help in getting ready for the holidays this year. I'm grateful for the festivities that will begin tomorrow. I'm grateful to take a deep breath and just enjoy this moment. I'm grateful for the excitement of the season and to find a balance with rest and peace as well.

What are you giving yourself for Christmas? Does what you are receiving bring you joy and peace? How do you find balance during the holiday season?

May today remind us to be generous with others and ourselves. May we find balance in letting things go. And may we find beauty in the celebrations of the season. Have a beautiful day!

One great thing about the joining of two families through marriage is the sharing of traditions. Between my husband's family and mine there are a lot of traditions this time of year. From advent calendars and ornament painting to gingerbread houses and cookie decorating; there is a lot of creativity (and mess) in the air this time of year.

This weekend we decorated sugar cookies. It was a blast. There was a wide range of how they turned out but all of them were perfect in their own way from the yellow reindeer to the green sprinkled tree. We went through half a jar of sprinkles and three batches of frosting to create our masterpieces. And while I will be finding sprinkles until at least Valentine's Day, it was well worth it getting to see my preschooler participate. (The toddler just ate her cookie and a handful of sprinkles and went on her way.)

We also took the time to build our gingerbread house this weekend. As you can see from the picture above, it's really more of a home than just a house. It is clearly lived in and adorned with love. 

I always laugh seeing the box picture of how the supplies were intended to look when put together. Even if I hadn't had my preschooler do the majority of the decorating it would not have looked anywhere close to the picture. But does perfection really have any room in these kind of holiday traditions? 

I think the real answer to that question depends on what you are calling perfection. The decorating may not look like perfection to an outside eye but for me this is one of the most perfect gingerbread houses we have made. Why? Because my whole family participated!

My husband and I took turns squeezing out some frosting. Our preschooler helped guide our hands to outline the house features and also busied herself sticking on the candies. Even our toddler sprinkled on some candy...at least the pieces we were fast enough to keeping her from eating. It was really fun. My husband and I got a little chuckle out of the end result and my oldest has declared it is the most beautiful house she's ever seen. 

 I'm grateful that perfection is not stuck in one definition. I'm grateful perfection is in the eye of the beholder. I'm grateful that for me and my family participation IS perfection because time together is the most important. I'm so grateful for all the time together this weekend. I'm grateful for all the fun traditions this time of year. I'm grateful to have an advent calendar for the first time. I'm grateful to be enjoying the family activities each day. I'm grateful for the joys of the season being so much brighter and richer when we are together.

What are your favorite traditions this time of year? What traditions have you kept from your childhood and what new ones have you picked up as an adult? How do you define perfection? Does that definition feel good?

May we all write our definitions to build us up with grace and love. May we find joy in traditions, new and old. Have a beautiful day!

This weekend was filled with moments of heartfelt connection. It started with a beautiful card from my wonderful mother-in-law. It was such a kind note and it really made my heart overflow!

Then Saturday evening I got to have an (online) girls' night. It was nice being able to snuggle up, laugh and chat with girlfriends that I don't get to see these days. It filled a part of my heart that I didn't even realize had been desperately in need.

Today I got to watch football with my family and chase my little ones around. It may not sound like a big deal, and it is true we do this pretty much every week; none-the-less it is one of my favorite times. I love being with my family. I love that connection. I love watching the beautiful roles and balance of everyone together.

I'm grateful for a beautiful weekend. I'm grateful for all the ways my heart soared this weekend. I'm grateful for my mother-in-laws thoughtfulness. I'm grateful she took the time to write such kind words. I'm grateful for the reminder how nice it is to receive a handwritten note in the mail and make a mental note to send some out as well. I'm grateful for ways to connect with friends at a distance. I'm grateful to find ways to "get together" online in meaningful ways. I'm grateful for time with family.

What makes your heart fly high? What makes your cup runneth over? What makes you feel loved? How are you finding ways to connect and fill these needs?

May today give us the meaningful connections we need. May we allow our hearts to soar and find ways to gift the same to others. Have a beautiful day!