Quarter 2 Update: Progress on My New Year Goals

Posted on by June 24, 2017
My quarter 2 progress update on my New Year goals! See where I've nailed it, and where I failed it! The struggle is real!

I can’t believe it’s already time for the second update on my goals for the new year. I posted our goals for 2017 in the beginning of January. As promised, I will be posting quarterly progress updates to hold myself accountable. Overall, quarter one went pretty well. I think quarter two went even better. Progress is being made in all areas, even though there is less progress in some areas than I’d like! I ironed out a few of the issues I had with my health and blogging goals, but it was far from perfect. Weight loss is still something I’m really struggling with and have made virtually no progress on at all! There is still a long way to go for sure and I’m hoping to make up some of it in the second half of the year. So let’s get into it. We’ll take a look at where I’ve nailed … More…

How to throw a simple Snoopy birthday party that will amaze!

Posted on by June 11, 2017
Awesome, realistic tips and advise on throwing a Snoopy birthday party without spending tons of money. Party throwing without the overwhelm!

  One of my favorite parts of celebrating Zachary’s birthday is the party. This year, we went all out with a Snoopy birthday party. That boy loves his Snoopy! While our guests were amazed by all of the detail around the theme, the truth is, it was so simple! This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission from your purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you! We always like to keep things simple. I thoroughly believe kids parties have gotten to be too much these days. Celebrating your little one should definitely be a big deal, but you can throw an amazing, themed party without all of the cost, extravagances, and overwhelm! A birthday celebration should be about the child and quality time with them. Not about party favors, elaborate cakes, and entertainment. The key is to stop trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations … More…

What I’m Grateful for- May 2017

Posted on by June 4, 2017
Take a moment to be grateful and appreciate the little things in life. Realize that those little things are the big things.

I can’t believe it’s June!! Where did May go?? 2017 is flying by. Before you know it, it’ll be time to do my second quarterly update on my goals for the year. May was an amazing month with lots to be grateful for. I figured out some things with the blog that are helping me to move forward. I was stuck for a little while down a wrong path for a little while. May 31st was also my last day at a job I wasn’t happy at. And to top it all off, my beautiful boy turned 2! I can’t believe it’s been two years since he was born. The time goes by so fast. May also brought with it the beginning of rummage sale season, beautiful weather and the ability to spend more time outdoors. Add to that the wonderful celebration of Mother’s day and May is becoming my favorite … More…

5 Simple, Fun and Inexpensive ways to Celebrate Father’s Day

Posted on by June 4, 2017
5 wonderful ideas to celebrate Father's Day! Love these!

Father’s Day is a special day. It’s one day we’re provided an opportunity to drop everything and focus on our husbands. To let them know how much we appreciate them, how much the children appreciate them, and how much they are loved. How you celebrate Father’s Day is super important. As mom’s we’re often given a lot of the credit. Everyone always talks about how hard a mom’s job is. How we “do it all.” But what about a dad’s job? In our home, there is no division between mom’s or dad’s job. Our home is about family and that’s how we function. As a unit. As a team. So it’s equally important to me to celebrate Father’s Day with as much enthusiasm as we celebrate Mother’s Day.   Detached fathers aren’t a thing of the past, but it’s no longer the norm When our parents were young, Mom did all … More…

Family, Love, and Happiness: My Priorities are Why I blog

Posted on by May 31, 2017
Are you living by your priorities or making time for them when you can? Learn to live your priorities for your best life!

If this is your first stop at the blog, welcome. If you’ve been here before but are curious why I started this blog and what drives me, then you’re in the right place. This blog is all about living our best lives by becoming more in tune with our priorities. We all have priorities. For some it’s fame and fortune. For others it’s creativity and freedom of expression. Mine come down to three basic things. Family, love, and happiness. My goal in life is to live in alignment with those priorities, rather than squeezing them in “when I have time” around everything else. I’ve lived that way in the past, and it’s not fun. I’ve made changes to live my values and priorities over time. The result is that I’m living a happier, more calm and content, peaceful and joyful life. My life is now rooted in what I love … More…

Being a Parent is Hard: A letter to my son

Posted on by June 7, 2017
Being a parent is hard. The hardest part isn't what you think!

Being a parent is hard. I remember bringing you home from the hospital two years ago. You were small and helpless. We felt secure in our abilities, but you were still a lot of work. It was, at times, hard. There were a lot of sleepless nights. Nursing quickly became quite the chore. I would never have imagined that what would be the hardest part of being a parent had yet to hit me. It’s hard to get you to choose healthy foods over peanut butter cookies from Grandpa. It’s hard to convince you that you are safe in your bed, in our home, with Dada and me in the next room, especially when we aren’t entirely sure why you’re upset in the first place. And it’s hard to keep calm when you continue to try to do things we’ve asked you over and over not to (like stand on … More…

Give yourself permission to take a break

Posted on by May 20, 2017
A great reminder! We're creatures of constant progress and constant productivity. Sometimes, to get our best work in, we need to give ourselves permission to take a break.

Has there ever been a time when no matter how much you tried, you just couldn’t complete the task you set out to? No matter what you did, your focus wandered, your mind drifted, and before you knew it hours had passed and you accomplished nothing? I have. It’s so frustrating! The more you think about the fact that you’re getting nothing done, the rose your focus gets. It’s moments like these when it’s important to remember that it’s okay, and even essential, to step away and take a break sometimes.   Give yourself permission to take a break! We’re creatures of constant progress and constant productivity. Sometimes, to get our best work in, we need to give ourselves permission to take a break. Unfortunately, that’s something many people struggle with. Many of us, especially moms, feel like we have to continually be working at something. We work at being … More…

5 Simple, Fun and Inexpensive ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Posted on by April 30, 2017
5 awesome ways to celebrate Mother's Day! My mom loved 1, 3 and 4!

Let’s be honest. Coming up with simple, fun and inexpensive ways to celebrate Mother’s Day each year can be tough. When we’re young, it doesn’t matter what we do, but as adults, we feel the pressure to go big. We feel like simple and inexpensive doesn’t work unless there’s an element of excitement or elaboration. Why do we do this to ourselves? Mother’s Day is about showing our moms that we appreciate them. We appreciate what they’ve done for us as we’ve grown. It’s about spending time with someone we love, who loves us more than anyone else (besides our dads), and who just wants to be with us.   I think it’s safe to say we can let ourselves off the hook a little. When Zach is an adult, I’m not going to expect extravagant plans, expensive gifts, or detailed activities. I’ll just want to spend some time with … More…

Grateful Living- April 2017

Posted on by April 30, 2017
Take a moment to be grateful and appreciate the little things in life. Realize that those little things are the big things.

Welcome, May! April was a busy month with work, Easter, and trying to get out and enjoy the nice weather in between all of the rain. As usual, we celebrated Good Friday and Easter with lots of family time and traditions. No Easter Egg hunt this year, but definitely next year. I think this year it would’ve been more for me. He doesn’t need that much candy (he got plenty from the Easter Bunny, Nana, Grandma, and GG). I’m also not certain he really gets the whole searching for eggs thing yet. This month was super rainy but had some beautiful days mixed in between. The project in the basement is now done and we have a beautiful new living space, just in time for Summer. It will be great for those hot days when we don’t want to turn on the air conditioner but need to cool down somewhere. … More…

Affordable Mother’s Day gift ideas any mom will absolutely love!

Posted on by April 23, 2017

I love giving gifts. It gives me great joy. I love seeking out the perfect gift to make someone’s day. Mother’s Day is no exception. In fact, it’s more important. There are few holidays where the entire purpose of the gift is to show appreciation. This isn’t like a birthday where we’re saying “Congratulations on making it to another year.” Over the past few years, I’ve been the lucky recipient of some amazing gifts that I think are awesome Mother’s Day gift ideas. Some are sentimental and tug at the heart strings and others are more practical. I’ve also added to the list a few things that I’ve yet to receive but would love to have and would be great Mother’s Day gift ideas for any mom. (This post contains affiliate links.) All of these gifts are great for family-focused mamas. Those whose heart is in their home and whose daily … More…