be grateful you get to be here

As you prepare the hot dishes and make your last minute preparations, don't forget about those that won't get the opportunity. I felt guilty about no Christmas cards. For about 5 minutes! I prepped for good behavior, the perfect gifts and lots of tasty food. We cleaned and booked and prepared. We baked and did the advent calendars.

Then we started doing our charity work. How many dogs are in the shelters? How many hats and blankets can we crochet for the homeless? Are soldiers getting gifts and love? Cue the commercials of soldiers overseas sending their love home. Cue the tears.

So very grateful for our military relatives and all they have sacrificed. Hoping everyone gets to be with their loved ones this season. As I prepare to spend time with my own family this weekend, I send peace and love to everyone, but especially military families. My military roots are pulling at my heart strings a bit extra right now. Always proud and appreciative to have been a part of the biggest and greatest family ever.

The season, be aware. Be grateful. Be blessed. Be present! Happy holidays!

the spirit of giving back

In the spirit of giving back, we have started cranking out hats and blankets for Miss Carly's! Typically we crochet until our fingers fall off. And, do trust, we are! I just picked up a few fleece blankets to make a rag blanket as well. It was a fun little craft project while we watched a holiday movie.

The fleece rag blankets are easy to cut and knot. They make easy, warm blankets in fun designs. My only regret is that I didn't pick up more on black Friday! We could have made some for our favorite animal shelter as well. 

I may keep grabbing these as I see them to add to our donation collection. This time of year is all about family and togetherness. It is important in this house to stress gratitude for all we have and to encourage giving back as often as we can. Two $2 blankets knotted together while eating popcorn and watching a movie sounds like a huge win to me! Easy.

it definitely takes a village

Today and all days, I am thankful for my tribe. My girl tribe, my ride or dies, my drop everything when I call them crying girls, the people that make me the sane version of myself, those who remind me I am amazing just as I am and I should be content with that. These girls come from all different walks. The work wives, the friends of friends, the friends who resemble family, the actual family, the O.G.s, the ones who keep the secrets, the ones who THINK they keep the secrets ;), the ones who know how I take my drinks, or when I am going to lose it. These ladies. They make me so much better. 

They say it takes a village to raise a child. They aren't lying. If I had to list the doctors, specialists, advice givers, sitters, drivers, fixers, do-ers, tear driers, advice givers, listeners... We would be here all night. BUT it also takes a village to make a bad ass woman. It takes an AMAZING village to make a great woman a great mom. 

There will never be a shortage of gratitude for those of you that fit into my village. I am better because of you. My daughter is better because of you. Those of you who remind me I am doing the right thing or slip me the extra smiles when I need them are just reminding me that opportunity for gratitude and happiness lie all over the place. 

I was complaining to a friend a few week's back that I was the worst mom ever because I promised something and when it came time to book, they were all sold out. I actually cried over this. We had waited so patiently for this fun and amazing opportunity and then poof. Gone. She reminded me that mistakes happen and my version of failure isn't actually failure. It's me being hard on myself. It's me setting the bar so incredibly high that sometimes I can't even reach all my goals. It is me realizing that she is right and I just need to take a deep breath and realize that none of this was the end of the world. Laughter and joy were still planned and executed, just differently than the original plan was laid out. 

Today I embrace the acronyms "FAIL", "END", and "NO" as a challenge to keep smiling, keep laughing and keep doing me. I embrace my flaws and failures, as much as my accomplishments. I embrace it all, including my village. We need each other more than ever to encourage and cheer each other on. I hope everyone finds just the right fit for their own village so they can be the best version of who they want to be always.

faking it til' I make it!

I am reusing this picture because these days, I need the reminder. You see me smile, but if my eyes aren't smiling, you're being duped. You hear my jolly tone, but if you notice, it's canned. Fake it til' you make it mode is in full effect right now. 

It's just the time of year- warm weather is gone, chilly weather is settling in, bye bye camper, bye bye lazy summer days. Halloween is over, so everyone will go straight to Christmas and bypass my favorite holiday- Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving with no gifts, lots of food, family, fun and football. My favorite holiday!

I am grateful. I am blessed. I am making plans to beat the upcoming winter blues. We are going to do all the things and gave all the fun. But dang. I am tired. 

Tired of feeling like I have to be perfect every second of the day. Tired of running at 100 miles an hour. Tired of feeling all the emotions of everyone 24/7 and putting mine last. Just tired. I took two naps last weekend and avoided electronics and I STILL felt exhaustion.

I deleted apps, friends on social media, cleaned out emails, cleaned the junk drawers, made donation bags and still... I don't think I need to be cleaning the little things to feel better. This is bigger than that. I gotta dig deep. Better days are coming. The smiles will become genuine once again. I will lower my bar of excellence just enough to catch a breath and recharge.

I will be grateful. I will be aware of my blessings. I will pause to enjoy the little things. I will see the light ahead. I will enjoy each moment. And I will realize that this tough patch will pass just like the others and I will bounce back even stronger than before :)

one little bag makes a big difference

We started using all those Walmart and Dollar General bags for more than just garbage bags in the bathroom. Once a season I grab a handful of bags and we fill them. I go room by room and fill the bags. Junk. Recycling. Give away. Donate. It doesn't feel like you're getting rid of much if you're only filling small bags.

Fill the bags until you're out of bags, out of patience, or out of stuff. It's usually about 5-8 bags at a time. Nice and easy. After all those Home Edit shows and Marie Kondo, it's easier to find joy and simplicity in organization. It feels good to purge and remove clutter. It also helps to have a mini me who wants to help. 

We now have 6 bags to give to a friend's daughter. There are 3 bags to pass back to a friend. There is 1 bag of sheets and towels to donate to the animal shelter. There is 1 bag for the homeless shelter. 1 bag for recycling. 

Impending cold weather means that we will be sitting at home more. Sitting home means you know notice things. Noticing things means feeling overwhelmed by amounts of pure stuff. And in my case, we create a fun little bonding activity by helping each other get rid of stuff. 

Making little changes mean big things. And it all starts with boredom and some little bags. It's an optical illusion. If you thought you had to fill a garbage bag, then you'd panic or get annoyed. Filling little bags makes big impact :)

it's a boo-tiful day!

It all started with a trip to a few stores. We saw these cute little ghosts and SOMEONE got on my good side by saying, "Mama, you could crochet that! I bet we could make crochet ghosts." And, done. I am always up for a challenge. And, yes, I am aware I got duped by a 10 year old playing to my weakness :) 

I stress crochet, crochet for fun, crochet for warmth, crochet for donation, crochet for craft, you get it... I learned how to crochet when I was 10. I have been plugging away ever since. I taught both kids to crochet and it worked out well. 

My little one still needs to learn to crochet on the round. Then she can help me to make more ghosts. She loves her little ghost I whipped up. We even used real blush for the cheeks! We plan to make a whole ghost family to go with this cute little ghost mama. 

Anything to get a smile outta that kid is fine by me. Last year we crocheted a whole pumpkin patch. The year before we crocheted a bunch of mini stockings. We have made capes, specialty items, mermaid tail blankets, you name it. It's a cheap, safe and easy habit/hobby/secret addiction that helps me strengthen my mother-daughter bond :)

All you need is yarn and a needle. Maybe 5 whole dollars. And a little time. You can make memories and a lot of unnecessary trinkets, but it's peaceful and fun :)

gratitude is everywhere

It was a big week in this house! The end of September means fall, birthdays, and fun. We had birthday dinner, more 90 degree weather, and pumpkin collecting, all in one week! I had to take a pause and collect myself, my thoughts and move forward. As long as this week was, as tired as I felt, I reminded myself how blessed we are. 

Our little community experienced another loss that really hit me to the core. I am eternally grateful for not only the house, the family, friends, clothes, etc. I am grateful for good health, health care options, insurance, safety and security as well. Life is short and unpredictable. Things change in the blink of an eye.

One reoccurring thought and lesson popped up this week. I will be grateful for this one life I have been given and live it to the fullest. I will focus on my health and wellbeing. I will be grateful that I AM able to put myself and my family first. I will focus on the safety and health of my family because, yes, I am grateful for these precious lives. Yes, I am blessed for these precious moments.

Life is too short. I want to leave this Earth knowing I did what I could to help others and make the world a better place because I am grateful for the resources that I have available. I am grateful for the insight to know this, the ability to believe this and the power to accept this. Accept and be thankful for your blessings, big and small, fun and serious.

Be grateful. Be thankful. Be able to do you.

taking a pause

Our family had quite the week! We wrapped up another camping trip. We started back with sports and activities. We mourned the loss of a dear friend. We took pause to be grateful, hug a little longer and reflect on the lives we have. We took a nice digital break.

We had lots of conversations this week that I wasn't ready for. "What if? Why? Now what?" Lots and LOTS of, "It's not fair." And I didn't quite know how to respond, except to use honesty, hugs, and lots of ice cream. 

We lived life to the fullest according to 10 year old guidelines this week. We baked cookies a lot so there was always a fresh batch available:) We bought a new leotard to support local. We donated to a child in need. We are skipping school tomorrow for a road trip! We stayed up late to watch girly shows. We embraced living life in the now.

Tonight we baked again. Fresh honey zucchini bread is cooling on the counter. Chocolate chip coconut cookies are in Tupperware. A homemade confetti cake is all set for frosting. We realized that the kitchen is one of our happy places. 

We chat, we laugh, we enjoy conversation. We learn patience, math, and cleaning up our messes. We experiment and bond over baked goods. I smiled and laughed more tonight than I have in a week. And now we get to eat well all weekend. 

All I can hope is that the love, laughter, and baked goods made my little one smile and be grateful. I hope she knows she is loved and that she has become a great baker. She learned to mourn loss while embracing life. We laughed through tears, ate the good foods, and decided to just say yes to life from here on out!

it's apple orchard time this week!

There are certain things that happen in the midwest that remain pretty unclear to the rest of the world: shirtless men at football games in December, mini skirts with snow boots (NOT MY look-I will never understand this), cheese hats, all the cheese-beer combinations your heart can desire... You know. THOSE things. And finally, one of the greatest of them all... Apple orchard season!!! This Friday starts the season. Yep, it's going to be high 80's this weekend, but I guarantee there will be lines at the orchards.

Now it appears as though Oreo has jumped on the midwest bandwagon. I won't tell you what to do, but really?!? Nope. No. Nuh uh. Not in my house. Drive your booty to one of the numerous orchards, pop up orchards, or wineries that also sell baked goods and get the durn donuts! No judgement. They're part of a balanced breakfast, snack, dessert, or quick bite as you run out the door. Once upon a time, my friend had her husband stop at an orchard when they lived out of state and fly home with said donuts. It's that real. 

Our personal favorites are from Curran's Orchard because they also boast their award winning apple cider slushies. Unfortunately, we are gone this weekend, but there will be donuts in our future really, really soon. Nothing else compares! It doesn't matter if you're sweating it out at the orchard or sitting in front of a crackling fire with a fuzzy blanket, apple cider donuts go with all occasions. And please, if you try the Oreos, let me know!

staying rad for the bus!

Dotzies are truly the best. We were finishing up all of our summer projects and this little beauty is finally done! It took forEVER to finish, but it looks so cute! If you're unfamiliar, they are teeny, tiny crystals that you use a teeny, tiny tool to pick up and place on an extremely sticky surface with a pattern/picture. The crystals sit in little trays that you fill with each particular color as you need it.

Imagine sneezing, jerking your hand, or sitting next to a 10 year old... They fly everywhere! It takes a bit to get these things done. We love them, though! It is so relaxing to just sit quietly and focus on the specific task or color at hand.

My kid may be one of the few that packs notebooks and pens to write and draw on the bus each morning. Her best friend takes a different bus this year, so she has been bummed. BUT now she has a fancy new notebook to doodle on the bus with. And it's all her. She chose the colors and we put every stinking crystal on. 

Here we are, crafting fools just staying crafty, staying positive, and staying together to get the fun done. Google Dotzies. You'll thank me. (There are different types. These are just one brand.)

choose to dance through it all!

Once upon a time, the Dixie Chicks said, "Some days you gotta dance. Live it up when you get the chance." Then I saw this picture and realized that dancing and music make me happy and really do help! Instead of taking 2 pills with a meal, I shall crank up the tunes and move my feet. I feel like this is an amazing growth mindset statement.

I can't always choose what I listen to or hear or how my day goes, but I CAN choose how I respond to it. That is hard to remember in the heat of the moment. Summer is winding down. My mom brain is on overdrive these days with all the thoughts, questions, and to-do lists. I go to bed wondering if we did enough, did too much, did we read enough, use enough sunscreen, laugh enough, rest enough. I wake up with a list of things that I have convinced myself needs to get done.

This is why I crank the music all the time! It makes us smile. It makes us laugh. It makes us move. It quiets that inner voice that is always on the go (did we return the library books? What is for dinner? Should I paint that wall or not?). 

I will TRY to remember to hear the music and not the worry. I TRY to laugh and dance and play and realize I can't make everything perfect or complete all the time every time. We can't control the weather or anything else, but we can control our life soundtrack and how we move along to it. 

Here are some songs to get you started on your happy dance kind of day: 

I'm better when I'm dancing-Peanuts soundtrack

Hair Up-Trolls soundtrack

Let it Go-Frozen soundtrack

My shot-Hamilton soundtrack

Fun fun fun-Despicable Me soundtrack