Thoughts of the Day
My life has qualified me as "experienced" on such topics as Army life, parenting, mental health, loss and grief, multi-tasking, and adapting to all things new (good, bad, or indifferent). I will share my thoughts on these topics and hopefully you will find some calm in the chaos knowing that others have been where you are.
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11 Years and Counting on Forever…
“Forever….it’s a really long time.” On this day eleven years ago, I married my very best friend in all the world, my lobster, my rock, the keeper of my secrets, and the healer of my wounds. I cannot imagine life without him beside me doing all the crazy things we do! He literally makes me laugh every single day…even on the days when laughter seems like an impossibility. And he gives the best damn foot massages I have ever known! Happy Anniversary, Jeff! I love you more than I ever thought I was capable of. To celebrate eleven years of marriage, I figured I would share with you all the…
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A Gratitude Alphabet for Thanksgiving Day
DIY Party Mom recently shared this fun activity for kids in her post, I Am Thankful Thanksgiving Printable Game. Since I am a big kid at heart and am feeling all kinds of gratitude this holiday season, I figured it would make a great Thanksgiving Day post. All you have to do is follow the alphabet and create a list of 26 things that you are thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have to be honest, this was a bit challenging! But the challenge gives you an opportunity to get creative. So here we go…the things that I am thankful for from A to Z. A is for Archie. I just…
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Ageism, Personal Style, and Poses & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #198
I had a few brief moments of inspiration over the weekend for styling some fun outfits to share with you all including this tie dye and camouflage combination. But rather than discussing the outfit, I do have to admit that lately I have been feeling more and more silly about this little fashion blog of mine. I mean, I have yet to meet any person who would actually wear anything that I style so I am not certain how much outfit inspiration I am actually providing for anyone. But creating unique outfits makes me happy and currently it is one of the very few things that brings me joy. So…
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“To Thine Own Self Be True” & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #194
“To thine own self be true.” William Shakespeare Dee of Grammy’s Grid recently shared a post discussing the meaning behind this age old adage. In fact, that post was the most clicked from last week’s link party and is featured below. Her analysis of this quote as well as how its meaning has evolved over the past 400 years inspired me to dive a little deeper into this topic from my own personal perspective. But before I do, click over and give Dee’s post a quick read. She poses a few questions to contemplate on a personal level. These are Dee’s questions verbatim and I am going to do my…
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A Bit of Gore for Our Halloween Porch Decor
Last year was the very first time that we have decorated for Halloween. Up until then, my kids were content with cheap costumes and candy. Now that they are 7 and 9, they are getting much more into all things gory and bloody and creepy and gross…especially at Halloween time. Probably because that’s the only time this mom will indulge them! Anyway, I promised to share our Halloween front porch decorations. It is nothing elaborate and probably a bit more silly than scary, but we had a lot of fun doing it. Remember these giant animal heads from last Halloween…I wore one in my Halloween Costume look with Monica and…
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‘Tis the Season for Gratitude with Bellelily & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #191
As soon as October rolls around, I feel like we have to abruptly shift our mindsets into holiday mode. And I have to be honest, I hate holiday mode. I don’t like the commercialism. I don’t like the pressure to buy more. I don’t enjoy expectations placed on my time for the onslaught of celebrations and gatherings. And as much as I enjoy giving gifts to people, I really don’t like to be forced to choose something for the mere sake of giving a gift on a randomly designated day of the year, especially one that has drifted so far away from its original meaning. To be blunt, I really…
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9 Guidelines for Effective Communication
*I recently wrote this article for publication on Medium, but thought the content was worthy sharing here especially since the overarching theme of my 9 guidelines is kindness in communication. But if you don’t mind clicking over to the original article on Medium and giving it a read and a clap on that platform, I would really appreciate it! That is how I generate some income from my writing. It is all based on read time and claps and is a great way to make a little extra income doing what I love…writing (and communicating). 9 Guidelines for Effective Communication I have always been fascinated by the way people communicate…
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4 Ways to Make This Christmas Extra Special
*This is contributed content. This year has been a tough one in a number of ways. There have been a lot of things happening, most notably a global pandemic that has changed the way everyone has to live. While many of us have settled into a new way of things, there are still concerns about how the Christmas season will be affected this year. It might mean less holiday travel and fewer seasonal parties, but Christmas celebrations do not have to be canceled this year. You can still have a great time and even make the holiday season extra special. We all need some special things to make up for…
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Faith Over Fear with Bellelily & Link Up On the Edge #211
In our current environment, I have definitely been feeling emotions that lean way more toward the side of fear than they do toward faith. Fear of the world. Fear of people. Fear of judgment. Fear of failure. Fear of negativity. So much fear. And while it is so easy to get caught in the fear trap, we cannot stay in that place for too long. Fear leads to anxiety and stress which lead to all sorts of other issues in one’s life. I can literally feel the fear-induced anxiety wreaking havoc on my body from daily nausea and queasiness to frequent headaches and sleep issues. And it has all been…
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New Band Tees & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #187
When the whole world has gone wild, independent artists have found innovative ways to raise funds to support their art and careers. When we all went into lockdown in early spring, we saw so many musicians streaming free live shows from their homes in an effort to bring love and light and hope into our homes. These concerts were instrumental for my survival when the long weeks led only to unfulfilling weekends that looked much the same as the weekdays. Except, of course, when I was able to stream my favorite bands straight into my living room on any given Friday or Saturday night. These weekend shows certainly uplifted me…
