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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The Great Underwear Debacle: Chasing the Perfect Panties
Last week, I was having a conversation with a friend…a conversation about underwear. *There will be no pictures of underwear or me in my underwear in this post…just the insane musings of a twisted up girl wearing yet another kimono and some ill-fitting underwear. The conversation began with me complaining about the price of underwear and how my children hate to wear underwear. To be clear, I insist that my kids wear underwear to school. But on the weekends and during summer vacation, it is not a fight worth fighting. I figure when they are teenagers, it’s not going to much matter what I say. If they choose not to…
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Learning to Spot Energy Thieves
A dear friend warned me not too long ago about energy thieves. She explained to me that I have the type of positive energy that draws people toward me. I suppose it is true…I am upbeat and happy and almost always beaming with the joys of life. I have met other people who are like this and it is definitely contagious. It makes you want to be around them. They make you feel good simply by being in the presence of their good energy. When I meet people like this, it absolutely boosts my mood. I have to admit that it is an extraordinary compliment that my friend has classified…
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The Art of Delayed Gratification
For my entire life until I had kids, I was a voracious reader. I found such solace and escape and inspiration and motivation in reading books on a variety of different topics. I have always loved books on philosophy, psychology, religion, and self-help. My favorite genre of fiction has forever been 17th through 19th century British literature but also any type of historical fiction from most cultures. I have also always been a fan of the classics, you know, the books we were “forced” to read in grade school. I loved them all. But then I had kids and it seemed that I never had time to read for my…
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Today, I Wept
Today, I wept. This morning, my college swim coach shared the news of this story on our team’s alumni Facebook page. He shared it because the husband and father of the victims was a member of our team and a member of my graduating class. And while I have not “known” him in 20 plus years, today my heart broke for him. I quickly shared the Go Fund Me Fundraiser on my Facebook page because in that moment I wasn’t really sure what else to do. A few hours later as I was walking to pick up my youngest son from preschool, I was lost deep in thought wondering what…
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Sharing My Flashlight: The Power of Our Experiences
Recently, I have been making some major adjustments in my life. I have been restructuring my daily routine, creating new and better habits, making healthier choices physically and mentally, eliminating toxicity from all facets of my life, and taking the time I need for self-care which includes quiet time, relaxing time, and fun time. It is an evolution of sorts that was prompted by my own experiences. I suppose we all make changes in response to our experiences. Experience does have that kind of power. The power to force change. *This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. We are meant to learn from…
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SmartChicks: Women Empowering Women & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #75
Women empowering women. That is so my jam. People empowering people. Even better. There is enough crazy and chaos and competition in this world that I really don’t need to add to it. Instead, I opt for empowering and inspiring others to be the very best versions of themselves. One person’s success does not take away from another’s person’s success…especially these days. In this generation of technology and social media where we have the means to reach an infinite number of people and various different audiences around the world, competition really seems a little silly. Because there is enough room for all of us. And as we help each other…
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When You Realize Your Strength is a Weakness
When you possess a quality inherent in your personality that has been viewed by many as a strength for your entire life and you wake up one day and realize that is was an extraordinary weakness that has broken your entire sense of reality, it can rattle you right to your core. This is what I have been dealing with this past week and the reason I have been quite absent from my blog and social media. It takes a lot of internal processing to figure out what exactly to do with it all. I had to bring into question my entire sense of self and a large part of…
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The Sunday Showcase: A Day Late & A History Lesson Short
When my very dear friend Ada of Elegance and Mommyhood asked me to join her and two of my other very dear blogging friends, Chrissy of Granola and Grace and Kellyann of This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, as their co-host once again for their monthly link up, The Sunday Showcase, I couldn’t really say no. These three women, after all, are some of my closest blogging friends in all of the blogging realm and I will support them any chance I get just as they all support me. *This is not a sponsored post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. But then I asked Ada, “Is there…
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My Coffee Needs Coffee and Crybaby Soup & Link Up On the Edge #91
As I am sitting down to write this post at the final hour, I am really wanting to climb into bed after a hectic day that ended with the most trying of times with my 5 year old. You all know that I don’t like to complain much, especially on my blog, but this is quickly going to turn into a major bitch session. For that I apologize. I will try to inject it with humor at least. In the meantime, would somebody please start cooking up some crybaby soup for me? *This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. 1. That first paragraph…
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Empowered By Color: The Color Green
This post is for my dear blogging friend, Suzy Turner, the one person on earth whom I know loves the color green as much as I do. Perhaps it is because we both have green eyes that fuels our passion for this color. Perhaps it is because we both see the world as a place full of possibilities and astonishing beauty that draws us to this most common hue found in nature. But whatever the reason, Suzy shares my adoration of all things green. We have both agreed that if we see something in green, especially in the sartorial world, we must have it. Suzy Turner in Various Shades of…