I know, I know…I missed a few days of gratitude this week, didn’t I? Oops! Well, let’s be honest. I’m not perfect, and sometimes things slip through the cracks, and this was just one of those weeks…and it hasn’t even reached crazy capacity just yet! I can’t wait to share more with you guys next… Continue reading Gratitude Prompts: Days 12, 13, and 14
I love when I get to go into a long weekend worth of gratitude…though I wish I had the time to do them all one day at a time! No, that’s not true. I love that I don’t worry about things on the weekend. I focus on having fun, making memories, and living my best… Continue reading Gratitude Prompt Days 9, 10, and 11
You guys…it’s Thursday. That might not mean much, but it means that we are coming up on the most exciting night ever – our first date night outside of the CAR! We’ve been having our regularly scheduled date nights almost weekly during the pandemic, but they’ve been in the car. Like, put the second and… Continue reading Gratitude Prompt Day 8: What You Love Most
How’s everyone doing with their gratitude prompts? It’s hard to keep up with all that needs to be done each day. Some, in my opinion, require a little more thought and a little more time – there’s more to say. Others, still, are quick and easy. This is one of those for you. What’s one… Continue reading Gratitude Prompt Day 7: Personality Traits
As I sit here writing this, it’s still the weekend and it’s early. I have my coffee in my office where I’m watching my husband water the flowers around our front porch. Our hibiscus is growing vibrant pink flowers that make me smile every time I see them. Our gardenia is overflowing with fragrant white… Continue reading Gratitude Prompt Day 6: My Proudest Accomplishments
Happy Tuesday! Today’s gratitude prompt is such a good one, because it’s more of a question than it is a prompt. It’s a little bit more in-depth, and I love that about it. That said, I’d like to go ahead and dive right into this one today. Gratitude Prompt Day 5: Do you actively practice… Continue reading Gratitude Day Five: Do I Actively Practice Gratitude?
Happy Monday! I figured I’d add a quick disclaimer on here; I’m not blog posting my gratitude on weekends…I save those for my family. But, I’ll be adding my additional gratitude for those days on Mondays or maybe Fridays so we don’t miss throughout the month. Does that sound fair? Here we go… Gratitude Prompt… Continue reading Gratitude Prompts: Days 2, 3, and 4
Happy first day of May! And, happy first day of our 31 days of gratitude journaling! I’ve been working on this for a month now. I began working on it when we were somewhere in the first few weeks of our quarantine, and I wanted to get it just right. (Fun fact: I use social… Continue reading Gratitude Prompt Day One: What I’m Most Grateful for In My Life
Happy Wednesday! How is everyone on day 38 of the social distancing situation (in Florida, anyway)? Honestly speaking, I have to say I am impressed with my own handling of this situation. I thought for certain that by now I’d be a mess. I figured my patience would have exited the building weeks ago, I’d… Continue reading Our Kids Aren’t Going Back to School: And We Couldn’t Be Happier
Happy Thursday! Hands in the air if you’re doing a lot more cooking than usual? You can’t see my hand, but it’s in the air. Typically, my husband cooks or we go out. I cook very rarely because I’m just not good in the kitchen unless I’m baking. I don’t know what it is, but… Continue reading Mediterranean Couscous: Simple but Flavorful 30-minute Recipe
Day 31 of social distancing. It’s hard to believe it was only 32 days ago that our sweet twins turned 6 and we were waking up in one of our favorite hotels in Miami. We caught the sunrise over the ocean from our balcony before the babes woke up and made their way into our… Continue reading Learning to Appreciate the Simple Life
Happy Friday, and happy end of the first week of distance learning. For most of us, anyway. We just began distance learning in Florida this week. This week marked the end of the kids’ 3rd week out of school since the state cancelled schools. It also marks the week that President Trump announced that the… Continue reading Distance Learning Week One: Helping Four Kids Relearn Learning
Day 12 Honestly, I have no idea what day we are on quarantine-wise. The official timeline for us was on March 16, so we are just sitting here 12 days in and really trying to make the most of a horrible situation. Family walks. Long runs. Lots of power yoga at home. Lots of FaceTime… Continue reading 10 Quotes and Verses to Help You When You Feel Out of Control
Day 5 Today marks the fifth day we’ve been in the midst of our social distancing operation. No school, no cheer practice, no gym. Those are the big changes during the week. Otherwise, not much has changed. My husband and I both work from home and always have, so we aren’t adjusting to any new… Continue reading Blessings in Disguise Amid A Global Pandemic: Find the Good
I won’t start with my typical Happy Tuesday because I’m aware this is not a happy time for most. In fact, it’s a terrifying time for many. For those who are susceptible to COVID-19 – or the Corona Virus – such as the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. For parents who fear the… Continue reading Talking to Your Kids About COVID-19
Happy Thursday, loves! We are nine whole days into a new year, a new decade, a new month. It’s a big deal if you let it be a big deal, though for many it’s not that big a deal. You don’t need a new year to change your life, but it’s helpful to some who… Continue reading January Positivity Challenge
Happy Tuesday, loves! Today marks the first day back to school for the kiddos after a two-week Christmas break, and I’m all mixed feelings and sad about it. On one hand, it’s so nice to get back to our really amazing routine, which includes no one coming into our office all day long asking for… Continue reading Intentional Living: Making 2020 A More Intentional Year
Happy New Year! It’s 2020 – the only 20/20 I’ve had in my life since I was like 9 and began wearing glasses. Some say it’s the year of clarity because of that, but I like to think everyday is a day of clarity if you open yourself up to it and really make the… Continue reading 2020 Goals
Quality. The degree of excellence of something. It’s a simple word. Not even a fancy one. Regardless, it’s the word I am focusing on in my life in 2020. It’s the word I want to embody the year we’re about to live. I want to look back a year from now, and I want to… Continue reading 2019: The Best Worst Year
Happy Friday, loves! This year has flown by, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. December is one of the busiest months of my life in every nook and cranny. It’s Christmas, which brings with it a month of events that are some of our very favorite of the year. It means shopping and planning… Continue reading Important Questions to Ask Before the New Year
Happy Friday, loves! Look at me sliding in here on the last day of the week with a quick post because I made you a promise last week to be here at least once a week the rest of the year. Well, I didn’t fail this week, so go me! This week has flown by!… Continue reading Friday Favorites
Happy Friday, Loves! It’s been too long, and I know that. This year is one that has gotten entirely away from me, and I’m almost positive it’s my own fault. Unfortunately, my blog is my creative outlet – and it has nothing to do with my business, so it’s been pushed to the backburner more… Continue reading Life Lately
Growing older is exciting, and I should know. I just turned 36, and I’ve never felt more confident, happier, or more beautiful in my life. Growing older doesn’t scare me, but that’s because my grandmother – who is as beautiful as ever even after a century of living – taught me that there are two… Continue reading A Beautiful Smile Made Simple with Smile Brilliant
Happy fall, y’all. I know I’m a few weeks late to the party, but you know the drill. I’ve been busy, guys! I’m always busy. I don’t love that my calendar is never empty, but busy is just a way of life sometimes when you’ve got four little ones and stuff. But, it’s fall, it’s… Continue reading Fall Bucket List
Thirty-six. I woke up Monday morning after a late night of fun with my husband and some friends, dining at my favorite restaurant in the world (Il Tinello) in my favorite hotel room at the Omni Berkshire in NYC. Room service had already delivered my coffee, my husband had gifts waiting for me, and it… Continue reading 36 Things I’ve Learned to Celebrate Turning 36
I’m tired. There. I said it. I have over-committed myself this year. I have taken on too many things. I have gone above and beyond the degree of what I’m comfortable doing. While I’m happy to go outside my comfort zone, I’m not so happy to admit that I’ve put myself in a situation in… Continue reading Change Your Perspective, Change Your Outlook, Change Your Life
Happy Wednesday, loves! I know, I know….fall doesn’t officially begin until September 23. But, hear me out. You see, we don’t have fall in Florida. We get second summer, where it’s scorching hot all day, but sometimes it’s not deathly hot at night. So, since we don’t get a fall season around here, I feel… Continue reading My Fall Essentials Shopping List (for the home)
Happy Monday, loves! It’s so hard to find motivation sometimes, right? I go through off and on periods where I’m super motivated to do all the things, and then there are days that I don’t want to do any of the things. But, there are a few things that I’ve come to notice about my… Continue reading Monday Motivation: Five Ways to Get Motivated Any Day of the Week
Happy Thursday, loves! Anyone else have kids struggling to acclimate to the new routine of back-to-school? Hitting the kids with school schedules, sports schedules, activity schedules, and the rest of our lives schedules is hard on them this time of year, and it’s showing in the Raiford house. The twins are the most emotional little… Continue reading Finding Quality Time With Your Family In Busy Seasons
Happy Wednesday, loves! It’s the first full week of school for all four of our littles, which means it’s the first full week of back-to-normal for my husband and me. Our situation is a little different than most considering our normal everyday commute to work is a staggering 12 feet into our office out of… Continue reading Wednesday Wisdom: Tips to Adjusting Your Schedule When the Kids Go Back to School
Happy Tuesday, and happy August, loves! I have been getting so many messages about my new ride, and I thought I’d answer the FAQs about it right here. So, last week when we returned from our two-week trip to the Carolinas, I bought a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. I traded my GMC Acadia Denali for… Continue reading I Got Rid of My SUV for a Minivan: Here’s Why
Happy Monday, loves! Is anyone else as tired as I am going into this Monday? What was meant to be a laid back weekend ended up being jampacked with fun, and I’m not complaining! I spent Friday shopping with my mom and my four littles. Saturday I got the house to myself – and I… Continue reading Botox: Answers to the Questions I’m Asked the Most
Happy Thursday, loves! Anyone else like to procrastinate on occasion? I’m such a planner, but sometimes I’m just better under pressure. This feels like one of those times. I should be making packing lists, ordering new items, and planning for our upcoming vacation. Instead, I’m doing anything but. Honestly, I’m not even remotely motivated to… Continue reading Comfortable and Stylish Travel Outfit Favorites
Happy Friday, loves! Summer is officially here (last week, I think?), but it doesn’t feel any different to those of us in the Sunshine State. It’s hot. It’s humid. The heat is downright oppressive. It’s my least favorite time of the year (sweating isn’t my thing unless I’m working out) and my mom guilt is… Continue reading Struggling with Mom Guilt During the Summer
Happy Friday, loves! What a great week this has been…for so many reasons. Not only was it such a sweet and relaxed week in terms of finally having nowhere to be and nothing to do after months of sports, activities, end-of-school year awards, programs, parties, cheer camp, Safety Patrol DC trip, and our normal travel… Continue reading Friday Favorites: Disconnecting is Amazing (and so is this fab Bandolier phone case)
Happy Wednesday, loves! I have a secret. Well, it’s not a secret. No, it’s kind of a secret. Maybe. Who knows? We are waking up at home this morning for the first time since the kids got out of school three weeks ago without feeling completely exhausted, without traveling, and without anywhere to be. I… Continue reading Orlando’s Best Kept Secret: The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
Summer is here, and we are all spending more time than ever outdoors. From beach days to pool parties to boat days, the sunshine is making us all feel good. But, it’s also taking a toll on our skin. With the changing of the seasons comes a change in our skincare routine. Right now, you’re… Continue reading 3 Summer Masks Your Skin Needs, Stat
Patience and summer might not mix if you’re a parent. But, that’s part of the job. Our kids are home for the summer, and by that I mean they are totally and completely home. We are not big on summer camps around here. I’m not knocking those who are big into them, but we simply… Continue reading Maintaining Patience During Summer Vacation
No makeup. No real clothes. No exiting the house. That’s what our weekend looked like. And, it was the most beautiful weekend. I know I say that every weekend. No matter what we are doing, it’s a beautiful weekend. What can I say other than that we live our best life every weekend, and that’s… Continue reading Recovering After Vacation
Happy Tuesday, loves! I’m exhausted, and I’m guessing all my fellow moms are, too. It’s May. If you have school-age children, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Exhaustion is a way of life around here during the month of May, and it’s because there are so many end-of-school year events, parties, things, stuff, places,… Continue reading 9 Ways to Combat Exhaustion When Your Calendar is Full
Happy Thursday, loves! Mother’s Day is a little bittersweet for me. On one hand, I feel so fortunate and blessed to celebrate this day each year. So many women don’t have that opportunity. My heart is full knowing that I have four beautiful babies to love not just Sunday, but every day. On the other… Continue reading Celebrating Mother’s Day with The Bouqs Co.
Happy Tuesday, loves! I had the best weekend. My husband planned a getaway for us to celebrate our anniversary in a few days, and he knocked it out of the park. It was just one night away because we currently haven’t time for more than that – but our schedule opens up a bit in… Continue reading Romantic Weekend at the Vinoy
Happy Friday, loves! What a week! May is the busiest year in the world for all people with kids – and when you have four kids, it’s four times as busy. This is the month we basically give up any dreams of rest, relaxation, down time (and work, for me) and give our lives to… Continue reading Friday Favorites: Recent Lilly Pulitzer Purchases
Happy Thursday, loves! A digital detox is sometimes what the doctor ordered, and the Raiford family has spent ample time with our fair share of doctors in the past two or three months! Since our son’s unprovoked grand mal seizure on Valentine’s weekend, it’s been necessary. We are already so busy with our kids… Continue reading Anything Can Happen, and Being Prepared is a Good Thing
Happy Wednesday, loves! I’ve been a little (okay, a lot) MIA lately. Our life has been CRAZY since Valentine’s weekend, and we’ve just been focused on our little family and what has turned into appointment after appointment after appointment after appointment. You know that saying, “When it rains, it pours?” (I wish it would literally… Continue reading Life Update
Happy Friday, loves! I did something recently that took me so far outside my comfort zone. I opened my new laptop and committed myself to it. I know. I know. That’s like, nothing, really, to some people. To me, it is a big deal. I don’t love technology. I really don’t. I’ve driven vehicles I… Continue reading Friday Five: Ways to Change Your Life
Happy Wednesday, loves! Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, but doesn’t it feel like it snuck right up on us? I can’t even believe it’s here already, yet here it is in all its glory. I mean, we have a whole year’s notice, and here I am the day before scrambling to put together class gifts and… Continue reading Last-Minute Valentine Gift Ideas For Your Sweet Littles
“Don’t panic. Everyone is fine.” Cold, hard fear gripped my heart. I’m fairly certain I stopped in my tracks walking out of the restaurant where we just had lunch with our oldest daughter and some of our cheer family. My heart stopped; of that, I am certain. It was Saturday morning, and it was a… Continue reading This Doesn’t Happen to Families Like Ours: Except When it Does
Happy Friday, loves! I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing I love more than the weekend. We love laidback weekends at home, hosting friends and family the most. My husband loves to cook, and I love to come up with fun new drink ideas on occasion to mix it up a bit. When the… Continue reading Valentine Cocktails With Icelandic Glacial
Happy Wednesday, loves! When we got home from Texas this weekend, we had to hit the supermarket. Ordinarily, we might order groceries to have delivered when we land so that we can come home to what we need and focus on unpacking, but I needed flowers. I always keep fresh flowers in our home –… Continue reading 5 Reasons You Should Keep Fresh Blooms At Home
Tiffany Raiford 