Happy Thursday! Scrolling through social media is eye-opening. I have so many thoughts as I scroll through my feed and read the posts of those around me. While it can be fun and enjoyable, a fun way to connect with loved ones far away and to keep in touch with people who were part of… Continue reading Living Your Best Life in 2021 Part One: Learning to Recognize and Minimize Your Fears
Happy New Year! It’s the first week of a brand-new year, and I think I speak for many (if the statuses I saw all morning on social media are any indication of how people feel) when I say that it was nice to begin the new year on a Thursday evening so that it all… Continue reading Living Your Best Life in 2021 Part One: No More Living in Fear
Happy Tuesday! It’s election day in the United States, and it’s the day millions of people will flock to the polls to cast their vote…and it’s a day that will go down in history. This is one of the most important presidential elections in history – and I mean all of history. It’s a big… Continue reading Happiness Does Start at Home
Happy Wednesday, loves! It’s been three long, lovely months since my last post, and it was a much-needed break for me and my creative mind. The truth is that sometimes I feel relatively uninspired, and I don’t have much to say. If you want to dig further down to the root of that truth –… Continue reading Life Update
Happy Wednesday! Being a parent is hard work, y’all. Hard work. I can’t think of one thing – other than the actual loving them part – that is effortless and easy. My husband and I have been doing this parenting thing now for over 12 years, and we still don’t have a clue what we… Continue reading “She Makes It Look So Easy…”
Happy Wednesday! We all make mistakes, and it’s okay to make the wrong decision. We all do it. We make mistakes, we do the wrong thing, we wish we could change our minds. The great news, thankfully, is that most situations allow us to do just that; change our minds. We did it, and we… Continue reading It’s Okay to Make Mistakes
Happy Wednesday, loves! How many negative thoughts have you had this morning? Hazard a guess. I’ve probably had dozens already, and it’s first thing in the morning. Honestly, it’s so hard not to find negative thoughts creeping in these days. Any day, really, but these days it’s almost impossible not to feel negative more often… Continue reading Bye, Negativity
Confidence is not “They will like me,” Confidence is “I’ll be fine if they don’t,” – Pinterest I’m sure someone more important or interesting said that, but it’s all over Pinterest without a direct attribute to the person who said it, so…(if you know to whom this belongs, please shoot me a quick email so… Continue reading What is Confidence?
Happy Friday, loves! Do you ever find yourself in a total funk? It’s like a weird place where you’re present in life, but you feel almost as if you’re looking at your life unfolding before you from up above; almost like a dream, if I’m putting it into a tangible concept. You can’t put your… Continue reading Quick Tips When You’re In A Funk
Happy Friday, loves! This is one of those days that’s just so sweet. Who doesn’t love a Friday? I make sure I have all my deadlines met prior to Fridays so that I can sleep a little late, linger a little longer over my morning cup (cups…who am I trying to kid?) of coffee, and… Continue reading A Big Announcement Following a Difficult Decision
Happy Tuesday! It’s been a while since I’ve done a post linking my outfits. I wasn’t sure it was the right tone during the Pandemic when no one was going anywhere, and no one needed to shop for things to wear nowhere, right? But, still, that didn’t stop the questions from rolling in on social… Continue reading Favorite 2020 Purchases So Far
Sooo…I’m behind with my gratitude posts for the month. Honestly, I cannot believe I allowed two weeks to go by without a post! No excuses. I dropped the ball there, and today I’m catching up in a big way (with the remainder of the month). Can we just talk about how great I did the… Continue reading Gratitude Prompts Days 15 to 31 (oops)
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
Tiffany Raiford 