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halloween gift basket ideas

Spooky and Scary With goblins and ghosts running rampant over the next week, it’s obvious that Halloween is in the air. Halloween parties, Trunk or Treat events, fall festivals, and pumpkin patches galore…and So. Much. Sugary. Candy. I adore Halloween, but I don’t adore the abundance of Halloween candy that comes with it. Our kids… Continue reading halloween gift basket ideas

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Amazon Summer Fashion Must-Haves Under $40

Summer The season of doing all the things, doing nothing, and making a lot of last second plans. It’s also the season in which I find myself ordering last-minute outfits I need on my doorstep…yesterday. That means ordering from Amazon because nothing else will get here fast enough. Let’s be honest, it’s not like we… Continue reading Amazon Summer Fashion Must-Haves Under $40

Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Monday Motivation: Learning to Master Self-Discipline

Through self-discipline comes freedom Aristotle When you take a moment to let that sink in, it really hits hard because it’s about so much more than the usual things that come to mind. When you ask someone about self-discipline, they often joke that they have no self-control (um, yeah, I said that last night as… Continue reading Monday Motivation: Learning to Master Self-Discipline

Home, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Life Update

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

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“She Makes It Look So Easy…”

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…”

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It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

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

gratitude, health, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Bye, Negativity

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

health, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Quick Tips When You’re In A Funk

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

gratitude, Uncategorized

Gratitude Prompts Days 15 to 31 (oops)

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)

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Gratitude Prompts: Days 12, 13, and 14

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

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Gratitude Prompt Day 7: Personality Traits

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

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Gratitude Prompt Day 6: My Proudest Accomplishments

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

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Gratitude Prompt Day One: What I’m Most Grateful for In My Life

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

Home, In the Kitchen, Uncategorized

Mediterranean Couscous: Simple but Flavorful 30-minute Recipe

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

Home, Lifestyle, Marriage, Parenting, Uncategorized

Learning to Appreciate the Simple Life

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

Home, Lifestyle, Marriage, Parenting, Uncategorized

Distance Learning Week One: Helping Four Kids Relearn Learning

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

health, Home, Lifestyle, Marriage, Parenting, Uncategorized

10 Quotes and Verses to Help You When You Feel Out of Control

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

health, Home, Lifestyle, Marriage, Parenting, Uncategorized

Blessings in Disguise Amid A Global Pandemic: Find the Good

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

health, Home, Lifestyle, Parenting, Uncategorized

Talking to Your Kids About COVID-19

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

Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Intentional Living: Making 2020 A More Intentional Year

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

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2019: The Best Worst Year

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

Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Important Questions to Ask Before the New 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

Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Friday Favorites

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

Fashion, Uncategorized

Life Lately

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

Beauty, health, Uncategorized

A Beautiful Smile Made Simple with Smile Brilliant

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