Stop. Simply. Be.

I do not believe in something without trying it myself. I began 40 Days of Thankfulness, asked people to join and continued doing it with them. 


I started 365 Days of Gratitude and am now on day 35. I did not think I would be able to keep that commitment at all. But now with 200 members in that group, a new blog site dedicated to it, and a new challenge to go along with our gratitudes, the idea is spreading. 


So the idea of Gratitude and Simplicity is in my head every minute of every day. Even in the sad moments, stressful moments, and moments of unexpected change. 


As I spend the day sitting with Jace, holding him, playing with him, feeding him, I'm reminded how fast my time with him is in this moment. This day my oldest turns 10. Just yesterday she was the same age and I was watching her try to crawl. 


So, I try at least once a day to stop and do something silly with my kids. We all need to take a break from being an adult for a few hours. Reading books, watching Justin Bieber videos, playing the Wii to WIN, making cupcakes or cookies, making a snowman or s'mores. . . .


The people you hold dear and near will thank you for it. 


In the chaos and craziness of the season, please, please, please stop. Take a simple moment to do a simple thing. In the simplicity we find authenticity, love and gratitude. 

My birthday gift to YOU!

Yes, friends. Today I turn 34. It's actually quite difficult to fathom that I've spent 34 years on this earth. Wow. #gratitude

To those middle school kids last week, I seem old. To those kindergartners, I seem ancient. To those mentors, I seem young. To my parents, I still am a baby. :) 

Age is all in your perspective. How you see it, is how it will be. 

If you've followed this blog for any significant amount of time you know things things to be true about your writer: 

1. Live simply. 

2. Love in all things.

3. Gratitude is the key to being able to breathe through your life. Being grateful doesn't mean life is perfect, it just means overlooking the "blech" parts and finding the "ahhhh" parts. 

4. Find simple things to pamper yourself and rejuvenate your day. 

5. Music speaks to my soul every day. It supports my emotion no matter what it is and gives me hope. It reminds me of love. It encourages me to dance. It bonds me and my children, my and my husband. I love every kind of music you can think of and jazz is one of my favorite things to listen to while sipping on some great wine! 

I could not live without any of these things. I would be miserable without them. 

So, for my birthday I'm giving YOU a present. 

1. Here is a great holiday tradition to start with your family at any time! You can readjust it to 10 days, 5 days. Remember that kids love simple things just as much as you do! 

2. A great friend (JL) has offered to giveaway one of her products! I've chosen to giveaway something to pamper your body!  You'll love it and it will force you to pamper that skin! 

3. A great musician agreed to giveaway his CD. Jonny Blu will send an autographed CD to you! 

So - the rules. 

Be a follower. 

Comment one thing you did to enjoy life today! 

You only have until 12 AM December 7 to post and enter! I'll pick a winner for #2 and #3 and notify you! 

big love and gratitude. . . 

Small is Great

Some of the greatest things in the world, are often the smallest. 


Newborn babies
A loving glance
A helping hand
A smile


Most of you know that I've began a huge undertaking. I've committed to doing 365 Days of Gratitude. One acknowledgement of gratitude per day, one blog per day, one tweet per day, and usually one journal entry per day.


I seem to have found a pretty good rhythm for seeing that all get posted. Though, it's not been easy each day. 


During every single time I've taken time to consciously give thanks and send it out into the world, I realize that at a certain point - usually about day 20 ish, I find that it's not as easy as I thought it would be. 


Things happen and don't always go my way or as planned. People disappoint. Circumstances develop. 


This is exactly why being grateful everyday is necessary. The practice of gratitude teaches us, grooms us for those days or times that may be difficult. The practice helps us to realize that IN ALL THINGS we should be thankful. 


This past holiday week, I've found that I've been more grateful for the simple, small things. 


Small tree, simple ornaments, hanging lights, making hot cocoa, playing video games, listening to the girls play for hours on end, watching Jace delight in the newness of the holiday season or squeal in excitement when he sees a sister, being able to relax with my husband, cooking with no pressure, letting the day take us where it may, giving up control. 


Life is not perfect, but we must be able to see all the perfect moments within it and be thankful. 

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 14

November 23, 2010

*All content has been taken from SImple Abundance. Some content has been shortened for the purpose of 365 Days of Gratitude. 

The Gratitude Journal

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.  ~Melody Beattie

It's been exactly 14 days since we first started this journey. I asked in the beginning that you go out and purchase a journal. My hope is that if you did you took a special trip to find one and that the journal reminds you, pulls you in each day in order to record your thoughts, questions, and gratitudes. 

If you haven't found your journal yet, and your are following along in this extensive part of 365 Days, you must get the journal. It is not an option. It doesn't have to be expensive. Here's mine: 

It cost exactly $2. It's purple and is soft to touch, has a ribbon bookmark and makes me smile because purple is one of my favorite colors.  

The point of the journal is to practice being conscious and writing down specific gratitudes. 

As I've said, I've went on this journey before and the transformation after the first several months is amazing. You will begin to find yourself more content that you ever thought possible. 

"Gratitude is the heart's memory." 

Today's challenge: If you haven't already, GO GET YOUR GRATITUDE JOURNAL! :)  

Today's exercise: Write down 10 things you are grateful for in this moment. 

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 13

November 22, 2010

*All content has been taken from SImple Abundance. Some content has been shortened for the purpose of 365 Days of Gratitude. 

Gratitude: Awakening the Heart
"The eyes of my eyes are opened. ~e.e. cummings

The author, Sarah Ban Breathnach, writes " One ordinary morning I realized I was emotionally and physically exhausted from concentrating on things I wanted to buy but couldn't afford. I felt trapped in a vicious circle. The more I focused on lack and on what I didn't have, the more depressed I became. I hungered for an inner peace that the world could not take away. I surrendered my desire for security and instead sought serenity. As I started my life's inventory of assets my list grew and grew." 


This attitude of gratitude is the road to learning how to live our lives abundantly. When you begin to give thanks for everything - big and small, in all things,  the flow of thankfulness comes so fast and furious that we cannot help but begin to live in a serenity that never was before. 

Today's challenge: Open your eyes to and give your life another look. Are your basic needs met? Food? Clothes? Is there a regular means of income? Do you have your health? Can you walk, talk, hear? Do you have family and friends?  

Today's exercise: Write down 10 things you are grateful for in this moment. 

365 Days is Moving. . . .

After a lot of thought, I've decided to move the 365 Days of Gratitude and Simplicity to it's own blog. 


I didn't truly realize how big the concept would be and I want to have others follow along without having to read all my personal epiphany blogs mixed in there. So, I am separating the two. 


I'll still keep reminding you to visit me here as well as 365 Days of Gratitude & SImplicity.  


For the next few days I will post my gratitude blogs  in both spots and then taper off and only post them in the new spot. 


I didn't get A LOT of feedback from my previous posts and inquires, but I'm thinking more people are reading and probably not posting. This is okay and actually great, I think. 


I'm finding that many people are being affected by our gratitudes, especially those that aren't saying anything. :) 


Spread the attitude of gratitude. xoxoxo

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 12

November 21, 2010

*All content has been taken from SImple Abundance. Some content has been shortened for the purpose of 365 Days of Gratitude. 

There Is No Scarcity

"When money is plenty this is a man's world. When money is scarce it is a woman's world. When all else seems to have failed, the woman's instinct comes in. She gets the job. That is a reason why in spite of all that happens, we continue to have a world. ~Ladie's Home Journal, October 1932

When you worry about someone's health - yours or a loved ones there is a sudden clarity about what is important. Living is important. Everyday is a gift. 

But when we worry about money it mocks us. Those worries steal our joy and follow us around like a dark shadow. 

Money ebbs and flows in our life. We must accept that and find gratitude no matter what our situation is at the time. 

Today's challenge: Concentrate on what you have today. Not what you lack. Accept what you can change and do not allow worry to take over what you cannot. 

Today's exercise: Write down 10 things you are grateful for in this moment.