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. 

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 11

November 20, 2010

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

Is It Recession or Depression

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." ~Helen Keller

I, personally, am finding it ironic that the Simple Abundance book has discussed recession at this time. The book was first published in the late 90's and as I read the entry for today, I realize that it is still applicable. 

Perhaps the recession has personally affected you and yours. Millions of women are scaling down their expectations of what constitutes the good life, redefining their values, reordering their priorities and accepting the challenge of making a virtue out of necessity. However, it's very easy to surrender to emotional depression when a financial one occurs. 

It's time to put the thoughts of lack behind us. We will have to make a change. Change does not happen overnight. Lasting change happens in small increments at a time. We will slowly learn to become optimists. 

Today's challenge: Smile at everyone you meet. Make eye contact when you smile. Expect something good to happen no matter what happened yesterday. The past can no longer hold you captive. Let it go. 

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

"The past can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it." 

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 10

November 19, 2010

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

Until It Is Carved in Stone

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth - and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up - that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

In one of my favorite plays of all time, Our Town by Thornton Wilder  a deeply poignant scene takes place in a graveyard. Ghosts comfor teh young heroine, who has recently died from childbirth. Emily, still longing for the life she has just left, wishes to revisit one ordinary, "unimportant" day in her life. When she does, she realizes how much "the living take for granted." 


It eventually becomes too much for her to bear and she begs to leave one last time. ". . . goodbye clocks ticking, goodbye sunflowers, goodbye sleeping and waking. . . "

Today's challenge: This is the season of epiphany. Today seek everyday epiphanies. Give them a voice. Say out loud to someone which "unimportant" experiences you're thankful for and have previously taken for granted. 

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

"Appreciate the authentic moments of happiness in the everyday." 

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 9

November 18, 2010

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

What Is It You Truly Need

"Ini my life's chain of events nothing was accidental. Everything happened according to an inner need." ~Hanna Senesh

Do you have everything you need right now? What about your wants? 


Most of us are hungering for something more in our lives, but do we really think it can be found in a glossy magazine or on the television?

In order to live the life we were intended, it's crucial to distinguish between our wants and our needs. 


Today make peace with the knowledge that you cannot have everything you want! 
It's most important to get everything we need. 

Today's challenge: Be courageous and ask yourself : What is it I truly need to make me happy? The personal answers to this will be very different for each of us. "It is inevitable that when one has a great need of something, one finds it."

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


"What you need, you attract." 

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 8

November 17, 2010

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

The Underrated Duty

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

"I'll be happy when I get a bigger kitchen." 

"I'll be happy when I get a better paying job."

"I'll be happy when I find the perfect someone." 

I call this "I'll be happy when" syndrome. It tricks us. Yes, these things can make us HAPPIER,  they do not plant the seeds of happiness. 

Happiness is not a possession to be prized. It is a thought, a state of mind. 

No one can force you to be happy each day that you wake up. 

Let's adopt a new state of mind. Let's stop thinking that things outside of our control will bring happiness. 

We must tend our inner garden and take time to uproot the weeds of external expectations.

Happiness is a living emotion. We must be willing to pursue it and make it a priority. It IS  intimidating, but be gentle, start small. Climbing a mountain looks  difficult, but if you take it step by step and day by day, you will find yourself at the top and looking up! 

Today's challenge: Today take time to think of 2 things in your past that you thought would bring you happiness - that you depended on to bring you happiness. Write them down. Did they make you happy for long?

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

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 7

November 16, 2010

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

How Happy Are You Right Now? 

"Perhaps if one really knew when one was happy one would know the things that were necessary for one's life." ~Joanna Field

How happy are you right now? Do you even know? 

Most women know what make their parents, partners, or children happy. But when it comes to an awareness about the little, specific things in life that bring a smile to our faces, we often come up short. 

In 1926, a young Englishwoman, Joanna Field, began to keep a journal in order to discover what specifically triggered the feeling of delight in her daily life.  

Today's challenge: Today take time to experience moments of happiness. Savor the small, authentic moments that bring contentment. Try a new cookie recipe. Take time to arrange a bouquet of flowers. Sip a cup of tea on the porch and enjoy the sun. Pause for 5 minutes to pet a purring cat. 

Today's exercise: Write down 10 things you are grateful for in this moment. Write down a moment when you savored an small, authentic moment. 

365 Days of Gratitude & SImplicity Day 6

November 15, 2010

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

Standing Knee-Deep in a River and Dying of Thirst

"The thirst after happiness is never extinguished in the hear of [woman]. ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Kathy Mattea sings of friends who had been taken for granted, sweethearts she had known, and a wonderful world of strangers just waiting to make a connection with us (while we turn our eyes away)

There is so much we are taking for granted. We must try to stop living unconsciously. 

The revelation that we have everything we need in life to make us happy but simply lack the conscious awareness to appreciate it can be as refreshing as lemonade on a hot summer day or as startling as cold water being thrown in our face. . 

Are you going through your days parched and empty, when you are really standing knee-deep in the river of abundance? 

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

365 Days of Gratitude & Simplicity Day 5

November 14, 2010

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

The Woman You Were Meant to Be

"Many women today feel a sadness we cannot name. Though we accomplish much of what we set out to do, we sense that something is missing our lives and fruitlessly search "out there" for the answers. What often wrong is that we are disconnected from an authentic sense of self. ~ Emily Hancock

Has this ever happened to you? You are washing your face, and sudden you do not recognize the woman staring back at you. "Who is this?" you ask the mirror. No reply. She looks vaguely familiar but bears little resemblance  to the woman you were expecting to see there. Psychologists call this a "displacement of self," and it usually occurs during times of great stress. (Ha! Isn't this everyday?) 

Perhaps our melancholy is that we miss the woman we were meant to be. We miss our authentic selves. But the good news is that even if you have ignored the overtures for decades ("wear red" "cut your hair" "study art in Paris" "learn the tango") your authentic self has no abandoned you. 

Start listening. 

Today's challenge & exercise: List some of the things you've ignored your authentic self saying to you in the past. What things have you avoided pursuing because you were not able to silence the world and listen to yourself? 

Write down you gratitude for the day.