The Heart Of The Matter

We've all heard some form of the statement:

50 years from now, the most photographed generation will have no photos.

Stop and let that sink in for a just a minute.

The most photographed generation. No photos.

Just imagining that thought brings tears to my eyes. It cannot happen. It's not possible. I treasure pictures of my kiddos growing up in a way I can't even put into words. 

When you hear of someone with a house fire, what's the one thing they always try to take with them. Yep, their photos. It's all that matters.

Our photos are priceless memories. Every mama knows and feels that. 

I believe that's why our phones are bursting with the number of photos we take. We are so afraid of not documenting our lives, our children's lives. Afraid of not being able to remember these moments.

Holidays always make the memory keeping more real. More deliberate.

But what comes after? Do all these photos just get lost into the abyss of thousands of other photos? 

We know the...

I'm gonna keep this post short and sweet. It's the holidays and we are BUSY! Physically and emotionally exhausted.

I just want to send a quick reminder:

Don't forget to take at least a few moments each day to be conscious about what you LOVE about this season.

There are plenty of things to dislike for sure. But we all have those feelings of love as well.

Year's ago, when our local mall was a busy place-that just might date me, haha-my husband would talk me into going there with him. No, not to shop, but to just take some time to sit and watch the people. 

Yeah, I know, we all have our moments of people watching (airports, anyone??)

But this was different. It was as if he needed this time to really feel the Christmas spirit. There was an energy to it. All the decorations, Christmas music playing in the background and the general hustle bustle. Determined women, carrying their loot into the next store, the smell of spiced almonds at a kiosk, couples sitting in the food court and...

You know how every once in a while someone comes into your life and adds something of value that can be so helpful and possibly even life changing?

Well, that happened to me a few weeks ago. I was at a business conference in San Diego when I met up with a friend whom at the time I would call just an acquaintance. We were sharing thoughts and ideas about each other's businesses when she shared with me her strategy for getting sh!t done.

A morning routine.

Without taking the time to go into detail, let's just say I planned out a morning routine for myself which now includes time for building my business. Most importantly though, this routine is non-negotiable! Nada. Nope. It is going to happen every single day.

All this is to say I have become accountable to myself in a way I just haven't been for a long time. I'm honoring my commitments to myself.

Small (or big) win right here!

You may be asking, "so what's this have to do with me?"

Remember I've talked a lot about that fun little...

It's snowing today and that's just perfect. There's nothing quite like the calm of those beautiful white snowflakes landing and stacking ever so gently. Sounds feel calmer and as I sit here and take it all in, I'm also reminded of the contrast that is to start happening soon.

It's Thanksgiving Day and it will be full of families traveling, putting meals together, having kids dressed and ready to go to grandma's. It's a busy day.

It can also be very stressful. Coming together with the family we love so much, but can also drive us crazy. The stress of knowing that come tomorrow we're headed full bore into the Christmas season.

It seems to be so much every year, but at the same time it's also so magical.

It's magical to watch our kiddos and the excitement and anticipation of Christmas they express. It's magical to see all the Christmas lights and hear the music that takes us back to our own Christmas's growing up.

As we're giving thanks today for all our many blessings take a...

I realize everything is starting to really ramp up now. The holidays are on our doorstep and you have many important things to do.

But I'm here to help you start preserving those memories. I'm keeping it super simple for now so that you aren't adding to the overwhelm.

If you can go download 1 Second Everyday onto your phone that's great. But honestly, you don't even have to do that! Just start recording a quick little video clip of something you're doing or seeing each day. I suggest about 3-7 seconds long so you have a little bit to work with once you import it into the app. As long as you're getting those clips, they can be added to the app at any time.

Pro tip: if you want your finished movie to look especially awesome, take your videos with your phone held horizontally.

I like to take a few short minutes in the evening to update my 1 Second Everyday. But just between you and me...I have been known to neglect the app for months! Gah! But guess what? When...

Oh boy! Can you feel it? There's this constant little tension in the air.

If you're like me and don't really shift gears into the holiday season until after Thanksgiving is over, well I'm sure you're feeling it too.

This feeling that sits right on the edge of:

Okay, okay. I've got this. I need to start planning, making lists, buying gifts, decorating and etc...I'VE GOT THIS. 

Or

Oh shit. Christmas is right around the corner. I'm not ready. I'm already feeling overwhelmed. I don't know how I'm going to do it all. Help! Stop!

First off let's take a deep breath. We've done this many times now and we can do it again. Step by step. One foot in front of the other.

One thing to keep in mind: Mama, you ARE the heart of the holidays.

No matter how put together you can make it or how messy it becomes, it is going to happen. Our kiddos will only remember how it felt.

So if it requires some stepping back and simplifying in order to reduce the overwhelm, do that.

I want to suggest...

I’ve contemplated starting a blog, off and on, for quite some time now. I get all excited and think I have things to say, and in about the next breath I determine that I have nothing to say.

Well...I’ve come to the conclusion that we ALL have something to say. Whether or not anybody is interested is not for me to decide, it’s for others to decide. It’s for YOU to decide.

So here we are...

Saturday morning this weekend my sister, Wendy, and I were having coffee. It just amazes me that in the course of an hour or two we can cover so many topics. (You know we got the world all figured out! Ha.)

Our conversation moves so fast it can be hard to keep up. We covered intermittent fasting, aging parents, us aging and future plans, being a parent to adult children, our pets, sex, and Marie Kondo.

Yes, Marie Kondo. She’s a buzzword right now. (Just in case you didn’t already know)

Here’s the thing. Wendy and I live in the same city and see each other...