Until I can find a yoga class I like (I wish I lived near her so I could take her class!), I’ve been reading. Finding moments of quiet to shut off my own head and listen to someone else’s. I love witty non-fiction from other flailing their way through life women who keep it real. It has made me laugh and cry this week to pick some of these books up again and to be encouraged. Throw in some fiction from other authors I adore and I am filled up.

Talk about not being focused though. Who reads 5 books at the same time? I do, that’s who. Maybe goal #1 for focusing my head and heart will be to pick and finish one. And when I have finished them all, I’d like to know…what are you reading? And what should I read next? Recommend away!

So, with all that spare time on my hands, I gave my blog a little makeover. If you’re using a reader I hope you’ll stop by to see it and maybe while you are here, say hi. It’s too quiet with my 5 year old maniac gone.

How’s your Monday going?

I was proud of myself to have made, ordered and sent my Christmas cards in a 24 hour period this week. There were lots of terrible outtakes.

not only is he picking his nose, he has red nail polish on

Somehow we miraculously ended up with this

As the week went on, I spent time at various school events, helping kindergartners make gingerbread houses

and watching my son “perform” . This is while he was supposed to be singing and dancing. He sat and smiled very well.

Here are better pictures of the Christmas dress

Today, it rained

So, I spent the afternoon inside trying to finish making gifts that need to be sent like yesterday.

while I made photo tiles, my daughter made random ornaments with glittery scrapbook paper (as close as I will come to letting glitter enter my home) and rub ons.

And now, while my kids watch Frosty, I am going to pretend there is nothing left to do and sit and drink hot chocolate.

Aren’t I festive?

Adding to Get Your Craft On at Today’s Creative Blog

I love mornings. It’s the time I get to myself, in the quiet, without a full day’s worth of events racing through my mind. A blank slate. A time to think about what lies ahead, what I want to accomplish. A time to center myself, and to prepare for the day mentally.

I take care of lunches and lay out outfits at night so that when morning comes and I roll out of bed, I can sit quietly with my coffee and my thoughts.

Each time I get up for another cup of coffee, I can check on the kids who inevitably are in my bed, arms slung around each other, holding on in moments too sweet to capture in words or photo. I smile. I count my blessings. I ask for just a few more minutes of quiet and settle back down in my favorite chair and watch the world around me become lighter as the sun rises.

This time of year, I sit surrounded by white Christmas lights – strung across the french door, and gracing the pergola outside. I always say I love the white lights so much I want them to stay up all year. This year maybe I’ll actually do that. They are peaceful and so much better than a harsh overhead light at 6 a.m.

Slowly, I sneak through my bedroom and begin to get ready for the day. I love the times that I am fully dressed and they are still asleep. I climb into bed and snuggle with them. Wake them up in fits of giggles and welcome their headlock hugs.

Their day begins. Our day together begins.

I am thankful for days when I can sleep in. I am thankful for mornings that I am up early and can have quiet moments to myself. I am thankful for the ability to run. I am thankful for days off from running. I know my kids are not the most appreciative beings ever, but I am grateful that they say thank you when given something, from a gift to a meal. I am thankful that my family has a home, a paycheck or two and more than we need. I am thankful that my family and friends make each and every day more special. And even if my son is going to erase my chalkboard full of things that I am thankful for minutes after I write them, it doesn’t change that I am thankful. For all of it.

So pleased with himself, he is.

I think if you asked him at that moment, he’d say he was thankful for paintbrushes used as erasers. And trains – just because.

One day until thanksgiving. If you need some inspiration, here you go:
Thanksgiving Turkey Table Decorations
Thanksgiving Banner
20 Attitudes of Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day!

For some reason, I had thought I started this little old blog on November 17th, 2007. As I started digging to write this post, I realized that I am not ahead by writing it early, but I missed it by a few days. November 11th, 2007 I started this blog. It seems like forever ago. Many themes, many directions ago, here I am. This blog has definitely evolved over time, been remodeled if you will, along with me, my home, my life and my passions. I thank you so much for being here, for those that have been here since nearly the beginning and for those that will find me for the first time today. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that more than 2,000 people would be part of this blog. I don’t know who most of you are, but I am thankful for all of you. For the comments, the emails, the support, and for being here to make it fun.

Going backwards, the top posts ever on this blog are:

1. Do Your Kids a Favor By Saying No
2. Cottage Style Bathrooms
3. DIY Projects to Save Money at Home
4. Photo Tiles
5. Good Enough

Google and I don’t always agree on my best posts though, so here are a few not on this list and nowhere near the most popular, but are ones I personally like (and trust me, this is hard. Usually I don’t like anything I wrote more than a few weeks ago).

1. Finding Comfort
2. On Purpose
3. Let It Be
4. Letting Go of Perfection
5. Embracing This Imperfect Home

Many wonderful people have linked to this blog, sharing it with friends and readers on blogs, twitter, and facebook and it means so much to me.

The top referrers have been:

1. The Inspired Room
2. Nesting Place
3. Simple Mom
4. Small Notebook
5. On Simplicity

Last but not least, some wonderful women were sweet enough to let me blog crash and guest post for them, messing up their blogs and leaving them worse than I found them. The most recent of those are:

1. Easy DIY Wall Art For Kids at Living Locurto
2. Live Simply By Staying True To Yourself at Small Notebook
3. Find Contentment So You Can Find Financial Peace at Finance For a Freelance Life
4. Make Your Home Beautiful To You at Nesting Place
5. Perfectly Imperfect at The Inspired Room

There is so much more I could put here as a roundup of the past two years. I don’t want to bore you to pieces though. Suffice to say, thank you. For the inspiration, encouragement, friendships and fun. Life in this little fixer upper house and this simple little life wouldn’t be nearly as fun without this blog to keep me sane

He was scared of the winding path and the noises of nature, so he stuck close to my leg

Then was brave enough to step away from my leg but still wanted to hold my hand, and was a little unsure.

He finally let go and chose a leaf to carry

He loved when we came to forks in the path so he got to choose which way we’d go

There will always be laundry. I won’t always have chances to hold my son’s hand while we walk, then watch him choose to let go to show me the way.

“So I can fly with butterfly wings in my dreams.”

She curled her long body into my arms and asked me to tell her a story about her and a butterfly. I started sentences, she ended them.  I am a terrible story teller so it was boring and choppy but I made it fun by starting sentences and letting her finish them. The butterfly landed on her nose.

Afternoons and evenings at home can be quite the challenge, trying to combine what needs to be done with what she wants to do – be a kid.  She talks a lot, bounces a lot, has a lot of energy. A lot of days end with frustration.

Not today. This day ended with understanding a little girl’s desire to fly free in butterfly wings.

Blogged for Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky.

The kids were off school. We went to a costume party. We ate a lot of cake with friends. My mom took me to lunch and out shopping for new sheets. I guess I am getting old and practical when that’s all I can think of when she asks what I want for my birthday.

The kids helped me make and frost a lot of cake

Flowers from a friend

A cookbook (who am I kidding – THE cookbook!) and a photo book (my sister-in-law dug through 4 years of photos on my family blog, saved them to her computer, uploaded them to shutterfly and printed me a book. Talk about an awesome gift!!)

A Lisa Leonard necklace that I got for myself.

And dinner on the water with people I love

Things that make my heart smile, make my home more cozy, and are part of making more beautiful memories.

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

31 things I am grateful for. Hot coffee, sleeping kids, silence. Running shoes, jogging stroller,  cooler morning air. Cake, lots of cake.  Family, friends, phone calls.  Comfort, inspiration, nature, laughter. Curly hair, my favorite jeans, flip flops. Criticism so I know how to do better. Compliments for encouragement.  Fruit in my yard. A beach to walk on. A clean kitchen and a messy living room reflecting that we *live* here. Time to read a good deep book or a light magazine. My amazing hubby. Quiet. Calm. Chaos. Noise.  Color.  You.

I hope you feel special today and find the time and space to reflect on all that is around to be grateful for.