{this moment}

 {this moment}- A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by SouleMama

100 list {part one}

A list of things I hope to accomplish in my time on this planet {in no particular order}:

1. learn to surf
2. write a book
3. be an expat
4. participate in a triathlon
5. take a pottery class
6. vote
7. skydive
8. raise honeybees
9. get my nose pierced
10.
11. ride in a hot air balloon
12. be a master gardener
13. pay off a mortgage
14. live debt-free
15. take a pole fitness class
16. own a home & property in Costa Rica
17. swim in an infinity pool
18. earn a bachelor's degree
19. visit 100 countries
20. learn french
21. find my passion
22. own a pair of black Louboutin's
23. own a boutique
24.
25. see whales swimming in the ocean

***
MIssing entries have been removed because they no longer align with a certain aspect of my life.

if you've got no money, honey

We are in serious trouble.

And it's all our fault.

We are facing a mountainous $25,000+ in consumer debt, plus a mortgage.

{I haven't actually sat down to get the exact number because truthfully, I'm terrified.}

We have no savings and we live paycheck to paycheck. 

Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, it's about to get worse. My husband starts at a new job Monday. 

It is a fantastic move for us in the long run but for now means a small pay cut and a 40 minute commute (one way).

I don't even know where to start. No wait, that's not true. Even as we struggle to pay our monthly bills, we are still spending frivolously. It's time to cut back. Way back. 

from the library

for the littles
:: Toot & Puddle- Hollie Hobbie
:: Wish You Were Here- Hollie Hobbie
:: You Are My Sunshine- Hollie Hobbie
:: Henry in Love- Peter McCarty
:: The Tiny Seed- Eric Carle
:: Pancakes, Pancakes!- Eric Carle
:: You're All My Favorites- Sam McBratney
:: Guess How Much I Love You- Sam McBratney
:: Gingerbread Baby- Jan Brett
:: The Hat- Jan Brett
:: Ladybug Girl- Jacky Davis & David Soman
:: We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season- Wendy Pfeffer
:: The Seven Silly Eaters- Mary Ann Heboerman
:: Where the Wild Things Are- Maurice Sendak
:: Pete's a Pizza- William Steig
:: Madlenka- Peter Sis
:: My Garden- Kevin Henkes
:: Zen Shorts- Jon J. Muth
:: Zen Ghosts- Jon J. Muth
:: The Snowy Day- Ezra Jack Keats
:: How to Catch a Star- Oliver Jeffers
:: De Vuelta a Casa- Oliver Jeffers

for me
:: Aleph- Paulo Coelho
:: The Attachment Parenting Book- William & Martha Sears
:: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- Barbara Kingsolver
:: The Language of Flowers- Vanessa Diffenbaugh
:: Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating- Mark Bittman
:: The Power of Intention- Wayne W. Dyer

bring it

It started in the 5th grade. All around me, girls started growing boobs! Not me though. From there it was my curly hair, my height (or lack thereof), my skin, teeth, and body.
Oh, my body.
I became the Queen of Comparison Shopping.
The "pretty girls" were everything I wasn't. 

As I entered my teen years, youthful slenderness gave way to feminine curves that I was less than grateful for.
And those boobs I envied back in 5th? I got them... and I hated them.
 At 16, I got a job at an amazing chocolate shop. We were encouraged to eat as much as we wanted so we could describe flavors to the customers.
Luscious caramels, decadent truffles, rich fudge. Heavenly.
 I packed on a good 20 pounds in my first few months there.

The chocolate shop is now years behind me but those twenty pounds, plus some baby weight and some lazy weight, have stuck around. Rather than do anything about them, I've continued with the useless comparison game. Until now.
Screw comparing my body to other women! It's gotten me nowhere.

This body, my body, has grown some amazing babies.
 My breasts have nourished them, my arms have held them.
(They even inherited my curly hair!)

It's high time to show this body some gratitude!

I begin this journey with a challenge, a jumpstart to the real me. By nourishing my own body and exercising its muscles, I will prove myself I care. And in showing my body I appreciate her, I hope to teach my children to love theirs too.

le premier jour

What a fascinating realm is the World Wide Web, no? Within are countless motivations and inspirations served up alongside a myriad of distraction. I have spent hundreds {thousands?} of hours seeking, browsing and coveting, cataloguing idea after idea... though acting on none. See, I'm lazy. There, I said it! Also, I'm broke. Why am I coming clean, you ask? Simply:: I'm tired. Tired of procrastinating... tired of not progressing.
So, I begin this blog as a quest.
For wisdom, for progress, for happiness.
While I continue to be inspired by others, I hope to become an inspiration myself.
My hope is for this space to evolve as I do.
Join me on this journey of self-discovery!