Something to think about...

Even with so much randomness cluttering my mind, I've decided to swerve off the road of predictability and my usual Miscellany Monday posts, to share an email that I received a few weeks ago. The email was from my mom, and since she knows to pass along only the truly worthy reads, when I receive one, I know that it's something she thinks is worthwhile and important enough to share.

With most of mom's forwards being lighthearted in nature, with funny pictures, jokes, or political jabs (at what administration I'll keep you guessing), it's not everyday that an email arrives giving me pause and a little something to think about...

"Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use.

However,this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.

The first set of rules would be:
Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you. You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, Its over,the game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted right?
Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right?
Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it.

The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost. Yesterday is forever gone. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time....WITHOUT WARNING.

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.

Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.
So take care of yourself, be Happy, Love Deeply and Enjoy Life!"


Life is short and in this scenario, there are no filing Chapter 11 do-overs. You get one chance, one chance to do it right and leave your mark as either a success or a failure. You can revel in the absurdity of life and drown in its unfairness, or you can see each day, as the blessing that it is, and double your profit by making the most of the time you've been given.

With each turn of the calendar page, I'm constantly reminded that time seems to pass much more quickly now than it ever has. Everyday I will work hard to spend each of my 86,400 seconds, living in the moment---not looking in the past to yesterday, or ahead at what's to come. I will be at peace knowing that God will take care of all of that. I will spend my time holding those I love just a little closer and for a little longer; and I will spend it being content, and unquestionably happy.

And just to make sure that you leave with a smile after spending some of your 86,400 seconds reading this post, here's a sneak peek of our trip to the pumpkin patch.




Attention Pumpkin Patch Organizers: Is this the kind of family picture you were hoping to inspire with your larger than life upside down bottom-half only cutout of Mr. Scarecrow?
Not sure the church ladies would approve!

Start spending, y'all and have a blessed week!

Finding a balance

If anyone would've told me that I'd be busier as a stay-at-home mom and have less time for myself than I did when I was teaching full time, I would've politely laughed and let the unsolicited advice go in one ear and out the other.

But now, one year and several months later, that once silly sounding quip couldn't ring more true.

There are some days that despite busying myself with tasks from the time my feet touch the ground in the morning until my head hits the pillow at night,  I feel unproductive and lost, like I'm drowning in a sea of responsibilities. I check a dozen things off my list of to dos, only to add what feels like a couple hundred more.

There's always laundry to be done, a house to be cleaned, menus to plan, groceries to purchase, errands to run, and let's not forget, one very adorable toddler to care for.  There are days when all the must-dos of life leave little time for the want-tos---running, exercising, resting, reading, and blogging. And trying to find time for those couple extra little projects, not to mention my own goals and personal aspirations, leaves me sometimes feeling overwhelmed, like there's an elephant sitting on my chest.

Then there's the ever present guilt. Guilt for wanting time by myself after Bret gets home from work. Guilt for blogging when I should've been ironing and guilt for cleaning when I could've been working on a post.  There's exercise guilt when I skip a day to catch a few extra minutes of shut eye, and guilt when I go because that's time spent away from my family. And the list goes on and on.

Every day, I am constantly reminded of just how fortunate I am to be able to stay home with Gillian Grace and for a husband that works doubly hard to provide for our family. Watching GG grow and change from one day to the next is simply a blessing that trumps any paycheck, no matter the size, and makes any work load seem worthwhile. And, many years from now when Gillybean is sixteen and ignoring my wave goodbye as she jumps into a car with her friends, I'll think back on my days at home with her and remember our moments together fondly.

And though I enjoy being a stay-at-home-mom immensely, I do wonder if I'll ever get the hang of it. Just when I think I have it figured out, something new gets thrown in the mix and I'm back where I started, just trying to figure it all out. How do so many women make motherhood look so effortless? How do I learn to balance my roles as wife and mother without losing myself in the process? If I'm able to get everyone else on routines and schedules, it shouldn't be impossible to find one that works for me, right?!

Have you found just the right balance that works for you and your family? Or are you like me, the Mary Lou Retton of motherhood, and sometimes find yourself teetering on the unbalanced beam of life?

Tell me, how do you make it work?

Daily Dose of Gillian Grace

Sniffles and all, our lil' Gator loves college football Saturdays! But we sure do miss #15 (Tim Tebow)!  And congratulations to Lindsay, winner of the Baby Britches team spirit twirl skirt!

Cheater Cheater, Pumpkin Eater!

{Since we're still recovering from Gillian Grace's birthday festivities, I'm going to cheat a little and post something that actually published this weekend over at The Life of Rylie... and Bryce too!, where I was LeeAnn's guest blogger for Saturday Playdate.

I'll be back tomorrow with the first installment of GG's birthday extravaganza! I know...you can hardly wait, right?!

Until then, make it a good one y'all!}




ABCs of Mommyhood

{one} It's amazing how a baby so small, can change your life in such a gigantic way!

{two} Changing diapers is never fun. Make a run to Sam's or Costco's and stock up on diapers and wipes. These are two things you never want to be without and having only a few extras on hand is never enough!

{three} When your baby is fussy, a day can seem like an eternity. Call a friend or meet a family member for lunch. Your little one can fuss just as well out on the town as they can at home, and getting out will help break up the day!

{four} A baby should be included as one of Webster's definitions of happiness.

Main Entry: hap·pi·ness \ˈha-pē-nəs\
Function: noun Date: 15th century

1 good fortune : prosperity
2 a: a state of well-being and contentment : joy b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience
3 felicity, aptness
4 A BABY
{five} When you have a newborn, insomnia is a fact of life. Just keep in mind, that this too will pass and one day soon you'll be sneaking into your little one's room at night just to watch them sleep.

{six} All babies should arrive clutching keys to a storage unit capable of storing all the keepsakes you'll collect. {Can you tell I'm a C-section Momma?!}

{seven} Learn to laugh and do it often! Even the biggest mess looks better through tear filled eyes caused from uncontrollable fits of laughter.

{eight} It's easy to think you know everything. But don't make the same rookie mistake I did, listen to your mother. Her opinions and advice are invaluable! Yes, it's true that you'll figure it out, eventually developing your own parenting style. But take it from me, listening to someone with years of experience will save you time and preserve your sanity as well! {Plus it'll make your momma feel important and needed, scoring you major brownie points! A win-win!}

{nine} The best tip I ever got from my mom-friends was to nap when the baby was sleeping. Chores can wait, rest should be a priority! Remember the classic saying, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

{ten} A baby will heighten your olfactory sense. No matter how hard you try, there's no mistaking the odor coming from a poopy diaper.

{eleven} Be careful, little ones are quick! You can't take your eyes off them for a second! Once they're mobile, it's off to the races.

{twelve} Try to develop a routine. Though it's difficult at first, a routine along with consistency will help an infant feel more safe and secure. It will also keep your days and nights organized and manageable.

{thirteen} Your baby's first smile will warm your heart. Each smile thereafter will melt you completely!

{fourteen} When your baby begins teething, it can be painful both for them and for you!

{fifteen} Remember that every baby is unique. Something that worked for someone else, may not work for you. And though it's tempting, try not to make a habit of comparing your wee one to others of similar age.

{sixteen} If your baby isn't a fan of vegetables, try mixing them with other foods.

{seventeen} Avoid buying too many toys at first. Save your money and wait to see how your baby's interests develop. You may find that your munchkin would rather play with a box or spoon than the fanciest store-bought toy.

{eighteen}Expect the unexpected! Nothing can prepare you for the challenging journey of parenthood. And yet nothing will give you greater joy and satisfaction either.

{nineteen} Trust yourself! You will instinctively know what's best for your child and family. Never question the power of your mother's intuition.

{twenty} The first year zooms by! Close your eyes and your baby's turning one! Soak it all in and enjoy every moment.

Buckle up friends, it's going to be a bumpy and exciting ride. And one day in the not so distant future when you look up and realize that your little one isn't quite so little anymore and they're out on their own, you'll know that it's time to put life on cruise control and enjoy the person you've helped them to become!



Click here to enter my newest giveaway (a $45 value), courtesy of Jumping Jax Designs.

Mirror Mirror on the wall...

It wasn't long ago that I looked in the mirror and saw a young carefree 20-something with nearly flawless skin staring back at me. But as with most things in life, that too is slowly changing.

Nowadays the mirror is not quite as kind as it once was.

The beginning signs of aging are knocking on my door and, like pesky uninvited out-of-town guests, continue to make themselves at home despite my protests.

It takes more time for me to get ready even though I have less of it to spare, and concealer has become a makeup must. I no longer go hunting for bargains, but rather gray hairs. My former stick-straight hair that once wouldn't hold a curl, is now an unmanageable wavy mess due to ever fluctuating hormone levels, à la last year's pregnancy. I'd be lost without my tweezers, since hair now grows from places I never even knew it could. Freckles continue to multiply thanks to years of sun worshiping poolside and under eye circles persist no matter how much sleep I manage to get.


And they say that age is just a state of mind.

Well, so is insanity and there are days when despite being only 30, I feel 80 and about as crazy as a table flipping New Jersey housewife.

So what's a girl to do?

Since drawing the curtains, wearing pjs all day, and never leaving the house isn't really an option, I'm left with little choice but to change my self-perception and learn to accept the woman I'm becoming.

No longer will I waste time obsessing about those newly discovered lines in the corner of my eyes. Instead I'll remember how they came to be, those days of laughing so hard my eyes narrowed and filled with happy tears. When I see a new wrinkle around my mouth, I'll think about the countless times my family has made me smile. Oh, and my forehead wrinkles? Well, those obviously stemmed from my wonderfully poignant thoughts and all the years of helpful advice I've shared, of course! But I'm quite sure that all the worrying over my eventually teenage daughter won't help much either!

And though the thought of some day resembling the Old Witch from Snow White makes me shudder, I will try my best to grow old gracefully and learn to embrace each new year along with the changes it brings.



Life, by design, is imperfect. And, growing old sure does beat the alternative.

What's your reflection saying about you?

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections." - Anonymous



{For reasons I can't figure out, yesterday's post never updated and was not shown on Google readers and dashboards. If you'd like to read yesterday's post and my ? to you, just keep scrolling down. You know I love hearing from you!}



And don't forget:

Head over and view this post on Sassy.Silly.Spunky.Momma where I am guest blogging today.
Click here to enter my newest giveaway (a $45 value), courtesy of Jumping Jax Designs.