If you're new to The Makings of Me series, read the intro below.

I like beginnings. The beginning of the day, the beginning of the week, the month, the year… There’s something about the beginning that seems so fresh and opportunistic. It’s like you get a clean slate to start whatever you want to start. A diet, an exercise program, a new perspective, a new you.

I mentioned in a previous post that September is my birthday month and so, it dawned on me that this is the beginning of a new year of life for me. I never viewed my birthday that way before. (I’m telling you…it’s something about the 30s!)I usually only considered January 1, the start of the new year, but really, each birthday signifies a new year of life for that individual. Isn’t that nice!? A beginning!

For the next 12 months, I’ll be taking strides and making efforts to improve this year of life for me. I’ll be doing the things I’ve thought about doing but never followed through on. I’ll be doing the things I know I should do, but don’t. I’ll be intentionally working towards doing and being better in areas of my life that I feel need improvement.

Your birthday may be far off, but really, there’s no time like the present to live the life you want to live. Don’t keep waiting if you’ve felt a tug to do and be a better you! Won’t you join me? Share any things you’re working on and your goals towards self improvement in the comments below. This is exciting! This is the beginning of a new you, and a new me!

Month 3: Mission 3:  Apology Rejected!

It may not feel like it, but there’s still time to bring some holiday cheer into your home that doesn’t involve hanging an ornament, plugging in lights, or using tape, wrapping paper, or scissors! Below are five quick and easy things to do to make your home feel a bit more Christmas-y...in case you needed a few ideas!

 

Today, I just want to point you in the direction of a yummy dairy free and egg free chocolate cake…dessert thing. I’ve been making this for years since my son’s first birthday when a regular cake wouldn’t do because of food allergies. As a nursing mom, I avoided dairy and egg too, so it was a happy day at my house when I found and made this recipe.

 

Have you started an official Christmas countdown in your family? Do you do any special activities each year leading up to Christmas? If not, maybe this is your year to start! Doing things...making memories and starting traditions make the countdown to Christmas morning a treasured journey rather than a rushed event. You probably already have unspoken traditions in place like putting up the tree the day after Thanksgiving, or making cookies, but when you call attention to the little things that you already do or were planning to do, it seems so much more special and that's how memories are formed.

In my house, we've been counting down the days until Christmas on a calendar, but again, I wanted to incorporate some activities and lessons that would help prolong this all too short season. I wanted a daily reminder of the real reason for Christmas in addition to having intentional family fun. Let’s face it, we are all pretty busy and if we don’t schedule or plan for it {even fun things}, it might not happen.

 

 

A colored scarf, a colored bottom, a colored shoe…all these can do the trick of adding a little something extra to an outfit and your overall look. But what about a colored lip? Can lipstick "spruce you up" and make you look a bit more…like something…giving you a bit of color and flavor?

 

Oh friends...

Is anybody still purging, as in cleaning out and getting rid of the unneeded and unwanted items in your home? This is our fifth and final installment of purging in preparation for the holidays so if you missed any, check out the first one here.
 

 

Hey there! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and maybe a day or two of rest thereafter. Whether you did all the cooking, or all the traveling, it’s important to take a breather. I know I needed one!

While I didn’t gather any official statistics, I know this is a busy time of year for travel and many of us will spend quite a bit of time in our cars, dining out, or just lounging with friends and family. This is wonderful and usually quite enjoyable especially for adults, but for toddlers and preschoolers, maybe not so much.  I know many of moms {myself included} who have rushed through meals and hurried through conversations to avoid any potential melt downs or outbursts. Kids may be able to handle idleness for a while, but at some point, they are likely to get antsy… hello childhood!