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“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein

Work, family, life.   Yes, yes and yes.  I want it all.  And I want to be the best at all of it.  I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, business owner, employee, chef, clothes washer, dish washer, bed maker, book reader, bruise mender, hug giver, and the list goes on and on and on.

For what seems like forever, I’ve struggled with finding balance.  I tend to be the kind of girl who spends waaaaay too much time on one thing.   To the point that other areas of my life begin to suffer.  And when I recognize this, I’ll shift gears and go pretty far in the opposite direction.  Definitely not a recipe for success nor is it my best trait.   ;^)  But I’m working on it.  And I refuse to give up on wanting to have it all.   I know I don’t have to because as I grow in myself and my life, I get better at achieving a balance that works for me.

Here are a few things I’ve learned that force me to structure my life in a way that I am both productive and happy.

• I am most successful when I plan in advance.
• The days I lay out my schedule the night before I kick some butt.
• The days I limit my distractions (facebook, pinterest, etc.) I kick some butt.
• The days I take time for myself, I am happy and refreshed.   And then I kick some butt.
• The days I block off time for things that are important to me, I get them done.
• The days I ask for help instead of trying to do it all myself, I feel better.
• The days I force myself to focus only on the positive, I feel grateful.  And I remember how much is really right in my life.

Do I do this perfectly every day?  No way, no how.  But I’m getting better at it.  And when I stick with it is when I feel most balanced.   So I’m sticking with it!  What are your secrets?  I’d love to hear them!

Please head on over to see what my talented friend Natasja of Studio 516 Photography has to say about Balance.

Hope you have a great one!

xox

Angie

Funny how that worked out.  I don’t think I have ever thought more about food in my entire life than I have in the past few weeks.   It hit me one night before bed about three weeks ago.   Somewhere along the line I had gotten into the habit of having a snack at night.   And the snack slowly grew from one cookie, to two, to this one night when I honestly must have eaten about a dozen oatmeal cookies.   Um, hello?  Was that really necessary?   I mean, seriously.

I made the decision right then and there to pull myself out my funk and do something about it.  I started an eleven day cleanse to rid my body of all the gross stuff I’d been eating.    I expected it wouldn’t be easy and it definitely wasn’t.   I spent the better part of the eleven days fantasizing about food.   Strawberry shortcake.   This one burger from a cafe in town.   Coffee.   A nice glass of wine.   And the list goes on and on.     Somehow when you deprive yourself of something, it ends up being ALL you can think about.  But in the end, I’m happy I did it.  Taking food out of the equation really forced me to think about the emotions behind my eating.  And what triggers me to overindulge.  The best part of all– I felt incredible by the end.  I really did.

So, as I ease back into eating real food, I know I need to careful not to slide back into old habits.  A dozen cookies before bedtime is just never a good idea.  ;^)  But I also don’t want to starve or deprive myself because lets be real, that just isn’t fun and never works in the long term.   I want to focus on finding the right balance.  It is OK to reward myself when appropriate.  Like after a tough 11 day cleanse, for example.   Or a great workout.   But in moderation.    As I get older and my body slows down,  I want to be sure I stay on a path that is healthy for my body and good for my soul.

This weekend, I plan to be good.  I might even break out my new Zumba for WII and give that a whirl.   But on Sunday, me and this cake (below),  we have a date.  Because it is Mother’s Day and I deserve it.  Hope you have a great one and Happy Mother’s Day!!

XOX

Angie

Now head on over to my friend Megan’s blog to see what she has to say about Food!   Enjoy!

This week’s Fearless Friday blog challenge is PERSPECTIVE.   This topic wasn’t an easy one.  But that makes me smile because it was difficult in a good way.   And it got me thinking which is always a good thing.  ;^)

The fact is bad things happen to good people all the time.  You just need to turn on the evening news to see that.    It’s not fair and we can’t explain why.  There is craziness all around us.   Amazing loss.   People and/or events that just make you want to scream.    Or punch something.    Or curl up under the covers and hide.

I’m sure you’ve all met or have people in your life who complain about things in their life they can control.  They complain about their job, money, relationships, etc.   They complain about the most ridiculous things ever, yet never do anything about them.   And then there are the people who are going through terrible and unimaginable things and still somehow find a way to be positive about life.    People who focus on their blessings rather than their losses.   People that just amaze you.

I’ve come to realize that life really is all about perspective.   And choices.  How we choose to look at everything, whether it’s in our hands or not.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle”

–Albert Einstein

So, how do I get there?  How do I turn down the noise on all the negatives around me?   I’ll admit some days are harder for me than others.  I have to consciously remind myself to smile.  To remember what I am thankful for.   What makes me happy.   Here are a few things that I’ve recently started doing that help me focus and remember to enjoy life as and how it comes.

• Decide to find one good thing in myself and my life every day.
• Decide to find one good thing in someone that is annoying me.
• Remind myself that it is OK not to be perfect, because no one is perfect.
• Force myself to look for one positive thing in a negative situation.
• And when I start to get down on myself, I tell myself to stop and breathe.  And to focus on something else positive.   I remind myself that there is no advantage in putting myself down, but many advantages in lifting myself up.

This is what I do.  I know it sounds easier than it is and I am definitely a work in progress.  But it helps.  Really and truly.    Have you experienced anything that has given you a totally new perspective?   I’d love to hear about what you do to stay positive.

Now please head on over to the talented Raquel of Cloud Nine Weddings and Events and show her some love.   I’m sure her perspective will be as wonderful as she is.

XOX

Angie

Choices

You have feet on your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know.

You are the guy girl who’ll decide where to go.”

A quote from my favorite Dr. Seuss book.    His message is simple — Life may be a ‘Great Balancing Act’, but through it all ‘There’s fun to be done.’

This popped into my brain when I was thinking about this week’s Fearless Friday topic.   The topic is JOURNEY.   A perfect topic actually, because these days I’m constantly trying to figure that out.  Where am I headed?  What do I want?  Who am I?

They may sound like simple questions for some.  But not for me.   For me, it is a process.   I don’t have the easy answers because I’m still figuring it all out.   Figuring out the ‘Great Balancing Act’ of being what my family needs but also being what I need me to be.

I’ve envisioned my ideal life.    Not my fantasy la-la-land life but my ideal real life.   I’ve felt the fear and the emotions that go along with pushing past people’s expectations about me or what my life should be.  And I have begun to take the steps to get there.   I am determined to make it happen.

My friends, 2011 is my year.  My year to rediscover myself.  To love myself more.  To put myself out there.  And I am so excited about what lies ahead.  I am just beginning to crack the surface of what I know I can do.

Please stay tuned to hear more about my journey.  This blog will be evolving over the coming months, as I hope to.

Here is a photograph I took about a year ago that sums up how excited I am about the future.  I hope you are too!

XOX

Angie

Now, please head on over to my beautiful friend Megan’s blog to learn about her journey.

When I see your face
There’s not a thing that I would change
Cause you’re amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you’re amazing
Just the way you are

I’m sure you’ve heard this Bruno Mars song because it is on the radio all the time.  But I love it and it makes me cry (yeh, I am sappy like that).

I know the song is about a girl/lover, but the lyrics above make me think about someone amazing in my life.  My little man, Quinn who just celebrated his 6th birthday this week.  The little man who came into my heart and life and became the center of my universe in six short years.   Years that somehow flew by in the blink of an eye.

I could sit here and write a book about all the reasons why he is amazing and beautiful and funny and the list goes on and on.   But since this is Fearless Friday, I’m going to share part of my amazing little boy that I would normally keep private.

You see, Q was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder.    And he has had to endure more in his short life than most people face in a lifetime.   He has had 10 surgeries to date and another one scheduled next month..  Thankfully, this one coming up is minor (tonsil removal), but they haven’t all been.   I’m sure any parent who has had to walk the halls of a hospital corridor can vividly describe to you the range of emotions you feel.  We’ve gone from terrified to amazed.   From downright nauseous to unbelievably thankful.    Like on your knees thankful.   Through it all, Q not only endures and bounces back better than before.  But he does it with a smile.   I swear to you, when most people would get angry and give up, he smiles.  This amazingly beautiful smile that lights up the room.

Q is laughing, running, jumping, fighting with his brother and completely obsessed with everything Star Wars. Just like any typical six year old.   And while we still face challenges, we are so incredibly thankful and blessed.

Every night before bed, Q will ask me “Momma–why is it going to be another big day again tomorrow?”   It doesn’t matter what kind of day we had.  Good ones.  Bad ones.  He still asks.  Because ultimately he wants to know what he can look forward to tomorrow.   He wants to know what to look forward to, each and every day.  Isn’t that beautiful?   Isn’t that a life lesson that everyone could benefit from?  No matter what life throws at you, just focus on the positive stuff.   You’ll not only endure but be happy.  This little boy taught me that.  And so much more than I could have ever imagine.

And that sums it up right there.  The #1 reason why this little man is AMAZING.   His eternal optimism.

I love you my beautiful, amazing boy!  To the moon and back.

Momma

Here is a quick shot of the birthday boy!

Now please head on over to Ashley Daniell’s blog to get to know her and see her interpretation of AMAZING!  Trust me, this lady is pure sunshine!

MTH was an experience I’ll never forget.  It gave me new clarity about my business (look for big changes ahead) and my life.   One of the best parts of MTH is the incredible group of  women I met.   A group of supportive, loving, capable, kick-ass, REAL women.     Women who have fears and flaws but are committed to move forward in a positive way and make things happen for them.

A small group of us have gotten together for a regular blog feature.  One we’re calling Fearless Fridays.   It will be a bi-weekly post, each with a different topic or theme.   You’ll get to see how each of us interpret the theme by clicking through to their blogs.     I’m super excited to be part of it!

The first theme is…. drumroll please…..  L-O-V-E.

My immediate thought when I think of LOVE is my family.  Naturally.   I am so fortunate to be blessed with a wonderful family.   So, I started there.  And brainstormed ideas that would convey the theme and the amount of love I have for my family.   Which is a.lot.of.love.

Then at the last minute, I thought to myself, “WTH –This is Fearless Friday.”  I need to put myself out there.    So, I am.   I shifted gears.   I’m feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

New drumroll please…. My LOVE for this first feature is myself.

LOL.  It just s-o-u-n-d-s funny to write that.   But I think it is perfect.    Perfect because if you know me at all, you know I am probably one of the least arrogant people around.   I’m actually self-depricating to a fault.  If someone is kind enough to pay me a compliment, I usually struggle to maintain eye contact, mumble something like “thank you” and generally run for the hills.    It’s something I need to work on.   I know this.

But, I’ve been doing a lot of self-examination lately.  In search of growth.    In search of happiness.   In search of peace.   And I’m working on taking better care of myself. Over the past several years, I seem to keep getting further and further down on the priority list.   Truth be told, I don’t think I’ve even been on that damn list for the past couple of years.

But times are a-changing.  And I’m working on loving myself enough to stand up and do the work to create the kind of life I want for myself and for my family.

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection. “  Buddha

So, this is me.  Looking at me.  Loving me.  Loving my flaws.  Loving my imperfections.  They are what make me unique and me.  And, you know what I’ve come to realize?   I’m kinda great.  ;^)

Do you know who else I think is great?  And talented and beautiful?  It is the amazing Natasja Vega of Studio 516 Photography.  Please go to her site to see her interpretation of the first Fearless Friday Feature and leave her some love while you’re at it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Angie

xox

Whatever is beautiful,

Whatever is meaningful,

Whatever brings happiness….

May it be yours this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year!

Much love,

Angie

xox

To be perfectly honest, Thanksgiving has never been my favorite holiday.  It just seems there are women working their butts off in the kitchen and men half asleep in front of the TV.    While I love to cook, it never seemed quite fair, ya know?   But the one thing I’ve always loved about thanksgiving is that it forces us to take a minute to stop, linger and really think about what is important and what/who we are thankful for.   To think about what we HAVE that makes us happy.  To focus on the right now.   And for me, my family tops that list.  They are truly the blessings in my life and the people I can laugh, cry, scream, dream with.  I am very lucky and I know that.  Somehow,  thank you just doesn’t do justice to how I feel.   Its one of the things I plan on working on this year.  Giving back and finding a better way to express gratitude.   So stay tuned.    ;^)

I want to wish everyone a happy happy Thanksgiving.    May you and yours have a wonderful and healthy holiday season!  I hope you all take a minute to breathe and really enjoy the things that make us happy.  Life.  Even if that includes eating that second helping of pumpkin pie.  ;^)

SInce posts without photos are bor-ing, here are a few images from a recent family shoot I did.    Not only are these guys completely GORGEOUS, on the outside, but so down to earth and fun as well!    Thank you guys for being such a blast!   It was great seeing you again.

Angie

xox

Angie

xox