Gratituesday: Vacuum lines

You all. I am overwhelmed. And for no particular reason, even. Actually... I get overwhelmed when my to-do list gets too long for me to "see" it in my head. And at this point, because it's a Tuesday morning after a weekend of traveling, I haven't had the opportunity to sit down with my calendar and to-do list to plan my week. I feel like I'm "winging it" as I respond to emails and get a few tasks done here and there. I need to take about 30 minutes and focus and breatheeeeee. Or! I could just go vacuum my carpets.

I know, what in the world?

Vacuum lines make me feel so good. Just as a shiny sink, a made bed, and a jar of fresh flowers make me feel happy inside. Vacuum lines have a power over me and my emotions. It's slightly weird, I know. But I also know I'm not alone! (For real, I just found this video tutorial of how to make perfect vacuum lines... can't make this stuff up, guys!)

Are you overwhelmed today? I know, it's a Tuesday, not a Monday. But, it's my Monday. (That's because my Mondays are your Sundays. Following me?) Want to join me in pulling out the vacuum cleaner and drawing some lines on your carpet? Could I be anymore of a cliche homemaker right now? Hah. Oh well, I'm going to go vacuum... as soon as Sunday wakes up from her nap.

In the meantime, I'm going to go work on my to-do list! And I'll post a picture of my vacuum lines to instagram this afternoon. Not because it's interesting, but because I like accountability. :)

This week... I am grateful for vacuum lines and the other simple joys in life. They make a huge difference in my every day life! <3

A portrait of me!

Stop what you are doing right now and go check out Megan at www.studiomme.com. She is a talented artist who has challenged herself to draw 365 portraits in 2013. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of those 365 and she sketched a portrait of me on Day 40. So, so cool! I love the way it turned out!

This is the original portrait, taken by Crystal. I think it's cool to see the two side-by-side! 

Isn't that so cool? Hop over to Megans' site to check out some of the other portraits she's drawn!

Gratituesday: The Interns

This is my first semester having interns on board with me and I am kicking myself for not doing it earlier. Chelsea and Becker both have so much passion for their work - as most artists do. They are excited about working for me and get as excited about the successes of my business as I do! Plus they are uber-talented and we have a lot of interests in common. I love having them around! However, I wanted to take a minute and clear the air about a few things.

Chelsea, my PR intern, is my social media guru! She does a lot of clicking around (pinning on the business pinterest account (I do also have a personal account), following people on pinterest and twitter, and reviewing my stats), but she never says anything. Anything that has been posted, tweeted, retweeted, or shared - it all comes from me.

My fingers, my heart.

Everything on my blog? Written by me.

Yes, I have had my interns write blog posts - for the mere practice of doing so. Some of the blog posts are too good not to share - so I will share them in the future. But, don't worry, you will know when I post blogs written by someone else. And they will be few and far between.

Becker, my graphic design intern, has been working on graphic design projects behind the scenes. If her work is ever shared - you will know that it is her work.

I want to be as transparent as possible with you all.

Having interns on board has absolutely been worth my time and effort and I hope working with me has been a great experience so far for each of them. We still have months left of our time together, but I am already so grateful for their contributions to this business!

So this week... I am so, so happy to have interns on my team! They are helping me in more ways than they know!

30 Day Paleo Challenge | #30daysofpaleo

Alright, friends. I think I have figured out a way to share this journey with you and really only share it with those of you who care. :) I set up a category in my wordpress back end for the challenge and this category (30 day paleo challenge) will not be showing up on my homepage or in any of my RSS feeds. If you would like to follow along with this challenge, you can do so by using this link. I also added a fun Paleo Challenge button in my sidebar so you can hop over to my site and click through to see what's going on.

Okay, so, this is going to be harder thanI thought. See, I own the book Practical Paleo... which is kind of the bible of Paleo eating. And IN the book the diet allows fruit and sweeteners (natural sugars like maple syrup, honey and dates). So I figured... I can do this. It'll be tough, but I know I can do anything for 30 days. And at least I've got my escape of warm, sweet tea. Yummm. I am excited, I want to learn to listen to my body and understand why it does/feels the things it experiences. Yeah! Let's do this!

And then... you guys... I got the email about the challenge on Tuesday night. Here is a brief overview:

How to Earn Points during Days 1-7:

• 1 point for each meal you eat clean (NO: sugar- including honey or maple syrup, grains, gluten, legumes, dairy, or alcohol). Refer to page 10 of the resource guide. Each meal must have a protein, veggie, & fat. (You can’t eat just sweet potatoes for breakfast (What! This is nuts!!)). Also no fruit for the first week. (Are you KIDDING ME?!!!)
• ONGOING BONUS: add 5 points for each super food you eat (organ meat, homemade bone broth – not boxed or canned, sea vegetables - dulse, kelp, seaweed) There are a few more super foods, but we will add them in the coming weeks. (How about I don't eat any clean meals but I just add a super food to each day of the challenge?? That's like... more points than just eating clean meals!)
• Weekly challenge- track your water intake. 1 point per day that you get 64 oz of water (not including water consumed at the box)
• On the 14^th day (Valentine’s Day) – Dark chocolate will be allowed without penalty.  Must be 80% or higher.
• Fruit will be added back the 2^nd week (post wod only).

When I read that right there about no FRUIT for the first week... I wanted to quit then and there. I can't do this. I don't WANT to do this. You-have-got-to-be-kidding-me. And then... oh, look! It comes back the second week! But only after I have completed the Workout of the Day (WOD). 

And I mean... that kind of puts a major damper on my 30 Days of Juice challenge I'm in the middle of. What did I even get myself into here?! Imagine me right now... kicking and screaming and throwing a fit. (If only Sunday could see me.) I wish I had never even mentioned the challenge on my blog. Because now I have to do it. And I really don't want to. But... I really do want to. I want to break my addiction to sugar. I want to learn to eat three meals a day without snacking between them. I want to learn to love clean, rich foods. Foods that are so good for my body. Yes it's going to be hard... but it's going to be amazing. And... well... I am really looking forward to the results in my after pictures. Maybe, if they are good enough, I'll share the pictures with you guys, too.

So - the challenge kicks off tomorrow. I'll be sharing exactly what I am eating and how I am feeling over here. Feel free to follow along. I could use any and every bit of encouragement, even if it's just click throughs to the blog posts. :)

Discovery | #lifewithsunday

In the past week two people I know have been diagnosed with cancer. Two healthy, strong, living-life-to-the-fullest people. In the past six months that number adds up to like, 6. Ugh... that's a lot. Cancer is a mean beast. And I pretty much hate it. So what do I do?

I turn my eyes to my daughter. Yesterday, we went to the park to celebrate the gorgeous weather. I watched her explore, discover and observe. I wanted to just be that mom holding her hand as she went down the slide and introducing her to new things… but I was so inspired by her I kept picking up my camera and pulling out my phone to snap pictures and take videos. The look on her face… the awe and wonder. It is just beautiful. I love it. I love her… I love the experiences I gain by watching her grow.

Sunday, baby... your favorite thing in the entire world (aside from nursing) is being outside and people watching. Doing both at the same time is heaven for you. I was almost brought to tears yesterday watching you discover people, colors, patterns, textures... personalities and interactions. It is the most touching thing, watching you learn. It brings me so much joy. Joy, despite the hard things swirling around us right now. You are this little light of mine. xoxo. I will always love you. Love, Mama

I am grateful for distractions. For beauty amongst the pain. For joy interwoven into the reality of living in a fallen world.