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baby thoughts: lessons for our little girl
“What are some of the most important lessons you want to focus on teaching the baby?” I was watching Ellen DeGeneres the other day (as I religiously do) and Ashton Kutcher was on talking about his new baby girl. He said something that really struck a chord with me and made me tear up a bit. He said “people are focused on making the world a better place for our children, but I want to make better children for our world. Having a baby is the greatest opportunity to do just that.” A couple of weeks ago Justin and I casually brought up the subject of what we thought was…
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What It Means to Say “I’m Busy”
In 2011 I was working full time at a job I hated, planning a wedding and finishing up my MBA. I was “busy” in the most logical of terms. With waking up at 8am to be at work by 9, leaving early and hitting rush hour traffic to get to class by 6pm and then coming home to look at flower vendor contracts, I’m surprised I even saw my now husband and fed the dog every night. Although I remember being so busy, what I don’t remember is skipping out on the things I really wanted to do. I went to concerts, dinners, movies and made time to call my…
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Homesick
I’m 4 blocks away from a coffee shop, nail salon, boutique shops, bars and a neighborhood grocer. It doesn’t get below freezing here or above 95 degrees. I have friends that live here. The ocean, wine country and some of the best restaurants reside here. I should be happy. But I’m homesick. In fact, I’m having a hard time adjusting. “Maybe you had to leave in order to really miss a place; maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was.” ― Jodi Picoult, Handle With Care Coming from Texas, the big city of San Francisco is much more of a change than I had anticipated. I’ve…
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everything is manageable
“Everything can be manageable”, said my yoga teacher as we settled into class. “If the pose is too hard, or your breath gets choppy, lower your knee, don’t go as low in the pose, or take a break. That’s how you manage every situation.” It was my first time in months to practice an exercise that gives me so much perspective, inspiration, strength and most of all, peace. I didn’t know how much I needed that class until I kept hearing those words over and over in my head as the day went on. Change is inevitable. It’s what helps us grow as human beings, opens us up to new experiences…
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moving to san francisco
“How are you feeling?” “Are you excited?” “How is your family taking it?” “What an exciting adventure and beautiful city!” These are the top questions/comments I’ve gotten prior to moving to San Francisco. After going through our entire house, cleaning it for real estate pictures, selling furniture, and movers packing up everything, today is it. I get on my one way flight with bags (4 to be exact) and a dog (who has to go in cargo, excuse me while my heart breaks a little) to move from Dallas, Texas to the city by the bay. While I’m curious to see what this new adventure holds, I’m also nervous with…
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finding what you love
Finding what you love can be life’s saving grace. It serves as a distraction, an esteem booster, a blissful waste of time and if you’re lucky and work hard, what you love could even be your job. I’ve had many loves in my life that have played an important role in my life. Music Music was always playing in my house since I was a baby. I remember being woken up on the weekends by my parents blasting music of Cher, Simon and Garfunkel and Dianne Warwick along with Italian and Latin artists while my mom made breakfast. After elementary school, I entered into the standard identity crisis phase known…
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sadness with a side of proud
My sisters and I are close. I am confident to say we are best friends. So when I dropped her off at the airport yesterday so she can start her next chapter in LA, I was overwhelmed with a full course of sadness with a side of proud by the thought of being 1,400 miles away from my best friend. Back when we were in college, trying to figure out where our life was going to lead us, we unconsciously met up in Dallas, Texas and began what I consider to be one of the most fulfilling, inspiring, beautiful and truthful friendships I will ever experience. My sisters are my…
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a night in for one
I come home after work on a Friday night and sit on the couch petting Mya. I already know it’s going to be that kind of night, a night for one. I walk to the bathroom, picking up bubble bath, oils and a pillow on the way there to avoid multiple trips. As I turn on the faucet, the warm water just tempts me with visions of relaxation. As the water fills the tub and the smell of the luxurious bubbles fill the room, its time to set the scene. I walk to the living room and turn on the music channels. Jazz sounds about right to set the…
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quirks
Do you have any interesting quirks? I have way too many to note and I have nothing but love for the people who accept me in all my weirdness. Enjoy below: 1. I like the ends of brownies/pancakes and will sometimes just eat that. It’s the best part. Forget the soft center where the filling is, I like the ends. It’s the perfect amount of chewy and crispy. I once ate around an entire stack of pancakes while my husband and I were out to brunch. 2. I like to push down the top of the french press maker. Otherwise it’s just not worth it. Part of the awesomeness of the coffee…
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emotional currency
I recently stumbled upon this article that talked about the art of emotional currency. I remember when Justin and I first started dating, one of the very first gifts he ever got me was a mixed CD that he made himself. It was one of the most thoughtful, sweet and prime examples of what I’m now adopting to be “emotional currency”. Let’s break down those two words: Currency relates to the use of money and Emotional relates to a feeling. Still with me? Ok good. So when I talk about the phrase “emotional currency”, it’s not something that is paid for in credit cards or dollar bills, but is thoughtfully…