I need to speak to those of you who are working from home. Those of you who have little ones running around while you are simultaneously trying to build your own business. Those of you who are preparing lunch for your kids while you answer client calls.
Read MoreAs I dropped off Stella at school this morning she said, “Mommy, will you please come eat lunch with me today at school?”
This. This right here is the very reason I went into business for myself. Because I never want to ask anyone else permission for how I spend my time. I looked right at my daughter and said, “I’ll be here. See you in a few hours.”
Read MoreThis whole year, the word at the top of my vision board has been gratitude. I haven’t shared much about this yet, but for the past five years or so, gratitude hadn’t come easily for me.
I was stiff-arming my way through life, pushing and striving, trying to carve out safety and security for my husband and three tiny children as we faced financial frustrations, small business growing pains, and severe, debilitating illness of both the mental and physical varieties.
Read MoreMiami was an adventure. My flowers were scheduled to be waiting for me in my hotel room when I arrived, but because of inclement weather, they were stuck in Memphis. The Miami wholesaler was closed by the time I landed in Miami and I wasn't able to get my flowers until just hours before my client needed her bouquet. Thankfully everything worked out and she loved her bouquet and her portrait session was a huge success.
Read MoreToday was one of those weird days where everything that I thought would take me an hour to do ended up taking twice as long. I pride myself on being efficient so when I'm not, I get frustrated. I had a few deadlines to meet and I missed the boys' swim lesson to get my work done. Anytime I have to miss one of their activities I feel a like I've failed. Not that I've failed them, they are great. They don't care if I miss one practice here and there. I feel like I've failed because the whole reason I started down the path of business ownership was so I wouldn't miss any of those moments. But then two things happened:
Read MoreHad I known, I'm not sure I would have agreed to do it.
See the little girl in this photo. She turned four a few weeks ago. We have never cut her hair. It has grown at it's own sweet, slow pace and I've honestly wished it would stay short forever. As silly as it may sound, there is something about her hair being short that makes me feel like she's still a baby.
Read MoreHe gives the best hugs. He even pats you on the back as he hugs you tight. It's the sweetest thing. Home is his favorite place to be. Everyday when he comes home from school, he says, "Mommy, I want to put on my pajamas."
Read MoreWe successfully completed our busiest wedding season yet and after all that hard work, I decided a celebration was in order! With only a about ten days notice, I booked a trip to Exuma, Bahamas for our family of five and we fell in love with the island.
Read MoreOur kids currently go to preschool year-round. Every July they are off for one week and every July we go somewhere fun. The weather in Arkansas is brutally hot during this time, so traveling someplace a little less hot is always a big incentive, too. This past year, we traveled to Wisconsin and stayed at a lovely little place called Camp Wandawega.
Read MoreI’ve only been doing kid birthday parties for four years, but it only took me two years to figure this thing out. Here’s what I do to make sure I actually get to be present during the parties – you know, like actually talk to the people there, watch my kids as they blow out their candles with my actual eyes and not through the viewfinder on my phone – and have zero clean up when the party's over.
Read MoreI am a travel junkie at heart. I am one of those people who would totally take my kids out of school for a year and travel the world. Maybe one day I will! A lot of our traveling the past couple of years, especially with three little ones, has felt more like trips than vacations. Seaside, Florida is that one place where we go every year that actually feels like a vacation. We rent a beach house for a week and we have zero problem unplugging. We go about the day with no real schedule. We go for bike rides, swim in the pool, and play by the beach. Everything is in walking distance. We eat good food and each day the kids pick a treat, either a snow cone, ice cream, or something from the local candy shop.
Read MoreBrian and I were married eight years before we had kids. During those years I would go through Ina Garten’s cookbooks, page by page, and cook a new recipe each night for dinner. I love to cook. There is something about taking ingredients and making them into a delicious meal that just makes me happy. Brian and I always ate our dinner at the table together. This is where we would really talk about our day or dream about our next vacation. Fast forward to today and life's a little more full! Driving three ...
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