New blog address

Well, I wasn't intending to move my blog so "quickly", but here we go.

My new blog address is www.gracefulcreative.com

There are many things I have to change and add and tweek! For example, my Blogroll isn't up there yet, so please forgive me. Y'all be up there soon enough.

In the meantime, please go visit the new address and change your feeds if necessary. Not surprisingly, I don't know exactly how "feeds" work...so maybe they have already been changed. ~???~

See you there!

Edit, Add, Appreciate -- May 10

It's Sunday...time to edit, add, and appreciate one thing in your life that will help you be a better you.

Edit one thing--material objects, negative thoughts, bad habits, or activities that don't reflect who you are as a person. It doesn't have to be a physical thing; Sometimes bad habits and negative thoughts are more detrimental than physical clutter.
Add something. Bring in something or reinvent one thing in your life--thoughts, habits, activities, clothing, objects...Add something that will help you be a better person; And yes, sometimes a new pair of jeans can help!
Appreciate something or someone already in your life. Hug your children and tell them how special they are. Call your spouse, just because. Be extra polite to the guy who makes your latte. Frame that favorite piece of art.

The Mr. Linky rules are as follows:
1. Post in your blog what you will edit, add, and appreciate.
2. Link Mr. Linky directly to your Edit, Add, Appreciate post (not to your homepage! I reserve the right to delete you, if you link to your homepage. It's not personal, just confusing to others if they're trying to find your EAA post.)
3. If you want to play along in the comment section, feel free. But don't join the Mr. Linky brigade unless you put up an actual post on your blog.
4. I would be grateful if you place a Graceful Creative link in your post, but you don't have to.

This week I will:

Edit eating mindless cr@p.
Add exercise back into my daily activities.
Appreciate the little things.

Ummmm, yeah...Can I have a total REDO from last week? Even thought I blogged about my Body & Wellness goals, I am having a very difficult time wrapping my mind around them.

Part of me doesn't really want to tell you all that, but there it is -- the truth. I'm a real gal, who stuggles with good/bad habits. Like a bad reality show, right?

I will re-visit this and keep you updated on my progress; but for now, just wish me luck and cheer me on.

Living Mindfully - Practice does not make perfect

image via akk rus


Mindful Living is not one of those things you can check off your list as done! The darn thing keeps coming back...like laundry and dinner. Well okay, it's not exactly like laundry or dinner, but you get what I'm saying -- it's a way of life, as opposed to "something to get done."

Now, if you're someone like me and you enjoy crossing things off your list, this new way of life takes some getting used to.

This is my nice way of saying that I wasn't so mindful this last week. Maybe it's an excuse, but it seemed like a busier week full of dentist appointments, allergy appointments, and a Mother's Day brunch at the preschool. I was simply too busy to be mindful.


I did manage to be mindful a little bit of the time, though. These moments included:

1. Putting the kids in charge of filling the muffin tin with cornbread batter. I soothed my inner clean freak by reminding myself that cornbread batter can by wiped up quickly but their memories of "helping" in the kitchen will last a lifetime.

2. The evening Eucerin routine goes on, and I have continued to enjoy my children's giggles when I hit their ticklish parts.

3. I have been very aware and appreciative of my husband's patience as we continue to make baby steps in transferring this blog to Wordpress.

4. Listening to snatches of conversation between the 5-year old and almost-3 year old.

5. Stopping to get ice cream for the kids. Just because.

6. The sweet scent of the jasmine in the backyard.


How about you? Have you been more mindful of the everyday moments?

A night off

I apologize for the lack of a "real" post this evening.

I'm in the process of trying to switch over from Blogger to Wordpress, and it's very difficult for my non-techie brain. Every minute detail requires hours of time.

I hope to have it done soon, and will be able to share my new address with all of you. I know I've moved blog addresses before, but I promise that this will be the last time! Twice is enough.

I hope you all have a beautiful and special Mother's Day weekend, whether you are celebrating yourselves, your mothers, your mother in laws, or all of the above.

Regular posting will resume tomorrow evening, when I post on my commitment to Living Mindfully. I hope you'll join me in the comments and tell me about your special moments from your week.

My Signature Style, a few more layers

This project all started with this post. Thus, my own quest began to define my own Signature Style.

Last week, I posted the 5 Key Elements of my Signature Style. I chose jeans, a white ribbed tank, a slim-fitting 3/4 length sleeve black tee, a light weight army green jacket, and a black cashmere cardigan. At the end of the post, I was feeling ambitious and promised to add two more clothing items as well as two accessories.

This week, I chose layering pieces: t-shirts and scarves.





Never underestimate a great t-shirt!

This is my heather-grey Daftbird t-shirt. It was a little on the pricier end, but I've worn it so many times that I don't regret a single penny.













A good white t-shirt belongs in every closet.

This is the best one I have right now, but I'm always on the lookout for something better. I'd prefer a little more length. This one happened to be $13 at Old Navy.










I have been very into scarves this season.

This is one of my favorites. I bought it at Lulu's.com, a great place to get inexpensive, fun accessories.













This is another one of my favorites.

I bought it in Indonesia 11 years ago. Who says you can't keep things around for a while?











I'll add something else next week. Does anyone else want to play along? I know that Renia is doing it --all the cool kids are!-- so be sure to check out what she's added.

What's your favorite accessory this season?

Focusing on Body & Wellness

image via Untitled blue


At the beginning of each month, it has become a habit to map out my monthly goals. I try to find goals for all areas of my Lifestyle Map. In addition to these goals, I choose a focus for each month.

For example, last month I focused on Sensuality and Conscious Romance. My April Challenge was to practice Conscious Romance with my husband for the entire 30 days of April. It proved to be a fantastic little endeavor, and one that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to feel more connected to their partner.

For May, my focus is Body & Wellness. I originally joked that there is nothing like the fast-approaching swimsuit season to inspire a focus on Body & Wellness; however, it goes much deeper than that.

For me, "Body & Wellness" means much more than thinner thighs and a great a$$. Sure, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want those things. Heck, I've even written an entire post on my distaste for the size of my a$$! But when I think about the true meaning of Body & Wellness, I think of daily exercise, good nutrition, yoga and meditation, positive affirmations, getting a good night's sleep, and other small habits that you know you should be doing.

For the entire month of May --and beyond-- I will focus on my Body & Wellness. Good health is the most important thing there is (besides love!), but you don't always appreciate it until you lose it.

In my endeavor for healthier Body & Wellness, I will strive for the following:

1. Daily activity -- at least 20 minutes
I know that a person needs more than 20 minutes for optimum health, but this is a mind trick I'm playing on myself. 20 minutes is absolutely, positively do-able. There's no excuse for not fitting it in...and chances are, 99% of the time, I'm not going to stop at 20 minutes. In my reality, just getting motivated and out the door is the most difficult part of exercising.

image via mikebaird


2. Good nutrition
Good nutrition means different things to different people. For me, it used to mean low calories and/or low carbs, but not anymore. My current personal definition of good nutrition means a plant-based, mostly-vegan diet, which includes lots of fresh vegetables and legumes. It means having treats, but not every day. It means eating organic, whenever it is feasibly and financially possible.

I have been finding lots of inspiration from Shannon at Nourishing Days and Renee at FIMBY.


image via mikebaird


3. Daily meditation and/or yoga -- at least 20 minutes
These two practices don't always have to be combined, but in my opinion, they work well together. On a physical level, my body would greatly benefit from a daily yoga practice. Ever since I've had children, my left side (shoulder, upper back, neck) aches. Being right-handed, I've always carried my children on my left side, leaving my right hand to do things. And no, I don't carry my children anymore, but it is still the side of my body that has the most aches and pains. On a spiritual level, my mind would benefit from the meditation and focus that is required in yoga. To quiet my mind for even 20 minutes, will help me in so many ways.

4. Daily Affirmations -- 5 times a day
This idea comes directly from Amy at Feasibly Fit Mom. I strongly believe in the power of the mind and the positive results that can be manifested. My two affirmations come straight from Amy, and they are:

"My body is healthy and strong."

"I rest when I am tired, eat nutritiously when I am hungry and operate at my highest function."

5. A good night's sleep -- 8 hours a night
When you have children, there are sometimes unforeseen circumstances that prevent a good night's sleep. However, for the most part, me not getting enough sleep lately has been 100% my own fault. I have been staying up late (either blogging or cuddling or watching junky TV) and getting up early to get a jump-start on the day. I have been burning the candle at both ends, and wondering why I'm so quick to lose patience. Duh.

6. Practicing other good habits
These vary from person to person, but for me, they would include:

~ Using the neti pot every evening (especially now, during allergy season)
~ Taking a multivitamin...every day instead of every once in a while
~ Drinking enough water (usually not a problem for me, but I've been slacking lately)

In the interest of full disclosure, I must mention that I have had a regular headache behind my left eye for the last five or six years -- I don't remember when it began. I'm pretty darn sure it's sinus related, but I'd like to get to the bottom of it. No, I won't disclose how much Tylenol I take; let's just say it's a lot. Too much. I'd like to see if proper care and nourishment of my body will help eliminate my constant headache.


I realize that it seems like a lot, but shouldn't self-care be as regular as brushing your teeth?

How well do you take care of yourself? Are there any habits that you know you should be doing but aren't?

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In other news...
Another interview is up! The funny and beautiful Sami agreed to be interviewed, and her interview is up. Sami is a life-lovin' Aussie girl, living life to its fullest. Her blog Life, Laughs & Lemmings is a constant inspiration to me. Give it a read!

Just for fun

I planned to do a post detailing my plans to living a healthier lifestyle -- my big focus for the month. However, I've had a headache all day and I'm just tired.

How about a little light-hearted post instead, and we'll save the Healthy Lifestyle post for tomorrow? {pinkie promise}

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My precious pumpkin is turning 3 next week. I don't know where the time has gone, but I won't get into that right now. One of my favorite things over the last 5 years has been planning the kids' birthdays.

I can't help myself. The second part of my Style Statement is Creative!

For my daughter's birthday, the loose "theme" is Her Favorite Things. The colors will be pink and purple and the menu will include some of her favorite foods. Since she's only turning three, and she doesn't have any peeps yet, it will be grandparents and aunts and uncles.

But that doesn't mean that I can't have fun with the invitation!

I finished making the invitations this afternoon. I bought the supplies at my favorite paper shop, Paper Source.





The poem/song on the left side is my re-written version of These Are a Few of My Favorite Things from the classic movie, The Sound of Music.

It reads:

Backpacks on Dora and treefrogs on Diego
Red meat and "more milk" and TV and lego
Make up and lip gloss and bandaids and rings
These are a few of her favorite things

Purple Crayola and unagi sushi
Lambchops and skateboards and shaking her tushie
Tinkerbell flying with shimmery wings
These are a few of her favorite things

Picking her nostril and keeping us guessing
Dipping that finger into the ranch dressing
Racing her brother to do everything
These are a few of her favorite things

When her mom yells,
"Two-minute warning!"
When she's feeling sad
She simply remembers her favorite things
And then she {don't} feel so bad.


What is your favorite part of party planning?


Oh. By the way. For all you Aussies and Kiwis out there...yes, those are Springbok jersies you see above! ; )