Gates loves to read; rather she loves to be read to. On a given day, she'll have us read to her over thirty stories. Lately the stories that she's having us read "again" are those where the starring character is a mouse. So it's no surprise that for her upcoming birthday party, she wants it to include mice. In two days, Gates turns two. And in six days, friends and family will join Gates as she celebrates her birthday. When asked what she wanted for her birthday, she replied Mice, Alphabet, and pink cake. Lest you think this is another Disney-inspired birthday party, let me introduce you to the mice Gates hangs out with. These critters are far from their animated Disney cousins.   Gates' "Mickey Mouse" is a wooden pink-eared mouse that came with a pull-along train manufactured by Goula. When Gates first got the train last year, she was more interested in dumping the passengers from the train. In fact, every time she saw the mouse, the cat, and th...

The start of Spring is as good as any time to pull out and dust off the goals or resolutions set when 2014 dawned brightly. For me, 2014 is the year I WILL. And to achieve my goals, I need ...   My Goals for 2014 For 2014, I set three goals . Sure, in 2013, I declared my goals here publicly . But my goals for 2014 are different.   My goals for 2014 differed from those I set in 2013, in that there's one big goal and two that actually support that goal. Besides sharing my 2014 goals here, I also put them to paper, something I didn't do with my 2013 goals. And, I went further. I spoke them out loud and recorded them with the intention of sharing them.   I was going to share the video of my goals ( watch now on YouTube ) when I talked about joining the Bold, Brilliant, Beautiful project . But, I chickened out. I shared just a snippet of my goals, the portion where I say I AM ENOUGH. I AM BOLD, BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT. (I mixed up the order. In my snippet, I'd even accident...

Each day dawns with endless possibility. And, for many of us an equally endless to do list. We know we'll never accomplish all the items, but that doesn't stop us from trying or racing through our day with our heads down, oblivious of what's going on around us. Pausing for just a few seconds and actively seeking out one good thing can change a day from drudgery to joy. " We want to develop the habit of searching for, and discovering, something to appreciate about every person, situation, or experience we encounter ." -Jonathan Wells, " Allowing Appreciation to Change Your Life ," Advanced Life Skills For 2014, I decided to challenge myself to capturing one photo of the seemingly ordinary that makes my life extraordinary (link opens an Instagram gallery). At the end of each month, I pause and I go through the moments and reflect on what was important to me. In January , most of my moments were of family and food. This trend continued in February and i...

Whether it's subconscious or not, we filter the story we tell of our past. Through retellings, details get lost. We look at where we are and downplay what it took to get here. We forget what it felt like to be standing at the precipice wondering if we'd make it to the other side. Only journals allow true reflection; that's why it's important we make time in our schedule.     How do you mark your journey?  

My earliest childhood memories are of weekend mornings. Me in the kitchen "helping" my mom with pancakes or waffles. Measuring. Stirring. Beating egg whites. Folding egg whites into the water.   So, it's only natural that I've had Gates already in the kitchen baking and helping "prepare" some of her meals. When I stumbled across Rise & Shine: A Challah-Day Tale ( *affiliate link ) I knew I had an opportunity for three generations of women to make a special memory.     Have you started a regular baking tradition with your little one?  

No one wants to look like a lost time traveler. We all want our wardrobe to represent our style while at the same time being hip and in style. The challenge comes in how to do this cost effectively while not feeding the disposable fashion industry. For me, the answer has been Le Tote, a monthly subscription service that delivers what's in style now ( *affiliate link ) straight to your mailbox. Le Tote has two subscription services, one just for jewelry and one for a mix of separates, dresses, and jewelry. I'm subscribed to the Boutique Box where I get five items, typically one dress, two separates, and two pieces of jewelry. I wear (or try on) the pieces that I've received, keep anything I like, and send back the rest. The subscription fee includes two-way shipping and cleaning so I don't have to worry about scheduling dry cleaning pickups/dropoffs or dealing with laundry.   Test Driving Clothing in The Real World Have you ever purchased something and been unsure ...