25 Things You Don’t Know About Me

Speaking of being an introvert, I can be pretty shy when I first meet people. Hard to wrap your head around, I know, but I tend to assess things first before I fully let my guard down.

But once I do? Oh, you’d better watch out! Once I get to know you, I’m going to be all up in your life and it’s going to be the best thing since sliced bread. So! In that spirit, let’s get to know each other more, shall we? Without further adieu, I give you “25 Things You Don’t Know About Me“…*

1. I played a mean game of Memory when I was a kid.


2. I’m obsessed with the Internet and social media, but only got into YouTube a couple years ago.


3. Miranda Sings is my everything idol.


4. Whitney Houston’s “One Moment In Time” is one of my fave songs to sing in the shower…at the top of my lungs!


5. I used to have the biggest crush on Brad from Adventures In Babysitting when I was 9.


6. The blue Sour Patch Kid is my favorite. #SourThenSweet


7. I’ve been known to talk in my sleep, according to my sister.


8. Apparently, I snore too.


9. My favorite word is catalyst.


10. I dream of going to Italy one day.


11. I used to push off my leg and hand splints during the night when I was little. THEY WERE SOOOO UNCOMFORTABLE!


12. I hate being a night person, but I can’t seem to change!


13. My favorite number is 5.


14. Lifetime and Hallmark movies give me all the feels.


15. I sometimes cheat at Yahtzee…don’t tell anyone!


16. I once tried to collect all the quarters from each U.S. state. I eventually got bored, so I spent them.


17. Mexican food is my favorite!


18. I can quote an obsessive amount of lines from “Annie.”


19. I still buy CDs.


20. I used to alphabetize said CDs.


21. Historical trivia is my jam.


22. If I ran for president, I’d choose a power ballad as my theme song.


23. Jurassic Park sparked my fascination with dinosaurs.


24. I love having a summer birthday.


25. I’ll always be a teenybopper at heart. OK, you probably already knew that one…

Well, there you have it, friends! Whew…that proved to be harder than I thought. What are some things that people don’t know about you? Care to share? xoxo

*Thank you to US Weekly for the inspiration!

Happy 60th Birthday, Ms. Bear: Three Wishes For You!

Dear Ms. Bear:

I know you won’t fully admit to this, but today is a pretty big day for you. I also know that you like to remain under the radar. But with it being your 60th birthday and all, I figured a little fanfare was in order — it’s only appropriate! Did you really think I was going to let it go by unmentioned? C’mon, you have to know me better than that by now.

Anyway, last year, I talked about all the wonderful lessons you taught me over the years; those are invaluable lessons, one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. This year, though, it occurred to me that someone needs to take care of YOU! You’re always so busy attending to everyone else’s needs, and I wish you’d let me take care of you a bit more. Now I know this may be akin to moving mountains since you’re just like your father in the independence department, but just hear me out. As the saying goes, “you’ll thank me later.”

So in honor of your birthday, here are my three wishes for your 60th wonderful year of living and thriving…

1. I want you to be happy: After everything you’ve been through, you deserve happiness and joy more than anyone I know. You bring joy and laughter to so many people, so please take the time to repay yourself the favor. Maybe take up a new hobby or reconnect with an old one. You’ve always taught me about the power of choosing happiness. I hope you’ll choose it for yourself.

2. I want you to sloooow down: This is the one that I’m most worried about. It’s no secret that you’ve never really done well with unstructured time, but take it from me — that sort of time can make all the difference in the world. Recharging your batteries can give you a whole new outlook and lease on life. So go ahead and spend an entire weekend in your pajamas, curled up in your chair with Harry and Stella. Consider it a prescription for calm.

3. I want you to stop worrying so much: I suppose I can’t harp on you too much for this one since I’m so guilty of it too, but we’ve both seen the ugly side of the Worry Monster and it’s not pretty, is it? Plus, like you always say, the things you worry about rarely come to pass. Maybe we can try to keep each other in check and banish those neurotic tendencies away. At the very least, let’s make sure we don’t rile each other up. That’s certainly a sight!

Thank you for being the most amazing mother I could ever ask for. I’m the person I am today because of the mother you’ve always been. Please take care of yourself this year and forever. You’re too special of a lady not to and the world is a much better place because of you. I love you and will always look up to you, Ms. Bear… xoxo

Family Photos: Our Holiday Staycation

One of the things I love about working from home is the flexibility when it comes to vacation time. Of course, that’s not to say that I take time off willy-nilly, but I do appreciate having the freedom to coordinate my schedule with my mom’s work schedule.

Take last week, for example. My mom was on winter break, so I decided to take the entire week off. As crazy as it sounds, this wasn’t a decision I made lightly; after all, this was the first time in seven years that I was taking that long of a break from anything blog-related, so needless to say, I was a bit unsure at first.

What would I do with my time? Would I get bored after one day and find myself climbing the walls in a furious fit of despair? Could I even resist the siren song of my laptop?

So. Many. Questions.

But! As is typical with me, I worried myself into a tizzy over nothing, and before I knew it, there I was, rolling down the metaphorical expressway to Relaxationville! Oh, what a glorious and relaxation-filled week it was. I really felt like I was able to fully slow down and turn off my mind and all that pressure I seem to put on myself the other months of the year.

We enjoyed a quiet Christmas morning, complete with a box of chocolates and wrapping paper strewn all over the living room floor.

Stella even wanted a court-side seat to all the exciting action!

As the week went on, I noticed a few themes emerge as far as activities go…

1. We watched A LOT of television: And by a lot, I mean, well, maybe a bit too much sometimes. I kicked off the week by watching a Lifetime movie. How did I end the week? By watching another, equally cheesy, Lifetime movie. We also found ourselves taking two-hour lunches and binge-watching episodes of Hart of Dixie, which is such a fun show — not sure why I didn’t watch it while it was on.


2. We enjoyed lots of good food: Never mind the wonders of a Christmas feast, which in itself was quite the sight to behold, but my mom cooked some delicious desserts throughout the vacation.

My favorites were her seven-layer bars — the kind that oozed gooey chocolate and were topped with flakes of coconut.

We also enjoyed our pumpkin pie on a family heirloom: My grandmother’s famed Santa Claus plates. As the story goes, my grandparents bought them when my mom was a kid and would only use them for special occasions — think holidays and Sunday dinner. When we took those plates out this year, it felt like a piece of our family history was alive and sitting right there next to us — it’s those kinds of memories that are really important, you know?

And, thankfully, we finally had some snow that stuck to the ground! This Midwest winter has been crazy, with the weather all over the place, so it was nice to at least get a little taste of winter, if only for a day!

As we all know, however, all good things must eventually come to an end. Last Sunday night was a pretty rude awakening, as we all wondered where our fun, precious, relaxing time had gone. The week’s breakfasts and lunches never looked so ominous, and when my mom woke up so early on Monday morning, even the cats were confused!


Still, you can never underestimate the value of a good staycation. It’s restorative. It’s good for the soul. And, like I always say, you can never watch too much soapy, sudsy TV. What did you do over the holidays, friends??? I’d love to hear all about your adventures — or staycation! — in the comments!! LOVE YOU!!!! xoxo

My 10 Life Mantras For 2016

As I’m sure you know, the first day back to your usual routine after a holiday can be pretty brutal. OK, maybe brutal is a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s not far off. After all, you just got into the groove of vacation mode and just like that, you find yourself plucked from your own personal paradise.

Hello, unfriendly and unwelcome reality — it’s not nice to see you!

But that’s not the whole story. At least for me anyway. Those little things called New Year’s Resolutions? Umm, we’ve never exactly been the best of friends. Not by a long shot. I make them and then I break them. I always have the best of intentions, mind you, but something happens in the execution phase — a design flaw or something that I haven’t quite figured out yet.

Enter the Life Mantra. I’m considering this my resolution substitution this year and hoping for better results. Instead of getting hung up focusing on actionable goals, I’m declaring 2016 the Year of the Mindset. Think positively. Think happy thoughts. It’s amazing how the world around you can change just by changing your perspective. Here, I share my 10 Life Mantras for the coming year…


1. I will choose happiness, even if everyone around me is swimming in a sea of negativity; I will not be dragged down by other people’s bad moods.


2. I will (try!) to see change for what it can be: An opportunity for growth and new adventures.


3. I will not be afraid to speak my mind, tell my story and be fully comfortable in my own skin.


4. I will continue to fight against the tide of worry, reminding myself that worrying is like getting on the on-ramp of a one-way street. It doesn’t get you anywhere.


5. I will fully put work out of my mind for the entire weekend — and NOT feel the least bit guilty about it.


6. I will feel my feelings, smile when I’m happy and cry if I need to. #NoShame #CryingIsHealthy


7. I will let go of what I can’t control and embrace the uncertainty of that.


8. I will work on eliminating the “S” word from my vocabulary when it’s not warranted. #SorryNotSorry


9. I will love fiercely and unapologetically — myself, my family, my friends.


10. I will look for the extraordinary in the ordinary and the exciting in the mundane.

So, friends, is it possible to change your mind and change your life? I sure hope so. I’ve got the next 361 days to find out, and that, if you ask me, is a pretty exciting prospect. I’m so excited to get back to blogging this week and catch up. Here’s hoping your 2016 is off to a rousing, beautiful and positive start. All my love, friends! xoxo


P.S. My keyword of 2015.

[Photos via We Heart It]

Tuesday Tunes: Billy Joel’s “My Life”

Editor’s Note: Song lyrics denoted in bold italics.

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Billy Joel. He sings songs about real life; everyone makes fun of me, but I can’t listen to Piano Man without the tears practically streaming down my face — just think of poor Davy in the navy!

Anyway, Janelle was putting up our Christmas tree this afternoon and was listening to the ’70s station on Sirius. What should come blasting through the television in all its self-assured glory?

Billy Joel’s “My Life“
From 52nd Street

Now, this has long been one of my favorites from Joel’s discography, but for some reason, it sounded “new” to me today. It was as if I was hearing the song for the first time in years. It just hit me in that emotional sweet spot, you know?


I don’t need you to worry for me cause I’m alright
I don’t want you to tell me it’s time to come home
I don’t care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life and leave me alone

And then it hit me: This is, coincidentally, something I’ve learned from Janelle. Lately, she’s been trying to live by this philosophy more. Not in a “this is my life and I can do whatever I want” sort of way like a defiant teenager, but more like a “make no apologies” kind of way. So often, we start feeling like we desperately need to justify what we say, what we do, EVERYTHING! But then we suddenly realize that, well, we actually don’t. It’s a pretty liberating feeling, actually.

I never said you had to offer me a second chance
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
I still belong, don’t get me wrong
And you can speak your mind
But not on my time

Remember when we talked about how you don’t owe anyone an apology for certain things in life? Maybe this is sort of the same thing. I’m willing to bet that it takes us all awhile to build up that thick skin, that protective outer shell that makes us at least partially immune from the opinions and harsh words of others. I mean, we’re sure as heck not born with it — though if they did clone a sheep once, I suppose you never really know exactly what the future holds.

Yet, once we develop this skin, it seems to last a lifetime, doesn’t it? It’s almost as if it’s guaranteed to give us some sort of superpower in shutting out the hollow words from the people around us — those words that just don’t matter — and helping us finally and truly see that, NO, we don’t always have to be apologizing and saying “I’m sorry” for every little thing. It’s our life, remember? We need to be happy living it for ourselves and forgetting all that excess background noise.

Wouldn’t you agree, friends? xoxo