Hello Again!

I'm overjoyed to have found my long-lost blog, and am looking forward to connecting with a host of new readers and friends! Let me re-introduce myself (since a lot has changed since my last post)...

I'm Bekah, a single mother of 2 teen girls. Let me tell you upfront that my life gets crazy!

To pay the bills, I work with children with disabilities and their families. I'm good at it. Really good. I've also been at my current job for almost 14 years. My caseload is so demanding that it often interferes with being able to effectively parent my own kids (more on that later). I'm stressed more often than not, and even though I love what I do, it's beginning to weigh me down. So I'm starting to weigh my options. More on that later, too. 

For fun, I read, write, sometimes crochet, hang with friends, and binge TV with my girls. We watched Friends all the way through at least 7 times. I love to take pictures, but not in an artsy way, just for reflection and documentation. I'm really into my planner. I watch endless videos about self-improvement, self-reflection, reaching an audience, empowering women, being your authentic self... you get the picture. I could sit in a coffee shop, just chatting and writing probably every day. 

I'm on a huge internal overhaul. Vision boards, manifesting, prayer and Bible study, writing and journaling, thinking and talking- so get ready for it! 

I'm pretty honest and tend to overshare. So if you like deep conversations with a complete stranger, you've come to the right place! Let's be friends :)

Losing my Passion

As I was sitting on my front porch today watching all the neighborhood kids run around, relishing these last few weeks of outdoors time, I found myself being a little jealous of their joy. Their energy. Their passion.

I have had a lot of good things happen this year. I moved into a new position at work. I've been healthy. I've lost weight. Took a great family trip to Disney World. But I seem to have lost my passion for a lot of things I once treasured. Some of those things I can live without, and chalk it up to "people change". But some things I don't WANT to let go...taking photos, scrapbooking, blogging about more than book reviews, my role as family memory-keeper. I dropped Project 365 and only got two months in to my One Little Word project. I have only scrapped through September 2011, and have not yet printed any photos from 2012. What gives?

While I feel a tinge of disappointment, mostly I feel an awakening. A welcoming of possibilities. An excitement to recommit to these things I love. I've enjoyed browsing for some new products that might help me simplify my memory-keeping, like Project Life. I'm gathering up supplies to start prepping my December Daily project. I've ordered last year's pictures for my girls' school albums. I have two meaningful blog posts written and scheduled.

Action feels good.

Have you had a similar experience? Lost your passion and joy for something you truly love? How did you re-ignite that spark?

A List for February

So I was browsing the internet the other day, as I am wont to do, and came upon this List post. I love lists! Apparently, there is some sort of group who makes a list of ten "to-dos" monthly and blogs about it. What a great idea! Sometimes (ok, almost all the time) I get caught up in my daily to-do lists and overlook bigger projects or seldom performed tasks. So here it is, my Ten To Dos for February:

1. Make a trip to Goodwill. I have at least four bags of stuff that have been sitting around for over a month!
2. Book our Disney World vacation!! Really looking forward to this one!
3. Finish my January pages for my One Little Word album.
4. Bake with my kids using their Easy-Bake Oven.
5. Clean my craft room.
6. Make an appointment with the allergy specialist. Just found out I have multiple food sensitivities.
7. Take some black and white photos, just for fun.
8. File our taxes.
9. Finish scrapping Christmas 2011 photos.
10. Write at least one additional blog post that does not concern a book review, Project 365, or menu planning!

Anything in particular on your to-do list this month?

Thankful Thursday 9/15/11

Having trouble maintaining my "gratitude attitude" lately. A little Thankful Thursday should fix that!

I am thankful for my wonderful little brother, who took me to a doctor's appointment and a couple of stores this past Tuesday.

I am thankful for co-workers who are still sending support in the form of sweet notes and gift cards.

I am thankful we worked out a way for my girls to be able to participate in their chosen fall activities- Drama for Morgan and Dance for Vivian.

I am thankful for two whole days without vomiting this week! (It's the little things, people! This medicine I'm on is almost as bad as the disease!)

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a guest blogger for the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association tomorrow. I wrote about parenting while having a chronic illness. I'd love for you to come check it out!

Welcome to my blog re-launch!

Image by Glamlife-studentportal via Flickr

Welcome to my blog. I hope you find something here that inspires you, touches your heart, or just resonates within your own life. My life is a continuous balancing act between family, work and personal pursuits. Throughout this journey of life I seek inspiration and creativity in the every day. This blog is a reflection of that journey.


As many of you know, today is a re-launch. A re-birth, if you will. New name and tag line, new look, new layout. I have spent the past couple of weeks really focusing on how I want to live my life and how I want to communicate that through my blog. I realized that everything I really want to blog about revolves around creativity. By this I don't simply mean craft projects; I mean the deeper understanding of living a creative life through photos and words, connecting with others, and reflecting on what I see, hear and do in my day to day activities. Posts surrounding these topics will be the heart of my blog. I hope to post on a semi-regular basis with a weekly template of sorts:

• Sunday- Photos
• Monday- Food for the mind, body and spirit (inspiration)
• Tuesday-
• Wednesday- Creative Writing
• Thursday- Scrapbooking and other crafty things
• Friday- Lists and Links
• Saturday-

You will notice that two days are empty- this gives me flexibility to a) take a break b) post about what is inspiring me at that moment c) follow up on a previous post.  Flexibility and going with the flow, to me,  are a huge part of creativity and remaining fresh and passionate about what I do.

I am passionate about a great many things- books, crafts, my family, and photography, to name a few. I will blog about these things. Mostly it will be my opinion written out of genuine love for a product or service. That being said, the FTC requires that I tell you when I receive compensation for using or reviewing a product or service. Of course I will! This is what that means to you:

If I receive a free product to review or use on a project, I will tell you.

If I receive a trial offer or other compensation for reviewing a service, I will tell you.

If I receive free products or other compensation for being on a design team, I will tell you.

If I use products that I won in a contest or from a give-a-way, I probably won't tell you. This is only because all my craft items get thrown together and I just won't remember where something came from!

Now that you're informed, relax, grab a cup of coffee, and browse my blog for inspiration surrounding a creative life. Here are a few previous posts to get you started.

Things Kids Hate to Hear
Project 365
Gratitudes
Sweet Sleeping Girl
Wishes

I hope you will visit often. Share your stories and ideas. Connect with others. Enjoy!

Blog Relaunch Announcement!!

I have been working hard doing the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge, and am making some changes to my blog. I am following along with the SITS girls and BlogFrog community to share the experience with other women bloggers. What a blast!

Stay tuned for my blog re-launch on Monday, August 9th! Look for a new tagline and organizational structure, new content themes, and a more consistent posting schedule. I am very excited and can't wait to get your input!