Thank You

We wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for joining us in 2010. And especially to our guests. We hope you continue to practice and that 2011 fills you with joy and gratitude.

New York City

Journaling Reads:
I think it’s perfectly apt that on this very last day of the year and on my very last gratitude art for 2010, I should make it about my favorite place in the world.

New York City.

I spent all of my twenties in New York. I moved there at 22 and moved away at 29. And I loved every single moment of it. I love New York with all my heart. It feels more like home than anywhere else I’ve ever lived and anywhere I will live.

To me, it embodies everything I love. Authenticity, culture, arts, literature, working hard, and, most of all, amazingly interesting people. It has the best bookstores I’ve ever seen. The best opera. The most amazing museums. I even love the dirt and the subway. And while I think it’s not the best place to live with kids, I do hope that one day I’ll get to live there again.

I am grateful for my time in the city. For all the opportunities it gave me. For everything I learned while I lived there. For the friends I made and the jobs I had. For me, NYC is unparalleled in its magnificence.

Saying Goodbye to Weekly Gratitude

It feels strange to write this knowing it will be my last entry. I knew when I started this year-long journey that it came at a much needed time in my life. I needed to learn to embrace gratitude, to instantly reach for the positive and not the negative. I wanted this to begin a lifetime habit.

To say that this was easy for me would be an untruth. There were times when it felt forced and I really struggled. There were several times I didn’t post. What I realized was I cannot practice gratitude once a week. It always ended up being a last minute thought, one I had to remember to do. It never became a routine or a true habit.

It wasn’t until I started writing in a journal every night, that practicing gratitude started to become easier. Since I began that a few months ago, I truly started to change my way of thinking. I will continue to write three things I’m grateful for, each night in my journal. It’s amazing how much this little act has benefited me.

I am truly grateful for this journey, for all the ups and downs, because it’s lead me to where I wanted to go. I want to thank everyone who took this journey with Karen and me. I want to thank Karen for taking this journey with me, for her patience when I missed posts, and for her understanding that this was a process of learning for me. You, Karen, are a dear friend and a soul sister. I am grateful for our friendship.

I am grateful for this process more than I can say. It has changed so much in my life and helped me at a time when I needed it most this summer. I hope for those of you that followed along, that this was something positive for your lives, that you got out of it what you intended. I hope that you will continue to practice in your own way in 2011 and beyond.

Happy New Year and much love,

Lori

The Practice of Gratitude

If it weren’t for my friend Lori, I would have never started this project. She was the one who messaged me and asked me if I’d like to join her in a year-long gratitude project. Lori’s a great friend and I loved the idea so I agreed without hesitation.

During the course of this year, I made 52 posts with my thoughts on gratitude-related subjects and 52 pieces of gratitude art. I’ve also written 3 things I’m grateful for every single day this past year. That’s 1,095 things. For the last six months or so, my six-year-old son has also been telling me three things he’s grateful for each day. And since November, he’s also been keeping a gratitude journal:

I cannot put into words the impact all this has had in my life.

The practice of gratitude is very powerful. Especially having to write down three things on those hard days when the world seems mostly black. During those times of illness and fear and tiredness. The practice of gratitude is what reminds you that there’s a flicker of light every single day. Every single moment of every day. It gives you the opportunity to pause and look and listen and pay attention to the good in your life.

Because there’s always some kind of good.

However small.

We take so much for granted. It’s human nature. And this project gives you the room and opportunity to take a moment to appreciate, to give thanks, to pay attention.

I’ve learned it’s important to pause and take a moment to be grateful each day.

I’ve learned that it makes my heart grow. It makes me realize how very much I have to be thankful for. How little it takes to make someone else’s day better. How many people impact my day. How much good there is out there.

It restores your faith in your life. In other people. And in the world.

All it takes is this one little project.

So I hope that, in 2011, you will take the time to write down things you’re grateful for. I will be continuing my 3 things in my blog along with my son’s list and his journal. I will never ever forget this year and how it started me on this very amazing path.

Thank you, Lori. More than words can say.

I am so very grateful.

Camping

Camping is newish for our family. We have found we really enjoy it. We did not go this past year and we really missed it. I do believe camping has become one of our favorite places to vacation.

We have a great camp ground close to us and is perfect for little boys. There is easy hiking, rivers to play in and a lot of trails to bike and ride on.

I’m grateful my children enjoy the adventure and look forward to the day we can take them to larger, more remote camp grounds.

Pacific Beach

Journaling Reads:
We lived in San Diego from 2003 to 2006. We didn’t live in Pacific Beach but, for me, PB will always be the quintessential San Diego. It is the perfect example of the breathtaking beauty and nature that city has.

At the time we were there, I remember missing New York. Not appreciating most of what I had. But now, when I look back, I am immensely grateful for our time in San Diego.

We recently took a family vacation to Pacific Beach. We stayed right on the pier and got to watch the sun set every night. We got to smell the fresh sea air. We got to play in the sand. We heard the waves crashing and saw fish being caught and the surfers. Of course the surfers.

There are many reasons why we left San Diego and many reasons why I wouldn’t want to live there again. But I am so very grateful for the time we spent there. Grateful that we got to call this breathtaking city our home, even if for a short while. And I am really grateful that we live a reasonable drive from there because I plan to visit many, many times.

A Wonderful Time

It’s such a wonderful time of year. We celebrate Christmas and it’s the day before Christmas Eve. We are home cleaning, cooking, watching Christmas shows and there is no where else we’d rather be. I would say that our hearts are in the perfect places, right now. My children are surprising me with their generosity. They have come up with wonderful ideas for things to give or do and I’m just so proud of them. Christmas can be reduced to consumerism, certainly, but I know better. While I know my children are dreaming of Santa and the presents may receive, they are, also, showing their “community spirits” with their huge hearts and creative ideas. The greater purpose of Christmas has not been lost amongst the presents. It’s alive and well in two tiny, innocent bodies and for that I’m am grateful! I intend to keep it that way for every Christmas and my hope is they teach theirs the same message.

I wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season.

Making a List, Checking it Twice

As the last days of the year approach and the holidays come rushing in, I notice that the todo list grows and the deadlines loom. One of the things I did a few years ago is to make a list of all the things I like and dislike during the holiday season. I then looked for ways to do more of what I like and less of what I dislike.

Simple right?

Well, not so. Holidays come with a lot of guilt. Ideas of wrong and right and things you should do. Feelings of inadequacy or expectations from people around you. Many people around me feel a strongly under-appreciated during the holidays. As my kids grow and the Christmas wonder dwindles, I know this will happen here too.

Which is where the list comes in handy. The idea is to focus on what makes you happy during the holidays and increase the amount of time you spend on that. And all the chores you don’t like, see if you can get rid of them, or at least make them much much less time consuming.

Here is an example:
I don’t do Christmas cards. I never have and I have no plans to. I take photos of my kids all the time and I love doing that. I also talk to, email, or write to most of the people I am friends with. I don’t need the holiday season to remind them of me or send them a printed photo of me that they won’t know what to do with. I generally don’t know what to do with Christmas cards I receive. I like them and look at them for a moment and then I toss them. And, maybe because of that, I think they are a huge waste of money and time and hassle for the recipient because I imagine them hesitating (like i do each year) and then guiltily throwing them away. So I just don’t do them. I save the time, the money, and the hassle. I don’t feel even 1% guilty about it and I use that time and money elsewhere.

Please bear in mind that these are my thoughts. You might love making and getting Christmas cards. That’s perfectly fine. The idea is to not to what you don’t want to do. Without guilt.

I also don’t put bows or other fancy wrapping on our presents. This year, I might try to even use gift bags instead of wrapping. I don’t spend time making a lot of hand-made presents. I might make one or two each year. Maybe. I also hate shopping. I always hate it but during the holidays even more so since the stores are so full. So I do all my shopping online. Early enough to get free or cheap shipping. I do it all in one night and then I am done.

What I do love to do is go on family excursions and to craft. And to put up a tree with decorations. I do a December Daily album each year to document the season as it happens. We have a beautiful tree and I decorate it mostly by myself. I don’t resent it ever because it’s one of the things I love most about the season. I love looking at it all month long. I love baking with my kids. I love relaxing and reading. And I try to spend most of my time doing that.

This gives me the mental and emotional space to really enjoy the season and be grateful for everything I have. It gives me the energy to snuggle up with my kids and be thankful they still let me hug them.

So if you’re finding yourself resentful or rushed this holiday season, my suggestion to you is to make a list. Write down all the things you resent doing. See if you can get rid of them. See if you can delegate them. See if you can minimize the time you spend on them.

And then make a list of everything you love. Schedule those into your week/day/month. Make sure you do them often and for longer periods. Remember that life is short and it’s better to feel joy over guilt. And doing more of what you love will fill you with gratitude.

And remember to snuggle up. Even if it’s just with a book.

Happy Holidays.

Tree Farm

Not only is the tree farm one of our favorite traditions, it’s also one of our favorite places to go.

They make it really festive and family oriented. There are acres and acres of trees to walk through and enjoy. The smell of the pine trees immediately makes us think of Christmas and family.

We have never been to the tree farm and not had a wonderful time trying to find our tree. There is always tons of laughter and joy.

Even better is ending the trip with some hot chocolate or apple cider while sitting in the parking lot taking in the joyous feelings of everyone visiting. It’s impossible not to feel gratitude at the tree farm with family.

Kamakura

Journaling Reads:

I was lucky enough to spend six months in Japan in 1999 for a business trip. Most of that time was in Tokyo but I made two trips away. One was for skiing and the other to Kamakura.

While I would have loved to have visited Kyoto, I didn’t get the opportunity and Kamakura was the closest I got to experiencing the magic of all the temples and the nature.

I remember most of my time in Japan with joy and gratitude. I loved every moment of it. The uniqueness, the foreignness and all the kindness of strangers have still stayed with me.

I loved the cherry blossoms and the fish market and all the parts of Tokyo I visited. Each unique, each more amazing than the other. But Kamakura was much more magical than any others. It was peaceful and quiet. Even though, at the time, I was really sad that our one occasion to visit was “ruined” by rain, I can now see that it only added to the mood and solitude of being there. Maybe next time I visit Japan I will get to visit Kyoto, but until then, I am grateful that I got to visit Kamakura and experience some of the beauty.

No Filters

I often feel that there is a child lurking inside of me. One that wants to have fun, play, be amazed by the smallest things, and that has no filters. I feel sad that she’s trapped. I’m not sure how to get her out. I know she used to be there, when I really was a child, but somehow, someway, I learned to still her and keep her quiet. I learned to fear, to judge, to not speak my mind. I learned to be polite and politically correct. I learned that she had no place in my life as an adult.

It’s amazing to watch my children growing. Children are the best negotiators. They have no fear and really try their hardest to get their way. They, also, have no idea about what society thinks is acceptable. They make friends with everyone and they don’t care if those friends look different than them or think differently than them. They see only the inside light of their friends. That natural attraction where one good heart attracts another good heart. Those hearts feel joy around each other and they have fun. They don’t worry about clean houses or types of cars or clothes. They don’t fear being judged. They don’t even know what it means.

Life changes us through our experiences and our parents change us through their beliefs, but I honestly believe that the little children we stifle as we grow need to remain closer to our forefront. Those filters we’ve thrown up can hurt us more than they protect us. Some things in life need to be taken seriously, but most do not and those are the times when our inner child should be free to just be.

I know the place in my heart where my inner child is hiding is getting closer to allowing me the key to release. I’m grateful to feel this. It’s only when I had children that I started to learn that I had forgotten how to really have fun, let things go, and love without judging. When I’m really good at doing these things. When I’m able to do them without thinking, I know I won’t feel my inner child pounding to escape. She’ll just be a part of me. A part I love with all my heart. And, I will rejoice.

The Bad Place

There’s a bad place where all your thoughts are negative. The place where you’re mean to yourself an everyone around you. You wallow in self-pity or resentment or anger or frustration. You take everything from the worst possible angle. You make mistakes and then get angrier. You snarl at the people you love and then feel disappointed in yourself. And the cycle goes on and on.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who goes to that bad place.

I’ve been living in that place for the last couple of days. I am not entirely sure how I got there or why I’m stuck there but here I am. I’ve been grouchy and mean and having major meltdowns over the smallest things. It has not been fun and I go to bed each day determined to snap out of it and wake up each morning back in that place.

But here’s the thing: even during these dark days, I’ve had amazing moments of gratitude and joy.

People have been kind and understanding and generous with me. I’ve had moments of laughter. I’ve felt good about accomplishing a task and finishing some todo item. Even if they were fewer and far in between, they were there.

So if your week or day is going like mine have been, I urge you to pause and pay attention to the moments of gratitude you have in the middle of darkness. To me, those are little bits of hope seeping in to remind you that life is not nearly as bleak as it seems right now.

That’s what practicing gratitude is all about: paying attention to the good. Because some good is always there.

Always.

Our Backyard

We spend a ton of time in our backyard. It’s right off the kitchen, so I feel comfortable letting the boys run around out there when I’m cooking dinner. Our yard is small and I love it that way. No one can get lost in it and it makes for cozy gatherings.

We have some gorgeous plants the bloom at different times of the year and some fun water features. Our yard is perfect for a day playing in water, with bubbles or even making chalk drawings.

I’m grateful to have a backyard to call my own. One where we can gather and spend time outside. It’s the extra something that makes our home special to us.

Hillside Club

Journaling Reads:
In the south of Turkey, just at the edge of where the Aegean and the Mediterranean meet, lies this beautiful club.

Before we had our boys, we made a family tradition of meeting my parents and sister there yearly. Some of my fondest memories of going home are from these trips. The delicious food, fantastic weather and incredible water.

I remember feeling at peace and fully relaxed while I was there. To me, that’s the quintessential holiday. One where you’re truly leaving your worries behind and enjoying the very moment.

Since we’ve had our kids, we haven’t been back there and now my family has another vacation home so we might not get a chance to go back. But I will still remember this place and my time there with gratitude and joy. Those early mornings, thanks to jetlag, I got to see the sun come out from behind the water and all the chairs empty, sitting there, basking in the peace of nature untouched. Just looking at the photo makes me feel that peace all over again.

The Feel of Home

Do you ever come across someone who just feels right? There is an instant connection, a tiny spark of trust and joy all at once. Those people are rare in my life, but they are there. Some I talk with once every blue moon, but it’s like we didn’t have any time between our talks. Some I see every day. These rare and special people in my life, well they feel like home. I can be myself with them, whether a good day or bad. I never worry about how my house looks or what I’m wearing. I can just be.

When I think of my favorite place to be, I think of home. I’m a homebody no doubt about it. And, when I’m with people who feel like home, then I feel centered and good. It’s taken me most of my life to realize just how important home and being reminded of home is to me.

I came across a photograph of my Grandfather who is no longer with me. Everything about him made me happy. He smelled like chocolate and he had an easy smile. He was quiet and intelligent. I loved him deeply. Just seeing that photograph made my senses awaken. I didn’t feel sad. I felt happy because his memory reminds me of home. I realize after these few years of living, that home is truly the heart. It’s not a physical building where my stuff is. It’s so much deeper than that. It’s where the living and the dead reside to remind us to live life and to feel joy. Home is where the heart is, as the saying goes, and it’s true.

No Place like Home

There are many places that inspire me. Beaches, mountains and redwood trees. Places with childhood memories. Places with college memories. Places I haven’t been to yet. Places where people I love live.

I am grateful for all of them. Thinking about them brings a smile to my lips and fills my heart with joy. But, for me, none of these places can surpass the place that I love most of all:

Home.

I am a homebody. I love being in my warm, cozy house. There are things that drive me insane like the crumbs my little one leaves in his trail. The tiny legos strewn all over the living room. The scrap table that never seems to stay neat. The dishes that pile up. The books that are constantly teetering on the edge of falling. The mountains of mail. And more.

Yet, despite all that, I love being at home. Sitting in my corner, snuggling under the blankets with my cup of coffee and my children. For the last few days, my parents have been visiting and we all sat on the very long couch in our living room. Mom reading the Turkish newspaper, dad dozing off or playing with Nathaniel, David playing with mom’s ipad, and me working on my photos. I loved looking down the couch and seeing so many of the people I love. Feeling safe and cozy.

But most of all feeling deeply grateful. Remembering that there’s truly no place like home.

Wine Country

One of our favorite places to visit is anywhere in a wine country. Before we were married we would visit at least once a year. Now it’s much less than that, but they still hold a special place in our hearts.

There is something very comforting about being near farmers. It’s an elegant product in the end, but the work involved to get to it, is hard.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit whenever I choose and to those who create wines for the public.

The Seychelles

Journaling Reads:
When Jake and I were planning our honeymoon, we decided to each make a wish list of locations and compare. Seychelles ended up on the top of each of our lists. So off to Seychelles we went.

I can safely say that I will never be able to take a trip that compares to that one. The sheer beauty of this place is unparalleled. The color of the sea and the sand and the rocks. The perfect, paradise weather. The multi-lingual population. The delicious food. There’s nothing about the Seychelles that I didn’t think was perfect.

While the journey was long and our luggage got lost, I am so very grateful that we decided to go to this unusual location for our honeymoon. It was a trip we would otherwise never make and I would have missed out on so much had we not chosen to go.

One day, when the kids are grown, and it’s just the two of us again, we shall return and enjoy a few more moments of this paradise, Until then, I am grateful for all the memories.

My Home Kitchen

My home kitchen isn’t fancy. There are no high-end gadgets, no fancy light fixtures, not even a tiny sliver of granite. Even so, my kitchen with all of it’s 13-year-old inconveniences in a modern today, is hands down my favorite place in our home.

This is where we gather multiple times a day and feed our bodies and our souls. This is where I enjoy my morning coffee and email. It’s where my kids do homework, dye Easter eggs, create gingerbread house masterpieces, get their boo boos kissed, cook whatever they can manage and where we talk. There is something magical about this particular room. It’s a place where we can experiment and not worry about failure, where we can have conversations about our lives to stay connected, and where we feel most at home.

I’m truly grateful to have this outdated, well-loved kitchen and to have recognized is potent magical powers.

Special Guest for December – Margie Romney-Aslett

I’ve had the privilege to design with Margie’s amazing products. She designs some of the most beautiful papers and embellishments I’ve ever seen. She also runs a monthly kit club with her daughters. And is one of the founders of a yearly creative event called Spark. Yes, she’s super woman. And to top it off, she’s an amazing soul and wonderful human being. You can find out more about her at her blog. We are truly honored to have her here as our guest for December.

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Life can be busy…
Life is busy…
Let’s get serious here…
We have families,
we have kids,
we may have aging parents,
we have our jobs,
we have friends,
we have hobbies,
we have a lot of things that make our lives busy…
There are times when we are so busy that we need to STOP and take time to remember to be grateful…
I know I need a reminder…
There are so many things to be grateful for each day…
Last year I did a Gratitude Journal during the month of November…
I based it off of my December Daily Album that I did…
With the Holidays fast approaching life is only going to get busier…
Creating this journal will give me and my family the chance to record some of the things we are grateful for…
Each other,
good health,
the world we live in,
our homes,
our schools,
our jobs,
our friends,
our families,
our hobbies,
again, each other…
While I was in the midst of working on Spark No.2, and designing 4 new lines for CHA Winter, teaching all over, traveling, busy…
I came up with this little saying when I was overwhelmed, tired, or things just felt like they were too much to handle…
Attitude of Gratitude…
Sometimes we need to be reminded…Sometimes we need to tell ourselves to STOP and look at the good, be positive, be grateful…
As November approaches, and Thanksgiving will be right around the corner, STOP take some time and remember, be grateful…And when you are feeling overwhelmed, tell yourself have an Attitude of Gratitude…
It is working for me!