Live and Let Live

Everyone has their "thing" that they are passionate about. Hobbies,  a certain genre of music, books, movies, sports, etc. They shout their love from the rooftops. Everyone knows about their passion. And that's great! I think we all should celebrate the things we love, the things that bring us joy. Even better if we have people we can share them with.

But what bothers me is the people who criticize those who do not share their passion. They can't understand how anyone could not like what they like. It's narrow-minded and wrong and toxic.

I can appreciate all things in life. I may not love everything or even like it--just not my preference--but I can appreciate it. I don't like super hero movies, for example. I'm just not into them. But I appreciate them and love to see others enthusiasm for them. I also don't particularly enjoy most country music. It's just not my thing. But I can appreciate it's artistry and the talent that goes into creating it. I don't go around telling it's fans that they need to give my preferred genre of music a chance. I don't go around telling them my passion is better than theirs.

#AuthorLifeMonth

I had no clue this was a thing! But it sounds super fun! I'm a little late to the party, so here's days 1 and 2!!

Day 1 was my books. I don't need to post them all but I do have a new cover.....so COVER REVEAL! Here is my shiny new cover for ONE SIZE FITS ALL- due out July 4th!!

Isn't it pretty?????? It fits right on with the others in the series :)

Now on to Day 2! Today is author photo day! Here's one of mine from my author photo shoot!! She did such a great job! If you're in Buffalo or NYC and need a photographer, call Sarah Heidinger!!

Tomorrow isn't a guarantee.....

Very often we hear- "Life is short...make the most of it." And I think we all plan to, but responsibilities get in the way. We resort to- "I'll have time later...." But nothing drives home the fact that there isn't always time later like a young person being robbed of their life.

I have always been a Live Life to the Fullest kind of gal. We are always doing fun things with our kids and just hubby and me, with our friends. I want to be 80 and say, "Man, I did a lot of cool stuff!" I don't want to be 80 and have regrets....wondering what I did with my time on earth.

If given the choice between doing housework or doing something fun with my family, fun and family always wins. Dishes can wait. The laundry can pile. If we run out of clean underwear, then we have a problem....but otherwise, we're good!

We're not rolling in dough, but our bills are always paid on time. We spend the rest of our money enjoying life. We just aren't huge savers and we never will be. When given the choice of putting $100 in the bank and saving it, or spending it doing something fun with my kids.....I'm sure you know what wins. We rarely buy our kids "stuff," but we sure spend money on experiences and fun. I know many people need the security of a hefty bank account and I can respect that. But that's not us. We'd rather have a small nest egg and spend the rest on us, doing things we love, with the people we love...making memories.

I have also hear people say, "I want to (fill in the blank) someday." Write a book, learn to play an instrument, travel to a certain place, run a marathon, take an art class..... Why is it always "someday?" Someday might not ever come. If there's something you want to do in your life, then do it. Make it happen!

Because there are so many people who were never given the chance to make things happen for themselves. Because their lives were cut short. Their tomorrow never came. And I guarantee you they are looking down from wherever they are, yelling at you to get off your ass and just do it.

Rest in Peace Emily. Your vibrant light will be missed.....

So much for relaxing!

I finished book 3 in my lingerie series- ONE SIZE FITS ALL, Penny's story, and got it in to my editor on time! Woo hoo!!!! She emailed me back to confirm and said she was a little behind so she probably wouldn't get me my revision letter until the end of October. Fine by me!! That meant a month off. Which I so desperately needed. (See my last blog post!)

But somehow that month of time...which I'd planning on lounging and relaxing and catching up on some books I wanted to read, etc.... Not happening. My to-do list grew by the day! Which was my own fault. That's what happens when you decide to start a new business! ;)

So how's your life going?? Is it busy and hectic? In a good way? I actually thrive on being busy :)  But I need downtime too.

With age comes wisdom?

Over the last year or so I've kind of felt this wave of enlightenment. I didn't know how to explain it. And finally it dawned on me.....I'm getting wise.

When I was younger, it sounded ridiculous to me that people got wise as they aged. I was smart, I had a good head on my shoulders, I made good decisions, I used common sense...so how was it that I was not wise? Well....it all makes sense now.

I'm not all that far from 40 and I certainly do feel wiser. I feel more confident than ever. I feel as if I am making smarter decisions. I have learned how to be a better person, a better friend. I've learned to listen more. I stand up for myself more, but only fight the battles that are worthwhile. I've learned to hold my tongue (and fingers) when I should (but that's still a work in progress). I ask for what I want and make it happen, and I go after my dreams. I've learned what's important in life and where to put my time and energy. I now have the wisdom and experience to know what's really important.

I think youth is a wonderful thing. It's great to have freedom and a world of possibilities, experience new things, make mistakes...to *think* you know it all and not realize til many years later that you really didn't. It's all part of life and growing up. I've always felt the whole "coming of age" thing was not just for teens in movies and books. It can happen at any age. And it can happen more than once in your life...it keeps happening.

So....do you agree?? Does wisdom come with age? Do you think you are wise??

New Year, New You???

Every year, media tells us we need to become a different person in the new year. If that's what you want...then go for it! Give it all you've got and don't stop until you're reached your goal! But I'm pretty happy with who I am. :)

Of course, there are some things I'd like to strengthen though.

Health and fitness always seems to be everyone's top resolution. Which sometimes only lasts for like a month...two tops. I've been making gradual changes for years, and I'm pretty happy with where I am. I came to a realization within the last year that I was unwilling to accept at first. But I am now better off because of it (Getting old SUCKS! But it's inevitable).

One change I have made is to accept life and not punish myself with food. I did a restrictive diet earlier this year because I was in a very desperate place. But it made me miserable. I woke up and now I do my best to plan out a healthy diet. I follow the moderation rule and have no qualms with splurging and eating things that make me happy. On occasion. I refuse to call it "cheating". I think the term "cheat day" is awful and no one should use it. It implies guilt. Cheating is not a positive term.

So this year I plan to nourish this plan for moderation and well-balanced diet and life :)

I plan to do find ways to work within my limitations when it comes to exercise. I can't be the person I need and want to be if I'm laid up on the couch because I'm in pain.

I will cultivate the relationships in my life, spend more time with the people that raise me up, who love and support me, and give less time-including my mental time- to the ones who don't.

Continue to plan fun family events and cherish the time I have with my kids, but no longer let others make me feel guilty for spending adult time with my husband and friends. My kids are important, but I need adult time too. I am a better parent because of it.

And of course, I have big plans for my career! If things go well, this will be another stellar year for me!

Happy 2015!

Superiority

If there's one thing I detest, it's superiority. In anything. I don't understand why anyone needs to act like they are better than anyone else. There are a million different paths in life and why is one person's better than another? Yes...it may be the best for them, but not for others, and implying that it is the ONLY way is just plain wrong.

I see superiority in all facets of life. People think their lifestyle choices for health and diet are better than others. People think having name brand and designer clothes makes them better. Expensive cars, fancy vacations, etc... In the career world, people who do manual labor are often looked down upon. They work harder than most of the ones in office jobs with cushy chairs. I even see it in the most stupid places, like the ones who think they are better because they send their kids to a bigger and more expensive dance school. The one that gets me the most is the people who think they are better because of their resort choice when visiting Disney World. I mean, come on. Seriously?

Why can't people just be content with their lives and not feel the need to be better than others? Are they insecure? I feel sorry for the people with no ability to feel confident with themselves and need to belittle others to make themselves feel better.

Why can't we all just appreciate each other and support one another? Support the different paths that people choose? I think everyone wants to be happy and successful, to enjoy life and make the most of it. I don't think it's necessary to put people down in order to get there. #justmytwocents

Enjoy your day. Enjoy your life! You only get one! Be good to yourself, and be good to others :)

Is blogging even deader than it was a year ago?

The more and more I talk with other writers, the more and more they seem to agree that blogging is a waste of time. No one reads them anymore. And it takes so much time to write them. That time would be better spent on other networking outlets or just plain old writing.

I occasionally read blogs. But I don't seek them out anymore. If I see an interesting link on Twitter or Facebook, I will click over. But gone are the days when I would sit here and scroll my blogroll and click on all my friend's and colleagues' blogs, read, comment, share, etc...

I remember when blogging was really really fun and everyone was doing it. I made so many friends that way. All the blog hops and events! So fun! I met so many authors and writers, learned soooooo much about the industry. It was an essential tool years ago.

It's sad that things have changed so much, but it's the way of the world. But for me, I feel like I have to keep blogging. This blog serves as my website too. For now. So I don't want people to visit it and see a post from a year ago. I want to keep people updated on me.

So my new goal is to post every Monday. About writing, life, food, any darn thing I want!

Enjoy!

Full steam ahead, or scale back??

The holidays are always a busy time of year. If you guys are like me, the weekends are jam-packed with parties and holiday merriment. It's such a fun time and we always make so many memories. In my opinion, life is meant to be enjoyed, and I will take advantage of every opportunity I can :)

But sometimes it is tough to find time for everything.

Last week I wrote Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. But then Turkey Day hit and it was just so hard to find time for myself. Now I stare down this week. My kids are off Thursday and Friday for parent teacher conferences. I always struggle to write when they are home. But on top of that, we're hosting an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party on Saturday. I have a ton to do this week.

So it makes me wonder what others do this time of year. Do you charge forward, full steam ahead? Or do you scale back and set a slower pace?

If I had a job outside of my home, I'd still have to go every day despite what I had going on in my personal life. I think many writers, including myself, treat their writing like a job outside the home and set specific hours for it. But since I do not work a traditional job, I enjoy the perk of making my own hours and taking a day off (or a week) when I need to. I've often heard the statement- "Real writers write every day." I consider myself a "real" writer even though I don't write every day. I have a family and a life. I adore writing, but everyone needs days off.

This week I definitely have to scale back, considerably. For the rest of December, I will still be moving forward, but I will not hesitate to take days off when I need. Cause I know come January, when the holidays and hoopla are over, I can get back on my horse. I have a very good work ethic and can pump out over 50K in a month when I set my mind to it. So I don't see anything wrong with taking it slow for a month :)

Ignoring your social media is worse than not having it to begin with

I have a HUGE pet peeve. People ignoring their social media. 

I know not everyone has the time to be online all day every day, but as a small business or a self-employed person like a writer/author, you NEED to check it periodically. If not once a day, then at least every other day. The world uses social media as a major way of communication. If you ignore it, you're ignoring possible customers. 

Little story here. A few weeks ago I was helping some friends collect donations for a fundraiser we were organizing. The proceeds went to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, a VERY well-known hospital in our area, as well as the entire country. To save time, and to make it easier on us, I sent messages through Facebook to about 20 local businesses asking for donations. Guess how many responded. 4. The rest hadn't even read the message. (Love how FB lets you see when the message has been viewed.)

So…I don't know about you guys, but that leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth. Regardless if they would have donated or not, all I cared about was a reply. I could have been asking an important question about their business. Business owners need to accept the fact that customers reach out to them in more ways than just the telephone these days. 

In my opinion, if you have no intention of keeping up with your social media, don't have it at all. 

I hate neglected blogs :(

I hate clicking someone's blog and seeing the last post was months, or even years ago. And here I am...doing just that :(

It's been a hell of a summer. That's all I can say. It's been one thing after another. Two kids keep me busy. I can't imagine what bigger families are like. Yikes! Do mom and dad ever get a spare moment to breathe? LOL!

Lots of exciting writing-related things going on too. I still can't reveal much yet, but let's just say, it's what I've been working the last 5+ years for. I still can't believe it's actually happening. Details to come soon. I promise!!!

Changing your mind???

The older I get, the wiser I get. There is something to that old saying- With age comes wisdom. It's so totally true. That's not to say I make all the right decisions all the time. But I think I am becoming wiser in my old age.

And in this whole getting wiser thing, it's often happened where I have changed my mind about something. I learn, I grow, I realize things I once thought either don't apply anymore or I realize I was just wrong. Does that make me a hypocrite? I have seen people make declarations about many random things, to only do the opposite later on. Are they hypocrites too...or were they just closed minded before? As we get older do our eyes and minds learn to be more open?

The older I get, another saying makes more and more sense- Never say Never. (And no...that is not a Bieber reference in the least!) You never know where life is going to take you and things you thought you would never ever do, somehow don't seem so far-fetched anymore.

Denying Yourself

I've always tried to live my life in a way that makes me happy. I love my husband and my kids, but they are not my entire life. I need time for myself. I need to do what I enjoy, even if no one else does. I think it is very important to be happy. If you hate your job, look for a new one. If you hate your body, work hard to fix it. If you're in a bad relationship, kick the loser to the curb. If you feel bored all the time, try new things until you find something you enjoy. Life is short, far too short, to spend any of it miserable.

I know a lot of people who deny themselves things. I just don't get why. I'm always being told how it always looks like I am having so much fun. I am. I am always doing fun things with my family and friends. I do things on my own that don't include my family. I like enjoying my life. I like experiencing all the things that are out there. I want to fill photo album after photo album with memories. I want to be 80 and look back and say "Damn, I had a great life!"

I've heard so many people say, "I wish I could do that." Well, you can. Just go out there and do it. Let the housework pile. Throw away all cares about looking stupid. Get the hubby to pitch in more and watch the kids. Or get mom and dad. Time ticks away fast and before you know it, twenty years have flown by.

Live Life to the Fullest!

I recently saw this quote:

"Live like you will die tomorrow. Dream like you will live forever."

It's very powerful for me. Life can be so so short. I've had several people taken from my life far too early. People who never got the chance to marry or have children. People who never got to see their children grow up. People who never got the chance to meet their grandchildren. I try very hard to make our lives meaningful. Make memories with our kids. Enjoy each other. I try to keep our stress at a minimum so we spend more time smiling than frowning. There's no guarantees in life and the people I love can be gone at any minute. I need to make the most of my time with them now.

I think it's very important to make memories, be silly, do things that some people think you are too old for. Live your life and have no regrets. I don't want to look back when I'm 80 and wonder what I did with my time. I want photo albums filled with memories and smiling faces.

Obviously, if we truly treated each day like our last, the house would never get cleaned and we would never go to work. :) But I think the sentiment behind this statement is to at least take part of every day and make it memorable. Even if it's only ten minutes.

And for me, part of life is dreaming, and dreaming big. If you don't dream and make plans, go after what makes you happiest, what is the point?? I don't want to just exist. I want to my life to be spectacular. I dream and do what I can to make those dreams come true. It's not to say I'm not afraid, but I push past the fear and just do it. I work hard and I'm making my dreams come true.

How about you? What does this quote mean to you?? Do you live your life to the fullest?? Do you have dreams and try to achieve them?

Boy things and Girl things?

I hate when people label things as only for boys or girls.

As a parent, I have always had the attitude that there are not boy things and girl things. I have always encouraged my girl to play with trucks, play sports, enjoy shows about trains, as well as play with dolls, play dress up, and take dance classes. I think the world views this as okay. People have no problem encouraging girls to be well-rounded. But boys, not so much. And this makes no sense to me.

My son has always been naturally drawn to things with wheels. He loves playing with cars, loves watching car races, loves riding his bike. But as the second child with an older sister, he has always been around traditional girly things. We've never discouraged him from playing with his sister's toy kitchen or her My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop figures. When it came time to start signing him up for extra curriculars, soccer was his first. He has always seemed very coordinated and likes running around outside and doing sports type things. It seemed like a natural fit. And so far, it has been. He no longer does soccer, but started tee ball this year. His sister dances and does theater camp, and he has never shown interest, but if he does, I wouldn't deny him.

My son used to say he didn't want to watch certain shows because they were "girl shows." They weren't. They were older kid shows geared toward tweens, like Good Luck Charlie and Shake It Up. I think he said that because they were shows his sister watches. Because he has no problem what so ever with Dora the Explorer, Doc McStuffins, and Sophia the First.

I'm sure people are wondering what I'd do if my son ran up to me with a tutu in hand and wanted to wear it. He's never done it, but I'd like to think I'd be open-minded enough to let him wear it. It's just a tutu. He's five.

Fear and preventing our kids from being terrorized by it.

Yesterday my son's principal sent home a letter explaining the drills they have been teaching the kids. This is preschool, mind you. They are showing the kids what to do when there is a lockout. The principal wanted us to talk to the kids and make sure they understood what was going on, etc... since they would be practicing the drills over the next couple weeks.

So I asked my son, who is 5, about the lockdown drills. He said, "We lock the door and go in the corner and be quiet so people can't see us from the window on the door. They'll think we went outside."

He said it with such nonchalance. It completely broke my heart to see him talking about something like this with such ease. But I guess I should be happy. He is learning to do these things without fear. He probably doesn't understand the reasoning for why they need to do it. They just need to do it. He doesn't seem anxious or scared. I guess that should give me some comfort. If there ever comes a time when he will need to do this, he will know what to do and will do it. I can't say he won't be scared, but he'll be prepared.

I'm sad that our children need to know these types of things. But it also reminds me of the stories my dad used to tell us. When he was a kid they'd had air raid drills. He'd had to get under his desk. So even  though 50+ years have passed, and even though the world has changed drastically, we're still having to prepare our children for the worst.

I try not to live my life in fear. I want my children to grow up without worry. I want them to live as normal a life they can. Be happy. Reach for their dreams. But I also try to teach them to be cautious. Be prepared.

Why being selfish makes you a good parent

I know many will not agree with this post, but these are my thoughts and feelings :)

These days it seems so many kids are just given things without earning them. They are never made to deal with their problems, and clean up their own messes. They're babied way past the infant stage.

I adore my kids and I love being a mother, but I will not baby my kids. I will not clean up all their messes. I will not do things for them that they can do themselves....or that they should be learning to do themselves. If this makes me a bad mother in your eyes, then there's nothing I can do to change that.

I know some some people may consider me a selfish person. I do things all by myself. I enjoy being alone, or just me and my husband. We like doing things without our kids. We spend money on ourselves. I like to wear nice clothes. I have hobbies I buy things for. I take a dance class. My husband likes to work on his hot rod and golf. It doesn't mean we love our kids any less by not spending every spare dime on them (Cause trust me, they have PLENTY!) I think it shows them a good example of making sure you cultivate your relationship with your spouse and also that you need to take time for yourself and treat yourself. I want my kids to grow up and know it's okay to do things just for them. Not all the time, but spoiling yourself is okay. More than okay. It's a necessary part of life. I think we're happier people, and happier parents, because we allow ourselves to still be us as individuals and as a couple. And I think that's a great example for kids.

I won't do things for my kids. I mean, yeah, if it's something they physically cannot do, I do it, but most things, I make them do themselves. My daughter is almost 10. She can get her own beverages, her own snacks. I don't need to do that for her anymore. She can clean her own room. She can hang up her own coat. Though I do fold the laundry, she has to put hers all away. But I'm sure soon that will change! LOL! When it comes to school work, she must do it all on her own. I won't help, other than to try and explain things and help her come up with the answer on her own. I never spell words for her if she asks. I say "How do you think it's spelled?" And she'll tell me. If it's wrong, I help her sound it out and figure it out on her own. (Cause let's face it, the english language is pretty damn confusing sometimes!) I think too many kids are waited on hand and foot. I want my kids to be mature responsible people...not lazy bums who will always expect to be waited on. And hopefully my example will show them they should not be the one waiting on people either.

I truly believe when a parent does too much for their kids, they are providing them a serious disservice. I feel my job as a parent, after love and affection, is to prepare my kids for their life. I can only shelter them for so long. There will come a time when they will need to survive on their own. It's my job to give them the skills to aid in that. And learning by example and experience is the only true way to learn anything.

Friendships and how they change over time

Been thinking about this post for some time now.

I have a great group of girlfriends. We do a lot together, just us girls, and also with our families. Some of them I've known since high school, others I met through one of those friends. One's even my cousin. We've all managed to do something many other women only dream of- we've stayed close for many many years.

Which is not to say there are never problems, but things get worked out. I try my best to work things out because I don't want to lose the friendships. I want to be 80 and linked arm in arm with my girlfriends, still doing the things we do now, still laughing our asses off, still being there for one another through bad times.

But I truly believe friendships change and evolve over the years. People change and evolve. None of the relationships I have with any of them are the same as what they were 10 years ago.

The older I get the more I understand that everyone needs to do what's best for them no matter what others think or say. People will judge no matter what you do, so you can only make yourself happy. I try not to be judgmental and always give the benefit of the doubt, though I am human and, therefore, not perfect. But I try and I think I am far better than I was even a few years ago.

I've been thinking a lot lately about friends who change. It may be for the better for them, and they are happy, but their changes sometimes change the bond you had. Common ground is gone. Opinions and feelings are different. It's sometimes hard to connect with someone who has changed their thoughts and beliefs. I don't look down on them for the changes they've made, especially if they are happy, but it does leave me feeling as if the friendship is not the same as it was. There is distance. It leaves me in a weird position. But I think it's completely natural to be closer to some people for a length of time, and then migrate toward others as our lives change.

Another thing I've learned over these years is the better you get to know others, the better a friend you can be to them. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own thoughts and beliefs and it's great when you agree with people. But learning about people and how they deal with life, which is different than how other people, and you, deal with the same situation, allows you to be a better friend.

Just like marriage, friendships take work. Nothing worth having comes effortlessly. And bailing when things get tough is not the way to hold on to the things that matter.

Life: Pre and Post Parenthood :)

Sometimes I sit here and think of how EASY life was before we had kids. We went where we wanted, when we wanted. We saw every new movie, we hung out with our friends every weekend. On our days off we did absolutely nothing if we wanted...just sat and watched TV...the shows WE wanted to watch. The house was clean 95% of the time.

Every decision we made we only had ourselves to think about. I was just talking with a friend today about the things we used to buy pre-children. We were talking about furniture. When hubby and I got married way back in 1998, we bought these awesome cream couches with a coordinating accent chair. To go with them, wrought iron glass topped tables. Not the ones where the glass is encased in wood. These were just a piece of glass laid over the wrought iron, some little rubber things to keep it from moving around. They were so cool. So chic.

And then we got a dog, who slobbered on the tables constantly. And put his dirty paws on the furniture. And then we had a kid, who spilled things on the couch and we had to get rid of the glass so she wouldn't fall on it and slash her head open. We were pretty darn crafty though and after taking the glass off, attached foam-covered plywood and covered it with fabric for a DIY ottoman.

A few years later we moved and had a second kid. We were FAR smarter with our furniture purchases this time around- dark brown micro fiber couches and chair and a matching ottoman :) I love that furniture, and for more than just the fact that it is easy to clean and no one will die if they fall on it. It's way comfy!

Now this post may be read by non-parents and they may say, "That's why I'm not having kids!" Yeah, it is a major lifestyle change, and not all of it is pleasant. There's lots that is unpleasant. But my kids are the light of my life. They have improved my life in so many ways. We may not be able to hang out and drink every Saturday night with our friends anymore, but we can go to bounce houses and jump around and not look like pedophiles! We get to enjoy so much in life through the eyes of our children, things we would never do as adults, simply because we just wouldn't think of them. The zoo, the children's museum, pumpkin picking, holiday festivals to see Santa, the circus, Disney movies, Disney on Ice! And yes...I'm gonna say it: Chuck E. Cheese. We have just as much fun as the kids! I swear, my husband won them a solid 500 tickets on the basketball game last time! Life as a parent is hard, but it's so great too!

And when times get really rough, I think about when it was just me and hubby. And I know we'll get back to that. It's a few years away, but little by little, it's coming. Our son is in preschool now, so on days when hubby is off from work mid week-which is often-guess what?? Date for me and him! But I won't wish away this time. The kids are only little once. We try to enjoy every phase as much as we can. Take full advantage of it all.

Balance

Life is all about balance, at least for me anyway. I strive to find the middle ground between what I want to do, what I should do, what needs to be done. I truly believe it's the best way to be happy. And my idea of balance is probably different from others...but I feel it's important to find your own balance and make your life as happy and stress free as you can :)

One thing people struggle with, especially moms, is the balance between careers and family. I'm lucky in that I was able to achieve the perfect balance, in my opinion, anyway :) I knew years ago that when we had kids, I wanted to stay home with them. Not a stay at home mom--not that there's anything wrong with that at all--but it's not me. I knew I would still need the satisfaction and accomplishment of a career. But I also wanted the accomplishment of raising my kids myself. Not that I see anything wrong with moms who choose to have a career outside the home and hire a caregiver for their children. But for me, the perfect balance was being home with the kids, but also pursing a successful fulfilling career. I was in a line of work that allowed me that luxury, so I took full advantage and worked from home. It wasn't without it's drawbacks, of course. I did earn less money than I would have staying at my job. But for me, the benefits outweighed the loss of income. I was happy, the kids were happy, hubby was happy. It gave our life a flexibility we wouldn't have had otherwise, especially with the work schedule my husband has--he doesn't have a typical 9-5 weekend off kind of job. For us it was the perfect balance. It's changed a bit over the years and I've changed careers, but it still works.

Another place in life I feel that needs balance is diet and exercise. Obviously it is not in anyone's best interest to eat fatty sugary foods all day every day. It leads to a slew of health problems. But in my opinion, eating what I like is a big part of being happy. I openly admit it- I love to eat awesome food!!!! I'm so not an eat bland food all day every day kind of gal. I like sweet things. I like rich things. I love cheesy things!!! But of course I don't eat them everyday. And I work hard finding new recipes to make and find things we love that are lower in calories and fat. I also go to the gym and exercise very regularly to keep my body healthy. Its good for my heart and off sets the splurge meals I eat occasionally. For me, it's a perfect balance.

Another area of life that needs balance is work and play. Working all day everyday is not good for you, and neither is playing all day every day. We need to work, but we also need to play. Work, obviously, we need to do to earn money to pay for the necessities in life. Play is essential for lowering stress and relaxation, our mental health. Finding the balance is sometimes hard. But I make time for fun, even if it means letting the dishes and laundry pile. I'll never get this time back with my kids. I'll never be this age again and able to enjoy everything. I don't want to be 80 and look back, regretting that I did not make enough time to enjoy myself and my life.

So, how about you guys?? Do you struggle with balance, or have you found it?