Childlike Joy

Today, allow yourself some happiness...carefree kid style. So often life is so serious and it is hard to remember to just slow down breathe, smell the flowers, and jump for joy without reason. Little kids run, jump, play, laugh, smile, and exude a certain joy that seems to slowly diminish as we age. I am not saying we are dull, boring adults who have fun...heck no. Just life gets busy, we have obligations and responsibilities and don't have the same freedom as we did when we were but wee little ones. But I just wanted to say, take a break from you busy schedule today to engage in a little child-inspired fun.

Jump rope. Buy a giant lollipop that is bigger than your head. Make a snow angel. Ride a carousel. Take a spin on your kid's scooter. Color outside the lines. Finger paint. Play with your food. Make a root beer float. Play in the dirt without worrying about..the dirt. Buy a balloon. Make a daisy chain headband. Go treasure hunting. Play hopscotch. Draw with chalk. Fly a kite. Play checkers. Drink chocolate milk, purposely growing a milk mustache. Play hide and go seek. Eat a fruit roll up. Eat cake for breakfast. Watch old fashioned cartoons. Make a flip book. Spin in circles until you get dizzy. Take a trip down the slide or touch your feet to the sky on the swings. Browse the children's books at the library. Lick the bowl after making a batch of brownies. Buy something from the ice cream man. Don't just walk, skip. And of course, let your imagination run wild.

Coax out your inner child and I promise you will be smiling and feel lighter. Here is to a carefree, delightful, fun Friday! xo

Mattresses on the Freeway

Today was quite the day. We finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a new mattress. I have never been a great sleeper, but add my back pain to the mix plus a 7 year old mattress & I average only a few hours of interrupted sleep at night. We have been looking around a bit and found one today that we liked for a great deal so we went for it.

But getting it home was not as easy as our decision to purchase the thing. Let me tell you a little story first. When Brent was moving to LA in 2005 to start his physical therapy program, he had a brand new mattress tied to the top of his car. Cruising up the 405 not thinking twice about it, the next thing he knew the mattress set flew off the top of the car & onto the road, the box spring breaking. Luckily they were able to get it off the freeway before any car hit it...but ever since, one corner of the mattress has black highway 405 asphalt stains and scrapes.

So today we were going to make sure this would not happen, we brought ropes...that's enough right? Wrong. Brent did a good job of tying it on but I think we just needed twice as many ropes because we lasted about 1/2 mile on the freeway before we freaked out and pulled off. So we took the coast highway as I had my eyes glued to the side mirror, both of us panicking when the wind was whipping it around on top, the plastic slipping & sliding.

An hour and a half later driving as slow as possible being that annoying slow car, we got home with no broken mattress & slightly higher blood pressure. I better sleep like a baby tonight!

The Wonders of the Beach

I ♥ the beach.

I love...

Feeling so calm, so at peace when I am near the ocean.

The feeling of the sand beneath my bare feet.

The incredible vastness of the ocean and infinite stretch of beach.

Memories of the fun family day trips to the beach when I was a kid.

Relaxing and feeling completely at ease laying beneath the sun.

Beautiful and ever-changing sunsets.

The sound of the waves.

The stunning beauty of pelicans in flight.

I have never lived more than 10 minutes from the ocean in my entire life, and it just feels like a part of me. Often times when I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed I will drive to the beach. Watching the waves, mindlessly hunting for interesting rocks, walking on the sand, the smell of the salty air...all calm me and instantly lift my mood.

I have a memory of going to the beach for the first time after my treatment. I was still very sick and on high doses of medication, but my dad helped carry my wheelchair out onto the sand and I can still remember the happiness to breathe in the ocean air and feel the warmth of the sun.

Life often times is not easy, and if only it were easy as taking flight like those pelicans and soaring far away from it all. But to me, it is these little things that make life so inexplicably beautiful and wonderful, and make me so happy and grateful to be alive. Living in the now, appreciating every moment, admiring all the world has to offer, and making the best of everything.