Fall Day Fun

Last weekend we went to a fall festival in our neighborhood. It was one of those perfect days in Florida, sunny, no humidity and a cool breeze. So of course I got out the boots and leggings, anytime it is slightly cool in Florida that is what we do break out the boots because you never know when you are able to wear them. But I also had the weekend packed with outdoor activities for the family, one being the pumpkin patch at the fall festival.

Everly wandered around picking out her perfect pumpkin for this years Halloween festivities. I wanted to get some posed pumpkin patch pictures but she has a problem with me holding her back when she has so much to explore.

And she's off

I think I like this one!

What do you think?

This one is just my size. 

Miss Representation

I recently watched a brilliant and inspiring documentary about the impact of the media on our young boys and girls it was called Miss Representation by Jen Siebel Newsom, I saw the trailer for it about a week ago and knew I needed to watch this for me, Everly and her generation. The statistics were astonishing yet not shocking all.  Here are just a few of many:

•  American teenagers spend more than 10 hours a day consuming media, most of it filled with content that objectifies women and distorts their bodies.
• Women respond to advertisers’ messages of never being good enough: American women spend more money on the pursuit of beauty than on their own education.
• 67 countries in the world have had female presidents or prime ministers. The United States is not one of them. Cuba, China, Iraq and Afghanistan have more women in government than the US does.
• Study after study proves that TV violence enhances violent behavior in real life.
• Only 16% of protagonists in film are female. Only 7% of film directors and 10% of writers are female. 

I fumble through my journey of motherhood daily, trying to figure out how not to screw up this precious opportunity I was given and how I can raise her to be a driven, passionate, loving, self confident individual. Watching this documentary just affirmed my greatest fear and conquest. I am never going to be able to shield her from everything and I don't want to, well I can't say that is completely true, if I could keep her in my little bubble forever I would... but that's not very healthy is it? The best I can do is commit to being the change I would like to see happen and lead by example. This is definitely an evolving topic for me personally as a learn for myself and my daughters future.

I encourage everyone to see this, it's not just our daughters that are impacted but our sons as well. And even if you don't have children of your own I am sure everyone has a young mind in their lives that are dear to their heart and wants the best life possible for them!

For the Girls

A few months ago my mom came to me with an idea and a plan. She wanted to partner up with our friend Dawn and open up a bridal boutique. Dawn and my mom our neighbors and her and her husband Jim have become great friends to our family. She is the owner of Bridal Ltd. in Port Orange, Florida, a bridal shop that specializes in couture bridal gowns and focusing solely on the lady of the day, after all it is all about the bride. Talking with her brides and getting to know their needs for their special day she saw a potential opportunity to provide a full service bridal boutique experience to her customers.  After some casual conversation amongst friends, my mom called me and said, "I decided I want us to do this, I want to partner up with Dawn and open up a bridal boutique. We are going to focus on bridesmaids, lingerie and accessories...oh and I want you to do it with me."

At first I didn't know what to think, to be honest I was a little upset, this has been something I wanted to do for a long time but I didn't think it was the right time in my life. And then I wasn't sure how I was going to be able do this with me living in Tampa and the boutique located in Port Orange. But then the whisper became louder and the gentle nudge turned into a firm push and I knew this was the right journey to take. After making the decision that I was on board everything started to fall into place. I was overjoyed with all the excitement and support I received from family and friends as I shared with them about this new endeavor in my life. 

So that is how For the Girls came to fruition. It will be excited to see how this process unfolds since it is all new to me. I am looking forward to sharing this experience as I learn all about this new chapter in my life! 

Positively Amazing

This past month has been the month of transitions for us. We moved into a new condo, Everly is running, I have decided to embark on a new venture and Justin continues to grow his business. So many exciting experiences have happened and continue to transpire. But what thrills me more is the amount of positive and supportive energy that is oozing out of my friends and family. It is so important to me to surround myself and my family with uplifting, positive people. People that are inspiring, loving and creative in their own way. People that are genuinely happy for you and want to see you succeed. When you share your visions and dreams with them, their eyes light up and you can see they are filled with joy not jealousy and their tone is filled with eagerness and excitement.  It is fantastic to be supported by your family but it is truly special to be cheered on by your friends. I try to live my life by these standards as well, I want to see my friends and family live out their dreams and I want to be the biggest cheerleader out there for them.

As I find myself experiencing these new shifts in my life and sharing them with friends and family, I get to learn about their fantastic changes and vision for their life. I realize how blessed I am to be surround by talented, smart, innovated individuals all making it happen for their lives.  In this social media frenzy, constantly connected, celeb crazed, negative news era we live, we need a new way to reinvent the American dream or "having it all" mentality. Making it work for your family doesn't mean you need to follow the trend everyone else follows. What's great about this time we live in, is we can do whatever we can dream of and we can have more than one dream for ourselves. Today and everyday I give thanks for the positively amazing people in my life, the dreamers, the doers, the believers. I can't wait to see how everyones vision unfolds and I look forward to sharing this journey. 

Boo Boo

Everly got her first official boo-boo yesterday and what made it official was the blood! After our guilty yet pleasurable five guys dining experience she was walking around with daddy and feeding the birds and having a grand time, then she suddenly lost her balance and face planted on the concrete. Justin came over to the table and said. "um we had a little accident" then I turned around to a crying little with blood coming out of somewhere on her face. Now the proper reaction to this situation would be what: A) "Oh honey you're ok, you are such a brave little girl, lets put some ice on it and make it better." B) Everly you are fine just brush it off." C) OH MY GOD! What Happened, oh my god she is bleeding!" The correct answer would have been A but the way I reacted was C, and I know better then to react in a frantic way but the blood got the best of me. All was well after we cleaned her up, we headed to high five and made her forget about her bleeding lip by treating her to some froyo.

Daddy and Everly froyo

Living the dream

This date will forever leave a hand print on my heart for the rest of my life.  I will always remember how I felt as I watched the tragic events play out for the world to see on September 11, 2001. I know all our lives were changed that day but I will always think about the people whose lives were changed directly from the events that have occurred. I will always be grateful for my unknown heroes that sacrificed their lives for mine and the people who continue to fight for this amazing country we live in!

To my dear friend Brad Talley, lets raise a bottle of miller light to "living the dream"! You lived your life full of color, laughter, love and the occasional inappropriate jokes/comments that only you could get away with saying! I am so thankful I was able to know you and I will never forget you! I know you are missed dearly by so many. 

Our beloved Grandfather, it was heartbreaking to hear of your loss this morning. We are so very blessed we got to spend time with you and will cherish the fond memories we have. Thank you for being such a thoughtful and caring man. We will love and miss you always.

Let us all celebrate the life we have and the lives we will miss! Live your dream for your life!

2-1, 2-1

It's time for a run! I have officially signed up for the Disney half marathon! I think I might be a little delusional but I am in good company. I will be taking this crazy journey with my mom and stepdad, my good friends Jim and Dawn and my mommy friend Amy, plus I get a free ticket to Disney!

Let the training begin!