finding your beautiful

It seems everywhere I turn these days I’m finding beautiful stories, pictures and videos celebrating beauty outside of the tight parameters of “the beauty standard”. Three specific sources were so impactful that I wanted to dedicate a blog post to sharing their uplifting messages with all of you. Let’s start with Taryn Brumfitt. She posted this photo…

happy to be a mom

Nobody’s life is perfect; certainly not mine. But it’s never lost on me just how fortunate I am. My 47 years have brought a wealth of experiences: travel, learning, relationships, culinary, cultural. You name it. And I’ve held a variety of roles in my lifetime: daughter, friend, wife, mother; along with a host of professional positions,…

when is enough enough?

In my second nod to Throwback Thursday [#TBT] I bring you a post I originally published a year ago exploring why I, along with other women, struggle with never feeling good (thin, pretty..)  enough. I’m pleased to say that a year later, I do feel I’ve made some good progress and have a healthier mindset. Onward and upward… [And since you could…

the truth about beauty

Because I am still in denial about being sick, I keep attempting to run. And then, like clockwork, my clearly-still-too-sick-body delivers a perfectly placed bitch-slap square across my face, announcing I’m a dumb-ass. In the days that follow said bitch-slap, I retreat, with my tail between my legs, to lower impact forms of exercise. One resource I’ve been using…

dancing into the light

One of the unexpected joys of blogging is the friendships I’ve cultivated with other bloggers. Since Sam first introduced herself to me, back in July, I have had a huge amount of respect for her. I knew her as a Morris Dancer, determined to get herself “fit enough to dance in a mask”.   I…

lost and found

My Year of Sweat 365-day challenge is now complete, and while I have shared the valuable lessons learned, I have not yet tallied the more tangible successes. i.e. What is it that I have gained and lost along the way? I’m guessing most people are interested in the physical changes, although – it’s funny – I’m not nearly as concerned about the numbers anymore. (Count…

like a fine wine…

During my trip to Big Bear Lake last spring, I noticed a sign in front of a community center. Or maybe it was a church. I can’t remember which. The sign posed the question: How Old Would You Be If You Didn’t Know How Old You Are? The question barely registered, before I blurted out: 32! I would be…