journey

RAOK - week 2 - sticky notes

Okay guys - this week rocked. It was the "kindness is contagious" at its best! Heres the story:

I mentioned last week, that when you do a RAOK something happens around you that just lifts the spirits of not only he person on the receiving end, but also everyone who know about it. The girls and I at my office gather at times in the mornings to chat and catch up with weekend plans and make niceties - well i mentioned to them my grand plan of the whole 30 week getup. SOO this week i tell them all about my plans of posting encouraging sticky notes (more on this below), and wouldn't ya know i find a sticky note in our ladies room with a kind message. I knew exactly which lovely coworker it was that left it and she was so excited to tell me it was her!

Week 2:

Sticky notes everywhere!

An encouraging note left at the gym. A place where woman (and men of course!) go to try and feel their best and get into shape! A great place to share an encouraging message!

Left a little message for mommies on the baby changing tables at the mall.

Go out and do your RAOK!! And please share :)

Have a lovely Friday!

Mar 30, 2012

30 weeks of random acts of kindness - for my 30th birthday

{graduation - 2004, age 22 - with mi madre and mi padre}

I mentioned a few weeks ago that the way i plan to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday was to do 30 random acts of kindness for 30 weeks. I was inspired by this lovely girl after finding her on pinterest. Starting this week the countdown begins until my birthday week. (October 12th) Since I have 2 little guys i wanted to really enjoy these RAOK without feeling like i had to fit them all into one day, so i plan to do them for 30 weeks starting with this week!

425588 10150576331795773 304282730772 9617057 948333275 n

I am pretty excited about this and I'm pretty sure I will end up with more then 30 acts which was my original plan. But alas i will stick to my original plan of 30 weeks of RAOK and report back here with what i did every Friday. I want to make sure Porter gets a chance to help me as well so you may see us doing the RAOK together - Its important he understands the idea of kindness towards others.

The reason i wanted to blog about it is because kindness is contagious. I love that an inspiring and kind message can change a persons day. Giving doesn’t necessarily have to be a monetary or time thing. Think of the last time someone acknowledged and/or encouraged you. What an absolutely inspiring, inexpensive, and impactful way to give that was, right?

Giving through acknowledgment and/or encouragement is so contagious too. So here's to week one...

Week 1:

Helping a co-worker who was going through upsetting home issues by baking cupcakes and leaving an encouraging note

I work with a a guy who has been having some trouble focusing at work since his wifes father was going through some health issues. In the past weeks things had started getting worse and my coworker was traveling a lot for work. When he was in he confided in me that he was having trouble focusing and was just plain tired. I had some trouble thinking about what i could do - i thought about flowers - but thats expected, i thought about taking him out to lunch, but i wanted it to be for his wife as well (who i don't see).

I searched online - and found my inspiration here. Beer cupcakes - its a great combo for him and his wife! I changed it up a bit though to reflect what i had and made Victory Whirlwind Cupcakes (check my DIY tab for my version!) instead.

I wrote an encouraging letter for them both and put the cupcakes his desk before he got to work in the morning. I think it brightened his day - and it certainly made me smile knowing i made his day at work a little happier.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Id love to hear your stories of kinds along my journey!

Mar 22, 2012

another round of random thoughts - on a tuesday

Hello friends and welcome to another random thoughts. This is where ya'll cheer! Cause i know this is the ever so important part of your day to read my randomness. (*cue - snickers behind my back*) And so we begin.

-whats up with the weather. (i should know - right?) its messing with my wardrobe choices in the mornings. I want to wear warm weather stuff BUT its a cruel reality when i step outside - like darn it i have to wear a coat. ( i know i know, it IS march and i should be grateful…so on and so on)

-i made 'better then sex' cake. There i said it. and if you've never tried it - it has a wow factor, il tell you that much. i did not make up the ingenious name, pretty clever though huh.

-husband rocks. I needed to add that one. Cause i have been thinking it all day long.

-i love rompers. they are super comfy and oh so flowy. there will be outfit posts with these - i guarantee it.

-fresh spring flowers from the yard, put into a vase on my mantle are a serious way to brighten a day.

-liquor chocolatés are a great 2pm work pick me up - especially dropped in my coffee(all 3 packages i got from my family - apparently they think i like alcohol a bit…hmm hmm - yup i do) - and no people they do not get you drunk unless you are an ant.

Thats all i have.

Happy Tuesday!

Mar 20, 2012

navigate her - my new essie obsession

I just thought i would share with you all the serious cuteness of this color. Thats pretty much it for today. Check out essie nail polishes. I am starting to think they may be better then OPI...

Mar 19, 2012

st. patty's day date night

And a good day to ya. in a nutshell - i pampered maself with a manicure and pedicure, a did a bit of shoppin and got a lovely summer one shoulder dress from artifact in west chester, and went out on a date night with my bestest - the "works better then mistletoe" - green shirt wearin, handsome guy in the picture you see below.

...and of course drank lots of super yummy beer. Ah the feeling of freeeeedom (yes - corny reference to braveheart) from the little guys. It's nice to get out and throw a few back, and enjoy each other - as a married folk, for just a few hours. The one night a month (oh Y how we love thee) we do this - we treat ourselves, and go out like we are youngens again, and we love it. Every second we have.

This time we met out a couple fellow Y parents. Fun times.

Moral. Enjoy each other. Your kids will thank you later. and if a can't do that, go out and celebrate you. Parents deserve time away.

Mar 18, 2012

shamrock shake - a "healthier" version then micky d's

Let's talk pure yumminess for a sec, shall we? Every year around this time - i start thinking about shamrock shakes - ya know the oh so not actually ice cream, but seriously yummy tasting ones you can get at McDonalds. I am not at all a fan of McDonalds (or really any fast food for that matter - with the exception of Chik-Fila), and therefore i usually only think about the shakes and never actually get any. This year - i decided to make my own.

I give you my version of the Shamrock shake!

You'll need:

2 cups Vanilla ice cream - I prefer the Breyers All natural, because it doesn't contain HFCS's

1/2 tsp mint (not peppermint) extract

1.5 cups milk

whipped creme (not optional - how can one make a milkshake without whipped creme…)

1/4 tsp green food coloring

green sprinkles or green icing for garnish (optional)

fresh mint - for garnish (optional)

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Mar 18, 2012

bounce house birthday

We decided to keep Blakesters birthday low key. So we went to Bounce U, for him…i mean us, i mean him. Well technically its a win win we bounce he wants us to bounce, its a fun time had by all.

I DID find out a little did bit - case your all wondering. If you "like" Exton or Oaks Bounce U page - you get a FREE open bounce ticket. Might be a good way to get out on rainy days, for free.

Mar 15, 2012

birthday boys

How was everyone's weekend? Ours was fantastic. We had 2 birthday boys - both Jeff and Blake's birthday are on the same day, (i couldn't have given jeff a better gift - right!) and we had a mini celebration at home.

We are plannin a fun night out this wednesday with the boys with a little hibachi and them some bounce u (an indoor bouncy playland woohoo!)

I got the husband a really nice espresso maker - remember me saying he is getting into making the perfect latte - well lets just say this uped the awesomeness of his skills. YUM! We found a local coffee roaster who makes super yummy coffee and im thinkin we will no longer need Starbucks (or want it!)

So in other fun news, I have a deal for you mamas. So as we were loading up to head to the Y for some yoga and swimming, we totally realized we had NO swim diapers for Blake. So in a hurry we stopped at Walmart and i quick ran in to pick a pack up. Got up the register and wouldn't ya know they were $1! Yup for the whole darn pack. Not a bogus sitcker or anything they rang up as swim pant, i have no clue why - but thought id share the great deal.

So naturally i walked back and got 5 more ;)

So go on out and check out the deal - hope you'll be able to score these as well.

Have a great Monday!

Mar 5, 2012

the golden year(s)

This is the big year. The holy crap in not gonna be in my 20's year. And while i think back to all that ive accomplished (or not), i wonder, what was the best age so far in my life. Or is gonna be 30 thats my best age? What i mean by this is, when did i feel my most confident, my most beautiful, my most comfortable with me. Was it when i turned 21 in college? Was it after i had my kiddos at age 25?

Or, perhaps it hasn't even happened yet? Maybe my "golden year(s)" haven't happened. Or maybe, its now.

Anyway ya slice it, the inevitable fact is, im turning 30 this year. October 12th be exact.

I am not entirely sure how much i like the idea of being out of my 20's. its only one year really, into my 30's, but its still... the 30's.

So while thinking about life, and how much time has passed, i started thinking about the way i interact with people, and how much of a difference in someones life i may (or may not) have made. :/

I really wanted to make my 30th year something to remember. So folks, here it is, my grand plan of all plans. Im gonna do 30 random acts of kindness. I plan to start Friday March 23 (30 weeks before October 12th) and report back each Friday the RAOK that i did that week. My hope is to encourage others to pass it forward. I've heard so many stories about kind people who have done this and it just makes me smile thinking about how far one little gesture can go.

{via Pinterest}

So every week as i report my RAOK, please share yours as well. Lets all think about the lives of people around us and how we can make a difference.

{via pinterest}

Mar 2, 2012

Aug 29, 2011

{Fall With} Us

Site Navigation[Skip]

Sidebar[Skip]

nice to meet ya

I am a photographer

lets be friends

grab my button

friends and sponsors