Advice for TwentySomethings, Post-College
I just finished reading Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse – One TwentySomething’s (Mostly Failed) Attempts at Adulthood by Alida Nugent. I’ll save my full critique for my next book review, but I wanted to share a snippet of Nugent’s “commencement speech” to fellow grads. I graduated a little over two years ago, but I think this is even more applicable to me now. It’s a little lengthy, but I promise it’s worth the read.
Constantly try to do better. Push yourself to do better than you did the day before. I’m telling you this because there are certainly going to be times when your’e not going to want to do better; you might not want to do anything but sulk. You think it was bad when you were pulling all-nighters in college? Don’t worry, it gets worse.
Don’t become stagnant – even if you’re working at a fry station, the worst thing you can do with your life now is to become stagnant in it. Nobody is telling you what to do anymore – you are your own teacher, your own boss, your own captain. You have to constantly push yourself to get better, or else you will get stuck. You are too smart and too bright and spent too much money at this school to get stuck. Do better. Become a mental athlete. Push yourself so much its sickening. Stagnant water is full of mosquitoes, remember that.
The next couple of years are going to be the best, most alive of your life. Now, I know they said this when you were graduating high school, and then they said it about the college years, but I think that is because life is always getting better. Really, the postcollege years will be some of the most fun you’ll ever have.
You’ll find people, friends, and family who you stick with not because you are in the same classes, but because you want these people to be your buddies in combat. They will meet you for lunch when you’re worried about having HPV or getting fired. They will be your lifeboat, your 2am phone call, your “I like you because understand me and not because we are in Lit 101 together.”
You will lose touch with people you thought you wouldn’t, watch from a distance while these people get married, gain weight, lose weight, move across the country, and get new sets of friends you will never meet. But you will look at your pictures of them and remember the nights you drank too much rum with them and you will enjoy those moments immensely. You will know what it is like to experience true nostalgia. It will not be a bittersweet kind of thing, because you know that it’s not as much growing apart as it is growing up.
There will be successes, and failures, and a lot of good and bad things. You will watch yourself and the people you choose to be with fall in love and get married, get jobs, get fired, get a terrible tattoo, have babies, get sick, get better, get worse, lose parents, grow older, grow smarter. Things will flash forward, pass before your eyes like the lights at a terrible nightclub.
You will feel more alive now than ever before, this I promise you. Grab this time before it goes away.
xo xo
{Almost} Better Than Sex Cake
When I was younger, a family friend of ours use to make the best cake ever. I would get so excited for birthdays, if only for this cake. My parents told us kids it was called Betty Cake, so I came to assume it was her personal recipe and no one else had ever tasted this deliciousness.
Fast forward a few years later when I’m at a bridal shower and Betty Cake is there. Wow, her cake has gotten pretty famous! I thought. Until people started calling it something else – Better Than Sex Cake. So I Googled it and of course found this popular recipe.
Now, I’m not sure if my parents knew the real name of the cake or not. Maybe they were just trying to delay the inevitable birds and bees discussion in all possible ways, even if that meant changing the name of a cake.
At this point in my life, I really don’t care what the name of the cake is. I would probably just call it OMNOMNOM if I could, but I guess {Almost} Better Than Sex Cake will do.
If you’ve never tasted this cake, don’t wait for a birthday. Make it today, and remember – eat dessert first.
Better Than Sex Cake
INGREDIENTS:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping
8 ounces Cool Whip
½-1 cup Heath toffee bits
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.
2. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top using a fork.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, then slowly drizzle the mixture all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature.
4. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake, top with the Heath toffee bits and refrigerate again for 1 hour. Serve cold and refrigerate any leftovers.
You might also enjoy: Oreo Brownie Delight, Chewy Chocolate Coconut Bars
favorites, round 2.
Things I love that I want to share with you, so you can love them too.
1. Reading on an iPad I’ve had an iPad for a couple years now, but I’ve resisted reading on it because it’s just not the same, right? Well I have news for those of you who have been resisting like me – it’s pretty awesome. I bought a great book for $2.99. That’s right, $2.99. First awesome point. Second, you can highlight without ruining the pages. You can make notes without ruining the pages. You can then see all your highlighted sections and notes in one place. AWESOME. I’m sure there are lots of other awesome things you can do I just haven’t learned yet, but so far that’s enough for me.
2. Organix Moroccan Argan Oil How many of you either use Moroccan Oil or have used it in the past? My hand is raised. I loved it, but it’s pretty pricey and you can’t buy it at Walmart or Ulta. I’ve seen this Organix brand at both Walmart and Ulta for a while now and been curious how it is. So, on my trip to New Orleans, I bought a little three-pack of travel size shampoo, conditioner and oil. Guys, it changed my life. Let me spell it out for you –
Total cost of Moroccan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner (8.5oz), Treatment Oil (3.5oz): $84
Total cost of Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner (13oz), Treatment Oil (3.3oz): $22
3. Love t-shirt from Riffraff I wear this ALL.THE.TIME. To bed, with colored jeans, with leopard cardi, to workout, on road trips, on Dickson. Seriously, it looks cute always. You probably need one.
4. Hostess Cupcakes Did you know Hostess made the sweetest comeback in the history of ever? I’m not a Twinkie fan, but I do love me some Cupcakes. They also make me think of my grandfather, which is always a good thing. You should also check out hostessrecipes.com. Oh my gosh.
5. Dunkin’ Donuts Strawberry Shortcake Coffee This may look really weird, but it’s so worth a try. The first time I had it was at work. Someone was brewing it and the smell alone was amazing, then I tried some and it tasted even better than it smelled. We’ve been drinking it at home ever since. Hurry and go get some, because it’s limited time only!
6. Buzzfeed Why it’s taken me this long to catch onto this trend is beyond me. I’m totally obsessed and check the app a couple times a day. A few of my current favorites: 23 Times Mindy Kaling Perfectly Captured Your Angst, 30 Signs You’re Almost 30, 25 Ways to Tell You’re a Kid of the 90s
xo xo
You might also enjoy: favorites, Friday + a few of my favorite things
life lately
Life lately after Essence Fest has been a whole lot of relaxing. Two weeks later I feel like I’m finally recovered and back to normal at home and work. Good thing, just as it’s about to ramp up again for some birthdays, weekend trips and moving. Here’s a little peek at our life lately.
{enjoying // these fresh flowers TWO WEEKS later}
{laughing // at our goobery pup}
{relaxing // with some of my favorite things}
{sitting // at Mellow Mushroom after a long day’s work}
{eating // this delicious summer pasta}
xo xo
Inspire Me: Oscar Wilde
Every once in a while you find a quote that just really fits everything you believe in, a life mantra so to speak. For several years now I’ve adopted one from Oscar Wilde as my own. “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”
While that one is a favorite, there are quite a few others I truly love as well. I hope the quotes below inspire you just as much as they did me.
xo xo
“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”
“The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on. It is never any use to oneself.”
“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.”
“Women are made to be loved, not understood.”
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?”
You might also enjoy: Women – You Can’t Live With ‘Em, You Can’t Live Without ‘Em, Inspire Me: Stormy Tuesday, Fail Better
Linguine with Summer Vegetables + Goat Cheese {recipe}
I think I’ve said once before how much I enjoy Sunday evening dinner. I rarely cook and when I do it’s certainly not a production. Except Sunday evenings. I try very hard to make a big, wonderful dinner on Sundays so that our bellies and hearts are full for the upcoming week. (Note: glass of wine while cooking is a necessity.)
This week I tried a recipe from Real Simple that looked amazing on the cover of this month’s issue. It tasted just as good as it looked with fresh veggies and my new favorite cheese. (How have I gone this long without goat cheese?!?!)
I didn’t find the time to make homemade ice cream this weekend like I’d hoped so instead we’re settling for fresh peaches over vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum!
I hope your bellies and hearts are just as full as ours for the week. xo
Linguine with Summer Vegetables and Goat Cheese
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
1/4 pound linguine
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups fresh corn (from 2 ears)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 small zucchini, cut into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler (didn’t have a vegetable peeler, so just thinly sliced)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (unfortunately Walmart was out of oregano when I went, so none for us)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Cook the pasta according to the package. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 8-10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until the corn is tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the corn, tomatoes, zucchini and 1/2 cup of the cooking water to the pasta. Cook over medium heat, gently tossing, until the liquid slightly thickened and coats the pasta, 2 to 3 minutes (adding more cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce.)
Serve sprinkled with the oregano, walnuts and goat cheese.
You might also enjoy: Houlihan’s Inspired Bacon Mac and Cheese, French Dip Crescents, Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
“May your weekend be full of adventure and cheer; May the start of next week be a long way from here.”
After the craziness of last weekend at Essence Fest, this weekend I’m ready for a whole lot of doing nothing. Weekend plans include: Friday night movie with friends, sleep in, time by the pool, read, finish Greek, make this for dinner, make homemade ice cream, relax with husband and pup.
Enjoy your weekend, and take some time to relax. xo
10 Truths About Aquarians {aka me}
Sometimes you don’t realize things about yourself until you follow @AboutAquarius on Twitter.
Enjoy. xo
1. Aquarians are quiet around a crowd of people just so they can study people’s ways and actions.
2. Just because an Aquarius is nice doesn’t mean they trust you.
3. Aquarius are hypersensitive about not being liked or worse taken for granted.
4. Know that an Aquarius can sometimes act over confident and bossy.
5. No matter how deeply in love an Aquarius is, they will never sacrifice their independence.
6. Because an Aquarius is friendly with everyone, it can be confusing to figure out whether they like you or not.
7. An Aquarius gets very anxious by the thought of being sleep-deprived.
8. Hugging an emotional Aquarius will only make them cry.
9. Always seek an Aquarius for advice. Because they love giving advice, it’s always wholehearted and wholesome.
10. An Aquarius seems shy in the beginning, and then they get crazy when they’re comfortable with you.
#EssenceFest
A few highlights from my trip to New Orleans.
{first stop: cafe du monde}
{WM Mom interviewing Steve Harvey}
{Walmart Welcome Affair, House of Blues}
{Fantasia – interviewed her earlier in the day and she was terrific}
{Walmart booth at the Convention Center}
{Trey Songz !!!}
{first concert: LL Cool J}
{Walmart Lounge in the Superdome}
{eclectic dinner in the French Quarter}
{SO excited for Beyonce!!}
{Queen Bey!}
{I have the BEST husband <3}
{and the sweetest puppy! home sweet home.}
xo xo
No rest for the weary.
I’ve completely failed at blogging lately. Life has gotten in the way, but I’d say that’s a good thing.
I’m jetting off tomorrow for New Orleans for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, sans husband. I’m headed to Essence Festival as our social media correspondent, so follow @Walmart on Twitter for fun updates and pics! (shameless plug) I’ll be busy, busy, busy at the event, mostly plotting the best way to get behind the scenes and meet Queen Bey. She shops at Walmart, right? She’ll definitely want to talk to me…
Not only am I leaving husband behind, but also my parents who came in town for the week. Talk about timing. Luckily, I’ve gotten some wonderful time with them for a few days, as well as with our family friends from West Memphis.
Before I head off to pack and listen to 90s Pop Pandora, I’ll leave you with a few other life lately updates.
{enjoying // a beautiful day for some professional women’s golf}
{doing // summer-ish things, like a rooftop party for Team Break the Cycle}
{eating // the best crepes this side of the tracks}
{celebrating // two amazing people getting married}
Happy 4th of July weekend to you and yours! xo xo
P.S. I’m extra excited to share my next set of book reviews for Reconstructing Amelia and Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse. Stay tuned!
Summer-ish Things
I vow to complete the following list of Summer-ish things. Welcome, favorite season! I’m ready for you.
1. Canoeing/Kayaking
2. Camping
3. Drive-in movie
4. Road trip
5. Go to the golfing range
6. Have a fancy picnic (preferably with wine and cheese and fruit)
7. Enjoy music outdoors
8. Go to a theme park
9. Host an outdoor party
10. Spend an entire day by the pool with good book + good drink in hand
You might also enjoy: I need the smell of Summer, I need its noises in my ear, Endless Summer
Meet Georges aka GSP, my new best friend
Okay friends, I’m going to be honest with you. I’m kind of a workout flake. I’m all talk, no action. Wait, let me correct that – I’m all talk, no action lots of action for about a week, maybe two, sometimes a month if we’re lucky.
Well, husband is sick of me complaining about my body and is forcing me to take action. (Isn’t that what husbands are for??) I’ve been so proud of him working out consistently the past few months so I decided to take a similar course of action.
We both downloaded the iPhone app Touchfit: GSP. I’ve only done two days so far, but I love it. It’s quick, but challenging. It tracks your progress in real-time. It never gets dull with more than 500 videos. It tailors the workout for your fitness level. And it’s on your phone so you can literally work out whenever, wherever.
So it begins again, and I just pray I can stay committed.
Enjoy a few of my other exercise related posts below. xo xo
* * *
A hilarious Thanksgiving experience (Thanksgiving Begins With A Kick (Literally))
My running playlist (No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everybody on the couch)
Some motivational quotes (Just do it)
A Lenten commitment (Lent: Prayer + Dance)
I even created a blog JUST to share my P90x experience … which lasted about two weeks. (P90X … Bring it!)
life lately {shareholders edition}
Oh, brother. These past two weeks have been quite a doozy.
As most of you (who live in nwa) know, the beginning of June means Walmart’s Annual Shareholders Meeting aka tens of thousands of people envelop the area, celebs walking the streets (Tom Cruise was on the Bentonville Square !!!) and just all around very very busy. As some of you know, I had a very interesting part in Shareholders this year. I currently manage our Walmart Mom Blogger program. We invite these bloggers to Shareholders every year to experience the event, meet with marketers, merchants, suppliers and get inspired to blog about Walmart. I managed their entire trip (and was with them) from breakfast to dinner, 4 days and 3 nights.
It was the most physically and mentally exhausted I’ve probably ever been in my life, but it was also fabulous. I loved the event planning aspect and loved getting to know these Moms I’ve been corresponding with for the past 7 months. Overall it was an amazing week, but it left me pooped! Hence, why I’m just now getting around to blogging. Anyway, enjoy a few photos from my life lately.
{Pre-Shareholders I got to enjoy a BEAUTIFUL wedding of two dear friends. It always makes me so happy to see a wedding full of so much love, joy and inspiration. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. DeMoss! We love you!
Psst, check out the bride’s blog about her big day with some beautiful photos & enough love to make you tear.}
{Walmart Moms}
{Couldn’t have made it without this wonderful lady!}
{Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Hugh Jackman – it’s really a concert with a few business items!
Photo credit: MommyBrainReports.com}
{Much needed sunshine, beer + relaxation with husband after the event}
{Friday night at a Naturals Game}
{Oh, and puppy got shaved for the Summer}
xo xo
“I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
I seem to go through hobby phases. Sometimes it’s binge-watching a TV show. Sometimes it’s blogging. Sometimes it’s baking. But sometimes it’s reading, and that’s where I’m currently landing. I’ve always enjoyed reading, but it seems its one of those practices that if you don’t keep up consistently you can’t seem to find time for it. Well, when we went on our media blackout for two weeks a lot of free time opened up for reading, and I caught the bug again. I previously shared about the books I was reading in my post Mindy, Facebook + The Dinner.
Now, I’ll share my most current reads. (Though I’m dangerously tipping into the binge-watching phase as I’ve discovered my new Summer show: Greek – all 4 seasons of which are on Netflix.)
The Interestings – When I tried to describe this book to Husband he said it sounded like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Which it kind of is, a grown-up version at least, but with more depth and wit. It follows a group of friends from summer camp into middle-age, sharing relatable accounts of their relationships, careers and everything in between. I identified with the musings of how relationships change over the years and enjoyed the unique perspective from the various characters.
Grade: A
The Best of Us – Need an easy book to read on vacation? This is it. Similar to Emily Giffin or Jennifer Weiner books, this follows a group of old friends on a seemingly picture-perfect vacation, but when a hurricane hits it brings out all the secrets. Quick and effortless, by the end this read will have you wishing for a drink in your hand and sand between your toes.
Grade: B+
The Great Gatsby – Somehow I got throughout high school without having to read this classic. While I originally regretted not having read it sooner, I think I appreciate it now more than I would have then. The artistic writing, the extravagant parties, the brilliant characters – I’m only halfway through, but so far I’m in love and I can’t wait to see the movie. (P.S. The soundtrack to the movie is incredible.)
Grade: B+
Reconstructing Amelia – After I finish The Great Gatsby, this is next on my list. As I was doing my Saturday morning read of Entertainment Weekly this book caught my eye on their 10 Perfect Summer Reads list. Why? Opening review line – “Gossip Girl meets Gone Girl.” (One of my favorite shows and one of my favorite books.) Could this get any more perfect for me??
What are your summer reads? xo xo
You might also enjoy: The Book List
life lately
{celebrating // sister in law’s hs graduation, see nostalgic blog post here}
{drinking // prickly pear cactus margarita, Table Mesa Bistro}
{praising // a wonderful God during the calm after a scary storm – Psalm 107:29}
{becoming a trekkie // during our 2nd anniversary trip to KC}
{relaxing // with my boys, just the way I like it}
xo xo
You’ve Got the Love I Need to See Me Through
Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air
I know I can count on you
Sometimes I feel like saying “Lord I just don’t care”
But you’ve got the love I need to see me throughSometimes it seems the going is just too rough
And things go wrong no matter what I do
Now and then it seems that life is just too much
But you’ve got the love I need to see me throughTime after time I think “Oh Lord what’s the use?”
Time after time I think it’s just no good
‘Cause sooner or later in life, the things you love you lose
But you got the love I need to see me through
* * *
Happy second anniversary!
I love you, husband. Always & forever. xo
You can see a snapshot of our wedding in my post 5.28.11.
Weekend Picturebook: Kansas City
{Drinks on the patio, Country Club Plaza}
{Shop. Relax. Repeat.}
{2nd anniversary dinner where we dreamed about where we’ll be in another year}
{Sunday brunch, Westport Cafe and Bar}
{Star Trek: Into Darkness, Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet}
{beer flights + pizza, Flying Saucer}
{fireworks show from our hotel balcony}
{parting lunch, blanc burgers + bottles}
{rainy Memorial day – until next time KC}
xo xo
You might also enjoy: Weekend Picturebook: St. Louis, Weekend Picturebook: Las Vegas
Mixtape: KC Memorial Day Weekend ’13
Confession: I love mixtapes. If you make me a mixtape, I’ll love you forever. There’s something so special about them. All the mixtapes I’ve made or that have been given to me reflect a moment in time. The songs remind me of a specific person, place or event. I can go back and listen to them and remember the smallest details about that time in my life.
Over the years I’ve most commonly made mixtapes for road trips. Among my collection I have OKC, Tulsa, Green Forest, N. Dakota, Spring Break + many more. When I was younger I even used to write out all the songs on a piece of paper in order with title and artist. I still have the CD and list for Cozumel 2003. If only you knew what was on that CD…
In the spirit of old mixtapes, Husband and I are making one for our trip to Kansas City this weekend. We’re headed up for a little weekend getaway to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. Since we have very different taste in music it will be an interesting compilation, but will hopefully keep both of us musically satisfied for the trip.
Enjoy a peek at our mixtape and let me know what songs would be on yours. Happy long weekend! xo
1. Next to Me, Emeli Sande
2. You and I, Local Natives
3. Shake It Out, Florence + The Machine
4. I Should Live in Salt, The National
5. Today Was a Fairtytale, Taylor Swift
6. Humiliation, The National
7. West Coast, Coconut Records
8. This Is The Last Time, The National
9. Stay, Rihanna
10. Demons, The National
11. I Knew You Were Trouble, Taylor Swift
12. Sea of Love, The National
13. Freaks & Geeks, Childish Gambino
14. Pink Rabbits, The National
15. Breakers, Local Natives
16. Graceless, The National
17. Little Talks, Of Monsters and Men
P.S. I also purchased The Great Gatsby soundtrack for the trip, which is supposed to be AMAZING. It’s produced by Jay-Z, so that’s a pretty good start.
a prayer for us all.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
xo xo
10 Favorite High School Memories
I remember it like it was yesterday. The nerves we would trip on stage, the excitement we were free. The tears for friends moving far away, the laughter while sharing one last summer together.
As I watched my sister-in-law graduate from high school yesterday, all I could think about was my four years at BHS. I met my future husband while there. I found my passion for theater. I became close with an incredible group of girls. I loved high school.
So in honor of Tori’s graduation, I got nostalgic looking at old pictures and wanted to share 10 of my favorite high school memories.
* * *
1. For one night only, we were Bentonville’s Next Top Models.
2. My first concert and “road trip” without my parents and we wound up meeting both bands we saw – Brand New and Dashboard Confessional. [Pictured with Chris Carrabba, lead singer of Dashboard.]
3. High school would not have been the same without theater. Most challenging role – Wicked Witch, The Wizard of Oz. Most fun – dancer in Footloose, pictured.
4. Husband and I went to three proms together. As we were reminiscing this weekend, we decided my Junior year was our favorite. Love these beautiful ladies.
5. Snow Days. You can read my thoughts on that topic here.
6. Through my church I got involved in this little thing called LYO. Little did I know the few weekends we got together every couple months would be some of the most random and most fun I’d ever have.
7. Road trip to Ft. Smith for a BHS football game. Bathroom stop at Chester, population 99 = unforgettable.
8. Top 3 in Miss BHS. Loved every second of this opportunity.
9. Powderpuff football game. As much fun as I had, this solidified the reason why I never played sports.
10. And of course, our senior trip to Panama City. Still in my top best trips ever taken. I’ll never forget these girls!
xo xo
life lately
{drinking // pink beer (!!) at Fayetteville Foam Fest}
{smiling // because I have the best husband ever}
{enjoying // all the pictures mom is sending from Costa Rica}
{relaxing // pre-dinner TCBY is always a winner in my book}
We also had a fantastic Saturday morning at our Gravette Clothing Giveaway.
xo xo
7: Possessions // UPDATE
Hi friends, remember when we were doing our 7 challenge? We cleaned out our closets and our apartment and had an abundance of stuff to give away, along with our Community Group. We gave all the household items to Havenwood, but we all kept the clothes planning to do a free clothing giveaway. Well, it finally happened. We planted ourselves in the middle of the Gravette Farmer’s Market with a tent full with clothes, shoes, accessories and signs that said FREE. We weren’t sure exactly how it was going to work. We didn’t know how many people would stop by, if people would want to give money for the clothes, if they would let pride get in their way or if they would take everything in one swoop. I’m here to say, it was a HUGE success.
We had some fun.
We had great fellowship.
But most importantly, we blessed the community of Gravette.
We had numerous families come by who shared their stories about not having enough money to buy new clothes for themselves or their kids for Summer. They were so incredibly grateful and asked if we would be back. These families were needy and we were able to provide for a basic need. We have such an abundance and we don’t even realize how far that can go for others. I was extremely humbled and left ready and willing to clean out my closet again and again to give to those who truly needed it. It was so much more impactful seeing women go through my clothes excited to wear them than just dropping off bags of clothing at Goodwill.
What an incredible Saturday we had, and we will certainly be doing it again.
xo xo
You might also enjoy: 7: Possessions // Week 1, 7: Stress
10 teensy things that make me happy.
1. Immediately taking my heels off when walking in the front door after a long day.
2. When my favorite song comes on the radio.
3. Crawling into a clean, made bed.
4. Opening the sunroof.
5. That first sip of Diet Coke (every day).
6. Getting something unexpected in the mail.
7. Starting a fresh book. (A real one, not on an e-reader)
8. Putting the last dish in the dishwasher before turning it on. (Very strange, I know)
9. A smell that reminds me of a specific memory.
10. When husband sends flowers to brighten my day. (Okay this isn’t so teensy, but just made me so so happy today.)
xo xo
You might also enjoy: 10 things you probably don’t know about me, but should., 10 things I love about my life right now.
Happy {early} Mother’s Day!
I know it’s not Mother’s Day quite yet, but I’m doing an early tribute since my mother will be in Costa Rica for Surf Camp next week. Let that sink in. My MOTHER will be in Costa Rica for SURF CAMP. How. Awesome. Is. She. I’m vowing when I’m her age to still be fun, spirited, energetic, adventurous, lively, brave, strong, inspiring.
She sent me this video of Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson, another dynamic mother-daughter duo. I wanted to share the video because its an example of a fun, close relationship similar to ours.
I love you, Mom! Rock those waves for me! xo
m.davis xoxo 