"Now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." -John Steinbeck 

Thing on my mind: I'm going to make 28 look good! Can you tell my birthday is my favorite? Birthdays in general I like to make a big deal about. Some people dismiss them but I think it's important for people to feel loved, appreciated, and celebrated. We are all worth celebrating! That's why in our family we celebrate Birthday Week. We go to lunches with friends, make special dinners (Aaron is grilling for me!), and enjoy fun activities together. 

Favorite food: Bread- any variety. It's been my craving lately! We've had breadsticks, sandwiches, and homemade pizza a lot lately just for the bread.

Favorite show: The Big Bang Theory. Lets just agree that it's one of the all time greatest shows ever. 

Favorite activity: Playing with Everly. Lately her thing is to go for walks outside. She's such an outdoors girl and gets VERY grumpy if she's cooped up inside for too long. I look forward to summer time and the blow up pool in the yard! 

Books I'm reading: The Goldfinch & Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.

Project: Working on our ecourse with my sister. Shelly is so much fun to work with! 

Songs on repeat: Girl On Fire & She Is Love. I'm really on a woman-power-love-yourself kick lately.

Favorite moment: Everly picks up cell phones (or anything about that size), puts it up to her ear, and says "Hi!" It.Is.Adorable.

Daily revelation: I am really happy with the direction that my life is going. Everly and Aaron add so much joy to my life and my work (all of it!) is so fulling. I am awake. 

Favorite photos:

Thing on my mind: The past year has been such a whirlwind. I wish I could say each year Everly is with me will pass slower than the last but I'm afraid the opposite will be true. At the same time, most people thought she was already one because she's been walking for so long! 

Favorite show: Chicago PD! 

Favorite moment: Everly's cake smash at her birthday party. It was so cute to see her playing in the frosting and once she figured out that the cake tasted good too it was all over.

Books I'm reading: Life After Life and The Whole-Brain Child.

Project: I just finished running my first online course for Sacred Pregnancy and started the second. We've got two more in March! It's so busy but so much fun.

Favorite food: Anything I can cook quickly. Life has been so crazy lately that I haven't had time for anything more than that.

Songs on repeat: Say Something (the original) & I See Fire.

Favorite activity: Playing with my Ever and watching her learn. It's so cool to be a mom.

Daily revelation: I am so lucky.

Favorite photos:

xo Sue

STRONG WOMEN. May we KNOW them, may we RAISE them, may we BE them.

Thing on my mind: I am blessed. I have cherished the holiday season this year and I came out of it feeling like one lucky lady. Maybe life is hard right now, but give me five minutes playing alone with Everly and I can forget all of that. Even more if Aaron is playing with us too. 

Songs on repeat: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Christmas Lights.

Favorite show: Criminal Minds and The Big Bang Theory. Those are my all times favorites.

Favorite food: Street tacos. YUM.

Favorite activity: Dancing with Everly. I love love love that she dances now. 

Books I'm reading: Divergent series (read them already but must reread before the movie comes out!), Getting Things Done, and The Happiness Project (more to come on that).

Favorite moment: Attending my third birth in three months. I love birth and I love being a doula. It is the best job ever! 

Project: Making a tulle skirt. I keep changing my mind on how to do it so it's only halfway there. Maybe one day it will be finished. Also, sewing in general. I'm in love! 

Daily revelation: My daughter is going to grow faster than I want her to. All I can do is enjoy every moment and be grateful for each day. And encourage her to learn and explore, because she is curious and brave and fearless.

Favorite pictures: 

xo Sue

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Nietzsche

My mama shared that quote with me this week and said it made her think of me. It made me happy.

Thing on my mind: My brain feels it's shattered into a million tiny pieces with how much I'm doing lately. I've getting everything organized and ready to open my newest little space on the internet (you can visit me here!). I'm so excited but also nervous and perhaps a touch afraid of falling flat on my face.

Books I'm reading: Craft INC. and Thirteen Reasons Why (one of my favorites to read over and over again)

Favorite food: Anything quick and easy. Unless I find a new recipe I need to try on Pinterest!

Favorite show: Criminal Minds - my all time favorite.

Favorite activity: Baby watch! My next client (someone extra special to me) is due any day now. I LOVE being a doula. LOVE.

Project: Creating - product, content, information. Everything.

Songs on repeat: Let Me Go, Acoustic #3, and Some Nights.

Favorite moment: Watching Everly take steps. It wasn't long ago that she started crawling and now she's decided steps are a good idea! They're only 2-3 at a time but I can't even believe her every time I watch. She's usually taking steps towards me. Heart melting.

Daily revelation: I am grateful for my mind. I don't mean to brag here but I've got a pretty great one.

Favorite pictures:

my first night out alone since E was born // E in her lion costume // first taste of chocolate

xo Sue

"If my love were an ocean, there would be no more land." -13 Reasons Why

Thing on my mind: Everly is no longer a baby. She's been legitimately crawling for over a week now (no more of the scooting across the room for her). She also pulls herself up on everything and walks around the room as long as she has something to hold on to. She just wants to grow up.

Books I'm reading: Blue Bloods series and The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

Project: Working on all the requirements for my doula certification. I attended my training conference last weekend and it was amazing.

Songs on repeat: Wrecking Ball (don't judge) and True Love.

Favorite food: Pepper jelly- homemade jars of deliciousness.

Favorite activity: Sharing new foods with Everly. Her favorites are cucumbers and french fries.

Show I can't get enough of: Everything- I'm so excited for all my favorite shows to start their Fall seasons in the next few weeks.

Favorite moment: Watching Everly really crawl for the first time.

Daily revelation: My family is wonderful. They're supportive, they're happy, and they're just fun to be around.

Favorite pictures:

xo Sue

"Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn't know you had, and dealing with fears you didn't know existed." - Linda Wooten

Thing on my mind: Everly has suddenly lost her baby-ness and gained some toddler-ness. She sits, pulls herself up, stands (with something to hold), scoots, rolls, and practices her crawling stance. And I feel suddenly unprepared to be a mother to a scooter/crawler/toddler. I thought I had more time.

Favorite food: Grilled chicken. Since Aaron and I are doing 30 days sugar/flour free there aren't many things I can eat right now but man, grilled chicken is just yummy.

Project: Reading books to prep for my doula conference next month. So exciting!

Books I'm reading: Inferno, The Cuckoo's Calling, and The Birth Partner.

Favorite moment: Watching Ever practice her crawl stance. She sits on hands and knees and rocks back and forth and it's amazing.

Songs on repeat: Sail (I don't know why...) and Pop Song (listen to it- hysterical and true).

Show I can't get enough of: How I Met Your Mother. I love everything about this show except the premise that he's telling these stories to his kids. That part creeps me out just a little bit. If I forget about that part though it's a great show.

Favorite activity: Rocking my baby to sleep at night. It's become such a special time for the two of us and I love that she trusts her mama to hold and love her while she drifts off into dreamland.

Daily revelation: I don't deserve this beautiful life but I'm grateful for every minute.

Favorite pictures:

xo Sue

"Making the decision to have a child- it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." -Elizabeth Stone

Thing on my mind: I truly am blessed. We've had such a wonderful transition this past month. Aaron's working and has interviews lined up. We got to visit family in Missouri and we continue to visit family and friends in Utah. There is so much love and support in our lives!

Project: Finding a place to live. Rent/buy? Apartment/house? So many choices! I feel like a grown up.

Favorite moment: Everly has become mobile. She doesn't "crawl" yet but she rolls and scoots as quickly as she can to get what she wants. This is one determined little lady.

Books I'm reading: Lean In and Lady of the Rivers.

Food I'm loving: Hamburgers. Cooked by Aaron on the grill. Delicious.

Songs on repeat: Hurricane and Broken.

Favorite activity: Shopping in America. Seriously. I've missed it so much. To my credit, I've hardly spent anything but I've LOVED browsing and the occasional buy. Shopping here is way better than Japan. And thrifting. I'm in love.

Show I can't get enough of: Under the Dome. 2 episodes and Aaron and I are both hooked. Just watch it.

Daily revelation: The days are long but the years are short. Enjoy every minute.

Favorite Pictures:

xo Sue

"A change in direction was required. The story you finished was perhaps never the one you began." -Salman Rushdie

Thing on my mind: This last month has been intense. I never knew we could get so much done in so little time and still have so much to do. The next few days are do or die! We're definitely excited for the direction life is going though.

Project: Packing and moving while still trying to be a good mom and give my baby girl all the love and attention she deserves. Guess which one I like better and do more? I think the boxes should pack themselves.

Favorite moment: Watching Aaron and Everly play together. He can make her laugh like no one else can. It's magic.

Songs on repeat: Demons and Carry On.

Favorite activity: Doing silly things to make Everly laugh. Also, nighttime baths.

Books I'm reading: The Honest Life, The Defining Decade, and Inferno.

Food I'm loving: Crepes. Anything you can put on a crepe I'll eat. Well... almost anything.

Show I can't get enough of: American Horror Story. We just finished season two and oh my goodness. Creepy! I cannot wait for season three.

Daily revelation: I am loved.

Favorite pictures:

xo Sue

"I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better." -Maya Angelou

Thing on my mind: Giving birth has irrevocably changed me. Being a mom is the most amazing thing I could hope to do with my life. This little angel is such a blessing.

Favorite moment: Waking up each morning with Everly in our bed. Her early morning smiles make my heart happy.

Songs on repeat: Radioactive, If I Lose Myself, and The Phoenix

Favorite activity: Baby wearing. I wouldn't get a single thing done if I couldn't strap Everly to me. If you want to try baby wearing I recommend this sling, this sling, this mei tai, or this carrier.

Books I'm reading: The Baby Book, Beyond the Sling, and Tenth of December

Project: Getting Everly command sponsored. This makes it legal for her to be here in Japan. It takes forever.

Show I can't get enough of: The Following. Aaron and I hate waiting for new episodes.

Food I'm loving: Hint of lime tortilla chips with queso dip.

Daily Revelation: Life is Beautiful.

Favorite Pictures:

xo Sue