This is my son, Hunter, sitting on a boulder in the middle of a river, in my sister’s backyard in Costa Rica. I remember seeing him that day, thinking he looked sad, lonely, and bored. I had all but convinced myself that we should have waited to take our trip when his cousins were on vacation, so he’d have someone to play with.

I basically scolded myself and felt badly that, in my rush to get down there, I’d completely neglected his needs, and planned a trip that wasn’t going well for him at all.

Bad mommy.

Selfish mommy.

I could’ve done better.

Posted in Life, choices, happiness, inner peace, serenity, simplicity 87 Comments »

I get asked how I stay thin fairly regularly, because I make no secret of my likes (sweets) and dislikes (cardio, resistance, and endurance training), and yet I weigh less now than I did before pregnancy.

It is tempting to chock it up to genetics, but that’s not really the case. I have lots of family members who are significantly over weight. I attribute my fortuitous circumstance to Free Will (not willpower, as in denying indulgences, but freedom of choice).

Here’s the deal: this is not rocket science. It is a simple equation.

Calories Consumed must be less than or equal to Calories Burned.

I already know, as a given, I will not burn a lot of calories each day; therefore, I can’t consume very many. That’s it. That’s the whole trick to it.

Posted in Life, about me, balance, choices, simplicity 90 Comments »

This is the post about frugality I promised you, by my friend Sherri of Serene Journey.

I am in awe of what Lisis, Jeff, and Hunter are doing. I am really very happy and excited for them, and a little scared, but I truly believe this will be an amazing experience for them–an experience that will create lasting memories and fabulous stories for years to come.

When Lisis asked me for some simple tips on living frugally, I jumped at the chance for two reasons: First, I love the concept of frugality and the simplicity that comes with being frugal. Second, I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to their amazing, epic journey. Here are my top five frugal tips for living on less.

Posted in Life, choices, family, simplicity 27 Comments »