Creative Inspiration - Week 8

 Because we are "on" 24/7 as mothers it is exhausting to keep up using all the parenting tools we stock in our tool belt. Just in case you needed to see this message today:

And there is no such thing as perfect. It is all in our head. So just keep going. The more we dwell on those days where we lost our shit, the more we feel like shit and that just doesn't serve anyone, especially our children. I have to remind myself of this often, so when I saw this quote on a friends facebook wall and she explained the day she had had, I made sure to snag it right away to share here. We've all been told not to compare our children and that makes perfect sense. What might be an even more important message to new mothers is not to compare themselves against other mothers and that they will indeed lose their shit from time to time. We all do. Someone who doesn't is losing it on the inside, which isn't any healthier. 

And to go along those lines.... 

I remember someone telling me that whenever they see me I am smiling. And then one day I they saw me and I wasn't, they knew something was wrong. This image quote hit me because I do try to see the glass as half full, it just doesn't make sense to me to see it as half empty. Eeyore gets portrayed as gloomy but this quote means he is at least trying. And trying keeps you moving one foot in front of the other. Gives you purpose. Keep looking for the sunshine. I need to use this mantra from time to time. I've been finding that I need to share it with my kids. Despite my efforts to demonstrate positive thinking, sometimes it is as if they are poo-pooing all over my great idea to do something new and get out as a family. I have some ideas tucked away for these last two weeks of summer and know I'll just have to smile through their complaints about not wanting to do said activity and "why can't we do this instead" because in the end they enjoy new experiences too. My husband says that they get it from me... the whining. Hmm....  I think for now I'll just grab a glass of wine because:

Image used with permission via In Mama Maggie's Kitchen

I'm guessing it is the last couple weeks of summer that has me juggling all of these ideas and feelings; moms losing their shit, keep looking for sunshine and grabbing a glass of wine. Two more weeks until school starts! Tell me I'm not the only one feeling a weird mix of elated and bitter all at the same time?

Creative Inspiration - Week 7

I find inspiration when I'm browsing my instagram feed all the time and re-post ones I like from time to time. Because staying motivated and inspired is something to work at, I will scroll through and looks for these in my posts too. While sometimes I have 2 or 3 inspirations to share, today I have just one.... yet it is filled with Simple Colorful Messages. And I plan to print this in a poster and have it put up in the kids' playroom when we create a book nook.

Sometimes when I'm telling the kids something, the words that come out of my mouth are words I even need to hear myself. Moms, am I the only one? Do you ever find yourself in that position? We don't cease needing life lessons or inspiration, just as we don't stop in our personal growth. Having these Simple Colorful Messages visible everyday will be even better than scrolling through my instagram feed to find inspiration.

Do you have any favorite quotes or inspiring messages you've put up on a wall? Has it made a difference?

Creative Inspiration - Week 6

I knew when I snapped these pictures that I'd be sharing one of these quotes in this week's creative inspiration post.

Last week we had an opportunity to enjoy theatre under the stars and the walkway to our seats had some inspirational messages. This one was the first and the picture would be better if the ground were pristine clean, but it is a walkway after all so just appreciate the message:

Looking at this just makes me happy! I love rainbows and bright colors and think of things with the glass is half full mentality. I believe I found this one on google+ awhile ago and pinned it. By the way I'd love you to follow me on Pinterest!

Because of the SCOTUS decision on 6/26/2015 I feel compelled to share this one again even though I've shared it before. #LoveIsLove!

So, tell me, which one of these quotes meant something to you?


I'm sharing this post over at:

Motivation Monday

Theatre Under the Stars - Moonlight Celebrates 35 Years

Last week we took the kids to enjoy "All Shook Up" at Monnlight Amplitheatre.

Image via Moonlight Production

This year marks 35 years of magic on the outdoor stage. If you can believe it, I grew up in Vista and never had the privilege of going to Moonlight. Ever since high school I have loved live theatre! When the characters perform live before your eyes there is an added connection to the story line that cannot be fully described. I couldn't wait to share this love of live theatre with the kids!

After picking up our tickets at will call we walked through what felt like a little slice of summer with these beautifully lit arches. As the sun went down they became even more beautiful. This picture is not representing the full romance.

And on the ground there are these timeless quotes about the arts.

 

Next time I plan to ask the kids to read them and find out what they think the meaning is for each one. I love finding interesting quotes like this out in our communities. They can be great conversation starters whether on a date or to inspire your kids to embrace their creative side.

We planned to get there a little early to eat dinner before the show. As luck would have it we were running a little behind but still got to our seats with enough time to eat before the first set. Just one of the many benefits of outdoor theatre.... eating in your seats is totally allowed! Many people in the lawn seats both in front of us and behind us had either blankets sprawled out or what I call wine and cheese tables.

I pointed out to the kids that behind us that there was a lighting crew that would help set the mood for each scene.

I was delighted with our seats even if we were near the back row. As you can see there's not a bad seat in the house.

All Shook Up was a great show! I was toe tapping and singing along to Elvis classics like Jailhouse Rock and Blue Suede Shoes.

The summer show schedule has something for everyone

The kids saw that Shrek the Musical is in August and want to come back for that one!

Moonlight offers fabulous family night ticket pricing on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights. Adult tickets are $24 and kids 15 and under just $10 each. These are good for lawn seats, don't worry, they provide the chairs! This makes picnicking before the show a perfect pair. This time we had reserved seats but the kids already declared that they want to do lawn seats next time.

If you have not added theatre to your summer bucket list, I highly recommend it! If you live in San Diego, the drive to Vista for this truly unique experience is worth it. If you happen to live outside of San Diego, I encourage you to see if there is an outdoor stage somewhere in your vicinity, it truly adds a little bit of magic to summer.

Disclaimer: I was provided tickets in order to share my experience. 

Regardless, all opinions are my own. 

Creative Inspiration - Week 5

This week I have had a lot of inspiring things cross my path! It can be hard to choose one item that speaks to you..... so here they are in no certain order.

This one I found when I was entering a giveaway over on Lora Hogan's blog. I won't go too much in depth because this instagram post says it all.

Our family visited an awesome Nature Center last Sunday and this t shirt had me thinking the Universe is trying to remind me ever so gently to start this garden.

And today as I was browsing twitter I saw this quote and I knew I had to share it. Our health is highly related to our attitude. Choosing happiness is an important prescription! This was a picture I took of Amberly when we went to the Mother's Day Chula's Mission event and I loved how happy she was here. This quote came up in my twitter stream when I needed it.

I first heard this quote less than a year ago.... coming from a mom who had a teenage boy in his Senior year of high school and one who had already graduated. It is a good reminder to me that even in the face of challenging moments to appreciate them.

Were any of these reminders you needed? That is sometimes how I look at quotes.... little reminders to adjust our thinking or a message delivered when we needed it. Perhaps one of these was just the dose of medicine you needed. If so, let me know in the comments below. I'd love to know if these weekly quote roundups are something of value to you.

I'm linking up this post over at

Creating Inspiration Week 4

Here it is! Week 4 of Creating Inspiration! 

I've been keeping my eyes open for things that strike me as inspirational and also coming up with my own little quips. If you've missed the previous installments you can catch them here:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Now, onto this week's inspiration!

Just as every person has their own unique personality, we are also given our own way to touch the world - a unique fingerprint. I mean that both literally and figuratively. The special gifts each person has to offer ought to be celebrated just as we celebrate the beauty in each unique sunset.

The conversations I love to be in most are when people are engaged about their passions. That sparkle that illuminates from them is a sweet thing to witness. I saw this quote a couple weeks ago and saved it. I know how it feels to share what we love and imagine that same sparkle shines through me. Next time someone is talking about the thing they are most passionate about, take pause. It is not every day we get to experience these exchanges.

Last week my kids ended their school year and I wrapped up teaching my first year of ASL in a school setting. It is with a heavy heart that I said good bye to some teacher friends as our charter school is closing. I'm in the midst of a job hunt to seek another school that wants to add ASL to their curriculum. Watching these kids grow this year in both their ASL vocabulary and their understanding of how we relate to people who differ from us in some way has left a great mark on me. Our end of the year performance left me so proud! Every student had their own story, their unique take on what message I delivered in a lesson on empathy or kindness. Some of the students really fell in love with signing. It was pretty amazing to be apart of that growth.  We may have seen the sun set on Endeavour Academy, but we have all affected one another in some small way. Here's to all those finger prints going forward and leaving their mark on their future schools.

I'm linking this post up over at:

Creating Inspiration - Week 3

I have my moments like every other parent. Ones I'd like to go back in time and erase. Since time travel hasn't worked out for me I have to remind myself of this:

In fact you could put any project or event in place of the word parenting in this quote and it can help you realize you've got time to figure it out before you hit the finish line.

Last month I attended Bloggy Boot Camp, a boutique blogging conference by The SITS Girls where I learned a bunch of things... mostly things I need to work harder at and sometimes in the face of obstacles, challenges, learning new things we can back away from the greatness that lies ahead. Which is why it was so perfect that this was one of the last slides in the recap of the conference.

This one really got me thinking because there's a lot about blogging that pushes me to go outside my little box and more and more in this past month I have been pushing my boundaries of where I'm comfortable. In essence, allowing myself to grow. I don't think we grow from doing what's easy. TWO things that I've done this past 30 days that I thought were hard but did them anyway.... 

One: I broke up with Starbucks 

Two: Grew my blog tenfold. 

Kind of interesting that I did that second one without the almighty coffee don't you think? 

THIS one may just be worth clicking on and printing to put up on the bathroom mirror. 

So tell me which one of these is speaking to you right now? I'm eager to hear because by sharing our struggles and our inspirations we are helping each other!

This week I'm linking up over at:

Creating Inspiration Week 2

Keeping motivated over the long haul is a struggle at times. We may not see the fruits of our labor directly and we begin to doubt that we are making an impact whether that be at home with our children, at work in our projects, in our community as a supporting voice... and for me recently it has been with my students. Just when I have a hint of self doubt and begin to wonder if this is indeed the path I'm meant to travel I will find someone has shared something on my facebook wall related to sign language... a former client  enrolls with their 2nd or 3rd baby... one of my students at the charter school tells me they are working on signing a song to record on video...  And then it hits me.... I am meant to do this.... what I do makes a difference.

I share image quotes on instagram from time to time. I'd love to connect there and share inspiration on multiple platforms! Here's one I was inspired to share with my first grade students the other day....

I look forward to sharing more inspiration. Tell me which quote resonated with you in the comments below - that will keep me inspired to find, share and create more and keep this a weekly post! 

I'm linking up with....