In August 2016, I moved with my husband and three children from eastern Washington to Vienna, Austria for my husband’s job. We’ve lived in four states during our marriage, but this was our first international job posting, and we had moved from the East coast to the West coast less than a year before....
10 Things I Learned Living in a Developing Country
For two years my family and I have been living in a developing country – which is the politically correct term for a third world country. Before we moved here, I had no idea Antigua was a developing country. I mean, I knew not to expect all the comforts of home, but I didn’t realize the...
15-minute Happiness Hack: Enjoy a Savoring Walk
You know those times when you have hundreds of things swirling around in your head and so many things on your to-do list that you can’t even focus because you are so overwhelmed? You find yourself snapping at the people you love the most or mentally checking out and ignoring it all. At times...
36 Songs to Get Your Family Groove On | Kid-Friendly Dance Music Playlist
Music and Happiness Music is magical. It can quickly change the atmosphere. The right music can boost your happiness levels. It can help make mundane tasks less monotonous and bring life to a party. It can get you up, moving, singing and enjoying life more. Science shows that “when we 1) anticipate and then...
Using a Bullet Journal to Change Your Life – Part 3: Get the Right Things Done (using GTD)
In this series, we’re looking at how to use a bullet journal to change your life. In part one we learned about what a bullet journal is, how to set one up, and that it’s ok to do it badly. In part two, we looked at how to use a bullet journal to build...
5 Tips for How to Find ME Time When There’s Never ENOUGH Time by Trisa Perry
Today’s Small Things Story comes from Trisa Perry. She is an amazing mom and a woman of many talents. Today she shares her strategies of how she finds time for herself and her own projects when there’s never enough time in busy family life. And there are some amazing before and after pictures of...
What the Movie Groundhog Day Can Teach You About Growth
Did you ever see that 90’s movie Groundhog Day (affiliate link) with that one guy whose name I can’t remember at this mom brain moment? Oh yeah…Bill Murray. (Thanks Google!) It’s a romantic comedy about a self-centered and arrogant big-city TV weatherman who gets trapped in the same day in a little podunk town and...
Using a Bullet Journal to Change Your Life: Part 2 – Form Better Habits
In this series – Using A Bullet Journal to Change Your Life, we first looked at what a bullet journal is, how to start one, and the benefits of starting with an inexpensive notebook. Today we’re looking at how a bullet journal can change your life by helping you form better habits and routines....
Is it Possible to Have Good Habits in the Midst of Mom Life?
“Your life today is essentially the sum of your habits.” – James Clear That realization can either be reassuring or really, really depressing. Our habits, the things we do without really thinking, make up 40% -45% of our day to day lives. Therefore, forming the right habits has a major impact on how happy...
Using a Bullet Journal To Change Your Life: Part 1 – Learn the System
“Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change.” In this series, we’ll walk through how to use a bullet journal to change your life. We’ll look at bullet journal basics, and then explore how you can use your bullet journal to form better habits, to be happier and to get the...
5 Tips for Knowing Yourself Better (& Why it Really Matters)
If knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom, as Aristotle said, then asking yourself “Who Am I?” is an important practice. Knowing who you are is critical for making lasting changes and becoming happier. In order to move forward, to make progress, or to be happier, you have to start with who you...
Solutions For The Mom Who Doesn’t Have Time For Herself
Dear Mom Who Doesn’t Have Time For Herself, Are you running ragged trying to take care of your family and meet everyone’s needs? Feeling like you’re always behind and that there’s never enough time in a day? Want to help your family thrive but don’t quite know how to get there? You are not...
A Proven Way to Be Happier in Just Minutes a Day
Can you really be happier in just minutes a day? I know, I know, you’re thinking this might be a gimmick. But I promise you, I am not about gimmicks. I’m about real. So I say this with sincerity; YES, you really can be happier in just a few minutes a day by doing...
When Even Simple Things Are Hard
Feeling discouraged because some simple thing is really hard for you? Frustrated from seeing others do that exact same thing with ease? Yeah, I’ve been there too. At times it can be tempting to just give up. But I learned an important lesson about persevering when things are hard from watching my special needs...