Busy day planned today! Working all day, but taking a little longer lunch break to take my grandma out for a Mexican lunch at Zocalo – should be fun!

After work, the Mister and I will be heading to a photoshoot for American Greetings, I’ll try and take some on-set, behind the scenes photos! I love it when I get to work with the Mister

But before I get whirled away with the day, let’s all take a few minutes and reflect back on our weeks.

This week, I’m thankful for:

My incredible family

That I’ve managed to keep my house fairly clean since our last thorough cleaning

Grilled cheese sandwiches

The return of MAD MEN

Turkey Bacon

Weekend plans in Amish Country with my mother-in-law and Mama

That Fall is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER – I can smell it!

My Mister, who puts up with me and still manages to love me at the end of every day

That Eat, Pray, Love comes out this weekend!

What are YOU thankful for today?

But before kicking into weekend mode, let’s all take a few minutes and think about what made us thankful this week.

This week, I’m thankful that at any point, we can all start over. I’m thankful that if you want to accomplish something, it’s never too late — ever. The only thing holding you back is…YOU. What do you want to do? What’s stopping you?

As a fun, mental excercise I put together a list of “stuff” I want to do. These aren’t formal goals, but more of a checkpoint for myself. I think we should all do this once in awhile. Take stock of your life. Think about what you can be doing to make it more full-filled. Think about your passions — are you pursuing them? Nothing is too silly or far-fetched to add to list. In fact, writing our dreams down actually helps solidify them and increase the chances of them coming true. I’ll get us started with my list, but feel free to share your own (or keep it private )

Things I want to do… (WITHIN THE NEAR FUTURE)

• Travel to Europe with the Mister
• Find a tap class – and take it! (I miss dance…)
• Get my children’s book published (any publishers out there?! )
• Take a cruise through Alaska
• Learn how to make the perfect pie crust
• Host Thanksgiving (need a bigger house and kitchen for that!)
• Take ballroom dance classes with the Mister
• Start a family and make someplace our home
• Get back involved in community theater
• Learn how to french braid hair (seriously, how pathetic is that!)

What are your wishes? What’s preventing you from making them come true?

Why junk food break up though? See, I figured that a lot of us have a special place in our hearts for the stuff that’s not always good for us. Maybe we just never knew how to let the “not always good for you” food be only a part of our lives – and if we face facts we know we can’t cut it all out completely, because, well, true love never dies. That’s where that balance comes in! Learning that there are other fish (and salads and yogurts and fruits) in the sea, and knowing that you don’t have to cut everything you love out of life makes the journey so much better!

Here are a few pearls of wisdom that have helped me out along the way in my journey to the land of balance, and I hope you find them helpful too!

• Have a piece of pizza for a meal once in a while – as long as your other meals aren’t doughnuts and cheeseburgers.
• Explore the produce section – before, I used to think that salads were confined to iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. Imagine my surprise and delight when I learned that a salad (and the produce section) is basically just one big endless opportunity. My favorite salad concoction? Fresh spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onions and goat cheese with dressing on the side.
• Develop a love for dark chocolate in place of milk chocolate – not only is it better for ya, but there’s something about dark chocolate that just feels decadent and luxurious.
• Venture off the beaten path and visit a farmers market or local grocery store – you just might find something new that you hadn’t seen at your regular store.
• Make exercise a priority. I used to think “oh, I’ll workout if I get around to it.” Now I know that it’s going to be a part of my day before I tackle other things.
• Dining out is going to happen – it is part of life and an experience that’s meant to be enjoyed to the fullest. I will say that it took me a while to not go straight for the French Fries, but now I love to explore other options on the menu (but I won’t lie, the fries still get ordered from time to time).
• Stick with it for at least 3 weeks and let your body get used to the changes you are making.

I apologize for my lack of posting yesterday. The Mister and I took the day off to spend some much-needed time together and I wasn’t about to waste even ONE SECOND on the computer!

The morning was spent going on a walk for a tasty smoothie, followed by Eclipse and THE BODIES exhibit. We then headed over to one of my favorite restaurants and capped the evening off with Neon Trees. What.a.day. It actually felt like a summer COLLEGE day. Ya know, before we had jobs, obligations and deadlines. Oh how I long for those days. College and high school students – HANG ON TO THEM! seriously.

Alright, enough whining. Let’s think about the moments this week for which we’re thankful. I’ll start…

I’m thankful for:

My health

Beautiful weather and lowered humidity

Simple dinners that allow me to spend more time playing outside

Neon Trees, for letting me ROCK OUT

My friends, and that the Mister and I are so busy with all our fun, upcoming plans with them

The upcoming long weekend with multiple cookouts and spending time with family

Fresh, in-season fruit – nothing beats it

America – and the freedoms it provides – can you tell I’m feeling patriotic?

What are YOU thankful for this week?

CALL FOR GUEST POSTS

Would you like to be a guest on The Daily Balance? If so, email me (thedailybalance at gmail dot com) with your idea/post. I’ll need all posts by Monday, July 12.

Please join me in taking a few moments this morning to recognize all the good in our lives. Despite the hard times, stress, anxiety, etc., there is always something(or a lot!) to be thankful for. What made you smile this week? What are you thankful for this very moment?

I’ll kick it off…

This week I’m thankful for:

Avocados – I have been slathering them on EVERYTHING!

My baby brother and the fact that he’s GRADUATING COLLEGE – I’m so proud of you

My dad, who really deserves a Father’s Day celebration every day of the year. Seriously, my dad rocks. I love you, daddy

That Amber and Jon are getting married and that they are letting me be a part of the festivities! I’m headed to Columbus for the rehearsal tonight and tomorrow is PARTY TIME! I’ll be sure to take lots of pics

For hand sanitizer — seriously, best invention ever.

For Giant Eagle Fuel Perks – I got gas for FREE this week!

For the Mister — for just being him

Since I’m in the wedding mood, I’ll leave you with some wedding flashbacks of the Mister and I – enjoy!

Happy Wedding season!

This week I am thankful for…

AIR CONDITIONING – I do not care that it is artificial air. It is cool air that allows me to NOT feel like a sweaty piglet.

Beautiful weather

New outfits (thanks, Mama )

The upcoming LONG weekend

The man who did my pedicure. I have so many callouses that the work I put him through is but a start, but at least people don’t gasp when they see my feet. I have way too many cute, opened toed shoes to have ugly feet!

CHERRIES - I cannot eat enough of them this week! Perfect snack food!

That I no longer feel tethered to my DVR – THANK GOODNESS for season finales! The Mister and I will now be giving up our titles as “biggest couch potatoes ever.” I feel so liberated! (God, I’m pathetic )

What are YOU thankful for this week? Remember! Nothing is too small to recognize! Sometimes it’s the littlest things that change our moods/days around

Happy Thankful Thursday.

I don’t know about you, but this week has been a doozy! With back-to-back meetings most of the day and a few late nights at the office, I feel like I’ve barely had time to breathe. While it could be an easy week to just let this day pass, I think that it actually makes it more important. We need to force ourselves to STOP, breathe and look back on the week.

Please take a few minutes with me and think about what you’re thankful for this week.

I’m thankful for:

Productivity — it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you HAVE TO

Sunshine — it’s beautiful outside today!

My Jack the Pumpkin King Bobble Head — it makes me smile even when I’m stressed

See?! Do we look alike? I’m not sure I’ve mastered the mischievous grin (I look more like a goof!)…

Side note: I cannot BELIEVE I just posted that image of myself to go out over the intertubes.

The upcoming weekend — The Mister and I are going to see GREASE!, and I have a fun date planned with my Mama on Saturday.

That the mister won’t be tempted to kill me my car didn’t dent when I hit a pole in my parking garage

Good books

What are you thankful for this week?

Have you sent in your photos for Fashion Friday?! BIG prizes are at stake!

Hope everyone is off to a wonderful start! I made it halfway to work before I realized I left my curling iron plugged in. Because I don’t want the mister to yell at me to burn my house down, I tuned around like the responsible woman I am, unplugged said curling iron and headed back to work. I found an awesome parking space – SCORE! And just when I stepped outside our garage it started to POUR. Oh well, you win some, you lose some

Moving on… (how’s that for a transition?)

This weekend the Mister and I had the pleasure to watch one of our best friends graduate from LAW SCHOOL! Congrats, Josh! We are so proud of you

The ceremony was held at Cleveland’s Severance Hall. Isn’t it beautiful?

Anyway, the keynote speaker was incredibly inspiring and said a few things that resonated with me. So often people think they need to get on the right ladder — you know, take the right steps, do the right things and slowly climb to where they want to be….step by step.

But the thing is, life is really a lot more like rock climbing. There aren’t always clear steps and sometimes you have to take a few roundabout stumbles or turns to get where you want to go. And sometimes you end up somewhere else entirely.

How many of you have heard the phrase — or said it yourself — “Five years ago, I had no idea that I’d be ________!”

And for some of you, maybe you are doing exactly what you planned on doing 5 years ago!

My point is, we don’t know where life will take us. We can’t control many factors that contribute to our path. What we can control is our  mindset. Our openness to opportunity – in all its forms. Our zest for happiness and well-being.

Whether you are graduating or not, I think it’s important to take time and reflect on your life a bit. Where are you today? Is it where you wanted to be? Is it better? Where do you think you’ll be in 5 years?

5 years ago I…

• Was in my last year of college (undergrad)
• Was living in Columbus
• Thought I’d be working in Broadcasting (after dropping out of my Music/Voice major)
• Was planning the wedding of my dreams

Now I’m…

• Working in PR/Advertising
• Living in Cleveland
• Happily married
• Finished with my Master’s Degree

In 5 years I’ll (as of now)…

• Be a mom!
• Happily married
• Living in…..?
• Finished with my doctorate and teaching college students

Do you guys notice my one constant? MY MISTER! Because in the end, it doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing. If I make decisions with my heart’s happiness in mind, I know everything will be just fine Hey, I’m no dummy! I know better than to rock climb without a partner!

YOUR TURN! Where were you 5 years ago? Where are you now? Where do you think you’ll be in 5 years?

And you thought this post was going to be about actual rock climbing, didn’t you? Well, here’s a picture

Today is one of my favorite days of the week — Thankful Thursday.

On Thursdays we take a few moments to reflect back on our weeks and recall the moments of gratitude. This can be as simple as the flowers starting to bloom or as MAJOR as a promotion, birth of a new baby, marriage, etc. Nothing is too small, cliche or silly. If something brightened your day, it’s worth noting. And sometimes all the little “nothings” add up to something really huge: happiness

What were you thankful for this week?

I’ll start.

This week, I was thankful for:

The fact that I’m still alive after week 1, week 2 and week 3 of P90X

New-found motivation

My Vanilla Lip Smacker 

My growing list of books I want to read

Frappuccino Happy Hour

The Pioneer Woman (and her genius recipes)

That I’ll be in PUERTO RICO in just 2 MONTHS!

A reminder: Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. <— Quote brought to you by Oprah Winfrey. While she is quite a motivational/inspirational woman, she ruins the TV show Life. There, I said it (someone had to).

What are you thankful for this week?

HOLY BAJOLEY, where has the time gone?!

Last year I wrote a post dedicated to my mom. You should read it, cuz it’s awesome.

Last year the Mister and I made a lovely spread for my Mom at my parents’ house.

This year, the Mister and I will be taking to the kitchen once more. But it will be at OUR house and My in-laws will be joining us. I cannot WAIT to share what I’m we’re making. The dessert? To die for. Let’s just say Pioneer Woman has something to do with it

Let’s get on with it, shall we!

Mom, thank you for being you. More importantly thank you for letting me be, well, me. I know I’m a lot to handle, but just know that I’m everything I am because of YOU (remember that when I make you mad ).

Thank you for being there. Whenever. Wherever. To put it simply, you are the most selfless person I know and we (Justin and I) do not tell you nearly enough how much you are appreciated.

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  ~Washington Irving

Thank you for being that person. I thank God every day that he picked me to be your daughter.

I love you

Why are you thankful for YOUR Mama? How are you celebrating Mother’s Day this year?