Several of my dearest friends live states away. We are lucky to see each other once a year if our schedules magically align. Yet we talk all the time! Saturday mornings I curl up in my office, coffee in hand, and catch up with these soul sisters. Connection is such an integral part of well-being, yet it can be hard to find time to do it. Between working, having 3 kids with their own schedules, and simply taking care of a home, it’s sometimes more work to schedule a coffee meetup. However, I yearned for this time with my SSs to laugh, complain, seek advice, reminisce, and just chat away about life. This hour, bright and early on Saturday mornings, is a highlight of my week…connecting with coffee fills my soul. ❤︎
*In case you are looking for a new read, one of my husband’s employees kindly passed on The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters…I couldn’t put it down!!! Thank you, Sue❤︎
**And the beautiful handpainted mug was a surprise from my oldest because I love hydrangeas.❤︎
My son and I were driving up to New Hampshire and started noticing the trees were glistening. Actually, it was as if they had fairy lights twinkling in daylight. The farther we drove, the more sparkling occurred. It was magical. It was pure delight. We giggled at how it was one of the most beautiful sights we’ve seen. We pulled off the highway to get a closer look. One-inch icicles hung from the branches, the air too cold for the drops to melt creating a brilliant light show as the sun’s rays danced on the frozen trees. A simple moment shared between mother and son that brought wonder and joy. Do you take time to drive off the road to get a closer look at sparkling surprises? It may be worth it.❤︎
Spring in New England creates images of crocuses and daffodils emerging through the softening ground. Color begins to blanket the brown earth. How many times have I rushed by these sprouting flowers too busy to pause and enjoy? This spring I’ve turned it into a game for our family. Who can notice the most hyacinths on the way to school? What color tulips can you find? Who can make a bouquet to grace our kitchen table? It’s incredible to watch how pointing out something a few times can turn your brain into noticing it so much more! (I think about the ‘new’ car I discovered and soon enough I noticed it everywhere!) Ultimately, I hope my children will remember to pause for a moment to enjoy the beauty that’s all around, brightening their days with joy, renewal, and simplicity. ❤︎
The vernal equinox…The clock springs ahead, crocuses bloom, and spring cleaning begins! In my home, I begin to reimagine the spaces my family lives in the most. After spending a lot of time indoors over the winter months, I reflect on how we used our spaces. What worked well? Where do we spend the most time? How can I make the rooms more functional? Do we really use that piece of furniture or can I donate it? The burst of energy I get from longer days is invigorating! And I put it to good use in rethinking my home. My family may say otherwise…it most likely drives them crazy!! However, I have found that little changes can make big differences in our daily lives. Remember my post about moving our piano into our foyer (https://wordpress.com/post/theessentialistfamily.com/885)? Well, there’s no doubt my children are pretty good pianists because of that simple move! This year, I realized that no matter how hard I try to move bodies into our dining room, people always congregate in our kitchen, which I love but I have a casual dining room with a much bigger table and unusable space! Instead of fighting this constant scenario, I decided to move our large farmhouse dining room table into our kitchen. Now the space is smaller and the table is large but it totally works! Everyone loves it and gathers around this table, which makes my heart happy. As we prepare meals, have a snack, or entertain friends, we are all together more comfortably. Instead of standing around the kitchen, eight people can easily sit around the table and linger. A minor moving project, although my husband and son may disagree, has turned into a huge win for our family and friends…one big table to sit around sharing stories, laughing, enjoying meals, and simply being together.❤︎ Side thought….what do I do with the dining room?!
Happy 2024! How many New Year’s Resolutions have you broken or better yet, never started? Well, I have too many to count! This year I’m changing the habit and instead, will find inspiring quotes to guide my family each week.
What is an authentic self?
Who makes you feel happy when you are being real?
How can you shine in your own light?
Follow along each week as I share quotes that I post in my own home to encourage conversation, inspire action, and simply show love.❤︎
Start your day off with a smile. Open your eyes, take a deep breath, then smile ear to ear.
When your children first wake up…smile at them! This day is going to be wonderful because you greeted them with pure happiness and love all bundled up in a simple smile. ❤︎
And guess what? They’ll pass that smile on…and on..and on throughout their own day.
Simply smiling makes everyone’s day brighter. Pass it on…
I boarded the Island Queen Ferry from Falmouth to Martha’s Vineyard. A friend from home was renting there so we decided to have a Girl’s Day of wandering the quaint streets, visiting Edgartown Books and then eating at Behind the Books cafe (so cute and delicious), and simply catching up on life. The 9am ferry was crowded on this bluebird morning and a pair of older couples were sitting in front of me, chatting excitedly about their first visit to the island, reminiscent of kids in a candy store. There is something magical about the journey across Vineyard Sound instantly transporting you to another world of calm, tranquility, and natural beauty. Upon departure, this group of friends unsuccessfully tried to take a selfie. Overhearing their frustration, I offered to capture the moment. I then realized one of the women was blind, her white cane propped on the empty seat next to her. The travelers graciously thanked me as I teetered back to my seat. The wind picked up, blowing my hair recklessly and I turned my face toward to warm sun. The shore was dotted with grey-washed clapboard cottages shrinking out of sight. The water was glistening so ferociously that I had to squint. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I wondered if this blind woman was able to feel what I was feeling even though she wasn’t seeing the same view. A feeling of sadness swept through me as I thought she was missing out on my experience. Who was I to judge that my eyes gave me more in this world? As I glanced over, her head was raised toward the rays of light, eyes closed yet turned up on the edges hinting at the serene smile dressing her face. The beauty of this moment was felt and savored by both of us with our whole bodies, a wordless understanding of the majesty and adventures lying ahead.
Spring is a time for renewal, to refresh and start again. I chose my book club’s spring read, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam, to bring about life change to simply revive in this season. WOW! That’s all I can say…WOW! How many of us constantly complain that we don’t have enough time in the day to accomplish the things we need to nevertheless less the things we want to do? Vanderkam honestly makes readers pause, reflect and examine how we utilize our time. But here’s the warning…. You need to be utterly HONEST with yourself to get an accurate picture of how you spend your 24 hours per day, 168 hours per week. And trust me, it’s easier said than done.
Vanderkam offers a Time Management Worksheet as a useful tool to record your daily activities in 15minute increments. Sounds like a large undertaking, right? However, the time is well worth it. Think of it as a log to visually track everything you do on a typical day. She does recommend tracking for an entire week as weekends will bring on different schedules. In addition, some days will inevitably pop up atypical appointments, last minute emergencies, and sicknesses that alter your plans. I’ll be completely upfront and admit I didn’t fulfill a week’s worth of tracking but I did get much insight. What was personally most helpful, was logging my activities at the end of a month to see what changes I had in fact made…this is what I recommend!
Bottom line is that 168 Hours shows how you choose to spend your time whether working, carpooling, playing with your kids, or completing house work. It shines light on what you think matters most compared to how much time you actually spend on the most important things or people. Time can get away from us with busy lives, work and responsibilities, but 168 allows us to reexamine our lives and help us make conscious choices that better align with our goals, core competencies and happiness.
Leading a full life is what most of us aspire to. Having a happy family life, purposeful work, meaningful social connections, serving others, prioritizing faithful endeavors and making time to relax or enjoy hobbies is what we strive for. While the exact component of what defines a full life will vary from person to person, the greater idea is the same. What a time overhaul does is show you exactly where you are logging hours, wasting minutes, and underutilizing yourself. What we think we are doing may very well not be happening. For instance, volunteering has always been important to me. I selectively choose which organizations I support but when I looked at my weekly commitments, I realized they were inconsistent. Projects come and go but I don’t have a regular volunteer obligation, which I realize I enjoy…it fulfills me. So scheduling 2 hours per week to help my causes made my life more full!
Starting with a blank slate is invigorating! You are the designer of your life. You fill in the slots with what you choose to do. “You build a life where you really can have it all” (24). You decide how to spend your time doing more of the things that are fulfilling and ones you are passionate about. You choose what is not important in this season of life and make time for things and people who are. If your priority is playing more with your children, block time do that each and every day. Gracefully decline a PTO meeting that you can get the agenda to, or cancel a golf outing you are secretly dreading. If it’s not a priority, get comfortable with saying, “No!” Turn off your phone for 45 minutes so you can play board games, shoot hoops, or take a bike ride together. Make dinner the meal you get home for each night, connect through conversation, share laughs, jokes and stories. This small part of your day may immensely strengthen your bonds while fulfilling your priority to family time.
Vanderkam reminds us that we each have core competencies-things we are naturally good at. It’s most effective and satisfying when our work aligns with these competencies (This will be another blog post!). “You should do what you love and you should love what you do,” says Harvard professor Teresa Amabile (58). While that all sounds idealist, it can and should happen. Again, that may take time for some of us who aren’t living out that dream job. Yet small changes can create a job more consistent with your ideals. Really look at how much actual time is spent on job related tasks. How many employees think they work 40 hours a week, but spend closer to 30? Checking personal emails, taking coffee breaks, scheduling doctor appointments don’t count as work so be honest about your time. If you discover more time, try spending it on pursuing ways to make your current employment more fulfilling, consider alternative careers or even spend it on other time-deficient areas. The time is yours so do with it what will brings you life’s satisfaction and purposeful work. Happiness follows when we are productive, purposeful, and honestly ourselves.
I find happiness is easier to achieve when I have help with mundane, household responsibilities. I consciously remind myself of how cleaning my house creates a calm, organized environment for my children to feel safe and comfortable in. Would I rather outsource that job? Absolutely! And we have in the past. But my husband is firm in his commitment to raising self-sufficient teens and keeping rooms dusted and vacuumed, bathrooms scrubbed, and laundry folded, neatly away is his way of helping them be grateful for what they have and responsible for continual upkeep. Yet looking at how much time I still spend making doctor appointments, weeding the garden beds, and food shopping, I do wonder how I can hire others to help. Vanderkam has someone do her laundry, but I’m not sure that will work for me. However, that’s a conversation my husband and I will have as we prioritize our time and finances to reach more of the life we want.
One of the eye-opening parts of this time makeover was ‘seeing’ that we do have more time for leisurely pursuits than originally thought. Most of us want more leisure time but when it comes, we don’t know what to do or instead, just veg on the couch. Instead, this is the time to pursue the hobby you’ve been putting off, joining the knitting group, book club, taking skiing lessons, playing the cello, or training for a half-marathon. This somewhat gifted time is really important to our overall well-being so make it happen….schedule it and don’t make an excuse to get rid of it! Will it be hard to change your habit of falling onto the couch after a long day at work? Perhaps. However, you’ll be amazed at how your happiness increases when you start making time to do meaningful activities that nurture your soul.
“Broadly, figure out what hours you would like to be working, sleeping, nurturing your family and friends, and nurturing yourself” (221). Take back your 168 hours to create the life you want and deserve. No shame. No guilt. Spring into change and refresh your life, one minute at a time.
March is National Reading Month so why not have a list of parenting books to have by your side for guidance, support and inspiration. This month’s blogs will focus on books I have on my shelf.❤︎
Recent nontraditional learning instruction has parents wondering if their children are behind academically. I recently read, The Blessings of a B Minus, by Wendy Mogel (author of Blessings of a Skinned Knee), and couldn’t help but remind myself that grades are not what matters most. Maybe the pandemic is making parents pause and consider what schooling is really for. “The most reliable predictors of adult success are not grades in high school or a college pedigree. They are the qualities that psychologist Daniel Goleman calls emotional intelligence: empathy, optimism, flexibility, a good sense of humor, the capacity to function as a team member, and a positive reaction to setbacks.” Aren’t these the characteristics we hope our children will develop? As they enter the real world on their own, what in fact will help them succeed? Our goal as parents is to guide them toward independence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and confidence while teaching them basic life skills so they use their own unique abilities to make their mark in this world. “If you teach your child that everyday work is a gift, you encourage skills that will allow him to develop his holy potential-first as a child and student, and eventually as a parent and contributing member of the community.” Perhaps we need to refocus our parenting lens; less on academics pressures and more on life skills. Mounting data shows that today’s teens are less prepared for living on their own than generations before. This should be a wake-up call for parents that this is our fault! It is our job to prepare them! Let’s not fail our children but instead arm them to be the productive, innovative, compassionate individuals that our society needs. And maybe don’t think about grades over the next few weeks or months ..think about thier future lives.❤︎
“Your children will always be sufficiently wealthy if they receive from you a good upbringing that is able to order their moral life and behavior. Thus, strive not to make them rich, but rather to make them pious masters of their passions, rich in virtues. Teach them not to think up illusory needs, reckoning their worth according to worldly standards. Attentively watch their deeds, their acquaintances and their attachments—and do not expect any mercy from God if you do not fulfill this duty.” Raising Children According to Saint John Chrysostom
March is National Reading Month so why not have a list of parenting books to have by your side for guidance, support and inspiration. This month’s blogs will focus on books I have on my shelf.❤︎
Slowing down, enjoying the simpler moments in our daily lives is a mission here at The Essentialist Family. I try to inspire other families to do just that! Months ago, I read Ingrid Fetell Lee’s, Joyful, The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. I can’t help but think if others read this, maybe they’ll notice the joy that surrounds each of us in the most basic ways. Finding moments of joy with everyday objects can make us smile and will make long days a little brighter. Fill your home with photos of family trips and adventures. Display those art projects from school instead of tossing or storing them in a bin. I use blue painter’s tape to stick drawings on our pantry door-instant smiles! My oldest is painting canvases in a fury so I stood them up along the wainscoting in our dining room for instant art for all to admire. As a family, we collect seas shells and rocks in the shape of hearts. We place them in glass jars, along windowsills and even on my writing desk to remind me of happy trips to different beaches. Even in a rough moment, a glance at those shells restores my peace and makes me smile.
Joy is individual-what gives me happiness, is not what brings you contentment. Lee takes readers on a journey of self-discovery; acknowledging joy in everyday pleasures or in the mundane. “The problem is that without joy, we may be surviving, but we are not thriving. If we rarely laugh or play, if we never have glimpses of magic or flashes of transcendence or bursts of celebration, then no matter how well fed and comfortable we are, we are not truly alive.” Her Joyful Tooklit provides a step-by-step guide of joyfinding. Couldn’t we all use a little more of joyfinding in our lives?! I’m not sure there’s a better activity to build connections with your loved ones but to discover what brings you joy together. Going on nature walks, taste-testing local ice cream, training for a 5K, serving lunch at a meal center, learning a new language, building a row boat or cooking for another family are all fun ways to discover joy. So, gather up your family and go joyfinding. ❤︎
Don’t forget to share what you discovered on Facebook at Lauri Diamantis. And kindly follow this blog for more tips of living Simply Happier❤︎
I like to organize! I like to have a place for everything. My daughters have followed in my footsteps, but my son, not so much. We are heading into Lent and cleaning our home is part of our preparedness. This year, my 10yr old has been watching The Home Edit so our home is going through some major re-organization! It first started with my daughter’s room. I spent way too much on clear drawer containers so she could roll her clothes into neat, small bundles. Hours upon hours later she surfaced with a huge smile of accomplishment. She purged bags of clothes that did not fit, hammy downs that she would not wear, and trinkets that were long over due to be tossed. She gained 2 empty drawers, which she stored her hair accessories and jewelry so that the top of her dressers were free from clutter. WOW! I was amazed. Her happiness was contagious and soon we were on to tackle the kitchen pantry.
A trip to our local Home Goods shocked the cashier as she inquired what we could possibly do with all those bins! Honestly, the kitchen project took me a few days to mentally process before we began because I knew it would temporarily disrupt our daily lives. But with her enthusiasm gleaming, we jumped in. I even put a coat of glossy white paint on the shelves since it hadn’t been done in years! Together we sorted, color matched, and rearranged the most highly utilized part of our kitchen. And it is glorious! Something as simple as putting school snacks in a clear bin within easy reach makes mornings that much smoother! Moving nuts to the middle shelf within eye sight allows them to be chosen as a snack more often! Up went the pasta to the top shelf simply because I need to eat less pasta…and it worked! Who would have imagined organizing a pantry would make everyone in our home happier? Even my husband keeps saying he LOVES opening the doors as it looks pretty.
Why stop there? Kitchen drawers were my project one afternoon. My daughter tackled her bathroom closet. Then came refrigerator. Again, it’s incredible what a few clear bins can do to transform a space. We reimagined where food items could go and started with a clean slate. Veggies and fruit came out of the built-in produce drawers and we sorted them by color in the easy to reach middle of the fridge. Breads went into the drawers so they aren’t seen as easily or eaten as frequently. And guess what? We’ve been flying through our fruits and veggies simply because they are front and center. And when you sort by color, they look so nice!
Honestly, all I can say is start organizing the most used parts of your home right now! Think of your kitchen, mudroom, bedrooms, bathrooms. Take your time though…make it a month long project. Keep in mind, if you drag it on too long it won’t get done. Divide tasks, rooms and roles to make it a family affair. Plus, the more hands who contribute, the more ownership they’ll have and will aim to keep it organized along the way. And when people can find things, there’s less complaining, smoother mornings and bedtimes, less chaos, and fewer inquires of where things are. And that makes mom simple happier. ❤︎
If you enjoyed this post, follow my blog for more tips and thoughts on being an Essentialist Family….Simply Happier❤︎
A few years back, a mom friend popped over after school. She walked in and looked around quite suspiciously. “Is this how your home is all the time?” she wondered. I didn’t know what she meant until she said her house was not as peaceful and her kids, not as calm. So I shared my thoughts on how I create calm in the chaos of life!
1.Turn down the lights or better yet, open the shades
Imagine coming home from a busy day at school, bombarded with tests, overwhelming assignments, navigating the social world of teens, hangry, and physically and emotionally exhausted. You fling open the door to your haven of home and are blinded by glaring florescent lights turned all the way up to BRIGHT. You squint! You bend your head away from the blinding light before a headache ensues. Not a comforting way to come home.
Instead, open the door to a kitchen with the blinds opened all the way up and natural light pouring in. The high hats are dimmed a tad, producing a glowing effect that brings a smile to a warm room. Is this ambiance any harder to create in your own home? Probably not, but lighting does make a large impact on how people feel. And after a long day at school and work, your family wants to come home and feel at ease, relaxed and happy to be together. Turn the lights down a notch to create this calming effect.
2.Light a candle
Using scent is a powerful calming technique. Lavender, vanilla, and rose can instantly bring calm one first sniff. I happen to look for beach inspired scents as anything beachy brings a relaxing vibe to our home. You can also try plug-in air fresheners, dried flowers, or essential oil diffusers to fill your home with longer lasting smells. I happen to prefer candles as the flicker of light also soothes–maybe even put on the fireplace for the same effect!
3.Turn on the music
Do you like waking up to a beeping, blaring alarm blasting at a high volume? Neither do I. Talk about jarring yourself into a state of panic rather than starting your day peacefully. Walking into a home filled with soft jazz, classical music, drumming or soothing sounds of a rainfall does produce calm almost instantaneously. “Music around 60 beats per minute can cause the brain to synchronize with the beat causing alpha brainwaves (frequencies from 8 – 14 hertz or cycles per second). This alpha brainwave is what is present when we are relaxed and conscious.”1 We constantly have music playing because I visibly see how it positively effects my family. Plus, when the volume is subtle, voices get softer. I asked for a record player a few Christmases ago and even though I only have a few albums, they work wonders! We also did get Sonos speakers for the main living areas just for this reason of creating a soothing environment.
So, what are you waiting for? Create a more calming home right now in 3 easy ways! Let me know how it went….
If you enjoyed this post, follow my blog for more tips and thoughts on being an Essentialist Family….Simply Happier❤︎
Take a deep breath in. Hold 1,2,3. Slowly, let it out. Relax your heart. Release.
My youngest daughter has a “worry” brain. That’s how we’ve come to name her anxiety ridden thought processes that weigh her down. It has been a struggle to have her ease her worries to live in a more calm, happy state. Some days are better than others, especially as she learns strategies to help. Maturity as well as the ability to verbalize her feelings, tiggers and concerns facilitates in getting her emotions under control.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, by Michael Singer, is my most recent read in a genre I don’t typically grab. Yet, I loved it! There’s truth of going outside your comfort zone to experience joy in unexpected ways. As I dove into this journey of self-discovery, I realized that “if you protect yourself perfectly, you will never grow”(61). I couldn’t help but think of my daughter. I can’t protect her from troubling situations but I can guide her in how she copes. “Events don’t determine whether or not you’re going to be happy. They’re just events. You determine whether or not you’re going to be happy…if you can live this way, your heart will be so open and your Spirit will be so free, that you will soar up to the heavens (143). Simply, keep an open heart. When negativity, frustration, or disappointment arise, relax your heart and let these feelings flow freely through. Release the negativity. Try it! Because you know what? You will feel better. But it takes deliberate practice, self-awareness, and time. “Eventually you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself. It is the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes problems” (10). And this is what I want to show my daughter…her mind is creating chaos. When she reframes the situation and renames her feelings, she is empowered and her outlook shifts. “That which is holding you down can become a powerful force that raises you up” (79).
7:15am. Bedside, I nudge my daughter from sleep. Eyes slowly open and then instantaneously turn red, watery, filling with tears. Not even 10 seconds have gone by since awakening. “What is it, my love?” I ask. “I have MAP testing,” she whimpers. Together, we took a deep breath in. Hold 1,2,3. Slowly, let it out. Relax your heart. Release. Out went the negative feelings. In came relief. She got up and started her day, tears drying up, a smile emerging. As Singer says, “You live in love and it feeds you and strengthens you” (57). ❤︎
My posts in December were focused on simple gifts I can give my children as well as myself. My mind began tuning into the simple things I do for myself that I hadn’t realized were really important. They mostly go unseen, unnoticed except for this one….creating fresh floral arrangements. I’ve always loved flowers and gardens. I think part of that stemmed from the fact that I grew up in an apartment and wasn’t able to have a garden of my own. I yearned for one. My mother found a way of making our windowsills mini-gardens filled with potted plants. I adored helping her care for these beauties, watering and deadheading blooms. As I got older, I found that making simple bouquets of fresh flowers was a treat and a way to surround myself with colorful flowers. This gift continues today as I find any reason to create arrangements for my home. It gives me joy, pure and simple. I guess you can call it a hobby or a passion just to create something I love. I have come to gift my arrangements to friends and family for celebrations, surprises for neighbors, and to cheer up homebound seniors from our Church. It is a simple way to spread joy while nurturing my own soul in the process. With Valentine’s Day approaching, think about how your family can give happiness to others, but in a way that hones in on your strengths, interests or hobbies. What do you enjoy doing together? Crafts? Reading? Cooking? Think about curating family favorite books, tie with a bow and gift to a teacher. Put together your favorite family soup recipe with dry ingredients in a jar, and attach a recipe card to gift to a neighbor. Make a fleece-tied blanket for grandparents or elderly friends. Love chocolate? Try making your own for friends! You can add different flavors based on their preferences such as hints of coffee, peppermint or even jalapeno. Creating a gift together to pass on to people you care about will have lasting meaning for all of you. So while the majority of people are stopping at convenience stores to buy last-minute Valentine’s gifts, take time to bond with your family showing the value of using your time, talents and thoughtfulness for those you care about. And when in doubt, flowers do make people smile 🙂
January 2023. A New Year and another birthday a few days later. It’s a time for reflection, change, lists of hopes, long-term plans, redefining wants and needs, and simply finding ways for joy and fulfillment. My book club is finishing up The Untethered Soul by Micahel Singer, and one of my favorite quotes is, “Just embrace life with all of your heart and soul” (46). This will be my mantra for this coming year…keeping my heart open and joyfully welcoming opportunities, and new experiences, while letting go of past frustrations and expectations.
A tradition of my family has been to go to the beach for my birthday, even in the snow! The beach is my happy place; the sound, the smell, the feeling I get. This year it was mild so we headed up to nearby Maine to one of our all-time favorite beaches, Goose Rocks. The sugar-white sand is silky underfoot, while the emptiness of the seashore in winter is serene. Deep breaths in and even slower breaths out refocused me. Children are very perceptive, more than we tend to give them credit for. One by one, they ran and found rocks, smoothed by the ebb and flow of the waves. We like to collect ones that look like hearts. And of course, on this glorious day, we found just the right one. It’s larger than usual, rugged and jagged on one side, more rounded on the other. Smooth in some spots but rough on others. The color varies in shades of gray, and chips can be seen throughout nodding to the hard life under the ocean. Yet, its imperfections make it perfect for me. Our life as a family is not perfect, but in moments like these I want to savor for all time. The joy in my heart and soul are utterly overflowing and I can’t help but say a prayer of gratitude. I do hope, in my 46th year, I give a gift to my children. I want them to feel love, contentment, enthusiasm, and joy in life. I want them to find their own beaches, with loved ones by their sides. Happy, Happy❤︎
the Essentialist Family 