Throw A Girl A Bone

Hello my lovelies!

I want to take a moment to say "THANK YOU!" to all of you for showing me such amazing support during this incredibly trying time with my daughter. While things aren't easy, I can still find moments when I want to swoop her up in my arms and cover her in kisses. Her mouth makes me crazy, but I love her spirit. My prayer is for her to learn respect and still keep those spunky qualities that make her who she is.

She starts her new "school" on the 25th. Yesterday at intake, we had a lot of questions answered and I am optimistic that this is the right choice for her. I will definitely keep you posted.

Anywho... Coming up very soon, Only Parent Chronicles will be getting a face lift courtesy of the A-MAZING Jessica at The Frilly Coconut. While I love my current look, I think it is a bit dark. I am looking to lighten it up a bit and make it a bit more cheerful.






I am hoping I could get some opinions from you all about format, as I have a couple of different visions in my head and am trying to make my bloggy home as user friendly as possible!

1st - Columns? 2 or 3? To the left, right, or on each side?
2nd - Visible GFC widget or no?
3rd - Archives, LinkWithin, or both? (Or neither? Maybe you really don't care what I've said in the past...)
4th - Categories? Yes or No? Does anyone ever use those to search?

What do you think makes a blog design most user friendly?
What do you hate to see on a blog?

Lastly... I'm working on a media kit and was hoping you might head over here and answer a few quick questions about yourself.

Again, thank you all so much for your support and everything you do to make my day better!

*hugs*

Reaching Your Happy Place

It's the time of year when people begin to get all reflective and start to make their resolutions for the next year. While I do enjoy reflection, I am not one to make resolutions. To me, resolutions are stated intents with no system to measure progress. What's to point in trying to change something if you can't measure your progress?

Last night, while my daughter laid in bed next to me watching Zombieland, I had a long, deep conversation with my dear friend Alicia. A lot of what we talked about had to do with finding happiness while staying true to yourself and true to your God.  While I try to keep this space secular, to know me is to know that I am a Christian. Many years ago, following the death of my husband, I welcomed Christ into my life and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior.  Although I fall short, I wake each day with the intent to live His will and make choices to glorify Him.

For those that do not hold my beliefs, please, don't feel alienated and close this page. That is all I have to say about Him. What I am getting at is really less about faith and more about happiness. More about that little voice in the back of your head that tells you whether or not you are on the right track.




Via Google images



So often we make choices that in the here and now seem like great ideas. Like a night on the town with libations flowing freely. Then, the next day, we wake up feeling like a pile of poo thinking, "Why on Earth did I drink so much?" It made us happy at the time, but really, long term, it contributed nothing to our overall happiness.

I'm not saying, "Quit drinking." That's an absurd thought, in my opinion. What I am saying is, how often do we really evaluate our overall happiness? Not how we're feeling right at that moment, but overall? How often do we consider all of our options? How often do we look at the options and really consider necessary steps to achieving the seemingly unattainable goal?

I know that I personally have aspired to things that have quickly fallen to the wayside because of doubt and fear that clouded my way. I'm here to tell you that I refuse to be a product of my fear. Going forward, I refuse to be a product of my self doubt. While I am not here to make a list of changes I'd like to see in me, I will say that 2011 will see me embracing my challenges and facing my fears. 2011 will see me not being defined by the things I don't think I can do, but working to acheive the things that bring me overall happiness.