always in our heart..

Hello my loves!

Today my mum opened her Mother's Day gift early. To her credit, it was being shipped by some unknown work-from-home-mom in the States. Therefore, not knowing it was her gift, she ended up getting her present early! Chatting with her about it today made me think...

See, I got my mum 150 paper butterflies so that she could have those colourful little guys all over her house all the time. Why butterflies? When my brother passed away 16 years ago, my parents participated in a butterfly-release ceremony with a ton of other families who had experienced loss that year. It was a very special and memorable event. Since then, butterflies have brought my mum peace and remembrance of all the good times. 

That's me trying to smile like my big brother a long time ago!

Then that made me think of all the moms (and dads) who have had a child pass away. It's an unbearable loss.

With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, I thought we should send some happy vibes and tons of love to any momma's out there who are remembering their kiddo's that they've had to say goodbye to. 

We love you MOM!!

hugs

sarah d.

it's a tough job.

Hey team-love!

I've worked in the Social Service industry for nearly 5 years, and have volunteered with it in one way or another for the past 10. What I'm getting at is that I've worked with a lot of Case Workers. (You may know them as Social Workers.) Wow.. now that's a tough job. 

I work with Case Workers every day who have anywhere from 15 to 37 kids on their case-load. Essentially, their job is to parent, nurse, counsel, support, challenge, discipline, care for, encourage, drive places, pay for, motivate, listen to, advocate for, .... the list goes on. 

A lot of the kids struggle with mental health issues.

They all come from broken homes.

Most have been abused in so many ways. 

And a Case Worker's job is to meet these kids needs at every possible turn. 

They work within a huge and challenging system and they come up against barriers daily while they're trying to advocate for their 'kiddos'. 

It's a tall order and no matter what your experience with different Case Workers, they deserve support and love. 

Image found here

Come on team, let's send some love their way.
While they cheer on their kids, let's give them a cheer too!!

Keep up the good work!!

hugs
sarah d.

everything in moderation...

...except laughter!!!

Hey team :)

I trust you are well, loved, and sending love back out into the world. 

I was driving the other day and took note of some of the exercisers out and about. Most of them were joggers/walkers. A lot of them looked pooped, but were pressing on! They were all shapes and sizes and in very colourful spandex clothing. (There were Lululemon logos as far as the eye could see! lol)

I've worked hard and lost 30 pounds in just over a year. Unfortunately, the last couple weeks I have really dropped the ball and have been feeling kind of down and depressed about it. Seeing all those people out there working hard, especially the bigger ones, motivated me so much! 

Shortly afterwards, I was putzing around online and found this:

Don’t you give up. It doesn’t matter how many times you stumble, how many workouts you miss, how much cake you eat at 3 am. Don’t quit. It’s the first rule of BodyRocking. BodyRockers never give up. I fail all the time. If you are training for a life well lived – if you are going after your dreams – you are going to fall down now and then. It’s frustrating, but this is real life. We are real people.

I came across this on an awesome and fun FREE resource online and it made me cry. It's just how I was feeling - like I had given up. I hadn't necessarily eaten cake at 3am, but pretty darn close. So, I started the program 4 days ago and I'm loving it and the health I'm feeling again. 

photo cred: hathuyanna

• Eat a healthy and high-in-protein breakfast every morning. 
• Eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies. 
• Eat lean meats. 
• Drink tons of water. 
• Get your heart rate up for 12-20 minutes, six times a week, doing aerobics and weights.
• Walk/breathe/meditate/do yoga often.
• Eat a small piece of dark chocolate a few nights a week. 
• And indulge a couple times a month in something seriously delish and sinful, but only a half-serving! lol
• Laugh as much as possible!
• Play like you're 5 years old from time to time :)
• And love. 

This is my recipe for success and I bestow it unto you my friends. Simple really. Like most things in life. 

This week I'm sending my love out to those rain-or-shine-pavement-pounders and all the rest of you working on a healthy life!! I think we could all use a little extra love and support. 

hugs and love

sarah d.

Who is your family?

Hello friends, 

I trust you all had fabulous weekends!

Two years ago tomorrow, I said 'I will' with my best friend in front of two families and a bunch of friends who are like family to us. Every year at this time there's a ton of celebrating going on in my world, and I love it! My dad and hubs share the same birthday, our anniversary is four days later, and Easter is always nearby. 

We've been having lots of fun visiting with family over this long weekend and it's been so. much. fun. =) 

And all that visiting got me to thinking:

How are people holding up that don't have family? 

How are people that are all alone, or feel all alone? 

How are people who have lost family?

Family is incredible, and takes on so many forms. I really don't believe that you need to be blood-related to be considered family. I hope that you all have people in your life that you consider family, even though they might not be on your family-tree! 

In talking with all different kinds of people, I learn their definitions of family. I hear things like:

I can be myself with family. 

They'll support me no matter what. 

I can stink with my family. 

They don't judge me. 

I chose to show the family from the hit show Modern Family because I think 

it is such a fun and light-hearted example of a complicated family that 

works hard to love and accept each other right where they are. 

So while I said goodbye to my family after a wonderful visit, my heart filled with love for those who don't have family, or who are trying to define who their family is. Everyone deserves people in their life who accept them for who they are: fun and faults, strengths and struggles. 

Will you please send some love and joy to those in the world who feel all alone?

We are well loved dear ones, and we must spread that love in every way that we can. Let's get creative this week and let those people around us know that they are a true joy!

hugs and love

sarah d. 

really??

Hey team!

Today's post is a little more fun. 

Yesterday was April Fools Day. Were you fooled? I was. For about 15 seconds, but still, I totally was. I was reading a Facebook status of a friend, and as I'm excitedly telling my hubster about it, I stop mid-sentence and say, 'wait a minute.. April Fools Day!' hahaha

So as silly as it sounds, this week I want to send my love out to the gullible people out there. I've been a gullible person my whole life. I try to spin it by saying I just really trust people. And I DO! 

That's really the issue.. people who know me well, and some people who don't, take advantage of the fact that I'll believe the things they say.. and voila, gullible! 

I can't count how many times I'm happily listening to someone's outrageous story and nodding away, while they're practically nudging the person next to them as if to say, 'get a load of this dim-wit!' 

It can be a little disheartening at times. And at many points in my life it caused me to feel rather stupid, silly, or wonder if I could trust the people around me. Those were not fun feelings. 

photo found here

So let's send our love out to those easy trusters. 

I pray that you know you're loved. 

That you can laugh at yourself. 

That the people around you who love you let you know in creative ways. 

And that you continue to share your love and trust as easily as you always have!

hugs

sarah d. 

what if we simply loved?

Hey dear ones, 

I've been ruminating on this post for some time now, and I decided that there's no easy way to talk about it, so I'll just dive right in. 

Abortion. 

When I drive to work every morning, there are people standing outside a nondescript building. They have signs and buttons and they're always drinking coffee. Finally one day I looked over to read their signs. They had messages on them like:

Women regret abortion. 

Abortion is murder. 

Some of the sign-holders look bored. Often they are just chatting with each other. It's been cold lately, so they pretty much always look like they're freezing. 

Here's my question - I wonder if their time would be better spent reaching out to young women, men and couples in the community and becoming their community. 

Spending time supporting, encouraging, teaching, mentoring, and loving these people. 

Then maybe we wouldn't need to talk all that much about abortion. 

Because then we would be taking care of each other, supporting each other and loving each other. 

We'd be a community, a family. 

photo cred: wanderingghost

I'm going to send some happy vibes to those people holding the signs this week. I hope that they are getting a chance to know their community better while holding those signs. And I pray that they are opening up to all kinds of new ways to love and support people through hard and challenging times. 

I'm also going to think on the young women visiting that clinic. Be strong. You are well loved. 

xo

sarah d. 

buy buy buy more

Good evening oh lovers of love!

I had quite an experience on the weekend.

Basically, I went to a special after-hours shopping party at a glamorous store and there were 'stylists' on hand to help. I was placed in clothing that challenged my concept of who I am... on the outside anyway. And I was also reminded about who I am on the inside, and what I value.

I should have expected this of myself. Trying on clothing is generally always a traumatic event for me. But this time it wasn't traumatic for the usual reason, self-image. It was traumatic as I considered the true value of the things I purchase, and whether or not I really need the things I say I do sometimes. 

When faced with the decision of potentially going over to the till with a pair of jeans that were apparently valued at $220, I was frozen. One woman said, "You'll regret it if you don't get them. They fit you perfectly and you looked so beautiful."

This was my response, nearly verbatim:

Oh, I will NEVER regret not spending over 200 dollars on a pair of jeans. Never. 

I don't want to shame anyone here. You all looked beautiful and I have no judgement on anyone who is buying clothes. 

The thing is, I actually know a kid in Ghana, Africa that has to walk a mile to a dirty pond to wash his one pair of shorts and one shirt every day, just so he won't have to walk around naked. I know him. I spent time with him. 

So it's hard for me to justify the spending...

I know what 200 dollars could do for him, for the kids I work with every day. 

Needless to say, I didn't buy the jeans. 

image found here

Why am I writing this blog? I'm writing it for us consumers. 

And I'm writing it for my kiddo in Ghana, whom I desperately hope has been taken in by some kind family and given more clothes, as well as some much needed and deserved love. 

I'm suggesting something...

Before you make your next purchase, just ask yourself a few questions:

Do I need this?

What is the value of this? 

Is it worth it?

Then do what ya gotta do: buy it, or put it back.

I bet just asking those questions will likely help your pocket-book.. and it may just help people who struggle to get by day after day.

It will help them in a small way because every time I stop and ask myself those questions, 

I will think of them, 

and I will love them. 

Will you? 

hugs and loves

sarah d.