I'm seriously in love with this photo challenge. We still have over a week and a half to go if you'd like to join in. Get the list below and upload your photos to Instagram using the hashtag #letsbegrateful for our project. I'm not feeling to hot the past couple of days. Prayers for health to get through work tonight would be greatly appreciated! Off to try yoga to help open things up and just downed a tea with 4,000 IU's of Vitamin D. Made a Dr's appointment for Monday, so looking forward to a relaxing weekend of more Christmas decorating and online shopping from the comfort of my cozy living room in front of the fire.

Day 10: NATURE - Today I have spent most of the day in bed. Fighting an infection, but ventured out to get dinner from the market and went with my honey to Lowes where we walked through the garden section together. I am grateful for a husband who is so selfless and kind that he will lay in bed with me by my side until 3 pm watching movies to make sure I'm ok on a day when we had so much planned that we didn't get to. There are no words for this mans heart.
Day 11: OLD. This is the first photo we took together. It was on our first date to Bahama Breeze for dinner with my sister and her date. Thankful for God bringing this man into my life, and for it leading us to the most beautiful and fulfilling marriage i couldn't have even dreamt up.
Day 12: HANDS. Thankful to have a handful of those that will always hold my hand when i need them, and I will do the same.
Day 13: WRITTEN WORD. There have never been truer, greater words written than the word of God. So thankful to be free, to live my faith and to learn about my Father through His words
Day 14: MOVEMENT. So thankful to be a part of an amazing music movement. Blessed to be signed to one of the best record labels in the world.. Missing the studio more than words can express...
Day 15: TECHNOLOGY. So blessed to have love, family, friends, health. Technology allows us to amplify the music in our lives, to watch movies that move us, and connect to people around the world. It's a nice "extra" that we take for granted.
Day 16: ANIMALS. I am so thankful for this little guy in our life. He keeps me safe when my husbands away, he gives the best doggy cuddles and kisses and gets so excited when I come home. #letsbegrateful for our furry family members who are capable of so much love.
Day 17: MEMORIES. On this night, almost three years ago I put on an amazing concert with my label and team in L.A. After coming back to my hotel room after the show I got a phone call at 2am. It was my sister telling me she was pregnant with my niece. My life became fuller of happiness and love that day. #letsbegrateful for all the love, joy and family in our lives.
Day 18: NEW. So I was stumped on this one, then my friend gave me an early Christmas present that was new! My love for Wizard of Oz is known by my besties. Thankful for thoughtful gestures by special people in my life

I want to thank those of you that are participating along with me in this gratitude photo challenge. I've seem inspiring, cute, funny entries on intagram, twitter and facebook. Remember, for us to see them you must hashtag them #letsbegrateful on Instagram. For those of you that follow the blog, but not social media I wanted to recap as I went along to capture moments I am grateful for. 

On a side note, I am super happy to report that when shopping at Sprouts tonight, I saw they got my FAVORITE gluten-free pie crusts back in for the holidays, so I stocked up my freezer to get us through all the holiday parties. Homemade apple pie, here I come. 

Day 1: FOOD - Avocado. I could seriously eat it on anything. It's an amazingly delicious superfood. 
Day 2: SMILE. This smile holds my whole heart. He is such a blessing to me and this smile lights up my world. Grateful for who He chose for me.
Day 3: HAPPINESS. Having this little girl in my life has shown me the pure, innocent happiness of childhood.
Day 4: LEAVES. Gods timing is perfect. This photo isn't mine, it's a friends. And I am so grateful for her in my life. Not sure if she knows how special she is to me, but I wasn't sure I'd make any new best friends at this age after leaving my besties behind on the coast. And she proved that people can profoundly become part of your heart when you least expect it.
Day 5: MORNING SKY. this morning was hectic and by the time I remembered the daily challenge it was 3pm. So I decided to use this photo of a morning view from our hotel suite in Anaheim. I'm thankful for Gods blessing of amazing vacations and memories I've made with my husband over the past 7 and a half years.
Day 6: BOOKS. I am extremely thankful for the written word. It's in me to write. Since a young age it's how I best express who I truly am. It's how we are able to learn who God truly is. It's my therapy. It allows me to live my dream. And reading allows me to escape into dream worlds.Day 7: FUNNY. When my schedule gets crazy, or life is stressing us out, my hubs and I like to turn to classic, funny tv shows on DVD to cozy up and just laugh. So grateful for the blessing of rest and laughter in our life.
Day 8: FAVORITE COLOR. This dreamy orange creamsicle jacket i bought. I’m crazy about it right now. Grateful for home projects with my honey, and the blessing of the clothes on our backs. 
Day 9: PERSON WHO INSPIRES ME. My sister. She is an amazing mother, a loving fiancé, a friend who's always there and now she's on her path to college and career. It's amazing what she's done with her life and I couldn't be more proud of her. Blessed to be her family.

Thanksgiving is this month, and its traditionally the day you give thanks for those in your life that bring you happiness & joy. However, I don't believe we should only show our gratitude on ONE day. It needs to pour out from us 365 days a year. But, for the sake of this post, I'm going to ask who wants to take a little photo challenge journey with me for just 30 days? :) For thirty days in November I will be doing aGratitude Photo Challenge with some friends and family,  and if you'd like to join along on Instagram, tag your photo of the day with #LetsBeGrateful. The list is below. 

Day One, to get started was FAVORITE FOOD. I adore avocados and will eat them on just about anything. Pasta, a salad, scrambled eggs, chili, in soup, mashed up in rice, used to make chocolate desserts. Seriously, I'm kind of love & dream of my own avocado tree. 

It's November 3rd, so you can do a few and catch up, or you can just start where we are. I look forward to seeing what you all are grateful for this season! Remember, to tag them #LetsBeGrateful!

I just woke up from one of those naps where you wake up in a panic thinking you are late for work, jolting out of your slumber only to discover its in fact 6:30 pm and the only thing you're late for is thawing the meat you were supposed to cook at seven. Yep. It's been that kind of week already. Hello, Monday. Mr. Charming and I will be finding some vegan take-out. On a happier note, I treated me & Mr. Charming to a little something.

I know. 

I had been wrestling with if I should buy this unnecessary toy that the world is so obsessed with, and I finally caved to the materialistic consumerism trend and got us one. I thought I would just dabble with it. Then I found the game Flow, and various board games, and a program where its like drawing on a chalkboard. And Netflix. Of course Netflix. And Pinterest is HUGE. and I wasted like, 6 hours of my life the next day when I got home from work. While I'm on this topic though, my bible study spoke about an interesting issue this week and it was the Tech Trap. How we get so caught up in technology that we don't take time to TALK to one another. Like, truly sit down and have deep, one on one conversations at dinner, at parties, even on dates with our spouses. It seems someone always has a game machine, a smartphone, or, as it sits on my lap.... an iPad. 

This past weekend as you read, Mr Charming and I took a weekend away to celebrate our anniversary. To ride horses. To cook elaborate meals. To read by the fire. To just be. I know for me, it's crucial to unplug and connect and to have these date weekends and date nights. Especially when my jobs are so technology driven. Sometimes the LAST thing I want to do is look at a screen of any kind. Make boundaries. Set limits. With your children, your spouse, or even just for YOU time. Make sure you disconnect, if even for a little while. Go for a walk, connect with nature, call a friend, or write a letter. On paper. It's therapeutic. Its real and pure. I promise you'll feel better. Then you can get back to level 65 on Candy Crush Saga. Which I refuse to download, because I think there is something addictive in that candy that I want no part of. 

This week I wanted to include a little printable that I think every girl should keep in her purse. There are so many dangerous chemicals in our beauty products and its hard to remember everything we read about scary toxins wrapped up in long words we can't pronounce, let alone remember to identify on a label when we find the best shade of lipstick. So I've included a little 2x3 card that you can print on card stock and keep in your wallet. It lists the top most harsh and toxic chemicals found in beauty products today. That way, when you're at the makeup counter you can know what to avoid and make better choices for your skin and for your body. It's been proven that the chemicals can penetrate deeply, and carry the same effects as if you ingested them. I don't know about you, but I don't want anything in my body I can not pronounce. 

So, my good friend Karly (and mother of our adorable Godson, Elijah, seriously how cute is this kid??) requested that I come up with a list of quick breakfast ideas for a working mom on the go who has a toddler.