Where I've Been

I was recently asked where I've been.

I don't really know. I mean, I'm a working mom. I'm a student. I'm doing the best I can, really. And blogging, for me, is something I do just for me. I love to write and I love the things I write about. But this blog isn't something that I do because I have to. So sometimes I live my life for a few weeks and go without writing. And that's okay. I'm still here. And if there are certain things you want to hear about, leave me a comment about it and I'll get on it.

Sometimes we just live, ya know? We get up and go to work. We get home and realize we'd better find something for dinner. We bathe the babies and read stories and sing songs and say prayers. We finally have a quiet house and we start laundry and we do dishes and we sit down with a text book. We think about how someone ought to mop the floor but it's past midnight already so we go to bed and we do it all over again the next day. And somehow in there we try to date our spouse or go to the grocery store. We try to stop and play a game on the floor with the babies or teach them that they need to clean their room. We remind the little one not to pee pee in her panties and we tell the older one what a good big brother he his. We try to pack the preschool back pack or remember to wash the sheets..or if we're really crazy we try to stop and put gas in the car.

That's where I've been.

But now, can we talk about how much I love this song by Bette--which is the name for the one man band that is Bethany Joy Lenz. Check it out here, and it's also available on iTunes. It's a great mix of jazz, old soul, and I can taste country in it too. And her voice is great.

I also love her cover of We Belong when she was with the band Everly. And who can forget her and Tyler Hiltons cover of Stars Go Blue? One Tree Hill, anyone?! #dontyoujudgeme

I have some Birchbox and Wardrobe Wednesday love coming your way soon. So just sit tight and we'll be back to business soon.

-L

Letting the Colors Change

Hey all!!
I'm currently blogging in the car (so forgive me my grammatical shortcomings) cherry coke and fashion magazines in tow. We spent the weekend in Vegas, and the getaway was much needed. We got dressed up and hit the town last night but mostly we just let the kids swim and hung out with the family. We left Friday afternoon and will be back by bedtime tonight (Sunday) but the quick trip was worth it.

Life has been crazy the last few weeks (thus, my lack of blogging) and the Hall family just needed to get out of town. There is something about physically removing yourself from your surroundings that provides clarity. Often, I've realized that most of my problems can be solved if I just momentarily remove myself from the situation. It's as if I'm allowed to briefly see my own problems from an priceless outside perspective.

This quick little getaway was not only an opportunity for self reflection but it also sort of marks the summer ending. Things will change. Within the next few weeks, the temperatures will start to drop a little bit at a time. Soon, the leaves will change and my beautiful Utah mountains will glaze over with auburn and honey colored trees. Nature will look dead, but it's not. It's beginning the process of starting over. It's allowing the natural cycle of things to take course. And I think there is a lesson in that. Often, we (*cough*....er.....I...) try so hard to be in control and chart the course of how things go.

But sometimes the healing comes from just letting go and allowing the colors to just change.

It's time for me to stop fighting so hard and just let my colors change.

What We Wore: Family Pictures

Pictures c/o: Nicole Leigh Photography

Adelle: Shirt: Children's Place, Skirt: Wal Mart (Best $5 I've ever spent), Shoes: Children's Place, Bows: Children's Place

Landon: Shirt: Children's Place (I'm feeling an awkward theme, here), Jeans: Old Navy, Shoes: Old Navy, Hat: Hurley

Daniel: Shirt: Kohls, Jeans: Rock and Republic, Shoes: Lugs

Lyss: T-Shirt: Old Navy, Lace Cardigan: Bella Ella Boutique, Black Jeans: Kohls, Shoes: Justfab.com


-L

Imperfect

We all have weaknesses. We do, like it or not. We are human. It's just a part of the package.

I have many weaknesses. Maybe more than my fair share.

I'm quick to anger.

I have way too many pairs of shoes.

I can eat an entire batch of those cinnamon rolls that pop out of the can.
I'm not sorry.

I never drink enough water.

And it's hard for us, especially women I think, to accept our weaknesses and imperfections. It's even harder for us to not only just accept them, but accept that it's okay to be imperfect.

We often spend so much time worrying about what we need to do better. We worry about what we're doing wrong, what we may be neglecting, how we look, how we think we ought to look better, skinnier, prettier, etc.

We talk down to ourselves. We think that if we aren't as pretty as someone in a magazine, then we just aren't pretty at all. We think that if we aren't as skinny as someone else, then we must be fat. We think that if we aren't as smart as someone we read about, then we are stupid. If we aren't as inventive as that other person, we're dull. If we can't paint or write or sing or dance like that other girl, we're worthless. If we aren't the best, then we are nothing.

All that negative self-talk or self-gossip gets me thinking. Why does someone else's accomplishments diminish our light? Why, if a friend of mine is a beautiful, smart, happy person, does that make me less pretty, more stupid or unhappy?

It doesn't. It shouldn't.

I've been thinking a lot lately about this problem. I see it so often. I feel it more than I ought to. I worry about it in terms of my children.

I guess what it boils down to for me is not being afraid. We shouldn't be afraid to celebrate others. Complimenting a friend's talent doesn't dim mine. Being proud of myself, or happy for an accomplishment doesn't put down those around me.

We're kind of all in this together, right? Life is hard enough, especially for girls, and we should have one another's backs just a little more often. Less back biting. Less gossip. Less jealousy. Less competition.

There is nothing that I can do to make myself perfect. I'll never look perfect. I'll never sound perfect. I'll never be a genius. I'll never be able to accomplish everything. But I am pretty, I am smart, I am accomplished. And thinking that of myself doesn't mean I think less of anyone else. Knowing those things doesn't make me arrogant.

IT IS OKAY TO LIKE YOURSELF. IT IS OKAY TO BE CONFIDENT.

All I can do is just be better tomorrow than I was today, and feel good about being a little bit better today than I was yesterday. That's kind of a motto that I've lived by for a long time now.

I find beauty in weakness, because weakness and imperfections are human. Humanity is something that I think is perfectly imperfect.

Maybe, just maybe, recognizing and accepting our imperfections, loving other people in spite of theirs, and not worrying that celebrating another's light will be the cause of dimming our own, can help turn our weaknesses into strengths.

Just maybe.

-L

Be Yourself

Audioslave said it well. It's simple. Be yourself.

This concept has been running through my head a lot lately.

Lots of people don't like me. Sometimes that's fine with me. Sometimes it isn't. But what matters to me isn't whether or not the people around me like me. What matters to me is that I like me. If I like me, then the people who I should have in my life will like me, too.

I think that all too often, we try to make ourselves what we feel like everyone else will like and accept. We do or don't wear something because it is or isn't "in". We do or don't listen to certain music depending on who might be in the room. But there comes a point when who you are, the good and the bad, the awkward and embarrassing, the boy bands and the old sweat pants from high school...it is what it is. We are who we are.

And it's okay to like yourself. Even when other people don't like you.

I like myself. And a lot of people don't like me. Whatever.

I think it says something about the people we surround ourselves with, when we are able to let all the walls down, and be ourselves. Sure there are different aspects of "me". The real me loves to dress up and go shopping and be girly. But the real me also love sweat pants and Food Network and boy bands. Those are both real. Those are both me.

I hope that I make people feel like they can be themselves. It's my goal this week to work on that. Because I'm hell bent on being me. I can't expect any different from anyone else.

Just something I've been thinking about lately...

-L

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” 
― Marilyn Monroe