Choosing My Attitude

I have this quote hanging in my cubicle at work: 

“Almost everything can be taken from a person, but for the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”     

And I have really been trying to take this sentiment to heart in recent days, weeks, months.   It’s also great to read the inspiration from Ashlee Gadd over at Where My Heart Resides whom I don't know face to face, but who always inspires and chooses joy everyday, or my childhood friend Ashley over at Ashley Appreciates. 

That’s really what it comes down to – it’s all a choice.   Sure, everything might not be perfect in any given day or week, but there are things that are wonderful!  And we get the choice to focus on those wonderful things.  We get the choice to be happy. So often we look past the positive and choose the negative.  The bad days at work.  The financial issues.  The unhappy, ugly things that make life more stressful.  We keep telling ourselves that things will only get better when______.  You fill in the blank. 

I am guilty of that sentiment all too often, but I really feel like I have been making a better effort not to have those thoughts lately, and just focusing on what is good about right now.   Sure, things will probably be easier for us financially in October.  Sure, I am still exhausted at the end of every week.  But right now, the sun is shining and I get to see some of my best friends this weekend.   Right now, I always find the energy to zumba my heart out 2 or 3 times a week, and I get to play softball at 9pm and have it still be warm outside. Right now, I absolutely enjoy my job and even more so the people who I work with.  Which make the working 50 hours per week bearable, if not many times actually enjoyable.  Right now, I have been able to read nearly 5 books in the last six weeks.   (A near miracle for me!)  Right now, Chris and I can go to happy hours - or sometimes make our own at home - and go to weeknight movies on a whim.  Some nights, I drag myself home after 12 hours of work, teaching and zumba and all I have to do is just veg out on the couch with a glass of wine and catch up on Parenthood and True Blood.   

That’s my life right now.  And I choose my attitude to be happy.  Everyday.

July promises bring trips, concerts, going to the river, friends, family and Harry Potter!!   

It’s finally summer people,  don’t let it pass you by!

My Summer Yoga Adventure

I can't say for how many months I have be ardently researching yoga studios around the Sacramento area. I always say I am going to try a few until I find the right one. Because anyone who's ever really done yoga knows that the classes at the gym just don't cut it. It isn't the same as the calming feeling you get from an actual yoga studio. Don't get me wrong, I love 24 hour fitness for all of the other classes I take there, the atmosphere is just not conducive to the calming balance I get from taking a real yoga class. And I think I need some yoga to balance out the super high impact workouts that I do the rest of the week. I'm sure my knees will appreciate it.

There is the other issue of yoga classes at studios tending to run on the very pricey side...so I have decided to partake in a yoga adventure this summer. I plan to try several studios and their "new student offers" and then blog about how I felt about each one. My list also includes a few Bikram hot yoga studios, which I have never tried before. We'll see how that goes...:)

I am hoping that this adventure will lead me to find a yoga studio that I really like and click with. To achieve this though, I need to find one that:

One, has a decent range of hours – since my schedule is crazy.

Two, that fits in my budget, at least somewhat.

Three, is in close vicinity to my work and/or house because I know if it's too far away, I just won't go.

And four, one that has teachers I click with.


It's a tall order, I know, but I am hoping one of the following will end up fitting the bill.


Arden Hot Yoga – I got a LivingSocial deal for here that was only $20 for one month unlimited classes!

One Flow Yoga - $7 for 7 days – interesting because I don't think they play traditional yoga music during their classes.


Yoga Loka - $25 for 10 Days → Near my work and I am drawn to their later evening classes


Sacramento Bikram Yoga - $40 for 30 days → Near work, and another hot yoga place to try


Zuda Yoga - $10 for 10 days → This one is actually out of my vicinity a bit, but I've heard really good things about it.


Lotus Garden Meditation Center $14 for 14 days – This one looks like it is a beautiful location that also offers free meditation classes.



So there are my six studios. I am not sure of what order I will try them in, but hope to start next week. Sacramento friends, please let me know if there is some amazing studio that I have forgotten!

Craft Corner: Earring Frame

Besides doing a lot of reading since school has gotten out, (I'm halfway through my 4th book in the last month!) and not feeling guilty about reading magazines instead of textbooks. I've also been trying to get crafty on some things. I even sewed up some clothing that has had holes FOREVER. ( I know, it's sad that little things like that seem like large huge feats after doing school and working 3 jobs for so long.) But it's really nice to have time to do those little things!



My latest project was an earring holder. All of my earrings were just strewn and tangled all over the bookshelf and in boxes/drawers/bags - you name it! So I decided to look for a creative way to display them (and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a holder.)


You may have seen the picture frame earring holder before, but usually it's done with mesh, a staple gun and a lot more time and patience than I had at that moment.

Instead, I used felt - a pretty pattern I found a Michaels - and a cheap frame, also from Michaels. I just cut the felt to fit the frame and simply used a glue gun to glue the felt to the front of the glass. Then I popped it in the frame like a regular picture. And Ta-da!

Well almost Ta - Da... With the help of a tack poking holes in the felt, I got all of the earrings put up. It may not be quite as user friendly as other versions of the project, but it worked for me and was under $5. :)

Music Mondays: September - LIVE

Is it summer yet? Will this rain EVER go away? I am hoping that we are coming out on the summer end of the tunnel pretty soon here...according to next week's weather.

...and Earth Wind and Fire always means summer to me!

Enjoy 'September' by Earth Wind and Fire Live with Chicago. They are absolutely one of the best groups to see live! And with Chicago, it's even better!!

On this day last year...I married my best friend.

On this day last year, I married my best friend.

On this morning last year, I threw open the hotel room curtains full of hope for a beautiful day and the most perfect sunny day greeted me, with crisp blue mountain skies, that only Truckee can bring - and somehow - the stress of the last year and a half of planning all melted away. Nothing else mattered but that the day was going to be perfect. Because it was our day. So I put on the pretty white dress and we watched as our dream wedding unfolded. But more importantly, our dream marriage was about to begin. And while I think we did throw a pretty kickass, awesome, and fun wedding...what is more important is that we said these words:

You are my life, my love, and my best freind.


I pledge all my tomorrows to you,


I promise to laugh with you,


But never at you,


To stand by your side,


And sleep in your arms,


To respect who you are


And who you will become


And I promise to love you,


In sickness, in health, for richer, for poorer


For better or worse, for now and forever.




I love you Christopher, and I always will.

If you are craving looking at more wedding photos, check out our slideshow here