TARA- SWEATER Loft | JEANS AOS | PUMPS Jimmy Choo (similar) | BAG Chanel | SUNGLASSES Amazon |EARRINGS Target

OLIVIA SKIRT H&M | SWEATER H&M | SHOES Keds | HEADBAND Target | SUNGLASSES Amazon | BAG Petite Purses

Happy Wednesday Guys! We have been moving quite slow around here as Olivia got pretty bad sick over the weekend and is still fighting it off. The poor thing absolutely HATES missing school and gets so upset. Even today I let her sleep in a couple of hours because I knew she needed it and low an behold, come 9:00, girl was NOT happy that she missed school. It is a big blessing she loves school this much. Warms my heart for sure.

So, this post was supposed to go up LAST Friday if that gives you any idea on how far behind I am. Every year I set goals for myself. While I tend to stick with them, I really wanted one clear word to guide me in 2020. I had a few ideas and ran them by Olivia, because she will of course be a part of this as well. You guys know that raising Olivia to be a kind and loving little girl is a big priority of mine so it was pretty easy choosing our 2020 word…. LOVE

I have always had a tender heart. I got my feelings hurt pretty easily when I was a kid and still do sometimes now if I am being 100% honest. I have definitely gotten better about letting things roll off my back, but hey were are all human.  That being said, I have a mini me on my hands and Olivia has the tenderest of hearts. She absolutely HATES disappointing anyone, even an inkling of disappointment gets the tears a flowing. She has the biggest heart and is always telling everyone she loves them. She loves her people hard, just like her parents.

I was raised in a home full of love but we did not say “I Love you” that often. Of course that did not mean we were not loved, it was just not said a lot. Fast forward to having my own family and we say it at least 5x a day haha. Everyone expresses their love in different ways and in 2020 I want to make sure I am doing everything I do with Love behind it.

“Love is not what the mind things, but what the heart feels” – Greg Evans

What does that mean you may ask. Well for starters, I want to Love myself fully. God created this beautiful earth and he created each and every one of us beautifully in his glorious hands. Who are we to rip ourselves apart on the daily? We need to view ourselves with much more grace and start appreciating what makes each and every one of us special. I know, easier said that done on our down days, but the effort is what counts. If you love yourself, you will love others much easier!

I am very lucky to already love what I do, but I want to take that a step further and really dig deep in 2020. I have been blogging for ages and the opportunities that come with that, continue to blow me away. I have had a big pull at my heart to do MORE with this blog. Whether that be charitable, more helpful daily posts, or just having a place for my readers to go to chat. I am not sure what it will be, but there will be MORE than just the blog and social in 2020.

We also want to make sure we are showing Love on a daily basis and not just to people you know. This can simply be smiling at a stranger, helping a mom grab a cart at the grocery store, paying if fwd at Starbucks, etc. Giving kind gestures when people do not expect them can really change someones day around. Let me tell you this too, if you are a parent, your child will absorb all your actions. I always make an effort to do some sort of small gesture when Olivia is with me and it has completely rubbed off. I am laughing out loud right now because she even called me out this past Thanksgiving. We had just gotten over to Drew’s families house and his sister was cooking some dishes. I did ask her if she needed help but she said she was good. About 30 min later she was rushing around and Olivia came up to me and said Mom, you really should got help her in there. Olivia has a knack for knowing when people need help or simply need a hug. Such a sweet girl, even when she is calling her mama out haha!

I could seriously write a novel on this topic but I will leave you with this for now. If you truly make an effort to put the power of Love behind every decision/action you make, not only will you feel content, but your love will spread into the world. There will always be disappointment, there will be times people let you down and there will be times YOU let yourself down. Give yourself and others grace. Do better next time. A true loving heart can overcome any obstacle. Follow your heart, and you will never get lost.  Cheers to 2020 guys! Lets GO!