Happy Friday

Not a whole lot to say this Friday afternoon. This week has really knocked me out. I can't wait to get home, put on my pajamas and do a little of this...  

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I hope you all have a relaxing time. Tonight Isaiah and I are going to rent a movie and maybe cook some pasta. Tomorrow I have my office hours in the morning and a meeting with a client in the afternoon, followed by a housewarming party for a friend. Whew!

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Sunday I hope to relax for most of the afternoon after we volunteer on a project with our church. I guess I won't get too much rest in, oh well. Trying my best do DO what matters.

xoxo,

Rachel

Glamorous Rest versus Laziness

You might recall the posts I wrote about boundaries and structure (here and here). Actually you probably do because it was just last week. In those posts I was learning a lot while I wrote and I think there was some really wise stuff in there! I should note that this wisdom doesn't really come from myself as much as it does from Lara, but I had a realization today that I wanted to share.

When you set a structure for your day- your time for work, rest and play, each of these things becomes automatically more important. With not even a week down I already feel more productive during my office hours. You don't need a lot of time to see the benefits of structure.

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 A notable area of improvement in my schedule has been the time of day I block out for rest. In the past I've had terrible associations with rest. Sleeping in, watching movies, laying around the house refreshing instagram, ordering pizza & even napping felt like a total waste of time. I felt guilty every time I took a break. Even when I was doing what I was supposed to be doing and taking a break when I needed one, I didn't feel revitalized or ready to work.

What I realize now is that rest is so important and actually vital to doing your best work. It's not just taking a break, but really refreshing yourself. It's what you do in those 20 minutes or 4 hours of down time that make the difference. Enter in the glamorous rest versus laziness debate. The difference is fundamental. Are you being intentional with your rest "activities"? Do you feel guilty? Are you feeling trapped and lazy? For me, it's completely obvious. To clue you in to my own personal idea of active rest, here are a few lists.

Laziness

Coming home from work and plopping on the couch

Refreshing my instagram feed every 4 minutes and getting frustrated with no new photos

Thinking about cleaning something and not doing it

Watching 4 episodes of Gilmore Girls in a row

Eating peanut butter out of the jar for dinner

Not even attempting to pick up a book

Pretending that I'm going to read in bed when really I just fall asleep and don't set an alarm

Putting on a movie that I don't even like for background noise while I play on my phone

Having no set end to my resting period

Refusing to get dressed

Not standing up for more than 5 minutes at a time

Do you see what I mean? Embarrassingly enough I didn't make those examples up. I actually do those things. I don't even try to relax in a productive way or do things that fire me up. This has a lot to do with savoring the moment. I read about that on Leo's blog the other day and it was so interesting to me. Why is rest the hardest thing for me to savor? Well, besides chores anyway. :) This is something I want to continue working on!

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Glamorous Rest

Taking a bath with my favorite salts and candles

Tidying up my living room and watching a movie I've been dying to see

Practicing meditation or gentle yoga

Writing or journaling

Painting my nails

Hosting an at home spa night with facials and body scrub

Reading a book or magazine

Going for a run

Busting out my watercolors and creating something

Baking cookies for my husband

Listening to Ted Talks

Writing letters and sending gifts to faraway friends

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The problem before I had structure was that I never felt right taking a break so I just fell into a pattern of laziness. It's especially easy to do during the winter. It's dark and cold and all I want to do is bundle up and let the DVD's keep rolling. But now that I'm aware of a restful time I can think about what would actually energize me. Sometimes it's going for a run, but sometimes I really do want to watch a movie. I don't want to feel guilty about my choices but rather be intentional about making them. I hope that as I keep my sense of balance I can focus on making rest a meaningful time, because it's so sparse these days. And who doesn't feel glamorous when they can just allow themselves to take a bubble bath and lie in savasana with no guilt? ;)

Happy Friday!

Well I know I'm not the first one to say TGIF. It's been a long week- my first full week since the holidays and I'm definitely tired out. I'm working on writing a post about my big news, but until that's ready I wanted to leave you with something inspiring for this weekend.

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Isn't this outfit amazing? Totally my style- I love the colors and the coziness of the black sweater. The hat is a little much for me personally but those flowers and shoes and slit on the skirt? Oh my! I just love it. Unfortunately I won't be dressing like this until around April when the snow starts to thaw...

Happy Friday!

Rachel

Preparing For Baby

Now that I'm 20 weeks along and my belly is growing at a considerably fast rate, I thought it would be a good time to make a to-do before baby list! I'm going to make this as thorough as possible and plan on adding items more towards the end as I update. There are some things I'll put on the list that just aren't necessary until much later but still fun to think about and plan for!

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Find an OB we're comfortable with: This is done! We feel great about our doctor and the clinic in general. For those of you who are TC locals, we're seeing Dr. Danz at the Grand Traverse Women's Clinic.

Research and Hire a Doula: Okay this is strange because all of the Doulas in Traverse City are also PREGNANT and not accepting clients. One of the downfalls to living in the middle of nowhere... So needless to say we most likely won't be having a doula

Read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: We checked this out from the library and are reading it together most nights before bed. I love reading this one slowing and thoroughly- she has great advice and information. Highly recommend.

Read A Nursing Mother's Companion: Have heard rave reviews from moms about the importance of this book to prepare you for nursing. I hope to breastfeed and pump for 1 year so this is important to me! Waiting for a copy to come to the library.

Read Bringing up Bebe: Another one with stellar reviews. Should be fun, too!

Choose a stroller: We did it! It's not purchased yet, but we decided on the Bumbleride Indie in the color ocean. It has an infant car seat adapter for the car seat we want and should last through toddler hood.

Choose a car seat: Also done! We chose a Chicco brand for it's safety ratings and compatibility with the Bumble. It's also small enough to fit in our little Toyota Corolla, but still holds baby up to 30 pounds. We still need to purchase this too.

Research Baby Carriers: This was really fun for me. I stopped into Sweet Pea (a local baby store) and the nice lady there helped me try a few carriers and choose the best ones for me. We decided on the Moby Wrap for infancy and the Ergo Organic as he grows. Still need to purchase the Ergo.

Choose & Attend a birthing class: The local hospital where I'll be delivering has childbirth classes that I'm sure we'll take as labor gets closer. I also want to take a more specialized class that focuses on natural labor and childbirth but the options locally are very limited.

Choose a theme and colors for the nursery: Done! We're going with a white/cream/tan/brown theme with pops of forest green for a "Swedish cabin" feel. I know I sound extremely dorky here but this means we can shop at ikea and purchase lots of sheepskin rugs.

Purchase nursery furniture: Getting there! We were gifted a beautiful white crib and have already cleaned out the room and set that up. Still need to get a dresser/changing table, a rocking chair and closet organization elements. Rugs too! :)

Build a registry: Need to get on this. However, I don't know what exactly I want yet! There's a lot to decide on- what pack n' play, highchair, and even bottles and sheets. We don't want a lot of unnecessary stuff so we're trying to be intentional in this area. We are so thankful for our family and friends who want to bless us with gifts!

Attend pre-natal yoga: Crossing this off because I've signed up for a 13 week session and I'm headed into my third class this Monday. Hoping to make friends with some of the other girls in class.

Arrange to get my placenta encapsulated: Don't judge me- if you've never heard of the benefits I encourage you to research it! I know who will be doing this but haven't made my down-payment.

Schedule a time for maternity photos: Not sure who I will have take these. I definitely want some photos because we are so lazy about taking our own at home. I'm sure my mother in law who is a photographer will want to take some but I'll hire someone else too. :)

Decided if I want my birth experience to be photographed: Up in the air on this! I don't want Isaiah to have the pressure of taking photos during everything, but I'm not sure if I'll feel comfortable having another person around. Need to think about this.

Write a will: Freaked out by this, but also I'm feeling like we don't need to do it because we have no real assets. I'm sure we will anyway though.

Figure out what to do about a life insurance policy: So lost on this. We both have life insurance separately, mine through work and Isaiah's through his grandparents. Need to mesh these and add baby somehow.

Diapering... so many options!: I've decided to go with the Honest Company, for their stellar products, decent pricing and convenience factor. Read more about the company here!

Research Cord Blood Donation: I'm a big advocate of donating blood and we know that we aren't going to pay to have his own cord blood banked. We figured this would be a good way to go! We know we will use Michigan Blood but haven't set the process in motion.

Childcare: This is the big one. I know I'll have three months leave from work, but I haven't decided what to do after, what Isaiah's schedule will look like, how I will work part-time and what that will mean for childcare. Prayers, please!

Find a Pediatrician: Planning to ask our OB for suggestions.

Write our Birth Plan: We already know the basics of what we want, just need to write it down and go over it with our OB. We have lots of questions to ask her!

Plan a Babymoon!: This will be something real simple because of our budget, but I'm hoping we can make it to Chicago this spring for a quick weekend away. We'll see!

Learn More about stuff: Will baby stay with us in the room at all times? Can I nurse and have skin to skin contact immediately during cleaning/ APGAR? When and who will go over our birth plan with us? Research what to expect and prepare for right before, during, and after labor (the icky stuff), Emergency cesarean, episiotomy, what if? What do all of the shots and vaccines do to baby? What happens if I panic and want an epidural? What can I expect? Lots to learn still!

Write out a hospital bag packing list: Okay I know I'm a person who has it on a list to make another list. DEAL WITH IT!

Prepare a freezer full of "body healing" meals: This won't happen for quite some time but if you have suggestions I'm all ears! :)

Create a Postpartum Exercise Plan: I am hugely prepared for a big break for about six weeks. Once I'm feeling up to it I want to exercise again, and do it with purpose! :)

Figure out what we can control in the Labor Room: I hate florescent lights with a passion. Just ask my husband. I get panicky and I just hate them. I would love to be able to control the lighting in our room and have music that soothes and calms me. I also wish to bring some flowers and maybe another element that will remind me of home, even in a hospital setting. Aromatherapy is also super important to me. I hate that hospital smell! I'll be sure to pack my own lotions and products.

Choose a Diaper Bag: Clueless on this one! Since I don't know how big I'll want it or any features that are really necessary, I'm planning on going on reccomendations and style. I always like the look of Kate Spade's designs but they are pretty darn pricey!

Pick a Name: Oh boy... this is HARD. We're not even to the point where we're narrowing it down. We just don't like anything for our own son! Hopefully this will come soon. Even when we figure it out, we won't be sharing until he is born. ;)

Well even if this was the most boring post of ALL TIME it was good for me to write that out. I'm sure I'll need to add more to it later as we get more specific on some things but this is a good start! If you read all that you are way too interested in my life. Unless you're pregnant, then it's okay. :)

Sincerely,

Rachel

 In case you missed them... Here are some of my other pregnancy posts!

Boundaries + Structure: Part 2

Looking back on yesterday's post, I was pretty much all over the map there with my writing. CHAOS. Rightfully so, because it's truly how my life felt. I've worked out a schedule that will work for me. It will need to be re-worked often, but the key is to keep re-working it until it sits comfortably in our week. So here's a photo that has nothing to do with scheduling and everything to do with my idea of peace, simplicity, and beauty, which is what I want my life to look like. :)

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For some accountability, I am posting my office hours here. My client load at the moment is light, so I only need 8-10 hours per week to meet my deadlines and even exceed client expectations. Keep in mind that I also work 40 hours a week at my "day job" and I'm also pregnant. This girl needs her sleep!

Tuesdays: 5:30- 8:30

Wednesdays: 1:00-2:00

Saturdays: 9:00- 1:00

Sundays: 5:00- 8:00

So obviously they are very sporadic when you look at them, but for Isaiah and I, and our schedule it works the best. Tuesdays will be at the library directly after work, Wednesdays are reserved for phone calls since it's one of the only times I'm available during business hours throughout the week. Saturdays will be a big power day for client work, and Sunday nights will be reserved for business planning and development. I will take meeting anytime I am available on a wee by week basis. My clients are flexible with meeting times but I like to let them choose the time and place.

So there you have it! I hope this new schedule makes me feel more productive during business hours and less guilty during non-business hours. Hooray!

On a different note, I have some really exciting news to share this week! Cannot wait. Hope everything is going well in your lives.

Sincerely,

Rachel

Boundaries + Structure

This morning I was rushing around before headed to my day job (as usual) trying to find all of my things (binders (3), my computer, charger(s), iPad, cell phone, library books, make up bag, gym bag, yoga mat, purse, car keys, work keys, lunch box, water bottle, wallet, extra shoes, etc,) when I realized that I had a problem. I've joked for a while that I might be a bag lady, but it's really the truth. I carry so much with me all the time. I never know what I might need! My purse looks like a normal person's carry-on bag that could also fit a small dog.

The truth is, I bring all of this stuff with me because I never know what I'm going to need or where I'll be right after work. I'm unprepared- I haven't set myself up for success. This is part of the reason why using my Simplified Planner is such a big part of my goals. I crave organization, structure and boundaries in a big way, but I'm always the first to make an excuse about how it's not going to work out. When I read Lara's post on boundaries I knew it was time to cut the crap and bring some structure into my life! Not just in regards to running my business but in each area of my day to day. I know that if I create a plan and stick to it my personal life, day job, small business, work-outs, and time with my husband will be more fulfilling. So why can't I just do it?

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Excuses. "We only have one car!" This is true- it's a fact and it's not changing anytime soon. Unlike when we lived in Seattle, there isn't any reliable public transportation to depend on. We are constantly dropping one another off at work or I am left at home without a car. On our current budget, it's not time to get another vehicle. But I do know that Isaiah's schedule isn't changing, and mine isn't changing for a while. So I can work around this for now.

Then of course there are the million little things that come up throughout the day that prevent me from following my schedule and therefore prevent me from creating one at all! "I'm tired; I forgot to pack my lunch; I don't feel like going to the gym; the house is a mess (I better clean it first); I have two weeks until that has to be done; I need a break." Can I get an Amen? Does anyone else experience this? I know that if I follow my routine I am better set up to remember my lunch/ feel rested/ be motivated to work hard because there is a dedicated time for each of those things.

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One of the big motivators in setting up boundaries and structure is making time to work hard for my clients and not be all over the board! If I'm feeling like spaz, chances are my brides feel that way too.

Lara said it best, "Brides ideally want people to guide them through the process - planners, photographers, designers, etc - who make them feel calm, happy, excited, secure, taken care of and confidently structured.". YES! This is what I want the whole planning process to be like for my couples, not just on their wedding day.

So today I'm going to be working on a real, workable structure for my day as it is now. No matter how things might change in the future I can guarantee that I should be able to stick to the same schedule for at least the next four weeks. Tomorrow I'll be back with my progress, and hopefully even post my office hours for Occasions!

I'll leave you with this, one of my biggest goals for my business. "A solid product + a powerful brand that helps you attract the right clients who understand your value + structure in place to allow you to provide an extraordinary client experience = wedded bliss!" Thanks, Lara. Beautiful words that I aspire to live out over the lifetime of my career.

Happy Day!

Rachel

Business Goals: 2013

I already wrote my personal goals in the form of my letter to my future self and by putting monthly goals up on the blog. However, I have some more specific business goals for the year that I'd like to write down and hash out.

It's going to be an undoubtedly busy and full year with the baby coming in June, and financially strained as we're choosing to make our money work harder for us. This won't only mean sacrifices for my personal life (coffee, new purses, lunch out with friends, etc) but sacrifices for my business too. For instance, I'm not going to be able to afford a new computer until 2016. That's a long ways away. I also am going to have a really small budget for editorial shoots and collateral items.

What I plan to do is use what I already have to make the business work for me. I already have a lot of business knowledge, my creative insights aren't going anywhere and I bet I can throw together a temporary website that looks decent. I'm just being honest. Continuing with my moment for Occasions is vital to it's success- and to our financial success as a family. I will be happier, work more flexible hours and be more available to my son if I can work from home and do what I love. This is what drives me.

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1. Create an amazing wedding experience for Amy & Jonathon in May. On the water, incredible florals and some of the nicest people I've met to this day. I can't wait for their celebration.

2. Write my business plan. I've been working on it for a while because I want it to work for me, and not be homework. It'll be very detailed and outline every aspect of the business ranging from finances to client experiences and marketing. I want to outline my packages once and for all and write meaningful and thorough content for the website.

3. Book two more weddings for this fall. There are a few leads I've been working with and trying to figure if they'll be the right fit. If it's meant to be, it will be!

4. Quit my day job, once and for all. This is a big one because my time is so valuable. The more time I can put into my work the better quality it is. Without the 9-5, I won't be as mentally exhausted to work hard when I'm home. I am open to working at a part time job that is more fulfilling.

5. Host two editorial/ inspirational shoots. This is multi-purpose. I envision these events as a way to connect with other vendors in my area and also to showcase my work and build my portfolio so that I have some solid content on my website. I want to show future clients that I am good at what I do!

6. Build a website. I don't know at all how this will play out without a web designer, because I'm not one at all. But I did invest in a logo designed by Chelsea (oh my deer), and will hopefully have some good content by the time this transpires.

7. Practice floral design so I am comfortable offering full service florals by the time of my official launch. I've partnered with a local farm and florist who is amazing to work with. So excited about this!

8. Connect with local vendors. Making it a goal to sit down and meet with the primary vendors in the area and put together a resource guide for myself and future clients. Luckily we have some of the nicest people around, so this hopefully won't be too tough if I get over my fear of putting myself out there.

9. Finish my office. On our tight budget this will be tough, but I live with a handy husband who's pretty good with his tool box. This space is so important to me. Our house is small and we are sacrificing a guest room and a TV room for a nursery and an office, which I am grateful for. I want to make this space functional and beautiful!

10. Launch Occasions Event Design... officially! Can't contain my excitement on this one. December 1st, 2013 is my launch date. It's a really long ways a way, but good things take time and patience. I'm giving myself lots of time to finish goals 1-9 (and have a baby too) so I don't get too stressed. More details to follow, but it will be amazing.

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What do you think? Can I do it? If you have any input or think you can help on any of these please speak up! I'm so excited about this year and launching Occasions is a big part of my 2013 dream coming true.

With Passion,

Rachel

Financial Freedom: January 2016

Feeling very vulnerable even while I type the title to this post. It's been heavy on my heart that Isaiah and I need to work smarter, not harder with regards to our finances (in other areas too, but that's for another post). This summer we were given an amazing, life-changing gift. My grandfather blessed us with financial freedom by releasing a burden of $75,000 worth of student loans. Since June I've thought about it every day.

So why am I telling you this? It's definitely not to put down others that are still in the situation we were faced with a year ago. The debt was a part of my life. It came with the package. It was the size of a mortgage. I won't fool you into believing that the debt problem didn't seep into other areas of my life- it affected my attitude towards my education, my relationships, how I felt about my future. I understand where you're at.

I'm not telling you this story to show off or boast- it wasn't our doing. Though my grandpa is one of the most generous, loving people you'd ever meet, I think he even surprised himself with the decision. What a blessing, an answered prayer. (I never prayed that someone would take the burden from us. I prayed incessantly that God would give us the wisdom to handle the long term debt appropriately.) We had breakfast the morning of our rehearsal dinner with my grandpa and Karen. He let us know that he wanted to give us our gift in person. (Truthfully I thought we were getting to visit him in Hawaii this winter!) We talked and he explained thoroughly why he decided to do what he did. I cried for hours. A life changing moment. The weekend of our wedding was indescribable. We had never felt so much love and support in so many ways, from every single person we care about. Amazing.

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The choice to share this with you stems from my belief of authenticity. I am grateful everyday that I wake up and know that we can pay our bills, that we are employed, that we don't have massive monthly loan payments but instead can give more away and change the future of our children's lives. Although we were freed from a huge debt, we still have some left to pay. Some student loans and a small credit card balance.

I had heard of Dave Ramsey before and we were even gifted a few of these books by Isaiah's aunt several months ago. Yesterday I read

Nancy's story

and I was so inspired. I had been feeling convicted about this area of my life. I felt like since we were released from such a big debt, it was our duty to use our money wisely. For the past six months we've gone through job changes and now we're getting ready to have this baby. It's time for us to get serious about our finances and release the final debt from our lives. It will take 3 years of living on very little, and a lot of sacrifice in the first years of our son's life. I can live on very little money, but I need time with my husband and I know I'll need time with my baby boy. If you saw the budget I drew up today you'd probably cringe at how little money we're going to spend.

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I highly suggest you read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover to get you started up. We are ready to do the hard work and diminish our debt for good. It's a good feeling to take control, focus on the real numbers and see truth. We made a vow never to borrow again (except for the house, once we finish this step).

If you live like no one else, you can live like no one else. We are looking forward to January 1st, 2016 as the day we will be free from debt. Three years of sacrifice will pay off over and over in our lifetime together, I can't wait to see where we end up.

To Dreams!

Rachel

Pregnancy: The Second Trimester Pt. 2

So the big news is... it's a BOY! I'm sure you already knew because I wasn't really keeping it a secret. We would have been ecstatic for either gender, but this feels so right. Isaiah is going to be such a great dad to our little man, I can't wait to see that relationship develop.

It's pretty well known around my "circle" that I've been wanting to know the gender since basically conception. I thought it would help me feel more connected to the baby, so we could pick out a name and start decorating the nursery. I even claimed that it was my Christmas wish. :)

My last appointment was on December 16th, I was 15 weeks and 5 days pregnant. A few days before the appointment I called to schedule an "elective ultrasound". Note: If you're pregnant and curious about this, talk to your doctor. I don't think it's common to elect for an ultrasound. I simply asked, and luckily they had an appointment with the ultrasound tech available.

currently nesting

When we entered the room we were greeted with such a friendly face. I can't remember her name but she was exceptionally nice. Once I got all settled with the goo on my belly, I let her know that we were hoping to know the gender, and if she had a good guess we'd like to know. She said it would be too early to tell and she didn't like to guess wrong and have us "go painting the baby's room". I said that was fine, though I was a little disappointed. After all, it was my Christmas wish!

We got such a stellar look at the little guy. He was moving all around and really looked like a baby. They transferred some images to 3D and printed them out for us. He's a stud, let me tell you. Next they did a trans-vaginal ultrasound for a closer look. Before she even said anything I knew it was a boy. He was positioned so well to show off for his mama! Baby knew it was my Christmas wish. Once the image popped up she immediately started typing "boy baby!!!!!!" on the ultrasound monitor. Literally just like that with all of the exclamation.

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Isaiah gave his usual shocked and excited face and was just smiling and smiling. It melted my heart. I was in shock. I would have been either way. Surprisingly, I didn't shed a tear. :) Afterwards, we determined we should so something manly and go out for burgers and beers. Isaiah picked out North Peak Brewery which was a perfect choice. We called my parents and our siblings to share the news and it was so much fun! It truly did make it seem more real to me. A son. Our son. A baby boy. How amazing. I love him so much already.

Resolution Restorative

Continuing on the theme of a new year, I wanted to write about my experience at the Resolution Restorative class I took at my yoga studio on New Years Day. I occasionally take classes at Yen Yoga and Fitness here in Traverse City. They have such a nice studio and the classes always leave me feeling refreshed and strong. So good! Unfortunately they don't currently offer pre-natal yoga classes, but I'm aiming to go to some gentle yoga in addition to my pre-natal classes at Yoga for Health.

When we arrived to the class our instructor had us take lots of supplies: blocks, bolsters, straps, blankets, etc. That's when you know it's going to be good. It was all ladies in the room which adds another level of relaxation for me. At the beginning of class, our instructor asked us to write one thing we'd like to bring into the new year on one side of a piece of paper, and one thing we'd like to leave behind on the other. She said that through the class we would meditate on these intentions through the postures.

disclaimer: I don't look this good. not even close. (via)

We held several poses for a long time. I stretched out my hips and my back and I focused on my breath. You should know that even though I've taken my fair share of yoga classes, I would never classify myself as a yogi (though someday that would be pretty awesome). It takes a lot for me to be mindful for 90 minutes, but it's so worth the try. Our instructor told us that we might decide to change our intentions halfway through. Yoga has a way of letting your mind relax and having what's important come to focus.

However, my words stayed the same. In 2013 I want to release the heaviness from my life and introduce lightness. This isn't something I distinctly wrote about in my future letter, but it's deeply important even beyond 2013. (especially beyond this year!)

When I think of heaviness, I think worry, stress, guilt. Literally feeling weighed down by something. The times I feel heavy are when I've literally eaten a meal that's too rich and makes me feel slobby. When I waste hours sitting on the couch. When I'm lazy. When I know I have things to do but I don't do them. That's where the stress and guilt come into play. Then I worry about the consequences. Out with the heaviness.

Instead, I am choosing lightness. Happy, carefree, with the ability to give expecting nothing in return. In my ideal "light" world, I am physically surrounded by light. Out in the sun, making the most of my days. I nourish my body with healthy food, water and exercise. I do the things I need to do in order to keep myself and others feeling happy. I am light. I am filled with God's grace that allows me to do what I need to do in order to be successful and peaceful. In with lightness.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

At the end of the class, we all circled around and burned our papers one by one. It was meditative, but there was lots of laughter and joy. I think it was truly symbolic of what we were all hoping to do- release something in order to bring more joy.

Happy New Year!

Pregnancy: The Second Trimester, Pt. 1

Where I I leave off? Oh yea, here. Isaiah and I were in Mexico and we had just broke the news to all of our family and friends. It was amazing to share the news with everyone. Parents, grandparents, friends, and family were all there to support us, just like they've always been. Ever since our wedding I have a new appreciation for the people in my life who have always been there. That sort of love is unique and beautiful.

After we returned from vacation I was only a few weeks away from my second trimester. With each passing day I felt more energized. Still not enough to exercise or cook a healthy dinner, but we made it through.

At 13w5d, I was almost into my second tri and there was a noticeable difference in my symptoms (i.e. enough to scare me). I went to the doctor right before they closed and talked to a nurse about my severe headaches and cramping/bleeding. She was very nice, but insisted that I be seen in the ER. As a matter of fact, my husband works in the ER so this wasn't exactly the "date night" he had in mind. The good thing was that we got in right away for the necessary testing.

Obviously everything was fine, otherwise I wouldn't be writing about it so casually. They did the usual testing (blood pressure, weight, etc), and then put me in a room to wait for the nurse. My symptoms had subsided quite a bit, but they insisted on giving me an IV with fluids and some type of anti-nausea meds (even though I wasn't nauseous?). Then they took me in for an ultrasound. It was so wonderful to see our little babe if only for a few minutes. He was so much bigger than 10w5d, Isaiah joked that he looked like a little Mexican skull doll. Cute, am I right? ;) They found the heartbeat with no problem and he was squirming around like crazy.

living in anticipation of this.

This emergency trip was really scary but I left feeling peaceful and calm. I knew we had another appointment only two weeks away and our little man felt safe deep inside of me. He was so small then! Even now, he's only the size of a sweet potato at 17 weeks.

In the next post, gender reveal! Even though you already know, this appointment was so cool. Hopefully after that we'll be caught up in real time. :)

Happy day!

Rachel

January Goals

I meant to put these up yesterday, but it was a holiday so I guess I'll forgive myself. In an effort to achieve my "dream year" that I wrote about here, I will be setting smaller, more manageable monthly goals to keep myself on track. Will you keep me accountable?

1. Input spending into my new iPad app, Budget Book, & have our first monthly budget meeting.
2. Use my simplified planner daily, or at least bring it with me and keep it open.
3. Practice yoga regularly, and make it to the pool at least 3 times.
4. Finish our "Throw out 100 things" challenge.
5. Keep up with regular posting on the blog.
6. Learn how to blow dry my hair like a professional.
7. Cook more meals at home, more vegetables!

Most of these goals are in place to set a habit for the year. Our new budgeting system is looking really great, I can't wait to see how the program will serve us and our larger intention of becoming debt-free, purchasing a house and just being comfortable with our money. Using my simplified planner won't be difficult, because I love it, but I need to remember to use it daily in order for it to work. I plan to write everything in our schedule that we already input into our Calendar app down so I have it in two places.

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Health wise, I want to be sure I'm making the most out of my first pregnancy. I downloaded several pre-natal yoga video podcasts on my iPad and am hoping to practice more often now that my energy is up. Also, I have a maternity swimsuit now, so there's no excuse not to get my cardio! :) I also want to cook a lot more at home. We've gotten pretty lazy about it for the past few months and I need to get my routine back. Meal planning, anyone? Bring on the smoothies!

I want to finish the challenge inspired by Jess Lively. We set it up so that we each need to find 100 things to get rid of. Either sell, donate or recycle/ throw away. It's been really good for us to simplify a little bit more to get ready for the nursery to be set up. I'm really excited about this!

Lastly, I want to keep posting on the blog. Even though I have literally 0 readers, including my husband- it's been great to write and figure out where I want to head with the blog. We'll see where it takes us! (and by us I mean me.) Oh, and the blow-drying thing is just a little vain, but it makes me feel good so I'm going to give it a go. That round brush seems so foreign! Any tips are welcome. :)

To a great month ahead!

Rachel

Letter to my Future Self

As I mentioned in his post, I know only how to write 100% authentically. I got this idea from Jess Lively's blog, to write a letter to my future self as a way of writing your intentions for the next year. It's really helped me clarify what the core of my heart looks like and if all the small things fall short, what I want life to look like. This is not all easy stuff. It's the real issues and struggles that I deal with everyday. Throughout the year I'm planning to write monthly goals to support all of these larger intentions. I would love if any of you would check in with me every once in a while and see how I'm doing. If you're a goal-setter, I am passionate about doing the same! Without further ado, here it is!

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Dear Rachel,

It is January 1st, 2014. Life is more wonderful than I could have imagined. I thought that 2012 was a blessed year, with a new husband, financial freedom and the conception of a perfect baby boy, but 2013 exceeded my expectations. Absolutely astounding. I was able to focus on what matters, and forget the rest.

Relationships, God, Creating, Health.

We brought our beautiful son into the world in June who Isaiah and I cherish and love above almost all else. We make bonding and family time a top priority. We were able to visit my parents and grandfather, and took time in the summer to visit family in Connecticut.

After I gave the natural, med-free birth that I trained and prepared for, I never returned to the bank full time. We are wise with our money and as a team developed a budget and found a way to support our family the most efficiently.

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Each month we review out budget and statements. We do not use our credit cards and are working on diminishing our debt. I feel comfortable and secure financially and Isaiah and I are constantly on the same page.

We established a workspace for Occasion that is the perfect place to build my business. It is clean and allows me to think and create freely, without clutter (mental or physical). I feel peaceful in my office.

My blog is picking up with regular posting and gaining meaningful readership each month. I write about my business, family, inspirations and intentions as I approach and experience motherhood.

I have found a way to generate income while working from home in some capacity. This could be through calligraphy, floral design, or another extension of Occasions. Working creatively with my hands has been rewarding and helped me define where I want my business to go in the future. I've developed a business plan and am so satisfied with where I'm at. I went above and beyond the expectations of my clients and this only deepened my sense of gratitude for amazing clients. This was an intentionally "slow" year for me, but I was still able to produce a photo shoot that I'm proud of and grow Occasions behind the scenes. I am ready for 2014!

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During pregnancy, I made the best use of my time. I gained a "normal" amount of weight and ate healthily and exercised throughout. We eat a balanced diet and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. After I gave birth I continued to focus on my health and wellness as I easily achieved my pre-pregnancy weight.

I designed baby's nursery on a budget and we love the way it looks! It is organized and simple, perfect for nursing, changing, and letting baby sleep. We took tons of photos this year! We printed them out and even framed some.

During my maternity leave, I learned to maintain the house and clean regularly. We have "systems" and organization in each area of our home. It makes cleaning and finding things a breeze! Isaiah and I feel like our responsibilities are divided equitably and fairly.

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I strengthened my relationships with Brittany, Callie, Natalie and Bk this year. I made an effort to remember birthdays and call more often. Friendship took a new role in my life. I was able to balance relationships with my oldest, greatest friends with some new ones too. I'm working on building up "my team" of supporters, and in turn I am more fully present with others.

This year I read more and watched less television. It was a good example for baby and great for my brain. I read a mixture of fiction and non-fiction that included baby books, business development and cookbooks- some fiction too. We also read to our little babe almost every night.

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I felt beautiful this year. Pregnancy was healthy and I took care of myself. During pregnancy I practiced yoga and walked outside regularly. Afterwards I hit the gym harder and got back into running at a comfortable pace. Even through early motherhood, I made myself feel great by taking relaxing baths, and made "getting ready" in the morning a priority.

We were very picky about how we spent our time. When given the chance to travel, we focused on visiting family and friends. During that time it was relaxing and stress-free. Lots of time outdoors, at the beach, eating together. It was lovely.

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Above all, I showed Isaiah how much I love him, and I put family first. Together we lead a household with a foundation of love. Our marriage serves to show our son what's really important, because we focus on living out those intentions daily. We supported each others goals wholeheartedly and went after what we wanted fiercely. We are learning to dream bigger.

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Best wishes for your amazing 2013,

Rachel

Blogging Intention

I'm honestly not sure who out there even reads this blog, especially because I'm not at a place where I feel it's ready to be shared with the world. You see, the only way I know how to write is from the heart. My truest feelings and most authentic self. Although I'm generally very open with my emotions and communication has always been a strong point for me, this blog seems very personal somehow. Coming to terms with it being "out there" is something I'm slowly working on.

This is a very honest space where I want to be able to talk about anything that's going on. You can expect to read about my business and it's blossoming to my full time career, my journey into motherhood, snapshots of my life that I simply don't want to forget, and my journey to making the right things happen. This is truly my core.

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That being said, I will make no apologies for the things I write about in this space. I've come to terms with putting myself out there and I'm not planning on turning back. On this blog, you can expect me to be real. To write from my soul and to be truthful about my journey. You're going to be getting a pretty heavy dose of this in the next few posts where I write about what 2012 looked like and where I hope to be at the end of 2013. It's a big deal.

Pregnancy: The First Trimester Pt. 2

After our first appointment with the baby doctor, I was in the zone. I was feeling better every day. All I could think about (still true actually), was about the new life forming inside of me. I started to research diapers, strollers, birth plans, doulas, budgets, nursery ideas, registry items... You name it, it had been googled. No joke, I was a search engine machine for about a week there.

When I wasn't passing time on Amazon, I was sleeping. Tiredness set in like nothing I had seen before. It could have been my body preparing for the crazy week of traveling we had before us, but either way I was lounging like I have never lounged before. Each day after work I'd come home and nap for at least an hour, usually two. It wasn't so bad, except I couldn't finish a movie to save my life.

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Another thing that was great about having that appointment behind us was that we were finally free to share the big news with our family and friends (and anyone that would listen). My doctor put our risk of miscarriage at less than 1%, and seemed very confidant in the health of the baby. Telling my parents was so much fun. They were surprised, of course, but I could tell by their voices how happy they were. My dad kept saying, "I'm too young (read: hip) to be a grandpa!". It was an indescribable feeling to have their support.

Since we were flying to Mexico just 5 days after our appointment, we decided to wait and tell my husband's parents in person, and I am so glad we did! Let me paint a picture for you... We had just gotten had a full day and half of traveling. We drove to Detroit, stayed the night at Isaiah's cousin's house, went to the airport at 6:00 a.m., flew to Ft. Lauderdale, transferred to a plane to Cancun, took a shuttle to the Port of Juarez, and then got on a ferry boat to Isla Mujeres. Whew! To say this pregnant lady was tired is an understatement.

My energy only rose when we saw my mother in law, (who happens to be one of my favorite people on the planet) waving her arms in excitement. We walked two blocks to George's favorite restaurant on the Island (sand-bottom, you have to believe I loved it.) and ordered drinks. Of course the first thing I'm offered is a Margarita... I claimed dehydration. After about 45 seconds of small talk I motioned Isaiah to get to it and spill the beans! I have this "thing" about me- I can't lie. But it's even deeper than that- I can't even withhold the truth when it's a big deal.

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After he said the words, "We're having a baby", jaws were on the ground, eyes were wide, and then immediately there was jumping and hugging. They were shocked but SO happy. The best reaction we could hope for. As soon as we recapped everything that had been happening for the past 12 weeks, we told them that we wanted a relaxing vacation, one that wasn't

completely

baby-centered. However it was pretty hard not to talk about the pregnancy with Diane, because she's the most understanding and thoughtful conversationalist I've ever met. We chatted a little bit about my hopes to have a natural birth, hire a doula, and how this new development alters the course of my business and intentions. She really helps me think.

Coming up... the first part of the second trimester! If you missed it, here' the first pregnancy post.

Pregnancy, The First Trimester Pt. 1

I've been wanting to post about my experience with pregnancy since the first week I found out we had conceived, but as you probably know it's better to wait a while. So, here is a little re-cap of how things have been going! Warning, I only know how to write honestly and openly, so there might be more information here than you care to know. :)

First of all, Isaiah and I have always known we wanted children. We didn't have a plan as to when we would start trying, and frankly we never got to that conversation. One day in the middle of September, I had the usual symptoms that would spell pregnant, but I honestly think I knew from the moment of conception. It was a feeling deep down, I felt different, I just knew. I had heard other mothers talk about this before but it shocked my how intuitive I felt. We took a test and it was definitely positive, so were the next seven. ;) It was shocking and wonderful. The next day I went out and immediately purchased three baby books and started studying up!

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(obviously I don't look this pregnant yet. ;)

Weeks 5 and 6 were a blur of excitement and shock. So much new information to take in, but I felt great. I went to the gym lots and continued eating healthy. We purchased pre-natal vitamins right away and I thought, "yea, pregnancy rocks!". So not the case for the next 3 weeks. I started to develop food aversions to all vegetables, most meat, and anything that smelled like anything. Tomatoes were especially strange- sour and foreign to my taste buds.

When I booked my first appointment I was informed that I wouldn't be seen until I was between 10 and 12 weeks. It seemed like forever to wait. We set our date for 10w5d, but around week 8 I got scared. My symptoms totally dropped off, to the point that I was worried. I read horrible stories online of miscarrying without the usual symptoms, and that the baby "just stopped growing". If you know anything about me, you know that I'm a worrier to begin with. Luckily, I went in for a few blood tests to confirm that my HCG levels were still on the rise. I was so relieved, and couldn't believe how attached I was to this little being already.

At our first appointment in November, we went through a few hours of blood draws, nurse visits, questioning, a visit with the doctor, and finally an ultrasound! Hearing our little babe's heartbeat was life changing. Strong and steady at 172 BPM. He was moving so much, almost like a little gummy bear! It was incredible. I was so happy that Isaiah and I got to experience that together. He's going to be the best dad.

To be continued...

Christmas Eve

Good morning, everyone! Today is Monday, December 24th. What does today look like for you? I hope you're spending it with your loved ones, preferably snuggling in front of a fire eating copious amounts of sugar cookies. Unfortunately that's not what our Christmas Eve is going to look like. This morning I am working just a few hours for my job at the bank, and tonight Isaiah is working a long shift until 11:30 p.m. Not exactly ideal, but we're working with it. Who's going to set out the cookies for Santa with me? We don't have family in town, but this weekend my in-laws and brother in law are coming to visit and we have a pretty intense schedule of events lined up (per usual).

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So instead, I will be home alone tonight. I was pretty pouty about this for a few weeks. I'm so used to "going to my mom's side for Christmas Eve, opening presents from Santa on Christmas morning, and going to my dad's side on Christmas Day". Even in college I was able to visit my family over the holidays and I lived a lot further away! But instead of pouting I've decided to make Christmas Eve a lovely evening of reflection, prayer, and celebration.

Yesterday I spent some time cleaning the house and preparing for this relaxing and thoughtful time. (I can't remember if I've written about it on this blog, but one of my "stumbling blocks" to making things happen is having an organized space- almost to the point of lunacy). It's not perfect but it will do. I prepared some sugar cookie dough so I can do the fun part- baking and decorating!

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I'll also be spending a good amount of time reading the Bible and journaling. "Me time" is not something I make time for on a regular basis and is definitely going to be a focal point of 2013. I can foresee myself diving into motherhood without a single introspective thought, only to get burnt out too soon. I hope that this time of reflection will help further guide my intentions for the next year. For Christmas tomorrow, one of the gifts I'm going to give my husband is a large, handwritten letter of each and every one of my honest intentions. Usually I'm very private with aspirations. Not the ones that are easy, (i.e. go to the gym more, eat healthier foods, call my mom more often), but the deeper intentions, the desires of my heart that seem unreachable. This year, I want to be more fearless. I want to dream bigger and share those things with my husband. Truly, this is the most meaningful gift I could give, the gift of my heart, over and over.

I also wanted to share my favorite Christmas song with you all. This one has been on the top of my list for years now, specifically the one by Sufjan Stevens. It stirs my heart Christmas after Christmas, a joyful reminder to give my heart away.

"Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing"

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy unchanging love

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Here there by Thy great help I've come

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let that grace now, like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, O take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy unchanging love.

Blessings on this Christmas Eve!

Rachel

Moving Forward

I'm not going to apologize for my lack of blogging over the past month. There has been so much going on! In this post, I want to do a little recap of where I've been and what I've been up to for the last month, but I also want to set some personal and professional goals for the next year, and line up what my intentions are for this blog for 2013. This may or may not take up a few posts.

I left off mentioning that we were about to embark on a vacation (not a trip!) to Isla Mujeres to visit my in-laws. Let me just say that the trip was magical. We spent hours strolling through the downtown streets, eating popsicles and laying around on the beach. The weather was iconic and it was great to just spend time with my husband, his brother and my in-laws. Together we celebrated my 24th birthday, Thanksgiving, and a some big news.... Isaiah and I are having a baby!

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Yep, you read that right. At the time of our visit, We were just about 12 weeks along and were able to tell our family in person, which was so important to me. Unfortunately my parents heard the news over the phone, but were obviously still thrilled. I want to write more about our trip and share some of the photos too.

As of today, I am 16 weeks along and feeling fabulous! For a while I was pretty sick and very tired, so I'm glad to be in this new stage of pregnancy. We also had our third ultrasound on Wednesday and found out that we are having a sweet baby boy! Honestly we could not be more thrilled. I am enamoured with him already.

Because of this huge news, my life is taking a drastic turn in the next year! I think about all the ground work I've done in building my event planning business: the hours I've put in at a job that is (almost) the furthest thing from fulfilling, working weddings for free, pulling all-nighters painting watercolors for clients, rising before dawn to finish floral arrangements so they are the freshest as can be. I know in my heart of hearts that event planning and floral design is where I am called to be. Do I know when I'll be able to pursue that full-time? No. But I do know that I have the most loving family and support system. I am blessed beyond measure with a husband that not only supports my dreams of running my business and being a mom to our kids, but a man who is level headed about money and who wants a secure, happy life for us all.

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For now, our "plan" is to have faith that everything will fall into place in it's right time. This summer I was planning on working 8 weddings (that was my goal), and now I've had to turn away clients. This doesn't upset me because I know that these actions support my greater intention of being a loving wife and mother. I can't wait to share more of this journey with you and move forward with this blog. Thanks for reading, it's going to be a crazy year!

For now, a little to-post list. :)

-Isla Mujeres recap

-Baby Progress so far

-Personal Intentions 2013

-Professional goals 2013

The Stress of Measuring

This post is inspired by what I read this morning on Leo Babauta's blog, Zen Habits. As you know, this year I've been focusing on living an intentional and fulfilling life. My time is spent designing my "ideal day" and closing in on what really, truly fires me up. Thanks to Making Things Happen (Lara, Emily, and Gina are superstars) I've gotten some much needed clarity on what this means for me and my business.

Leo's post talked about the stress of measuring- why we are constantly tracking everything by a number. How many miles did I run, tweets sent, likes on my facebook, hours slept, etc. His examples were supreme and really hit home for me. Especially ones like, calories consumed, e-mails sent, etc. I started to think about what I measure. It was time for me to "get real" (a phrase that my husband loves). Clients booked, dollars in my bank account, "real life" friends, twitter followes, body weight, items on my to-do list. My friends, these are all very real parts of my life that either make or break my mood. It's not easy to come to terms with my fears. I can feel my heart start to race when I think about my bank account being drained or not booking clients or gaining weight over the holidays. Is that what I value? Lara said that to name your fears is to destroy them.

Since I've finished school and started this journey of building a business, a marriage and a life in a new city, I've been so thoughtful of each step. Planning everything so carefully, to the point of praise by my friends and family. It was only this morning that I took a giant step back and realized that I am not following my intention of authenticity by measuring each and every thing in my life. Planning out the next 10 steps will get me nowhere if I'm not happy and making the right things happen in that moment. I know that's what will make my long term intentions come to fruition.

A few weeks ago I turned down my first client. It was really, really hard for me to do. She was amazing and truly looked like my ideal client. When I went home from our initial meeting, I got this nagging feeling that it just wasn't right. For one, it could have been great financially for Occasions, it was a large event and would have taking a lot of time and creative thought. Serious thought went into it and eventually I let her know that I wasn't going to be able to serve her in the way that she deserved, or give her the level of service that I pride myself on- for a number of reasons. After I sent the e-mail I immediately felt better, relieved. My number of "clients booked" wasn't increasing, but I felt so much better and like I was doing the right thing. I was turning down this client to make room for something bigger and better, but not in the traditional sense. In business school, we called this "opportunity cost". In my heart of hearts I knew my business wasn't ready to handle the wedding this client needed. And by reccomending another vendor in my area that will truly knock it out of the park, it was a win-win situation.

I hope that as Occasions grows into the elegant, fun, flower loving, rose-colored, rustic-but-refined brand that I've been dreaming of and creating that I can continue to make tough decisions on behalf of my intention. In other areas of my life I hope I can slow down and enjoy the little things. Isaiah and I are headed to Mexico for the next week and I cannot wait to hug my mother in law and dig my toes into the sand. Things not on my packing list: laptop, alarm clock, to-do list. Instead I'm going to wake up each morning, practice some gentle yoga and put my swimsuit on. We're going to walk to the cafe down the street and eat fruit, toast and coffee before we head to the beach with our books and towels. I'm going to soak in each moment with the people dearest to me. I can't wait for that quiet time. It'll be the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving.

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Next week on the blog, some really exciting news. I cannot wait to share with you all!

Making Things Happen Recap

Alright you guys. It's been a week since I attended Making Things Happen in Chigaco. I purposely waited a little while to share this with you all because I wanted it to "soak in". Going into this workshop I basically had no idea what to expect. I didn't know one single person. I left two hours early from a friend's house where I was staying because I was so nervous about traffic. I hardly ate breakfast. I waited in a hotel lobby for 45 minutes. Then, I introduced myself to a couple other girls. Thankfully, they were really nice. As in- thank you for calming my nerves even though I don't even know you- type nice. I didn't know what was going to happen in that room, but I knew that I wasn't going to leave the same. For one thing, I didn't think I'd be diving headfirst for the tissue box within the first hour. And those tears were important. They made me realize that what was happening, what I was feeling was real and tangible.

All of the fears I have surrounding my personal and professional life are real. They live in my head and hold me back from truly living my ideal day and my perfect life. It was through the hard work we did that day that I was able to gain clarity into what all of these thoughts and anxieties meant in my life. I remember one day about 3 weeks ago sitting on my living room floor. I thought to myself, "Things are pretty good. I take life one day at a time." I though that really loud and clear! But then there was this voice in the back of my head... "if something truly catostrophic happened, what would I DO? How could I make decisions and keep living life?" This really scared me.

Since MTH, I've have very little time to really sit down and reflect. I have all this newfound clarity about my fears, distractions, and most importantly, what fires me up. I need to make time do hash it out. Like Lara said, the real work will come when you walk out the door. I know what she meant. In six months I hope I know even deeper. In one year I hope I'm still learning and improving.

image via Shay's post, here! too perfect not to add. :)