One Hundred

Wowza--this is my 100th post! Let's celebrate...with some *deep thoughts* by moi. 

100 posts ago I had no idea what would come from starting a blog. 

Today I've learned that success is defined in many ways and, for me, this blog is a success. It has taught me to be brave, given me the gift of community and reaffirmed my love of writing. 

100 posts ago I knew I just wanted needed to write.  

Today I still need to write. And my desire to write a book has grown tenfold. One day... 

100 posts ago I thought no one would read. (Well, except my mom and my husband and a few friends that I basically forced--love you guys!)

Today I actually have some readers that aren't contractually obligated to read...yay! Seriously, thank YOU so much for stopping in here and joining my little community. I appreciate you more than you can imagine...you verify that I am not shouting into the wind in the middle of a forest...you know, what I do everyday in my home. 

100 posts ago I didn't have a direction. I didn't know what I was I doing. 

Today I still don't know what I'm doing but I sure am having fun!

100 posts ago I read other blogs and was envious of the communities they had created and were a part of.

Today I am a part of that community because I became active. Blogging is more than just writing, it's joining a conversation that is ongoing. It's being brave to show your writing to people that don't go by "mom" or "husband." It takes action to make dreams come true. 

100 posts ago I thought I'd run out of things to write about.

Today I am constantly inspired. By my family (gotta love preschoolers--a constant source of entertainment and inspiration!), by my surroundings, by what I read. 

100 posts ago I didn't have a schedule, I just wrote when I wanted to, when I was inspired.

Today I do have a schedule and it has helped tremendously. And I have so many ideas and scheduled posts...it makes me think I could attempt to publish 5 days a week but then I get crazy stressed. So we'll be sticking with my Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule...for now.

100 posts ago I was scared.

Today I still get nervous--putting yourself out there like writers do with every post they publish takes bravery--but I'm not scared anymore. I actually get a little excited every time I publish something.

100 posts ago I thought this would be just another failed blog attempt; this is my 3rd blog I've started. But, the old saying is true: The third time really IS the charm!

Today I am celebrating 100 posts--so I must be doing something right! (To be fair, some of those posts I transferred over from my previous blog, but most have been done since I actively started blogging on this site, back at the beginning of 2014.)

This was a spur of the moment post, a reflection of 100 posts published. Thanks for being a part of the journey!

{P.S. If you want a little more background on my blogging adventure, here's a post you may like.}

xo Sara

If you love this, follow all my adventures via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

Friday Favorites

My current favorite thing is...

Being nominated for fun "awards" from fellow bloggers!

Awhile back my blogging friend Beth from Bethie the Boo nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. I loved answering her fun questions and then passing the challenge on to other bloggers. I think what's so fun about these types of posts is that you really get to know more about the person behind the blog. And as an avid blog reader, I enjoy that. And for you, my readers, I hope you like getting to know me a little better, too. (Even you, mom. Wait. I hope you're one of my readers...)

Well, Beth did it again...she nominated me for the Liebster Award. In her own words: 

"the Liebster award is a sweet award given from bloggers to other bloggers  - the term Liebster has German origins and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, lovely, etc."

www.writingwithbangles.com

How fun, right? Here are her questions and my answers:

How did you decide on the title of your blog? 

I wanted something simple but memorable; something that summed me up in a couple of words. And if you know me, you know I'm always accessorized. And I'm always writing (or thinking about writing) or reading. Plus, I had a vision for my header picture and writing with bangles seemed like a perfect fit. In fact, I am typing while wearing bangles right now.

What one word sums up the heart of your blog and why?

Honesty. I try to be as honest and transparent as possible. So many of my posts are derived from moments in my life that caused me to stop and think--typically those "less than perfect" moments. I'm very introspective and this blog is a representation of that.

What is your favorite pastime other than blogging?

Reading. When I make time for it. Otherwise my dvr. Oh, and hanging with my family. Of course. That's a given, right?

What is your favorite aspect of blogging?

I love writing. I've always been a creative person--I've written short stories and essays for as long as I can remember (as a child I would make up news stories for my cousins, sister and I to read "on air" when we played "The News"). I have a dream of writing a book someday. But for now I'll "settle" for blogging--which I don't consider "settling" at all. I love it.

Which recipe, project or idea on my blog (Beth's) would you like to try most?

I love Beth's style and her willingness to try different things. I get stuck in a rut so often and don't think outside the box. She's a constant inspiration for me stylistically. 

Where does your blog inspiration come from?

Where doesn't it? My kids (obviously), our family adventures, observations, reading (especially blogs)...really, everywhere. I've gone through times when I feel less inspired but that's on me. I'm just not open to it because, really, inspiration is all around.

What is one country in the world you  would like to visit? Why?

England. I know there are so many exotic places to visit in the world but I've always wanted to go there, specifically London. Between all the history and as a big Beatles fan, there are so many places I'd like to see. Plus, England is like a hop skip and a jump from France, right? So it's reasonable that by visiting that country I'd hop on over to the other. And then there's Ireland...

If you have children, what are their names? If not, what are your favorite boy and girl names?

I have two kids, a boy and a girl. My daughter, Elena, was named after her two great-grandmothers. My grandma's name is Elaine and my husband's grandma's name is Lena. We decided to combine those names and came up with Elena. My son's name is Brandon. It's not quite as creative (remember--he was born 11 months after my daughter, I don't know if we had enough functioning brain cells at the time to come up with as creative a name) but it was a name we both liked. A classic. And his middle name is Allen, which was my father's middle name, too. So there was sentiment attached to his name.

And in case you were wondering (in reference to part two of this question), my favorite girl and boy names are Elena and Brandon.

A long-lost relative leaves you a large sum of money. What do you do with it?

Pay off our debts, number one. Boring, but what a relief that would be. Next, put aside money for college for the kids. Then, if that long-lost relative was SUPER generous and we still had money left, take lots and lots of vacations. I love Minnesota and have no desire to move out-of-state, but I do like the idea of several vacations to warm destinations during the cold months.

In your opinion, what is the best blog post you've written so far? 

Unplugging and Reconnecting is a favorite because I made a conscious decision to focus on my relationship with my husband. We had an in-home date night with beer, cards and pizza. It was awesome. 

And, because I apparently can't follow the rules, another favorite was A Day in the Life. I loved this one because I let my creative writing skills come out and play for a bit. It was fun...it's what I imagined was going on in my (at the time) 3 year-old's head throughout a day.

{FYI: There's a page of some of my other favorite posts here.}

What is your favorite food?

Bread. Any bread. Sweet bread (ie: donuts, pastries), bread that's a part of other foods (ie: crusts on pizza), bread that's fried, baked, toasted, or just out of the bag. Any and every type of bread. My husband jokes that the majority of meals I eat are just a formality for the bread. It's true--often I spend more time thinking about what type of bread would work with a meal than I do on the actual meal. 

I nominate these lovely ladies to answer the same questions, if they'd like:

Meredith at baublesandbirds.com

Katie at KatieLookingForward.com

Aimee at WhyILeftMyJob.com

Tia at dilettantilife.com

Happy Friday!

xo Sara

If you love this, follow all my adventures via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

Fall in Review

Now that November is here I thought I'd recap the past couple of months on the blog. I'll do this monthly going forward, but since this is the first installment I figured I'd reflect on the season that was.

It's hard to believe that fall is almost over and we are about to embark on the coldest time of year. Minnesota has had a pretty spectacular fall, I wrote about that in Lovely Leaves. Also, this picture from that post was featured in an online magazine's favorite fall photos, so be sure to check that out, too (link in original post)!

While overall it has been a beautiful fall, we did have some rain days. And with that brought some laziness--who doesn't just want to curl up under a blanket and read when it's gloomy outside? Well, now that I'm a momma I don't always have the ability to ignore the outside world while I become engrossed in a novel...mainly because my two very loud children typically have other plans. But, every once in awhile, the stars align and I get the motherhood version of curling up with a book. You can read all about that here. 

In September I published my first ever series and it was all about Twitter! With my background in eduction and HR/Training, this was a fun three-part series to put together. And the response was great; I love helping people understand things that previously seemed overwhelming. Here's a link to part one; the other parts are linked at the bottom of that post. Plus, I loved it so much I'm open to requests--what do you think I should write my next series on?

A post that struck a nerve with many was The Last Time. This was a poem my husband sent me about remembering to enjoy every moment with your child because you never know when it's the last time--the last time you'll carry them, the last time you'll wipe a dirty face, the last time you'll read them a bedtime story. I'll admit, I cried when I first read it. And, judging from your blog/facebook/twitter comments, I wasn't alone.

I had two favorite posts from the past couple of months. Back in September I wrote Where's the Mommy? about getting back in the picture with my kids instead of always taking the pictures or, more importantly, deleting those pictures that I'm in for various, dumb, reasons. It was a hard post to write because it's something I'm still struggling with--how to not be so hypercritical of myself--but it helped to know I'm not alone.

My other favorite post was one I just wrote last week, For Girls Only. Here's a picture that shows my son's happiness when he's playing with princesses. And I love it when he plays with this set because it really shows his imagination working--he comes up with scenarios (dancing at a ball while the friends watch), goes through routines (bedtime rituals--they brush teeth, put on pajamas, read a story and get tucked in) and pretends everyday objects are other things (a small box becomes their bath or pool). 

And, finally, one of the biggest things to happen to me this month was attending the Minnesota Bloggers Convention. It was a great experience that I'm so happy I didn't chicken out of attending. I wrote about how stepping out of my comfort zone was the best thing I could have done. It's only by stretching that we grow. You can read about how I faced my fear here. 

So with October leaving us, we move on to November. And really, my favorite time of year...the holidays! Just wondering, is it too soon to be listening to Christmas music? I'm asking for a friend...

xo Sara

If you love this, follow all my adventures via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

When I started this blog my intention was to have fun with it, write about the things I wanted to write about, maybe have some readers that enjoyed my musings and meet other bloggers. I'm so happy that in the six months since I relaunched (almost to the day!) I feel like I have met these goals and I'm continuing to grow.

But my favorite out of all those goals has been meeting other bloggers. Prior to starting this blog I was an avid blog reader and loved interacting with different bloggers on social media. I was constantly inspired by their writing. And since I've been actively blogging it's been fun not just tweeting about, commenting on, or Facebooking about their posts, but about things that I wrote, too. It's been surreal at times to have bloggers that I have admired over the years comment on my stuff. And it's been so wonderful to meet even more bloggers.

Beth from Life with Bethie the Boo is one of those bloggers. She is someone who I've never met in real life but is so supportive in the virtual world. I love her blog which is filled with her style and her fearless nature when it comes to fashion. I also love her honesty and openness when she writes about her life. She beautifully mixes having a fashion blog and writing about her life. And last week she nominated me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award.

I hadn't heard of this before so I used my trusty friend, Google (who always has the answers I seek), to try to find out the origins of this award. Well, I did some searching and couldn't really come up with a good answer but I did see that it's been around for several years. And even though I'm not sure who started it, the ultimate result of this award is women nominating other women in a show of support with a potential of making even more connections. So, supporting and connecting with other women--win-win. Let's do this! Here are the rules:

-Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.

-Put the award logo on your blog.

-Answer ten questions.

-Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.

-Nominate ten people. 

Without further delay, here are Beth's questions for me, followed by my answers.

1. What does your perfect pizza look like?
Hand-tossed crust with pepperoni and mushrooms. I especially love it made in a wood fired pizza oven.

2. What is your favorite beauty product? 
Well, I'm 36-years old and I've just discovered the amazingness of eyeliner. I'm not kidding, I had no idea.

3. What is the best vacation you've ever been on?
It's hard to narrow that down because vacations are meant to be awesome, right? I loved our honeymoon in Jamaica and a week we spent in San Diego before kids was wonderful. But the best vacation I've ever been on was a simple trip to Las Vegas last year. You know why? Because it was my husband's and my first trip (besides a weekend jaunt to Chicago) without our kids (I wrote about it here), and our kids were 2 and 3 at the time. We needed some time away; it was very important for our marriage. I'm sure this "favorite" will change--we are currently planning a 10-year anniversary trip for this winter. 

4. What are you reading right now?
I'm reading Harry Potter. I'm almost done with the entire series (for the 4th? time); I like to re-read it every few years. It's like visiting old friends. But next up is "Gone Girl." 

5. Coffee, tea or neither?
If you know me, I shouldn't have to answer this. I literally can not imagine my life without coffee. It's a little pathetic.

6. Be honest, do you floss every day?
No. I don't have much else to add to this.

7. Do you like your name or do you wish you could have a different one?  What would you choose if you were to have a different name?
I like my name. Growing up I didn't because everyone was named Sara. I'm not kidding, in every class growing up there were at least 2 other Saras, if not 3. However, I was always the only one spelled S-a-r-a, while everyone else was S-a-r-a-h. That 'h' is so unneeded. 

8. What is your favorite season?
Spring. Or fall. Depends which one we are in or closer to. So, right now, fall.

9. I'm stealing Kristi's here - describe yourself in five words.
Creative, funny, loving, assertive, caffeinated 

10. Are you a vanilla or chocolate fan?
Crazy how that changes--as a child I was all about vanilla. Now I'm in the chocolate camp. 

Nominating ten people is a lot...I think I'll follow Beth's lead on this and nominate four. I nominate the ladies of Wild Ruffle, both Cate and Tammy, Lindsey from Fashion Fix and Rachel from Rachel Greenhouse (il bel far niente).  

Ladies, here are your questions!
1. Why did you start your blog?
2. What is your favorite book?
3. Have you ever colored your hair?
4. What does a perfect morning look like for you?
5. I'm stealing one of Beth's: What was the best vacation you've ever been on?
6. What's a guilty pleasure you have that you're not too embarrassed to share?
7. What's the first concert you ever attended?
8. What's the one thing in your closet you simply could not live without?
9. What 3 items would you bring with you to a deserted island?
10. What song instantly puts you in a good mood?

Thanks again, Beth, this was a lot of fun. Happy Friday, friends!

xo Sara

If you love this, follow all my adventures via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!

A New {Blog} Name and Home

Change scares a lot of people. It scares me sometimes.

But this is not one of those times. Over the past several months I've been busy planning, designing, thinking about, working on, and in general obsessing over this new space. Writing with Bangles--my baby.

I've started and stopped blogs in the past. But my love for the blogging community has not faded even though those creations have. Part of my problem was a lack of direction and confidence. And while I'm not perfect, the older I've gotten the more secure I am with me, my thoughts and how to express them.

I hope you enjoy this space as much as I have enjoyed creating it. I hope you come here frequently, share a laugh, find something relatable and leave feeling better.

That's all I can ask for.

xo Sara

If you love this, follow all my adventures via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!