Top Dollar

I guess in order to really sell this lifestyle, we have to break it down even further and dig into this idea of value. We've said it over and over in our posts, to ourselves and each other - does this add value? So...how do you define value?

My family used to own a bakery and for a year I decorated cakes for special orders. Customers would come in and talk with me about what they wanted and how they imagined the cake to look. I would quote them a price based on the size of the cake and how long the decorating would take, they would be on their happy way, and I would begin planning for their order. Almost everyone understands that small, family businesses are a little bit more expensive than the big box stores, but that's because small businesses don't have as many customers, can't purchase bulk by the millions, and you're getting a familiar face who you know and trust.

We had tons of loyal, repeat customers. They knew what they were going to get and they knew that quality products not chalked full of fillers meant they were going to know exactly what went into making their bread, noodles, or cakes - they were willing to pay for quality. One day, a customer comes in with his granddaughter and they want to place an order for the girl's birthday cake. She wanted Batman (only a little significant to the story, but cool because I hadn't had a little girl request a superhero). I quoted a price, grandpa agreed and off they went. The order was completed a couple days later and it was grandma who came to pick up the cake. Well...grandma wasn't happy. Grandma didn't understand why the cake cost so much. I told her what I quoted her husband and he said it was fine and that it took more coloring to make all the black icing and thus more time was spent on the cake. She was outraged, and so was I. I had worked hard on this cake and did just what the little girl wanted and when I piped the last bit of icing on the cake, I was sure the little girl was going to love it. But that thought was quickly ruined by someone who didn't take value in my work - my time.

I can tell you this - I value relationships, I value time, and I value hard work. All of these are pretty self-explanatory. I find value in having good relationships - for my relational people to be present when we're together, and that our time spent together brings feelings of love, happiness, and fulfillment. My time spent cooking a meal, baking a dessert, or working on a project have value to me, and I value the hard work of others, because without others working hard, I would be doing even more to stay afloat - my daycare provider is a prime example of this.

What about you? What do you value in yourself? What do you value in others? What kind of value do you give things?

What about your home? Think about the price per square foot of your home. Now look around - how much of that valuable space is being inhabited by clutter...junk...space-fillers?

Living this lifestyle isn't asking you to give up everything you have and live in a tiny house with only 10 pieces of clothing. This lifestyle is about making the most out of life. Living with less means living to the fullest. No longer are you weighed down by the junk that adds no value. No longer are you wasting time maintaining the clutter (we've all dusted around a knickknack that we hate). You now have time to work on relationships, cross off some items on your bucket list, or pursue a new hobby. You can live a life of less stress and more happy. You can value your life at top dollar.

Breathing

I started this lifestyle 15 days ago and hadn't yet had time to start the purging process until this weekend. I only had plans this weekend to declutter - 3 whole days! I got a wind of ambition on Friday night and started early...with the most overwhelming room - my bedroom.

I had previously done some decluttering, but nothing to this magnitude. I knew cleaning out my closet and dresser would be the hardest - so why not start there first. Get the most difficult out of the way and then it should get easier to let go of stuff, right? That's the way it worked for me.

Really seeing the stuff for what it was, yeah, that was a bit overwhelming. I had clothes in both my closet and dresser that had never been worn. I had given space to things that added little to no value to my life. One by one, each article of clothing and shoe was touched - it was like I needed to give myself permission to let go...permission to breathe. I ended Friday night after 4 hours and felt like I had just resuscitated my bedroom - its lungs were filling with breath again and were freed from the weight of the clutter and stress.

Saturday started early and ended late - I walked away for errands and felt as though the same weight my home had been feeling was lifted from me. I was no longer being held to the idea that I NEEDED the stuff that was put in tubs for donating. I found air again.

Sunday - I tackled the kitchen (my favorite room). By this point, it was much easier to let stuff go. I cleaned out drawers that were brim-full and hadn't been accessed in years. I donated not 1, but 2 (WHAT?!?) cookbooks! And discovered that they were blocking one that held value to me. I found a cookbook that was my grandmother's with her name written inside in her handwriting - I sat there in tears. I had put this item away and forgotten about it...sentiment shouldn't be easily forgotten.

Monday - I finished up a couple of little places that had received their own amount of clutter and have even started shopping differently. I went to the thrift store looking for more cloth napkins and found myself seeing objects in a different light - how are they useful and how can they add to my home?

Throughout this process, there were moments of overwhelming stress and tears, but the feeling at the end...that's when I felt the reward. Not only was I able to donate a lot of things to a great, local organization, but I was able to throw away a lot of stuff that just brought me stress. Is my house completely free of clutter? No...but for me, this is a process and it's going to take some time to sift out even more that's not needed.

Not Becoming The Hulk

One thing I tell my boys a lot is that no one else is responsible for your emotions, your actions, or your happiness. They can try to have an impact on them, but at the end of the day, they are YOURS. You chose whether you react in a positive or negative way. We live in a society full of people who thrive off of passing the blame. It's always someone else's fault. Someone made me do it. I'm not responsible for that. That's your problem, not mine.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's not always easy to do. There are way too many times that someone cuts me off or goes when it's not their turn at a 4-way-stop and I get infuriated. I'll be the first to admit, I have road rage, but that's no excuse. We all let our kids, our bosses, our ex's, even the slow checkout lady at the store, get the best of us and we snap. We curse, we stomp, we throw things, we might even use a certain finger to release that anger.

So, how do we control those big, green urges? That is the question. I'm reminded of the movie Anger Management with Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson. Dr. Rydell (Nicholson) is an anger management guru, and Dave (Sandler) is actually a really mild-mannered guy, whom his girlfriend, Linda, (Marisa Tomei) is trying to get to stand up for himself and not be a push-over, so they put him through the ringer to see what will ruffle his feathers. In one scene, Jack is teaching them the term that the Eskimos use to calm their babies. "Goosfraba". I still to this day will say it jokingly when something is stressing me out.

Does it help? Not really in the sense that the movie suggests, but it does make me laugh, and then the stress is a little more manageable. I don't necessarily recommend you saying it either unless you're alone, otherwise, it could make you look a little crazy. What I do suggest is finding a way to diffuse and decompress. The way you speak to your children becomes their inner voice. The way you speak to others around you also dictates the way they respond and speak to you in return.

The world is full of people who are rushing, stressing, flipping out, and imploding. Take the time to "smell the roses" and enjoy the little things. Live by the 5 by 5 rule. If it's not going to matter in 5 years, then don't spend more than 5 minutes worrying about it. Learn to breathe, let things go, and don't sweat the small stuff (because it's almost all small stuff).

Parenting Through the Storm

OK parents, I'm gonna say something that we've all thought at least once in our adult lives, are you ready? Here it is...

Kids can be real jerks sometimes.

Whew...I feel better now. Now don't tar and feather me just yet. I absolutely love my two children, and Alicia's two as well, (we're almost the Brady Bunch) but there are times that would even make the Pope lock himself in the bathroom and scream. No one said parenting would be easy, but come on. Sometimes, by the end of the week, Daddy needs a break. It's even worse when you're outnumbered.

Alright, enough complaining, I could have it a lot worse. Just spending a few minutes in a public place around other kids will prove that in no time flat. For the most part, all four of our kids are really good. I know mine are regarded at their school for being some of the best behaved and most well mannered, and I would much rather them misbehave for me than anyone else, but sometimes, I'm not sure the good Lord himself could break their will. I'm definitely paying for my raising at times with them.

Now, I'm not here to gain sympathy for difficult children. I've been around enough other parents to know that ain't gonna happen. I'm just saying that kids can be a handful, and that's ok...to an extent. Sometimes "boys will be boys" is ok, but when is it not? For me, it's when their actions directly affect someone else. I've definitely been working on not letting them get all bent out of shape when someone hurts them, but I also want them to make sure they aren't hurting someone else with what they say and do. I want to raise gentlemen (and a lady). Kind-hearted, passionate, gentle, but strong, Godly adults.

My oldest, who's 9, and I have been talking a lot about this sort of stuff. He is very inquisitive, and super smart for his age, but he's also my biggest challenge. He's strong-willed to a fault. In the right situation, that's a great trait to posses, but in the wrong one...look out. He often cracks, if not breaks my will completely. My 6-year-old marches to his own beat, and that's an entirely different battle, but I'm trying to instill characteristics that I'm unfortunately seeing go the way of the buffalo these days.

What I'm saying is, pick your battles, but make sure you're picking the right ones. Don't raise your kids to be like you, raise them to be better. To be the light that they want to see in others, and still be that light even when they don't see it anywhere around. Every day as a parent has it's own storm. Stand firm in the wind, and be the stable ground and safe haven for your kids. Lead by example, and make sure that example follows what you say.

Useful & Beautiful

have nothing in your house that you do not know to

be useful, or believe to be beautiful

- william morris

We are a cluttered culture. We crave filled spaces - in our homes...in our lives. We have junk overtaking our drawers, multi-car garages, storage sheds, and possibly rent storage space down the street. Think about that for a moment.....we actually pay for extra space to store our extra stuff.... All of this "more" we thought we needed is sitting somewhere else collecting dust.

At every thought of this lifestyle, I've seen a glimpse of freedom. Freedom from the clutter, freedom from the stress, freedom from the burden. Most people don't look at their house and say, "I think I need some more junk mail piled up on the counter and maybe another load of laundry just sitting by the couch." I don't look around my home and wish I had more clutter. But isn't that what the "more" we're always wanting becomes? Just more sitting around with no purpose, seemingly no value, taking up space, and growing another layer of dust. It's time for a change...I'm trading clutter for useful and beautiful.

About 2 years ago, I had a vision for this skinny little wall that separates my living room from my kitchen. I was never really happy with the items that graced its space. Until one day, I stumbled upon an idea on Pinterest (shhh...it's my other love). The idea was simple and had this sort of industrial beauty. I enlisted the help of my dad to find the boards and the next time he was visiting we went shopping for the other pieces. Now it's one of my favorite walls. Not only did I find a way to make this little space useful, but its purpose became something for beauty.

These are found to be beautiful - art, gifts, and memories.

I'm done with the notion of having something in my home just because someone else has deemed it trendy. I want my home to showcase not just the things I find useful and beautiful, but highlight all the things that I do that are beautiful - raising my children, spending time with family, cooking for those I love. From now on, my collections will consist of laughter, love, and memories.

Recycling, Consuming, and Commuting Coffee

Think about the word recycle. We'll come back to it in a few. I'm also going to hand out a sincere apology for how long the post is...there's something in it for you if you stick it out to the end.

When buying into this minimalist lifestyle, you start to think about everything, literally E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, differently. You sorta can't help it. You're not just thinking about how you can reduce the number of items you own or the amount of things you really need...you start to think about how you use things as well.

Let's take a little walk, and on this walk, I'm going to count the items I use. What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? For me, it's use the bathroom and shower. 1. 2. 3. 4. Then I get dressed and make coffee. 5. 6. After coffee, I usually fix something to eat. 7. 8. 9. 10. Ok, let's stop there. In just the first 30 minutes of my morning, I've already used a lot of things and there are at least 10 that I can recycle or purchase better. What?!

I started recycling about a year ago and oddly enough - it's rewarding. If you don't recycle, you're probably thinking I'm talking crazy....but ask Jason. You start to see the little symbols everywhere and it's like this weird adult scavenger hunt - this might be stretching it, but you should totally try it!

Now back to those numbers...try to stay with me,

1. Toilet paper roll - those can be recycled, but did you know that there is a brand of toilet paper that actually went sans roll! Check it out here.

2. Soap - you've seen the big containers of soap for refilling those cute little bottles, right?! Yeah, maybe not, because they put them on the bottom shelf and away from your consumer eye.  Look next time - not only can you reuse the cute little bottle, but you can recycle the refill container when it's empty - score!

3. Shampoo/Body wash - also containers that can be recycled.

4. Wash cloth/towel - if you purchase quality towels and wash cloths, they will stand the test of time longer and will cut down on the purchasing of the shower poufs (some are made from recycled materials). The quality of the towels also comes into play with laundry and the consuming of those products.  A shower towel that is only used once a day can be used up to 3 times before needing washed - this cuts down on the amount and frequency of laundry you'll be doing with those thread-bare towels from the 70's.

5. Quality clothing - if you're purchasing clothing that is of high quality, you're going to get longer wear out of them, thus cutting down on your need to purchase more clothing.

6. Coffee - I have one of those handy-dandy, pod-accepting coffee makers, and instead of purchasing coffee in the little individualized plastic pods, I purchase a canister of coffee and use a refillable pod.  I have seen some of the pod cups that are recyclable, but knowing my intake of coffee I get a better deal when I spend $5 on a canister that can get me at least 30 cups as opposed to the $5 for 12-16 cups I would get purchasing the pods.

7. Breakfast - there are any number of foods or items that I could prep for breakfast that are in recyclable containers or packaging.

8. Plate - if I'm using my nearly indestructible plates (you know the kind...I bet you got a set from your grandparents who also gave a set to your parents. If not, look here - they've come a long way since the colors of 1972.), I'm cutting down on my use of paper plates (which I haven't purchased in over a year).

9. Napkins - I know this is where I'll lose some of you. (Listen, you take what you want from this list. At the end of the day, how you choose to do this lifestyle is totally up to you - just consider it.) Cloth napkins. I also haven't purchased paper napkins or paper towels in over a year. I found my cloth napkins at a resale shop for $0.10 each! You could make the argument that I'm only creating more laundry, but realistically - how much room are 6 cloth napkins and 2 kitchen towels going to take up in the washer?

10. Coffee to go - use a good travel mug for your commuting coffee to cut down on the use of paper cups at home and work. We've all probably been gifted with some promotional ones at different events, but keeping your commuting coffee hot and out of your lap is the best way to arrive at work. Recycle or donate the crappy travel mugs and make a quality purchase - you're commuting coffee and lap will thank you, PLUS it's totally refillable.

How many of you made it all the way through??? My point is this - everything we do involves consumption, but we can make better choices for what we use and how we handle the waste. We have to eat, we need to bathe - we use things every. single. day. If you're looking at labels when making purchases and buying the items you know can be recycled, then you're making the better decision. If you're purchasing quality items like clothing, towels, napkins, plates, etc., then you're cutting down on the amount of waste you create through consumption. This minimalist thing for me isn't just about the front end of consumption, but also at the tail-end when it comes to how I view whether or not the purchase really did cut down on waste and how I can modify my consuming behaviors the next time.

You've made it to the end! Think about this while you enjoy some commuting coffee, in a reusable travel mug, of course. 😉

Cutting the Digital Chord

*** WARNING *** 

This post might hurt a little. (Myself included.)

Yup. We're going to talk about putting down the iPhone, closing the laptop, and turning off the T.V., so go ahead, I'll wait. Done? Good. Now, take a deep breath. Do you feel better?

I have to admit, I'm a "techie" guy and I love gadgets and gizmos. I like electronics, especially ones that are supposed to make our lives easier, but I often wonder at what cost? I don't mean monetary cost, which that can add up too, but I mean the cost of our time with others, our productivity, and our sanity. I've noticed that sometimes, the things that are supposed to make our lives easier, end up taking more of our attention. Smart phones are a great example of that. We're all guilty of being glued to our phones from time to time.

I've had these thoughts in the back of my mind for years, especially the more I saw those around me staring more at a screen than looking anyone in the eye, but recently, my, big, expensive smart phone decided to stop working, and I had to pull out my old one that was already on it's last leg when I stopped using it almost a year and a half ago. Everything lags, apps take forever to load, and the whole thing freezes up about every third time I try to do something on it. If you want to disconnect from technology, try using something that doesn't work. It will disconnect for you, but I have noticed that it's gotten easier for me to put it down and not carry it with me everywhere.

It amazes me how disconnected we've become from each other as a society, while becoming more connected to everything around us that's completely inanimate and non-reciprocal. I've also developed more peace since I dropped cable television. I have Netflix because I still love to watch things and I have kids, so it's almost a necessity, but it's on my time and it's my choice. I don't have to be subjected to news and media and all the crap that's going on in the world around me. I'm not completely oblivious. I keep up with what's relevant, but on my terms. I'm also finding it easier to escape from social media, and the often negativity and clutter that it ensues.

Am I saying to go completely off the grid? No, not at all. I'm just saying, let's unplug more often. Scroll less Facebook, and play more board games. Have a conversation, with a human, in a coffee shop or a park. Meet a friend for lunch and leave your phone in the car. Let's connect where it matters. There's a great, big app out there called life, and it will pass you by while you're busy choosing the perfect filter on Instagram.

Junk the Junk Drawer

Hi, my name is Jason, (Hi, Jason) and I'm a junkaholic...

I came to a realization this past week...I'm a junk drawer junkie! I've lived in my current house for just under 15 months now, and I have 7, count 'em, SEVEN JUNK DRAWERS! That even hurt to say it. I tend to be a fairly clutter free person, and I realized that was only because I shove every loose object into either a drawer, closet, or cabinet. That only works until said receptacle starts to overflow and the contents pop out like a jack-in-the-box every time you open it.

That's where this started. After I watched the Minimalist documentary (seriously, have you watched it yet?!?) where someone had said that it wasn't that you needed more storage space, you just need less stuff to store, I came to the conclusion that I had a problem, and it was growing.

The funny thing is, after I started cleaning out my junk drawers, I noticed that it was exactly that, JUNK. Everything was "just in case" and random one-off type stuff that I hadn't touched in a long time, and often didn't even know what it was or why I kept it. My new rule is another thing I picked up from the minimalists which is the 20/20 rule. If I can replace it for $20 or less, and in 20 minutes or less, I don't need to hang on to it.

Here was the transformation of just the 3 drawers in my night stand...

Notice how I almost emptied out an entire drawer? I even made room for my pistol case that was previously under the bed. (the other random gun is just a BB gun, so don't crucify me) I did actually empty out one drawer in the kitchen, and organized the others.

It's a work in progress, and over time will thin out even more. With the stuff I have, sometimes I have to take baby steps or I start to hyperventilate. At one time, I thought I was sentimental with things when in reality, I was just being a pack rat. I hadn't looked at, thought about, or accessed most things in months, even years, and that's not sentiment, that's hoarding.

Don't be a slave to "just in case". Don't let the junk drawer (or cabinet, closet, etc.) develop it's own gravitational pull. Use the 20/20 method, or just think about the last time you used, or even thought about the items. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to purge!

In the Excess

More often than not, we can get wrapped up in the feel-good feeling of having everything we want and catching that high that comes from it. That's actually what advertisers want us to do.  They want us to get that jolt of dopamine (feel-good chemical) in our brain that tells us "this feels good," "I want more of this," and "I NEED more of this!" But do we really need more?

Now...don't get me wrong - I won't be donating one of the 2 - 9x13 baking dishes that I have...that extra dish isn't excess. I use it and use it most when family is visiting. But what I do have an excess amount of is clothes and shoes...oh yeah, and necklaces and scarves. I know that I have pieces I haven't worn in the last year...maybe even 2 or 3 years. That's the stuff we're talking about.

I want to be free from the possessive grip of things

and find love through value.

Throughout the declutter (purging) process, we constantly want to be asking ourselves - does this bring value to my life? For some, a bookcase full of books brings value to their lives. I actually purged a lot of books that just sat in my house taking up space a couple of years ago. The purging process doesn't look the same for everyone. You might start by only getting rid of one item at a time. Or maybe you take the NOTHING-LEFT-BEHIND approach (said like Braveheart storming the enemy). This journey looks different for everyone.

When I first brought the idea of minimalism to Jason and asked, "what do you think?" I could see he was worried that I had gone off the deep end. But then I found the documentary (as previously mentioned) and within the first 10 minutes I was ready to start filling trash bags to get rid of stuff. I was so profoundly moved by this documentary (that rarely happens for me).

A couple months before I turned 31, I knew I wanted to live this life differently. I no longer wanted to worry about what others thought of my closet. I wanted to be very specific with my gift giving (since Christmas was approaching). I wanted to stop dusting all the junk.

So...where are you in this journey? Are we the first to bring this lifestyle to your attention? Have you had similar thoughts recently? Let us know - we would love to read your feedback!

We know that this is still new for us and we're wading our way through it, but we have a plan and we're going to stick this out.

Practical Minimalism

The beauty of minimalism is that there aren't any guidelines. It's not a one size fits all solution.

After watching the documentary, The Minimalists, we came to a greater understanding of how this lifestyle can be made our own. (By the way...go watch the documentary, available on Netflix, and then come back here.)

This all started with art...not for us, but the minimalism movement started with artists throwing one color of paint at a canvas and calling it art. It started with an artist stacking some bricks in an art gallery and calling it art. Who says it's art? Who makes this determination...this distinction?

What was the last thing you looked at and thought, "that's beautiful"? Is that not art? Take photography for example - just a few short years ago people would only GO to the studio to have a family portrait taken. Now lifestyle photography is a thing. You hire a photographer to come to your home and take pictures of your family doing the ordinary. But is it just ordinary? Is life where you live ordinary? Are the memories you're making ordinary? The most life is lived in what we ashamedly call the ordinary.

How does this look for us?  We're not going to sell everything and live out of what we can carry on our backs.  We want to live with what is enough. We don't need closets filled to the brim with clothing.  We don't need enough plates to feed the army of guests we will never invite over. As Americans, we seem to have a problem with blank - blank space, blank walls, blank...blank...blank...

So what is enough? We are asking ourselves, does this add any value to our lives?

"Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of lives excess in favor of focusing on

what's important - so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom." 
-The Minimalists

It's the excess that tends to collect the most dust. Have you ever stood in your closet searching for something to wear only to notice that you have clothing that has collected dust? I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm guilty. What I thought I needed and wanted at one moment in time had fallen victim to my desire for more. Turns out, I didn't need that shirt - I didn't need the 5 of them that hung there with dusty shoulders. I hadn't found enough value in them to let them serve their purpose.

In a world of "more, more, more," we are repeatedly finding out it's not enough. We begin here...the idea of ridding the excess and finding the value in what we have.

The (Positive) Snowball Effect

Diets suck, resolutions are hard, and bad habits aren't easy to break. How many gyms and health food stores do you think are cram packed today, but will be back to their barren selves in a month or less? There are several reasons for this phenomenon, but the biggest one is that we tend to "go big or go home" with our changes. We feel the need to jump in with both feet and cut out something or start something new right away and with full force.

Someone once suggested to me to stop using the word diet and start using lifestyle change. It takes on a whole different mentality. A diet is a lot of don't eat that and people don't like to be told they can't do something, especially when they want to, but when you change your lifestyle, you aren't saying NO to bad things, but more of saying YES to good things. Things that will improve your quality of life.

Take baby steps. Don't cut out everything all at once. You don't have to quit smoking, start eating better, and go to the gym all in the same day. You'll probably kill yourself faster trying to do so. Start with one thing at a time, preferably the one that might seem the easiest, and go from there. This method can apply to several changes in life.

If you need to declutter, start with something small, like the junk drawer in the kitchen, or the center console in your car, then, work your way up to a cabinet or two, then a closet, and then maybe a spare room. If it's debt, start with the smallest balance, pay it off, then move on to the next one up, and so on, adding the amount you paid for the smaller one to the next. You'll be amazed at how fast things get taken care of.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and the first trip into outer space didn't put a man on the moon. Don't get discouraged and give up when you don't get results overnight. Give it time, breathe, and make a better you, one step at a time.

Habit vs Intent

With the end of a year come thoughts of reflection and the beginning of the next brings a change in mindset and thoughts of improvement.

How did I do last year? Where did I fail? Where did I win? What can I do better in the new year? Like any resolution, these thoughts might not make it past day 3.

Upon our reflection of 2016, we came to the realization that we wanted to do more. We were tired of submitting to habit and wanted to be more intentional. We want to use this new year to not just be better, but do better - at living...at parenting...at loving. We want to take on a heart of action. We want to be intentional in our daily lives.

Day One

Day one or one day. It's the beginning of a beginning.

This is the first page of a journey. A journey of life and revelation. A journey of discovery and inspiration.

Who we are...

Alicia - I'm a mom of twins and I love spending time in the kitchen - whether it's at the stove or around the table with family, it's my favorite room of the house. The kitchen is the heart of my home. I have a passion for creativity whether it's experimenting with a recipe, coloring with my kids, or trying to be "artsy" with an Instagram post. I've always loved art and how it can be something different for every one. My hope is that this little blog is not just a creative outlet, but also an expression of love - love of family...love of discovery...love of life.

Jason - I'm a dad of two crazy boys and I couldn't imagine life without them. My journey has been an interesting one to say the least, but every decision I've made has led me to this point, and I couldn't be happier. I'm a musician and what I like to think is an all around artist. Being raised in the south, family, food, and faith were of utmost importance and that still stands with me today. This blog is a journey. Our journey. One full of love and laughter, and hopefully a few lessons along the way. That's why we're here. I hope everyone who reads this will take with them something of value that will help enrich themselves and their families.

Together - We're just 2 people with a passion for words who are on this journey together through love and life as we navigate through the blending of 2 families. Some posts from him, some from her, and some a collaboration. 

Born out of year-end reflections, we have big plans for this little blog.  Join us on our journey through laughter and tears and crazy ideas.