Category Archives: nature

Happy New Year

Posted in Gratitude, happily ever after, Happiness, intention, joy, Love, nature, positive living by


Welome to another year of living happily ever after, AKA Happy New Year! Life is always changing and is unpredictable, just like the weather and the seasons and I hope that you discover joy in every moment that comes your way this year.

I discovered joy in the snow this first week of the new year and am thankful that my son wanted to go skiing for Christmas. I don’t like to be cold and am uncomfortable in the snow. Despite these facts, I chose to go anyway and to be outside, and to even ski. Even though I resisted at first and complained a little about being cold and wet, I still found reasons to celebrate and to enjoy the moments and was filled with gratitude and joy!

Life is good and I wish you love, joy, and happiness every day. Happy New Year!

xo Adriana

Thankful

Posted in connection, exercise, family, Gratitude, happily ever after, Happiness, intention, memories, motherhood, moving, nature, parenting, positive living, simple living, work life balance by

 

This was the highlight of my day. My kids came out for a hike with me, even though some thought this was a horrible idea.  I wanted us to get out for some fresh air, to move our bodies and to share conversation along the way, away from other distractions. There was some complaining and whining at the beginning and I kept focused on being grateful and patient, thankful that we were all together enjoying the crisp, fresh air and muddy puddles.  I loved watching them taking pictures, bird watching and deer and squirrel watching too. They laughed and danced and ran up and down the hills, teasing each other too.

This was a great way to end our Thanksgiving holiday break. I am thankful for my family, near and far, for traveling and being together sharing meals and conversation and chaos, and for being back home again.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday, making memories and celebrating with those you love and like!

nAMaste

Day 29: Summer

Posted in nature by


The nature center was open today on my hike. We walked in to explore since we could and were fascinated by the stuffed mountain lion, and snake skins, as well as other exhibits.

The docent was very friendly and shared many stories. I’m glad we saw the mountain lion in a museum like setting and not out in the wild.

Tonight I am tired and will leave without writing much more. Good night and hope you enjoy your weekend.

xo Adriana

Day 25: Summer

Posted in family, happily ever after, Happiness, intention, motherhood, nature, parenting, positive living, simple living, work life balance, working mom by

Today I decided to go up to San Francisco for the day. 2 of the 3 kids decided they wanted to join, and the last one came anyway, wishing he had more of a say in the decision. 


Only 25 days into summer and I’ve finally got the hang of this work/life/mothering teens/summer staycation thing (at least in this moment.) It helps that I work with a really cool team and don’t mind waking up super early to get my work done first thing in the morning before the kids get up.  

While being in SF, I liked being in a global city in our own backyard where people gather from all over the world. I loved seeing people walking around with their suitcases trailing behind them, which reminded me of our expat life and monthly travels. I loved seeing the tall Dutch women, exchanging dollar bills and the other traveling tourists and interesting characters. My only objective was to walk around and explore and people watch and the city didn’t disappoint. One of us wanted to seek out a bubble tea shop, while another wanted to see the Japanese tea gardens and a magic shop near Golden Gate park, and another of us wanted to see where the Bison Paddock was.  Having these destination points helped to guide our journey.

April gave me another idea of exploring the painted tile steps, which is something we hadn’t seen before and as we were driving through the West Portal, we realized they were close by and on the way to Golden Gate Park. Some of us wanted to stop, while others wanted to stick with the original plan. We practiced the art of negotiation and being kind to each other as we discussed our strong opinions in a small, confined space. I like to wander and flow with what we discover, as we discover it and not wait for another day. Luckily they all finally agreed to make me happy, which actually made them happy too. 



We also got to visit the desired bubble tea location, saw the Bison roaming, and walked outside the Japanese tea garden, but when we got to the magic shop, it was unfortunately closed this week for the 4th holiday week. Overall, it was a great and cold day to be in the city.

Life is beautiful!

Day 14: Summer

Posted in Happiness, joy, Mindfulness, nature, rooted, simple living, space, work life balance, working mom by

Summer is a great time to break routines and schedules and to relax.

I’ve shifted my work hours to the early mornings, so that I can be “done” with my work by noon-ish, which means I am waking up by 5:30am and starting work at 6. So far, I am loving this practice.  

I made a big salad and ate a late lunch outside on the back patio all by myself.  After I was done, I put up the umbrella and decided to rest on the outside sectional sofa, closing my eyes for a half hour in the middle of the day. It felt good to do nothing and I rarely just sit. I loved it, and could get used to this inactivity.

I love summer, especially this second week with the kids away!  Life has been less chaotic and I got to celebrate the moments with less stress.

TGIF – have a great weekend!

Day 13: Summer

Posted in exercise, Gratitude, happily ever after, nature, positive living, rooted, simple living, work life balance by

When you’re counting the days, you’re more aware of time passing. I feel like the kids just got out of school, but we’re already going on two weeks out. The summer is going to fly by!


My favorite tree has a major broken limb. It’s still beautiful, just the way it is, perfectly imperfect, just like this one beautiful life we are living.

🙂