In October, I celebrated my 34th birthday. It was an awesome day…. my in laws were in town for their annual visit to my house, Malone won his soccer game, we had family photos taken, and I squeezed in time for a blow out. My day rocked.

I realized that not only was I really happy with where I was in life, but I was also really in love with life. I’ve spent quite a bit of time last year digging at and discovering the core of who I was. This is the vision I cast for myself at the beginning of the year. And now that the year has come and gone, I can say that I really lived this (although tech in check is always a struggle for me).

Powersheets Life Vision Page

I am owning who I am and the things I love. And I’m not ashamed to admit it… there are some things that I love that are a little silly. But I just don’t care. I am unique and was created to be unlike anyone else. Affiliate links present.

34 Things I’m Owning Now That I’m 34

34 Things I'm Owning Now That I'm 34

  1. I love parades. I will show up for a parade that is three minutes long and I will show up for a parade that is three hours long. And I will bawl my eyes out when the Veterans march by. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME .
  2. I really only love blue pens. And if I am really honest, I really only love writing with Papermate Ink Joy pens. Call me fussy… or call me someone who just knows what she likes.
  3. I’m not awesome at parking. I can parallel park like a boss because I spent so much time parking in Boston. But pulling into a space, it might take me a few tries to get myself perfectly in the lines. <— this drives my husband crazy.
  4. I need alone time. I am an extrovert who loves people. But if given the choice between going away for the weekend with my family or having them go away with out me, I’d choose to stay home by myself 9 times out of 10. Getting time home alone is the ultimate vacation.
  5. I love Christmas. If I could, I’d put my tree up on November 1. But instead, I try to wait until mid November.
  6. I love watching my kids play outside. Nothing beats it.
  7. I love dating my husband. Mike and I have been able to get out on dates about once every two weeks lately. I can’t believe it has taken us this long to find a babysitter and go out.
  8. I love the job I’ve created for myself. Working as a blogger, virtual assistant, and freelance writer is a dream come true for me. It has taken a lot of hustle to get here, but it has been so worth it.
    [Tweet “Life is too short to work at a job you hate. “]
  9. Eating a large, protein/good fat heavy breakfast leads me to making great food choices for the rest of the day. My favorite right now is avocado toast, a piece of turkey, and mini bell peppers with a little hummus.
  10. I am obsessed with my grandparents. My grandparents all had somewhat major health issues this year. I’m starting to realize that my time with them isn’t unlimited and working on getting better at calling them just to chat.
  11. Drinking water is magical.
  12. I love reading People magazine. It is fluffy and fun.
  13. I am a good cook. I am not an excellent chef, but I can put together meals my family enjoys eating.
  14. Getting a blow out is the ultimate act of self care for me. Oh how I love the way my hair looks and feels when it has been blown out!
  15. It is not about having a closet full of clothes, it is about having the right clothes. Right now, my closet has about 20 hangers in it. I love and feel great in every single thing I own.
  16. I love reading books, even though I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like to.
  17. Your story isn’t my story. And instead of trying to give you advice, I’d rather give you a listening ear.
    [Tweet “Instead of giving you advice, I’d rather give you a listening ear. “]
  18. I am a terrible journal keeper. I’ve got ten semi filled journals from this past year. I wish I would have just used one from start to finish.
  19. Participating in a group exercise class helps me get over my perfection issues. 
  20.  I love shopping on Black Friday. Every year, we spend Thanksgiving with my in laws outside of Philadelphia. I love shopping at the King of Prussia mall with the masses. I’ve gotten some deals on Black Friday that make it totally worth it.
  21. Growing up in a small town was a gift. I grew up in a town with a population 2500. This year alone, I connected and bonded with people I had never really spent any time with over the simple fact that we grew up in the same zip code. Someone called me in the middle of their crisis because they needed a familiar face, someone went out of their way to help me when they saw I was flying solo with both kids, and I am collaborating with someone as they launch their new business….. all because we grew up in the same middle of no where town in Illinois.
  22. I love watching college football with my husband. We don’t have a team that is “our” team, so we’ll watch just about anyone who is on.
  23. I love marching bands.
  24. Picking paint colors is stressful. We moved into a new house this fall, and picking paint colors for our new walls was more stressful than I would have ever imagined. In the end though, I love the colors we ended up with.
  25. I’d rather treat myself with a piece of fruit than candy. This is a newer shift for me. A few weeks ago, I treated myself to mangos at the grocery store. They aren’t one of our “staple” fruits, so it felt like a luxury. I found myself grabbing slices when I wanted something sweet instead of candy. This was a total win for me. #mangosforlife
  26. I can do hard things.
  27. Being a good friend takes a lot of work sometimes, but it is so worth it.
  28. Taking five minutes to put a little foundation, mascara and lipstick on makes me feel pulled together.
  29. We will evaluate our children’s education and where they attend school on a year by year basis. This year, Malone is in a dual language program in our public school system. But next year, that program might not be the best fit for him.
  30. I love coffee and I hate beer. 
  31. I love spending time reading the Bible. It is the number one place where I hear God’s voice in my life.
  32. I write because my story matters. 
  33. I really love a table with fresh flowers on it. And I really wish my cats would not eat said flowers.
  34. I love to travel, especially with my family. All of the hassle and hoopla of getting somewhere is totally worth it.