Do you ever have the chance to stop and take notice of how beautiful the world around us is?  Even if you're in a large city with few trees and lots of smog, there are still so many beautiful things you notice as you walk along.  It could be a beautiful sunset, a pretty flower or the smile on the face of a stranger but we are surrounded by beauty every day.  The trick is that you have to look for it sometimes because when your perspective is off, it's harder to notice the simple beauty of places, people and all the things on this earth.  How lucky are we to be alive?

I came across this photo today and it's so beautiful and peaceful.  It's the view of a sunrise from a mountain top and it's simply breathtaking.  I hope to have the chance to photograph something as beautiful as this.  I love taking photos.  It's funny how through the viewfinder of a camera you notice so many beautiful things that you might have just missed otherwise!

Do you have any pictures that you consider truly beautiful?  I think one of the most beautiful things to see as a parent is your child smiling or sleeping peacefully and smiling while he's dreaming.  That to me is perfect bliss.

It's a stormy and gloomy day here in Hawai'i but I kind of love it.  It's one of those days where I truly have writer's block and it happened to occur on a Wednesday!!  I think it's due more to the fact that I'm about to leave and run errands all over town with my son and I've got that on my mind than the fact that I'm kind of stuck on what to write.  

Do you ever get like that?  Are there ever days where you're without inspiration or days where you lack the focus and decisiveness to write about one particular topic?

The holiday season is something that I look forward to with excitement and a tad bit of dread.  The sheer mention of picking out a Christmas tree can cause me to cringe without even realizing I'm doing so.  The reason you ask?  Well it's because choosing the right tree is so difficult here in Hawai'i and because I've had some pretty tricky times setting up Christmas trees.  In Hawai'i there are several places with Matson crates full of trees but they're not as readily available these days as the economy has been steadily declining and the prices of trees are on the rise.

I come from a home of super picky Christmas tree lovers.  My mom was very detailed and specific on what kind of tree we had growing up and it's rubbed off on me I suppose.  Since I live with them because the cost of living here is so high, I have to accomodate the overall census and preferences of the household.  Big tree it is!!  Anyhow, there are so many different varieties of Christmas trees.  I prefer Douglas fir because the branches are stiffer and can more easily support the weight of all the ornaments I feel the need to adorn my tree with.  Last year I chose a tree that looked great at the shop but when I got it home, NOTHING worked to keep it from leaning.  Even a wire to the ceiling didn't do the trick.  It eventually fell on me one night, cutting my hand up terribly and I ended up ripping the tree down and got a new one.  Found out that tree's trunk was terribly crooked but that because of the fullness of the branches and their lengths, it appeared straight even though it wasn't.

Now that you have a grasp on why I tend to slightly dread the holidays, let me tell you why I LOVE them.  Christmas for me is a joyous celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  He's the reason for the season and the core of our celebration on Christmas.  I would be remiss however, if I didn't also admit that the reason I love this time of year is because of all the lights and presents.  As a child, it was such a treat to go and sit on Santa's lap and tell him my Christmas wish.  I always loved driving through the city looking at all the lights glowing and twinkling in contrast to the dark of night.  

One of my favorite things to do is stay up late and just lay on the couch and look at the glowing, colorful and sparkling Christmas tree.  Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I'm sure you can agree that the lights, adornments and general splendor of the season are a beautiful sight to see.

I am really looking forward to baking with my son and making decorations for the house with him.  It's so much fun to watch children create something they are so proud of and see the joy in their eyes as they hang up their decorations.  An added bonus for me is that usually the weather here in Hawai'i gets cooler and it's a nice contrast from the normally muggy, hot and humid weather that we are used to.  Not that I'm complaining, but I rather enjoy crisp 60 degree nights and cool 70 degree days instead of the 90+ degree weather we had this summer. It gets so hot and stifling at times!

I was playing with my camera the other night taking bokeh (out of focus) photos of Christmas lights and my favorite ornaments.  I love how the lights glow warmly at night picking up all of the color and sparkle from the Christmas tree illuminating my living room. 

How do you decorate your trees?  What do you do for the holidays?  Do you have any ideas for decorating your home for the holidays?  Do you have any traditions or tasty recipes?  Share your experiences, tips and ideas in the comments below.  

Here are more pictures of my favorite bokeh shots and ornaments. 

Hydrating is very important.  If I don't drink enough, my skin breaks out and I feel drained and more easily worn out than when I'm fully and properly hydrated. 

http://www.fitdiaries.com/2011/12/how-much-water-should-you-drink.html

As much as I'd like to be a full time stay at home mom, I can't afford to be.  My mom was one and I loved having her home and there for me and my brother whenever we needed her.  In these trying and uncertain economic times, families everywhere are doing all that they can to stretch their pennies as far as possible to feed their families, pay their bills and support all their needs.  Sadly many families all around the world and even in America, are falling short.

I sit here typing this on a break from my paperwork that I brought home with me while my son is showering and getting everything ready to go to bed.  He's almost 10 and every single day of life with him is a blessing and a new experience in learning how to balance work and motherhood.  How do some people do it?

There are times where I feel so overwhelmed with work that I wonder if I can go on but then I pick myself up and "keep on truckin'".  What baffles me is that I only have 1 child and he's almost 10 and it's still difficult to find that balance.  He is the absolute light of my world, the love of my life and I'd do anything for him.  On my worst day, seeing him (even if I'm irritated or angry at him) gives me comfort and I feel an overwhelming amount of love for him that I never experienced before becoming a mother.

I was watching Dr. Oz this afternoon and the topic of the episode was starving middle class families.  It broke my heart to see so many struggling.  I wish I could do more than I do.  I donate to several charities and give food to food drives but I wish I could personally feed and support all those in need.

That brings me to my second thought...how these insanely rich people can look at themselves in the mirror every day and know that they could save so many families and so many lives and yet fail to do so.  I mean sure you got your Angelina Jolies who seem to really care, really devote a large amount of time and money to helping the needy.  Then you have some who claim to donate to charity and if they do, good for them.  I watch tv and see people spending INSANE amounts of money on weddings and cars and houses.  Some make millions and millions off of wedding photos and baby photos.

I'm not saying celebrities and uber rich don't deserve to make a good living and enjoy life.  I'm sure many of them donate a large amount of money to needy people.  It's when you see people whining about how hard they have it because they chose to have cameras follow them everywhere (ahem Kim Kardashian) when there are people with REAL problems every single day suffering to scrape by.

Sorry for going off on a tangent.  Watching quasi celebs whine and complain about how hard being rich and beautiful just disgusts me.  Not hating but not appreciating their circumstance either.  Seriously, if you don't have to worry about paying your bills and feeding your kids, you're lucky.

I'm thankful for all that I do have, the job that pays the bills, my family's health and the roof over our heads.  We are truly blessed.  I pray for all those who are in need that someone gives them help and warm food to eat and a warm place to stay.

How are you doing? Are you going through the same thing as me?  Are you a working parent? How do you find balance?  If you're at stay at home mom, how do you and your family make extra money or pay the bills?

I wish you all a happy and blessed holiday season!  If you have any ideas for budgeting, any good coupon sites, any good suggestions or ideas to share with me and anyone else who reads this blog, please feel free to comment below!!