DIY Gift Idea for Your New Teen Driver

Our son Aidyn has recently turned 16 and will soon be getting his driver's license. While he'll be getting a new (to him) car, we wanted to also give him a personalized gift to help him remember this milestone event. 

DIY Gift Idea for Your New Teen Driver

The DIY gift that we decided on was a photo book that included photos of family members with cars and advice for new drivers. Many of you may remember getting similar types of advice from relatives when you got married or when you had your first baby. We used this same thought process (just geared toward a new driver) while including photos of family members with cars to make it into a keepsake photo book.

Since we have a BIG family, I got lots of photos and advice to include in this photo album for Aidyn.

FUN FACT: We have 14 family members on the Harris side of our family and 12 family members on the Walkush side of our family. (4 of those family members are our family and represent on both sides.) But you can see how it would be easy to collect lots of content for this book! (We ended up with 81 photos and 45 pieces of advice - not too shabby.)

Tips for Making a Custom Photo Book for Your New Driver

Collecting Content for the Book

First, you'll want to contact anyone who you want to contribute photos and advice for the book and give them a due date to submit their content. Make sure to leave yourself enough time to assemble the book, have it printed, and shipped to you. 

If you have old printed photos that need to be converted to digital (I did), I would recommend downloading the PhotoScan app by Google Photos to your phone. You can use this app to digitally capture your printed photos without the glare that you sometimes get when you just take a photo of them with your phone. Pro Tip: The app will automatically save a version of the photo to the app and to your Photos on your phone. The version saved in your Photos on your phone will be higher resolution and won't have the PhotoScan frame around the edges.

As tips and advice rolled in from different sources, I saved it all into a Microsoft Word document. That way, I was able to gather it all in one place before starting the project. This also gave me one document to proofread before starting. Once I proofread that document, I then copied and pasted directly from that document into the photobook. Make sure to re-proof the photobook before purchasing, though, because some special characters, like colons and apostrophes, may be removed from your text in the copy-and-paste process. You'll need to manually insert those if that happens, but that is still easier than typing everything again from scratch.

Designing the Book

• I used Shutterfly to create our book, but other online vendors also offer this service, so you might want to shop around to compare pricing or designs. (The design that I chose for this book is Outdoor Adventures by Sarah Hawkins Designs, and the size that I used was 8" x 8".)
• When designing your book, remember to save early and often.
• Make sure to customize the book with the new driver's name and the date. 
• Make sure to add the name of the person giving the advice after each piece of advice so that the new driver knows who said what.
• Make sure to include at least a few photos of the new driver in or with a car. (We had photos of Aidyn with different cars from many stages of life, from toy cars when he was young all the way up to driving actual cars with his learner's permit pre-license. That photo of Aidyn on the front cover? That's him behind the wheel of Granddaddy's 1964 Chevrolet C10, Pretty Boy!)
• I added a Memorabilia Pocket to my order. This is a clear plastic pocket that adheres to the inside back cover of the book. I thought this would be a good place for Aidyn to keep his previous learner's permits and any of his old driver's licenses through the years. 
• Include a dedication at the front of the book, just like a real author!

Advice for New Drivers

If you're asking a bunch of adults for driving advice, you're bound to get duplicates, right? You'd be surprised! I emailed everyone on the list and had them email their advice back to me. The beauty of this project is that with everyone sending their advice back in their own words, we really didn't have any duplicates. (Of course, since the advice is in everyone's own words, this is why it will be important to note their name beside the advice in the book for reference.) 

The advice was far and wide, and it was just what I was looking for! 

Here are a few of my favorite tips that rolled in:

• Don’t turn right in front of someone who has their blinker on to turn. They could just have their blinker on and could plow right through you.
• Don’t tailgate; it doesn’t make them go any faster, and you will not have enough time to stop without hitting them.
• Always pull over for emergency vehicles and funeral processions, even if no one else does. It’s the right thing to do. 
• Cup holders are the most essential thing to look for when buying a car. 
• Your car is a fish bowl. Other people can see directly inside. So don’t pick your nose. 
  
  

Photos of Vintage Cars

We had all sorts of photo submissions for this book. We were originally looking for photos of family members with their cars (previous cars or current cars), but what we received was SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! Family members dug deep and submitted not only those photos but also photos of themselves with other types of vehicles too. So we dedicated an entire two-page spread to other types of transportation.

And, of course, my favorite photos were the ones of vintage cars. Here are some of my favorite photos that we included:

Mama when she was a little girl (Aidyn's Grandma Harris)

Gram when she was a young lady (Aidyn's Great Grandma Lopresti)

Daddy circa 1980's with his beloved conversion van (Aidyn's Granddaddy)

The Harris Sisters circa 1990s with the Wayne's World car (Aidyn's Mama and Aunts)

The Walkush Brothers circa 2004 with a vintage car (Aidyn's Dad and Uncles)

Collecting and passing down these words of wisdom and photos allows you to share important life lessons that you and your family members have accumulated throughout the time you've been driving. Sharing these pieces of advice creates a personalized gift that will make a one-of-a-kind family heirloom that will be cherished for generations to come. I hope you'll try recreating this gift idea for your new teen driver. 

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus

The story behind this classic newspaper article is that in 1897, the New York Sun received a letter from an eight-year-old girl, Virginia O’Hanlon, asking whether Santa Claus exists. Her father encouraged her to send the question to The Sun, "because if you see it in The Sun, it's so."

It is probably the most famous letter to the editor ever published and because of that, it is also the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language. It has also been re-published in book and movie format.

Francis P. Church of The Sun replied with an editorial that has become a well-known Christmas classic. His answer gave a resounding, "Yes!" by focusing on concepts like love, generosity, devotion, beauty, joy, and faith. 

More than 120 years after the original editorial was published, these sentiments still encourage us today during the season of hope.

The popular Christmas editorial reads:

Is There a Santa Claus?

We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

"Dear Editor - I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says if you see it in the Sun, it's so. Please tell me the truth — is there a Santa Claus?

— Virginia O’Hanlon, 195 West Ninety-Fifth Street"

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, is his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. 

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. 

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor man can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not. But that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. 

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. 

 

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and he will live forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

I hope this timeless piece serves as a reminder of some of the most important parts of the Christmas season. "The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor man can see."

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I Hope You Dance: A Mother's Letter to her Kindergartner

I recently penned this little letter to my new kindergarten girl.  She started school late last week, but this will be her first full week as a kindergartner.  It has been such a fun and exciting time in our family- buying school supplies for the first time, talking about how "big girl" elementary school would work, adjusting bed times and our daily routines, and on and on and on.  In any case, I thought I would share this milestone with you all.   

But honestly, I think you can substitute "Kindergarten" with any grade, or any big "first" for that matter, as you read on through these thoughts below.   It is so important to encourage our little ones, even when they aren't so little anymore.  And so important to lift up our teachers.  They have such big and wonderful jobs to do.  And I am grateful for everyone who positively impacts my little girl.

Today begins a big, new, fresh chapter in this family. Today, Lexi starts Kindergarten and we are THRILLED for her. Such a big step for such a big girl. So on this day- on this journey that begins anew for you- I wish so many things. Lexi girl, today and all throughout your years, I hope you will:

• respect, 

• listen, 

• play, 

• volunteer, 

• befriend, 

• observe, 

• learn, 

• be kind,

• conquer,

• help,

• behave,

• relate,

• remember,

• sing, 

• notice, 

• include,

• think,

• congratulate, 

• smile, 

• inquire, 

• cheer, 

• be fierce, 

• create, 

• love,

• encourage, 

• show pride,

• cooperate,

• grow, 

• skip, 

• thrive, 

• understand,

• be thoughtful, 

• sympathize, 

• lead, 

• follow, 

(and know when to do each.)

And always remember to:

• BE YOU, 

• SOAR, 

• DANCE.

I hope you dance. 

Now, today, every day, for all the years to come, ALWAYS. 

I hope you dance.

Reflections

Hi there, friends.  Just checking in and feeling like it's time to catch up again.  Last year around my birthday I posted a similar entry of random thoughts and reflections.  And while I don't always post these thoughts publicly, I do certainly entertain them- especially around the old birthday each year.  So here's a snippet of what's happening with me lately.

Age is just a number, or so they say. My number now stands at 43 and I'm completely ok with that. I would rather my number go up than be up. In fact I spent the past year thinking I was already 43. (Isn't that something that old people do?) In any case, I have either squandered the year or gained one, depending on your perspective.

Birthdays will always, always make me a little nostalgic. Each one my own personal New Year's Day as the old year passes away and a new one lies before me. I always find myself taking a trip down memory lane to remember what has brought me here, lingering on the good stuff and skimming quickly past a few things too...

Speaking of perspective, the passing of time surely lends you that. I have discovered that I am quite possibly the least competitive person I know. I love throwing stuff away but I'm also deeply sentimental. I am a fall/ winter person. Give me a chill in the air or even some snow and I'm a happy girl. I spent the majority of my adult life thinking I wouldn't be a mother. But now that I am one, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love being a mom. Lexi's mom. Yes, it defines me in many ways, but I am humbled to be a part of the magic that happens daily.

I know me very well. And there is a comfort that comes with that; a confidence. I am a speaker by profession, a talker by extension, though at my core I am rather shy. I am a thinker. A listener. Sometimes even a doer. I am a dog person, really just an animal person. I love deeply. I care deeply. I strive to be the best version of me that I can be. I'm not there yet, but as long as He's still working on me, I try to give myself a little slack.

I dance in public. I sing out loud. (Lexi tells me I sound like Elsa- from Frozen, though I'm pretty sure Idina Menzel isn't too worried. Bless her heart and the innocence of youth.) I talk to most everyone. About most everything. I can even hold my own in some sports conversations and most things related to preschool youngins. But only religion and politics with those I know very well.

I am southern through and through. Manners, respect, charm, chivalry. I love the south, real ladies, true gentlemen, grits, handwritten thank you notes, collard greens, country roads, potato salad, the smell of tobacco and earth, peonies, gardenias and magnolia blossoms. Cornbread should never be sweet but tea always is. If there was ever anyone born too late, it was me. I would have been in my hey day in the 1950s.

My name isn't that long. 6 letters. Short on the page but long on the tongue. As such, people have always shortened my name. D is the most common, and I always respond to it. Daddy is the only person on earth who still calls me Annie. When he says it, it sounds right and I know exactly who he is talking to (or about). If ANYONE else were to call me Annie, it wouldn't register at all.

I have about 12 umbrellas in my car but rarely use any of them. And when it's truly pouring down, there is never one within arm's reach. I am not a morning person. I don't understand people who are. My day starts with coffee (lots of cream, no sugar) and ends with wine. (Red. Cab sav, please.) I do, however, switch to white in the heat of the summer. I'm not a monster.

I don't eat cheese, even on my pizza. Never have.

I am 5' 7.5". I have always rounded that up to 5' 8". People have long thought I am much taller than that, I'm sure because I almost always wear heels. If you catch me in tennis shoes or flip flips, you will realize quickly that I'm not a close to 6' as you may have thought. Though my mom was and she still wore heels daily too.

There is beauty in everything. If you look. Really look.

I have my Grandma Elizabeth's green eyes and my Mama's freckles. I also inherited my mom's cooking abilities (which she would have been the first to admit were less than.) But I do have the handwritten copies of all of Grandma Elizabeth's famous recipes, and every time I make her chicken soup or coconut pie, I still feel like maybe I can cook a little after all. One day I will see them both again on the other side and I have a feeling we will all have a good laugh about my cooking abilities. For that moment I cannot wait.

Life is short. Do the good stuff now. Eat, drink, be merry. Use the good china. Dance. Pray. Burn the candles. Use the pretty towels. If they get soiled, wash them. (Duh.) Respect your elders. Listen to their stories. Remember. **Respect everyone.** Travel. Sightsee. Leave only footprints. Take only memories. Love is all around. Grab onto it and hold on tight.

I'm pretty sure differential equations is loooong gone, but by golly I know every song, every lyric, every note to the Frozen soundtrack. And I'm completely ok with that too.

43, here's to us.

And if that wasn't enough for you, here's the click for the entry I wrote last year.  

Opt for Optimism

I have started a 30-day challenge called Opt for Optimism, and I am inviting you all to join me.  It's fun and completely free of charge, and very uplifting for the spirit.   The mission is simple- to put optimism into action by completing a small challenge each day for 30 days.  You know, they say if you do something for 30 days, it becomes a habit....  Some of these challenges are personal reminders.  Others are random acts of kindness.  It's all good.   Good for the soul.  Good for you and for each other.   Let's do this. 

So how does this work?  You just visit the Opt For Optimism Website, and enter your email address to sign up for the challenge.  After that, you will begin to receive a daily email with a small challenge for you to complete. It's that easy.  It's all done on the honor system so there is no one to answer to other than yourself.  But these challenges are simple and fun and will certainly get you thinking and hopefully putting those thoughts into action too.  

My first challenge was to compile a list of at least 5 things I am grateful for and post it somewhere I will see everyday.   I posted my little list on the bathroom mirror so I see it first thing each day and again before I go to bed at night.  

Today I am on a mission to leave a kind note on a stranger's car.  I already have a note tucked into my purse just waiting to hop onto someone's windshield at some point today.  I know if I received an uplifting note on my car, it would brighten up my day so much.  I hope this does the same for someone else.   Remember, you never know what others are going through and how much your light might brighten their day.

Let's all try to shine a little brighter, ok?  Today, tomorrow, always.  

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

Hi yall!  It's been a little while since I've been active on the blog- like before the holidays.  My  sincere apologies.  I do miss this, and you all too.  What can I say?  I'm busy.  Life is busy, but you already knew that, I'm sure, because you all have wonderful and busy lives too.  I am working on  cooking up several new blog posts for you, but to kick things off, I thought I would share the following with you.  

I posted this on my personal Facebook page on my birthday last month, and I feel like it pretty accurately sums up my life these days.  Aside from my mention of being a wife, I feel like this also could double as a singles' ad.  Heaven help me.  

42- Wow. My heart and my thoughts are full. I don’t believe in hiding your age. Why bother? You are what you are. And for all my years, I can now say that I am living my best life.

I am a wife, a mother (to a 3 year old- how many 40-somethings can say that?), a sister (to 2 of the best women I’ve ever known), a daughter, a friend- to a fabulous group of women whom I cherish, a niece, a cousin, an aunt (many times over), a sister-in-law, a daughter-in-law, a dance mom, a class mom, and a stay-at-home mom (which by the way, is the hardest and most rewarding job I have personally ever known, and I’ve had some doozies).

My life has taken so many twists and turns. But it has all led me here. At 42, I know what I like, what I want, who I like. And I know the things that make me happy and those that do not. I sing out loud- usually badly, but occasionally I find an actual key and surprise myself. I dance with strangers. I talk - a lot- sometimes about things that matter. The years have taught me of the virtues of patience. I have known loss and I have known love. My cup overflows daily.

I believe youth is wasted on the young, and I also believe that is something that old(er) people say.  I am older than I’ve ever been, but also younger than I’ve ever been. I no longer try to impress anyone but myself. If I can do that, then I’ve accomplished something. I am humbled daily. I learn daily. I don’t care what other people think about me anymore. But occasionally I still do. I am a complex conundrum, but aren’t we all?

Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my Mama. Now she was a good woman. Someone that I try to be every day. She wasn’t much of a cook, but neither am I. She loved with all her heart. She taught me how to work hard, and I do. Every single day of my life.

I have traveled all over this world, but I still believe there is no better place than my bed. I nap EVERY SINGLE DAY. I love red wine and coffee. If I have vices, I suppose you could say those are it. But I have never smoked a cigarette in my life and that’s saying something for a small-town North Carolina girl.

I like me. Almost always. But sometimes I get cranky. See the aforementioned need for sleep, coffee, and red wine. Pretty much in that order. I believe in love, being kind to one another, and lifting each other up. We all need a little help from time to time, so pay it forward and just be a good person.

42- Double the legal drinking age, but occasionally a good-intentioned young’un still cards me. Bless my heart and all of my 42 years. And may the good Lord see fit to bless me with a few more so I can learn a few more things between here and the other side, because, y’all, I think it’s just getting good.

Sinus Toothache?

Sinus headache?  Yeah sure, I've heard of that.  I'm sure I've even experienced that a time or two before.  Sinus pressure, pain, issues in general...  Check, check, and check.  When you are a seasonal allergy sufferer and everything is already starting to bloom, then sure, you know you are in for some (or all) of that too.   But a sinus toothache?  Well, I never.  That is, until now.  

So let me start at the beginning.  It actually started several weeks ago.  I noticed a sudden onset of sensitivity in my teeth.  I have never had sensitive teeth before, but suddenly they were extremely and inexplicably sensitive to cold.   And not just one tooth- all of them on my right side- top and bottom alike.  What in the world?  So I switched from my normal tooth whitening toothpaste to a sensitive toothpaste, thinking that perhaps that would help.  It didn't- not really- not even after a few weeks. How odd. 

Then one day I started having pain in my gums (again only on my right side) but on both the top and the bottom gums.  I couldn't isolate the pain to any one area.  It just radiated up and down my gum lines, pulsing and throbbing with incredible pain- the worst ever. One night, it was so bad I couldn't sleep at all.  I called my dentist for an emergency appointment the next day, thinking something was terribly wrong.  Could a cavity be causing all this pain?  An abscess?  Did I need a root canal?  A whole new set of teeth?  I would take anything at this point to help minimize the pain.

But when I got the dentist, they couldn't really find anything wrong.  They took x-rays, examined my mouth, teeth, and gums, poked and prodded, applied ice to individual teeth and areas of my mouth to try to replicate the awful pain and thus pinpoint the source of it.  After about an hour of searching, they eventually sent me on my way.  Apparently, my mouth was just fine.  Only it wasn't.  It definitely wasn't. 

The next several days brought some relief in bits and spurts.  Some days the pain was bearable, some days nonexistent, and then others it was back with full force.  And when it was hurting, it felt like the worst toothache known to man.  Every nerve ending in my face was all lit up all at once.  From my eye, down to my cheek, along my gum line, toward my ear, along my jaw, and even down into my neck.  But only on my right side.  It was so bad it brought me to tears.  I wasn't imagining this.  What was I going to do?  

I finally threw in the towel and went to see my regular doctor.  I didn't have a fever or any other sinus symptoms.  No drainage, no weird mucus, no congestion, nada.  But it turns out that the pain I was experiencing was a sinus infection that had settled into my right sinus cavity, which incidentally- when swollen with an infection impinges on the nerves in your teeth and gums, and causes the radiating and nauseating pain that I had been feeling. The solution?  An antibiotic, of course.  It has now been almost 4 days of antibiotics for me, and the pain is more manageable, but definitely not gone (yet).  It feels like things are moving now- draining perhaps.  But when I get congested, the pressure builds up and works on all those same old worn out nerves again.  I would not wish this discomfort pain on my worst enemy. 

Oh, and since I've never had experience with this before, it has taken me forever to figure out what seems to trigger the pain.  For me, it has been any time I try to lay back or lay down or recline my head even to the slightest degree.  Those movements seem to send me right back into a whirlwind of pain.  So as long as I don't try to do anything senseless like rest or sleep or recline my zombie-like head, then I ought to be ok for the foreseeable future- at least until those antibiotics finish working their magic.  

And no, pain relievers don't touch it.  I've tried them all, and I don't care what anyone says, OTC pain meds don't alleviate tooth pain. In any case, I am on the road to recovery.  I think.  I hope.  I just thought I would share in case you ever encounter a toothache that you cannot trace to a dental issue. Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as a sinus toothache.  And it's no fun, dearhearts.  But it is very much a real thing. 

Am I Allergic to Christmas?

I am the last person who ever thought I would utter these words. I am a lover of  all things Christmas from way back. I love the music, the food, the movies, the traditions, the time spent with family and friends, and the making of new memories every year.  I literally start my decorating for Christmas on November 1 every year and bask in the glow of the holiday spirit well into the new year.   So am I allergic to Christmas? Well, technically the answer is no. However, apparently I do have a pretty severe allergy to some of the trimmings and trappings that go with Christmas.  And it would seem that I'm not the only one.

This year at Thanksgiving, we spent the long weekend with family out of town. And over that weekend our family decided to purchase a lovely real Christmas tree for their home. We all visited the Christmas tree farm together and then helped them erect their beautiful new tree into the living room.  Of course, I, like so many others, went directly over to the tree and breathed in it's intoxicating aroma over and over and over.  And it didn't dawn on me at the time, but I spent the entire weekend sniffling, sneezing, wheezing, and rubbing my itchy bloodshot eyes. Clearly I was having some sort of allergic reaction, but I attributed it to the amount of time that we had spent outside over the weekend. And then as soon as we came home, whatever the allergic reaction that I was having cleared itself right up and went completely away.

Then my well-intentioned husband brought home a beautiful fresh wreath made of evergreen and matching evergreen garland to hang in our home.  We hung the garland on the banister of our stairs and the wreath on the backside of our front door. And lo and behold, my symptoms started to return. Every single morning I would awake with horribly bloodshot eyes and I was so congested I could barely breathe.  It started to dawn on me that maybe I was having a reaction to the fresh Christmas greens. So I did a little research and it turns out that this is a real thing. So much so that it has been given a name - Christmas Tree Syndrome. There was a medical study completed in 2011 that references all of this. The bottom line is that fresh Christmas trees and similar greens carry mold spores which increase exponentially in the warmth of your holiday home.  For those with a sensitivity to these mold spores, (and I can't believe that that's not everyone- who wouldn't be allergic to mold???) it produces allergic symptoms similar to that of hay fever.  Ding ding ding!!  So that's what's been going on!

My wonderful husband offered to take all of our live greens down shortly after he had just put them up, and I kept saying no because it was so nice of him to get them for us to begin with. But my symptoms persisted and like the Grinch slinking through our house one morning, he took down the garland and our evergreen wreath while I was still sleeping. I actually awoke that morning to significantly better breathing and my eyes were actually clear for the first time in weeks.   So there you have it.  Case closed.

I'm not sure that I am excited about having an allergy to fresh evergreens, but I am definitely excited to be breathing a little easier at least. I guess this Christmas lover will just be lighting a pine scented candle and calling it a day as I breathe in my allergen-free artificial Christmas tree.

A Few Things 40 Has Taught Me

What they say is true.  You only go round once.  And if you are LUCKY, you will age.  It's inevitable. We all do it, as we should.  So in this, the year of my 40th birthday, I've already been enlightened a number of times about all sorts of things that growing older has taught me.  And if you care to take a listen, this older (and perhaps a little wiser) blogger has a few things to share. 

Health: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Truth

• Conceiving Children: Let's start with the easy stuff.  Ha!  What I'm about to share is something I haven't shared with many people, but it's time.  If this reaches at least one person who needs to read it, then it was worth it.  I was 35 years old when John and I married.  We started trying to get pregnant shortly after we were married, and my naive 35  year old brain never once considered that it wouldn't be easy.  Until it wasn't.  I couldn't understand why it wasn't happening.  We were both (relatively) young and healthy.  I read and researched everything I could get my hands on.  I tried all sorts of things that I read about.  I tested and tracked my basil body temperature religiously each morning.  Eventually I went to multiple doctors who poked, prodded, tested, and so on for far too long.  No one really had any answers other than the obvious.  I was a female over the age of 35, and the odds of getting pregnant just isn't as likely the older you get.  It's not impossible.  Women do it all the time.  But the odds definitely are no longer in your favor as you age.  To make a very long story short, we did finally conceive our precious Lexi with the help of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).  I was 37 years old when she was conceived and 38 years old by the time she was born.  I had an incredibly easy pregnancy and birth story, and Lexi is a happy and healthy little girl.  We are a success story, and even though the process was long and difficult at times, I am still beyond thankful that it turned out to have a wonderful outcome.  But I am not blind to the fact that many people have struggled even with the help of IVF and other similar procedures to get pregnant.  We are fortunate, and we know it.  My advice to any young woman out there is to really think about what you want your future to look like.  And even if you decide to hold off on starting a family, like so many women do nowadays, know that you have options.  Technology has come so far. You can freeze your young healthy eggs and utilize them later.  Or at a minimum, have discussions with your health care professionals about your options and about your health in general.  It's a conversation worth having.  Trust me.   

• Mammograms: At my most recent annual check up, I asked my doc about getting a mammogram this year.  She informed me that there was some talk among the powers that be to possibly change the age that women should start getting routine mammograms from 40 to 45, unless you have a family history of breast cancer or are experiencing some sort of symptoms. However, insurance companies still pay for this annual screening starting at age 40, so she asked me what I wanted to do.  Now I have no desire to torture myself any sooner than need be.  BUT, most cases of breast cancer are women who have no family history of the disease. And it's still a highly treatable and survivable form of cancer if detected early.  So I made an appointment that day.  In fact, I am glad to say that I had my first mammogram earlier this week.  There was no pain involved in this procedure at all, and it literally took less than 5 minutes total to perform.  The tech did tell me that with first time mammograms there's usually at least a 50 percent chance that they will call you back for additional films/ views because there are no previous images to compare your results to.  I'm so glad to have it checked off the list, and will continue to take advantage of ALL the appropriate screening tests that I can. 

• Back Pain: Over the course of the past week, I seem to have wrenched my back somehow.  I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with carrying around a 25 pound toddler on the regular. :)  In any case, back pain is no joke.  The only other time in my entire life that I've experienced back pain was in the 11th hour of my pregnancy.  Little did I know I was carrying around a nearly 9 pound baby.  Even my doc estimated that Lexi would be born between 6 and 6.5 pounds.  So that explained things then, and in the days following her birth, my back pain magically disappeared. Incidentally, my brother-in-law, who also just turned 40 a few months ago, is experiencing back pain too.  His is far worse than mine.  Thankfully, mine is improving and things are starting to get back to normal for me.  I'm afraid he still has a way to go.  So does 40 and back pain just go hand in hand?  Eeek!  I certainly hope not.  Moral of the story- take care of your body.  You know what feels "right" so when something isn't right, make sure you get it checked out.  Go to the doctor when you need to.  Take the medicine when you need to.  Take care of yourself, and be well.  You only have one body, and it has to take of you for many many years to come.  :)

Responsibility:  Voting and Elections

It's an election year, as you know.  You'd have to be living under a rock to be unaware of that little factoid.  In any case, this election year has been different for me than any other since I've been of voting age.  Yes, I have been registered to vote since I was 18 years old, and yes, I have always voted in every election.  I am pretty proud of that.  

However, as I said, this year is different for me.  I have been following the process in a way that I never have before.  I am genuinely interested in the candidates and what they have to say.  I have watched every debate so far this year (and there have been MANY.)  I have been out to the candidates' websites and read up on their stances on the issues.  I urge you to do the same.  Reading directly from the horse's website, as it were, is vastly different than reading or listening to the media's interpretation of the same.  

I live in Tennessee, which is one of the Super Tuesday states, and for the first time in my life, I voted in the Presidential Primary.  It was a rainy and stormy day, and as I mentioned above, my back was in bad shape.  Not to mention that I also had my wiggly toddler companion in tow.  There are a million reasons why it would have been easier to just pass on the opportunity.  But there are far more reasons why it was so important to take advantage of my right to vote.  I'm glad that I did.  While I was there, it struck me how many others were there that it couldn't have been easy for.  Lots of moms with their babies and children, lots of elderly- some with walkers or in need of other assistance, lots of people at the wrong polling place who patiently took instructions on how to get to the correct polling place across town in the rain.  Sure, it's not always convenient, but if they can do it, so can you.  It's important.  I'm proud of me, and all the others who made it out to vote earlier this week. 

And who did I vote for?  Who am I endorsing in the race for the White House?  It matters not.  I mean, yes, of course, it matters- to me, and ultimately every vote matters greatly.  But it's not my intent to impose my opinions on you.  The important part is that I exercised my right to vote, and I will do so in November as well, regardless of who the nominees end up being.  Know the facts.  Read up on the candidates and where they stand.  Be well-informed and do your part in the process.  No excuses.  End of story.  

Skin Care: Taking Care of Yourself

I'm glad to say that skin care is nothing new to me.  I have consistently used sunscreen most of my adult life and a daily moisturizer since I was a teenager.  I never go to bed without removing all my makeup and moisturizing again before bed.  It's a routine, and one that I'm glad I adopted long ago. 

But sadly, when we were young it seemed like sunscreen was something we only used once a year at the beach, if then.  And I've had the sunburns to prove it over those years.  They say freckles are little more than sun damage, and I've got more than my fair share of those too.  

Despite having good skin care habits in the second half of my life, I am still learning and adapting, and I hope to always do so.  One product that I recently started using is Argan Oil.  I've had a big bottle of it for a while, but haven't been very good about using it consistently.  The French women swear by it as a moisturizer.  I have started using every night now before bed on my face and neck.  It softens your skin beautifully, and really is a wonderful moisturizer.  But it is too heavy for me to use during the day.  I still use the tried and true Oil of Olay to start every day, just like Mama did.  And she always had the prettiest skin of anyone I have ever known.  

No matter which products you land on, just be sure you are protecting your skin from the sun's damaging rays and giving it plenty of moisture, both with skin care products AND with hydration. There's no replacement for drinking plenty of good old fashioned water!

Practicalities: Renewing Your Driver's License

Every so often, it happens that the DMV asks you to renew your driver's license, and this was my year.  But I learned something new this go round.  

When I received my renewal reminder in the mail, it actually informed me that I could renew online, by mail, or in person.  Wow!  That was news to me.  I thought you had to go wait in line at the DMV to renew your license.  I guess the last several times I have updated my license it was because of changes that required that you go to the DMV- eight years ago when I moved to TN, and then again five years ago when I got married and needed to change my name on my license.  Those sorts of things still require that you appear in person.  And that's also the only way to get a new photo and signature. Otherwise, they will just use the photo and all other information that they have on file for you.  

My initial knee jerk reaction was to go wait in line at the DMV because I really wanted a new picture. I actually like my photo very much, but it just doesn't really look like me anymore.  It was taken about a month after I had just gotten a chin- length bob.  And of course, now my hair is much longer. I thought it would be good to update it, but then I weighed that option against carrying my toddler to the DMV for an unknown wait time, and immediately updated my license online. 

My license arrived in the mail exactly 10 days after I applied for it online.  By that time it was, in fact, expired.  However, when I applied for it, along with my confirmation, there was a printable page that certified that I had completed my license renewal and served as my license until the real one came in the mail.  Aaaahhh, technology. 

I did notice that my new license is valid for the next eight years, so by the time I renew it again, my photo will be 14 years old.  Oh dear.  I bet they will MAKE me come in to update it next time.  :)

So that's all for now.  We can lament getting older, or we can just be grateful for the life we live no matter how old we are.  I choose the latter. 

Life isn't easy.  Life isn't perfect.  But life is good. 

New Year's Cleaning

I know, I know…  We are technically already into the month of February and I'm just now talking about New Year's.  Well, there's a reason for that.  We all make New Year's resolutions that last for only a few weeks (if we are lucky) and then we kind of start to fall off.  I wanted to make sure that I was going to stick with this resolution before I mentioned it here.  But now that we are almost six weeks into the new year and I'm still going strong, I think it's time to confess what I've been up to.

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to clean house.  And I'm not talking about dusting and vacuuming, although that wouldn't hurt either.  :)  I'm talking about decluttering, organizing, purging, and really deciding what things are useful and what things just need to be tossed for good. And when you're talking about doing this for your entire house, you're really talking about a big undertaking. But so far, what's really working for me is breaking things up into very small and manageable sections of the house to work on at a time.  

For example, instead of saying I'm going to organize my entire closet today, I have chosen to break things up by spending 20 minutes to go through all of my jeans.  Maybe the next day I'll spend 15 minutes going through my sock drawer.  And when I'm organizing and purging, I'm using these criteria to determine what to keep and what goes.  

• Is it useful?
• Is it beautiful?
• Do I love it?
• Is this a sentimental item?

And if it doesn't meet at least one of these criteria, then it goes in a pile to donate or toss, depending on what it is.  

Here's a little rundown of all the things that I've been able to organize just in the first six weeks of this year.

• Cleaned and organized under the kitchen sink; tossed old cleaners and ones that we don't use or don't work.  
• Organized all of my jewelry; consolidated everything into one armoire; tossed old, broken, or junk pieces I no longer wear.
• Cleaned and organized bathroom cabinets and drawers; purchased and installed drawer organizers that have literally changed my life.
• Sorted books and toys; began preparing items for children's consignment sale.
• Cleaned out the laundry room; tossed large hamper that we aren't using.  It was taking up precious real estate that I intend to use for a drying rack instead. 
• Organized office files; retaining only important receipts, documents, and files.
• Went through Lexi's clothes and shoes to weed out what no longer fits and needs to go into the upcoming consignment sale.
• Cleaned and organized guest bedroom/ closet/ gift wrap area (which was still a mess from Christmas)

Oh, there is still much to be done. But I am slowly chipping away at it and feeling really good about the progress I'm making so far.  Some of these tasks have taken me several days or more to complete. But as I mentioned I'm trying to do things a little bit at a time. I find if you take on too much at a time, you just get burnt out and overwhelmed. This way seems to be working really well for me.  And stuff is getting done.

There are also a few things that I am delegating to my husband for his help.  And when he has a few minutes to spare, I enlist his help for small projects to knock them off the list.  Things like:

• Changing light bulbs
• Taking tools and such back to the garage to put away
• Hanging pictures

So there you have it.  An organized and simplified home greatly contributes to my sanity.  That's the goal, and we are slowly but surely chipping away at it.  What resolutions did you make this year that you are still working toward?

Came the Spring with All Its Splendor

Today we celebrate the first day of Spring! And I do mean celebrate! After such a long and bitterly cold (and snowy winter), we're ever so thankful that warm weather is on its way!

Today's words of wisdom come from the epic poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Came the Spring with all its splendor, all its birds and all its blossoms. All its flowers and leaves and grasses.

Source

Strictly for purposes of nostalgia, I've also added here a short excerpt from the poem, which is the most familiar portion of the poem, and which many learned to recite in school:

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,

By the shining Big-Sea-Water,

Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,

Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.

Dark behind it rose the forest,

Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,

Rose the firs with cones upon them;

Bright before it beat the water,

Beat the clear and sunny water,

Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.

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Irish Blessing

With St. Patrick's Day fast upon us, today's words of wisdom come to us in the form of an Irish blessing.

May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart, and warmed by the smiles of the people you love.

A lovely blessing indeed!

Source

We regularly post Words of Wisdom to our Facebook Page. If you're not a follower, you can find us here https://www.facebook.com/theharrissisters. Give us a Like for your daily dose of Harris Sisters Wisdom and Inspiration.

You can also find our Friday posts and many others on my Words to Live By Pinterest board so make sure to pop over there and start following for all the latest updates.

To Succeed in Life, You Need Two Things: Ignorance and Confidence

Today's words of wisdom comes from Mark Twain. 

To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence. Wait, what?

Written to be ironic, he is saying that if you are a combination of ignorant AND confident, then you will be convinced of your own success. :-)

Source

We regularly post Words of Wisdom to our Facebook Page. If you're not a follower, you can find us here https://www.facebook.com/theharrissisters. Give us a Like for your daily dose of Harris Sisters Wisdom and Inspiration.

You can also find our Friday posts and many others on my Words to Live By Pinterest board so make sure to pop over there and start following for all the latest updates.