Amelia Island Getaway

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White sand, waves, and dear friends….that’s what this past week held for us! We spent Monday - Friday in Amelia Island, Florida for our annual Blue & Presidential Diamond Retreat for dōTERRA. This is our 6th year attending and it’s always one of my favorite events of the year. It’s where we truly get to just sit and REALLY talk with our peers about what’s going on in their business and life. The kind of talks where you have no where to be in an hour or two or three. We were hosted by our owners and corporate team…and it was an absolute gift to be able to connect with them and hear what they have in mind for 2022. They always spoil us…this time we received OluKai boots, cashmere scarves, journals, limited edition oils, and other goodies! So wonderful.

My heart was happy to take in all of the green and flowers and beauty all around! It was hot and sunny AND cool and rainy…so we got the best of all worlds! It never stopped being HUMID though! LOL! There were a few points that I found myself longing for the dry, freezing cold air of the midwest! I know…I know! Weird. But most of the time it was just dreamy. We’ve never experienced that corner of Florida…so that was fun too!

We had a lovely view…and we enjoyed sitting out on the patio and soaking it up. The Ritz really does a great job with all of their food, but especially room service! Loved these omelettes! We had an extra day after the event was over to walk in the adorable downtown and stroll on the beach. But I’m thankful that Matt and I both really just like to veg out on vacation…we watched movies and ordered Thai takeout and Facetimed the kids at home. And it was the best.

I feel like we have lived a lifetime with these friends…so many events and trips all around the world together! We have had more fits of laughter than I can count…and this time was no different. It may have involved someone placing a fart machine under Matt’s chair during a very quiet part of the presentations. Oh we have good times. Christian…I’ll be watching you like a hawk next time! LOL!!

Oh and look at these beauties! When I look in the eyes of these women…I feel so overcome with gratitude. For each of them in their uniqueness, and so many others that dōTERRA has brought into my life. True world changers…who have been there for me on the mountaintops and in the depths.

We stayed out chatting until long after our kick-off dinner was over…eventually they came and took the lights down as well! It’s been 2 years since we’ve been able to see many of these friends…so every moment had to be seized!

There were many fun moments during this trip…but two really stuck out. We had Ryan Hamilton come in and perform for us and we laughed and laughed and laughed. I think my neck and face still hurt from all the laughing! And on the last night, we played dōTERRA-style family feud and that had us rolling again. Whooping and hollering and cheering…Team Deep Blue vs. Team Serenity!! Seriously the most fun.

I love being on trips with Matt…we can talk without interruption! And go wherever we want! Whenever we want! LOL! It’s a dream. We both enjoyed the break from remodeling and cleaning and cooking and all the things. Sometimes I have to pinch myself at all the life we have lived since finding dōTERRA…and the freedom it gives us. And when I think of all the people who have found hope and healing because we said “yes” all those years ago, it makes my heart so happy!

We love to show people how to run their own business and work from home…just like we do. In fact…we offer personalized one on one mentorship for those who are serious about making a change. You can learn more about it here!

From white sand to white flakes…we returned to 6+ inches of snow falling. Sigh…the perfect way to come home.

Slow Communication: The Art of Letter Writing

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Mail makes me sooooo happy. Jump for joy happy. Do a little dance happy. Who DOESN'T love mail? And I'm talkin' about REAL, handwritten, "made with love" mail. The good stuff. And today, December 7, is National Letter Writing Day. The perfect day to share this love with YOU!

Mail has the power to completely change the course of one's day. Coming home to a delicious package filled with goodies can keep me on cloud nine for a week! It makes me sad that our collective dependence on the Internet has taken away so much of this connection with others. Don't get me wrong, the Internet can be a powerful tool to create connection. But when you receive a real piece of mail from someone, it tells you before you even open it up, that YOU MATTER TO THEM. They stopped what they were doing in their day...and they decided to brighten yours.

I feel very blessed to have amazing friends and family who continue to send little boxes of love my way, even when firing off a FB message would be much less work. Here is a list of some of the goodies I've received from friends in the past...and a list of ideas for YOU to bless your friends with!

  • Books/Journals

  • Silks/Scarves

  • Chocolate

  • Tea

  • Bookmark

  • Toys

  • Artwork

  • Jewelry

  • Photos

  • Map

  • Kitchen towels

  • Stickers

This habit of sending love in a box didn't develop overnight...it's blossomed and grown as I've received packages from others and have taken note of their acts of kindness towards me.  Here are a few pointers on how to begin this practice:

Start An Envelope
If you're at a store and see something that catches your eye, and you think, "that would be perfect for...", then you should buy it! Take it home and start an envelope for them. You don't have to mail it that day, or even that month. I always have a few padded manila envelopes going to collect items for people over time. When they get full enough, I write a little note and send it out. Don't forget to be a little crazy. Nothing is too small or inconsequential to throw into an envelope for someone. In a recent letter, my sweet friend Becky sent me a bird feather. It was just a small little thing, but my heart jumped when I opened it. It's also fun to send a "theme" package…where everything is yellow or everything is mermaids!

Type it Up
If typing a letter is easier for you...then type! Even if you could type the same letter by email...just the printing it out, signing it with a handwritten quote, etc. and adding one tea bag will make it 10 times more special than that email. My friend Rachel and I used to do this...we both knew that the other one liked to type letters, and so we sent letters back and forth that were several pages of typed notes from our day. I loved it and always looked forward to her elegant writing and funny stories.

Share Your Day
You may be intimidated by writing a letter…”what would I even tell them?!”. I would suggest starting with a description of your day! Tell them some fun things that happened…little things that you noticed outside. Scripture that you really liked from your Bible study. Or what you have planned for the weekend. Be descriptive and detailed! It takes practice…you’ll get better at it as you do more of it. You could write a letter of appreciation…tell them why you care about them. Why you’re glad they are in your life! You can never send too many of those types of letters. Life is too short…tell them how you feel!

Spread the Love Around and Around
When my mom was in high school, she had a close knit group of friends and later in life they kept in touch with something they called the "Round Robin" letter. Basically, the first person would buy a big padded envelope and put things in there that represented their life at that point. A handwritten letter, a few photographs (yes! *gasp* REAL printed out photographs! not just tags on Facebook!), a recipe, etc. She would send it to the first person on the list. The next person would read everything, and then add her own goodies to the envelope, and send it on to the next person. When it got back around to the first sender, she would take out her stuff and add new things and on and on it goes. This is a super fun way to connect with 3-4 friends. I remember how excited my mom used to get when that Round Robin letter arrived!! Oh the joy!

Create a Mail Station
Stock a "mail station" in your house. It could be a shoebox, a plastic organizer, a basket, or just a drawer in a desk. Whatever you choose, the goal is to keep all of your mailing supplies in one central, easy to find location. That way, when you are thinking about a friend, you can immediately go to your station and start writing and not have to worry about finding a stamp! Speaking of not worrying about stamps…I never stand in line at the post office, because I use PirateShip! You can print postage for lightweight envelopes and boxes and just pop it in the mailbox! So so easy. When you’re ready to create your station…check out my Amazon list of happy mail goodies!

Make It Pretty
Have some pretty stationary or cards on hand at all times. You could write on plain 'ol white paper...but why would you want to when there are so many other options!? Even just cutting out some cool stuff from a magazine and gluing it onto the white paper would be better than nothing. Get creative! I did a quick search on Etsy, and there are over 6,000 items with the keyword "stationary". That should get you started! I also love to have a custom return address stamp…here are some of my favorites! Bella and I found this stationary store above in New York City the last time we were there…and it took my breath away with all the paper goods from floor to ceiling! Paper stores are the BEST.

Find Your Inner Artist
Decorate the OUTSIDE of the envelope/box as well! In the photo above, my friend Becky drew all kinds of goodies all over the box. You better believe everyone in the post office was jealous as it was handed over to me :) I like to put stickers and cut out magazine photos on the outside of envelopes...so much fun. Use modge podge for added effect. :) Washi tape comes in a million designs and duct tape in every color. So much fun.

Keep It Simple With Postcards
Postcards are a fun and easy way to send a greeting. You can even buy pre-stamped postcards at the post office. Carry them in your purse and write little notes when you're in the waiting room, etc. Let your kids decorate the front of the post card...and send it to Grandma! You can also get watercolor-ready postcards to paint on. These are our favorite!

Stamp It Up
I've been known to include a self-addressed stamped envelope in packages I send...with stationary included. Just to make it simple for the other person to write me back! Yes. I love getting mail that much...and it encourages the flow of communication! It's the golden rule of the mailbox:

"WHEN YOU SEND MAIL, YOU RECEIVE MAIL."

Yes, it's fun to bless others with mail, but it's also fun to get some yourself!

I'd love to hear about some of your favorite things that have come in the mail...share them below!

And...I challenge you to send something, ANYTHING, out in the next 3 days to a friend or family member. Send a card, send a book...just send HAPPINESS!

The Little Things | December 2021 (Week 1)

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“The Little Things” is my blog version of IG stories...these seemingly ordinary daily moments make up our beautiful life! *Click the images to enlarge & scroll*

“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things… I play with the leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
– Leo Buscaglia

King Soloman: Our “baby” rooster is shaking up the pecking order a bit. As he grows louder and larger and more “alpha” in nature, the other roosters just roll their eyes at his teenage antics. So we catch him and snuggle him in front of them to show him who is really the boss.

Sunrise: I always thought I was more of a sunset person…but lately, I get so excited for the sunrise to peek over the horizon. This is the view from my office…of course the camera can never capture the true beauty of the purples and oranges, but you can try to imagine!

All done: Matt has the RV all winterized now after our last roadtrip. It’s a relief to have it tucked away, but our guest housing will have to take on new forms until it gets warmer!

Chosen: We went to Sioux Falls on Wednesday to see The Chosen Christmas event at the theater. It was SO GOOD…it was beautiful to see the birth of Christ come alive. We are currently reading one chapter of Luke every night…leading up to Christmas eve. It’s so fun talking to the girls about their questions about scripture. If you haven’t yet downloaded The Chosen app to watch the binge-worthy two seasons…you need to do that now! My faith has been forever changed because of it!

Mornings: I love SLOW mornings. We get our hot drinks and settle in for the sunrise…which comes up directly out these windows and down our long driveway. Many times, the “not inside cats” come to the door and want to come in to play. And as the fire crackles…I gaze out at the big red barn and sign with contentment.

Tea time: I was encouraging my siblings this week that eventually their toddlers will get big and grow up and sit at coffee shops quietly while they sip their own drink without spilling it! They didn’t believe me. What a crazy thing parenthood is.

Eggs: Look at this egg haul! This is what we had waiting for us when we got home from our Nashville trip! They aren’t laying much these days because of the dark and cold and general moodiness. So it was fun to see this!

Daughters: When we went to Sioux Falls, we decided to stay overnight at a hotel with a fun pool for the girls. It was mostly Emma going down the waterslide 92 times, but the older girls liked hanging out in the hot tub!

Prince: He’s my favorite…but he’s selectively friendly. He has quite a lot of “winter fluff” starting to accumulate, so holding him is like holding a big teddy bear. He’s also the best hunter…and while he behaves like a cranky old man , I often find him snuggling with the younger kittens and grooming them. LOL! I’ll never figure him out completely.

Climbing: The girls all went climbing together this week…Emma had such a great time, she’s a natural! They all want to be like their big sister.

Slippers: Sometimes I just look down and what I see makes me happy. So I take a photo. This was one of those times. LOL!

Paint: We’re spraying the front room white this weekend! I’ll do a separate post on it…but I love how it’s turning out! Progress!

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