My Favorite Things BA

What is the first thing you notice each morning when you look in the mirror? Lately for me its been the bags under my eyes. I've searched for the perfect concealer and the latest,greatest eye wrinkle and bag remover, watched tons of YouTube tutorials on how to hide said bags, and wondered if I could just wear sunglasses all day. A few days ago I felt like I heard God speak to me, not in an audible voice but that still small voice in my head saying "stop speaking and believ...ing lies about the one I love". Ouch. Why is it that we always seem to notice the one thing we feel is wrong, ugly or negative about ourselves? Why don't we look in the mirror each day and look for the good? I tease my kids telling them the most perfect thing about me is my nose but when I look in the mirror that's not the first thing I see. So I did a little research, asked a few friends to be honest and tell me what was the first thing they noticed when they saw me. A couple said my legs, some said my eyes and others my hair. Of course those who said my eyes I immediately followed up with what is it exactly about my eyes, thinking it MUST be the bags. But guess what? Not one friend said anything about the bags... it was my eye color and whether they looked happy or sad. So once again I looked in the mirror and had a serious chat with my reflection... how many people would love to have my complexion, my nose, my height or even my eyes (bags and all) and here I am comparing myself to someone else or what we perceive is perfection?! "Comparison is the thief of your joy" is such a true statement! I don't want to live the life of comparison any more, I've allowed it to suck the joy out of me for far too long. Typing these words is the easy part. It takes intentionality to go forward and make this a part of our lives. It's a choice. Choose each day to see the good. You truly are beautiful! And to quote one of my favorite movies "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." ~ Aibileen, The Help Today is a good day to change your thinking. Look for the positive and find the beauty in who God created you to be! What are you choosing to see when you look in the mirror today?

I've introduced myself and now it's time I tell you about the other part of our mother/daughter team! Sadie is my 18 year old daughter and truly my best friend. She is more than I ever dreamt for when I prayed as a child that my dolls would come alive, she is a little bit sass, (ok maybe a lot of sass) but even more sweetness and pure joy! I generally say she looks like me and acts like her dad but she is exactly the girl we needed in our family of boys! Sadie loves Jesus..., believes in missions and can't wait to return to Haiti to serve in an orphanage there. She has traveled to Vietnam twice, Costa Rica and Haiti to serve on missions teams but I think she left a piece of her heart in Haiti. In the meantime she is continuing course work at TCC while deciding her career path and waiting for travel bans to be lifted to return overseas. During the past year, she has become passionate about working out. As a cheerleader in high school she endured several injuries including breaking her collar bone and ultimately ending her cheerleading career when she broke her back while tumbling. However, together with her trainer, she has accomplished personal goals and become stronger and able to return to doing the things she once enjoyed. I am beyond proud of her dedication and commitment! And although she doesn't know what the future holds for her, I know her future is full of opportunities. She is a world changer! In the meantime, I am happy to have her as part of this fun adventure where we share our favorite things with you! I have no doubt she will be sharing more of her favorite athletic wear soon... we seem to have Gymshark & lululemon packages arriving frequently. ;) Love you most Sadie Alexis! #tulsatraining #gymshark #lululemom #haiti #fitnessgoals

It's been several weeks since I've made a blog post but I'm back! January began with my youngest son being diagnosed with Covid and then the rest of us a few days later. It was not fun but thankful that we have all since bounced back! February seemed to be another month of craziness with the extreme winter weather BUT March is here and that means SPRING!!!! I don't know about you but the sunshine just does something for my mood! And the fact that my husband booked a quick ...beach trip for our anniversary is even better! But then I thought... swimsuits. ugh. However, I began my search. I never expected to hear myself say ... "I found two perfect swimsuits on AMAZON!" but here we are! I love the fit of both of these with "tummy control" (because covid/quarantine pounds are a real thing) and the colors are so pretty! Now here's a little known fact about amazon... returns are as easy as marking that you wish to return the item on your account and then dropping it off at your local Kohls where they return it FREE of charge?!! So what do you have to lose? Swimsuit shopping doesn't have to be so scary after all! And you can try on in the comfort of your own home! Go to www.myfavoritethingsba.com to check out my great finds! Happy Swimsuit Shopping! Please don't be confused... these are not photos of me modeling swimwear. So to summarize... 1. Spring/Summer are on the way! 2. Swimsuit shopping doesn't have to be scary 3. Amazon shopping is a win win! #amazonfinds #amazonfashion #amazondeals #myfavoritethings

Check out the latest blog post! We are 10 days away from Christmas and I'm sharing gift ideas from a few of my favorite local small businesses.

Such a great gift idea!

Check out the latest blog post with links to many of our favorites that were shared at the mft2020 Event!