In case you missed this week’s series, check them out here:

• FFF Features: Kickboxing, OIAJ, Naptime Pic
• Self-Love Reflections: Seeking Control

I loved this weekend! It had the perfect amount of productiveness, fun, and relaxation. Saturday morning started with my workout that I shared over the weekend. Then, I headed out for groceries and to get my eyebrows waxed. I needed some eyebrow grooming and now I finally feel like a woman again. Funny aside – the guy who waxed my eyebrows said I have a Scottish accent. Ummm…no. Sorry, dude.

After getting things done Saturday during the day, we had a fun afternoon ahead. Our good friends’ little girl turned one!

A kid’s birthday party may not sound like a good time to many of you, but I love these little get togethers we have.

A) Get to hang out with so many of our friends all at once.

B) All the kids keep each other entertained.

C) Good food is always involved.

I had a snack plate of chips with some corn dip, 7 layer dip, and a veggie bar. X2 because I had to go back for seconds. Plus, a Belgian Shock Top beer. It was a party after all.

D) Birthdays mean cake.

My friend Angie always has a co-worker make cakes for her special events. They are heavenly! This one was a chocolate amaretto cake. As good as it sounds…and looks.

Makenzie made a new best friend during the cake cutting. Grandma “D” (my friend’s mom) served M her own small piece. Enter sugar rush.

See? Kiddo birthday parties are a great time! It was the highlight of our Saturday. After all, Saturday night all we did was eat some pizza and watch the movie Life As We Know It.

Cute. Predictable. Peter fell asleep. You know you wish you had my life. 😉

Question of the Day – Eyebrows - Wax? Tweeze? Threading? Au natural?

Wouldn’t life appear lovely if everything went as we hoped? If all our desires arose simply by giving our head a nod, wrinkling our nose, or snapping our fingers?

What if we could determine everything about our lives without any road blocks and things always went our way? I wish I could find a way to break it to you gently, but wake up…that world does not exist! We think it does because we think we have more control than possible.

We can only control our own decisions in addition to our attitudes, reactions, and perspectives. Even controlling our own decisions does not guarantee control over the direction they take us. Unexpected situations still happen. We still may face challenge and opposition. We may encounter surprises along the way, good or bad.

Instead of allowing such truths to costume the world as a frightening landscape, we should understand that loopy and wild roller-coaster of the unexpected makes life…life. Those areas which we cannot control force us to grow and encounter new experiences. They open up the means to learn to love and forgive others. They encourage us to adopt new ways of thinking and increase our knowledge. Sometimes, they even bring us to places better than we could have imagined.

Our lives turn into unbearable, desolate waste-grounds when we seek control over everything. Nothing will ever turn out exactly as we envision and disappointment will always arise. That isn’t to say we should have no expectations or desires out of life so that all circumstances seem good. We must avoid the allure of controlling others or certain things about ourselves to feel reassurance. Find reassurance for life in the positive choices made each day for all areas of our lives. Seek confidence in the ability to keep an open mind to new avenues. Encounter hope in the belief that, even when life may not go as intended, opportunities still exist. Give up control and gain life.

Quotes to Reflect On
I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there's nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized. ~Wayne Dyer

Question of the Day - What things in life might you try to control?