When I stop to think about it, the internet is an amazing place. For me, it's a great source of creative inspiration with so many wonderful blogs and sites like Pinterest . Sites like Facebook provide me with a sense of community and a simple way to stay in touch with friends. While I strive to get fit, I have found motivation and support from friends on Facebook, posters on Pinterest , and tools from Weight Watchers . It's been a true blessing. But sometimes it can be a source of insecurity. Sometimes you can't help but compare yourself to what you see out there. I've caught myself wondering how other bloggers balance the pressures of life, especially motherhood, with building a creative business. How do they find the time to come up with so many projects and blog posts, and take care of their family and home? Or I sometimes wonder why can't I run that fast? Or why is it so much harder for me to lose weight? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera... If I'm not careful...

This past weekend marked the one year anniversary of running my first 5K . And that first 5K was a wonderful and challenging experience. I had never quite run 3.1 miles before the race, but I had been building myself up using the C25K app . I was fairly confident I could run the full distance, but I still was unsure about how it would go. Based on my training runs, I told my family to watch for me at about 45 minutes. And then I surprised myself and set a personal record (PR) running the entire race in 39:44 minutes (a 12:49 min/mile). And as I wrote about it last year , it was pretty magical. So to mark the anniversary, I ran a 5K in the Whole Foods Running School Family Fun Run . And it was just as wonderful and challenging as my first. As usual, I was fortunate to have my incredibly supportive family with me, but I also had two friends running the 5K with me, as well as others running the 10K and the half marathon. But, for me, Sunday's race was about celebrating my 5K. As my f...

For many years I've struggled with my weight, especially after having my two daughters. I tried countless times to lose weight, using various diets or exercise regimens, but never successfully. Often, I'd find it difficult to maintain changes long enough to see results, so I'd get discouraged and return to my old, bad habits. My emotional eating, my sweet tooth, and my fairly sedentary lifestyle would always get the best of me. But last year, things finally started to shift and change. It happened little by little, but it started happening. For instance, I increased my physical activity last year, first using our elliptical machine while watching television and then switching to running using the Couch to 5K program in May 2011. Being more active didn't come naturally, especially the running, but I did it because I knew something had to change. I needed to get healthy for myself, but also for my girls. I wanted to be an example of how to live life, not an example...

Today was one my first mornings of "freedom" since both my daughters are now in school and it's one of my days off. I can't tell you how excited and anxious I was to have time to get things done without carting a little one around with me. But it was almost too much pressure. I wanted to get so much done that I felt frantic. I felt a bit like our dog Sprinkles racing around the house in excitement with too much energy to contain. I'll admitt, I almost feel the same way as I return to my blog. I have so much I want to share, so much I want to write. In fact, I feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. I know the beginning is often a very good place to start, but the beginning is not so easy to pinpoint in life. And life is what I'm looking to share here. I hope to share stories about my life and lessons I'm learning, art and projects that inspire me, adventures I take with and without my family, and my running and weight loss journey. I may not know exac...

I've been absent from the blogging world for a while now. Life has been busy as usual, as I balance work and family and running, etc.. So rather than stress about packing more stuff in and blogging about it, I took a break. I stopped fretting over which way to go in my life (and with my blog) and just enjoyed living my life. I've been trusting myself and the path that I'm on. And an amazing journey it has been. And now I feel refreshed and inspired to write and share. First thing to share is that I'm retuning to my home on the web at By Jen . Earlier this year I moved myself to Simple Reminders because I felt it was a better fit for me, my artwork, and my message. But as much as I still love and believe in the message, I feel my journey has brought me back to me. And nothing is more "me" than By Jen. So it is here at By Jen that I hope to share stories about life, my family, and my new found love of running, as well as my artwork and creative adventures. Bas...

I know things have been quiet here at By Jen, but my life has been undergoing some big changes. I have made some brave choices this past year, the biggest of which was moving to a new home.  And after months of toying with the idea, I have decided to move By Jen to a new "home" as well. I have grown and changed over the years and so has my vision for my art, my life and "my self." So please join me at my new cyber home:   www.simplereminders.me

It seems as if I've been hiding away from the world for the past couple months. It wasn't my intention, but it just happens sometimes. When life gets crazy, I have to cut back. I have to simplify. So I've been fairly absent from friends and the Internet and blogs and inspiration and art, etc.. But it's all been worthwhile: My family and I are moving. Where you ask? Just 22.8 miles from our current home. This seemingly small move is going to mean big things for me and my family. This move is going to give us the gift of time. Less time driving and more time living. Hooray! So for a couple of months now, we've been consumed with all things house related. We searched for the "perfect" house for our family, our budget, and desired location. We held our breath as we bid on the "perfect" home only to suffer heartbreak when we lost the "perfect" home just days before signing documents and days before Thanksgiving. We didn't let the heartb...

Happy 2012! Its the beginning of a new year. A time for reflection and fresh starts. For the past several years rather than set resolutions that I don't keep, I've chosen a word to set the tone for the new year. But this year I am going to tackle the year a bit differently. Instead of focusing on one word, I am going to focus on a list of my top ten twelve values. Love Creativity Family connection Happiness Comfort Friendship Simplicity Fun Community Beauty Sharing Inspiration I put this list together with the help of Tiffany Moore , life coach extraordinaire, and I can't even tell you how powerful this list has been. It may look fairly simple, but it's given me a strong sense of "me." It's helped me when making decisions both big and small. I feel so much more grounded and organized having a list that reminds me of what makes me tick. Now don't get me wrong, my one little words have been quite powerful, too, especially last year's word, clear. M...

I know that lately I've been totally neglecting my blog (and creative side to a certain extent), but for very good reasons which I promise to share......soon! Happy Holidays!

I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I can't help it. I love Christmas time! Life may be crazy as usual, but it's never too busy for me to find time for Christmas inspired art and crafts.

Do you ever feel like you're trying to do too much? Or maybe I should rephrase and ask if you ever feel like you're NOT trying to do too much? Are you also plagued by unrealistic expectations? Like the belief that you can do everything. Well that is what I'm dealing with. There's constantly a zillion things on my to do list and I'm always overly optimistic with the amount of things I can get done in a day. So after even the most productive of days, instead of celebrating what I've accomplished that day, I'm always left looking at the list of things I didn't get to. And you know what? I need to stop that. I need to set my expectations aside and acknowledge all that I do accomplish. I should be celebrating my victories, no matter how small. Like folding the laundry AND putting it away. Or getting everyone to school and work on time. Or making a home cooked meal that my family loves. These are the little things that make up everyday and everyday should be ...

Right now I feel like I'm barreling down the highway of life in a speedy red sports car. And the road I'm following isn't just straight. The road has some curves and I'm having to take some turns at top speeds. But you know what? I am in control. It might not always feel like it, but I am. I'm in the driver's seat, I'm making choices, and I'm going places. Too often in the past I've been content to sit in the passenger seat and just let life happen. And sometimes that's the right thing to do. But not today. Today I have choices to make and I am making them.

I love fall. I love the changing leaves, the crisp weather, the smell of cinnamon, the sounds of football in the background, visiting Apple Hill and various pumpkin patches, baking pies and cookies, etc.. It all makes me feel so warm and cozy..... And inspired ! When I feel this inspired I find that I must create, even if it's just using a few stolen minutes. And that's what I did yesterday. With the back to school and fall coming, I made this cute little apple to go with my apple tree from the other day. And I'm not sure my little apple is complete, but it is definitely a good start and a welcome reminder of this lovely season sneaking up on us.

“It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past  that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on,  what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them  that will determine your ultimate destiny.” ~Anthony Robbins Generally, I'd say focus is a good thing. I enjoy having clear vision (even if it takes contact lenses) and I value mental focus. But right now, I am a little too focused. Focused to the point of obsession. I have a tendency to get this way, especially when it's something I love. When I love something I love it with everything I possibly can. I like to think of this as passion. My husband lovingly refers to this as my pit bull quality, i.e. once I sink my teeth into something, it's hard to get me to release. But my current focus/obsession isn't so much from a love or passion. My husband and I are looking at our life and considering some pretty big changes. Chan...

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” ~Lao Tzu “One step at a time is good walking” ~Chinese Proverb I am excited to say that I am taking action. I am making things happen. And how am I doing this? I am taking tasks that were once overwhelming and breaking them down into more manageable pieces. I like things broken down into pieces. When I break things down, I get things done. That way I can take it one step at a time. When I think about it, this most obviously applies to decluttering my home this summer. But I'm also starting to see a pattern. For instance, I imagine that this is why the C25K program successfully turned me from couch potato to a 5K runner (just as it promises). And this must be why, while watching my husband's beginning ice hockey class last night, I found myself thinking, "Hey, that looks like fun." I've never had the yearning to play ice hockey (nor do I think I do now), but the instructor was just so good at...

Today I'm running my second 5K. When I first started running in May I had no plans of a 5K, let alone three within a month (I have another one next weekend). But with this being the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 it just felt right, and even necessary, to be a part of something special to remember the lives that were lost.

"Simple living is about living your life with a purpose that aligns with your values... Living simply is about being who you were made to be."  from  Organized Simplicity  by Tsh Oxenredier of  Simple Living Media . Some of you might have noticed that I haven't been blogging as much this summer. In fact, I took a whole month off from blogging even though regular life continued on. My break came partially from the busyness of life, but also because I needed it. I've been on an amazing adventure of discovery this year which started with what I thought was a simple One Little Word choice, Clear . My experiences have led me from one discovery to another and it's been quite empowering.  Part of my adventure has included the opportunity to work with Tiffany Moore , life coach extraordinaire. Working with Tiffany has truly been a gift. It's been so helpful in gaining perspective, and sometimes changing pers...

Hello again. I am finally back. I took a little blog summer vacation (and One Little Word Blog Hop vacation). It wasn't really a planned break, but sometimes you just need to hit pause (like when my 4 year old daughter asks to "pause the game" when she's playing--references from the age of DVRs and pausing TV). So here I am. I've spent the summer with my one little word (clear) in mind, decluttering and organizing both my home and my head. It doesn't sound exciting, but it has been truly wonderful! I also continued to clear my head and work towards better health by running. I'm excited to say that I completed the Couch to 5K program (C25K) and just ran my first 5K , the Race for the Arts , this past weekend. It was amazing! Between the energy of the crowd and the support of my family I was able to run my best time (not fast by any means, but no doubt my personal best). It was magical crossing the finish line, seeing my family, hearing my name ca...

My baby, Katherine, just turned four years old yesterday. It's so amazing how time flies. Last fall at a friend's birthday party, Katherine fell in love with horses. The party was held at a local equestrian center, Patriot Farms , so all the guests got to ride horses. I worried she'd be scared, but instead we witnessed her biggest, longest lasting smile. Katherine just lit up. After that she made sure to ask for cowgirl boots and a real horse from every Santa she encountered that Christmas season. Thankfully, Santa knew we weren't ready for the responsibility and delivered gigantic stuffed horses to the girls instead (they've slept with the girls every night since their arrival). She loves her stuffed horse, but she still dreams of a real horse. With her passion for horses, I knew I wanted to return to Patriot Farms for Katherine's birthday. So last night Katherine and Rebecca enjoyed their very own horse riding lesson. This was such a wonderful birthday experi...

I haven't participated in a Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop for awhile (mainly because I've been crazy busy with my decluttering ), but when I learned of this week's theme, your inspiration, it was hard not to want to join in. The better question for me is "what doesn't inspire me?," because I am inspired by so much. I love flipping through magazines and craft books, looking through blogs, collecting quotes, creating with friends, etc.. But when I truly think about it, what inspires me most is my two girls. There is nothing more energizing and inspiring than the "joie de vivre" of a 3 year old (she's just days from turning 4) and a 6-1/2 year old. I love watching them grow and play and learn, watching their different personalities develop. I love watching them light up when they find something they love. But what I am inspired by most is the way they make me want to live my life. Because of them I am inspired to live my best and happiest lif...