Stopping to smell the roses

It seems like there are so many people going through tough times right now, with the economy, the incidents in Colorado and countless other personal strifes.   So many people I know are dealing with so much stress. 

A bouquet of roses I picked from my garden the other day to puts a smile on my face because somehow flowers always make everything better, even if just for a minute!  Hopefully it will for you too!

I've been working hard at decreasing stress in my life because it was starting to take a toll on my health (physically and mentally).  It hasn't been easy but it has been a conscious decision each and every day to eliminate things that are of a negative influence or stress.  Of course there are always things in our daily lives that we can't remove, but changing the things I can is leaving me a much happier person!

This Summer I've been focusing on taking the time to check things off of our Summer Bucket List.  In the past, the Summer vacations have always been rush, rush, rush and somehow we never got to slow down and smell the roses.  This Summer is all about slowing it down to enjoy the little things in life.  (If you haven't been following along, be sure to pop over here to check out some of the fun from our Summer Bucket list)

What makes you smile when times are tough?  For me it is fresh flowers, coffee, yoga and when I have time - it's hitting the gym.  But nothing is better than experiencing those little magic moments with my kids.