By Heather Lopez

Okay, I admit it, I’m guilty of taking a blog vacation and not setting up any posts while I was away. Truth be told, I kind of took myself off of the grid so I could focus on being “In The Moment” rather than always thinking about the future.  You should try it sometime, you will probably enjoy it. I loved the freedom of not having to stress if my cell phone battery died or having to post on a set schedule, or needing to do certain social media tasks.

I spent my time cherishing the little moments that will never come again when my kids are grown. Right now my daughter turned five. It is hard to believe that my little girl will be in kindergarten this year. I sat and looked back at pictures of Christmas’s past and realized that before I know it, she will be asking to borrow the keys to my car. My little boy is just three, and oh so adorable. I found myself wanting to record every minute of him speaking because his voice just makes me all giggly. While I did take pictures, I found myself wanting to preserve the memory in my head more than in a physical form. Sometimes when you view life through a lense, you miss out on the full beauty of the moment.

The holiday break was amazing for me, but as the title suggests, I am suffering from the return to reality. During my break, I spent awesome time with my husband trying out new recipes and taking a crack at my domestic side (pictures and posts to come). We even took family trips to the park, and lived in sort of an alternate universe. But now, now, now….. I have to return to my reality. The reality I created, but the reality that I plan to re-create this year.

I am back online, back to work, and realizing that I have not been living up to my full potential. But, as others seek a cure for their holiday hangover, I realize that the only great way to get over it is to imbibe a little bit more. Yes, I said more. You see, reality doesn’t need to be the crash at the end of a high. Reality is what you make it. We are blessed with so much, yet choose to focus on getting more “things.” Our realities place us in a rat race to get more money, get a nicer car, have a nicer house, have cooler toys, etc. But I say, why not strive to focus on having more quality time with the ones we love? Quality time does not need to cost a fortune. There are so many things you can do with your kids that cost nothing or next to nothing, and trust me, they make a great impression on little minds.

Rather than dwelling on what we “can’t” do, let’s focus on what we can. I know how we place roadblocks in front of ourselves, put ourselves in a box of rules, and fail to see the way around it. This year, I challenge you to spend more time in the moment and your reality will soon be the high.