So today was a big celebration in the Schaub household...it was the first pee pee in the potty for Aubrey! It was a funny mommy moment for me this morning, as I was getting Aubrey up, she asked to go potty. This was not a first for us, but it was definitely a first when I place her on the potty and tah-dah, she actually did something! I sat there cheering on my daughter for her big accomplishment, and I was chuckling to myself. My, how life changes!

It is so incredible how children bring this overwhelming smile to life. How this little tinkle in a big ceramic bowl brought me so much joy! I know, sounds corny, even to me, but it is so true. It is an amazing journey to watch as Aubrey is speaking her first sentences, understanding actions and reactions. And now to watch her growing up and learning the fundamentals of life, it is beyond joyous.

And, then I had a moment of realization...why don't we do this for ourselves? Why don't we stop to celebrate our little accomplishments? Why do we do it for our children and not ourselves? With RuffleButts, Mark and I often joke that we are so busy with the next thing on our list, that we rarely stop to celebrate the victories. Although we laugh about this, it is not a good habit. This month, I have decided, we are stopping to celebrate. I have booked a small vacation for Mark and me. I tend to have my best business ideas, when my mind is fresh and not busy with a "to-do" list. This and it is our 6-year wedding anniversary, so we are stopping to celebrate. We are also going to have a little celebration in the office. We have the most awesome team here at RuffleButts. They work so hard day in and day out to take care of our customers, so this month, we are stopping to celebrate them. I may not do the potty cheer, but I don't ever want to be too busy for the smiles and cheers of little celebrations!

Today, whatever it may be, don't forgot to cheer yourself on. You work hard, you sometimes may feel overwhelmed, you may not be perfect, but don't forget the little celebrations along the way!

I just read a fabulous quote passed along from the Founder of Ladies Who Launch...

“gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have, we will not be happy– because we will always want to have something else or something more”.

– David Steindl-Rast.

I could not agree more! I tend to ramble on about gratefulness on the ruffleblog, but I truly believe that this is a required ingredient in the recipe to success. As humans, and especially as women, we tend to fall victim to the "grass in greener" complex, or to drown in guilt when it comes to our children, and struggle when comparing our abilities and successes to others. I want you to stop, take a minute, think about all of of the incredible things in your life. Healthy child, loving husband (at least most days), roof over your head, friends, family. I believe we should always be looking forward, towards where we want to go, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take time to appreciate where you are today. I am just as guilty of this as any other, and today I really valued this quote. I hope it touches you the same way!