MONDAY MENTAL HEALTH

After spending years working in palliative care (caring for patients the last 12 weeks of their lives), nurse Bronnie Ware began recording her patients dying epiphanies on her blog, Inspiration and Chai. Eventually it became so popular she wrote a book, The Top Five Regrets Of The Dying. Ware writes that people gain incredible clarity and vision at the end of their lives, and that when it came to regrets common themes would surface again and again. So we can learn from their wisdom, here they are: 

1.  I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

4.  I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5.  I wish that I had let myself be happier.

I really really really don't want to be thinking any of these things near the end or ever. Which I guess means trying to keep these in mind every day. :)

(photo from here)

MOTHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE

10 GIFT IDEAS FOR MOMS

Lem Lem Scarves

Supermodel / actress and former World Health Organisation's Goodwill Ambassador, Liya Kebede discovered that weavers in her native country of Ethiopia were losing their jobs due to a decline in local demand for their goods and wanted to do something about it. So she started Lemlem in 2007 as a way to inspire economic independence in her native country and to preserve the art of weaving. These scarves are light, beautiful, and giving women jobs in Ethiopia...I think mom would approve. 

Capri Blue Candles

Capri Blue candles last forever and all smell amazing. Perfect for burning on long summer nights :)

Cheese Of The Month Club Membership 

If you live on the west coast I highly reccomend anything from Andrew's Cheese Shop in Santa Monica. The people there are amazingly helpful and will not steer your wrong. If you live on the east coast I recommend using New York's legendary Murrays' Cheese Shop. 

Pinhole Press Mini Photo Book or Brag Book

So she can show off pictures of her babies or grand babies. (I made one of Ernie haha)

West Elm Throws

Super soft throws from West Elm in every color for cuddling up with a good book. Only $23 :)

Lobster Mac And Cheese

Comes ready to bake! Looks so yummy.

Sam Edelman GiGi Sandals

These sandals are perfect for summer, comfy, and look extremely flattering on (I have a pair). Their are 23 different colors to choose from so pick one for mom and go get pedicures. 

Flowers

You don't have to spend a bundle on blooms just because it's Mothers Day. Stop by your local farmers market for beautiful flowers that are affordable. Fancy arrangements are overrated. Also, live orchids are nearly impossible to kill so if you want to get her something that will last for a while opt for that. 

Tina Fey's Bossy Pants

A book that will for sure make her laugh out loud. 

Love You Forever

A book that is so sweet it will probably make her cry. A must have for new and old mothers alike, a simple children's book that shows the unconditional love a mother carries for her baby over her lifetime. Read this and it will definitely make you want to spend more time with your mom, which is what she really wants anyways :)

BOOK LOVE

"We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived." -Little Bee

To everyone out there who hasn't already read Chris Cleave's, Little Bee, I highly recommend it. It isn't a book that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy or having you laughing up a storm (although it does have funny parts). It simply changes you. For me, it reminded me that there are actually people in this world with REAL problems. The world is far from perfect and Little Bee doesn't sugar coat that, which I appreciated. This story is amazing and if you haven't read it yet, please do. :) 

SQUIRREL SEEKS CHIPMUNK

"If you've ever behaved badly in front of David Sedaris, he may have turned you into an animal" 

- Kristin Tillotson, Minneapolis Star Tribune 

David Sedaris's Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is the best thing I've read recently. It is a collection of sixteen witty short stories about animals (in the same way Animal Farm is about animals) that take on a multitude of human flaws. Hysterically funny, a little dark, one of these bizarre little fairytale-like stories will definitely remind you of someone you know. To make things even better it is illustrated by Ian Falconer whose work can also be seen in The New Yorker and in the book and television series, Olivia. Here are a couple more of the illustrations:

You can find the book here or you can read some excerpts here :)