The Brilliant Balance Blog

When I was a little girl, birthdays were all about surprises. I loved a good surprise more than anything, and lucky for me, I had parents who were masters at creating them. In one standout moment, the year I turned 10, my parents flew my recently-moved-best-friend home from Florida so she could celebrate with me. […]

The other day I stood at the stove to heat up the kettle for tea. I have the best tea kettle ever thanks to my husband who found just the one I wanted at an estate sale. The joy I derive from the ritual of filling that kettle, listening to the water start to move […]

I started this new year off with a bang! Well…at least in my head I did. I was so ready for January 1 to arrive so things could be swept clean, organized, and returned to normalcy after the blessed craziness of the holidays. I’m one of those people who loves to put up the Christmas […]

Another new year has dawned, and with it, the soft light of “it can be even better than this, darling” is shining upon you, coaxing you forward. You’re likely already scribbling resolutions on the backs of napkins and receipts, filling your cart with organizing bins and binders, planning retreats with yourself, and vowing to become […]

As we close the books on Christmas 2014, and turn our attention to the fresh start 2015 offers, I find myself wanting to hold onto the candlelit glow of the holidays just a little bit longer. When December dawned, with an early snowfall and a burst of Christmas cheer, I actually felt ready this year. […]

The holidays are upon us, and I have one simple holiday wish for you this year. Amid the hustle and bustle of the next week or two, I pray you’ll find a few moments of quiet and calm in which to take in the blessings of this season. I wish you a moment’s peace. (If […]

I received a Christmas card this week from a dear friend and the picture was so beautiful it literally stopped me in my tracks. She and her husband and their two gorgeous little girls were perfectly arranged on a blanket, smiling into the camera, with a fence and a host of trees in full autumn […]

How do you practice gratitude? I’ve given that a lot of thought lately, as I’m trying to teach our children that gratitude is the antidote to envy. As I was reflecting on the topic, I remembered this post I’d written a while back and thought I’d share it with you today. Here it is… You […]