Decor sets the stage for any party, and it also gives a great indication to your guests as to how much effort you've put into hosting them within your home.
— Rachel Hollis
I graduated high school a year early and moved to Los Angeles to go to acting school, which is hilarious.
The most interesting people to me are entrepreneurs. As someone who's owned my own business for over a decade, I am always so inspired by people who are building things.
Be honest with yourself about what you're blowing off. A little cancellation here or a bow-out there can add up... but only if you refuse to acknowledge your actions.
If you decide on a goal - for example, 'I'm going to write a novel' or 'I'm going to run a 10K' - your subconscious will formulate the likelihood of that happening based on past experiences.
Choosing elements for your wedding day should be fun, but these choices won't make any difference in the stuff that matters. For better or worse, you'll end that day married to your partner, and that's the truly exciting part.
Having a baby will put your marriage through the ringer, and if you're lucky, you'll come out the other end stronger for it.
I love my kids. They are the greatest thing I've ever done with my life, and they bring me joy every day.
If you know cookies are your weakness, don't even bring them in the house because, like me, you will eat them.
When I got pregnant with my second son, I still hadn't lost weight from the first, and since I came from a long line of overweight people, I was terrified that I was quickly going to become one of them.
I grew up in a small town, and mental illness wasn't something anyone talked about.
I have immense respect for anyone with a physical deformity and the courage and confidence it takes just to go out in the world.
If you're living strictly for the future or living in the past, it can make your partner feel neglected. Make yourself focus on the moment you're in.
I cannot emphasize this enough: you must have a morning routine! The way you begin your day is crucial to the rest of your day. So if you begin it by pressing snooze 15 times, chances are you're going to be running behind all day long.
Running a marathon was important to me, so I found time to train for it. Writing books is also important to me, so you know what? I carve out the time.
I can think of many reasonable excuses for needing a cocktail, but Cinco De Mayo is always a no-brainer.
Every successful business professional I know is constantly learning, reading, growing in their field.
I'm a pretty early riser, so I'm sort of the queen of five A.M. I love getting up early. It's how I've written most of my books - that hour and a half before my kids are up.
My favorite podcast ever is 'How I Built This.'
My early years as a 'speaker' involved note cards that shook like a leaf while I held them because I was so nervous.
Only commit to things you know you can accomplish because they're incredibly important to you. Otherwise, you set yourself up for continued failure.
Moms, you should parent in whatever way works for your family and spend less time worrying about other people's perceptions of how you're doing.
I have been known to, on more than one occasion, look down my nose at items I deem to be tacky wedding fare... carnations, tulle, DIY invitations. And yet, the wedding I'm most embarrassed of having planned, the one I'd never put into my portfolio, is my own.
I love my boys more than anything on this earth.
Did I really want to teach my children that a list of successes is the most valuable legacy to leave behind? I absolutely did not.
You can work out until you're blue in the face and run a thousand miles a week, but none of it will matter if you aren't eating well.
Mental illness lives all around us every day. I've seen it in other family members, I've seen it in friends, and I've dealt with it myself with my own postpartum depression.
In retrospect, I never thought of myself as conceited - I never even wore makeup or styled my hair until I was an adult - but having Bell's Palsy made me hyper-aware of the way I looked. I became completely depressed, never wanting to get out of bed or even answer the phone.
Like most women, I work too hard, spend too many hours hunched over a computer, and not enough time taking care of myself.
Planning and reminiscing can be a good thing... in moderation.
For me, using a notebook every day keeps me on track! Some people use planners; those are great, too.
As moms, we have so much on our plates. We're busy, and our family depends on us for a lot of things.
Some of the best presents I get from my children for Mother's Day are homemade. It makes me so happy to see the time and effort they put into each gift.
An awesome thing about starting your own business? There's no one there to tell you what to do! But that, you might quickly discover, is a double-edged sword. If you're not careful, you won't shower for four days straight, and you'll spend half your time researching 'girly, stylish office' on Pinterest instead of getting any real work done.
Gratitude practice is really, really important to me. I think it's an incredible way to start your day.
I like to tell people that I have some of the biggest mentors in the world... they just don't know I exist. Dave Ramsey, Sara Blakely, Oprah, Tony Robbins, Brendon Burchard - I've learned everything I know from their wisdom through books, podcasts and conferences.
People always send me notes saying they'd love to be a speaker, but they could 'never speak as well as you do!' I'm like, 'Girl, of course you won't. You're just starting out... everyone stinks when they start!'
When someone tells me they want to start a diet, I'll suggest they start by aiming to drink half their body weight in ounces of water every day. It's much easier to add a habit than to take one away, but the water goal is a challenge. When they conquer that for the month, they've set a new standard for achievement and can add on something tougher.
Like most working moms, my life is a constant juggling act.
Learn to accept your spouse's point of view, and allow them their emotions because you'd expect the same thing in return.
Motherhood is a beautiful, wonderful gift... except when it's not.
For years, I've worn my dainty gold bracelets with inspirational sayings and encouraging one-liners to motivate me in my career. I liked to look down at my wrist and be reminded of my goals.
Once I actually learned how to eat well and exercise regularly so the weight would stay off, it was really easy to do so after my third son was born.
My big brother Ryan was funny and unfailingly kind. He was one of the most talented musicians you might encounte, and had a prodigious ability to pick up any instrument and play it by ear within the span of a single day.
The truth is, if we abuse ourselves with too much work and too little play, our body is eventually going to fight back, and the results can be terrible.
If you don't find yourself attractive, how do you expect your partner to?
Women often live according to rules they get from magazines or media. For example, if I don't have kids by the age of 30, there must be something wrong with me. Goals are great to have, but having too many expectations won't work, and worse, it will alienate your partner.
It may seem counterintuitive to some people to take an entire morning or afternoon to prepare food for the week, but believe me, it's not. You'll even find that you eat much healthier when you've planned your meals ahead.
Bacon, bacon, oh I love me some bacon! It's the secret ingredient to all my favorite recipes. I also could have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
The second you get set in your ways is the second a newer, fresher, more innovative company is going to come in and take your market share.
