When I started this blog, my main purpose for writing was to distract myself from a long distance relationship. I had no idea that there was a whole community of bloggers chatting online or that a blog could inspire and change the lives of others.

I found this community within a few months and started to question my bigger why. Why was I writing? Was it for myself? Was it to help others? Was it just a hobby? Was it to make money?

I have bounced around. I have changed direction. I have tried to monetize. I have settled on just being a hobby blogger. I’ve never quite figured out my why though – until today. Today, we watched a video at my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting and it all clicked. My journey with this blog suddenly made sense and I found the underlying theme that I’ve been looking for all along.

Let me back up to the meeting and this video. It featured the President of MOPS, Mandy Arioto. In this video, she talked about having more fun and letting go of the to do lists. As I was watching this video, I realized that I already do this. That this is exactly how I live my life.

We take adventures. We prioritize fun over housework. And we make so many memories along the way. These are the moments we choose to prioritize and I have to believe that our kids will benefit from it. I know I did growing up.

As we watched this video and shared our stories at my table, I realized something. I realized that my mindset isn’t necessarily the same as everyone else. We’ve been having adventures together as a family since our toddler was a few months old.

Sure, our breezeway might be disorganized and there may be a pile of dirty dishes in our sink. But, our hearts are full of memories that can never be replaced. And that means more than any picturesque blog or social media thread. (Don’t believe me? Take a closer look at my Instagram feed. You can see the mess in the background.)

So how does this relate to the blog and my why? Well, it made me realize that my purpose behind this blog (and Little Learning Moments) is to encourage women to pick the fun moments when they can. It’s to show others that life doesn’t have to be pretty to be beautiful. There is beauty in the mess. Others won’t remember your gorgeous kitchen table but they will remember the warmth of your friendship. Focus on that warmth.

November is a month of “no” challenges. No shave. No stress. No sugar. No this. No that. Heck, NO is even in the word itself. Let’s change that.

Let’s make it a month of YES.

Say yes to the adventure.

Say yes to fun.

Say yes to the memories.

Say yes to play.

Say yes to love.

And most of all, say yes to the moments that will bring you happiness.