When a new month starts, I often feel refreshed, like I have a new beginning and a fresh start to finally get my life together. Yesterday was no different. I got my 10,000 steps, spent a few hours writing and pondering, and I even smoked my pipe! The Midnight Orchard from Cornell and Diehl is delicious, by the way. But I also went over my calorie goal. I didn't make the best food choices, but you know what? That's okay! Not every day is going to be a perfect 100 out of 100, and that's something I have to constantly remind myself…

Everything happens for a reason. That's a quote I'm a firm believer in. While it's often used to dispel negative thoughts or as a vague encouragement to someone falling on hard times, I think it has a much deeper meaning than we give it credit for. When something doesn't work out, plans fall through, or my Jeep breaks down, I can't help but try and see the bigger picture. It happened for a reason, right? So now it's my job to try and figure out what that reason is…

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I've rebranded the logos and changed the colors on this blog. From its conception I thought I had everything figured out, but as time went on and I began to write more and more, I found myself entering different eras of this blog. You may have even noticed—if you're receiving this in your email inbox—that the name Carissa Mae Whaddya Say has been changed to something different this time around…