"What do the holidays mean to you?" It's an interesting question when you think about the wide range of answers you could receive when you ask it. The holidays will come and go with the blink of an eye but don't you think it would be amazing to stop and take note of what we have, what we are thankful for and + also take the opportunity to get a glimpse of what makes the holidays so special for other people? Every day this week, you can stop by to find out what the holidays mean to a variety of talented ladies, some of whom you may know and others you might not... but one thing is for certain, they were excited to share their experiences with you. They are bloggers, makers, teachers, writers ...they are women who I admire. Each lady submitted a picture of their choice to show a little more about themselves and I love what everyone contributed! I am going to introduce you to each woman with one thing I love about them.

• Natalie of The Boston Day Book has a voracious love of travel + adventure. I love that she has seen so much and been to so many places. She's one lady who is fun to follow!
• Elizabeth of ElizabethCraneSwartz.com is as spirited as she is creative. Elizabeth hand paints the most wonderful jewelry and blogs about life in such a stylish way that you can't help but want to join her in whatever it is she is doing!
• Michelle of Littlest Warrior Apparel is an amazing woman and my definitition of "Warrior Mama". Littlest Warrior Apparel is not even a year old yet but Michelle + her family have made it their job to spread awareness and inclusion one t shirt at a time!
• Gabriella of By Gabriella is one of the first ladies that I ever met through blogging and what I love about her is that she is such a champion for "Woman Power" be it through sharing other's stories/recipes/DIYs or through The Lady Project.
• Quiana of Harlem Lovebirds is not only raising two kids, putting NH bloggers on the map and rocking her positive attitude on the 'nets but she is doing it all with such grace, class and overall friendliness that you just can't help but love her!
• Elissa of Style Wire is gorgeous, sassy and has a touch of edge to her style posts. She makes me laugh and is definitely a gal to watch!

What could make this an even better series, you ask? My answer to you would be, 5 AMAZING brands who jumped at the chance to help us celebrate by offering giveaways to our readers. Make sure to read each gal's blurb (+ click their picture to visit their site) and also see what Synergy Organic Clothing has for one lucky reader!

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Being Kind as a Way of Life

Me and The Propah Toddlah in our Littlest Warrior tees

I've been working so much lately that it's been hard for me to even feel like I am "living" a life. I know, it sounds dramatic, but I have been traveling for business, been on the go, working as soon as the baby leaves for daycare and right after he goes to bed... I've barely had time to stop and think about anything but just getting through the day and then on to the next. Add in the mix that the kid has been having nasty coughing fits in the middle of the night that wake him up screaming, yeah, well, things are just dandy over here in the Propah household.

Last night, I went to bed "early" in the hopes of getting some much needed sleep but instead fell into the vortex of the 'nets on my iPad that I now know is too tempting to have on the bedside table. I started reading about gun violence, viewing people's responses to tweets, landing myself on the NRA's page. An hour and a half later, I was reading articles on why Ending Gun Violence does not start with gun control but by stopping "crazy" people. I don't know if it is the stress that I have been feeling due to work or the fact that I read an article about toddler gun deaths just this year, but I started feeling really hopeless + helpless + all those sad feelings you don't want to feel let alone right before going to sleep. It's hard for me to put into words but I don't know how I can start making a difference and I am feeling a little frustrated...

But then the baby woke up in an amazing mood today and the fact that he was so happy helped me get a little happy back. He just had a way of lifting my mood/releasing a little stress that was weighing on me and I thought about it... One thing I know that I can do every day of ma damn life, is try to Be Kind to people. It's a great rule of thumb, right? I don't know and you don't know if someone is suffering inside... your act of kindness or words of encouragement can and will go a long way. From personal experience, this week, my stress levels have peaked and therefore I have been much more sensitive + susceptible to negativity. The ability for someone else to affect my mood is tangible. I am not saying that being nice to someone has any direct correlation to ending violence (not just specifically gun violence) but at the same time, does anyone know what a little kindness could do for someone in a negative head space?

A Business with Heart, Littlest Warrior

I "met" Michelle of Littlest Warrior the way that I have met so many lovely people that I admire... through stalking the nets! Some people, I am fortunate enough to meet in person, due to convenient geographical distance but others, I have to depend on words and photos to paint a picture of their personalities. I found Michelle and her family through their Instagram account via Nothing Down About It, a blog about one Mom's new journey having a child with Down Syndrome. Oakley's little Welles was wearing a Littlest Warrior tee in an recent Instagram post. The tee said "Be Kind" with the words spelled out in graphic letters but also sign language. Spreading joy, awareness and inclusion, one rad tee at a time... now that sounded like something I could get my arms around for a big hug. Fast forward to about an hour (and a few touched tears) later, clicking through Instagram photos, bouncing back and forth between Michelle's account and all her dear, sweet, empowered supporters. I was like "Man, the Internet can be amazing."

I bought one of the "Laughter is my Favorite Medicine" tees even though I was on a self imposed spending ban. From what I could tell, all the designs sell out fast and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to support her brand new business and show people that I wanted my family to be one that represents kindness, inclusion and joy... but wait, I couldn't stop there. I needed to help get Littlest Warrior out to a few more people, because I know that with one person telling another, good things have a tendency to spread. I emailed Michelle (because meeting up in Orange County was out of the question) and discovered she is pretty much my new favorite person. Here are a few reasons why: