I saw an awesome quote the other day: “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way.” Wow! How profound. I don’t know why, but human nature has cursed all of us a bit—we too often dwell on the past when there’s not a thing we can do to change it. It can be something small, or something earth-shattering, but regardless of the size of our regrets, y’all, there is no going back. And I know that’s a bitter pill to swallow sometimes. I think people who are heavy sleepers are crazy-lucky because it’s incredibly miserable to awaken at 3 a.m., only to be visited by your unwelcome past—all those mistakes and missteps love to bang around inside our heads in the middle of the night.

I’m a firm believer that everything seems worse when you’re tired, and chewing on old bad news when you’re lying awake in bed is akin to being forced to eat a cauliflower steak: it’s distasteful and downright wrong! (Have y’all seen those on Pinterest? A big ol’ slice of cauliflower grilled like a steak? Nasty! But, I’m digressing…) I once had a sweet little old lady (who lived to be 99 years old, by the way) tell me: “Once you’ve made a tough decision, it’s done. Never look back, regardless of the outcome.” I believe that little gem of wisdom, and I do my best to follow it. Because, here’s the deal: when we go back and second-guess our decisions and revisit our regrets, we somehow think things would’ve been perfect if we’d just chosen a different path. That’s just not so. Why, you ask? Because, there are no guarantees. In our pretty little heads, we’ll design a past created out of “I should’ve” and “I could’ve” and “if I had only,” and, well, maybe that past would’ve created a perfect future, but maybe not!

I could look back on my life, my career, and second-guess a few decisions (yeah, y’all know I’ve probably done that…who hasn’t?). But, all of my decisions, good and bad, have led me to where I am today. Should I have gone straight to a school that specialized in design? Maybe. But, I didn’t. I went to Texas Tech, and every step I made from the time I graduated from high school and departed that big, sweet, secure ranch I called home has been a journey.

They were my choices, my mistakes, my triumphs and, on occasion, my sorrows. But, stacked atop one another, they’ve made me who I am. In the light of day, I’m unapologetic about who I am. So, gals, let’s make a pact. Flee the past, keep your eyes on the horizon, and whatever you do, don’t look back, you’re not going that way!

So, we love, love, love treating ourselves…who doesn’t? But, for us, a treat isn’t always something extravagant, it’s usually something little that uplifts us and helps us through the day. It brings mental freshness to our crazy, hectic lives.

Here’s some of the stuff we love to “gift” to ourselves:

1.)  Lorinda: TEA–

What? Tea? Yes, tea! I’m not a coffee drinker! I love to grab the biggest cup, fill it with lots of ice and then unsweet tea. There’s something about a fresh cup, fresh ice and freshly brewed tea…and unwrapping that straw…it’s like a tiny present to me! One of my favorite places to grab an iced tea is In-n-Out Burger. They have super delish tea, but it also reminds me of my old home in southern California. I don’t want to move back, but it’s still fun and nostalgic for me. I also love tea—extra ice please!—from Sonic and Chick-Fil-A.

2.)  Amy: COFFEE–

Yes, I admit it, I’m a total coffee snob. But, you won’t usually see me at Starbucks or the local coffee café. I make mine at home. It’s a fantastic kick-start to my day, it’s always freshly brewed, and it’s the best coffee around!

3.)  Lorinda: COLD COKES with LEMON

I don’t drink Coke a lot, but when I’m really craving a decadent treat, I’ll pour myself a REAL Coke on ice. When I’m at the office working and I’m stressed out, that little bitty, teeny-tiny thing—a 12 ounce Coke—can bring such peace of mind. Fresh cup, fresh ice, cold Coke!

4.)  Amy: CHEESEBURGERS

Yeah, y’all, I grew up on a ranch. Yes, we raised cattle. I don’t know if that’s why I love a good cheeseburger or not, but oh my gosh, I do! And it doesn’t have to be from a fancy place, I love Whataburger and McDonalds, too. So, if I’m in need of a pick-me-up, that’s what I go for. No, it’s not expensive or fancy, but dang it’s good.

5.)  Amy & Lorinda: PILATES & YOGA/WORKING OUT

Amy: I make it a point to go to Pilates at least twice a week. I’m not gonna go on Saturday, I go during the week. It’s one date I won’t cancel. Pilates is a huge break and treat for me. It’s my time to get away from the office and take part in something that’s so good for me, mentally and physically. I recharge my batteries and it makes me much easier to be around!

Lorinda: Yoga or working out! It’s amazing how a good sweat can change your whole out look on a day or something crazy that happened in your day.  Most of the time, okay all of the time I go 90 to nothing. I was born with natural crack in my blood. Working out keeps me in balance and makes my mind thinK straight. Or if all else fails I just go to a barrel race with Prince and all is one!

So, those are a few of the things that keep us going. We believe it’s important for women to do special things for themselves, because we deserve it, y’all! Figure out some little stuff that makes you happy and refreshes you, because if you’re joyful, it’ll make everyone around you more joyful, too!

It is overwhelming to see all the posts on Facebook of people taking the ALS challenge from grown ups to kids everyone is getting involved.  Social Media can be such a great positive tool.  Here at Gypsy Land, Amy, my two girls and I all took the challenge along with donating to our friend Jeye Johnson’s mother who has ALS. Jeye has been a friend to all of us for over 10 years. Amy or I never even knew her mother was ill. I am so glad she wrote about her mother on her Facebook page so we know how we can help her. If you would like to donate to her mother here is her address…

Lorry Warren
c/o David Bass
10019 Silver Mountain Dr
Austin, TX 78737

We were challenged by our good friend Kyle to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! Here is the end result! Don’t you love how they put their own twist on it!

How long has it been since you have learned something new? As we get older it is important to learn something new everyday. We all know that I am turning 40 this year! So think, when was the last time you learned something new? Was it today, yesterday, last week or last month? Can you remember?

Last Thursday night Charley & I were riding in the arena and her sweet little horse decided he was a little fresh and he bucked her off.  Yes, it was scary seeing my 10 year old dumped in the dirt. She hit the ground, dust started flying and she jumped up and ran. When I finally got off my horse and got to her I asked her where she was going.  She told me she didn’t want her horse to step on her. Her horse stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her hit the ground.  As I stood there checking her over and hugging her I don’t remember teaching her to get up and run or telling her that if she fell off to get out of her horses way. I think when you are put in a position like that your instinct kicks in and you just know what to do. After all the excitement, we did get back on and ride one time around the arena. But to my biggest surprise the next day at work I got a call from Charley asking if we were going to ride that night. I felt AWESOME because I knew she wasn’t giving up, she wasn’t quitting.  How many times in our lives have we quit or walked away because it got a little hard? Or we had to work at it more than someone else in our life.

I know this sounds like a story about not giving up but it’s more than that. If you are not fighting for something in your life or trying something new then you are not learning anything new! I know lots of people are stuck in the same old job with the same old bills and the same old life and they are too scared to try something new or different. Start small instead of getting on a big horse, jump on a pony instead. In other words, start with something you can do and move up from there.