Life has felt a bit like a whirlwind lately. The back-to-school rush. It leaves me constantly feeling the pull to slow down and savor life more… but then also the pull to keep scheduling all the fun end-of-summer and fall things. I want to catch up with friends and then also want to have a quiet night in. I constantly want both!

Lately, I’ve also recognized how our babies are not babies anymore - I think this comes with the quickly changing seasons as the world goes round and round. Our 2.5 year old is looking older and older by the day. Talking and running around. I don’t have a sleeping baby on my chest and we haven’t had bottles in what feels like a long time (we finally put away our bottle strainer which felt like a big deal for me!). This is all not helping with my emotional mother heart that is trying with all my might to slow down time.

Okay, I am babbling into a spiral… so long story short, life has flown by this year. Which also made me so excited when Sierra Skoch Photography came over to capture some moments in time for us. As if we were freezing time, even if just for a second. And for the occasion, I made this cookie recipe I share at the end of this post.

Something super neat happened when Sierra came over on a Friday evening to snap some photos of our family. Along with her came a few other local St Louis photographers (gems like Marigold Images, Hillary Donnelley Photography, Katie Prestemon and Kylee Kay Photography). They were having an end-of-summer shoot at my house, where they all got together to inspire and learn from each other. And I was totally all for this situation. “Cultivating creativity” as Sierra called it. Sign me up to help support that!!!

You see, here’s the thing. There is power in lifting each other up. Working together, collaborating and raising up each other, especially as women. That is exactly what this group did!

After blogging and writing for over a decade, and with my work with Beautycounter, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful women. I’ve been inspired by them. I’ve become friends with them. I’ve learned from them. And there is one thing that has always rung true. And that is that wonderful things happen when we just do what we want to do with life, and also support others doing what they love, too. We don’t have to do life alone. We can lean on each other. We can work together, we can learn from each other, we can inspire each other. There is enough room in this world for ALL OF US and all of our passions, all of our businesses and all of our talents.

Motherhood can be isolating. Starting something new can be isolating because we live with our own thoughts daily and we start to doubt ourselves. But, when we just show up and do what we love, and show love to others, and support each other… wow, do amazing things happen!

Thank you Sierra and the photographers with her that night in my backyard. For reminding me of the power of community. I’ve always felt it and sometimes you have to witness it to really see the impact.

I made these cookies for the night and then went on to make them again just a few days later! These are GOOD! I love using the mini chocolate chips lately in these cookies because it makes the cookies uniform, stackable and yummy. I like the load the cookies with the mini chips, so I add 2 heaping cups. Every bite will have them! They are mini, so it’s not too much chocolate - the perfect amount in my opinion.
ENJOY!

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 heaping cups of mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a mixer, cream together the butter until creamed and no lumps remain. Add in the brown sugar and white sugar and mix together.
Add in the eggs and vanilla and cream together.
Add in the baking soda, salt and flour. Mix to combine.
Add in the mini chocolate chips and mix to combine.
On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, use a cookie scoop and scoop dough balls and bake at 375 for about 11 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Take out and let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.