With 2013 safely behind us, I thought I would take a trip down memory lane and share the 10 posts that you, my loyal gapmuse fans liked the most during the year. I thank you for sharing in my musings and making my blog debut such a success! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Happy New Year to you and yours! May all your dreams and aspirations for 2014 come true! 🙂

1. 9 Ways to Motivate Your Child to Master and Practice a Skill During the School Year

New school year, new school, new grade level, backpacks, lunch boxes, clothes, uniforms, shoes, school supplies…yes, it’s here! The busy back to school season when you’re running around (literally for some of us) sometimes with your children trying to compile everything they need before school starts. And for most parents, it’s also the time that new sessions for your after-school children’s activities kickoff. Read more…

2. 10 Most Valuable Lessons from My Mother 

As I celebrated this past Mothers Day weekend, I couldn’t help but think about my wonderful mother and reflect on what she has meant to me and all the valuable life lessons that she has taught me.  Although it’s great that we dedicate one day a year to revere our mothers, I feel compelled to honor my mother all the time because I couldn’t be the wholesome woman I am today without the sacrifices that she made and the continuous nurturing that she gave to me.  Read more…

3. Why Every Woman Should Treat Herself to the Spa at Least Once a Year 

“If I died now, I would be happy!”  These are the words my sister uttered three hours into our spa day experience this past weekend that got me thinking that surely every woman deserves this feeling at least once a year!  Not only did I share the same sentiment, but also wished that the sensation would last forever.  You see, three years ago, my sister and I made a commitment to dedicate one day of the year to the spa (typically Mothers Day weekend in May due to the great spa deals.) Read more…

4. 5 Helpful Tips for Women from Sheryl Sandberg…from a Skeptic to a Believer 

Shortly after learning about Sheryl Sandberg’s New York Times best selling Lean In book, I wanted not only to read it, but also to share it as a gift with a special young woman in my life.  With her passion, ambition, drive, and blossoming professional career, I felt that she might greatly benefit from the book. Read more…

5. 8 Thanksgiving Recipe & Menu Ideas that will Surprise & Delight Your Family 

Do you enjoy changing things up every so often? This Thanksgiving Holiday, how about spicing up your Thanksgiving menu and delighting your family with both traditional and non-traditional cuisine? Read more…

6. Be Inspired by Beauty 

I can hardly believe that it’s Saturday already!  I meant to publish this post earlier in the week but as always, living life got in the way!  It’s a short pictorial musing inspired by my exciting experience at the Academy of Sciences last weekend.  It served as a great reminder that beauty is all around us and if we just took a moment to take notice, we may be inspired or simply escape the daily grind and enjoy life a little. Read more…

7. How to Easily Discover, Organize, Share and Access Your Recipes with Pinterest

Have you ever assumed that everyone knows about something because it appears ubiquitous to you? Well, I’m guilty! This post was triggered by a question a lady posed to me at a birthday party a few weeks ago. She leaned over to me while we were having some snacks and asked “Do you know Pinterest®?” Read more…

8. Why Yoga Can Help You Overcome & Confront Your Fears

I’ll be the first to admit that I started practicing yoga for the physical benefits.  I wanted to look good (yes, there was some vanity involved) by getting toned up, improve my flexibility, which deteriorates as we get older, and most importantly, I had developed some lower back pain that I wanted to eliminate without self medicating. Of course, I was aware that yoga benefits go beyond just the physical and include the mind, body, and spirit.  What I didn’t anticipate was the enormous impact yoga would have on my mind, especially how I deal with fear.  Read more…

9. 11 Key Takeaways from Sheryl Sandberg’s Keynote at Dreamforce 2013 (+Video)

Wow! Is it past mid-November already and almost Thanksgiving! It’s been quite awhile since I published a post (except Quotable Mondays, which has a quick turnaround)! It’s not for a lack of trying, though. I’ve been going through some life changes, thankfully, all positive, which have left me with so little time to share my musings with you. Thank you for your patience and sticking with me.   Read more…

10. 3 Cool Fashion Apps We Love This Week

Admit it. You wouldn’t mind having a personal shopping assistant (I know I’m guilty) or maybe you have a favorite dress or shoe in your closet that cost you a tad too much that you don’t wear anymore but just can’t get yourself to give it away.  You’ve thought of selling it through a consignment store but the time it takes to find and deliver it to one is just not worth it.  So it sits in your closet year in, year out!  Or, if you’re like me, you’ve seen something online or in your favorite department store catalog that you adored, bought, only to be hugely disappointed when you got it, tried it on and realized that it just doesn’t work for your body type or skin tone and had to go through the hassle of returning it. Read more…

Happy Saturday!