Category: Happy Holidays

friday’s “secret”: create your best, of the year {2015 edition}

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I cannot believe that the year is pretty much over! Two more weeks and I will be telling you “Happy New Year!” As Gretchen Rubin has so eloquently stated, “The days are long but the years are short” and seem to get shorter and shorter with each passing year!

One fun thing to do at the end of the year is to look back over it and think about my highlights: what I did that was fun and memorable. I have had a great year and there is so much I could write about. But this is my “best, of the year” list, so only the best here.

Quote of the Year: Honor the space between no longer and not yet! – Nancy Levin

Pic. Better Than BeforeBook of the Year: So many books, it is so hard to pick just one. But here goes: Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin – finding the Four Tendency Framework and discovering that I am an Obliger has literally changed my life and how I go about accomplishing things that I want to do. It is now available in a paperback edition here.

Race of the Year: I only entered two races this year so not many to chose from but between the two: The 12th Annual Liz Hurley Run and the 2015 Galaxy of Lights 5K, I would have to chose the Galaxy of Lights. At that race, I ran in spite of fear and anytime I do something in spite of fear it is one of my highlights!

The Wynn Las VegasMeal of the Year: A foodie like me cannot not tell you about the best food of the year; so many options here. But I will have to go with breakfast at the Wynn Buffet in Las Vegas. This is where my hubby and I held our wedding brunch almost 10 years ago and every time I get to eat there is an awesome thing. Another thing that I loved about this meal was that I didn’t pig out, even though I wanted to. A moral victory for me!

Blog of the Year: I’m sorry but I can’t pick just one so this category will have two blogs of the year. One is Modern Mrs. Darcy which I have mentioned over and over again. The second one is The Geeky Shopaholic which I have discovered just recently. I love her content.

Podcast of the Year: I devoured everything Elizabeth Gilbert this year. Her podcast Magic Lessons was the impetus that caused me to continue to put my work out into the world, regardless of my fear. Based on her book, Big Magic (see how I edged another book in there?) one of the things that will always stick with me is that fear will always be present, in my car, as I travel on this journey of life. The only thing is, he is not allowed to dictate my destination or to control the radio under any circumstances.

Trip of the Year: Even though I went to the beach three times and a family reunion in Vegas, my best travel experience was my sister’s wedding in St. Augustine, Florida! The entire weekend was full: full of joy, full of excitement, full of family and friends, full of fun. Over all, that will always take the cake.

Movie of the Year: So many of my favorite franchises released movies this year: Marvel, The Fast and the Furious, etc. But the winner in this category, and I really can’t believe I am saying this, is Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out. It was awesome!

Like Mother, Like SonInstagram of the Year: “Like mother, like son!” Slowly, ever so slowly adjusting to being a new mom was a huge part of this year and having a child is scary. One of the scariest things about it is seeing yourself in your child’s face and in his personality. I dare you to tell me, which one is the Buddy Man.

Many thanks to Paula of the Geeky Shopaholic for the idea for this post. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

enjoy life…

friday’s “secret”: enjoy my favorite things-holiday edition

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The Holidays are in full swing and there is nothing like them. I have always enjoyed Christmas! As a kid, I loved the presents I would get, obviously, but I also liked the atmosphere and the traditions that only Christmas candle decorhappened during that time of the year!

As I got older, the magic and joy seemed to evaporate slowly, like a heavy fog in the early morning, with each passing year. It is only recently that I have decided to be very intentional about enjoying my favorite things, holidays included.

  • You have to start with the music. I make a conscious decision not to listen to Christmas music until Christmas time; that makes it even more special. My favorite album is The Gift: A Colours Christmas, a relaxing but different take on a number of traditional Christmas carols. My family has been listening to this for as long as I can remember Christmas and it wouldn’t be Christmas without it! Also gotta hear Handel’s Messiah, Leroy Anderson’s traditional rendition of Sleigh Ride played everywhere and This Christmas by Donny Hathaway.
  • Movies are next. This year, I plan on watching my three all-time favorite Holiday movies: The Holiday with the all-star cast of Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslett, Jude Law, and Jack Black. I tear up at the end every single time. Next is that quirky, I don’t know why I love it but I do, Love Actually with another all-star cast of Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, and Colin Firth, just to name a few. I rewind and watch the final scene of the arrivals at Heathrow’s Airport set to The Beach Boys’ God Only Knows over and over again. God only knows what I would be without my family! And finally, my family’s traditional Christmas movie, the classic Miracle on 34th Street staring Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood. Love it!
  • And you can’t forget about the food. My mommy makes a delicious strawberry danish that we serve with a her homemade blend of peppermint tea sweetened with apple juice. Oranges and grapefruit complete our Christmas Eve meal. It’s just dawned on me that I’ll have to make the danish this year since we will be celebrating separately! And of course, for Christmas Dinner, which for us is a version of Thanksgiving Dinner again, I must have my mommy’s homemade stuffing, which I will be making as well. This is also a great time of year for caramel popcorn, Kroger’s Simple Truth Kettle Popcorn will suffice here and I have to get a tin of those traditional Christmas cookies. You know, the ones in the blue tin?
  • I also send out Holiday cards.  Does anyone still do that? It’s a lot of fun for me to go pick out my cards around Thanksgiving and send them out every year.  If I do nothing else for Christmas, I send out my cards!
  • And finally, the decorations: a tree with traditional white lights, a lit wreath for the door, and a few ornaments scattered around the house. Keeping it simple this year.

What do you enjoy about the holidays?

And please, I am looking for suggestions for a fourth great Christmas movie!

enjoy life the holidays…

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friday’s “secret”: to be happy, you gotta step outside of your comfort zone, again

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Logo. Galaxy of Lights 5KThis week, I did something that was truly terrifying for me. I ran the Huntsville Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights 5K race alone; in the dark.

The Galaxy of Lights is a holiday extravaganza of lights displays throughout the Garden during the holiday season. Displays include the 12 Days of Christmas, and my personal favorite, the Icicle Forest which takes my breath away every time. The displays are sponsored by local companies and community members and installed, repaired, and maintained throughout the year by NASA engineers, electricians, and volunteers. After Thanksgiving, Galaxy Driving Nights allow you to experience the displays in the warmth of your vehicles. The 5K and 3K Holiday Dash allows you to experience it up close and personal.

I had made plans to run with a friend. Being alone in large crowds terrifies me. Unfortunately this friend hurt her ankle and couldn’t do it with me. I spent the day scrambling trying to find someone else to go with me. On top of that, it was raining cats and dogs throughout the entire day and I told myself that the was suppose to be a fun race and running, in the rain, alone, in the dark, was not going to be fun.

Around 3:30 PM, the rain let up enough for me to consider doing it. But I couldn’t find anyone to go with me. I flip-flop back and forth between going and not going for about an hour and ultimately decided to go. I had all ready arranged for my mother-in-law to keep the Buddy Man later with Hubby picking him up after work and I rationalized that I would ultimately regret it if I did not.

I got there at 5:00 and hour and a half before race time. In retrospect, this was a mistake. I wanted to make sure I had close parking and that I was able to pick up my race packet in time to pin on my number and use the restrooms which had lines throughout the night. It had stopped raining and I wandered around the exhibits looking for someone to talk to. Overwhelmed, I gave up and went to my car and the tears formed. Why was I doing this? I began to feel guilty about not being there for the first time to put my baby to sleep. I was lonely. This wasn’t fun.

I found a book and read by the light of a flashlight until close to race time. Once, we were off, I thoroughly enjoyed it! The lights were beautiful and every time I run, I feel awesome!

I felt so proud of myself. I did something else that I was afraid to do. And I don’t have to look back and wish that I had had the courage to do what I really wanted to do. I did high-tail it out of there as soon as the race was over, though. And what do you know, but it started pouring again!

How about you? Ever done something you were afraid to do?

enjoy life…