Tag: journal

what i’m into – that’s keeping me sane {december 2015}

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Pic. What I'm Into. December 2015

Once again, I am pleased to be linking up with Leigh Kramer and her monthly What I’m Into post. This month has been very busy for me and I have been leaning heavily on my sanity savers! You can also check out some of the other things that I incorporated into my December here.

  • Dylan’s World: Yes, this is appearing for a second What I’m Into post. Buddy Man really loves this. Each episode is 2 to 3 minutes long. A new episode is available once a week and now there are enough episodes to last 30 minutes if I run each episode back-to-back. Thirty minutes of uninterrupted time to cook, clean, whatever. Sanity Saver!
  • In early December, I had the privilege of co-hosting a Beachbody 21-Day Challenge with Randi Burke of Team Burke Fitness. I LOVE these Challenges. In them, we’re encouraged to eat clean, exercise daily, and stay hydrated. Individuals participate from all over the country and meet-up on Facebook. With my Obliger Tendency, described in Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before, groups (aka external motivation) keep me focused way more than if I was out there trying to make these changes by myself. Much gratitude to all the members of this group!
  • I LOVE my Fitbit Flex – a wireless activity + sleep wristband! I love it because it keeps track of my steps as well as a pretty accurate description of my sleep patterns throughout the night. You can also record your water intake as well. This month, I have tried to get my goal of 10,000 steps a day and have been pretty successful. Reason? Fitbit allows you to have friends and participate in Challenges: Goal Day, Workweek Hustle, Weekend Warrior, etc. Many thanks to Joy, Nicole, and my mom for setting up and keeping these Challenges going. It has kept us all moving during the Holidays!
  • I cut my my shoulder-length hair! Cutting my hair has reduced my styling time by two-thirds! Definitely a sanity saver!
  • While I love the Holidays, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness-all the stuff that we have to do. I am very happy to have kept it simple this year: a quiet Christmas with my family.
  • And finally, as you read this, I’m headed to my vacation on the beach! For me, the beach is one of the few places where I can shut-off my mind completely and absolutely the best way to bring in the New Year!

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…

what i’m into – that’s keeping me sane {november 2015}

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Pic. What I'm Into. November 2015

I’m so excited to be linking up again with Leigh Kramer who does these wonderful round-ups called “What I’m Into” every month.

I hope every one had a Happy Thanksgiving! And speaking of thanksgiving, this month, I have been focusing on gratitude and appreciating the day-to-day experiences of my life.

  • One of my favorite haunts on the web, Modern Mrs. Darcy (I mention her a lot don’t I?), posted an article about the Norwegians and winter. Read it here. Since I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder and dread the winter time, I am using the article’s content to help myself have an enjoyable Winter 2015/2016. Turns out it’s all about your attitude/mindset. Go figure, huh?
  • And speaking of mindset, every November, I try to focus especially on the present things for which I am grateful. I highlighted a few this year here.
  • I took a number of 5-mile walks this month in preparation for the Bridgestreet Half Marathon this April.  The pic is from one of those beautiful walks. I am sure the walks are helping me stay sane.  Gotta get my steps in!
  • Doubling up recipes and freezing the extra is definitely keeping me sane this month. Chili, minestrone soup, potpie filling, homemade pizza crust, cornbread, and BBQ sauce all in my deep freezer in the garage. Sanity savers!
  • Roma! This is a grain beverage, made with roasted malt barley with a touch of chicory and it doesn’t taste half bad. It’s the taste of coffee without the caffeine. And while I try to avoid caffeine as a general rule, while nursing Buddy Man, caffeine has been a strict no-no! Also, this is another great way to enjoy the cooler temps: warm beverages!
  • Discovered a new YouTube channel and show called Dylan’s World, a delightful, refreshing, short, program for kids by kids. Buddy Man loves it! It’s the only show he’s into and thus, I’m into it. You can check it out here. It’s very good.
  • Slowed my reading down considerably this month. More about that next Quick Lit.
  • Although I didn’t listen to many podcast episodes this month, I did listen to a couple that featured Elizabeth Gilbert. I love the sound of her voice! Her writing is pretty good too. I have been listening to a lot more music recently with one particular album on repeat: Stone Rose by Ola Gjeilo. The music is lyrical piano and a mix between classical, jazz, and a little pop. Great music for introspection; very soothing and relaxing.
  • Almost got sucked down the rabbit hole of The Good Wife and old episodes of The Amazing Race on Amazon Prime but I have managed to extricate myself from both of them. Just found out the old episodes of Survivor are available on CBS All Access. Oh boy! And who, along with me, is looking forward to the season 3 of HGTV’s Fixer Upper premiering December 1! Aren’t Chip and Joanna the bestest!?!?!?

What are you into that’s keeping you sane? Perhaps I should try it.

enjoy life…