Thankfulness Project Monday

The Old Year has gone.  Let the dead past bury its own dead.  The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time.  All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!  ~Edward Payson Powell

A new year is upon us, and most of us are trying to figure out (whether we make resolutions, goals, or create dreams) what we'd like this year to look like. Over the last year I have become convinced that the practice of gratitude is essential for a healthy and happy life, and I will seek to continue to implement this practice in my life. Because of that, continue expecting to see this post each Monday in 2012! It helps me to start the week on the right foot. 

Here are a few things I am grateful for on this first Monday of 2012:

• Safety: I never want to take this for granted, and I know that it can definitely be easy to forget this one. With the holidays, there are lots of people traveling, and I drove about 1,500 miles over the last two weeks. I'm thankful for safety while traveling (and that the other drivers around me were being safe as well!).
• Time with Family: This doesn't happen enough, and there are some family members I won't see for at least 5 months now. I'm grateful that my entire family made it home to my parents' house for Christmas!
• Time with Friends: I spent the last few days of 2011 and the first day of 2012 celebrating with a number of good friends whom I haven't seen in a number of months. It's hard to have friends spread out across the country, and it's always exciting to spend time with them! 
• A New Year: Sure, just because the date changes from 2011 to 2012 doesn't mean that our problems magically disappear. We wake up on January 1st in the same situation as December 31st. However, sometimes we need times that can motivate us to make a change, and for some people the start of a new year is the motivation they need to change and grow. I'm thankful for times in life that cause us to pause, think, and evaluate our lives. 
• Dreaming: It's fun to dream big dreams for our lives, and try to put practical steps in our lives to achieve those dreams. It certainly is tough work, we hit glitches, and we might want to give up. The dreams we dream can keep us going, give us motivation to endure, and create hope. Don't be afraid to dream for your life! 

Now it's your turn:

What are you feeling thankful for on this first Monday of 2012? 

Thankfulness Project Tuesday

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.  ~Charles Dickens

Well, my Thankfulness Project post is coming to you on Tuesday instead of Monday this week due to Christmas and spending time with my family. I hope you each had a good Christmas, and enjoyed your day spending time with family, friends, or celebrating in whatever fashion you chose to!

 

This is what every night of Christmas break looks like:)

• REAL fires in the fireplace: I don't have a fireplace at my house, so when I'm at my parent's house I soak it in for all it's worth. Christmas break to me means having a fire every night while we watch movies, and I love the warmth and glow the fire gives off! 
• Time With My Family: It's been a fun last week, and I'm soaking my last few days of it before heading back home! It's been a great week of eating, watching movies, exercising, and hanging around the house together. 
• The presents I received for Christmas: I hate to be materialistic at all about the holiday, but I AM so thankful for the items I received for Christmas. It's a great time to get some things for the house that I can use on a regular basis, and some other things that I know I will regularly enjoy throughout the year. 
• Pilates: I love it, and wish I could take classes a few times a week! I love how I feel when I do it, and I enjoy the strength I see that comes from doing it. Seriously, you all should try taking some reformer pilates classes- they're awesome!
• Christmas: I'm thankful for the entire season of Christmas. I love the parties and time to celebrate with family & friends. But more then anything, I am thankful for the reason we even celebrate Christmas! I look forward to this month for the entire year, so I'm feeling a little sad that it is over now. 

Now it's your turn:

What're some of your favorite Christmas break traditions? Have you ever tried pilates? 

Christmas Survey

I saw this on Heather's Blog a few days ago, and thought I'd participate! It really doesn't have to do with anything health or counseling related, but that's ok...right? I've always found it interesting how different people celebrate the same holiday. Traditions are fascinating:)

Eggnog or hot chocolate?
Absolutely Hot Chocolate! I love hot chocolate, and now that I have a lactose free recipe, I can make it as often as I'd like! I love putting peppermint in it to add a little extra zing to it!

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
ALWAYS wraps them. I actually never realized until a few years ago that some people got unwrapped Santa gifts. Ours were always wrapped and under the tree, in the stockings, and on the fireplace.

Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White goes on the main tree and colored lights goes on the "kids" Christmas tree (the tree with all our old ornaments and things we made growing up). Colored lights are acceptable outside, as are white:)

Do you hang mistletoe?
No.

When do you hang your decorations up?
The weekend before Thanksgiving. That way, when I return home after visiting my parents for Thanksgiving, it's all decorated. I don't turn on the lights until after Thanksgiving.

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
This is difficult. I REALLY look forward to creamed onions at Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. And this amazing strawberry jello with strawberry chunks in it. I only eat these two foods at Thanksgiving and Christmas, so they're special.

Favorite holiday memory as a child?
I have so many fantastic Christmas memories from growing up that it is really hard to choose. We weren't allowed to make any noise on Christmas morning until 8 am, so my cousins and I woke up early and played card games quietly in our rooms. The anticipation was so high, and when we were finally told we could come downstairs, it was amazing:)

What is on your Christmas wish list?
Amazon Gift card to buy a few books as I think of them throughout the year. That way I don't have to feel the pressure of coming up with books on the spot!

Do you open up gifts on Christmas Eve?
Don't even get me started on this one:) We do NOT open our gifts on Christmas Eve and I don't think that I ever will open them on the 24th. Growing up, we were allowed to open up one gift on Christmas Eve.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
At my house my tree is pretty simple. White lights with differed colored balls. Simple but beautiful! At my parents house, we decorate the "kids tree" with our favorite ornaments, and the various things we made at school growing up. It's fun to look back at old crafts and school pictures attached to ornaments.

Snow? Love it or dread it?
I love the snow, but really dislike the cold. I would like snow from December 1-January 20th or so, and then I'm pretty much over it.

Real tree or fake tree?
I have a fake tree right now because I don't actually spend Christmas at my place. My parents have always had a real tree, but the "kids tree" is also a fake one. I love the smell of fresh pine trees!

Do you remember your favorite gift?
I definitely don't have a single "favorite gift" that I've gotten. One year I really wanted a blanket from one of my favorite places, and asked my mom for it every day from October until mid December. I still use that blanket on a daily basis, and it reminds me of so many fantastic memories from growing up. It's a sentimental and practical gift all in one.

What's the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Amidst all of the parties, gifts, and celebrations, I remember that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus. It's also important for me to spend time with my family.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?
This is a tough one because we don't have one traditional holiday dessert. I love the Christmas cookies that we make each year though!

What is your favorite tradition?
Last year was the first Christmas that we did something different, so we're a little bit trying to create some new traditions right now. Every Christmas Eve we go to church, then drive around to look at Christmas lights, and then come home and eat cake (it's Jesus' birthday, remember?), read the Night Before Christmas, and Luke 2. On Christmas day we try to drag out the gift opening all day. We slowly open gifts, talk, play games, and go on a walk throughout the day. The entire day is spent together as a family.

What tops your tree?
An angel that we've had since before I was born.

Do you prefer giving or receiving?
Buying gifts for people makes me really anxious, unless I know that the person has asked for that specific item. I've never enjoyed buying gifts, but it's not because of the time it takes or the money spent. I just get nervous. However, if I know someone has wanted that item, then I love giving gifts! I like getting gifts, but part of me always feels a little bad about the entire thing.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day- I linked it here so you can check it out. I'm all about a good story behind the song, and this song has a fantastic story. Until a few years ago, however, it was either O Holy Night or The First Noel.

Candy canes, yuck or yum?
I really like the fruity candy canes. I don't normally go out of my way to eat a plain peppermint candy cane, but I do love putting them in hot chocolate.

Favorite Christmas movie?
Another tough one, because I try to watch so many every year. I really love It's A Wonderful Life. I think the concept of us reaching out and touching more people then we realize it a fantastic idea, and one that we generally don't think about. It's interesting to think what life would really be like for our loved ones if we hadn't ever been born.

What do you leave for Santa?
Nothing now. Growing up it was always milk and cookies.

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
oops! I already answered this. We had to sit quietly in our rooms until 8 am, so we played card games and whispered excitedly amongst all the cousins. We would then line up on the stairs and take pictures, and could hear the Christmas music playing downstairs. We would then all run downstairs into the living room and grab out stockings!

Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?
Mall.

Christmas letter or Christmas card?
I know sometimes the Christmas letter can be a brag fest, but whether it is informative, bragging, or completely ridiculous, I LOVE the Christmas letter. I love reading them!

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, and it's certainly interesting to see how traditions change as we get older and as the family make-up changes. I've packed in at least one Christmas movie a week, and listen to Christmas music many times a day. Basically, I just love Christmas, and I love watching movies at night with the fire going, Christmas lights on, and my family around me.

Now it's your turn!
Answer one or some of these questions! What's your favorite holiday tradition?

Tips For Reducing Stress During the Holidays {Part 3}

Are any of you starting to feel the pressure and stress of the Holiday Season yet? Christmas can certainly bring out high levels of stress for people, so my goal is to give some easy and practical ways of reducing stress this season. If you've missed the other posts in this series, here are Part 1 and Part 2.

Here are a few other tips for reducing stress:

• Be practical in the amount of people you buy for: While we may want to get gifts for all those in our lives, sometimes it isn't practical financially or time-wise. Set a limit on the amount of people you are buying for in your life. Your friends will probably more then understanding, or at least relieved it's one less gift they have to buy as well. If you've usually given a gift to someone, and have chosen not to this year, be assertive and tell them that upfront. If you're tight on money, let them know that, while you'd like to buy something for them, you just can't do it this year, but still want them to know that you appreciate your friendship. 
• Be aware of what your unhealthy coping mechanisms are: Most of us have some unhealthy ways to cope with situations: food, alcohol, picking, etc... Plan in advance what you will do when you are tempted to use these unhealthy coping mechanisms. I find that it can be helpful to create a list in advance of healthy things you can do when you are in a place that you need to cope so it is ready at your fingertips when it is needed. 
• Be careful to not have unrealistic expectations for family: Sometimes we expect that a family member's behavior will change simply because it's Christmas. Generally speaking, people are who they are no matter what time of the year it is, meaning that just because it's a big holiday doesn't mean the person's behavior will change. 
• Practice deep breathing regularly: When we start getting stressed, it's easy for us to feel short of breath, our heart races, and our tension shoots up. Practicing deep breathing throughout the day will help keep your stress at bay, allowing you to function as best as possible. Click here to read about developing a deep breathing practice. 
• Understand that you don't HAVE to get together with family: Sometimes we feel that the holidays obligate us to spend time with family. While it's nice if you can, you are in no way obligated to do this. Perhaps your family is toxic or too inappropriate/dysfunctional/unsafe to be around. You'll have a more enjoyable break if you spend it as an immediately family instead of throwing yourselves into a toxic family situation. 

Well, you now have 15 tips to decrease your overall stress this holiday season. Choose a few to work on and make a priority throughout the next few weeks, and let me know how it goes.

Now it's your turn:

What sorts of stress have you experienced this Christmas season so far? What are 2 tips that you can commit to working on throughout the next few weeks?

A Little Recap and Favorite Past Posts

My posting schedule may be a little lighter this week... or at least lighter content wise. I had a fantastic Thanksgiving (more or less) with family & friends, with a few difficult situations thrown into it. I'm safely back home and have a busy week at work, mixed in with a few other commitments and trying to catch up on the week that I was visiting family. Last December I didn't have many readers yet, as my blog was brand new. Because of that, I wanted to post a few posts from last winter that stand out in my mind, and relate to this holiday season!

Warming Up With A Cup of Tea <- There are some mental health/emotional benefits to tea as well!
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day <- This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I didn't love it growing up, but a few years ago I learned the history of the song, and it's really interesting! Make sure to check this one out!
Tips For Surviving The Holidays With Family <- Let's be honest. Sometimes family can almost ruin the holiday season. Here are a few tips to stay healthy and happy while being around your family over the holidays!
My Little Lifesaver <- TOTALLY worth it!
Serenity, Courage, Wisdom
When There's A Winter Storm <- Tips for staying safe in the winter months!

Now it's your turn:
Feel free to share one of your OWN favorite winter posts here! I'd love to see them.

Thankfulness Project Monday

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.  ~Robert Caspar Lintner

While Thanksgiving has now passed, the practice of gratitude & thanksgiving doesn't have to pass! With that, here are a few things I'm thankful for at the moment:

• Safety: Especially with more wintery weather upon us, traveling can lead to many unsafe situations, especially with increased holiday traffic. I drove over 30 hours in less then a week, and I'm so thankful that I stayed safe throughout the entire drive. 
• Time With Family: I love holidays as they create a forced vacation & natural time to get together with family & friends. I had an awesome time (with some stressful moments thrown in at times). 
• DELICIOUS food: There's nothing better then wonderful home cooked foods. I enjoy prepping meals with people I care about (not having to cook on my own!) in the kitchen! This last week brought a lot of good conversations, laughter, and sharing of memories while prepping and eating food. 
• Family Workouts: From group runs, to walks, to stretching and pilates in the house, my family tries to be healthy & active during the holidays. This past week was no exception, and I'm thankful that I don't have to do it alone when I'm visiting my family. 
• Christmas Flavored Teas: YUM! There are very few words I have to explain how delicious these are. Celestial has 4 holiday teas, and Bigelow also has a few that are delicious as well! There's nothing better to keep you warm in the Christmas Season then some delicious Christmas tea! 

Now it's your turn:

What are you feeling thankful for today? How do you plan to continue a practice of gratitude after the Thanksgiving season?

Songs of Thankfulness

Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet.  Believe in man.  Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place.  There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in.  ~Phillips Brooks

All that we behold is full of blessings.  ~William Wordsworth

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  ~William Arthur Ward

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the United States. For all of you who don't like in the U.S. and/or aren't celebrating the actual holiday of Thanksgiving, a few things: first of all, turkey isn't that good anyways, so you aren't missing much (ok...maybe this is just my opinion!) and secondly, you can still express gratitude today! You can jump on in and join in the fun!

I love the last quote that I posted here about expressing gratitude. I challenge each and every one of you reading this to find a way (or multiple ways) to express your gratitude today. Sing the song of thankfulness to those around you, no matter how big or small it is. 

Here are a few of the things I'm thankful for this year:

• My family- Through thick and thin, we are here and standing together. 
• The trips I've gotten to take and the new cultures I've experienced
• My friends- the love, laughter, support, fun, and encouragement I have and get from them is so important and healthy in my life
• A body that can engage in physical activity
• MY JOB. I love it. 
• My clients- I learn so much from them, and appreciate that they are trusting me to come along on their journey
• My blogger friends- Thanks for all you share on your own blogs, as well as commenting and sharing on mine!
• The "little" things that aren't so little- fresh water, a way to easily buy and refrigerate food, heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, a place to sleep every night, money to pay for my utilities, etc... These are things we take for granted every day, but we really shouldn't... 
• Access to resources to help me grow as a counselor 
• The "fun" things in life: high heels, nail polish, fun music, TV shows - all very good:)

Now it's your turn:

What are you feeling thankful for on this day of thanksgiving? 

In Honor of Those in the Military...

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." - G.K. Chesterton

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."

-Elmer Davis

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

source

While Veteran's Day is past, I wanted to again mention the day on this blog. Those serving in the military (or who have served) have a special place in my heart, and I felt they deserved more then a brief mention. I included a few quotes at the beginning of this post that I think are good to remember. Being a member of the armed forces involves quite a bit of sacrifice and courage, and I am so very appreciative that people are willing to do it. I also remember the families and loved ones of those who serve. From the constant worry or concern, to missing their loved ones for holidays, and having the military member miss out on major life events, it's hard to be close to someone in the military. 

Because those in the military give up so much to keep us all safe, I think it's important to give back to them, no matter how big or small it is. 

A few options:

• If you see a military member at a restaurant or coffee shop, offer to pay for their food as a thank you! 
• Many organizations send cards & boxes to military members who are overseas during the holidays. Consider supporting & encouraging them through this means. 
• Support the spouses & children of military members back at home. 
• Volunteer at a Counseling or Support Agency such as the VA

Of course, these are only a few of the many ways that you can support those who are sacrificing their life to defend your freedom. Consider giving back!

And to those who serve: THANK YOU! I, and so many others, deeply appreciate all that you give and sacrifice. 

Thankfulness Project Monday

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily.  ~Gerald Good

Happy Halloween. This pumpkin above is about as much as I'm doing for Halloween this year. A little sad? Maybe. I'm just not into the halloween holiday itself. Fall, well...that's another story. On this Halloween day, here are a few of the things for which I am thankful:

• Pumpkins: I love my little light up pumpkin (pictured above), and love turning all the lights off at night and watching TV with just that light on in the room! From the little pumpkins and gourds I have in my house and on my desk at work, to the pumpkins I pass while driving around town, I think they add a lot of fun and "cheer" to some very early mornings in my life. It's the little things in life that we sometimes forget to be thankful for. 
• Fall Foods: I've been eating some DELICIOUS fall foods, some of which I've talked about on this blog. Click here for my latest fall recipe that I've made! Seriously- check it out. It's DELICIOUS! 
• Family Fun: I've spent this past week with variations of different family members. While it was unexpected, I sure enjoyed the time that I spent with them! 2 of them I haven't spent any significant time with in the last few years, so it was fun to catch up!
• Crunchy Leaves: Being outside in the fall is one of my favorite things! I know I talk about how healthy and important being outside in nature is, but I really do believe it! In the fall, I love walking on the edges of the road and hearing the sounds of the crunching leaves beneath my feet. I've loved it since I was a little kid, and I try to do it at least a few times every season! 
• Laughter: I did a post about a month ago on why having a sense of humor is critical to our health. You can read it here. This week was full of laughter, and it was fantastic. Of course there were a few tears and some stress too, but the bad doesn't have to discount what was good. Laughter is healthy, and I got to experience it this week...quite a bit:) 

Now it's your turn!

Are you dressing up for Halloween. If yes- what is it? If No- will you give out candy instead?

What are you thankful for this week? 

Fantastic Fridays (Life's Tiny Delights)

"There are plenty of life's tiny delights for all of us."

-Jack Anthony

That was the quote that started this weekly post. When I read it, I realized that I was so busy getting everything done in my life that I forgot to look at the little tiny enjoyments throughout every single day. The development of mindfulness, awareness in the present moment, is important for health. 

Here's my tiny delight for the week:

Homemade Peach Jam!

A couple Saturdays ago my mom and I spent the day in the kitchen together making peach jams. I'd watched her make jam all the time growing up, but had no interest in learning. Now, many years later, I don't have access to her jam every meal, and I decided it was time that I learn how to do it for myself. While it certainly takes awhile, the actual process wasn't too hard at all, and jam tastes even better when i know I've made it myself! YUM:) It wasn't just the process of actually making the jam, though. It was also about spending time with someone who was important to me, and learning about something that she loves to do. All around, it was a great day! AND, I have many delicious jars of jam to enjoy and bring back the memories of that day!

I'm traveling at the moment, and scheduled this post early, so I won't be including search terms for the week. 

Have you ever made jam before?

What's one of your favorite things that a parent or grandparent has taught you?

Thankfulness Project Monday

Welcome to another Monday, which means a new edition of the Thankfulness Project. If you'd like some background on this weekly "holiday" on my blog, you can click here or here. Focusing on what we're thankful for in life has both physical and mental benefits, and I believe that this is an important component of choosing to live a healthy life.

Here are a few of the things I'm feeling thankful for this week:

• Safety! I just drive 560 miles by myself between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. Every time you travel a long distance like that, there are a number of things that could go wrong, but nothing did! And I didn't go too crazy being stuck in the car for that long either!
• The Radio: My traveling companion! Seriously, I think that driving long distances would be incredibly boring if I didn't have the radio. Music may have been my sanity on the drive. 
• My Family: I know this has been on my list the last few weeks, but it's true. I had a great couple of weeks visiting with them. My brother was on leave from the military, and it was a really fantastic time that we got to spend together. I know these times will be more and more scarce, as we're spread out across the country, and because of that I try to enjoy every minute I have with them! 
• The Treadmill: While I love running outside where there are fun and pretty things to look at, it's been HOT and I'm not a fan of the mornings, so it's been pretty difficult to run outdoors. My treadmill of choice has a TV in front of it, and 2 fans built into it. OH MY this thing is amazing. I wish I had one at my house. 
• Spinning Class: I won't have the opportunity to continue this during the fall, so I'm glad I got to take a number of spinning classes this summer! I hope to try and carry this into my own cross training throughout the fall and winter...

Alright, those are a few of the many things that I'm feeling incredibly thankful for in my life right now. 

Now it's your turn:

What are you feeling thankful for right now? Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Thankfulness Project Monday

Happy Monday (are any of you asking if there is such a thing as a happy Monday?)! Today is a busy day for me, so I'm going to get right to the things I'm thankful for this week!

• Pets: Pets are maybe one of the best things about coming home in the evening! They are a source of unconditional love, and bring so much laughter into my life! There's nothing better then curling up with a little furbaby and watch a movie. 
• Sunshine: Nothing lifts my mood and energizes me more then a beautiful sunny day! This week has brought nothing but sunshine, and I'm soaking in every minute of it!
• Fires: Last night some family & friends got together and had a great fire in my backyard. We sat out there for about 4 hours, and it was a really great time. In my mind, nights like that can't happen enough. 
• Greek Food: Ok, I'm pretty sure I've put this on a list before, but it deserves a spot this week because I've made it twice in the last week. Delicious, healthy...I'm pretty sure I could eat it every night.
• Family: This was on my list last week, but I don't care. My brother is home on leave from the military, and I'm LOVING IT! I don't get to see him enough, and it's so great to spend time with him.

That being said, I'm off to spend some time with him. Sorry for the incredibly short post today.

What I'd like to know:

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

What are you thankful for today?

Thankfulness Project Monday

Thank you all for your patience as I was on vacation last week! I tried to schedule some posts ahead of time, and respond to your comments as I had time. Obviously, my main purpose was to relax, engage in self care, and enjoy time with family, and in my mind, the trip was a huge success. After a pretty bad flight home (post on that coming soon), I'm happy to be getting back to my regular schedule.

And with that, here are some of the things that I am thankful for today:

• The Beach: I got to spend 8 glorious days sitting on the beach, watching the waves gently roll in, taking long walks in the surf, and bobbing on the ocean. Sounds amazing, right? I think it does wonders for ones mental health, and it was such a wonderful time! 
• Vacation: We each need time to get away from the hustle and bustle of time, be by ourselves, and get some self care! That's exactly what I did this past week, and it was wonderful! 
• Family Time! I spend the entire last week with my family, including a brother who is in the military and got 3 weeks of leave time! It's so great to be together, laughing and hanging out! I'm so thankful for them:)
• Protein Bars: Kind of funny to go on a list like this, don't you think? But seriously, I'm so thankful for protein bars. They make traveling so much easier, both because they travel well and are easy to eat on a plane or on the beach, but because they are healthy and filling as well! 
• Safety: Besides a minor foot cut from a shell, there were no injuries this week, either on the beach or in traveling! This is always a huge praise, and I'm thankful when everyone arrives safely home once again. 

Ok, I'm off to go collect my luggage. It didn't make it home with me last night (again...story will come soon), and get laundry done! 

Here's what I'd like to know:

What are you thankful for today? 

Would you rather take a trip with family or friends?

Thankfulness Project: 4th of July!

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.  

~Abraham Lincoln

If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag.  

~Author Unknown

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.  

~Dwight D. Eisenhower

HAPPY 4th OF JULY to all my fellow Americans, and welcome to my 4th of July Thankfulness Project! Today's post is dedicated to this country (I'm sorry to all you non-Americans...but don't worry! I'll be back to my regular posting tomorrow!).

Here are a few of the things that I'm feeling overwhelmingly grateful for today:

• Being a woman who is allowed to choose her career: There are many women in countries today who wouldn't be allowed to work, or certainly to follow her own passions in life. I try to regularly remember that my ability to go to work every day is a gift that many people would give anything to have. I'm so happy I live in a country where I am free to be the person I want to be, and follow the dreams and desires that I have!
• Freedom to practice religion: There are some countries where people don't really get a choice of their religion. Of course they have a choice, but they risk being killed for their decision. The idea of this absolutely breaks my heart. I'm so thankful that I have the freedom to practice religion without fear of persecution!
• The Brave Men and Women Who Defend Our Country: These men and women give of themselves to their country, and I'm so thankful for them. Not only them, but their families, who are also deeply affected. They defend our rights and our freedoms, and I'm so incredibly thankful that they are there for each of us and our country. 
• Patriotic Experiences Where Americans Join Together: I wish that we joined together more in the feeling of patriotism. I wish our actions were more patriotic. I wish more people truly loved our country. I have had the experience of standing in a stadium full of people serving in the Air Force singing this song. At the end of it, they let out a huge cheer, and it brought me to tears. 
• Beautiful Weather: Today is a gorgeous day: sunny and in the mid-80s! A fantastic day for picnics and fireworks:) I'm off to enjoy the pool!

Life, Liberty, & The Pursuit of Happiness...

Did you do anything fun for the 4th of July?

Self-Love: Invest in Yourself!

I'm big on self-care and loving yourself. You are at the core of everything that you're doing and engaging in, and if you're unhealthy, that adds a lack of health into the system you are engage in (whether that be work, a marriage, raising a child, or something else).
To get you caught up, here are a few of the other posts I've written on self care and self love:

• Loving Myself, Loving Others 
• I Can't Give What I Don't Have
• 10 Ideas To Refill Yourself {I Can't Give What I Don't Have pt 2}

The way I see it, when we invest in ourselves:

• We help make our interactions with others healthier 
• We invest ourselves in healthy ways into our children
• We invest in our future selves
• These things create a change in our grandchildrens' lives

And so on and so forth. When we choose that we are worth our time to invest in, we can make the whole chain down in the family more healthy. It can start here and now, with the choices that you make. And here's the point: YOU need to decide that YOU are worth investing in during your day! If you don't believe that you are worth your personal investment, those self-care behaviors won't be maintained in life, and health will start to slip away. I realized in my own life that I had to believe that I was worth it. Once I did, that's when the work of self care in my life actually began. 

Here's what I'd like to know:

Do you consider yourself worth investing in?

If yes- Why are you worth investing in, and how do you invest in yourself on a regular basis? 

Thankfulness Project Monday

"For today and its blessings, I owe the world an attitude of gratitude."

-Unknown

An attitude of gratitude. What would that look like in your life? Part of the practice of listing what I'm thankful for is to create a mindset of always acknowledging what I've been blessed with in my life. I wonder what our lives would look like if we lived in an attitude of gratitude... how would our health and wellness change?

Here are a few of the things I'm thankful for right now:

• Greek Yogurt: This stuff is DELICIOUS! It comes in many different flavors, which I love! Plain yogurt is also fantastic because you can add all sorts of nuts or fresh fruit to it. Delicious and SO healthy! I could eat this stuff every day. Oh wait...I already do... :D
• New Swimsuits: This past week was spent doing a whole lot of swim suit shopping. While I don't like the whole trying it on experience (bad lighting, tons of mirrors, unflattering angles...need I say more?), the getting to wear it part is lots of fun! And of course it only means one thing: SUMMER! 
• Family Workouts: Ok, so we don't necessarily all go to the gym and do the exact same workout. But if my brother is there lifting, he'll run a lap or two with me. My mom will come and do weights. We'll do pilates or all go to a yoga class. It's fantastic! I think it's so important for families as a whole to work on health and wellness together, and I'm thankful that my family does!
• A Phone Call From My Brother: One of my brothers has been overseas for awhile, and I haven't had much of a chance to talk to him. We're really close, and it's been a little sad for me to not really know where he's at or what he's doing. A phone call this weekend made it MUCH better, and it was fun to hear his voice & catch up on what's going on in his life. I'm thankful for a fantastic relationship with all my siblings, and specifically right now for a phone call this week from one of them. 
• Movies: This weekend I watched the most recent Harry Potter Movie (anyone else REALLY excited for the final movie?), which in my mind is always a fun choice. I also watched a movie I had never heard of before entitled Like Dandelion Dust. It's FANTASTIC. Not funny, certainly, but it was an incredibly interesting movie, with an issue that was thought provoking to me as a counselor. It's fun to be able to lose yourself in the story lines of movies, or simply sit back and take a break from life for a bit. 

What I'd like to know:

What was your favorite part of the weekend?

What genre of movies do you like best?

What are you thankful for right now?

Thankfulness Project Monday

Welcome to another edition of "Thankfulness Project Monday"- a "holiday" at the start of the week to begin the week with the practice of gratitude. This practice has been shown to have great physical and emotional benefits. You can read more about it here.

Let's get on to the good part, why don't we? Here are a few of the things I'm thankful for this past week.

Fathers Day Greek Picnic on the porch. Excuse the pink picnic-ware. 

• My Dad: While I will sometimes just put "my family", because father's day was yesterday, he gets his own shout out. You can click on the link to read about why he deserves his own place on the list. 
• Working Out: You can click on the link to the left to see an article I wrote about embracing the sweat. I love working out...maybe not so much always while I'm doing it, but I love how it makes me feel afterwards. I love knowing that I can choose to make healthy decisions in my life.
• A Relaxing Weekend: I didn't get anything major checked off my "to do list" this weekend, but I engaged in a lot of self care, and hit a number of different components of wellness. So I guess it wasn't a waste...was it?
• Greek Food: LOVE IT! It's delicious and healthy all in one, which is the best combination there is. I know I've posted quite a bit about Greece & the Mediterranean lately, but I can't help it. I'm thankful for it:) Yesterday for Father's day we made an entirely Greek meal, which was delicious! We put on Greek music and sat outside on the porch. The picture above is from that dinner. 
• Health: Ok, I know...I put this in my list last week too. I had a migraine that lasted for a week, and finally broke on Saturday. These experiences always make me so grateful for how healthy I actually am. 

That's a few of the things that I'm thankful for right now. Now it's your turn:

What are you thankful for today? What was your best part of the weekend?

Happy Father's Day!

"Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope."  ~Bill Cosby

"My father always told me, 'Find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.' " 

-- Jim Fox 

"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." -- Clarence Budington Kelland

Happy Father's Day to all you dads reading this blog! I hope today is a special day filled with love from your kids. Special thoughts & prayers go out to you dads who have lost one of your children, as well as those of you who have lost your dads (or those whose dad was not present in their life). These days are often hard & painful as you face your loss. I hope you can remember some of the good memories as well:)

Because I have chosen to hold on to some anonymity on this blog (you can read my reason for this here), I can't post a picture of my dad and me, or share really personal stories. I would love to do this, though! But, because I like to have some personal touches on here, I thought I'd share a few things about my dad. 

As a young child, I lived apart from my dad for awhile as he had to move before my mom & I did to start a new job. During these months, I missed him greatly, and was also incredibly excited to see him. Once we were all in the same house again, I'd anxiously wait for him to come home, and jump off the stairs into his arms. As I grew older, we butted heads more, as we are both strong people with very loud personalities. Sure, this created some troubles along the way (what person doesn't have some trouble with their parents at some point?), but we worked through it. 


In college I had a friend die in a tragic accident. He left work and drove over 10 hours to be with me for the weekend. He took shopping lists from my friends, and paid for everything that everyone needed as we prepared for a visitation and funeral. He was there to hold me as I cried. And he was there to tell me that I was going to be ok, that I would make it through this horrible event. A few weeks later, as I flew across country for the summer, he came with me just to make sure I was going to be ok. 


The 2nd quote above stuck out to me, because it's from my dad that I gained my love for the health field, public speaking, and writing. He often said that quote to me, and he was right. I found a job I love and it's a very rare day that I feel that I have to work. I am grateful to him for so many things: for all the hours he spent going over my papers helping me to become a better writer...all the way through editing my thesis for me multiple times, to showing me culture & the world, helping me focus on my strengths and passions & doing everything possible to help me succeed, and for teaching me how to survive in the world (amongst so many other things). I'm so grateful & aware of the blessings I have received along the way from my own dad. 

Happy Father's day to not only my own dad, but to all you dad's out there!

Do you have a good relationship with your dad? What's one important lesson you learned from him? 

Fantastic Fridays (Life's Tiny Delights)

Do you remember last week's post on my Life's Tiny Delights/ Fantastic Friday? If not, click on the link and check it out. I still haven't found a title that I like, so please be patient as I try to figure this out. If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them! The link above will give some background to this little "holiday" on my blog, and trying to develop a practice of mindfulness in my life.

With that being said, here's something I'm loving right now:

I'm pretty sure this is one of the most colorful and decadent platters of dessert I've ever eaten off of. Seriously- how amazing does this look? While eating, I tried to be very present in the moment, and notice the tastes and textures while I was eating it. YUM! 

Search terms are always interesting & fun to see (at least I love looking at them on other blogs!), so here are some from the last week: 

• "It's not about me" Boundaries (excellent search by the way. You can read it here)
• Chobani lactose intolerance
• Could you wear contacts while flying a jet? (yes- I'm a professional in this area:) This came from my post last week on health & safety while flying). 
• Grandma health
• Mediterranean Pizza Ingredients (you can find this recipe under the "recipe" tab above)

It seems like this is a pretty wide range of random searches, doesn't it? 

Now here's a few things I'd like to know from you:

What would you like to see in a lighthearted Friday post?

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Weekend With My Grandma

The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.  ~Sam Levenson

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever.  ~Author Unknown

The first quote made me smile when I stumbled upon it, and thought it'd be good to share it. As I posted yesterday, I spent this past weekend almost continuously at an assisted living facility visiting my grandma. I've always enjoyed spending time with that generation, and in high school even volunteered twice a week at a retirement home. 

I think there's something beautiful that happens when multiple generations get together and share time, laughter, and memories. With age, perspective and wisdom can change. I say can because I've known a number of older people who have come to some very wrong conclusions (everyone in this current generation is failing college, none of them are responsible, etc...) which leads them to be very angry and difficult to be around. By and large, however, I enjoy the stories and conversations I have with older people. I find, too, that there can be a lot of loneliness & regret with this age group, and I think it's important for younger generations to invest time in them as well. I can say that some of my most important lessons in life (both good & bad) have been taught by my grandparents. 

This weekend was all about me spending time with my grandma. I live far enough away that I don't get to see her very often, and wish very much that I could see her on a weekly basis. She is slipping more frequently into dementia, sometimes not even remembering that her husband just died. On good days, she can tell me lots of details about her life, both current and past. It's hard for me to see her that way when I remember her swinging me through the sprinkler when I was little. One thing my grandma has not lost, however, is her hospitable nature. My grandma is very big into hospitality, and this continues today. After two nurses came in to give her a sponge bath one day, she offered both of them a cup of tea. She asks me repeatedly if I want anything to eat or drink, if I'm warm enough, and if she can do anything for me at all. This causes me to smile, as she can't even get in a car right now, and has to have at least 1-2 people helping her go the bathroom. Every time I'm with my grandma, I feel deeply loved and cared for. So while I may be cutting up her food and folding her clothes now, I'm so happy to do this for the woman who has invested in my life and loved me for many decades. I hope I'm as hospitable as she is when I'm her age. 

As I said in yesterday's post, being in the assisted living facility lead to a lot of thankfulness for my current levels of health, and the abilities that I have to take care of myself. The memory of this makes doing the daily household chores a little easier to handle, knowing that one day they'll need to be done and I won't be able to do them. 

Were you (or are you) close to your grandparents? What's one important lesson you've learned from the older generations?