Thankfulness Project Monday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend, and are starting the week feeling refilled or productive! Here's a few things you may have missed in the last week:

• On Tuesday I talked about our body's reaction to stress
• On Wednesday I talked about Stress Management Techniques
• On Thursday I talked about playing the victim
• On Friday I talked about my favorites for the week
• On Saturday I shared a recipe for sweet potato cauliflower soup

And now here's a few of the things that Im feeling thankful for today:

• The wind dying down: It's been so windy the last week, and I can hear it howling while inside the house! Luckily the wind has finally died down, and it feels tolerable to walk outside again!
• Hot Tea: I think this goes along with it being a colder week outside! I've had tea non-stop each day, and I love the variety of tastes that tea can have! I don't have a favorite flavor, but have still been drinking a lot of the candy cane green tea from Christmas. 
• Meals with Friends: There are very few things I enjoy more then sitting down to a meal with friends and spending that time talking about life, laughing, and processing various events. More often then not, sitting down with a friend lifts my mood and leaves me thinking a bit more clearly then I did before. 
• Magazines:  Simply put, I love them! I love curling up in front of the TV on saturdays and flipping through magazine articles, looking for organizational or fitness tips, or even recipes. 
• Time to Organize: After a very busy fall and holiday season, I finally have some time to sit down and go through old papers and things that have stacked up since this summer! It feels good to finally get some control over all that extra stuff in the house, and feels even better to toss some of it out!

Now it's your turn!

What are you feeling thankful for today? Now that Christmas is over, what's your favorite hot drink to consume?

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?

Warming up with a glass of tea

Now that December has arrived, the temperature has dropped, and the desire to cuddle under a warm blanket has increased. One way to stay warm-drink a cup of a warm liquid (water, tea, etc...). Beyond just making you feel warmer, however, researchers have discovered that the warmth of a drink can help increase a person's mood. Translation-you will generally feel happier and more peaceful after consuming a warm drink! Another benefit? People are more likely to complete a random act of kindness (even for strangers!) after drinking something that was warm.


I specifically love tea. Sometimes I can get incredibly sick of drinking water (yes-sometimes I just drink hot water), and like a little flavor. Furthermore, tea contains antioxidants, which are particularly healthy for us. Research is currently being done to determine what the tea-anticancer connection is (although there's already been some evidence that tea helps to decrease risk of cancer). The process of holding a warm drink, and soothing yourself, is deeply calming and stress relieving, which provides great health benefits as well. 


I'm by no means an expert in tea, but I became a big tea drinker once I started counseling. Most people are a bit fidgety, and as a counselor, I sit in a chair all day and listen to others talk, and occasionally speak myself. This is the perfect time for me to fidget. But who wants to go to a counselor who's chewing their nails or picking at their skin on their hands? So I hold a glass of tea or hot water. Not only do I feel more pleasant, and am hydrating myself, but it gives me something to keep my hands busy!

Above are a few pictures from my own little tea nook in my kitchen. 

Check out this link for more info on health & tea:

http://cls.realage.com/srch/RASearch.aspx?query=tea+health+benefits

So, this winter, think about drinking tea as a benefit for your overall mood!