It's 2025! Let's Catch up ♥

Hello Friends! Long time no see! I did not expect to be away so long, but days turned into weeks and now here we are - mid January! Rest assured, all is well.  Life has been hectic and I've been busy, but things are starting to slow down now and I can finally start to breathe again.  The weather has been freezing cold, but isn't it so pretty?

As I type this post Christmas seems like a lifetime ago (and a bit of a blur to be honest with you.) Didn't is seem to go by way too fast? I think it was because Thanksgiving was so late and we had so little time to do all the things before Christmas.  I was at the bank this morning having this same conversation with the teller and she told me that next year Thanksgiving is also late, but this time I'll be prepared for it! And God-willing won't have pneumonia in November like I just did. That did not help my situation at all : )

Anyway, let me give you a quick catch up.  December was nuts. Mainly because Rob and I purchased my Dad's house (the house I currently live in and is my childhood home).  We are the official owners now which is great and a huge relief for my Dad.  We've taken that responsibility off his plate now and he can be happy as can be in his cozy chair and do whatever he pleases.  For us, it meant lots of paperwork and forms and everything else that is involved in buying a house. Thankfully, everything went well, we're up and running, and I'm so happy that part is behind us.  The house needs some updating and we're slowly chipping away at it - room by room - trying to enjoy the process.  Put that on top of Christmas and all that goes with it - decorating, shopping, wrapping, and just trying to enjoy the holiday season, AND working a full-time job.  It was also a constant reminder that it was the first one without my mom and that felt very very different.  December was a rollercoaster of emotions. 

My Dad hadn't been well leading up to Christmas. I was so worried he'd be in the hospital for Christmas.  I just felt something coming (hoping I was going to be wrong). It was a relief he wasn't in on Christmas day, but December 26th I had to take him to the ER.  He was admitted and was in for 5 days.  He needed a blood transfusion for a pre-existing condition, he had a bunch of tests run, and a small procedure that ended up being very beneficial (that he should have had months ago, but I won't go into the healthcare system and my feelings on it...because I'm trying to be positive here :)                    

He came home on New Years Eve day and has been feeling better ever since. Thank you, God! I'm sure many of you have experienced what I'm going through - having a parent or family member who is elderly, and you constantly worry about them - back and forth from the doctors and hospital all the time - it's a lot.  I'm very grateful when we have good days. 

SO that's where I've been.  But now I'm back! As I said earlier, Christmas seems like a lifetime ago, but I can't go without sharing some pictures of a lovely Christmas lunch my mother-in-law hosted the Sunday before Christmas.  It was definitely my favorite day of this holiday season.  It was so cozy and relaxed, and I loved it.  

 

I wish I could go back and relive this day again because it was that nice.  I also wish I could eat the meal again! I'm looking forward to next year! 

The week between Christmas and New Years was the week my Dad was in the hospital. By the time he came home on New Years Eve we were ready to have a cozy night in and a very good sleep! We all needed it.  It's a miracle I made it to midnight, but I did! I'm happy to leave 2024 behind and start fresh in 2025~! 

But before I wrap up Christmas with a bow, I just quickly wanted to share with you the most lovely gift I received from my mother in law.  This perfume is my new favorite thing in the world.

She picked it up in October while vacationing in Capri, Italy (but assured me it's available on Amazon if I run out!).  I'm honestly in love with it! It smells like the most perfect spring day.  I've been wearing it every day since it was gifted to me : ) 

And now on to 2025! 

So normally I'm not one for New Years resolutions, however I do like a good starting point and I always think that Jan 1st is a good time to begin something new.  I made a little list off the top of my head of "goals" for the new year.  I posted this on Instagram on January 1st.

So far (14 days in :) I'm doing pretty good.  I'm trying to get out everyday day and walk, even in the bitter cold.  I don't mind bundling up and the fresh air always makes me feel good.  I'm trying to be better about meal planning and making more things from scratch.  I want to be better and keeping up with friends and writing letters, accepting help when needed, and being more positive in my life.  I'm definitely glass-half-empty girl and that's no good for anyone.  Being more mindful of my spending, shopping small business, and going to thrift shops...something I do really enjoy, I just need to set aside time to do it.  That's just a handful of things I have been thinking about and trying to improve. Did you set any goals for the new year? 

On Sunday I made this bread recipe I found on Pinterest.  It came out delicious and only took 2 hours to rise.  If you want to jump into bread making, I highly suggest this recipe.  I've got another loaf rising right now. 

(recipe here)

I also made my mom's sour cream coffee cake which made the house smell like she was in the kitchen baking, and it was like a great big hug.   

(recipe here)

And now as I ease into the new year, I'm enjoying quiet days at home.  

I've always loved January for that reason.  After all the hustle and bustle of December I feel like we can all recharge our social batteries.

It's been FREEZING cold here and I've been loving being more aware of nature and all its beauty. 

 My walks are helping that.  I'm looking forward to seeing everything come back to life in spring. 

My Christmas cactus is blooming for the first time in years.  Yay! 

And despite the bitter the cold, we have sunshine.  Thank goodness for that!

A little sign spring will be here soon.  

*fun fact I thought this plant was dead so seeing this little flower blooming was very exciting! lol*

I live a very quiet and small life and it's my intention to keep it that way.  I'll do little things each day to be good to myself and I hope you do the same. 

Just like the flowers....we rest and then we bloom.....hopefully....♥

I hope you all had a very happy Christmas and New Year (I hope it's not too late to say that!!).  

Happy Tuesday my lovely friends. 

Stay cozy and enjoy the sunshine if you can find it ♥

XOXO

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, friends! 2022 is here!  

How was your New Years? Mine was very nice.  It was cold and rainy.  I stayed in my cozy clothes, made minestrone soup and pizza in a cast iron skillet (which was a first!).  I recently saw a Martha Stewart video on YouTube where Martha made pizza in cast iron and I wanted to try it.  I figured if it's good enough for Martha.... well, it was a success! 

We ate, watched some Seinfeld, and I'll admit to you that we were all asleep by 10!  Party animals we are NOT but it was still a lovely evening.  

The pizza had broccoli and chicken on it, which is a favorite of ours.  I guess I wanted to end the year eating as many veggies as possible! LOL 

I woke up on January 1st feeling renewed.  I love New Years Day and all the hope it brings.  This is my first photo of the year.  It was still raining  and I took my coffee outside to breathe in some fresh air.  The back river was flooded and still is from all the rain.  It was quiet and peaceful and I hope that's an indication of what's to come.  Fingers crossed! I enjoy the stillness of January after all the hustle December brings.  Time to rest and take in the quiet. 

I stuck to my New Years Day tradition and took down my Christmas tree.  Some think it's sad to pack everything away so soon, but I actually love the process.  I think I might love just as much as decorating.  The "undecorating" makes me just as happy.  Everything feels clean and uncluttered.  It's a nice way to start the year.  Now we are all settled in and ready for a cozy winter.  In case we have to go into hibernation mode, I'm ready. 

                       Today is John's last official day of Christmas break, which makes me very very sad.   I like us living in the holiday bubble.   But alas, it's back to school and work tomorrow.  Today my plan is to get myself organized, plan out meals for the week, list some goals in my planner, and make a batch of blueberry muffins.  Something that's been on my mind all week : )    

                      

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2022!  

May this year bring you peace, love, and joy! 

xoxo

 

2021: Starting Fresh

Hello! Welcome to my first post of 2021!  : ) 

Can you feel the shift?  It's a time of new beginnings and a fresh start.  I love January for that very reason.  Wiping the slate clean and setting goals for the new year.  

I learned a long time ago not to have unrealistic expectations so I set my bar low.  That way I can only improve.  

This past year was trying on all of us.  My mental health suffered, as I'm sure yours did too.  It was emotional, scary, confusing, and at times....just unbelievable.  One of the things I need to work on this coming year is repairing some of that damage.  The world is coming to terms with last years events.  Not that it makes it any better but we are more equipped and hopeful that better days are ahead.  We are changed people though.  For me, it wasn't just the pandemic, it's the everyday anxieties I suffer from that were exacerbated by the pandemic.  

Taking more time for self care is essential for me to function.  That means doing more things I love to do: reading, crafting, napping, cooking.  All things I do anyway, but I want to me be more intentional with my time.  Not stressing over things and caring for myself the way I care for others .  I don't have to be busy every second of the day.  Breaks are good. And I don't have to worry about something that may or may not happen in a month or two.  Worrying does nothing (this is coming from an expert worrier...).

Being a positive person is not always easy.  Don't let pretty Instagram photos fools you.  We are all struggling.  

 

When I look back on the times when I was most happiest in my life I remember doing things like yoga, mediating, and really taking care of myself.  Dinking lots of water with lemon, eating well, sleeping well, journaling my thoughts, and going outside every night to look at the stars. Over time I've fallen off those things. Sometimes I feel very jaded.  Like caring for myself doesn't matter as long as I have a hot meal on the table every night and the laundry is done.  Life experience has taught me taking care of myself does matter.  No one cares about a hot meal if the person who made it is hot mess.  

I'm trying very hard to change my attitude toward certain things. To be honest, I'm not always happy with certain aspects of my life.  Is anybody?  But looking on the positive side, I'm a very lucky person.  I need to remember that.  So, what does this all mean?  It means for the new year my goals are getting back to certain habits that make me feel good.  Because when I feel good, I'm a happier, less stressed out person. 

I'm not going to say I'm going to do yoga everyday or read 100 books this year, because let's be honest, that's not happening!  But I will say I'm going to make more time for reading.  Maybe one book a month.  That's not an unrealistic expectation.  I'd like to do more crafts.  I pulled out some of my old (and dusty) Martha Stewart books.  Just flipping through them make my heart happy.  I remember being so crafty years ago. It was a nice time in my life.  Being proud of something you made by hand should not be underestimated. Getting outside everyday for some fresh air is essential.  Especially during a pandemic.  I've always known this but it's time to get off the couch.  I really love fresh air in the winter...so more walking is on my list!  

When consciously trying to change my mindset towards certain things it's super important for me to remember to not care about what other people think.  I know it's a cliché but it's so true.  Falling into a comparison trap or wonder if others approve of things I say or do is not healthy.  Sometimes I really need to distance myself from those thoughts.  I think the walks with fresh air will help that situation.  I remember a friend telling my once that it's "ok to say NO".  Meaning you don't have to say "YES" to every request or invitation just to make other people happy.  She also said you don't need an excuse or an explanation either.  Just do you.  I love that.  Also on the list. 

And lastly, I'm in the process of revamping our living space.  Bring more hygge into my home while at the same time purging things I don't need and trying to be more minimalistic.  After I put all my Christmas decor away I only brought back half of the stuff I originally had out. It instantly felt cleaner and less cluttered.  I've been reading that a less cluttered space is good for the mind.  It's a work in progress but so far it's working.  I'm also trying to bring more natural elements into my home.  Like this dried orange and sage garland I made yesterday.  The process was therapeutic and I love the end result.  Doing more projects like this will not only bring me the natural decor feel I'm looking for, but also give me a chance to exercise my craft skills.  It's a win win.  I'm feeling better already.

There's more personal goals that I won't bore you with, but I will say I am setting a schedule for myself and this little blog of mine.  I hope to actively post here three times a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  It could be a recipe, a craft idea, a weekly wrap up,  a random thought, or just a "no words" photo.... but I will be here so check back every week for my musings.  We'll navigating into this new year/new world together.  

I'm also working on revamping my YouTube channel so stay tuned for that.  I have lots of video ideas coming your way soon. 

So what are some of your 2021 goals?  I would love to hear them! :)   

Wishing you all a happy and healthy year ahead! We've got this!! xoxoxo  

Happy New Year! ♥

Hello Friends!  ♥

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!  My day was peaceful and restful and we definitely made the best of the situation we are currently in. 

Christmas eve, which is when we usually have our big celebration was when we felt it the most, but we know we are doing what's best for now so we can have a BIG celebration next year! Thanks to zoom John got to see his cousins and we all got to wish each other a good evening.  

We were up early Christmas morning to open Santa presents (yes, Santa still comes! : ) and then we watched A Christmas Story over cinnamon rolls and eggnog.  

In the afternoon I cooked a cozy pork roast dinner and spent the day in my slippers.  I tried to look for the bright spots and having a leisurely day not rushing around was something I truly enjoyed.  After dinner we played a movie trivia game that John got from Santa and that was really fun!  

Covid Christmas 2020 is done and we made it through!  We did it.  

 

Now on to a new year and better days ahead. 

The week in between Christmas and New Years has always been one of my favorite weeks of the year.  It's a week of rest and recharging after the holiday. 

I use this time to reflect on where I've been and also what I look forward to in the new year.  My list is long!  Longer than usual as I'm sure everyone's is.  

My tree comes down tomorrow and Christmas is being put away.  As sad as it is to pack up the holiday decorations I really love starting the new year off with a clean slate.  I'm anxious to start writing in my planner and get myself organized.  Do you make resolutions?  I do.  I like to call them intentions or goals for the new year.  Maybe it's all in my head but when I decided to do something I like to have a starting a point and what better starting point than January 1st?! I'll share my list next week and I'd love to hear some of your goals as well.  

 So let's celebrate on making it through this emotionally challenging year and say our prayers that the next one will be better!  Cheers!! 

Happy New Year! xoxo  ♥

Happy New Year!

I've safely packed Christmas away for another year, leaving only a few snowman and winter decorations.  The house looks bare but I have to admit I am loving the clean, less cluttered look...at least for a little while. Christmas seemed to go by in flash this year.  I love January because we all can take a deep breath and slow things down a bit.

January is a month of resting and recharging.

I hope you all had a happy new year celebration.  We celebrated quietly, just the three of us with dinner, snacks, board games, and some of us watched the ball drop (some of us didn't make it, but that's ok :). I actually made it to midnight, and then promptly went to bed at 12:05. 

In case you didn't know, I"m a real party girl!

Happy New Year! Wishing you all good things for 2020! 

Happy New Year & a January Photo Challenge ♥

Happy New Year Friends!

I can hardly believe it's 2016!

How did you celebrate? I'm sure you all were doing something fabulous.  I was too.  I was fabulously in my pj's by 7 and on my couch all snuggled in for the night by 8.  We had pancakes for dinner, played a few games while we sipped our tea, and for the first time ever - John stayed awake to see the ball drop! He was so proud of himself.  In my world, that's pretty fabulous ♥

Once in my lifetime I would like to be in New York City on New Years Eve.  I would like to see the ball drop, hear the cheers, and try to catch flying confetti in the sky. Tonight the sweet sound of Frank Sinatra's New York New York played in the background as over 1 million people celebrated at the stroke of midnight.  That sounds pretty fabulous too ♥

Truth be told, I've never really been much of a New Year's eve person.  I love the idea of starting a new year with a clean slate. A new beginning with goals.  I spend the week between Christmas and New Years thinking about all the things I want to start, end, or change come January 1st.  The problem is that by the time its New Year's eve I'm too dang tired to do anything....hence the pj's by 7.  December is so busy that by the time the 31st rolls around we are more than happy to stay cozy at home and watch movies. 

So that's what we did ♥

And speaking of new beginnings, I decided to try a January photo challenge.  I found this one on Pinterest that looks really fun. 

I'm going to post my pictures on Instagram & Twitter everyday as well as here on the blog.  If you would like to play along just use the hashtag #pdcwinter

The challenge comes from the blog Polka Dot Cottage. Lisa posted it last year for 2015, but I decided to follow this one because I love the choices.  ♥

So day 1 (that's today : ) is New Beginnings.  I wanted to post a picture of The Desiderata poem because to me  nothing says New Beginnings like this. I can't think of a better mantra to start January with...

Be cheerful.  Strive to be happy ♥

I hope your 2016 is off to a fabulous start!

See you on day 2 ~

♥

(from Susan Branch's Book of Days on my kitchen counter : )