I hope you had a wonderful St. Paddy’s Day. We just returned from a two-week ski trip in Europe. We were thinking of going to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day but we heard they just don’t celebrate like we Americans do. Anyway, as this quote says I hope you live a long and inspiring life and never have a want in the world. May you have all that you need.
“May you live as long as you want but never want as long as you live.”
~ Irish Blessing
Photo by Leighton Smith on Unsplash
As many of you probably know, after I quit my job as a Coordinator of Special Education in Virginia, I moved to Thailand to teach English as a second language. Since coming back to the United States in 2015, I have had many new ventures. Life Changes have thrown me many curves so I have not had a true full-time job since 2015.
When I returned to my hometown in 2016, I worked in my friend’s ice cream and hot dog shop. The hours were 11-3, and they were perfect. I could have breakfast with Sweet Gram and then go to work. Then I’d pick her up, and we’d head to a softball game as I also started coaching for my High School Alma mater.
At the end of that summer, I worked in a chiropractor‘s office. It was a fun job, and I got to see many different people I knew. Then Gram broke her hip. I had to be more available so I quit the office job and worked on getting my real estate license. I felt being a realtor would provide me with a good income and the flexibility needed to take care of Gram. I sold a million dollars of property that first year and enjoyed being a real estate agent. The paperwork was very similar to writing an IEP for my students in special education. I worked for ERA Real Estate in Pennsylvania for two years.
When Gram and I moved to Florida in 2018, I wasn’t sure what I could do since we would be traveling back and forth and living in two different states. My Rock introduced me to some of the neighbors and one of them owned a travel business. I teamed up with them and became a Travel Advisor (which I still do so let me know if you need me to plan you a trip!). Then I worked remotely for my former school system off and on for three years from 2021-2023.
It was not feasible for me to have a “normal” job due to my Prince’s schedule, therefore I just kept trying new ventures to keep my mind busy while I was taking care of Gram. I was home more and my ventures kept me from being bored when my Valentine was gone and Gram was asleep by the pool.
Now I barely have time to be bored let alone have a “job!” But what can I say? I am a Yes WoMan so I said yes to starting another new venture.
Ever since I was a little girl I was intrigued with my grandmother’s makeup bag. She always used Clinique, and they usually had some type of free samples and a cute bag that she would bring home. I loved playing with her lipstick and eye cream.
Throughout the years I have tried several different skincare routines. Recently I started using NuSkin. A former colleague of mine is always posting about the great results. And I like the way it works and feels. I have not tried all of the products but I have a few favorites.
Well, she convinced me to become a brand affiliate so now I can sell the products. I am not sure I am a good salesperson but I figured I’d try. Check out my NuSkin website and let me know if you’re interested or have any questions!
As we get older our skin loses collagen and we develop those wonderful laugh lines. NuSkin has several products that can help reduce those fine lines and wrinkles. I like the Tru Face Line Corrector and the Uplifting Cream. They also have a firming cream to use on your whole body that tightens and firms. For all my friends up north as well as those who don’t want to spend too much time in the sun, they have a great self-tanning lotion. A new product that is coming out is the RenuSpa. It is a little device that tightens and firms your arms, and tummy, and even helps get rid of cellulite! The results people are posting are amazing! Just look at this!
So here we go again! Another venture! Maybe this one will stick and I can do it from wherever our adventures take us! Also, check out my new Facebook Page and hit the Like button!
I love this quote by Atticus. I believe it probably was the inspiration for the country song “Leave Her Wild” by Tyler Rich. I think so many times we get into relationships and instead of accepting people for who they are we want to change them. Why do we do this? Why can’t we fall in love with the whole person and leave them as wild as they are?
Love her but leave her wild.
~Atticus
Photo by Artur Matosyan on Unsplash
On New Year’s Eve, My Love and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. As tradition goes, we held an NYE celebration after a romantic lunch at Cooper’s Hawk Winery. This year was small as a few people were sick but we ended up having a blast just the same. We learned more about our friends at the table by playing a card game of getting-to-know-you questions. We rang in the new year with champagne and then the singing began! There were only four of us left by then but it was so much fun! After our guests left, my Valentine and I decided to stay up talking until 4 am! What is wrong with us? Sometimes I think we need adult supervision and a bedtime.
It’s hard to believe that this will be our fourth Valentine’s Day as a married couple. We had the best of both worlds by getting married at 8:30 am and having a brunch reception. Some people stayed to hang out at the pool but others left and came back for a New Year’s Eve party/reception. It was so much fun! Of course, looking back there are some things I wish we would have done differently but life is meant to be lived with no regrets, and I don’t want to take away from our perfect day.
If you are married or have been married, you know that marriage is hard. It’s not a fairy tale, it’s not a romance novel and it’s not like it is in the movies. It takes communication, effort, forgiveness, and compromise. Marriage is not perfect. Marriage is complicated.
Somehow, I got lucky. The timing was right when my Prince and I met. Had it been earlier or later when our paths crossed, maybe it wouldn’t have worked out. But for some reason, Sweet Gram broke her hip and led us to Fort Myers that February seven years ago. The stars aligned and for some reason, Fate thought the two of us would make a perfect pair!
Through the ups and downs, we have learned the importance of communication, compromise, and unwavering support for one another. Our journey has taught us that true love is not just about the grand gestures, but also about the small acts of kindness, the sweet moments shared, and the simplicity of being in each other’s presence.
I think that I always wanted the male version of me to be my partner in crime. Is he exactly me? Well, no but we are close. Sometimes that is good and sometimes not so good. He is way more forgiving than I am and like most men (I believe) he says what’s on his mind, we talk about it, and he forgets about it. I, on the other hand, and most women (I believe) tend to hold onto their frustration, wait for ourselves to explode, and then talk about it again and again. Why are we so complicated??
We are fortunate because we don’t have small children. We don’t argue over bedtime or consequences or how much television to let them watch. We both have been very responsible with money so our bills are paid and we have savings for vacation and travel. We don’t have addictions, although we may have a “too much traveling problem”, which is to say we have too many friends and too many social events which leads to too much fun and too many adult beverages. But every marriage has its difficulties. We just have different stressors than those of young adult marriages.
Maybe because we both have been married before we realize life isn’t about keeping score. It’s not about how many times I have done the dishes or cooked the meal. It’s about being a team. Food needs cooked, dishes need to be washed, and counters need to be wiped. Let’s help each other out and get it done. Then we can relax together and do something else we might enjoy. It’s about realizing someone has thrown in the laundry and then the other person putting it in the dryer and folding it. It’s about saying thank you when one partner makes coffee for you in the morning or holds a door open for you. It’s about appreciating what you have. Because we need to remember tomorrow is not guaranteed. Say “I love you”, say “thank you”, and tell your partner they mean the world to you. And say it often.
To celebrate our Fourth Anniversary, we talked about the Highs and Lows of our four years of marriage. My red-headed sister from another mister (aka, my brother-in-law’s significant other) plays this game with the kids at the dinner table. It’s a great way to have my nieces and nephews think and talk about the events of their day. What went well? What was negative? Then discuss it as a family. We decided to review our highs and lows for our four years of marriage. We also looked at our Year in Review and decided what we liked and didn’t like about the past year.
Today is Valentine’s Day. So to my incredible partner, thank you for being my rock, my confidant, and my best friend. Your love has brought so much happiness and fulfillment into my life, and I am forever grateful to have you by my side. Here’s to many more years of love, laughter, adventures, and cherished moments together!
On this February Day of love, I want to express my gratitude and love to all our friends and family who have stood by our side. Your presence in our lives has been a constant source of strength and inspiration, and we are thankful for the love and support you have shown us throughout these four (seven) amazing years. And to those who have drifted out of our lives whether by chance or by choice, I hope you have found peace and happiness in your lives. We miss you and want you to know there is always space in our hearts for more. Happy Valentine’s Day!
We are all unique in the way we love and express love. We have many different relationships with many different people and there are as many different kinds of love. Let’s take this month of February to express our love for each other.
I think… if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.
~Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Photo by Ekaterina Shakharova on Unsplash
A friend asked me how My Rock and I stay in shape when we are Never Home. I have written about our substitutions before but I thought I would share a little bit more of what we do when we are home.
I learned from the best trainer, Bill Lawrence, about how to fuel your body with food. What he preaches works for me and my husband. You can try it and tweak it and make it work for you. If you click on my What We Eat link you will find plenty of recipes of food that we eat and love! A nutritious lifestyle is NOT sustainable IF you don’t like the food you are eating. For us, this is what we do and how we eat. We don’t feel like it’s a diet or that it is hard. It’s just about making choices, and we make the best ones we can wherever we are.
Yes, it may take some time for your body to adjust to not eating as much sugar or seasoning with as much salt, but honestly, after you make a conscious effort to eat better, you will find most of your meals taste better!
When we are home, this is what we do. We like to cook together and eat at home. If we do eat out, we try to make the best choices with the options we have. We rarely order deep-fried food, pasta, wings, or pizza. We usually order salmon and a veggie. Or a salad with protein. (I will write more about what we do when we are on the road this month.) But when we are home, we get up in the morning, have a cup of coffee, and head to the gym. We use MCT oil and Premier or Quest liquid protein as our “creamer”. After we workout, we drink our post-workout protein shake immediately which contains collagen, dextrose, protein, and turmeric. My husband also adds creatine, glutamine, and BCAA’s. It is very important to get protein and carbs into your body after a good workout. During workouts, your muscles are broken down. You need the correct foods to build them back up.
We come home and about an hour later we make breakfast. Usually, we have Ezekiel toast with either a little bit of homemade jelly or nut butter and an egg and egg whites. Sometimes I will make a scramble filled with veggies. Sometimes instead of toast, we have sweet potatoes. Sometimes I will make an egg sandwich on a wrap and use a bit of feta cheese. Other times I will make chicken/turkey apple sausage. As Bill told us this meal should contain a high-energy carb and a good protein to replenish your body within two hours after your workout.
We should eat another high-energy carb and protein meal again another hour later but most of the time we start doing projects, and we don’t eat until lunchtime. Here we usually make a salad. I don’t love lettuce so I use the least amount possible of romaine and spinach. Then we add as many veggies as possible…red onion, tomato, carrots, cucumber, and a healthy fat of avocado, flaxseed, and a touch of dressing made from olive oil. We also add protein to it. Most likely leftover fish or chicken from the night before or we will use canned chicken breast or tuna. Many times we will get a rotisserie chicken from Costco. We take the skin off and peel it. Then we have the meat for the week to snack on, make wraps out of, or use on salads. This is also a great snack to pack along for travel.
In the afternoon, many times my Prince will make a fruit smoothie. We use frozen fruit, a cup of water or almond milk, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. You could also add a handful of spinach here, chia seeds, or a drizzle of honey.
For dinner, we have a protein and a veggie. Our fish is very basic. We love salmon, sea bass, and tuna steak. We spray or rub with olive oil then sprinkle with Nature Seasons. Sometimes we will add a tiny bit of plant-based butter and a little scoop of minced garlic. If we have it in the house we may sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. The same goes for chicken breast or pork chops. A few times a month we will make steaks on the grill with some grilled asparagus. My Valentine has his special recipe for this marinade with olive oil, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning. You will have to bug him for that recipe. Our veggies are very simple as well. Mostly broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil or avocado oil and sprinkled with Nature Seasons. Spread on a baking sheet and back at 400 for 30 minutes. Simple! And they taste amazing!! I love eating the leftovers cold.
If we are hungry at night we will have a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt with a scoop of Podium Peanut Butter Crunch protein powder. Other snacks we keep in the house around include cottage cheese, carrots, cucumbers, and hummus as well as the flavored pistachios. We also have dark chocolate bark thins in case I get a sweet tooth. If you keep chocolate in the house just make sure you don’t overindulge.
So that is our home routine. If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it. Be conscious when you go to the grocery store and fill your cart with fresh meat and veggies. Stay away from packaged food items. If your weeks are busy then take a day to food prep so you are ready for your week.
Remember, there is always room for improvement. We have been living this lifestyle for over six years. We are constantly trying to tweak it to meet our needs and to make better choices. Fresh fish and meat are better than canned. Fresh fruit is better than frozen. Email me with any questions. I’d love to help you on your health journey!
If you start buying fresh food you will realize you may go to the store more than once a week. And that is ok. Here is what our grocery list looks like each week:
This is what we do at home. There are several recipes out there and books about eating better in this new year! Check out our list of Favorites! Good luck with making better choices in this new year!
The saying goes that seeing is believing but that isn’t always the case. As we head into the new year, let’s take the spirit of the holiday season with us and embrace those things we can’t see such as love, kindness, and compassion. Make this new year one of the best!
Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.
~ The Polar Express
Photo by Alicia Slough on Unsplash
A friend told me I should publish this letter every year so I thought I would share it again for those who missed it the first time or for those who may need to read it again at this time of year. Even though many of us have family or friends who are no longer in our lives for a variety of reasons, I hope we can rejoice and celebrate those who are. Celebrate each other and your relationships whether it’s someone you talk to once a day, once a month or once a year. If they bring joy and light to your world, tell them how much you appreciate them. For those who shed a shadow of darkness on your light, let them go. Live this life that’s meant to be lived this holiday season and the upcoming new year.
The Holidays. We all seem to love them. We have many expectations for them. Some of us have a lot of anxiety for them. Some of us have lost loved ones through the years, and we seem to miss them the most during the holidays. Let us try to rejoice and be happy this holiday season. Let’s honor our lost loved ones by keeping their spirit alive with love and laughter. To try to deal with loss and anxiety I decided to write a letter from above. Imagine this letter being sent to you by your lost loved one.
Dear loved one on Earth,
I know this is a difficult time for you. You want me to be there in person and not just in spirit. You want to hear me laugh and give me a big squeeze. I, too, want that more than anything. But I also want you to understand how much I want you to be happy even though I am gone.
I feel like you are holding yourself back. Maybe you are afraid that you will disappoint me if you are too happy without me down there. Maybe you feel I will be disappointed if you have too much fun. Maybe you are scared that my memory will fade if you enjoy yourself and other people around you. Please know that is the furthest thing from the truth.
The way you can honor me the most is by living your best life!! As you know time on Earth is limited and you never know when your time will be up. I am at peace. I am happy. I am having the best time reuniting with all of our lost loved ones. I am no longer in pain. I am free. I am young. I am waiting for you. You, too, will see when your time comes how wonderful it is here in Heaven.
Please know I have not forgotten about you, and I still hold you tight whenever I get the chance. I am by your side every day. I hold your hand when you are lonely, and I pick you up when you have fallen. I send you signs from Heaven. But I see your struggles, and I know it is my fault you are so sad, and I don’t want you to be sad. I want you to live! I need you to search your soul and find yourself. Who are you now? Who can you become? How can you honor me and my spirit?
Even though it may be hard, please know that I am ok. And now I want you to be ok. I want you to find a companion or partner to make you happy. I want you to find friends where you can laugh and giggle until all hours of the night. I want you to take chances and travel. Go on a wild adventure. And when you think of me, think of me and smile. Don’t feel guilty. Life is meant to be lived and you need to start living again.
So for the upcoming holidays, give yourself grace. You are not alone. I am by your side and I love you. Talk about me, smile about the amazing memories we shared, and start this new year by living your best life… without me.
Love,
Your Loved One in Heaven
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
As 2023 comes to its final month, let us remember that endings equal new beginnings. We have another chance to welcome this new year with open arms. The end of the year is usually filled with hustle and bustle. We are all too busy to just relax and take in the holiday season. We are celebrating with office and holiday parties. We are shopping for the next best gift. We are winding down the school year and our kids are getting excited to go on break.
Although I would like to say to pause to sit down and watch a few Christmas movies on Hallmark or Netflix, I know it’s hard. My Heart and I have three days where we will be at our home in Florida where we could sit down and watch a movie or two. I realize that our movie time will probably end because we have tasks to do and the movies will be pushed off. But I am going to commit to taking two hours this holiday season and watching a movie! I hope that you will join me.
The holidays can be difficult for some. Many people have expectations and when those expectations are not met they become disappointed. They become upset that the day or the event didn’t go as they had planned in their mind. Therefore, they get in a mood and nothing can snap them out of it. Let’s try not to have expectations. Let’s try to just be present in the moment. If the fruitcake burns then let it burn. It is not the end of the world. Laugh about it and throw it away. Get some chocolate out of the cabinet and enjoy your dessert. Let the little things go.
Let’s commit to enjoying each other and not trying to outdo each other by buying things. I believe we probably all have enough “stuff”. Maybe volunteer your time to shop for those who don’t have enough. Donate one of your gifts to Toys for Tots. Let’s spread good cheer this holiday season.
The holidays can also be hard for some who have experienced loss. Remember, there are many things out of our control. All we can control is our reactions to them. Even though we miss our lost loved ones, let’s remember that they would want us to live and enjoy the family and friends we have left. Let’s enjoy those people who want to share in the holidays and memory-making with us. Let the others go. This is not the end. It is the beginning.
My wish for you this holiday season is to slow down, be in the moment, and laugh when the little things go wrong. Enjoy this time with your family and friends. Make special memories and take lots of pictures!
Happy Holidays!
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. Maybe we all don’t agree on many topics like politics, religion, or clothing styles but I think we can all agree that the Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, and pies are something we all look forward to every year. I wish you and your family and friends the most blessed Thanksgiving Day and weekend.
“The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so.”
~ Nora Ephron