Thankful 2013

Clearly the fall got away from me much too quickly! I will, however, squeeze out the last moments of November to share some thanks of the past year.

My health.

After several doctor recommendations, I now go to the gym 3-4 times per week. My blog friends, this is flipping HUGE! I've written many times that I needed/wanted to do this, but I finally started a gym regimen August 30th.

 I feel great and wish I started this sooner in my life. 

Fun moments with friends.

We are so blessed to have such a great group of friends who cheer us along this journey.

And thank the Lord for Facetime. Because we have had some wonderful chats with these folks too.

 My husband who stands by my side no matter what. Even if it means spending the night in a tux at a work event. My oh my does he clean up nice! 

And he's my favorite dance partner. 

This photo also reminds me how grateful I am for my job. I have strong mentors and have had some pretty cool opportunities this past year. This video was my mom's proudest moment of her life. 

 Family.

This was an easier year for my side of the family, but much more stressful for my husband's family. They have a major home renovation going on and they have been caring for my father in law's father who was very ill and passed away just before Thanksgiving. We have been challenged to turn to the Lord more and more and trusting in his sovereignty makes things easier for sure.  We are praying 2014 brings some calmness to their lives

And I'm so grateful for the friends I have met from blogging. This year several of you have supported me through some 'stuff' (health issues, food allergies, faith motivation).  I thank you for being in my life.

Right Now: August

August was a fun month. Good stuff going on for sure.

watching Call the Midwife. Season 1 is on Netflix streaming and Season 2 is on PBS online. Love all the quirky characters and the brutality and beauty that is life.

drinking green tea. This is a big change for me. I'm really enjoying Gunpowder from Adagio. Drinking it with just a touch of Trader Joe's raw organic honey.

receiving happy mail from Lauren and Fritz. 

finally completing the tour of the gym at work - EIGHT years in the making! Today's my first official day at the gym and I hope this is the start of something good. It will be healthy at least and I've blogged about this for months, so it's about time!

wearing dresses all the time. Even on lazy days off. I adore fall (and anxiuosly await its arrival), but I know the days of summery prints and fabrics are on their way out.

eating cold cereal again. I hate it, but it's quick. Kashi brand cereals are my go-to. Lots of protein.

attending leadership training and ministry presentations at church. We are seeking ways to be more involved (small groups, high school ministry) and we really aren't sure yet what that should be.

laughing at super old home videos with my family. We watched videos from vacations 10 and 20 years ago. Now we are all craving a getaway together!

celebrating 50 years of marriage for a couple we adore. My aunt and uncle threw a great party with a crowd of people to honor the love they share. 

September brings busy times at work as we enroll the class of 2017 and recruiting season begins. We don't have many plans, though, so it's time to fill up the calendar with some fall outings and hopefully a mini trip to see dear friends. 

Hope your August was filled with only good things!

Right Now - June 2013

I missed May (sorry about that) it was a little crazy around here with health stuff, work stuff and family gatherings. Not good excuses, but that's where we've been. So before June is over, here's what's going on.

loving my new smile. I fell in late April and my teeth took the brunt of the fall. My front two teeth were severely chipped (it took 3 hours for my teeth to be back to something normal). Some things I learned? If you can afford to, whiten your teeth with custom trays (I was able to get a light shade of bonding), save the trays, and save the impressions. I didn't do #3, so it was a little tougher for the dentist to get a perfect match for my old teeth. But, I'm really glad I was able to keep the teeth (we are thinking double root canal is in the future, though).

finding lots of stuff I didn't even know we had. We've been purging stuff and deciding what we really need to keep. We're appreciating what we have more and sending other things off to people who might enjoy them.

incredibly grateful for my family and friends who rushed to pray when I really needed it.

Saying goodbye  to these guys.

Seriously, we monopolized their time the last week they were here and the actual goodbye moment was so freaking hard. Like, these two have made our lives more spontaneous, fun, thoughtful and exciting. It will be hard not seeing them often, but we are looking forward to a new travel spot and future vacations together.

happy to have our air conditioning installed. We had a few beastly hot days and it was nice not sweating.

spraying down the kitchen with the yummiest cleaners around. I know, tomato vine and radish scented cleaners sound icky, but trust me, they smell divine. Go buy them. Now. I have stocked up on the Method cleaner because it's limited edition and I will need a nice supply. Both are crisp, fresh, and perfect for summer.

filling vases with fresh flowers. I've been keeping fresh flowers in the apartment since my birthday and it really has brought spring into our place. My favorite florist is Trader Joe's. No joke. For 4 bucks, the long lasting blooms brighten the kitchen.

planning less. I am taking breaks from many committments. I don't like to say no to anyone for any reason, but I need to hit the pause button and be less involved. I'm over-committed and need to take a break.

taking many more photos this spring than last year. This was a goal for 2013 and I'm liking the results. I'm trying to be on Instagram more and more too.

celebrating moms and dads with their special days. We headed out to the vineyards for a wine tour with my parents this weekend for some relaxing time together.

 

still deciding if we need a new couch. Ours is comfortable enough...until we visit anyone else, sit on their couch and realize how much ours is shot. And questioning if we should just wait a couple of years until we can hopefully own a home and furnish it with some new pieces.

 thrilled about starting Beth Moore's Deuteronomy study. I haven't done a Bible study since last spring and it's definitely time to get back into that habit. 

saying I'm sorry. I hurt someone's feelings recently and had to apologize. I think the anticipation of the whole confrontation may have been more stressful than the actual offense (which fortunately ended up being more of a misunderstanding). It was humbling to say the least.

watching the Office finale. We have watched this show for all nine seasons and celebrated with a simple dinner and hot pretzels.

also watching Mad Men's season finale - with a dropped jaw. That was some good freaking TV.

wearing dresses and skirts without stockings.

Linking up

Face Forward - April 2013

A beauty regiment is important to me. I get one skin for the rest of my life, so I try to take care of it best I can.

 I find makeup and skincare fun and one thing I've learned recently is that I don't need to spend a crazy fortune to keep my skin in decent shape. I wrote about why I rely on Paula's Choice Beautypedia reviews here. Now Beautypedia is free (I think you register, but you don't pay for a subscription anymore). Prior to buying any skincare products or makeup, I check the product review. If I even consider buying the new IT product, I check Beatypedia first. Often I am in the store double checking the review or pulling up my list of fave products 

This is my collection of skin care products. Everything is a 'best product' as reviewed on Beautypedia.

 Only two of the items cost over 20 bucks (coupons, sales, etc). For drugstore items, I now only go to Harmon or drugstore.com. I've found their regular prices are cheaper than any sales I've come across in CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc. Plus, at Harmon you can use Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, so the prices can be even lower at times. The only time I'll buy from CVS now is if I have a 30% discount (which usually brings the price to Harmon's) or if I have lots of Extra Care Bucks.

These are my cleansers. It took me a very long time to find ones I am happy with year-round. 

I use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser in the winter when my skin tends to be more dry or in the mornings only in the summer. When my skin is a little more oily (some evenings and summer) I use CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. These are large pump bottles and last quite some time. They are fragrance-free (a big plus in my book) and work beautifully. I also use philosophy's microdelivery exfoliating wash once or twice a week. This is one of the pricier products and is not used as often as others, so it lasts me about a year.

 For daytime moisture, I always always always use something with sunscreen. Usually the products I use are by Paula's Choice. When my skin is slightly oily I use the Moisture Boost Daily Replenishing Complex, for the dry winter I use the Skin Recovery Lotion. The site has sales often for a percentage off and free shipping and I order these products twice a year. Recently I've been using Olay Regenerist DNA Superstructure Cream with SPF30. This is a thick formula so it might not be for everyone, but my skin has been in need of extra moisture lately and this seems to do the trick.

 Evening creams are:

Skin Recovery for dry nights

Moisture Boost for the summer

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Cream (with Retinol) - I use this every other night under one of the Paula's Choice products. I don't use it daily because the retinol is a tad bit tingly on my skin.

Clinique Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer - for when I am very dry. I bought this in December when my face was flaking off (I don't know what the heck happened, but I think it was due to trying a new cleanser that obviously not for me) and this stuff was incredible. At 45 bucks it is the most expensive product in my arsenal, but it does work wonders. I have used it in the past and it lasts me a year. It has formulations for all skin types, but I have used the dry/very dry one only and only use it as needed.

I also use Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum morning and night. 

In the evening it's under my moisturizer when I am not using the Neutrogena cream and I use it over my moisturizer for day. It is so silky smooth and I think of it as a makeup primer. I buy the fragrance free version.

Finally, I use Paula's Choice Lip and Body Treatment Balm and Lip Exfoliant to keep my smile smooth. 

The exfoliant lasts a looooong time since I use that weekly. I buy the balm a few times a year and it keeps my dry lips from being chapped. I love this product.

So there you have it, my current face products. At some point I'll pull out the makeup bag and go through that too!

Right Now - April

Celebrating lots of good things. My birthday (30 - eek) was in March and my husband threw a perfect party for me. Our favorite people, favorite food, favorite china pattern, favorite colors. He seriously out-did himself to make the day so special.

Embracing being 30. I'm ok with it, trying not to live with regrets about the past 29 years and instead think about the wonderful things in the here and now. And of course, to be realistic about life. There will be calm times, there will be hectic times. I hope to gracefully get through it all.

Preparing  for the big day for my friend! 

Her wedding is tomorrow (perhaps I should be showering instead of blogging, but oh well) and this shot is from last night's rehearsal. This is my first matron of honor duty (actually my first bridal party ever) and there's been lots of prep the past few days. Long Island weddings are in a word, very over the top, so there are many many many little details. Today it is pouring rain and freezing (reminiscent of my own wedding day) but tomorrow calls for sunshine and spring temps. It will be a wonderful day.

Tracking all the food I eat. Trying to figure out exactly what's triggering my allergies. And the pollen has started popping here, so that's making this difficult.

Breathing a sigh of relief. Our second-largest work event was last weekend and was  a huge success.

Yup, that's what I look like all pro. 

So, that's a quick look at life here!

Right Now - March 2013

Can't believe spring is just around the corner! I'm looking forward to wearing flats without socks, sporting more cardigans instead of jackets, and bringing little hints of the season into our space.

Soaking up moments with two of our favorite people Lauren and Fritz.

We adore them. Like, hey wanna just come over and eat food with us for no reason? And then we'll talk about deep stuff and silly stuff and dream about annual Zeitsmate (a combo of all our last names) vacations. Even though we only met about a year ago I cannot imagine them not being in our lives. They're just that special.

Taking less What I Wore Wednesday photos. I'm sure that's been noticed. I have a few reasons for that. 1. My old camera (which used to have a great timer and a flip screen to take my accessory shots) has gone to techie heaven. It's done. My new camera doesn't quite know how to react to the artificial lighting in our apartment (I can't blame it either). Therefore, taking daily photos was taking way too much time in the morning. 2. We are leading a community group on Tuesday nights and the time it takes to prepare the posts really needed to be dedicated to that group. 3. I found that the outfit obsession became an idol in my life. There was too much thinking about what I would wear, how I would wear it, what I would buy next. I still dress up everyday, but I've been more intentional about the time I put into that process. Plus, I've been shopping less (darn that Dave Ramsey!) so I've been recycling outfits that you've all seen a bajillion times before. I did wear a cute outfit this week so I do think there will be a small post coming up!

Cleaning our apartment - a lot! We start spring cleaning in February. We find that the place has been closed up and dust makes itself at home. Both Freddy and I are allergy sufferers and if we do a little each day, neither of us are sneezing like crazy during a marathon cleaning session. Instead of spending entire weekends cleaning everything top to bottom, these little intervals let us enjoy our weekends and spend less time sprucing up the place for last minute visitors. We feel more comfortable in the space and can breathe happily.

Feeling the effects of the time change. I want to stay up later than I should.

Taking a big sigh of relief. Freddy and I were faced with making a huge decision involving inheriting a home (well, we would have been paying for it, so not really an inheritance). After lots of discussion and stress, we decided against it. It's not the house for us and we know that others will come our way. Truthfully, we aren't ready for a house, so we are back to being patient and trying to be content.

Spending our tax return paying off three whole credit cards. Wooohooo!!

Grateful for our families. We spent lots of time together (especially checking out the house) this weekend and their solid advice was very much appreciated.

Dancing like crazy at a 30th birthday party with elementary school friends. 

Enduring a busy work week and what will likely be a hectic weekend. Lots of things to celebrate with friends, though, so it is all good stuff.

Bringing a little taste of spring inside. We enjoyed hosting dinner with friends and admiring fresh flowers from Trader Joe's (for 4 bucks, how could I leave them in the store?).

Cooking potato leek soup for our Irish-themed dinner on Sunday. 

March and April are going to be quite busy for me. A wedding, several major work events, birthdays, and Easter. Lots of great things to look forward to for sure.

Right Now. February 2013

Planning a bridal shower and bachelorette party – both surprises – for a childhood friend. This is the first time I am a maid of honor (and first time I am in a bridal party) and I am not a meticulous planner. It’s something I happily let anyone else do in my life. I will gladly show up anywhere and set up/break things down, but working with crazy schedules and putting the logistics together are not my strong points. Things are falling into place though, and now I am looking forward to both events.

The shower theme is rainbow, so here are the wrapped gifts and the card - very colorful indeed!

 Shoveling the nearly 30 inches of snow that was dumped on our area. We finally got plowed a little on Monday night - the storm started Friday. It took my husband an hour and a half to drive home from work that day (it usually takes him about 10 minutes).

 My husband is clearing out a car that we already cleaned the night before...

 And here are the steps to our apartment. Snowed in for sure!

Creating lots of fun crafts. I’m back to knitting and made several warm and wonderful scarves. Thinking a nice blanket is in the works for the next couple of months. It must be warm and must be machine washable. I also finished knotting a fabric wreath (thanks snow days!). Took a bit longer than expected, but very fun.

Donating lots of clothes and housewares to Goodwill this weekend. I remember watching Nate Berkus years ago and he remarked that Americans have all their treasures displayed all over at the same time and suggested that we instead: 1-only keep things we love and cherish and 2-rotate what is displayed for special seasons. I’m trying to do that now. Plus, it means less dusting trinkets.

Preparing to turn 30 next month. We’ve been attending 30^th parties for the past couple of months as many of my friends hit this milestone along with me and they’ve been lovely celebrations. With the bridal shower, bachelorette, and wedding for my friend looming ever so near, I’ve kinda forgotten about celebrating my own day, which falls in the middle somewhere. I want to buy myself something special that I can say “this was for my 30^th birthday” (thinking another Hermes scarf, with my parents and in-laws chipping in, but it’s still a pretty luxe purchase) and wear it for the rest of my life. Maybe simple earrings or a necklace from the jeweler who designed our wedding bands? Not sure, I just know I want a special keepsake. My husband went skydiving for his 30^th, and he loves watching his DVD and remembering that day. He loved it! Me, I’m not an adventurous nor experience-loving kind of gal. I always stress about the prep, travel, etc. Much easier to walk in a store and buy something.

Ordering contacts again. It’s been fun wearing the glasses. Really it has. But I have missed being able to see my face and hair when I get ready in the morning. I’ll still wear my glasses and change into them when I get home from work, but for parties and dressy events, it’s nice to have contacts. Plus, my husband would always slam into them when he would kiss me goodbye.

Sipping English Breakfast tea from Adagio. I usually drink their Ceylon blends, but this baby is yummy with scoops of sugar and a splash of milk.

Replacing my windshield for the second time in eight months.

Happy February. I have a feeling this month is going to just fly by!

Weigh in.

Someone commented last week that I look as though I've lost weight and wondered what New Year's Resolutions I've kept. Truthfully, this happened by accident, but I feel the need to share the truth.

Here I am exactly one year ago:

And this is me now.

Yes, I've lost weight. About 10 pounds. But I admit that I didn't lose it the healthy way. 

It was totally stress related and I'm not proud of that. 

Basically, in October with the hurricane, I stopped eating. The stress was horrible. We'd be at my parents' cleaning and a combination of emotions, the odors of salt water (or as my husband refers to it, the fish tank that was my parents' home), and the pressure to get the clean out done quickly all contributed to my lack of appetite. Some people eat more when they're stressed and I'm the opposite. 

Christmas Eve, a night of seven fish dishes, my mother-in-law severely burnt her hand and we all went into crisis mode.  I ate shrimp cocktail and a tiny bit of spagetti. That's how I kept the weight off during the holidays. Stress compounded upon stress.

But, there have been some other changes that I think made this happen. 

I have new food allergies and they make me question what I eat more often. We know I am allergic to tree nuts, peanuts and avocados. When I tell you I could eat a full pound of guacamole by myself, I am not kidding. I would slice an avocado open and eat it out of the skin as a snack. Now that's over. I used to be able to deal with the tongue swelling and facial hives, but now eating a simple California roll with tiny slices of avocado leads to stomach issues and I really hate stomach cramps. So I have to avoid eating it. With these new allergies, I avoid things that I might be able to eat (cookies that could have almond extract, meatballs that could have pine nuts) but can't be sure how they'll affect me. So I am eating less baked goods (to be honest, I'm not a sweets person to begin with, so this wasn't the most difficult thing for me. Guac was harder), eating out less and eating fresh cooked meals at home more than we used to. In addition to my known allergies, I suspect that I have a sensitivity to the sulfites in red wine. So there's something else that I now avoid. 

We are eating much better at home. My husband is the culinary expert at home and he has been really focused on dropping some pounds, so it's been whole grain pasta (my grandmother would be horrified!!), lots of green veggies, lean meat, and fish. We are eating healthier lunches at work, too with the yummy leftovers.

The clothing I wear now fits me. After realizing that I had lost weight, I was able to wear clothes that were too small for me in the past. And I learned that I was wearing clothes that were too bulky and not fitted at all for too long. I donated all clothes that did not flatter me. If it was gappy or too loose, it went. 

 I also got a bra fitting and that made a huge difference in how tops fit me. 

So, the moral of the story? I gained 20 pounds the year after I got married. That was tough for me, but I didn't make any lifestyle changes to make things better. Now I have lost 10 of those pounds and I want to be healthier and keep them off the right way. How? I've asked a friend to challenge me at the gym. I don't even know how to walk into a gym let alone use any of the machines, but I need to do this. And I am eating better food with more nutrients. I'm also back into knitting and crafty things, which has helped my spirits bounce back (I know that the weight loss was more than that and likely affected my emotions more than I think).

I believe in honesty. So as much as I would like to say that I did everything right by dieting and exercising, I have to admit the truth, that I was an emotional wreck which affected my eating habits. I'll be trying hard to be healthier in many areas of my life and starting with my weight is first on the list. 

Right Now - January 2013

Source: onevelvetmorning.wordpress.com via Kathleen on Pinterest

Feeling exhausted! Ever since I went back to work from Christmas break, I haven't been able to get on a normal sleep schedule. Trying a new pillow and an earlier bedtime. 

Ready to be group leaders for Financial Peace University. So excited to meet new people and be cheerleaders for others.

Excited to wear new bras that actually fit. Turns out I was part of that huge percentage of ladies wearing the wrong size (like the same size I wore in 9th grade. Yup, things have changed). I encourage you to get a fitting. I'm taking my mama for Mother's Day.

Praying for strength in our marriage and enriched fellowship with our small group.

Listening to The Emperor of All Maladies. I don't know anything about medicine/health, but this book on the history of cancer is fascinating.

Reading

Watching Downton Abbey. Just like the rest of America it seems. Or at least many of my Facebook friends.

Focusing on too many little things. I neeeeeed to let things go and be understanding of others. Oh, and I need to sometimes accept that I may indeed be the problem, not someone else.

Eating Luna Lemon Zest bars for breakfast. They're one of the few bars that are sans-nuts (a recent adult food allergy=limited options) that have a decent amount of protein.

Drinking lots and lots of water. So many people are sick around us and we are staying hydrated. When I am sick of the taste of plain water I add fresh lemon juice or cranberry juice. 

Writing  in my journal at least three times a week. I always start the year with tons of entries and they dwindle by spring and are barely existent in the fall/winter. When I write, my soul is just calmer.

I look forward to sharing a little more with you this year by doing monthly (at least) hopes and cares. It will also help me to make blogging a priority again. I miss you guys!!

One Little Word 2013 - Trust

Another year, another word. Want to read more about it? Here's an archived post be Ali Edwards about the concept.

For 2012 I selected embrace as my word to reflect upon and I tried hard to go with the flow. For the most part, I think that happened. It was an attempt to be more accepting and I know that idea helped me to be less obsessed with the perceptions of others. I needed to just let their thoughts and ideas be theirs and not influence my own attitude. I noticed that I moved on a little easier and in some cases faster. And just when I released certain problems from my own power, the situations changed or opened up. I liked the word embrace so much and I think it gave me a slightly more free spirit.

But now it's on to this year.

For 2013 I am selecting a word that I think will be a real challenge: trust

By nature, I am not the most trusting person. I'm cynical and usually look for the loophole in a deal. I tend to think people are out to get me and I am the conspiracy theorist in our group (ask any of my friends, I am obsessed with the other side of any crime or wondering what we aren't being told). I just don't tend to trust the party line so to speak. As a result, it is hard for me to trust others.

So, what do I hope for this word trust?

-I want to deepen relationships with family and friends with trust and honesty. Less gossip, less chit chat and more intense conversations. This isn't for all friends obviously (I am a firm believer that one should never expose herself to those who will not appreciate sharing important stuff). I believe in sharing stories when they need to be told and with those whom I cherish, I want to do just that) but for those forever friends already in my life and those yet to come. You know them when you meet them, right?

-To be more trusting of others and believe in their motives for goodness and honesty.

-To be more trustworthy and to be a person of integrity.

-To be open to new ideas and not jump to conclusions.

-To trust my instincts (which I usually ignore) and go to God in moments of concern.

-I want to trust God and accept that God is fighting for good in this world and good in my world. To trust  God in all areas of my life by surrendering to Him even when it seems like I should be able to control the situation. This will be tough and I know it, but my faith needs a real awakening and I think it has to start with trust.

So, have you chosen a word? How do you hope to incorporate it into your life?