Thursday, January 29, 2015

My First Day Volunteering at Habitat For Humanity

So today I worked on a construction job site for the first time ever.   In fact, I had a lot of "firsts" today, but most importantly, it was my first time volunteering for Habitat For Humanity.   Can I just say, I loved it!!!!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

My 2015 Resolutions - Week 4 of 52

Here's my fourth update of my 2015 New Year's Resolutions.   I tried a new method this year, and I'm hoping that weekly updates will keep me on track!

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

My 2015 Resolutions - Week 3 of 52

Here's my third update of my 2015 New Year's Resolutions.   I tried a new method this year, and I'm hoping that weekly updates will keep me on track!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

9 Habits for Successful Weight Loss Maintenance

So many of us are in a continuous struggle with "weight loss".   I know I am.  So I'm always looking for ways to be motivated, satisfied and energized as I work on making healthy eating and exercise sustainable habits in my life.  

I joined Weight Watchers last fall, and I've enjoyed going to meetings and meeting people who are also struggling with the same issues.   I've been changing my cooking habits and eating habits, and I've added walking to my daily routine.   So far, my weight has dropped a little, but for the last few weeks I've been bouncing around the same five pound weight range, up and down and up and down.   So I continue to refine my thoughts and approach, and I continue to look for ways to increase my success rate.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

My 2015 Resolutions - Week 2 of 52

Here's my second update of my 2015 New Year's Resolutions.   I tried a new method this year, and I'm hoping that weekly updates will keep me on track!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Media Center Styling Ideas

Today we're spending some time in the Bonus Room of our house.  This is a large room above our garage that serves as our TV room.



Monday, January 12, 2015

Curtains in the Living Room

After the Christmas decorations came down, the living room was looking really bare.  In the span of just a couple of days we went from this:


to this:

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Walking Success!

When I set my New Year's Resolution of walking 10K steps per day in 2015, I knew it would require a lifestyle change to get myself up off the couch and out on the street or trail (or shopping mall, as the case may be) on a daily basis.  Shockingly I discovered that I can easily spend a whole day in my house and only get 1000 steps.  That's horrific!  

Every Day Gratitude

In 2014, I had a daily gratitude practice here on the blog.   It was a New Year's resolution, and my intent was to get into a regular habit of expressing gratitude for the many, many blessings that I have in my life.   It turned out to be a not-quite-daily practice.  Out of 365 days, I only posted 245 times.  There were stretches of a few days or even a few weeks where I didn't get anything onto the blog, for a variety of reasons.  Over the course of the year, though, I created a habit.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Building My Dream Team

A Small Spark
It began with a small spark of inspiration one random afternoon. I don't know how the idea came about... We'd been discussing moving back to Maryland later this year, the timing of it, the logistics, the practicalities. The finances... how much could we afford? The lifestyle... how much house and yard do we want? The commute... What town do we want to live in? It was all very matter of fact, but then one moment later, the smallest germ of an idea began to form in my mind.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

My 2015 Resolutions - Week 1 of 52

Here's my first update of my 2015 New Year's Resolutions.   I tried a new method this year, and I'm hoping that weekly updates will keep me on track!

Monday, January 5, 2015

Puttering Around the Yard in January

I haven't adjusted to the climate and weather here in Raleigh quite yet.  After living in the Mid-Atlantic weather of Maryland for 24 years, moving to the south has really changed my perspective on gardening!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Gratitude- Day 365 - Dec 31, 2014

Here we are at the end of the year, preparing to close the books on 2014 and start afresh in 2015.

I'm so grateful for this Gratitude Project 2014.