Gratitude Friday Post 1

As part of my winning 2020 focus I'm going to chose three things each day for which I am grateful.  On Fridays I'll post my three most favorites.  This is recap of Jan 1 through today Jan 3. 

I'm grateful for:

#1 A healthy New Year.  My two 20 somethings went out for New Years Eve with a big group of friends. They all started the party at our house and then moved on to a local bar.  I'm thankful that they were able to walk there and back and not be on the roads.  I'm grateful that we were all together on New Years day, safe and sound.

#2 I'm grateful for the 3 day work week I had this week and that it is already Friday!

#3 I am grateful for the easy commute.   I have an hour long drive each morning and night.  It was a shorter commute and was much less congested.  No snow and now ice to contend with either.  A plus for the Northern Illinois roads in winter.

So that's my Three for Friday.  It wasn't too hard this week since it was only the first three days of the new year. 

2020 Word of the Year and steps to stay on track.

My word for 2020 is Winning. 

I chose this word not because I'm competing with anyone but instead I want to focus on a winning attitude.  Winning at life, victorious and successful. Winning the competition against myself.  I set the rules, I am my own judge! 

I start a lot of projects, I have great intentions and then I let other things get in the way.   Maybe it's a competition against procrastination? I tend to be very good at procrastinating.  2020 is not going to be a good year for procrastination. 

Each successful endeavor will be considered a win. 

Example: when I complete a project on my list.  It's a WIN! 
Did I drink 8 cups of water today?  WIN!

My plan for a winning attitude:

Focus on the positive with gratitude. 

• I'm going to list three things each day I'm grateful for and list my top 3 each Friday. 
• Adopting a No Complaining rule. 
• Praise more 
• Judge less

Focus on Health

• Eating better - not a diet - just better choices
• More exercise
• More sleep - I'm a night owl but have to get up early for work. This will be a challenge. 

Focus on financials. 

• Save more - spend less 
• Stay home more than going out

Focus on my home.  

• Finish the unfinished. 
• Don't start a project unless I plan to do it through completion.  Plan the project from start to finish. 

Everyone likes to win at something.  It's fun to win.  I am looking forward to a winning 2020!

Goodbye 2019

I didn’t blog much in 2019 but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have anything going on.  I just didn’t give myself enough time to post.  This post is more of a tool to mark time.  There are no pictures to post.  They’re all on my Instagram feed.  

I’m sad to admit that I’ve become an Instagram junkie and spend far too much time swiping through other people’s pages and pics.  I spend more time looking at posts of other people fixing up their homes and don’t spend enough time doing it myself.  I garner some great ideas but never seem to put them into action. 

I’ve decided to make my last post of 2019 a focus on everything positive.   

What am I thankful for from 2019?

• We’ve had a great time with our friends throughout the year.   We spend almost every Friday with our friends and sometimes it continues on Saturday and Sunday!  If nothing else can be said for 2019 it was most definitely a year filled with laughter.  
• We snowmobiled in the winter, went tubing and spent plenty of time on our boats.  We watched fireworks from the water, we kayaked and fished off of our dock.  It was magical. 
• We still have good health.  As we round our way up the hill into the winter of our 50’s I can be thankful that we have no major health issues.  A kidney stone here, a couple polyps removed but we haven't been slaves to doctor appointments.  Maybe it’s because of all the laughter and good times? 
• Our two children are healthy and employed and have partners who love them.    They have grasped the “adulting” lifestyle.  We have a great relationship, we all hang out together and truly enjoy one another's company. 
• I took an awesome trip to Paris for work but also combined it with a vacation.  I went with my daughter and we had an amazing time.  We fell in love with Paris.   We walked everywhere and ate and drank French wine, had champagne on the grounds of the Eiffel tower, we watched it light up at night and we even attended a cocktail party in the Eiffel tower.   An unexpected vacation for which I will always be thankful. 
• We installed a new pool and pool heater.   My children and their friends spent most of their summer weekends at our house.  We soaked in the pool, told fun stories, sang songs which also brought a lot of laughter and good times!
• Remodeled our little powder room.  Maybe some of the IG time paid off.   Still some finishing touches to be done but I'm loving it and will post some fun pics in 2020.
• I lost 20 lbs.   I will be continuing that trend in 2020 because I have a lot more than 20 lbs I need to lose.
• My word for 2019 was Accomplish.  I would say 2019 was somewhat a success.  I accomplished what I wanted to do.  I had plenty on the list but I’m not considering them a failure if they didn’t get done.  The year passed anyway and even though some things on the list didn’t make it to the finish line time moved on, the laughter still flowed and I’m ready for 2020!

Adieu 2019!

Living Dangerously

The snow has hit us hard the past few months and when it's not snowing it's freezing cold temps.  All I want to do is grab a nice warm blanket, put on some thick socks, put on a fire and curl up on the sofa to binge watch Grace and Frankie! 

So when our friends who like to snow mobile asked us to come along for their annual "couples/family" trip my first inclination was NO.  I'm not an outdoors/fast speed thrill seeker.  My biggest thrills can be found at Home Goods! I'm not usually easily persuaded but this time I caved. 

Instead of hibernating until the temps break I'm going to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where the temps are just as cold or colder than home and the snow is definitely deeper.  To make it more interesting we'll drive fast through the wind and snow.  I hear the scenery is fantastic but I doubt I'll be able to take pictures since I'll most likely be hanging on for dear life. 

Here is what I can expect.  This is a picture from their website. 

And this is what we are leaving. 

I suppose I'm not changing much of the scenery.  The only difference is this is the view from my back door from a warm house.  The other one will be out in the middle of nowhere in the cold. 

I hope I'll enjoy it and I think it will be a great way to say farewell to winter!

Stay warm my friends. 

Word for 2019 - Accomplish

Inspirational Word for 2019

Accomplish 

VERB - achieve or complete successfully. 

I’m a person who loves to start projects.  I come up with some great ideas and jump on it with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.  I buy the paint and the paint brushes, the fabric and the patterns.  I envision how great the results will be.  Unfortunately I’m a stress worker.  I lose my motivation until it becomes a crisis.  Things like trying to lose weight a month before I leave for vacation or decorating, painting and minor remodels to my house before a family party.  It can be stressful and in the end it doesn’t make me feel like I’ve “accomplished” anything.  It’s almost as if I realize that I can accomplish it so it’s not worth finishing.  I celebrate the win before winning! 

This year I’ve decided that the word Accomplish will be my motivational word.  It’s going to do two things for me.  First it will make me think through the project from start to finish.  Second it will make me NOT start something I’m not willing to finish.   An example is if I buy that old dresser with the intent to paint it then I must hold myself to finishing the project or not buy the darn dresser.   I use this example because I have an OLD metal dresser from over a year ago waiting to be painted.  It’s getting painted this year.  

Diet and Exercise is a big one!  I started and stopped at least ten times in 2018.  In January of 2018 I planned to lose all of my weight by my next sales meeting which is a week and ½ away.  I even bought a goal dress.  Well that didn’t work.  So now I’ll set some small achievable goals and focus on my word.   

Finally this little blog needs more attention.  I think that before and after pics will help move me towards accomplishing a goal.  The best place to document is here and Instagram. 

Happy New Year!

 

Farewell Summer

I've always been a fall person.  I love the colors, the sweaters, the smells and the cooler weather.  Apple picking and pumpkins, decorating for fall was always fun. 

Until we moved to the lake.  Suddenly I've changed into a summer person and I dread the winter.  It has to do with the lake, with the summer boating and the pool.  Nothing beats jumping into the pool on a hot, sticky day or heading out to the lake and the big party on the sandbar. 

 

I am getting too old to wish my life away but I really hope winter moves quickly.  I plan to do a lot of projects in the house to make things more interesting.  I've got some rooms to paint and just bought a new sewing machine to make curtains and pillows. 

 

I plan to hit the gym to get my summer body ready.  I was supposed to be ready this year but THAT never happened!   There's always next year.  I'm not giving up!

 

I'll embrace fall and I'll try to tolerate winter.   Some friends are suggesting snow mobiles but I'm not so sure yet!  Lots of fun ahead.

 

 

 

Dutch Creek Going Keto!

We've had an amazing summer so far at the Dutch Creek Cottage!  A trip to Florida, lot's of boat rides, playing in the pool.  But all that fun leads to a whole bunch of weight gain!  Seven pounds followed me home from Florida!

My daughter started the Keto diet and I was on weight watchers.  I always feel deprived on WW.  I love real cheese and real butter and WW just doesn't support that.  So I decided to give this Keto thing a try. So far I love it!

I started three weeks ago and lost 2.2 the first week and 1.8 the second.  I'm still pretty sure I could have done that with WW too if I stuck to it but I wouldn't be eating foods that I enjoy.   I'm not missing bread or pasta at all, not missing cake or ice cream or any of the heavy sugary foods, I'm not a pop/soda drinker.   The only thing I have to be careful is WINE, BEER and Cocktails!   Can't float in the pool without a cocktail...well I can but I do enjoy a good Gin and Tonic.   Wine night with my best friend is a challenge but we are both trying to lose weight so we keep each other in check.  It's always good to do it with a buddy!

I've got a work trip back to Florida in October and would like to lose a few more pounds by then.  So now it's time for exercise!

This is me after the last exercise video my daughter sent me.  It was a killer!

 

Not going to give up though!