A new year, a vaccine and hopefully things will be looking up for the world. A rather spontaneous series of circumstances is the basis for our New Year’s Eve celebration. Instead of having a formal meal on New Year’s Day we opted to have a dinner with family and friends on December 31st. So here’s how we welcomed in a happy 2021.

I am a big believer that setting the mood for an event happens as soon as your guests arrive. That’s why having a champagne bar out of the back of my vintage 1974 Triumph TR6 seemed like a good idea.

My son’s girlfriend, Delaney help create the vintage/luxury theme by using a fur stole, crystal garland, a tapestry shawl and sparkly trees. A copper tub holds the champagne and Prosecco and hot mulled apple cider is also offered as a non-alcoholic beverage.

Our neighbor who always finds fabulous things, brought over a jar of hibiscus flowers she found at Trader Joe’s. What a festive addition to the champagne! To see how I decorated the TR6 at another event, click here.

A sit down dinner for 10 on the back porch included: smoked turkey and ribs, salad from the garden, French onion soup, twice baked potatoes, bread pudding, mincemeat pie and persimmon bread. Then the sparklers came out which is a fun way to end a year. More fireworks were occurring on the cul-de-sac next to us, so it was an eventful night!

Onto New Year’s Day

Rather early to bed on NYE and up in time to see the first sunrise of 2021. Since we have so much foliage we never get a good view of the horizon, but it was still quiet and peaceful to watch it.

Implementing a Resolution

Probably the most important resolution for me is to get back to habitually exercising. In 2021, I am committed to doing something at least 6 days per week. For me, this doesn’t mean a high intensity workout daily (at least not yet), but easing my way back into the habit of exercise. So on New Year’s Day I took a long walk, getting my heart rate up enough to qualify as exercise. Whether it be hiking, biking, walking, going to the gym or Pilates, I am attempting to exercise each day.

Last year for Christmas I received an Apple watch. I was seeking a way to monitor my heart rate as three close friends (in my age group) had cardiac issues (one fatal). Instead of some sort of heart monitor, the family bought me this watch. I actually love the fact that it records my movements, heart rate and can also let you know if something is amiss.

Setting Goals

Here’s an example of what it records. There are 3 circles that represent your activity. Blue is for standing, yellow is for exercise and the red is for calories burned by moving. You set the parameters for this. My goals are: 12 hours of standing; 30 minutes of exercise (I should increase that); and 560 calories burned by moving. When you reach your goal, the watch notifies you and the circle is complete.

As you can see I did pretty well January 2020. To give you an idea, I completed 31 workouts for a total of 21 hours 32 minutes of exercise and burned 5,044 calories. So I started last year with good intentions. But you can see what happens over the course of the year (and COVID didn’t help). In November 2020, I did 13 workouts, 12 1/2 hours and burned 2,400 calories. Pretty pathetic.

The watch also tracks the # of steps you take per day. Lots of areas to set new goals. If you have a smart phone, the Health App also tracks several items too.

I am also using the Lose It app, which monitors your caloric intake. Surprisingly, when you write down what you eat, you tend to eat less.

So I am hoping that the combination of exercising, tracking my food intake and reporting back to you will help me in 2021.

A few of you asked about my exercise goals and hopefully this will motivate you to get started. Remember to check with your doctor if you are doing something out of the ordinary. What works for me, may not work for you. But let’s get started together. I hope to publish my monthly results in order to make myself accountable to you.

I hope you had a wonderful New Year’s celebration. Now let’s make this a fabulous year!

I cannot believe this is my last post of 2020. Well, it’s been a year, hasn’t it? When I reflect back over the course of the last 12 months, I count my blessings. We are healthy and happy, most of the time. And 2020 is a year where the world realizes that having good health is a cherished gift.

Being the eternal optimist, I contemplate and note that even though life is bittersweet, many unexpected surprises emerge from these unusual trials and tribulations.

Importance of Friends and Family

With lockdowns and restrictions, my focus is more family/home centric. With two adult children working remotely, we are lucky to have our son (who lives in DC) able to visit for longer periods of time. Our daughter loves being nearby and working from home allows her more quality time with her pets. Our youngest is at college, but within close proximity, which is comforting.

A welcomed side effect of being tethered to home is that we have strengthened relationships with our adjacent neighbors.

In the Spring, Wine at the Wall Wednesdays was a creative way to socially distance with our neighbors, yet still socialize. Bring your own glass and we would trade off who provided the wine. I don’t know about you, but I need human connections. As a result, we now have this lovely circle of friends, who also happen to live right next door. Lucky us!

Importance of Personal Responsibility

It is never too late to be healthier. Never. It takes fortitude and a change in lifestyle, but now, more than ever, we must do our part to be well. One of my top blog posts is 10 Tips to Stay Healthy, which I posted last winter and before COVID. You can see it here. There is SO much we can do to build our immune system and stay well.

Granted if you have a pre-existing condition, do what you can to make yourself less vulnerable to viruses. It is never too late to start on a healthier lifestyle.

The picture above is a card I received in my latest order from Native, which produces an aluminum free deodorant. I highly recommend their products. But doesn’t the card says it all?

Importance of Aging Well

There is no surprise here, but we are all getting older. Our aging population stresses our health care system, but getting older does not automatically mean poor health. There a plenty of older adults who enjoy an active vigorous lifestyle.

I believe happiness and aging well are choices. Granted, some days are better than others but you cannot stop trying to live an interesting, fulfilled life. If you haven’t read my 10 Tips to Aging Well, here is the link.

Kindness is Free

As I have mentioned, I have completely stopped watching the news. People who are hateful have no place in my life. No news is good news. Maybe it is naive of me to put my head in the sand, but I now have more time in the day to do something positive and productive.

In January 2019 I wrote a post on Kindness (see post here) because back then we were seeing less and less of it in the world. Then 2020 happened and it just got worse.

Instead of getting frustrated, I am committed more than ever to the mantra: JUST BE KIND. It doesn’t cost anything and you never know whose day you will make better with a random act of kindness. Can you imagine what kind of world it would be if everyone did this?

Keep Moving Forward

For me, moving forward and keeping in motion is therapeutic. Creating momentum staves off paralysis and fear. If any year provided excuses for hunkering down and doing nothing, it was 2020.

However, we tackled more house projects than ever before, with lots of fun stories in between. Remember the mystery around the antique locket found under the dishwasher (see post here)?

2020 has been the year of unexpected problems and expensive repairs with cars and plumbing. Cha-ching! For a while, it was one thing after another but let’s hope that phase has passed.

Once travel opens up, I am definitely planning a trip to recover from all the projects, both planned and unexpected in 2020.

Focus on my Blog

This year, I truly focused on making my blog more enjoyable for you. My commitment to post on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday is occurring most of the time. My new found blogging friendships are allowing me to participate in blog hops with others. These same friends are encouraging me to be better. Lucky me!

The best part is that I am learning new things each and every day (another great tip to aging well!). The goal is to update the design of my website and add more good pictures of our home so hopefully you will see more positive blog changes in 2021.

Looking Ahead to 2021

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I do and for the most part, I do stick with them for at least the first 6 months of a new year.

My first resolution is to take better care of my hands. With all the hand sanitizer and washing more than usual, my mitts feel like sandpaper. Plus having clean and tidy nails is a good thing . My hands go directly into the dirt in the garden. I wash dishes without gloves. Truly, my 10 digits are a mess. I’d post a picture of them but you would shudder.

More Time for Painting

Painting more is also high on my list for 2021. Getting into a routine where I painted every Friday afternoon would be desirable. And maybe then, I’d feel more confident in selling a few finished ones.

Re-commit to structured exercise

Pre-COVID I was exercising 6 days a week. Pathetically, I am now down to 2-3 days per week and I can feel the difference. Do you need to do more? If you are interested in my exercise goals, I am happy to post those and perhaps we can keep each other on track. It is just a matter of starting….

Reducing the Clutter

At the end of 2019, I had over 7000 emails in my inbox. It took me 9 hours to sort through them. I vowed to not have over 100 emails in my inbox. Fast forward a year later and I have 7,394 emails in that very same inbox. My goal is to officially unsubscribe to nearly all promotional emails and only allow room for ones that matter. If anyone has tips on how to stop this email madness, please let me know.

On my camera I have 52, 000 photos. Just the thought of sorting and deleting and filing those gives me angst. But it needs to be done! Again, any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Celebrating the New Year

The days where I stayed up until midnight to welcome the New Year are long over. My choice would be to wake up early and watch the sun rise on a new year instead. Maybe a morning hike or walk and then home for some fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh brewed coffee would be the perfect start to the new year.

How will you be celebrating the end of this year and the beginning of the next? What resolutions, if any, are you making?

Wishing you all the best for the New Year! Remember to stay safe, stay healthy but most of all, be happy!

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During this time of year, I feel the struggle between the slower pace of autumn and the frenzy of the upcoming holidays. The rhythm of the seasons, the changing of the temperature, and the harvest are all reasons to stop, reflect, enjoy and to give thanks.

I long for the days where the start of Christmas was the day after Thanksgiving. The retail push gets earlier and earlier every year. Even though I do understand those wanting to be the first to share their Christmas design, decor and all things to buy, I miss the slower pace of just enjoying November. To see a previous post on my love for November, click here.

I love Thanksgiving because there are no gifts, just family, friends, food (and football if you like). Planning for the meal, creating a beautiful table setting and breaking bread together, makes it an extra special holiday. A time to reflect on the previous months of the year, a time to reflect on the blessings of life, a time to gather.

Thankful for my Community

Just a few days ago, our local police commander put out an appeal for turkey donations, as our food bank is short for Thanksgiving this year. A few members of our neighborhood board donated money and yesterday, my son and I went to Costco to buy frozen turkeys.

Unfortunately, when we arrived in the meat area, there is a sign indicating a maximum of 5 turkeys per customer. After speaking with a manager and the head of the meat department, we packed 16 turkeys into the shopping cart and headed to check out.

When we arrived at the police station, the reaction from Officer J.B. Klima is pure joy when he saw the trunk of my car filled with turkeys. It is heartwarming to see a big refrigerated truck in the parking lot of the police station filling with turkeys.

I am grateful to live in a neighborhood where people take an active role in caring for others and step up when there is a need. And what a fun experience for me to share with my son!

Thankful for My Health

During a year when health is top of mind for everyone, I am so grateful for my health and vibrance. Much of it has to do with genetics, but also I do try to take care of myself (for the most part). Naturally, there is always room for improvement, but having a positive attitude, remaining connected, eating correctly and exercising helps the situation.

There are many things you can do to feel better, look better and not get sick. If you haven’t read my blog post on 10 Tips on Aging Well, please do. Also, with flu season around the corner, please check out my 10 Tips to Stay Healthy. I wrote this before the pandemic, but it still applies. Together, let’s commit to a healthier 2021.

My Family and Friends

My family is my life. Raising 3 rather amazing children (if I don’t mind saying so) and having a life partner who supports me and all my interests, is the fiber of my being. On Thursday, everyone will be home for Thanksgiving and I am so excited to share time together.

Unfortunately, both my parents are gone, and my siblings don’t live nearby. But when we connect through phone calls and emails, I look back on my childhood fondly and am happy to have many years of fun memories with them.

What would we do without our girl friends? Last Saturday I spent a spontaneous day with my friend, Barb and it was balm for the soul. It’s been hard to really laugh this year, but we did and boy, it was exactly what we needed!

Thankful for You

I can honestly say that I love writing this blog. But often, after I press the SEND button, I have a moment of anxiety thinking that no one will read it, and no one will like it. However, you are the best subscribers anyone could have. Your kind comments and feedback are the food I need to just keep writing. Hearing that you’ve made one of my recipes or tackled a DIY project is music to my ears.

Plus, I am always so thrilled when you refer this blog to someone else. We all need to pull together, share beauty, and keep each other’s spirits up. An unexpected gift is that I have made many new friendships through blogging.

So as we approach Thanksgiving (with or without Christmas decorations), let’s take a moment and be still. Know I am thankful for you and grateful for all that God has given me. Sending warm hugs to you!

Yesterday, I shared the steps for making Muscle Relaxing Bath Salts. If you missed that post, you can see it here. Today, I am making another luxurious product, perfect for reducing stress. This has been a crazy year and the holidays, in and of themselves, tend to be frenetic. My focus this year is providing gifts that will help calm, soothe, and pamper my family and friends. So today is the second DIY Holiday Gift idea.

Simple, Clean Ingredients

Again, I sourced Pinterest for this recipe from Sweet Nature’s Beauty. This Chamomile, Lavender and Oatmeal Bath Soak blends dried flowers, oatmeal, Epsom salts and relaxing essential oils. I wish I had dried more of the chamomile flowers in my garden, but instead I am able to purchase these ingredients easily online. To see my garden chamomile, click here.

Chamomile is known for its reducing anxiety and promoting sleep. However, this sweet, floral herb has many other benefits from helping skin irritations to treating cold symptoms. Click here to see the 8 benefits of Chamomile tea by Medical News Today.

Though oatmeal is great for breakfast it is also a wonderful addition to your bath. It is moisturizing, soothing and inflammation-relieving for the skin. For this bath soak, put the oatmeal in a blender to get a finer texture.

Unlike yesterday’s recipe, this one calls for fine Epsom salts, another great source of magnesium.

Essential Oils

Lavender flower buds have been used in many cultures for many years. It is suggested that lavender helps purify the body and mind. Since ancient times, lavender has been used to treat many different ailments, including mental health issues.

In this recipe, I use Chamomile and Lavender essential oils, making it smell SO good.

Mix all the ingredients together. Make sure you remove any dried stems that may still be attached to the chamomile flowers. No one wants dried little sticks poking you while in the bathtub.

Presentation is Everything

Originally, I thought I would put the bath soak mixture into small muslin bags. However, for longer term storage, perhaps a glass container is better?

And since you will need to scoop the mixture out to put into your bath (2-4 big scoops), adding a spoon or scoop is a nice addition. Many different sizes, styles and price points can be found here. The bamboo spoon above is found at World Market.

Again, I did make labels for this bath soak with the ingredient list on the back. Using Avery Business Card #5377, it is very easy to create your own design and print both sides with a template.

As I mentioned yesterday, it would be such fun to put a spa basket together with the Muscle Relaxing Bath Salts and the Chamomile, Lavender and Oatmeal bath soak. In addition you could add the easy-to-make lavender pillow (see blog post here), a dry scrub brush, soaps and a candle for a lovely gift for friends or family. Who doesn’t need some love and attention, especially after this year?

I’ve never made products like this before. Not only is it enlightening and informative, but the results are gifts you would be proud to give. Packaging it up pretty for the holidays will make the recipient of this gift feel extra special.

The Ingredients

1 cup Fine Epsom Salts

1 cup Oatmeal, blended (I did not use instant)

4 TBSP Chamomile Flowers

3 TBSP Lavender Flower Buds

12 drops of Chamomile Essential Oil

12 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

Glass Jars or

Muslin Bags

The Directions

Blend the oatmeal in a blender or Cuisinart. In a bowl, combine Epsom Salts, oatmeal, dried chamomile flowers and dried lavender buds. If your chamomile flowers have stems, remove them. Stir in the essential oils.

Store in either an airtight glass jar or if using in the near future, use a muslin bag.

Happy Wednesday! Have a blessed day.

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Typically I do not make holiday gifts because I am just too busy around the holidays. And quite frankly, other than making and baking food, I’m not much of a do-it-yourself-er. But 2020 is a different year. We all need more nuturing and pampering, not only during the stressful holiday season, but especially this year. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and am making 2 gifts. Today is Gift #1’s reveal and tomorrow you will see the other.

Also, my blogging buddies, Andrea from Design Morsels and Chas from Chas Crazy Creations are sharing their Holiday DIY ideas at the bottom of this post.

I am a big fan of giving a gift that is consumable, or a commodity that can be used up rather quickly. We all have received those white elephant gifts that we either donate, re-gift or take to a gag party. At this stage in our lives, we just have too much anyway.

With the theme of pampering and reducing stress, today’s DIY is an easy, simple, make-in-your-kitchen item. The ingredients can be ordered online and delivered so you don’t even need to go to the store. And I believe it to be timely (at least for me), because I have not exercised as much this year. Now that the gym is open, getting back into it is hard on my muscles.

And with the colder weather coming, there is nothing more relaxing and calming than a nice long bath.

Magnesium Flakes vs. Epsom salts

These Muscle Relaxing Magnesium Bath Salt recipe is from Pinterest and the original author is Laura, from Simply Laura Leigh. What I like about this particular recipe is that the ingredients are simple and clean. I have never used Magnesium Flakes vs. Epsom Salt so I did a little research.

Magnesium is world-renowned for its health benefits such as aiding sleep quality and relieving muscle tension. Epsom salts aren’t actually salt, but magnesium sulphate. They are sourced either from naturally occurring springs, or are created from synthetic materials.

Magnesium Flakes are a magnesium chloride solution which has been heated up then cooled down to create a hard sheet of highly-concentrated magnesium chloride that is then broken in to small pieces to create the ‘flakes’. Magnesium chloride is a naturally occurring compound which can be mined from ancient sea beds or in open-water sources like the Dead Sea.

While the appearance and application may be similar, the ‘unseen’ difference in absorption between Magnesium Flakes and Epsom Salts is what really sets these two compounds apart. The magnesium in magnesium flakes is a type of magnesium that is better absorbed and better processed by your body. The magnesium in Epsom salts is harder for your body to absorb and quickly processed out.

Benefits of Pink Himalayan and Baking Soda

Pink Himalayan sea salt is able to generate negative ions in the air, creating the type of calming effect many people experience on a saltwater beach.

Baking soda is a remarkable ingredient in the bath. Click here for the 10 benefits of baking soda on your skin from Medical News Today.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Eucalyptus essential oil is my choice for this bath salt mixture, however, you can select any essential oil you want. Not only does eucalyptus oil open your nasal passages but it also eases joint pain.

I have never worked with shea butter before. Because of its moisturizing qualities and high vitamin content, shea butter is a great addition to these salts. So helpful with dry winter skin! I broke the butter up into smaller pieces and mixed it in with the other ingredients.

The Container

Naturally, since these are gifts, I want to present them in a pretty glass container. I found two sizes and styles at World Market, but if you can find them online here.

The Gift Tag or Label

You can either label or tag your gift with the ingredients. Using Avery Business Cards #5377, I am able to create my own design and add my logo. Avery has an easy design format to use online, especially if you use their templates. On the back is the ingredient list.

The Scoop or Spoon

These natural bamboo spoons work well to scoop the bath salts out of the container. Again, I bought these from World Market, but look at the variety of scoops here on Amazon! With this set above, I also have the forks and knives.

The Presentation

What a relaxing and pampering gift to include these muscle relaxing bath salts with other fun items to make a spa basket. Remember the lavender pillows I made (see post here)? Add a candle, a scrub brush and some soaps and you have a wonderful spa gift.

Ingredients and Links

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1 1/2 cup Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes (I bought the 4.4 lb. container but it does come in 1.7 lbs too)

1/2 cup Baking Soda

1/2 cup Pink Himalayan Salt

1 TBSP Unrefined Shea Butter– I bought the 1 lb. bag, but you could do with a lesser quantity

10 drops Eucalyptus Oil

Recipe Directions

Combine the magnesium flats, baking soda, and pink Himalayan salt. Add the Eucalyptus oil (or the essential oil of your choice). Mix. Place in a container and place the shea butter on the top of the ingredients (I chose to mix mine in after I crumbled it into small pieces).

When you are ready to use your Muscle Relaxing Magnesium bath salts, just add it to a hot bath and soak for 30 minutes. Also try dry brushing your body, starting at your ankles and working upward with circular motion.

Drying bushing is a great way to not only shed dead skin cells but it has also been shown to help improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. The Dry Body Brush above is from World Market ($4.99). Others can be found here.

This is a very easy and fun DIY, providing you gifts you can be proud to give. Stay tuned for the 2nd DIY holiday gift idea that I will be sharing tomorrow.

P.S. Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.

Now for more Holiday DIY gift ideas

Andrea from Design Morsels is creating DIY Healthy Homemade Food Gifts.

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations is making DIY Hand Soap Dispensers

Thank you so much for joining me today! Happy DIY-ing!

Please share to Pinterest too if you enjoyed this post!

The world needs more lavender to promote calmness and wellness, don’t you think? I love sachets, but the larger lavender pillows are getting my attention lately. However, is it me or do they seem expensive? $49.95 for a 7″ square lavender pillow? So what better way to get a lavender pillow than make them yourself.

Finding the Right Lavender

Naturally I am seeking a highly fragrant, good quality lavender. Though I have lavender growing around our property, it isn’t all that fragrant after I dry the buds. To see a previous post on lavender, click here.

On Etsy, I found lavender buds (Lavandula Augustifolia) that are bulk wholesale, mostly used for weddings from StressTamerSpa. The reviews are excellent, plus you have the option to order 1/4 lb. up to 10 lbs.

The minute I received the 2 lb. package in the mail I knew what is was because of the heavenly scent. Lavender doesn’t weigh all that much so two pounds is quite a good quantity.

Picking Fabric

Over the years I have collected lots of fabrics. But there are many things you could use~old vintage napkins or handkerchiefs. I even have a old embroidered tablecloth that has seen better days. Taking cuts of fabric from it might just be lovely.

For a 7″ square pillow, cut two pieces fabric 8″ x 8″ (allowing for 1/2″ seam on all four sides). You can mix or match patterns or keep both sides the same. Or you could just fold one piece of fabric 8 x 16″. To make this easy, I put blue tape on the counter as a measurement guide.

Put the same side fabric together and pin if necessary.

Once the fabric is cut, I machine-stitched the seam 1/2″ from the fabric edge, leaving a small un-stitched section. If you don’t have a sewing machine, these pillows are small enough to slip stitch the edge. If you decide to do that, just adjust the overall measurements without the 1/2″ seam.

I always like to clip the corners so they are crisp and not rounded. Turn the pillow where the front of the fabric is facing out.

Filling the Pillow

Well, I tried this two ways and the second attempt is the way to go. Using a large measuring cup, I put the pillow in the bottom with the hole at the top. This way, if I spill any lavender it will be collected vs. all over the kitchen.

At first I used an orange, rubber funnel with a relatively narrow spout. The lavender buds slowly went into the pillow. This took some time……too much time in my opinion. However, I filled the pillow with approximately 6 oz. of lavender buds.

I slip stitched the hole closed. Sorry I failed to take a photo as I was talking on the phone at the same time. The downsides to multi-tasking!

The next pillow, I made the hole bigger and rolled up a piece of copy paper to use as a funnel. This way I could pour a larger quantity of lavender in much faster. The paper allowed the buds to slip right in.

So here is how the first two came out! Honestly, being around this much lavender makes you a bit loopy and mellow! I felt like I needed fresh air as the scent is so strong! But aren’t they cute?

I am so lucky to have some friends in my life that have helped with recently, and I will give these lavender pillows as gifts.

The hope is that the two pound bag of lavender will fill 5-6 pillows. At $39.99 for the bag, that’s $6.67 to $8.00 per pillow. Sure beats spending $49.95 per pillow! I didn’t time how long it took me to make one, but it wasn’t that long. And inhaling all this lavender has made this afternoon so relaxing!

Happy Saturday to you! We had a huge monsoon storm the other night and finally a bit of rain. The yard is a mess with all the plant debris so this weekend will be filled with clean-up chores. Hope you have a fun weekend planned! See you next week.

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