Tag: Coffee Talk

Real talk. Grab a cup of coffee and read along.

Mindset Monday 3/27/2023

Mindset Monday

Good morning and Happy Monday!!

You asked for it, and Monday Mindset is back.

This week’s mindset is inspired by one of my bonus kids.
She is a new mom, and those of us that have had babies know the transition of caring for another human, recovering physically and mentally from labor, and the lack of sleep creates a cocktail of self-doubt.
What advice would you give her?
When is a time you needed to change your self-talk?
Is this an area you need help and support in?
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and let’s talk about it

Monday Mindset 10/17/22

Monday Mindset

This weekend we were at the Farm Where You Live event. It was an amazing weekend of connecting with other homesteaders and learning from those passionate about the skills and knowledge they have acquired. Guest speaker Joel Salatin spoke on the 7 fears we encounter when homesteading. Honestly, it applies to pursuing any dream. Fear of not succeeding, of not knowing enough to start, making mistakes, losing money, are all boat anchors holding us back. Just start. Do one small step in the direction you want. If you want to garden, plant one plant. Cook from scratch, pick one recipe and master it. Learn to raise animals? Volunteer or intern at a farm. Your dream is waiting for you, all you need to do is step your fears and be relentless in pursuit of the life you are meant to live.

Today in my 90 Day Challenge group, we focused on the importance of gratitude. For me, gratitude has been the biggest factor in helping me live a life of joy and happiness.

But how, you may wonder will gratitude help you lose weight or workout more.

I believe that everything is mindset.

When you are white knuckling your way through “I have to lose weight” “I have to exercise”, I don’t believe you are setting yourself up for long term success.
You may reach your goal, but without gratitude, without joy, what will keep you wanting to maintain that goal?

Gratitude is also the easiest practice that you can start and maintain. All you have to do is be grateful in that moment. No matter what the circumstance or what is happening, there is something to be grateful for. A lesson learned. Your life experience has made you who are in this moment which is an amazing person. Wanting grow and change is also amazing!

So how do you start. When you open your eyes in the morning, “I am grateful for this day.”
When you make your bed “I am grateful for a comfortable, warm, safe place to sleep.” If your kitchen that was clean when you went to bed now has dirty dishes “I am grateful for dishes to wash and clean water to use to wash them”. For each time during the day a negative thought or frustration comes, we can reset by just looking at it through gratitude.

So when we don’t want to do the hard workout, you can look back to your morning for inspiration. “I made my bed, I drank my water, I had a healthy breakfast, now I GET to move my body. I get to be strong and healthy for the people I love in my life , I get to be strong and healthy for me.”

Being grateful for having clean food choices to make, for water to drink, to be able to workout, to have a home to clean, to have a bed to sleep in, takes us from feeling like we are living a life of lack but to a place of abundance. And I do believe when we attract abundance in one area of our life, it spills into all the other areas of our life.

I am grateful for each and everyone of you reading this. I hope your day is filled with gratitude and abundance.

Be The Example

Today I was working out and my granddaughter asked what I was doing. I told her was working out and when she asked why, I said to be strong. Then she said “Stella is strong” and started working out with me.

Body confidence and positivity starts with us. Our children and grandchildren are watching and listening.

I get to workout to be able to pick up and play with my grandchildren.

Forget the scale or fitting into a certain size. What in your life is important to you that you need to be healthy to enjoy it. Make that your why.

Be strong, be confident. You deserve it.

Live In The Moment

The best thing about being grandparents is knowing there is no perfect. Things don’t go as planned , and all that matters at the end of the day is that you loved and felt love.

This was the 1st time we had all three of our grandchildren together and my daughter hired a truly gifted photographer that has captured beautiful pictures of her family. Here we have a 2 1/2 year old, a 6 month old and a 1 month old. As you can see, the memo that it was photo day was not received.  Someone is crying in every pic of the day but the joy of having them all together will never be lost in my heart.

So, take the pictures, make the memories. It does not matter if they are “insta worthy” or “perfect”.   This day does not come again, there are more to come, but this one only happens today.

Choose To Learn..

Well, today has been a lesson in challenges for sure. I had to take a moment and reset myself for the day…..we have the opportunity to learn from each set back. Find new ways to problem solve…sometimes see that less is more. Accept that things happen out of our control but we can chose to not be discouraged and push through. Wishing you all a beautiful and bright day, despite any challenges the day brings.

Food For The Soul

_ Food For The Body Is Not Enough. There Must Be Food For The Soul_ Dorothy Day

Lately, I have been so focused on food. What to eat, when to eat, guilt eating with my husband, one day deciding to just eat to be happy, next looking at my body wanting to make changes…all the while neglecting what is most important. Fulfilling my soul.

I like so many of you start a good habit, journaling, meditating, working out, eating clean and then we get distracted. One day snowballs into many and we feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, questioning ourselves. All because we didn’t the 5, 10, 15 minutes to feed our soul and set our day up for success. Or at the end of the day I go over what I didn’t get done on my to-do list instead of giving myself credit for all I did accomplish.

Even things that bring me joy, I feel “bad” for not doing them. “You didn’t write on the blog. You didn’t read that library book You didn’t choreograph a new song for class.”  How can I be creative if I make the things I love a “job”, just another thing on my to-do list?

A couple weeks back my husband and I were in a fight and not speaking. My son who I had not seen in 6 months let me know that he his trip home had been extended again. I looked at the text and the Christmas tree still up, started crying and knew, I needed to go.

I looked up flights and found a ticket in my budget at time that I could actually take time off work. and I booked it. Knowing that I might only get to see my son briefly in the evenings. That I would be in a town I have never been to and that I would not know anyone.

So here I am in Jacksonville, NC. It has been what most would consider a boring trip to this point but it has been just what I needed. I read a book on the plane that I bought myself before Christmas. Then I watched a movie that have been wanting to see for months. I landed, had dinner with my son and got to hear about his new roommate and a training he is gearing up to go out in the field for. Meaning he will be off the grid and I won’t even get the one word texts  get now for weeks at a time. We checked into my room and he opened his Christmas. The look on his face made me so happy that I did not mail them but stuffed them into my carry-on.

As I knew may happen, his time off was not approved and he had to go back to base. The next day it rained all day. So, I slept in, binge watched bad TV shows and did my online volunteer work, without guilt. At home I feel bad about what I don’t get done because of volunteering or I feel bad that I did not help enough volunteering because I was busy at home. Again, something I started because it makes me happy to help others. I ate oatmeal at breakfast even though I didn’t work out and I had M&M’s in the afternoon. Then I got dressed, went to a box store just to wander, no shopping list to check off and then dinner with my son. Another evening of great conversation. He went back to base and I had another night of sleep hogging all the pillows.

Today I woke up, ready for a quick workout in my room, not because I had to, because I wanted to. Now I am in a bookstore cafe, with a new mystery novel recommended by one of the staff. I loved mysteries as a kid and don’t read them as an adult. I took it as a sign from the universe that it is time. Also 3 people walked by me saying how great of a book it is. I sat down with a latte and felt inspired to write. So, here I am, waiting for a text from my son, ready to spend the weekend together. Also grateful for the time to just be quiet. To not feel bad for not meditating or reading or doing the things I “should” have done and letting them become the things I want to do again.

We need to feed our bodies and our souls. Not with guilt and regret but with love and acceptance. I hope this weekend you find the space to feed your soul, no matter what that looks like for you.

Soothing Sunday

Some Sundays are meant to do nothing…..and today is that day for me. Super busy week with my regular fitness schedule and then 6 new kids classes starting. Still made time for a fun girls night with wine and a concert under our towns water tower.

Fun housewarming party last night for one of our favorite kids and his fiance.

So today has been a football, brunch, mimosas, bubble bath, kind of day. I did get some work done here for the blog and some volunteer online work I do, but overall, just the kind of Sunday I needed.

I hope you all found the soothing Sunday you needed as well.

Kindness Challenge and What I learned

Our 7 Day Kindness Challenge has come to an end. The last few days were a challenge. I have been home in bed with the worst stomach flu since I don’t know when. Not quite the way I planned on losing those 5 pounds for, Bikini/whatever bathing suit covers my stretch marks/Season, but here I am. When I first started this challenge, I really thought I would be out and about doing great deeds. Some days were like that. I got to do some volunteer work, ship some boxes to deployed Military, accept donations for future projects, had cash on me when I saw a homeless person in need. Other days I had to look closer to home and my circle of friends I interact with almost everyday. Instead of rolling my eyes or being annoyed at things I needed to around the house, I took it as my kindness act for the person that appreciate or benefit from it. I looked for ways to be a supportive friend or give a compliment. Then once I was stuck at home, I reached out to friends and family I have not talked to in awhile. Started a scrapbooking project for my kids that I have been putting off. Then I gave myself permission to be kind to myself for taking the needed time to get better without guilt of missed classes or letting others down. I binge watched TV shows (even though I had to hit pause every 10 min.) I didn’t shower for a couple days and just stayed in my pajamas and rested. I did fold some laundry and do a few dishes, I mean, it is me we are talking about. But, I let myself just be (the horrible stomach cramps made it hard to do much else, haha) I started to this challenge to be more mindful of ways I can make a difference in the world around me but it also made me more aware of the small opprotunties in front of me everyday. In my home, at work, and even as close as the mirror.

What did you learn in this 7 day challenge? I would live to hear from you.

With Kindness Always

St. Patrick’s Day Care Packages

When my daughter left for college and was too far to come home for weekends I embraced care packages. I love decorating the inside of the box and adding a few things to remind her of home. This year, not only is she at school but my son is in the Military and this is the 1st Holiday he is able to receive a care package. When the kids where little I left cut out shamrocks with clues on where to find the next one, leading them on a scavenger hunt to find the “treasure” they left. Always a box of Lucky Charms and a black pot filled with gold wrapped chocolates.

So for this years boxes I wrapped the inside with gold paper, added shamrock stickers and fun, twirly ribbon. They are filled with funny glasses, Kiss Me headbands, green bead necklaces and of course Lucky Charms and gold wrapped chocolates. Even far away I know it will be bring a smile to their face. I still have my youngest at home so I am hoping having a bowl of Lucky Charms with your mom will still be cool this year.

Let February Begin

Hello February 2019,

Like many of you, January did not live up to the hype for me and I am ready for the fresh start. To shake off all the expectations of New Year New You, Resolutions, Challenges, yada yada yada.

Here is my January in a nutshell:

  • I did not succeed at Dry January. It was more Dryish January. I did drink lots more tea and forgot how much I liked it. I went to bed earlier, read more, found out my favorite sushi joint has awesome green tea when I did not order hot sake. My favorite wine bar I sipped on French Press coffee. I did miss my lazy Sundays cooking, enjoying a glass wine and watching cheesy romantic movies while I meal prepped, so a couple cheat days happened there. Then there was a Military Mom meetup and vodka soda’s while talking about how much we miss our kids was too much to pass up. I fully enjoyed a cocktail while talking to my husband last night watching a movie. I went to bed early most of Jan and bypasssed watching TV to not be tempted to eat or drink, which was good, but I did miss spending time together. So the take-away, trading books and tea during the week for wine and TV will be a keeper. Going to bed earlier was much needed. Enjoying the occasional glass of wine with friends or cocktail with my hubby over good conversation, well that is staying as well.
  • Being injured is frustrating and annoying. I set a goal to do a pull-up before my son graduated Bootcamp. I made it to 3 chin-ups and felt good about that. Then my shoulder got injured. I have had to side line the whole thing while it heals, meaning I will lose all the progress I made. Real problem? No. I can still teach my classes. I am healthy, but I am still ……so annoyed.
  • 2018 was a big year for my family. My daughter became a mom, which means I became a grandma. My son became a Marine, which brought with it 3 months of no communication. Going from talking t your child once a day to stalking the mailman hoping for a letter was very hard. Then it ended with his graduation ,which was one of the proudest moments of my life. My baby started his Senior Year of High School. I think all the emotions caught up to me and I needed January to just kind of reset. I ate chocolate and ice cream. I was distracted and it was hard to work on new routines for my classes. My son was home on leave and I didn’t want to miss anytime with him. Finally by the last week, I found my groove again.
  • I still have a 17 year old at home. He breaks curfew. He is late to school. He talks about all the piercings and tattoos he is getting at 18. But, he is healthy, safe, not on drugs, just embracing the annoying teen thing a little too much, which is why I still need wine and chocolate.
  • I started working at 5:30 am 4 days a week instead of 2. Still not a morning person.
  • I let my gratitude journal slip which was my favorite habit I established in 2018. I did it every morning. The new work schedule maybe the reason for the change, I only wrote in it a few times at night before bed. This is a routine I want to embrace again. I have noticed the difference with out it and if I set any goals for February, this is it.

So there you have it. Bring on February.