The Evolution of a Blog

Hello everyone! I took a little hiatus but I’m back at it!

My daughter Allison and I started this blog four years ago (say wutttt). We had just come back from a destination wedding in Florence, Italy (yes like WOW). She was still teaching elementary school and trying to corral two youngsters, while I was also teaching at a local community college. We worded our blog from two unique perspectives: teacher/wife/mother and teacher/grandmother/traveler. Allison has since moved on to other projects (she’s been able to retire from teaching and be a full-time mom while working on building a side business). I am now retired (mostly thanks to Covid) but still very active!

But I forget that EVERY year starts off cold and/or rainy and generally dreary. It often messes with your head, doesn’t it? It can’t be just me! So when my husband accidentally banged up my Mercedes convertible (fondly known as Maybelline) I guess I just went into a funk! Writing this blog was just not high on my To Do list. I just couldn’t make myself sit and write about, well, anything!

As we all know life goes on and you should choose how to live it! One thing I have neglected to do is choose my word. “The practice of choosing a “Word of the Year” is that, instead of setting a lot of different New Years Resolutions, you select one single word to be your focus for the year. You can use that word to set goals or intentions for each area of your life but have them all tie back to the single word.” So this year I choose EMBRACE. I am going to embrace my people (literally and figuratively, which means letting go of past differences), embrace opportunities and embrace challenges. I may be 65 years young but I was put here for a purpose, and if my purpose is to be a light then so be it!

So here we/I go! I’m done fretting about things I have no control over and will keep looking forward and embrace. My grandkids are at an age of getting involved in activities, so I see a lot of baseball games and gymnastics in my future! This weekend we are going to Caddo Lake in east Texas. Did you know that it is the only naturally made lake in Texas? After this weekend I will be able to tell you a lot more about it–and with visual aids! Ha ha!

Thank you faithful readers and I hope I haven’t lost too many of you. I’ll be back each week on Wednesdays to share my adventures with you, as well as keep you informed of my exercising and weight loss success. Not too sure about that, because I sure do like my wine! Ha ha ha.

As for Essential Oils (Young Living being my chosen brand), my first recommendation this year is purification.

Purification® essential oil blend is a combination of Citronella, Lavandin, Lemongrass, Myrtle, Rosemary, and Tea Tree that is formulated for diffusing to neutralize and cleanse your home and work environment. It is also soothing to your skin for everyday irritations.

See you next week!

Ten Steps to Be Your Wonderful Self

So often when I was around my mom I was there when she was putting on her “face.” She would lament her wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles. My sister and I would be surprised at how much she would spend on products to “fix” these things. When she passed she was 89. Such an amazing life she lived, too! But I remember clearly one time when she was trying to put on mascara and fussing about her imperfections and I said, “Mom, you know no one notices that stuff but you. All we see is how great you are and how much we all want to be around you.” And that was the absolute truth! My mom was an Auntie Mame (those of you my age will remember who that was), colorful and fun and funny. And even passing at 89 years old I still miss her every single day.

I am at that same place now, well, only 25 years younger. But don’t we all look in a mirror and see only imperfections? Why is that? It may be because we have this internal expectation to be something other than what we are. And who sets those expectations? It’s another example of keeping up with the Joneses, don’t you think? I am going to see family this weekend and I can’t wait! And since I have a new, smaller car I am even more careful about how I pack. One of those expectations also includes how you dress. Who exactly puts the limit on that? It’s enough to drive a person crazy!

So following are ten life lessons from the iconic Iris Apfel (Mattel made a Barbie of her in 2018!) that I am compelled to share:

1. Don’t obsess over your age. “You’re here. Embrace it. …Put your experience to work.”
2. Pick a person who celebrates your successes. Find someone who encourages you and offers “unwavering support.”
3. When something excites you, go for it. “I just feel things in my gut and I do them. If something sounds exciting and interesting I do it — and then I worry about it later.”
4. To stay young you have to feel young. “Having a sense of wonder, a sense of humor, and a sense of curiosity — these are my tonic…”
5. Care about your own opinion above anyone else’s. “If you have to be all things to all people, you end up being ‘nothin’ to nobody.”
6. But don’t isolate yourself either. “…But if you don’t try to be part of things, forget it. That’s when your originality is going to work against you. Fit in first and then step out.”
7. Money doesn’t buy success. “If you’re happy, have found love, are surrounded by good people, doing what you like and giving back to others, that’s success.”
8. Style is not about spending money. “It’s not what you wear but how you wear it.”
9. Start new endeavors with one small step. “You only fail if you do not try,” says Apfel.
10. Don’t pretend you are younger than you are. “There’s nothing wrong with wrinkles. When you’re older, trying to look years younger is foolish, and you’re not fooling anyone. When you’re seventy-five and you get a face-lift, nobody is going to think you are thirty,” she says.”

There you have it. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Go YOU!

Essential Oils: I still LOVE and will continue to promote Young Living Essential Oils! If you are new to essential oils, I highly recommend. And I think when you check out the number of companies that are out there you will agree that Young Living is really the best!

This lovely blend of bitter orange, black spruce, and ylang ylang will awaken your senses. “Present Time helps you focus on the here and now, so you can get beyond the past and move forward.”

Thank you for being a valued reader. If you enjoy the blog, I would love it if you would Follow Me and I’ll come straight to your email (just twice a week)!

Getting Down To Basics (Clothing)

Happy Friday! As a disclaimer, this is not a fashion blog. Never has been and never will be. I just don’t have the knack! My sister and I are so different. She has way more fashion sense than I do. I’ve often found myself trying to emulate that and where has it gotten me? In short, looking ridiculous! While we have similar facial features, our bodies are totally different. She got the long lean look from our Aunt Peggy, while I got my mom’s short, curvy look (minus the boobs). So try as I may, I’ve found that really the best way for me to dress is in my own inimitable style (which even at my age I’m still trying to nail down). However, I do like the way I look in workout clothes (minus the extra Covid pounds) which, probably like a LOT of you, I find myself in on a daily basis!

My sister turned 60 last year and like every other birthday person she did not get to celebrate in style in Italy like she planned. When she comes to visit (pre-Covid) she brings sooo much stuff! I have been reminding her at least every other month that when we go to Italy she needs to use a carry-on and not drag three pieces of luggage. Then I got to thinking, what does she/me/practically anyone really need? Which brought me to this blog’s purpose. If you’ve read any of the countless articles about parring down your closet (and January is a GREAT time to begin this task) you know it’s all about the basics that you can mix and match.

So I asked my daughter, sister and a few of my girlfriends (10 of us in all): “What are your five must have articles of clothing?” It was interesting to see! Five of us are still working but five of us are retired, so that has something to do with choices, I am sure. See if you are surprised, or maybe just what you agree/disagree with:

• dark wash jean –9
• black pants–2
• white shirt/t-shirt–5
• black dress–2
• black pumps–2
• tennis/workout shoes–2
• good bra–3
• black leggings–3
• black blazer–1
• black booties–2
• colorful scarf–3
• flats/sandals–1
• hair ties–1
• cardigan–3
• lounge wear–1
• denim jacket–2
• black shell–1
• colorful shirts–3
• tunics–1

And then there were the sundry things:

• purse–1
• coat–1
• jewelry–2

I don’t know if this really tells us anything, except that each person comes at fashion (or should I say “style”?) from a different direction. Being a retired teacher has changed my wardrobe immensely! I don’t have to wear blazers now, for example, but will keep a few in my wardrobe because no matter who you are I feel that they make you look polished.

The bottom line is, DRESS FOR YOU! Because the way YOU dress is the way YOU feel most comfortable. Heed he advice of the “Oscars” and be confident in 2021, ladies!

Essential Oils: I still LOVE and will continue to promote Young Living Essential Oils! If you are new to essential oils, I highly recommend. And I think when you check out the number of companies that are out there you will agree that Young Living is really the best!

Is there a more fitting EO right now than Believe? It is a delightful blend of Idaho Blue Spruce, Idaho Balsam Fir, and Frankincense (grounding oils), along with the florals Geranium and Ylang Ylang. This oil helps to provide clarity, awareness and confidence.

Thank you for being a valued reader. If you enjoy the blog, I would love it if you would Follow Me and I’ll come straight to your email (just twice a week)!