Warning: something that serves to warn, give notice, or caution.

 

Sometimes in life we are lucky enough to get warnings. There are so many examples out there of “near misses” or “jeez, that could have been me” or “it could have been a lot worse”. Sometimes they are little nudges or whispers and if you aren't paying attention you'll miss them, and other times they are huge shoves....a punch in the face even, a sign that you can't ignore.

It is what you do with those warnings that matters.  

These warnings are not random either, everything that happens in this life is trying to tell you something, trying to guide you. You need to pay attention and you need to learn. 

It is easy to take things for granted when everything is going well. We are all guilty of taking our health for granted when we feel good, and even when we feel better we often begin to take it for granted once again.  

It is easy to coast along and soak in all the goodness in our lives. So often we don't plan for those "rainy days" and only when we are caught in an unexpected situation that we remind ourselves that we will start that nest egg so we are better prepared next time.

It is easy to be impulsive, irresponsible and carefree when things are good. When someone dies we all take a look at our relationships and make promises to ourselves to make improvements. We will make more effort to be there for the people in our lives, we will try to forgive more easily and we will say the things we feel more often.

It is easy to ignore that nagging voice in our heads. It is easy to tell ourselves we will do it tomorrow. No matter who you are or where you are in your life there is always room for improvement. There is always something that you can do better. Usually a few things that you need to do better…..and you know it.

You know it - but you think there is time.

Time is not guaranteed.  

So do it today.

Don’t put it off.

And if you are lucky enough to get a warning….do something with it!

quinoa salad

Who doesn't love a new recipe! 

I got this recipe from my wonderfully creative friend Amber. I can always count on the recipes she shares with me to be as unique and bold as she is! I may have a small "woman crush" on Amber - she is just such a fun, adventurous and not to mention strikingly beautiful person and she has inspired me many times to step out of my comfort zone and try different things,  she also makes me want to be a better human being!  

I instantly fell in love with this salad and have made it alot!  I like that it is easily adaptable to what is in my fridge, I don't always have all the ingredients so I just add what I do have and it works out! Quinoa is a healthy grain and I never seem to get enough of it in my diet so this is one more way to fit it in! 

What you need:

Salad:                                                                        Dressing:

Quinoa                                                                      Soya Sauce

Green onion                                                            Seseame Oil

Celery                                                                        Rice Vinegar

Carrots                                                                      Ginger

Snap peas

Edamame beans

Peanuts or sliced almonds

 

Step 1:
Cook quinoa. Cooking tips - rinse quinoa before cooking, bring to boil and let simmer until water is absorbed - stirring occasionally.

Step 2:
Prepare vegetables.  Shell edamame beans if needed. Shred carrots, dice celery, chop green onions, celery, peas, peanuts, and ginger. 

 Step 3: 

Mix dressing. 

2 tbsp Soya sauce

2 tbsp Sesame oil 

1 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1/2 tsp ginger














 




Step 4:
Mix together and enjoy!  Store in small tupperware containers for easy work lunches! This salad seems to get better by the day, and not only does it taste delicious -  it is filling and healthy!

being proud of yourself!

So much of our happiness depends on how we feel about ourselves! I have been making an effort to live cleaner, exercise  more and eat right......I mean really, I ain't getting any younger! Realizing my gluten intolerance was a big kick start!  When I finally began to eat right for my body, I started to feel so much better, I started to sleep better, I had more energy,  I started to notice I was getting a little bit leaner and then it just started to snowball! Eating right made me feel better, I wasn't as tired as I had been, I was more motivated to do healthy things!

All this feeling good made me want to feel better! 

How good could I feel if I put  my mind to it? 

I started to incorporate exercise into my daily life. It started with dog walking every couple days and then I noticed how good I felt on the days when I took the dogs out and got my heart rate up so I started to walk them every day! I actually started to crave my walks and it would always be the first thing I did when I got home from work. Then I started to walk faster each time and for longer; I started to bring my i-pod and would really get into it!  Then I thought,  what else can I do for exercise? I set up a gym area in the basement and started to lift weights along with the Pilates to help tone up.  I still feel like I am just getting going and I feel like I want to do more, I love seeing my body getting toned and strong, and I love the good mood boost I get from a hard workout! 

Just today I was making lunch plans with a girlfriend and out of nowhere I mentioned that we should go for breakfast instead.....and before breakfast we should go do a deep water aerobics class! Years ago, her and I used to go to these classes before work twice a week, but they changed the times,  we both changed our jobs and so it just sort of stopped. Well, she loved the idea and so this is what we are doing! I am very excited about it!  I have been wanting to get back into the pool but just wasn't making it happen! So now I get to catch up with an old friend and an old exercise! This makes me happy! I recently worked at a trade show and normally I hate them and I feel so worn out when I get done, with an aching back and sore feet,  but this year I made an effort to go in with a positive attitude and it totally worked! I know I have my new found healthy life style to thank for that,  I would normally come home and pour a glass of wine, put on my pajamas and reward my grumpy mood with tv and chips - this year I would come home, do a work out, have a hot tub, skip the wine, tv and chips and go to bed early!

I am proud of myself for these changes and I am proud of myself for being open to make these changes and to do them for myself. I still have goals to want to reach - and I will, but for now I am celebrating my small personal success and staying motivated to do more! 

I am responsible for my happiness and I know that the choices we make are a direct reflection of how happy we can be! Allowing myself to feel proud and to know that this is due to decisions I have made has increased my happiness and has made me want to feel more of it! 

Is there something you have done that you are proud of? Are you holding off doing something that will make you happier? Remember.....the first step is trying!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

St. Patrick's day was a bit of a big deal at my house growing up, my parents were so good at that stuff!  When I was a kid there was always a bag of foil covered chocolate coins under the table - left by a leprechaun of course, the milk had a green tint and our meals were of an Irish theme! Even today, I know my mom will probably be enjoying some potato pancakes for breakfast and a nice Irish stew for supper! Lucky lady! These days I see some of my friends setting up traps for their kids to try to catch a Leprechaun and one of my girlfriends is putting green dye in the toilet to tell her kids the magical little creature came in for a pee......hee hee.

What are the traditions at your house for this day? 

We will be having green scrambled eggs this morning and I plan to enjoy at least one green beer this afternoon!! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

sharing happiness

Being happy is great all in itself but sharing happiness is a whole different feeling and there are lots of ways to share your happy feelings! 

Dogs have it figured out don't they? They are just happy to be alive. They want everyone around them to be happy.....and not in that annoying over powering way that some people have of shoving it down your throat!  I find that gay men are pretty well always happy too - gay does mean happy after all! I can't remember ever walking away from a conversation with a gay guy feeling down. Seriously. It is hard not to get a boost in your mood when after asking how his day is going I get a "Fabulous!" or a "Sooooooo good!". 

So what is their secret? 

I have no idea. 

I mean, I am sure they have bad days and sometimes feel like answering with a "Not worth a shit" or "well, I can't complain cause no one will listen" but I have never gotten that response. Same with my dogs, I have only ever been greeted with jubilation and big 'ol wagging tails! Granted the dogs have it pretty easy - I mean they have acres of land to run around on, an endless supply of food and dog treats, and lots and lots of cuddles. Even so, they must wake up on the wrong side of the dog bed every now and then, but if they do they don't show it! 

So why not try to be more like that? Why not work harder to be happy? Not like I am not happy but responding with positive words and using the "bright side of things" approach can't hurt!  

My beautiful sister came up with a most brilliant idea a few years ago to start a positive group. There are five of us in the group and we all share our positives each day. This is a great way to share happiness! It gives you a moment to think about and appreciate the positive things that happened to you during the day. It isn't always easy.......five women, 30 days in a month,....PMS is bound to creep in there once in a while! But we have been good at keeping each other positive on the days when it seems easier to concentrate on the negatives.

We added a good deed to our daily positives and I have to say I LOVE the good deed! Another good way to share happiness! Even a gesture as small as holding a door for some one at the store adds to my happiness! I try to be on the look out for an opportunity to do my good deed! Not only do I feel good doing my good deed but so does the person on the other end of said good deed! Some days they are very simple and other days I am in the right place at the right time and I nail it!! Executing a good deed makes me feel happy enough, but the anticipation of sharing my good deed with the positive group only adds to my happiness!It is very easy to be self absorbed and focus on ourselves....because at the end of the day, no one really cares about your happiness as much as you do. So what better way to focus on your own happiness by being conscious of sharing it with others!

    

Being accountable to a group is a great way to stay on track, it is easy to talk the talk but when you are accountable to people each day for your actions you actually do need to walk the walk! 

So THANK YOU, to my sister for the great idea! 

Just one more thing I love about you! XOXO

taco stuffed peppers!

So I had some left over taco meat in the freezer (which is very odd because taco salad is a big hit at our house) and I did not have any lettuce.......so what to do what to do??

Baked nachos would have been too easy so I had a look in the fridge and here is the result! This is certainly not the healthiest meal but it sure did taste good!! And it's ok every once in awhile right?

Taco stuffed peppers!

What you need:

peppers - I had a three pack in the fridge

  meat - mine was extra lean hamburger
taco seasoning - I like Victorian Epicure Taco

cheese  - I used laughing cow, cheese whiz and grated cheddar

greek yogurt (or sour cream)

salsa

 Step 1:

 Wash and clean out the peppers

Step 2:

Place face down in a pre-heated 400 degree oven (I forgot to turn on my convection fan but I normally would use it)  This is a step I always do with any stuffed pepper recipe because don't like my peppers to be overly crunchy....el dante if you will.

Step 3: 

Cook your ground beef or turkey with taco seasoning.

 

Step 4:

 Stuff the peppers! Start with cheese, I used laughing cow, and smoosh it in there good with a spoon! Next a layer of meat followed by more cheese, I used cheese whiz for this layer, and then top it off with some more meat! 

 Step 5: Put the peppers back into the oven to finish cooking! They will take about 20 minutes....but keep an eye on them - everyone's oven is different!

 Step 6: Take the peppers out top with some grated cheese because really.....can you ever have too much cheese?!? Place them back in the oven to melt the cheese.

AND Finally.......... 

plate them with a dollop of greek yogurt and salsa and enjoy!

laugh

A good belly laugh should be a daily activity! 

I am serious.

If it isn't - you need to change that! 

All day long I am surrounded by fits of uncontrollable laughter - I am lucky enough to work with my husband and one of my very best girlfriends, in an environment that encourages smiles and laughter! There are many days that I should have just skipped the make-up because by 10am the tears of laughter have washed it all away!

I do know that this is not the "norm" for the majority and I do know how lucky I am! 

It isn't all luck though...I made it happen! One day a few years ago I realized that I could actually choose who I spend my time with! Sounds simple enough....but it didn't seem so for me. Once I made that decision and committed to spending as much time being happy, and being surrounded by happiness it became so easy....so simple! Things started to happen!! 

I wasn't happy in my work environment at the time - a job presented it self before I even had the chance to go looking! 

I wasn't happy in my neighborhood - so we started to do something about it and found a new place to live! 

It is easy enough to stay in an ok state of mind but it is much more enjoyable to be in a fabulous state of mind! Now, you can't be in that place all day everyday, but you can do your best to be there as much as possible! 

Stop saying yes to those things you think you "have" to do, stop associating with those people who you feel "obligated" to see rather than actually wanting to see. 

Start some healthy habits! Exercise is a great habit to form! Positive thinking is a good one too! Take up a new hobby....a craft maybe.  

Go back to school, enroll in a class you have always wanted to take. Start saying yes more often to new things! 

Step out of your comfort zone and do something different! Start making a conscious effort to be happy. Stop focusing on negative things or people. Stop doing things you dread....I mean really if you are hating every minute of something - it shows!

So GO! 

Get out there .........

and start filling your days with more laughter!