Tag: Joy

Lunchin’ with the ladies…good for the so❤︎l

Posted in frienship, Joy, Life coach, Little Moments, Midlife, simple joys, the little momentsTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

I don’t do it enough. When I do, I wish I did it more. It’s always fun and filled with laughter or sometimes tears. But it feels so good! Going out with the ladies for lunch is one thing I aim to do more this season. Nothing fancy, but a salad in an outside cafe. Good conversation overflows, life problems attempt to be solved, much-liked podcasts are shared, heartfelt stories about loved ones are honestly put on the table for all to support. We share dilemmas faced with aging family as caregiving shifts from the young to the old. We shed light on our faith, seeking God to continue to guide us and continuously grateful for our blessings. We sit for hours as time flies by, my heart overflowing for these women who grace my life. Ordinary moments that are often overlooked, and not done enough. No particular reason or specific milestone celebration causing us to schedule a lunch together yet our friendship should be the best reason of all! ❤︎

Celebrating the little moments

Posted in Family coaching, Life coach, Little Moments, motherhood, Orthodox Parenting, parenting, simple joys, Simple momentsTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

Yes, life has big moments that are to be celebrated. But there are many, many little moments in between. And somehow we forget that these little ones are really important. Cheers to pausing and noting all the little things in our lives that are so very essential to our happiness…

✹chosen friends that become family

✹backyard bbqs

✹a sunny day

✹impromptu cornhole tournament

✹dance party in the kitchen bc a good song came on

✹a beach day!

✹empty day on the calendar

✹long weekend

✹long-overdue catch-up phone call

✹family walk

✹unexpected visit

✹good book

✹new recipe that becomes a family favorite

✹surprise flower delivery

✹tiring workout

✹s’mores by the outdoor fireplace to end the night

✹watching birds make a nest under our deck

✹throwing a ball to our dog

✹smiling to a stranger and getting one back

✹saying a prayer and having it answered

✹taking time to do what you love

What’s sweeter than candy for your kids on Valentine’s Day?

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Is Valentine’s Day really a holiday? How did we get caught up in buying overpriced flowers, needless candy, and $10 cards? Don’t get me wrong, I do stop at my local chocolatier and purchase a small piece for my kids and hope I get one too!! And there is much I do appreciate about February 14th… It’s a reminder to let people know how you feel about them. Reach out to those friends you haven’t checked in with for a while, write teachers a note of gratitude or do something thoughtful for those you love. Simply hug a little tighter, say “I love you” a lot more, and thoughtfully show your love.

This year, I wrote qualities that I admire about each of my children on heart-shaped sticky notes and put them on their bedroom doors. When they started their days, I wanted them to be reminded of why they are loved and what makes them special! At the end of the day, the candy wrappers will be thrown in the garbage, flowers wilted away, but I hope that the words of love and value will remain in their hearts for much longer. ♥︎

Joyfully following your path of life

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“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy.” -Psalm 16:11

How many times have you questioned what you are doing in life? Career? Relationships?

The other morning, I was walking with a friend and mentioned how I felt I wasn’t fully content. I felt I was being guided to do something new…again! She simply shrugged and said, “Welcome to life!” Many of us have this feeling of evolution or re-evaluation and it may not be part of our own ‘plan.’ But then I realize, this life isn’t my plan alone…God has a plan for my unique journey, more miraculous than I can imagine. So on the days life is tougher than I’d like, I remember it’s all part of His path for me. This calms me, focuses my worried brain, and helps me embrace the phase I’m in knowing it’s all taken care of. My heart can be happy because a road has already been paved and I can enjoy the ride.

Kiboshing trends

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“Do not love the world or anything in the world.” -John 2:15

Enjoying a rare sighting of the Northern Lights from our home in New England.

I have two teenagers and a tween. Keeping them focused on what truly matters takes work. It’s a constant conversation about the newest iPhones, stylish clothes, trendy shows. Fortunately, I was never ‘hip’ when it came to that stuff. I always liked to go to bed early so never stayed up to watch the most talked about shows. My mom didn’t have money to splurge on popular clothing items so it wasn’t even an option. This carried me into adulthood with not wanting a lot of worldly items or staying current on pop culture. It just wasn’t important to me. Fast forward to parenthood and I have kids who hear about lots of things that I don’t find essential. But do they? Living by example hopefully encourages them to reflect on what’s truly vital in living a full, joyous life. What I do know for sure is that they value our family, our faith, serving others, helping one another, having fun a the beach, cooking together, constructing puzzles, taking hikes, and cuddling with our dog. And these are most worldly to me.

Lifelong Learning-setting the example

Posted in Family, goals, Happiness, Hobbies, Joy, Little Moments, parenting, self-improvement, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , Leave a comment
Nana’s newest project

I have always loved learning, loved school; that’s one of the main reasons I became a teacher. During my years as a homemom, I was always finding ways to better myself. I would take online seminars from my alma mater staying abreast the newest technology, I enrolled in a Life Coach certification program to gain insight into how to inspire others and I ALWAYS read! Reading continues to enlighten, guide and transform me in whatever season of life I’m in.

Recently, my 76-year-old mother took up knitting. She is a very accomplished croceter, but knitting was new. While she has found it challenging, she feels it’s ‘good for her brain’ to keep learning new things. And what an example she sets for me AND her grandchildren. They watch in awe as she patiently tries and retries to learn a new skill. She makes mistakes, gets better, gets frustrated but keeps going. It’s this lifelong learning that keeps her young in spirit, relevant, and simply happy. I can’t help but think of all the things she has learned over three-quarters of a century and how that has shaped this amazing person we call Nana. So for the sake of inspiring your children to simply be better, try something new yourself! Hmmm…I have an idea…

Love is a verb

Posted in Christian, Family, Greek Orthodox Parenting, Happiness, Joy, Little Moments, motherhood, Orthodox Parenting, parenting, simple joys, the little moments, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment
Husband & youngest daughter spending time together

This past Sunday at Church, our Deacon enlightened the children that love is a verb. Think about that for a minute…love is an action; it’s something you do, say, show. I couldn’t help but think what an important reminder for adults too. Imagine if we all showed affection more often, spoke kind words more than others, and did small acts of lovingkindness throughout our days. Treating love as an action to our children will encourage them to reciprocate it not only to the family but to those all around. Now that’s something to pass on…❤︎

5 Ways to Show Love to Your Kids

  • leave “Just Because I Love You” notes in lunchboxes, in sport bags, on bathroom mirrors, on pillows
  • give a hug & kiss, cuddle up, walk arm-in-arm,
  • say, “I love you!” “You mean SO much to me!” “I’m very lucky to have you!”
  • make their favorite meal, snack or dessert
  • plan one-on-one time together (neighborhood walk, bike ride, trip to the mall, ice cream outing, board game)

Worrying a little less

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Rome, Italy

“Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.” -Matthew 6:34

The phone rang in the early morning. Our daughter was studying in Rome and had fallen. She was being taken to the hospital. Ironically, my husband and I were planning to visit her that weekend so we headed to the airport unsure what we were flying into. Various scenarios played in my head; does she have surgery in Rome, do we fly her home, can she finish her semester? My steadfast, rational husband kept assuring me not to worry until we knew exactly what we were dealing with. Turns out, our daughter did need to have surgery back in the States and would not be able to finish her semester abroad. Her peace and positivity throughout this ordeal were admirable. Even in pain, she was able to make reasoned decisions, not lamenting over experiences lost, but appreciating the time she did have and focusing on what was in her control at each moment. She didn’t spend extra energy worrying about what could potentially happen next yet instead put her effort into the now.

It’s comforting to look at our growing children as they make important life lessons while showing their strength of character, all while worrying a little less.

Letting the sun shine on long-distance friends

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One of my dearest childhood friends lives in SoJo (Southern New Jersey). It’s a wonderful community; one in which I lived for years. I speak to this friend quite often because we fill each other in on all of life’s moments: big and small, happy and sad, disappointing and surprising, mundane and extraordinary. When she answered my call the other morning, I knew in an instant that something in her voice was off. She was not ok. I listened to her share, comforting, and reassuring that I’m here even though so very far away. When my kids were little, I would hum the song, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,” to ease worries and remind them of my unceasing love. It was obvious that my sweet friend needed some sunshine so I sent her sunflowers. It took me no time at all to find a bouquet and have it delivered the very next day, all thanks to Costco. It was a little reminder that sending sunshine is sometimes just what loved ones need. ❤︎

Exceeding your 40% capacity…1 belief at a time

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I love to read nonfiction, self-help books. If I learn one nugget of information that resonates, it is worth it. This week’s read is The Power of Self-Discipline; 5-minute exercises to build self-control, good habits, and keep going when you want to give up by Peter Hollins. I’m only a third of the way in but this stuck with me:

“When an individual’s mind begins telling them that they are physically or emotionally maxed out, in reality, they have only pushed themselves to forty percent of their full capacity. In other words, they could endure sixty percent more if only they believed that they were capable of it” (77).

Wow! Let this sink in…Tell your kids this! Because imagine when we really grasp this and start believing, really believing what we can do, we can achieve SO much! Remember those dreams we only worked a little on, or that weight loss program that we gave up on 2 weeks in, or that marathon we wanted to run but stopped training when it got cold outside? That’s only 40% of us talking…there’s another 60% that CAN do it!! Reframing, refocusing, and restating our struggles, pain, obstacles and excuses can be pushed out of the way when we start firmly believing in ourselves, believing in that other 60% that exists inside all of us. What are you waiting for?! ❤︎