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Category Archives: Bucket List

10 Ways to Have a Fulfilling Summer

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SUMMER is finally in full swing! Today I’d like to share 10 Ways to Have a Fulfilling Summer!

1)  Spend Time OUTSIDE. Simply put, it’s good for the soul. Breathe in the fresh air, feel wind in your hair, get some sun on your face. Take off your shoes and feel that tickle of the grass or the soft grit of sand. I promise you’ll feel revitalized.

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2) Take a Trip. Everybody needs a break from reality, something to look forward to, a reset of your capacity to deal with life. It doesn’t have to be and exotic location or an expensive get-away. But find a way to get out of town with someone you love this summer. You’ll come back with a renewed zest for life.

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3) Participate in Local Activities. There’s something to be said for being part of your community. I bet you’ll be surprised how many events are offered between the city, local schools, libraries and recreation centers. The more you get involved, the more rooted to your community you will feel.

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4) Do A “Summer-Cleaning.” Go through your closets, your garages and your kid’s rooms. See if there are  things you no longer need or items you can donate to charity (Here’s a post I did about Sorting & Donating). Reducing the amount of clutter in your home will lift the mood of your house and give you peace of mind.

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5) Spend 5 Minutes Reflecting at Night. Studies have shown that peoples who are consciously paying attention to the good things in their life are less prone to depression, they feel more fulfilled and live longer. Whether you do a thankful journal where you jot down one thing you are thankful for each day, use the Gratitude 365 App I talked about here, or even verbally share something you enjoyed about your day with someone you care about–find a way to focus on the good.

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6) Commit to Less. Summer is a great time to scale back on your responsibilities. Guard your time and don’t be afraid to say NO. Make sure that if you’re participating in something it’s because you WANT to be there, not because you feel obligated.

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7) Carve Out Time for Something You Love. Whatever it is that moves you and makes you feel alive… make time to do it! Be conscious to have at least one activity a day that makes your soul happy!

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8) Be Active. The days are long and perfect for squeezing in something active to reduce stress, lose weight, tone up and find mental clarity. Go running, biking, hiking, waterskiing, jet skiing, golfing, canoeing, rappelling–just SOMETHING active. Go chase your kids in a game of tag, participate in a fitness boot-camp, take your dog for a long walk, jump on a trampoline, play a pick-up game of basketball, throw a ball around, go to an outdoor yoga class or swim some laps. Take advantage of the these longer days because Fall will be here before you know it!

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9) Read! Being a writer, I may be a little biased here… but I also devoured 50 Books in 2013 and it enriched so many things in my life and broadened my perspectives. Here’s my list of  the 2014 Top Ten Summer Recommendations. Even if you’re not normally a reader or can’t seem to find the time, try to read at least one book this summer. Here’s a few suggestions of how to make reading more convenient for you!

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10) RELAX! Summer should be slower-paced, less stressful and more relaxed. Let go of things that are bothering you, give yourself a break and allow yourself to have some down time!

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BONUS CHALLENGE: Create a Bucket List! I had so much fun putting mine together and it’s great to keep things I want to do in my life on my radar. Try it! What have you always wanted to do??

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I hope you’re able to use some of these ideas to make your summer more meaningful. 2014 can be the best summer yet!

Have a safe and happy Independence Day tomorrow!!

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Warmly,

Brooke

 

Day 6 of the “30 Days of Loving Yourself Project”

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Day 6: Make a list of ten things you’re grateful for and display it where you’ll see it often.

The Blurb: Gratitude is one of the easiest- and unfortunately most overlooked- ways to improve  your quality of life. It’s quick, doesn’t cost any money or even much time. It’s the simple act of acknowledging the little things that become big things because you focus on them. This is a truth my grandpa taught me- “what you focus on expands.” Our brains are wired to adapt to reoccurring situations and so it’s easy to overlook things we should be thankful for on a daily basis. There’s nothing like having something taken away to make you grateful for it.

Suggestions: This is one of the easiest days to accomplish. Just grab a piece of paper and jot down 10 things you are thankful for and put it somewhere you’ll see it until the day before Valentines day, when we finish up this project. They can be big or small. In college I kept a “thankful journal.” At the end of each night I would just write a few sentences of one or two things that happened that day. I can’t even tell you how much this simple and quick daily act helped to improve my attitude about everything in my life. I started noticing things during the day that I could put in my journal at night, which me realize just how good I had it.

Keeping it Real:

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Here’s my list of 10 things I’m thankful for today:

1) My family. I am blessed beyond measure. I have an amazing hubby, awesome daughters and the cutest little boy around.

2) My amazingly supportive friends. I am lucky to have many close friends. I am also a part of a GNO group with amazing women who inspire me and keep me laughing all the time.

3) The ability to share my writing with others. I’m currently working on getting one book published while I finish a second one (details on my website). I love blogging once a week and sharing occasional writing excepts –  here’s one of my favorites.

4) Laughter. I think laughing  is the only way to make it through life’s journey. I LOVE to be around people who make me laugh. Every now and then I just need a doubled over-tears streaming-cant catch your breath-kind of laugh. One of my favorite things about my hubby is that he is constantly making me laugh. I love that guy.

5) The little things- Hugs. Stolen moments. A good workout. Cooking.  My phone. Hats. Sunshine. Outings. Memories. Late nights and early mornings with my baby. Smoothies. Audiobooks. Texts. Cold sheets and warm blankets. Funky socks. Iced chai. Mopped floors. Freshly done hair. Shoes. Painted nails. Extras. Sleep. People that motivate. Anything outdoors. Jogging strollers. Kisses from my baby. Hints that spring could come. Holidays. Snuggling with my sleepy baby. Pictures.

6) Books- I love reading. In fact, I read 50 books last year and was changed in so many ways.

7) Flexible schedule. I’m thankful that I’m able to work from home and be around my kiddos.

8) Goals. I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished and excited for all the things yet to come.

9) Music. I’m a huge fan of almost any kind of music. I think it speaks to you in a way that nothing else can. It can motivate you, soothe you when you need a break or get you pumped when you need some adrenaline. I have music playing almost all the time. Seriously, I feel like my life has a soundtrack.

10) This year. I have a lot of awesome things planned to accomplish this year. I’m am thankful for all the people in my life that have helped me get to where I am, and excited to keep stepping it up.

Photo of the Day:

photo 2It’s been so much fun creating this project. If you want to join in, here’s the “30 Days of Loving Yourself Project” breakdown.

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See ya tomorrow!

Brooke

My NaNoWriMo Experience

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It’s early. Before 7 and I’m the only one awake. The snow is coming down, trampling the earth in its splendor. There’s something magical about the first snowfall of the year isn’t there? I turned on all my Christmas lights so there’s that soft glow reflecting, making me thankful for my home and family.

It’s been a little while since I posted while I was busy checking off another Bucket List Item, by participating in NaNoWriMo, which stands for the National November Writing Month. The idea behind this program is to provide a support system while you crank out 50,000 words of a new novel in thirty days. I wanted to participate last year but I had just had that knee surgery and so it didn’t happen. This year I was determined to make it to the finish line. I had to prove it to myself that I could do it. Writing that fast is a totally different beast than what I’ve done before. It’s 1667 words a day if you write seven days a week. As I anticipated, there were some days though the month that I didn’t get to write, so I had to double up on other days. I tried to shoot for 2000 words a day. There was a point after I went on a trip that I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish, so I had a writing marathon with my writing group buddies and knocked out 6137 words in a day- my second personal highest! The first highest was 7146, the day before I found out I was pregnant with my little munchkin.

Anyway, what I want to share with you today is my takeaway from this experience, which is this:

In any given situation, there is both a way to make your goal happen and an excuse.

It’s your choice. You have to decide what you want to spend your free time doing. You can apply it to anything- family things, your job, working out, eating healthy, and all your hobbies. There’s that concept from Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, who says if you do anything for 10,000, you will become an expert. It is your prerogative- and your responsibility- to choose wisely.

On the days where it was hard to fit in the 2000 words, I had to decide what I wanted more- to write and hit my goal, or to do something else. It was a little easier with this particular goal because I knew it was for a finite amount of time and then I could do other things again. My husband and I had been finishing up the final season of Breaking Bad and had been watching late at night. But there were many nights last month were I didn’t have my word count finished and it was after 10pm. My poor husband had to wait to see what happened to Walt and Jesse on the most brilliantly crafted series ever, so that I could get my words in. Those of you that have seen the last season of the show will understand the kind of willpower that took.

All kidding aside, I had to get creative and think ahead so I made sure I could fit it in. It made me realize how much you can accomplish in 24 hours if you’re driven and focused. Some days the writing came really easily, and some days I was struggling to hit 500 words. Another thing I realized is that if I sat there and thought about it long enough, something would come to mind. Take that, writer’s block!

2000 words a day is the pace that Stephen King writes at 6 days a week when he’s crafting a new novel. He wrote one of the best writing books I’ve ever read, called “On Writing,” where he gives you some of his secrets. If you’re a writer of any kind and haven’t read that, pick it up.

I’m proud to say I hit 50K and even though the novel isn’t finished, I’m off to a great start. I had so much fun seeing where the characters would take me. I’m not an outliner when I write- I aspire to be, but I’m totally not. This year I did a Beat Sheet, which is basically a way of plotting out my story, a concept that comes from the brilliant screenwriter, Blake Snyder, in his book “Save the Cat.” So I thought I had a clever enough outline, but then as I was writing, my characters would take off and do things that I didn’t have planned. This is my favorite part of writing- when the characters are so real that they surprise me and take over the storyline. That may sound totally crazy, but I swear it happens! I’ll be writing and then suddenly it’s like I’m retelling a movie I’ve already seen, instead of making up the story. I remember one time in particular where a character did something totally unplanned and after I wrote it I sat there thinking…. I need to decide if I’m going to let her do that! And… if you’re wondering, I kept it.

Many schools have adopted the NaNoWriMo program to jumpstart young writers. They give different goals, like 3K or 10K for the students to hit during the month and they they have after school write-a-thons. My step-daughter participated this year and wrote 10,000 words! I’m so proud of her for committing and making it happen. Her novels is so clever and twisty! I love it!

So I’m back in cyberworld and more excited than ever about writing and getting my novelS published. :) Congrats to all my fellow NaNoWriMo-ers as well! An impressive 310,577 people around the world participated this year!

During this busy holiday season, take a few minutes to think about what’s important to you, what you want to spend your time on. Commit to making your goals happen.

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See ya next week!

Brooke

Crossing Off Two Bucket List Items- 5K and Napa Wine Tasting!

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Done! Two items down from my Bucket List in one weekend!

I participated in the GunBunFunRun 5K as part of the Napa to Sonoma Run. It was so much fun!! I have to make this a yearly thing! I’d love to complete the half marathon next year! The 5K was all my recovering knees could take this year, but next year… WATCH OUT! It was so much fun do it with a bunch of my close friends. At the finish line… they have all these wineries waiting to let you sample their wine! It was so much fun!

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Downtown San Francisco I toured Grace’s Cathedral, which was amazing because I wrote a scene in my book where one of the main characters, Maya, goes to the Columbarium at Grace’s to honor her father on the anniversary of his death. I had researched the Cathedral a lot online, but thats never the same as being there!

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This is a side view because they were renovating the whole front entrance. Gorgeous huh??

IMG_6154 They had these beautiful streamers hanging down from the ceiling.

IMG_6155This is me lighting a candle. Grace’s Cathedral completely embodied the feeling that is portrayed in all the movies of someone walking into a cathedral looking for peace. I’ll never forget it.

Moving on to the wineries! I can’t even tell you how incredible it was to learn and sample all of these amazing wines!  We went to four different private wine tastings while we were there- Hall, Domaine Carneros, Miner and Silver Oak. I was amazed at the vast difference between each wine tasting- from the tone of the tour, to what they chose to highlight about their winery, to their wines.

We went to the Hall Winery right after the wine tastings from the race and relaxed on this beautiful patio under a bunch of trees. While we were there, we met one of the Partners and she and her husband were fantastic! They chatted with us and then even recommended a few of their favorite bottles and let us try them. Their staff was awesome- it was a very relaxed atmosphere.

On Monday we had this awesome tour limo that took us to the other three wineries. We started with Don Carneros, which is a beautiful winery! It’s also where the Half Marathon started. They specialize in Champagne and Pinot Noir’s. I’m not usually a champagne kind of girl, but this was amazing! I learned so much about how they manage the yeast in the bottle during fermentation, and this freezing technique to keep the pressure right for the second fermentation, and this way of storing the bottle so they are rotated every few hours. It was so interesting!! Not to mention, both the champagne and the Pinot were fabulous!

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We tried to get a tour at Opus One… but they were all booked, so we did the next best thing- We took pictures of their grapes! haha

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After hydrating and snacking all the way to the next winery, we were all set! Miner Winery was such a charming place! It’s family owned and we had the chance to meet Doug Miner and his very friendly labrador. James led our wine tasting and he is training to become the next Sommelier. He was fantastic! The tasting was down in the caves where they store their wine. It was beautiful!

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 At the back of the room where those iron door are- that’s the entrance to the tunnels! It smelled so good down there!

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This was one of my favorite places because it was so different and relaxed. It was such an interesting wine tasting and of course the wine was fabulous as well!

I was really looking forward to the Silver Oak wine tour because their wine is one of my favorites- and I was not disappointed!!

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We had the sweetest gentleman give us the tour for this wine tasting. His name is Deke, who we affectionately nicknamed ‘Blue.’

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He was so awesome- he’s been there for over 20 years and knows the answer to every question we threw at him. As you can imagine, at this point our group was… very happy from all the wine. That’s when things like this happen…

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Don’t worry, we were very careful placing the 89 year old man on shoulders! It’s such a cool picture- I couldn’t resist putting it up. We were able to meet one of the owners there as well. We spent quite a bit of time at Silver Oak and had the most wonderful afternoon! I LOVE this wine! If you’ve never tried a bottle of Silver Oak – I highly recommend it!

Since we had such a different experience at each winery, it really makes me want to do it again! Maybe we will have to make it a yearly trip! Both Napa and Sonoma were so beautiful. It just looked like a painting the whole time we drove anywhere. This trip was filled with amazing friends, which makes it even more memorable.

Crossing off #11 and #97 of my Bucket List!! YAY! Not a bad weekend…

Hope you had a great one too!

Brooke

Knee Surgery to GUNBUNFUNRUN 5K!

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This weekend I’m checking off TWO items on my Bucketlist! #11- Go wine tasting in Napa AND # 97 Participate in a Race! I’m doing the GUNBUNFUNRUN 5K which is part of the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon in California. The sign-up was last November and sold out within hours. This race is extra fun because when you reach the finish line… they HAND YOU WINE! How great is that?

When I signed up for this race last November, I had just undergone double knee surgery and had no idea how plausible it would be for me to participate. I had double lateral and bi-lateral release surgery right before Halloween. Genetically, my kneecaps were tilted at a slight angle, creating bone-on-bone grinding so they ached all the time. It was to the point that most active things weren’t even an option — even just going on a walk around my neighborhood made them hurt. I had done all the physical therapy, arches in my shoes etc to avoid surgery, but finally after ten years of pain I’d had enough! I wanted to be able to be active! I’m young and healthy and enjoy being physically active. So, I decided to bite the bullet.

Dr. Anderew Cooper  performed my surgery (He was an excellent surgeon and I highly recommend him and his team) and was fascinated to find that both of my knees had the same identical problem. Even after the bilateral release (where they cut through the tight retinaculum so the kneecap pops back up into place) he ended up suturing my kneecaps in place to keep them from moving during the healing process. Here’s me four days after surgery…

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The healing process is supposed to be 4-6 months and it’s pretty intense. But they take you off crutches pretty quickly, within a few days, so I think that’s what made me think I would defy the odds and be back to my daily routine pretty fast. Also, did I mention that my son had just turned one?

The recovery was MUCH harder than I thought it would be. I have to give my husband HUGE kudos here because he literally saved me. I do not know how I would have made it that first month without him. He basically took everything over. And I mean everything. I am insanely grateful to him for not only taking care of the kids and and working at the same time, but also taking care of me and shuttling me to and from physical therapy. Plus I couldn’t drive for a while so he had to take me everywhere, and I’m the kind of girl who goes a little stir crazy after one day of not leaving my house. I cannot overstate how much he did and how thankful I am for all of his efforts.

Here’s a glimpse into a few of those days the first couple months:

IMG_1434This is the BEST part of physical therapy. Cold water is pumped into these compression wraps and they get really tight and since the water is so cold, it numbs your knees. Underneath these are little pads that generate small electrical pulses. It sounds like this would be torture, but it felt amazing, especially after a hard physical therapy session. Let me tell you, I will never again take walking for granted!

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 Ice- or rather, PEAS! They are your best friend during recovery! We also moved three months after I had surgery. I know. I’m freaking crazy. You can see we were packing in that picture.

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This is kind of funny. Here’s proof that I voted. With sexy compression socks and all. I was still on crutches for that escapade.

IMG_2292This is actually the BEST way to ice. I’m totally a pro, so here’s what you do-  Get FOUR bags of peas, a few paper towels, an ace bandage and a bunch of pillows. Arrange pillows so you can place your legs on them in an elevated manner. Wrap the paper towel around your knee, so the peas aren’t directly on your skin. Then place one bag of peas on the front of your knee and one on the back. Using the ace bandage, secure peas into place. Wrap TIGHT so it creates good compression. Elevate knees on pillows for 15-20 minutes. I had 8 bags of peas to rotate so I always had ice cold bags ready. Eventually, you can do this whole process by yourself.

IMG_1775This is what the scars looked like after a few months. Thankfully they are much lighter now. Swelling is the biggest problem with this surgery and its a really fine line between how hard you can work your muscles without causing them to swell more.

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Keeping your legs elevated helps. So does coffee and snuggles with your doxie.

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Starbucks also helps.

SO. I’m doing the 5K this weekend and I’m thankful I can walk again! They say you never really appreciate something until you don’t have it anymore, and so many things are connected to being able to bend and put pressure on your knees! I’m so glad I can walk again! I’m excited to be working toward the level of physical activity that I want in my life.

***I want to mention I’m going do my usual blog just once a week for now. I want to make sure I’m allocating enough time for writing and editing my books! I will keep posting my reviews of books I read whenever I finish them and this will also free up some time for me to do posts on writing that I feature on my Tips for Writers page.

I hope everyone had a fabulous week! By next Tuesday I’ll have crossed off two items on my Bucket List! YAY! Here’s to recovering from surgery and wine in Napa with amazing friends!!

Brooke

An Incredible Story & Becoming the Best Version of Myself

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Before I get started on today’s topic, I have to share this amazing story! I have always been fascinated by the capabilities of the human mind. The picture above is of a man named Stephen Wiltshire, who’s endearingly referred to as the “Living Camera.” Diagnosed with autism at a young age, he is able to express himself best through his art, with very intricate and accurate cityscapes. The most incredible part, is that he is able to recreate these huge panorama city spreads after just a 45 minute helicopter ride- even if he’s never seen the cities before! I am in awe of what he can do!

This youtube video shows him being flown over Rome and then recreating the city on a 5 1/2 yard panoramic space. It’s astonishing!

I love learning about people who do amazing things. It’s inspiring and motivating.

Yesterday was my lovely and amazing stepdaughter’s birthday (YAY for her!).  In the card from my Hubby, he gave some great fatherly advice and referenced something about striving to become the best version of herself that she could be. That phrase stuck with me, and as I’ve thought about it more, I’ve decided it’s a brilliant thing to focus on. If I look back on my life, there’s an innumerable amount of ways I could have turned out: places I could have lived, people I’ve interacted with, my belief system, opportunities with different schooling or various jobs- the list could go on forever.

I think this phrase is a great metric to keep you on track for your life’s goals.  Often there are so many things we want to accomplish in life, both for fun, and then the serious things, that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Plus, life gets so busy all the time! Maybe if we just try to think of this phrase on a daily basis, we will be able to bite off little pieces, so that the bigger things aren’t so daunting.

“Was I the best version of myself today that I could have been?”

That kind of puts things in perspective for me, and helps me weed out what’s really important, and what’s not. So that’s the challenge for the week- try asking yourself at the end of the day, or even during the day when you’re trying to figure out the best ways to spend your time.

Hopefully, that little tidbit will make everything seem a little easier. Hope you’re having a fantastic week!

Brooke

 

 

What you focus on…. My start of the 30 Day Complaint Free Challenge

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Alright!  I am officially Complaint Free for 30 Days! I just received my book and bracelet in the mail. This is on my Bucket List and I’m really excited to start!!  I wrote a little bit about what I’m doing here.

“If you don’t like something, change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude.  Don’t complain.” – Maya Angelou

There are all sorts of scientific facts to substantiate the idea that your thoughts contain a huge amount of power. When I was growing up, we used to live on the east coast, away from all of our extended family. About once a year or so, my grandparents would come out to visit us. I’m the oldest grandchild (and the favorite…. my blog, my rules), no but seriously, I’m my grandpa’s favorite.  Anyway, each time he came, we would have a little “chat,” where he would give me something to work on until the next time I saw him. I’m not sure why, but I always took these talks very seriously and was really interested in what he had to say. Maybe because he was so honest with me, and would call me out. The topics of conversation ranged from “you possess a power of persuasion that you need to stop using on your parents” (wait, did he just say I’m manipulative?) to dating advice (which he was surprisingly astute on) to this little gem:

“Whatever you focus on, EXPANDS.  So choose wisely.” -(the amazing) Joseph Bishop 

These words became a mantra I’ve followed throughout my life.  Basically, my grandpa came up with “The Secret” before it was a thing. :) He’s completely right. Thoughts are very powerful, and you need to be vigilant when choosing what you spend your time thinking about. If you keep thinking about how much you dislike something, whether it be a situation, a job, a significant other, those thoughts eventually turn into a negative feelings that can drown your happiness. Once you decide you hate your job/school/situation etc, it’s all you can think about, and then even when good things are happening, you are quick to dismiss them because your focus has shifted. If you only look at all the things your significant other does that drive you crazy, it won’t be long before those thoughts will take over. And you will be miserable. Whatever you focus on expands.

If you aren’t happy about a something, look for ways to change it, just like Maya Angelou said. Focus on what YOU can to do improve it. Sometimes, just realigning your focus can clear things up. Other times, you will have to be creative on how you can keep positive in the midst of imperfect situations.

One thing that has helped me in the past, is keeping a little thankful journal. I used to do this back in college. I had a notebook by the side of my bed, and each night I would write a few one liners of things I appreciated about the day.  They were simple things, but it trained me to focus on the positive, instead of negative. I found my attitude about life in general was significantly improved just by this one little act.

Sometimes you’ve got to look for the silver lining to find the good.  (On an only partially relevant note, if you haven’t seen “Silver Linings Playbook” you must finish reading this post, and then without delay, find the nearest computer/tv/viewing device and watch. It’s fantastic!)

So, in an effort to take my grandpa’s advice, as of today, I am Complaint Free for 30 days! Focusing on positive things! I’m wearing the bracelet as a visual reminder. Any of you can hold me accountable- if you hear me complain, I’m back to Day ONE. I’m excited to read the book and learn more about it. If you want to do it with me, you can order your own and read more about it here.

While we are talking about me wearing this bracelet, can I just mention that I have the smallest wrists ever?? (Notice that this is NOT a complaint.  It is a statement of fact.)

Look how far up my arm this bracelet goes (most others do the same thing, though)…

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Awesome! Ok, I’m excited! I hope you all have an amazing Memorial Day Weekend, and that you get to relax and do something outside! Summer is almost here! See ya Tuesday!

Brooke

 

 

 

GNO… Create your own Girls Night Out Group

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Sometime you just need a break, ya know? It’s so easy to get sucked into all the day-to-day stuff, the schedules, the meetings, the things that HAVE to get done, that it’s easy to forget that sometimes you just need some ME time!

I’ve been part of a girls-night-out (GNO) group for a little over a year now, and it’s SO amazing that I want to tell you all about it, so you can create your own versions!

One of my amazing girlfriend’s came up with this idea, and invited eight people to be a part of it. There are two rules:

1) You don’t talk about Girls Night Out.

2)

Wait.  That’s my other club. Let’s try this again.

1) You show up. It’s once a month, on a set night, and we all commit to being there and participating… even if it’s out of your comfort zone.

2) Each person is assigned to plan a month’s get together, come up with the activity and arrange the dinner. The idea behind the activity is to offer something that will allow us to stretch our boundaries, and give us experiences that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

The result has been amazing! One thing that has made our group as strong and tight is NO DRAMA! We are all very supportive of one another and always focus on lifting each other and allowing everyone to feel comfortable and be themselves. No judgement.

Here are some of the things we’ve done together…

  • Shooting Range- I’ll start with this one since it’s I picked that picture to show above. That’s me, with my long hair and my pink gun. Well, it wasn’t MY gun, but I were going to have a gun, it might be pink. I was a little nervous, but then I ended up really liking it and I actually have pretty good aim!! If there ever is a zombie apocalypse, I can nail those suckers. As a side note for anyone that tries this- the shells from the bullets fly out and can land down your shirt and they are hot as hell. It IS possible to get burned that way. Just a little FYI.
  • Hiking to a Yurt (a big tent-like teepee) for dinner!
  • Boating- A little sun, a lot of water, a day of FUN!
  • Sundance Movie Viewing- Since we live so close to Park City, one of our girls arranged for us to be able to attend a viewing of  Very Good Girls.
  • Sleepover PJ party in Park City- This was awesome. One thing we did was to write a goal we wanted to have accomplished by the end of the year on a little note to ourselves. Then we sealed them up in a box to be opened at the first of the year. It was such a creative way to get us to focus on accomplishing something we really wanted! (What I put on my card was… to FINSIH MY BOOK, which I did!)
  • Learn to arrange orchids- We had an expert show us how to arrange these beautiful orchids and each took home what we made.
  • Cooking Class- We attended a cooking class to learn how to make this unbelievable Italian food. We even made homemade pasta!
  • Tantric Connecting- This was for valentines and we invited our men to join us. We had an energy reader and expert in guiding meditations come and teach us how to achieve a deeper connection through these meditations and ways of communicating. It was fascinating!
  • Thanksgiving- We had a big thanksgiving meal catered at one of our homes, and we each prepared a few words on what we appreciated about our significant others.
  • We did a breathtaking hike up a canyon and dutch oven dinner- YUM.
  • Boudoir Shoot by the lovely Melinda Jae Photography. This was a really fun night.  We had a Mama Gena’s expert come to teach us about loving our bodies and embracing our own beauty.  She taught us how to OWN our bodies.  After some champagne and wine to get us more comfortable, we each had a private, tasteful boudoir shoot!  It was so liberating and fun.
  • For the holidays each year, we draw names and set a spending limit, and then at our dinner, we each say a little something about the person we drew for.
  • We also do a GIRLS TRIP once a year.  Last year we went to St. George and had a weekend of poolside fun with beverages that inspire awesomeness. I’m sure none of us will forget it!
  • Tomorrow we are going on a Zipline Tour with six different ziplines, and then out for sushi!  I’m really excited!  I can’t tell you how much I look forward to seeing these amazing women and participating in our awesome group!

Don’t you kind of want to be part of my GNO!?  Well, you can’t. :) BUT you could start your own! We use a facebook GNO group to keep everything together, and we regularly text each other on a thread during the month to check in and give each other updates/support/funny pictures. I am so lucky to have connected with these amazing women! It’s such a fun group because we are all different, coming from diverse backgrounds, and each balancing careers or passions with our roles as mothers. It’s really important to be conscious of the people you allow to be a part of your life.

CHOOSE-CAREFULLY

(photo source)

I had always wanted to be part of a Girls Group and I’m so glad I was asked to be a part of this one! They are all amazing! Hopefully this post has your wheels turning.  You can put a group like this together!

1) Pick awesome women- the most important part is to pick people who will be respectful of one another.  Drama or cattiness = your group will implode

2) Get firm commitments

3) Have a set schedule

4) Utilize each person’s unique skill sets to come up with creative ideas, and support one another.

You can make it happen!

I would love to hear about what you come up with! And if you have any ideas that have been awesome for your GNO’s, feel free to leave them in the comments. :)

Everyone needs a night out… create yours!

See ya Friday!

Brooke

 

 

Unsolicited Advice for the Future Generation

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This commercial cracks me up!  Especially with all the Social Media out there, it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of  how the younger generation view things.  What ever happened to going outside?  Or having conversations with people… face to face?  An alarming amount of communication is hidden behind texting, and while I’m all for efficiency, I feel like the next generation is growing up MISSING some of what makes life great!

In the spirit of passing along wisdom to the next generation, I’d like to offer some unsolicited advice to our young up-and-comers.  So, let’s have a conversation, and try to keep the eye rolling to a minimum…

Here are some things I’ve picked up along the way, that I wish I’d known when I was younger.

  • Don’t worry about what others think.  Be yourself in all of your original glory- that’s what draws people in.  Life it too short to spend it dwelling on negativity from others.  Be yourself, own it, and let everything else roll off your back.  You don’t have any room in your life for people that drain you.  If they aren’t giving enough back… let them go.
  • Go Outside– I promise it will heal your soul.  Take a walk, ride a bike, go up in the mountains, squish your toes in the sand at the beach, or just have a picnic at a park.  Get out in nature.  Breathe in the air and allow your problems to slip away.  Things that seem insurmountable will resolve themselves in your subconscious, or at least they won’t seem as insurmountable.
  • Don’t be afraid to be on your own.  As much fun as it is to be around friends and family all the time, its equally important to learn to be comfortable in your own space.  YOU create your own happiness, so get comfy with your bad self!
  • Don’t eat crap.  Be conscious of what you put into your body.  Pound the water, grab those fruits and veggies.  Cut out the sugar and processed foods.  Watch your portions.  Don’t eat late at night.  But know that as long as you are doing these things most of the time, it’s totally ok to indulge now and then.  Moderation is key.
  • End the day by thinking of something that you’re thankful for, then either write it down or tell someone about it.  You’ll be surprised how this one little act will change your attitude about your entire life.  I’m going to take the 30 Day Complaint Free Challenge, which should be much easier if I am focusing on what I’m thankful for instead of what’s bugging me.
  • Look people in the eye when you’re talking.  This seems to be a dying art as texting, emailing and facebooking don’t generate any kind of confidence in this area.  Try it- you will be amazed how captivating you will become.
  • Be honest.  Don’t lie, don’t talk about other’s behind their backs, don’t be catty.  The art of being a lady/gentleman will go a long way towards making and keeping friends.
  • If you make a mistake, fess up to it.  You will have a much better shot at patching things up, and you will keep respect that will otherwise be lost.  Most importantly on this one- say your sorry, and I mean actually say those words, “I’m sorry.”  You’ll be amazed at how it works.
  • Try new things and keep your options open.  Make a Bucket List and stretch yourself!  Having large and small goals along the way is what makes life great.  Taste that calamari, try out for the team, take the LSAT, do the study abroad, learn the language, pull an all-nighter, take that interview.  You are meant to be great- make it happen.
  • Figure out what you love and then DONT LET GO.  Make your work you passion.  Work harder than everyone else around you and cling to what you love.  Don’t listen to anyone that ever says you can’t do it.  Prove them wrong.
  • Look your best.  You will feel more confident if you just take a few minutes to present your best self.  For the ladies: Put on a little mascara, invest in a bra that fits, put on ear rings when you pull your hair up, wear clothes that flatter your figure, paint your toes.  Own a black dress- you can vamp it up or make it casual, it works in almost every scenario.  For the men: Be well groomed-shave that hair at the back of your neck, wear clothes that are tailored to your body type.  Have at least one pair of decent shoes, own a nice suit, but never underestimate the power of a guy in good jeans and a t-shirt.  Wear cologne, but not too much.  Smile.  A little class never hurt anyone.
  • Listen.  I mean really listen when someone is talking.  Take a genuine interest in people and what they’re going through.  You can learn enough to avoid some serious mistakes if you just open your ears.
  • Be good to your family.  Spend time with them and make them important in your life.  Forgive and mend relationships- as long as they are not unhealthy.  Ask your grandparents and parents questions before its too late.  Show up for events that are important to other family members.  Say I love you, and say it often.
  • Be active.  You only get one body- make it a healthy one.  Change up your workout routine so you don’t get bored. There’s lots of ways to get a workout in that doesn’t involve a gym membership.  Get friends involved.  You’re a lot more likely to succeed if you do it with someone.
  • Create traditions.  Involve those you love and find reasons to celebrate.  Celebrate holidays and make your own.  Have a reason to celebrate every month.  Do Taco Tuesdays, go to the lakehouse every summer, stay in your pajamas all day, meet up for happy hour, vacation to a new place the same week every year, take a road trip.  Always have something to look forward to!
  • Give back.  Nothing will pull you out of depression faster than doing something for someone else.  It doesn’t have to be a big thing, but to someone else, it can mean the world.
  • Don’t judge.  I promise, promise, promise you don’t know everything that person is going through, or has been through, or how hard they are fighting just to be who they are.  A little tip- there will be a point in your life when you hope with everything in you, that others will extend you the same courtesy.
  • Do something nice unexpectedly.  Bring flowers.  Surprise someone.  Send chocolate.  Write a love letter.  Bring coffee.  Send a text.  Clean a room.  Give a massage.  Leave a message.  Give a hug.  Bring dinner.  Spend time.
Well there you have it… little life-lesson gems from a seasoned veteran (haha) who hopes some of it will ring true.  I think life can be stripped down to the moments we spend with family and friends or in the pursuit of a passion.  All the rest is just filler.
What you would add- what little gems of advice do you have for the future generation?  What’s on your Bucket List? I’d love to hear from you!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Complaint Free for 30 Days Challenge

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complaint free world photo

(Picture Source)

I’ve been reading Between Shades of Gray, which is NOT the same as 50 Shades of Grey, lest there be any confusion.   I will be moderating “Between Shades of Gray” at the fabulous Delicious Reads book club in June.  This book is the story of a small family who are taken as prisoners under Stalin’s rule in the early 40’s and forced to endure the cruelest of conditions.  It’s a fabulous and tragic read so far, and I won’t give away more of the plot here.

Anyway, the story has got me thinking about the power of positivity in the face of adversity.  There are thousands of stories showcasing what the human mind is capable of, especially when the odds are stacked against someone.  During tough times, it seems like people either crumble, or they rise to the challenge and become stronger.  In life or death situations, someone’s outlook on life and maintaining a positive attitude can have a direct bearing on their survival.  I love learning about how people handle tough situations.  Especially as a mother, I’m extra sensitive to people who put on a brave face for their children, teaching them to be strong and capable.

Thankfully, I’m not facing any major life dilemmas, but I’ve been thinking about how I would handle things if I were.  One of the items on my Bucket List  is to become Complaint Free for 30 days.  The idea is to “leave the toxic communication of complaining behind and experience an internal shift toward being more positive, hopeful and optimistic.”  So you wear this bracelet on your wrist to help you remember during the day to only voice positive things and see how it affects your life.  They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so by the 30th day, hopefully it will stick, and you will be better for it.  So, I’ve ordered my bracelet, and will begin as soon as I get it.  (Yes, I KNOW I do not need a bracelet to do this… but it’s much more fun this way, so just go with it, ok?)

Want to do it with me?  You can order your own bracelet here.  I’m interested to see how many times a day I will have to change my way of thinking.  They say that on average people complain 15-30 times in a day.  I wonder how many times I do it?  Maybe I will tweet every complaint I was going to say out loud.  Kidding!

Has anyone else done this?  At this posting there are 10,121 812 other bracelets out there…  So I’ll let you know when I’m going to start!  Hope you all have a great weekend!  See ya Tuesday!

Brooke

 

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