What I Wish I Knew at 16

At 16 I wish I knew:

1. that not all my "friends" meant the best for me
2. that my metabolism would come to almost a complete halt
3. that when a teenage boy says I love you he probably doesn't really mean it
4. it was okay that I didn't have the latest name brand clothes
5. that not learning those math formulas in algebra will come back to haunt me in college
6. to enjoy being young.... there is no rush to grow up
7. that the mistakes I made will only make me wiser
8. how I felt about myself is more important than how others felt about me
9. that the hurtful situations that I thought I would never forget...will all be forgotten.
10. that my mother wasn't always wrong

What do you wish you knew at 16?

me at sixteen

I Love Myself Affirmation

Today I am feeling especially inspired. I guess it was the wonderful Spring Break week I had as well as the celebration of Easter one of the most important holidays in my life! So I decided to share with all of you the I Love Myself Affirmation by Louise Hay. I hope it inspires you as much as it inspires me!

Deep at the centre of my being,
there is an infinite well of love.

I now allow this love to flow to the surface.
It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness,
my very being, and radiates out from me in all directions
and returns to me mutliplied.
The more love I use and give, the more I have to give.
The supply is endless.
The use of love makes me feel good,
it is an expression of my inner joy.

I love myself;
therefore, I take loving care of my body.
I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages,
I lovingly groom it and dress it, and my body lovingly
responds to me with vibrant health and energy.

I love myself; therefore provide for myself
a comfortable home, one that fills
all my needs and is a pleasure to be in.
I fill the rooms with the vibration of love
so that all who enter, myself included,
will feel this love and be nourished by it.

I love myself; therefore I work at a job I truly enjoy
doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities,
working with and for people I love and who love me,
and earning a good income.

I love myself; therefore, I behave and think in a loving
way to all people for I know that that which I give out
returns to me multiplied.
I only attract loving people in my world,
for they are a mirror of what I am.

I love myself; therefore I forgive and totally release
the past and all past experiences and I am free.

I love myself; therefore I live totally in the now,
experiencing each moment as good and knowing that
my future is bright and joyous and secure,
for I am a beloved child of God
and God lovingly takes care of me
now and forever more.

And so it is.

#2, #4, #8 and 911!

These past few days have been very eventful and I got a lot of things accomplished that were on my spring break to-do list.

On Tuesday, I finally cleaned out that top drawer of my nightstand and even found a pair of sunglasses I thought I lost last summer (#2 clean out the top drawer of the nightstand) I got in a little “me” time and went to the hairdresser to get my new spring do and I even got a little bargain shopping done for myself. (#8 have a little “me” time)

On Wednesday, my bff and I took our daughter’s out for lunch at a Hibachi restaurant and then went for some yummy frozen yogurt! (oh, yeah and my bff had a dangerously severe allergic reaction to the seafood we ate and we had to call 911 and rush her to the emergency room…but that is a whole other post)

Yesterday, we went to the city and met my oldest daughter Shay for dinner. It is always so good to see her!
(#4 spend some quality girl time with my daughters)

Today is Good Friday and all I plan to do is relax and thank God for sacrificing his only son in order for me to have such an abundant life.

#1 Cleaning My Closet and #10 Meet Friends for Lunch

Yesterday morning I started the dreaded task of cleaning and organizing my closet (#1 clean and organize my closet off of my spring to-do list). I woke up at 9:00 had a cup of coffee and got right to it. First I started with taking out all of the shoes and handbags from the bottom of my closet so I can actually walk in and assess the situation. Really, what is the purpose of having a walk-in closet when you can't walk into it? Then, I decided what items needed to go and what needed to stay. Since I lost weight last year I am now wearing a size 8. However, I still have clothes in my closet ranging from sizes 10 to 16. What am I holding on to those clothes for? Can it be that secretly I am not confident enough in my ability to maintain my new weight? Well, if that is the case I am giving them away because I believe in the power of positive thinking. (however, I still kept my size 10's just.in.case!)

I did manage to take a break from the major construction to meet two of my co-workers for a nice sushi lunch. (#10 meet friends for brunch; okay so it was lunch but it still counts). It was good to get together with colleagues outside of work and get to know each other as women and not just teachers!

After lunch I went home and went right back to work...I was determined to finish the closet and by 6:00PM I was done. whew! I put away all my winter clothes (spring is here to stay, right?) and I now have two big garbage bags of clothes to donate. My closet is organized and I enjoyed a delicious lunch with two amazing women! Two things off of my Spring To-Do List!!!! All in all it was a very productive day!

#3 Double Dating

Yesterday my hubby and I went with my bff and her hubby to a Dummies Guide to Wine Tasting class at a winery and vineyard in Pennsylvania. (#3 Double Dating) off my Spring to-do list)

It was fabulous! Since my bff and I think we are wine connoisseurs it was great to learn some new things about wine. The vineyard was quaint and elegant. We sat at a large marble table with about 20 other people and tasted 13 different wines ranging from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon while eating cheese to cleanse our palates.

If you like wine you might appreciate some of these tips we learned during our wine tasting class.

1. wine actually spoils after only being exposed to air for 3 hours.
2. invest in a vacuvin wine saver it vacuums the air out of wine bottles to prevent the wine from getting stale. (don't pay more than $15 for one)
3. red wine should be removed from refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to drinking.
4. Never buy wine over 14% alcohol content (those are the ones that give you headaches and that feeling in the morning)
5.Riesling is the best wine to drink with spicy foods it enhances the favor!
6.Wine is meant to be enjoyed so savor the favor take sips not gulps!

After the class the four of us took a tour around the vineyard, holding hands,taking pictures and enjoying the spring weather. There was something very romantic about it all. Maybe it was the scenery, maybe it was the wine. Either way it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with friends and a perfect way to begin my spring break!

My Spring Break To-Do List!

Finally spring break is here! WooHoo! Every year during spring break I make a to-do list which consists of various things that I want to accomplish during that week. Usually, I don’t get half of my list done but this year I decided that to keep me on track, I would post my list for you guys to see and then everyday report my accomplishments. So here goes my spring break list in no particular order:

1. Clean and organize my closet
2. Start cleaning out that top drawer of my nightstand(sigh)
3. Double date with my bff and our husbands
4. Spend some quality time with daughters
5. Stay in my pajamas and do absolutely nothing all day (actually I took care of this one on Saturday during that rain storm)
6. Start a vegetable garden
7. Continue to work on my new business endeavor
8. Have a “me” day – hair done, nails done, shopping…
9. Visit my mom
10. Meet friends for brunch

Seems like a lot to do in a week, right? But I am confident that some things I can knock out two in one day! So check back daily to see which one I have crossed off the list! I am off to accomplish #3 right now!

The Strong Silent Type

My father has always been a man of very few words. For example, if you asked him for permission to do something his answer usually was, "go ask your mother" or if you asked his opinion about something he could give it in one sentence or less. Even as a child words of affirmation was my love language so growing up it was frustrating for me as I often wondered why he didn't have more to say. However, through the years I learned to read his silence and realized that it spoke volumes. Without saying a word I knew when my father was disappointed, impressed, annoyed, and amused. I could read it in his eyes, his expressions, and in between the few words that he did say.

Today my father turns 74 and looking back I thank God for all the things he has done for me more than the things he has spoken. I thank God for his love of learning that apparently has rubbed off on me. I thank God for giving him the strength to be the only working parent for many years and allowing my mother to be a sahm and take care of us. I thank God that he was able to walk me down the aisle and dance with me at my wedding. These gifts are priceless!!

So Happy Birthday Daddy and thank you because now I understand that your strength isn't in your words but in your heart.

Run Over Domestic Violence!

Today I participated in the 3rd annual Run Over Violence 5k race with some amazing women. The purpose of this event was to raise awareness about domestic violence as well as gather donations for Womanspace, an organization that shelters and rehabilitates women who have been subjected to domestic violence.

Since this was my first 5k run I really didn't know how much running vs. walking I could do. Although, I run on the treadmill with some intensity I was a little hesitate about running on land. When the race first began I started out pretty good, and then slowly started losing steam. When I got to the half-way mark I realized that I had made a wrong turn and I saw that I was actually headed toward the finished line?! As tired as I was I could have continued to run and pretended that I ran the whole 5k in record time and no one would have ever known....but that would be cheating, right? So I turned around, ran back to the half way mark and finished the whole 5k. So I guess I actually ran more than 5k!!! I can be such an overachiever!

Although the run was exhausting, it was also quite invigorating at the same time. Just knowing that I had a part in helping bring awareness to this worthy cause helps make the pain of my shin splints right now worthwhile.

"Domestic violence is the actual or threatened physical, sexual, emotional or economic abuse of an individual by someone with whom they have or have had an intimate relationship. Violence against women is a human issue, and a social problem. It’s up to the community to take a stand against abuse, hold abusers accountable for their behavior and protect victims."(www.womanspace.org)

If you or anyone you know are a victim of domestic violence contact 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). Remember you are not alone!

That little voice

It all started with a dream. In the dream I saw myself in a role that I had never imagined myself in. However, when I woke up I realized that it was my destiny to become that person in the dream.

The whole day I keep thinking about the dream. I keep telling myself I couldn't possibly take on this responsibility. It would require so much time, work and sacrifice. But that little voice wouldn't let me stop thinking about it. Then I convinced myself that I didn't have the qualifications to take on such a big role. But that little voice led me back to the computer to look up successful people in these roles and found they have the same or similar qualifications as me. Then I thought, "What am I thinking? I could never do this alone and no one is going to be on board to help me bring this to fruition." But that little voice had me to talk to two other women who I know always have my back and they said..."let's do this". Then I thought my husband would never go for the idea it's too far fetched. But that little voice had me send him a page long email at work (although he is super busy) detailing the whole business plan and he replied immediately saying it was a wonderful idea.

So I guess the little voice won and the new journey in my life begins. It's a wonderful yet scary feeling but I know that it is part of fulfilling my purpose!

Isn't that little voice God amazing!!!!

Enjoying Every Last Minute!

One day this week my daughter and I were in Target, as I passed the swimsuit aisle I started complaining about not being able to wait for this school year to end and summer vacation to begin. I expected my daughter to strongly agree but instead she said, “I don’t want to rush the year mommy because that would mean my freshman year will be over and I want to enjoy every last minute of my high school years.” Wow, this from a 14 year old. We have always told her not to be in a rush to grow up and to enjoy every experience that life has to offer. Guess I need to take my own advice.

So I began to think about all the moments in my life that I constantly rush through. I can’t count the times I have said, "I can’t wait for Friday", and it was only Monday! Or when I asked a colleague, "how many more days until Spring Break?"(15), or when I felt a wave of disappointment on Sunday evening because I knew that Monday was right around the corner. My daughter helped me to realize that instead of longing for the next future thing to happen, I need to embrace what is happening in that very moment. Oh, did I mention that my daughter is AMAZING!

Enjoy your weekend friends! I know I will…every last minute of it!