Things That Make Me Feel Light

Happy Solstice everyone! Today, in about 20 minutes from when I started writing this post, at 12:47 the light here in Boston will be a mere 9 hours long; six less than what we’ll see in six months on the Summer Solstice. The good news about that is at 12:48 the sun starts making its way back here for longer and warmer days ahead.

In the spirit of the returning light I thought today would be a fantastic day to share my lightness list -- thinks I’m thankful for, happy for or just enjoy in general.

It starts with this photo of a sunset I took down my street in July of last year. It was one of the warmest days and nights of the summer and the sky was a blazing red as the sun dropped out of sight. Even in the city, there is nothing quite like a great sunset!

A cozy hug.
My nephews smiling faces.
Laughter.
Warm meals with warm company.
Music that punctuates an occasion perfectly.
Water -- to drink, swim in, bathe in, etc.
Reading the perfect line then realizing I wrote it.
Reading the perfect line that someone else wrote.
A well placed saxophone or keyboard solo.
Inside jokes with Matt.
Home made hot chocolate on the stovetop.
A really well made pesto.
Cheezy 80’s pop songs.
Road trips and travel to warm places.
Conversations with my sister.
Spending time with family and friends.

What lights you up during these cold winter months?

Quickie Tips and Facts

It is the day before Thanksgiving in the United States and with such a festive occasion of food and family on deck there is much to be done today to prepare. There are a few sick people where we are having dinner and at first I was worried about germs but now with some of these tips I will be resting a little bit easier tomorrow while I watch the Detroit Lions lose (sorry but for the fans, think of it as reverse psychology). Since we are all faced with certain ailments, challenges or issues over the holiday season I wanted to share some advice for ways to reduce stress and in the process raise the immune system.

☼ Drink lots of water. This is often overlooked in the winter but is more critical during cold dry months than warm humid ones. Being fully hydrated while shopping in hot, crowded stores is vital to avoid feeling nausea or other symptoms.

☼ That “an apple a day” thing was not just hooey! Packed with Vitamin-C, flavonoids, phenols, phytonutrients and other anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. Apples are good for the heart, lungs, immune system, teeth, waist line -- just about every part of our bods!

☼ Carry a hand sanitizer when visiting sick people and use it. OK before all of you flame me for suggesting a potentially harmful product for kids (due to the addition of the antimicrobial ingredient triclosan), there are products available that are fully biodegradable and natural that will still help kill germs. An example would be CleanWell which does the same thing as Purell but with ingenium instead.

☼ Want to achieve the same benefits of eating apples but also tackle depression, inflammation, and decreased energy? Then get your butt in bed and obtain a full night of sleep. The most important factor is getting in bed about the same time every night and rising about the same time every morning to reduce fatigue and fully benefit the recharge from sleep (the answer is yes -- even on weekends).

☼ Dress in layers to avoid overheating. Overheating can happen when walking around indoors but leaving huge winter coats, hats and scarves on. Cold weather is tough to battle but wearing layers from natural fibers such as cotton, wool or hemp can help the body retain heat while not spiking. Leave the heavy coat in the closet and wear some layers that can easily be removed when feeling warmer.

☼ Simply avoid germs as much as possible. Over crowded shops full of people means all number of potential ailments are floating around. Why not shop at local establishments which are traditionally less crowded, online which is 100% germ free or, if it is a necessity to go, try to shop at off hours when crowds are lessened.

☼ Have a great time and laugh as much as possible. Those old sayings like the apple keeping us out of a doctor’s office are still used today because they are valid and positive affirmations full of truth. One of the best is -- laughter is the best medicine. When we are having a fantastic time and getting a good belly laugh we boost our immune system, reduce stress, bring down blood pressure, improve respiratory function and relax our muscles.

So get out tomorrow with family and friends, eat some apples, drink some water, take all necessary precautions against contracting germs but most important of all laugh until bedtime and be thankful on this very special day.

Slowing Down To Appreciate It All

This will be one of those times that people who know me might be tempted to leave comments like “Is this a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ type of situation?” and I can understand why they would feel that way because I am typically a person who never stops and it may seem that I fly through life not noticing the little things but truthfully I do allow my overworked mind to absorb these moments and it makes every day that much sweeter.

For the past few months (especially during the last few weeks of mass production for yesterday’s craft fair) there have been times when I purposefully stopped my work-centric brain from spinning to take notice of some of these joys.


Saturday night dinner with our closest friends has become a regular occurrence and it is fantastic. We generally just hang out and chat over food and drink, relishing in the small time we get to enjoy each other’s company. There is something amazing about knowing there are people in this world who are always there for each other no matter what.

Recognizing how the seasons operate here in the northeast has been fun -- fall rain and wind is essential to bring all of those flaming colored leaves down, blanketing the land to prepare for the winter layer of snow and ice that will help to compost those leaves into the soil of spring so we can have even healthier, sturdy green trees in the summer. Winter is not my season of choice but it will be nice to watch snow collect on these trees from my “heat rises” third floor apartment window this winter.

Attempting to get back in touch with some of this stuff has brought the connection back to my relationship with Matt. If nothing else just having fun with each other again, embracing romance, laughing a lot, creating our own inside jokes, being supportive of each others achievements and remembering why we got together in the first place -- because no one else out there could really understand the dorks that we are besides each other of course! Well that and we both understand the importance of how rare it is to witness clowns not fitting into clown cars.

Yesterday in my email I got an update to one of my YouTube subscriptions, the official channel for Jason Mraz. I did not watch it until this morning and I have to say at first I though wtf? Five and a half minutes of a camera zoomed in or out on his face, sometimes breaking into a smirk, sometimes very serious looking, and at the end he simply says “You did it”. It seemed a little strange at first (watching a five minute crash zoom to the face of one of my favorite musicians was somewhat odd) but in the end this video is what inspired me to write today’s post.



In a busy world it is important to remember to take the time to slow down, even if just for five minutes, to recognize and truly appreciate all the things in life that bring us joy!

Spooky Night of Fun

Recently I posted the start of a comprehensive guide on how to have an eco-holiday season and last night officially kicked off the fun!


Our twin nephews are just about to turn six, the youngest is just over two, and they all are big lovers of Halloween. The youngest is just starting to learn what it is all about but ran around all night proclaiming “Happy Halloween!” and “Trick or Treat! Smell my feet!” with an enormous smile. The older boys each have their own attraction to the holiday -- for the first born it is all about the dressing up, locating that perfect costume, for the younger twin it is all about the candy.

Before Matt got home from work yesterday I got ready to go in, what would surely be warm, khaki cargo pants and a fuzzy baby blue sweater. When I pulled out some earrings and put them on they were far too glam to go preppy so at the last minute I decided to throw together a costume. The earrings were screaming rock star so I rifled through the closet and came up with this completely free costume. The shirt is a silk, leopard print, halter that I have had for about eleven years and I carried the drum sticks all night.

When Matt got home and saw that I was dressed he knew the joke of dressing up as an out of work banker was about to come to fruition. He too pulled the closet apart to locate his most wrinkled shirt, pants that were too small, dirty shoes (from pounding the pavement of course) and a tie that he quickly threw on. The disheveled hair was just a lucky bonus that he had not been to get a cut in far too long. I told him to look distraught and he did not disappoint. Another free costume, score!

Because there are some crazy individuals out there I never share the names or faces of my nephews on any blog so the helmet on the Astronaut is an add-on that I used to conceal his identity. Captain Hook concealed his own through his goofy expression and the Little Pirate luckily has a head down. Some notable green facts about their costumes:

The astronaut costume is recycled from last year although the paper mâché helmet did not make it.
The jacket on Captain Hook is mom’s coat, the belt is Dad’s.
The shoes are their rain boots.

We walked the neighborhood with a rechargeable LED lantern to guide our way and even though it was cold (and we all thought the parents following their children in cars were warmer), we were certainly greener and getting our exercise to boot. Speaking of, it was at that moment I was wishing my boots did not have a three inch heel. Oh the price those rockers pay for fashion.

The end of our night became evident when the haunted house set up near the end of the cul-de-sac freaked the older boys out so much that screaming and crying ensued. They managed to hold it together long enough to walk down to their friend’s house and then it was back inside to a nice warm kitchen where the adults sifted through the candy, making sure everything was sealed, over a nice glass of fall home brew. A wonderful night indeed.