family time

I am truly blessed with a wonderful family. Yesterday we had our annual March birthday celebration. I believe there are 6 people in my family with March birthdays, so we get together each year to celebrate them all at once. The star of the celebration is always my Grandpa, who just turned 87 years old! He and my Grandma are my marriage role-models. Such a cute couple. Love them both so much!

Other than family time, I spent the weekend doing yoga, breakfast out with Sweet Husband, reading and mocha sipping at Starbucks, and dinner out with Sweet Husband. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Peace, Love, Lipstick,

& Namaste,

Leslie

gratitude list

Today I'm thankful for:

*my amazing husband
*the sound of peep frogs
*windows open and a cool breeze filling the house
*watching the sun set
*my health slowly, but surely, returning
*a large vase full of bright orange clementines on the counter

What's on your gratitude list today?

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'
Leslie

34th birthday month & gratitude

It's hard to believe my 34th birthday month is already coming to a close and Thanksgiving is TOMORROW! I am filled with gratitude that my sweet husband & I now have the space that will allow us to host my family (around 17 people) for our Thanksgiving celebration. I've made "gratitude" bookmarks for everyone attending, and we will be reflecting on the past year and writing at least 3 things we are thankful for. Then, we will share them before we eat. Here are a few photos of my many birthday celebrations & some shots of getting ready for tomorrow's festivities:

We had a yummy free (well mine was free) dinner at the restaurant Blue.Sweet husband actually found out he had walking pneumonia that day, but he still looks as good as ever!

2nd Birthday dinner celebration with my Sweet Mama

Gratitude bookmarks for the familyHope you have a wonderful holiday filled with gratitude, laughter & love!

Namaste'

Leslie

gratitude

Today I'm thankful for:

*the upcoming weekend (& much needed downtime)
*perfect football weather tonight for Homecoming
*my home
*fresh, new pair of contact lenses
*hot pink wool to knit my first pair of slippers
*light classical music station on tv

What's on your gratitude list today?

Namaste'
Leslie

gratitude list

Feeling a little blue? I've found making a gratitude list can help me get that positive energy and mind-set flowing again!

Today I am grateful for:

*sunshine
*spring-like weather
*my husband having me come outside to see a hot air balloon taking off right by our house
*my pup making me smile by growling at the hot air balloon (we can now add this to our list of
things he's afraid of)
*my blog and blogging friends

What are your thankful for today?

Namste'
Leslie

weekend in photos & welcome november

November is one of my favorite months. Besides being the month of my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, it is also my birthday month (yes, I am very much a scorpio). So, as we welcome in the month of November, make a conscious effort this month to live with a spirit of gratitude:

*be grateful every day

*start a gratitude journal listing 5 reasons to be thankful each day

*do random acts of service

*smile at strangers

*say "thank you" to those you love

*recognize blessings both big and small

*view the glass half full

*enjoy your life

*breathe deeply

Namaste'
Leslie

grateful sunday

Today, I'm grateful for:

*girl-time
*family time
*a hot cup of decaf coffee w/ 1 teaspoon sugar and soy milk
*fresh flowers
*possible exciting changes on the horizon
*good books
*the sound of running water in fountains
*animal love
*sunshine
*one more week of vacation

What are you grateful for this Sunday?

Namaste'
Leslie

gratitude and recharge-athon

This evening as I was taking a little time to reflect and complete my launchwork (homework for the book Ladies Who Launch), I had a bit of an ah-hah moment. The launchwork assignment was to come up with a list of 100 things/ways in which I recharge. To use the words of Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt, the authors of the book: 100 things that make me feel giddy, punchy, and almost drunk with pleasure--things that make me smile, make me more creative, and give me more energy.

About half-way through creating my recharge-athon list, I realized I haven't really taken the time to be grateful lately. In fact, this past week, I have been feeling rather down and not like my usual self. Because of this, I have totally ignored or been too wrapped up in feeling bad to recognize all the good around me all the time. It's a vicious cycle: you neglect to notice good and be grateful, and you feel down...you feel down, so you neglect to see all the good around you and express gratitude...and on and on and on. So, I made the conscious decision to stop the cycle before it got the best of me and start focusing on the good and expressing gratitude.

Now, don't get me wrong. I realize we all go through periods of our lives when we feel down--some more than others. However, the best way I've found to deal with these times is to recognize it's a down time in my life, surrender to and accept it, while acknowledging this too shall pass.

It's just interesting to me how simply taking the time to start thinking about and creating a list of things and activities that made me happy kind of snapped me out of feeling sad. So, I would invite you to create your own recharge-athon list--whether you are feeling happy, sad, depleted, or filled up.

Feel free to share some of your favorite things on your list. I always enjoy finding out how others recharge!

Here are some of the items from my list:

1. spending time with my husband and family
2. teaching yoga
3. browsing bookstores
4. reading
5. having yummy smelling candles burning in my home
6. sitting at starbucks reading and drinking a decaf, non-fat, no whip, mocha
7. getting massages
8. manicures
9. pedicures
10.laying out at the pool on a sunny day
11.decorating
12.watching HGTV for creative inspiration
13.bargain shopping
14.writing on my blog and reading blogs
15.watching chick flicks

So, what are the activities/things that make you happy and help you recharge?

Namaste'
Leslie

photo by One Tree Hill from Flickr