Love Bit #5 Newhouse Desk Lamp

 

Brian and I have recently lost a few desk lamps to the jaws of our small canine and about a month ago I finally got around to ordering a new one on Amazon. This lamp was originally going to be placed on my vanity but it has some useful functions so it is now on my bedside table.  While it's not the most decorative lamp, I like how it's relatively small and it doesn't look too out of place next to my bed. Someday I will switch it out for something prettier but for now it works. I bought the lamp for about $35 (now it's at $27!), it turns on by touch and has multiple brightness options.  I especially appreciate the USB charging port in the back because it allows me to use my phone in bed while it's being charged (my charging cable is so short so this was impossible before).  I also like the fact that you can remove the power cord so if Zuzu happens to chew through this cord I don't have to buy a whole new lamp.  While I don't necessarily LOVE this lamp like my other "love bits' I wanted to share it because it's been working perfect for me!

Mail Goodies: Nature Box + Review

I recently re-subscribed to NatureBox and received my box of snacks in the mail a few days ago. NatureBox is a subscription service that sends snacks to their clients at least every month. What I love about NatureBox is you get to choose the snacks you receive, you can choose how often you want to receive them and you can add on as many extra snacks to your order for just three dollars each. Not to mention some of the snacks are pretty tasty. 

The packaging: 

Happiness Diary #1

Welcome to my first Happiness Diary! 

Each day I will share:

1) Something I ate that was delicious
2) An event that happened or task I accomplished
3) Something I was grateful for or that made me happy
4) Random photo of the day

Saturday (1-16-16)

 

1) I loved eating my dried mango. It's the "Just Mango Slices" from Trader Joe's, the kind with no added sugar. Addictive.
2) I spent some time in my studio cleaning and painting and it was nice to finally spend some time there.
3) Taking Zuzu to the park made me happy today even though it was cold and everyone kept slipping on the ice! The walk tired Zuzu out and she slept the entire time Brian was gone to tennis.
4) Photo: Sleepy Zuzu on the couch

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday

1) The cottage cheese from Costco I ate today was so creamy and salty and really hit the spot.
2) I'm proud that Brian and I went shopping for our weekly meal plan and actually have dinners to make this coming week!
3) I'm so grateful for days off to relax and recharge, get things done and have fun!
4) Photo: Getting ready for the day. (Don't mind my extremely cluttered vanity.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday

 

 

1) I made homemade beef and broccoli for dinner tonight and it came out surprisingly well considering I forgot to buy sauce and just used random ingredients in our fridge and pantry to add some flavor.
2) Today I completed a ballet DVD I haven't done in forever. I was dreading it but in end it wasn't bad at all and makes me want to do ballet more often!
3) I'm grateful for a clean kitchen after a long day.
4) Photo: Puppy snuggles :)

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday

1) I roasted veggies for part of our dinner tonight (onions, peppers, sweet potatoes) and they were so good!
2) I was able to spend a good amount of time today writing things for my blog which always makes me happy and fulfilled.
3) It's been single digits and slippery roads the past few days and I am grateful for the safety I feel in my Subaru. A four wheel drive vehicle is a must in Michigan, how did I ever go without?
4) Photo: Just completed a nice yoga workout. 

 

 

 

  

Wednesday

1) I ate a some taffy from my Candy Club box. Definitely my favorite thing I ate today.
2) I had my first day of training at a new facility at work. I'm happy I volunteered for this new responsibility and I'm also happy the first day is over.
 3) I was thankful I was able to sleep in an hour this morning since I didn't have to work until 8:00. Apparently I really needed the sleep as I didn't wake up until my alarm went off! 
4) Photo: The view from my new break room. 

 

 

Thursday

1) The best thing I ate today was the granola bar I had at lunch. I buy these from Costco, they are only 100 calories each and perfectly satisfy my sweet tooth. 

  2) I accomplished another day of training. I think I made the most of my time, trying to learn as much as I can before I am my own!
3) I'm grateful for my brain. I'm not the smartest or quickest in the world but I know without my brain and my work ethic I wouldn't be as competent or as appreciated as I am at my job.
4) Photo: Pretty obvious. Unfortunately I forgot to take the picture before I ate the thing but no big deal.

 

 

Friday

 

 

1) Brian and I are going to try to have fish or seafood every Friday so today I grabbed some salmon on the way home from work and we baked it in the oven using a meat thermometer (best gift ever!) so it came out perfectly.
2) I made it to the weekend! That always seems like an accomplishment in and of itself.
3) I was super grateful for my vinyl gloves I usually use for handling meat. I have a cut on my finger so I wore one of these while taking a shower and no painful stinging!
4) Photo: The gloves

I loved writing in my happiness diary this week, it's been fun and keeps me mindful. It takes dedication to write every single day and I hope I can keep up with it. Maybe I should start a theme with the pictures so they are not so random looking? Suggestions? Everything is always a work in progress, including myself I suppose, but anyway thanks for checking out my week!
 

Me Update!

It's been a while since I have updated you on my health/fitness journey. Happy to say I'm back, although I am no longer writing "health diary" posts or posting progress pictures anymore. Even though I was trying to lose weight in a gentle manner I realized in my heart I was still placing too much importance on losing weight for my physical appearance and that type of thinking is just not conducive to my goal of living a healthy and happy life. I'm sure I will always have a desire to be healthy and challenge my fitness but I'm currently trying to remember to focus on more meaningful reasons behind my efforts such as wanting:

to feel energized, strong and capable
to stay flexible and free of aches and pains
to be better able to handle the occasional stresses and anxieties of life
(Just to name a few.)

I am still working on having a healthy positive body image. I want to accept how I am every single moment of every single day. I want to be at peace with who I am regardless of the number on the scale or the lines on my face.  One book that is helping me change my mindset when it comes to how I view myself is Body Image Remix by Summer Innanen. It's refreshing to hear someone speak about how you can be happy with yourself without feeling the need to change your body. Another positive body image coach I follow is Maddy Moon.  Maddy has a great blog and podcast and speaks about ways you can improve the relationship between yourself, food and your body. If you are interested in learning more, check them out!

So like I said, the health diaries are no more, but in their place I will be sharing happiness diary posts.  Each day I will write about things that made me particularly happy including:

One thing I ate that was delicious
One thing that happened or I accomplished that made me feel good
One thing I was grateful for or that made me happy
And just for fun, a random photo of the day (don't be surprised if they are all of Zuzu, haha)

I may edit the list as time goes on but for now I think it's a good start and I am really looking forward to thinking and writing about these things each day. I should have the first post up by Saturday!

Mail Goodies: Candy club

Where have you been all my life Candy Club? I'm am a HUGE candy lover and so I was very excited when one of the YouTubers I follow, Julie G, posted a video about the Candy Club, a subscription service that sends you two to three pounds of candy every month. Immediately after watching her video I placed an order for my first box. During the sign up process you are asked questions and based on your answers a candy package is chosen for you. The candy packages available are CLUB classics, CLUB favorites and CLUB Sours & More. I enjoy most candy but after watching YouTube videos of people opening up packages of sour belt candy and sour jelly beans I decided to join the Sours & More . After placing the order I was slightly regretful of my decision because, while I do love sour candy, SUUPeer sour candy (the kind that practically strips the taste buds off your tongue) is not my jam and I was concerned I would get stuck with something inedible. I decided to go for it despite my worries and eagerly awaited my first box.  

 

When it finally arrived (a few days later) the candy was packaged in a cute brown box labeled with the company's name.