Tuesday, January 1, 2013

HAPPY 2013!


Happy NewYear!  It is 8 a.m. on New Year's Day where I am.  My basement is full of sleeping teenagers.  Everyone (sadly including me!) went to bed sober.  I didn't even open the champers!  You know what that means: Happy New Year Day to Me!  I have a recipe for champagne risotto that will be paired with a roast duck and some broccoli later today and of course, my chilled champagne! 

What we did do last night:

Fireworks!  We live outside our city and so are allowed to do fireworks.  Husband and son have it down to a science!  All went well and lots of oohs and aahs!  We only had a couple that look like the one below.  It is a truth known to all that to get a really good fireworks show, you need to spend a lot of money.  But we have fun anyway!


Trivial Pursuit!  I have not played this for MANY years, but all of the houseguests loved it!  It is clear to me however that 2013 will be about learning my geography better!

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New Years with Anderson and Kathy Griffin.  Oh I know - she is completely inappropriate.  Darn right rude.  But my goodness she can make me laugh and Anderson Cooper is her perfect foil.  I had more belly laughs between 11 pm and 1 am (which is when the balls drops in Times Square.  The joy of living in the Atlantic Time Zone is we are happy to do New Year's twice.  Twice as many toasts!) than I have had in months. 

Anderson Cooper


But today is New Year's Day.  If yesterday was about looking back, today is about looking forward.

My friend Julie, over at the wonderful blog JulieStyles, has written a wonderful post about her 2013 style resolutions.  It is well worth a read!  And it appears that Shopping with M will be sharing more housewares than fashion wares with us in 2013, which I think will be so much fun!  And WellFedFred has some great words of inspiration and reminders of what is important in her blog today as well.

Do I have any resolutions?  Oh sure the usual - eat less, exercise more, save the world.

But realistically, I have boiled it down to one over-arching resolution for 2013:

Grip the Club Less Tightly and Choose Happiness.

I guess this falls into the "don't sweat the small stuff category", but it is slightly more than that for me.  Earlier this fall, I came across a book that is actually almost 4 years old, 10-10-10: A Life Transforming Idea, by Suzy Welch.  It was in the $3 bin at my local bookstore.  It was well worth the $3!


The premise of the book is simple.  The author argues that using the 10-10-10 principle when making decisions (what will be the impact of any important decision in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years?) provides clarity and perspective and thus leads to better, more aligned, decision-making and in turn, ehanced contentment.

I don't know about you, but I find that the older I have gotten, I have forgotten at times how to have fun.  I niggle at stupid things.  I agree to things because others, or my conservative self, tells me I should do them.  I have a lot of guilt if I am not doing it all perfectly.  Maybe that isn't you.  But boy, it is me sometimes!  My husband tells me all the time that I am gripping the club too tightly. 

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So this year, I am loosening my grip.  And I am going to actively use the 10-10-10 principle, which, to the extent I have used it to date, has forced me to think about how happy and how content or at peace any particular decision will make me in the future.  It is my experience that when I consciously choose happiness or peace, the results are always better because I bring my whole heart and talents into the process.  And choosing happiness doesn't simply mean choosing happiness for me - it will also be about how I can choose to make others happy by giving back. 

I even think the 10-10-10 principle will help in choosing what clothing to purchase! Hello J Crew sale!

How about you?  Any resolutions for 2013?

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On the 8th Day of Christmas WMM gave to me:

A Vineyard in the South of France!

My Summer Vacation - No grapes of wrath here!

"We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry."-E. B. White

E.B. White is one of my philosopher kings.  If you ever get a chance to read not only his works, but his wonderful letters, by all means, do so!

This quote, coupled with this photograph I took in late August in France at a wonderful vineyard, remind me that we must all try and live joyful lives.  Each one of those lives will look different and that is okay.  As I march towards my 50th birthday, I think I am a lot like the grapevine above - full of lots of ripe grapes, but with some browning and fading around the edges.  I choose to see the grapes and the greenery.  Now it is time to start making wine!

I hope you have a wonderful day!  I will definitely take a picture of me (finally!) drinking my champers!

Stay Safe Out There!

xoxo


38 comments:

  1. Happy new year to you! One of the best things that happened in 2012 was that you started writing this blog! I am so looking forward to all of your posts in 2013 and your birthday too.
    I'm howling over "gripping the club too tightly", what a great expression.
    The 10-10-10, someone told me about that years ago, I guess when the book came out, and I have certainly applied it though not as often as I should. Will definitely bring it to mind when approaching the J Crew sale! ;)
    I would like to live more in moment, be calm and worry less. Time is flying by and I don't want to miss the important things because I was busy being grumpy about something stupid!!
    Have a great day, enjoy the champers!

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    1. Hey Dani! Thank you so much for the kind compliment! I just told my kids about my new years resolution and they laughed! Now I must prove them wrong! Oh wait - that is probably gripping the club too tight again...

      We have a beautiful sunny day here and so much snow!!!

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  2. I think maybe I need to grip the club more tightly! I love the expression, though, however one might need to apply it. Some days I feel like I am hanging onto the club by just my pinky finger lol! I do very well with the choosing happiness part, though. I just need to adjust my grip on the club so life doesn't go reeling out of control :-) Let's do this resolution thing, I am in!

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    1. Well Cate - I am officially giving you some of my control freak personality! I am happy to disperse it all amongst friends if they can use it!

      Good for you on always choosing happiness! I too often only choose service and that can be a bit dull! I am in if you are!

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  3. Happy New Year! I agree with Dani and want to thank you for the blog, it is funny and warm.
    If you know what happiness is, please pass the formula along!

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    1. Hey Ema! I am not sure either - I guess it feels different for all of us? Maybe I am searching for peace and contentment? One thing I did read recently is that the only kind of happiness that money can buy is experential - that things are okay, but there are always more "things", but money spent on travel, etc gives you experiences and memories. If I took what I spent on clothing last year, I could have taken my family on another trip (albeit only a small one, but still, a trip!) somewhere!

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  4. Oh I'm a terrible control freak, I'd love to be a laid back cool cat.

    You know I just read a feature about that experential 'philosophy" but I don't remember any of my travels really, I wish I had bought more stuff with all the money spent on trips - I could have art and sculpture!

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    1. Ha! That is my problem - I need the stuff to touch in order to remember the trips! Maybe it is because I am tactile?

      I hate being so controlling. I was the kid directing all the adults as a kid!

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  5. Happy New Year!!!! I need to read more about the 10-10-10 concept. I really like it--thanks for sharing!!!!

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    1. Hi Rynetta!

      Happy New Year! I stumbled across it and am glad I did - so interesting!

      Hope you had a great Christmas! BTW - my daughter loved her "very literary" Christmas - especially Phyllis Wheatley doll, kate spade "Great Gatsby" clutch, war and peace 3 volume set and pride and predjudice scarf! Great fun! Oh and I forgot the Grinch converse sneakers!

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    2. OOOOO, you're the BEST! That was a fabulous "literary" Christmas!!!!

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  6. Happy New Year! Oh I LOVE Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin, they are so hilarious together. He always tries to be all dignified and professional on the air, and that just goes out the window with all that giggling. I think they are friends in real life so he kinda knows what to expect with her...mostly!

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    1. Hi LR! we were saying today that we think that Kathy has really got her act "honed" now and it is working better. They do seem to have fun!

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  7. I was always directing the adults too. I'm trying to lighten up and enjoy the moment more. Life is always happier when I do. If you look in the dictionary under "control freak" you will find my picture :-)

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    1. Ha! Maybe I am only the understudy for the part? That would be a relief!!! :-)

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  8. This 10-10-10 rule is new to me - sounds like a very useful decision-making tool!

    No resolutions for me for this year, although I do need to go through my closet and get rid of the things I know I'm never going to wear (looking at you, Marc Jacobs trapeze shirt from 4 years ago).

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    1. Merry Wife - That sounds like the trapeze sweater I purchased from J Crew last summer, somehow forgetting that I am short, busty and well, have enough going on without having things billowing away from me!

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  9. Wow, many resolutions for 2013...just need to managed the time to list it on a paper and sign! LOL
    Happy 2013 to you and yours!!!!!!!!!! Xo

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    1. Andrea - I hear you - finding the time to do anything is one of my resolutions as well!

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  10. Happy New Year, dear WMM. Thank you for the link love and for your inspiring lack of self-consciousness.

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    1. Oh Fred! I know that is a compliment! I so wish I could be mysterious!

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    2. I wouldn't change you for a minute, the personality you share with us is a delight. And I love that you don't hesitate to post pics of, um, questionable outfits as well as the great ones. So here's to 2013!

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    3. oh my gosh! I hooted at the, um, questionable outfits line! Too funny!

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  11. Hi WMM, we watched Kathy and Anderson too. She is so naughty, but I find her really funny.
    How did you manage to celebrate New Year's twice without opening the champagne?!
    I have the usual resolutions - lose some weight, get clutter under control, more exercise. This time I have some help - my husband wants to try the 'no carbs at night' thing with me (although with us it will be 'carbs less often' as pasta meals are favourites) and I have signed up for The Cure with Apartment Therapy, where they send you emails every day for the month and you have to carry out cleaning and organizing tasks. I'm sabotaged right away in that we are heading to Ottawa on Friday to take No. One Son back to uni, so I'll be catching up after the weekend. Oh well, I can but try. :0)

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    1. Hey Patricia! I have never heard of this - what a great idea! Can you send info or is it google-able?

      Well..I was drinking some red wine....

      Thankfully, between dinner and drinking, it has been put away! Let me know how you and husband get along! Happy new year and safe trip to Ottawa!

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    2. Hi WMM - just saw this. Here's a link.
      http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-january-cure-182076

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  12. Happy New Year to you and your family, WMM! It sounds like you all had a fun evening ringing in the new year! :)

    We ended up staying at home this year with just our family, since we have all come down with a case of the sniffles. I prepared a ton of yummy snack type foods though, so they all loved that part, and then we watched the newest Spiderman movie until it was time for the ball to drop. From our backyard we can see the fireworks displays from all the Orlando theme parks, as well as downtown, so we headed out back onto the deck to watch them all go off...quite a treat to see them all go off at one time!

    This past year was a turning point for me where I really cut my spending, and continued to focus on quality items over quantity of items. I also learned to be happy with the life I have now, and not the one I want to be living. I now focus on enjoying my daily life...the cooking for my family, teaching my children, even doing their laundry. I am extremely thankful that I have them all to do those things for, and I remember that I am blessed each time I do them. There have been numerous quotes that I've shared on my Monday inspirations this past year regarding happiness. One that really hit home for me is 'Remember: Happiness is a way of travel - Not a Destination'. I now try to live every day to the fullest, and focus on being in the present, instead of wishing the day away for something in the future. :)

    Enjoy the rest of your day! We are having Hoppin john and cornbread for dinner. :)

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  13. Happy new year, WMM!

    I don't do any resolutions.

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  14. FFM, you are always such an inspiration! I think I am hitting same turning point!

    It sounds like you had a grand time last night - sounds like you have an amazing vantage point - I bet the parks put on a real show!

    I agree - I think when we throw ourselves into our passions, be it family, paid work, hobbies, etc we are always so much happier! I bet you are such an amazing mom!

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    2. Well, thank you WMM! I will say that my life is far from perfect, and happiness is something I choose on a daily basis. I have gone through very tough times over the past couple of years, my husband is having health issues, and I have a child with a physical disability. My life on a daily basis is extremely hectic, crazy, far from glamorous, and not really close to how I imagined it would be. However, I have finally learned that dwelling on the negatives in my life just makes me miss all the good things that I do have. It took me some time to get to this point, and I still have my bad days, but I am getting better at it the more I practice it. :)

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    3. FFM - you are so right. I am reminded constantly that every life has its challenges. It is learning to accept and just be that is often so hard, especially for me..

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  15. Eat, drink, and be merry. Simple as that. Also, send daughter off to college and dance with hubby. I was going to cleanse and diet. No booze for two weeks. Blew that with a nice bottle of Silver Oak. Do believe I might have a hangover tomorrow. There's always next year.

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    1. Blue Booby! I hear ya! I am have decided that instead of full on cleanse, I will "lean" into all of my good habits in 2013!

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  16. It always takes me a bit of time to settle on my resolutions. I have one for sure, considering another.

    Have you been able to dig out from the storm yet? Sounds like it was a doozy but you're still posting so didn't lose your power at least. Hope everyone is warm and safe.

    Happy 2013!

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    1. HI xoxo - the storm was crazy! And today it is -24 with the windchill! No power loss this time, thank goodness!

      Have a great day!

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