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Tag: inspiration


terrain holiday 2020

13
November

outdoor at Terrain holiday

The holiday decor is out early this year and I think it is a great idea!  I would hope the early start would help eliminate crowds that could contribute to unhealthy shopping experiences.  In the interest of safety, I am sure many people are limiting their shopping to online.  I need to see things up close – I want to use all my senses when I experience holiday shopping!

white holiday at terrain

white bottle brush at Terrain

I have friends in different parts of the country who can not experience one of my favorite stores to visit at the holidays – Terrain.  And, Terrain really needs to be experienced in person to fully appreciate it!  So whether you would rather not visit a store right now, or you just don’t live near a Terrain to visit in person – enjoy today’s photos.  These are some favorite glimpses of holiday from my last Terrain visit.

terrain holiday entrance

wreath towel at Terrain

star spheres Terrain

terrain trees holiday

12 days towels Terrain

bubbly at Terrain Westport

green trees in pots at Terrain

holiday xmas terrain

tree trimming at Terrain

metal trees at Terrain Westport

I hope you are inspired to start on some of your holiday decorating!

Thanks for stopping by!

icy trees at Terrain Westport

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment » | field trips, holiday, inspiration

help from my friends

6
August

friends

I cannot let Sunday’s holiday go by without some type of recognition.  What was the holiday?  The first Sunday in August is National Friendship Day. 

I definitely could not have gotten through the last year without my friends.  (Some of these friends also happen to be family members – you know who you are!)

Friendship Day is a fabulous time to recognize all my very special friends.  Tonight I enjoyed a casual evening outdoors with two of these very special friends – a great way to honor the day.

Taco salad

I owe such a debt of gratitude to everyone who has been helping me through this challenging time.  Please know how very much I appreciate you!

Use this post as an inspiration to get in touch with a friend you may not have spoken to in a while…maybe a childhood or high school friend.

In my book, National Friendship Day is every day!  :)

dining al fresco

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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current mood

30
July

powerful

Hi there!  I have so many projects in the works, but I have nothing documented to show you!  I really had hoped to show you some ‘after’ photos of that vintage dresser I showed you some time back…but things have been hectic and I haven’t yet taken photos.  Soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on current mood | inspiration

one more

5
March

change quote

This should be the last of my inspirational ramblings…I hope to be back on my normal blog routine by the end of the week!

Thanks for stopping by!  Here’s to building the new!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on one more | inspiration

happy friday!

1
March

single life

Hi friends!

I know my posts have been a little different than usual this week, but it has been an unbelievably crazy week!  By the end of next week I hope to be back to a more normal routine.

I will share a little more in the future, but for today, I’d just like to leave you with this little bit of inspiration and wish you the very best of weekends!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on happy friday! | inspiration

today’s inspiration

26
February

Newport RI flowers pleasure in simple things blog

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on today’s inspiration | garden, inspiration

inspirational actions for 2019

29
January

kindness in the world quote

Today is the third of 3 posts on motivation for 2019.  This final category is ACTIONS.  Here are my top 5 inspiration points in this category for the upcoming year.

Fast from the internet 24 hours once per week.  Reconnect.  We are all guilty of relying too heavily on the internet.  It is so powerful to give everyone your undivided attention for 24 hours!  When I do this, I feel as though I’ve added valuable time to my life!  An important 2019 promise to myself!

Define what wealth and happiness mean to you.  Since we are all different, it only makes sense that wealth and happiness is defined differently by each person.  To experience true contentment, we need to know what we want and not define our happiness on what others may want for us.

happiness quote

Do something kind for someone else daily.  Helping people feels so good.  I always go out of my way to help where I can.  By promising myself this will happen once per day, it ensures no one day will go by without a good deed accomplished!

act of kindness quote

Give at least one guilt-free hour to relaxation each day.  Do you ever feel guilty when you have some down time?  I do.  Even in my free time I am working on details for a project or taking notes for something coming up or sending work emails.  I am going to try to spend 1 total guilt-free hour to relax each day.  I am hoping to do this as a start to my day.

Check your email and social media at least 60-90 minutes after you wake up.  Often, the first thing I do when I wake up is to check my phone.  I guess it is true that practice puts me in a reactive state for the remainder of the day.  I want to start waking up and putting myself first.  Checking my phone first thing is eliminated from my morning routine for 2019.

helping people quote

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you are inspired to create some new actions for 2019.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

*Although I have provided 15 inspirational points these last 3 posts, I am doing my best to incorporate 50 into my life going forward.   You can read about all 50 in the article I read online that originally inspired me, titled 50 Ways Happier, Healthier, And More Successful People Live On Their Own Terms by Benjamin P. Hardy.  I have recommended it to everyone close to me to read.   I credit Mr. Hardy for providing a great outlook to live life’s best!  I encourage you to read the article.

Comments Off on inspirational actions for 2019 | inspiration

inspirational reading & writing for 2019

25
January

writing quote

Today, I continue with 2019 motivation.  Today’s category is READING & WRITING.  Here are my top 5 inspiration points in this category.

Read 1 book per week.  Constant learning is what makes an extraordinary person and the world’s most successful people are avid readers.  I love to read, but sometimes I opt for the latest on HGTV over the next book in queue.  For 2019, I will spend more time reading and make a more conscious effort to listen to audio books during driving or exercising.

reading is essential quote

Write in a journal 5 minutes per day.  This is such a wonderful habit to create.  Journaling clears your emotions and enhances your creativity.  It also increases gratitude.  I have already started this in a small way with my sentiments jar.  (See the DIY post by clicking here.)  Documenting emotions can be powerful and by keeping your writing short, it makes it very doable.

journaling quote

Have no more than 3 items on your to-do list each day.  I am a huge list maker and sometimes my lists get totally out of hand!  The goal for 2019 is to do a few things incredibly rather than a million little things poorly!

Write and place a short, thoughtful note for someone once per day.  I am such a believer in hand written notes.  How much more meaningful is it to receive a handwritten note in the mail rather than an email? Do you hang your printed-out emails on the fridge?  When my grandmother passed away, I found she had saved all the notes I had written her over the years.  That is truly special.  When my children were small, I made it a point to leave fun notes in their lunch bags to brighten their day and remind them they were loved.  My children are grown, but I can still make people feel special by leaving notes to others.  Plus, research has shown that writing by hand increases brain development and cognition more than typing can.  (Why are schools eliminating handwriting?!)   Making a promise to myself to leave handwritten notes can only be a great thing for 2019.

Listen to audiobooks and podcasts on 1.5 to 2x speed.  Interesting!  This is a new concept to me.  The trend is called ‘speed listening.’  There is a software called FasterAudio that promises to ‘cut your audio learning time in half.’  I am intrigued by this concept and I am doing some more research and will give it a try in 2019.

Today a reader quote

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

*The article I read online that originally inspired me is titled 50 Ways Happier, Healthier, And More Successful People Live On Their Own Terms by Benjamin P. Hardy.  I have recommended it to everyone close to me to read.   I credit Mr. Hardy for providing a great outlook to live life’s best!  I encourage you to read the article.

Comments Off on inspirational reading & writing for 2019 | good reads, inspiration

inspirational eatings for 2019

22
January

food quote

I recently read some inspiring words that I took to heart for 2019*.  So, my next few posts will be a little different than usual.  For three posts, I want to share some of my motivation for 2019.  I have divided it into 3 categories.  Today’s category is FOOD.  Here are my top 5 food related changes for 2019.

Stop consuming caffeine.  Being dependent on caffeine isn’t good.  I gave up diet colas years ago, but seem to have a tough time with coffee and tea.  My goal is to switch out the beverages with caffeine to herbal teas.  They say it takes 2 weeks to create a habit so it may be a rough 2 weeks!  But, I am looking forward to getting rid of the false energy source!

coffee quote

Consume 30 grams of protein within the first 30 minutes of walking up.  This keeps you full longer and keeps blood-sugar levels steady as well as eliminates white carbohydrate cravings.  It is hard to do because it takes some planning.  Not a big eggs person, a planned-in-advance protein shake is my best bet!

Stop consuming refined sugar.  I have done this successfully in the past with amazing results.  EVERYTHING looks and feels better without sugar!  Studies have proven that even our brains experience a radical change when sugar is eliminated!  I usually slip back to eating it when something rough in my life is going on…not good!  It does take some work to avoid this stuff that seems to be in everything, but it is SO worth it!

Buddy the Elf Quote

Eat at least one meal with family each day.  This was something we took seriously in my family when my children were growing up.  We always made sure we spent our dinners together each day.  Now that that the children are grown, I can’t have us all together every day, but I want to create a time when all my family gets together for a meal as part of my routine.  I know It can’t be every day, but it will be on a regular basis.

Buy a juicer and juice a few times per week.  I know how healthy juicing is – a great way to get tons of vitamins and nutrients from fruits and vegetables.  I have wanted to make juicing a part of my routine for some time now.  I love the idea of adding lots of greens into my system with something I can drink and I love the idea of making green drinks myself rather than purchasing them.  The parts I don’t like?  1. It seems pretty expensive to buy all the organic fruits and vegetables to put into the juicer.  2. Making space in my kitchen to house the juicer.  But, these things aside, I am making a commitment to myself to do more research on juicers for 2019 in the hopes that I may convince myself to purchase one at some point during the year.

I hope you are inspired to consider some changes in your eating habits for the upcoming year!

Thanks for stopping by!  Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

*The article I read online that originally inspired me is titled 50 Ways Happier, Healthier, And More Successful People Live On Their Own Terms by Benjamin P. Hardy.  I have recommended it to everyone close to me to read.   I credit Mr. Hardy for providing a great outlook to live life’s best!  I encourage you to read the article.

Comments Off on inspirational eatings for 2019 | food & festivities, inspiration

pick a wish

18
December

quote

With all the craziness going on in my life during 2018, I didn’t design an Advent calendar as I usually do each year to kick off the holiday season.

So, this year, rather than inspire you with one of my creations, I want to show you something wonderfully inspiring I saw at one of my favorite gift shops.

wish quotes

It is not exactly an Advent calendar, but I am inspired to create an Advent calendar using the idea from this beautiful ‘grab a wish’ display at Taken for Granite in Stonycreek, Connecticut.  What a beautifully executed way for the shop to give each of their customers an individual holiday wish!

close up wish quotes

Each pocket contains a written sentiment with a clear star ornament attached.  The wish I chose was absolutely perfect for me!  It read:  Have the courage to step off the ledge so you may realize you’ve had wings all along.

pocket with a wish

I hope this inspires you, as it does me, to create something similar.

Thanks for stopping by!

wings

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on pick a wish | inspiration, sand & sea

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