Well Said.

Read this quote today. I needed to hear this piece of advice.

“Start before you’re ready because you’ll never be really ready.”

Things I'm Loving Lately {Good n' Natural}

photo from goodnnaturalbar.com

Good n' Natural bars - I first discovered these hearty bars at Sam's. They have 7 flavors and pack 10 grams of protein in each bar. Peanut Butter is my favorite with Cranberry Almond as a close second. Each bar is gluten free, dairy free, vegan with 5 grams of fiber and less than 230 calories. Plus you can pronounce and recognize all of the ingredients!

A Minute of Margin

I first read one of Dr. Swenson's books back in October of 2010. You can read that review here. I recently finished "A Minute of Margin." The format of this book consists of 180 two-page reflections.

In the introduction, Dr. Swenson writes, "Margin is a space, specifically the space between our load and our limits. It is this space that guarantees sustainability. It is in this space where healing occurs, where are batteries are recharged, where our relationships are nourished and where wisdom is found. Without margin, both rest and contemplation are theoretical concepts, unaffordable and unrealistic."

To me, the overall message of the book is to work hard but not exhaustively, to value relationships over activities and to slow down and leave space for the unexpected blessing of free time. I highlighted a lot of great quotes from the book, but this was one of my favorites.

"Seek out only the level of complexity that you need and will use. When possible, encourage simplicity as an antidote to complexity. This requires specific intention and is much more difficult than it might seem but often very rewarding. Any third-rate engineer or researcher can increase complexity, wrote economist E.F. Schumacher, but it takes a certain flair of real insight to make things simple again."

Winter Warmth

January and February are not my most favorite months of the year.* I typically grudge through them counting the days till Spring. Here are a few things I do to make the best of the cold, dark winter months:

• Exercise - despite the cold dark evenings I try to attend a great group fitness class to get moving and get my blood pumping as often as possible.
• Warm socks - cold feet are no fun. I bundle up with SmartWool socks during the day then big fuzzy slipper socks in the evening. 
• Books - this is the best time of year to cuddle up with some good books. 
• Teeccino - a great herbal alternative to coffee. I drink this after dinner to warm up. It is delicious with some dark chocolate on the side. 

Only 8 more weeks till Spring! 

*Personally, I believe May and September are the best months in the midwest.

Things I'm Loving Lately {Cafe Bustelo}

Cafe Bustelo with Moka pot - photo from cubancoffee.com

Cafe Bustelo is a dark, rich Cuban coffee with a great price tag. It's best brewed in a Moka pot then served with milk and spoonful of sugar.

"Brew your Bustelo coffee in a 4 cup (8-ounce) Moka pot. It's super simple and less effort than an auto drip coffee maker. Fill the bottom of the Moka pot with frsh water, add a few tablespoons of Bustelo coffee to the holder, screw the pot parts back together, and put it on the stove. In about 5 minutes your fresh Bustelo cuban coffee is ready. Now add milk to taste, say 2-4 ounces, a generous heap of sugar and enjoy!"

from cubancoffee.com/bustelo-supreme

New Year, New Plan

Dr. Zhivegas concert with friends

After a year long hiatus, I decided to start writing again. The beginning of a new year is always a great time to start fresh with a new plan. My new plan is to write a new post each week. I plan to write about books I'm reading, products I love, fun things my husband and I are up to and other small things that make life good. See you again soon!

Make Your Life About Others

Darling Mission Statement

I recently discovered Darling Magazine, The Art of Being a Woman. It is a wonderful site that covers a multitude of different topics. One of my favorite articles was about taking the focus off myself to see how I could help others. There is a great list of 10 ways to make your life about others. I'm going to try suggestion #1 (buy coffee for the person in line behind you) next time I'm at Starbucks! Read the whole article here.