Hello everyone!! I meant to post on Monday but it was so cold (7 degrees) and my schedule was cut short. The photo above was taken on Monday and today it’s 53 degrees and the snow is almost gone. We have some strange weather here in New England. Monday was also a very special day at our home.  I know it’s on everybody’s calendar I know it’s on your calendar and I’m just telling you old news but it’s my husband’s birthday today. Yes, it was my man’s birthday.  Unfortunately had to go to work but we celebrated when he came home. We have a tradition of stretching it out so he will be treated extra special for the week.

I’ve been reading some really cool books lately. One I received for Christmas and really am enjoying them. There will be some reviews coming up very soon I actually have a review of a book for Belinda’s Book Nook, that I just finished at the beginning of this year. I will be posting that one probably later today or tomorrow.

So I told you for Christmas I got my new Cameo 3 for Christmas and I’m so excited to play with it.  I set it up this weekend. It has many new features but one I am so thrilled about is that it is Bluetooth ready which is great because I have more than one machine. So I don’t need to worry about where I place it. I will be purchasing a Business license soon so that I can run them both simultaneously. I currently own the Designer Edition software but there will also be more functionality by purchasing the business edition.   Lot’s more on that soon.

I have also been brainstorming some new features for this website and will be retiring some old ones for some new fresh content this year. I hope you like the new series.

Have a blessed day today!

Belinda

I’m sending a big Hello and Happy New Year to you! I had such a nice holiday break. It was just how I needed to end 2016. I completed some projects, I refined my workspace, I began preparing my work plan for the first quarter, I created a 2017 reading list for my Book Nook, and most importantly I spent time with family and reflected on all the great things that happened in my life during 2016.

So I begin this year, with so much hope, delight, and gratitude. My family is healthy and happy and I have so much planned for 2017 that I can’t wait to share with you all. In terms of this website, I will be working on a redesign and I will be creating some new series on the blog while retiring some old ones. I have some new health goals and will be bringing you along my journey as always. I look forward to all of the possibilities for 2017.  In the meantime, let’s just enjoy right now, this day, this moment.

Today is National Drinking Straw day. On January 3, 1888, Marvin C. Stone received the patent for the paper drinking straw.

I don’t know about you, but my kids still love using straws. So in honor of this invention, don’t forget to grab a straw to enjoy a favorite beverage today.

Well, I must get to work. Have a blessed day my friends!

Belinda

I was reading another blogger’s post and she listed things that worked for her in 2016 in a post and I thought that would be a great idea to help me reflect on my year. I linked to each product that is still available for more infomation or if you would like to purchase them. So here is a list of a few things that worked for me this year:

My Planner – This past year, I switched from a Lilly Pulitzer planner to an Inkwell Press planner and I have to admit it was a game changer. For starters, I moved to a smaller planner size and was able to tote it around if need be. I don’t write small so I couldn’t go tiny but I moved to a 7″x 9″ format. I love this planner. First of all the owner makes videos that she sends out to you with worksheets to help you to set up your planner. They are both fun and functional.  I tracked all of my work and home planning inside of this planner. I love that it has the elastic strap to close it and it keeps it nice and neat. It worked well with my work planning so I ordered the 2017 planner for the new year. Well worth the investment.

My P-touch label maker – Last year, I bought one for the boys and one for myself for Christmas and I have to say, I still love the pink labels and that I can make them quick and move on to other things. I use it mostly for organizing at work.

Bose speaker – I moved from a Beats Pill to this Bose speaker and never looked back. I bring it all over the house even to the pool in the summer to listen to music while we swim. I enjoy the quality sound and I love listening to audio books on it at work!

Shelving and Reorganizing my office space – I purchased additional shelving for my office space recently to make room for my new Silhouette that will be arriving on Christmas. I also cleaned out my main work storage closet earlier this year and now I have quick access to all of my supplies without all the clutter that used to hang out in my room. My workspace has moved to a more sophisticated look that I was aiming for. I will continue to refine it in 2017.

Hanging rack with laundry sorter – I had to include this baby. Each Sunday, I select the clothes for both boys week (Nick wears uniforms so his is a breeze!) and then Leao irons them and we hang them up on the hanging rack above the 3 laundry sorters. I used to have 3 laundry sorters and would select the boy’s clothes each night. But now all they have to do is pick up their outfits from the rack each morning. I placed this in the laundry room and so it’s out of the way and I have quick access for laundry days. I picked this one up at Target in the year and happy I did.

Cup and Trash clip-on for my craft table – One of my recent purchases inspired by my friend Elaine at one of our craft dates. I love it. It clips onto my desk and I can ensure no spills on my workspace because I place my cup of tea in the holder and the trash bag that clips onto it, is so convenient. No bending to search for my trash can under my table anymore. Love this!!

Project Life Grid Journaling Cards – I have had these for years and used them in my scrapbook albums but since I haven’t been working on my albums lately I had these cards laying around when I realized I could write down my favorite color combinations I use on work projects on them. I then purchased a gorgeous Heidi Swapp storage case with tabs and place them in there. Now I can access all this information in one place. I love the grid lines so that I can write all the information on there neatly. I usually grab a pack each time I visit Joann’s.

That was fun. It’s the little things that make a big difference and reflecting on them in this post was pretty cool.  What everyday item worked for you this year?

Belinda

Hello Everybody!! Happy Friday!!!This is a photo of my dashboard in my car this morning when I drove Nick to school today. Brrrr…..The little i you see is letting me know the cold is messing with my tire pressure.  Wow is it cold. Yesterday we had a 10 minute snow squall and then major gusts of winds that stayed with us throughout the night.  I drank lots of tea yesterday and I expect to snuggle up with my blanket and put the kettle on regularly today.

It’s so cold that this morning we found “Jingle”, our Elf on the shelf, was snuggling with Mr. Snowman!!! Jingle isn’t a fool.

As soon as I dropped off the boys I loaded up my crockpot with the ingredients to make a turkey chili. So the scents will make me feel happy throughout the day and dinner will be ready around 5. I am also going to roast some butternut squash to make soup for lunch today for Leao and I. Notice I will be roasting the squash. That’s because I bake and roast a lot during the cold winter months because it’s a win-win. Yummy food and additional heat for the house!!

I can’t believe I still have cards to send out and Christmas is 9 days away.  I sent most of them out but my cards to my crafty girlfriends requires more preparation so I haven’t been able to focus on them fully. I will work on them out this weekend so I can get them off by Monday.  I hope you all are keeping warm if you are in a cold part of the country and have a blessed weekend. I will try to make a post next week but there is a chance it might not happen until after the holiday. If I don’t, I want to make sure you know that I am sending you holiday blessings and cheer from our home to yours.

Belinda