By Chris, December 29, 2019

With the New Year right around the corner, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “New Year’s Resolution Time!”, “What am I swearing off this coming year?”, “What big changes to my life am I going to make?”, “How can I improve myself?”, the list goes on and on. The truth is, you don’t need to have big extravagant plans to change your life at all. What if I told you that you can tweak just a few small things in your daily routine that will bring big positive change? C’mon!!!

Practice Gratitude

I took this picture of the sun on Christmas morning. We were in the car traveling down to New York to visit family. I thought this was the perfect picture to use for this because I remeber looking at how remarkably bright the sun was shining that morning. It made me feel so good inside to see it.

As a society, we live in such a fast paced world. Always looking ahead for the next thing; our next meal, the next thing we buy, I’d bet most people wake up in the morning and jump right on their phones, getting lost in the scroll. Ive been there, lol, its all conditioning. There’s so much to be said for living in the moment. Try waking up in the morning and just sitting for a minute or two. C’mon… I know you can do it! (lol). It’s a quick and easy way to set the tone for the day. Maybe you had a great night sleep after a string of sleepless nights, express your gratitude. Say “Thank You.” You can say it aloud or in your mind or even whisper it. As long as you express it. I usually express my gratitude throughout the day for various things, but I especially like to start the day and end it expressing thanks for all of the positivity in my life. I give thanks for my loving husband, my two children, and our three cats. I’m grateful for our happiness and health. My husband suffers from Lyme Disease, so I always express my gratitude for the good days he has and the strength and motivation to get through the bad ones. We are lucky enough to own our own home in our little corner of the world and am grateful for the financial security we have to keep this beautiful little roof over our heads and food on the table. When my 19 year old son goes out with his friends and he doesn’t stroll in until 4 am, I’m thankful he returned home safely. From giving thanks for the people in our lives, to the moment of silence you had to clear your head from a hard days work, to the cup of tea you got to sip slowly and get lost in. Expressing gratitude is easy to do, takes a few mintues of your time and helps you raise your vibrations in a positive way by acknowledging all the good in your life and being aware of the little things we tend to take for granted just by slowing down and living in the moment and appreciating it!

Switch from Coffee to Tea

This is a sketch I did a few years back for an Inktober challenge. For those of you not familiar with “‘Inktober,” check out my post titled “My Path” in the Art category.

Coffee certainly has its place in the world. I know I tend to start most days with my preferred cup o’ joe reveling in the bold aromatic earthiness of my Dark French Roast Peets coffee. This highly caffeinated morning ritual of mine helps me get through morning workouts, house chores, blogging, and more. Come New Year’s time….I don’t know… perhaps as the seasons change and we dive deeper into winter where the earth around us goes into its time of slumber, nurturing itself from the inside…we as humans need that too. I know I do, and this is the time when I start to switch out my coffee for tea. Oh don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy my coffee very much, and I make this small change by having tea at night. With all the flavors and health benefits tea provides, there is something out there for everyone, and if you are like me there will be several. It’s a great way to get added health benefits to your diet not by sacrificing, but by adding. I know in the evening I like to sip on some chamomile with honey if i’m looking for a restfull nights sleep and flip flop it with lavender tea. I’m big into loose teas and dried herbs. so I bought one of those mesh tea balls and I mix and match the herbs I use to my desired outcome. If I’m looking for a little pep in my step in the morning without the coffee jitters, I might chose a chai tea. The combination of black tea, cinnamon, and cardamom give me a natural energy boost. and the cinnamon and cardamom bring focus and drive which comes in handy especially when im looking to dive into a creative project. I can literally go on and on about tea….(don’t worry I won’t) but by incorporating tea into your diet, whether its black tea, green tea, (which are caffeinated, although you can buy decaf versions) or herbal tea and tea blends which are caffeine free. You make a small change in your daily routine by adding vital nutrients to your body that not only comforts it, but soothes it all the while supporting it from the inside out.

Eating Healthier

Ok… I know what you’re thinking….. really Chris? You’re going there?! Lol. Before you rip into me, hear me out.. I know what its like to be on the junk food train…for me it starts with Halloween candy..making its way through thanksgiving with all the pies and cakes and yummy desserts..and before I know it..time for Christmas!!!! Cookies, cookies, and more cookies! This year my daughter wanted us to bake a variety of cookies for us to enjoy over the Christmas break. I usually make decorated sugar cookies like last year or the infamous spritz cookies Christmas cant be without. This year we jumped in with both feet and said yes! Let’s do this! So 5 different types and mounds of cookies later…and might I just add that vacation is supposed to be about relaxing… (ok maybe if you’re going to an island where you can lay out in the sun and sip margaritas…) but Christmas vacation is packed with shopping runs, visiting family, eating on the go, and did I mention the cookies?! Lol, and you can’t forget New Year’s Eve where glasses of bubbly go down with ease and shouts of happy new year fill the air!! ..poof its January second.. ( yes I know what I did there..lol)… so now what? I don’t know about you, but after months of being on that crazy train, I need a change. My body needs a change. This is where the eating part comes in. Eating healthier doesn’t have to be boring. For me, it’s actually quite the opposite. No one said you have to swear off desserts and go on a crash diet and in three weeks, you’re pulling your hair out and cursing out everyone and everything under the sun..( ok maybe that was a little extreme lol..but hey, I’ve seen it happen) eating healthier doesn’t have to be boring or dull. It can be whimsically fun like this….

My post workout lite lunch. It was all about colorful and fresh that day, so I decided to swap out an everyday plate for an interesting platter I had. I wanted colorful, fresh, crisp, and crunch. So I created this fast and easy platter of fresh crisp red grapes, raspberries, and blackberries ( I am obsessed with these berries! I always have them in my fridge!) Celery, roasted chickpeas, and crackers with a kiss of smooth and creamy brie cheese topped with a thin slice of radish and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

or it can be heart and satisfying like this….

My sautéed mushroom and arugula sandwich! It’s packed with flavor from lightly seasoned and sautéed wild mushrooms, peppery arugula, thinly sliced Havarti, and a deep earthy garlic punch from black garlic.

This sandwich, made with just a few good quality ingredients, will make you realize that eating healthy doesn’t equal flavorless or boring. I used a multigrain gluten free bread for the sandwich to really elevate the nutty flavor and texture of this little gem. You can find this recipe in the food and recipe section.

No gimmicks. No tricks. Just three easy additions to your everyday routine. Little tweaks…equal big leaps!

Do you have any ideas you would like to share? Post them in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this post, please hit like, and to stay updated with all of my posts, hit subscribe!

Thanks!

Chris