TWO FOR THE ROAD

 

Au Revoir Valentines day ... until next year ♥ ♥   

Well we made it back safe and sound from snowy northern Ohio and it feels oh so good to be home. We are homebodies by nature, slightly introverted, and enjoy the simple pleasures of being in the familiar but sometimes its good for us to venture somewhere new! 

Cleveland had been on our to-go list since we have been married- we were briefly there in 2012 for a Neil Young concert but with little time to explore we knew we wanted to go back and experience the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and city sights together. 

I am super glad I booked this trip- I was hesitant because of the weather we have been experiencing (you never know when a snow storm might trap you in) but I took a leap of faith and booked us an incredible hotel room in the trendy Flats District. We wined and dined and fell asleep to the luxury of cable TV (ha!) and then there is always the fun of long conversations while making a 3+ hour drive. 

One of my favorite things about being married is having the joy of knowing someone so intimately- on a level that no one else knows your partner. Nuances, mannerisms, thought patterns- these are all things you pick up when you live and spend exponential amounts of time with a person. N and I got into a conversation about our Astrological signs, which in turn had him googling descriptions, and then us laughing and pointing out all the characteristics of our signs that rang true to each other. I don't put a lot of stock in signs but I think they hold some truths, so we had fun running through all the parallels! And knowing that few could pin point these things I found in Nate and he in mine was the perfect reminder of how special our relationship is. 

V-Day 2014 is definitely one to remember, we had so much fun I didn't even once pull out my camera- only my phone (for a bathroom mirror selfie, so chic!) But as I am getting older I realize that sometimes it is best to leave the technology bagged and be happy just experiencing.

I hope you all had a beautiful 14th and great start to your weekend- I think the rest of ours will be spent cozy indoors watching movies, making good food, and enjoying home. ♥

Highlights of our trip ...

Hotel: Aloft Cleveland Downtown 

Food: Lago Restaurant and Wine Bar

Drink: Sofia Mini by Francis Ford Coppola Winery (cutest effervescent wine in a can!)

Sights: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Rolling Stones exhibit going on now- so glad we caught this one!)

BREAKFAST IN BED

If we weren't traveling this weekend I would definitely be making pink pancakes. Lucky for the mister I thought ahead and made him some this past weekend (his even had dark chocolate morsels! Now that's an act of love). In hindsight, I could have been a bit more generous with the coloring but they were delicious anyway. Everything tastes better in shades of pink and red ♥

THESE (VALENTINE) DAYS

... because my brain is valentine crazed these days.

It is snowing once again, so contemplating a soup run and a rousing round of cards this afternoon. Whats on your Sunday agenda? ♥

LOVING AFFIRMATIONS: A PARTNER EXERCISE

In the spirit of all things love this month here is an affirmation exercise that can be done with a partner or a friend. Everyone benefits from more positive energy and loving affirmations that both nurture your own soul but that of your partners simultaneously. I came across this practice in Shakti Gawain's Creative Visualization, and loved how simple but powerful this back and forth affirmative conversing works.

Begin by facing your partner and look into each others eyes.

Take turns going back and forth saying affirmative statements and then accepting them. There are several ways to state them, play around with the different phrasings.

Example: Janae: Nate, you are a creative, talented, skilled person.
                Nate: Yes, I am.

                Nate: I am a creative, talented, skilled person!
                Janae: yes, you are!

You may feel silly at first, kind of like you're in a poorly written play, but come from a sincere place in your heart and it will create an amazing bond. Believe what you are saying and let it manifest in you, both the words you are giving and receiving and you will feel a powerful energy for both you and your partner. As you practice this, add in throughout the day affirmative communication to your partner, send text messages, an email, and make sure to remind them everyday that they are amazing beings. ♥

OUTFIT No. 38

 Lauren Conrad for Khols Blazer // Target blouse // Old Navy Rockstar Denim // Forever 21 Ring and shoes //

 Betsey Johnson Bag

I love Valentines day. I look forward to the break in the winter bleakness for the opportunity to revel in all that is pink, red, and glittery. I realize that I am one of a small group who loves this holiday so dearly- most people scoff and proclaim their dislike, and dare I say, hate of the holiday. Yes, jaded love can make this holiday seem like one for those in committed happy relationships. So cupid may not have struck you yet but I say forget cupid, and simply love yourself! 

Having a loving relationship with yourself seems as delightful a topic to approach as loving your enemy. When you reflect on how you treat yourself, is it with the kindness and compassion you would bestow on a friend- or do you harshly criticize and tear yourself down like a mean girl?

I know my own shortcoming is harsh criticism. I am my worst critic- I make ridiculous standards to hold myself to and am quick to chastise myself when those standards aren't being met. To what point?! It makes for a lot of negative energy flowing through me to bring myself down and lessen my worth.  People compliment me in some way and my immediate response is to brush it off- I can do better! This is my downfall, and an area I am trying to work on everyday.

As progressive people we like to be better and do better. And that is healthy. But what isn't is when you fail to accept where you are today and reward yourself for getting to the present. 

In my daily affirmations one of my favorite things to write out is that I love who I am today. If you don't love yourself today, how can you love what you are tomorrow? A major attitude adjustment has to occur from the negative to that of acceptance and gratitude for what you have today- otherwise the abundance of the universe only sees dissatisfaction and that is all you will receive, more dissatisfaction!

Love yourself today. Write out a list of things you love about yourself- physical, emotional, mental. When you are looking in the mirror while getting ready for the day, look yourself in the eyes and tell yourself you love who are. If others can love you the way you are, then why do we find it so hard to love ourselves as well? By loving ourselves we soften and open our hearts to loving others even more. Anger will soften, judgments will lessen, and on a whole we become more at peace with the love that is in all of us. 

I believe it is our nature to love- that good honest love is built into our DNA as humans. So this month, in the spirit of pink, red, glitter, and hearts- affirm to yourself everyday that you love you.

I promise it will be amazing ♥

BE MERRY

This photo was an outtake from our Christmas card photo sesh and it just makes me smile

I can't believe its Christmas Eve already- the past week has flown by and obviously I have been sucked into the whirlwind so much I haven't had much time for the blog. Its been a strange feeling not being in the thick of it with a retail job- I actually had to plan time to get my shopping done instead of just hopping through the mall on my breaks and getting it done during my lunch hour. 

On the whole it has been much less stressful, my spirits have stayed up where in the past by now I would be an exhausted zombie one bah humbug away from being a scrooge. Today I actually felt ... light. And I sang Christmas carols very VERY loudly all the way home from work ;) 

I have been taking stock of my blessings this season and there are a lot. Three things I am most grateful for right here and now ...

1. My Mister and Stella Bean- I can't imagine coming home and not having them waiting there for me. There are a million and one things I could say here about them but I am sure you can imagine!

2. Spending Christmas Eve at home- we have planned a relaxing night together before the bustle of tomorrow. A fun new game to try, A Muppet Christmas Carol, and flannel pajamas for everyone! 

3. Having more than enough- I look under our tree and see gifts for others, knowing that N and I have more than enough for ourselves it was gratifying to solely focus on others. We are working on changing our Christmas traditions to incorporate more of this amazing giving feeling.

I am excited for 2014 planning and some posts leading up to the New Year to help you get excited for making your own goals! So much inspiration right now to be better, do better, and make a difference in my life and others.  A lot of taking record of what you are grateful and envisioning your future! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve that is full of wonderment and love ♥

CURRENTLY ...

Making : progress on manifesting positive thinking every single day
Cooking : a homemade vegetable soup tomorrow ... my first one ever!
Drinking : water water water
Reading : Buddhism: Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
Wanting : a hot cocoa with mini marshmallows
Looking: forward to the Christmas packages I am picking up tomorrow
Playing: mellow jams on the iPod
Wasting: time by not making my visual board a priority
Wishing: all of winter felt as magical as December
Enjoying: a huge flux of creativity
Waiting: for the snow storm to blow in tonight
Liking: That Nico's These Days just started playing ...
Wondering: How I went most of my life not knowing Nico
Loving: cold nights cozied inside with my two favorite beings.
Hoping: everyone has a warm place to be tonight
Marveling: at all of the talented people and their gorgeous crafts on Pinterest
Needing: A coat that actually keeps me warm and doesn't just look good
Wearing: leggings, my favorite gray tee, and the coziest sweater I own ... and pink fuzzy slippers! (obvi)
Noticing: how much stronger my body feels after only one month of committed yoga and toning
Knowing: I will sleep in late tomorrow and not feel bad about it for one second
Thinking: a cup of hot tea sounds amazing
Bookmarking: new books to download, not surprising they are all nutrition, yoga, and spiritual based at the moment!
Opening: my mind to new ways of celebrating this Christmas season
Feeling: Grateful- grateful for having so much, not needing much else, and knowing that tomorrow I can be even better than I was today.

We are in fact bracing ourselves for the first winter 'storm' of the season. I quote it because, well, its usually a hit or miss situation around here if we actually get the predicted weather. Either way, I am happy to stay home tomorrow- instead of worrying about driving through snow to work I can worry about more important things like which tea to make, how long to stay snuggled in bed with a sleepy Stella and finally getting my visualization board completed. And getting those Christmas packages I mentioned above- those are definitely important! ♥

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPS

Happy Birthday to the sweetest, most caring, goofy guy I know. I love you ♥

TILL DEATH DO US PART

Today is Nate and I's 4 year wedding anniversary ... 4 YEARS. That's crazy talk. It seems like so much time has past and yet none at all. He's my best friend, my rock, my everything. At the end of the day he is the one I always want to hang out with. I can't help it, I'm smitten!

4 years brings a lot of changes, a lot of ups and downs ... the whole in sickness and in health makes an appearance (hello stomach flu on New Years Eve) and we live to tell the tale. We share inside jokes, have strange obsessions with the same shows, movies, and music and yet are still different enough for the other to share interesting and usually pointless facts about our passions. It isn't always bliss but those are the moments I remember the most vividly. At the end of the day the happiest moments are the ones that never fade, and I hope they never do.

So all I really can say is- I am so happy to we have made it this far (not that there were any doubts) and here is to 4 x infinity more ♥