Diary of a Spinster and Lunatic

Sometimes getting into the holiday spirit can be a real struggle.   For some, it might be the loss of a loved one that makes this time of year more difficult.   For others, it might be the stress of finding that perfect gift, or even finding a way to pay for said perfect gift.   And, for those like me, it might be not having a special someone to spend the holidays with.   I have a serious love-hate-relationship with all those romantic Hallmark movies, as they can make me feel even more lonely than usual.   In the past, I would have tried to ease my pain by indulging in more sweets or wine, buying things for myself, or even trading in my coveted rom coms for thriller movies.   But, these are just small fixes to feel good right at this moment. So, this year, I’ve decided to focus on preparing for, and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas… the birth of our Savior, Jesus.   Sure, I’m still going to be physically prepared with my perfectly wrapped presents, and trays of cookies.  

This time of year, there are sweets everywhere!  And, it's really hard to say no when there is always someone encouraging you to indulge.  Just remember these words of wisdom... You'll never regret skipping the cupcake or the cookie.  Just think of the thinner and more healthy you of tomorrow, instead of trying to satisfy your feelings right at this moment.

There are so many things to be thankful for.  I was going to list them out, but it would have just gotten ridiculous.  Mostly I'm thankful for my loving and supportive family, my friends, the job that I love, and the fact that I am fortunate enough to be able to support myself.  I'm also really thankful for the time I get to spend with my best friend.  I'm grateful that I have been blessed with a more open mind, and have been able to continue to make improvements in my life.  I'm also very thankful for the relationship I've developed with God.  Through his grace and blessings, I'm happier than I've ever been.  What are you thankful for? 

Jacket | Scarf (London gift shop) It's been really fun incorporating scarves into my fall outfits lately.  I just love wrapping myself up in a cozy scarf on a crisp fall morning for my commute to work.  And, it's the perfect thing to not only combat the cold outside, but inside as well.  My office is always so cold!  One of my favorite scarves is this one that I bought from a gift shop in London, while visiting my best girlfriend.  It always makes me think of her.  :)  So, today I rounded up a few scarves that I thought you might enjoy.  They would also make a great holiday gift! This cashmere scarf looks so cozy! This two-toned scarf is so pretty. Oh my goodness, the pearl details ! I love the idea of a cape scarf . A rainbow scarf !?  My inner child is so excited.  :) I think this one will make my Christmas wish list! I wish I could pull this one off.  It looks so warm! And, this just makes me think of Christmas.     

My sister is getting married on December 29 th !   I seriously couldn’t be more excited.   However, since the wedding is just a few days after Christmas, I want to make sure that   I don’t look like I’ve been overly indulging since Thanksgiving.   I needed to find some ways to effectively keep my body healthy, and the toxins flushed from my system.   One way I’m choosing to do that, is by learning how to effectively drink more water.   Yes, there is a right way to drink water.   And, it involves more thought than just putting a glass to your lips and chugging.   No more ice!   I’ve traded in my ice water, for lukewarm water.   Drinking cold water actually constricts your blood vessels and digestive tract.   Instead of digesting our food, our bodies actually work harder to warm ourselves up.   This could be good if you’re looking to burn more calories, but I’m looking to keep my lymph system working properly.   Essentially, drinking cold water means that our bodies aren’t properly dig

Sometimes what's most frustrating, is that we can't control what other people do.  We would be so much happier if other people behaved the way we wanted them to, wouldn't we?  Unfortunately, the world doesn't revolve around us, and we can't get everything that we want!  LOL.  Plus, if you think about it, I can guarantee that other people think that we can be equally as frustrating.  The only thing we can do is focus on what we can control... how we react to things.  We can control our attitudes and how we view the world, whether or not we hold onto things from the past, or whether or not we give up because things get difficult.  Today, I choose to have a positive outlook and look at all challenges as a growth opportunity. 

Understanding and accepting that we have control over more in our lives than we realize is extremely empowering.   In the past, even though this concept made complete sense to me, I wasn’t executing it.   One of the biggest lessons for me is learning to be consistent.   My moodiness was a really big problem for a long time.   And, part of that isn’t because I can’t control my temper, but because I was expecting other people to know what I need, when I needed it.   And, if I come out of my comfort zone and tell you I need something, and I still don’t get it... then I’m really not happy.  I don’t do well when I get hungry.   Not necessarily because I just don’t like the feeling of being hungry, but my blood sugar drops and I start to not feel well.   I’ll feel light headed, and if I go too long without eating I’ll get nauseous.   So, when I’ve been hanging out with my best friend, and the time started to creep towards 7:00 or 7:30PM in the evening, it makes common sense to me that

For me, part of feeling like I can do anything, involves wearing something that makes me feel fabulous.  Which can mean many different things, depending on the day.  So, today, I'm putting my best foot forward, giving me a great attitude and making me feel like I can conquer the world. 

Last week at my Bible Study, we were discussing how as Christians, we are called to pray for those who frustrate or hurt us.   We should be treating those who treat us poorly with the same love and respect as those who do treat us well.   We should be turning the other cheek, as they say.  This is the very definition of kindness.  I believe most people want to be kind.  Unfortunately, this is much easier said, than done.     There have been so many times that I wanted to hurt the person, who hurt me.   At the very least, I wanted to put them in their place to make sure they knew they were in the wrong.     Something that helped to put things into perspective is that, whether we agree with what the other person does or not, we still have full control over our actions.   No matter what this person does or doesn’t do, there is no reason for me to act poorly, even if at the time, it feels like a well-deserved counterattack.       During the group's discussion is also dawned