Spend the Day With Me - May 8th - from Happy Mom

Hello my friends and swappers!  Thanks for being part of "Spend the Day With Me" - these are fun swaps, aren't they?  I always wonder what people must think when they see me taking random photos like this 😀  Well, I chose today to take my photos because I'm on a road trip, and that's more interesting than an in-office day.

I packed my car and started out for my weekly BNI meeting this morning at 7:05.  We meet at a local country club, and it's always so pretty there, especially first thing in the morning.

Packed and ready to roll!

Nice out this morning!

   

Power Players BNI

Salisbury Country Club

I left the club around 9:30 and headed to my first meeting in Covington, Virginia.  I stopped along the way to return calls and emails, and got to my appointment in plenty of time for my 2 PM meeting.  The meeting was at a huge paper mill and it went well.

Roadside stop

Paper Mill

One of the emails I had received was from our HR manager.  She's putting together a Power Point as a tribute to our moms for Mother's Day, and she was asking everyone to send in a picture of our moms.  She said vintage, recent - anything would do, so sent this one that I could access from my Shutterfly account:

Mom, me and Michael backstage when his band opened
for James Brown at the Lone Star Cafe in NYC, mid-80's

After the meeting at the paper mill, I drove to Wytheville, Virginia...and I'm here for the night.   

I-64 / I-81

Refuel and bathroom break!

 Wytheville is a quaint and scenic town.  I checked in to the hotel and went to get some dinner around 6.  Caught a brilliant sunset after I ate!

Wytheville Historic Marker

Dinner

Sunset - heading back to hotel

So ... that was my day today.  More miles to cover tomorrow and Thursday, and then Home Sweet Home!  Have a good one every body, and please post a rating so I know you've received my swap.

     

26 Things About Me - swap from Happy Mom :)

Hello swappers & friends!

What a fun list to complete on a dreary Spring day.  Thanks for checking out my post :)  These are my answers to the swap on the ESG group - and thanks for posting a rating!

A Age - 61

B Biggest fear - I'm not fearful of much, but I want to stay healthy and stick around for my family.  It bothers me that out world seems out of control with terrorism and even domestic craziness.  Crazy people killing innocents doesn't make sense to me.  So, while I don't live in fear of this, it's hard to ignore!

C Current time - Saturday, May 5th, 6 PM

D Drink you last had - Coffee

E Every day starts with - Coffee (lol - see a pattern?)

F Favourite song- I don't have just one favorite.  One of my faves is Oceans - by Hillsong

G Ghosts, are they real - Just the Holy Ghost!

H Hometown - born in Chicago, but have lived in Richmond since 1980.

I In love with - my husband :) Still...after 33 years of marriage!

J - Jealous of - people who live in Hawaii!  I'm happy for them, but wish I'd never left.

K Known language(s) - English

L Last time you cried - a few days ago 

M Middle name - Judee

N Number of siblings - 1 brother

O One wish - I wish for my kids to be happy

P Person you last called - My husband

Q Question you are always asked - "Would you like his voice mail?"  I make a lot of phone calls every day, and no one is ever available, so the receptionists ask that!

R Reason to smile - You're loved :)

S Song last sung - Singing along with Spotify now - "Under the Boardwalk" is on now.

T Time you woke up - I slept in today - Saturday - got up at 8:30.

U Underwear colour - blue

V Vacation destination - HAWAII, please!

W Worst habit - spending too much money

X Xrays you've had- wrist, shoulder, back, chest, teeth

Y Your fave food - big fat juicy steak on the grill with roasted veggies - YUM!

Z Zodiac sign - Leo

Well, that's my list and I hope you enjoyed reading my answers!

Hope to swap again soon, and have a great month!

My Favorite Photo - March

Hello Swappers & Friends!  It feels good to be back on the blog... I enjoy posting my swaps on here, but just didn't have the energy last month.  I almost never get sick, but I had a bad case of bronchitis that just wouldn't quit.  But I'm back to normal (LOL - I've never been normal), and here I am with my favorite photos from March!  I hope you enjoy seeing them - and as always, even if we're not partnered on Swap-bot, I'd love to see your photos too, if you care to share.  

Early March snow 2018

We start with the frosted trees from one of oh-too-many snow storms we had in March.  I didn't make this photo in black & white, but that's how grey it's been around here.  I just don't see the beauty in it like some do, even though I do try.  

The robin and my Leia seemed confused too!

Leia, "This isn't funny!"

Robin, "What happened to Spring?"

My son is an avid rock-climber and coach for youth climbing.  The gym he works for is opening a second location in April, and he's been setting the routes.  Check out more at their WEBSITE.

This next picture cracked me up.  I snagged it off my son's Instagram.  Now that he's moved out, Pica went with him.  You can tell she's enjoying the balcony at their new apartment!

OK - this next photo was me being silly - probably had one too many cups of coffee.  I got tired of putting my daughter's shoes away.  I usually leave them at the bottom of the stairs, but that day, I "walked" them up the stairs for her.  😂😂😂 And here's a picture of the two of us being goofy.

Here's one from a road trip in March.  I love driving through all the nooks and crannies of Virginia - such pretty spots.  I was in the mountains and stopped to take a picture of this pretty stream.

 And, it seems that Spring has finally "sprung" here.  I don't think we'll have any more snow, but we will still have cold mornings ahead for a few more weeks.  Still, with the time change, Easter, Spring Break and all the pollen out there, I do believe the worst is behind us.

I hope everyone has a fantastic month!

Hugs,

Ilyse - Happy Mom

My Favorite Photo - January

Hello my friends and swappers!  I have such mixed feelings about January.  On the one hand, I am not a fan of cold weather...but on the other hand, I like the fresh start of a new year.  My favorite photos for the month reflect this.  


⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄

One highlight every January is my company's National Sales Meeting.  This year, we met in Clearwater, Florida, and our meetings were very positive and motivating!  Here's a group picture from the meeting.  I'm in the front row, 4th from the left. 

 Here are some additional photos to share from January:

I do NOT like this!  

Jacob & Callie - my amazing kids!

Family brunch on New Year's Day

🐾 Leia ❤️ Pica 🐾

True Dat!!  Snagged from a Facebook ad

I'm thrilled to share that I've officially lost over 50 pounds since November, 2016.  That's when I started my low carb - high protein plan.  I weighed over 190 when I started.  

Here's the scale as of 1/31/2018: 

And I really do try to see the beauty in all seasons.  This late afternoon sun reminded me that just because it's cold, doesn't mean that it can't be pretty!

Late afternoon sun in Midlothian, Virginia

Aren't the filters for photos fun?  This cracked me up -- Can you tell that winter is starting to get to me?  This filter is on Facebook Messenger - that's me with cabin fever!



On that note.....hope you have a great month, and thanks for posting a rating on Swap-bot if we're partners this time around!

                         Cheers,
                 Ilyse - Happy Mom

Swap-bot My Favorite Vacation

It's not like I've taken so many vacations, that it was difficult to choose which one to write about...but, of the few places I've been, it was harder than I thought.  There were great parts of every vacation!  But, I selected my first Presidents Club trip to share for this swap.  I hope you enjoy reading about it and seeing the pictures.

Presidents Club Trip, 2014

1. Where did you go?  The trip was to Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic.  We stayed at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace - all inclusive premium resort, in an ocean-front suite with a hot tub on the lanai - Doesn't get better than that!  
2. When did you go?  April, 2014
3. How did you get there?  We flew from Richmond to Atlanta, to Punta Cana and back the same way.
4. Who went with you?  My hubby, Michael
5. Have you been to this location more than once? If not, would you like to go back?  I've only been there that one time, and I would definitely go back.  I had been to Santo Domingo on a cruise ship stop in 1974, which is also in the DR.
6. Why was this your favorite?  This was my favorite because it was an honor to go with my company's Presidents Club.  Every year, the top sales reps get to go on an amazing trip.  I've been with the company for 7 1/2 years, and have been on 2 of these trips.  I selected this one because it was my first win, and it was such an amazing trip.  Our suite was HUGE - seriously - 3 bathrooms!  The lanai had a hot tub on it, right on the oceanfront, with an electric shade you could pull down for privacy.  
7. Describe one memorable sight you saw there.  My most memorable sight was once we left the resort and travelled out to the jungle.  Of course, a luxury resort has beautifully-manicured landscape and incredible amenities, but once you leave that area, you see more of what island life is really like.  The area where we were was a mix of extreme wealth and poverty.  The island is so lush, and the jungle was so pretty.  We went zip-lining and I'll never forget how it looked and felt to fly through the trees!
8. Do you have any special souvenirs from this trip? If so, what did you keep?  You know, I really didn't buy a lot while we were there.  My hubby bought a painting that he has framed in his office, but my best souvenir is a DVD from the trip that our event planner put together for us.  

I've included some of the pictures from our trip - Enjoy!  

Oceanfront fountain

Pool by the ocean

Amazing gounds

Pristine beaches

Two old folks zip-lining!

Swimming with the dolphins

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and my description of the trip.  I would love to win this year's trip too , as they're going to Mexico - another beautiful resort.  I still need some year-end sales to qualify, so wish me luck - If not this time, maybe next year!

Thanks for posting a rating for me on Swap-bot!

My Favorite Photos - November

One of my favorite swaps on Swap-Bot is the monthly photo swap.  I can never select just one, so thank you for indulging me with my blog post.  I hope you enjoy seeing the pictures as much I enjoy posting them.  I always enjoy others' photos too, and I'm grateful when people share - so, feel free to send me your photos too.  

Thanksgiving was just my husband, daughter and me -- so, we had dinner out and it was fun!  This picture was taken outside the historic restaurant I selected.  George Washington ate there -- a few years before us -- but how cool is that?!

Thanksgiving at the Halfway House

If you've read my previous blog posts, you know that my son has been on an extended camping trip at New River Gorge, West Virginia, while he develops material for his new company that will be about rock-climbing.  He came home last night, but he shared some awesome pictures while he was out.

Jacob Johnson

New River Gorge, WV

Part of Thanksgiving at our house has always been decorating for Christmas, and this year was no different.  It's actually my daughter who does the design - I just help or stay out of her way!  We have a tree in our Living Room, and she has one in her bedroom.  

Living Room

Callie's tree

Minestrone soup

Low-carb chicken pot pie

I thought I'd share 2 foodie pix too.  The cooler weather makes comfort food a necessity here.  I made a big pot of minestrone soup and some chicken pot pies.  

Big hits with the family!

I have 2 more this month.  My nephew and his wife shared a bunch of photos they had taken for their annual Christmas card, and I just love this one of the two of them.  And you might wonder why I took a picture of folded sheets - but I have to say - I am proud of myself for finally learning how to fold fitted sheets!  Silly, right?  But at 61 years old, if I don't pat myself on the back, who will?  LOL - thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoyed this month's selection.  

Kevin & Erin

I did it!

Have an awesome December and a  Merry Christmas!

ESG: Gratitude List * 2017 edition

Like most everyone, I'm thankful for family, friends, faith and freedom most of all. This year, I thought I'd dive a little deeper to things that might otherwise get missed on a Top 10 list, even though I'm grateful for them.

These are completely random and in no particular order - Enjoy!

  1 - Humility 
  2 - Authenticity
  3 - Intentionality
  4 - Vision
  5 - Quiet time
  6 - Integrity
  7 - Heaven
  8 - Fragrance
  9 - Conscience
 10 - Warmth


OK - told you it was a different type of list...at least, for me it is.  But these are 10 things that I truly am grateful for, and woven together, they make me who I am.

We all have different roles and responsibilities, and when I compare good times vs. bad times, the difference between them usually has to do with the above qualities or traits.  Think about it.  

As a regional sales manager for a digital signage and software company, there are many ups and downs in my world.  When sales are strong, it's easy to love my job and be in a good mood.  When sales are weak, it gets ridiculously stressful, and that puts me in a bad mood, which makes it easy to be grumpy to those closest to me.  I drink and eat more - spend more money (retail therapy) - and escape whenever and however I can.  After feeling guilty for over-indulging, I reboot myself, and focus on what I know works.  Having the vision, intentionality, integrity and conscience - I remind myself that I'm doing the best I can, and things will work out, or they won't.  My stressing about it and sabotaging myself won't change anything.

As a wife and mom, same thing!  I can't control my husband or kids, but I can control my response to them.  I love my family more than anything, and I want what's best for each of them.  I raised my kids to think for themselves and to follow their dreams, so I'm learning to let them do what they think that looks like.  They have their own dreams and I don't expect them to fulfill mine.  

I added Heaven to my list, because I do believe that when we pass from this world, eternal life with God is going to put everything in perspective for us.  My faith is strong and makes me who I am, and while I hope yours is too, I don't try to convince anyone that it's "my way or the highway".  To me, faith is a very personal relationship with God, and I hope it is for you too.  

Warmth rounds out my list because I truly hate being cold!  I love hot weather and if I had my way, I would just hibernate from November until May.  One of my favorite memories from when my kids were little, was I'd be folding laundry right out of the dryer, and take a bath towel or blanket that was still warm, and wrap them up in it and snuggle a minute.  It did my heart good when my daughter, now 26, returned the favor the other night.  She washed her fluffy throw blanket, and came and covered me with it while I watched TV.  I loved the warmth - both from the blanket, but especially from her.

Fragrance is a new one for me.  I recently discovered the benefits of Essential Oils, and have been experimenting with different combinations in my diffuser, tea and bath.  Maybe it's in my mind, but I swear, I can tell a difference in how I feel.  My office smells like lavender, and it's amazing!

On that note, I'll bring this post to a close and get to work, intentionally, of course!  Thanks for reading my list and posting a rating on Swap-bot. 

Much love and thanks to all,

                    Ilyse - Happy Mom ❤️