I Am Thankful For:
Christmas presents wrapped
Family gathering together for Christmas Eve
Quiet Christmas morning
My new Fitbit
Watching Christmas movies
Soft cozy bathrobe
Christmas leftovers
A new gratitude journal for the new year
Having my husband home for a week
If I'm honest, I feel as if this blog lost its sense of direction and identity somewhere along the way. It started at a place of transition and change in my life and along the way, it's had a difficult time keeping up and has just been meandering for a while now.
As this year winds down and the new one begins soon, I have a goal to bring the blog up to speed with my life. I guess you could say that it's time for a blog makeover. Not so much a "new year, new you", but more like "new year, more you".
As a result, I will be focusing more on life as a middle-aged woman. The things that matter to women in our (my) age group. Health and wellness (keep an eye out for more menopause-related posts!), faith, family (with grown children and grandkids), resources for midlife, etc.
I'll also be dropping a few polls on my Instagram in the coming weeks to find out what YOU would like to read more of on the blog. So, stay tuned for that.
I've got my guys home this week, so I'm relaxing and not setting any big goals for myself. Those can wait for next week when we're starting 2022.
I Am Thankful For:
Not running out of gas
Cold mornings that turn into warm days
Books
Frost on the grass
Inspiration
Christmas cards
Clean laundry
Peace and quiet
Pink clouds at sunrise
My Christmas tree
Vaccines
Christmas carols
Cookies
Dark and rainy days
Breakfast for dinner
Crochet and a movie
Not crying
One of my favorite Christmas specials/movies is "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". I don't know about Christmas - but that ol' Grinch certainly did steal my heart. Especially when his own grew three sizes that day!
I think we all have a little grinch in us. Even if we do manage to bury it way down deep most of the time. But something about Christmas can really bring it out in us, can't it? We get overwhelmed, stressed out, exhausted and suddenly we are acting much more like the grinch than one of the citizens of Whoville.
Maybe you get short-tempered. Maybe you snap at others. Or isolate yourself from them. I'm not proud of it - but I find myself doing all of the above.
Maybe you just get sad at this time of year. It happens to a lot of people. It can be tough when it seems as if everyone around you is celebrating and having just a holly jolly Christmas time but your life is less than perfect.
Give yourself - and others - some grace . We can't do it all. It's ok if not every little thing is perfect. Or even if some things don't get done at all. It's more important to be present, to be happy and peaceful, and actually enjoy the season.
I have along list of things to do this week. I need to wrap gifts and get some things ready for our family celebration on Christmas eve. But I also get time with my grand son. And I plan to do some baking and crafts with him and watch some Christmas movies together. Even if it means some of the other doesn't get marked off the list.
How will you be spending this week before Christmas?
This post is meant to share what I have learned about menopause based on my own experience. It is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking help because of something you read on this website.
No one warned me that menopause can stink! And I mean that in the literal sense. Sometimes it can be quite smelly. Pe-yew!
Perimenopause and menopause can bring on hot flashes, night sweats, and anxiety. All of which can result in increased sweating. All kinds of sweat. I now sweat in places I'm not sure I ever produced sweat before. Besides underarm sweat, there's now back sweat, thigh sweat, boob sweat. I'm not entirely convinced that even my hair isn't sweating. And increased sweating means increased body odor.
To make matters seem worse, we often have a heightened sense of smell during this season of life. So, we are more likely to notice an aroma when others around us don't. But, if you're like me, that knowledge isn't going to stop you from worrying that you're offending the olfactory senses of everyone around you. (aka: grossing everyone out) And no one wants to be THAT person. I have spent more time in the past year or two trying to casually sniff myself than I ever did in the entire rest of my life.
The good news is that there are things we can do to help ease the funk. Ones that don't involve drowning ourselves in perfumed body sprays or avoiding going out in public.
- I now use a combination of two antiperspirant and deodorants - a clinical strength that I use at night and right after showering, and a "regular" strength that I apply every morning. I also often swipe some under my breasts if I know it's going to be an especially warm day. Many women also carry gentle cleansing wipes with them for a quick refresh.
- Taking steps to help minimize hot flashes can help to reduce the amount of sweating we do in a day (see: What No One Told Me About Menopause: It's Hot)
- Stay hydrated. When we're dehydrated, our sweat can become more concentrated and smell just that little bit stronger. So make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids.
- Avoid or limit foods such as garlic, spices, alcohol, red meat, or those high in sugar that can contribute to the body odor or increase sweating.
Have you noticed that you seem to have a stronger smell as you entered perimenopause or menopause? Or do you feel that you smell different than you used to?
I Am Thankful For:
Joy
Ginger ale
NOT vomiting
Cute dog pictures
Getting my appetite back
Berries
Christmas shopping completed
God's Word
My Etsy customers
Being able to laugh at myself
The Man picking up dinner
Imagination and creativity
Family
Warm December mornings
Watching "old" movies
My husband's laugh
My grown "children" are friends
Peppermint
This is my busy week. The week that could cause some feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed out. If this were a movie or television show - this is where I would cue the holiday over load montage.
I have to complete all my open Etsy orders and ship them by the end of the week so that they (hopefully) arrive before Christmas. And there are more than I would like to have still to fulfill at this point. I need to get my Christmas cars addressed and mailed. And I also need to wrap and ship some gifts for family that lives out if state. Plus all the usual - clean, laundry, cook, shop,care for dogs - stuff that is always on the to do list.
The good news is that it's just this week and then it is over.
once I get through the busyness of this week, I can relax and enjoy the Christmas holidays. Next week I get to spend time with my grand son. I get to wrap presents, watch Christmas movies, and maybe even do some baking.
I just have to get through this one busy week.
I have reached a point in the holidays where one minute I feel as if I am ahead of the to-do list and doing well, but the very next minute I feel overwhelmed by all that still needs to be done. It's a strange place to be.
In all honestly - I really am on top of things. Most of the shopping is done. The decor is all up and looks beautiful.
I think the issue is that most of the things that I still need to do are the things that feel more like "work". The wrapping of presents, addressing the Christmas cards, shipping packages, and fulfilling orders for my Etsy shop. I am looking for ways that I can relax and try to enjoy those tasks. Maybe brew up a cup of peppermint mocha coffee, put on a Christmas movie or some music, and get things done.
I'm trying to mark a few things on the list one day, one week at a time so it doesn't pile up on me and leave me rushing to get it all done at once.
On this week's To-Do list:
How are you doing with your Christmas and holiday preparations?
It's already December y'all! The holiday season is well underway and the year will be over before we know it!
The last few days of November and the first days of December were a blur. The good thing is that I've been busy - decorating the house, working on Christmas orders for my Etsy shop, and getting most of my Christmas shopping done. And hopefully, that means I won't feel so overwhelmed and rushed as we get closer to Christmas!
Working On: Christmas orders for the Etsy shop. I'm also still in the process of planning and making goals for the first months of 2022.
Celebrating: It's pretty obvious this month! Right? Of course, besides the holidays - my oldest niece had a birthday yesterday. And my middle sister's birthday is at the end of the month.
Wanting/Needing: Other than better time management skills?
Eating: Popcorn. You know those ginormous tins of popcorn that are in all the stores this time of year? Well, I bought one. Mostly because they make me think of my youngest sister and I've been missing her. That was probably a mistake. The Man of the House opened it Wednesday night while we were watching television and I think we ate about half of it in one sitting!
Loving: All the Christmas decorations. We got a new tree for the living room this year. My coffee station is all decked out for Christmas and the lovely pencil tree I got last year for the dining room makes me so happy. And we put lights on the back porch (which faces the main road in our neighborhood). I also enjoy seeing the outdoor decorations that other people put on display.
Goals for December:
I Am Thankful For:
My husband
My daughter and her family
My son
My parents
My sisters
Help with fixing dinner
Time to rest
Food on the table
A glass of wine
A new dining table
The grandkid is feeling better
Leftovers
Christmas lights
Homemade soup
