I've Moved

Hi!  I'm so glad you found your way to my blog, but guess what?  I've moved to a different website.  My new "home" is very similar to this one, but the focus is more on Women Over 50.  I've realized that there is a large number of us and it's such an exciting time of our lives, but can also present many new issues.  My new "home" offers Beauty tips for Women Over 50,  and Happy Home tips to offer little ideas to make sure your home and lifestyle is happy and the best it can be.  I also send out Happy Thoughts several mornings a week, and write at least one new article a week.

Over 50 and Happy

We've spent the first half of our life nurturing and taking care of others, for the most part.  Now most of us have empty nests, hopefully a little more "me" time, and I think our life now should be about nurturing and taking care of us!
There is an art to making your life the best it can be.  I want to share my ideas and thoughts about this with you!

I hope you get a chance to visit me at my new home.  The address is:  http://over50andhappy.com  Please stop over and look around.

See you there!
Nina

Christmas Countdown

We’re back home in Pennsylvania from our family vacation in Orlando. With 9 of us on the trip, including 3 generations and ages 1 to 74, it was quite the trip. We had a wonderful time and great weather, even a little cool at times. We did everything from swimming and water slides to Sea World, Legoland, and Downtown Disney! I think we would all admit and agree that by the last two days we were all getting tired and a little cranky.

As much as I enjoyed the time away with children, grandchildren and parents – I am really happy to be home. I’m 54 years old, but I’m still continuing to learn things about myself:

1. As much as I love my whole family, I wouldn’t want to live with them for any more than 6 days in a row at a time! And that’s OK!

2. I get very tired a lot quicker than I did 20 years ago. And that’s OK!

3. Even when on vacation, I still end up cooking and cleaning! Partly because I like to and partly because I guess that’s still my job. And that’s OK!

4. Be sure to take a lot of pictures because by next year I’ll probably forget half the stuff we did! And that’s OK!

I have 17 month old Baby Leanna home with me until Wednesday since her mother had to work at Air Force Reserves this week. Because I was well organized with Christmas before I left I had most of my decorating finished and I bought several Christmas gifts while in Florida.

With 20 days until Christmas, I keep myself organized and on schedule so that this month is enjoyable for me and not filled with stress. I’ll give a daily tip up until Christmas morning that may be helpful to you and I’ll let you know what I get done each day. Follow along on my other website blog for twice weekly articles. Be sure to sign in and follow my site so you don’t miss any of my tips that will be posted in my Daily Happy Thoughts.

20 Days Before Christmas – I finished decorating my last of 6 Christmas trees and the nutcracker collection was set out on the living room side table.

Tip: Eliminate whatever is unnecessary. Every day life and events don’t come to a standstill just because Christmas is around the corner. You can only do so much. If it’s not necessary, don’t stress yourself by trying to do too much in such a short time.

For lots of tips, advice, and ideas, including pictures and simple recipes, my book will help you “Put Peace and Joy Back into Your Christmas”! Take a look here!

Leave me a comment and tell me your best tip for reducing stress during the Holidays. Every little tip helps!

Sign in to follow my other website for Women Over 50 at http://over50andhappy.com  The Art of Living These Best Years of Your Life!

Been Here, Done This – Sort Of





Well, it’s this happy grandma’s 3rd day at staying with my three Pennsylvania grandchildren while their parents are away. I’m taking care of my 7 and 6 year old grandsons and 1 year old granddaughter, along with their dog. I got here Monday afternoon and my son and his wife will be home tomorrow afternoon. All I can say is – How did I do this 23 years ago? I guess the quick answer to that would be - Because it was 23 years ago! While that’s partially true, there is so much more to it.

For the last couple of days I’ve been comparing this experience with that of being a young mother with two sons also 16 months apart. As I got the two boys ready for school this morning, and they were outside waiting for the bus, I just had this flashback of my own two sons. It was a deja vu moment! But when my boys were young and I was a young mother, I was also working as an insurance agent and owner of my own agency. I was extremely busy, but I didn’t really think about it. I guess as a young woman and mother you just take for granted the fortune and joys and stress and hardships that you live. I didn’t think about how difficult being a working mother was. My husband and I were (and are) partners in business and in life and we ”just did it”! I also sat on several local boards, worked out (as in exercised) quite a bit, worked in my office at least 40 hours a week, and did everything possible with my boys. They were in wrestling, cross country, track, and of course all the academic functions and events. My husband and I were very involved parents and I don’t think we ever missed an event. To think back and remember all this now is overwhelming to me. If I had to do all that now I think I would curl up in a fetal position and cry!

So I’ve been thinking about this. Why do I feel so overwhelmed by this now when I obviously am very capable of handling it. And I’ve come to a conclusion and an answer: I’ve already done that and now my prize to myself is, I don’t have to do it anymore! Back then it was just what my life was. It was the plan and the progression and now I’m on to Part Two.

As I wrote about in my article, “Design Your Life to be What You Want”, we make the life we have. Whether consciously or unconsciously. The choices we make at each step determines the following step. We all have the ability to choose the direction of that track. Yes, unforseen events can derail us, but it’s then up to us to get it back on track.

Now, back to the present. The track I’m on now is to be a good and loving and very happy grandma. I am very willing to be the caregiver for temporary time periods, but I would not want to do this again full time. In addion to the boys, I also have their one year old sister, little Leanna.

Needless to say, I am busy and tired this week. If I HAD to do this full time due to some unforseen event, yes I could. This is not my current plan or track. I adore these beautiful grandchildren and want them to remember me as a good and loving grandma. When I leave here tomorrow evening and go back home to my husband, my house and my current normal every day activities, I’ll be so appreciative of it all.

I can look back and remember the first part of my life and appreciate how the hard work has paid off and gave me what I have now in my second half. I can also greatly appreciate that now in Part Two I have gorgeous grandchildren that I have the good fortune to spend time with. Then I get to go back to my well deserved current life that is now more about doing for me instead of a full time life of doing for others. And I don’t feel guilty for that at all!

I'm also at:  http://over50andhappy.com.  Would love to visit with you over there, too!

Over 50 and Happy

My new site is coming along.  I have been working very long hours on setting this up and figuring it out.  I've become obsessed!  I'm not even sure why I'm so obsessed with this, except to say that this is all I've been thinking about all hours of the day and night for several weeks now.  I have so many ideas and thoughts that I want to put into this new site and the more research I do the more I realize how hungry Women Over 50 are to get more information and support for depression, menopause, divorce, empty nest, etc.  I want to encourage and offer some support and I'm so passionate about it.  Even my husband is wondering what in the world has gotten in to me!  I haven't turned on the TV for days, which isn't like me at all.  I'm just so involved in reading and studying, not to mention trying to figure out this Wordpress system of site building.  That's been a whole course of it's own!  
This whole process has made me realize how important it is to have a passion for something, especially as we get older.  It makes you discover a purpose and offers an excitement to looking forward to each day.
I have finally been able to get my sign- in box up on my new site so women can sign in to receive Newsletters with blog posts, daily quotes and sayings, and happiness tips.  I'm actually working on an E-Book that I'm writing about Health and Fitness for Real Women Over 50.  That could be a while down the road before that's ready to go.
Please stop over and visit my new "house".  I'm ready to show it off a little, but still have more "furniture" and "decorating" to do.

 New website can be found here

I also want to get back to visiting all of you, my great blogging friends out there!  I'm sorry I've been so neglectful.  Please forgive me and don't give up on me.  I just don't have enough hours in the day and I know I try to take on too much - but I'm happy !  Now I have my Spokane kids coming tomorrow for 2 weeks so things aren't going to slow down for a while yet.

Talk to you all again real soon, I hope!

Hugs, 

Nina

No More Bad Hair Days

No More Bad Hair Days

Click title above to visit my new website and read all about it!  I'm working on a lot more to come,, but it's been a very time consuming project.
I'm currently working on a sign-in page where you can sign up to receive email newsletters, along with tips and quotes on "Being Happy Over 50" .  As you all know, I'm just a regular ole' Grandma that isn't extremely computer tech savvy, so it takes me a little while to figure these things out.  But I'm having so much fun and I'm so excited to see where this new road can lead and excited to possibly support, help, and guide "real" women over 50" in having the best 2nd half of their life that's possible!
I sincerely don't want to lose touch with the very good friends I've made at my Blogger "home".  Theresa, DJan, Val, Rae, Denise, Debbie, Judy; Mariah, Vee, Connie, Marydon, and I could go on and on.  In fact, it's because of all of you that I truly have come to appreciate how blessed and happy I am at age 53.  I also realize that there are so many women out there that don't have such support, blessings, self esteem, and joy in their lives.  And they can!  It's there for all of us!
So thanks to all of you.  I may even call on some of you from time to time to guest blog for me.  You all have so much to offer "women of a certain age".
I'll be talking to you again soon.
Hugs and Stay Happy,
Nina