And Now for the Rest of the Story

February 3, 2014

02/02/2014
H2O Challenge: Drink 8 glasses of water per day (10)
Exercise Challenge: Do at least 10 minutes of exercise per day (12 minutes)
Step Challenge: Walk 7,000 steps per day (5,240)
February Challenge: Walk 50k steps (31 miles) his month (9.38 miles so far) or 10,516 steps so far this month

Good morning!

Yesterday, I told you about our family friend, Katie who actually got on Wheel of Fortune. This was a feat in itself as Katie is an introvert and she didn’t even own a TV until she decided to try out for the show. What a wonderful gift she gave to my Auntie Marion, who is a Wheel of Fortune super fan! Her goal was to have fun and to win at least $1,000.  Katie taped the show last November and could not tell anyone the outcome until after the show aired. Katie DID make both her goals and if you would like to know exactly how she did, click on this picture from their party (btw there were about 50 people in attendance

Click on the photo to read the article and to find out the rest of the story!

 

Win or lose, our family is so grateful to Katie for huge act of kindness. I think Auntie Marion is still riding high.  I too, experienced an awesome act of kindness last week with the gift of a FitBit and I am also still riding high!

AffirMINTion: I am grateful for the awesome people in my life

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

A Mini Minty MoMINT

My mom says she is grateful for her friends and me….. AND I LIKE IT!

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Happy New Year – 2014!

January 1, 2014

Happy New Year Mintdom!

I am so excited for the New Year. I know that 2014 is going to be a GREAT year – maybe one of the BEST years EVER! For the second year in a row, I have a word for the year. My 2014 word is Legacy. I want to leave a good legacy for my family, friends and community. My focus for the year in everything that I do in my spiritual, family, financial, business and personal life will have to do with my legacy. Now that theme should keep me on the straight and narrow. LOL

One of these goals is to have a Clean House – Mintdom Clean. I do not mean that I am just going to clean my house. I mean that I am cleaning and organizing my life. I want to have a clean house emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually and have my house and car clean too! Of course, my ultimate goal in my life is to lead a healthy lifestyle and I will be posting progress reports often. I am never giving up on this goal.

Lastly, one of my goals for the year is to complete writing my first book. I am very excited about it. I have some good plans to get me unstuck. I will let you all know. . I should have a very busy year this year!

Of course, I would be remiss in not sharing my exciting news that my oldest daughter is expecting a little girl in March! My youngest daughter and I will be heading to North Carolina as soon as we hear that she is in labor. Whoo hoo!

Thank you all for being in my life and for all the love and encouragement that you guys so generously give to me. I am grateful to each one of you. I hope this year bring you and yours much good health, happiness and success.

AffirMINTion: I love a Mintdom Clean House and I will have one in 2014!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

 A Mini Minty MoMINT

My mom says…. We are back… AND I LIKE IT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life is Minty Fresh!

New Growth!

February 20, 2013

Good morning, Mintdom

I have lived in my house for over four years now. Each spring I regret that I had not planted bulbs the fall before. I think, if only I planted bulbs last fall, I could be picking daffodils. Finally, last fall, I went to the store, bought bulbs and a bulb planter and planted 17 daffodil bulbs. The other day, I was getting into my car for work, I looked down, and I saw the most beautiful sight. I saw the beginnings of my little daffodils coming up! I cannot tell you how happy I was to see the new growth.

“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” – Napoleon Hill

I would not say that planting bulbs was really struggle; however, I see that the growth usually comes at a price before you reap the rewards. It cost time to plan the little garden. It cost to buy the bulbs. It cost physical labor to plant and water the bulbs. None of those costs is very high and not only that, but daffodils multiply and therefore the rewards will increase each year.

The new growth inspires me and teaches me a lesson. Growth comes with a price and the rewards are GREAT!

How does your garden grow?

AffirMINTion: I love to learn and there are lessons all around me.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

A Mini Minty MoMINT

My mom says… that I am a beautiful reward… and I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!

xoxo

Minty Update – Looking Good!

09/04/2012 – 7,050 steps

Good morning, Mintdom!

Thank you for all the nice messages yesterday for Minty. Minty spent yesterday morning at the Vet because she scarfed up a vitamin D tablet that I dropped on the floor. She is SO fast! One thing that I learned from my daughter (who used to work for a vet) is to give your pet  peroxide to make her/him throw up right away and THEN call the Vet. If I had known that, it would have saved me $200 at the vet who also made her throw up but it had been about a half hour and the pill had already dissolved so they have to give her other things to neutralize the toxicity.  Have any of your pets eaten something toxic? How did you handle it?

Minty had a quiet day yesterday and she seems to be doing OK this morning so I am going back to work but will be anxious to come back home for lunch today.

AffirMINTion: I will always call my daughter first if anything ever happens to Minty like that again!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Minty Mondays: Mattering

11/21/2011

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“The  purpose of life is not to be happy – but to MATTER, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” – Leo Rosten  

My mom says that I matter and that I make a difference to her… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!
 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

Good morning Mintdom!

In the past two weeks, I have attended a new church. So far, I like it a lot. The handout they gave out at the door included a little brochure called Gifts that Give Hope 2011: Help Build Hope Today. This brochure listed EIGHT separate opportunities to help others during the holidays. What struck me is the fact that SO many people in our community and in the world do not have the things that I have – most of which I often take for granted. There are so many people in need that it overwhelmed me. These people are from all walks of life and range from infants to seniors. The other thing that struck me was not just the request for monetary gifts and gifts, but also the requests for help in the warehouse (there is a warehouse!), help distributing to needy families, mentoring, and help people shop for gifts. There are gifts that are going overseas to our soldiers and to their families that are here. There are gifts for children in Haiti. There are gifts and activities for families that have parents in prison and there are gifts and activities for those that are in shelters.

In just the few moMINTS that it took to read this brochure, I felt convicted and grateful all at the same time. After the service, I picked up a couple of things that I will gather and give in the name of my two grandchildren. I am doing it, not because I feel guilty, I am doing it because I am so grateful for ALL that I have. I have my faith first. I am healthy and getting healthier. I have a wonderful family and amazing friends. I have a safe, clean (most of the time ha ha) warm, place to live. I have a GREAT job that I love and that is close enough to go home for lunch and to take care of one of my biggest blessings – Minty. I put that brochure on my bulletin board at my desk at home to remind me of all that I have and to remain grateful.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James

This is a sweet video but BEWARE – the music will stick with you!  LOL!  http://tinyurl.com/wechangetheworld

AffirMINTion: I CAN make a difference in the world

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

It’s Minty Monday Time!

10/17/2011

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“In all planning you make a list and you set priorities.“ – Alan Lakein

My mom says… she loves spending time with me… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!

My Mom even spends time with me in the car!

xoxo

Good morning Mintdom!

I know that I am on a time kick; it is because I keep seeing photos, quotes and articles on time, therefore I am going with it! LOL!

Do you ever think that there is not enough time in the day? I know that there are those days when I think that I just do not have enough time to do what I want to do. When I honestly look back on that kind of day, I can see where I wasted time even though I sure seemed very busy!

“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau

I love quote by Henry Thoreau because I know when I set my priorities in advance for the day, I can get a lot accomplished. I even have time left over to spend any way that I like!

One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time.” – Author Unknown

The next time that the thought comes to your mind that you do not have enough time in the day, take a look back and prioritize your To-Do List OR make and prioritize your list BEFORE your day starts slipping away.

AffirMINTion: I make the most of my 24 hours each day!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Minty Mondays: A 9/11 Lesson

9/12/2010

A Mini Minty MoMINT

My mom says… the beautiful 9/11 memorials are reminder for us never to forget that day; it also celebrates the lives of those who died that day and a reminder to all of us to cherish our lives and our loved ones… AND I LIKE IT!

 

Life is Minty Fresh!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo

 

 

 

Good morning Mintdom,

Ten years ago today, the day after 9/11, I spent on my couch, glued to the TV; in fact, I spent the next couple of days like that. Our office remained closed until after the weekend. For the next couple of weeks there were several scares, but eventually things got back to a normal routine, a new normal routine, with heightened security in our building and around Washington, DC. I was grateful to be back at work and living my life.

One of the lessons that 9/11 taught me was to cherish my life, my loved ones, and my country. Our whole life could change in a flash. What was a lesson you learned from that day, ten years ago?

AffirMINTion: I cherish my life, my loved ones and my country every day!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Beginnings, Middles, and Endings

09/06/2011

 A Mini Minty MoMINT

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus

My mom says that September is another new beginning… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!

My hair is unmanageable!

 

 

xoxo

   

 

PS My mom and I were on vacation on Monday, and she said that I could do Minty Monday on Tuesday. 

Good morning, Mintdom!

September is an awesome month for many reasons, but the biggest reasons are that I get to celebrate so many birthdays!  My sister Becky celebrates on the first day of the month and my mom celebrates on the last day of the month.  In between those days this year, my Auntie Jean celebrated 90 years, my youngest daughter, Kelly celebrates 32 years today, and my son Michael, will celebrate 34 years on the 14th. Finally yet importantly, my good friend, Ann celebrates _ _ years on September 8.Happy birthday to you all – I love you.

I also like September because, like Mondays, it feels like the start of something fresh. I know, I know, summer is over and the leaves begin to turn and fall off the trees. They sure put on a spectacular show before they fall though. September is the start of a new school year and new routines.

September 1, I started Dave Ramsey’s, Total Money Makeover and I am keeping track of where my money goes. Yesterday, I took my list to the grocery store, and stuck with it.  I had only $20 in cash with me I spend $19.91! I would have won something if I were on the Price is Right game show. LOL

I know there is an elephant in the room right now as we come upon the tenth anniversary of September 11. That is the one mar on September. That horrific day marked the end for many, and the beginning of a new way of living for the world. The events of that day also shined a light on America and the many heroes of that day, and there were many from all walks of life. What an amazing country we live in!

As I read this post, I feel like I am all over the place. Maybe I am like September with its beginnings, middles and endings. In any case, I hope that you have a GREAT one!

“I love September, especially when we’re in it.” – Willie Stargell

AffirMINTion: I appreciate my life and all that it brings to me.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Lazer Focus on Each Day!

08/31/2011

Good morning Mintdom

Can you believe that today is the last day of August? Even though it is not the official date, I always consider August 31 the last day of summer and September 1, the first day of fall. Anyway, the summer sure has flown by quickly. My Mom used to tell me that the older I get, the faster that time passes. My dad always says that we have 24 hours in a day, how will we use our time.

Last week’s earthquake and hurricane and brought my focus back to how we could have a lot less time in this world then we think. We really need to make the most out of each day. This week a friend landed unexpectedly in the hospital. It shows me how we need to appreciate the people in our lives, and all that we have because we never know if today will be our last day or theirs. I do not mean to be morbid; I just feel this sense of urgency to make the most out of each day. I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am for you, my family and friends, and for my health. I hope that I never take any of you or anything that I have for granted. I am truly blessed.

I keep what I call a little celebration / prayer journal. On one side, I write down three things that made me smile the day before which, actually turns out to be three things that I am grateful. Sometimes, it is a big thing like settling on my new house, and sometimes it is a very small thing, like watching Minty playing with a toy. On the other side, I write my prayers although I always start with, thank you God… It sure is a GREAT way to start my day, to focus on the good in my life, and to remember those that are in need. It is interesting to look back at the things that I was thinking in past years. Yes – years – it has been years since I started this; it seems like yesterday.

What are some of the things that you do to keep you focused and appreciative all that you have in life? I think today, one of the things that I will do is to call my Mom and Dad to say I love you and I am grateful for every moment I have had with you – even when I was a teenager! LOL

AffirMINTion: I appreciate each day and all that it brings

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“Life is short, God’s way of encouraging a big of focus.” – Robert Brault

My mom tells and shows me every day that she loves me… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!
 

xoxo

 

I am grateful for my cousin, Brandy!
This photo was taken when we were just puppies – see how time flies?

Minty Mondays!

8/22/2011

I declare that from this day forward that I am changing the first day of the week known as Monday to Minty Mondays! This means that Minty will begin the week with her message first. This will make those folks happy that scroll down to her message (and photo first) LOL! It also means that I will write more than once a week.

 

 

 

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention.” ~Greg Anderson

My mom says that she loves Mondays because it is the fresh start of a new week… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!
 

xoxo

Ready to take on the week

Good morning Mintdom,

Focus is a big word in my life.  The things I focus on matters.

“If you focus on what you have, you will end up having more. If you focus on what you lack, you will never have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey

When I was a teenager, I hated Mondays.  Monday meant that the weekend was over and I HAD to wake up early to get ready for school. Mondays meant that I HAD to catch the bus outside my front door it meant that I HAD to do homework.  Today, you will often hear me say that I love Mondays, and I REALLY DO love Mondays. I GET to wake up in my own home and I GET to say good morning to Minty (of course that is every day) I GET to go to a job that I love and I GET to attend our staff meetings with an awesome group of people. Monday means a fresh new week filled with new ideas and new challenges that keep my job interesting.

Today, think about where you put your focus because what you focus on expands.

One more thing – Today is a special day for my friend Erin who is one of my big supporters.  Today Erin GETS to take on a new role in leadership at a new office.  Erin, best of luck in your new position and office – you will be missed!

AffirMINTion: I focus on the positives (and the fun) in my life!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!