Leap Year Gives An Extra Heart Filled Day

I went back to the gym yesterday. After two years of doing nothing, pretty much, I returned 10+ pounds heavier, tail between my legs. Occasionally, over the past two years, I'd go work out for a day, or even a week, and then I'd just quit. To make matters worse, I am a certified personal trainer (maintaining my certification but not currently using it to train people) so I know exactly what I should and shouldn't do to get back in shape. But knowing and doing are two very different actions.

I've set goals (dates, important events, sizes, parties, weddings, etc.) that I have not met. I most recently blamed it on my menopause, and while menopause and hormones can have an effect on weight, I am more certain that it's the poor eating, beer drinking, and lack of exercise that has gotten me where I am today.

February is heart healthy month, so I've decided to think differently about health. Instead of thinking about the weight I'd like to lose (because when it does or doesn't come off, it encourages or discourages me), I am going to try and get healthy again. With my schedule being crazy (and not being an excuse), I have carved out three days to go to the gym. My fourth day will be squats, ham curls, and calf raises in the kitchen. La la la!

Regarding food, I am going to try and eat as whole and healthy as possible. Yogurt for breakfast (unless it's the Greek egg white omelet at the diner), salad or a PB&J on wheat for lunch. Dinner is undecided but cannot include anything fried. I can snack through the day, but am trying to limit my snacks to healthy ones. Tonight, I tried eating a cucumber with vinegar for a snack (used to do this when I was power lifting and a size 4). Um, you cannot eat an entire cucumber and still be hungry. It's not possible. I got some grapefruits, cottage cheese, and packed tomorrow's lunch. I am not going to crack the whip on myself, and I am still going to drink my beer, but I am going to be more mindful of what I am eating and why.

Label on a pint of fair traded blueberries at the market tonight.

It takes 28 days to create a habit. I figure it's the end of January now, and with leap year here, there's 29 days in February. So between now and the end of the month, I will have 30 days under my belt.

But let me tell you that this challenge is tough already. As I write this, my son has ripped open a big bag of Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips, while sitting beside me. Laurie Cole, I need your help.

Get Your Luck o' the Irish on Friday the 13th

It's a little late in the day, I know, but I wanted to pass along some great info so that you can INDULGE yourself today!

In celebration of the opening of Thatcher McGhee's in Denville, Sugar Mommy Cupcakes delivered tons of Irish Cream mini cupcakes to the darlin' ladies at Dash of Thyme, who's fabulous gourmet shop neighbors the new pub.

Mini Irish Cream cupcakes by Sugar Mommy FREE at Dash of Thyme, today and tomorrow.

The mini cupcakes are FREE to everyone! Go on in, today and tomorrow, and get your free mini cupcake. (And when you want more, you can walk over to Sugar Mommy, where full-sized cupcakes available in her bake shop.) While at Dash of Thyme, check out the limited edition Thatcher McGhee's Irish Cream candles that I made. They are in an Irish Cream glass mug, and will allow you to take a little luck of the Irish home with you.

Thatcher McGhee Irish Cream limited edition candles, only at Dash of Thyme. While supplies last.

Dash of Thyme is located at 49 Broadway in Denville.

How Did You Meet the One You Love?

I've send W messages in a bottle, written him love letters, and thought over and over about the hows and whys of falling in love. I am curious to know what it is that brought you and your love together.

Write me and let me know how you met the person that you are currently in love with. Tell the situation, the story, whatever, and write it to me. You can email it to me at domesticgoddessltd@aol.com. The story that is most touching will be reprinted in this blog (you can tell me how you'd like to be listed, or if you prefer to be anonymous), and the writer will receive a Domestic Goddess candle.

Submit now through February 10th. Letter will be reprinted on February 14th.

Getting Pinned (and Kissed)

When my dear friend Shannon Penkrat told me about a website called Pinterest on New Year's Eve, she said that I would become addicted. Well, she was right. I uploaded the free app that night and applied to become a member. Though I had to wait until today to get accepted, I was able to poke around in the meantime, and guess what?

I am addicted.

I don't know how to explain Pinterest, and I am too tired to try, but I highly recommend you go and check it out. You can search for recipes, craft ideas, home and garden ideas for free.

I created a board (something you can do, and then pin other people's images (or yours) on it, about Love and Kisses. Ward and I have been talking so much about Valentine's Day, and our upcoming kissing booth event (details below) that I thought I'd make a board with people kissing. To view the complete board (that I really love -- 16 photos in all), click here.

Pinned on Pinterest (via tumblr)

After you read this, go find someone to kiss. Your bf/gf, partner, spouse, kids, dog, cat, someone. Kiss, kiss, kiss away, and feel how amazing it is! Next month, come to one of our kissing booth events. You'll have a blast. If you participate, you get a digital kissing booth image, a 5 x 7 print, and a limited edition Domestic Goddess votive (all for just $15) plus we will be serving champagne and chocolate. If you wear red, you get a free American Heart Association red lapel pin, and if you choose to purchase any Domestic Goddess candles that night, 20% of your purchase will be donated to the American Heart Association. For more info, contact me at domesticgoddessltd@aol.com or call 973-809-7880.

Have a love filled weekend.

Join us for our Kissing Booth event (photos by Ward Vogt of Ward Vogt Designs). 5 x 7 will be mailed to you (or you can pick up at the shop it's taken at), digital image will be emailed in 24 hours. Valentine's Day card options are available, and will be to you in plenty of time for Valentine's Day.


Friday, February 3 from 6 - 9 p.m.
Savannah Hope Vintage
906 Main Street, Boonton


Saturday, February 4 from 2 - 4 p.m.
Dash of Thyme Gourmet
49 Broadway, Denville

Pucker Up! Cupid's Coming!

Valentine's Day is on it's way. I know it's only January 2nd but still, we have just six weeks til the big love fest begins and it's something to look forward to! I love cooking and baking and letter writing, and all that good stuff (and now I'm living on pinterest.com for more ideas, thanks to Shannon Penkrat), Valentine's Day means a lot to me. It means that I get to bake heart-shaped cookies to mail to family and friends, and hang heart die cuts all over the house. I get to cook a special meal for W, and I get to send out Valentines. I always loved that. As a kid in the 70s, we had those super cute ready-made Valentines. I know that they still make them, with Spongebob and the like, but they never appealed to me. Since my son was born, I've made die cuts with his photo on them, and sent those out. Recently, I started doing a photo card with the three kids on it. It's fun, because everyone doesn't do them, so they stand out and are even more special. Plus, they celebrate LOVE!

Will you be sending out Valentines this year? 

My God, so many people I know are getting divorced. It seems that most of the conversations in town center around who is getting divorced or who is having an affair with who. I'm divorced myself, but I don't identify as divorced anymore. I identify as married, because I feel married. W and I have been together for a very long time, and to us, we are as committed as committed can be, so when I hear about all of these splits, it makes me sad.

If you have love in your life, why not celebrate it?

Celebrating love, and years of a fabulous life together, K + M kiss for Ward Vogt's camera. You can, too!

Maybe you are in the process of healing, or you haven't been struck by Cupid's arrow just yet. Still, there is love in the air. Non-romantic love like between friends, or parents and children, are joyful. All love is celebrated on Valentine's Day. That's the fun part of the holiday.

Julia Child once said, "Valentine cards had become a tradition of ours (hers and her husband's), born of the fact that we could never get ourselves organized in time to send out Christmas cards." That being said, if you didn't send yours out (or you didn't like the one that you did send), now's your chance. Each year, the Childs sent out Valentine's Day cards like this one:

A Child's Valentine's Day card.

On Friday, February 3rd, which is First Friday, a celebratory night, on Boonton's Main Street, Savannah Hope Vintage is hosting a kissing booth. Ward (of Ward Vogt Designs) is going to set up his camera for loved ones to come and smooch for a photo. It can be a romantic kiss, or one friend planting a kiss on the other's cheek, while the recipient looks surprised. It can be a child with parents, siblings, you name it. Ward will take a few photos, you pick the one you want, and then he emails you the digital photo and mails you a 5 x 7 print. We have also designed three different Valentine's Day cards for you to choose from (and you can personalize a message, or just have your initials in a heart like T + W), should you follow in the footsteps of Paul & Julia (like Ward and I) and mail out Valentine's Day cards.

Check out the Valentine's Day cards we will have available (and you will get them in plenty of time for Valentine's Day). We custom created each of these cards.:

Blue Valentine card.

The Conversation Heart card.

The Love on Hearts Wing card.

The Sweethearts card.

In addition, there will be champagne and strawberries in the shop, and each couple/group to participate gets one free Domestic Goddess La Cioccolata di Amore Bacia votive (named by friend and contest winner, Ginny Longo). It's going to be an amazing night and we are expecting a sell-out, so we are asking that you reserve your time increment to ensure getting your kissing photo taken (call me to reserve at 973-809-7880). It's such fun -- you'll have to join us.

La Cioccolata di Amore Bacia votive

Privately, Ward and I always do kissing photos. We usually do them impromptu, with his tripod set up, like the ones below. This year, we will kiss in the booth. Separately, we will have our kids doing it -- one in the middle, being kissed on either side by the other two.

Us, under the mistletoe...

...and in the woods. Next is the kissing booth.

For more information on the kissing booth, contact me or Ward at wardvogtdesigns@yahoo.com. Come join the fun! This event is being held at Savannah Hope Vintage, 906 Main Street, Boonton, NJ 07005, on Friday, February3 from 6 - 9 p.m. Schedule your appointment with us today or just drop in (reservations appreciated but not necessary).