Ten Ideas For Adult Snow Days...

 Hey All! I woke up to 6 inches of snow here in North Carolina. No school again for my kids. This is like the 6th day in 2 weeks that they have been out due to inclement weather. Oh joy!!  I took the above picture this morning of our oak tree. Winter photos are simply gorgeous!

There are lots of posts out there about what to do when the kids are out of school for snow. What about adult snow days? We get bored too.  Below are some ideas us grown-ups can do to fight cabin fever on a snow day.

1. Host a Wine Tasting - I'm sure you have some munchies that you picked up while buying toilet paper for the storm. Call your neighbors and tell them to come over with a bottle of wine. Lay out your munchies and some glasses. Sample each other's wine. Talk about what will pair well with a particular wine, hand out a cheesy prize for the best wine. Perhaps you will discover a new favorite.

2. Plan Your Next Vacation - I've been getting lots of  emails lately from various vacation rental properties. What a better way to get rid of the winter blues than to plan your next getaway.

3. Spring Cleaning - I know I know. Who wants to clean on a snow day?? Get organized now. Don't wait until Spring to do your "Spring" cleaning. Every week I'm getting a flyer or a call from some charity who wants to come and pick up my used clothing or small household item. My response "come and get it!"

4. Go For a Winter Walk - The snow covered trees are so beautiful. The cold crisp air is wonderful. Go for a walk. Lace up your Sportos and go. Great exercise. Don't forget your Fitbit and camera.

5. Read - Wrap up in your favorite throw, get your hot beverage and sink your teeth into a good book. I just received Oprah's latest book club pick, Ruby by Cynthia Bond, in the mail. I can't wait to start reading.

6. Online Shopping - Now if you've given up excessive spending for Lent, then skip over this. Go to number 7. There are some awesome deals on the net. Everyone is having a sale. A good one that is going on now is Kate Spade Saturday. Everything is 40% off. Thank goodness the cute sweatshirt with the side zippers is SOLD OUT in my size. Ha! My wallet thanks me. Also, don't forget about the small business owners. I'm all about supporting small biz. Lots of etsy sellers are having sales.

7. Call Your BFF over - Everyone has one girlfriend that either owns an SUV or is from the North and swears she can drive through any amount of snow (raises hand high). Call her and tell her to come over with her favorite adult beverage and the two of you catch up on all the episodes of Scandal and How Get Away With Murder that is on your DVR.

8. Line Dancing - You know it's coming. All of the wedding and graduation party invites. Don't be the only one at your table not getting up because you have not idea how to wobble. Go to YouTube and learn.

9. DIY projects - Finish those Darby Smart projects that you received in the mail. Or do your own DIY project. My fave is distressed jeans DIY. Super fun and easy. Have no clue how to ruin a pair of jeans, go to Pinterest.

10. Good Deed - Have an elderly neighbor? Go shovel her pavement and driveway. It's great cardio and your arms will thank you this summer.

How do you combat boredom on a snow day?

Wordless Wednesday...

Lupita's Shoes...

Hey All!  Did you all watch the Oscars? Did you just watch the red carpet fashion? Or were you like me and just flipped through photos on Instagram to see what your fave celebrity wore?

My personal fave is Lupita Nyong'o.  What a breath of fresh fashion air she is every since she came on the scene a year or so ago. Her fearless fashion sense and an amazing stylist, always gives me that Wow factor. She is definitely one of my girl crushes.

I loved her gown for this year's Academy Awards. The incredibly stunning Calvin Klein gown she wore had over 6,000 pearls that were hand-applied. It wasn't until she posted an Instagram pic of her accessories that I almost cried. The Nicholas Kirkwood shoes she wore were unreal! Simply gorgeous. Like I need these in my life. I immediately tagged my shoe twin niece on the Instagram pic. She immediately replied with the "heart eyed" emoji. In other words she loves them too.

Flawless! This gown... wow!

These shoes! Get in my closet!

Above photos courtesy of Getty Images and Lupita's Instagram

Wordless Wednesday...

Passion Planner...

Hello All!

This year I decided to get a planner. It has become too much to keep all of my stuff organized with my phone, scraps of paper, and a million sticky notes. I looked at a lot of planners such as Whitney English, Moleskin, Erin Condren, Kate Spade, etc. None of these fit the bill. I wanted a planner that gave me room to take notes, write out my to do list, has weekly and monthly calendar views, inspirational quotes, pockets, and perhaps a budget keeping section. The one that came close was Whitney English, but I could not come to grips with paying the price. I talked to my "agenda, organizer, planner pro" friend, Frances, of Just Piddlin  and she suggested Passion Planner.

Passion Planner was created by Angela Trinidad, a college student who funded Passion Planner through Kickstarter. Passion Planner is the one place for all of your thoughts. It contains motivational quotes, goal setting guide, gratitude log, appointment calendar, journal, sketchbook, weekly and daily focuses, and personal to do lists. Basically, it's everything I was looking for and more, plus it's super affordable What sold me was the goal setting guide.  However, there is an upside and downside. Downside: they received an overwhelming positive response to Passion Planner that they simply can not keep up with the demand. At this time, they are just now fulfilling December's orders. I didn't want to receive my 2015 planner in March. This leads me to the upside. You can download Passion Planner for free on their website. I downloaded my planner and went to Kinko's for binding. Total cost was $25. I love it. Take a look below. To download your Passion Planner, go here.

How do you stay organized? Do you have a planner? If so, what kind?

This is what sold me. Passion Roadmap. A step-by-step guide to mapping out your goals.

Essentials: Plenty of space for jotting down stuff. I write big so I need lots of room.

Every crafter/DIYer loves washi tape. It adds personality to your agenda. 

Joy...

"JOY is a net of love by which you can catch souls." - Mother Teresa

In 2015 I'm choosing JOY.

I made myself a pair of earrings consisting of Citrine (my birthstone), turquoise (my favorite gemstone), and a metal piece that I hand stamped with the word Joy. Take a look at my new earrings.

Have a Joy filled week!