Greetings! I enjoyed a very festive December without stress as we stayed with the five simple pleasures that I listed here. On Christmas Eve, we had significant snowfall overnight and the next day got a beautiful white Christmas which seemed to make the holiday lights brighter and the family gathering cozier. We've also had an extreme cold alert since Christmas Day. This means bundling up when we go outside and not staying too long outside in the cold either (no frostbite please). It's a perfect time to enjoy the warm comfort of home, reading, writing, listening to music, travel planning, baking, drinking hot chocolate or coffee, talking to family and friends on the phone, and blogging.
I’m writing my December in a sentence a day on the last day of 2017 just because I have time to do it while waiting for the New Year to arrive. I'll link up with several fellow bloggers on January 4, 2018. Be sure to visit the linked up blogs next week for more inspiration.
December in a sentence a day:
1. Happy Friday with yoga at home and made a donation to our local community centre.
2. Swam 45 minutes in the morning, did light reading during the day, attended the Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol event in the evening, and made cash donation to the Out of the Cold program.
3. A fun Sunday with a 5K run and guest blogging on Donna’s Retirement Reflections blog about me living a car-free lifestyle.
5. A great Tuesday with gym time and family time.
6. Stayed indoor on this cold Wednesday to do yoga, blogging, and writing holiday cards.
7. A great Thursday with gym time and family time.
8. Happy Friday with yoga and a fun evening at the Holiday Fair in the Square.
9. Enjoyed my Saturday morning swim, mailed our holiday cards, did grocery shopping, laundry, and booked our family trip to Ottawa in January.
10. Ran 5K in the morning then relaxed at home for the rest of the day.
11. I loved the winter scenery after our first significant snow fall of the season.
12. One hour in the gym inspired me to suggest a new Wellness link-up in 2018 to my blogger friends (suggestion accepted!).
13. Enjoyed yoga, lunch with two girlfriends, a therapeutic massage, and my thanks to Karen at Profound Journey blog for including my blog on her list of favourite blogs and channels of 2017.
14. Extreme cold alert Thursday! Exercised in the gym before heading out in my winter gear to meet my friends for coffee because a date is a date.
15. A snowy Friday made indoor yoga and travel reading perfect activities for me.
16. Enjoyed my Saturday morning swim, did grocery shopping, laundry, and light reading.
17. Reviewed and booked a hotel for our family out-of-town stay in February while my husband baked cookies.
18. Happy Monday after an hour in the gym, and writing to my friends.
19. A relaxing Tuesday with 3K walk, yoga, travel reading, and writing.
20. Worked out in the gym with my friend, and wrote my Winter fun list.
21. A fun-filled Thursday with yoga at home before heading out to view the window displays at the Bay (a department store), attended Christmas Concert at City Hall, browsed at the Toronto Christmas Market, and watched Home Again movie before bed time.
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| Christmas Concert at Toronto City Hall |
22. Walked 3K in winter wonderland, exercised one hour in the gym, read Chile travel information, listened to holiday music, and sent holiday greetings to my friends and relatives overseas.
23. Enjoyed my Saturday morning swim, did grocery shopping, and read more on Chile travel.
24. Ran 5K in the morning, then relaxed at home to write my Best of 2017, while my husband baked shortbread cookies.
27. Exercised in the gym, did housework, and scored a few good discounts for my trip to Chile in March.
28. The extreme cold alert continued so other than a short walk outdoors, I practiced yoga at home, and drafted my upcoming blog posts.
29. Exercised in the gym, relaxed at home with my family, and did more travel planning.
30. Felt great after my Saturday swim, did grocery shopping, and had a lovely chat on the phone with one of my close friends from grade six.
31. Marked this New Year's Eve with my usual Sunday 5K run, watched Star Wars The Last Jedi movie in the theatre, and enjoyed dinner at home with my family.
Happy New Year 2018 to you and your loved ones!
You certainly had a busy December, Natalie. Wishing you a great January and a wonderful year ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donna, for stopping by. December was a fun month. Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy New Year 2018!
DeleteYou are so incredibly active, Natalie. I say this every month, but it's a great inspiration to me!!
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thank you, Jodie. I enjoy staying active. Happy New Year to you and yours!
DeleteOh my goodness, a white Christmas. As always I'm in awe of your activity levels - & looking forward to linking up on Wellness Wednesdays.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jo, a beautiful white Christmas and the deep freeze is still on till tomorrow :) Dress correctly and a brisk walk in the sunshine do wonder for my well-being. Looking forward to our new WW link up.
DeleteYou live such a healthy lifestyle! I need to get more in control of my health.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it, too, Jamie. Feel free to join us on January 10 for the new month;y Wellness link up so we can share, inspire, and support each other. Happy New Year!
DeleteSo excited about the Wellness Wednesdays! Hoping all of your good discipline will rub off on me.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it is bitter cold there but beautifully so with all of that snow. Your photo of the trees could be a Hallmark card. What do you wear on your feet for your wonderland walks? My feet are always so cold, even in our relatively warm Decembers and Januarys.
So glad to be walking with you into the new year. XO
I'm excited about WWs, too, Leslie. Today we have a record breaking -22C or about minus 8F but it's sunny. The winter white, the green pine trees, and the blue sky look glorious. I wear regular socks with Sorel boots, dress in layers, and I keep moving. When I get home from my walk, I always feel very warm.
DeleteYour month looked amazing Natalie! It looks so cold though as we sit here at 41 degrees celsius :) Happy 2018 to you!
ReplyDeleteHappy 2018 to you, Deb! I'm used to the four seasons here so I just dress and adjust my daily activities accordingly.
DeleteYour beautiful, festive photos really capture the spirit of your month, Natalie. How are you all faring with this latest cold snap? I'm trying to wrap my head around some of the reports of weather in the -100F if wind chill is taken into account!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the Wellness Wednesday series as well, and oh my do I need to do this after the food fest that December turned out to be!
Hi Tamara, I live in a city so I'm more sheltered from the cold snap than someone who lives in a rural area. We're also fortunate to have sunny days even in the winter. I dress in layers and adjust my outdoor activities accordingly so I still enjoy winter. After a festive December, we all need to keep active. Looking forward to our Wellness series!
DeleteI am simply amazed at your workout schedule! WOW!! And I just love all the holiday outings we have during the month of December.
ReplyDelete:) gwingal
I enjoy staying active, Nikki. December was so nice. We have a new Wellness Wednesday link up starting January 10 so please feel free to join us. The topic for January is Wellness goals.
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