If you are reading this blog; then, you love design. You are the most important part of any design. So, what is better than designing a healthy you? 

Here are my TOP 10 TIPS for a Healthy Start to the day.

TIP#1| KICK START YOUR METABOLISM:   #1: What a great way to begin your day and kick start your metabolism. Grab your favorite mug, heat up the tea kettle, (no microwave, please). Part of the process is slowly waking up, doing a ritual, and it really takes no time at all to heat up water. (You can do Tip#2 while you wait for the water to boil.) Gather the spices: cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric root, put a splash of lemon juice and a slice of lemon. Sip, relax and wake up to greet your new day.

Check out http://www.rawforbeauty for more healthy tips.

TIP#2| PREP YOUR MID-MORNING SNACK:

#2: An apple a day…. cut up an apple and pop it in a baggie with splash of lemon juice and cinnamon. It’s a healthy fiber snack to put in your gym bag (or purse) for mid-morning. I also like to cut up an orange and pop it in a baggie for when I need a boost, plus it provides Vitamin C !

TIP#3| PREP YOUR MID-DAY SNACK:

#3: Wash that fruit, cut it up and pack it. You’ll make a better choice later in the mid-day IF it’s ready to grab. A little greek yogurt on top adds some calcium too. Look at that, 5 servings of fruit -done.

TIP#4| PACK A HEALTHY LUNCH:

#4: Whether you work outside or inside the home; prep your lunch so it’s ready to go.  Here is a great pick: organic spinach topped with chicken breast, a side of quinoa with eggplant, zucchini, carrots, onions, peppers, and brussel sprouts. 

TIP#5| PREP PREP PREP ahead of time:

#5: I hate grocery shopping; but, I find when I come home if I wash, cut, prep, cook and store it all in handy dandy containers I will eat it. It’s already to go for the week. 

GROCERY LIST of my favorite on-hand items:  GREENS: spinach, butter lettuce, romaine hearts. VEGGIES: peppers, onions, chives, carrots, asparagus, brussel sprouts, eggplant, corn, peas, zucchini FRUIT: lemon, lime, tomatoes, apples, oranges, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple DAIRY: almond milk, greek yogurt, organic cage free eggs (hard boil a few of your eggs), cheese.  POULTRY: chicken breast MEAT: steak FISH: mahi mahi, salmon   BREAD: ezekiel bread, sundried-tomato wraps. CHOCOLATE: Dark (It’s a food group, isn’t it?)

TIP#6| EAT BREAKFAST:

#6: By having all your veggies prepped, it’s easy to start the day right with breakfast. In minutes, you can whip up a nice dish: egg, cheese, with peppers, onion, zucchini, asparagus, carrot and a dash of bacon bits, fresh ground pepper, cilantro to top it off. Look at all those nice veggies to start your day. 

TIP#7| COFFEE/ESPRESSO:

#7: The hot water might kick-start my metabolism; but, coffee kick-starts me. The best purchases I ever made are by Nespresso. I love my Nespresso VertuoLine and Pixie machines. They provide an amazing cup of coffee or espresso at the touch of a button. 

TIP#8| GET OUTSIDE:

#8: If you have dogs, you begin your day outside. Don’t just let them out. Go out too. Feel the fresh air on your face, breathe in, embrace the new day. Take the time to see the sunrise. It’s a miracle, free for you to enjoy, daily. 

TIP#9: PRACTICE YOGA

#9: My son, Austin introduced me to Yoga recently. On YouTube you can check out Yoga with Adrienne. I am currently enjoying her #YOGAREVOLUTION. It’s just @ :35 minutes of your day. Trust me you will feel the difference in your mind, body and soul. Namaste.

TIP#10: EXERCISE

#10: Do whatever kind of exercise makes you happy: walk, hike, run, bicycle, weight train, swim…..Just Do It.!. You and your body needs it. You will find you feel better, sleep better and have much more energy when you work out. TIP: Don’t forget to drink plenty of water while you work out. 

I hope you find some useful tips to a happier and healthier you.

InJOY-Trisha 

P.S. Rain, sleet or snow. These two help me greet each day with a smile.

Maxi’s (age 13) best advice is to get plenty of exercise and take naps. 

Madi’s (15 weeks) best advice is to go outside often, eat, sleep and play. 

Every Project begins with some Divine Inspiration. In our newest Project @609, the 1st Official Project of 2017, we wanted to redo our uninspiring Powderroom. 

We wanted an updated version of the traditional toile wallpaper. I have always loved a classic black and white Toile wallpaper; but, Michael has always been less enthusiastic about the idea of it. 

So, my goal was to find a wallpaper that felt both contemporary and traditional that incorporated nature we both would love.

I found my Divine Inspiration while on Pinterest. I just love Pinterest, don’t you? The wallpaper in this bathroom designed by Heidi Piron. Now, I am not a blue fan, as we all know I have been removing gobs of blue countertops, paint, wallpaper from 609 since the beginning.  But, I loved the movement in the wallpaper and I figured it must be offered in different colorways.

It was noted in the comments that the wallpaper was available from a Company called St. Jude’s fabrics and Wallpaper in the U.K. Here is a link: www.http://www.stjudesfabrics.co.uk/collections/mark-hearld.

So, I quickly googled them to find that the Artist, Mark Hearld, a painter and printmaker designed the Harvest Hare wallpaper and several other styles for St. Judes. I must say his work is quite amazing. IF you’d like to learn more about the artist there are several videos on YouTube about him.

Link to: Mark Hearld: An Introduction.

https://youtube/byG6w2qaWnw

I was thrilled that the wallpaper was also available in Chalk White. I also loved that the bunny was light rather than dark. In the inspiration picture above, the blue bunny seems to pop out too much for my liking. I am hoping in the color hue I selected the lighter bunny doesn’t upstage the other animals and fauna depicted.

I also liked the wallpaper he designed called: Squirrel and Sunflower.

But, the more I debated between the two I became aware that the Squirrel and Sunflower pattern has more of an overall stripe to it. Do you see what I mean in the picture below?

Trust me, I do not want stripes as you might recall the powderroom has them on all 4 walls!

I also liked that in the Harvest Hare Wallpaper the grasses deplicted seemed to be reminiscent of those that surround our property. So those were the deciding factors that lead me to select the Harvest Hare pattern as the wallpaper for the accent wall.

Do you recall the vanity? And the brilliant idea to use Chalk Paint. Perhaps the idea from my friend Lauri was brilliant; but, I determined after starting the project that I do not like the chalky finish. So, it was left undone like this:

Neither of us liked the vanity from the start. Unfortunately, those who did were not so thrilled that I painted it. Sorry Debi and Chris.

I had not liked any of the vanities I saw locally. I decided to gamble and buy one online. I chose this 49″wide Vanity from the Newport Collection on the http://www.homedecorators.com website.

We went to Newport, R.I. on our honeymoon in 1987; so it was destined to be the right style. I am always looking for little signs like that; call me sentimental.

I loved the timeless details: recessed panel doors and sides, teardrop and round door pulls in oil-rubbed bronze, crown and foot molding. I selected the color in Black rather than Pewter because to me black is always timeless and White, well it’s white. The house has cream doors, trim, and molding so that wouldn’t do. It comes with a granite countertop as well. 

Michael had spotted a gorgeous Kohler Oil-Rubbed Bronze Linwood faucet shortly after we moved in that has been patiently waiting for the redo.

So, that is as far as we got. The vanity is expected in one week. The wallpaper is on Backorder for 3 weeks. In the meantime we have some work to do. We need to remove the vanity and the wallpaper. We also need to decide on the light fixtures, mirror and paint color for the other 3 walls. We also need to determine what wall should be the accent wall. It should be the wall behind the sink and toilet; but, what do we do on the opposite wall? We are thinking art work; but, we are open to your suggestions. Just don’t suggest wallpaper on all 4 walls because after removing all that wallpaper I doubt we’ll want to do that again. 

Well, that’s all for now. I’ll hopefully be posting a completed Powderroom picture in February. 

InJOY-Trisha

A new year begins with much hope and promise, a new beginning.

Each month I am giving myself a goal to achieve before the month’s end. I have dedicated January to getting organized. So every cupboard, closet, storage area and room is at the ready to be purged and straightened. 

What a wonderful way to start the new year clean and tidy by February 1st. I wish you much JOY in the new year.

InJOY-Trisha

Meet our newest addition, sweet Madeline or as we call her Madi. Her big sister, Maxi has a snuggle buddy. They are both Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.