We’re going into the home stretch of January 2012 and I have to say its been a pretty doggone good start to the year even without our normal jaunt to the Arizona sunshine.  Instead we got a big dose of Washington snowflakes which are pretty outrageous in their own right since they don’t come all that often. Plus, me, myself and I have been enjoying our three little selves on my fun little “Beat the blues, Blast the fun” activities. They’ve given me just the right little thing to think about away from the dark and the cold and the wet and the bleak. It’s just white, bright and wonderful.  : )  Here’s my wrap-up activities:

Beat the Blues, Blast the Fun — week four

Sunday, Jan 22 — How ’bout we make some fudge today? Chocolate picks up everyone’s spirits and I saw the best recipe for a fudge brownie on Hungry Girl this morning. It sounds a little different but looked absolutely delicious and best of all, besides being super duper easy, they’re nearly guilt free:  only 65 calories per piece and no fat!  Oh yea. Here’s the recipe:

Hungry Girl Fudge Brownies

1 pkg brownie mix
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp light chocolate sauce

Mix ingredients together and put in lightly greased 9×9 baking pan. Put 2 Tblsp of peanut butter in micro for 20 seconds. Pour in lines across brownies and pull a toothpick through to mix PB with chocolate a bit and make a nice design. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cut into 36 pieces and store in fridge.  Best part:  Enjoy all week!  Yum!

Monday, Jan 23 — Happy Chinese New Year! Time for some Chinese take-out or at least get yourself a fortune cookie today. Or, even more fun, make a big pot of dragon beans in honor of the “year of the dragon.”

Tuesday, Jan 24 — This is “wear something bright” day. I wear loads of dark colors. When we were out the other night at the piano bar it was full of people in dark clothes.  Today is our day to push back and say no to black!

Wednesday, Jan 25 — Have we done “sing out loud” day yet?  I don’t think so and I love this little trick for making my day brighter. First song you hear in your day that you know, sing along with it.  Loud!  And if you don’t hear one (although, a day without music is a sad day indeed) that blast out one of your favorites loud enough to disturb others around you.  And make them smile.  : )

Thursday, Jan 26 — Happy Birthday yesterday to one of my best friends, Diana!  She heads for sunny Los Angeles to celebrate with her family.  Let’s get artsy in her honor and draw big smiling suns to pin up in our offices — right next to my snowflakes and rainbow pics from the last couple of weeks.

Friday, Jan 27 — Break open a great bottle of wine.  Not the decent but inexpensive stuff that most of us usually drink.  I mean the rare bottle we save for special occasions.  The really yummy red you never treat yourself to unless company comes over. I plan to have my glass will soaking in the hot tub.

Saturday, Jan 28 — One of my very favorite pick-me-ups is connecting with friends and family. This is the perfect morning to meet a good friend for coffee or a long lunch. Talk about dreams and juicy things.

Well we’re headed for week three already of our “beat the blues, blast the fun” month and I am having the best January I’ve had in years.  Naturally, I am crediting the fun activities so carefully planned out for the fun and not giving any of the credit to the sunnier and warmer than usual January days. : )  Heck no! They are still cold, damp and dark after all! But there have been some unexpected gifts like this incredible sunset last night that I left work early enough to catch on my way home.  Magnificent!

Beat the Blues, Blast the Fun — week three

Sunday, Jan 15 — It’s supposed to snow here (no complaints — I like having seasons and winter does call for a little bit of stardust after all) so I’m thinking we better make this something easy and indoors. How bout we watch a happy movie today. Okay, so yes, I’m big on this already — hate sad, hate gore, give me light-hearted nonsense : ) — but we don’t take much time to “splurge” on watching many movies.  Tea and I had a blast last Sunday watching Jane Eyre (one of the best books ever written) and so this Sunday calls for tucking in on the couch with a cup of diet cocoa and a happy flick.

Monday, Jan 16 — This ones easy, takes no preparation and is a guaranteed day lifter. Today we practice our happy dances!  C’mon now they’re the best. You know you know how — absolutely everyone has done one sometime. Maybe you’ve just forgotten how cause its been too long.  Today, we practice! Bust out a move just for the heck of it.  Bust out a move every time you’re feeling happy and smile at the people around you. : D  Or bust out a move if you’re not feeling happy and need a kick start. Happy dances are powerful.

Tuesday, Jan 17 — Since I had so much fun with picture taking last week, I thought it would be great to add another photo related activity this week too.  So on this day our goal is to have our camera handy and take a picture of something from a totally creative angle. Or something interesting you’ve never clicked a picture of before. Our goal is just to look at our surroundings from a different way — which helps get our creative cells clicking on high.

Wednesday, Jan 18 — What crafty thing shall we do today?  I’ll leave the specific up to you this week but pick something from doodling to a full out project.  Just be sure to do it purposefully. I’m booked to try learning how to paint with water colors at art class. Not sure how that is going to go but looking forward to moving the paint brush around.

Thursday, Jan 19 — And speaking of moving, today is “let’s walk and talk” day. In other words, grab a friend, family member or someone special and ask them out for a walk.  Doesn’t that sound fun?  I’m putting it in ink on my calendar as soon as I’m done here.

Friday, Jan 20 — Okay this might be more of a challenge for some then others, and lets hope nobody tries to take terrible advantage of us, but today is “Say Yes” day.  You know this is one of my regular mantras anyways but its always good to practice. Just say yes today to anything positive and possible that comes your way.  Of course no is the appropriate answer to anything unkind or totally not of interest but even then you are saying yes to you. : )

Saturday, Jan 21 — Let’s call this our “connect with friends” day. It’s a little similar to Thursday but totally different because you can choose what you want to do. Saturday is my favorite day to have something fun planned with friends/family. Call up some of the gang and meet for dinner. Have them over for cards in the afternoon. Meet for drinks at a local sports bar. Best of all, meet up with friends you haven’t seen in way too long.  Hello Lu? George?  I’m going to be looking for you!

Any ideas to share with everyone for next week?  It’ll be the wrap up week and it needs to be jammed with good stuff. Meanwhile, fill your world with music today!

Alrighty, here we are on the precipice of the second week of the new year already!  I gotta tell you, I woke up happy this morning — I didn’t wake up till 7:30 and it is a Saturday so, yes, that could be a big part of it — but I woke up happy. And I am ready, despite the long list of chores I hold in my hand, to embrace this January day with a really long walk of wonder — the last of our “Beat the Blues” activities for this week.  Here’s my plans for next week:

Beat the Blues, Blast the Fun — Week 2

Sunday, Jan 8:  Let’s declare this “Only Eat Healthy Foods Day.”  This one is likely to be one of my hardest challenges — I nosh.  I’m a nosher.  Mindlessly often times. So, in hopes of being successful, I’m lining out my healthy foods for tomorrow, today.

Monday, Jan 9: It’s Monday, it’s dark, you stayed up too late last night like me every Sunday night and now you don’t want to get out of bed and go to work.  I know a secret weapon but you have to plan ahead so pick this item up this weekend.  Today’s, perk-me-up activity is to shower with coconut scented shampoo.  I love this trick!  I’m instantly happier and thinking about laying by the pool in Maui or Oahu — heck any of the Hawaiian islands will do.

Tuesday, Jan 10:  This seems like a perfect day to send off a thank you to someone you’ve been thinking nice things about because they’re wonderful.  Of course, you can thank them for something they’ve given you but it could instead be for a simple kindness, for something recent or long ago, for just being them — someone special to you. It just needs to be sincere. Send a few or send just one — by mail or email on facebook or heck, text em.  It’s not how you send it, its that you sent it. And that you meant it. They are sure to love it and you are sure to feel good about it too.

Wednesday, Jan 11:  Today, I’m going to meet someone new.  I’m going to meet someone new and have a conversation with them. I’m going to set aside my nervousness and thinking they’ll think I’m totally lame or strange or annoying and reach out. Maybe it’ll be someone at work, maybe it’ll be a bank teller, maybe it’ll be the person reaching for the same bottle of wine at the grocery store.  No matter — I am going to meet them.

Thursday, Jan 12:  Thursday this week is our craft day.  Hooray!  I like a good craft project.  I’ve decided on this day to draw rainbows.  There’s loads of color and no gray at all in a rainbow, and a pot of gold as a bonus at the bottom of it.  I’m going to make mine a really big pot of gold! : )

Friday, Jan 13: I hope some of you will join me in this fun project. This is “day in the life picture taking day!”  It’s one of my most favorite ideas for the month. Get your camera’s ready and no matter what’s on your agenda on this day, let’s plan to click at least one picture every hour from start to finish. C’mon now this one is going to be fun!  For those of us at work, you may get a whole bunch of computer shots but the rest of you will have things that are surely more interesting!  Grab your camera — or just your phone — and plan to get clicking. In the end, you can share them with all your friends on facebook.  Best yet, tell them ahead so they’ll be clicking their pictures too.

Saturday, Jan 14: And rounding out the week, completely selfishly, the activity for this day is to support a local musician because on this day my husband’s group has a gig! Live in the Seattle area? Plan now to come on out to Mia Roma in Kenmore and listen to the Heart of Gold band rock the house! Don’t live around here?  No worries, there’s lots of places with live music and if that still doesn’t work you just turn on Pandora to your favorite station and enjoy the talent. Music makes everything better.

So, what do you think of our line-up for this week’s “beat the blues, blast the fun” activities? I’ve got a little pep in my step thinking about them. Which really is a good thing since I’ve got a long winter walk next up on my to-do’s.  : )