One Blessed Ginger

To Change the World You Must Change

With everything that’s happened in the past year, and with so many of us working from home now, there’s been a shift in everything we do. But one thing I’ve noticed with friends, family and neighbors that has been getting over looked, is making time for YOU. Your mental health depends on it! And until we’ve made it a habit to love who we are inside and out, all of the pieces don’t quite fit together like they should.

This image is something from me to you to remind us all to not blame, point fingers and tear each other apart, but to take a step back. Remember that you can like the person you see in the mirror. You can even love the person you see in the mirror. So what do you need to do to get there? How can we love thy neighbor as thyself if we don’t love ourselves first?

I challenge you to start with this… Before you go to bed tonight, look at yourself in the mirror and give yourself two compliments. Then, when you wakeup in the morning, give yourself two more compliments. It could be something like, “I am patient.” “I am grateful.” Start out simple but don’t stop. The more you do it the more you believe the words you are telling yourself. One day you’ll see those words become apart of your actions too. Just don’t stop!

Until next time, be humble, loving and kind to yourself,

Dawn

Welcome to 2021

A new year usually means new goals and resolutions, right? After 2020, we’ve mixed it up a little. Sure, we plan on losing the “COVID 20” sometime soon, but this year, we’re kicking it off with doing projects around our new house. Starting with the front door. What was wrong with our old door? Oh, I’m so glad you asked!

It didn’t close all the way.
It wasn’t framed correctly so from the inside, the left side of the door let in the weather and the critters. Luckily we have a cat. She’s in the first picture, waiting. lol
The previous owners put blinds on the front door, which caused a nice sized hole in the wall when the door was opened.

So we patched up the holes, dings and old nail holes, painted the walls and got ready for our new door. The best part is the installers tore out the old frame and reframed it. It looks so, so good! It’s amazing how something as simple as a door, can make such a difference!

Here’s a before picture (after we patched the holes and painted), followed by the after picture:

So what’s the first thing you’re doing this year? Whatever it is, just start.

Happy New Year!

Dawn

Christmas 2020

It’s been a little over a year now since my mom passed. I’ll tell you that story another day, but since then, we have lost 4 loved ones. This past year has brought a lot of ups and downs, heartache and joy. But through it all, I think we’ve all grown in ways we’ve never expected to. So this year for Christmas, we surrounded ourselves with our immediate family (and Karlie – she’s almost a daughter) and kept it simple. I think sometimes we can get carried away in the giving of gifts, and forget to spend time with those who matter most.

So this year is the beginning of a new adventure for our family, in a new city, with the people who matter most. How did you spend your Christmas? What are some of your family traditions?

Much happiness and laughter,

Dawn

It’s Necessary

A friend of ours recently lost her husband this week. They still don’t know what caused the heart attack but they are praying for closure and peace. This week we also heard about more friends with loved ones who have passed on. I hope they all have a belief system that brings them peace. I believe that death isn’t the end and that I’ll see them again one day. Have faith in what you believe in.

This week is the rest of YOU week and here’s a piece of me. The view of the mountains is actually from our driveway, with the city cemetery at the end of our street. Some people might think that’s creepy but it’s quite peaceful! We go for walks through there quite often. Not with Pippin though. We take him for other walks.

The next photo is my most recent mug! To know me is to know that I LOVE Disney, mugs and hot chocolate! Everywhere I travel to, I get a mug. Not just the tourist looking mugs, but cool looking ones that I would want in my home. It’s actually pretty cool to see them all in the cupboard now!

My gloves. Red heads have this thing about the weather and temperature. We know when the temperature is changing and we get hot or cold very easily! And right now, I am loving these gloves! They actually work and my finger tips aren’t ice cubes. Hooray!!

Pippin standing in front of my wanting a treat. He will always perform for treats. He LOVES food!

The black and white photo is a peak at my morning routine. This is where I keep my makeup and lotion.

And then there’s Pippin and Taylor. Being outside is necessary! It’s good for both the body and soul. Unless your child’s pants are wet from the snow so he goes for a walk in basketball shorts, but at least we were outside for a little while!

This weeks word prompts were:

YOU (again)
Outside
It’s Routine
Currently Loving
Where I stand
Necessary

Be confidently, genuinely, imperfectly you,

Dawn

All About YOU week is coming!

This week was the rest of color week (Red) and the beginning of putting yourself in front of the camera. So how many of you mentally just said, “Ummm… no.” Or maybe you mentally pictured yourself mostly hidden behind something or someone else in the picture? Let me just start out by saying, that God didn’t put you here to hide. You were meant to be seen. You are meant to be loved and give love. You are meant to make a difference to somebody.

That being said, I believe half of the pictures are in the next collage, but we’ll start with these! And because everything has a story, this is mine for the week.

If you scroll down to the photo, the beautiful fabric in the top left corner is actually my camera strap. I got it for Christmas last year and it’s still going strong! Plus, it’s red like me.

Next is me with my 5 month old teddy bear, Pippin! He LOVES hugs and I love to receive them so this was right after he jumped up for another one. And his goofy hair cut in the front… he couldn’t see and that’s all he would hold still for. I still need to finish. Lol.

My hair. I get sooo many questions about my hair. When my hair is damp, and this is a must, I use mousse on the roots (use whatever your hair likes that won’t break the bank) and flip my head upside down to blow dry it! The secret is keeping your head upside down until it’s dry. Then I curl it with a large curling iron, spray it, shake it, make sure my part’s in the right place, give it a finishing spray, and then I let it do it’s own thing. It has a life of it’s own. I’ve learned that for me, if I keep it longer, my hair is more tame. When it’s shorter, let’s just say we don’t get along and it’s a love / hate relationship. So long it is!

Then there’s Taylor. He wants to be just like his brothers in basketball, so Lance is coaching his team. If you never try then you’ll never know how good you can be.

The paint swatches. For work, I go to a lot of ribbon cuttings when a business opens and this one was for Sherwin Williams! Aside from being able to mix any color you need, They also have classes for fun projects! My mind was racing with possibilities!

And finally there’s the flower. Our office had a continuing education training all day, so we were stuck inside. This picture is from the center pieces on all of the tables.

The word prompts I may have followed, or I may have done my own thing, are these:

Exposing your red.
From Behind
Delightful
Pop of Color
Contemplative
You

Be confidently, genuinely, imperfectly you,

Dawn

A Challenging Start

What is it about January… it always manages to throw life at me. So first let me say, I’m grateful for everything January throws at me. If you stop growing then you’re moving backwards. I whole heartedly believe that.

So while challenges are in abundance, I’m looking for beauty and the ordinary, in different places of my life. Including the fire hydrant across the street! Who knew they could look so cool zoomed in! It’s not just cool though. Every picture tells a story. The fire hydrant for example… It matches how I was feeling that day when I heard my moms cancer is still spreading even with the chemo. But she’s still here when she wasn’t expected to be. So it’s working to some extent and we are counting our blessings.

The budding pinecone story? Well, it all started while I was at Salem pond walking the path around the park. A black duck hopped towards me while I was standing under a pine tree, looking at the snow on the branches. That’s when I noticed it’s neck and leg were totally wrapped in fishing line, and the hook was in his foot. I had nothing on me or in the car that could help so I called animal control. When the officer arrived, instead of helping me, he shewed it into the water! I was floored! He promised he was going to call in the guy with the big net and tools who could help him. To sum up the rest, I never saw anyone come and I never saw the duck again. The picture of the pinecone is for the little black duck.

The shoe laces… Trevor came home after two years in the Spokane Washington area, and these shoes were the only thing that wasn’t falling apart. He was getting ready to go workout with his brothers so I snapped a quick picture of his shoes.

The water and it’s reflection… I have not been drinking enough water for my body. I’m 6 feet tall and I know my body needs 100 – 120 ounces of water daily! I’ll get back up to it!

The weed… I have a hard time not living close enough to drive to the ocean anymore, so when I’m really missing the ocean, I look for the beauty in things that look dead and blaw during winter. I used my macro lens to zoom in on this one and I think it looks so cool! So many layers to make something so small. Beautiful!

My One Word for the year is “Finish.” We’ll see how I do!

Last but not least is Pippin, my little hobbit, I mean puppy. 🙂 He loves to play in the fresh new snow. He literally tries to dig a tunnel through it with his face. He’s a character!

Now that you know the stories behind the pictures, these were the prompts I may or may not have used for the following daily photo prompts:

Welcome 2019
Fresh
One Word
Branches
Room to Grow
Red
Shades of Red

Be confident, genuinely, imperfectly you.

Dawn

Symbol, Reminder, New

It’s here; the first day of January 2019. Happy New Year everyone! This year I’m committing to two things: watching my water intake, making sure I’m drinking enough, and taking a photo a day.

I’ve realized something about myself… when I’m actively trying to take a photo each day, I found I was not only doing more things, but I was completing more things! Gasp, right!

Last year I didn’t do the photo a day thing and I didn’t finish most of the goals I set out to accomplish. But the two years prior I took daily photos and I crossed goals off my list left and right! It felt so good! I I felt soooo good! Talk about satisfaction!

I want that feeling of satisfaction back! So here’s my first photo. A reminder to track my water and to create a photo journal of my life in 2019.

If you would like to follow along or join in, (trust me, you’re worth it), here’s the link to the monthly lists that I’m using this year: Photo Lists

Let’s do this!

Be confident, genuinely, imperfectly you,

Dawn

Poof! It’s December…

It seems like only yesterday that I was starting to blog and set goals. I had the right ideas and plenty of good intentions, but good intentions can only get you so far. Without commitment and action, it’s only a dream. To sum things up, 2017 ran away from me. I blinked and then, POOF! It’s December.

I’ve also realized how much I missed taking a photo a day, or on crazy weeks having a photo for the week. I didn’t realize how much it kept me motivated to do other things, like blogging. So I’m committing this year to tackle my intentions with action. Starting with a list of photo prompts for taking a photo a day.

What 365 lists have you used in the past that worked for you? What do you guys do when you get into a funk? Would anyone like to commit to taking on this challenge with me?

If I were to pick a photo for today, it would be of my dog when he was being grumpy. Why was he grumpy? Well because the cat got to play in the bows while I wrapped presents, and he was jealous! He’s such a kid! So he grabbed a bow and held onto it and kept it from all of us. It was one of those, “Oh, I’m totally getting a picture of this!” moments. You’re welcome!

Stay humble and kind, and brush your teeth. 🙂

Dawn

Beauty is an Inside job!

What is beauty? Both Google and the dictionary say, it’s “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” But I don’t believe that beauty is what you look like on the outside.

I believe beauty radiates from your heart because of your character. Money can buy a lot of things, but it cannot buy your character. Sure, it can test your character, and yes, people can become greedy and selfish because of it; but there are so many things out there that can work at changing you, if you let them. So how do you stop the change? Protect your character. Be true to who you are, even if it means standing alone sometimes.

To be honest, I would rather be alone and be proud of who I am, than with people who expect me to compromise who I am and what I believe, just to satisfy their own egos. Ask yourself, can you be truly you around those in your inner circle? What about in public? If not, why? What is stopping you?

Are you going through a trial or hardship in your life? Are you feeling stuck in a rut and just blah? Honestly, the best medicine is serving someone. That doesn’t mean you have to go find a charity. It can start with a loved one, a friend, a neighbor or a co-worker. Start with something simple. Sometimes the smallest things you do for someone can be the most important.

When my son was diagnosed with cancer, the only way I could keep smiling and stay positive for him so that he could fight it was to think outside of myself and serve someone. And in whatever way my son could help from his hospital bed, he would. It helped both of us. It also helped develop our characters and who we are today.

So I challenge you. Find someone to serve. Develop your character and protect it! Learn to be confident in your own skin. And most importantly, Let your light shine. Because that my friend, is where real beauty lies.

Be confident, genuinely, imperfectly, you.

Dawn

Pictures don’t lie

There comes a time at the beginning of every year where many humans, myself included, decide to be healthier! So I decided to jump on the band wagon of weight loss!

I have a food and water plan in place, plus movement (notice I didn’t say exercise) plan in place to reach my goal. It’s doable and a life style change! I’ve done it before and I can do it again! But doing it again is so… much… harder…!

So why did I slack off? Ugh! Luckily I only gained half of my weight back that I had lost 4 years ago, so I’m not totally starting at square 1, but it’s still harder than the first time. Why? I haven’t really thought about it actually. So on the spot I would say I lost my motivation. I lost focus of the reason I lost the weight in the first place. Yep, that’s it.

Here’s where the cold hard truth chewed me up and spit me out. In the mirror. This is me saying, “No, I am not pregnant!” I just happen to be sporting this lovely spare tire… all the way around. *cry*

Plus I now see where I missed cleaning my mirror over the weekend. Bonus!

So here’s to changing my focus back to what matters, so that I can do the things that matter with the people that matter!

Is anyone else jumping on this bandwagon? Let’s do this!

Eat your veggies,

Dawn