Holiday Flu

Oy. Nothing like coming down with the flu during the Holidays! I am going to hazard a guess that a church filled with sick kids and adults on Christmas Eve was the culprit, but hey, these things happen. 

My formerly grand New Year's Eve plans will now consist of the following...

1. Hot, hot bubble bath with eucalyptus and lemon oil to help ease the fever, overworked lungs and nasal passages. 
2. Hot, hot toddy with cider, cinnamon and bourbon. That's right folks, bourbon. I am allergic to pretty much all cold and flu medicine so I have to go old school if I have any hope of sleeping. 
3. A little Black & White movie medicine. I have some gems left over from Halloween so tonight it's The Mummy and THEM! 
4. Sleep soundly and in an extended capacity- couch or bed (not picky)!

Here's hoping New Year's Day is bright and congestion free, friends.Wishing you and yours the Happiest as you ring in 2013.

Domestic Goddess for New Year's Eve

PR will be getting together with a small group of friends for New Years Eve and I will be turning to one of my idols, Ina Garten (AKA the Barefoot Contessa) for a tried and true menu. I have splurged and made this unbelievably tasty and EASY recipe the past two New Years and it is now my official go-to party menu.

Featuring these scrumptious Steakhouse Filets with my famous Caesar Salad, grilled asparagus and a bold Shiraz, I always feel like a Domestic Goddess when I serve this. Kind of like my girl Ina. Now all I need is the house in the Hamptons and a husband. Who knows what 2013 will bring in that department!

Add / Drop

I have an alarming amount of bad habits. I won't bore you by listing them all here, but a wise person in my life recently gave me a great piece of advice. When embarking upon a series of changes, the key to success is not feeling like you're giving everything up that you love. (Granted, some of the things I love are not good for me, but you get the idea) It's really about embracing the concept of Add/Drop. If you're going to drop a bad habit then add a new and healthier habit to take it's place. For example, is your bad habit sitting on your ass all weekend? Drop the sedentary and add some active. Take long walk each weekend or journey somewhere new for coffee and the Sunday newspaper. Seems simple enough right? Some may say you run the risk of trading one addiction for another when it comes to adding things like hitting the gym to combat "couch potato syndrome" or buying a new lip gloss instead of a cheeseburger. But lets be honest -I'm not here because I buy too many lip glosses or miss out on life events in favor of the treadmill. I think I'll add a few new things to my repertoire and see where it takes me! Stay tuned for Add/Drop updates!

Free = Fabulous

When I was looking for a way to track my eating and exercise habits this past weekend I bounced around a number of very expensive paid sites. From Weight Watchers to E-Diets, none of them seemed to fit my budget or the fact that I already have a holistic eating plan from a nutritionist. Then low and behold I came across this Food and Fitness Tracker on Web MD. It's FREE and has far more bells and whistles than the other sites to boot. It lets you set goals, save foods and tells you how many calories you need to burn to meet your needs. I think it's a sign. Thank you, Web MD - Glad to know you are there for more than just fanning the flames of my hypochondriacal search habits.

Let's try this again, shall we?

I do believe this will be time number 3 with kick-starting my blogging efforts here at Project Revive. (I am hoping that the 3rd time is truly the charm!) As we roll into 2013 I think back on why I started this blog and the whole idea around a my personal revival. Hoping to lead a healthier life, a happier life, a more harmonious balance between work and life. Various factors have held me back...time, lack of willpower, stress, life, distractions of a varying nature. And let's not forget waiting for that PERFECT occasion to start blogging. Pushing that all aside, there doesn't seem to be a more perfect time than a random Wednesday, the first one after Christmas, to relaunch PR. 

What are my goals this time around? As humiliating and humbling as some of them are, I am going to go ahead and list them here because if I don't cement some digital accountability we may be looking at kick-start number 4, 5, 6 or 7 before I get my act together! I also reserve the right to add to this goal list as the year goes on and inspiration strikes...

• Give a shit. Not entirely eloquent but a sound goal. What do I mean by give a shit? I mean CARE. Care what I look like, care what I put in my body, care about myself as I care for others. Not in a nauseating selfish way, in a way that leads to a healthier, happier life. I will need some help here, but I have some very talented friends in the wings that I will be calling upon. Hopefully they answer as lord knows I have not been the most visible of friends during 2011 and 2012!
• Drop it like it's hot. I know it's prosaic this time of year, but I HAVE to drop a significant amount of weight. This is according to my health care practitioners AND according to how I feel. Basically like an 80 year old trapped in a 41 year old's body. The goal is 80lbs, a Herculean task, but you know what? I have faced bigger demons. 
• Take this show on the road. I used to travel all over the world as a child and a teenager. Not for work, but for pleasure and because at that time I lived overseas where it was an imperative. I miss the adventure. I am committing to at least 6 trips in 2013 - they won't all be epic, but this time next year WHEN I reach my goals, there will be a big one. Stay tuned for details.
• Move.My.Ass. I have literally been fantasizing about running. Exercising. That HAS to mean something. No more paying for a gym I don't go to. No more hitting snooze for an hour each morning as I rationalize not working out because I need my sleep. I've slept enough. Time to move. 

So! Let's use the above as a solid diving board into the new year. I promise myself and whomever may follow this that I will post as often as I can and that I will do my level best to have fun along the way. Thanks in advance for your support!