This post was sponsored by Hood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Daylight Savings is my favorite “holiday” these days. March is a tough one in New England! I’m still wearing my snow boots to walk the dog in the park, and my down jacket hasn’t been put away in the basement for the winter. We have a winter storm watch for Wednesday into Thursday, that will surely be a Winter Storm Warning by the time you may be reading this! I LOVE March, though. My husband keeps calling my bluff, but when I look at my weekend calendar for later this month, it’s all fun birthday parties, Easter Egg Hunts, and Passover Seders. It’s hope. It’s light. And yes, this is my backyard in late winter:
I’m always delayed with my new year resolutions. And I’m ok with that. Often January is for catch-up and vacation for us in Florida. I don’t get too into exercise because it’s often too cold and icy for what I like to do with cardio, and it’s pretty hard to eat healthier when you’re still catching up from the holidays and from vacation. In fact, last March was the turning point for me. I started my new year of 2017 intent on building my blog and Instagram (and Facebook) followings because I had felt I was at a standstill. March is when everything changed. It’s when I took a new course for food photography and started working on crafts and lifestyle tips. For 2018, I find that March is when my goals and resolutions are really gaining speed.
1 – Socialize, connect, and reconnect. I used to think it was just me during the winter, but it seems to be universal. Humans are less social. That’s why I focus on friendships during early Spring. I try to make weekly or bi-weekly brunch dates with friends, or at least one friend. I meet friends for Ladies’ Nights, and I talk to other parents at the park with more zest than usual. Spring is a time to laugh, and let that laughter, fresh air, and sunshine help guide you into lighter times.
2 – Get outdoors time as often as possible. My family laughs at me about this one. Our deck is always ten degrees warmer than the air when it’s sunny. On Saturday morning we had about 20 minutes of sunshine before we had to go attend one of my work events. I put on sunscreen and a down coat, and brought a book to read on the deck. It felt GREAT. I wasn’t cold and I was using every opportunity to get more light. Just imagine how I get when it’s more than 20 minutes in 40 degrees!
3 – Approach your goals in baby steps, and with a lot of kindness to yourself. Focus on the positive. I’ve been trying REALLY hard to do that lately. I recently suffered a huge disappointment/pain, and I’m trying desperately to let go of it faster. Every so often, I see the light. I see that I’m pretty ok at most things in my life, and that the one setback doesn’t define me. If anything, it’s the exception to the rule. We all talk about sleeping better, eating better, drinking more water, etc., but sometimes it just takes baby steps and small daily and weekly goals to get there. And you will. Like I will.
4 – Try new things, and new colors. It’s color therapy, I swear! Colors really do affect our moods and that’s why I always try a new spring color every spring. Whether it’s a lip gloss, nail polish, or even just socks, I know it affects my mood. Spring is also a time to try something you’ve always been meaning to try. For me, that might be Yoga or Zumba. Or more!
5 – Eat fresh foods, and try new foods! No doubt, it’s a lighter time of year, and that includes food. You already know how much I love Hood Calorie Countdown but since last time, I have discovered the wonders of the chocolate flavored one too.
As I’ve gotten more active and more hydrated, I’ve also incorporated Hood Calorie Countdown into my diet and my lifestyle. I get it at Walmart, and I’m always happy to see the flavors: Whole, 2%, Fat Free, and chocolate flavored. So many choices to fit into your lifestyle, and ensure that you never have to go without dairy. Let’s talk about the chocolate flavor, since I had it just today with my dinner! Hood Calorie Countdown 2% Reduced Fat Chocolate has 80 calories – 56% fewer calories than traditional chocolate milk. Not only that, it has 5 grams of carbs, which is 67% fewer carbs than traditional chocolate milk. There are 3 grams of sugar – 75% less sugar than traditional chocolate milk. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to Calorie Countdown 2% Reduced Fat. All varieties are made with milk from farmers who pledge not to use artificial growth hormones.
If you’re looking to incorporate Calorie Countdown into your healthy lifestyle, know that it blends ultra-filtered milk with water, cream (and other ingredients) for a delicious and creamy taste. And this is while delivering fewer calories, less sugar, and fewer carbs than regular milk. Ultimately, it covers my cravings for regular milk and chocolate milk.
Ready to found out more about Calorie Countdown? Check it out at Walmart, and read about it here. You’re going to LOVE it! I was happy to introduce it to my family. AND, you can get a coupon for $0.75 off right HERE!
I am so excited about it being light until almost 7pm here in less than a week now. So, like you I am starting to think of all the ways I can enjoy spring and the nicer weather. So appreciate your advice here and will definitely keep all in mind now, too 🙂
I’m thinking Hood might just be in the East as it’s not available here, but when it comes to chocolate milk, Madison LOVES it. Me, not so much. BTW those tips, especially the one about colors is something that I want to do more of this year. My closet has a lot of black and I need to incorporate more colors. Colors do make you feel better.
I should not tell you it was 75 degrees here today, right? 🙂 I love this time of year though, and I love the idea of giving yourself grace and kindness. We are so tough on ourselves that doing this is key.
Although I’m not thrilled about losing an hour of sleep this weekend, I can’t wait for it to be lighter in the evenings. Regardless of the weather, that will make it feel like spring!
Love your ideas, Tamara. I swear most of my wardrobe is black and grey! What is with THAT? I really need more color in my clothes, because you are so right- it DOES affect our moods! And those baby steps… I am working on that too, and pouring the grace and kindness on that tainted critical voice as much as possible.
That pic is GLORIOUS of your yard.
March is- IS HOPEFUL. It snowed here today, and I know so many how are bracing for the upcoming storm by you! It’s most definitely still winter, BUT days are getting longer and our nights are just about to get brighter!!
March here has been a tease. We get the sunshine a fake warmup and then a slap in the face of cold.
However, March for me also means getting back to action. I did the same last year, it all went well, well, until it didn’t. I’m still reeling in, but I think I’m almost there. And thankfully, currently I don’t see any huge disruptions that will take me off my path. Maybe I shouldn’t have typed that, don’t want to jinx myself.