Capturing My Joy and A $250 #Giveaway!

It’s the time of year when everyone starts to make the BIG resolutions.  Resolving to lose more weight, eat better, take better care of themselves, or just plain BE a better person.  Ug.  This my friends is how Stephanie sets herself up for failure!  I’ve made the broad stroke resolutions and then ended up crying about them into my tub of Chunky Monkey ice cream.  So this year, something a little different. This year I intend to pick one word to focus on, just one goal, one resolution if you will; this year I will spend finding and celebrating my joy!

Blessings come in all shapes and sizes, but each deserves to be celebrated with gusto!  2013 has passed by in a blur, in 2014 I will force myself to slow down, take it all in and try and capture the moments.  I will find and celebrate every little joy.

There is joy in meeting for a cup of coffee with a girlfriend.

A certain kind of naughty joy in sneaking in a mid-week date with the Hubby.  When was the last time you snuck out to a matinee?  It’s kind of fabulous!

I will find the joy waiting at carpool pick ups by bringing along a good book and finally ploughing through some of that “must read” list I’ve been compiling.  

I resolve to “do more”!  I live in a town with both a University and a College.  There are golf courses, a water park, bike trails, a ski hill and restaurants galore.  I will find the joy in exploring my own back yard.

I will capture the moments of the every day by taking more pictures. 

I will continue to dream about that next vacation, because that has always brought me joy.  From a weekend away in the city, to a week at a cottage, to those trips to the Caribbean and the beach, planning and dreaming will always be part of my joy!

I can’t slow down the crazy pace of my life, nor do I really want to, but I can share a smile, a hug, a laugh and simply squeeze some joy out of each and every single day.

Do you need help to find your New Year’s Resolutions?  Do you dream of taking better pictures on a brand new camera, or setting up a regular movie date with a loved one?  How about coffee once a month for you and a girlfriend all year long?  Would this help you find your joy?  Maybe your New Years Resolution is more about clean eating or exercise, and that brings you joy!  (*if it is, can you tell me how to do that please?) To kick of the New Year in a very joyful way, I have teamed up with the beautiful @Listen2Lena and our friends at American Express to offer you the opportunity to win a $250.00 American Express Gift Card! Shopping can bring joy too!  Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Giveaway ends January 15, 2014.  Note: The following giveaway is open to both US and Canadian residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway