Today is my fiftieth birthday. I'm not really sure what I thought being fifty would feel like, but this isn't it. This birthday seems so significant to me. I breezed through thirty and forty, confident that I was still "young". But at fifty, by any measure, I am no longer young. I am "middle-aged". Yikes! Why is it so hard to apply that label to yourself.

I've thought about it a lot and I finally realize that being in the middle is the perfect place to be. Lord willing, I have as much of my adult life ahead of me as behind me. As I think about the next thirty years or so; I have the same excitement and sense of purpose I had as a young person, but I also have fifty years worth of hard earned wisdom and experience. It's a pretty killer combo really.    

Part of that wisdom is realizing that the most valuable thing I have is my time. As I enter the first year of my fifties, I want to be as intentional as I can be about the way I spend my time. Based on my priorities, and the areas in which I want to grow, I made a list of fifty things I want to accomplish this year, all in increments of fifty. I am calling it my 5050 birthday challenge. I'm posting it below and I plan to post updates here periodically. I may not accomplish everything on the list, and that's totally OK with me. The point is to grow, to intentionally love and care for others, to experience new things and to have fun. Isn't that what this life is all about?

    5050 BIRTHDAY CHALLLENGE

1. 50 things I have never done before, or haven’t done as an adult
2. 50 things that scare me
3. 50 things I haven’t tasted
4. 50 “dates” with Aaron
5. 50 “dates” with my boys
6. 50 phone calls to my extended family  
7. 50 get togethers with friends or extended family
8. 50 handwritten thank you notes
9. 50 handwritten notes of encouragement
10. 50 flower surprises for friends
11. 50 acts of service to others
12. 50 weeks of fresh flowers in my home
13. 50 all veggie days
14. 50 whole food days
15. 50 ounces of water a day
16. 50 upper body strength training sessions
17. 50 lower body strength training sessions
18. 50 hours of core work
19. 50 second plank every day
20. 50 group exercise classes  
21. 50,000 steps a week
22. 50 states - finish visiting all 50 states. Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa here I come!
23. 50 outdoor adventures   
24. 50 consecutive hours in the wilderness
25. 50 consecutive hours of total silence 
26. 50 in person/out of the office networking meetings
27. 50 blog posts – post at least 50 times to my blog
28. 50 videos – share 50 videos on social media or my blog
29. 50 emails – send 50 emails to my email list
30. 50 items – purge at least 50 items from my home
31. 50 items – purge at least 50 items from my office
32. 50 unsubscribes – unsubscribe from 50 email lists
33. 50 incentives for my employees
34. 50 dollars a week - save an extra 50 dollars a week
35. 50 books – read 50 books
36. 50 cultural experiences (museum, art exhibit, concert)
37. 50 hours of gratitude journaling
38. 50 hours of prayer or meditation
39. 50 hours of spiritual study
40. 50 podcast episodes on significant historical or current events
41. 50 podcast episodes on business development
42. 50 podcast episodes on personal development
43. 50 podcasts episodes on art, music or design
44. 50 positive online reviews – leave 50 positive online reviews for small businesses
45. 50 social media or blog posts promoting a friend’s small business
46. 50 small business purchases
47. 50 50% gratuities
48. 50 sit down, set the table, from scratch meals at home
49. 50 loaves of bread – bake 50 loaves of yeast bread or other yeast dough   
50. 50 new recipes

    

Get ready to take your New Years Eve Party to the next level! Nothing says Happy New Year like the sound of popping bottles and you can never go wrong if you start with Perrier-Jouet!
 

Emily Simpson, master mixologist with Cartewheels Catering has created two champagne cocktails and a mocktail that will certainly add a bit of sparkle to your holiday gathering. Check out the Cartewheels blog for all the details.

When you are in the business of hosting parties, plans for your own celebrations are often moved to the back burner. This is particularly true when it comes to holiday parties! After a few years of planning Christmas dinner in the aisles of HEB on December 24th, you learn to keep it simple and use things that are readily available.

We got together a couple of weeks ago with Cartewheels Catering and came up with some easy menu and decor ideas for those of you have may find yourselves as rushed as we are this holday season. You can find all the menu details on Cartewheels blog!

We chose to keep the color palette of this table neutral. It would work well with almost any type of decor. We mixed lots and lots of fresh Christmas greens with simple white roses, hydrangea and pine cones. All of these items are budget friendly and can be picked up at any florist around the holiday or even at the Supermarket if you live in an urban area. We mixed in eclectic candle sticks and mercury glass candles to add sparkle!

We thought this brown transferware and mixed vintage flatware provided the perfect homey touch to our table. If you have family pieces, use them! Simple linen napkins are always the right choice and a little sprig of fresh greenery finishes the place setting perfectly.

From our homes to yours...Here's wishing you all the love, beauty and wonder of the Season!!

Merry Christmas!!