As I have gotten older, I have begun to get very interested in the aging process.

What causes aging? Why do our bodies start to break down and wear out over time, when all of our cells are renewed on an ongoing basis?

Every cell in your body is replaced every 7-10 years, so why then don't we live forever? Why do we experience symptoms of aging like wrinkles, gray hair, memory loss, bone weakness, etc., and why are these symptoms earlier and more pronounced in some people than others?

The answer is rather complicated, but some evidence seems to suggest that while getting chronologically older is inevitable, the aging process actually is not. The fascinating video below discusses the root cause of aging, and how to prevent or even reverse these symptoms in our own bodies, so that we can feel vital and youthful no matter what age we are.

Read more and watch the video below to learn tips and strategies for aging better and living longer (and healthier) than you ever thought possible!

No matter what the calendar says, for me, winter always begins the first weekend in December, when we put up our Christmas tree. This tradition started in 2013, when my wonderful husband proposed to me beside the Christmas tree on a snowy evening in early December.

That Friday, after a long and stressful week at work (I was extra busy preparing to spend half of the next week at a marketing training program), I headed over to spend the evening with my sweetie, even though we were in the middle of a good-sized snow storm, and the roads were iffy at best.

The storm continued as I drove, and what was normally a 25-minute drive took nearly an hour over slippery, treacherous, snow-covered roads, and I arrived shaking with nerves and stress. Although there had been many hints at marriage over the past few months, and I had been on pins and needles for weeks wondering when he would "pop the question," that was the last thing on my mind that night!

He prepared me a cup of hot vanilla chai tea with a splash of rum, and together we decorated his tiny tree with hideous red and gold plastic ornaments as I began to unwind. We were almost finished, and he said he thought he had a tree topper somewhere, and disappeared into the other room. I turned around a moment later to find him on one knee!

Every year since then, we bring home a fresh and lovely tree on the first weekend in December, and I put on most of the decorations while enjoying a glass of wine or a hot toddy, while my husband prepares us a beautiful spread of charcuterie, olives, cheeses, fruit, nuts, and other snacks. Then we finish the tree together and have a drink while admiring the beautiful lights and decorations and the fresh scent of evergreen. It's a wonderful tradition, and a perfect way to kick off the winter holiday season! It also gets me feeling all...hygge?

It's hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by, and here we are with the New Year just a few short weeks away!

This time of year is always a great time to reflect back over the previous year, and start setting goals for the year ahead. It's also a great time to read some new books - especially books that can help you develop as a person, overcome challenges and road blocks, and achieve your goals!

If you're looking for a great book to read over the holidays to set you up for an even better year next year, I have an awesome freebie for you this month!  This is one of my favorite books (I actually got mine about this time last year), and it's not just a "fluffy" read - it can actually help you get real results.

Grab your free copy here, or learn more about the book below.

Well, folks, it's that time of year again! For the past several years, I have posted a "gratitude list" on Thanksgiving weekend every year. I was feeling a little lazy (and tired) this weekend after our visitors departed and the house was quiet again, and I thought of skipping it - but then I thought, I can't skip the gratitude list! It's such an important tradition on this blog! :-)

So here it is - my gratitude list for 2019 - one of the busiest, most tumultuous years of my life thus far...

Between transitioning to a new job with a new company, to managing the bountiful garden amid multiple road trips across the country, and replacing the roof on our house, to my husband breaking his wrist this fall, 2019 has been a year particularly filled with stresses and challenges, excitement and anxiety, sadness and joy. It has also brought us so very many things to be thankful for!