Monthly Archives: February 2015

The end of February is nearly upon us. This has been a hard week for me. I have a feeling that everyone thinks that because I run Embrace Happy, that my life is all sunshine and light. It most certainly is not but what I do is CHOOSE to focus […]

10 Random Things- February

27 Feb, 2015 in 10 Random Things / Sharing Happy tagged down / happy / random / set backs / thoughts by Karin

Could you Cut out Complaining for one WHOLE day? It’s harder than you think. But hold on, don’t dismiss the idea straightaway. There’s actually a far more constructive way to complain and that’s what I’m hoping you’ll take on board. But let’s set the scene for some fairly traditional complaining […]

40 #embracehappy Acts: Day Eight- Cut Out Complaining!

25 Feb, 2015 in 40 #embracehappy Acts / Daily Inspiration tagged complaining / constructive / happy / positive by Karin

It’s time for another edition of the Embrace Happy Happy Mail Programme to start bringing sunshine through your postbox! Can you believe it’s nearly March?! That’s what happens when February shorts us 2 or 3 days! As March begins this Sunday, it’s time to start getting names in the spreadsheet […]

Embrace Happy March Happy Mail Programme

24 Feb, 2015 in Embrace Happy Snail Mail / Happiness Challenges tagged embrace happy / Happy Mail / March / post / sign up by Karin

How are you doing on your #embracehappy adventure this Lent? As I am not giving anything up, per se, I am doing pretty well! I very much like the idea of focusing on giving and reaching out versus giving something up. It’s certainly a more positive approach to changing habits […]

40 #embracehappy Acts- Day Three to Day Six

23 Feb, 2015 in 40 #embracehappy Acts / Daily Inspiration tagged 40 #embracehappy acts / family dinner / give / hug / note by Karin

Yesterday I experienced some site difficulties. Someone was able to hack into Embrace Happy! My only hope is that they are now thoroughly happy but I kind of doubt it! At any rate, if you were unable to access Embrace Happy yesterday, I do apologise (watches tumbleweeds blow by). We […]

40 #embracehappy Acts- Day Two

19 Feb, 2015 in 40 #embracehappy Acts / Daily Inspiration / Sharing Happy tagged 40 #embracehappy acts / card / Lent by Karin

Just over a year ago I began challenging myself to find three good things to celebrate at the end of each day. Inspired by an email which my Dad shared with me, I thought I would give it a go. The challenge was simply, at the end of each day, […]

How #3goodthings can change your outlook on life

17 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration tagged #3goodthings / 40 days / challenge / Lent by Karin

Yesterday was Valentines Day. The ONE day every year where we are bashed over the head gently prodded to remember to buy something show how much we love those precious to us. I am from America. America does an excellent job of over-commercialising the little holidays in between New Year’s and […]

An everyday kind of love

15 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration tagged celebrate / embrace happy / every day / love / Valentines Day by Karin

Today’s Flashback Friday theme, Friends, came to me when I was thinking this week about how long I have been friends with a local friend of mine. Six and a half years ago, I met a lovely Mum and Daughter at a Sure Start Children’s Centre Baby Beans music class. […]

Flashback Friday- Friends

13 Feb, 2015 in Flashback Friday tagged celebrate / Flashback Friday / friends by Karin

It’s the middle of February and while Spring is starting to show in the UK, the skies are still pretty grey, the temperature still requires coats, hats, scarves and gloves and the Sun lacks true warmth. One of my favourite ways to brighten our house is to buy flowers. More […]

Happiness Challenge- Bring Flowers

12 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration / Happiness Challenges tagged flowers / random acts of kindness by Karin

Yesterday I went to Paris for the day. Yes, that sounds rather decadent and probably annoying to some. I went to a blogger event for the purpose of learning about SMELLS! It was rather fascinating what we learned and I was even able to turn it into some pretty amazing […]

Smell the Roses

11 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration / Happiness Challenges tagged appreciate / memories / Slow / smell by Karin

One of the tasks I have worked on over the last year of embracing happy, is to be far more conscious of my words. I am more aware of what I say, the words I choose and most importantly, how I say them. My Mom always used to say “Tone […]

Positive Words Only Please

9 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration / Happiness Challenges tagged positive / tone / words by Karin

This week has been filled with new plans, To Do Lists, Dance lessons, Swimming lessons, Anniversaries, good news, disappointments, dance steps, Me Time and Birthday parties. Sometimes I wonder how we manage to fit it all in! The one thing that tends to go out the window these days is […]

Celebrate the Week that Was – February 2-8, 2015

8 Feb, 2015 in Savour Our Weekend / Sunday Best tagged celebrate / embrace happy / week by Karin

It’s Saturday. Usually I like to lounge in bed on Saturday mornings while Mark gets up with the kids. This morning I was the gracious wife and got up with Ella and Sam and made pancakes. Pancakes are good for the soul you know? Especially with Nutella and marshmallows on […]

Slow Down & #embracehappy

7 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration / Savour Our Weekend tagged #embracehappy / memories / moments / Slow / Time by Karin

For today’s Flashback Friday I thought I would go with the general theme of Firsts mainly for selfish reasons. I shared a picture on Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday of this week as it was the 10th anniversary of the first day that Mark and I met. We met at […]

Flashback Friday- Firsts

6 Feb, 2015 in Flashback Friday tagged firsts / Flashback Friday / Luton Airport / Paris by Karin

This week, being the first week of February, I have been gradually sending out Happy Mail cards to the 40 people who signed up for the Happy Mail programme. We have UK residents, a participant from Spain, South Africa, Canada and several from the United States. It’s awesome! I am […]

Send some Happy Mail

5 Feb, 2015 in Embrace Happy Snail Mail / Happiness Challenges / Sharing Happy tagged card / Happy Mail / writing by Karin

It’s February. You’ve (hopefully) been joining in with Embrace Happy and practising fairly regularly your #3goodthings and are feeling a teeny bit more positive in general. But when it comes right down to it, you’re not LIVING IT! You’re trying to Embrace Happy, making an effort to look at the […]

Live It!

4 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration / Happiness Challenges tagged #3goodthings / challenge / embrace happy / live it by Karin

Every day, on our Embrace Happy Facebook group, I start the day with a challenge. The members are welcome to join in publicly or privately in their own journals/notebooks or not at all! I’m not big on “YOU MUST DO” when it comes to embracing happy. Do or Do Not…the […]

Happiness Challenges-January

3 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration / Happiness Challenges tagged challenges / embrace happy / happiness / journal / lists / notebook by Karin

The internet is an amazingly wonderful place sometimes! It brings people together who would never have found each other otherwise. About a month ago, a fellow blogging friend alerted me to The Green Gables as one of the featured products was all about “Happy Post”. Genius! Gabrielle Treanor, the creative […]

The Green Gables- Happy Paper Club

2 Feb, 2015 in 3 Good Things / Sharing Happy tagged Happy Paper Club / post / stationery / subscription / The Green Gables by Karin

Sunday is one of my favourite days of the week. Friday is my first favourite. Never mind that I’m a Mum and work from home so it’s not like Friday signifies a major change in my daily life. Friday for me means the start of family time, the beginning of […]

Sunday Best

1 Feb, 2015 in Daily Inspiration / Savour Our Weekend / Sunday Best tagged family / Sunday Best / traditions / weekend by Karin