I love everything about Thanksgiving:  Spending time with family, enjoying a turkey dinner with all the fixings, watching football games, sitting in front of a fire, thinking about the upcoming Christmas holiday, and taking long walks with Marty and the kids to stretch out our legs after a long day of eating + 'chillaxing'!

This is a day that I truly remind myself how grateful I am to have what I have:  My family and my health!  I thank my lucky stars everyday for the simple gifts in my life.  With the hustle and bustle of being a wife, a mom to 4 fantastic kids, and running 2 businesses, I often get caught up in the day-to-day stresses of everyday life (you can relate, right?) and forget what is truly important.

For me, Thanksgiving is a day to spend quality time with my family - to sit back, relax, laugh, unplug, reflect and appreciate the simple things in life!

The holidays are upon us and what's on everyone's mind:  Finding the perfect gift for loved ones!  I love hearing how and where people shop.  Some only shop online, some LOVE the ambiance of mobs of people at shopping malls, while others shop at local small businesses.  Honestly, I do a little bit of everything but what I support the most is American Express' Small Business Saturday.  Small business is the heart beat of our economy and I always feel good about supporting a local business.  

This year, Small Business Saturday is on Saturday, November 29th so please save the date and join the movement!  However, let's not just support small business on this day, let's support small business EVERYDAY.

Yes, 'it' is here...'It' meaning the holidays.  I feel like I am just getting over Halloween and now Thanksgiving followed by Christmas is just around the corner.  Literally.

Every year, I try not to get stressed about it but sure enough, it gets me every time. I am not sure if it is because the "hype" starts even before we can enjoy Halloween.  You know what I am talking about:  store aisles are slowly turning red, green, and white, the boxed holiday cards are out, and the garland is on the shelves.  Honestly, I am annoyed that retailers push Christmas so early but I get it.  

Once Halloween is gone...Boom, it is Christmas!  I seriously need a transitional period to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming holiday madness. Yikes!

I have to admit, I do love the holidays despite the stress and I do get "caught up" in the craziness of it all - Black Friday, Cyber Monday, finding that perfect gift, last minutes shopping, etc.  It is fun and exciting.  More importantly, my kids love EVERYTHING about the holidays.

This holiday, I made a promise to myself that I am going to 'chillax' (chill + relax = chillax) this year.  Sounds really easy to do but I always feel like I'm running around like a crazy mom trying to do everything...homework with the kids, cleaning the house, cooking, doing laundry, volunteer work, and running 2 businesses, etc!  

Simply put:  The holidays are meant to be enjoyed with loved ones.  Forget the stress, enjoy the moment, and chillax.

I am obsessed with Instagram!  I have always loved photography and I just love how Instagram can make a dull photo exciting and new with its filters.  Plus, it is fun to share your photos with family and friends.  Come follow me on Instagram:
http://instagram.com/graciewelch



 

I did it!

I am far from a being a marathoner but on November 2, 2014, I ran my very 1st marathon – the TCS New York City Marathon for my daughter Emma and Team JDRF. Emma was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 4 years ago. Ever since she was diagnosed with T1D, I am committed to raise funds to help find a cure to this terrible disease.

I had a strict training schedule throughout the summer and into the fall and I felt ready.  However, this race wasn’t easy. The winds were brutal throughout the day and by mile 20, I almost quit.  I was tired and exhausted but I saw my daughter Emma with my dear friend Carol cheering me on to finish.  I suddenly had a burst of energy and determination to cross that finish line.

I remember back in 2010, I was in Manhattan a day after the marathon and remember seeing people proudly wearing their marathon medals.  I said to myself, “I want one of those medals…” The idea of running a marathon was always in the back of my mind.  Could I actually do something like this?

I decided to run the NYC Half Marathon as a test to myself and to raise money for JDRF.  If I can train for a half and finish, maybe I can run a full.  I trained really hard throughout the brutal New England winter (temperatures in the teens, snow, ice…you name it).  I was determined…I finished the NYC Half and I was all smiles.  I remember my daughter Emma saying to me when I saw her after the race, “Mom, now go train and run in the Marathon!”

Ok, let’s do this.  I made the commitment to train for the full marathon.  Believe me, I was nervous and I had a lot of anxiety about this race.  Did I train enough?  Did I over train?  I started to question myself—Am I really ready for this?  26.2 miles seemed like eternity.  I didn’t care about my finishing time.  I just wanted to finish.

Well, I did it!  I crossed that finish line and when I placed that medal around my neck, I felt like I could conquer anything.  The. Best. Feeling. Ever.

What’s up next?  Another marathon?  We will see…