Welcome to the first Ultimate Coffee Date of 2017! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to some fun times in 2017. As always, the aim of the Ultimate Coffee Date Link Up is to get to know each other better by sharing what’s going on in our lives so we can support each other in all our endeavors. Since it’s no fun to have coffee alone, make sure you leave comments on other blogs in the link up, and don’t forget to visit my co-host Deborah at Confessions Of A Mother Runner.
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you can grab the html code here:
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If we were having coffee, I would have to ask you about your holiday. Did you get to see family and friends? Did you go on a fantastic vacation like Deborah did? Did you get any fantastic gifts?
If we were having coffee at Starbucks, it would be my treat, because my favorite client gave me the Starbucks Holiday gift card embedded with Swarovsky crystals, and loaded with a generous amount of funds! 🙂
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that another stage of parenting has come to end. My son is starting grad school on Monday, at a university a full’s day’s drive away–but technically closer than where my daughter lives. While I am proud and excited for him, I’m also sad that my nest will be empty again.
If we were having coffee, I would share my non-running goals for 2017:
- Remodel our kitchen! I probably had this on my list last year, but this year it will happen. We’ve already met with one contractor and I’ve set up appointments with two others.
- Go on a summer vacation. Last year our only vacation was a few days of skiing in January. While we already have booked a ski weekend in February, we’ve got to take a summer vacation this year.
- Find more work-life balance. This is one of those goals that I make every year, but this year I mean it. Last year was one of my busiest ever, and while I enjoyed the opportunities and challenges, the pace was brutal. I already know January is going to be rough, but after that I need to dial it back.
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What are you looking forward to in 2017?
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I am not sure what I am suppose to do to join the Coffee Date. Am I suppose to copy the html code and paste it somewhere? This is all pretty new to me. 🙂
The main thing is to write a “coffee date” style post that links back to us, and then add your post to the link up. To use the badge, paste the html code into your post when you are on your “text editor” page (where you see the html) and it will automatically add the image! Otherwise you can copy/save the image itself and use it as a photo.
Hope this helps!
good morning! That gift card is some serious gifting! 🙂 Good luck with the kitchen! We put in the outdoor kitchen last year and although it was a pain in the a$$- it was the best thing ever! Have a great weekend!
Yeah, the process will be rough, but the results will be worth it, right?
We need so much work on our house! We’ve been here 20 years and it’s time for a makeover. My carpenter husband agrees. From the couch…
LOL. It must be hard, because I’m sure he’d hate to pay someone else to do it, since he could do it better himself ….
Yay for a kitchen remodel! This is the one thing in my house I am dying to do – still trying to get my husband on board with the idea. It’s a big project, but so worth it in the end! Good luck!
Thanks for coffee 🙂
What a gift! My husband would go crazy for a Starbucks cup like that (probs lot minus the crystals though…). Enjoy the heck out of that! And best of luck on your nonrunning goals! They certainly seem doable so do it! 😉
But the crystals make it fun! Actually, I loaded it to my app and so I can leave the bling at home.
We rarely do a winter vacation. Mr. Judy always worries about travel in the winter. Or the crowded travel conditions. On the rare occasions we have, they’ve been fabulous!
Of course we’re traveling in March, so you never know, sometimes we get our worst storms then. I prefer to be optimistic. And so far winter hasn’t been so bad.
Remodeling the kitchen was almost the first thing we did when we moved to this house. It was TINY. And not nearly enough cabinet space. And I’m so glad we did it – although it’s definitely better to be working when someone is working in your house. It was damn cold cause they needed the door open all the time, and I had to live downstairs — with the dogs — and lock up the cats (there were 4 furkids back then).
We all survived & it was totally worth it.
A conference I speak moved from January to March to avoid the snow, and then it snowed the first time it was held in March! You just never can tell. We were just saying that my son wouldn’t get snow in S.C., and here we are, driving around in the snow.
Ooooh a kitchen model will be fun….and a PIA I’m sure. But the end result will be worth it. My oldest is a hs sophomore and the college recruiting emails are starting to pour in. I know these next two years will whiz by.
The Caveman was looking at some website and naming off travel itineraries last night. I need to strike while the iron is hot.
ooh I always wondered who got those cool Starbucks cards!! The perfect gift for you indeed. Empty nester again! Hope to see you soon for a real coffee date
I’m really looking forward to a semi stress-free year in my running shoes. And, as always, I’m looking forward to de-cluttering my house. I have a hunch my “clean” house is not as clean as it appears with all the clutter to hide stuff….
Wow, you have one heck of a client! I can’t even imagine!
I hope your kitchen renovation goes well! We’ve been in our house for a little over 6 months now and thankfully we don’t have any huge projects that we need to do but I really want to install a patio out back.
Summer vacation sounds great! It’s always nice to get away…my boyfriend and I need to plan something soon!
Our house was in move-in condition too, which was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because we didn’t have to do anything, and a curse because we didn’t do anything at all — and that was five years ago.
Thats a pretty sweet gift card. I think I’d make sure to always have funds on it to keep it.
I really planned on a good catch-up coffee post today but the hubs just had to eat up the wifi last night!!!
I have several home improvement tasks I want to get done this year. I live with a painter and you wouldn’t believe how bad our house needs painting! Maybe this year it will get on the list!
Thanks Coco, it’s good to be back having coffee with you ladies!
Thanks! We used to be so brave about painting, but after picking the “wrong” colors a few times, we are sticking with some version of not-quite-white on all of our walls.
Its funny how you never make time to vacation in summer, but do one in the winter- we are the exact opposite! We always do one or more vacations to the beach in the summer, but never priortize the winter getaways…and every year, I say we’ll do one! Happy New Year to you and I feel for you on the empty nest thing- trying to hold on to these years while mine are little, but it goes by so fast!
The winter one is easy – a friend just got a condo at a ski resort. I need to figure out which of my friends has a beach house …. 🙂
Whoa–that is a fancy Starbucks card! Enjoy!
Summer vacations are what we LIVE for! We usually nail down where we will be going in February or March and then I spend the next 3 to 4 months planning every single detail. I love planning trips!
Kitchen remodels are so, so difficult because it really is the “heart” of the home and hard to have it all a mess until it is complete. But it will be so worth it when it’s all done. Good luck and be patient! 🙂
Thanks! I know the process will be rough, but I know it will be worth it!
What a thoughtful gift from your client! We could all use more coffee in our life!
It’s definitely a gift I’ll use every day!
Thanks for joining us for coffee!
I took a much needed break from work over the holidays. It was amazing! I was able to spend a lot of quality time with my kids and husband, get some housework done. It was glorious and I hope to repeat it!
Thanks for hosting the linkup!
That Starbux card is an awesome gift.
Our house needs re-modeling too, But we always to choose to spend the money on different things.
Someday.
That’s a pretty sweet Starbucks gift card. Wow!
A summer vacation sounds lovely. I wish that were one of our 2017 goals. I had really hoped for a trip to Croatia for my 40th birthday (in Aug), but I doubt we’d be able to make that happen financially. Instead, we’ll fill the year with lots of fun hiking.
I am hoping for a trip back to MN sometime in late spring or summer because TWO of my brothers are having babies this year.
Croatia would be amazing, but MN in summer sounds good today! Especially with babies to visit!
Thanks for joining us for coffee!
That’s so nice of your client, and that gift card is so pretty! Congrats to your son on starting grad school! My parents have been wanting me to move back home in ages but…I’m still across the country at the moment, and if I go for a fellowship, there’s a chance I might stay gone an additional year. (whoknows. I’d love to be closer to my family/friends again though!)
I definitely wouldn’t mind more work-life balance too! *-*
You did not pick a career that’s known for that! Having a passion for your work is a good consolation prize.
I’d love to join you with your sassy Sbucks card! I did not take a glamorous vacay for the holidays but I did go to California to see family. Remodeling/redecorating sounds good!
2016 was super busy for me, too. We barely got in a vacation (squeaked 5 days in November) so a real vacation is on my list, too. It is so hard to say no. I was feeling a bit rudderless and without a lot to look forward to so I did my Friday 5 on 5 Things I’m Looking Forward in ’17 (So Far) and I feel better. 🙂
Yeah, vacation planning and looking forward to a vacation probably have their own mental health benefits aside from the vacation itself! I need to get working on that.
We just did a kitchen update and I love it! However, we updated to get our house ready to sell. I love my appliances so much that I know that when we find a new place we are going to have to get the same ones (they are slate colored and don’t get fingerprint marks all over them). Have fun doing the update! You will love it when it is done.
That’s my fear too – by the time we finally decide and get it done, we will decide to move. It seems to always work out that way.
Lucky you for that Starbucks card!! I love me some Starbucks too. 🙂
Wow – that’s a fancy gift card! I just use the starbucks app, and load gift cards I receive onto it. I did see that they are selling “DIY” gift cards with a marker, so you make the picture yourself! That’s cool!
I hope the vacations help to bring your family together! Now that I’m well out of the house, I have come to appreciate the infrequent times we can get my parents and sisters all together now! We’re spread all over the country!
I’m intimidated by the DIY Starbucks cards – I’m not that artistic. My daughter would be great at decorating them though ….
I have to remember to plan family vacations even though my kids are adults now!
Those are some great non-running goals for the year! Love the sparkle on the gift card, what a thoughtful client!
I’m hoping for less stress with my job this year! It was fun to have our college kid home for the holidays. I still have one at home, although he’s never home… I would let you pay for coffee! What a nice gift. Thanks for hosting.