Smiling, Laughing & Loving Life

PIF 12 Gifts of Christmas

2011-12-13T09:58:00.003-05:00

While doing my morning browsing of Facebook I stumbled upon a link to the most wonderful thing:

A Pay It Forward Christmas Project called "The 12 Gifts of Christmas."

Put the focus on the true meaning of Christmas this season- Giving. Not the giving of expensive toys & electronics or what-not. But the Giving that really counts- the giving of your time, of your thoughts, of your love, of yourself. Here is an opportunity for you to give the greatest gift of all this holiday season- the gift of Kindness.

Starting today & for all the remaining days till Christmas join me & many others as we gift RAOK's. It won't take hardly any time or money for you to participate. Every day has a great suggestion- but if it doesn't work for you- then do something that does. It does not matter what you do as long as you GIVE.

If you're on Facebook and want to join the event there- here's the link. Facebook 12 Gifts of Christmas Event. But you don't need to be on FB to do this- comment here and share your gifts that way! If you blog it I'd love to read it there too! I'll do my best to share my 12 Gifts of Christmas with you daily- but I might have to play catch-up on some days because life does tend to keep me busy. :o)

PS- There's a printable of the 12 Gifts of Christmas I found on the FB event page to help you remember. If you would like the link I can send it to you- I didn't want to post the picture here b/c it's not my creation. :o)

Just call me Happy

2011-12-09T08:51:00.000-05:00

Happy. Smiling. Content.

That's what I am this morning. I feel peaceful inside and and a great amount of simple happiness radiating from within.

A Few Suspected Causes:

Big, fluffy snowflakes.
Sweet little boys who make their mommy breakfast toast
News stories about Kindness
Christmas music.
Email from my husband simply b/c he wanted to tell me he loved me. *love*
Silly country songs on the radio
FB tags from friends (J- you're so sweet!)

Today is going to be a *Great* day. :o)

Secret Santa Pays Off Layaways

2011-12-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

This is the news I love to see & read- uplifting stories about people doing good. A woman in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area paid off 3 Christmas layaways at a Kmart store for people she didn't know. And her kindness has spurred others- there now has been at least one other "copycat" of goodness. Love it. Just imagine the amount of happiness that has been spread and the possibility that so much more can be paid forward!

Here's the article & one of the video clips:

Secret Santa pays off Christmas Lawaway bills for families

Secret Santa picks up 3 layaway bills: woodtv.com

The 4 Gift Rule & My Own Expanded Version

2011-12-05T09:57:00.001-05:00

I seen this posted on FB by one of my best friends:

I've always believed this gift-giving rule is great. It keeps things simple and prevents over-buying (and spending), curbs the "gimmes" and helps not fill up your house with a bunch of over-priced, poorly-made, going-to-be-broken-or-forgotten-about-within-a-week junk. It helps us re-focus on what this holiday season really is about. Whether that is religious or spiritual beliefs or simply a focus on kindness, giving and family & friends. :o)

While I think this rule is great- I've never been able to go quite that simple. We do something along these lines- but I couldn't cut back to just 4 gifts. I guess have the expanded version of the 4 gift rule. LOL

Something they Want (usually a toy or video game)
Something they Need/can Wear (Eldest always needs clothes since he grows so fast & the Littles always get a new shirt b/c ALL of their clothes are second-hand and I think they deserve something new at least once a year. Usually socks & undies show up too.)
Something to Read (a new book)
Something to Play (a board or card game)
Something to Do (usually a jigsaw puzzle or a word search/puzzle type book)
Something to Create (like a coloring book, drawing pad, art supplies)
Something to Watch (a movie) This one isn't a must- but it usually is included b/c I find great deals on new or used DVD's and we love having family movie time. :o)

Then of course there's the gifts Santa brings. He brings 1 or 2 gifts for each boy off their wishlist, depending on what they are. Momma had a talk with Santa a few years ago and asked him to cut back on his gifts and he was nice enough to agree. Mommy also is in contact with Santa each year to let him know what items are ok to bring and what ones she requests be vetoed. ;o)

Santa also takes the time to help fill the stockings. He decided to make Mom's Christmas morning a little less hectic by putting an orange in the toe, along with a small juice bottle & mini donuts for us to munch on while opening gifts. He's usually pretty thoughtful and sticks a new toothbrush in there as well. And he never forgets some cool fun-flavored chapstick for the boys either. If the boys were extra good that year then he puts in a small candy treat & small toy (like matchbox car or new earbuds) as well. Mom sometimes will sneak a few things in the stocking before Santa comes too- especially in Daddy's stocking.

Now I'm curious as to what all other parent's gift giving ideas/rules at Christmas are. How do you control the craziness of this gift-giving season frenzy? Or do you not even try? Please share with me in the comments. No judgement here. :o) Just curious. While I admit I'm not able to go as simple as this rule- our tree is nearly as over-loaded as it once used to be years ago.

Positive Affirmation Challenge

2011-11-28T01:00:00.000-05:00

So- how did everyone do with last week's Positivity Challenge? Did it help clear your mind of negativity and replace it with a more peaceful & happier mindset? Did you spend less time leaking toxic comments and more time being thankful for the good things around you? I know I did and I hope the same for you. :o)

This week I want to build on last week's challenge. If simply refraining from saying negative things improves your life- what about taking it a step further? Turn your negative thoughts into positive affirmations.

Every time you find yourself thinking a negative thought about someone- I want you to stop yourself and reverse your thoughts. Find something positive about them instead- and then share it. Pay them a compliment. Tell them how much you appreciate them. Thank them for what they do for you. Go out of your way to put some positivity back in their day and out into the world.

And if at first you're uncomfortable with verbally expressing nice things towards others- then simply smile at them. That simple action alone is worth a million words. :o)

When you find yourself seething about how your co-worker left you a mound of work- stop and remember how he stayed over an hour off-clock to help you get caught up last week and leave him a note thanking him for it. After you get home from a long day at work and notice your husband left a pile of dirty dishes in the sink- instead of yelling about the mess he made, tell him how great dinner was and how much you appreciate not having to cook tonight. The next time you find yourself thinking how rude the one lady at the PTO meeting is- compliment her on how pretty her necklace is instead.

There is ALWAYS something positive you can say or do in any situation. You just have to retrain your brain to look for the good instead of the bad. If you practice it daily, soon you won't even have to try- it will become habit. You'll automatically notice that the grumpy cashier is simply overwhelmed by the sudden rush and is trying her best- and that when you get to the counter and smile at her and tell her she's doing a great job her whole demeanor changes and she suddenly is able to handle her job better. And it's all because you took a moment's time to make your interaction a positive experience instead of a negative one. :o)

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Turkey, stuffing, rolls, pumpkin pie & load of other sweet goodies and family- what a great day it is going to be! I am off to spend the day with my parents, brother & sisters and all the nieces & nephews. It's going to be an extra special Thanksgiving this year- my sister that lives Arkansas is up & I haven't seen her in years! :o)

I hope you all get to enjoy some great food and have a relaxing & wonderful day with your loved ones.

(Hopefully we all can make it through today without eating so much that we can't fit in our pants tomorrow!) LOL

Happy Thanksgiving!

Positivity Challenge

2011-11-21T08:19:00.001-05:00

I'm starting this week off with a challenge for all of you- a Positivity Challenge if you will. HelpOthers has once again inspired me with one of their FB posts. When I was doing my morning wake-up peruse of FB I can across this post of theirs:

Restrain from criticizing or saying anything negative to anyone this week.

I'm sure almost every one's initial response to that is a negative thought- that there's no way they could do that. Many people would claim that such a thing is impossible. And I believe that is due to the world we live in now- a place where freedom of speech is commonly mistaken for a license to say whatever bad comment you want to someone without restraint. But just because you can do or say something, doesn't mean you should. If more people simply stopped to filter what was coming out of their mouths we would see an immediate change in our world. If more people started focusing on the positive of those around them and less on the negative- our would would improve greatly.

So this is what I'm asking & challenging anyone who reads this to do:

For one week keep all negative thoughts to yourself. Bite your tongue when you feel foul words or statements trying to creep out of your mouth. Don't criticize- empathize. If you find yourself thinking something negative about someone- shift your thoughts to something positive instead.

If going a whole week seems like a lofty goal for you- then make it a daily goal. See if you can go just one day and I'm sure you'll surprise yourself. :o)

Oh- and this challenge does include spouses, significant others, children, in-laws & extended family as well. ;o) So- if you find yourself stressing over the fact that you now have 5 pounds of stuffing because Aunt Idna changed her mind about she was bringing to Thanksgiving dinner without consulting you. Or you overheard your MIL remarking to your husband how much better her pumpkin pie tastes than yours. Or when your little angels and their cousins turn into Tasmanian Devils and demolish the play room in 2 seconds flat- don't blow your top and spew all that negativity out at them. Instead push it back and notice how every one's having second & third helpings of Aunt Idna's stuff and not complaining for once that there's not enough to go around. Hear that your husband didn't agree with his mother, but tactfully changed the subject and then remember how at dessert you had to slap his hand when he tried to make off with a whole pie you made. As you're calling in the bulldozer to clean up all the toys- think about how well all the kids played together and for once none of them were glued to an electronic device or screen and that great picture you took of all the cousins building the tallest lego tower ever created. :o)

Life Vest Inside - Kindness Boomerang - "One Day"

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I discovered this great video on Pay It Forward Experience from www.lifevestinside.com showing how one simple kindness act spurs so many more.
When you're kind to someone that kindness gets passed on & on and reaches many others.

Rediscovering the "Giver's High"

2011-11-19T09:19:00.001-05:00

I think my favorite thing about doing RAOK's is the look of absolute happy surprise on the recipient's face. When you RAOK a stranger at first they are always wary of you- they don't know you, why are you walking up to them, why are are trying to talk to them. You know in their mind what they're thinking is "What does she want? I don't have time for this- I'm not buying anything." It's always with reluctance that they give you their attention. And to watch the suspicion on their face be replaced with pure shock & joy when they realize that you are giving them something simply out of kindness- wanting nothing in return is one of the best moments to experience ever. I wish everyone could feel the inner joy you get from doing RAOK's. It's like being on a natural buzz- a "Giver's High" that just lights you up from inside and you can't help but smile and spend the rest of the day in a great mood.

I rediscovered this awesome feeling Thursday thanks to a simple kindness suggestions posted on Facebook from Help Others. When I was checking my FB in the morning I seen "Give a candy bar to a school crossing guard this morning, He stands at the corner everday with a smile. :) ---smileswithhope" And I realized- I can do that. It was such a small, simple thing and would only take me a moment's time. I actually had the candy bars since my Tank is selling some to earn money for his State Bowling Tournament and where we live now there are 2 crossing guards I see every morning. We were running late & I had to work that morning- but I just felt that need to do it. So I grabbed 2 candy bars, a highlighter & some tape before I herded my Lil' Man to the van. I quickly scribbled a message with a smiley face on it made from the highlighter on 2 scrap papers and taped them to the candy bars. On my way to dropping my boy off at the bus stop (hoping we weren't going to miss it) I stopped at the first corner & rolled my window down motioning to the first crossing guard, He approached my van & I handed him the candy simply telling him to have a good day before continuing on. I did the same for the second guard- pulling up beside his vehicle. Seeing both their faces alight with smiles just made me feel so good inside. And I carried that feeling with me into work and for the rest of the day. It cost me only $2 and a few moments of my time to brighten someone elses day and my own as well. There's no pictures of it- no proof to share- because I did it for me & for the simple act of kindness- not for my blog.

I want that feeling- that inner happiness from giving- that knowledge that I made someone smile for no reason- more often. I let the excuses that life has gotten so crazy, that I've been so busy with kids & work & the new house, that we don't have any extra change to spare stop me from experiencing that feeling. And that's all they are-- excuses. They're not real valid reasons.- there's nothing physically stopping me. I just need to make the time, budget the change & make the effort to go out of my way to do extra kind things. And I'm going to start doing that more. When I read a simple RAOK idea- I'm going to DO it, not just save the idea for sometime when I have more time. And if I have time- I'll blog about it. I'd love to start posting a RAOK Idea to challenge everyone every day- whether it''s my own idea or one I discovered through one of my kindness blogs. But I'm not going to worry about it if I don't. Because it's passing on the kindness & making the world a better place that is most important, blogging about it is secondary. :o)

KarmaTube: Sounds of Kindness

2011-11-16T10:54:00.000-05:00

KarmaTube: Sounds of Kindness

How awesome is this?!?!?! Born from a tragedy comes a great kindness sharing opportunity. I would be oh so honored if I ever came across something like this.

Video from KarmaTube

Computer Problems

2011-11-16T10:39:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the absence in blogging- it is due to a computer malfunction. :o/

Unfortunately my main desktop pc that houses all my life within it has decided it needs a break. Hopefully I'll have it fixed or get a replacement soon. Till then the blogging will only be done sporadically on my Mini Dell. (Boy do I miss my big pc & Windows Live Writer!)

BTW- I still have been daily thinking & doing my gratitude challenge even if I haven't been able to post them. :o)

Attitude of Gratitude- Weekend Edition

2011-11-07T09:24:00.001-05:00

On the weekends whatever time I’m not working are devoted to spending with my family. I try not to spend much time on the computer- so no Facebook, no blogging & limited Pinterest. ;o) But that doesn’t mean I’m not committed to my Gratitude Challenges for this month, so here’s my belated blogged things I was grateful for this weekend.

Day 4

Saturday I was thankful for my surroundings. I am blessed to live in this beautiful state of Michigan, in a wonderful community & now a great neighborhood. We got to enjoy a gorgeous Michigan fall day and see Mother Nature in her autumn glory. Hubs & I went for a walk in the neighborhood- letting Bell have a field day smelling the scents & playing in the leaf piles in the road. While my little salesman Tank, with his little brother as his helper, went door-to-door (within our sight) in our new neighborhood selling candy bars to earn money to go to the Michigan Youth State Bowling Tournament. Thanks to the gracious & wonderful new neighbors we have now he sold almost an entire box & was one very happy camper!

Day 5

Yesterday the thing I felt most grateful for was my awesome husband. I worked a long 10 hour shift on little sleep (my own fault) and there’s no way I could of made it through the day without his help. He brought me food to work (including a Frosty!), took care of the kids all day by himself- including taking them to do their make-up games for their bowling league, cleaned the house and cooked dinner. He even had my plate ready when I got home! I got to sit down right away and eat, then just relax & enjoy his company for what was left of the evening.

Attitude of Gratitude Challenge- Day 3

2011-11-04T12:37:00.001-04:00

Today I am feeling extremely grateful for having such awesome friends & family. I put out a last minute plea on Facebook asking for people to support my youngest Cub Scout & his pack by ordering popcorn. I was feeling bad for my little man- he only had 6 orders and we have to turn it in tomorrow morning- usually we fill his entire sheet & then some. I kind of felt bad asking like that on FB, especially when it seems like every time you turn around now-a-days there’s a kid asking you to buy this or that from a fundraiser. But this is truly one of the few fundraisers I’ve pushed every year since I know it’s the pack’s main source of funds that pay for the Cub Scout’s activities and if we’re lucky (which we have been the last few years) pays for the complete cost of all the boys to go to the Cub Scout Camp in the summer.

So- I swallowed my pride & the thought of how impersonal it seemed to ask in such a way and blatantly put it out there thinking maybe I’d get one or two more orders for my lil’ man and hoping that I wouldn’t annoy my FB friends too much by asking. And the response from my friends & family has humbled me. I’ve been able to add 4 more orders to his sheet- that’s helped us reach almost half a page! I know to many that might not seem to be much. But to me it means a lot. It’s not something they had to do- they could easily ignore a FB posting. But because they could help, they did out of the niceness in their hearts. That’s 4 more people willing to help me out, help Dante out, help out a wonderful group of men & women who are trying to help young boys become great men. That’s 4 people who are volunteering to spend their hard-earned money on popcorn, even in this tough economic times, because they care.

Dante & His Cub Scout Leader

I tell you- it’s little things like this that make my day. :o) I’m so grateful to all of you- those that ordered & those that couldn’t. You all are great people & I’m glad to have you in my life!

Attitude of Gratitude Challenge- Day 2

2011-11-03T08:54:00.001-04:00

I am thankful for this sweet little boy who every school morning by climbs in bed and cuddles with me. It’s the absolute best way to wake up!

Attitude of Gratitude Challenge- Day 1

2011-11-02T16:33:00.001-04:00

I am Thankful for a sweet & understanding husband that listens to me rant and supports me in whatever I want to do. :o)

My insanity: Attitude of Gratitude Challenge

2011-11-02T10:35:00.001-04:00

Another kind of Gratitude Challenge- this time from Kendra at My Insanity. This doesn’t require but a moment of your time. Take a moment and reflect on something that you are thankful for- be it something that happened to you during your day, someone in your life, or something you are grateful to have (like a roof over your head, food on your table or a job.) Then share it with your family, friends, followers, the world via one (or more) of the social tools you frequent. If you’re not on Facebook or twitter and don’t own a blog- then email it to a friend. Help us create a wave of gratitude starting with one little ripple.

Here is the challenge: Once a day think about an publish one thing you are grateful for! You can tweet, FB, respond to her FB, blog it, whatever! Read more about it here: Attitude of Gratitude Challenge

I’ll be posting this challenge on my Facebook page as well to encourage one and all to stop thinking about what they don’t have and start cherishing what they do. I hope you decide to join me!

I’m on simmer this morning

2011-11-02T09:58:00.001-04:00

I know this is a nice blog about good & happy & creative things. So feel free to skip this post where I’m going to rant & come back later when I’m feeling more my normal cheerful & crafty self. :o)

Let me preface this by saying I love my job. I work part-time at a video store and while it can be chaotic & stressful at times- I really love it. I’m a people person and it suits me perfectly. I also love my co-workers for the most part. We occasionally irritate each other with some of our work-habits (like leaving things unfinished at the end of a shift or no notes explain what this or that pile of movies is)- but that’s just normal human interaction. It’s little things we work through & deal with.

However- it’s becoming increasingly too frequent that I’m expected to be at beck & call on my days off. We’re short-staffed, so I understand that there’s times when there’s more work than one person can handle and a little help is greatly appreciated. I’ve been there myself (more often than not I’ve just dealt with it though and then stayed later than my shift to finish things b/c I respect people’s days off.) I don’t mind sometimes going in to help out. Heck- I’ve quite often covered people’s shifts when they were unable to work them due to schedule conflict or sickness. I’ve come in to work on short notice, I’ve worked a longer shift when asked, I’ve even voluntarily worked off-clock a little bit to finish projects I was in the middle of at work & didn’t want to throw our labor hours off by not clocking out when it was time for me to leave.

I give a lot to a part-time job. So much so that it’s started to irk me when I’m sent “SOS” texts on my day off. That when I (and others) write request days off on the calendar he repeatedly forgets to look at it when making the schedule and often we are supposed to work on those days and then have to scramble to find coverage for shifts or forgo whatever plans we had. Granted- when he scheduled me to work a short 5-9pm shift this past Monday on Halloween and I told him I couldn’t work it he said they’d manage without me. (But I was the second back-up person and technically it wasn’t him that was shorted- it was my co-worker that was working that night.)

My boss is not a bad guy- I generally like him a lot. But the little things are adding up. Stuff like him leaving stacks of damaged movies unfinished, not doing inventories when he opens, leaving huge lists we’re expected to do, calling/texting on days off requesting us to work and such. Last night was kind of like the final straw. He called and left a message saying I needed to call him or my co-worker T ASAP. I figured I knew what he wanted- me to come in & work till close. I know this b/c he didn’t look at the calendar/availability when making the schedule for this week and put my co-worker L working when she needed it off. I didn’t want to work it- figured it was his mess & he should cover it. And besides- I had my own stuff to do (like go to my son’s Cub Scout meeting to help out for the first time since I wasn’t working for once on a Tues night!)- it wasn’t like I was sitting at home twiddling my thumbs! Well about 8pm I guess he called again and left another message. Which pissed me off when I heard it:

“Hi J, this is R again. I need you to call me as soon as you get this- it doesn’t matter how late it is. If not, we’re going to have to have a meeting- like you and me. So- hope to hear from you soon.”

That bold part is what set me off. EXCUSE ME?!?!?!? If I don’t call you on my day off when I’m NOT scheduled to work then you’re implying I’m going to get in trouble? How in the HELL do you think that works? You dare threaten me with a “meeting” because I’m not sitting at home by the phone on my freaking day off because maybe, just maybe I might get a call from work and have to rush in to save the day again?!?! I was hot to say the least. That was an instant tick me off- wrong thing to say to this girl who doesn’t get angry often. It was the match to the powder keg of things that had been building up for a few weeks now.

I’m a d*mn good employee who works her shifts, does my share of the work (and then some), doesn’t call off even when I’m sick, often comes in on my days off to help out & covers other’s shifts often when needed. When he went out of town 2 weekends in a row for weddings I worked those 2solid weekends with long hours (11 hour day one day!), closed one night & turned around and opened the next. I was running on fumes- having only maybe 5 hours sleep. I also have the highest sales in my store just about every week- Heck I had the highest in my district just last week!

*Breathe…….1,2,3……….Breathe*

Sorry- this is still bubbling inside me b/c I haven’t been able to release it on the person who deserves it yet. Because I refused to call him last night for 2 reasons- 1) You don’t threaten me with anything. EVER. NOT the way to get results with me. 2) I figured if I called him last night I’d say things I’d regret- like to F off. I thought some sleep would help calm me down- but it didn’t work. I’m still pissed off. And when I called him this morning to wake his butt up (b/c unlike this mom who no matter if I work till close & don’t get to sleep till midnight at the earliest still has to get up first thing in the morning with kids he sleeps till who knows when)- I only got his voicemail. So I’m waiting for him to call back. And he probably won’t be any happier with me than I am with him b/c I didn’t leave a very welcoming pleasant toned message. He’s going to know I’m not happy before he even calls and he better have his pucker lips on when he does. :o)

Ok- Rant over. I feel a bit better for at least completely venting somewhere. Now to get busy and get stuff done that puts me back in a good mood. :o)

88 Ways to Make a Stranger Smile

2011-11-01T10:11:00.001-04:00

While catching up on my blogs through Google Reader I seen a great post by one of my favorite Nice Blogs- Operation Nice. She shared a link she found via a friend of hers and I just had to share it as well. It’s “88 Ways to Make a Stranger Smile.” I know many people couldn’t care less if they made someone they didn’t know smile- but if you stop and think about it that’s one of the greatest & easiest thing you could do to make your day better. If you make that one little effort you’ll not only make someone else’s day brighter- I can guarantee you’ll walk away 20 times happier as well. And that happiness will spread to those you love and those you don’t as well.

For anyone that thinks it takes money or a lot of time to spread smiles- check out these ideas off the list that don’t cost a dime:

1. Smile often. It’s a reported fact- one smile can generate 100’s more throughout a day as it’s passed on from person to person!

2. Hold a door open for someone. This is a simple old courtesy that isn’t seen much anymore and just about everyone is appreciative of.

6. Give a compliment about a waiter, waitress, sales clerk, etc. to his or her manager. Think of how good it feels to hear from your boss that a customer or co-worker went out of their way to tell them what a good job you did- don’t you want to share that feeling with someone else?

7. Compliment a stranger’s appearance. Flatter them. If you catch yourself thinking how pretty someone is, or that their outfit or jewelry is stunning- don’t keep it to yourself- tell them!

24. Tell your boss, teacher or professor that he or she is doing a great job and that you appreciate what they’ve taught you. Yes- this isn’t considered butt-kissing if you’re sincere and don’t overdo it. The one’s that are teaching us love to hear that we appreciate it and we really are taking it in.

34. Let someone with only a few items cut you in line at the grocery store. I know this has made my day better before and I was grateful to the one that was gracious enough to offer it.

37. Repeat something nice you heard about someone else. Instead of spreading that mean foul gossip- start a niceness vocal chain! If you’re tempted to share a catty remark about someone- choose to tell about how nice someone else was instead. Not only will that give you better Karma- it will make you a better person in other’s eyes as well. Win-win!

82. If you see a couple taking a self-picture, offer to take the picture for them. Oh how I wish someone would offer this to me & the hubs! We might actually have some more good couple pictures then!

And to add to the above smile suggestion: Offer to take a family’s picture as well! Often the mom or dad is left out of most pictures b/c they’re the one’s always behind the camera.

My Creative Stirrings: Gratitude Challenge!

2011-11-01T09:26:00.002-04:00

My Creative Stirrings: Gratitude Challenge!: Are you up for a challenge that will change your life ? Beginning November 1 st , say "thanks" to either the same person or a ...

Being a little more Grateful

2011-11-01T09:26:00.001-04:00

I’m going to ignore the fact that it’s been 7 months since I last blogged and just continue on in the haphazard way that is me. :o) Ok? Ok!

What prompted this writing is a blog post from My Creative Stirrings- she posted a Gratitude Challenge and I think it’s just what I need to try and do in my already-crazy-busy life. ;o) Actually- it really is. I’m really good at thanking everyone for the little day-to-day things they do for me. But I’m really bad about thanking the people I love for the larger things they do- like putting up with my non existent emails, phone calls & visits. I rarely remember to take the time to relax with my besties & family b/c I get so absorbed in my own life events. And it’s one of the biggest regrets I have, but I can’t seem to find a way around it. It’s on my “must work on to become a better person” list. :o)

Anyways- I’m somehow going to try and fit a special thank you into each and every day of this month. If I can squeeze the time out to blog about it I will- but I’ve learned that I shouldn’t make promises about that b/c in my life there’s no guarantees. :o)

I hope if anyone’s reading this that you make an effort to be a little more thankful for the people around you and good things you have- even if it’s only a couple times this month.

Reasons I’ve Smiled- April 1st

2011-04-01T13:18:00.001-04:00

I spent the weekend with my awesome friends M & K and their boys.
All 3 of my boys bowled awesome at the YABA State Bowling Tournament.
I didn’t have to deal with a Rooster at my hotel. Buwhahahaha
Taking a loooooooooong hot shower with no worries of running out of hot water.
I had 5 straight days off from work!
While the temps have been chilly- there’s still been sunshine!
Helped out at Lil’ Man’s school for their Cowboy RAD day.
Got to rock out with our friends R & S at the Music as a Weapon Concert-Disturbed, Sevendust, Korn, Stillwell & In This Moment. Disturbed & Sevendust were AWESOME!!!
Enjoyed time with the Hubs- just the two of us.
I was complimented on how nice I looked by an acquaintance.
Watched Tangled with the whole family and even though I’m the only female- we all enjoyed it.
Talked to my step-mum
Got to give a quick hug to my other friend M whom I haven’t seen in a while

Reasons I’ve Smiled- March 18th

2011-03-18T15:06:00.001-04:00

I got the highest upsell percentage at work beating everyone- including my manager & assistant manager- AND got a kudos from our district manager.
Got to go for a walk in beautiful sunshiny weather without a jacket.
Listening to Eldest play at the band concert and realizing how GOOD they sound.
Homemade Shamrock Shakes
Finished 2 books this week- this one was really good
Lunch with the Hubs at his work
Getting a “cat-call” while walking yesterday

These are just a few of the reasons of the top of my head real quick why I’ve smiled this week. How about you- what’s made your week happy?

Rambling randomness about nothing really

2011-03-15T12:03:00.001-04:00

It’s amazing that I get anything done some days. So many different thoughts pass through my mind in such a short period of time that I’m more often than not to spend all my time thinking instead of doing. If someone was able to record for a few minutes the thoughts floating through my head it would go something like this:

What’s for dinner tonight? I really need to start making a weekly menu again. Today’s Tuesday- I need an easy meal since it’s Scout night. What are we doing tonight at Scouts? Oh, yeah- making thank you cards. I should prefold cardstock. The cards will work towards an elective. What other elective can we do? We got a bunch of electives done, but we can’t get the beads till our Tiger Badge is done. All we need to get it is for each Tiger to see a sporting event. Oh, yeah- I told them at the last meeting I’d type up a reminder of that with the progress report for each scout tonight. Oh shoot- I got Port-a-pit chicken tickets to sell- that have sat in my bag since last meeting. I need to do that. Maybe we can set up a table at my work. I need to get my schedule for next week yet. I’m glad I don’t have to work today. Shoot- I gotta work tomorrow though and the auditor’s going to be there. Better make sure to wear something nicer than normal. Most of my work clothes are dirty. Actually- most everyone’s clothes are dirty. I gotta go to the laundry mat today. Should go to the bank too. But I better go grocery shopping first. I need to figure out what we’re eating this week & tonight first. The dog’s barking again. *looks out the window* Dang- it’s so gloomy outside. Where’s the sun? I need the sun! I want sunlight & brightness. Maybe I can make something colorful for inside to make it cheerful. Like a rainbow. with a pot of gold. Thursday’s St. Patty’s day after all. I should do something fun for the kids! Gotta find the recipe for those shamrock shakes again. Green milk again for breakfast. And green food for dinner. Crap- dinner! What am I doing for dinner tonight? Maybe I’ll just see what’s at the store. I could stop at the consignment store while I’m up there. I need a new shirt. I’m bored with my wardrobe- I need a splash of something different. Maybe I can find something cute to wear State Weekend. Shoot- I really need to find my wallet because that has my license in it and I’ll need it when we go in case I get carded. Hope I don’t have to get a new license. Because if I do I’ll find my wallet right after. The dog’s howling- she hates sirens. *Looks towards the main road* There goes the fire truck. I need to get the dog food for her from the back of the van. *Sees someone leaving the gas station across the street carrying a gallon of milk* We need milk. And OJ. Better make a grocery list.

Then I glace at the computer clock and notice almost an hour has passed and I have not done a single thing that I thought about. And then what do I do instead of starting to make a menu, a grocery list, getting laundry around, working on Scout stuff and the 3 million other things that need completed? I write a blog post about my inability to get things done. Totally, completely logical……..right?

I Believe…

2011-03-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crazy Hair

2011-03-08T14:46:00.001-05:00

Yes- I sent my youngest to school with his hair looking like this. No- I didn’t loose my glasses this morning. ;o)

It was “Crazy Hair” day at Lil’ man’s school today. Since he’s managed to escape the clippers so far- we had a lot of hair to work with this year. And I didn’t need much inspiration for what to do with it when I seen him come down right after he woke up- it was naturally crazy itself already- I just improved upon it a little :o)

(Oh- and the last picture with the funny face was when I told him he looked like a mad scientist & he was trying to act the part.)

Wolf Cake

2011-03-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

Eldest’s 14th birthday last month brought one of the hardest cake requests yet- a wolf. I asked for other ideas & options, but he really wanted a wolf cake this year. I warned him (repeatedly) that my cake decorating abilities might not be able to create it well. His response “You need a good challenge mom. It’ll make your decorating skills better.” Darn child- he’s getting way too old & good with words.

So I started by doing a sketch (because if I can’t draw it there’s no way I can carve it!) I had a hard time getting the muzzle right, but eventually I figured it out.

Then came the research and just as I suspected- good wolf cake images are hard to find. And most of the one’s I found were made by decorators with much more skill than I possess. I pinned my favorites for inspiration- here’s the top ones that helped me the most:

3D Wolf Head by Muse_of_Dreams on Cake Central
Howling White Wolf by Louise Hill at Love to Cake
Howling Wolf Silhouette by Dragonsanddaffodils at Deviant Art
Howling Wolf Head by sweetthang1 at Cake Central

And after a lot of thinking, researching, sketching and baking it was time to just go for it. I started with a stack of 6 8” rounds, some knives & a lot of frosting. I had a lot of doubt and trepidation about how I was going to manage it and I *may* of let a ~~whole bunch~~ few curse words slip, but I just kept at it and somehow managed to turn it into something resembling a wolf’s head. (It also reminded us slightly of a pig, a bear & finally a shark at some point of time during the process. You can kind of see how it could of been a good shark in the the bottom middle picture.)

But all that mattered was the last picture- Eldest was happy with the end result. And I’m glad this mom didn’t back down from the challenge despite all my misgivings. (But boy am I thankful I don’t ever make the same cake twice!) Oh- and the cake was delicious!!! One of the best tasting cakes I’ve made ever & it was very durable! I finally found the perfect recipe for carving cakes. :o)

Finding me, my path & some blogging thoughts

2011-03-02T09:31:00.001-05:00

I have a friend with a blog. A good, dear awesome friend. Her posts have been really making me think lately. Reflect on my life. What I want, who I want to be, where I want to go with this life. I know who I am- somewhat. But I need to cultivate my person more. I need to define who I am beyond a mother & a wife. I’ve fallen back into my “comfort zone.” I need to be more in charge of my life and the path I’m traveling, instead of just letting life carry me along. I’ve started that by finding a part time job. And while that’s been (and still is) quite an adjustment & struggle at times- I enjoy it greatly. But that’s just a tiny first step- I need more. I want to be more independent. Not in the “I don’t need you” kind of way. But in the “I’m confident in my abilities” way. I know I can be a better partner to my husband if I was more self-assured of myself. And I’ll be a much better mother as well. I am very happy, content and proud to be a mom & wife.. But while those are extremely important and vital parts of me- I can not center my life completely around those two aspects of my life. I want to have an accomplishment that I can be proud of that- I want to be able to say that I have DONE something with my life. I want to have more declarations that start with “I’ve DONE”, “I’ve TRIED" and “I AM” than “I want”, “I wish” and “Someday….” statements.

So I decided a few weeks ago to do something I always said I should & wished I would, but never did. I’m going back to school. I officially enrolled in the community college 2011 fall semester. Now- I haven’t a real clue as to what I’m going to do- but that’s ok. That’s part of the whole “finding myself” thing I’ve got to work on. I’m thinking of some sort of business or education degree. Or maybe both- who knows. The important thing is- I’m finally going to DO it instead of just talking about it. :o)

Another part of this whole finding me thing is I need to rediscover what makes me me. I want to get back in touch with things I enjoy- such as creating. I love to create in any medium. Be it with a pen & paper, glue & paint, colored pencils & a sketch pad or cake & frosting. I’m an artsy-craftsy person. It’s an integral part of me. And I haven’t been fulfilling that within myself. So- I’m going to aim to try and do at least one crafty thing a week. Even if there’s dishes piled in the sink, the hamper’s overflowing and instead of cleaning my craft area I have to shove the 2 ft high pile of crap that’s there into a plastic tub just to find my craft desk. I will find the simple joy of creation again. Oh- and reading. I need to do that again. I honestly can’t remember the last book I read or when. Yeah- that’s gotta start happening again too.

No- as for the blogging thoughts. My friend I spoke of above? Yeah- she is what inspired this whole posting. And I love her. And I admire her blogging style- she just writes what she thinks & feels and posts whatever & whenever she wants. Her blog is kind of random & I love it. When I read one of her posts it’s like I’m actually talking to her- it’s a true reflection of herself. I love it. And I need to learn from it and her.

I think one of the reasons I haven’t blogged is because I feel pressure to make sure every post is perfect and interesting and just right. I type & retype & spend a couple hours on just one post. And since I’ve added a job to my crazy life- I simply haven’t had that much time to spend on blogging. So instead of settling for an imperfect impromptu post, I simply haven’t blogged. That’s one of my “flaws” I need to work on- perfection. Everything I create- be it blogging, writing, crafting, drawing, cake decorating or whatnot- does NOT have to be revised & redone over & over again. I need to embrace the fact that every thing I do doesn’t have to be done to the best of my ability. Now- that seems like a strange statement considering that I always tell my kids to “Do you best.” But for me I always want to do things better- everything can always be improved and I strive so hard for that “betterness” that I don’t have time to do more than one thing. That’s not strengthening my abilities- that’s limiting myself. Because I often will not start something because I know I won’t have time to finish it. I need to learn to accept less to get better. And maybe I can start to learn that lesson with this blog. Perhaps. It’s worth a shot anyways. :o)

BTW- If I totally lost you in this post- that’s ok. :o)

Feeling Grateful

2011-01-10T13:14:00.001-05:00

I’m sitting here reflecting on my life and all the wonderful people I have in it. In the last few months it’s become apparent that I have some really, really fantastic friends. I mean, I already knew that they were awesome friends to begin with, but then they went above & beyond what I expected in a friendship. They each individually surprised me with gift. They deeply touched me & made me feel so very special. I’m not used to someone taking the time to think of me & going out of their way to surprise me like that for no reason. And then to have not one, but FOUR of my friends do that for me- it totally blew me away. It humbled me to realize how blessed I was to have such caring & thoughtful people in my world. It makes me feel so very loved every time I think about it. I am so extremely grateful for my friends. I am beyond lucky to have such a great group of ladies that support me, that really *know* me, that think & care about me so much. I’m honored to have them in my life. I don’t think they know how much that one act each of them did meant to me, nor can they possibly realize how important they each are to me, and that’s something I mean to correct- starting today. :o)

Thank You Becca! Thank You Chrissy! Thank You Alicia! Thank You Missy!

(I even made it rhyme! LOL)

Also, Thank You to everyone who reads this. I’m glad you are in my life- whether you are a close & awesome friend IRL or someone who just reads my blog and I’ve never met. You are all part of my universe in some way and that makes my life a better place. :o)

The Count Down To Christmas Begins!

2010-12-02T21:23:00.000-05:00

Our 2010 Advent Calendar:

I had another ~~boring~~ simpler advent calendar started, but then yesterday Amy from Living Locurto posted a wonderful free download for this great Christmas Advent Calendar. So I scrapped my plans and pulled together things I had on hand to make this awesome one instead. Mine isn’t nearly as pretty as hers, but it’s a heck of a lot better than what I was going to make!

No pictures of progress because it was literally a last minute creation. (Which means I was finishing it when the kiddos got home from school.) I took foam board from the Dollar Tree and covered it in wrapping paper. Then I typed my activities on all the days, printed them on cardstock, cut & glued them on. Once I started that I realized I made my base board too small- but I shrugged off my perfectionist itch and carried on. I used Christmas stickers I had to hold the little folded activity cards closed. And then after I cut all the numbers out (while vowing to invest in a 2” circle punch soon) I used these “pop-out dots” things (like these) I had to put them on the front. I of course had to use the Star Wars Banner option at the top- I knew that would make me the really awesome mom. ;o)

Since I only have one calendar & 3 boys, I had to write alternating names on the days so there would be no fighting on who’s turn it is to open each day. And I have a basket (which I forgot to take a picture of & am too tired to right now.) of small wrapped gifts for them to each open one daily. Some days it might be one small piece of candy (being the frugal mom that I am it’s confiscated leftover Halloween candy) or it could be something related to that day’s activity. They gifts are numbered & wrapped differently for each child, so there’s no doubt who gets what. :o)

Here’s our Christmas Advent Calendar Activity List for this year:

Make a CD of favorite Christmas songs!
Make paper snowflakes and hang them from the ceiling!
Family board game night!
Put your shoes outside your bedroom door for St. Nicholas day!
Color Holiday pictures & mail them to grandparents!
Write & mail a letter to Santa Claus!
No chore day!
Build a snowman!
Do a good deed today & share it at dinner!
Do a puzzle together!
Read a holiday book together!
Decorate the Christmas tree!
Make & send a Christmas card to a friend or family member!
Have fun doing winter word searches & mazes!
Add this year’s handprint to the Christmas tree skirt!
Go Christmas shopping for your family!
Make a list of 10 things you are thankful for and hang it up!
Watch a Christmas movie & eat popcorn!
Make Christmas sugar cookies!
Make an ornament for the Christmas tree!
Donate clothes & toys to needy families!
Make gingerbread houses!
Drive around looking at Christmas lights & displays!
Watch Polar Express & drink hot cocoa!

I’ll try to take a picture each day & link it from this list to share & show how they all turned out. But that will be another day- for now I’m going to go bond with the hubby. Night all!

Giving Someone a Little Happiness from a Sad Event

2010-12-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Due to a recent death in the family, my husband’s SIL, I became the recipient of a beautiful plant (some kind of Lily I think). After shuffling it around the house for a few days I realized that we had no room for it- it was too big & our house is too small. That fact & my worry that I would kill it (I don’t have a good track record with real plants inside- I even managed to kill a fern once!) made me realize I had to give it away. I didn’t want to be callous by giving it away and wasn’t looking forward to explaining to the lucky friend how I came by it.

I pondered my dilemma for a while and then thought of a way I would be comfortable with passing it on- by giving it to someone at a nursing home! I loved the idea of taking something that was a sad reminder and turning it into a joyful thing. I delivered it to our local nursing home & asked the nurse at the front desk to give it to someone that needs it, someone that doesn’t get much visitors or anything. She was very happy to do so. I left with a happy conscious & joyful heart knowing that I made someone’s day while at the same time kind of honoring a good person’s memory.

My Holiday Traditions- Advent Calendars

2010-11-30T10:12:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe tomorrow it’ll be December! Yay!!!! I’m so happy. The Holidays have certainly snuck up fast, but that’s ok because I’m sooo ready now. I’m getting excited for Christmas- it’s my favorite time of the year! I like to stretch it out the whole month of December and try to make it very special for my kiddos. I have a few things I do every year and I thought I’d share them to inspire other moms, aunts & friends to make this Holiday Season extra special for a child in their lives. One of the traditions I started a few years ago is to make advent calendars for them. My very first one was simply 2 egg carton halves cut & glued side by side on cardboard, then I filled each well with a treat or activity & hot glued alternating red & green tissue paper over the holes. I added number stickers & a little yarn for hanging and voila! I had 3 advent calendars. They wasn’t very pretty, but they were homemade & the kids loved being able to have a special surprise to open each day.

Per my usual “do-things-at-the-very-last-minute”- no matter how much I plan ahead of time- I am once again making my boys their advent calendars on November 30th. (One of these years I will have them finished before Thanksgiving- probably when I have grandkids!) Since I don’t have pictures to share of mine yet- I thought I’d share some other simple ones that are easy enough you could join me in making a last-minute advent calendar.

My Little Mochi has a great idea to make a simple Advent Calendar with Dentyne gum! Pocket Advent Calendar- merrily created by mylittlemochi

Here’s wonderfully easy & awesome Paper Plate Advent Calendar from Filth Wizardry Paper Plate Advent Calendar joyously made by FilthWizardry

Another great idea is to make an Advent Bag Calendar by simply numbering paper bags & hanging them up in a line like Christina from Moment to Moment did: Paper Bag Advent Calendar cheerfully created by MomentToMoment

Yet another take on a quickly made advent calendar is using envelopes. You could follow d.Sharp Journal’s lead and make a plain White Envelope Advent Calendar with some festive numbers (which are graciously available for free download).Envelope Advent Calendar joyfully shared by dSharp

Or make your own Festive Envelope Advent Calendar using old Christmas cards. HomeSpun Threads even shares the envelope template she used.Homemade Envelope Advent Calendar happily made by MyHomeSpunThreads

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration to make a simple & fun surprise for someone in your life- it doesn’t even have to be a child! I know many adults would love their very own advent calendar as well.

Well- I’m off to finish my super-simple advent calendar which will not even be as creative as any of the ones I’ve featured. But that’s ok because I’m learning that not everything I do has to be top notch- especially when I take into consideration that I have to make 3 calendars and not much time to do it. :o)

Bright Flowers on a Gloomy Day

2010-11-22T16:37:00.001-05:00

I’ve had the urge to do extra special RAOK’s lately, but haven’t had the time. I seen these bright & beautiful flowers at Kroger's today and just seeing them made me smile. I decided that I wasn’t making anymore excuses for not doing RAOK’s as often as I wish, so I bought them and celebrated GFTAS day early this month. :o)

This cheery bunch went to a lady coming out of Walgreens. She seemed a little distracted & impatient when I stopped her at first, but being given flowers “just because” definitely changed her demeanor. Her face light up in surprise & pleasure. It made me feel so good seeing how easy it was to make her everyday errands turn from mundane to happy. (I forgot to get a picture of the cards I put in there.)

And since I missed GFTAS day last month- I decided I that I wanted make up for it, so I bought this pretty bouquet as well. I walked over to Speedway Gas Station and gave them to another lady getting gas. She smiled so big when I gave them to her and simply told her to “Have a Nice Day!”

I’m still here :o)

2010-10-13T09:48:00.001-04:00

No- I haven’t fallen of the face of the earth. Yes- Life has gotten hectic and I let myself become so immersed in the craziness that I haven’t blogged in two weeks. I’m working on that whole “balance” thing in my life and obviously it still needs some adjustment! With the school season in full swing all the activities that come with it are going now too and my obligations have gone up, while my free time has gone down. I simply forgot how much more work being “The Mom” was at this time of year. I’m spending a lot of time doing kid related things- volunteering between 3 schools, multiple after-school activities, kid’s bowling leagues, helping lead Cub Scouts, making Halloween costumes and operating “Mom’s Taxi Service.” To add to the crazy mix we put our house up for sale two weeks ago and are hoping to move sometime soon, so I have the pressure of trying to super-deep-clean my home and get things packed up.

So there’s my reasons for neglecting my blog and readers. Sorry I abandoned you all for a bit- life grabbed me unawares & took off running and I’ve just been stumbling to keep up. Hopefully I can find a more steady pace here soon and can start blogging regularly again. :o) I do have a few kindness things I wanted to share from during my absence- I’ll do my best to get them up this week and get caught up on all the comments left.

Another Successful GFTAS Day

2010-09-27T15:00:00.001-04:00

Today is the 27th of the month which means it’s Give Flowers to a Stranger Day! I’ve been looking forward to this day ever since I discovered & celebrated GFTAS Day last month. Once again I headed to my local Krogers hoping to score a marked-down pretty bunch of flowers. There were many available this time that were nice, but my eyes kept returning to another pink bunch of flowers. They weren’t that much more so I got them instead. I figured if I liked them so much, than so would the lucky recipient.

I printed a small card tag I downloaded for free here from Whisker Graphics. I wrote a little message on the inside and taped it onto the bouquet wrapping. I also picked out one of the Kindness Cards from Kind Over Matter that I downloaded & printed to use for card drops. I tucked it in between the flowers- it said “People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

I had been thinking all morning on who I wanted to give the flowers to today. I thought a nice elderly lady would be great and I knew I wanted to find someone somewhere other than a store parking lot. I decided I’d drive to another neighborhood and simply pull over and give them to the first person I seen. Being it was a fairly nice day & middle of the afternoon I thought it would be a cinch to find someone outside. (Easier said than done I soon found out.) The first two people I seen were guys and when it comes to flowers I figured a woman would appreciate them a whole lot more. So up & down the streets, around the blocks I kept driving slowly looking for a mom outside with her kids, a woman taking groceries inside or an elderly lady sitting on a porch swing. But I had no such luck- I only seen 3 people total and all were men. With my time, and gas, running out I changed tactics and headed downtown where I knew there had to be people. I spotted a young woman coming out of the post office and quickly parked, grabbed the flowers & hopped out. I thought I was going to miss my opportunity because she was getting in her car by then, but I got her attention and handed her the flowers simply telling them they was for her. She thanked me with a slightly stunned smile and I quickly walked back to my still-running van with my own happy grin.

I’ve been happy & smiling ever since. GFTAS just makes me feel so good- I’m so glad I get to celebrate it monthly instead of just once a year! If you’re new and want to know more about this Kindness Holiday- click here to read more about a wonderful lady and the kind act that started it all.

Hoping to Win My Dream Machine

2010-09-25T02:31:00.000-04:00

A momentary interruption from my normally scheduled posts:

Crafty Crow is having a giveaway for a Silhouette craft machine. I’ve been drooling over one of these babies for many months now. There’s soooo many awesome things I could with this craft cutter- it’s like the MacGyver tool of the craft world. You can enter for your own chance to win one by going HERE and leaving a comment before Sept. 30th on what would be your first project with it.

Click HERE for another chance to win one at Living Locurto.

4 entries between 2 giveaways so far- I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

Reasons I’ve Smiled- Sept. 24th

2010-09-24T08:40:00.001-04:00

My Favorite show ever came back on Monday with the season premiere
Because I discovered Chunky Monkey Pancakes
Hearing my Lil’ Man talk with the cute lisp from his missing front tooth
I seen this:
My friend M stopped by for an unexpected visit
I wore my Fraggle Rock T-shirt
We took Bell to play at the school’s playground

Seen a guy being affectionate to his lady by rubbing her back and caressing her shoulders as they walked into Wal-Mart
Dropped off this surprise package for a friend
Eldest brought me a butterfly shaped clover
Watched a flutterby while outside enjoying a beautiful day
Noticed a guy more interested in checking me out than driving
I wore my rockin’ “Pimpette” hat

Thoughtful Thursday

2010-09-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

I’m creating a new feature called "Thoughtful Thursdays" where I can post quotes and pictures I find by other wonderful individuals that are uplifting and encourage people to think about the good things in their lives. My goal is to brighten your day and make you realize that the world can be a more cheerful place if you choose to make it.

My first ever featured picture is from a talented embroideress (my own made up word) xperimentl. I found this one day when I was browsing on flickr and instantly loved it. It’s a darling piece embroidered from an illustration in a vintage coloring book with an added happy quote.

Think Happy, Act Happy, Be Happy- happily shared by xperimentl

Tasty Tuesday- Chunky Monkey Pancakes

2010-09-21T15:27:00.001-04:00

Since I love to cook & bake and trying new recipes is one of my favorite things- I thought every Tuesday I’d start sharing a new recipe I’ve recently tried. I’ll give you my reviews & any revisions I made and maybe you’ll find a new family favorite to add to your menu rotation.

Today’s recipe comes from Our Best Bites- one of my “go-to” recipe sites. The two gals that run it are great at coming up with awesome recipes that are usually easy to make and their posts are not only witty, but have great pictures too! Anytime I’m looking for something new to tempt my kids taste buds- Our Best Bites is one of my first stops.

In keeping with my pledge to make breakfast at least 3 days before school (and therefore saving my cereal stockpile from being devoured within a week)- I decided to treat my Littles to these:

Chunky Monkey Pancakes,

by Our Best Bites

These Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes are good by themselves, but what puts them over-the-top and turns them into incredible is the Peanut Butter Maple Syrup. The kids were raving how good they were, but I figured they were just happy they got to have chocolate in some way before noon. Then I took a bite. OMGoodness- I literally was amazed and couldn’t stop myself from shoveling a few more bites in. These are one of the best flavored pancakes I’ve ever had. You MUST try these- but be forewarned that they are irresistible. If you find yourself taking some of cooled extra ones you made for the freezer and dipping them in the leftover PB syrup at lunch & snack time and I-just-wandered-into-the-kitchen time- don’t say I didn’t warn you. (Not that I did that!)

As far as the making of them- I took it easy on myself since I knew in the morning I would only be half awake & way too tempted to skip making the pancakes in favor of just cracking eggs in a pan. I prepared as much of the recipe as I could the night before: I mixed the dry ingredients in my mixing bowl and tossed the chocolate chips with the flour in a small container (a great tip I learned from the recipe- it stops them from sinking to the bottom of the batter). Then I mixed the wet ingredients in a small bowl and mashed the bananas in a separate bowl and put them both in the fridge. When morning came all I had to do was dump & mix, no measuring, it made making breakfast a breeze! The batter was thinner than I usually like, but the pancakes cooked up nice & fluffier than I.expected. I really loved the texture of them too. This recipe is a keeper for our family and will definitely be made again.

Pick-Me-Up Gift for a Friend

2010-09-21T12:52:00.001-04:00

My friend MB is an awesome upbeat & happy person and one of the nicest people I’ve been blessed to know. She is an assistant teacher that works in our public elementary school with the kids that need a little more special attention than others. The powers that be at the school have changed things around this year- so MB is in a new classroom, has other different EA’s (educational assistants) that she has to learn to cope with and quite a few new difficult children to deal with. And on top of all that they’ve changed rules & procedures a few times already! Suffice it to say she’s been very stressed these first two weeks of school.

So when I read on her Facebook status that they’ve changed her schedule yet again & she’s struggling dealing with some hard people at work- I knew she needed a pick-me-up. Luckily with some things I had on hand & a quick stop at the dollar store I was able to put together a surprise gift to lift her spirits. I took a Milka Bar of Chocolate, a can of her favorite pop & an encouraging teacher book and wrapped up them all in tissue paper & tied with curling ribbon. I added some happy messages to the packages by attaching some Kindness Cards I downloaded for free from Kind Over Matter.

A quick trip across town and my anonymous surprise gift was delivered- with assurance from the wonderful school’s secretary that the giver will remain a mystery. I can’t wait to see how much of a happier FB status MB will have tonight! :o)

Reasons I’ve Smiled- Sept 17th

2010-09-17T14:40:00.003-04:00

Having the tooth fairy visit our house again because of this little monkey
Watched the original Wizard of Oz with the family- the Scarecrow is my favorite!
This video I seen on Kind Over Matter in their Friday Lovelies post:
Rachel's Birthday Video from Kristian Anderson on Vimeo.
Reading about this sweet mission and this pretty sunflower mission on SAL’s Kindness Blog
Doodling with my new colorful pens
Reaching a nice, helpful & english-speaking customer service person on the phone
Rode in the new Ford Flex (way awesome) and Eldest’s band got $20 for it
Spiky-haired little boys

Loosen up, Have Fun & Improvise!

2010-09-13T09:55:00.001-04:00

I wish I lived in New York for this reason: Improv Everywhere. They are a group of people that stage “missions” that make people stop whatever their doing to watch them in amazement. They do it simply for fun and to make people smile & laugh at what the “agents” are doing. I found this wonderful group via this post by Color Me Katie.

Here’s a video from one of their most recent missions- Black Tie Beach

I don’t know which part is my favorite- the guy with the swim floaties on his arms, seeing all the ladies in their beautiful evening gowns running into the water, the guy in a tuxedo & scuba gear or the guy at the end of the video so simply happy because of this improv! The baffled look on witnesses faces & the genuine smiles is just so great to see. I hope some day I can participate in something totally awesome like this!

Sitting Here Remembering…….

2010-09-11T01:10:00.001-04:00

I still remember turning on the TV for some random reason that day, though I rarely watch TV during the daytime. I remember wondering why the news was on so early in the day and standing there in confusion trying to figure out what was going on. I remember being in shock once I realized what was happening. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, what I was hearing. How could this be happening?!?!? It was so unimaginable to think, but all to real to watch.

There are a lot of songs about 9/11 but “Where Were You” by Alan Jackson is the one that really makes me stop and think about that day. Even to this day, every time I hear it my eyes still fill up with tears and I feel an overwhelming sadness within me as I remember.

That day and those following were dark days for our country. So many were taken from us, so many families were torn apart, so many brave souls lost. But out of the tragedy and darkness came a uniting in our nation and an outpouring of support that still amazes me. A reinforced pride was forged that made our country stronger. I don’t want all that goodness that was born from the pain to be lost. I haven’t forgotten and I will do my best to make sure those around me haven’t either.

I send out a prayer to all that was affected by the 9/11 tragedy 9 years ago. And I pray that everyone remembers and pays honor to the individuals that sacrificed so much that day.

America- Stay Strong, Stay United, Don’t Ever Forget, but Carry On With Your Head Held High.

To everyone that reads this- please take a moment and go HERE to read a really touching post Thrifty Decor Chick wrote about 9/11. She has pictures from the Ground Zero Museum that everyone (like me) who hasn’t been there needs to see. This one really touched my heart:

Reasons I’ve Smiled- Sept 10th 2010

2010-09-10T12:41:00.000-04:00

This ice cream topping:
Having a blast at Michigan’s Adventure and remembering what it was like to be a kid when nothing stopped you from having fun- not even cool weather!
Finding a small RAOK someone else did- they left a stack of quarters on the vacuum/air pump at a gas station
A holiday weekend full of Campfires, S’mores & Family
An adorable black & white kitty I spotted when driving- he was so happy just rolling around in someone’s driveway
Walking the Littles to the their first day of school this year

New Weekly Post: Reasons I’ve Smiled

2010-09-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately and thinking more & more about my life goal. To reach it and to be completely happy, one of the things I need to do more of is add up all the wonderful stuff in my life. I think about all the things I have to be thankful for a lot, but it’s so easy to forget & let some of the tiny things go uncounted. I believe writing them down will make me fully realize how many reasons I really do have to be happy every day.

So- I’m going to start a new weekly post. Every Friday I’m going to make a list of things that have made me smile that week. It could be anything- from a simple piece of chocolate I enjoyed to a phone call from a friend to a song I heard. Basically any random thing that I think of that brought me joy during my day to day activities. I’m not going to set a number of items for my list since some weeks I’m sure I’ll have more reasons to smile than others. I am going to try to write things down daily, but life (or my own forgetfulness) might get in the way of that. ;o)

Reasons I’ve Smiled This Week:

Walking out of Wallyworld with children in tow- Eldest says out of the blue “It smells like ladybugs out here.”
I was inspired by a fellow Kindness Blogger to do this RAOK to a complete stranger
A baby Robin in our yard
A dear friend told me of a dream she had in which I started a movement based on my Pollyanna Principle
An awesome dad at the free matinee movie with his kids stood up and boogied in front of his seat to a 50’s song playing during the credits
Having my extended family together at our first Family Reunion and getting to see my aunts & cousins that I haven’t seen in many years.
Getting family pictures of everyone at the reunion- including my own small one!

A phone from my good friend M telling me that she missed me and she called just because she forgot to send me a Facebook message before she got off the computer & decided to call instead.

A Kindness Mission

2010-08-30T15:32:00.001-04:00

As part of achieving my life goal, lately I have done a lot of self-reflection. I’ve been trying to discover exactly what I want to do with my life, how I can make myself a better person and what changes I need to make within to accomplish my goals. While I know the journey to answer these questions will be a long one, possibly never-ending, I have discovered one thing: I have a strong desire to improve myself and the world & people around me. I want to do more, but don’t because of lack of money & time & organization.

Those are excuses that have stopped me from acting on nice ideas. I’ve decided that I need to stop giving power to the reasons why I can’t do things and simply start DOING what I CAN. Money is not an issue- kindness doesn’t have to cost a thing. Lack of time isn’t a valid excuse- I can spare a few minutes out of my day to spread joy. Organization might be my biggest obstacle, but it’s not something I can’t overcome.

I am taking a step forward to becoming the person I know I can be. I am on a personal Kindness Mission. I am vowing right now to simply DO more. I’m not committing to doing something extraordinary every day, but to simple becoming more aware of ways I can spread the nice revolution in my dad-to-day activities. More often than not what I do won’t be blog worthy, but hopefully they will be smile worthy.

So who will join me? Who will pledge to start living a life of kindness? Don’t let excuses stop you like they did me for so long. Sooo many wonderful people out in this vast world are showing that you can make a difference with the smallest acts of kindness. You don’t need to wait for some huge opportunity to do something nice- sometimes the littlest things count and make the biggest difference. I discovered myself how doing one small thing for someone made their day better and filled me with happiness. Now I can’t wait to see how else I can further my Kindness Mission and what everyone else does.

Flowers for a Stranger

2010-08-27T15:31:00.002-04:00

I’m subscribed to a few different Kindness blogs and really enjoy the ideas and uplifting experiences I read about through them. I was inspired by a fellow Kindness Blogger to do my first real RAOK (Random Act of Kindness) to a total stranger today. Betsy, from The Kindness of Strangers, has declared the 27th of each month “Give Flowers to a Stranger Day.” She enjoyed it so much when she did it originally on April 27th that she’s done it every month since. So when I seen her reminder post last night in my Google Reader I just knew that I wanted to be a part of it too. :o)

This morning I decided that it would be good to include the kiddos in my RAOK. So my normal Friday solitaire trip running errands turned into a family excursion that hopefully opened my children’s eyes to the magic of kindness. First stop was Kroger's where I was hoping to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers on mark down, because while I love being nice- I am on a budget after all. Unfortunately the only bunches they had were too costly for my wallet. Not to be deterred- I picked up 2 pretty white flowers that were inexpensive. (It’s the thought that counts- not the price, right?)

Back in the van we attached a simple note card that I printed for free here from Frog Prince Paperie. I wrote a message on the back explaining that it was a RAOK and encouraged the recipient to carry on the kindness.

On to Wal-Mart we went, where we was faced with the challenge of finding the stranger to give our flowers too. I didn’t want to bother anyone that was sitting in their cars- I was afraid it would creep them out if a stranger came tapping at their window. I tried to engage the boys in helping me find someone. We decided that it would be best to give the flowers to someone that was leaving Wal-Mart and that a woman would appreciate them more so than a man. With that in mind we moved by the doors and waited outside.

When a mother with her young son in the cart exited I decided she would do just fine. I do have to admit it took a bit of courage to get her attention and give them to her- I had no idea what type of reaction I would get. But I just decided what they heck & to go for it and got her attention. Then I simply told her these were for her and handed them to her. She didn’t ask why or anything and simply said thank you. I didn’t quite know what to do then, so my boys and I continued inside to the store like it was a normal thing to give strangers flowers. I had hoped for a little more of a reaction from my first total RAOK, but when I glanced back as I was walking in and seen the big smile on the little boy’s face as he watched me leave I felt happy. And I realized that it wasn’t about me, wasn’t about personal gratification- it was about giving freely and completely without expectations. And hoping others get even a small fraction of joy I feel from it.

The Perfect Pancake

2010-08-26T12:24:00.001-04:00

Mmmmmm...............pancakes.

To me they are the perfect breakfast food. I can remember being a kid and my Dad making pancakes every Sunday and they were the BEST! Golden brown, light & fluffy, with that nice crunchy edge along the outside. You put the butter on when it's hot so it melts and then the syrup will just soak in, filling the whole pancake with maple taste. Yum!
Nothing can beat the perfect pancake, but it can be hard to achieve. And that's what I've been trying to do- I am on the hunt for the Perfect Pancake recipe. Before, I always relied on mixes from the store. But that has changed, partially due to a shrinking budget & part due to my desire to eat healthier by not using so much processed foods & mixes. Also, at the beginning of last school year, in an effort to reduce the amount of cold cereal my boys consumed, I declared I would cook breakfast on Mon, Wed & Fri. (Which basically meant at the beginning of the last school year I "cooked" frozen store-bought pancakes, waffles & toaster strudels because I was not used to fully functioning that early!) I am proud to say that now I really do cook breakfast at least 3 times a week, and most of the time from scratch too!
Anyways.......I really want to give my boys the golden-crusted memories of mom's pancakes. But I'm having a hard time finding is just the right pancake recipe to do it with. I'm looking for ease & simplicity to make, but tasty to eat as well. I would love to find a recipe that uses oil instead of melted butter and maybe even dry milk powder too. So far, every one I try is good, but none have totally "Wow-ed" me yet. So, for now I'll share with you the recipe I tried this morning and is my current stand-by and maybe you can share your recipe with me!

From Food.com (Formerly Recipezaar)- Pancakes
(My current stand-by recipe)
1 egg
3/4 c milk
2 T margarine, melted
1 c flour
1 T sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Beat egg until fluffy. Add milk and margarine. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Heat a heavy griddle or fry pan which is greased with a little butter on a paper towel. The pan is hot enough when a drop of water breaks into several smaller balls which 'dance' around the pan. Pour a small amount of batter (approx 1/4 cup) into pan and tip to spread out or spread with spoon. When bubbles appear on surface and begin to break, turn over and cook the other side.

I thought I'd also share real quick some things I've learned from my dad, experience & reading.

Tips for making the Perfect Pancake:

If your recipe calls for melted butter instead of oil- bring your milk and eggs to room temperature to avoid the butter from setting up. (Ask me why I know this)
Sift all dry ingredients together and mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl before adding to the dry ingredients.
Do NOT over mix. Lumps are ok in pancake batter.
Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes before cooking
If you have a cast iron pan- use it, they make the best pancakes.
Preheat your pan & make sure it is the right temperature by flicking a few drops of water on the pan. If they dance around the griddle then it's just right. And note that as you cook your pancakes, the griddle will get hotter and you will have to adjust the temperature.
Use oil or butter in the pan instead of cooking spray if you like the crispy ring on the edge.
Using a ladle to pour the batter on the pan makes less mess
A pancake is ready to be flipped when bubbles appear (and pop) all over the top and the edges seem set. You can lift the edge slightly to check the bottom before flipping if needed, but try not to disturb the pancakes too much. Constant checking & fiddling with them will make a tougher pancake.
The last tip- the cook gets the last pancake because that one is always the best of the batch- any "kinks" in cooking have been worked out by then and your final one is truly the Perfect Pancake!
Oh- and if you have too much pancake batter you can either make extra pancakes to freeze for a quick breakfast later. (Flash freeze them on a cookie sheet with wax paper between & then seal them in freezer bags. Warm them up in the microwave.) Or what I like to do is I use a funnel and pour the extra batter into an empty clean syrup bottle. Then I store it in the fridge for quick & easy pancakes later. (I usually use it up within a week.) This is also a great no-mess way to squeeze the batter onto the griddle!

Pollyanna Principle

2010-08-19T13:25:00.004-04:00

My life goal is simple: Be Happy. Generally happy with my life at all times. I don't mean putting on a fake smile for others either. I understand that everyone has times of sorrow and I won’t deny myself the chance to acknowledge such feelings. Emotions like anger, disappointment, sadness and frustration are a necessity in life, for they make us stronger and give us a better appreciation for the good things in our lives. But I will not allow myself to wallow in negativity either. For every sad moment I experience, I want to create a hundred more happy ones. I want to build a well of gladness and peace inside me so that I may draw from it during times of discontent.

When I am faced with a difficult situation I want to be able to find some good, happy thing to take from it. I want to be a person who can find a reason to smile & laugh at any time, no matter what's going on inside my head. I want to be a person who doesn't complain and whine about the misfortunes in my life, but instead comments on what a beautiful rainy day it is. I want to love my life at any given moment, to cherish not only the good things, but the bad as well. For it all makes me the woman I am today and will be tomorrow.

When you think about it- it's not such an easy goal to accomplish as it would seem. Life has lots of ups & downs, twists & turns and black tunnels it takes you through. Sure- it's easy to be happy when you're at the top and life's all sunshine & rainbows, but what about when you find out you're standing on a trap door & you unexpectedly plummet to the bottom? What about when you look up and the rays of the sun can't reach you because of the suffocating shadows surrounding you? What about when you realize that you've fallen so far down you can't see a way out and all you want to do is cry? What then?

It would be easy to shut your eyes and succumb to the dark pit of despair and not fight to live anymore. It would be easy to let your weeping heart close itself off, giving up on your dream. It would be easy to forget how to laugh in such bleak times. It would be easy to let your wounded soul lash out in frightened fury and vow never again to trust.

It is much harder to believe in the light when you're shrouded in blackness. It is much harder to open yourself up and have faith that you will escape the dark clutches that hold you so tight. It is much harder to remember to keep love in your heart when you are being smothered by shadows. It is much harder to have hope when there is none to be seen. But these are all key components to finding true contentment and happiness within yourself.

So the question is- will you take the easy route and let life beat you down, complain about your misfortunes and only see the bad things? Or will you take the hard route and keep a smile & laughter handy, share the things your thankful for and find the silver lining in the dark clouds?

I know what my choice is- I’m choosing to be a better, stronger person by not letting things keep me down and I’ll make the best of any situation I’m faced with. I’m going to live my life with what I call the Pollyanna Principle- an optimistic, positive & grateful outlook on life. With such a sunshiny perspective I know I’ll accomplish my life goal of being happy.

Wordless Wednesday- Eat Fire!

2010-08-18T11:43:00.001-04:00

August 7th 2010

Blog Intentions

2010-08-16T14:36:00.001-04:00

I have spent quite a bit of time pondering what I want my blog to become. I'm not looking to be a big-time traffic-stopping blogger. My intent is to simply have a place to share the things that I enjoy & make me happy. I’ve figured out that these are the reasons I want to blog:

I want some place to share my crafty endeavours, recipes, my cake-decorating experiences and any other thing I attempt to create.
I want to make people happy & maybe even inspire them.
I think having a blog will nudge me to actually start making all the things on my growing “To Craft” & “To Bake” lists.
I hope my blog will hold me accountable to finish all the things I start.
I would love to make some new friends- even if they are just virtual ones!

So my blogging direction will lean mostly towards crafts and food, with a few pictures, a few “life moments & revelations” & other random nice things sprinkled in between. It’ll be like my own personal progress report of the crafty things I’ve attempted & accomplished in my life.

If once a week someone actually stops by my blog & gleans something useful to them- that’ll be enough to make me happy. And if on any given day I give someone a reason to smile- that will be a big success in my eyes. Any comments left will be like sprinkles on a cupcake- extra goodness on an already sweet thing!

Wordless Wednesday- Gappy Grin

2010-08-11T13:39:00.002-04:00

August 5th 2010

Flitter, Flutter- I'm back again!

2010-08-11T13:34:00.001-04:00

Wow- I am truly like the butterflies I love so much. I flutter about landing on this & that, then take off again without looking back. Like this blog- I started it over 2 years ago, made a handful of posts & then got obsessed with something else and forgot all about it. Until now- when I'm interested in sharing little pieces of myself with the world. So I’ve decided to totally overhaul my forgotten blog and hopefully restart it in a better direction so it flourishes. I know now that blogging is not as simple as it seems and it takes quite a bit of time and dedication, but it can be very rewarding as well. I think by committing to being a successful blogger it will also help me accomplish some of my personal goals! Only time will tell! Wish me luck!

Smile, Laugh & Love- Again

2010-08-11T12:50:00.002-04:00

This is a resurrection of my very first ever blog post- from when I knew I wanted to have a blog, but had no idea what to do with it. (Now that I think about it- not too much has changed since then!) I’m giving this blog a much needed overhaul, but wanted to preserve my first post so I can come back and remind myself of why I started this blog in the first place- because I believe everyone should experience the kind of simple happiness I feel every day.

Well, I guess I'm officially a member of the elite bloggers group. LOL I have no idea how this all works, so I'm sure there'll be a lot of laughs along the way. But that's what makes life fun! I can only imagine the mish-mash of things I will post. Tidbits from my life, rants about kids, quips relating to my hubby & a variety of stuff I find when I explore the net. Funny jokes, inspiring quotes, breathtaking pictures & fun tips. Yeah- this is going to be interesting. Hopefully I don't scare (or bore) you all away!

BTW- Do you like my title & url? I tried to come up with something that reflects how I view life. I try to live by the philosophy that life's too short too waste on negative things. A smile always makes things better, a laugh will brighten any mood and love is what turns a rainy day into a bright & sunny one. I sound like a Hallmark card, don't I? Well that's ok with me.