Quote of the Moment

Quote of the Moment

Posted by Unknown

So while getting a root canal yesterday I noticed a sign at the dentist office.  It read-

We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.

When I searched it out on the net the quote is attributed to Aristotle.  It's my new quote of the moment and is written on a card now in my bathroom.  I had time to think waiting in the dentist chair and thought about being more deliberate in my actions.  Maybe my dentist just wanted me to brush more.  Whatever it is, I loved it and want to strive more for consistency in my daily deeds.  Thanks Aristotle!  Who knew that 2400 years after your birth you'd be blanketing walls in vinyl lettering.  I've never said anything so excellent. 

Candy Season has officially begun

Candy Season has officially begun

Posted by Unknown

I may be biting off more than I can chew but I have decided to forgo chocolate for the month of November.  Yes, I'm sure insanity has hit but it just makes sense this time of year.  September sets in and the first seasonal candy for Halloween/Fall pops up and it doesn't end until after Easter.  I eat chocolate like popcorn and when I found myself thinking about picking through my sons trick-or-treat bag for all the good stuff I was ashamed and knew I couldn't start off the holidays like this.   Chocolate may be out but pumpkin pie is in.  Did you know pumpkin is a superfood?  No matter what form it takes on :)

My one exception is hot chocolate.  This time of year I need something to warm my body.  It may be rationalization but hey....we all need to be tossed a bone once in a while. 

Life's Frustration

Life's Frustration

Posted by Unknown

Where is the hidden stash of all my rubber bands for my hair? I seem to need to buy rubber bands all the time because I'm on the last one and it's about to break any minute. Do the dogs take them? To they get hauled away by mice? Do they disappear in the laundry machine like my favorite sock? I just don't understand.

Maybe this is my excuse for not venturing out yet this morning. I cannot go for a run without one but it seems I cannot find one anywhere in the house. Do I lose these subliminally? Who knows but now that the horrible thought came out (it's quite tempting actually to just give in and not run) I guess I'll have to shove my mop in a ski hat and run like the wind. Now where is my beanie anyway?

Have a great weekend and go put a pumpkin on your doorstep. It's one of my favorite things to see this time of year!

Posted by Unknown

I saw the following quote and it instantly made me heart warm . I'm not one for being the center of attention so getting someone to laugh isn't always the path to happiness. However, a true and sincere smile warms the heart. The quote is attributed to the infamous anonymous but maybe someone rightly knows who deserves credit.

"The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling… And even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it!"

Try to make someone smile today. The easiest way is to smile first. If that doesn't work than just make one of these watermelon faces. How can this not make someone smile!!

Geography 101

Geography 101

Posted by Unknown

The older I become the truly less intelligent I am. I recently saw this video clip and wondered if my parents would have started sooner when I was young, if it would have slowed the process a little bit. Who knows but this did sure give me hope for future generations. I didn't even know there was a country named Djibouti (pronounced Jabootie for the people as ignorant as me.)

Motivating Monday

Motivating Monday

Posted by Unknown

In college I became motivated to do everything I was putting off or things that scared me and that I had procrastinated doing. Things that might have been easy to someone else were very hard for me to get the courage or motivation to do. I decided that I would change my attitude in my life and do one thing that scared me everyday. It started with talking to a professor about an internship. The next was signing up for a counseling session for a problem I had. Another was calling a friend to apologize.

I had made the goal to do one thing everyday. My list of things to do had become so overwhelming I couldn't deal with the everyday usual tasks without having anxiety about the things I'd put off. As I did this I became empowered. I loved it. As my list became smaller and smaller I looked for things to do that I might have always wanted to do but weren't priorities. I accomplished tasks ahead of schedule and felt like I could conquer the world.

With today being Monday and college being years ago, I thought I would start with something to motivate me again. My goal for today is to try to do one thing I've been putting off or that scares me today. The ultimate goal is to take away some of the stress or cobwebs lingering in my brain. If you have nothing that you've been putting off maybe you can do a random act of service. It's my Monday challenge.

OH....and you're welcome to share the results. Become empowered today and take control of your life. (and yes that's an affirmation :)

Auctung Baby

Auctung Baby

Posted by Unknown

Sometimes saving money is not always the safest thing. I saw this picture and I just laughed out loud. They were definitely resourceful but how did they even get the hay stacked up that high. I guess necessity is the mother of invention.

Wind

Wind

Posted by Unknown

I totally have been slacking this week on everything. I have though been in touch with an agent about writing so in that one sense, I've been productive. This morning while walking and listening to Oprah's Career building podcast I heard something that resonated with me. A woman was talking and she said how she just feels like the wind has been taken out of her sails. A cliche yes, but that could 100% describe me this last week. I basically was not blowing in the right direction and maybe just standing still.

There is always wind. Sometimes it's just a gentle breeze and other times torrential and ferocious. I don't sail but I know you always have to work with the wind instead of against it. Sometimes we fight so hard against it that when it's no longer blowing we still have no energy. We need to get out of the rut we are in...and if you're not in one now you've either been in one or will so in the future. This life has many demands on us and I'm going to explore what it takes to get myself out of the one I'm in. I'm sure it will take me a little bit but I hope you'll be patient, give me ideas and follow me on my adventure so the wind will be the rush and exhilaration I know that it can be.

Wonder Woman Underoos

Wonder Woman Underoos

Posted by Unknown

When I was a little girl I had wonder woman underoos. Every time I put them on I would run around the house with so much energy and zest. I remember being so excited to get them and would put them on every time my mom would let me. I don't know whatever happened to them but I can tell you today that I need some underoos.

I'm so tired today I can hardly operate. If I could just put on some underwear to make me run and jump and save the world then I most definitely would. I've tried my stretching, I've drank water, and I think I got plenty of sleep but obviously my body is crying out for more sleep. If I could go back to bed, I would. I guess I'll have to wait until nap time like every other little girl.

Oh and by the way.....these underoos are selling on ebay for a whopping $250 a pair. It I had the money......I might try try to squeeze in these :)

Life and Death

Life and Death

Posted by Unknown

So my brother recently sent my a link to a video he thought was good. His e-mail said "something to blog about". I had seen the video before but thought out of respect for my older brother, I'd do what he said :) Many of you have probably seen it before as well, however it's been a while since it was on Oprah and it's really touching. It makes you think about the things that really are important.

Stephen Covey wrote in one of his books (paraphrasing the Dori way) that in order to live your best life you need to write the eulogy for your own funeral. If your life isn't in line with your ideal eulogy then you would change your life accordingly. If we only had a limited time to live, what would you change about yourself?

Good Luck

Good Luck

Posted by Unknown

What is it that makes us so drawn to animals. We are attracted to them and so love to see them in the zoo, at museums, and especially in the wild. A friend sent this to me and is was supposedly taken outside of Kamas Utah. Doesn't it make you smile? I'm not a hunter, had never seen a live moose until college, but how awesome would this have been to stroll across. Not only a moose but a white moose ta'boot. I don't think I would have believed my eyes. After doing a little research on this subject I found that this is actually not an 'albino' moose but rather a hereditary trait that can pass from generation from generation. They are more so common in Alaska but how this moose got to Utah is beyond my imagination. His great great great great.........grandfather probably left the old cow for greener grass. So typical :)

I know white elephants are good luck but I'm adding this to my list of good luck items. I think any all white animal would qualify

Global Warming

Global Warming

Posted by Unknown

I thought this was a valid point in the case for Global Warming. Hope it made you smile

Nothing in the oven

Nothing in the oven

Posted by Unknown

Sunday Morning and I'm not cooking a darn thing. It feels good but oh how I crave some good food on a lazy Sunday morning. I'm already dressed and out of my pajamas so maybe I'll dig through the over crowded freezer for the salmon that I vacuum packed so efficiently.....months ago. What is in my freezer anyway.....

Top Shelf: Frozen Fruit (tropical variety) and Ice Cream

Bottom Shelf: Frozen stir fry noodles (I wonder if you're supposed to freeze this), Sausage, Frozen blueberries (for that 'cafemuffon' experience I crave) more frozen sausage thanks to that foodsaver, edamame, edamame, edamame (The box wouldn’t fit so I had to separate), coconut, and something truly unrecognizable.

But no salmon.....I don't want to dig through the rest of the shelves. As soon as I pull one thing out.........Everything falls out!! The wiles of unorganization. I guess I’ll through the mystery item away. I’m on a roll.

Longing for the Past

Longing for the Past

Posted by Unknown

When I was growing up my mom was a great stewardess of health. We ate whole wheat bread, alfalfa sprouts and longed for our friends’ bologna sandwiches. She outlawed sugar cereals and ground wheat and oats for breakfast. I appreciate what she did now however growing up, I sure did crave anything processed.

Occasionally she would buy a treat that made us giddy with excitement. One of these was Thomas’ English muffins. Oh how we loved the nooks and crannies smeared with butter and jelly. The taste of these is so fresh in my mind.

I recently bought these and stuck one in the toaster. Now, I have made my grandmothers cupcakes, my dad’s chili, and the cookie recipe from my neighbor and they all taste exactly how I remember. They bring back the memories of youth and happiness returns for those scrumptious moments. However when I bit into this English muffin I was sourly disappointed. Much to my dismay, it tasted bland. There was no flavor, no delight, and did not resemble anything of what I remember. How could this be…..did they change the recipe? Did they sell out for mass productions on seven continents? Did they outsource to Springfield?

I feel like something is lost now. I wander aimlessly looking for the flavor of goodness. One more thing that takes my youth away. I walk the supermarket aisles and cast and longing glance in their direction. It’s not worth it I say. I cannot bring back my youth.

Useful tip #2

Useful tip #2

Posted by Unknown

So has this happened to you before? There are so many candles on a birthday cake that you can't light them with one match. This happened to me on my husbands 40th. One match didn't work and then the candle I picked up to light the rest dripped wax everywhere. Using a long match (like my grandmother always had around her house) works but I find that they tend to burn and break in half.....and plus.....who has long matches on hand.

Situation solved. Use spaghetti. It works great and I even tested it. It even works well in those hard to reach voltives that you can't easily get too. It's amazing so I thought I'd share. After all, we are all geting older aren't we :)

Simplying Life

Simplying Life

Posted by Unknown

Do you ever read the articles in magazines that tell you all about the product you need to make your life better. For example, my biggest frustration is the cosmetic/skin care clips. They say how soft this lotion will make your skin...and how this lipstick stays on without smudging. It drives me crazy because it is all marketing. I used to work for a skin care company and they would send products and press releases out like no other in hopes of receiving a blurb in a magazine. Doesn't really mean it's the best but maybe a relationship was established in the company via the free merchandise.

I'm on this new kick to simplify my life. To rid myself of clutter, get rid of the unwanted and unused junk in my life and streamline everything. So far, I love it. I choose one thing everyday to tackle. The hardest part about it is throwing out items I've spend money on or things I know to have value. Like the conditioner I bought for my hair eight years ago that cost $30 bucks. I hated it and stopped using it and moved on to the next one that more than likely is still sitting in my cupboard.

However I've come to a conclusion. I've already made the decision I want less in my life, so I guess that means ......I want to want less.......I need to need less.......I choose to choose less. All in the name of simplifying my life. In turn, I guess I truly would save money with all the unwanted, unneeded, unchoosen, material in my life. It will make me happier. Being simple that is. Knowing that I already have my favorite lip balm (minus the spf) and despite all the different ones I've bought throughout my life, I still come back to my trusted carmex....and I truly can't remember when I read in a magazine that carmex was the most hip or deserving of lip smackin' delight.