Creating Heartfelt Holidays.......

~ Fair Trade Shopping ~

For Christmas this year I want family time decorating the trees, the smell of cloves, sing~a~longs, holiday hang out with family & friends, bestowing Random Acts of Kindness all around, lots of white twinkle lights, gift giving that doesn't make me clench my teeth (thank goodness the recipient I am referring to does not read my blog) and I want to be able to put my head on my pillow each night until January 1st, 2015, feeling happy and content with how my Heartfelt Holiday season turned out.

My notebook is started, my vision is written and I'm ready to kick things off. I will write out cards early this year, enjoying the individual notes I will have time to include. I will spend time with family & friends and it will be about making memories and not about cleaning and cooking before hand.

I will enjoy looking for that special gift because I will not be pressed for time.

In fact this Saturday I am attending a friend's Fair Trade Sale. I will purchase gifts
knowing they will benefit the Girl Effect Group. Proceeds last year were donated to organizations supporting girls and women in the area of education in Kenya, Guatemala and Sophia House here in Providence. 

Join in the fun Dear Readers, as we start early, not over extend and find Peace!

I am taking on this holiday season with a Dream It....Do It! way of thinking. By starting now, defining how I want things to go......lots of laughter, tinsel, belly laughs, feel good moments and very little stress, I'm confident I can Do It!

Special Note: Please message me if you would like to stop by and shop at the Fair Trade Sale too!

Pour A Glass.....................

Sometimes oj in stemmed glasses can calm the craze 

Well, in my last post I shared that the pile of dirty dishes, two appliances breaking down, along with schedules and Life feeling crazed and my quick reaction to not deal with it exactly well, confirmed to me (and others) that I needed to take time to recharge. (Now I’m not talking, I’m out of here for a vacation, or a day or two at a spa...though lovely that would be, is not realistic on a day to day routine) I committed to the following list, so I could rebound and have a bit more tolerance and less stress in my days.

Today I will:

~ Sit and listen to nothing, knowing that's the best time to hear the most

~ Not over analyze feelings of bewilderment, so they can slip on by

~ Make time & stretch out the knots, releasing the stress weighing me down

~ Be creative ~ Daydream~ Blow bubbles

~ Start the wheels in motion for a project

~ Be kind to myself

So I am pleased to report that taking the time and adding the practice to my days,  did in fact center me, and wouldn’t you know I was put to the test Thursday when the 2 ½ year old microwave stopped heating and smelled like smoke. No joke. Now granted I probably said “are you f’n kidding me", but it didn’t wreck me. Its all how we look at it.

Sharing that, in the hopes that you Dear Readers know the power and necessity of taking time for you to ease the everyday stressors that are all around us. Breaking down appliances are among the minor for sure, but they can still nag at us, similar to an annoying co-worker or a driver in front of us not going when the light changes green because they are texting. All irritants for sure.

How fortunate we are to possess the ability to ease the stressful times just a bit, when we add to each day recharging practices that serve as part of our own maintenance program, that can bring calmer moments to both ourselves and those we love…..let’s get ready…….just sayin’.

Never Stop Skipping......

Playful reminders have the ability to ground us, bring us back to a stress free time, and ease the tension of the moment.

I experienced that joyful reaction recently while I watched a child skipping in the library. He was so contently absorbed in his own moment, as if nothing else mattered, and that skipping was the only way to get from one area of the library to another. I found myself getting caught up in the image, and the child within me smiled and I realized "skipping should not stop when we leave childhood!" The same playfulness should also continue with jumping rope, coloring and blowing bubbles.

Really, I think all the activities that brought us joy in our childhood, should be part of our weekly schedule in adulthood. After all, if it brings us moments of contentment and awakens the happy child from within, I'm all for it. So ladies if anyone is digging out their Barbies, "can I come ova 'n play????" "Sorry Mom I know you taught me to never invite myself over to a friend's...but it's Barbies!!!"

Tested And Proven................

"Try pausing right before or after undertaking a new action, even something as simple like putting a key in a lock to open a door. Such pauses take a brief moment, yet they have the effect of decompressing time & centering you."  ~ Br. Steindl-Rast

Read the above quote in my email last week and decided to give it a try. The "yeah right?" side of my brain was a tad skeptical, but I figured "what do I have to lose?" Well, probably an hour all toll at the end of the day if I was stopping with each new action...but I gave it a try just the same.

The results, for me, were actually positive. I did in fact make the conscious effort to take a breath before a new action. Hand on the dial of the washing machine...pause...close my eyes...take a breath...and then a thought of peacefulness. The gentle pause felt calming & I found that they accumulated over the day. I could feel the tightness in my neck and shoulders slowly easing.

Give it a try and feel the benefits of breaking the racing feeling that can so easily happen, as we dash from one thing to the next.

It then occurred to me that the key in the lock example is actually pretty symbolic, because a door has been opened by consciously pausing & decompressing time. It can take us to new places. Where will it take you?

Take a Break................

Yummy popcorn surprise I like to make!

Sometimes you gotta' take a break...for sanity sake! This weekend was just that for my husband and I. My goal was to provide opportunities to de-compress the tension that so easily builds from day to day tasks. The weekend involved going out to dinner, watching a movie in the middle of the afternoon, Life of Pi (I recommend it for a thought provoking film) agreeing NOT to discuss work..(after all that is the stress inducing component lately) banjo, guitar and piano jam sessions with the boys, reading the newspaper, sharing stories of our various beliefs and answering conversation prompt questions like "if you could bring someone a lifetime of happiness who would it be?"...we both came up with the same person...very sweet!

It was more about a state of mind for our weekend really. And that's what I want to share in my blog post today. 

~ Be mindful dear readers of the stress that can creep in and take over. The simplest of diversions and activities can make all the difference and recharge us for the "other stuff" that can make us grumbly towards others. 

Sundays are a perfect time to disconnect....in order to reconnect for the week ahead! So at whatever point you read this post, think about something playful and distressing that will benefit both you and those you come in contact in the next few days and just do it!!

Strawberry Shortcake coloring book...here I come!

Memory Lane...Makes Me Smile !

So here's a little something only a handful of people know about me!  I have a small stash of toys, that makes me feel like a kid whenever I take them out. This special collection consists of a coloring book -Strawberry Shortcake, Crayola crayons... (Oops I actually bought those two items recently because I like coloring and it was fun to shop for them......and it had to be Crayola because they are the only brand that gives me a flashback when I smell them) a set of jacks and a super ball, barrel of monkeys, a really big marble and perhaps my real favorite....the original Fisher Price dog! 


Now here's the thing, I very rarely take these toys out but whenever I do, they bring me joy and a sense of playfulness. Sometimes I think just by knowing they are in my drawer brings me comfort. They do occasionally qualify for my S.O.S ..Something Of Substance....for the day.


Just the leisure of reminiscing of other childhood toys brings a smile to my face. Staple items of my childhood pastime included, Kiddle, Dawn and Baby Tender Love dolls, Chinese jump rope (I played cats cradle with it also for hours) Spirograph &Tiddly Winks. And who can forget phrases like...Red rover red rover, Ollie Ollie Oxen Free, My mother punched your mother,(how nasty was that???) and another classic....One potato, two potato"?


So go ahead, put together a collection of memorable toys or trinkets and feel your day be brightened, because......"Tag You're It!"