Because I Said So

Sharing From A Friends Blog Today... Enjoy!

2014-02-13T11:33:00.000-06:00

Take a minute today and READ THIS. Such a good post, and I couldn't agree with Jen more. I've known Jen for a long time. Longer than I will admit because that will make me feel really old. Let's just say that Brandon and I knew her long before marriage and kids. And we have watched her blossom into a beautiful adult who embraces marriage, parenthood, life head on. We love her, and if you take a minute and spend some time over on her blog, I KNOW you will too!

-M

Exercise

2014-02-03T10:15:00.001-06:00

Let's just say that I have a love hate relationship with exercising. Since we've been in NY ( a little over a year) my workouts have been pretty non existent. I feel so much better when I exercise regularly so why don't I do it more often??

Anyway, one of my 2014 goals, along with the rest of the planet was to get more exercise. I don't like doing anything that is going to take me an hour. I will quit that crap before I start. But I also know that what might have worked when I was 20 isn't going to work now that I am almost 40. You have to work a little harder the older you get - but I am determined that I don't want to be an "old" grandmother one day. I want to be in shape in my old age, so I better get crackin.

I just ordered 2 DVD's from Amazon - and so far so good. The one I have been doing is personal training with Jackie Warner. There are like 5 15 minute workouts, you can do separately or combine depending on time. So I can workout everyday. It's pretty fast paced, which I also like, cuz I am getting some cardio in there too...

2 days down and I already feel better about myself.
Just keep repeating - I can do this, I can do this

-M

Valentine Craft Party

2014-01-25T07:46:00.000-06:00

I thought it would be fun to host a little craft party at my house. A way to break up the winter blues and make a fun little Valentine craft.

Here are the details, should you be interested in hosting one of your own.

I didn't want to go overboard with this. The main purpose was just to get some friends together, have some food, a few drinks, and make something fun. I did not spend a bunch of time cooking food for this.

Cocktails were easy peasy -
cranberry juice, sierra mist, rum, pineapple juice. Easy, pretty and YUMMY Valentines Day drink. I typically don't like the taste of alcohol unless it is very diluted with juice or whatever - so this was good to me.

Friends - I invited 10 people and told everyone they could invite 1 other person. My house is not that big, and I wanted everyone to be able to craft in the same room and not be split up all over the house. There ended up being 9 of us, and we fit perfectly in my dining room with a little room to spare.

Decorations - I did not go overboard here... Simple heart garlands in the dining room, clings on the windows, fresh flowers, pretty paper plates, napkins etc. Easy

Craft - since I was buying the supplies for this, I did need to get an accurate head count. So I made sure to get a yes or no from everyone I invited. I had everyone bring $5 to pay for the craft.

Here are some pics from the party, it really was a lot of fun. It's always nice to get a group of friends together just to chat and not worry about anything else for a little bit. The fact that we got to make a cute little bag and drink some rum punch - Bonus! :)

Now to plan the next one... I just need a bigger space so we can have more people!

Waiting

2014-01-22T07:47:00.000-06:00

Waiting is so hard for me. When I know something needs to get done, I want to make it happen - NOW. Or When I know that God is going to be doing something, but I just don't know what, waiting is difficult because I just want to know. But a waiting period is not a wasted period. Just because you are waiting doesn't mean that you do nothing. There is always something to learn from, something that usually is preparing you for what is to come. So don't write the little things off while you are waiting for "something better". Waiting also doesn't mean that you stop living your life. God has a way of working things out. Maybe this waiting period is a time to take a few chances on something or someone that you wouldn't normally, getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. You never know what doors will open as a result.

-M

Bold

2014-01-16T08:12:00.000-06:00

I think BOLD (see what I did there) is a good word for 2014 for me. Learning to not be afraid to ask for things I want - even if the answer might be no. Not worrying so much what someone else will think if I do xyz... Just be courageous! I'm not gonna make anything happen by sitting around wishing I could do it. I just might surprise myself. :)

-M

DIY Heart Garland

2014-01-11T08:44:00.000-06:00

I heart Valentines Day :)
Seriously, there is something about Valentines Day that I really like. It's all the pinks, reds, hearts - it's just a fun holiday.

I made a really easy heart garland for the dining room, and wanted to share it so you too can learn to love Valentines Day.. I mean, it just cheers up the windows right?!

What you'll need
scissors
felt
twine
hotglue
heart buttons

How to do it
cut heart shapes out of the felt
hotglue heart buttons if you want
hotglue the heart to the twine

String it up somewhere
and enjoy it!

Skin Care

2014-01-10T06:05:00.001-06:00

I really am against putting a lot of unnecessary crap on my skin. Even some of the "natural" skin care stuff out there isn't very natural or good for your skin. Your skin absorbs everything you put on it, so I try to be careful. I wish I had been more prudent when I was younger, but better late than never I guess. My routine for my face is pretty simple - my skin looks better than it used to, or at least I think it does. I had started getting breakouts in my 30's after never really dealing with any of that, and that has cleared up. Small wrinkles are a little less, and a couple of dark spots I was getting are fading as well. My skin looks and feels better.

I don't always wash my face at night. I probably should, but I just don't. I do take my eye makeup off usually though. For this, I just rub a little coconut oil right on my eyes and wipe off the extra. Easy and good for your delicate eye skin. I also sometimes put a little shea butter around my eyes before I go to bed at night. It's nice and thick and is a good moisturizer for the eye area.

I wash my face with a combination of liquid castile soap, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, castor oil and apricot kernel oil. I mix it up and keep it in a small quirt bottle. Doesn't dry my skin and all the oils are super good for your skin.

Sometimes I exfoliate using brown sugar and a little of one of the oils from my facewash above. Just mix it in my hand and circular rub it on my face, rinse and done. Just don't use the toner after you do that. You'll have face burn for like 3 hours...

If I use a toner at all, which isn't very often, I dilute a little Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar and use a cotton ball to dab a little on my face.

For moisturizer, the only thing I use is a little jojoba oil. It mimics your skins own natural sebum, so it's really good for you.

Apparently pomegranate is also good for wrinkles and your skin in general, so I may start incorporating a little juice into my cleanser and see if I notice any difference.

and that's about it. Pretty easy. I buy the oils from a health food store in town, a little more expensive on the front end, but the supply lasts me quite a while as I mix up enough for a 4oz bottle at a time.

I am also trying to switch the makeup I use over to an all natural. I really like what I read about Miessence. Still need to do more research... another post for another day.

The body butter I use is here and it is seriously the best stuff ever. It's not a traditional lotion - it's creamier, thicker, oilier - but so good for your skin. I slather it all on right out of the shower head to toe.

Enjoy - do some research and tweak according to what you might want or need. Would love to hear if you try any of these out.

-M

Basement Makeover

2014-01-08T06:42:00.001-06:00

So my big focus right now is our basement. We have a fairly large basement divided into 3 sections. One whole side is dedicated to laundry, sewing, craft area. It's unfinished, kinda cobwebby, but it works for what we need - for now. There is a door, and a wall, and I can close that room off to the rest of the basement if I want to.

The other 2 rooms - one is our oldest daughter Kalyssa's room and the first room when you come downstairs is going to be our family room. It was originally just a junk, sewing, office room. But I decided I wanted another living space. A place for the girls and their friends to hang out, or all of us to watch a movie together - kind of whatever. Seating was the first issue. We needed a couch down there, but I really didn't want to buy something new. Budget is tight, so I knew we were gonna have to do this remodel on the thrifty side. Lucky for me Pinterest is my best friend. I had remembered seeing some pallet couches, and figured we could easily do that for a fraction of the cost of a new sectional. Spent a Saturday morning looking for pallets that would suit my purpose, but weren't finding any that were all uniform or not completely damaged. My awesome hubby said he would build the pallets that we needed. We had all the scrap wood, so YAY - no cost pallet couch base! I am currently in the process of making the cushion covers. I am making large 33"x33" cushions for the sofa. I am going to stuff them with chopped foam - a combination of regular foam and memory foam. I actually found a place online that sells chopped foam by the pound for really inexpensive. So I bought a little and am going to stuff one of the pillow covers and see how well it sits, how I like it etc. before I buy all that I need. I also found curduroy fabric at Joann's for $2.50 a yard. I thought that was a really good deal after seeing some pricey stuff elsewhere. It was on major clearance and I only needed 8 yards...When all is said and done, my pallet sofa sectional will only have cost me about $100! Score!

However, I am getting slightly ahead of myself. I really just want to share some inspiration for the room. I think I want to kind of go with a rustic, eclectic theme down there. I'm having so much fun planning out the family room - I can't wait till it's finished so I can post the final product. Follow me on Instagram for updates along the way!

Some pallet sofas that are super cute

In the meantime, enjoy my basement board on pinterest...
basement

My Constant

2014-01-07T07:38:00.000-06:00

This post may be a little all over, bear with me...

My faith in Jesus plays a huge role in my life - in my family's life.

I've written before about our move to NY from TX, and we had a hard year. A lot of things that I didn't understand - where was God in all of it? Surely He had something better in mind for us - where was He when we were struggling - a million thoughts and questions like that ran through my head. I was constantly being reminded that God never leaves us. He may be quiet at times, and He will allow hardships and struggles so that we can grow and learn and be better, but He is always there. He is the constant.

We took the kids ice skating the other day and I watched a video we took of Rylie skating with Brandon. It was such a clear picture to me of the relationship that God wants with us.

Brandon never left Rylie's side even though she fell mulitple times. She got right back up, and all she had to do was reach for Brandon and he was right there to help her up and get her back on her feet.

I love that Jesus does the same for me. Never leaves my side no matter how many times I fall down. No matter what I am going through. He may be quiet and watch from a distance to see what I will do when I stumble, or when I am dealing with something kinda hard, but all I have to do is reach out for Him and He is right there to put me back on my feet. I love that!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203113530341934
click through to watch the sweet video

-M

Some Goals/Plans for 2014

2014-01-06T06:16:00.000-06:00

Right at the moment I feel like I am in some sort of transitional place... I feel like God is going to be doing something soon, but I'm just not sure what. There are things I want to do, things I feel like I'm good at - how to put it all together is where I'm a little unclear. I often tell my husband that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.. haha

So in the meantime, I'm just gonna find time to do more things that I enjoy and hopefully some things will start to fall into place as I learn new things and try new stuff this year. Get a little more uncomfortable - a little more out of my comfort zone and learn some new stuff.

I've come up with a short list of some plans for 2014, nothing very major, at least not yet. :)
We'll see where this list takes me...

1. Less technology - I know this is the age we live in. And to say no more computer, tv, phone etc would just be dumb. But I can limit its use - for me and for all of us. My kids are getting older - In just a few years, we will have a daughter in college. I just don't want to look back and wish I had spent more time with her, especially at this stage in her life.

2. Get outside more. Seems kinda silly, I know. But I hate to be cold, so I spend most of the winter indoors. Well, we live in NY, where its cold almost more than its warm. I just need to suck it up and get outside, get some fresh air, go for a walk - it's good for the soul.

3. Exercise - something, anything - just do it

4. Eat better. My Dr. wants me to go gluten free. I'm not totally sure about that one yet, but I do need to make a conscious effort to eat better. More raw, natural foods and less processed.

5. Take a class/learn something new

6. Get the family room in the basement finished!!!

7. Decorate the girls rooms - something I have never done in any of the houses we've ever lived in - I have a cute plan for Rylie's room. She's excited about it, so I guess I better get moving on that one.

8. Write a book - is this going to happen in 2014? Probably not, but it's something I really want to do. So we'll just see what happens, but I've said it out loud now so.....

9. Make more stuff - I like projects, crafting (to a point) I want to incorporate that more into my life - I don't really know what this looks like just yet - I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to rent a little space somewhere - in an antique mall or something. I mean, seriously, how fun would that be???

I guess that's about it. For now.

Happy New Year!

New Year & Goal Setting

2014-01-04T08:39:00.001-06:00

Does anyone set goals or make resolutions for the New Year? I personally like setting goals - it feels different to me than a resolution. Maybe they are kind of the same, I don't know. This year, I am going to be intentional with my goal setting. A lot of times I'll talk about things I want to do or accomplish, but never really do anything to make it happen. So this year, I am going to put pen to paper and map out some goals and how I am going to work to make those goals a reality. We aren't always going to reach every goal we set, but we can learn from the process. Some you reach, some you don't, some are easy, some are hard. But it gives you something to work for during the year. Once I have some more cohesive thoughts put together, I will share some of those on the blog.

What are some things you want to do or accomplish or work toward this year?

-M

Bring On 2014

2013-12-31T07:34:00.001-06:00

So 2014 is upon us. I love the "clean slate" that the New Year brings. Starting last year we sat down as a family and made a big list of things we wanted to do together in 2013. We didn't do a lot of the things on the list - some were quite lofty - but it at least gave us things to try and plan for. We will do the same thing again this year. I don't really like resolutions - I prefer to set goals, make plans. I'm a planner, a scheduler. You can't really spring something major on me at the last minute. So I like to try and plan stuff out. I have a few goals for 2014, I need to be more intentional and really write all my personal and family goals out for 2014. I'd like for our girls to write out some things they would like to accomplish this year also.

One thing I did see on pinterest that I thought was a fabulous idea was to write down every good thing as it happens big or small and put it in a jar. At the end of the year, you pull everything out and remember all the good stuff through the year. We tend to get so focused on ourselves, our problems, what isn't going right - how nice would it be to read through all the good stuff at the end of the year no matter how "small".

I may share some of our family goals on the blog this year... what are some things you all are wanting to do in 2014?

-M

Our Christmas and Stuff

2013-12-26T15:27:00.000-06:00

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. It's always nice to get everyone together, and watch all the kids open their gifts. I am always the first one up on Christmas morning. So, I woke everyone else up - like you're supposed to do...
However, before I woke the kids and husband up, I was surprised with my own gift! The best husband in the universe (mine) BUILT me a new dining room table! I had shown him a picture a long time ago of what I liked and asked him if he thought he could build it. We never really talked much about it again. I was planning on using some tax return money to buy a new table. Well, he sure did build it, and moved it into the dining room on Christmas Eve after I went to bed. Hello awesome surprise for me in the morning! It really is one of the best gifts he's ever given me. (except our kids of course, but you know what I mean) The fact that he built it, and the fact that they all kept it a secret for so long. I literally had no idea, not even a clue that he was doing that for me.

We also went and saw Frozen over Christmas break. Such a cute movie - I love animated movies. Have I mentioned how I want to be a voice in an animated movie?? That would be like the best thing ever. Bucket list, I guess.

Here are some pics of my new table for your enjoyment. :)

You can click my instagram link over on the right to see some more Christmas pictures

Hope you all had a great Christmas - we sure did!

-M

Kids & Doing The Right Thing

2013-12-24T05:45:00.000-06:00

Our family has been very active in church since forever... Our kids have grown up in church - that's just how it is. It is not about a religion for us, it's about a relationship with Christ, loving others, serving others - but that's another whole post for another day. :)
We don't go to church so we can check off our to do list for the week. It's a part of who we are. And we are seeing the fruits of our labor with our girls. Brandon and I are very much what you see is what you get kind of people. We don't put on a show at church for everyone to see and then live completely different lives through the week, and our girls see that consistency. I have written before about building Godly character in our girls, and teaching them to love others - treat people how you would want to be treated regardless of how they treat you.

Just the other day, someone needed us to do a favor for them. It frustrated me because we were already running a little behind schedule, wasn't there someone else who could do it, we don't have time etc etc. I acted just the opposite of how I should have acted. My 13 year old said - Mom, we are blessed to be a blessing - and helping them out would be the right thing to do. Talk about being put in your place by your kid! But on the other hand, it makes me proud that she is taking a stand for what she believes in, what we are trying to teach them. There are plenty of rough days, trust me. But these little moments remind me that it's all worth it. We want our girls to be world changers, Christ followers who love Him and love others and do their part to make a difference in the world. Now, if I could get her to show God's love to her sister everyday I'd really be winning the battle!

-M

Dry Winter Skin

2013-12-18T05:57:00.002-06:00

Living in the Northeast makes for some very dry skin in the winter. I work with money a lot at my job too, so I am constantly washing my hands, which only makes them drier. So I thought I would let everyone in on a wonderful dry skin cream. I use it every day.

This is a homemade cream - and is best applied all over while you are still damp from bath or shower. My skin feels so good after I use it. If you use too much you will be slightly greasy, a little goes a long way with this stuff.

You should be able to get this stuff at any health food store...
Coconut Oil - a few big tablespoons 3-4
Shea Butter - a couple of tablespoons 2-3
Apricot Kernel Oil - a few drops plus a few more drops
Almond or Grapeseed Oil - a couple of teaspoons
Jojoba Oil - just a few drops
Rose Water - couple of teaspoons (this part is optional) I feel like the addition of the rose water makes it a little more lotiony and less thick like a butter, and helps it to absorb just a little better. But the more water you add, the faster it can spoil. This only makes a small batch though, you don't have to worry about it spoiling unless you don't use it for like 6 months.

You can put it all in a pot over a boiling pan of water and melt it. Then put it in freezer to cool - maybe 10 mins or so, and then using a blender/stick blender whip it until its creamy.

I don't always melt it, I just use my stick blender and mix it all together. Put it in a small containter, and you're done. Nice, creamy body lotion that is actually good for your skin. I mean seriously, what is in most lotions out there?? A bunch of crap I don't want on me...

Your skin will thank you for this, I promise.

It's The Little Things

2013-12-17T12:55:00.000-06:00

I had coffee with a friend this morning. Can I first just say that I don't do that enough... It was cold and snowy and I had worked late and was tired, but I'm so glad we got together. It's so refreshing to be around someone who builds you up...

Anyway, we got talking about trusting God. She commented on how if we can trust God for the big things in our lives, why do we have so much trouble trusting him for the little things. This is often what happens in my own life. I can and do pray over the big stuff, but when it comes to the little stuff, I don't even bother God with that. Why is that? Surely God cares about my littles as much as my bigs.

Maybe sometimes it's easy to pray over the bigs because on one hand, maybe it's so big that God is the only one that can come to the rescue. Or maybe it's so big that we don't really have the faith to believe that God can do anything about it, but what the heck..

Maybe all the little stuff is so little that I can figure it out on my own. But God wants to be a part of everything. I am learning that - especially over this last year. God cares about every part of my life. He has a big plan and a purpose for me. I am doing my best every day and learning to trust Him and His timing through it all.

What are you not giving to God? What are you trying to deal with on your own? You don't have to and God doesn't want you to.

1 Peter 5:7 says - Give ALL your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
It doesn't say some of your worries and cares. Let God take care of it and just see what happens!

-M

Merry Christmas From Us

2013-12-12T09:52:00.000-06:00

I like when people send out a Christmas letter instead of the regular Christmas card - telling us all about their last year. I did that one year, but I am so bad about sending out cards or letters... Facebook has this nifty little year in review feature. So here you go.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!!!

click here to see my year in review

If You're Right And You're Rude - You're Wrong

2013-12-11T10:23:00.002-06:00

Something I've been thinking about lately - what to do when someone is rude to you... how do you respond in a situation like that? It happens a lot - at least I see it happen a lot, especially working in retail. Retail's motto tends to be that the customer is always right. Well, if you're right and you're rude, you're wrong. When someone is nasty to me just because they think that is their right, it makes me so mad. It's like a switch is flipped and I have a very hard time smiling and holding my tongue. Well, there was an incident with a customer at my job the other night, and I just couldn't sit back and pretend like how she was acting was ok. I told her right then and there, that she was going to have to wait her turn, that I was trying to help the other customers ahead of her, and if and when she returns to the store to please not act like that again. Then I just turned around and walked away. I have to say - it felt REALLY good. I was not rude in return - I just said what needed to be said. If you let people walk all over you, they are going to do just that. Ok, not everyone - but you know what I'm saying. Don't treat me poorly because you feel like you can. And I totally understand that I had no idea what kind of day she just had... which is why I was very civil. Sometimes you just gotta let someone know that they are being an ass. It's easier if you are friends or family maybe - maybe they will take it better, maybe not. I've told my husband many times when we are having "discussions" to just let me know (in a nice way) that I am acting crazy. Sometimes I get frustrated with people, things, whatever. I need to vent sometimes... Well, my venting can turn into shouting, and my poor husband feels like he's the one being yelled at. Which is totally not the case. But it's not ok for me to make him feel bad because I need to vent. So I've told him to just stop me and say - babe, you're yelling at me again. haha

But do you see what I mean? It's ok to be angry, frustrated, upset - whatever. But it's NOT ok to treat people like crap in the process. So this is fair warning... If you are having a bad day - or not - and you see me and are mean to me or someone near me, I WILL confront you. If you're ok with that, then bring it on - if you're not, then please take a few deep breaths. It will all be ok.

Would love to hear how others deal with this?

-M

Christmas and Stuff

2013-12-10T14:04:00.000-06:00

My kids have never really believed in Santa - and we have never pushed the issue. Somehow they've always known that Santa isn't real. Whenever they would ask, (which was never very often) we would tell them that mom and dad buy their presents. Now that they are older (10 &13) they are past that age anyway. We have told them the basic story of the real St. Nicholas - but somehow over the years Christmas has turned into a ME frenzy.

What we have tried to teach them over the years, is that Christmas isn't about them. We want our girls to have generous hearts despite our innate selfishness. I don't think that Christmas is the only time of year, you should promote this idea, but Christmas time is always a good reminder time of year.

For us, Christmas is about Jesus - His birth, and that is what we rememeber and celebrate on Christmas. I'm not saying that my kids don't get presents - because they do. They are blessed little girls with lots of grandparents that like to spoil them. But that needs to be balanced out. We are blessed to be a blessing, and while we definitely don't have tons - we have more than alot of people.

So this year, we are going to start a new tradition with the girls. We are going to give them each a set amount of $, and they will get to pick how they want to spend the money (the focus of course being someone else - with some guidance from us). Brandon and I try to demonstrate this for them through the year - whether it's buying someones meal in line behind us at the drive through, or giving the homeless man on the corner a value meal for lunch. Our kids have started looking for those little opportunities to give. That's what I want to focus on this holiday season. I love that our church also puts the focus on others. Every November, we have the opportunity to buy gifts for people in our community that wouldn't otherwise be able to. So that is also something we do as a family. This year we bought for a 5 year old little boy. It feels so good to give - and to know that you had a part in making someone else's day a little brighter.

What are some things that you do as a family to teach generosity?

-M

Random Acts Of Kindness

2013-12-09T07:10:00.000-06:00

This last year has been a hard year for us. There has been a lot of transition, a lot of trying to figure out what we are supposed to be doing. I will spare you all the boring tidbits for now of everything that has happened over the last year. But we are finally in a better place, moving forward, adjusting to our lives in New York. One thing that we have tried to do over the last year in particular is be generous. There was a long period of unemployment for both my husband and myself - and we determined that even though we didn't have much we still are blessed to be a blessing. I know that taking the focus off of ourselves and our problems helps us to not live in a "why me" mindset. Have you ever noticed that it's easier to be generous when you have less? It seems like the more you have, the less you rely on God, and the less generous you want to be. At least, that seems to be true for me. That's one of the things we are trying to learn, and feel like we were supposed to learn from this last year. It doesn't matter what you have or how much money you have, everyone can be generous. Whether it's finanically, with your time, making something for someone, a smile for someone in a bad mood - we ALL can be generous. It's not always easy, but it is always so worth it.

Yesterday, on my way to work I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. I also paid for the car behind me. The cashier got a big smile on his face and his mood changed almost instantly. I hope I helped to make the day a little brighter for the guy behind me too. I don't want a pat on the back for that - just doing that little bit for someone else also put me in a much better mood. I looked at people differently for the rest of the night!

So let me encourage you to do something nice for someone today. No matter how big or how small - it will change your day, I promise.

My Thanksgiving Weekend In Pictures

2013-12-04T08:18:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had the opportunity to get to MA for the long weekend. It was nice to sit around and not do much. There was lots of fireplace sitting and ornament decorating and wreath making here. If you're ever in Worcester MA, you should def. check the place out. So cool.

Anyway, enjoy the pics and have a great Wednesday!

-M

Cranky People & Angry Crowds

2013-11-19T11:01:00.000-06:00

What is it about the Holiday season that brings out the worst in people? I guess the stress of cooking, family visiting, shopping, cleaning etc., all builds up and overwhelms us until we reach a breaking point.

The last few years, I have dreaded this time of year. I do not like dealing with cranky people or angry crowds - which ironically brought out the worst in me during the "happiest time of the year".

So, I am making a purposed effort to be extra nice to cranky people and to enjoy this time of year with family and friends.

Let me challenge you that when you find yourself getting all holiday bent out of shape, that you find a way to make someone else's day better.. after all, giving always makes the heart happy.

I mean seriously people, if you're gonna get that stressed out over it, then what is the purpose? Because you are making the rest of us miserable.

It's Ok To Color Outside The Lines

2013-11-18T10:56:00.000-06:00

I think so often we get stuck in a rut. Whether it's at work, school, kids, whatever... we get tied to this whole - it's always been done this way mentality. Just because it's been done that way for the last 10 years, doesn't mean it's the best way. In fact, change is probably long overdue. Be current, be creative - think outside the box once in awhile. Get outside your comfort zone and learn to color outside the lines. You just might surprise yourself.
-M

Our Kids Will Survive

2013-11-15T06:03:00.000-06:00

Our kids will survive if they don't get everything they want. *GASP*
What happened to hard work, respect, earning it? I feel like I've always been a pretty hard worker. If I didn't earn it, then I don't want it. I'm not talking about receiving gifts or being blessed by someone here... I am trying to teach our girls to work hard, to be responsible, to show respect. We live in an age, where everyone gets a trophy, even if you did nothing to earn it. Really? I don't get it. What is that teaching? - That you can do nothing and still reap the rewards? We are so bent on not hurting anyones feelings, or worrying that our kids will grow up to learn that life isn't fair. Well, guess what, life ISN'T fair - it's learning to navigate through that, that produces responsible, society contributing adults. I don't want things handed to my kids - I WANT them to work for it. High school will be hard, college even harder, and life the hardest. I am doing them no favors by doing it all for them. There will be disappointments, hardships, failures - but it's how you deal with those things that build character. We can't control our circumstances, but we CAN control how we respond in those circumstances.

Agree, disagree or agree to disagree - but that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

See you Soon
-M

Accepting The Challenge

2013-11-14T07:53:00.000-06:00

I tend to be a glass half empty kind of person. That's not something I'm really all that proud of. My first reaction is to find the problems. So I am trying to make a conscious effort to find the good in situations. I do believe that you can find the good in most situations. Bad, crappy, unfair things are going to happen - sometimes more than we think is our fair share. but that just makes it more of a challenge to find the good things. And once I start highlighting the good, it becomes easier to focus on the good instead of the bad. Plus, I have a husband who can find the good in a pile of dog poo...most days.

It's kind of a personal challenge actually. When I start wanting to complain, I use that as a reminder to instead look for something positive.

I have this one customer at work, she is always so nice, so friendly - she is such a joy. I love when she comes in because we just chat for a minute and she reminds me that all is not lost. LOL Seriously, though, she inspires me to be better.

Are you a glass half empty or half full?

See you Soon
-M