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May you have PEACE in your heart

Published on December 16, 2013 by goforthegood11 Comment

May you have Peace in your Heart

I had the sweetest moment yesterday as I sat with my daughter (Kate, who is 10) and a few of her cousins who are under the age of 8. I gave my daughter a stuffed lion that breathes (Perfect Petzz Lion) & shared with her the story of the lamb and the lion. The children gathered round and watched the lion breathe in and out. Jamison, 6 said, “Is it real?” I said, “no, but it does have a real story. Do you want to hear it?” These five little faces were set on my every word. I told them how at the beginning of time there was a beautiful garden and everything lived in peace. The lions laid down with the lambs, everything grew in beauty and light. There was a perfect peace that filled the land. I shared how the earth shook and everything changed once Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit. I then told them, but God promised that once again there will be peace across the land & that there is a great story right now in this day and time of a Lioness who has a heart of peace and love. They wanted to hear more.

I told them about the following lioness:

Kamunyak–The Blessed One.

Although the phrase of “the lion shall lie down with the lamb” is one of the more popular quotes from the Bible, it’s really misquoted. In the King James version, it’s the wolf that dwells with the lamb, and it’s a leopard that lies down with a kid, and “the calf and the young lion and the fatling together.” (Isaiah 11:6) But in today’s world, there really is a lion that lies down with a calf…in fact, she adopted and nurtured a total of five antelope calves.

It’s a remarkable story of the love of one animal for another, and it seems to personify the truth that not all natural enemies are exactly that—natural and unavoidable enemies.

On Christmas Day of 2001, game wardens at the Samburu National Park in Kenya watched as an adult lioness frightened off an oryx antelope mother, and picked up her baby calf in its mouth. Because lions normally hunt these antelope, they assumed the lion would kill and eat the baby. But then the unexpected happened.

The lion, named Larsens, began to nuzzle and fondle the frail little creature. Behavioral scientists first stated that the lioness had probably mistaken the oryx calf for a lion cub. But then the lioness showed her awareness of the calf as another species, because she allowed the calf to return to her natural mother to nurse.

For more than two weeks, the lioness Larsens nudged the little calf along, all the while allowing her to return to her antelope mother for nourishment before chasing the mother antelope away once again.

The fragile baby oryx was seen crossing the savannah with her lioness “mother,” and would curl up by her side for naps. Tragedy struck one day while the lioness napped by a water hole. While the baby oryx was playing, another lion attacked and killed it.

According to the wardens, Larsens was enraged when she woke. Ten times she circled the lion that killed her oryx calf, roaring all the while. Then she disappeared from view.

Larsens was seen a few weeks later, following herds of oryx antelope. “She never kills them,” said one warden. “When she is hungry, she goes after warthogs.”

But Larsens would again amaze the rangers with her mothering instincts. On Valentine’s Day, 2002, lioness Larsens was spotted with another oryx calf. And just like the last one, she’d adopted the calf as her own.

It seemed Larsens had learned the need to protect her new baby from other lions and predators. She guarded the new baby ferociously, chasing off any lions that approached. “There are other lions trying to attack the lioness to get to the baby, but the rangers are watching them and the lioness is protecting the calf,” said park warden Mark Lenya-kopir.

“This is one extraordinarily maternal cat,” said lion expert Jim Cavenor. “I’ve seen lions adopt a few small animals, but they usually end up turning round and eating them after a couple of days. But she seems to be totally fixated on this little one.”

Unlike the common assumptions of most people, animals do think. Their thinking is not some robotic response to environmental stimuli, but an active, cognitive reasoning. Larsens is proof of this. She adopted a series of what was normally a “prey” species for lions, and protected them as her own. She knew she could not provide nourishment for them, and allowed them to return to their mothers for food.

Larsens is just one example of how animals react with emotion, with feeling and with true knowledge of what they are doing. She ultimately adopted a total of five oryx calves, giving all of them fierce protection and tender care while ignoring her own basic needs. Her actions have made her a legend among the people of Kenya, and they bestowed another name on her because of their reverence for her loving nature.

The Samburu people (Kenya) call her Kamunyak—the blessed one.

So, the lesson in all of this…there is a lesson—that we all need one another and through that love we can have peace within our hearts.

This holiday season I hope and pray for you to hold a place of peace and love wherever you go, with whomever you meet.

Peace and Love to you. -Heather

STOP for just a moment & look around you.

Published on November 25, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

In all the rushing to make a beautiful thanksgiving—finding the best way to roast, brine, deep fry…the perfect turkey, whipping up dishes and dishes of yummy goodness, I beg of you to stop for a moment & look around you. Look at the people in your life, the stories you tell, the history you have together & take a moment to hold hands & have grateful hearts. We have so much to be thankful for—even if you just have a warm roof over your head, freedom to pray, an abundance of food that makes you full, the laughter of your children enjoying their cousins, clean water to drink, pies of every kind, and most of all, the children in your life, the love held within your family, the connections—one of the many reasons to give thanks.

Happy week of THANKS.

THOUGHTFUL Holiday Seasons

Published on November 19, 2013November 19, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

I don’t know about you, but sometimes getting around family brings out the need to find things to talk about with family you haven’t seen in awhile. I thought today I would put together some fun ideas to do with family during the holidays, turkey talk conversation starters, etc. Here you go!!

GET THE CONVERSATION ROLLING: I have a hard time listening to my father-in-law bark out orders to his wife, it can get a little awkward, so I decided to order the Thanksgiving and Christmas version of Melissa and Doug’s conversation cards. I think this will be a good way to get people talking and not barking!! They are around $9.99, but I can’t give you any great details because I haven’t received them yet. They have good reviews on Amazon, so they should be worth the bucks. Here is a link to a bunch of different ones they have. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_23?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=melissa+and+doug+conversation+starters&sprefix=melissa+and+doug+conver%2Caps%2C257

Here is another link to 101 conversation starters http://www.conversationstarters.com/101.htm

PLAY: Many families take on the traditional turkey bowl for Thanksgiving, but you could also pull out board games, play tag with the kids or how about Charades. Everyone loves a good game of charades for any holiday. Here are a couple of links I came across with some charade word list ideas—http://www.greatgroupgames.com/thanksgiving-charades.htm OR http://www.purpletrail.com/partytrail/holiday_parties/thanksgiving/printable-game-thanksgiving-themed-pictionary Other family play ideas could include a fun family game of just dance or karaoke, name that tune, relay races, pictionary, video games, etc.

SHARE: Most families go around the table and share something they are grateful for, but you can even take it one step further and have people share highlights from the year—The Best thing that happened to them this year, a favorite trip memory, the funniest moments from the year, best moments of giving to someone else (Random acts of kindness), etc. Then have the kids share one thing they love about their family or something they are grateful for. Don’t forget to get the kids involved in this!! Kids truly can say the greatest things.

TALENT SHOW: Our family for the holidays does a funny talent show–We have had my sister strap on the electric guitar, a funny wig & jammed to her favorite 80’s band, one family dressed up like a crazy music video and danced the crazy moves like in the video, kids have made up dances, performed their latest recital piece…etc. have the kids share a talent or make a funny family skit. The holidays are about family, so join in the festivities & share your crazy!! —Dan in Real Life (the movie–above pic) has a cute family talent show scene.

FUN FAMILY PHOTOS: We have all heard the photo booth image ideas, so that is always a possibility, but you could also put a fun family spin—whenever I have cousins over for a fun, themed party I always have them throw on a silly hat, a wig, hold a heart, pose with a pink flamingo, etc. So for the holidays you could put your own spin on the idea—have everyone where a feather headband and take individual shots or family shots, what about crazy aprons, chef hats, silly sweaters, Crazy hats, Santa hats, etc.—for Christmas my Mom always had everyone get “mug Shots” where we hold up a sign that says “Christmas year” and we pose like we are getting a mug shot.

FAMILY GRATITUDE: JOURNAL: Begin a yearly Thanksgiving gratitude journal. When everyone gets together have them write down some things they were grateful for this past year. Don’t forget to date it! GRATITUDE JAR: Have all the family members write down 5 things they are grateful for from the year & put them into a big jar. Each year add to the jar. TREE: Have a small (or large–some people already put up their tree) and have guests to your home write down something they are grateful for on a slip of paper & then make them into a chain OR you could have pre-cut paper ornaments they can write on & you then add them to your tree.

PHOTO BOOK: You could make a fun, family photo book from the previous year & gift it to your parents, so everyone at the festivities can enjoy all the fun moments. You could also make one tailored to your family & write a note about all the fun memories and moments together. I do this for my daughter Kate every year & gift it to her on Thanksgiving day & we express our gratitude for her in our life. Photos always make everything better.

Additional FUN IDEAS: DUCKIES–Over a fall weekend my family went to a cabin that had a hot tub. I purchased some plastic duckies & put a little symbol (heart, square, diamond–whtever you want) on a few of the ducks. We had all the kids in the hot tub & threw the ducks into the middle & the kids grabbed them. Those with the ducks that had a symbol got a prize. It was so fun!! & then for added entertainment the kids suctioned them all over their bodies—it was quite the picture event!! Imagine 8 little kiddos in the hot tub with little ducks stuck on their face, arms, chest—all posing crazy!! Priceless memories. Here is a link to some Thanksgiving duckies http://www.amazon.com/Dozen-Rubber-Duckie-THANKSGIVING-favors/dp/B000V65CUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384874892&sr=8-1&keywords=Thanksgiving+duckies OR Christmas duckies http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Holiday-Rubber-Ducky-Count/dp/B000E8S9WO/ref=pd_bxgy_t_text_y OR LEAVES–If there are still leaves to rake, have all the kids pile them up & make a big bird nest & take fun family photos in the middle of it, or a leaf fight.

Whatever you do—make it memorable. Happy Holidays!!

Think about it!!

Published on November 13, 2013November 13, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

WOW!! I just found the above quote and it made me truly think and say WOW!! Think about it. What were you truly grateful for yesterday…today…tomorrow. We definitely take a lot for granted and this thought stopped me in my tracks. My mind began to race thinking about my prayers from yesterday, how I didn’t include my dog & how different my day would be right this minute.

Think about it!! Did you Thank God for your family, the love you share, your warm home, your healthy bodies, the car you drive, the plethora of food we can pick out at our grocery stores, the clothes that warm our bodies on a cold night, the heat that runs through our homes, the water that effortlessly comes when we ask, to be able to see our children smile, to hear the love of our life laugh, to smell the fresh air of fall…there are endless things that we take for granted. This quote was a good aha moment for me. I definitely will be going deeper with my thanks and gratitude today. How about you??

I wanted to add some additional images and thoughts to make you think about this beautiful season of gratitude.

This was another aha quote for me. This is so true. Think about all the things we take for granted—when your husband holds your hand or opens the car door for you, the love he has when he looks into your eyes, the hug from your child, the warm shower you enjoy every morning, the amazing technology that is boundless and available, the people who lift and love you, having your family close, enjoying a bottle of clean water, turning on light, etc.

My husband went to visit a friend who lives with his family on a 200,000 acre cattle ranch, in the middle of Wyoming. They invited them into their home that was warmed only by firewood. The home they lived in was over 200 years old, they lived off the land—every bit of it. My husband mentioned to me how hard it would be to be dusty and dirty all the time, to work so hard from morning to night. We both sat grateful for our heated home, our running water, to be clean from a warm shower…

I hope we are always mindful of this thought. It is so easy to take for granted or abuse those we love. The other day my daughter was having a bit of attitude & not being very nice to me. When her Dad asked her why she was being so mean to me, she said, “because Mom is always there & I was just feeling stressed.” Remember to be kind to those who are your family. LOVE, it is a blessing.

This made me think of the thousands of people in the Philippines and the desperation of how tragedy affects so many. It makes me mindful of praying for those in need all around the world. We have no idea how blessed we are. We take it for granted.

This really reminds me of the beautiful saying in the movie Shall we Dance…We need a witness to our lives. There’s a billion people on the planet… I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things… all of it, all of the time, every day. You’re saying ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness’.” Those who journey with you.

There are definitely moments where you feel so alone & I have always been truly grateful to look to the heavens and pray for guidance, direction, peace. Being able to pray, you are never alone.

Happy month of gratitude and giving thanks.

What do you want from the holidays?

Published on November 11, 2013 by goforthegood11 Comment

What are some things you think you would want from the Holidays?? You give time to what you believe is important!!

LAUGHTER: Watch some funny holiday movies together as a family. ‘Christmas Vacation’ is always a classic!!

PEACE: Take time to be quiet. We never give ourselves the time we need to be still. Peace should be at the top of our holiday lists. Put Peace as a priority and see what happens.

LIGHT: Candles are always a good reminder of the light we need. Where I live the days are shorter & night is so dark. Light from a candle brings a special glow that calms. Light is a symbol of where we have come from and who we are within. Light a candle and find a little spark of love for the amazing person you are.

MERRY & BRIGHT: Enjoy the magic. Kids love the holidays because of the wonder, the magic, the stories, the legends, the presents, the lights, the snow….find some things you love about the holiday season. Make christmas lists & burn them in your fire pit. Color, create and make the best Christmas mural together as a family & hang it on the wall over the fire place. Plan fun things everyone wants to do & give each child a special night during December to do whatever they want with the family (ice skating, ice cream, seeing the reindeer, going to a light parade, making a snow fort, etc) Play, have fun, be with your children!!

LOVE: Make sure you take the time to hug & kiss your kids. EVERY DAY!! This holiday take a night & have everyone write down something they love about one another & put them in a special stocking. Some time on Christmas day–share them.

ADVENT: I have always loved the idea of the advent calendar, but every year we usually just get the chocolate calendars that have no special meaning. This year I decided to go all out for advent. There is something special in talking about a special symbol or tradition of the holidays. There are many traditions regarding the advent—many light a new candle each day, have stories they tell, a nativity fast, special colors, etc.

I came across a sweet advent book called, Celebrate Advent: 25 legends and ornaments http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615217958/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I thought this would be a fun advent because it has stories from around the world about the legends that surround Christmas. It even has little paper ornaments that match the story, so you can hang them on your tree once you read the story with your family.

I was also talking to one of my daughter’s friends about the fun traditions they do in her home & she talked about having a felt advent calendar that has little pockets where an elf leaves little notes for the children to find special gifts each day. FUN!!

There are so many ways you can celebrate advent—light a candle each night, hang a special ornament each day, read a bible story each night, take a gift to a friend or neighbor each night, have 25 acts of service for your family to do, buy or make an advent calendar to bring delight to everyone in your family.

Here are some fun ideas for any type of advent you wish to create:

Advent Storybook http://www.amazon.com/Advent-Storybook-Antonie-Schneider/dp/0735819637/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384194516&sr=8-1&keywords=advent

Lego & Playmobil has a variety of advent calendars: for those little ones that need a fun surprise each day.

Kurt Adler & Byer’s Choice has a variety of wooden advent calendar’s–search amazon or google for details

Make your own: here is a link on Amazon of a unfinished wooden tree you can paint http://www.amazon.com/Advent-Storage-Drawers–Ready-Unfinished/dp/B004BTU6R8/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1384194641&sr=8-25&keywords=advent There are also felt templates… Alex Toys has a crafty advent calendar to make http://www.amazon.com/ALEX®-Toys-Crafty-Advent-Calendar/dp/B004M8RRRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384194752&sr=8-1&keywords=do+it+yourself+advent+calendar

DIFFERENT CULTURES: Every Christmas holiday I come up with some crazy theme for Christmas day activities & this year we are traveling the globe by Polar Express to different countries around the world, learning about their traditions and being very grateful for all we are given. So, I have been researching and learning about different cultures & trying to figure out how to incorporate different things into our holidays to make it even better. Here are some ideas I wanted to share:

In Italy the children write letters to their parents promising good behavior (and apologizing for misdeeds), as well as telling them how much they love them. The letters are then placed under Dad’s plate on Christmas Eve; he reads them all aloud once the meal is through. *parents.com

In Scotland they celebrate the holidays with bonfires to keep the mischievous elves from entering their homes & getting into trouble. They dance around the fire while playing the bagpipes. I thought this would be fun to incorporate having a fun outdoor bonfire & dancing around it singing Christmas songs.

In Australia they are in the middle of summer, so many of the neighbors have a Christmas lighting contest. I thought you could do this with friends or family—have a special prize for the winner!!

In Switzerland the families gather together and make huge doughnuts they call ringli and hot cocoa. Fun idea!!

In Asia children make special paper lanterns for their tree, which is called “the tree of light.” Paper lanterns are always fun, so find some festive ones & hang them over your dinner table or make them for the tree.

In Norway they have a special dinner rice pudding where they hide a lucky almond for someone to find. This would be fun too!!

CAPTURE THE MOMENTS: While you are unwrapping and gift giving, take the time to share some special interviews. Turn on a recorder and ask everyone special questions about the year, what they like about themselves, what they look forward to in the new year, any special highlights or incredible memories. Share and capture the moments. Take lots of pictures, ask fun questions & make every moment memorable.

Here is a link to fifty questions for family history interviews: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm Look at them and then pick your favorites to ask your family.

You can also buy the box of questions for Thanksgiving or Christmas by Melissa and Doug–cute idea.

GIVE: This is a no brainer, but put your own personal spin on it. Last Christmas I came across a whole bag of naked Barbie Kelly dolls. My daughter has been raised with Kelly dolls, so I was heart broken to see them at a thrift store. I bought the bag & knew we could fix them up & give them to children in need. It was such a fun project for me and my daughter. We fixed their hair & got really creative in making them cute outfits. We bought holiday cards for a fun background & packaged them up for a good cause. Memorable!!

Well, that is all for now.

Here is my link to last years post about the holidays and making the days a little more ‘holy’ https://yourhappyplaceblog.com/2012/11/15/traditions-rituals-for-the-holidays/

Happy Holidays. Make every moment count. It is priceless time.

Happy Month of Thanks

Published on November 1, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

It is officially the first day of November…which is the month of giving Thanks, the National Novel writing month, Peanut Butter Lovers month, International Drum month, Model Railroad month…the bizarre and unique holidays just keep going and going, but that is what makes life a little more interesting, right? Whatever you do this November…enjoy it. Make the most of it.

What are you going to do with your November? Eat peanut butter every day!! Buy a model train, write a novel…Are you going to begin again to help your family find what they are truly grateful for? Are you going to plan weeks of preparing the perfect feast? Are you going to just say thank you?

All those things are wonderful, but I challenge you to look at this November and see the gifts of grace, the moments that you didn’t expect this year that turned out to be a gift. The moments where you learned from something hard & didn’t necessarily ask for the lesson. The moments of learning and challenge and growth and give thanks for those moments.

This makes me think of a great quote from the movie Evan Almighty: here is the premise. Evan’s wife is at a coffee shop concerned that her husband has lost his mind because he is building an ARK. She has packed up her kids and left him. God finds her alone in a coffee shop and this is what he says…Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?

Think about that!! Earlier in the movie the mother had prayed that her family would be closer. God didn’t zap the family with feelings of togetherness, he gave them an opportunity to work on something together, to believe in one another—no matter what!!

What are you grateful for? only the good things? Maybe look at the tough moments this year and begin to see the good that came from them.

My husband lost his job earlier this year & it took him a good six months to find another opportunity. While we were in the middle of the job searching trenches, we took the summer & enjoyed it!! We enjoyed all the time we could be together with the faith that something would be around the corner. We were grateful that we can look back on that time and be grateful we had the time we did.

Sometimes we need to look at the things we don’t “get” and understand we are receiving what we truly “need.”

I am not saying to forget the gratitude for all that is good in your life, I am just suggesting that you also look at the moments that made you step back, that took you by surprise, that made you grow a little & say thank you.

Happy November 1.

Ways to get a Little more GRATITUDE, with a little less GIMME

Published on October 28, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

Next week is the beginning of the beautiful holiday seasons, a time when families gather, friends enjoy one another and there is a special feeling in the air. The holidays are always a very special, magical time in our home and I am always looking for ways to bring in a little more peace, a little more giving, a little more gratitude to avoid the “gimme” attitude.

I wanted to share some thoughts and ideas to get you thinking of some things you can do to bring your family a little closer this holiday season.

To find a little more Gratitude and Thanks this Thanksgiving:

Legacy Letters: Have each member of your family write a nice letter to one another & gift it to them for Thanksgiving or keep it until Christmas. My parents usually have each child create a scrapbook page of history from the year full of images and highlights from a few of their favorite memories throughout the year as a gift to them.

Family time capsule: My sister-in-law just did a time capsule for her one-year-old, so this idea could be used on a variety of occasions. You could have everyone bring something that was impressionable from the past year–news this year, a picture of their family, a piece of jewelry that holds charms symbolic of each member, favorite stuffed animal or toy, letters, a magazine, something that would tie this year together & mean something to each individual. You could do this as individual families or with extended family. Make sure to include a list of questions like “What was your favorite thing that happened this year?” “What wishes do you have for next year” “What is a meaningful memory you have from this past year”…

Fun Random Acts of Kindness Kit: this looks like a lot of fun. I found it on uncommon goods.com but you can buy it on amazon or other retailers.

GIve said the little stream: I don’t know why I always think of this childhood song when I think about giving. Just last year I came across the actual book that shares this beautiful song.

I was then looking for a inspiring video of this song and came across a beautifully done version in Korea. I wanted to add it here because it was done during a time of turmoil and war–to me it has a loving, peaceful message. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMNSChEydSo Help us pray for peace always. Help us give peace and love freely.

GIVE: GIve to feel peaceful. Give to get healthy. Give to spread love. Give because it helps you feel GOoD (helps you feel GOD). Here are some ideas to get your giving: Donate clothes. This is a great time to go through the closets and get rid of summer clothing, old shoes and coats that don’t fit any longer. Give warmth! Help someone. Do you have elderly neighbors that need leaves raked or may need a warm blanket with a side of hot cocoa mix. Make a snuggle care package for someone in need. Put together a pair of warm socks, gloves, water bottle, granola bar & a message of hope. You could also buy a few sleepingbags and donate them to a local organization or someone on the street. Help out a single mom. My sister is in the middle of a divorce & she is always in need of a break. Reach out to someone near you that is a single parent and offer them a break. Bake something for your local awesomeness. We love firefighters and police men who take care of our neighborhoods, so we enjoy baking up something and taking it into the dept. for everyone to enjoy. Make someone smile. You could just smile–that is always a good thing. But you could also have your kids draw a smiley face on a piece of paper and leave them on random cars. Create a crunch pack for college kids. My two nieces just moved to the area and are starving students, so they loved and appreciated the small snack pack I gave them. Find out from the dorm office or school if there are some kids in need & leave them a bag of snacks to help them get by. Get Artistic. Have your kids create works of art to donate to the elderly homes. Think of how much they will love the decorative trees and christmas scenes your kids will create.

Here is a good link to some additional ideas that are GREAT to get your family serving for specific organizations. Great info. http://www.newdream.org/blog/fun-holiday-service-projects-for-you-and-your-family

Gratitude rolls: I do love this idea. I am doing it this year!! We can never be too thankful for food and sweet wishes of thanks. Here are a few links for different directions and recipes: Enjoy Dinner Rolls http://www.howdoesshe.com/delicious-dinner-rolls/ Sweet Potato Rolls http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/sweet-potato-gratitude-rolls/

Food: Food is always something that brings family together, so pull out some yummy recipes and get your family cooking together. Find recipes online and begin to dabble with your own culinary artist within!! Try new things and make it an occasion. It can be a Monday night “Mom & kids stir up something good night” or a Tuesday “Try something new night”…it doesnt have to be JUST Thanksgiving. Make any meal an occasion just being together. I have been working harder on this area—because I am NOT a cook, but I am trying to make it a cooking adventure!! and I have been including my little girl in on the fun. Whether it is one night a week or seven–make it special!! It has been proven that sitting down for a family meal helps families, and especially helps our children. Here are ten benefits from webmd of having family dinners: Everyone eats healthier meals, Kids are less likely to become overweight, Kids are more likely to stay away from cigarettes, drink alcohol, use drugs or try marijuana, School grades will be better, You & your kids will talk more, You will be more likely to hear about any serious problems, Kids will feel like you are proud of them and there will be less stress and tension at home. *picture is Banana Bread pudding—just sounds yummy!! here is the linkhttp://3boysandadog.com/2012/11/banana-bread-pudding-thanksgiving-recipe/

Well, that is all for today. I will keep posting some more ideas to help us with gratitude and not gimme attitudes.

Happiness to you today. -Heather

Where is the little YOU??

Published on October 25, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

On my walk yesterday I came across a mom and her little daughter who was dressed like a cat from head to toe. I commented on the cute costume and her mother smiled, “she dresses up in something different every day!”

What happens to that youthful essence? the part of who we are that yearns to play, to dress up in wild costumes, to show a side of ourselves that shines, the part that yearns to be creative, to risk…

Halloween is a wonderful time to dress up and be anything or anyone you wish to be—even just for the day!! I have a friend that comes to our halloween party every year as his favorite college football fan. He wears the same thing almost every year. It makes me a little sad that he doesn’t take the time to let his inner child play, to find the freedom in the fun!!

I was listening recently to a podcast with Kelly Ray Roberts who is a “artist, author, possibilitarian”—you may have seen her work (smile) here is her link http://kellyraeroberts.com I LOVE that my computer just underlined “possibilitarian” because that just goes to show you that not EVERYTHING has reason. The very word doesn’t show up, but to me this yells…creator of possibility, I want to be one of those, endless possibilities, the world should be cheering and applauding at the very thought of this existence.

Talking about the essence of youth made me think of something she said—she explained that she looks at herself as someone who has her inner child creating the art (being wild, crazy, youthful, creative), and the adult part of her that runs the business, while there are other parts like mother, wife…I loved the thought that she taps into this essence within herself to let her little child be free, to create, to touch that part of her that wants to be free.

So, where is the little YOU? Is it hiding, have you not talked to them in awhile, is she/he been afraid since you were little? Is there a part of you that wants to forget that little you? Whether you need to nurture or neglect this part of you—it is there, hoping you will tap into that part of you that can help you remember things you love, things you use to enjoy doing, a little part of you that longs to play, create, be alive and remembered.

Here are some exercises, tips and ideas to tap into the little you:

Dawn Breslin, Coach and author of “Power of Zestful Living” http://www.dawnbreslin.com has a great exercise about helping you remember the little part of You (the child within). She has her readers find a picture of them self at a young age and has them hang it somewhere that they can look at it whenever they need inspiration, are making a big life decision, are trying to be creative, etc. When you look at this picture of the little you, you then go back in your mind & ask that little you what you need right now?? and then listen. You may be surprised at what you hear within yourself. Try it.

Children love play, fun, creativity…so be open to this on a personal level. Take time to step away from the “serious adult” part of you and just enJOY!! Find enjoyment in little things: get outside, play in the leaves. The other day I challenged my daughter to lay under a fall tree that was beginning to drop its leaves. She didn’t want to because of the feeling of crunchy leaves, but took the challenge. We watched the tree as one by one a leaf fell and we tried to catch them. True JOY in a small thing!!

Slow down and do something that slows you. Children can play in a sandbox or beach sand for hours just moving the sand to create forms. Sit by a stream and just listen, watch birds, water plants, play in sand, just sit and take in your surroundings, calming the little one within.

Nature calls to everyone–young and old. Take a walk, stare at the moon and stars, listen to the sounds outside.

PLAY. Sometimes we get hung up on the idea of taking a playful day or break because of all the responsibilities we ‘should’ be doing. But play is so good for us on many levels. Let go of any guilty feelings you may have about doing something fun for yourself. Let go of your adult mindset and allow your inner child to find something fun to do. Whether you have always wanted to try horse back riding, want to parasail, take an art class, buy a record player, have a Star Wars marathon,

Do things you loved as a kid. Did you love baking in a Toy oven, swinging on the playground, dressing up in fun costumes,

Let go of things. My daughter is great at this. She can be mad at me about something and then hugging me the next. I feel like I am spinning a lot of the time. Just this morning I was wishing I could let go of things a little more easily. Feel what you are feeling (anger, frustration, stress…) and don’t judge it. Take a minute and then let it go. Did you know that according to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor anger can only stay within your body for 90 seconds and then it is gone UNLESS you begin to rehash it over and over in your mind. After 90 seconds—let it go. Anything.

Do things your kids enjoy doing. I do love going to the park and swinging with my daughter. Play Legos, build forts, make up songs, paint, draw, color, doodle, read picture books, play ball, climb trees, watch Saturday morning cartoons…enjoy the time with them & let your little you play!

Shock & Awe: Simply JUMP, do a cartwheel, pull out the robot dance move, pull a funny face & make yourself smile. Make your little child within giggle and feel JOY from a simple move. I saw a video of One guy who went around his city and just had people simply jump and spin. Every person smiled or laughed. Here is the link if you want to watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8GsoaUIptY He also did one where he found random people and had them pull a funny face (so child like–smile. smile) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2PQj5lAcew

Think back to when you were little & think of all the things you wanted to be and do. Write down your memories, evaluate which ones still resonate with you & begin to create a fun LITTLE YOU LIFE LIST & begin to do them!!

SMILE. Smile often like children do. Make wishes like children do. Be gentle with yourself. Have fun. Enjoy many things like children do. There is and always will be a part of you that is the little you within, so take the time to give that little one some of the desired attention. You will be better for it—I promise.

Peace out. -Heather

Parasailing Mexico

Published on October 22, 2013October 22, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

It is funny how a little google animated short can remind you of a funny life experience. Today is apparently the 216th anniversary of the first paragliding jump. Wahoo!! So I was definitely taken back to a crazy parasailing experience I did in Mexico about six or seven years ago.

Envision this…Me, my husband, my Dad, my mom and a family friend looking for a parasailing adventure. Why Mexico?? I have no idea. I now know Mexico is the last place to look for a parasailing adventure—probably, any type of adventure. Luckily my Dad spoke Spanish, so I thought we would be just fine. A local pointed us in a direction of a certain beach that offered parasailing. I had envisioned a nice, little boat ride and being slowly let off the back of the boat by a large pulley system. Not a chance, we showed up at this beach as a small group of locals was untangling and untangling a very messed up parachute. I began to panic & wondered what we were doing. Could this actually be the place where we were to go parasailing. My Dad was talking to the guy in charge, apparently making some sort of deal because then we were one by one getting fitted in the harness. It was my turn & I panicked as the young man in charge just started saying over and over again, “listen for whistle, go this direction to X.” I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen. My heart raced with thoughts of a Carribean trip where I saw a guy in a similar contraption crash into the beach and die. Yikes!! All the sudden I was beginning to go up into the air. I looked down & my mind then began racing with thoughts of sharks below. I scanned my surroundings below and thankfully didn’t see any dark shadows. Then my mind began to think of the directions that were given, listen for the whistle. Just then it was like every possible car alarm in Mexico was going off & there was no way I could hear anything—let alone a whistle. My eyes scanned the beach for an X, I saw nothing but little specs of people and heard only alarms. I was looking everywhere, hoping to find some sort of direction as to the next step or how I would make it safely to the ground. “I have a kid, I can’t die like this.” My thoughts began to panic because I couldn’t hear a whistle to save my life!!!

Then, I began to slowly go down, I was able to get a closer look at the small, wooden type boat that was pulling me. I didnt feel any better. I was closer to the beach, still searching for a whistle, looking for any type of X landing that may lead to a beach where my family awaited. I got closer and the noise began to break further away & the whistle was in reach. “got it!!” I followed the gestures that were madly being waved at me so I could land correctly & in the right spot. I definitely didn’t want to land on the neighboring beach house veranda.

I made it!! My heart slowed and the chaos in my mind began to shut down.

Would I do it again—Not in Mexico!! Just the sight of the tangled parachute should have sent us running, but it was quite the adventure!!

It does remind me of life directions & how we make decisions. Sometimes we come to a road where we need some help making a decision, so we wish for a loud whistle, a big sign to come our direction, a friend to call and give us the right answer. This makes me think of the funny scene in the movie, Bruce Almighty when he is praying for a sign & a big truck full of signs pulls in front of him (smile. smile). Life is not usually like that. We may need to humbly be guided, seek guidance through a solemn prayer, have an understanding and faith that things will work out in a way we need to experience the direction. Life is a big adventure, full of big jumps, scary cliffs, heart wrenching pain, people who come and go, moments that thrill, memories that leave us breathless…it is all with the gift and understanding of what is needed and when. We just have to go with faith and listen…sometimes, for the whistle!!

Creating the comforts of Home

Published on October 17, 2013October 18, 2013 by goforthegood1Leave a comment

With fall in the air there seems to be this need to bundle up, to light candles, to create a place of warmth and comfort. This week I literally stacked up on candles and bought a cozy blanket…why?? the comforts of home. That wonderful place that calls you to stay, that space that brings family together, a place that nurtures our necessities.

So what do we truly need from our home?? Ask yourself, ‘What do I want from my home?’

Did you think…quiet, calm, order, warmth, love, family, fresh bread baking in the oven, the smell of lavender, soft sheets, warm blankets, a clean dog, vacuumed rugs, steam cleaned floors, a space for my children’s art, pictures of my family, everything dusted, pretty music playing, candles flickering, a vase of fresh flowers, color, patterns, textures that make me want to melt, time to read with my children, bubble baths, plants, family dinner around a set table, art that inspires, space to be quiet, a place to create, a space to do yoga, a room with a fluffy rug, a room with a view I enjoy, bowls that all match in my cupboards, silverware that I enjoy eating with, a pillow that puts me to sleep, clean windows, organized drawers…the ideas are endless. What do you want from your home? a sanctuary, a safe place, a place that inspires, a place that creates memories?

You may want to write down every idea that came to you, so you will have something to move toward. Even if you took one little idea at a time & began to create what you want within the walls of your home. It is your direction, your families safe space, the walls that will nurture your tiny children, the place that will surround your family with love and kindness…but you have to first decide what you and your family need and desire & then you will be successful at creating the comforts you desire within your home. Talk to your family & ask them what they love about being home—do they feel comfortable & what is it that they as individuals love and appreciate. Do they sleep well in their room? if not, what do they need—a better bed, a soft light, a little music, lavender sprayed on their pillow, etc. Do they find comfort in milk and cookies after school? Do they enjoy having dinner by candlelight? Do the colors of the walls or the furniture seem warm? Do you have mostly hard surfaces & need to add some comfy rugs to warm up a space? Do you have enough family time & where do you spend that quality time–is it at the kitchen table or in the family room. Is there enough room for everyone? Is your family even home enough or are your schedules to cluttered with lessons & carpool that you aren’t even home. Maybe you need to evaluate your schedule to make time to be home as a family. HAPPINESS truly is HOMEMADE.

The other day I was having a bit of a battle with my daughter & I gave her the responsibility of cleaning the kitchen & getting ready for dinner. She was not happy, so much so that I literally had to remove myself from our home & go on a drive. When I came back she had gone over and beyond—she set the dinner table, lit candles, had place mats, had cleaned the kitchen & had a change of attitude. I happily cheered her on in her change & expressed my gratitude for all she had done and then I simply asked her, “why were you struggling, what can I do to help?” You know what she said, “I want to help out with dinner every night.” I smiled & said, “done.”

Even children can give you ideas and bring their own piece to creating the comforts needed within your home. Just ask them what they would like to do to make your home a little better. I bet you would be surprised at what they come up with. Include the whole family in creating a comfortable home, everyone lives within the four walls, so everyone should have an opportunity to do their part. Home truly is where the heart is.

Think about it…What do I want from my home?

Here are some fun images to inspire you…