God Jul

Merry, merry Christmas or God Jul to you! The Christmas Season brings back warm memories of the holidays spent with my grandparents who were from Sweden. There was the fantastic food (Swedish meatballs, Swedish sausage) , decorations and the fun little jig we would do to my grandfathers accordion. Those days are long gone, but it's fun to create our own traditions with our children.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Photo Credit: lensbs

Beginning Fresh

"Watch yourself. Every minute we change. It is a great opportunity. At any point, we can step out of our frozen selves and our ideas and begin fresh." ~ Natalie Goldberg

Photo Credit: molly see's

Anniversary of my birth

Today I celebrate the anniversary of my birth, once I passed 36 I decided I wasn't going to have birthdays anymore...but anniversaries. Specifically anniversaries of my 29th birthday. So today is my 13th anniversary - yes, sounds much better that way, don't you agree?

To celebrate, my hubby is bar-b-quing for the family...yum!

Photo Credit: ananyah.COM

Misc. Musings

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." ~ Vincent van Gogh

I saw this quote on twitter this morning, and it really struck a cord. I tend to be impulsive and expect great things from it! LOL!

I'm struggling today, getting back into the grind of the work. I had a lovely extended weekend sharing it with family and friends. I hope you all did as well.

Turkey-To-Do

Today I’m working on my “Turkey-To-Do” list, and to be honest, I’m becoming quite anxious! I’m hosting our Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow, and I’m having a hard time figuring out how to prep ahead when I don’t have any room in my refrigerator because Mr. Turkey is currently residing there…does anyone else have this dilemma?

I am excited to once again spend the day with my sister and brother-in-law and their kids, as well as my family!

Wishing all of you a very special Thanksgiving, and if you’re not in the USA – enjoy tomorrow anyways!

Photo credit: loupiote

Jury Duty

So sorry my friends, I have been away for quite a while. I've been around, I just didn't really have anything to say...do you have those moments as well?

Thankfully I had a delightful weekend which I will post about a little later, and a quite exhaustive past day and a half on Jury Duty. Bleh! Don't get me wrong, I am quite willing to do my civic duty to serve on a Jury and had been a Juror just a year ago. But the process of choosing a jury is just.plain.dull.

So I'm back, and hopefully will be able to tell you all about my weekend - it was pure bliss!

Procrastinators Mantra

Procrastinators Mantra ~Today is a good day to start!

Love Me

"Love me when I least deserve it because that is when I really need it"~Swedish Proverb

THE BIG 2.0.!

It's hard to believe that my husband and I have reached this milestone, but yes, in fact, today we are celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary! Hard to believe in so many ways!

1) It seems that we are too young to be old enough to have a 20th anniversary.

2) The both of us have survived each other with as many times as we would have liked to kill the other (metaphorically speaking, of course!).

3) The divorce rate in the U.S. has the odds stacked against us.

But thankfully we can say that we've been (mostly) happily married for 20 years. Obviously we've had our ups and downs, which I believe has been a blessing and has brought us closer and closer. I think we both can say that we are more in love now than we were on our wedding day, 20 years ago today!

We have been so blessed: 2 wonderful children, incredible family and friends...it's almost scary to imagine what's in store for us in the next 20 years (in a good way...I hope!)

Photo credit: me (This is the family 3 years ago)

Rain

In celebration of our (So. Cal's) recent rain showers, I thought I'd share a nice quote.

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life." ~ John Updike

Photo Credit: lepiaf.geo

Playing along

Nina has this fun post, and passed it along to her readers. I thought I'd join in the fun!

1) What books are on your favorite shelf?
All of Marilu Henner's books, Hip tranquil chick, all of Mariel Hemingway's books, and all of Ina Garten's books.

2) What DVDs are on your favorite shelf?
The Grinch, Kill Bill series, The Wedding Planner, What lies beneath (crazy selection...I know)

3) What are you 2 favorite cookbooks?
I can't choose just 2, really! Anything by Ina Garten (she rocks), and Betty Crocker (I have my mom's old one...like from the 1950's-cool huh?)

4) Select one to three recipes you will cook for your special guests?
I make a mean lasagna, a delish roasted chicken, or rockin steak!

5) What will we be drinking that's available?
Chardonnay, iced tea, or water...

Now list 5 random facts about myself.....
1) I like raw peaches, but cannot stand cooked peaches (like in a pie, ewww, tastes like soap)
2) When I grew up, my merged family was the opposite of the Brady Bunch (my 2 sisters and I were from my dad, my stepmother had 3 sons)
3) I shamelessly talk to my dog, as in carry on a conversation with her...am I nuts?
4) I shamelessly talk to any animal...okay, I am nuts!
5) I have recently taken to making my own pizzas, from the homemade pizza dough on up!

Now it's your turn to list your favorite fives!

Herb use for the Flu

With more and more people falling ill with the swine flu, it makes sense to work on boosting the immune system to help fight off the virus if we unfortunately come in contact with it. The following are some natural and herbal remedies that may help.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been found to help the immune system to successfully defeat viruses of all kinds.

Elderberry syrup
Extract of elderberry (sambucol) has been found to fight the standard strains of influenza. It has been shown to reduce the duration of flues and colds by several days.

Other items that may help fight off those nasty viruses are selenium, Echinacea, goldenseal, zinc, and vitamin C.

Information gathered from ACHS

Photo Credit: Liamfm .

The Joy of Care Packages

I just love to receive snail mail, as I’m sure everyone does. But of greater joy is receiving a care package!

I participated in Melita’s Tea Trade and last week I received an amazing care package from Kim of Revisionista! Imagine me squealing with glee as I opened her package to find not only an amazing assortment of teas, but a darling tea/mystery book and the cutest stationary!

Merci beaucoup to Kim for my tea package, as well as Melita for sponsoring such a fun event!

Photo Credit: Me

Artists Date

I finally broke down and had myself an artists date last week. It has been wwaaaayyyyy too long since my last, and I had been CRAVING a little creativity! I pulled out my beading box, beading magazine, and got to work! I really got lost in the process, but found that it had been soooo long since the last time I had beaded, that I forgot how to end off a bracelet! For the life of me, I could not get the finding close to the beads...there's a good 1/2 inch from the last bead to the clasp - but it works, and I had a great time perusing my collection of beads, getting inspiration on colors, textures, shapes! Whooppeee!

Photo Credit: Me!

My wish for you

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us." ~ unknown

Photo credit: muha...

Quizzes and more Quizzes!

Being that today is my Friday, I thought I'd have fun with it and share with you two quizzes that I partook of. The first is from The Inspired Room on "What's your Style" and was quite amazed at the accuracy of this quiz! Ladies, I'm Earthy Casual! I hope this link works, if not please go see Melissa at The Inspired Room for the link - she's way more computer savvy than me!

HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm an Earthy Casual

Posted using ShareThis

The second is actually a meme from Pink Heels and is a fun way for me to end my workday ~ yes, by not actually working! LOL!

1) Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.
"Can I have him call you when he gets to San Francisco? I realize this is asking a lot" from "Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters" by Harold E. Meyer. Yes, I'm sitting at my desk at work.
2) Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch ___.
The phone receiver.
3) What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Angels baseball game - went to bed early, so I don't know who won.
4) Without looking, guess what time it is?
4:20pm
5) Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
4:22pm
6) With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
The office air conditioner, I work w/Engineers so it's pretty quite around here.
7) When did you last step outside?
2 hours ago to fetch the mail.
8) Before you started this Q&A, what did you look at?
Our office software - Deltek, to see which engineer was working on a particular project.
9) What are you wearing?
Linen blouse with navy slacks.
10) When did you last laugh?
Monday at my hubbies 50th b-day bar-b-que.
11) What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Our engineers licenses - booring I know!
12) Seen anything weird lately?
On my way home last night, I noticed that the man behind me was brushing his teeth in the car - for like 5 minutes! I'm anal about brushing my teeth, but that takes the cake!
13) What do you think of this quiz?
Fun, and a little different than other meme's.
14) What is the last film you saw?
I could never be you woman - had never heard of it before but it was on HBO, kinda cute!
15) If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what's the first thing you would do?
Pay off all our debts.
16) Tell me something about you that I dunno!
I really want to become a Health Counselor, but it hasn't fallen into place....YET.
17) If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
End human physical suffering.
18) Do you like to dance?
Of course!
19) Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Funny you should ask, my first child was a girl and her name is Breanna Marlene.
20) Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Well, my second child was a boy, his name is Patrick Erroll.
21) Would you ever consider living abroad?
Would love to! Although I feel I would need to learn the language first.
22) What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
Well done!
23) What time is it now?
4:34pm

Now it's your turn to participate in the fun meme! Enjoy!

Essential Oils to support Immunity this fall

Fall is almost here and along with that and school starting up, cold and flu season will be upon us full force. With that in mind, there is a natural way to bolster you immune system that is quick and easy and, by jolly, smells good to boot.

Essential Oils of cinnamon, clove bud and eucalyptus are a great combination to help your body naturally support your immune system to ward off those nasty bugs.

* Cinnamon has a warm aroma and has antibacterial, antiviral and respiratory support properties.
* Clove Bud has a rich, spicy aroma with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
* Eucalyptus has an invigorating and fresh aroma with respiratory support and anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Suggested use:*
Bath: *It is always recommended to do a skin patch test before use to ensure there is no sensitivity issues with each of the oils to be used on the skin.
Cinnamon essential oil: 1-2 drops into the bath or carrier oil
Clove essential oil: 1 drop into the bath
Eucalyptus essential oil: 1-2 drops into the bath.

Diffuser/Nebulizer: same ratio of essential oils.

Information gathered from Apothecary Shoppe.

Photo credit: fotostreem

Smile

I just saw this quote on Twitter and fell in love:

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” ~Mother Teresa

My sweets, I hope you have a beautiful Labor Day weekend!

Hot September Nights

We haven't had record heat, but man, has it been hot! Unfortunately, being near the ocean, we don't have A/C, the thinking being that it's usually 10 degrees cooler near the beach than inland. Well, that doesn't really help when it's 90 outside and 92 in the house! So the Flynn family has started a new tradition.

It's way too hot to hang out in the house, so we have resorted to hanging out on the patio. At least we get a breeze blowing by. In addition to having dinner on the patio, the past few nights has included card games. Tuesday night my son taught me a new card game "13" - couldn't tell you how it goes, I'm still a little confused - but I did okay. Last night my hubby and I played his all time favorite game Cribbage. It was a lot of fun, and thankfully I didn't get skunked!

I have to admit, this new tradition ALMOST makes the heat bearable.

Do you have any new found traditions?

Photo credit: Dar's Photo Madness

Darling Award

Seu blog e magic (your blog is magic)

Nancy sent me this adorable blog award, and I'm thrilled to pass it along!

Please visit these lovely ladies, they each have amazing information, ideas, passion and their just plain fun!

Naturally Nina
Hangon little Tomato
Gussying up the Tuttle
BluJay Studio
Globetrotting Cacti
Turquoise Diaries

Thank you again Nancy, and your blog is magical as well!

Be like the Flower

"Be like the flower, turn your face to the sun" ~ Kahlil Gibran

Photo Credit: ringydingydo

Attitude of Gratitude

I had been so preoccupied this past week with the jarring notion that summer is almost over. Initially, I honestly felt cheated. Cheated by our weather (unusually mild and humid for So Cal), cheated by time (can it really go that fast?), cheated by lack of exciting things I’ve done. Just plain old cheated.

Then a few days ago, I had a revelation: I – Julie – have a bad attitude. I was squattly sitting in my own little pity party. Where I should have been basking in gratitude with my memories of this past summer, vacation in Washington, fun times at the beach, dinner with the best of friends, Laughlin NV, I instead was lamenting that they had past, and that there was “nothing” to look forward to. Yeah, I know….whoa is me! My focus was way off.

I just wanted to share that I have honestly had a change of “heart”. My heart hadn’t been involved in my past attitude; it was purely my mind that was leading me astray. But as of yesterday, I vow to live with an attitude based from my heart.

Photo Credit: Gabriela Camerotti

Star

"To be a star you must shine your own light, follow your own path and not worry about the darkness, for that is when stars shine brightest" ~ Anonymous

Photo Credit: findstuff2

12 for 12

On my quest to health, joy, and serenity I decided to participate in Marilu's "Dear Diary ~ 12 for 12" online class. I've mentioned Marilu's website previously and have been a member for 7 years. Gleaning ooodles of information, friendships, and support. This current online course is nice and short - 12 days (even I can do that!) Simply it's a support group to help each other with 12 healthy habits for 12 days - and these healthy habits don't need to be daily.

I thought I'd list my "12 for 12" for accountability and also to encourage YOU to join along also! So here is my list of 12:
1) exercise
2) no alcohol during the weekdays
3) body brush
4) make personal time w/hubby
5) clean/declutter 15 min. per day
6) moisturize daily
7) post on the Marilu boards daily
8) do something fun daily
9) eat greens
10) eat fruit first thing in the am
11) floss
12) read

What would your 12 be?

Vacation Recap

I've been home for a week now, and just downloaded my vacation photos. It was such a pleasurable week, I thought I'd Recap for you how it was spent.
Lake Cabin

We spend the first 5 days at the Lake, enjoying the company of 30 of our relatives. There was no shortage of food, card playing, wake boarding, jet skiing, boating, swimming, and storytelling of adventures past.
My son wake boarding

We then headed south to my Mothers home for 2 days. It was very relaxing and I always enjoy spending time with her. After, we headed to Eugene Oregon to visit with my mother & brother in law, Nieces and Nephew.

Deciding to take the scenic route home, we headed towards Reno, Nevada and spent 2 nights at a really nice hotel. The remainder of the trip was a 9 hour drive, broken up by periodic stops, The first was my favorite, Walker River just south of Tahoe. We then stopped for lunch in Bishop then straight thru to Huntington Beach, stopping once for gas.

Walker River

I'm sad that my vacation is over, as always, time went by too quickly. But am savoring the memories. Thankfully we'll be on a mini vacation this weekend - we're heading to Laughlin Nevada to go boating on Mojave Lake and the Colorado River with good friends. Fun in the Sun!

Favorite new quote

I saw this quote this morning on twitter, and it has now become one of my favorite quotes!

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape" ~ Author Unknown

Let's hear it for flexibility in body, mind and spirit!

MeMe Blog Award

I've been awarded the fun MeMe Blog Award from both Melita and Michele! It's quite a lot of fun to learn new things about our blogworld friends!

The rules to this award are as follows:

1) share 7 tidbits about yourself

2) share this MeMe Blog Award with 7 blogger friends

So here's my tidbits in no particular order of importance:

1) I get giddy when I harvest my garden goodies and make a meal with their yumminess! Current crop: English cucumber, tomatoes, Japanese eggplant, jalapeno, strawberries, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, fig and lime.

2) I really love the idea of exercise, I just don't like doing it.

3) I asked my husband to marry me, and we're going on 20 years! Who says the man has to pop the question?

4) Finding it very difficult to think of 7 interesting tidbits about myself. So they may not be too interesting. ;)

5) Love to dry my sheets on the clothesline in the summer!

6) The first car I purchased was a stick shift, and I learned how to drive it on the way home from the dealership!

7) Get a thrill in creating a different meal from leftovers.

Whew! I did it!

And the MeMe moves along to:

getting back to basics

turquoise diaries

the analyst

nollyposh

blujay studio

montrealaise en californie

rescuegirl

A short "hello"

We'll, I'm back from vacation and almost back in the swing of things...only 2 more loads of laundry (after the dozen I've done since Sunday evening) Whew, why is it that vacations are sooo much work? There's something wrong with this. The vacation elves should swoop in and clean the house and do the laundry and organize all the stuff whilst you sleep the evening after you arrive~am I correct? Anywhoo, they must be off on the other side of the world, because obviously they have missed my house.

I'm super excited to share my vacation stories, pictures, etc. with all of you, but it will take me a while because my vacation elves are MIA ~!

Bring on the Vacay!

I'll be leaving in a few hours for my week+ vacay in the always lovely Pacific Northwest! I'm sooo looking forward to this, and it's much in need! Will try to pop in occasionally, but I'm uncertain of the Internet availability - so if I don't see you here for the remainder of July, have a great time and enjoy every moment!

Tuesdays Transformations

Last week I posted about this, and received the most touching, loving and encouraging responses by all of you – thank you, thank you! I am truly touched and amazed at the support!

So today, as I promised last week, I will start my Transformational Journal. There are SO many areas I need to change. I am easily overwhelmed, but have learned that baby steps (micro movements) are the way to go. Being that as of Friday I will be in Washington and Oregon for vacation for a week, the easiest change would be exercise (also being that I will be out of my normal elements, schedule, etc.).

I have not exercised since my little mishap with my toe on the 4th of July. It has healed up nicely now, so it will be easy-peasy to keep up with on my vacation. So excited, will be at a family reunion with oodles of lovely relatives on a lovely lake on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington! There will be lots of walks, swimming, water skiing (if I dare-it’s been 20+ years since I’ve tried!)(Eeekk!), tennis, bike rides, laughing (yes, laughing counts as abdominal w/o-don’t you agree?). I know that exercise will help elevate my mood, get me into better shape, thus improving my self image, and clear out the mental cobwebs to make room for steps 2, 3, 4, etc….

I’m hoping to venture onto step 2 of my journey as well. There will be oodles of little ones at the reunion. I’m envisioning lots of bubble blowing, arts and crafts with nature and nature treasure hunts. Sounds wonderful, I can’t wait!

Tonight I’m looking forward to a girl’s night in with my bf Deborah. My guys have already headed up north; I’ll be flying in on Friday – so currently my home is testosterone free, yippee! Okay, I’ll admit that I miss them dearly, but it’s so freeing to be able to come home and flip the TV onto any channel I choose without their moans of horror. (Yes, Food Network sends them running – away!) LOL! So tonight we will be watching “Only You” with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr., Deb gives it 2 thumbs up – a romantic comedy, count me in!

Be yourself

"Be yourself ~ everyone else is already taken" ~ Oscar Wilde

Came across this quote to day and thought it was brilliant enough to share!

Laughter and Love

"Laugh as much as you breath and love as long as you live." Anonymous

Photo Credit: ladybugdiscovery

The Authentic Me

Yesterday I started pondering as to why I’ve been in such a funk the past few years. Sure, it does seem like a mid-life crisis…but I don’t believe in that mumbo-jumbo.

So, my kids are ALMOST grown up (16 & 18), my job is mindless and dull (not that I'm really complaining but...), my relationship with hubby is comfy & strong (20 years this October). My conclusion, I have not been honoring my “self”, my ideas, my beliefs, my values.

Do you see that little bit about me over there to the left (under that picky of me)? That is the self that I desire. The truth? I’m far from it. I haven’t been actively pursuing any of my dreams and goals.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I want to live within my true identity and my most authentic self. I can still put little sparks of my authentic self out in the world each day. I think of my co-worker, an Accountant. You may think, “Blah, an Accountant can’t sparkle”. But she does. She loves color and displays it in her choice of clothing, her cheerful demeanor, and her rainbow of colored pens, markers and highlighters she works with daily.

I want to ooze spunk. I want to be a quirky old lady that has lived a glorious life. Right now I’d be a boring, grumpy old lady that wouldn’t have much of a story to tell.

That’s going to change my friends. For too long I’ve suppressed the Authentic me and taken the easy road. You know the one, with as little confrontation, bending the rules and discomfort as possible.

That Authentic me is Creative, Healthy, full of Fun, Spirit, and Love.

Perhaps Tuesdays can be my weekly muse on the journey to the Authentic Me.

Photo Credit: mark sebastian

A Few of my Favorite Things - Summer Version

With the weekend coming up, I got to thinking of my favorite things of the summer. Following is my current list, in no particular order:

1) Flip Flops

2) Sand between my toes

3) Cool evening breezes on sun kissed skin

4) The sound of the waves crashing on the beach

5) The coo of the Morning Doves

6) The smell of sun tan lotion

7) The warmth of the sun on my skin

8) A fresh Greek Salad

What are some of your favorite "summer" things?

Photo Credit: GINDERBELL

Disturbed, Perturbed and generally irked

I thought I’d run by you lovelies something that has been bothering me. I am open minded and understand that I have a “Monkey Mind” that takes off on its own direction. Therefore, when something is bothering me, I need to be defused quickly before my mind is in the outer stratosphere. I thought I could bounce an issue off of you, and you let me know if I’m off base, and perhaps how to gracefully address this issue.

This past Saturday (yes, the one that included my tangle with some bikes, which I’m still finding new bruises from) my hubby and I had an altercation with some relatives. Nothing huge, just a parenting issue that we brought to their attention. They address the child who in turn, tearfully apologized and we forgave and moved on, or so we thought. Then the mother comes to us and blames us that we were unclear on the boundaries of what is correct behavior –vs- incorrect behavior with this child. Meaning that we were inconsistent with this child. I then stated that this issue is not ours, but the parents place to set these boundaries. Her response was “how dare we instruct her on how to raise her son”…blah, blah, blah...I then decided to bite my tongue, realizing that this was going to go nowhere quickly, and was going to turn ugly. We stated that this is water under the bridge, we were resolved and we left.

Apparently they are still holding a grudge. My husband ran into them the following day and was met with snide, personal comments and the like. And truthfully I’m perplexed. I don’t know what to make of it, nor do I know how to take the next step.

I am always looking for input on how to better myself, my relationships, my parenting. You can tell me ANYTHING…I will thank you for it, mull it over a bit, and glean from it what I deem is true to me. How do I deal with someone who feels that they must be right and responds with spite and ugliness? These are our closest relatives and spend several days a month with them. Honestly, I feel like I’m back in High school! I don’t do well with drama!

Weekend in Review

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days....had a fun and eventful weekend followed by the sickies - yuck! But I'm back! Yay!

I was thankful to have been able to have a 3-day weekend, starting on Friday. Hubby and I took the bikes down to the beach, laid out in the sun and enjoyed an Ahi Cesar Salad at our favorite place on Main Street. We then Celebrated our friends birthday with a bar-b-que and a lot of laughs!

Saturday we crawled out of bed to join in the 4th of July festivities on Main Street, including riding our bikes along the parade route, hanging with friends, fooz ball, more biking, some margaritas, and unfortunately - several bruises, a banged up toe w/split toenail...because apparently me + margaritas = inability to ride a bike -:(! All is well though, we did have a good time.

Sunday we headed once again to the beach for some more sun - then it was my make-up day of housework and chores - sigh!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday!

Photo Credit: Sagebrush7

From Drab to Fab

In trying to get organized, I purchased the much recommended Planner Pad last year. My how this planner has transformed the way I organize my days. But being the anal, perfectionist, I could never commit to embellishing it as the lovely Kimberly, Caroline, and so many others have beautifully and creatively done. My planner pad runs from July - July, so being that tomorrow is that first day - I thought I might try to get my creativity on. I don't think I did half bad!
Booorrrriiiinnnnnnggggg!

To Fabulous!

Photo Credit: Me!

Peace

“Don’t hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace.” – Epictetus

Photo Credit: Imapix

Random Image from my desk

Thought I'd share w/you the pretty little thing that I get to look at 8+ hours a day ~ and thankfully it makes me happy!

This little beaut is what I was referring to here, item #1.

Photo Credit: Me!

Spreading the Blog-Love!

I am so humbled by the amazing support and sense of community of this here bloggyworld! This morning I found that I was gifted this lovely blog award -- Love Ya-- from not only Globetrotting Cacti, but from City Girl and the Analyst as well! These are amazing women with such great insight in all areas of life - please go and visit them now! I will wait......have you visited them yet?

About the award:

"Apparently this award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I would like to bestow this award to the following fab 8:

Montrealaise en Californie

The Inspired Room

Just a Girl

Easy at Home

Heart of Light

Reverie Daydream

Dirty Footprints

Nollyposh

Please go and visit these blogs as well. I've tried to include blogs that are varied in subject matter, and all of them are fabulous!

Butterflies

I seem to be on a Butterfly theme today, all things I have come across = butterflies! Here's another great quote!

"Butterflies are self propelled flowers" ~ R.H. Heinlein

Photo Credit: falsereality748

Happiness

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Photo Credit: Earlette

Blog Award!

I was thrilled to be a recipient of the "One Lovely Blog Award" from both Melita of Gussying Up the Tuttle and Alison of Globetrotting Cacti! My first awards since starting this blogging journey over a year ago...I am SO Excited! Thank you, thank you!

As a part of the award, I need to list 6 things that make me happy today...

1) The Orchid on my desk is starting to bloom! Yes, I have not killed it yet

2) Being a part of this amazing blogging community

3) My awesome family

4) My Santevia water bottle

5) My pink finger & toe nails

6) Enjoying the beautiful weather during my lunch break

Now in turn, I would like to pass this award on the the following blogs:

- Its a beautiful thing

-Blujay Studio

-The Inspired Room

-Blisschick

-The blessed Nest

-Rescuegirl

Please drop in and visit these amazing ladies - I'm sure you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Good Morning Miss Cranky Pants

Thought I’d confess my crankiness from this morning, being that I’m not normally cranky.

Dear husband gets up at O’dark thirty to let our Chloe dog out to go pee. Not able to go back to bed, he decides to be productive = hair up his butt, annoying beyond all get out! He first decides to wash the dishes (what a love) and makes as much racket as he can muster. This takes a good 20+ minutes because of course the dishes from dinner last night were still in the sink. Then he decides to open the automatic garage door….nope, close the garage door. Ah, fresh coffee, out comes the coffee grinder. GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Oh, the sink is a little clogged, on goes the garbage disposal. (can’t think of what sound that would make, but you get my drift). At this point I’m at the bedroom door, yelling “There is no possible way for you to make any more noise, is there?” This gets a feeble “sorry” from him.

On to more dishes… Argh. He then decides he needs a shower because he’s been “working” so proceeds to hop in the shower right when my alarm goes off for me to get in the shower. I was seeing RED! This is WAR! So Miss Cranky Pants marches into the bathroom declaring that this is MY Shower time. His response “Go to the bathroom, I’ll be out before your done.” Okay, that’s probably true. So I obliged, and sure enough he was out in a jiffy. Still feeling justified by my rudely awakened slumber I mumbled and frickafrashed and why-I-outta’d and stumbled myself into the shower.

Meanwhile, poor hubby felt badly and decided to make us breakfast. We had bacon (yum!) country potatoes and scrambled eggs. Awww! I was softening already. Then the cherry on top…he offered to make my lunch, chicken salad in a pita. I am currently enjoying said pita on my lunch break and thinking how glad I married this guy almost 20 years ago, with or without his quirkiness. Hey, we all have our quirky moments.

Mirroring Nature

“We Are Like Nature. Look around you, and you will find connection and insight. Notice how your moods shift from one to another like the sky shifts from bright blue to turbulent grays. Your thoughts are like clouds, appearing, changing shape, passing through, and then disappearing without a trace. The rain cleanses the sky, just as an emotional release cleanses your mind. The sky itself is your eternal awareness, unchanging underneath all these permutations. Let it reflect back to you your own abiding perfection. As you walk through the world, find your own metaphors for connectedness in nature. Flesh them out fully and follow them as they lead you through the mystery and intelligence of life.” – DailyOm.com

Photo credit: socceraholic

Misc. Musings

Misc. Musings

“Life is a bag of peaches. Be the juicy one.” ~ H. Jackson Brown

Love that quote! So relatable. Have you ever bitten into a peach and have it be dry, tough and tasteless? How about biting into a peach that was surprisingly soft, exploding with flavor and the juices are so overwhelming that they run down your chin? That’s what life should be!

Photo Credit: *Laura Ann's Photography*

On to another subject: I am almost bouncing off the walls this morning. I have been coffee free for some time now, choosing herbal teas instead. I have been reading Mariel Hemingway’s books “Healthy Living from the Inside Out” and “Mariel’s Kitchen”. I would highly recommend both of these books. They are very well written and she has such a wholesome view of foods, space and being. Anyways, she recommends being “mindful” of what you eat. Eating foods that are wholesome, from nature and not “noisy”. (Sugar laden, caffeinated, ECT.) But if you choose to eat “noisy” foods, be aware of how you feel afterwards. Well my friends, the coffee smelt wonderful this morning so I had myself not only one cup, but two. Keeping Mariel’s suggestion at heart, I noticed after my first cup that I felt constricted. Like Sponge Bob when he visits Sandy in her underwater dome. After my second cup, I feel like a 3 year old, bouncing off the walls, jittery, attention span at zero! (Which is probably why this posting is ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE!) I have consumed coffee for years, and never had been “mindful” of what the effects are to my body and mind. This was a real eye opening experience. I plan on taking this “mindfulness” to all my meals and really tuning in to what these foods do for me.

Finally, just for fun I thought Id share with you a little splash of my IPod. I’m listing the first 15 songs from my IPod in Shuffle mode:
1) S.O.S. – ABBA
2) Lay my body down –Midge Ure
3) Storm in Africa – Enya
4) It it’s in my mind, it’s on my face – Seal
5) Session – Linkin Park
6) Everywhere – Michelle Tumes
7) Fumbling towards Ecstasy – Sarah McLachlan
8) Jamaica Inn – Tori Amos
9) The Chinese Way – Level 42
10) Pocketful of Sunshine – Natasha Bedingfield
11) Tall trees in Georgia – Eva Cassidy
12) Thank U – Alanis Morissette
13) Bears – Lyle Lovett
14) Barracuda – Heart
15) Man in the Moon – Martin Page

I don’t know what the above selection says about me, if anything – I think I’ll just leave that up to you!

Wisdom

I received this in an email, and thought it was worth sharing. I sure hope it does't take me 90 years to really "get" it.

This is something we should all read at least once a week. Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ’In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

ps. I just love this photo! I want that to be me when I'm old. I'd be that crazy old lady that feeds those darn birds!

photo credit: soylentgreen23

Getting Yoga

Last night I FINALLY pulled out my dusty old yoga mat, found my yoga dvd's in my bursting bookshelves and got my yoga on.

It was so lovely! I don't think I've ever had that type of experience before. It was exhilarating/challenging, but yet sooo relaxing. I did the whole tape, and enjoyed it immensely. Sean Corn is such a great instructor, but I still don't know how to breath thru your kidneys (I thought your lungs did that?!?!?) Anyways, I was curious if you practice at home, and if so, what instructor/DVD do you practice with? I do have Kimberly Wilson's CD but I need the visual of someone to follow.

Photo credit: Opus104

The boy can boogie

This weekend I was planning on my same ol same ol of laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, you know...typical chores, when my son wanted a ride to the beach to go boogie boarding with some friends. Sounded like a great opportunity to stroll along the beach, sea shell hunt, and get breakfast at one of the great restaurants along Main Street.

Well, the weather was the typical "June Gloom" = overcast. And it was LOW tide, so the waves were far and few between. But I did score quite a few great sea shells, strolled with the hubby along the water, and rode our bikes along the beach walk and Main Street and had a huge breakfast at El Ranchito. My husband and I shared a plate, and we had enough to make 2 additional breakfast burritos for my son.

I don't know why I don't do things like this more often. It was so nice to get out and about and enjoy this great city that we live in!

Inner Beauty

"Many people say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves." - Salma Hayek

Photo credit: alleyoop321

Done with Plastic

I realize that we've all become more aware of our consumables and if they are recyclable. I've started using reusable bags when grocery shopping, washing out my Ziploc bags instead of trashing them (unless raw meat was involved). I also reused my plastic water bottles throughout the day. I justified that instead of going through 6-8 water bottles a day, I was only using one. Then I noticed the pile of plastic water bottles accumulating in our recyclable bin. I was convinced that I can do better than that! Then I read Carolyn's blog and Alison's blog and realized that I had the necessary tools to change my ways! I spent a wonderful weekend back in March with my best friend at the Natural Products Expo-West and received a free water bottle! What then I thought was neat, now I think is brilliant! Today I brought my new found treasure to work and have been refilling it with joy!

Photo credit: Me!

From a lovely lady

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.” ~ Audrey Hepburn

And the Universe Aligned

I can hardly contain myself! You might recall the other day I posted about this and received some great feedback (thanks my friends!). Well, today the planets have aligned, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

First I stopped by Stacey's and lo and behold, she's starting a series called Organizing 101. Sounds good so far right? Then I'm on twitter, and Carolyn twittered about a **FREE** workshop to simplify! How lucky can a girl get? Thanks Stacey & Carolyn, I feel a little lighter already!

Keep Dreaming

"The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities." ~ As Man Thinketh

Photo credit: olivia house

The Urge to Purge

Junk my friends! The urge to purge junk in my life. I've mentioned before that my household is a little unorganized, my daughters room is in shambles. But I've failed to mention that we have a Attic stuffed to the gills with junk as well as a container (yes, a moving container) filled with junk as well. I've become almost obsessed with the notion of purging all of our junk. To SIMPLIFY! Ahhh, I just took a deep breath with that word. Interesting how my body reacted as I wrote the above. I could feel my blood pressure increase, my breathing became tight and shallow. Can you imagine living for 15+ years with this gargantuan collection of junk hanging on your back? Well, I've had it!

I just don't know where to begin! Then I get overwhelmed... then that book shelf over there needs rearranging, (classic sidetrack maneuver) just don't look at that purple elephant of a mess in the middle of the room! LOL! I don't know if ANYONE can relate, but if you can....what steps have you taken to move forward to a life of simplicity ~ minus all the junk!