Dowhatyoulove
Createbeauty
Findpeace
Deepenrelationships
Enjoyallofyourlife
Cleartheclutter
Cookdeliciousmeals
Succeedwithself-employmentEnrichfamilylife
Learntoloveandbeloved
Liveabundantlyonyourincome
Findusefulsimplelivingtips
Just4ingredientsforthecookiesplusapartialbagofHershey'sChocolateKisses.AndtheKissesareoptional!
IsthereanoldmemorythatmakesyoufeelguiltorshamewhenitsurfacesHaveyouhadtimeswhenyouwereplaguedwithbademotionsandcouldnotseemtoletthemgo
Here'stoday'stip:Washthemaway.Whenthememoryhauntsyou,gowashyourfaceandhands.Orbetteryet,takeashowerandimaginealltheguiltandshamewashingaway.
AcordingtoMarkWaldmanandDr.AndrewNewberg-twoneuroscientificresearchers*-theactofwashingturnsdowntheactivityintheguiltcentersofyourbrain.Youwillnotonlyfeelbetterandfeelcleaner,butyouwillredirectthereactioninyourbrain.
Tomatoesandpeppersareinseasonnow.FollowalongwhilewemakeadeliciousSpanishricedishwiththetomatoesandpeppersfromourgarden.
NEW!CCCustomLeatherworksLeatherCasefilledwith30InspirationalScriptureCards
PhotocourtesyofFreedigitalPhotos.netandxedos4
We'vebeenpickingstrawberriesandwillsoonbepickingblackberries,mulberriesandraspberries.
Checkoutourblogposts:
Asyouareclearingoutyourclosets,theattic,thebasement,andthegarage,youmaycomeacrossanunexpectedtreasure.
HerearesomeofthethingsfromTheFatDollar'sblogthatmaybeworthsomemoney:
1950'sFurniture
TackySweaters
Breadmachines,fooddehydrators,espressomachines
Vintageelectronics
Lunchboxeswithcharacterorcelebrityimages
Quilts
CostumeJewelry
Ifyoubelieveyouhavefoundsomethingofvalue,checkeBay,Amazon,anddoaninternetsearchoftheitemtolearnasmuchasyoucanaboutthevalueandpossiblebuyers.Goodluck!
PhotocourtesyofFreedigitalphotos.netandKittikunAtsawintarangkui
Thisistheyeartoletgo.Letgoofallthatisfalse,palnful,unwanted,unused,andunneeded.
Beginwithfaith,love,andamindclearof"shouldhave","shouldbe"and"oughtto"and"Ican't."
Simplyask"Whatif..","whynot","howwoulditfeelif...",and"whatisthenextstep"
Thenlisten.Andbegin.
Photocourtesyoffreedigitalphotos.netandStuartMiles
Brighidtellsushowsheencounteredawake-upcallwithhomeclutterandhowshechangedherlifebyclearingtheclutterfromherhome.
Photocourtesyoffreedigitalphotos.netandtiverylucky
Takealookatthelong-termresultsoftheall-naturalhotwaterweedkiller.
PhotobyPattiTokarCantonAllRightsReserved
Trytheplainwater,nochemical,ratherlazymethodforgettingridofweeds.
Thisiswhatthedandelionsinthewalkwaylookedlikethedayafterbeingtreatedwithnothingmorethanhotwater.
HerearesomeofthesitesI'vefoundforgardeninginspiration.We'restillatthattimeoftransformationwhereit'salittletoosoontoplantthegardens,buttheviewsfromthewindowsstillcaressyouwithpromisesoffertileearthandtendergreenshoots.
Photocourtesyoffreedigitalphotos.netandSimonHowden
ThisseasonofChristmas,Hanukahh,NewYear'sandotherDecemberandJanuaryholidays,takeamomenttodeterminewhatyourcorevalueisfortheseason.Isitthefamilygatherings,celebrationswithfriends,religiousservices,giftexchanges,schoolprograms,bakingcookiesandcandies,festivedecorations,vacationtimeOrsomethingelsethatismeaningfultoyouoryourfamily
Takeamomenttofullyimagineandfeelthejoyofcelebratingwithyourchosenway(s).Usethisasyourbarometerforhowanactivitywillideallymakeyoufeelyourownpersonaljoy.Now,letyourbodytellyouwhatactivitiestokeeporletgothisyear.Thinkabouteachitemonyourholidayto-dolist.DoesyourstomachtenseuporyourheadfeelanachewhenyouthinkofitThat'snotjoy!Letitgo.Feelingasenseofdreadisagoodindicationthatsomethingdoesn'tfitinyourvalues.Ifyouthinkofsomething,suchasthechildrensingingcarols,drinkinghotchocolate,andopeninggifts,anditmakesyourheartsing,thatissomethingtokeep!Youmaynothavethecourageortheabilitytoeliminateeveryactivitythatisnotjoyful,butyoucanatleastbecomeawareofthem.Awarenessisthefirststeptochangingsomethingthatneedstochange.HappyHolidays!
PhotocourtesyofFreedigitalPhotos.netandKittisak
Ourattentionisturnedtothepower,skills,talents,andbeautyofperformanceinthe2014WinterOlympics.Let'srememberthatwhilewinningisawesomeandenergizing,ourathletesshouldbehonoredjustforthemerefactthattheywerechosentoparticipate.IttakesyearsofdedicationandpracticetobeanOlympianathlete.
HereistheOlympicCreedthatappearsonthescoreboardoftheopeningceremonies:
Photocourtesyoffreedigitalphotos.netandimagerymajestic
Photocourtesyoffreedigitalphotos.netandstockimages
Thisyearourlittleappletreehadapplesforthefirsttime.Theyweresmallerthannormal-aboutthesizeofoversizedgolfballs-buttheyweresweet,crispyanddelicious.
PhotobyPattiTokarCanton
Sometimeswecanmakeourliveseasierbymakingafewsimplechanges.Yetoften,wejustkeepdoingthingsthesameway,overandoveragain.WhyBecausewearenotpayingattention.Wearenotevenawarethatthereisanotherpossibilityoranotherway.
Photocourtesyofscottchan,freedigitalphotos.net
Deliberatelydoatleastonethingeverydaythatbringsjoy.Pickaflower,touchapieceofsilk,petyourcat,listentoyourfavoritesong,sipasmoothdrinkofcoffee,watchthesunrise,bakesomecookies,breatheinthescentoflavender,dancetothemusic,sitonthedeck,walkbarefootinthesand,singoutloud,giveawayagoodbook,readagoodbook,tasteapieceoffruit,eatapieceofdarkchocolate,....whatgivesyoujoyDoit!Andagain!
MarkWaldmanandAndrewNewberg,MD,Researchscientistsandauthorshavedevelopedasixstepmethodtohelpyoutoincreasebothyourproductivityandyourcreativity
Checkoutourblogpostonhowtotellifraspberriesareripeandhowtopickthem.
ByDr.DonaldE.Wetmore
Iusedtoputeveryoneelse'srequestsandneedsfirstandiftherewasanytimeleftoverattheendofthedayforwhatIneededandwantedtodo,thatwasacceptable.ThatisuntilIbegantorealizethatifyouandIaregoingtobeeffectivetimemanagers,wehavetostayawayfromallocatingourtimesolelyonthebasisofthosewhodemandit.Instead,ifyouandIaregoingtobeeffectivetimemanagers,wehavetoallocateourtimeonthebasisofthosewhodeserveit.
Perhapsyouwokeuponemorningtorealizetheoldjokeistrue:"Evenifyoufinishtheratraceinfirst,you'restillarat."Ormaybe,thethoughtcreptinmoreslowly,wedgingitselfintoyourconsciousnesswhilesittinginthefiveo'clocktrafficjamasyoucommutehome.Howeveritappeared,younowrealizeit'stimeforachangetoasimplerwayoflife.
ButhowdoyoustartThese10stepswillprovideyouwithguidancetopropelyoualongthepath.
BradSwift,founderofLifeonPurpose,shareshisfavoriteinsights,steps,andactionsthatpeoplecantaketoenhancethequalityoftheirlives.
HaveyoumadeyourNewYear'sgoalsUsethese7easystepsforreachingyourNewYear'sResolutions.
Makinggrapejuiceisaverysimpleprocess.Themethodshownisevensimplerbecausethejuicewillbefrozeninsteadofcanned.Tobefair,canningisnotadifficultprocess,buteventhoughmymotherandgrandmothercannedproduce,Ihavealwayschosenfreezing.
Consciousactsoflovecanbeverypowerfulinbringingyouclosertothespecialpeopleinyourlife.Thesearethingsthatyoudotoexpresslovetosomeoneelse.Itisnotpartofaroutineorhabit,anditgoesbeyondjustsaying"Iloveyou."
Aconsciousactofloveisdeliberate.Itisusuallyaverysmallact,althoughitoftendoesnotfeelsmallwhenyouaredoingit.Itholdssignificance.Whenyoudoaconsciousactoflove,youcallnoattentiontoit-infactyouoftendoitsecretly.Itshouldbesincereandhaveaverypowerfulmeaningforyou.
Lifehappensatsuchafastpacenowadays.Weoftenhavesomuchgoingonthatwedon'ttakethetimetomakeourlivessimpler.
Theproblemisthatweoftendon'tknowwheretostartmakingourliveslesscomplicated.Themorewedo,themorestressedwebecome,whichinturncancomplicateourlivesevenmore.
Ittakescouragetochange,butitwillbeworthit.Hereare7quickandeasywaystohelpyouliveamoresimpleandenjoyablelife.
byPattiTokarCanton
I'vealwaysadmiredthepeopleinmylifethatalwaysseemtohaveaclean,clear,beautiful,andwellorganizedhome.BeforeIgotwellonmywaytoclearingmyownhome,mythoughtswerealittleenviousthatthey"had"someinherenttraitortalentthatIsimplylacked.
AsI'vebegunfillingboxesofthingstogiveaway,donate,orthrowaway,I'vealsobegunlearning.Andlearning.Ifyou'vefollowedtheclutter-clearingarticlesontheSimpleLifesiteandontheblog,youwillnoticethatI'vebeensharingwhatI'mlearning.
It'sfunnythatittookmeuntilnowtorealizethatstayingorganizedandkeepingmyhomethewayIwantittobeisreallyaskill.It'snotsomeelusivetalentthatsomehaveandsomedon'thave.It'ssimplyasetofhabitsthatarepracticedtothepointthattheskillsdevelop.