Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Can you believe that it's already Thanksgiving? Where did the time go?

It's the beginning of that crazy time of year when we begin to pack on more than the pounds but loads of other things on our plate too!

Whenever I get overwhelmed or feeling down I do these things:

- STOP to take a breather to regroup

- Start remembering all those things that I have to be grateful for in my life

- Do something nice for someone

It always seems to help and maybe will help you in the next month.

Enjoy your holiday with friends and family

Mindbloom

I was introduced to a very cool web site on Thursday called Mindbloom.

If you have been looking for a way to get control of your goals and daily intentions this site does a wonderful job. All your goals and action steps are in one place! With only six weeks from today for New Year's Day, it's the perfect way to get a jump start on those new years resolutions!

You are able to visit the site Mindbloom.

Take a tour on the site. Here you manage your own "Life Tree " and "grow the life you want" . By adding leaves you set your goals and then a daily or weekly intentions to meet you goal. The site will then email you a daily reminder of what you need to do and you then go in and update your list and your tree then begins to flourish! It's very interactive and the site is very appealing! Lots of fun interactive nature items!

Right now when you visit the site you can take a tour, and sign up for a fourteen day free trial. What is also nice about this site is that you can share all or parts of your tree with your friends and family. That way you can receive praise and encouragement on your journey!

I started my tree and have already received my email reminder for today. Like anything else start small! Don't go putting up sixteen goals! Put up something small and easy so you can see the site and and how it works.

Set yourself up for success in 2010 and get on it now!

Milestones

I very rarely post regarding my family activities on this blog however, with a milestone of Sweet 16 for my daughter I couldn't resist! We all go thru rites of passage, first we're 13, 16, get our drivers license and then 18, and graduation! I fondly remember my sweet 16 party and Friday evening we had a couple of Makaela's friends for her party! I hope she will fondly look back and remember her small but special evening with friends and family! We sure have a lot of photos to back up the memories.

As for me.. I'm saving and planning the next big birthday milestone for me! I wouldn't dare tell you how old I'll be but I sure will be off in some exotic island celebrating in my polka dot bikini!

What is your next milestone in your life? It could be birthday, becoming a parent, grandparent, going back to college, buying your first home? What are your plans and how are you going to make it happen for yourself?

Women Helping Women Web site

On Tuesday I was introduced to a wonderful web site that is designed to bring a community of women together to share and help one another. It's called Women Helping Women and you can find it here. The site is fairly new and they are charging a $20.00 annual membership fee and the reason behind the fee is to keep advertisers off the site! Yeah! When you visit the site you'll see a chalk board which shows the most recent questions asked by women seeking answers. If you can help.... then you post an answer. It's that simple. It's the perfect way for you to reach out and help someone regardless of your geographical location or financial situation! Remember our 29 days of giving? What a perfect way to give to others and maybe find some useful tips for yourself!

These Are My Wishes For You , Sandra Sturtz Hauss

These Are My Wishes For You
Sandra Sturtz Hauss

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.

It is the content of the encounter that is more important than its form. May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard you may be more than compensated for in another.

What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.

Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

29 Gifts, By Cami Walker

29 Gifts, How a Month of Giving can Change your Life

By, Cami Walker

On Monday afternoon I had the opportunity to hear on the radio an interview with author Cami Walker discussing her journey to write the book 29 Gifts.

What an inspirational story!

The month of November is a time for us to reflect all that we are thankful for and it's an even better time to give a small gift every day! Yes... even prior to Christmas!

Cami's story is incredible. She was struggling with an illness which came on suddenly days after her honeymoon. This illness then consumed her life. However, one day while talking with her spiritual mentor she was given the biggest wake up call! You'll have to read the book to find out what happens after that.

Today I'm going out and getting this book and reading Cami's story. This amazing woman took a very challenging health situation and turned her energies to others and it actually made her feel better! Imagine that!

I'm also going to start my 29 days of giving!

What Keeps a Woman Looking Young?

What Keeps a Woman Looking Young?

This is perfect timing riding on the tails of the book The Blue Zone, where we discussed a balanced lifestyle of healthy eating, exercise and family. This morning while signing onto the Internet I saw this article regarding a study done identifying the aging differences in twins due to lifestyle. The above picture tells the story. The twins above look ten years apart. What's the key? Susan ( on the right ) is a lifelong sun worshipper. In addition, Susan began smoking in her late teens, and although she stopped for six years in her 20s, she averaged a pack and a half a day for 16 years before quitting in her late 30s. Jeanne never smoked.

The article, What keeps a woman looking young? is very interesting and discusses several more twin studies and key issues like the effects of weight loss on your apperance according to age .