2011

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Go Skating!

What great fun we all had ice skating yesterday! Everyone should make time to go skating... ice skating or roller skating! Both are great exercise and so much fun! Bundle up the kids, grab your sweetie and head to the ice rink today and skate your way to An Inspired Life!

Be Sneaky..... treats and a getaway.......

Sometimes you just have to sneak out of the house and enjoy a sweet treat without having to share it with the kids! lol. So I saw this Ben & Jerry's limited edition ice cream called Maple Blondie and OMG it is amazing! Total yummm!!! Last night, Thad and I snuck out of the house, drove to our favorite romantic spot where we go to get away and we ate the entire container of ice cream while laughing and talking about our day! What a great getaway! So tonight, sneak off with your loved one and enjoy a sweet treat and Live An Inspired Life!

Donate!

So Christmas is over and we have tons of stuff all over the living room... where do we put all these new things??? Every year, to make room for new stuff, we go through our old things and make donation piles. Each year without fail, my kids end up donating brand new toys from the previous Christmas that were never even opened!

So today is the day to go through your things and your kids things and make some donations. You can donate new unopened toys to Toys for Tots, they collect all year long. All the used things can go to local charities, hospitals, daycare centers or Salvation Army or Goodwill stores. Have the kids join in, teaching them to give is a quality that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Helping others, making donations and giving what you can all lead to An Inspired Life!

Slow down......

The Holidays are a busy time for all. Even if you don't celebrate you are still subject to longer lines and crowded stores. With that in mind, today I suggest we all slow down and take time to enjoy the Season! When you rush through a store you forget to watch all the people, when you speed through town you forget to look at the pretty lights. So today, slow down, observe the people, the lights, the decorations but most of all take time to enjoy your family. The kids would love to cuddle and listen to some Christmas music, or your spouse might like a cup of tea and a conversation about old traditions. Whatever you choose to do.... make sure to relax, breath deep, enjoy the Season and Live An Inspired Life!

Christmas Carol in random places.....

Thad and I were at the post office on Saturday, we had just purchased stamps and were standing there affixing them to our Christmas cards. Thad started loudly singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and another person in the post office started singing along! Of course I joined in and so we had a nice little group singing Christmas Carols for the other patrons whom really seemed to be enjoying the frivolity! The stranger singing with us was clearly pleased as she beamed a big toothy smile at us while never missing a note! Oh what fun!!!

So today give it a try... sing a nice loud Christmas carol wherever you are and Live An Inspired Life!

People watching...

Today we are headed to the mall to do some Christmas shopping! Undoubtedly we will partake in some fun "people watching" activities too! Sometimes Thad and I like to make up stories about the people we are watching.... where they live, how many kids they have, how long they have been together and so on. Not only is it a fun sociological activity, but its free too! :-) So today, head to the mall... grab a cup of tea and sit back and watch the crowds. You will observe so many diverse people and cultures and styles and behaviors and you will enjoy An Inspired Life!

loVe

Passion ebbs and flows but where there is true love, a relationship lasts forever!!!

Change your look!

What a great day to change your look! A nice fresh haircut for the Holidays will make you feel shiny new and ready for a new year! Do an online search and see what is in style right now and print off some looks to take to your stylist. A new look.... a new style.... a new attitude.... An Inspired Life!

Attend A Christmas Concert...

Tis the season to be jolly.... fa la la la laaaaa la la la laaaaaaaa! Tonight I am attending my daughters Christmas Concert at her school. What a fun (free) event for the entire family! I think that just before the concert I will serve cookies and hot cocoa. Then off to a night of adorable 4th graders singing Christmas songs and delighting in the Season! You can support your local church, community or school by attending a local concert and enjoying great music! If for some reason you cannot go to a Christmas concert, then just download some rocking Christmas music and Live An Inspired Life!

Homemade gifts!

I love gifts made at home! They are my favorites to receive and to give! Nothing says Merry Christmas and I was thinking about you like a nice mason jar full of yummy hot cocoa mix or some homemade cookies in a recycled tin! Yummmm!!! You can google search for ideas... they are limitless. Many gifts are very easy to make and take little time to prepare.... or even if you don't have time to make them today, you can start your planning and get the things you need to make amazing homemade gifts this weekend. So today, prepare some awesome homemade goodies and Live An Inspired Life!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday to me!! Not bad for 39 today! I love birthdays.... especially my own! lol. Today, wish someone a Happy Birthday! Facebook lists all your friends birthdays on the home page but if you don't know anyone with a birthday today... then wish someone a Happy Monday! Living An Inspired Life means taking time to celebrate... CHEERS!

Traditions....

Have you ever sat and wished you had old family traditions for the holidays? Well those of us who do celebrate traditions started them somewhere! If you don't have any wonderful traditions to celebrate with your family then create some new ones! They all have to start somewhere.

One family tradition that we have is the way we decorate our Christmas tree. I sit and pass out the ornaments while telling the kids where they came from, or who they belonged to or why it is special. The kids love hearing about my ornaments from my childhood, or about the year that they were totally in love with Toy Story and got a Buzz Lightyear ornament. We also get advent calenders each year... the kids LOVE that tradition because it means a piece of chocolate every day!

So keep up the old traditions but also start some new ones! Change is good and new traditions are future memories.

"All old traditions started as something new!" ~Heather Deaville

Friends.......

//HIGH SCHOOL\\

ISN'T . MEANT . TO . MEET . YOUR . HUSBAND

IT'S MEANT TO MEET YOUR

BRIDESMAIDS

❤

Give in secret!

This month I will speak alot about "giving!" So today to live an inspired life.... I encourage you to GIVE in secret! There is no better feeling than helping someone in need. Today, drop off a bag of food, some toys, or a warm coat on the door step of someone in need. If you know the person, you could even call and leave a message from "Santa" or just leave a friendly note with the gifts. Either way.... give to someone needy, do it in secret and Live An Inspired Life!

Family Night Out....

Last night I took the kids out for "wing night!" Of course... myself and a couple of the others are vegetarians so it was "pizza night" for us, but the idea is to go out and have a dedicated "family night" out! We had fun.... eating, sharing stories about our day, telling jokes and talking about how much we miss Thad while he is away at work. It was a great night and the kids were really appreciative!

Tonight enjoy "Family Night" out and Live An Inspired Life!

Reach out.

The holidays are upon us! I believe that ANY time is a great time to reach out to those in need, but not everyone has the resources during the year so the Holidays are a great time to make contributions! Kids need Christmas presents, families need food, elderly people need company, single moms need warm coats, animals need shelter and so on.... there are plenty of people or animals in need this Holiday season. Please reach out to someone in need this Holiday season and Live An Inspired Life!

"Thoughts become things. If you see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hand."

— Bob Proctor

Your thoughts become things....

So has everyone heard of "The Secret" or the "Law of Attraction?" It is all about how what you think and feel becomes your reality! So if you sit around thinking about all the negative things in life, that is what you will feel... negative. If you focus on the positive things, you will bring more positive things into your life.

If you get a chance... check out the book or movie "The Secret," it is a simplistic look at how to attract all the things that you want into your life. Have positive thoughts, focus on all that is good and Live An Inspired Life!

Take a family photo!

This weekend we took a family photo at the tree farm while we were searching for our family Christmas tree! It was so much fun and now we have a great photo to send in the Christmas cards! We brought the camera and tripod right out into the farm and took so many great photos! These photos will be reminders of the wonderful times we had and someday, the kids will love to sit and look through them and share these memories with their loved ones!

So take out the Santa hats or antlers, dress up the kids and take a family Christmas/Holiday photo and Live An Inspired Life!

Watch a Christmas movie!

Christmas movies are awesome! Even some of my non-Christian friends enjoy watching Christmas movies because the messages are always uplifting and fun to watch! We have a tradition in my family of watching ABC Family's 25 days of Christmas... each night in December they show a Christmas movie and we all snuggle up on my bed and watch together. My personal favorite Christmas movie is the Charlie Brown Christmas. I LOVE that movie soooo much and I still cry every year when Linus gives his speech on the stage.

So tonight gather up the family, make some hot cocoa and treats, enjoy your favorite Christmas movie and Live An Inspired Life!

Blow Bubbles!

Remember how much fun it was to blow bubbles as a kid? Well it is just as much fun as an adult too!!! So stop by the store on the way home today, pick up some bubbles and go home and have a bubble fest! If you have kids or pets... they will LOVE the bubbles too! Have a blast, channel your inner child and Live An Inspired Life!

Love yourself....

If you don't love yourself, how could anyone else? Treating yourself with respect, not using negative words to describe yourself and living a healthy lifestyle are ways to love and respect yourself. Live in alignment, make choices that are in line with your beliefs and values. Live an Inspired Life and love yourself!