Archive for the ‘Enjoy Life’ Category

Neighbors

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

neighbors
With cell phones, cable and the internet, people find less and less time to go out and associate with their neighbors in any kind of meaningful way. This creates misunderstandings, fear and sometimes ill feelings that don’t need to be there.  Find time to walk out the door with the specific purpose of interacting with your neighbors.  Get to know them.  Even if you don’t know them, or feel they are not very nice, bake them some cookies, a pie or a loaf of bread, write them a short note – anything – and take it to them.  

More than ever today, we need friends and hopeful positive feelings in our neighborhoods.  We need to stop living in fear of each other, start taking care of each other and get to know each other.  Some of my closest, most cherished friends began as misunderstood, pre-judged enemies!

Summer Dehydration – Both Spiritual and Physical

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

parenting summer dehydration

It seems that summers are getting hotter and hotter and busier and busier! With everything we have to do during the year, it flies by with lightening speed! Just as we survive the holidays, anniversaries and birthdays – summer hits! Here are just a few suggestions to make your summer easier:

  1. Drink plenty of water. There are so many options for fluid intake today. Water remains the number one best way to hydrate your body. It is important to teach your children to drink water – especially small children so they will grow into healthy water drinking teens and adults later. Simply drinking water makes you think clearer, helps with weight loss and keeps you hydrated.
  2. Begin every day with an attitude of gratitude! Being thankful creates a positive atitude…..which creates happiness…..which creates positive forward motion!
  3. Sit down and create a summer schedule for your children. If you don’t, you will spend the majority of your day being worried, frustrated and angry and your children will become resentful – all of which will create stress for you and your household.
  4. Make a list for your children of projects you want them to accomplish during their time off. Make sure they understand what is acceptable and what is not.
  5. Make a list of friends that will be acceptable for your children to hang out with or have over. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. No matter what happens or doesn’t happen – don’t forget to have some FAMILY FUN! It doesn’t have to cost money, you just have to be with your family .

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

A Positive Attitude Can Change Your Stars

Friday, June 12th, 2009

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!  Violence, crime, a failing economy, stRESS, STRESS, STRESS!!  It’s everywhere!  What can we do so that our level of stress does not break us, or our families apart?  A POSITIVE ATTITUDE!  You heard right, a positive attitude!  Sure, it won’t fix anything immediately and sometimes it won’t fix the immediate stressor ever!  So why have one?  HAPPINESS!  Because we all want to be happy – no matter what.  When you are faced with uncertainty, challenge or pain whether physical, emotional or both, it doesn’t mean you have to be spiritually depressed to the point you can’t function!  Or worse, you exaggerate the situation you’re in  by making everyone around you miserable by constantly rehearsing all the bad things that have happened and constantly rehearsing the, ‘why I can’ts’ instead of the, ‘how I cans.’ 

Positive forward motion requires positive forward thinking.  Simply put, all action begins with a thought.  Therefore, if you spend all of your valuable time thinking about negative outcomes, THAT is exactly what you are going to get – a negative outcome.    I don’t mean to downplay what you might be going through at the moment.  I am suggesting, however, that you will do your best work, come up with your best game plan if you are approaching whatever situation you are in with a positive attitude!  True happiness given any situation is a choice.  It begins with your attitude. Sometimes we have to close our eyes and see things how they can be, rather than how they really are to gain enough positive energy to get through it.

Workout Procrastination

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

Exercise!  It is the one thing we can do everyday that will undeniably bring happiness, make us feel good and add years to our lives.  Yet everyone goes through the overwhelming urge to lay down on the couch, sit in the most comfortable chair in the room and give in to the urge to do nothing!  Try this…find a picture of yourself that makes you feel good about yourself – no matter how old it is. Hang that picture on your bathroom mirror.  Write GO FOR A WALK across the bottom of the picture.  Set your phone alarm to wake you up one hour earlier in the mornings.  I promise that after programming yourself to systematically get up one hour earlier every morning, look at that picture and read those words everyday – you WILL get moving!  Try it!

Relationships with Adult Children

Monday, June 8th, 2009

It seems that just as you become an expert ‘baby’ Mom, that baby turns into a toddler! Then…..you turn your back and poof!  TEENAGER!  If you survive that, and you will, you turn around and your children are grown with families of their own.  Relationships with your adult children can be the most challenging of all – yet, the most rewarding.  Your children suddenly realize that you are NOT perfect and that you don’t have all of the answers (if they haven’t already figured that out).  To complicate matters and without much discussion, they marry complete strangers that you they expect you to welcome and love with open arms – no matter what!

How do you keep communication open, even during difficult times?   Remember the old adage, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all?”  These are golden words of wisdom that will save you from wounding those you love – especially when it comes to your adult children and their spouses.  Follow that up with complete acceptance and love without judgement.  When difficult things happen, refuse to get upset or become offended.   Yes, it will be difficult.  And, it will take practice and time, but it works!  It allows you to step back from any situation and evaluate it with less emotion and more objectivity.

Summer Equals Fun

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Try to think way back to when you were a child. What was your summer like? What kind of games did you play? Nothing can compare to the feeling of freedom that summer brings. Even as an adult, I can’t help but feel a little more liberated as the summer months approach – even though it actually just brings more work with the kids home from school all day. This summer make a goal to spend extra time with your children. Get to know each one and make memories together. Blow bubbles, go swimming, go on a trip, or go camping in your backyard – especially if you have teenagers. This time will pass too quickly. Here is an idea for Family Training Night you might try to get the fun rolling:  

Splash Tag 
This is a spin-off of classic tag with a twist to accommodate those hot summer months.

What You Will Need:

  • A big, soft sponge 
  •  Several buckets of water
  • A sense of humor
Bucket, sponge, and water for splash tag activity.

Bucket, sponge, and water for splash tag activity.

This is played a lot like traditional tag only the person who is “it” tries to tag running players with a wet sponge. The person who gets tagged with the sponge  is “it”.

There is no denying who has been tagged, the wet mark on their back is a dead give away! This is a lot of fun for young children and older children alike. And don’t just watch, where is the fun in that? Besides, the secret to getting your teenagers to play, or do chores, or to participate in general is to see their parents doing – not watching. Let me know how it goes!

Banish the Silent Treatment

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Don’t expect your family to “just know.”  Nine times out of ten we have no idea we have offended someone. If you are upset, let your family know and tell them why. This will give you closure, and help them realize what they can do better.  Communication is critical!  Learn to be open and honest with your family even when you are angry!  This makes the moments of peace and happiness that much more enjoyable.  This creates an atmosphere in your home that will feel safe for everyone not only physically, but most importantly, emotionally.

I Am Grateful For…

Monday, May 25th, 2009

It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving for us to think of things we are grateful for. Think of five things you are grateful for today. Now, get in the habit of getting up every morning, think of five things you are grateful for!  Pretty soon, you are living a life with an attitude of gratitude!  It will make your entire life better, less stressful and your family will be blessed in ways you can’t imagine!  Recognizing the good in your life will help you eliminate the bad. Enjoy what you have and be grateful for it – starting with your family.

Don’t Take it Personal

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Always giving the benefit of the doubt to your coworker or family member when they say or do something offensive will not only help you keep the peace, but just might help you enjoy your life a little more. Let’s face it, no one is perfect and all you need is one more thing to stress about.

Don’t Expect More Than People Can Give

Friday, May 15th, 2009

 Generally speaking, no one is going to truly understand that you have had a bad day at work, home or where ever it is you’ve been.  And, it is unrealistic for you to expect them to.  Sometimes the most peace you will feel is learning what you can expect and what you can not expect out of people – especially your own family.  Expecting too much from people – especially family members, will always lead to hurt feelings and tremendous disappointment.