Friday, May 25, 2012

Friday Reads

It's really Friday, right?  Please tell me it's Friday.


This has been about work, work, and more work.  Yes, God is laughing at my plan for balance and proving, yet again, that my word should be irony.  HA!


But despite the fifty hour work week, I am still determined to find balance with the long weekend ahead of me.  Yes, I'll have three (okay, two and a half) days to create balance.  The only things on my to-do list will be reading and wrapping up Chapter 1.  


So, I will start by going over my reading list with you.  In the past month I have started 3 books and haven't finished them for whatever reason, and this is the weekend that will kick off my summer reading project by checking them off!


The first one is of course Book Three in the Fifty Shades Trilogy, Fifty Shades Freed.   I started it last weekend, but haven't gotten very far, but from what I have read, this one is better than the other two.  Not that they were bad, but this one actually seems to have a story behind all that S.E.X.  I am certain that this will be the easiest out of all three to finish, so this will be tonight's goal :)


Next, is These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen.  Again, I started it before the Fifty craze, and just never went back (hmmmm).  I really couldn't wait for this to come out, and now, I can't wait to get back into it.  Sarah is one of my favorite writers, and her third book is supposed to be her best, which I find hard to believe since Skipping a Beat is in my Top 5.


Lastly, in a weak moment I checked out The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch from the library.  I never read it when it was so popular a few years ago, and have always wondered what the fuss was about.  In doing research for my book, I have been trying to catch up on a few popular "life-changing" books, and this one seemed to fit.  Again, I read the introduction and a few chapters, but quickly put it down and replaced with Fifty, Book Two.  


No, I am not proud.


But I am excited to balance out my work week with catching up with these books.  How have you balanced out your week?


Have a FABULOUSLY long weekend...






  

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Pinning Balance

So, this is what I do when I have 5 extra minutes at work... Pinterest is my addiction of choice.









Okay, the last one doesn't count, but I just wanted to see if you were paying attention :)
Consider it balancing out the good with the bad!

Have a great day...




Monday, May 21, 2012

Week 6

Week 6 is a subject we all know and love... and desperately need:  Balance.  Yes, the fine art of balance is, or at least should be, a top priority for any woman.  It doesn't matter what your life circumstances are, everyone I know is suffering from an imbalance in their lives.

Some work too much.
Some worry too much.
Some eat and drink too much trying to calm the voices in their head.
Some don't sleep.
Some sleep too much.
Everyone struggles in some way, while others struggle in every way.

It's the sad truth we women share, the fact that our lives are spread so thin and we just keep piling it on.  At some point we need to prioritize what is important (um, hello... values!), and make sure that each day is about those choices.  The other stuff, the busy-ness, is just like white noise.  It's always there in the background, annoyingly so, distracting us to a fault.  All this extra stuff takes us farther away from our values and the lives we really want.

No one's life is perfect, but the thing is, everyone can have a perfect life for themselves.  It's about balancing out the good with the bad.  So you don't like work but you need to get a paycheck?  Balance that out with something you love... such as reading or running... something that helps you come back to your self.  Everyone who knows me, knows that I have worked years to help Toby balance out his life (yes, probably to a fault).  I know he hates his job with a capital H, so I let him balance that out with golf.  It's his thing that makes getting through the week better.  I am just now learning to do this for myself and that has taken years.

Y. E. A. R. S.

So this week is all about a little give and take.  I'm not expecting anyone to make any drastic changes, but I do want you to start thinking about your day, your week, as a bank account.  Things you don't like are considered withdraws, while things you love are deposits.  By the end of the week, you want to be in the positive with your personal account.  When you're feeling down and exhausted, you know you're dipping below your balance point, so look for things you love at that point, even if it means waking up early or staying up a little later.  Maybe a spin class :)

Life is short.  We all know that, but it's our responsibility to enjoy the ride while we're here.  You owe it to your self and your family to stay balanced.  Think about your account and whether you're overdrawn and running on empty.  If you are feeling that way, what are you going to do about it?

Make a deposit every day.  Even if it's a small one (little things add up!).  Write them down at the end of the day, the withdraws and deposits, and see how you feel.  By the end of the week, hopefully you'll have more deposits than anything else.  If not, be thankful you know how to fix it.

Have a fabulous week...

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Inspiration

I value inspiration.  I like to offer it to people, and I simply love to be inspired by something I see or read.  Or someone I meet.

Of course I value more than this, but my word for the week has been inspiration, and I've lived it for the most part. The trick was writing that word down and committing to it wholeheartedly.  Once that was done, decisions were easier, just like Disney said.

When faced with an hour of free time, I had to choose between going to Target (my absolute favorite time killer), or go to Biggby and write.  I'll have you know that I chose wisely, and have a pretty good handle on Chapter One now.  Inspiration, check.

So what did you choose this week?  Did it help you get through the day and feel better about your choices?  Or perhaps you're still trying on different values.  The beauty of this is, no two people are going to have the exact same values, and even if you did, you'd treat them differently.  In doing research for this post, I stumbled upon a website called Values.com.  It's a gem of inspiration (fitting), and might help you figure out what really moves you.  The picture above, is just one of many billboards they have, each one more inspiring than the last.  Check it out if you have time today.

Okay, that's my rant for the day.  Enjoy the beautiful weather we're having this weekend, and I will check in for week 6 on Monday!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Week 5: Value City

Congratulations!  You are half-way through the 8-weeks, and THIS might be the most important week of all.  I know, I've probably already said that, but this time I really mean it.

I'm calling this week Value City, because it's all about what really matters to you; Your Values.

"Your values are the choices you make about what's most important to you.  Living your life by your values is like establishing true north on a compass.  You may know what your values are.  You may believe your values are your guiding stars.  Bit if you aren't actually living your values - following your true north - chances are you won't ever be really happy, and your journey through life will feel spiritually off track."  ~ Kobi Yomada, 7

So, this week is about finding out what those values are since some of us don't ever think about them.  Is it health you want?  Is it your family you value?  Your career?  Relationships?  What is it that will get you out of bed other than obligations.

For the next couple days, I just want you to take a walk around Value City (It's much prettier than Pity City).  Look in the different shops and see if any of them call you to come inside and take a closer look.  You don't have to pick any yet, but just do a little window shopping.  
Look at the words here and see what moves you, but also feel free to find some of your own.  Basically you need to figure out what you want your life to be about, so you can start getting to the business of living.  

Living your life.  Doesn't that sound good?



Friday, May 11, 2012

BFF's


For me, friendship doesn't get any better than this.  It's almost as if Lucy and Ethel were the couple and the husbands were the sidekicks.  They could do and say anything, get in all sorts of trouble, and there was never any judgement.  It was the first unconditional friendship on TV that I know of, and I vividly remember my mom loving this show.  She knew every episode, and made sure I did too.  

The best part of friends for me is that I can be myself, and I know you'll laugh with me... or cry with me... or get angry too.  We all have our own problems, but sharing them with each other is a safe place.  Our husbands usually try to fix things or blame someone... but you guys?  You just listen, which is what we all want anyways.  I never get irritated with venting because I know I'll get a turn at some point.  We all do.

And then we giggle.  

We prop each other up, give pep talks when needed, or simply just listen.  It's instinctive for us to know what the other one needs.  

So, to all my friends reading this right now...  Thank you.  You have no idea how lonely life would be without you.

Have a fabulous weekend!



Thursday, May 10, 2012

Happiness is...


Oh how I long for an evening of poor choices... on a Sunday night.... free shots and getting shushed...and Zac.

Memories are the best!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Find your Favorites

I don't mean find your favorite friends here.  It isn't a competition, although I know it can be through grade, middle, and high school.

I'm glad that's over.

What I mean is find your favorite quotes today about friendship.  Quote Garden is one of my favorites, as is Pinterest.  Good Reads is another site for quotes from books (clouds parting, angels singing).




Okay, so that's not the sappy quote you thought it was going to be, but I bet you giggled :) 

However, this is one of my favorites...

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Have a fabulous day!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

B Friendly


This is quite possibly the best quote I've found on the subject, and expresses exactly how I feel :)

Have a fabulous day!

Week 4

Can you believe we're almost halfway through our 8 Weeks? Time flies, and week 4 is all about who you're with to get you through those flying times.

Friends.

We can't live without them, and anyone who is, isn't having half as much fun. This is what I think of when I hear the word friend:

Comfort

Laughter

Advice

Venting

Email, Texting, Pinning, Facebooking, and now Twittering

Giggles

Inappropriateness

Books

Love

The list really could go on forever. Your friends are the family you choose... I have that on a card on my fridge, and it's 100% true. I would be lost without my friends to get me through each day (sometimes the next hour). So, this week will be a celebration of our friends, for our friends. Consider this week my love letter to you all.



I always felt that the great high privilege, relief and comfort of friendship was that one had to explain nothing. ~Katherine Mansfield

So your homework for the week is to find the quotes, sayings, and pictures that remind you of your friends. Each day, after your gratitude list, search the web or books. Pinterest will be a dream for this task. Tweet them, text them, post them to facebook. Celebrate your friendships this week and give thanks to them for always being there.

This is going to be a fun week :) Have a good one!



Thursday, May 3, 2012

B Something

I'd done a post like this in the past and loved it, but the blog crash in 2011 deleted it. So I thought it needed a revival, and it just so happens to fit in with my theme this week.

If you've been into one of our Biggbys in the past few years (I know you have!), you may have noticed their marketing push for the trademark B they have.

B Happy
B Generous
B Sweet

To me this is genius, and I've often wondered if anyone loved this as much as I do.  For whatever reason, it just makes me happy to go in there and see this stuff (I have yet to buy something because I can't choose!)

What are you going to B when you grow up?  Hands down, this is one of my favorite questions.  There are just so many possibilities of what we can B and do, and on occasion, I like to take a moment and answer that question.

Soooo, for your homework today, you will jot down some things you would like to B either now, tomorrow, or when you grow up :)

B Fabulous
B Amazing
B Writing
B Helpful
B Outgoing

What will you B today?






Wednesday, May 2, 2012

mirrors

Now that we know that unconditional love isn't about looks or money, it's time to turn it around to yourself.  I have always believed that our friends are mirrors and merely reflections of our selves.  When we instantly connect with someone, it's because we're seeing ourselves in them and like those qualities.  That's why you can't truly love someone else without loving yourself first.

So, todays homework is the same as yesterday, but instead the list will consist of the qualities you love in your SELF.  Now without looking at yesterday's list I'm going to do the same thing.


  1. Inspired
  2. Tough
  3. Funny
  4. Thoughtful
  5. Loyal
  6. Loving
  7. Intuitive
  8. Happy
  9. Hard working
  10. Good Mom
Okay, I'll admit that a part of me is cringing at this exercise and putting it out there.  Anyone else care to share? Think about this throughout the day and add to your list when you come up with something new.  The list can be endless!

Have a fabulous day.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Perfection


per·fec·tion

[per-fek-shuhn] noun

1.the state or quality of being or becoming perfect.
2. the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art.
3. a perfect embodiment or example of something.
4. a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence.
5. the highest or most nearly perfect degree of a quality or trait.

The magazines would have you believe that you can gain the perfect life in 10 Easy Steps!  I have found that in 10 easy steps I can make a batch of cookies.  

Which one is more perfect?

Why is it we expect so much of ourselves and so little of those around us that we love?  Really quick, name 5 people (not related to you) that you love unconditionally and would do anything for.

Okay, are those on your list perfect?  And by perfect, I mean they do no wrong; They don't overeat, overspend, and always win mother of the year.  Are any of your unconditionals perfect?  Chances are, they're not, and that's why you love them so much.  People who are perfect (or pretending to be) are annoying and usually so self-absorbed they don't have many friends.  Sure, they look good, but c'mon, is that what you really want out of life?

Today's homework is for you to make a list of the qualities that you hold highest in your friends and loved ones.  What are the traits that make them perfect to you?  Here's mine:

  1. Humor
  2. Empathy
  3. Sarcasm
  4. Generous
  5. Happy
  6. Positive
  7. Honesty
  8. Loving
  9. Real
  10. Loyal
What is on your list?  Have a fabulous day :)

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