How to Observe National Stress Awareness Day

I was planning the agenda for our weekly staff meeting at my part-time job I'm soon to lose, and discovered that April 16 is National Stress Awareness Day. Having a tendency to stress out myself, I decided it was a BLOGWORTHY topic and set to researching ways to reduce stress to pass along to my readers.

Here’s some steps for DAY ONE – Reducing Stress

Plan something relaxing for DAY ONE – Stay away from traffic: a picnic (indoors or out), a family SHARE time (everyone reads a funny Shel Silverstein poem, shares some music, etc) or browse photo albums or cookbooks.

Prioritize. Do the most important stuff first each day, and don’t sweat the small stuff! Schedule EVERTHING, so your priorities easily rise to the top. Lunch date with a friend, reading a book to your child, taking a walk with your spouse, lead generation calls, etc. If these things are listed, the truly MEANINGFUL things in your life won’t be missed and your life will have balance. Your bathtub can always be scrubbed tomorrow, or your weeds pulled over the weekend!

Think of ways to relieve your stress long term. Find meaning: Spiritually, expand your education, develop a new hobby. Make a long term decision: Read, "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson, MD. It’s very short and may perhaps be life-changing.

Here’s some steps for Week ONE – Reducing Stress

1. Chat with your friends and/or family
2. Pray and/or meditate
3. Go see a movie
4. Read a book or magazine
5. Attend a community function
6. Play with your pet
7. Browse through your photo album
8. Exercise
9. Keep a journal or write funny little poems like limericks
10. Take a nap or go to bed an hour earlier


Here’s some steps for your first MONTHS – Reducing Stress

FUN ways to lighten the load, many found online:
Play some music and Clean House, or cook something fun
Watch Aquarium Fish(You can even download a screen saver!)
Instead of saying “Yes”, Just say, “I’m sorry. I can't do this right now.”
Take a Walk With A Friend or relative
Sing Along With and/or dance to Music
Set Up a Home Spa for yourself
Cut Down On Some of Your Commitments
Play a Board or Card game
Walk Your Dog (Don’t try walking your Cat – NOT stress-less)
Try Breathing Exercises
Draw a Picture
Visit the Elderly
Work on Becoming An Optimist(sign up for an optimistic quote per day and other
motivational tidbits!)
Put a Puzzle together!
Try Focused Meditation
Take a Mini-Vacation
Write down your daily blessings!
Surround Yourself with Positive Energy (Books, music, CD’s, people!)
Take a Nap
Reduce Stress At Your Job
If you suffer from illness, grief, or other issues – find a GROUP to share with.
Take On A New Stress Relief Habit and Stick With It!
Plan a progressive meal – appetizer at one place, entrée at another, dessert at a third!
Have a theme or idea in mind – a nice surprise for a loved one!

My stress buster for the day: A limerick :)

An underlying WHY must be lurking
That my boss is often sales shirking
Spending much of her day
A- “twittering” away
Social NETworking in place of just...working

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail!

Happy Easter!

I was "twittering" this morning and came across one of my favorite "tweeters" blog about Easter. It sent me spinning down the bunny trail, lost in memories of my children growing up.
I asked permission, and she said I could share it with you all: (If you have children or grandchildren, you'll love this! Here's the link: Easter Ideas!

Last night I began planning for our own Easter Extravaganza this weekend. Without LITTLE ones, it's not as much fun as years ago, although the family dinner aspect is always nice. :) I decided to pull out my roll of butcher paper and "decorate it" for a bunnyish tableau. My 14 year old daughter comes in and drolled, "What, being cheap again this year?" (the tact of teenagers)

I said, "No...I'm being creative this year...") After a painful conversation in which she negatively critiqued all of my ideas (more like AXED) she DID end up coloring construction paper eggs I'd cut out. She deigned to help after all. Sigh.

My three boys were easier - I swear they were. We always colored more eggs than we could eat, and I saved the plastic shells from year to year. I'd also spent the year saving change, which would accompany the candy inside. I usually purchased from whoever stocked the cheapest candy - the kids didn't care - it was CANDY, something not normally purchased.

We have made the coconut bunny cakes (round pan, cut in half, put on edge) and the egg cakes and decorated cookies through the years. It was always important to "make memories." When my sweet little two year old girl picked up her basket for egg hunting, it didn't take long for the (then late teens) boys to gather up their own and "help". (To my satisfaction, I have PHOTOS) When weather was horrid - so often in Wisconsin, the bunny got crafty and hid eggs inside with clues, or I once even borrowed the junior high gym! The most talked about Easter was the year they woke up to three different color yarn strings - mazed through the tri-level house, eventually leading to their baskets. What fun to watch them!

Way back when I started babysitting my Sunday School teacher's kids at age 12, I began a life history of "treasure" hunts. They were geared to the intelligence, attention span, and interests of my children and their friends for the next 37 years...and counting. The clues have been everything from trivia questions, to rhymes, songs, even simply "look for something blue". I bet anything that as my grandchildren grow, my sons will be composing treasure-hunt ditties.

Start a memory trail for YOUR children! When special occasions come around it's a wonderful indulgence to sit and sip a cup of coffee/tea, and remember the smiles, the groans, and most of all, the laughter of kids at holiday.

The Recession Drops a Personalized Bomb

The Impending AX:
So last friday, my boss took me aside ten minutes before I was to leave for the weekend, letting me know that a business meeting was scheduled for Saturday and they were looking at ways to cut costs. In other words...I was low man on the totem pole and first to be axed if push came to shove.
This wasn't a surprise. She's been hinting about the subject since Thanksgiving. As an employer that spends much time in social networking, and less in sales calls and aggressive marketing, the writing was on the wall. As her "sales assistant" too few sales have been coming across the desk. However, I can have a full time job just updating files...but that doesn't bring in MONEY. Sure enough, on Monday, I was given the termination agreement - with a generous 30 days in which to find new employment, which was thoughtful.

The Job Search:
I've been searching for another possible job, and sending out my resume, since her first warning back in November. I haven't received one reply. Now, I'm an admin with 25 years experience - I know how to type, run an office, etc. NO CALLS. Of course, the papers are full of sad stories of job fairs - 2000 applicants for 200 jobs. People are out of work city wide. I don't think my lack of response is so much about me, as about jobs in Tucson. period.

Money and Whining:
My husband lost his temper this week because my ex didn't pay for child support again. He's now owing for TWO payments. I've been this route before and recovery takes some time through the Wisconsin Court system. Anyway, this income is significant because I have a mortgage and second mortgage on the townhome.

Without disclosing too many details, my daughter and I purchased a modest condo/townhome 6 years ago in a great town school district. Stability and all that. My husband bought his house before we were married with 100 percent financing. So, we're in that recession "threshold" situation.

I think back to my happy days at my church job -- until the Pastor resigned due to illness and it became clear that the Council's political view was to start over with new, and cheaper staff. So my 7 years of loyalty and above and beyond work ethic was for naught. I think about the past 6 months at the job I have now, where my two co-workers average at least 2 days sick a month, and sometimes more like ten, * I haven't missed for one entire sick day, and once again, I face the ax.

I remember my pastor's sermon about bad things happen to good people. I also remember hearing a lot of "what goes around, comes around." It gets hard to stay positive. I KNOW other people have it worse, but I'm standing in my own shoes this week, not someone elses.

Bread Winning Ability:
There are positives! I have a REALTOR's license, and I have two listings. I have an e-book planned, (however, I don't think an e-book on Frugal Children's Parties will make the best selling list) I sell handpainted items: garbage cans for $16.99, suitcases, furniture--I've advertised on Ebay and Craigslist for years. So, there are options, as there have been my whole life long.

I just thought as I was approaching 50 that life would have gained some stability and security. So why am I sharing this with you? I suppose it comes down to honesty. I'm not just some person blogging on optimism and happy thoughts and positivity - I have my valleys, and I have my moutain summits.

...Maybe I'll find a flower meadow in this lowland I'm wallowing right now. :)

Happy April Fool's Day!!

A collection (with permission) of great April Fool’s Day compilations by a comedian speaker by the name of Scott Friedman. He can be found at www.FunnyScott.com. Enjoy!

1. I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it.

2. Age doesn't always bring wisdom. Sometimes age comes alone.

3. When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

4. I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.

5. If you ate pasta and anti-pasta, would you still be hungry?

6. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

7. Time may be a great healer, but it’s sure one terrible beautician.

8. Forget about World Peace . . . Visualize using your turn signal!!

9.Always remember you’re unique, just like everyone else.

10. Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot.

11. WARNING: Dates in calendar are closer than they appear.

12. Give me ambiguity or give something else.

13. Because madness takes its toll, please have exact change.

14. I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it.

15. All I ask for is the opportunity to prove that money can't make me happy.

16. One nice thing about egotists: They don't talk about other people.

17. Some days you're the dog, and some days you're the hydrant.

18. Can you buy an entire chess set in a pawn shop?

19. Is it possible to be totally partial?

20. You know it’s an April Fools kind of year when…you wake up screaming and you haven’t even gone to bed yet.

Happy Talk

Remember the musical movie, South Pacific? For some reason, the lyrics to Rodgers and Hammerstein's, “Happy Talk” has been whispering in the back of my mind for the past couple of weeks.

“Happy talk, keep talkin' happy talk, Talk about things you'd like to do. You got to have a dream, If you don't have a dream. How you gonna have a dream come true?”

How do YOU find your “happy place”? What lifts YOUR mood? I looked across the internet and did some twitter queries…here’s what I came up with. Feel free to comment with some more of your own!

• Smell a flower. (That always brings a smile to my face.)
• My mom always told me if I was feeling sorry for myself, to go visit someone else – especially the elderly. It never took long to quit focusing on me.
• Yawn and stretch. Seen a dog when he/she wakes up?
• Get out and exercise. Talk a walk or a bike ride! Go to the gym and push your limits.
• Polish a mirror. Smile at yourself, stick out your tongue!
• Brush your teeth.
• When I was a little girl, I used to spin. Spin in circles in our big back yard til I fell laughing to the ground.
• Make yourself a cup of hot tea.
• Brush your hair. Brush someone else’s hair.
• Drink two glasses of water, add a wedge of lemon or lime to it. Many times sadness is really just dehydration.
• Read the Bible. If you aren’t a big Bible reader, just open to Psalms or Proverbs…there’s always something there to touch you.
• Eat something healthy and fresh. Your blood sugar might have taken a dip. Set out a bowl of fresh fruits or vegetables.
• De-clutter a part of your home or office that needs it. Clean out your junk drawer!
• Reminisce. Look through your old scrapbooks, personal journals, blog archives, collections of your own paintings, poems, songs, yearbooks.
• Take a bubble bath.
• Watch the birds at a feeder or a hummingbird flitting around blossoms.
• Make a date night with your significant other, or one of your children – quality one on one time.
• Make lists. Who doesn’t like to cross things off a to-do list?
• Say a prayer. Give your problems over to God, Jesus, or your Higher Power.
• Turn on music. Use classical and jazz to de-stress; or energize with something lively.
• Write down and archive what’s bothering you. It’s amazing what a release it is to keep a journal or your thoughts or poetry.
• Call your mom.
• Make the decision: “History or baggage.” History can be the life events that shape us - our education, children, marriages, careers; all those things that come together to season us, to give us character, form, substance. Baggage is the emotional weight that drag after us, slowing (or even stopping) us from moving forward. Baggage has everything to do with our self image or how we feel about ourselves and then, how we perceive the world as treating us. History is who we are and what we’ve become over this thing called Life. (History and Baggage bullet is paraphrased from a blog insert written by Anne Perry)

What shapes you? History...or baggage? Where’s your happy place? ...keep talkin' happy talk, ...You got to have a dream, If you don't have a dream. How you gonna have a dream come true?”

We CAN do Something!!

Hi Readers:

About ten days ago or so, I wrote a post wondering about what can we do to help out. This past week, I came across this blog by Judi Moreo, a motivational speaker, and immediately felt that it would make a great followup. You can read the blog yourself, or subscribe, by following this link at www.Judimoreo.com:
http://www.judimoreo.com/ezine/archive/2009/0309.htm#article.
By the way, please feel forward to pass MY blogs on to your friends and relatives, and invite them to subscribe by filling in the email link at the bottom of my blog: http://swdeserthomes.blogspot.com. Thanks!

And so, without further explanation, here's something you can do!!!

Do Something

What have you done today? Sure, you got up, got the kids off to school, fed the cat, put in a load of laundry and made it to work. But what have you really done today?

Most people these days are so busy just getting by they don’t take time to think about what is really getting done. And, frankly, they just don’t care. It takes so much time and energy to accomplish the things that have to be done to insure survival, there is little left for figuring out what could be, if only we cared enough to make it happen.

Apathy, is the number one disease spreading around the world today. Somewhere between apathetic individuals with a total disregard for anything and extremists loudly and violently vocal about a single idea, there is a middle ground. It is a place where we all stop, think and do our part.

It doesn’t take much to pick up a stray piece of trash that has blown into the neighbors yard instead of just assuming someone else will take care of it. We all want ‘someone’ to “do something” about everything from the quality of education in our schools and the potholes in the road to the economy, global warming and world peace. We are all, each of us, that someone. And while we can’t just wave a magic wand and make it all better, we can do SOMETHING – anything.

Write a letter to your congressman/woman. Volunteer at your child’s school. Visit someone in a nursing home. Donate to a food pantry. Speak kind words, share a smile, help the gentleman in the wheelchair reach the box on the top shelf. Organize a carpool at your office or child’s school to save gas and the environment. Spend a few hours serving meals at your local homeless shelter. No matter how bad you think it is for you, there is always someone worse off than you who would appreciate a helping hand. Get involved. Hug a child, call your mom. If you don’t consciously get involved in life, in your community, in your job, you will wake up one day and realize that life just sort of happened. You didn’t live, you just took up space and air.

Stop waiting for things to get better...do something.

Positivity Is Positively the Best!

I ran across this blog and wanted to share it with everyone.
Let's, do, share and count our blessings!!

http://positiveenergy-polly.blogspot.com/
Let's have some Positive News for a Change!


"Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people." Zig Ziglar

"Positive anything is better than negative nothing." Elbert Hubbard

"Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down." Charles F. Kettering

"Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done." Bo Bennett

"Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure." Norman Vincent Peale

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first." Mark Twain

All for now!

Cara