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Habits are to your life pretty much what gas is to your car. They keep you moving along - but whether they carry you to a better place or not depends entirely on the habit.

Bad habits can hold talented people back while good habits carry less talented people on ahead.

Many, many posts can be written on bad habits (in fact, they have), but essentially, we’ll get rid of our bad habits when we’ve finally had enough of them. I don’t want to spend too terribly much time with bad habits in this post, I’d rather approach habits with another tactic.

How about this? Let’s apopt so many great habits that we put the squeeze play on bad habits. I’m thinking that if we add about 10, that’ll leave less room for the bad crowd. I remember a television special about healthy eating that aired a few years ago. A nutritionist pointed out that if you fill your plate up with healthy vegetables and fruit, you actually get to eat more food. All you have to do is replace the unhealthy food with healthier alternatives - and you almost always get to enjoy more of the healthy food.

The good squeezes out the bad, so you’re left with a double-sided win: You get rid of things that are bad for you and you make room for things that are good for you.

So what sort of healthy habits could we bring to our life’s plate? Below’s a buffet of suggestions, I know you’ll be able to come up with more. Come up with as many as you want, of course, but remember that “bite-sized” portions are always easiest to handle. Don’t put more on your plate than you’ll actually be able to eat!

1. Start getting up a little earlier.  I realize that when the weather’s cool it’s really tough to start getting up earlier.  The body wants to sleep later, for crying out loud!  But, I’ve been on both sides of the 6:00 am, and I can say without hesitation that every corner of your day will be better if you get a running start at it.  Also, the quiet hours of the morning are the perfect way to glide into your day.  Rushing around after being summoned by a hateful alarm clock isn’t good for the psyche.  Mornings just weren’t meant to be so hectic.
2. Read more.  When you open a book, you open your mind and literally pour knowledge into it.  Knowledge is power.  Knowledge is power.  Knowledge is power.
3. Laugh more.  Laughter is great for you - body and soul.  It doesn’t matter if anyone laughs with you, it doesn’t matter if anyone laughs at you.   Just laugh! 
4. Complain less.  Starting tomorrow, do a little self improvement exercise:  Each time you feel tempted to say something negative, make yourself say something positive instead.  I’ve never understood why anyone would want to spread misery and gloominess.  I always wonder, “Do they hate life that much?” 
5. Drink more water.  I read a lot of articles and books about health and there are several things they all agree on (the other is right on this one’s heels at #6!).  One of the things every physician, health expert, nutritionist, and great aunt tells us is this:  Drink more water.  There has to be something to it.   
6. Get at least 30 minutes of activity each day.  Bronchitis has had me in a choke hold for weeks, but I was feeling a lot better today. So I did some intense work around the house.  I expected to feel like I’d been hit by a bus afterwards, but I feel great.  I’ve been sitting and sipping soup for so long I’d forgotten how good it feels to be active.
7. Stop assuming people know how you feel.  Even if they have an idea, do you know how much it will mean to them if you tell them?   Most of us can recall certain things that our loved ones have said to us that meant the world.  In fact, the words meant so much that we still carry them around with us today.  Maybe it was a dad saying, “I’m SO proud of you.”  Maybe it was a mother telling us that we’re just the daughter/son she’d always hoped for.  Why is it that so often it’s when we’re in the middle of altercations that these sentiments come out?  Then, they’re often followed with a “But…”  Any sentiment followed by a but isn’t much of a sentiment!  This tactic is simply the art of putting conditions on the words.  They certainly aren’t the sentiments we carry with us.  It’s the ones that come out of the blue - not as a prerequisite to what all we’re doing wrong and not to soften any blows.  If you love someone, tell them every single day.  If you’re proud of them, tell them - WITHOUT BUTS!
8. Put yourself in time-out.   In the same way we put children in “time out” when they show signs of being stressed out or overly tired, we could benefit just as much.  Last week, my husband did something that I thought was pretty cute.  Our daughters and I were gathering in the living room to watch Survivor - a Thursday night ritual we’ve enjoyed for years.  I make the special snacks, then we all watch a show that never disappoints.  However, my husband had had a week from hell and a particularly long, stressful day - so he opted out.  He put himself in a sort of “time out” in our home office in a chair in front of baseball.  He sat quietly in his pajamas, reminding me of a 2 year old boy who was trying to calm down!  I thought about telling him that, but I just headed to the living room. (I wasn’t born yesterday.)  Sometimes our nerves just need to unravel and they can do that better when there isn’t a lot going on.
9. Become a more aware and cautious driver.   My poor guardian angel must be a basketcase.  Not only am I accident prone, I’m one of the most ridiculous drivers on earth.  But, years ago, I began to slow down and drive oh so much more carefully when I looked around me to see my vehicle surrounded by future drivers.  They’re watching.  What do they see?  Even if there aren’t future drivers with you, paying attention to what’s going on around you can save lives at best, headaches at worst.  Texting while driving, speeding, road rage, playing mind games (”Oh, yeah, if you want to get on my bumper, I’ll just slow down… You wanna hit me? Why, you can just buy me a new car, sucker…”) - these are all things that can get you killed, hurt, ticketed, or arrested.  I don’t think we’re interested in any of those, are we?
10. Be thankful.  People are filled to their eyeballs with negative thoughts and words lately - but we still have it amazingly good.  I know I don’t have to tell you that - but I’m pretty sure we all need a reminder every now and again.  I remember a shallow little wake up call I got one time while we were living in Florida.  I had put on a tank top and shorts and was complaining to one of my daughters (oh, heck to anyone who’d listen) about my arms.  They weren’t “tank top arms…” etc.  I was cutting them up pretty good.  Then we walked over to the beach and the first person I saw made me, literally, cry with shame.  She was around 20 and only had one arm.  I’ve never forgotten that day.  And I honestly don’t believe I’ve complained about my arms since.  Either of them.

You can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind. - Zig Ziglar

I saw that quote at the top of Mind Perk tonight and knew it’d make a great Quote of the day. Appropriate enough for a Self Improvement Store, right?

Like a lot of you, I’ve been reading more and more about global warming. Quite frankly, it’s something I’ve had trouble getting my mind completely around (Maybe because my mind doesn’t really want to make the trip?). So I’ve been researching and reading and reading and researching.

After all, how in the name of all that’s polar am I going to save my dear Polar Bears if I don’t know what I’m up against. Hmph.

I’ve found several resources that those of you who are also interested in the subject of global warming and the weather, in general. After reading Why the Wind Blows by Matthys Levy, I’ve become somewhat obsessed with the weather. I never knew it was so fascinating.

Below are links to informative sites and references, including Mr. Levy’s easy-to-understand book.

Why the Wind Blows by Matthys Levy
Global Warming - Early Warning Signs
Global Warming.org
Global Warming: A Scientific and Biblical Expose of Climate Change - DVD

Bloggers

WordPress 2.6.3, of course, came out today. I say “of course” because fate’s funny like that. She likes to catch me with my hands full and throw me an apple right then. Does she wait for my hands to be empty? No, man, she just doesn’t roll like that. I think she peeks around corners waiting for me to get as busy as I can humanly be, then BAM! WOMAN YOU NOW HAVE 18 BLOGS TO UPGRADE.

Hate it when she channels Emeril.

Anyway, get thyself to wordpress.org and do the whole upgrade thang. However, if you don’t already have the Wordpress Automatic Upgrade Plugin, get it first. It’s the easiest plugin in the blogosphere to work with. Unlike many plugins, it’s never bitten me once. Good boy.

Another Upgrade: if you’re part of the Thesis Wordpress Theme Community, you may already know that Chris Pearson has made improvements to the amazing Thesis Theme. He has made everything so freaking easy and so highly manageable that it’s as though he’s sitting at your desk with you, showing you how to basically click a button to whip up the specifications you want.

What I, personally, love about the udgrades is that he has created a theme that is so highly customizable that you can make your blog just that - YOUR blog. I’ve noticed that lately I’ve found myself on a few great-looking blogs and wondered, “Is this Thesis?” - then I scroll to the bottom to check it’s ID bracelet. Some are and some aren’t, and that’s the point. With the newest customizations, each blog can really get its individual groove on.

The only ways you’ll really suspect that it’s Thesis is if the content is highly readable, the layout and overall look is brillaintly clean, and if the blogger seems to exude a high sense of “I take this very seriously…”

Speaking of originality, I have to say this about your’s truly - for better or worse, I don’t hesitate to dance to my own music. I crave individuality and had rather stand out than blend in any day. That’s why, when I first began blogging, I literally had a different theme for each blog! I wanted each to be 100 percent different from their brothers and sisters.

Only recently have I switched EVERY SINGLE BLOG I HAVE to the Thesis Theme. The reasons? First and foremost, it’s clean and easy to read and a cinch to navigate. For anyone with their visitors at the top of their priority list, Thesis is their obvious choice.

Secondly, I have over 16 blogs I desperately want to update, post on, and keep current. Of all the blog and website devolopers out there, I trust Chris Pearson the most. Hands down. My blogs and websites are my career - they’re all I (personally) have in the way of generating income. Can you imagine how important that makes them to me?!?! If they don’t do well, I don’t do well.

I know all the research Chris does with SEO and I know that he knows wordpress and blogging inside out and upside down. Because he’s a blogger, himself, and works so closely with bloggers, he knows that one of the things we need the most is for everything to be as convenient, fast, and easy as possible. We all have lives, after all!

It’s also great that I only have to be familiar with one theme - I no longer have to get into the html of a blog and wonder, “Now where is xxxxx located on this blog?” Not counting a few business blogs I do housekeeping for, Thesis is the only blog theme I work with.. so I know where everything is. Makes everything so much easier.

Easier’s good.

Yet another huge benefit of Thesis? Remember earlier I made reference to the Thesis Community? That’s honestly what it’s like. The guys and gals on the Thesis theme forum couldn’t be more helpful if you promised them a lifetime supply of chocolate, coffee, and neck rubs. They even give you the EXACT code for customizations most of the time, all you have to do is copy/paste. During those rare times when virtual Chris isn’t standing behind your chair helping you, his forum team gathers around and helps you out. After all, he can’t be everywhere all the time - if he were he’d be Tyra Banks. And, fierce as he may be, he hasn’t the cleavage to pull it off.

With the customization options and the many choices you now have, you can make your Thesis-themed blog as unique as you are.

Finally, below are a few Must Reads for bloggers. They’re amazing posts and I know you’ll get a lot from them.

How 3 Drag Queens in a Bus Lead to Better Blogging

How to Write With a Distinct Voice

Wordpress Upgrade Woes: Too Many Upgrades Too Often?

Manage Your Blog Comments with BackType

Blah.. Blah… Economy… Blah Blah.  I can’t say anything you haven’t heard before and don’t lay claim to any more information about the economy than the next person.  So, I’ll skip the introductory paragraph about the need most of us have to scale back.

We know the why’s - we just want the how’s and the where’s.

My oldest daughter, Emily the Ever-Prepared,  has started buying Christmas gifts already.  I know, I’m pretty annoyed with her too.  The nerve - making me look so behind.  After class a few days ago, she went by a favorite store and picked up something for one of her sisters.  When she came home, we started talking at length about the cost of Thanksgiving meals, Christmas cookies, fudge, candy, decorations,  Christmas breakfast, Christmas dinner, presents, stocking stuffers, etc.

One Christmas in the whole history of time I’d have been okay with the Grinch stealing and he’s nowhere to be found.

I’m just kind of kidding, of course.  The holidays are about far more than presents, decorations, or even meals - but, even while we’re saying that, we’re planning the buffet, aren’t we??!!

Emily gathered her sisters around (she even pulled the youngest out of bed which was a move so bold, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor…I’d never attempt such a feat…).  She told them they all had to “blood swear” that they were only getting X number of presents for each person on the list and they were only spending X amount of money.

I thought that was a pretty good move - a sort of system that every family member should set forth.  Then, pinch those hard headed elves (like me) who dare to deviate and go hog arse wild.

After two went to their rooms to sort through circulars and one went back to bed (God love her sleepy little heart) I started thinking about my own Christmas list.  I remembered when our girls were all really small, my husband and I used Layaway around Christmastime.  It was a perfect way to get what we wanted early - like winter coats, the newest Barbies, barbie houses, boots, bikes, etc.  all on a “young couple with three babies vs. one income” budget.

The main benefit of layaway is obvious:  You can get more because you don’t have to pay for it all at once.  There’s also an added benefit of keeping little eyes (and not so little ones) from snooping.  Plus, for parents like me that are always tempted to be like, “Oh, you’re so cute… here open a present early..” - the option is taken out of our doting hands.

Plus, it’s easier to keep up with what’s been gotten for whom, and how much it cost, when you have helpful little layaway receipts.

However, I’m one of those people who likes to have presents wrapped and under the Christmas tree early in the season, so I don’t do layaway that much anymore.  I would for larger items, though, especially since the economy is blah, blah, blah.

This morning, Google and I searched for stores who are still offering layaway plans.  I came across a cool post that had the information I was looking for in one place.  TJ Maxx is one of my daughters’ favorite stores, so it was nice to see them on the list.  K-Mart’s also there, along with Marshalls, KB Toys, and Burlington Coat Factory.

I’m going to do more research and see what other stores offer layaway - I’ll edit this post (at the bottom) as I get more information.

Here are a few more tips of the trade…

HALLOWEEN

Treats for the Trick or Treat equation don’t have to be expensive. If you scour the circulars in the Sunday paper, you’ll find that most stores will have a great sale right before Halloween. They don’t want to be left with a ridiculous amount of candy, after all. They want to make way for Christmas. Walgreens, Target, and Wal-Mart are usually the best about cutting the prices. If you have a lot of trick or treaters, you might consider buying in bulk somewhere like Sam’s Club.

Another option is to buy boxes of individually wrapped snacks like Fruit Rollups or other foods popular with moms who fill lunchboxes. Also, if your trick-or-treaters are fairly young, giving out party favors such as plastic bugs for boys and little bracelets or rings to girls is an option. Naturally, with all treats, make CERTAIN that they’re safe for the age group.

As for halloween costumes - have you seen how expensive they are anymore??! It makes a lot more sense to get creative and make your own. Emily’s boyfriend was kidding around (I think?) but he said he was going to wrap himself in aluminum foil and go as leftovers.

Clowns, pirates, movie stars, ghosts, etc. can all be made with make-up, bandanas, sheets, and wax lips (a la Angelina Jolie). And, of course, leftovers with aluminum foil. Love that boy.

THANKSGIVING

For all decorations (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas..), don’t ever snub the Dollar General Store or Goodwill. I collect smiling ghosts, smiling snowmen, and little Indians and Pilgrims (smiling, optional) - and these “off the beaten paths” turn up some real originality.

As for baking, again - keep an eye on the circulars for sales and coupons. Beyond that, I’m looking for advice on saving money at the grocery store, not giving it!

CHRISTMAS

I’ve noticed that every year, right around Thanksgiving, I find the best deals on baking supplies. Flour, sugar, brown sugar, spices, even nuts are cheaper around this time. A few years ago, I started buying extra around Thanksgiving for my Christmas baking.

Like I said above, I’ll keep an eye out for sales, rebates, and special offers - I’ll add Edits to the end of this post as I find them. Hopefully, when January rolls around we’ll still have some money in the bank.

EDITS:
Here’s a great article on Halloween Costumes, including advice on making your own: Five Tips for Your Halloween Costume

As you probably know, I work from home. For over 12 years, my sole job was homeschooling and raising our three daughters. It didn’t pay, monetarily - it paid much better than that. The transition to working in a homebased web publishing and web design business proved a little tough at first. Truth be told, it can still be hard to discipline myself to sit at my desk and work when there are so many other cool things I could be doing!

However, I soon realized a corelation between how many hours I put in and how much money I have for “extras” in life. I do ever so love extras, so I’ve gotten pretty good at logging in the necessary hours. Plus, it helps that I absolutely love to write, research, and build blogs, websites, and even better - online relationships.

However, a few months ago, around 3′ish, I got up from my “work time” to head into the kitchen and begin supper. I didn’t feel satisfied like I usually did - you know, the feeling you get after putting in a good, honest day’s work. Actually, I felt overwhelmed and mentally fatigued. All I could think about was the correspondence I didn’t get done, the links I didn’t have time to add, blog plugins that were being hateful, etc.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a one day thing. I noticed that I started feeling this way just about every single day. Also, instead of being eager to turn the computer on, round up my coffee, information, books, and so forth - I started walking past the computer and kind of snarling at it. One day, it was acting up and I thought something was horribly wrong with it - the smile faded when it responded to a reboot.

I think it was evening the score for the snarls.

I knew that something wasn’t quite right because I normally race, coffee cup in hand, to get my day started. I answer my e-mail, update sites that need to be updated, write my reviews, compose my posts and articles, make graphics, install plugins, read and research, etc - all with a big smile on my face and a fat cat on my desk.

I had a heart to heart with myself - not out loud, of course, the kids worry when I do that. I came to suspect that I’d overextended myself. I sat down with my to do lists for the past week and realized that I was trying to do WAY too much. I looked at the front of my planner and saw that I, at that time, had a total of 16 blogs and 22 websites. All of that on top of being mom, wife, cook, homemaker, and someone who vaguely remembered how fun past times were.

The very next day, I started weeding through my websites and blogs. I asked myself, “Which of these would I be devastated if they were gone tomorrow?” I realized that there were quite a few that, when I got to them on the list, I would answer, “Eh” or “I’d never miss it.” So, when tomorrow came, they were indeed gone. I got rid of 5 blogs and even more websites. They had come to “cost” me more than they “rewarded” me.

Almost immediately, the old feelings of enthusiasm returned - before and after the work day. My computer and I became kindred spirits again. The feelings of being overwhelmed and stretched like a rubber band went away.

Sometimes making small, seemingly insignificant moves can alleviate stress in surprising ways.

If you’re feeling stressed in any way, take a good, close look at your life. What areas are causing you stress? Find ways to alleviate any stress you can - remember, every little move helps.

• Is your workload too heavy?  If it is, lightening it will actually work out better in the long run.  Being able to give MORE of yourself to FEWER projects results in better projects and a better you.
• Do you worry too much about others? Even if it’s your own children, try to make yourself realize that they will make mistakes, just as you have done.  What’s more, they’ll survive and learn from them, just as you have.
• Is your house causing you a never-ending battle?  Recruit help from other family members - don’t nag, that never looks attractive - just point out that you’re so busy lately that you’d appreciate it greatly if they’d help you out some.  Then, when they do, praise their socks off!  If you want results, you’ll get more with honey than with horseradish.
• Try to set aside a little time each evening to just enjoy life.  Take a few hours and do something that others might call “wasting time.”  I love to kick back and watch tv with my youngest daughter.  It’s great to spend time with her and it’s a nice experience to just do nothing.  If your first reaction is, “I can’t take 2 hours to just do nothing, I have to do this and I have to do that…” - then I have to tell you, you’re heading (and speeding to get there) for trouble.  If you don’t have the signs of being stressed, overwhelmed, overworked, or tempermental yet - they’re just around the corner.  Hopefully, you’ll change your course before that corner arrives.

It’s funny, isn’t it, that so many people think they can’t slow down.  They seem to equate being busy as treading water and fear that if they slow down, they’ll go under. 

In actuality, they’ll find that they have more time to swim.

Oddly enough, I think part of the problem lies within this quote about computers, “No matter how fast your computer system runs, you will eventually come to think of it as slow.” Our generation has become so accustomed to fast forward and has gotten so used to dancing to the “Git ‘r done” tune that many of us see slowing down as standing still. Needless to say, we need to adjust that thinking before it’s too late.

We’d hate to have that realization hit us one day with one arm in a blood pressure cup as the other gestures in a how-did-this-happen motion. It’d be even worse, in my opinion, to have it dawn on us one day when our child is reliving his or her childhood and we realize that we’d missed a big chunk of the scenery.

The time to slow down is today. Tomorrow will be brighter because of it.

“Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I’m halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God….I could be eating a slow learner.” - Lynda Montgomery

Here’s is a link to a story that just leaves me feeling depressed and, well, angry. On a hot day in 2007, a woman has to take her baby to the babysitter on the way to work - a task the father normally does, but because of another appointment, can’t do on this particular morning.

She goes by the store to pick up some snacks to take to work, then returns to the car. Instead of heading off to the babysitters, however, she drives right to the school in which she works (as a principal). The entire day (a day in which the temperatures reach 100 degrees) goes by and the woman never thinks once of her daughter in the backseat.

Needless to say, the baby went on to a far better place - with angels fighting over who got to hold her next.

According to the article, the woman was on Oprah recently. The show apparently dealt with finding ways to “slow down.” After all, that’s the only thing this woman did wrong, right? She was just too busy…

Actually, she wasn’t too busy for what mattered to her. She wasn’t too busy to get snacks for her co-workers and she wasn’t too busy to make it to work. Frankly, it serves as a reminder to me that just because some people CAN have children doesn’t mean they SHOULD. Sound harsh? Good, I’m pretty sure I meant for it to.

If someone isn’t capable of giving themselves fully to being a mother or father, they need to go to the pet store, not the maternity ward. Children deserve and require fulltime attention, love, devotion, and care. They aren’t something to be wedged in between money, careers, socializing, etc. If they aren’t going to be a priority, they shouldn’t even be discussed.

The title of the article even ticks me off: “An Overwhelmed Mom’s Deadly Mistake.” First of all, she has a career - most women do. She isn’t in some exclusive little club. She had one extra task that morning… taking her baby to the babysitter. That’s overwhelming??!!

A few things come to mind. First of all, the woman (I’ll give her this, she is speaking out.) may bring attention to other women and men who’s children aren’t at the top of their priority list. Hopefully, these people will recognize themselves in this story and be more aware of what (or who) is going on around them. The type of person who’d read this story and think, “Oh, yeah, I can see how that happened.” needs to read this story once a day for the rest of their lives.

Second of all, how amazing would it have been if the babysitter had called the mother or father and asked where they were - to make sure everything was okay? If I were a babysitter and one of my normal children didn’t show up, I’d be phoning someone making sure nothing had happened. What if the sitter had called the mom earlier in the morning, or the father? If she’d let the dad know, around 8:00 or, at least 9:00, that the little girl wasn’t there, he would have had time to find out why.

Again, this sounds rude - I admit it - but what about the father? If his wife was so entirely off the proverbial ball that she’d forget a baby in her backseat ALL DAY LONG, how could it never occur to him to call her and make sure she’d done what billions of other mothers manage to do?

I’m a firm believer that lessons can be pulled out of anything - even wreckage. This would be a great reminder to slow down and pay attention to the moment we’re living in. It’d also be a great reminder to anyone who has the supreme honor of being a mother or father. Nothing is more important than our daughter(s) and/or son(s). They’re blessings that we should never, ever take for granted.

It’s also a great reminder to care more about others - not a passive care, but an active care. If someone is late or doesn’t show (for whatever!), call them to check up on them. Better to appear overly concerned than not even remotely concerned.

8 hours. How do you not think about your child for 8 hours?

Being a highly excitable person, many things excite me. For better or worse, I get as excited over a lot of things, much as a small child gets excited over Christmas morning. (Child, nothing - Christmas morning gets to all of us!)

One of the things that really gets me revved up is when ordinary individuals (you know, those of us who have to make our way and find our way because we haven’t inherited anyone else’s way!) take on projects with passion and purpose. It’s exciting when someone has a dream within them, then brings that dream to life with hard work, determination, and sheer, “I. Will. Find. A. Way.” willpower.

Makes me want to cheer for them. But when I do that sort of thing, my cats worry.

Two friends, with particularly lovely smiles - Molly Hart and Sonya Conrad - have started something they call the Heartfire Project. Click on the link I just tossed you to read about their project and mission. I could, of course, explain the project to you - but it seems only fair to let the ladies tell you, themselves. After all, it’s something they’re passionate about, so it’s only right that they get to introduce themselves….well, themselves.

I got my copy of their Heartfire Journal yesterday and have already filled out many of the pages. I did some of them this morning, when the house was all quiet and everyone was asleep except for me and one of my cats, Alexa. Click HERE to see sample pages from this journal. They’re downloadable, so you can get a “feel” for how special this journal is.

Ironically, one of my favorite “insighttivities” (they’re activities that bring about personal insight, so I’m going with calling them such) is the one titled “My Nine Lives.” As the authors point out, beautifully, on the following page, “You are all these people rolled into one. It may be hard to imagine you can be a farming-showgirl or mud-wrestling school teacher, yet we all have a collection of characters on our bus. Allowing them each a voice and then a place in your life creates a more complex, satisfied version of you.” I love that!

The characters on my bus sometimes seem so completely opposite that it amuses me. Sometimes I find myself engrossed in an NFL (or baseball, basketball..) game while making homemade bread, and talking about politics with my youngest daughter. I love the concept of fining all the many aspects of your personality and making them all sing together in harmony.

This journal is a lot of fun - but it’s fun with a purpose. As I was writing a few thoughts down this morning, something struck me. I was taken back to days in my room, as a pre-teen and teenager - writing in my diary. Although it seems as though it’s a lifetime later, the same girl that sprawled across her unmade bed with a siamese cat named Solo still lives within the one that was sprawled out on the home office floor with a cat named Alexa this morning.

Same type of thoughts, same type of Mary Poppins attitude, same smiley face doodles here and there. Actually, my smiley faces have evolved. They get noses, hair, and sometimes glasses now. But they’re still smiling.

I can’t really put it into words, but I got reacquainted with ME this morning. Not just the wife, mother, animal lover, blogger, cook, reader, food network junkie, coffee drinker, self help guru, movie addict…. I got in contact with HER again. Just Joi. The one who lived before everything else happened. Before losing her parents, before finding the love of her life, before having the three most beautiful daughters in the world, before speeding tickets, before budgeting (yuck), before life.

I found something out. I like her. And I like me.

You are, I’m sure the same way. You get so busy wearing so many different hats that you sometimes lose touch with the wearer of the hats. The real YOU is underneath it all - all the titles, all the deadlines, all the to do lists — all the hats.

I do all of my blogs with the same thing in mind - helping and touching as many people as I can. In that frame of thought, I would love to see you head over to Heartfelt Project and order a journal for yourself. It isn’t a purchase as much as it is a journey… Ordering it is simply the first step.

I hope you take it.

- Joi

I’ve collected a few more posts and articles from the top shelf for you. They cover a wide range of self help topics and issues - so you’re certain to get something from each.

8 Simple Ways to Save Money & Help Stop Poverty. When I came to the paragraph where the author mentions Starbucks, spending lots of money on books, and speeding - I took a good look at his picture. Next time he’s observing me in caffeinated fast-forward action, I’ll know it.

The Formula for Failure and Success by Jim Rohn.  After reading every word of this great article, find “Community” in the nav bar at the top.  Hover over the word until you see the drop-down menu.  Now, click on “Blog.”  This is one of the best blogs you never knew about.   Great information and motivation.  A few posts in and you’ll be ready to rule the world.  (When you’ve arrived, remember my polar bears, okay?)

Advice for a Teenage Daughter - Things You Should Never Do.  If you have a daughter, you’ll want to e-mail her the link to this post.  It doesn’t matter if she’s 12 or 42 - it’s great advice.

Women and Stress - Stories of Success.  This is a great read for anyone who wants advice for coping with stress.

Information about Flu Shots.  After 3 weeks on the living room/bathroom/and kitchen floors last year - I’ve already gotten my flu shot this season.

Why Googling is Good for Grandma and Grandpa!  Cool article.  Makes a good case for teaching our older relatives a thing or two about the internet.

14 Surprising Signs You’ll Live Longer Than You Think.  As an optimistic tea-lover who loves to walk, this article left me feeling pretty good.  However, my weakness for diet soda just took another hit and I have even more reasons to cut out red meat.  Read through the 14 “signs” and see what you need to do (or eat) more of and less of.   Also, notice what it says about housework - you and I were just praising it in the last post, weren’t we?  Aren’t we clever?

As a mental fitness guru, I also loved the following advice:  “Set personal or career goals, and challenge yourself to meet them by a certain time. Also, try new things to stimulate your brain: If you always read fiction, pick up an autobiography instead. The next day, try to recall three facts you learned from the reading.”

Have a great Friday and hug everyone you love!
- Joi