100 happy days, one day at a time

Okay, so I think I am a little late to the party on this one. Sadly, I find that I am a little behind the eight ball on many social media-type things. Oh well, sometimes having a life is more important. I already spend WAY too much time on the blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, the list goes on and on. Couldn't they just stop making new social media apps? I can't take anymore!

Anyway, in an attempt to extract myself from social media (yeah. right.) I have decided to try the 100 Happy Days project. Have you seen this? Do you know what I am talking about? Please tell me that there is at least one person out there who doesn't know about this yet...

Basically, you take one picture of one thing that makes you happy. And you do it again and again for 100 days. It is an attempt to help all of us unfocused, rushed people stop and notice how wonderful out lives are and, hopefully, appreciate all that we have. I love the premise behind it. I am a little sad that it takes social media to help me take these extra steps but it is what it is. I do have to say that I appreciate and give thanks for my life and my family every day. But it is kind of fun to do it in pictures.

Just in case you want another bloggers point of view on this, check out A Beautiful Mess' post this week here.  Oh, and there is actual scientific results that shows that this project makes people happier and more satisfied. Want to sign up (and to see more information)? Go to 100happydays.com and check out the project!

Here are my first few happy days.

What makes you happy? Share your happiness!
Go to #100happydays to see what makes the world happy

Mimosas and Muffins

This past weekend I hosted a mimosas and muffins party.  It was quick and easy as far as set up and planning and it was a great way to spend some time with some of my favorite ladies!

To get ready I baked two dozen muffins (straight out of the box...I am no Martha) and bought fruit for fruit salad, three kinds of juices for a variety of mimosas (OJ, Blueberry Pomegranate,  and Crangrape) and a bottle of champagne for every guest. Overkill? Maybe...but I didn't want to run out.

I then scavenged my house for every bright colored, spring looking thing I could find. And then scavenged my mom's house (thanks Mom) and ended up with a pretty festive color palette. Clearly I am dreaming of spring and completely ignoring the single digit temperatures out there.

Then I searched the internet and found these lovely, free printables from the Handmade Home (thanks Guys!). I added some words using PicMonkey and printed.

Here is everything all set up and just waiting for my guests...

Sorry I didn't get a picture with all the food and mixers out but things got a little hairy in the end. I still had to feed the baby, vacuum the first floor, get the two year old dressed, and pee (TMI?) at about the same time that the guests were due to arrive. Eek!

Once everyone got there it was a help yourself, relaxed get-together. People made their own mimosas, grabbed their own snacks and hung out. My 45 minute party ended up lasting 2 1/2 hours. It was fun and I even have leftover champagne!

I hope all these spring colors bring a smile to your face!

Crazy Making

Why is it that we make ourselves crazy? We have beautiful, full lives. We have family, responsibilities, bills, headaches, jobs, laughter, love, and moments that come out of nowhere and shock us. And yet, we are always trying for perfection. When will we realize that what we have in this moment, right now, is perfection?

Recently, in an attempt to find more time for my family, I agreed to take on one more thing that would "solve all my problems." If I am trying to get more time for my family, why would I agree to doing something that took time away from my family? It makes absolutely NO sense. And yet, here I am stuck in the middle of it.

Every time I think of staying in to "see if it will work," I know in the pit of my stomach that it is the wrong thing to do. That I will not end up with boatloads of money, in fact it is much more likely that I will end up losing money. But then, every time I think of getting out, my stomach (again) goes crazy. I don't know if it is because I am afraid of being seen as a failure or because I may possibly make the wrong decision and lose out on "making it big."

And this brings me back to, why do we make ourselves crazy?

I know this whole post is a little cryptic, but I am kind of in the middle of it right now. Either way,  once I get myself out of the crazy cycle, I am going to have a great new experience to blog about. So, for now, please stick with me. I promise to get back to my "happy place" and share soon!

Photo Credit: muneeb1988 via Compfight cc

Making Friends Wherever We Go

It is amazing who we encounter in our everyday travels.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to ski alone, which means a lot of trips up the chairlift in the singles line. This can seem a little daunting. You are all by your lonesome, faced with the prospect of sharing approximately five feet of space with three strangers for five minutes or so. I am not going to lie to you, it can be uncomfortable, but sometimes you find yourself on a magical chair and you have an AWESOME conversation with your fellow riders.

The funny thing is that unless I am decked out in my skiing gear ( including helmet and goggles so no one can actually see who I am) I tend to be pretty shy. But put me on a chairlift on a beautiful powdery day and I will talk to anyone and everyone.

 This past Sunday I talked about ski programs, the conditions, my kids, my parents, a weird connection between my fellow rider and a friend I haven't seen since college, my dog, all four seasons, my hometown, a new invention someone was thinking through, the dangers of dodge ball (torn rotator cuff. Ouch!), what we had for dinner and dessert the night before, sports, the Olympics, how to enhance a trucks headlights, sound system, and lift carriage, music, list goes on and on.

After reflecting on this awesome day, I realized that maybe, if it just stepped out of my comfort zone and actually started conversations with the people that I encounter every day, I could meet so many new people and have that many more connections. Imagine the conversations that I could have in the line at the grocery store, the post office, the bank...

This is one area where my kids had the world figured out before me. I often joke that they are little mayors. They know almost everyone they come across (strangely enough) and if they don't, they say "hi" and chat. (Not in a scary, unsafe way). So, today, I am going to make a point of saying "hi" to more strangers that I come across in my travels in hopes and being more friendly, welcoming, and engaging to the people around me.

What is that old saying? Strangers are just friends you haven't made yet.

P.S. More projects on the way. We have a long stretch of at-home time coming up which translates into fun project time. Oh, Project Time, how I have missed you!