Category Archives: Beautiful Things

A Roll of the Dice: Decluttering, Cleaning, Organizing, and Decorating the Lessaris Estate

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Clutter and disorganization do not care about your income, your home’s square footage, or how many people/pets live in your home.  I live in a single-family home with my husband, no children at home and no pets.  Well, except for our fish…
Roll of the dice fish
Our home has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full finished basement, in all over 3500 square feet of space, plus porches and decks – and it is full of clutter and disorganization!
Roll of the dice front to back
Confession time (shared from my Facebook page) –
this is just the tip of the iceberg!
Roll the dice confession
This post is not written because I have it all figured out, but because I really do not have it figured out!  I am a List Lady, and I find it much easier and more likely to get done if I write it out step by step to be sure I have thoughtfully considered everything to be done. My hope is that this process helps you too.
I also do not intend to do this Every. Single. Day.  That would become stressful, physically fatiguing, and mentally strenuous.  I will implement my plan every few days, and each step in each room may take a few days to accomplish.  If you are exhausted, then you will give up too quickly, and your other daily tasks would suffer as well.
My plan to conquer the chaos begins with an overview of what I call
“The Clockwise Process.”
No before pictures for today since, not only would that be overwhelming to me, it would be scary for you!  Read through the process for an idea of where we are going on this adventure, using my own home and my own needs as a starting point.
So fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride…
a goal without a plan is just a wish
Make a list of every area in your home.  Be specific and be thorough.  I have numbered my areas and rooms because, in order to defy my anxiety and distress at deciding just where to begin, I will be rolling the dice to choose the room.  Obviously (or not so obviously), I will be limiting the first several rooms to the first several on the list.
Or I could just use my dodecahedron dice…
Roll of the dice jar
+=+=+=+
Areas to declutter, clean, organize, and decorate (my home)
  1. Entryway
  2. Office
  3. Front hallway
  4. Sleepover suite
  5. Sleepover suite closet
  6. Studio
  7. Common bath
  8. Master bedroom
  9. Master closet
  10. Master bath
  11. Living room
  12. Dining room
  13. Liquor cabinet
  14. Kitchen
  15. Laundry
  16. Back hallway
  17. Back hallway closet
  18. Guest bedroom
  19. Guest bedroom closet
  20. Guest bath
  21. Stairwell
  22. Rec room
  23. Storage room
  24. Front yard
  25. Front porches
  26. Deck/fire pit
  27. Back yard
  28. Side yards
  29. Vehicle
{Note: If the room where you are working has a closet, treat it as a separate area. Do not try to include it in the clockwise process.  Perform the clockwise process on it as a room.  (Personal exception: My studio closet must be treated as part of the studio due to its function as a part of the room.) Notice that I have also included my vehicle in this list.  Sometimes I feel like I live in my Kia Soul!}
time pic
Step one for each space is decluttering.  I really cannot clean and organize, and I won’t decorate, until the area is decluttered, because stuff gets in the way!  Isn’t that just life?  My focus is on one room at a time, one step at a time, so after decluttering I can move on to the other three aspects of making my home beautiful.
The Clockwise Process for De-Cluttering
You will need these supplies, plus possibly a friend, music, and maybe a glass or two of your favorite wine:
            Timer (not on your smart phone – too distracting)
            4 baskets/bags/boxes, labeled as:
Other rooms
Other homes
Donate
Trash
Work fifteen minutes at a time, then take a five minute break.  You can adjust these times as you need, but I suggest stick to some kind of time limit.  Go clockwise from your left hand as you stand in the doorway facing the room.  Decide if the first immediate item at your left hand is where it belongs. Use the baskets as follows:
  1. Items that go to other rooms simply go into the designated basket. Don’t try to put away each item as you come across it, or you may get distracted from the task at hand.  This basket can be sorted when the current room is decluttered.
  2. Items that go to other homes also go into its designated basket. These may be things you have borrowed and should return, or things you purchased for someone else (unless the time has not come to gift it – in this case, it should go into the “other rooms” basket so it can be placed into an assigned storage spot until the appropriate time).
  3. Items for donation should be in good condition – no breakage, no holes or tears, no stains. If you would not wear it or use it “as is” then do not donate it.  These items go into the trash bag.
Suggested donation sites:
FreeCycle
Goodwill
Salvation Army
AmVets
local charities and resource centers
  1. Items for trash go into the trash bag, the trash bag gets tied up, and the trash bag gets out of your house. No tosser’s remorse allowed!
=+=+=+=
Now for the roll of the dice.  And the winner is…
Roll of the dice die
THE DINING ROOM!
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Putting Off Procrastination

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Oops, I did it again…

perfectionist-procrastinator

I promised myself that I would not allow myself to play either of my online games today until I wrote this post

and I haven’t.

What I have done is sorted through hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of emails in my inbox because I kept putting off dealing with anything that was not immediately important.

What I have done is spent a few hours perusing Pinterest after opening the app to find a certain quote I wanted to use today.

procrastination

What I have done is not get much of anything done that I intended to get done today.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

While we are postponing, life speeds by.  – Seneca

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

In Fifty and Fabulous, I shared three goals I have set for myself, optimistically confidant they will be accomplished this year.  Goal one is fifty blog posts written and published.  This marks my second post since setting that goal six weeks ago.  Seriously slow moving…  Goal two is completing fifty projects.  Now I have given myself a copious amount of leeway on the definition of “project.”  Still, I have completed … one project.  Quick photo for both proof (and I am quite proud of how my office shelves turned out *pats self on back, then quickly stops because ‘ouch‘*) and as a sneak peak of an upcoming – hopefully sooner than later – post.

office-shelves

Goal three is to lose fifty pounds.  I have lost four.  Now, that is nothing to sneeze at, considering how difficult and painful it is for me to even get out of my bed some mornings. Still again, four pounds is a looooooong way from fifty.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

The fact that aren’t where you want to be should be enough motivation. – unknown

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

A long-held, long-observed season is almost upon us: Lent.  Traditionally, individuals will choose to fast, whether from certain foodstuffs, like candy or meat, or certain activities, like social media or video games.  I myself do not believe that these are harmful in and of themselves, but I would like to put a twist on this fasting observance.  How about giving up something harmful?

An accepted adage holds that one can make or break a habit in 21 days.  While that is not necessarily true, repetition does increase success.

ephesians-4-22-24image found here

I aim to put off putting off the tasks I should do and need to do.  How about you?

What are you waiting for?  Do it now!

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

…and I am one step closer to goal one…

Fifty and Fabulous: A Clean Sweep

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Today for me marks the first day after holiday/vacation mode. I sorted, saved on Pinterest, and scrapped well over a hundred “saved” posts on my family and friends Facebook page.  I have read, filed, deleted and shared hundreds upon hundreds of emails from my personal email account, and I am not finished (plus I still have two other accounts to sift through for my business and other income).  A holiday or vacation is wonderful while it is happening, but the aftermath of playing “catch-up” can be wearying.  So, instead of catching-up, I intend to make a clean sweep and set some new and different goals.

achievement-level-50

This Thursday, I will reach level 50, which is a much more fun way to say it is my fiftieth birthday.  At a half-century of age, I could say my life is, at the very least, half-over.  But who wants to live with such a defeatist mindset?  Instead, I intend to celebrate each small victory as it comes, and downplay the disappointments.

Therefore, I have set only three goals for this Jubilee (I like this word meaning fifty years – just celebrate!) and they each have ties to my fiftieth year.inspiration-file *50 Blog Posts Written and Published

Everything Beautiful began in March of 2014.  In this almost two-year period, I wrote and published 48 blog posts. That number doesn’t sound so bad, and it is not bad for a beginning blogger.  I want to do more and reach more, so I must produce more.  Inspiration is no hindrance; I have 24 pages of thoughts, ideas, quotes, and outlines saved in a Word document.  Motivation is a hindrance; therefore, this is my reason for setting this particular goal.

           \\//\\//\\//

studio-before-collage

 *50 Projects Completed

My home studio, otherwise known as my craft room, also known as my crap room, is a hot mess.  After almost three years of some remodeling project or another with my studio being “the perfect just-for-now” place to keep displaced things, it is an overwhelming thought as to how I should go about planning and organization. With our home office as the last (hopefully!) re-do, I aim to be serious about redesigning and actually using my studio as a creative place instead of a catch-all.

           \\//\\//\\//

weight-loss-beginning

*50 Pounds Lost

I know, I know.  Everybody has “Lose weight” on their New Year’s Resolution List.  So does that make it wrong to include it in my goals?  No way!  I know that I have many, many health issues, and I know that losing weight may help alleviate some of the issues that accompany my issues.  (How many times can you use “issues” in the same sentence?)   I also know that losing weight will not cure any of my issues, except maybe for my obesity.  It will not be easy, it will not be fun, and it will not be painless.  I still need and want to do it, though, and that is enough reason for me.

\\//\\//\\//

            In setting out to accomplish these goals, I know that there may be setbacks and failures, and I am telling myself, and you, that is okay.  I have heard it said that:

failure

            I am starting now.

Panic at the _______!

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isaiah-26-3

A difference exists between panicking and having a panic attack.

keys-clip-art

Have you ever lost your car keys, and you were worried that would get in trouble for arriving late to work?  Were you frustrated, irritated, and upset that they were misplaced again?  Did you turn your entire purse or your entire house upside down looking for them?

You probably panicked until you found them and immediately went about your day.

keys-clip-art

Have you ever lost your car keys, and you were worried that you would be fired for arriving late to work?  And then worried that you would not get a paycheck, that you would get your utilities shut off, that CPS would take your children for not having electricity, that your house would burn down because you had to use a space heater for warmth in the winter when it got down to -25°F (because you know if you misplace your keys that each and every one of these things really will happen)?  Did you get dizzy, did your heart and pulse race, did you feel extremely nauseous, did your knees go weak, did you start shaking and shivering violently, were you unable to get your words into a sentence, were you looking for the escape route from the worst possible scenario?

Then you probably had a panic attack.

            …and I literally just now had to go make sure that my keys were where they belonged.  I almost sent myself into an attack by simply writing that scenario…

keys-clip-art

I cope with my anxiety on a daily basis.  It is a part of me, it is a part of my OCD (no, I am not so OCD – I have OCD), it is a part of my life.  Unless you have had a panic attack, a for-real panic attack, it will be difficult for you to completely understand what is happening.

My family and friends know that I get these episodes occasionally.  They do not know what is going on inside of me, however.  I am pretty sure that most of them just think I am weird.

panic-attack-letter

I am extremely thankful for a husband that loves me no matter what (pretty sure he got the worse of “for better or worse”…), and a doctor that understands and cares.  I am thankful for a diagnosis that I am not crazy, and for medications and information to help me function like a ‘normal’ person.

skin

I have been asked, “But I thought you were supposed to be a Christian?  Should a real Christian have these issues?”

I cannot decide whether to cry or overturn tables when I hear this type of statement.

Even when that statement comes from inside my own head…

Isaiah 26:3 tells me that God will keep those that trust Him in perfect peace.  Why then, am I not in perfect peace?

not-perfect

The Hebrew words for ‘perfect peace’ mean to be completely safe.  I understand this to mean that as I focus on Him, He will keep me safe within His plan.  I don’t know His plan, (As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9) but I know I can trust Him to stick to it and carry me through.  I am a human though, and my will to trust and have faith will falter sometimes.

That is why we have the Bible.  Think about it – if God knows everything, and He does, then He knows that we need reminding of His promises, and we do.

I will fail.  So will you.  The good news is that I am not a failure.  And neither are you.

So when I have that panic attack, and you just don’t get it because you see no reason for my distress, I hope you will remember what you have read here.  I hope that even if you cannot commiserate, you can be compassionate.  I hope that you will remind me of Isaiah 26:3 and help me focus and function.

I hope you will remind me that this too shall pass…

faith-is-not-a-feeling

Lessons Learned

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Not everything that ends badly was all bad.

You can learn valuable lessons from even the worst mistakes and miseries.  Sometimes, you just have to look really hard to find the redeeming reward.

There is almost always one to be found.

beauty-for-ashes

Personal case in point:

Relationships and marriages (…or some of what I learned from my exes…) –

Ex #1 – I learned how to be a mom.  I was young, I made many mistakes, and I discovered a love so big that I felt my heart would burst.  I also learned that sometimes it is better to remain friends than to get married, and that you can remain friends after a divorce.

Ex #2 – I learned how to shoot a gun, how to clean a fish, and how to ride a motorcycle.  I also learned what it feels like to be at the wrong end of a loaded twelve-gauge shot gun.

Ex #3 – I learned firsthand how illegal drug use and alcohol abuse (his addictions) can destroy a marriage, a family, a life.  That is a place I never want to experience again.

Ex #4 – I learned how to hang drywall.  I learned about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the government.  I learned about how to study the Bible to find out what it really says instead of just believing what someone else says it says. I also learned that just because someone says they are a Christian and a patriot doesn’t necessarily mean that they live like a Christian or have the same definition of patriot as most people.  This is when I began to identify more than a little with Sarah Connor of the Terminator movies…

godly-good-man

            Example (not ex!) #5 – I learned that there are good, decent, honest, trustworthy, Godly, kind and loving men in the world.

davemy holy hottie!

~~~       ~~~~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       ~~~~~~~       ~~~

Another lesson that you may learn from your messes is how to make great meals!

From the mother of ex #4, I received this recipe for Hot Hamburgers.  It is spicy, but not too spicy (well, for most people – I still have to put sour cream on mine to calm it a bit).  It comes together quickly and cooks in the crock-pot as you go about your life.  It also makes great use of a beef cut that is rather difficult to prepare on its own, namely beef cubed steaks.  This dish comes out so tender and flavorful!

hot-hamburger-ingredients

Hot Hamburgers

5 cups tomato sauce

15 ounce jar of mild or hot pepper rings, undrained

3 medium onions, sliced or diced

1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon chipped red pepper

3 pounds of beef cubed steaks

hot-hamburger-steps

hot-hamburger-serving

Combine all ingredients except beef cubed steaks in a crock-pot.  Stir well.  Cook on low for two hours.  Add beef cubed steaks.  Cook on high for two hours.  Serve beef cubed steaks on buns or with cooked rice.  Top with sour cream if desired.  May substitute chicken breasts for the beef cubed steaks.

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optimist-or-pessimist

Build-A-Prayer Workshop

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Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it. Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you do, and fix it along the way… (Paul Arden)

One of the scariest things many of us are ever asked to do in public is to…

 

PRAY.

walrus-prayer

Why is the very thought of leading a group in a prayer so dreadfully daunting?  Are we fearful of friends finding fault?  Or afraid of approaching an awesome God and being appraised as inadequate?

Perhaps a primer on prayer, what it is and what it is not, is appropriate.

I asked my sixth grade girls in youth group to help me brainstorm just what prayer is to them.  Their thoughts were:

prayer-isPrayer is…

Amazing   Talking to God   Something you should not be ashamed of   Hopeful   Not complicated   Short or long    Inspiring   Listening   Whenever and wherever   Reading the Bible   Gratefulness   Being honest to yourself   Beautiful   Mine   Worship   Realizing there is a higher authority   Important   Helpful   Conversation   Healthy   A lifestyle   Worldwide   Love   Time with God   Talking to the Creator of the universe   Not fearful   Something you can do on your own time   Self-less   Forgiveness   Unique   Saying “Thank You”   Not all about you   Relationship   Something that can change your life   Something that should be repeated   Main priority!

 

Still, the social aspect of praying in public is intimidating.

So I suggest you practice in private.  Even if you are never called upon to call upon God in community, we are called to commune with him.

john-wooden-on-prayer

Practice may not make perfect, but practice does make prayer more powerful.

charles-spurgeon-on-prayer

To assist in making prayer a potent priority in your life, I have created an acrostic to help cultivate your communication with the Creator.

If you would like to receive a .pdf of this acrostic and accompanying scripture notes, please contact me.

build-a-prayer-workshop

 

 

 

What Were My Words?

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Have you ever tried to literally ‘watch your mouth’?

After a teacher said this to me, I was soon trying to watch my backside due to a paddling.  Note to self (and anyone else reading this) – when you are already in trouble, don’t make it worse by being silly.  Ouch, ouch, ouch…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your words are the only thing in life you have absolute control over.

While we cannot actually watch our spoken words, we can watch our written words and we can listen to what we say.  It is even better to consider, and reframe, and perhaps refrain from our words before they are shared.

Do your words reflect your true self?

two-things

I did an experiment on my own word usage on a very social platform to put myself to the test.  I chose a random month, August of 2011, and I read every post I made.  (Granted, I did not include shares, comments, or memes/photos – I concentrated only on the letters my own fingers typed.what-were-my-words

These are the results this little analysis:

  • Out of 31 days in August, I only posted my own words 17 times on 14 days. All other posts (and there was a post almost every day) were photos, memes, shares, and Happy Birthday greetings on a friend’s page.
  • Of these 17 posts, 6 were questions or requests for assistance.
  • 4 posts were simply sharing information, some exciting and some not-so-exciting but still possibly helpful
  • 5 posts were just plain complaining.
  • 2 were random thoughts
  • 2 posts were about things that nobody really cares about, i.e. “I’m going to bed”

Yes, I realize this adds up to more than 17.  Some posts fit into more than one category.   I also realized that I needed to change.  So I set myself a challenge.

I learned a little lesson on words a while back, and it is still relevant. Just remember the word “THINK” and apply it to the words you are choosing before you say them or before you hit ‘send.’

think

When I apply the T.H.I.N.K. acronym to these posts, I am more than a little embarrassed at what I find.

  • Is it True? I can confidently say that I did not lie about anything in these posts.
  • Is it Helpful? Two were possibly helpful, announcing a neighborhood garage sale and available childcare in the area.
  • Is it Inspiring? Not. A. Single. One.
  • Is it Necessary? Admittedly, Facebook in itself is not necessary. Still, I applied this portion more to mean that what I wrote didn’t fall into the “Well, that was unnecessary” category.  And only one fell to that level.  One more than there should have been…
  • Is it Kind? This one hurts. Although I wasn’t really unkind (except for probably that remark about the golf caddy – see Necessary), neither was I kind or considerate or uplifting.

Ouch, ouch, ouch again…

I had a confrontation with my conscience well over a year ago.  I don’t remember the trigger, but I do recall the results.  I was convicted that although I wasn’t a mean, hateful or heartless person, I was also not living up to the hype.  I did not walk the talk I was teaching.  I needed to make a positive transformation in my world of words.

The first step was to wait.  I don’t mean I sat around and did nothing at all.  WAIT is another easy way to consider your conversation.

wait-why-am-i-talking

Why am I talking (or typing)?  Is it to make a particular point?  Is it to share some splendid insight?  Is it to offer comfort and consolation?  Is it to provoke thought or make a call to action?  Why am I talking?

The next move is to consider what you are consuming.  What are you putting into your head and your heart?

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.                                                                                                                                     Matthew 15:18-19

I had to change some habits.  I had to unfollow some people.  I had to find places to feed my faith and feelings.  This was not difficult at all.  I simply changed my focus and found myself fulfilled.

mudslinging

The final footstep was to share my breakthroughs with my beloved friends and followers.  This can be accomplished in a variety of ways.  Since I am a weaver of words and a social media maven, I employ these as my platforms.  I created a Facebook page, Positive Post Pledge.  I manage my social media to uplift and encourage as often as I possibly can, and I watch my words carefully (most of the time – I still slip occasionally because, you know, humanness…).

…and I share the positivity repeatedly and persistently and purposefully.

Will you join me?

Sunrise, Sunset: Part 2

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01c5e8119f598d7251413d8bd12ca2536b5690acde_00001

1.  Going to bed early.

2.  Not leaving the house.

3.  Not going to a party.

My childhood punishments have become my adult goals…

 

I overheard my father once telling someone that I was the only child out of six that never gave him trouble when it was time to go to bed.  You didn’t have to tell me twice!

I don’t understand why people have to “get ready” for bed.

I’m always ready for bed…

Now, sleep is sometimes elusive, even when I do go to bed in a timely manner.  Part of my brain wants to go over (and over and over and…) tasks I need to complete, ideas that must be written down, things I wish I had done and things I wish I hadn’t done. I have been able to silence some of the grey matter chatter by organizing my evening routine.  My routine doesn’t entirely eliminate the ruminations, but it does cut out some of it.

My evening routine:

  • Begin with a bite.

I have bedtime medications that I must take every day.  A couple require that they be taken with food.  I love my Bedtime Banana Blend.  This smoothie recipe includes several foods that are proven to be sleep-enhancing, and it also just plain tastes good!

bedtime-banana-blend

In a blender or food processor, combine one banana, 1/4 cup almonds, three dark chocolate candy kisses, 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt, one “handful” of ice cubes, 1/2 cup chamomile tea (chilled), 1/2 cup almond milk, one tablespoon honey or agave, and one teaspoon vanilla.  Process until smooth.  Makes 2 cups.

almond-milk-ice-cubes

Bedtime Banana Blend packets can be made ahead of time minus the milk, yogurt, and ice.  Add the milk before blending.  No need to add ice (unless you want it) since the bananas are already frozen.  You may also make the almond milk and/or the chamomile tea into ice cubes for ease of assembly into packets.  Again, eliminate the water ice cubes if you do use frozen milk or tea.

banana-blend

  • These Three Things

I am easily overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks I feel I must do and need to accomplish.  I keep a to-do list, and I use it to create other lists to keep from being frustrated by my inability to do everything as fast, timely, and efficiently as I would desire. I choose three things from my to-do list or I add appointments/tasks with deadlines, whether or not these tasks are on the to-do list.

My bed is a magical place…

 …where I suddenly remember everything I was supposed to do.

 

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Rabbit Trail  These Three Things

I tend to decide my These Three Things tasks for the next day either while I am in the kitchen making my Bedtime Banana Blend, or as I am… (ahem) on the throne.  Hey, it’s time-efficient.  Anyway, what else are you going to do while you’re there?

sunset-these-three-things

  • Get a head start on tomorrow

Do you have an appointment or meeting first thing in the morning?  Choose your outfit before going to bed.  You can make sure you have all of the necessary pieces, including jewelry and shoes, without searching in the dawning daylight hours.  Why add stress to your morning?

Make breakfast or at least assemble the elements of breakfast.  Milk, cereal and fruit are your morning choices?  Set out the bowl, spoon, glass, cereal box, and fruit together so you only need to go after the milk.  Overnight oats are a great on-the-go breakfast and a real time-saver too.  If you are a coffee-drinker (and if you are not, you are wrong), invest in a coffee-maker with a timer, so you can wake to the wonderful wafting of liquid motivation…

breakfast-spread

  • Lastly, eliminate the electronics.

No, not forever, just for an hour before going to bed.  Science has shown that the use of electronic devices (mobile phones, tablets, computers, televisions, and so son) impede our brain’s ability to shut down and rest properly.  Brain growth and repair actually happens while we are sleeping.  So put down the devices and pick up a book, a craft, a board game, whatever.  Give your brain a break and a breather!  It will love you back.

prayer-before-sleep

Sunrise, Sunset: Part 1

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sunrise-over-callon-pond-by-matt-giebler(photo courtesy of Matt Giebler)

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance…

The 5 stages of waking up.

 

I hate the part of my morning where I have to get out of my bed and participate in real life.

 

The early bird can have the worm, because worms are gross and mornings are stupid.

 

I am sooooooo not a morning person.  I am also not a night owl.  But I can rock about two hours after naptime like nobody’s business!

I will nap here

For me, morning motivation is an oxymoron.  I need more than just an alarm clock to get up and go and do.  I need some organization and a method to the morning madness.

I have an affinity for lists, and rhymes, and alliteration.  Somehow, these themes help me to accomplish things – maybe not great things, but still accomplish things.

My morning routine:

  • Rise and shine! (yeah, right…at least rise)

My silly alarm is set for 7:00.  I hit snooze a minimum three times most mornings.  So I am usually at least vertical by 7:30…most mornings.

  • Read and feed

I have a Bible study plan that I follow on YouVersion while I am eating breakfast.  It is the best way I have found to remember to eat breakfast is to feed my body while I feed my mind and soul.  If you prefer not to read a Bible study, I highly suggest you read something.  Stretch your mind, learn new things.

  • Bike or hike

I have a lovely touring bicycle that I ride when my body and the weather allow.  It is my favorite color (orange), it has a happy little bell and a pretty daisy affixed to the handlebars.  It is cute and it encourages me to ride.

my-bicycle

When I cannot ride, I at least practice my range of motion routine and maybe climb up and down the stairs a couple of times.  I am compromised by my health from doing much more then these exercises, and I still do what I can.

  • Wash and wear

I am a bath person.  I detest and resent having to take a shower when I have no other option.  We remodeled our master bathroom a few years ago and I gained a beautiful claw-foot slipper tub that I adore!

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Getting dressed in the morning is both easy and sometimes difficult for me.  Due to miscellaneous maladies, my clothing consists of a great deal of LuLaRoe leggings and comfortable blouses.  I still like to look as nice as I can, so I have very few pieces that I would not wear out of the house.  When I dress better, I feel better, and it shows in my face and attitude.

  • Morning meds

I take several prescriptions and supplements.  I have a pill organizer that is fantastic.  Once a week, I fill the morning and evening sides of the organizer, along with my holy hottie hubby’s pill organizer.  This is helpful to me for not only remembering to take my meds every day, but also in knowing when I am getting low before I run out completely and I am stuck.

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One more motivational tip for your mornings…

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Git’er Done!

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Good, better, best.  Never let it rest

‘Til your good is better and your better is best.

-St. Jerome

 

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

-Mark Twain

 

If you can dream it, you can do it.

-Walt Disney

 

 

If only life was as light and lovely and lenient as these words make it seem.

Many times, life seems more like:

 

If life doesn’t break you today, don’t worry.

It will try again tomorrow.

 

Every day is another chance to screw everything up again.

 

Legacy:

In the end, all of your contributions will be taken for granted

and people will only remember your mistakes.

 

Wow.

Life can be easy, life can be hard.

Life is not always easy, and life is not always hard.

 

we-should-always-proceed

 

But if you have an opportunity to make the easy happen more and the hard easier to handle, why not take that opportunity?

 

never-too-late

 

Beginning today, I share a series of tips, tricks and techniques for getting and staying motivated, even when you would rather swallow a mugful of mealworms.

 

Today, the very first step… is to read this post.

See?  You have accomplished something already!

 

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong

and start being excited about what could go right.

-Tony Robbins