60 small ways...

I am working on organizing my life and this was a great way to do it with out all the guilt I feel when I don't do it all in one day! lol...It took me many years to collect all the stuff I have and I need to understand it will take a while to get it all organized.  This has been a great help to me to piece it out and come up with a plan! 

This is a great article I found on Lifehack...

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to make drastic changes in order to notice an improvement in the quality of your life. At the same time, you don’t need to wait a long time in order to see the measurable results that come from taking positive action. All you have to do is take small steps, and take them consistently, for a period of 100 days.


Below you’ll find 60 small ways to improve all areas of your life in the next 100 days.

Home

1.  Create a “100 Days to Conquer Clutter Calendar” by penciling in one group of items you plan to declutter every day, for the next 100 days.  Here’s an example:

• Day 1: Declutter Magazines
• Day 2: Declutter DVD’s
• Day 3: Declutter books
• Day 4: Declutter kitchen appliances

2. Live by the mantra: a place for everything and everything in its place. For the next 100 days follow these four rules to keep your house in order:

• If you take it out, put it back.
• If you open it, close it.
• If you throw it down, pick it up.
• If you take it off, hang it up.

3. Walk around your home and identify 100 things you’ve been tolerating; fix one each day. Here are some examples:

• A burnt light bulb that needs to be changed.
• A button that’s missing on your favorite shirt.
• The fact that every time you open your top kitchen cabinet all of the plastic food containers fall out.

Happiness

4.  Follow the advice proffered by positive psychologists and write down 5 to 10 things that you’re grateful for, every day.
5. Make a list of 20 small things that you enjoy doing, and make sure that you do at least one of these things every day for the next 100 days. Your list can include things such as the following:

• Eating your lunch outside.
• Calling your best friend to chat.
• Taking the time to sit down and read a novel by your favorite author for a few minutes.

6. Keep a log of your mental chatter, both positive and negative, for ten days. Be as specific as possible:

• How many times do you beat yourself up during the day?
• Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
• Are you constantly thinking critical thoughts of others?
• How many positive thoughts do you have during the day?

Also, make a note of the emotions that accompany these thoughts. Then, for the next 90 days, begin changing your emotions for the better by modifying your mental chatter.
7. For the next 100 days, have a good laugh at least once a day: get one of those calendars that has a different joke for every day of the year, or stop by a web site that features your favorite cartoons.

Learning/Personal Development

8. Choose a book that requires effort and concentration and read a little of it every day, so that you read it from cover to cover in 100 days.
9. Make it a point to learn at least one new thing each day: the name of a flower that grows in your garden, the capital of a far-off country, or the name of a piece of classical music you hear playing in your favorite clothing boutique as you shop. If it’s time for bed and you can’t identify anything you’ve learned that day, take out your dictonary and learn a new word.
10. Stop complaining for the next 100 days. A couple of years back, Will Bowen gave a purple rubber bracelet to each person in his congregation to remind them to stop complaining. “Negative talk produces negative thoughts; negative thoughts produce negative results”, says Bowen. For the next 100 days, whenever you catch yourself complaining about anything, stop yourself.
11. Set your alarm a minute earlier every day for the next 100 days. Then make sure that you get out of bed as soon as your alarm rings, open the windows to let in some sunlight, and do some light stretching. In 100 days you’ll be waking up an hour and forty minutes earlier than you’re waking up now.
12. For the next 100 days, keep Morning Pages, which is a tool suggested by Julia Cameron. Morning Pages are simply three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning.
13. For the next 100 days make it a point to feed your mind with the thoughts, words, and images that are most consistent with who you want to be, what you want to have, and what you want to achieve.

Finances

14. Create a spending plan (also known as a budget). Track every cent that you spend for the next 100 days to make sure that you’re sticking to your spending plan.
15. Scour the internet for frugality tips, choose ten of the tips that you find, and apply them for the next 100 days.  Here are some possibilities:

• Go to the grocery store with cash and a calculator instead of using your debit card.
• Take inventory before going to the grocery store to avoid buying repeat items.
• Scale back the cable.
• Ask yourself if you really need a landline telephone.
• Consolidate errands into one trip to save on gas.

Keep track of how much money you save over the next 100 days by applying these tips.
16. For the next 100 days, pay for everything with paper money and keep any change that you receive. Then, put all of your change in a jar and see how much money you can accumulate in 100 days.
17. Don’t buy anything that you don’t absolutely need for 100 days. Use any money you save by doing this to do one of the following:

• Pay down your debt, if you have any.
• Put it toward your six month emergency fund.
• Start setting aside money to invest.

18. Set an hour aside every day for the next 100 days to devote to creating one source of passive income.

Time Management

19. For the next 100 days, take a notebook with you everywhere in order to keep your mind decluttered. Record everything, so that it’s safely stored in one place—out of your head—where you can decide what to do with it later. Include things such as the following:

• Ideas for writing assignments.
• Appointment dates.
• To Do list items

20. Track how you spend your time for 5 days. Use the information that you gather in order to create a time budget: the percentage of your time that you want to devote to each activity that you engage in on a regular basis. This can include things such as:

• Transportation
• Housework
• Leisure
• Income-Generating Activities

Make sure that you stick to your time budget for the remaining 95 days.
21. Identify one low-priority activity which you can stop doing for the next 100 days, and devote that time to a high priority task instead.
22. Identify five ways in which you regularly waste time, and limit the time that you’re going to spend on these activities each day, for the next 100 days. Here are three examples:

• Watch no more than half-an-hour of television a day.
• Spend no more than half-an-hour each day on social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Stumbleupon.
• Spend no more than twenty minutes a day playing video games.

23. For the next 100 days, stop multi-tasking; do one thing at a time without distractions.
24. For the next 100 days, plan your day the night before.
25. For the next 100 days, do the most important thing on your To-Do list first, before you do anything else.
26. For the next 14 weeks, conduct a review of each week. During your weekly review, answer the following:

• What did you accomplish?
• What went wrong?
• What went right?

27. For the next 100 days, spend a few minutes at the end of each day organizing your desk, filing papers, and making sure that your work area is clean and orderly, so that you can walk in to a neat desk the next day.
28. Make a list of all of the commitments and social obligations that you have in the next 100 days. Then, take out a red pen and cross out anything that does not truly bring you joy or help move you along the path to achieving your main life goals.
29. For the next 100 days, every time that you switch to a new activity throughout the day stop and ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time at this moment?”

Health

30. Losing a pound of fat requires burning 3500 calories.  If you reduce your caloric intake by 175 calories a day for the next 100 days, you’ll have lost 5 pounds in the next 100 days.
31. For the next 100 days, eat five servings of vegetables every day.
32.  For the next 100 days, eat three servings of fruit of every day.
33. Choose one food that constantly sabotages your efforts to eat healthier—whether it’s the decadent cheesecake from the bakery around the corner, deep-dish pizza, or your favorite potato chips—and go cold turkey for the next 100 days.
34.  For the next 100 days, eat from a smaller plate to help control portion size.
35. For the next 100 days, buy 100% natural juices instead of the kind with added sugar and preservatives.
36. For the next 100 days, instead of carbonated drinks, drink water.
37. Create a list of 10 healthy, easy to fix breakfast meals.
38. Create a list of 20 healthy, easy to fix meals which can be eaten for lunch or dinner.
39. Create a list of 10 healthy, easy to fix snacks.
40. Use your lists of healthy breakfast meals, lunches, dinners, and snacks in order to plan out your meals for the week ahead of time. Do this for the next 14 weeks.
41. For the next 100 days, keep a food log. This will help you to identify where you’re deviating from your planned menu, and where you’re consuming extra calories.
42. For the next 100 days, get at least twenty minutes of daily exercise.
43. Wear a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps, every day, for the next 100 days. Every step you take during the day counts toward the 10,000 steps:

• When you walk to your car.
• When you walk from your desk to the bathroom.
• When you walk over to talk to a co-worker, and so on.

44. Set up a weight chart and post it up in your bathroom. Every week for the next 14 weeks, keep track of the following:

• Your weight.
• Your percentage of body fat.
• Your waist circumference.

45. For the next 100 days, set your watch to beep once an hour, or set up a computer reminder, to make sure that you drink water on a regular basis throughout the day.
46. For the next 100 days, make it a daily ritual to mediate, breath, or visualize every day in order to calm your mind.

Your Relationship

47.   For the next 100 days, actively look for something positive in your partner every day, and write it down.
48. Create a scrapbook of all the things you and your partner do together during the next 100 days. At the end of the 100 days, give your partner the list you created of positive things you observed about them each day, as well as the scrapbook you created.
49. Identify 3 actions that you’re going to take each day, for the next 100 days, in order to strengthen your relationship. These can include the following:

• Say “I love you” and “Have a good day” to your significant other every morning.
• Hug your significant other as soon as you see each other after work.
• Go for a twenty minute walk together every day after dinner; hold hands.

Social

50. Connect with someone new every day for the next 100 days, whether it’s by greeting a neighbor you’ve never spoken to before, following someone new on Twitter, leaving a comment on a blog you’ve never commented on before, and so on.
51. For the next 100 days, make it a point to associate with people you admire, respect and want to be like.
52. For the next 100 days, when someone does or says something that upsets you, take a minute to think over your response instead of answering right away.
53. For the next 100 days, don’t even think of passing judgment until you’ve heard both sides of the story.
54. For the next 100 days do one kind deed for someone every day, however small, even if it’s just sending a silent blessing their way.
55. For the next 100 days, make it a point to give praise and approval to those who deserve it.
56. For the next 100 days, practice active listening. When someone is talking to you, remain focused on what they’re saying, instead of rehearsing in your head what you’re going to say next. Paraphrase what you think you heard them say to make sure that you haven’t misinterpreted them, and encourage them to elaborate on any points you’re still not clear about.
57. Practice empathy for the next 100 days. If you disagree with someone, try to see the world from their perspective; put yourself in their shoes. Be curious about the other person, about their beliefs and their life experience, and about the thinking process that they followed to reach their conclusions.
58. For the next 100 days, stay in your own life and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.
59. For the next 100 days, place the best possible interpretation on the actions of others.
60. For the next 100 days, keep reminding yourself that everyone is doing the best that they can.

Art in Nature: Post-It frame up

Art in Nature: Post-It frame up

Fall in {Love}: CinnaSweet Pumpkin Seeds

October 3rd.2011
I love this time of year! all the holidays starting up, I stepped outside on Saturday for the soccer game and it was a little cooler! since I do work outside any little bit helps! I have started decorating and thinking of Halloween. I have a few cards already done and some treat bags done too. now onto the front porch. I was at the store picking out my pumpkins to decorate the front porch and carve for the Halloween Pumkin Carving contest at work and remembered my daughter loves to cook the seeds. I found this recipie and will pass it on to her. Fall in {Love}: CinnaSweet Pumpkin Seeds
and let you know how they turned out.

Art in Nature: Rubber Stamping on Tiles...

Art in Nature: Rubber Stamping on Tiles...

Affirmation for today

"I send joy ahead of me. I bring joy with me, and I am always greeted with joy." —Louise L. Hay

What is Important to you?

Have you read this before??? I love this story...


A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed.

He asked his students again if the jar was full? They agreed that yes, it was. The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor,

"I want you to recognize that this is your life.

1. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

2. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, and your car.

3. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." "If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks.

The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.

Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal."

Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just pebbles and sand.

A Step in the Journey: Link Up Here

A Step in the Journey: Link Up Here: "I'm sure a lot of you are like me, just trying to get your blog noticed in the VAST space of blogland. Here are several great link partie..."

Love

you love

“ memories flood in

regrets tug in one direction...

joys tug in another...

how do you hold a lifetime in your hands?

and what do you do now?

maybe you do the only thing that ever really mattered -

you love.

you offer love.

you give love.

you receive love.

you breathe love.

you live love.

you love. ”

~terri st. cloud

The Magic of Summer

It's the first official weekend after the summer solstice (June 21st). Time to celebrate the magic of the Sunshine!

What is the magic of summer? For me it's the slower pace of life, the ocean breezy evenings filled with laughter, and the cool peaceful mornings.

Here's my list of a few things that make summer magical for me:

--chatting with friends on walks outside, (around the corner or at the beach!)

--strawberries and blueberries

--homemade ice cream

beach sunflower

--fresh picked flowers from the garden
--flea and art markets
--road trips
--butterflies (always!)

river snail

--campfires and s'mores
--open doors = fresh air

I am planning to enjoy this year! 

zebra longwing butterfly, Florida's state butterfly

I would love for to hear what makes summer magical for you, leave a comment and a photo if you have one....

Wildflowers

 

 I love wildflowers! we often miss seeing them as we sometimes just pass by, here are a few I found and took a photo of on a walk... 

Wild Flower a poem from my friend Tammy!  

I picked some wild flowers the other day to make a bouquet for the house.   I cut and trimmed and did my best to arrange them perfectly but no matter how hard I tried - just wasn't the same.   So not like the store bought ones...  you can't mold wild f...lowers into anything, they are just wild and after picked they quickly droop.   Like people.  We are born wild, but yet along the way - tried to assimulte into society and loosing our roots we quickly droop as well.  Our spirit slowly dies and our souls morn for the "good ol days". Free people stand up for themselves and have principles keep growing like the wild flower.... following the sun and adapting to their enviroment,  finding beauty in their growth and being who they are regardless of how many thorns they are delt.    We can't change people.  We can manilpulate for a while, bribe, steal, degrade, and abuse....  but these actions will bring short term freedom and happiness.    It is like picking the wild flower from a field and making your own.   Wild flowers in na vase quickly looses it's color and life. We can only truly make change with one word.     LOVE!   Love the flowers excatly where they are regardless of the weeds around them..  Love/ Acceptance will be the seed that sets strong roots in order to have truth growth toward the Sun or Son!   And inside you will find your God excaty they way you were meant to be.    Free - free to help others, free to help yourself ...  free to be you!   However you are!!

Animal Wisdom

It is so fun to step out my front door and see all the wildlife that is around.  Many cultures believe there is wisdom in these creatures if we would only listen.  Animal totems reach out to us and can offer an insight into our day.  I always try and see who is around me and listen quietly to what they are trying to tell me.

I am enjoying the Hummingbirds around my house for the past
month and I was able to capture this little one's photo for you!

I think this is a great animal totem for the coming year.   Hummingbirds represent Happiness. "They can teach you  how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances." (animal Speak, Ted Andrews)
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Are you interested in Discovering your power or totem animal????


I will be overing a 3 part meditation to help you discover what your power or totem animal is at this time in your life. Power animals most often come to us in dreams, meditations, initiations, and visions. You can have more than one power animal.

Your power animal can change at a given time depending on your lifepath at that time. Power animals are often attracted by the emotional needs of the person - viewed as protectors who help overcome fears and empower us.

There will be open discussion after the meditations to talk about how our power or totem animals help us and guide us in our daily life. I'll have animal 'Medicine cards' there to help you understand some of the meanings of your totem animal.

Bring a pillow or two, blanket, air mattress, sleeping bag or whatever you need to be comfortable while laying on the floor during this intense series of meditations. If you prefer to sit, that's ok too.

Cost: $30
email for the details of when and where

March 25th, 2011 walking around this morning in the front yard I hear a rucus in the bushes and out shoots 3 blue jays...they must have a nest or just playing...I do love them...they love to find the peanuts I have hidden around my yard...they start talking to me first thing in the morning if I don't have any out...they are very demanding little things, with great personalities...they are one of my animal totems.
In My favorite book by Ted Andrew’s Animal-Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Power of Creatures Great & Small, I go to look it up and see what the 3 blue jays are trying to tell me today...


from Ted’s book: “For those to whom the jay comes as a totem, it can reflect lessons in using your own power properly. It can also reflect lessons in not allowing yourself to be place in a position in which power is misused against you.”
My message for the day "I will allow the energy of blue jay to help me align my personal power for the highest good for all concerned."





Feb 28th, 2011   Going to the Ren Festival is always the highlight of the year for us.  My daughter and I have been since she was 3yrs old.  Walking around and visiting the shops of artisans and people watching and looking for the fairies is always fun.  We love the falcons and always stop by the Falconer and watch the birds fly and pick up some things he teachs the audience about the birds of prey that we can add to our program... This year was no exception and I was able to capture a few good shots for you of the birds in flight.  They are so super fast and this is one of them coming right at us.  I looked up the Falcon as a totem animal...enjoy

Falcon   Providence is on your side, and the opportunity that has been presented to you is congruent with your soul's purpose. Even if you don't feel fully prepared or have doubts in your ability to manage the complexities that are inherent in tackling this venture, dive in anyway. ... Commit to your mission 100%, and fulfill that commitment to the best of your ability. This isn't a time for analysis, introspection or retreat, but a time for action. ... You can deal with whatever concerns come up without being distracted by them and without straying from the path you're on.

Associations: Focus, Speed, Agility, Gracefulness, Observation, Vitality, Enthusiasm, Precision, Adventurousness, Passion, Opportunity, Perceptiveness, Fluidity
 Excerpts from Messages from Your Animal Spirit Guides Oracle Cards, Steven D. Farmer

Mother Nature's Messenger

Do you want to have more joy in your life?  
Do you need to unblock negative energy?
Do you want to be a magnet for success in your relationships?

Do you know how to tap into the universe to set clear goals? 

I can Guide you with the Nature of Joyf and live and inspired life.


As Mother Nature's Messenger I can help you reconnect to the healthy natural rythmns of the universe, introduce you to the cycles of moons energy and the joy and bounty of nature around you.

I can guide you to have a less stressful life and to simplify your life through teaching you creative activities inspired by Mother Nature herself.

I want to show you how to show up for your life.

One way is by living in season and with the natural cycle.  by understanding the moon and the seasons you can actively participate in your own life rather than hiding and going through the motions.



Stop and smell the flowers.

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I am excited to be living this dream together, to share the joy, laughter, creativity, gratitude, healing, and love.  I've been living energetically connecting to my surroundings for as long as I can remember...many moons as they say... and I'm continually impressed by how effective, beautiful, and awe-inspiring the nature of joyful experience can be. The connection between humans and nature who come together with the intention to heal is joyful and electric,

and the positive effects are limitless.

We have inspiration all around us from Mother nature,....

We just have to open our eyes to see....and feel and express our gratitude. 

Let's Embrace the magic of nature.

       
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"See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grow in silence;

see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...

we need silence to be able to touch souls." Mother Teresa.

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April 22, 2011 Happy Earth Day
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. The subtitle is what really caught my eye and my heart, Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder but I think we all could be affected.
In this electronically driven era where we aresurrounded by computers, television, and everything, our relationship with the natural world continues to be seriously compromised. Yet we can choose to make it a priority, especially with our children. It requires us to consistently create opportunities to involve them with Nature, to turn off the television, computers, iPods-or at least limit there time to 2hrs. is recommended.
So here's a couple of suggestions from the above-mentioned book for what you can do to encourage and establish their love for Nature:

We as adults and parents can  be a role model for children by getting outdoors, even if only your backyard. It's a good stress reducer as well as having additional health benefits. Children and parents feel better after spending time in the natural world.

Take a walk in a park, at the beach, or in the woods. Take special note of the various plants and animals you encounter.

Invite native animals and plants to your yard. Maintain a birdbath. Set up a hummingbird feeder. Replace some (or all) of your yard with indigenous plants.

Set up and maintain a terrarium or aquarium.

Make a leaf, stone, or seashell collection by gathering these on one of your walks. Press colorful leaves in books until they dry. Create a collage with the stones or seashells.

Lie on the grass and gaze at the clouds, looking for images. Older children can learn to identify the different cloud types.

Take a hike. The younger the child, easier, shorter routes are best, and be prepared to take breaks often. An older child can take longer and more challenging hikes with you.

Make up some nature games. Find ten particular animals, such as birds, insects, four-leggeds, reptiles, etc. Look for footprints or other evidence of an animal having passed by.

Plant a garden in a section of the yard or if space is limited, in large pots on a patio or rooftop. Work with your child and help them notice the day to day and week to week growth of what you've planted. Enjoy vegetables from this garden, perhaps even sharing them with neighbors or a food bank.

These are some great ideas that invite the natural connection to the land and all of its inhabitants, something that has been forgotten for many of us. Through your guidance, as children grow they can also learn to appreciate the Life Force, or Spirit, that is inherent in all of the trees, plants, and animals that exist in the natural world.

April 12th....April 11, 2011(from the DailyOm)



Finding Your Tribe/Your Allies on Life’s Journey

The people who become members of your tribe are in the world waiting and you are destined to find them.

Part of being human is the search for an individual identity. Bound to this strong need to establish a unique persona, however, is an equally intense desire for acceptance. It is when we find our individual tribes that both are satisfied. Our tribe members are those people who accept us as we are without reservation and gladly accompany us on our journeys of evolution. Among them, we feel free to be our imperfect selves, to engage unabashedly in the activities we enjoy, and to express our vulnerabilities by relying on our tribe for support. We feel comfortable investing our time and energy in the members of our tribe, and are equally comfortable allowing them to invest their resources in our development.



The individuals who eventually become members of your unique tribe are out there in the wide world waiting for you. You are destined to find them, one by one, as you move through life. Sometimes your own efforts will put you in contact with your future tribe members. At other times, circumstances beyond your control will play a role in helping you connect with your tribe. If you look about you and discover that you are already allied with a wonderful and supportive tribe, remember that there are likely many members of your tribe you have not yet met. On the other hand, if you feel you are still living outside of your tribe, broadening your horizons can help you find your tribe members.

However your life develops after you come together with your tribe, you can be assured that its members will stand at your side. On the surface, your tribe may seem to be nothing more than a loose-knit group of friends and acquaintances to whom you ally yourself. Yet when you look deeper, you will discover that your tribe grounds you and provides you with a sense of community that ultimately fulfills many of your most basic human needs.

April 3rd.... Are things moving fast enough for you???? well hold on for this new moon, the April Moon shifts into speedy Aries at 7:51 am EDT today and assertive Mars also enters spontaneous Aries early this morning, making 6 planets in this excitable sign. Things may be a bit crazy since the Moon conjuncts Mars and electric Uranus today, firing up our enthusiasm for new beginnings.


March 21st....for the Full moon in Virgo a super moon closest to the earth for a long while....and It's the first day of Spring...So looking forward to the warm weather.  I know alot of my friends are getting great big snowflakes today but we all know it can't last much longer....right???  So thinking of Spring brings to mind....flowers budding, birds n nests, losts of bunnies....and the new ideas planted at the New Moon....I find my self asking "what do I need to spring forward?"  lets Draw a Tarot or Oracle card today that will tell us an action we can take to help us create something new in our life that we desire... What card did you pull??? can you share your results....


March 19th....This is A Great Tarot spread using the planets and their energy....from Corine at Wizards Tarot, I am going to pull cards for the full moon in Virgo...
Sun — Your self-image
Moon — Your emotions
Mercury — Your thoughts
Venus — Your love life
Mars — Your energy and drives
Jupiter — Your luck
Saturn — Your restrictions


March 20th...  Have you read this before???  I love this story...

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed.

He asked his students again if the jar was full? They agreed that yes, it was. The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life.

1. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, and your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

2. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, and your car.

3. The sand is everything else. The small stuff." "If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks.

The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.

Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal."
Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just pebbles and sand.
*******************************************************


March 18th....I have  been having so much fun visiting with other bloggers all over the world.  It reminds me of being in middle school and getting a pen pal! Love It!!!   I have found out there is a lot of what is called blog hoppin and sharing on these blogs so I thought I would share this one with you for a little inspiration!

I visited one of my friends blogs and I wanted to tell y'all about Donna's giveaway at her blog,  Conghaile Cottage.  The CSN store is so cool, I love the nature plates and the cupcakes plates are so cute too. 

Click here for her giveaway, but hurry, because it ends on Saturday March 19th.  The Gift Certificate  is for a $45.00 gift certificate to CSN stores, where you might want to buy something cute like the cupcake plates above.  I love finding plates at the flea markets too, to give little goodies to someone.  Wouldn't this be a cute plate to give with a cupcake on it for someone's birthday!!!????  so cute!

March 8th, at 11:11am (notice the numerolgy! gotta love it~!)
It is so sad to me when people go about their day and not enjoy it.  I know there has to be something in the day to be grateful for.  It is so important to notice the little things around us, We are all trying so hard to be better, work smarter, live more fully, we ask the universe for answers of why we are not happy, wealthy, ect...we throw up our hands in such sorrow but the God/dess does answer us, so we should not make assumptions about the way Spirit can send you messages.

The man whispered, God, speak to me,

and a meadowlark sang.

But, the man did not hear.

The man looked around, hearing nothing so the man yelled, "God, speak to me!

And the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, God let me see you"

And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not notice.

And the man shouted,

"God show me a miracle!"

and a life was born.

But the man did not know. So, the man cried out in despair, Touch me, God and let me know you are here!"

Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man, but the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on."

Don't miss out on a blessing

because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

March 4th New Moon in Pisces at 3:47PM, EST.
Thursday, the nighttime hours of Friday, the 4th, or the daytime hours on Saturday, the 5th, are the most powerful for compiling your written wish list for this month.


March 1st, 2011 Today's Spread, What's your next great adventure? And, looking back, how has the past helped shape and predict your new future?


Feb 29th, 2011
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. – Helen Keller

This little great horned owl fell out of it's nest at the sanctuary.  It is a fledgling probably getting too big for the nest (they don't make great nests, this one took over a squirrel nest and during the wind and rain we had, this one came apart) We rescued him/her and placed her on top of a shelter in a basket with some of the nesting supplies that fell down...Mom was looking down on us supervising from right above in the tree!


Feb 6th, 2011  (new moon in Aquarius...Feb 2011)
This month’s New Moon is in the sign of Aquarius, a fixed air sign.   They are usually on the outer edge of everything or lost in space, or surrounded by a large group of friends, but not really too close to any of them. Aquarius born are known for their independence, individuality and detachment. Their shadow side comes out in contrariness, rebellion and emotional unavailability.

The new Moon in Aquarius calls us to the circle, collaboration and collectivization. We recognize that what one does effects us all. We are asked to tend the web of community as natural team-builders.(Kathy Crabbe)

How many times have we heard, "Surround yourself with people who inspire you!"?  We all need to remember that when we surround ourselves with inspirational people our energy raises and our spirit strengthens.  

Last week my family cat Jewel of 14yrs, passed away, (old age), she went to sleep in her favorite chair.  I was so shocked and upset I really did not know what to do.  I did not really want to believe and by reaching out to my friends and letting them send me their hugs and letting me know they acknowledge my feelings for my loss was too much for me at the time.  I am the one that is always fine, making sure everyone else is taken care of.....I know I have to show my vulnerabilities, when all I want to do is hide under the covers or really just go back in time and "fix" it.....but to be around these friends and knowing they care and share my pain...it inspires me to share what happened and to know it is okay to gain strength from others to raise my spirit. Thank you!

This new moon in Aquarius, for me, let me see that I do tend to be more of an observer at times and make sure everyone else is having fun and taken care of. I am very independent and everything is always “fine” with me. This day was so awful I did not really know how to reach out. The little voices in my head saying…I did not want to “bum” anyone out, it’s just a cat/(a friend just lost a child), it’s not so bad it’s an animal…blah, blah, blah…however when I did reach out from under the covers and let people know of my loss they understood my pain, my loss and offered support and understanding. We are not alone in this world and for me this helps me to remember to build that web of community of  love and support, what I and we long for and need to survive. Thank you for your love and hugs. And for listening. We really are all connected by the heartstrings.

Jan 19th, 2011 Full Moon In Cancer
An easy way to nurture the higher expression of this Full Moon is by
1. calling in and honoring your favorite goddess; ask her for assistance
2. nurturing yourself and loved ones; Honor those around you
3. nesting and devoting yourself to home-improvement projects;
4. taking a long bath or otherwise communing with the water element;
5. taking time to simply feel your feelings.

Be open to the potential for flashes of intuitive awareness, magical synchronicity, and freedom from old emotional patterns and programs.

Questions to ask yourself
1.Is your outer-world mission aligned with your feelings and intuition?
2. To effectively pursue worldly ambitions and fulfill your purpose, what kind of foundation or support system do you need?
3. How can you create a balance between nurturing your personal life and achieving your goals?

A thankful person is a powerful person!
Jan 4th,2011 ahhhh the new morning. I love walking around outside right when the sun comes up, before everyone starts moving and drink my coffee, watch the bunnies munching away on the grass, listen to the birds and just "be" in nature. I am so lucky and grateful to live here and have all the animals that pass by and call our home, home too. Ohe of them the redshoulder hawks are flying over and talking all the time, it is migrating and mating season and a nest is soon to follow! Yay!!! and ....Look what I found in my garden....a gift...a feather in the grapevine near my garden entrance. I was pulling weeds and getting ready to get in there and clean it up and add some more plantings, and there it was. Must have fallen from the pine tree over head. I feel so blessed to have found one. I know, I know, I see them all the time at work but to "find" one...very special and so very cool! Jan 4th,2011

Jan New Moon affirmation for me.... (High Priestess tarot card Pulled) I am experiencing big and long awaited assistance to changes right now. taking command and getting things started. I am trusting that I will have every ounce of support I need without feeling like I need to force any of it. Allowing divine guidance to flow through naturally through my art and creative workshops.

New Moon affirmation for me.... (High Priestess tarot card Pulled) I am experiencing big and long awaited assistance to changes right now. taking command and getting things started. I am trusting that I will have every ounce of support I need without feeling like I need to force any of it. Allowing divine guidance to flow through naturally through my art and creative workshops.

August 2010 
ahh school has started here in South Florida and my little one is in high school this year! where does the time go...???

The start of the new school year has always been an exciting time for me...new notebooks, freshly sharpened pencils,(and yes I love the smell of a new box of crayons...I miss buying those for my kids.) All the excitement of new adventures and making new friends.

I am very excited to be working on some new art work for my art studio and will be posting some pictures soon (getting ready for the holiday gift giving season) I hope you support your local artists!

I am also working on my Art of Self Discovery life coaching. Working with the moon phases to help you reach your goals. It is so much easier to work with the elements all around us and to go with the flow.

Are you starting a new time of life? Whether it's a new job or making the decision to get health the art of personal growth is a choice you make for yourself. How often do you dream about a better future for yourself? What does it take to create the abundant life of your dreams?

Sometimes believe it or not we can get in our own way of achieving our goals. Do you find that despite your hard work, careful planning and strong desires you are still not on your path? The first step is to discover the secret of a personal life coach.

Many athletes accomplish their goals and are on a winning team because they are guided by a coach. Why not you? YOU know you want to fulfill your destiny. To grow to your fullest potential. I urge you to gift to yourself the benefits.

I can help you to create a spiritually meaningful live. By using astrology, Tarot and a guided weekly counseling session I can encourage you into self-transformation and support you in your dreams.

When you are willing to invest the time and money in yourself please send me a note or give me a call to see if we can partner together to obtain your goals.

Brenda Nickolaus 561.262.2727

I have found that Tarot is more than a hobby but part of my life I can not ignore. It is one of my callings.