“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.”
― The Light in the Heart
That's my meditation that I've been focused on for the last few days. Being mindful of not only my situation but my mouth and my energy.
I had a terrible dream a few nights ago that woke me up and had me in a bad place for a few days. Even now as I dare to share it with you, I feel the anxiety rise up and the tears come to my eyes. The reason it hurt so much was that in this dream, I let my mouth and my temper shoot off to a stranger, and as a result, this stranger hurt one of my sons who came to my defense. and I could do nothing but watch in horror as it all played out. When I woke I was shaking and couldn't get it out of my head, I was actually scared for a few nights to go back to sleep because I was scared that I would have this dream again.
But here's the thing that I discovered as I tried to meditate this damned dream out of my head over the last few days: The lesson to be learned is that in this dream I was neither mindful, positive, or kind and as a result, the situation went from something that could have been settled easily to something tragic. That was on me, nobody else.
Mindfulness teaches us that each word comes together in a larger puzzle that we can't always see up close.
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Thanksgiving this year was quiet. The older Boys ( they will always be known to us as our Boys, even though the older boys are 30 this year ) weren't able to come home due to Covid and travel restrictions. So we had to settle with phone calls. Our table was small, just us. But we tried our best to make it memorable and enjoy the time we have together.
Hanukkah is coming up far too fast, starting on the 10th and I just don't feel like I've managed to get into the holiday spirit. I'm trying, but my mind just seems to be distracted.
Thankfully we have all of our holiday shopping done already. We were able to find the best gifts online and delivered right to their doors.
Perhaps I'll put on some holiday tunes this afternoon and dig out all of the decorations. After all, it's December and we love decorating inside and out. I'll post photos on Instagram to show you what we've done.
Mindfulness Tip:
Clear the clutter in your In Box today!
Take 15 minutes and unsubscribe from 10 emails you don't read or take up your time. You'll be surprised how much lighter you'll feel after getting rid of digital junk!
What I'm Listening To:
It's has been an emotional time recently. To be honest, I've been struggling with how to wrap my mind around all that has been happening. From Covid and all of the tragic stories of loss, to closer feelings of frustration at not being able to see our children who are all grown and live in different states.
So I've been intentionally listening to music that lifts me up and makes me feel good. From old classics like Let My Love Open The Door by Pete Townshend to new loves like Talkin' to You by Animal Years.
What I'm Reading:
I got lost in a ghost story that had me gasping at the twists and turns until the very end, House Of Salt And Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
I just finished and when I did I discovered that I can't wait to read Erin's next book Small Favors. I love finding new authors that are not only thinking outside the box, but also willing to put themselves out there to connect with fans, as Erin did with me on Instagram a few weeks ago. I won't forget her kindness and I'm thrilled to promote her upcoming work because of her own character. Love you Erin!
My Favorite Recipe:
Since the weather has turned cold, I have been drinking a lot of hot drinks. My favorite has been Spike Hot Chocolate made with Cask & Kettle's Mint Patty Coffee hot cocktail pods. I have made a few batches of this rich homemade hot chocolate and then stirred in the Mint Patty pod. Yumm! It warms your soul!
Don't forget to make a batch of whipped cream for the top!
Firefly Whipped Cream Recipe:
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Add everything to your mixer and with the whisk attachment, whip on high for 3-5 minutes until it becomes a thick whipped cream with strong peaks.
Something New I Tried:
I discovered LIKEtoKNOW.it this month! Yes, I might be super late to this party, but it is so much fun. You have to be invited to join because it is an invitation-only platform that allows me to curate great product lists that are shippable. You can shop my favorite things by following me on the LIKEtoKNOW.it app.
You can also find many of my direct links on our blog posts now. We are trying to help our readers discover the easiest way to shop our looks.
What's On My "Home Projects" List?
Here are some of my Pinterest inspiration photos of what I'd like to work on.
Cute things I found:
Shop The Look:
What Blog Posts Am I Working On?
- We just finished a cozy post about Weighted Blankets and now I'm working on a few gift guides for the holidays.
Who Or What Is Inspiring Me Right Now?
My recent inspiration came from both Dwayne The Rock Johnson who happens to be one of my favorite human inspirations. But also from a 5yr old little boy who wanted to get his message about stoping domestic violence to his hero. Angelou, made me smile and made me cry with his message of love and respect for women.
I hope you'll take a look at the video and share how it made you feel in the comments.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this whole thing. I hope we made you smile and hopefully inspired you to breathe in the beautiful life you have, let go for a moment, and think about who or what inspires you.
If you were inspired to do something today, please take a photo and tag us on Instagram in your stories. I'll share your moment on our story too!
Have a warm and happy December!
