Creative Stress Relievers

Lately a lot of people I know seem to be stressed ... because of finances or job hunting or the winter weather or because it's cold & flu season. Regardless of the reason stress can definitely take a toll on your mind, body and spirit (in no particular order). My schedule these days doesn't permit me to get to the local gym and the cold weather we've been having here in the mitten hasn't been real conducive to outdoor walks, so what ways have I found to relieve stress? Well, let's see.

I haven't been to a Chuckie Cheese's in years and I don't have a 'Whack A Mole' game, so I've gotten creative and health-conscious. Are you confused yet? lol. Let's just say that my family has been eating more chicken lately. That's right ... chicken. I buy boneless skinless chicken breasts, fillet them so they're 1/2 the thickness and then pound the heck out of them. My husband says they're practically thin enough to read the paper through, but bake them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, add a little Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and YUM!

This morning at work I found my 2nd creative stress reliever. I was setting up a classroom for a business meeting and decided to clean the dry erase board. Spritz the special magic spray (that looks like water, but smells real strong), do your best imitation of The Karate Kid's 'wax on, wax off' and VOILA! You've got a nice, bright, white, clean dry erase board. I felt so gratified with my work that my co-worker and I decided to check all the classrooms and cleaned 3 more boards. Not only was our work productive, but we got a little arm & shoulder exercises in for the morning. Felt like I had a clean slate for my day (pardon the pun).

What creative ways do you relieve stress? And please don't tell me that you NEVER get stressed. If you do I'll have to think that I've been doing something wrong.

Blog About What You Know

The thing about blogs is that they can be a great source for sharing your opinions and your insights, vent over what went wrong with your day, share a favorite recipe, or just journal away til your heart is content and your mind is clear. But what I've discovered in the few years that I've been blogging is that you should never, ever write because you feel you need to fill some sort of self-imposed writing quota. Just because I read something inspiring or funny on someone else's blog doesn't mean that I have to try and top it. I don't have to write about resolutions just because it's New Year's Day and I think it might be expected. Less is more, I think. If I don't have something important, witty or awesome to share, then I shouldn't feel the need to create something. If I do it won't be genuine and that will show.

If you write a blog and look carefully at the inner workings you can discover a lot of interesting things. Things like how many people view your blog on any given day, what countries your blog is being read in, and most importantly which blog entries stir readers to actually post a comment. Looking back at my blog history one entry jumped out to me as having gotten the most interaction. It was about my visit to a baby department store to shop for a baby shower. I wrote about what I experienced, what I knew, my opinion, the products, etc. I was thrilled to get so many comments from readers and hear, in turn, about their experiences and their insights.

Last week I was out to dinner with friends for a school fundraiser, when a friend asked me, 'So ... what have you read lately?' Rather than lie and list the new best seller I was honest and said, 'Well, the FAFSA form and several scholarship applications.' I don't think it was the answer she was expecting, but it was definitely a honest answer. We then rehashed the days of when our older kids were graduating from high school and having been through the college process before. We talked about how much things had changed in 9 years and how many more hoops we needed to jump through to try and help our kids get a college education. That aside, the moral of this little story is to write about what you know, have conversations about what you know, be who you know how to be. Don't try to write something or say something or be something that isn't you. JUST BE YOURSELF.

My question for you today is ... 'What's new and exciting in your life? What new hobby have you tried lately? How many pounds have you lost? (you look great, by the way) We want to know or at least I want to know. lol. I already know what's going on in my life - I want to know what's going on in yours.

There's a time to scrimp and a time to splurge!

Ask anyone who knows me well and they’ll tell you that I love a good sale. If I have to buy something it is VERY rare that I will ever pay full price for anything. I haven’t gone to the other side yet and become an extreme couponer, but I do cut my share of coupons and look for my share of good deals.

I’ve come to the determination that I have a clear list of items I am willing to scrimp on (although I don’t consider it scrimping … I’m just saving money on an equally good product or service). I can’t imagine why in today’s economy someone would pay full price for something if they didn’t have to. If my husband and I eat a meal out we generally always have a ‘buy one, get one free’ coupon. I buy Clairol Nice-n-Easy’ hair color and cover my grey for on average $5.99 an application (which will easily get me through 5 weeks). Yes, that’s right. I just admitted to my millions of devoted readers (ok, perhaps I exaggerated on the number of readers) that I have some areas of grey hair that I cover up. Guess my secret is out, but hey that's o.k. we're amongst friends, right? I also will buy generic brand vitamins (mostly CVS & Kroger brand) because my son (the really smart chemistry teacher) agrees that the ingredients are identical.

However, I’ve also discovered that if I’m going to scrimp on some things, it should allow me the choice of using brand name products as well. Of course, that certainly doesn’t mean that I won’t look for a coupon or check to see which store has the lowest price. So what are my products that I stand by? I’m glad you asked …lol. I will always stand by my Tide detergent (the fragrance free, free of all dyes, etc. kind), my Bounce dryer softener sheets (the fragrance free, etc. kind as well), my Bigelow Orange & Spice caffeine free herbal tea (no other brand comes close in taste as far as I’m concerned). And as David Letterman would say, ‘The #1 thing NOT to scrimp on is Kleenex brand tissues.’ After blowing my nose for the last week with a whopper of a cold I’ve decided that Sam’s Club (the brand we use at work) and Target (the brand I was buying for home) simply will not suffice any longer. The noses in my household deserve only the best and for us that is Kleenex brand tissues. (Gosh … do you think I should send them a copy of this blog? Maybe they’ll send me a free case of tissues for endorsing their products …lol).

So … my question for you today is ‘what will you scrimp on?’ and ‘what will you splurge on?’ Please share, I’m sure my millions of readers want to know.

What was your special gift?

Today it is 3 days post-Christmas. I've eaten my share of the holiday food, baked some Christmas goodies, made a trip or two to the local malls for exchanges or after-Christmas sales, and am ready to say 'I need an afternoon at home with some down time.' Tonight we will visit with some extended family and this afternoon I will bake some homemade chocolate chip cookies, but for right now I am giving myself permission to take a short breather. It's nice to have the time off over the holidays but I guess I thought I'd have a bit more relaxation time. I've enjoyed having my kids at home and some family time in the evenings, but even we haven't found the time yet to play a game or two of Phase 10.

This afternoon I want to share some pictures with you of my 'favorite' gifts ... the ones I received from my family that meant the most. They didn't cost the most or come in the biggest box, but they're the best because because they were each chosen with 'me' in mind.

From my daughter I received a special pottery mug meant for relaxing cups of tea in front of the fireplace. She knows I do not like coffee and a hot cup of herbal tea is more my style. Ironically I got her one almost identical to it. Guess great minds think alike. She also knows that I enjoy baking, but my current cookie dough spoon has seen better days ... hence the 'new and improved' cookie dough scooper. I will definately test this one out this afternoon.

Next my son, ordered me a book by an author that we are both familiar with. The author also writes a blog that I follow. Now, don't get the wrong idea. I LOVE my day job! This book is more about remembering what your goals and dreams are and not putting them off til later. Unfortunately, 'LATER' sometimes has a way of never coming around. Hopefully reading this book (while drinking a nice cup of hot tea in my new mug) will remind me that it's o.k. to still have goals and dreams (especially when you're an employee, a mom, a wife, etc.).

And finally, my loving husband bought me a gift that will allow me to reboost my creative time. Since I was a little girl I've always loved to draw. Painting was never my strong suit. I love to draw, color, shade, etc. I love using pencil and color pencils the most. I don't anticipate showing my works in any galleries anytime soon, but I can hold my own. My kids still have brown paper lunch bags from school field trips that I adorned with their portraits on the front. You'd be surprised how hard it can be to find your lunch in the plastic bin when there are 25 other brown paper bags.

So, to my family I say 'thank you'. Thank you for remembering 'me' when you shopped this year.

Now I want to know what was one of the heartfelt gifts you received this Christmas and what made it special?

How do you feel about glitter?

Today I took a vacation day. My hopes were high for a peaceful relaxing day, unfortunately things haven't panned out exactly as I had planned. My goal was to wrap up a little Christmas shopping (no pun intended), then treat myself to a nice lunch, and follow it up with some quiet time at the library. How did I do? Well ... I 'attempted' to finish up shopping, but walked away not finding most of the things on my list. I went to one particular store to look for 2 very specific things (things that I had always purchased at this store), only to find out that they no longer carried the brands I was looking for. I was told they were 'fazing' out the brands to replace them with their house brand. Unfortunately their house brand wasn't anything like the brands they were eliminating, neither in style or quality. Bummer for me and bummer for them. My shopping experience wasn't a total loss, I did manage to pick up a couple of things that my husband can wrap for me and surprise me with on Christmas morning. Yes, that's right ... we tend to pick out our own gifts to help the other out. After 30 years of marriage we've learned that we have a hard time buying for the other. It's just less stressful this way. The ironic thing was that I was frustrated when shopping so I posted to my Facebook wall that I 'wanted a dislike button for stores that discontinue carrying products they used to carry'. Then when I was walking out of the store I ran into a friend who said 'Hey, were you talking about this store?' Lol, guess I was busted.

My lunch was a disappointment and I never did make it to the library. I am now sitting at the computer in our home office. I don't mean to sound like a whiner, guess I just put too high of hopes on my day and got stuck with a double dose of disappointment.

So you're probably wondering what any of this has to do with the title of this entry ... whether or not you like glitter. Actually I suppose it has nothing to do with it other than all of these events are little pieces of the Christmas season. With the topic of glitter I am referring to Christmas cards. I've sent mine out and have received a few this past week. My question for you is 'how do you feel about glitter?' Glitter certainly makes for some lifelike snow scenes on the cards, but have you ever noticed that once you've opened a card with glitter you can't get rid of the glitter? It is everywhere. It goes on your hands, your counter top, your clothes, and your floor. It seems to be made of some strong galactic compound that apparently only super heroes can conquer, because not even a super duper Hoover vacuum cleaner can pick it up. I love the artsy effects it gives the cards, but it does make me wonder what the floors look like in the factory where they make them. I don't think I'd want to be part of that cleaning crew.

So it's truth time ... are you FOR or AGAINST glitter?

Stop and Listen

It seems we are in full gear of the pending holiday season: Christmas lights are going up, holiday music is playing on the radio, stores are having sales, and signs are out advertising cookie walks and live nativities. There are lots of ways to celebrate the holidays. We cook, we bake, we shop, we entertain, we go to concerts and shows, and maybe we take time to walk down the streets in Rochester or Royal Oak. Most of us will be out amongst people at one point or another. When you're standing in line at the post office or sitting at a table in a coffee shop you need to 'stop and listen'. Listen to the sounds of the season. Listen past the music on the radio or the honking car horns on the street. Listen deeper and think about what you're hearing. You might hear the giggles of an anxious child as they stand in line at the mall to see Santa, you might hear someone who sounds distinctly like Scrooge yelling at the salesperson because they didn't like the price they paid for something, you might hear someone discussing their Christmas wish list, or you might hear people gossiping. The last one is the probably one of the saddest.

Today I made a run to Target then decided to grab a quick bite at a local fast food restaurant before pressing on to Kroger's for groceries. As I sat there eating my McDouble (please don't judge) I couldn't help but overhear the conversation of 3 high schoolers sitting at a nearby table. Teenagers have a knack for talking louder (not sure if that is intentional or not). The entire time I was there they were talking about other people. I never once heard them discuss themselves, only judging the other people they came across. 'Who does that girl think she is anyway? She's always in 'my' hallway. I mean seriously... she's not even in my class. Why is she even there?'

As the parent of a teenager I spend a good deal of time around kids, but the conclusion I've come up with is that people (of all ages) judge others. It's not age exclusive. Some may tell you they're above it, but if you really stop and listen you'll hear it. You'll hear it at your child's school, at your church, at a restaurant, at a booster or PTO meeting, at your job, at the mall, at the grocery store ... need I go on? I try to be aware of my own actions but catch myself being human as well - go figure.

Do you judge or criticize or critique your friends, your family, your co-workers, your neighbors, or more importantly strangers? Stop and listen to those around you. Hear what is really being said. Now stop and listen to yourself. Is everything you say free of gossip and judgement?

Christmas is the season of peace, love, joy and hope. Perhaps it's also a good season for reflection, for change, and for self-improvement. As the Christmas season draws nearer, let us all take the time to truly stop and listen. If given your choice ... what would you like to hear?

Are you a turkey lover?

I took a short break from writing this month, in case you've been looking for my posts (please tell me you have ... lol). The truth of the matter is there's just been a lot going on. Sure, there have been the usual parental duties (fortunately many of which are pleasures), my job, my family, cleaning out my perennial flower beds for the winter, and this past week my husband and I  started prepping for the Christmas holidays. I know what you're probably thinking, that I'm one of those people who rush through their holidays. Actually that couldn't be further from the truth. I actually try to savor every part of the process. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Lots of people are either on the road today traveling to visit family and friends for a few days or they're home chopping and dicing and prepping for tomorrow's festivities. Whichever end of the scale you're on, remember to take time to breath along the way.

Thanksgiving is about alot of things; different things to different people. The first thing to take time for is being thankful. What are you thankful for this year? I'm thankful my son is driving home tonight and we'll have 4 glorious days together as a complete family. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband and my beautiful daughter. I'm thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table. I'm thankful for my extended family, my church, and my church family. I'm thankful I get to get up every morning and have a purpose for my life. Tomorrow my family will join with my husband's family for dinner. We'll eat (probably too much). My husband will get the honor of taste testing his sister's stuffing before anyone else. I'll sneak the first taste of the turkey while my brother-in-law pretends not to notice. My daughter and I will play our annual game of chess (while my nephew's dog, Max, watches our every move). We'll all yell at the TV set watching football and then after dinner we'll all lounge around watching 'Pumpkin Chuckers' (a truly unique experience).

Some of the younger ones (actually the niece & nephew are in their mid 20's now) will scour the Black Friday advertisements and strategically plan their hunt. Although I hope my niece takes the year off since she's expecting her first child soon. We don't want her or the little one getting trampled on over the 'big deal' of the day.

Be thankful for the big and small things in your life: your health, your faith, your family, your financial stability, your morals and values, that your kids can make you laugh, because you fit into jeans last month that were a size smaller, and for your talents. Be thankful for who you are and what you've been blessed with.

Happy Thanksgiving!