How to create and Indoor Sactuary

Where do you go to relax at the end of the day? Your home! Stress should be left at the door and your soul given a place to rest and be nurtured. To make your home more enviting for relaxation, implement these ideas. You'll be surprised how doing these for a few weeks can create a totally different environment and feeling in your home.

1. Green! Bring green plants into your home, especially the kinds that filter indoor pollutants. Some of these plants include gerber daisies, spider plants, english ivy, chrysanthemums, and boston ferns. You should have two plants for every 100 sq ft.
2. Bring the outdoors in. Bring in pieces of nature, whether it be a rock you found while hiking that you like, or a piece of wood, or even flowers you picked off the side of the road.
3. Color. Painting a room can change your whole attitude. Find the colors that represent what you want that room to feel. (In my house my bedroom is green and brown, the bathrooms 3 different blues, and the main rooms a desert tan).
4. Sight and sound. Those nature sounding cd's that you can buy just about anywhere now are wonderful to listen to over a cup of hot tea (or coffee). Fix yourself a comfy sitting place, near a window or pretty art work, listen to nature and just enjoy the moment.
5. Room. You should always find at least one place in your house for a little peace and calm. It could even be the bathroom!
6. Clean. A cluttered environment equals a cluttered mind. Clear out those hiding spot every other week or so. If you have less to clean and worry about you'll be more able to relax and enjoy what time you have.
7. Let the light in! Natural light has an amazing affect on your body. Open up those curtains and allow your home to fill up with the sun.
8. Love love love. Homemade gifts and mementos of those special people in your life can make you smile, which relaxes you! Try to have something that makes you smile wherever you find the most stress. (i have two scary looking witches in my kitchen to make me laugh when i get too stressed out).
9. Read! Turn off the tv, and curl up and let your mind go!
10. Baths. A hot bubble bath, some hot tea, a classical music cd, and some candles. Need i say more?

Hug those you love

My boss and friend, Nicole, lost her brother yesterday. He was only 47. It was a quick battle with cancer that took everyone by surprise. He and Nicole had always been close, altho during the past 10 years they had let disagreements with both of their spouses come between them. In the past year they had rekindled their relationship, making the bond between them stronger than ever. They had lost their mother (to the same thing) 20 years ago and reliving this for Nicole is incredibly hard. I'm trying to be their for her in any way I can, doing as much business wise as I can and also giving her as much space as i'm sure she needs.

I can't help but think of how close my brothers and sisters are. There are 7 of us, spanning 19 years (i'm the oldest). Of course like most families we have our differences. We are all very different people. Some of us working day by day doing the family thing, some very conservative and some living alternative lifestyles. But dispite all the disagreements and differences, I can't wrap my head around what I would do if I lost one of them.

Hug your family tonight. Tell them that you love them.

100 things i've done

Megan was doing this and I thought it looked like fun. (just copy and paste) If you play along, leave me a comment so I can see your list.
Bold whatever you have done. (or italics if your font is bold)
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen and Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
.37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Wordless Wednesday - Baby feet

More blog awards!

Lorie over at Thinking Out Loud has given me this cool award. The premise behind this one is to make new blog friends. So i'm going to award this award (doesn't that sound funny?) to some of the newer blogs that i've started reading.



Lindsey at Sweet Simplicity
Brandy at One Girl Revolution
Liz at Loving mom 2 boys


And Chermonblie over at He calls her "Lemon Pie" has awarded me with the Your Blog is Fabulous Award. Fabulous! (ha! Couldnt help myself) The condition of this award is that I write 5 obsessions I have and tag my 5 favorite blogs.

So my top 5 obsesssions (in no particular order)

1. Sweet tea

2. writing in my day planner

3. Work, work, and more work

4. any food with shrimp in it

5.organizing my life and my home

Wow, I dont' know if I can pick just my top favorite 5 blogs. As you can see from my profile I read ALOT of blogs (in my defense not everyone posts everyday so it's not like I spend HOURS glued to my computer....okay well maybe just a few hours). So I am tagging everyone who is following my blog! Yep, ya'll are my favorites today cuz ya'll like my rambeling..rambleing...(too lazy to find a dictionary tonight. )

Musical Monday

Jori over at Jeff & Me + Three is hosting a musical monday. Very creepy since just like 2 hours ago I was thinking I should start something like this. Cool. But you stole my idea Jori. Just kidding!

But since I'm a total spaz when it comes to learning how to download a video from youtube (any help would be appriciated, I can pay in the form of kind thoughts) I'm simply going to link and share the lyrics with ya'll.

I'm not going to feature a song, like i'm supposed to, but a cd. I first heard "So What" by Pink a couple of months ago. With all the crap that V and I went through I thought this was the perfect break up song. I love to just turn this up and yell (sing) along.

You weren't there

You never were

You want it all

But that's not fair

I gave you life

I gave my all

You weren't there

You let me fall

So... So what

I'm still a rock star

I got my rock moves

And I don't need you

And guess what?

I'm having more fun

And now that we're done

I'm gonna show you

Tonight...I'm allright...

I'm just fine...

And you're a tool....

Best Break up song.... Ever. I'm telling you, there's nothing more cathartic than screaming this out the car window. And I love the video. Pink is awesome.

I bought the cd today and the second song on there also spoke to me and all the ups and downs i've been through the last year. Sober . The total ups and down roller coaster of emotions after a relationship is over. Who you are as person isn't who you thought you were and trying to find the real you just makes you even crazier.

I don't wanna be the girl that laughs the loudest...or the girl who never wants to be alone...I dont' wanna be that call at 4 oclock in the morning..cause i'm the only one you know in the world that won't be home.. that's not the way I want my story to end...I'm safe up high...Nothing can touch me...But why do I feel this party's over? ....no pain inside...you're my protection...but how do I feel this good sober? ....I don't wanna be the girl that has to fill the silence... The quiet scares me cause it screams the truth....

......And if i let myself go i'm the only one to blame...when it's good then it's good, it's so good till it goes bad..till you're trying to find the you that you once had.. i have heard myself cry never agian...broken down in agony just trying to find a friend...

I. Love. This. Song.

The rest of the cd is just as awesome. But you can definately tell that she wrote most of the songs (if not all of them) when her relationship with her husband fell apart. Misery creates the best art.

How to make self-rising flour

For each cup of flour in a recipe, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.

Out of baking powder? Use 1 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar for each tsp of baking powder needed.