Myth Buster #1

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend.

I'm willing to bet you had a much better Saturday than I.

I was stuck at home with the stomach bug and had to send the family off to celebrate without me.

However, my husband did a great job with taking lots of photos; here are just a few:



Yes - my daughter the Easter Bunny hid our oldest son's goodies bag on the roof.



Okay - back to business.  As part of the blog, I've decided to add a "myth buster" section where I can discuss my feelings and ideas of common perceptions about growing older.  In honor of the recent holiday, I'd like to address the practice of giving up one's belief in characters such as the Easter Bunny and Santa.  Just because one grows older doesn't mean the special magic of these days has to disappear.  I think that kids have this one right!

Besides, there's a lot you can learn from these childhood pals, as demonstrated by this excerpt I found on another blog:

All I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny

• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

• Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

• There’s no such thing as too much candy.

• All work and no play can make you a basket case.

• A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.

• Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

• Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

• Some body parts should be floppy.

• Keep your paws off of other people’s jelly beans.

• Good things come in small sugar coated packages.

• The grass is always greener in someone else’s basket.

• To show your true colors you have to come out of the shell.

• The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

I say...live on, Easter Bunny!

Weekly Goal #4 - Getting Rid of the Clutter

First, let me explain about this week's quote.  I really try to coordinate the quotes with each goal; however, I just could not find a good quote to fit for this week.  I have a feeling this might happen from time to time, so I decided to just substitute a good "life" quote when it does.

Okay, on to this week's goal - getting rid of the clutter.  I realize this could mean a number of things, but I'm talking about the physical, visible clutter that sometimes hides in drawers, closets, or other areas of houses and workplaces.  I don't know why, but there are a few spots in my home where items tend to accumulate.  One of these is our living room closet, which I've decided will be my project for this week.

Is clutter such a bad thing?  No...but it's really not a great thing, either.  It can make life harder while looking for misplaced items and lends a sense of disorganization to the home or office.  In extreme cases, it can even affect a person's living conditions and relationships.

This is the challenge: Find an area that's cluttered and organize it.  Believe me, you'll feel better once it's done, and your space will look better, too.  As I mentioned above, I plan to reorganize my living room closet and will even post pictures (gulp) of the process.

Budgeting Ideas

This week's theme is "organizing your finances", and there really is no better way to do this than creating a budget.

Here are a few quick ideas about budgeting your finances:

• create a budget based on one month's income   I feel this is the best approach as most bills are due on a monthly basis.
• write down financial obligations, beginning with the most important ones  House/rent payment, food, power and water are some of the basics.  After these, list other bills.  Lastly, create an optional or "fun" list.  Writing these expenditures down will help you visualize where your money is being spent.
• when possible, have important bills taken directly from your bank account  This ensures they are paid on time, helping to avoid costly late fees.
• avoid overuse of credit cards  Credit cards can be useful in some situations, but be careful - the amounts can quickly add up!  Regular payments and frugal use will help you avoid some of the financial traps many consumers fall into.
• put money away for a rainy day  My husband has a small amount of every paycheck directly deposited into a savings account.  This extra bit has helped us out with unforeseen emergencies.  It doesn't have to be a lot - even a little builds over time and can provide real dividends during difficult times.

I'm sure many of you are already doing these things; if not, I've hopefully provided some insight and direction about how to begin your budget.  It really doesn't take a lot of time - and it sure is worth the effort!

Mind Games

I had a bit of a scare the other day.

I walked into my garage and found my cheese grater sitting on top of the work bench.

What the heck?!

Picking it up, I tried desperately to think how it got there.  I've occasionally misplaced my keys and phone at times...but a cheese grater?  Seriously?

I've tried to come to terms with getting older by ignoring the occasionally aches, decreasing stamina, and places that are starting to sag.  But, as I turned the grater slowly in my hands, I began to wonder if my mind was starting to slip as well.  After all, three of my great grandmothers had Alzheimer's .....

Just then, my 8th grader walked into the garage.  Spotting the cheese grater, he took it from my grip and said, "Sorry Mom - I was in the middle of a project yesterday, and we were out of sand paper. I wanted to see if this would work instead but forgot to put it away.  I'll do it right now."

Hallelujah - my thought process is still intact!

At least, for now.

Weekly Goal #3 - Organizing Your Finances

Wow, April is just whizzing by for me.  In fact, I caught myself typing "weekly goal #2" in the title before realizing it is now the third week of April!  This time of year always passes quickly for me; maybe it's the increased activity of my kids as they prepare for the end of school.

Before I introduce this week's goal, I'd like to you reflect for a moment about last week's efforts.  For those of you who chose to participate, I hope you enjoyed it and were able to learn something productive.

April's theme is "ORGANIZATION", a value which can be applied to many areas of life.  This week, I'd like to apply it to the area of finances.  Many have been affected by recent economic developments, feeling a financial "pinch".  While there might be little you can do about the economy, there are certainly ways to stretch a dollar.  Planning errands beforehand can help save on gas, as can walking or biking to nearby destinations.  Shopping sales and using coupons will save dollars at the register.  Preparing a budget can help eliminate impulse spending, while saving for a rainy day will help prepare for unforeseen emergencies.

There are many ways to help bring your finances into order.  My suggestion is to look at the area needing the most help, and start there.  You'll be surprised how small changes can bring about big results!

"Timely" Tips

I think we've all wanted more than 24 hours in a day at one point or another.  The catch to this wish is that no matter how much time we have, we are always left with wanting more!  The trick is learning to make better use of the time we have.

There are all sorts of books and professionals out there with detailed plans for time management.  However, I'm going to share some of my personal strategies which seem to work best for me.  Here's a quick excerpt from "Kim Beatty Time Management 101":

• Make your daily to-do list the night before you need it.  It's easier to remember the things you need to do when you're not in a rush.  This will also provide you with time to prioritize and/or organize the things you'd like to accomplish.
• Learn to multi-task in appropriate situations.  If you get a phone call and you know you'll be on the line for a while, find an activity like sorting laundry to keep you busy while you chat.  Waiting in a car for a child to finish a music lesson is a great time for balancing your checkbook.  There are all sorts of small ways to increase your overall productivity!
• Find ways to reward yourself for completing your tasks.  Try scheduling in some time for an activity you like that can be done when you've finished your other obligations.  This can be something as simple as going for a short walk or reading a few pages from a favorite book.  This strategy can be especially helpful when you're trying to complete a task you don't like, because it gives you something to look forward to :)
• Early to bed, early to rise.  If my husband is reading this, he's probably laughing his head off.  This is something I really struggle with - I'm a "night owl" and prefer to stay up late.  However, if I look at most of the activities I participate in after 9 p.m., they're really not all that productive (watching TV, surfing the net).  Going to bed sooner and getting up at an earlier time would definitely help me accomplish more each day.

Of course, these are the things I use to increase my productivity.  The key to any good program is finding out what works best for YOU and sticking with it.  I challenge you to take a look at your life; you might be surprised how a few "tricks" can help you find all the time you need throughout the day!

Weekly Goal #2 Industry - Making the Most of Your Time

The goal for this week has to do with industry.

In today's world, this word is recognized more often by its use as a noun, rather than a verb. 

I live in a state where "industry" was important to its founders; in fact, the symbol found on Utah's flag is a beehive (bees are considered hard workers).  I find it interesting that many of the people living here would probably NOT be considered very industrious - especially by pioneer standards.

There are many distractions in this day and age.  While the advancements of technology have brought about much good, I believe they have also given our society too much opportunity to waste time.  Television, internet, texting, gaming systems...the list could go on.

I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to allowing these activities to sometimes take up too much of my time.  It's easy to get online to catch up with friends...and suddenly, an hour's gone by. 

My resolve for this week is to monitor HOW I am spending my time and strive to use it more productively.  Am I staying completely away from the things I mentioned above?  The answer is no.  However, I plan to participate in these activities less frequently and spend more time on what's really important in my life.

As the quote of the week states:  Life is like a coin - you can only spend it once.

Are you spending it wisely?

How Did You Do?

As a new week is just a few hours away, I thought I'd better check in and see how things went.

First, I have a confession to make.  It was an interesting week for me.  I didn't have much spare time... so I didn't finish making my list of priorities.

Sorry :(

Actually, I expect this will happen from time to time as life unfolds and unplanned events crop up.  Instead of getting upset at myself for missing the boat this time, I hope to finish up my priority list this week as I also work on the next goal.

At least, that's the plan!

To review what we're doing, April 's focus is ORGANIZATION, with the first week's goal being "setting priorities".   How did you do?  Better than myself, I hope :) 

Join me tomorrow as I post the second week's quote and goal for April.

The Good Old Days

My husband sent me this e-mail; although I was born in 1971, I could relate SO well to its contents.  I realized just how different things are for my children now:

 

It made me wonder if the addition of so much technology is actually a benefit to our youth, or if its overuse is leading to social problems.  How has our children's generation been affected by the societal changes of the last 25 years?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

To Those of  Us  Born 

1940 - 1970 :
 
 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE

1950s, '60s and '70s!! 

 

First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank

while they were pregnant.

 

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

After that trauma, we were

put to sleep on our tummies

in cribs covered

with bright colored lead-based paints.

 

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks cabinets,

and, when we rode our bikes,

we had baseball caps,

not helmets, on our heads.

 

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, and no air bags.

 

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

 

We drank water from the garden hose 

not from a bottle.

 

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from only one bottle, and 

no one actually died from this.

 

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and even bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And we weren't overweight. ...  WHY?

 

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

 

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.

--And, we were actually OKAY.

 

We would spend hours building

our go-carts out of scraps..

and then ride them down the hill,

only to find out we forgot the brakes.. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

 

 

We did not have Play Stations, Nintendos, Wii or X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,

no video movies or DVDs,

no surround-sound or CDs,

no cell phones, no iPads,

no personal computers,

no Internet and no chat rooms.

 

 

WE HAD FRIENDS

 and we went outside to find them!

 

We fell out of trees, got cut,

broke bones and teeth,

and there were no lawsuits

from any of those accidents.
We would get spankings with wooden spoons, fly swatters, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand, and no one called child services to report abuse.

  

  We ate worms, and mud pies

made from real dirt, and

the worms did not live in us forever.

 
 

We were given BB guns for our birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls, and  -although we were told it WOULD happen- we did not put out very many eyes.

  

 

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or maybe even just walked in and talked to them.

 

 

 Little League had tryouts

 and NOT everyone made the team.

Those who didn't had to learn

to deal with disappointment.

 

Imagine that!! 

 

 

 The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. Our parents actually sided with the law! 

 

 

Our generations have produced some of the best  risk-takers,

 problem solvers, and inventors ever.

 

The past 50 years have seen an explosion of innovation and new ideas..

 

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

 

 

If YOU are one of those born

between 1950-1970, CONGRATULATIONS! 

 

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids during this time.
 

 

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?

~~~~~~~

Weekly Goal #1 - Setting Priorities

As I mentioned in the last post, April's theme is about finding organization.  Organization is an extremely helpful tool in eliminating stress, realizing goals, and increasing productivity.  There are many ways to achieve organization; the one I'm going to address now is that of setting priorities.

What are priorities?  According to the online Cambridge Dictionary, a priority is "something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things."  Basically, a priority is something you choose to make important. 

Why is setting priorities so critical?  The answer is they help determine our choices.  I'm of the LDS religion, and last week was our church's semiannual General Conference.  One of the speakers was apostle Dallin H. Oaks, and he spoke on something similar to this topic.  He stated, "Desires determine our priorities, our priorities determine our choices, and our choices determine our actions."  Obviously, setting priorities is a very important step in determining which direction your life is taking.

Where are you at in your life?  Turning forty this year has been a great excuse for me to examine my efforts.  However, this examination is something you can do at any time, and probably should do periodically.  Once you assess your current situation, ask yourself this question - where do I want to be?  I've discovered that while I am mostly satisfied with my life at this point, there are some areas I'd definitely like to change.

In order to do that, I'm going to do a little rearranging of my life.  Decide what's really important to me, then set some new priorities.  Examine my decisions and see what's going to bring me long term fulfillment versus short term pleasure. 

I once heard a story about a little boy who really wanted to be a doctor.  In discussing this desire with his parents, they brought up the many sacrifices he'd have to make.  They talked about the many years of schooling it would take and the substantial amount of money he'd have to invest in his education. "I don't care what it takes," the little boy said, "I want to become a doctor more than anything else in the world!"

The parents then brought up the fact that he'd have to spend his weekends in rounds.  The little boy's face immediately fell.  "Well, then I can't be a doctor," he stated sadly.  Surprised by this reversal of attitude, the parents asked their son why he'd changed his mind.

"Because I'd have to give up my Saturday cartoons," was his reply.

While this story is "cute", it teaches an important lesson.  How many of us are distracted by the "Saturday cartoons" in our life and failing to pursue what's really important?

This week's assignment is about looking at and setting your priorities.  Are you satisfied with who you are?  If the answer is "no"...change them!  You'll have to decide what those priorities are, as every one's life and desires are different. 

April is Here!

April is here.

You know what that means.

Yes - a new focus will be spotlighted!!

Okay, so maybe you're not quite as excited about it as I am, but I have been wanting to work on the next focus for quite some time.  You see, April's focus is ORGANIZATION.

I used to be quite an organized person.  However, marriage happened...then kids happened... then life happened.  While I still mostly manage to accomplish what I need to, it's done in a much less organized way than what I'd like.

I'd like to get myself back on track by following the weekly goals, and as always, I invite you to join me.  Or, if you have the organization thing down, offer some pointers :)

Please check back in a day or two as I discuss the first week's goal of learning to prioritize.

March Recap

Spring in the desert

I hope you had a delightful March.  I know I did - especially this last week as the warm weather of spring finally seems like it's here to stay!

Before moving on to April's focus next week, I thought I'd review March and its goals.  The focus of March was "FINDING SELF".  I chose the area of self to start things off with because I feel that in order to be in a position to help those around you, you first must be happy with yourself.  The weekly goals were as follows (click on the week to bring up the post):

1. Week one - self discovery
2. Week two - joy in the journey
3. Week three - trying something new
4. Week four - forgiving yourself

How did you do?  I hope you were able to learn a little more about yourself this month through practicing self improvement skills .  I would suggest choosing the most important goal you worked on, then continue to pursue it in the coming months.  By practicing the desired behavior, it will hopefully bring about a positive change.  I personally feel I need to work the hardest on goal #2 and want to make it a permanent part of my life.

So farewell, March.  You are now gone, but hopefully the goals and change you've brought will not be forgotten.

(P.S. did you notice I changed the weekly quote?  Check back soon to read my thoughts on it!)