Inside Job

I know it's easy to look for happiness on the outside. Friends to make you laugh, a partner to make you feel like the most precious person in the world, or co-workers to tell you how smart you. It's easy to want others to shower us with words to make us happy. Sadly, just like most things in life happiness isn't that easy. True happiness requires work from ourselves. We have to like ourselves, love ourselves, and see life in a positive light. We have to CHOOSE to be happy! All of us have the power to make ourselves happy. It's not always easy and often time it's easier to see the things in ourselves that make us unhappy.

The other day I was thinking of all the things that make me happy. They all were external. Not one thing on my list had anything to do with me. It took me awhile to adjust my list to include things about me, things that I controlled. I came up with only a small handful of things at first. I'm a happy person and really do love my life, but real internal happiness took me awhile to stumble upon.

During my early 20's I spent a lot of time learning about myself and trying to fix the things I didn't like. Now I'm in my early 30's and I am happy with who I am. I can even branch out and say that I love the person I have become. Yes, I have my fair share of flaws. The flaws will continue to be a work in progress. I'm happy. I'm happy with my marriage and with my children. I'm still trying to find some happiness in my career, but for now I am happy being a stay at home mommy and blogging.

Cheers to HAPPINESS!

Guilty Pleasure Friday #3

 

 

Happy Fall!!!

 

 

I tried to wait, but I did turn the heater on this morning since the kids had ice cold toes. It was 65 degrees in the house! Fall is definitely in full swing in Oregon. The trees are changing quickly, the rain is falling, and the moss is growing. This weeks recipe is an easy one! If you have little hands around that are eager to help this is a perfect little treat. ENJOY!

 

Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn

• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. butter
• 9-10 marshmallows
• 12 c. popcorn
• Microwave brown sugar and butter for 2 minutes, add marshmallows & microwave until melted.
• Pour over popcorn  and mix.

 

 

 



My DIY success!

Okay, I will be the first to admit that I am not very crafty. I don't sew and drawing is way out of my reach unless you want a pretty cool stick figure. :) This summer I decided that I would redecorate my home. I wanted something fresh and trendy. To make it fun I wanted to do it on a really tight budget so that I would be FORCED to get creative. This weekend I came across some old crates and an old pallet. After doing some research online I achieved the looks that I really wanted!

The last two pictures are just a pallet that I cut in half. The first one became a shelf in the kitchen. All I had to do was add a bottom board. The last picture is just the pallet hung on it's side. Then I just went around and found little treasures to add to it. FYI the candle is a battery operated one so nothing burns down. :) These little projects added some great unique looks to three rooms and they cost me less then $5 for all the wood!

Have a wonderful day!
Stephanie

Be your own hero!

"Without roots the world just blows you around"

~ Unknown

 

 

 

In this world there are those who speak before they think and those who hold their words until they are played out in their minds. Those who let words flow far too soon and too often don't always realize what their words do to others. They don't know just how much they can break someone with their comments or judgments.

 

Those who think before they speak tend to know how their words will hit others. They speak in a manner that comes out as they intend it to. If there is any way that it could be taken differently they usually voice it.

 

I have seen too many people allow others to hurt them with their words. They let people talk down to them and criticize them for every little thing the offender wants to. Those being spoken to often let themselves become the victim. They let people "walk all over them" either because they don't want to cause any further drama or they simply don't know what to say.

 

If you ever find yourself the victim it's time to become your very own hero! Plant your roots and stand tall in the face of the storm. Simple tell others not to speak to you like that or walk away. You don't have to stand for those disrespecting you and you don't have to show them any "respect" by taking their angry words.

 

It doesn't matter who is talking down to you. You are an adult. You are old enough to stand on your own two feet and make your own choices. Don't give power to those who shower you with negativity. No one can save you if you don't want to save yourself.

 

I once saw a grown man talk down to his mother. He was yelling at her for bringing cold chicken. He continued to go off on her around others. Never mind that they chicken was cold because he showed up over an hour late without so much as a phone call. When I asked her why she allowed her grown son to talk to her like that she simply said "I don't know."

 

Later she told me that she thought about it and the next time her son attacked she stood her ground. She told him to stop yelling at her. If he couldn't talk to her like an adult that the conversation was over. It didn't stop him from still trying to unload on her at times, but she figured out that she didn't have to take it. Now she simply walks away! Next time your being spoken to in a negative or hostile way please plant your roots. You can't change the way people speak to you until you speak to them. Let your voice be heard!

 

All the best!

Stephanie 



Guilty Pleasure Friday #2

It's Friday!

A Facebook friend shared this a couple of weeks ago. I LOVE snickerdoodles and the family is a big fan of pumpkin. These went over well, but I did cut the sugar in half since I found them too sweet once rolled in the sugar. Not to mention I didn't want to give the littles that much sugar if I didn't need to. :)


Pumpkin Snickerdoodles ~

 What you will need:
 For the cookies:
 3 3/4 cups flour
 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
 1 cup sugar
 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
 1 cup pumpkin puree
 1 large egg
 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 For the coating:
 1/2 cup sugar
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 Dash of allspice

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together to blend. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined. Next, still on medium speed, beat in pumpkin. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients. Beat until combined, but do not over mix. Cover the dough, and refrigerate for one hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick spray). In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and spices for the sugar coating. Scoop dough (approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Take a drinking glass with a flat bottom and moisten with water. Dip the glass in the sugar mixture, and use it to flatten the dough balls. Re-sugar the glass as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove when the centers of the cookies have set. Let cool on the baking pan for approximately 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

Have a wonderful day!
Stephanie

Believing in yourself

“All the so-called "secrets of success" will not work unless you do.”

~Unknown     

I am a firm believer that happiness and success can't become a reality in ones life unless they believe in THEMSELVES! It really is the secret to life. It's a little bit of faith, courage, and drive all mixed in to one. It's loving yourself - faults and all!

Far too often we let those around us define who we are and what we are capable of. We let others tell us what value we have to the world. We let others dictate our feelings and reactions. We alone gave others this power. Maybe now we should take the power back?

Only you know what YOU are capable of! Put some effort into yourself and present the best you possible! Give the world a force to reckon with! Play by your rules and your beliefs!


10 reasons to believe in yourself:

1. You are stronger then you know :)
2. Believing in yourself encourages you to make positive choices!
3. It will open up new doors for you!
4. It will lead you down a path towards positive people!
5. Believing will give you the push to strive for something more!
6. It will give you more focus on where you go with your life.
7. You will feel stronger about your abilities
8. You'll challenge yourself to be the YOU, you want to be!
9. You'll bounce back from rejections of others stronger and quicker! 
10. You'll project a stronger image of yourself!

Have a wonderful day!
Stephanie

The early bird catches the worm, but what about the worm?

 

"I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

Have you ever thought about cause and effect? The other day I was talking to a friend about a job she interviewed for. She was hoping that some good luck would rub off on her and she would get the job. Sadly this gal has had a lot of unfortunate activity around her the last few months. Including a job layoff that lead to the reason she was even interviewing. We chatted about how great it would be if she landed the job. Then she started talking about how bummed she would be if she didn't get the job. This lead to us talking about how great the job is and whoever gets it will be very lucky.

Do you ever think of your gain as someone else's lose? Do you ever see the light in someone else gaining something while you lose out when the tables are turned? I've started paying more attention to these very questions and have found that people only tend to pay attention to the good vs. the bad when they are in the good.

Challenge - For every bad thing that happens to you this week try and focus on how it could be positive for someone else. You're the worm here so it may be a little hard, but I know you can do it! Remember a positive outlook on life leads to less stress and far more laughs :)

 

Guilty Pleasure Friday #1

Happy Friday!

I love to cook and I love to try new things. That being said I am a big fan of SIMPLE! So I thought that I would share some of my favorites with you!

My girlfriend shared this recipe with me last fall. It's a great breakfast for those cold fall mornings. Not to mention that aside from the smell of fresh brewed coffee this one is just as yummy! ENJOY!!!

Crockpot oatmeal
Place 2 sliced apples, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch salt in the bottom of the crock pot.
Pour in 2 cups of oatmeal, 2 cups of milk and 2 cups water.
Do NOT stir.
Cook overnight for 8 - 9 hours on low.

*It also tastes great if you toss in some dried cranberries!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Stephanie

Remembering our past

 

 

Most of us can pretty clearly remember where we were when we heard or saw the news. It was a moment unlike anything many of us had ever experienced. Sadly, many lives were lost. I don't think that 9-11 was all for nothing. During the weeks that followed our nation changed. We united as friends. We spent more time with the ones we loved. Took that extra second to hug goodbye. Our bubble of always counting on tomorrow was popped for the better.

 

I wish that all this was true, but it seems many have forgotten the impact of that sad day. Innocent people died. Moms, dads, siblings, and children all left their home like any other day. They all had no clue that they wouldn't have a tomorrow. If only for today pay tribute to the lives lost, the lives saved, and the amazing men and women who gave what they could by simply enjoying today. Give your love ones a hug, do a good deed, send a friendly smile to a stranger. Let's simply unit for a day! Let's remember that we aren't invincible as much as we all want to pretend we are. We are all only human.

 

To those who lost love ones I pray that you find peace.

 

Never forget!

 

 



Ladies and Facebook

If you're at all like me much of your day to day contact comes via technology. It's become a necessity in my world. As much as I hate to admit it Facebook is a part of my everyday life. On the plus side I no longer have it on my phone. I decided that I need to cut the cords a little :). While surfing the web due to a lovely evening of insomnia I came across an interesting article. It was written in 2012 so it's dated, but still the information is so true and a little funny. It's a really quick read :)

http://www.psmag.com/blogs/news-blog/men-women-use-facebook-differently-48325/

Enjoy!
Stephanie

"I can do this!" - The drive of a toddler

 

 

I never knew that you could learn so much from someone who has been on this earth for such a short time. This three year old little guy has showed me time and time again that sometimes we just have to be brave and cheer ourselves on! The photo above is an example of that.

 

My son has always loved trains. On the way to the boat show we parked in a field near a parked train car. He was so excited to go and see it, until we told him to go alone. Train cars aren't small. They are large, very large to a little guy! The whole time he was walking towards it he kept saying "I can do this." He said it over and over! Once he finally got to the car he turned around a shouted "I did it! I was brave!" and then took off running back to us.

 

I admit I was a proud momma to watch him do something he so badly wanted to do, but was also afraid to do! Life's fears tend to hold us back and it seems the older we get the more we let that fear hold us back. We like our bubble of familiarity!

 

My kids made me want to step out of my bubble. I've tried to become as brave and self motivating as my three year old. It's not an easy task (LOL), but I keep trucking along. I never thought my drive would come from my little's, but I am so blessed that is has!

 

 

"I can do this! I will be brave!" ~ K.C.

Laughing

 

"When you've got nothing left laugh"

 

 

Do you know that laughing is a great source to relief stress and reduce pain? It's also a great way to burn a few calories! Not to mention it helps you focus on the positive instead of the negative. Our day to day lives get busy and sometimes we are all business and no party. We let the stress effect us mentally and physically. I mean when was the last time your stomach hurt from laughing? For most it may actually be a hard moment to recall.

 

Funny how simple things are often the best things for us. I mean sitting down and chatting with a friend or watching a comedy are actually healthy activities for us. It's exercise for the body, mind, and soul!

 

 

Fun laughing facts:

 

• Laughing reduces tension, guilt, and anxiety
• Laughter is contagious
• In social situations women laugh more then men
• Most people can't laugh on command
• Laughter can lower your blood pressure
• Most laughter takes place during a greeting or farewell
• Children laugh roughly 400 times a day and adults on about 15 times a day
• Laughter is a great way to attract the opposite sex
• Laughing is FUN :)

 

 

Here is to many laughs!

 

Stephanie

Wikipedia

I'm sure that most of you know what Wikipedia is. If you're at all like me you have used it to prove your husband wrong LOL. I know that I put little thought into how companies online survive. Wikipedia is just a tool that I use and it's free so that's an extra perk. This morning while looking up the word "ginormous" (to prove to my husband that it was a word and not something I made up.) I noticed this:

"Dear Wikipedia readers: We are the small non-profit that runs the #5 website in the world. We have only 175 staff but serve 500 million users, and have costs like any other top site: servers, power, programs, and staff. Wikipedia is something special. It is like a library or a public park. It is like a temple for the mind, a place we can all go to think and learn. To protect our independence, we'll never run ads. We take no government funds. We survive on donations averaging about $30. Now is the time we ask. If everyone reading this gave $3, our fundraiser would be done within an hour. If Wikipedia is useful to you, take one minute to keep it online and ad-free another year. Please help us forget fundraising and get back to Wikipedia. Thank you."

http://en.wikipedia.org

The big dog here is in fact a small dog. I guess they just have a big bark that landed them the 5th biggest website in the world, but still. I'm not associated with the site at all. I just wanted to bring to your attention that the site is asking for a little help. If this is a tool that you use and you can spare a few bucks please pass along a little kindness.

“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
― Anne Frank, diary of Anne Frank

Looking back - James Russell Lingerfelt

While on Facebook this morning I came across a post on my wall that sparked my interest. Really the title seemed sad, but drew me in none the less. Beautiful advice from a divorced man after 16 years of marriage. The article was his advice after reflecting on his ending marriage. I really thought that he offered up some great advice. Although it's told from a male perspective I think his advice works well for women to remember.

Far too often I think we tend to stop working on our relationships that mean the most to us. Our partners are someone that we see all the time. Day in and day out they are there. We get caught up in the day to day life that we sometimes get lazy. We stop as the article states "dating". I know that I am guilty of getting caught up at times.

Here is the link to the article. It really is a great read and although the reason he wrote this is sad I think he opened a lot of peoples eyes. http://jamesrusselllingerfelt.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/beautiful-advice-from-a-divorced-man-after-16-years-of-marriage/

Out with the OLD & in the with NEW Life's Accessory

Hi!

Welcome to my blog! If you have read my page before, but if your new let me tell you a little about myself and my blog! This blog started as part of my life coaching company. Since the birth of my daughter I closed down my business to better focus on my children. Now that everyone is a little old I have found that I have the time to get back to my blog and am really excited about it!

I am a stay at home mom of two wonderful children! My son is gearing up for preschool and will be 4 this fall. My sweet baby girl just turned 18 months old and is a sweet ball of energy! I'm the mom that takes her kids to the park, plays dolls and transformers, and special pancakes in the morning. I'm also the mom that makes an amazing spaghetti sauce with meatballs, but forgets to buy the noodles. The one who left the house without extra diapers or her wallet in her purse while heading to the grocery store. I'm not perfect, but I try my best and so far the kids are growing up to be pretty amazing :)

I'm married to my best friend and can't believe that 6 years of marriage has already passed. He's my right hand man and the reason I have a smile on my face everyday! He drives me nuts at times, but he loves me and puts up with my good and bad parts. Did I mention he will also come home from a long day at work and make us an amazing dinner while I take a break! Yeah, he's pretty amazing :)

This blog will be about a lot of different things, but the main thing is that it will be POSITIVE! So when you are sipping your morning coffee, grabbing lunch at your desk, or cuddled up with a glass of wine I hope that you leave my page feeling happy and maybe with a little food for thought. Wherever your reading this from I hope that you continue to come check in. Feel free to tell your friends and I always welcome your comments or questions!

Thanks for reading and here is to a wonderful journey!

Always,
Stephanie