The Simple Living Guide's 28 Secrets to Happiness

I spied this book on the table of a very resourceful young wife one year when a friend and I popped in on her for a quick visit.

It was the very first time I had met her.

She had a table full of canned applesauce and fresh bread warming on the counters.

Hmmm.

I liked this girl already.

She didn't even have to say a word!

So, next to the jars of applesauce, I spy a book:

"The Simple Living Guide" by Janet Luhrs

I searched for it at the library, checked it out, read it and bought it at Border's when I got a 40% off coupon.

It has chapters on:

Time

Money

Work

Simple Pleasures and Romance

Virtues

Families

Gardening

Holidays

Etc.

In the introduction it lists 28 Secrets to Happiness.

1. Live beneath your means and within your seams.

2. Return everything you borrow.

3. Donate blood.

4. Stop blaming other people.

5. Admit it when you make a mistake.

6. Give all the clothes you haven't worn in the last three years to charity.

7. Every day do something nice and try not to get caught.

8. Listen more; talk less.

9. Every day take a 30-minute walk in your neighborhood.

10. Skip 2 meals a week and give the money to the homeless.

11. Strive for excellence, not perfection.

12. Be on time.

13. Don't make excuses.

14. Don't argue.

15. Get organized.

16. Be kind to kind people.

17. Be even kinder to unkind people.

18. Let someone cut ahead of you in line.

19. Take time to be alone.

20. Reread a favorite book.

21. Cultivate good manners.

22. Be humble.

23. Understand and accept that life isn't always fair.

24. Know when to say something.

25. Know when to keep your mouth shut.

26. Don't criticize anyone for 24 hours.

27. Learn from the past, plan for the future, and live in the present.

28. Don't sweat the small stuff.

I like this list.

I would like to add forgiveness to the list.

~To forgive and to be forgiven.

Life is way too complicated without forgiveness!

Other than that, I think it's a wonderful list!

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Secrets of Women Who Never Get Sick

I took these notes from a health magazine quite some time ago and now I can't remember what magazine it was from.

Some of these women haven't been sick in 25 years!

Here are the tips that they had for staying healthy:

1. Get a massage (or reflexology:)-reduces anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate.

2. Take a cold shower- keeps you cold-free, gets skin glowing and increases energy.

3. Treat GI problems 'gingerly'- slices of fresh ginger in a mug of hot water.

4. Lather Up (A LOT)- wash hands for 20 seconds up to 12 times a day.

5. Try a cold-blasting cocktail-try the product Emergen-C once or twice a day plus zinc lozenges or spray.

6. Eat more garlic-raw garlic quartered and put in applesauce. Also, comes in capsules.

7. Stay positive!

I think I might print this out and hang it in a cupboard that I open often just as a reminder that there are some simple things I can do to keep illness away!

And let's not forget to get fresh air and sunshine, drink plenty of pure water, eat whole-foods, exercise, be thankful and happy, and live a SIMPLE LIFE!

Enjoy all the blessings in your life and have a wonderful day!

Homeschool Administration Panic!

How do you sum up 12 years of homeschooling your child on one single piece of paper?

Can you really give a grade for each academic 'class' the child took?

Of course, he gets all A's!

How can he not!

I mean, you love this child and you work and work and work with him until he masters whatever he is learning.

It might take him 2 years to get the biology with lab down.

And less than a year to get the Algebra 2 down!

It is a lifetime of learning coming down to one piece of paper~

The high school college transcript!

Well, as his administrator, teacher, guidance counselor, college prep counselor, vice principal, curriculum advisor, etc, etc, I just have to say:

The kid is brilliant!

Not according to the world's views, oh, no!

But coming from a mother that loves her child and learns of every weakness and every strength and watches the child struggle and then overcome~

It's a beautiful thing!

Struggling to read in his early years and then, completely on his own, decides he wants to read Homer and Hippocrates!

Nothing short of amazement in this mother's eyes!

No academic grade or honor can come close to watching a child grow in strength and character, confidence and responsibility, leadership, integrity, perserverence~

And believing that anything is possible.

The doors of learning have opened!

To be able to see that opportunities abound, that learning never ends and that the whole world is your classroom, is what education is all about.

Try putting that into a one page transcript!

Can't do it!

I am sure similiar feelings arise out of every parent, whether your child is homeschooled or taught in the private or public schools.

You can't put a grade on the person that God created in your child!

They are more than a grade!

They are off the charts!

They are NOTHING SHORT OF

BRILLIANT!

Am I right?

Of course, I'm right!

Be proud of your child today!

They are Masterpieces!

Let the Sun Shine In!

I was reminded of how much the sun affects our lives, body, mind and spirit!

We all know it gets us in a happier mood!

Just sitting next to a sunny window seems to calm me and bring serenity into my day.

Closing my eyes and bringing my face toward the sun somehow makes me feel loved!

And I know it is because that big bright star that we can see during the day is from our One and Only Heavenly Father who created the entire earth, Universe and me!

So, of course, I feel loved!

Seeing the sun shine on my dirty windows isn't exactly soothing, but if I move past the smudges and get outside and really enjoy the brightness of the day it somehow makes me feel less anxious and so happy!

Cleaning up the yard and getting the garden ready for planting is nourishing to the soul!

I am so thankful to have a 'bit of earth' to sow a few seeds.

The sun lifts our spirits, gives our bodies much needed nutrients and vitamins, and even helps ward off sickness and heal wounds~I believe not just the physical but the emotional as well!

It seems a bit easier to get out into the sunshine on a warm day, but just sitting by a window with cooler weather sun is so good for us!

You have all heard by now the importance of vitamin D and how it helps to build our immune system. In fact, there is quite a list of how beneficial it is to our entire bodies.

You can get sufficient vitamin D from sitting in the sun for 15-20 minutes a day.

If you sit indoors by a window, open it a little to let the fresh air come in.

You can also get it from foods such as wild salmon, fish oil, low-fat milk, and eggs.

You can even take a supplement if you feel that you are not getting enough from food or sunshine.

Dr. Mercola always has so much info on vitamin D and all the latest and greatest reports etc.

You can always visit his website at http://www.mercola.com/.

Let us all enjoy the sun and be reminded of all the blessings that God has given!

Putting our feet to earth and enjoying nature and sunshine as we walk in our neighborhood with a special person or even by ourselves is enough to slow down our minds and ponder the blessings in our lives.

It gives us a bit of time to truly be thankful!

Let the sun shine in!

Let the Son shine in!

Be someone's Sunshine today!

PS:

Our 19 year-old son just announced that he wants to be a chiropractor! I think he would be a great chiropractor! My prayer has always been for God to lead each child down the path HE has created for each one and that we, as parents, can give them the encouragement and confidence they need to go down that path.

I can see now that God has been shaping Shane's life for a path of health, fitness and wellness and I pray that wherever that path leads him that God will bless him with success and happiness!

Supply Beauty and Add Sparkle

I was going through my papers yesterday and I came across some notes I took from a book I read.

This particular idea struck me as something I thought would be good to focus on right now.

There is no time like the present, right?

This is what I wrote in my notes that I am assuming was taken directly from the book:
"Supply beauty in the lives of your husband and children, light up the home with sparkle no matter what!"

So I proceeded to ask the children that happened to be around me at the moment how we can add more 'sparkle' into our days.

The 3 year old daughter whispered in my ear, " I know what we can do, get some diamonds."

"That's a fabulous idea," I said. "We can hang them from the lampshades and windows!"

"Still, we better come up with a few more ideas as that one may be long in coming!"

So various childen thought of putting sparkles all over the wall, playing games, having picnics and going to the local indoor water slide.

Of course, the first thing I thought of was having a sparkling clean house!

I have been thinking about this now, and look forward to what hubby and each child comes up with as I am sure each one will be surprisingly different.

I will continue to think of simple ways to add sparkle and beauty into the lives of my loved ones.
I look forward to the challenge and know for certain it will bring a more happy and peaceful ambience to our home. And a fun challenge for me.

Some ideas I thought of so far are:
1. Using some fancy vocabulary words, like panache and chagrin and vivid and stupendous.
2. Using the fancy stemmed goblets for fresh-spueezed juice.
3. Neatly folding hubby's socks and underwear in his drawer. (We struggle with that one. He will absolutely love it!)
4. Displaying a child's artwork front and center on the mantel, framed and all.
5. Of course, having picnics even if it is on the front porch or backyard.

So, do you want to take on the challenge with me?

And please, if you read this post, can you please reply with your ideas? I would love to hear about what you thought of to supply your loved ones with beauty and lighting up the home with sparkle.

Thank you so much!
And thanks for taking the time to read this!

May love and beauty and sparkle be with you always!

P.S Anyone who really knows me, knows that I can't resist a little "sparkle" here and there!
I'm thinking of crystal chandeliers and sparkly jewelry and and even a 'romantic spark' from the dear husband! :)

The Day Before Easter

What do you do on the day before Easter?

Lenny and I had some nice poached eggs on toast this morning (fresh eggs from wonderful neighbors).
I put a pan of Pannukkaku in the oven along with a pan of Baked Oatmeal to feed all of the extra kids that happened to spend the night last night.
I am going to run to Target as soon as I get off of this computer to pick up a few last minute treats.
And then to Kroger for some aluminum pie tins for the pies I will bring to church tomorrow.

Bake the pies.
Strawberry-rhubarb for church, banana cream pie for home.

Last minute sewing.
Happens every year.
I sew for the little girls and our 3 teenage daughters sew for themselves.
A little hemming, maybe a zipper to help with.
We always say we will get them done earlier this year, but, alas, the same 'ol story!

I made a big pot of chili last night so dinner is done for today.
Lay out the clothes, hair stuff, etc. for morning church.

I will force myself to boil a cup of tea and enjoy it on the front porch so I can reflect on this beautiful time and just take in this lovely weather!

Plan on going to church services tonight and leaving the younger children home so they can get to bed early.


I better get going!
Have a great day!