Make Over Your Bad Mood... by Sarah McColl

Since I've tried and failed to add a link to this post...I'm just going to copy and paste.

I LOVE this article. Its sooo simple, and so easy to impliment. Sometimes we all wake up in a "funk", but we have the power to overcome that funkiness and enjoy the day!! Try these easy techniques from Sarah McColl's article and I'm certain you'll see the difference!!

Get into a LOVING MOOD! :)

(My favorite part is "dancing around the living room to your favorite song.") :D enjoy!

Make Over a Bad Mood
by Sarah McColl,

Nobody, and I mean nobody, is Suzy Sunshine all the time. Bad moods happen. So after you've pouted and sulked, how can you makeover a bad mood? Here, some ways to turn that frown upside down, or, at the very least, get it back to a neutral position.

Say thank you. Say it to barista at your coffee shop, say it to the bus driver. Say it for all the little things you take for granted in your life: the crisp feeling of the sheets when you climb into bed, the amazing soup from the deli on the corner, your new red shoes that are somehow comfortable and fierce at the same time. Say thank you, too, for the big things we take for granted every day: a roof overhead, a loving partner who cleans the bathroom, and a sound body and mind.

Move. I doubt you want to hear that exercise will cheer you up, but what if we call it "movement"? That could mean a yoga break, dancing around the living room to your favorite song, or window shopping. Just get up from your funk and move. To get endorphins and blood flowing that will help clear your mind, try to break a sweat and go at it for 10 minutes.

Get to the roots. If you're in a bad mood because you and your sister had an epic blow-up, a spin on your bike might get your endorphins pumping, but the real problem is still going to be there when pop down the kickstand. Is there something you can do in 10 minutes to get to the heart of the matter? You might want to just pick up the phone to say you're sorry you fought without getting back into the nitty-gritty of who was right. Letting go of needling anxieties can completely banish a bad mood.

Go outside. Our minds our crowded little places and our homes can feel confining on a bad day. Everywhere you turn, laundry, dishes, and clutter give your bad mood more fodder. Studies show that getting outside -- or even just thinking about being outside -- can increase feelings of being alive, happiness, and enthusiasm. Being outdoors provides the sun and fresh air that our bodies need, but we connect with the energy of other living things increases our feelings of vitality. There's a reason why Thoreau got caught up in the soap opera of the ants at Walden Pond. Walk through the park or sit in your backyard to be reminded not only of the part your life plays in a bigger scheme of life, but how dang pretty nature can be. Sink your hands into the dirt, gather some leaves, or sit on a bench, the sun in your face, and just watch some birds flit from tree to tree.

Put it in perspective. Sometimes things don't go your way and there's not a thing you can do about it. Like when the internet goes out before a big dealine or you get totally soaked in the rain while wearing those new red shoes. Sometimes, even, we just wake up in nasty funk without a reason. This isn't the new state of affairs -- it's just the way you feel right now, and as they say, this, too, shall pass. Just remembering the impermanence of the moment is often enough to remind you that soon enough, you'll be back to your old Suzy Sunshine self.

I found this article... here--> http://shine.yahoo.com/event/makeover/make-over-a-bad-mood-578298/

Ohhhh the SNOW!

The snow is absolutely beautiful, BUT I sort of have a life and things to do and it makes it IMPOSSIBLE.
Does anyone remember a winter like this before? Up until now, it only snowed on Friday nights of course and Saturdays, which made my weekends off pointless and frusterating. At least this time it happened on a Tuesday night(bonefish closed early last night and is closed today...)and Wednesday day and I get to spend a day in the middle of the week at home. :) I really wish I had a car that was even a little bit better in the snow than mine. Seriously, I can't go anywhere. Its a good thing Darick has an SUV, but he has stuff to do too/places to go.
I just wish that everyone I know and loved lived two doors down from me so that we could all frolick and make snow mans together. That would make me very happy. Then, after, we could all come back to my house for hot chocolate and hot cinnamon buns. Wouldn't that just be delightful? Hmmmm one can only dream. The only thing that would make that even better would be a real wood burning fireplace with a huge brick hearth. I'm warming up just thinking about it.

Here are some pretty pics of the snow just around our house. :)









Everyone be safe, and if you must go out in the snow in your car... please TAKE YOUR TIME.

Remember...
It's the month of LOVE! So enjoy it!! <3 <3

LOVE my new backround!!

Since I am celebrating this month of Love, I thought a new backround was in order. It's so romantic :)

I'm trying to figure out how to upload real pictures and have fun little gadgets on my sidebar. If anyone has an tips, please throw them my way!!

I choose LOVE!

So I've made a promise to myself to choose LOVE for the month of Feb. I know, I should choose love for all 12 months right? Well, I'm going to be realistic and start with the month of love.

I'm going to make a conscience effort to choose the LOVE in any situation that comes my way this month. In my constant journey of being my "authentic" self, I am going to love any and all things that come my way. That's right- even those people that have nothing better to do than complain about there life, everyday, and the people that truly try to bring others down... you know....the ones than make foul statements and spend their lives being miserable--- I'm going to LOVE them...whether they like it or not! HAH! Because guess what? They aren't hurting me, they are hurting themselves. How about that for an attitude? It's about damn time. I have far too many good things in life and I have far too much love surrounding me everyday to be anything less than a beaming ray of LOVE.

I also choose to reward myself. There is nothing better than needing no one's approval on anything but your own. It's empowering. It's great to have friends, family and even a spouse to ask for advice and talk through things with, but I think that the true approval should come from within, and should come from me. I choose rewards such as facials, pedicure, and of course, shoe shopping.

And that, my friends, is how I will be living my February.
....I will of course keep you posted on the shoe shopping I intend on doing tomorrow. Baaahh!

LOVE you all!

yeah, yeah...its been 33 days...I know

I'm back! I am SO sorry to you all for keeping you all hanging for the past 33 days. I know I shouldn't make any excuses, but the holidays were craaazzzyyyy! Crazzzy goood that is.
I have such amazing friends and family. Sometimes I don't think they are real. I am so damn lucky.

Other than that, I'm trying to be a fierce professional business lady and make it RAIN!! I have been working really hard on new marketing plans, and networking my little butt off. Its been a blast though. Its so empowering to actually have a CAREER. I can't believe I even know how to spell that word. Hah!

As an update, my little Minnie is still truckin. She is SUCH a little warrior. :) :)

I think that Darick and I are planning on going down to Florida for the weekend of Valentine's Day. It will be a nice little break, plus we get to see Grandma while we are down there and also try to stop in to see my Papa and ShirleyJean. I hope it works out. We've been kind of waiting until the last minute to book tickets just in case the $$ gets tight. OHHH ahahha I almost forgot--- Darick---- he is sooo freakin hysterical!! This guy actually asked me if I wanted to drive to Florida. hahah I think I may have offended his offer by how hard I laughed in his face. I mean, don't get me wrong.. I love my man to death, but ANYONE who knows me knows I do not do well on long card rides. I just can't ever get comfortable and it would be a big ol' disaster. By the time we got to Charlotte, NC I would have told him to drop me off at the airport and I would fly the rest of the way. Hhahahah-- so if it all works out, and we fly down to Florida, it will def be a good time. :)

That is all for now, I will MAKE SURE I get REAL with this blog. Sorry my first blog in the longest time is so short, but I've got to work my way back in!! I MISSED YOU ALL!!

P.S. I dedicate this blog to Madeleine and Lindsay...they made me feel bad enough about taking this long to update...so ladies...this ones for you! Lame, but for you non the less!!

XOXOXOXOX

Easy Last Minute Treat for Xmas- and sooooo GOOD!

***Holiday Pretzel Treats***
A lady in my office made these, and they are soo tasty! I didn't know what they were at first, but its pure genius!

Salty pretzels combine with sweet chocolate for these fun treats that make a yummy gift/treat few can resist. (In fact, make enough for yourself too, they are addictive.)

You will need:
Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
M&M's candy

Directions:
Heat the oven to 170F. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.

Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.

Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.

They are soo easy to make and people will just LOVE them!

Happy snacking :)

My WINNING cookie recipe!! :)

My first blog recipe post! So exciting!

**DELISH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE TOFFEE BARS**

Here is what you will need:

4-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1-1/2 cups butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 cups HERSHEY®'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided
1 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
2 cups HEATH milk chocolate toffee mix bits.

OKay- so I screwed up the recipe, and I won "most delicious" so I'm going to tell you how I made them, because they obviously turned out better. LOL

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or butter a 11 x 17 sheet cake pan.

-Combine 2 1/3 cups flour and 2/3 cup brown sugar into large mixing bowl- cut 3/4 cup of butter into flour/sugar mix until it resembles a course crumb mix.
-Add slightly beaten egg, and mix mix mix.
-Add 1 cup chocolate chips, and mix mix mix.

At this point, it your mixture will look just like chocoloate chip cookie dough... thats because IT IS!

Spead this mixture thinly into your greased/buttered sheet cake pan. Stick that sucker in the oven for 10 minutes.
While that is crisping. Let's begin again.

It's going to start out the same way-
-Combine 2 1/3 cups flour and 2/3 cup brown sugar into large mixing bowl- cut 3/4 cup of butter into flour/sugar mix until it resembles a course crumb mix. Add about a 1/2 cup chocloate chips, or whatever its up to you. For me, the more chocolate, THE BETTER. Set this mixture aside.

Okay- so your first mixture is now out of the oven after 10 minutes, smelling so delicious. It's basically just a huge sheet of chocolate chip cookie at this point. :)
Take the can of sweetened condensed milk, and pour it evenly over the top while its still piping hot! Spead it around evenly with a spatula.
Now top this with the Toffee Bits, about 1 1/2 cups. You can use either the SKOR toffee bits, or HEATH bar milk chocolate toffee bits.
Now take your crumb mixture that you set aside and sprinkle it over the top. It should cover the whole thing. Mark sure that its even throughout. Next, add more chocolate chips to your like-ing. and top that with even more toffee bits!! Pop this in the oven at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on it though!

Let it cool completely on a cookie rack. Cut into bars, or shapes :) :)

SO DELISH. This recipe makes 4 dozen bars.

Hahahhhahahh enjoy!!!
XOXOXO