BE CRAZY and LEAVE your CHRISTMAS TREE UP!

Christmas and Easter are two of the most celebrated holidays in the Christian Faith. With Christmas we have the hope of the Jesus’ birth!

“Jesus, Son of God, born on Christmas day,

The savior of the world, in a manger He did lay, the sheep and cattle lowing, standing by His bed,

The angels sing in triumph, what long ago was said.

That He would come from Bethlehem,

the birth, a miracle, the holy child in mother's arms,

God's gift unto the world”

~ M.S.Lowndes


And with Easter we have the joy of renewal and Jesus’ Resurrection.

"Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again." 

~Sarah Ban Breathnach

I love decorating for holidays, and decided that this year, instead of taking all 4 of my Christmas trees down, (yes, I did say 4!) I would leave one up to serve as an, ‘all purpose’ tree. I wanted a tree to reflect the Spring and Easter season! As I was decorating for Easter on my Christmas tree, (that is so CRAZY), it hit me, that my tree was reflecting the renewal, hope and beauty that Spring and Easter bring.

I of course, started with my Christmas Tree, located in my foyer, which just a few short months welcomed family and friends with it’s Christmas beauty. After Christmas it was stripped of the Christmas decorations, and I began to think about how I would like to decorate it for Easter. Visions of eggs, butterflies, nests, and flowers danced in my head. So I thought I would share my tree with you, and maybe give you a reason to leave your Christmas tree up ALL year long! =)

I started with a trip to the Dollar Tree store where I found these glittery little butterfly and flower picks! The picks were too long, so I cut the picks and painted them green to poke into the tree. I also bought two little ‘bouquets of flowers’ to place in the tree. I cut the blooms off so I could spread them out over the tree. Butterflies and flowers were both musts in my Easter Tree vision!

Next I ‘recycled’ my little feathery friends from my Christmas tree! I found these little gems at Michaels for $.50 and hot glued the white feathers on the tail, and little Swarovski crystals on the breast of each bird, and they just happened to be spring colors. These birds, also part of my vision!

Robin’s eggs always make me think of spring, so I used some wooden eggs; some robin’s egg blue paint and using a toothbrush splattered them with some brown paint. Maybe not a true robin egg ‘look alike’, but I loved the way they turned out. My son drilled holes in the top and I used raffia to make the hangers! ‘A little bird told me’ that these eggs were a MUST for my tree, as the hatching of an egg brings forth new life!

Lastly, I used vintage Easter postcards that I bought several years ago on EBay. I made copies of them, and then using a pair of scalloped scissors I cut them out, punched a hole and using decorative ribbon, made a hanger- adorable. These sentiments from the past were being used to show my beauty and love of all vintage and antique gems. A touch of whimsy was also a must! 

So, I have redecorated my CHRISTMAS tree, and did I feel crazy! NO! It is my way of celebrating yet another season I love so much. It was my own special way of tying two seasons together. Two seasons which bring such hope and meaning to my brief journey here on earth. 

Since you have probably already taken your Christmas tree down, drag it back out to your favorite spot! Or, if you are still enjoying Christmas with your tree still standing (tee hee), I encourage you to do a “CHRISTMAS TREE MAKEOVER”! Use your imagination, things you love, and your crazy ideas to create a work of art! What a wonderful way to celebrate Easter, and a wonderful way display the reason for the spring and Easter season! 

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. 
~Robert Flatt
 

Living Laughing and Enjoying my Spring!

Patti

My Crazy Money Crunch at Month’s End… BUT I SURVIVED!

Why is it that I feel like I have more month left than money?  I find this so absolutely insane, crazy and nutty.  At the beginning of this month, I remember feeling that all was good in my financial world.  But, then the crazy ‘this or that’ was needed and subtracted from my checking account, and things began to look a little less ‘wonderful’.  YOU KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!  I am talking about those crazy ‘unplanned and unexpected’ debits that pull the rug out from under your feet- Your darling daughter needs a new dress for prom!  Your under wire bra goes crazy and starts poking out of the seams and prodding you in the most uncomfortable of places!  Your son has TOO MANY text charges on the cell phone bill, and your 3 darling cats lift their noses, and tails in the air, at the  ‘food you bought on the fly’!  So, to keep the peace you MUST immediately run out and purchase food to please their most particular palates.

With a cup of strong coffee in hand, I sat down, to ‘check out’ my ‘financial situation’ for the last week of the month.   I promise you, that my checkbook looked at me with a ‘frowny face’ and squealed loudly lest I had any big spending plans up and coming.   The ABBA song, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY did come to mind, and just in case you don’t know the lyrics, here are a few which will completely relay to you how dumbstruck I felt as I looked at my checkbook:  “I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay!  Ain't it sad, and still there never seems to be a single penny left for me! That’s too bad”!

Now thankfully, I was raised in a home where the Proverbs 31 woman was read by my father to myself and my 3 sisters on a weekly basis- I kid you not!  I am convinced that my dad thought that by reading this Proverb repeatedly, at least one, if not all  of us would become the ‘modern day ‘ example of this very industrious, and virtuous woman!  Let me share a few of her many talents, which my dad was hoping we would aspire to:

•        She selected wool and flax and, worked with her hands
•        She provided food for her family
•        She bought fields and planted vineyards
•        She worked vigorously
•        She made linen garments and sold them in the market place

       YOWSA!  This was one incredible lady!  And as I sat pondering this amazing woman, I decided to develop a CRAZY STRATEGY to stretch my dollars and cents, not only to last until pay day, but to have some left over before pay day even arrived.  Please be advised!  I am a woman who does not shy away from a challenge…  I will squeeze a lemon until there is not one drop left to squeeze, and like the Proverbs 31 woman, who I am sure made a most fabulous lemonade, I can ‘one up’ her with my sweet southern style lemonade, sure to make your lips pucker then relax to a sweet southern smile!  So here is my strategy, and hopefully some tips that will help you stay away from the craziness of the MONTH END “NO MONEY MANIA”!

 First of all, I would like to introduce you to one of my best friends, “GOOGLE”!  Google will be your friend too!  My first task, being that all of my bills were paid, and I only had to purchase groceries for my family of four, was to set a total amount for each meal that I could use as a guide for menu planning.  This was a daunting task as I have picky eaters and an immense budget constraint.  I decided that I would like to make a goal of spending only $7.00 per meal.  All right!  I can already see some of you saying “NO WAY JOSE”!  Well, I am here to tell you that it is not only possible, but if you will use a little ingenuity and creativeness you CAN make it work.  SO, I went to Google and typed, “Meals under $7.00”.  I hit the mother lode, and found a plethora of sites and information, and invaluable resources.  I found that I could make healthy, budget conscious meals, and still give my persnickety eaters something they would definitely eat and be happy about.  First task, meals under $7.00- check!

Next, I made a list.  Being that I can go CRAZY in a store, I find that a list keeps me on task!   No easy job!  I actually hear the voices of chocolate, or a fabulous pastry from the deli, or a cute little blouse on the rack, and they are all screaming, “BUY ME”!   With a list, I resist!  I buy only what is needed and avoid the unnecessary items that are dying to jump into my cart.  Second task, list- check!

Onto the next item on my ‘menu, it was something I swore I would never do: the clipping of coupons!  My mother clipped coupons when I was a child, and I remember spending HOURS in the grocery store finding the correct item and the coupon that would fit.  I am certainly exaggerating, but as a child any trip to the store taking longer than 20 minutes was TOO long.  But on the day that I sat staring at my check register, I decided that coupon clipping may not be such a bad idea!  Thank you mom!  So wriggling with anticipation I ran to a market two blocks away to get the Sunday paper.  I do make a practice of  ONLY  clipping coupons that I will use and that match an item on my list.  By clipping only what I need, it saves me time, and the temptation of spending money on unnecessary items.  Third task, clipped coupons- check!

So, with list in hand, I was off to the store and I decided that I would attempt to purchase store brands if they were available.  I have a horrible confession to make!  I was once a food snob (I hear your GASP) but now that I am on a budget I am not so snobbish, that I refuse to purchase store brands.  Store brands save money, and 9 times out of 10, the store brand is just as tasty as the ‘Product Brand Name’ we pay for.  I challenge you to compare prices the next time you are shopping.  You will be shocked at the difference you can make in your total cost just by purchasing store brands.  Fourth item, purchase store brands if available- check!

So, now April has started, and my plan for the ‘$7.00 and under meal plan’ week was hugely successful.  I cut my weekly grocery bill almost in half and I had money LEFT.  I refused to pout about the lack of money, and instead considered it a CRAZY fun challenge in a financially challenging time to learn to provide wisely for my family, and stretch those dollars.  I felt almost like the Proverbs 31 woman!

I challenge you to give YOUR checkbook a sigh of relief, and try a menu makeover, Who knows!  At the end of this month your checkbook may say…. "Well done!  NOW, go and buy yourself a chocolate bar!"

Menu budget- smart, grocery list- organized, clipping coupons-wise, buying store brands-good thinking… extra money at the end of the month- PRICELESS!

Love, laughter, and Happy Shopping,

Patti

One idea for a $7.00 and under meal!

“Hamburger helper”  Using a box of store brand macaroni and cheese,  and ground beef, with some added spices- onion powder, garlic salt, or whatever you prefer!

Store brand broccoli and cauliflower mix

Store brand Apple Sauce

Everyone was smiling, and none the wiser that I had spent under $7.00!

CREATIVY wins over CRAZINESS!

YES! I was facing a week full to the brim with projects, extra jobs, violin lessons, trips out of town, studying, ALLERGIES & ANXIETY! BUT, what a sense of accomplishment I have experienced over the past week as I conquered my CRAZINESS with CREATIVY. I gave myself over to my artistic side and enjoyed a week of peaceful bliss found in a painting! Yes I am crazy enough to do all that NEEDS to be done in one week and then add just one MORE thing in the mix. The craziest thing, I accomplished it all, with a smile on my face, and here I sit writing to you!

My week was looking busy, and I knew the only way to relieve the anxiety that would inevitably overcome me, was to start the week with a blank canvas and painting project in mind. As I looked at the blank canvas, the invasive thoughts of what I needed to be doing kept creeping in, but quickly, I brushed the negative naggings aside and thought about what it was I wanted to create. Slowly, I could see in my minds eye what I wanted to create. I lovingly chalked the outline on the canvas, and with my brush in hand, and a quiver of excitement I began the background. Even though the background consisted of browns and blacks, the stroke of the brush and the rhythm of the movement lulled me into a world of bliss and calmness.

As I squeezed the colors from their tubes, a sense of peace, tranquility, and complete awe overwhelmed me as I looked at the beauty and diversity of the colors.

I started with the leaves of my fanciful 'dandelion' using greens and yellows whose names I love! Is that crazy? Who would not fall in love with names like Buttercup, Blue Mist, Yellow Citron, Italian Sage, and Poetry Green? BEAUTIFUL, imaginative, and creative names. I began the filling in, and then shading, swirling, and mixing of the colors; it was such an overwhelming feeling, I am sure I must have cackled with excitement like one of the three witches from Macbeth! I know I was making enough sound of pure enjoyment and delight to catch my husband's attention! He hesitantly entered the room and with a quick gaze at the source of my amusement, he commented, "You look so professional!"  I wondered if it had to do with the painting on the canvas or more with the paint covering me from head to toe. Nevertheless, it was pure music to my ears and a kick in the seat of my tired pants to continue on and complete my masterpiece. So, next came the magical, mystical, blue swirly petals. Blues with lovely names like Cobalt blue, Amish blue, Slate blue, and Berry blue.

Fast and furious the brush did move, as if it had a mind of its own. I was swirling, twirling, spinning, and moving to the picture in my mind. I was transported from the anxiety which had been looming over me to a world of whimsy and wonder, and I laughed and danced to my favorite tunes by Frank Sinatra as I dabbed and dotted the final touches on my crazy, anxiety, stress reliever of my 'piece de resistance.' When all was said and done, I felt calm and ready to tackle the rest of my very hectic week. SO! the question is: Was it crazy to add one more seemingly unnecessary project to my week? With a grin, a belly laugh, a new painting and a smudge of Cobalt blue still on my cheek, I give you a resounding NO!

I heard a great quote last night while watching a movie and it goes like this: "‎If you don't wake up tomorrow, if it turns out that today is your last day on earth, will you be proud of what you've done in this life?" I want to be proud of what I have accomplished. To me that means enjoying the journey every step of the way, and using the tools and talents I have been given to make that possible! NOT crazy, BUT super smart, and OH SO ENJOYABLE!

I love the verse that reads: "May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." ( Romans 15: 13) So, as you begin your week, if you are already grinding your teeth, white-knuckling everything you touch, or feeling the temptation to give your child, teenager, husband, or coworker a ten-finger necklace, CONSIDER a project! Whether it be painting, journaling, blogging, knitting, crocheting, cooking, or whatever captures your fancy, I daresay you will start your week off with a smile on your face, a more relaxed state of mind, and a laugh to go on!




Living, Laughing, and Love to you,




Patti

LAUGHTER... IS CRAZY! And I LOVE IT!

Do you know I love it when people say, 'GIRL YOU ARE CRAZY'!  I take that as a compliment!  REALLY!  It means I have made them laugh!  I love the fact that my friends will belly laugh with me, and that I will in return give a good SNORT of appreciation.  I love Woody Allen's quote, although I would like to rewrite it:  I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.  I do believe when something is THAT FUNNY, whatever you are consuming SHOULD definitely come out of your nose!  : )  There are so many wonderful things that have been said about laughter!  Here are just a few: a fundamental stress reliever, a visual expression of happiness, being tickled, the best medicine, an internal workout, and on and on!  NOW, with all of that said, HOW can crazy, maniacal laughter not be good for you?

It is amazing to me the number of studies that have been done on the benefits of laughter- CRAZY in fact.  Just google the word laughter and you will be amazed at the multitude of articles that pop up.  I will share just a few of the benefits I have read about!

1) Laughter can help relieve pain”!  Now, I find this amusing.... but I do plan on putting this to the test the next time I stub my toe, or fall off my shoes (oh yes my friends, it happens more often that I care to mention!) or when I get a smack upside the head for a 'stupid moment'!  BUT, seriously, I have found that when I have a headache, or cramps which I shall not discuss,  lest I offend any male readers, I do make a sincere effort to find something to laugh about, OR better yet, I will call one of my CRAZY friends, (you know who you are), and I find that laughing with them or even on my own (although that does raise questions in the minds of those watching me!) does take my mind off the pain, and focuses my attention on joy!

2) “Laughter brings greater happiness”!  Now, being the wise acre that I am, I simply say DUH!  I mean REALLY?  How many individuals do you know, who are constantly whining and complaining, nary a laugh to be found, and you would describe them as a happy, joyful individual?  I always want to ask the question, “What's 'a matter “EEYORE?”  ”Lost your tail again?”  Laughing brings beauty to your face, joy to your eyes,  a wellspring of happiness from within.  I would rather laugh and have greater happiness, than have someone ask me, “MA'AM, would you like some cheese with that 'WHINE'?”

3) Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones”!  BINGO... give laughter the million dollar prize!  I find at my most stressful moments, the best thing to do is breathe, say a prayer, and then find something joyful to focus on! A joke, a funny picture, another phone call to a CRAZY friend, (again, you DO know who I am talking about!)  I had a situation this week where I did not get a pertinent message about the  cancellation of  a job, so I drove all the way to the destination (an hour and a half away), promptly went into panic mode when I discovered NO one else was there, and naturally assumed I was in the wrong place!  So, I sat in my car for a half hour, breathing into a paper bag,  prayed, found the phone number I needed,  got the info I needed, that I would have loved to have had BEFORE I started my drive (giggle), and then LAUGHED.  I was honestly very thankful that I had just had a lovely peaceful drive, I had listened to great uplifting music, I had a BEAUTIFUL drive with much to look at, thanks to the time change...and all my stress started to turn around.  I called one of my CRAZY friends who shall remain nameless, love you Nicole! Hee hee.  We laughed and then as I was driving through Gulf Breeze, I saw a 'carnival' with a beautiful Ferris wheel!  I stopped my car (my husband did ask to clarify that point) and snapped a few shots.  SO YOU SEE, what I would have missed without making an unnecessary trip.  I laughed and no longer felt the stress that I was feeling when I thought I was going nutty at being at the wrong place for a job!

4) “Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.” I like this laughter benefit. Today I am going to work on my 6 pack abs! YES, at this moment I am laughing! Who in their right mind would want to exercise their diaphragm and abs, and shoulders, by straining, stretching and heaven forbid 'glistening' while lifting weight and doing sit ups? I know the junk in my trunk is not benefiting from laughter, which is why I plan on taking a walk on this gorgeous spring day, but an 'internal workout', followed by a sense of relaxation is my kind of workout. I shall find things to laugh about as I walk, again passers by may wonder... but when they see my 6 pack abs, they will join in the laughter!

I am thankful that I have been blessed with a joyful spirit and a propensity toward laughter. I found a great quote online yesterday: "Don't whine - laugh." ~ Roy Castle. Short, sweet, and too the point! Life is TOO short to walk around like an Eeyore- and here is a great Eeyore quote:“

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily. “And freezing. However, we haven't had an earthquake lately."

I would I rather be a Tigger, who sings: 

“A wonderful thing is a Tigger; A Tigger's a wonderful thing. Their tops are made out of rubber, their bottoms are made out of spring They're bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is: I'm the only one!” Yes, I would rather be 'Tiggerish” and that is how I would like to be remembered! Fun, full of laughter, and bringing joy to those around me. So if you are in town today, and you see me driving alone in my car, LAUGHING maniacally, call me CRAZY, but know that I am: stress free, pain free, happier than a  pig in a mud puddle, and working on my 6 pack abs.  Why don't you join me in my effort to make the world go round on laughter!   Love, Joy, Peace, and MUCH Laughter, Patti

If this DOES NOT MAKE YOU LAUGH, I am worried! ; )

Credit to goes to the following article for the benefits of laughter: http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/laughter.htm

I lost my SANITY for three days... but....

Thank goodness my sanity has returned. It all began with a BLOWOUT with my cell phone company who shall remain nameless. The BLOWOUT began on Tuesday... and was followed by a 3 day meltdown on my part. Apologies go out to all family members, friends, colleagues, and even people I do not know for listening to my rants, mad ravings and unintelligible mutterings about the atrocities which had taken place. My story is as follows....







The date was December 23, and I decided it was time to update my cellphone from my 2007 flip phone to a new device which would include Internet capability. I was trembling with excitement, frothing at the mouth, and overjoyed with ecstasy as I looked over the wide selection of phones available to me at the cell phone store. I was immediately drawn to the 'PRETTY PINK' (oh so girly) Blackberry 3G curve. My daughter, who was with me kept saying, "MOM, Blackberry's STINK". But did I care? NO! My overriding thoughts and logic were that the phone was pink, AND most importantly, it had Internet capability. So, within minutes I was the proud owner of a Blackberry with Facebook downloaded in another 5 minutes. (Did I mention I was excited about Internet access?)




Oh, I felt like a kid at Christmas! I was reading Facebook updates in the store, the mall, the restaurant. I was a VERY happy camper until Christmas day when suddenly, my updates stopped. Thank goodness the cell phone workers were working on Christmas Day, because "I" had a problem that needed an immediate fix. And within minutes it was fixed and working - UNTIL the next day. WELL, after 5 phone calls to the company, I finally happened on a friendly little salesman, named "SNERDLY". (I am calling him Snerdly to protect his identity and because Snerdly is a name which fits his repulsive behaviour to a "T" as you will see by reading on!

Snerdly was overly sympathetic toward me and my Blackberry issues, assuring me that MANY other consumers had experienced the same Facebook issues, and that they were ALL switching to the DROID X. Snerdly painted a vivid picture of the Droid X's outstanding features so much so, that I heard harps playing and angels singing. Within 5 minutes, he had convinced me that, 'YES, I DID' want to update to the Droid X', and with a glazed look and the feeling of a hypnotic state, I walked slowly to my purse pulled out my bank card and charged in excess of $300.00 for a DROID X! Interestingly enough, it was at this very moment, Snerdly noticed that on this VERY day we were speaking, it was the LAST DAY in my 30 day period to return my Blackberry, or I would be stuck with it. That was a slap of reality, and suddenly everything snapped back in focus. It was Sunday, it was 4:30 p.m., there were BIG football games I was tuning into. Return a phone that day? NOT a chance! So with Snerdly's reassurance, we would cancel the order and he promised that he would call me back the next day to see if I had been able to return the blackberry. "Please hold while I have my manager cancel this order", said Snerdly, and I kindly acquiesced. After a 5 minute hold, Snerdly assured me that my order had indeed been cancelled. Just to be safe, I asked the all important question: "Are you SURE this will not come out of my bank account?" and he responded, "I can assure you of that!". Relief ensued and I promptly ditched my football game, ran to the cell phone store, returned my Blackberry and with a gleam and the promise of a phone that would work, I IMMEDIATELY purchased a Droid. Snerdly wouldn't care. Surely he would be understanding, since he had just painted an incredible picture of the Droid and he would KNOW the immediate gratification I would have by purchasing the Droid right then and there!

My peace came to an end on Tuesday when I casually looked at my bank account and... BLOWOUT! Snerdly had fibbed, and there was $300.00 plus dollars gone from my account. All I could picture was Snerdly rubbing his hands together, sneering, and patting himself on the back for his 'wiley salesmanship' and his impending commission. It was at that moment that the meltdown began. I promptly called the cell phone company to plead my case. Would they help me, would they refund my money, would they make things right? OF COURSE NOT- THIS IS A CELL PHONE COMPANY. In a state of panic, I called my bank. Could they help, NO the charge had already gone through. To make a long story short for 3 days there was a cell phone battle of Olympic proportions! My calls to the company started out politely enough, but on day 2 they became less nice, and by day 3, the 'wrath of Patti' was falling from the skies above onto the cell phone company below... all to NO avail. Raging, Ranting, Lunacy, and Threats of bodily harm to everyone working at the cell phone company did nothing to help my case. Finally, on the third day, I called my bank. They were kind, courteous, consoling, and finally I found someone who would listen and take my side. I found JUSTICE. With my fist in the air, and a grimace on my face, and my best Scarlett O'Hara imitation, I proclaimed, "I shall NEVER deal with this cell phone company again"!

But, now that justice had been served, my bank account saved from insufficient fund fees, and the possibility of no food in the house till payday no longer a threat, I started using my Droid, and, I LOVE IT. It takes fabulous photos, which I can download to my Facebook. I am getting Facebook updates wherever I go, my family and friends can rest assured that I am still alive as I respond to their statuses and post my own. Joy and rapture, peace, tranquility and SANITY have all been restored! This is, as Martha Stewart would say, "A GOOD THING"

But, Mr. Snerdly, BEWARE, I have your number, I have your email. Don't mess with me again. One more slip and I will have NO CHOICE but to have you pry my Droid from my hands, and move on to a new company, who do not have an employee by the name of "SNERDLY"!




Till that day, I will continue to check my status, get my updates, respond to my friends, post my silly comments, and download all of the pictures I take. I was very close to saying "Oh, this is the biggest heart attack I ever had. You hear that Elizabeth? I'm coming to join you honey. " (thank you Fred Sanford for your hysterical comedic drama), But the moment has passed and I am excited I was not pushed over the brink to the CRAZY side! Now off to check my Droid!




Living, Laughing and LOVING my Droid,




Patti