Don't Pee on the Bee

Our Giving Tree

In my December article for Sacramento Parent, I talked about creating a giving tree.  You can either make a tree or use a real tree, cut out paper hearts, and each time someone in your family does something nice for someone else, you write it on the heart and put it on the tree.  Here is our version . . .

 

It has really helped my kids to want to do more for each other and for me around the house.  (And let me tell you, this is one appreciative mama!)  Sarah is hitting the big time, though, since she is not in school as many hours as JJ.  She gets more time in the public eye which means more chances to put money in the Salvation Army buckets! 

My Gut

So I am really feeling kicked in the gut these days.  And I don't usually have gut problems.  Neck?  Yep.  Shoulders?  Sure.  Back?  You got it.  But usually not gut.  So I'm not feeling particularly jolly about things--even though there is nodoubt in my currently split mind that I am truly blessed.  But still, that human-ness can get in the way of our beliefs and faith at times.

A very good friend of mine is seriously ill and very young, and it is just rocking my world to the core.  On top of that, some dissension in my family about the holidays is jamming its way in as well.  And yes, I know I could take a big deep breath, think some positive thoughts and perhaps some of the angst would go away, but it's just not working right now.

I was feeling a bit bad the other day about the family stuff.  Our extended family holiday is at my house this year, and I proposed some changes a la Hundred Dollar Holiday.  They didn't go over particularly well.  I had even forwarded a copy of my November article along with my email to my family, thinking that that would give them some perspective on where I was coming from this year.  I had every intention of forwarding the December issue as well.  Now I think not.  Of course, they can still read it if they want to, but not as a link in an email from me.

But as I was feeling bad that day, the Spirit Boosters blog appeared in my email, and so, of course, I read it.  Here's what Susan L. Shoenbeck had to say:

                    Ben Franklin had it right: get your values written down, share them, and then live a life that matches who you have decided you are.

Funny the places where we can find validation.  With that, here's my December article on Really, Truly Happy Holidays.  I'm not a Grinch.  I'm Ben Franklin's new BFF!

To read Susan L. Schoenbeck's recent article, Living Your Values, in Spirituality & Health magazine, click here.  The focus of the article is not actually about us learning to live our values now, but more about knowing what values our parents want to be remembered for when they are gone.  A fascinating and very thought-provoking article.

 

 

 

Really, Truly Happy Holidays

I heard that.  Did you groan when you read "holidays?"  Did you insides curl in just a bit?  Come on, it's not that bad.  At least it's November and Thanksgiving is coming.  (Truly, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all.)  Take a look at my article Really, Truly Happy Holidays now in the November issue of Sacramento Parent magazine.  I hope that it will help all of us to slow down and have some fun this holiday season!

AND . . . drum roll please . . . The Hundred Dollar Holiday Help Hotline is now set up in Yahoo Groups!  You may have already received an invite from me to join, but if not, and if you are interested in the "holiday support group" that we talked about last year, here is your chance!  Log onto Yahoo Groups and search for The Hundred Dollar Holiday Help Hotline and then click on Join This Group.  I've already posted a message and hope that we get some lively conversations going!  I'm looking forward to it!

And P.S.  JJ was thrilled with the arrival of the Tooth Fairy last night!  He's got another wiggly tooth right next to the one he just lost, and he is working that one big time too!  I expect that it won't take long for that one to come out either since his permanent tooth is aleady coming up behind that one too!

My Blog Anniversary--Version 2

OK!  Now we're onto something here!  Isn't my friend Sara so cool?  She designed the first header for Don't Pee on the Bee, and she updated it for the 1st anniversary of my blog!  Yahoo!  I love how it looks!  Truly, she is the most creative person I know.  I wish I had 1/100th of her talent.  Artistic creativity is so not my thing!  Thank you, Sara!  You rock!

As for things that are my thing?  Check out my latest article in this month's Sacramento Parent magazine.  The mom I interviewed was so inspirational.  And I have got to tell you that her five kids are the most polite kids I have ever met in my life.  Even the Sac Parent Art Director commented about how polite those kids were.  They were as much a treat to interview as their mom was! 

I am so lucky to have had success writing for Sacramento Parent magazine.  I am working on broadening my writing horizons and sent out a query letter to a national magazine with an idea for an article.  First rejection.  Actually, though, I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would--which was nice!  I really need to get more focused on my writing.  But I also realize that that is not likely to happen until both kids are back in school.  That should help some, don't you think?

I'm Getting Greener All the Time!

Well, I just had a pleasant surprise!  I was ready to do a shameless plug and link you to my latest article in Sacramento Parent magazine so I pulled up their website and much to my surprise, there was not only a link to my print article, Green Living: From Light to Bright, but also a link to an online exclusive, Green, Greener, Greenest, that was more of my article!  (The word count for the print article was supposed to be about 900, and my first draft was over 1800!  It's so hard to be brief when there is so much great information out there, but I did it with the help of a fabulous editor there!)

And as if that weren't enough, this month I also have another online exclusive on Dr. Odineal and donating eyeglasses.  After talking with her, I was so inspired by her work!  I think it is so great that she has taken her children on so many mission trips over the years.   What a great tradition to start!  I hope you check out her article and more importantly, donate those eyeglasses!  Even non-prescription sunglasses can be donated!

Hope you enjoy the reading!  Let me know what other great green ideas you have!

Check out my article!

I've been meaning to get to this sooner, but if you haven't already seen the March issue of Sacramento Parent, here is my article about Nannies Galore and their fabulous founder, Tamara!  As I mentioned in a previous post, she is really inspiring!

Two shameless plugs!

Thanks to my friend, Sara, for putting the shout out on HER blog (pipscrapstudio) about MY blog!  I hope that all of you who checked it out that day will keep checking it out!  And for any of my followers who haven't checked out her blog yet, you should!  Great photos, great music, great ideas!

Since Sara mentioned that I write for parenting magazines, I figured I might as well share my most recent article that was published in Sacramento Parent magazine's online edition (July 2009).  Check out Fun Solutions for Picky Eaters for a quick read!

Today is also the opening day of the movie Julie and Julia.  I can't wait to go see it.  The book was fun to read (see my book list) especially if you are a foodie!

Au revoir!