Monday Morning Musings….

Written by: Debbie

Saturday evening the annual Golf Cart Parade was held in my neighborhood. It is a fun tradition, that has turned into something quite positive. Those who choose to participate decorate their golf carts for the holidays. We ride through our little community, singing and laughing and making happy noises to attract the attention of the families inside. When the children come out to see us, we throw beads and candy. The kids love this, their parents love this and most assuredly we love this fun.

The participants also bring canned goods, to share with the local food pantry. Funny thing, when telling this to a new participant she seemed a bit concerned. In fact, her face looked pale and grim at first. Somehow, she thought we were going to throw canned goods as we rode and collect candy! I couldn’t control my laughter as I saw her face and imagined the stunned look of neighbors as they ducked from the flying missiles, much as President Bush avoided the flying shoes.

It is my hope to see the neighbors bring out canned goods we can collect as we ride through next year. This tradition is a great way to teach children holiday cheer and the fun of sharing. It reminds me that the holidays are not just about “stuff”.

Last night was the first of many book signings for my dear friend and author, Janet Conner. It was a lovely event, held in a cottage home in the grand “old” area of St. Petersburg. There was a jazz pianist playing softly in the background, food and drink and of course plenty of books. So many of her friends showed up in support, such wonderful people. The room was filled with love and joy, I just had to stop and close my eyes and breathe it all in. Interestingly, an amazing assortment of aromas became clear to me as I did. A fire in the fireplace, yummy foods, scented candles, even the colognes of the attendees. I was able to anchor the love, the joy and the contentment I felt in that moment with the sound of the music and friendly chatter, the scents I was enjoying and the feel of the book in my hands. Divine!

Janet Conner has written a wonderful book titled, Writing Down Your Soul, How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within. In this book, Janet walks readers through the four steps that awakens access to divine guidance through writing by hand. Janet is a columnist for UPI’s religoun and spirituality.com. She is also the creator of Spiritual Geography, the deep soul writing system that heals the broken heart. More information about her book is available at www.WritingDownYourSoul.com

Yesterday On Channel 10

Written by: Debbie

Once again I visited with the anchors at 10Connects.com. I have been unable to load the interview here, so I will share the link here. These moments pass so quickly, we can never cover all we hope to. Still, it is great fun to be inside the studio and see how things work. Plus, they are a great team over there.

Thank 10Connects for all your support!

Monday Morning Musings….

Written by: Debbie

Last night I began the fun of decorating for the holidays. We brought boxes out of storage with the linens and decorations. My Christmas plates and special mugs were washed and are ready for use. Christmas soaps and candles were placed in the bathrooms. My Santa collection is spread through out the house. My creche is on the fireplace, awaiting the arrival of Baby Jesus. I baked some cookies while we decorated, I love the smell of baking cookies. (My husband and son loved the cookies, I think we have one left!) The tree was given lights, but no ornaments, yet. I will work on that through out the week. I have several commitments and so it will have to be a process in work, much like myself.

My husband put the lights on the tree. He will be decorating the outside as well. We have an annual golf cart parade, the carts are decorated and we throw candy to the neighborhood children as we go through our little community. My husband will prepare a pathway for the carts to park at our home as well. After all, it gets cold on those carts, so hot cocoa or a hot toddy are in order when we stop by here.

My son is helping with the tree trimming. Now that he drives, he is sent on those emergency runs for extra lights, hooks or whatever else is needed. He is first assistant to the light master as well.

I am invited to a party tonight. The hostess has asked that we each bring a dish to share.

There is a reason I am sharing so many trivial details and I promise it isn’t just to fill white space. I want to give examples of how I avoid stress. I delegate. We share in the fun and the tasks. We all will benefit from the events, so I don’t have to be a martyr and complete everything on my own.

What is more, it is fun to do this as a team. We are enjoying the process. I am not determined that things have to look a certain way. Everyone has a vote in how the decorations go up and where. I have relinquished control. Interestingly, it may not be my vision, but when all is done, it is a vision and a joy.

Take a moment, close your eyes and breath deep. Relax and listen to the quiet. Perhaps you can recall a favorite Christmas tune. Breath in and recall a favorite Christmas aroma. (I wonder if it is the pine tree or a candle or maybe cookies baking?) Imagine having your holidays in peace, joy and filled with laughter. Visualize you and your loved ones enjoying the events leading up to the holidays as a team. Now go out there and do it!

Joy to the world!

StoopBoyd

Written by: Debbie

I know I missed Friday Silliness yesterday. So, I thought I would show you a little of what has been keeping me so busy. I am having to work extra to afford massive amounts of hot dogs these days for a new visitor to my home. This egret has decided to call my home his. When we walk out onto the porch, he is there waiting and walks right up to us expecting his hot dogs. When I come home from any trips away, he flies right down behind my car as it pulls into the garage and stands at my door as I get out.

We have named him StoopBoyd after a cartoon (Hey Arnold!) character who would not leave his stoop. Recently he has been inviting friends, in particular a gray heron who, as of now, remains unnamed. Yesterday, StoopBoyd entered the house looking for more hotdogs. I had my son escort him back outside, as I cleaned up his thank you gift. (Yes, I was careful not to touch anything with my bare hands, thanks for asking Stan!)

So here he is, the most recent addition to our family, StoopBoyd!

The Fantasy Of Perfection

Written by: Debbie

The holidays have a way of bringing out the perfectionist in all of us. The magazines are filled with pictures of perfectly decorated homes and yards. Many of them with hand crafted ornaments that only take 3 weeks and way too much money to reproduce. The “Perfect Family” that lives up the road always has everything done and in place the day after Thanksgiving. The stores are filled with aisles of adorable decorations and great big sale signs. The drive to fulfill the fantasy of the perfect holiday takes over and the stress level goes up another notch.

It is important to make a decision regarding your activities during the holidays, are you doing these things because you love them or because you think you should? If guilt is the reason, let it go! If it is because you haven’t let go of the perfection drive, perhaps you might enjoy this little story.

I love to create gingerbread castles. I have done this since I was in the 7th grade. For me, it is a fun, creative process that I enjoy. It is a three day process, including the dough, the patterns (I make my own) , the gluing (with melted sugar) and finally the decorating. Of course, eating them usually doesn’t take my family as long. However, it is nice to have a gingerbread castle on the Christmas table.

Several years ago, I went through the process of creating my finest castle ever. The dough was delicious, the windows were made of rock candy (dyed with food coloring) and the powdered sugar snow on the roof was just delicate enough to look real. I was thrilled as I fell into bed around midnight, exhausted and proud. The following morning I awoke to hear my husband saying, “Oh no! Little Bit!” in a panicky voice. I stumbled out of the bedroom and into the living room. Rubbing my eyes, I heard my husband repeat, “Oh no Little Bit!” and look furtively back and forth between me and the cat. His eyes were huge and his head kept wobbling back and forth as if he was watching a tennis match.

As I looked in the direction of the cat, I started to laugh. I laughed til my sides ached because of what I saw. There, smack dab in the middle of my finest creation ever, sat one very happy kitty! Little Bit was convinced that she had the best mommy ever to have created such a delicious playground, as she licked her paws, she was covered in crumbs and icing. Fortunately for me, I enjoy the process of creating the castles. I knew from experience that they get eaten anyway, it is only a matter of time. So, it was just funny.

My table did not have a gingerbread castle that year. It hasn’t in many years as I got into another baking streak for a while. I baked over 100 rum cakes (each December) for gifts and that began to take up my time. I am not baking those cakes this year (at least not 100 of them) so perhaps I’ll take another shot at gingerbread. After all, I still have a dog and a cat who think mom is amazing when she drops goodies in the kitchen!

Monday Morning Musings….

Written by: Debbie

With the Thanksgiving holidays behind us, are you one of those people who suddenly feels the crush of the upcoming season? Gift giving season is upon us, along with parties, social events, wrapping up the year before a new one begins, children’s pageants and the list goes on and on. All of this is meant to bring us joy and yet it seems as though we are on constant overwhelm. This year add the concerns that we have been feeling about the economy and the holidays can seem to be turning into nothing but a dizzying array of obligation!

There is hope. Here is how I deal with the season. I breathe. That’s right, deep breathes, allowing my thoughts to clear and my body to relax. Breath is life, we always have our breath with us and yet all too often we get into overwhelm and we forget to breath. When you are stressed, your breathing is quick and shallow. When I recognize that in myself, I stop and take a deep, wonderful attitude changing breath.

The next thing I have had to learn is to forget the fantasy of perfection. If my uncle is a goof ball with outrageous behavior and opinions that he is compelled to spew every other day of the year, why should I expect him to be any different during a holiday event? I have lowered my expectations of how things “should” be. (I am not fond of “shoulding” on myself anyway.) If it is truly a family or friend get together that is important to me, than I focus on the relationships and enjoy the people I am with.

It is my experience that my friends and family would rather get together with a happy sane me, than the one that is weepy and weary because I created the perfect table decorations or had that one extra appetizer that no one knew I was going to serve in the first place. So far, neither Martha Stewart nor Norman Rockwell have featured my celebrations, but my friends and family have all enjoyed themselves as we usually end up laughing about everything and nothing.

With the economy what it is this year, it is a good time to remind ourselves about the reason for this season. Whatever your holiday or your Spiritual beliefs are, keep your focus there. When we take time out to renew ourselves Spiritually, we feel more ready to handle whatver comes our way. I like to remind myself that in this moment, I am safe, I am healthy and all my needs have been met.

Don’t try to buy happiness. Often, when setting a budget and sticking to it, everyone is happier. After all, how much fun is “the gift” in January when the bills start to roll in? Perhaps, the gift of time is what loved ones would prefer. Be honest with friends and family, set limits on the amount spent on a gift, limits that fit your budget.

I enjoy a moment of quiet relaxation, of self hypnosis. When I find my words becoming terse or negative, I stop and think about how I want to feel. I think about who I want to be. Try it. Take a moment now and relax. Breathe deeply and with your eyes closed recall a favorite holiday. Recall the events, the sights, the sounds, the aromas. Most importantly, recall how wonderful you felt. Recall those memories of joy and love. Fill yourself with those feelings of joy and love right now, then take those feelings forward with you through out the rest of your day.

Friday Silliness….

Written by: Debbie

Yesterday was the American holiday, Thanksgiving. I hope all who celebrated had a fabulous day with plenty to be grateful for.

We can all be grateful we weren’t at this Turkey Drop.

Have a great and relaxing weekend. Take a moment to reflect on what you are grateful for and imagine how you desire your life to be. Then, begin to allow that life to become your reality.

How To Survive Holiday Eating

Written by: Debbie

With the holidays and all the added pressure and responsibilities, as well as the added social obligations descending upon us, do you find it almost impossible to remain aware of your weight, eating and exercise routines? Do all those extra goodies seem to call your name? The good news is, according to a government study, on average, Americans actually only gain about one pound of fat over the holidays.

If you prefer to avoid even that one pound gain, then here are a few quick ideas to help make your holidays healthier and happier.

Remain Aware

Stop believing the fantasy of how “someday” you will have it together enough to really make a difference. That someday is now! It starts in little increments and builds. You want to create a healthy mindset for daily living.

In order to practice awareness relating to your intake of food, remember, no goody tastes as good as being healthy and fit feels!
Allow for the occasional treat, so you don’t feel deprived. You will find that you enjoy the food and the holidays if you don’t focus on deprivation.
Take a moment each morning to look yourself in the eyes (in the mirror) and remind yourself that you deserve to look and feel great.
Before a holiday party or meal, be sure to drink a full glass of cold water. This will help to fill you up sooner and elevate your metabolism so that you burn what you eat more efficiently. Dehydration slows your metabolism by 3 percent. That can be up to 80 calories a day burned just by drinking water.
Chew sugarless gum! While fixing a meal or when you want to snack, grab a piece of sugarless gum and you won’t be as tempted to put other foods into your mouth.
Eat from the veggie platter when you first start, fill up on the healthy foods.
At social gatherings, don’t fill the silence with another mouthful of food. If you don’t know what to say, remain quiet for a moment and just listen. People love a good listener!

Keep It Moving

It is imperative that you keep moving through out the holidays. This will help with both the foods you consume and the stressful situations. Building muscle helps to burn fat, even when resting. If you exercise regularly, you will have more energy, feel better emotionally and sleep better as well as fight off diseases better. Any increase in physical activity has a positive affect on your health and your perfect body size.

Park further out in the lot at the shopping malls. Walk briskly to your destination, whistle or hum an upbeat tune to keep you moving!
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Remember that cleaning and decorating both include plenty of twisting, lifting and movement, do it with enthusiasm to get the maximum benefits!
While you may believe that you don’t have enough time for exercise, it is true that only eight minutes a day of exercise will make an impact on your weight and your stress reduction.
Keep a set of hand weights by your sink. Every time you wash your hands, do a quick set of 10 reps with the weights. You’ll be amazed how much extra exercise you sneak into your day.
Taking a walk while trying to resolve an issue is a great way to burn calories, reduce fat from your body and release clutter from your mind! As you get the oxygen pumping through your blood, your head will clear and often answers seem to appear!
Studies have shown that those who stand through out the day burn more calories as do those who fidget. Just by fidgeting you can burn up to 700 calories a day! Stand while conducting phone conversations.

Take some time for yourself in quiet contemplation. Close your eyes and imagine yourself having the perfect time with loved ones. See yourself laughing, hear the happy sounds of gatherings and feel the warmth and joy you allow. The holidays are about so much more than the foods we consume. So put your focus on your family, your friends and your spiritual beliefs and enjoy this season with zest!

Monday Morning Musings….

Written by: Debbie

Want to know why I am musing on Tuesday instead of Monday? Possibly because I was so amused yesterday with my new toy. I bought a webcam, finally. I feel like a dinosaur compared to so many of my blogger buddies.

I am preparing to offer online groups to help my readers handle stress better. So, I decided I needed the camera. It is wayyyyy too much fun. I keep it on (offline) and catch my family doing the silliest of things at my desk. I am just too lucky when it comes to reasons to be grateful after watching my guys on film!

Anyway, after they sign releases, maybe I will load them up. In the meantime, here is a quick shot I took yesterday while being interviewed on Skype by Andrew Wilkie. We chatted about hypnosis marketing and just generally had a great time.

Why You Should Quit

Written by: Debbie

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to my friend Cecilia Sherrard for sharing the news about why you should quit smoking from a very practical view point. Her blog is a real estate blog, Cleveland Ohio Real Estate, or Youshouldown.com. Her take on smoking? The cost and negative effect on your home, when looking to resell. When you want to sell your home, doesn’t it help to have every advantage?

It is a wonderful article and Cecilia generously shares with her readers about how they can get help through hypnosis phone sessions with me. Thank you!

Please, take the time to read through her blog, there are fabulous tips on caring for your home. Her cleaning tips are a great resource for me. Please stop by and read her article,

Negatives Of Smoking In The Home & Why You Should Quit. Leave a comment, say hello and let her know I sent you!

DebbieDona