The Magic of Real Simple

Oh, how I LOVE Real Simple! I've said it before! I'll say it again!

This past week was the wonderful day of the month where that magazine shows up in our mailbox. This week's cover? "Energize Your Life." Complete with a big orange flower. My thought was, "Alright!! I could ALWAYS use simple, easy, doable tips to get a little boost!" The one thing I have read so far that am implementing is the scent of citrus in the morning (or peppermint anytime). My new, FABULOUS face soap smells like grapefruit, and I make a conscious effort to take a big wiff in my shower in the morning. Oh yes, it's energizing for sure!


My second thought? "They've had this before!! And I kept it!!" I went to the back room, the dreaded, packed, messy back room, and went to exactly the place I thought it was. And there it was. In all its citrus, orange glory! This article gives many tips, and the only one of which I actually used was the stretching in the morning. Dr. Oz suggested that a while back, too, in a show I saw when I was on maternity leave. There's nothing like taking a few minutes to really wake up your stiff muscles. The current Real Simple issue organizes it by time, so you can use certain tips in the morning/lunchtime/afternoon slump/etc....And even at night to tell you how to direct your energy so that you fall into a more productive sleep.

But one tip from each article ain't gonna fly. So I WILL read them, and slowly implement things I want to, though I think one at a time is best. And hopefully, I'll remember to share my findings with you! I kept last year's orange fruit cover in hopes of implementing more. Now with both of them glaring me in the face on my nightstand, I hope to follow through better this time!

52 Weeks of Happiness, Week 9

What made me happy this past week?

A glorious, stress-free, LONG overdue, FOUR DAY WEEKEND.

Easter finally arrived, and this teacher is thanking her lucky stars that she didn't have to make up a snow day (like others did) on Easter Monday.

It was the SHORTEST long weekend ever. But beautiful.

We played outside and with a friend on Friday. On Saturday, we visited family friends in town for the holiday. Sunday we went to church and had a small cookout. Monday we took the little guy for his first dentist appointment.

Run of the mill? Not to me. I live for my time with him and with my family, and it was wonderful having a long weekend to enjoy both my guys (and my canine girl).

To represent the weekend, here's a peek at what the Easter Bunny left for little man.



The summer is 21 days away. 4 Mondays, 4 weeks. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

52 Weeks of Happiness, Week 8

You know what made me happy this past week? Seeing my best friend. She was in town helping out her dad who had recently had surgery, and I got to see her twice in the week. On Friday, we got to make her dinner and have her spend some time with my little one.

We met in 8th grade. Our moms worked together, and we became fast friends. Best friends by the end of 9th grade, and so inseparable (though we never went to school together), we started just blending our names, and created our own world (as in, where chocolate and money grow on trees and the sky is purple).

We've been there through trials and tribulations for each other and through times of tremendous joy and celebration. Graduations, weddings, baby, boyfriends, ex boyfriends, the one, adult issues we began to face at the same time, etc...She and I have grown well together, and continue to do so.

Oh, how I love her.



Seeing her will always make me wildly happy.

Another book!

I could really gather tons of books and never have time to read them all, but find myself increasingly happier with the surrounding books. They show potential. They suggest that there is quiet alone fun time in the future. I just have to remember that these books are there and I need to make the time for them. Last night, I lay in bed next to my husband who had just closed his book. I took the book light and read for another 20 minutes without disturbing him.


Though it's the end of the month (which means not much money) and Easter is coming (which means I've done lots of small orders from Amazon this month for my son), I heard about a book today that really caught my attention. My good friend Erin (who I am grateful for pretty much on a daily basis) from college and beyond has a wonderful blog. Because I am her friend on Facebook as well, I heard about this book today. Because of the extra dough I've dished out this week, I hesitated. Then I said to myself "for crying out loud, it's 10 dollars. And your husband just spend 450 on a Dyson." (Not that I'm mad about the Dyson. It was tax return money, and it's AWESOME. And he does the floors, so I understand what it's like having a very good instrument to make your chores more pleasant. Where would I be without our amazing washer and dryer we got a year and a half ago?)

Erin posted this link, and it lead me to the book.

I have struggled with perfection for years. I always thought I had to be perfect, though knew I never was, nor ever could be. Yet I allowed myself to continue to try. And you know what? The older I get, the less I care about being perfect. I just do what I tell my students: DYB. DO YOUR BEST. So I try to do my best every day, and I know that will bring happiness.

Amazon (thanks for the pic, btw!) lets you read about 4 pages of this book, and I really understood it when I was reading. I'm at the point where I have a Master's degree and should be using that to the best of my ability, but I find myself wanting so desperately to be home with my little guy. I feel guilty, not for not being with him, but for not wanting to be at work all the time. I feel like an amazing woman would be able to do it all and love every second. I just can't. And I think that's okay.


When I was just out of college, I had an extremely hard time adjusting to adult life. I had major anxiety and depression issues. I hated the two jobs I had within a year and a half. I had a recommendation on a book that was my therapy. It made me feel 110% better, just knowing I wasn't crazy or alone. I wonder if this new book about motherhood and perfection might help me in the same type of capacity.

We'll see. And I promise, I've been steadily reading, and making stars in the margins about things I want to blog about, so look for that forthcoming!

52 Weeks of Happiness, Week 7

I just looked over the past 6 weeks of Happiness photos, and I was surpised at what I didn't see. I thought for sure I'd put up pictures of my son, but sure enough, none have been put up yet!

And he makes me wildly happy.

I'm not sure if it's a new (by choice) medicine I'm on or just spring fever, but I find myself recently kind of down. Like my brain chemistry is kind of off. Who knows, and I'll get to the bottom of it, but in the meantime...my son can send a cloudy day far, far away and bring in sunshine, rainbows, and everything else wonderful.

Yesterday was one of those days. Long meeting after work. Kids were out of control (spring fever, anyone!?), and I was not happy on my way home, despite the wonderfully beautiful spring day.

But as I pulled in to pick up my son, everything changed. I was euphoric.

When I got home, I started making his dinner, and it got a little quiet (uh-oh!) in the other room. I went in to check on him and I saw this...



My sweet guy had gotten himself completely on his rocking horse and was going to town! It made me so happy to know how wonderfully his development is going and how lucky and happy I am that he is so healthy. (Knock on wood)

He makes me wildly happy, even on those frustrating mom days. I still am happy I get to be a mom, otherwise, I would be deprived of this tremendous love.

Something to Look Forward To

I always love something to look forward to. Friday is ALWAYS there to look forward to. There are of course annual, maybe monthly events to look forward to. Girl's nights. Date nights. Coming home each day to see my little one. Alone time.

I have a LONG list of books I want to read, all of which I LOOK FORWARD to reading. But it takes me a while to get there. In my fit for researching and talking about happiness and how it pertains to my life, I recently remembered this book. I first read about it several months back in my FAVORITE magazine, Real Simple.

From Amazon.com:

Ask any woman how she's feeling. Even when things look pretty great from the outside, chances are that at least one thing is nagging at her. Whether it's the size of our thighs or our bank accounts, there always seems to be something that isn't measuring up to our high standards.
In The Nine Rooms of Happiness, Lucy Danziger and Catherine Birndorf use the metaphor of a house to release us from this troubling phenomenon.
* The Basement: Memories
* The Family Room: Your nearest and dearest
* The Living Room: Friendship
* The Office: When work follows you home
* The Bathroom: Body image
* The Bedroom: Intimacy and relationships
* The Kitchen: Nourishment and the division of chores
* The Kid's Room: Parenting
* The Attic: Expectations

Sounds pretty great, huh? I look forward to this one!

PS-Another thing I look forward to is my monthly issue of Real Simple in the mailbox. Oh, glorious day!

Next time you're sad, just think...

...sometimes things that make you sad, will somehow, or someday make you happy.

For example, break-ups are horrible. But now, knowing what I have and who I am because of them, I want to send thank you notes to those lying cheating horrible guys thanking them for leaving me, or for being so awful that I needed to leave them. I am SO grateful for what once gave me so much pain.

In a less extreme case, I've spent the last few days solo at home. Of course I have baby Rigby with me, but I loved the idea of a couple of nights watching whatever I want and eating whatever I want. Hubby doesn't like Chinese food, so I got that one night, and another Fresh Market treat the other night. It's been two nights, but I'm very excited to see him tonight. As the old country song states, "How can I miss you if you won't go away?"

My husband has gone away for 6 weeks the past 4 summers to persue his Master's degree. One summer it drove him away. The next we were engaged and planning our wedding. The next I was pregnant. Last summer, we had a six month old. I got pretty annoyed at his being gone for THAT long, but I really, REALLY was happy when he came home. Sad without him, but happy too. For a short period of time.

It's a yin-yang effect. You can't have one without the other. We are happy because we know what it is to be sad. We are grateful when we realize what we have and what others don't. I have no problem feeling grateful in life, and I think that lends a lot to my happiness. I try to see sad moments as opportunities to take a different perspective on things. That is how you will understand yourself and your situations so much better.

"Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it may seem silly, or wrong, you must try."
-Mr. Keating, Dead Poets Society

These lines have stayed with me for years. What do you think?? Watch from 44 seconds for at least one minute. Post your thoughts.

52 Weeks of Happiness, Week 6

Well, it's as simple as this. I never get to go to Starbucks in the morning. If I go, it's during a late afternoon run to Target and I just think it would be a nice treat. I just don't get myself out of the house fast enough in the morning to really do it.

Husband is gone for a couple of days for work, so this means I get two days of eating whatever I want for dinner (preferably what he never wants) and all in all change in general routine, especially in the morning. I had stuffed grape leaves for dinner and gnocchi. It was amazing.

This morning the alarm didn't go off, but the baby and dog alarm did, and on the early side. I got out the door in time to take the trip to Starbucks, and after dropping him off I just LOVED looking down at this in my car cup holder.



I LOVED being there in the morning, and getting to sip my favorite drink without having to make it (even though the Keurig makes it WAY easy!). And to top it all off? I used a gift card. Cost not even a dime!

Well, it's not an expensive problem, anyway...

Y'all, it's a problem.

I love bags.

You know this. And I've just bought (very cheaply and discounted) some great Envirosax bags and freaking LOVE them.

They have a new series...and I will have to have this bag, eventually. Not yet, but eventually.

Anxiety, Be Gone!

Part of being on the Happiness Journey is figuring out how to stay there. It's about figuring out what DOES NOT make you happy or what stresses you out, and how to turn that into something happy.

I've always wanted to have a therapist. When I was going through the worst of my clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety (now I am living better through chemistry), I was seeing someone. My parents were gracious and understanding enough to help me not stress further over the money. But I went several weeks, and spent all the time just talking. I was never really given any advice or assignments to make me feel better. I was simply paying him to listen, when I was also being listened to by people who already knew me and wanted to help. It was very un-fruitful. What a disappointment.

I still would love to find someone. After being tremendously (and quite often) highly anxious for so long, I pretty much refuse to take any of it in anymore. It scares me now when I feel like I'm about to have a panic attack because I don't want to fall back into that yucky place. So when something comes up that I don't want to deal with or don't know how to deal with, I want to and often do shut down.

Not so good. I feel like a therapist would help me through this stuff. After all, SARK has written in her books about proudly seeking mental health professionals, since it's a part of our health too. Go to the general practitioner, your ob/gyn, and a therapist for optimal health. Makes sense to me.

I don't know how to find a good one, but I've thought a lot about it in the last week. Now that all this has come to light recently too (about not wanting to perpetuate un-happiness cycles), I think I might be able to approach things in a different way. And fortunately, I have a very supportive and logical (but sensitive enough) husband to really help me along the way.

So when I see something yucky on the horizon, I am now DETERMINED to nip it in the bud, before anything anxiety-inducing ever comes to fruition. It may take a while for this to become my new habit, but it's a new self-promise.

Hopefully, by writing this, I will become more accountable to myself and cyberspace.

52 Weeks of Happiness, Week 5

It's been a tough couple of weeks here on my end. Stress. Work. Everything. And to top it all off, winter came back for a while. And brought rain with it. The weather was cold and rainy and generally miserable these past two weeks, and this week in particular.

HOWEVER, our good friend the sun showed up again today. And I snapped this photo of the tree right outside my office (though my office has no window, I often come sit by this tree when I get a sec). There is a bench right under the tree.

This picture shows the BEAUTIFUL blue sky and flowers on the tree, which only show for maybe a month each year.

It made me happy...



What I have come to do with my Hipstamatic obsession is find something worth taking a picture of, snap it, shake the phone (as this changes out your lens and film on the app randomly), snap it, shake again, snap it, etc. This was the best one from today. The most brilliant color. So this one made me happiest.

I hope spring decides to stay now!