Bob Seger Rocks!

Ever since I heard You'll Accompany Me on the radio I have been hooked on Bob Seger. He has so many amazing songs in his collection. I have included a classic song and a modern collaboration with 3 Doors Down. Bob Seger Rocks!

Bob Seger-You'll Accompany Me

"Someday lady you'll accompany me."

3 Doors Down & Bob Seger-Landing in London
"All I think about is you..."

Who else do you think Rocks?

Blue Valentine

I am sucker for romantic movies. I love movies like Titanic, The Notebook and Dear John. I just discovered this trailer for Blue Valentine starring Michelle Williams and Rylan Gosling. This movie looks amazing! Now to find out if it is available for viewing.



What romantic movies do you enjoy?

The Black Crowes- She Talks to Angels

I tend to hear this song quite a bit on the radio. I've read a few books about angels and have watched videos about making contact with our guardian angels. But unlike this song I haven't heard any angels calling out my name. I hope they don't call out my name until it's my time. If you know what I mean.  Do you believe in angels?

"says she talks to angels
they call her out by her name
oh yeah, she talks to angels
says they call her out by her name"

If I wasn't afraid I would?

I heard this a while ago and thought it was worth sharing. Say the following over and over for a few minutes, "If I wasn't afraid I would (fill in the blank)." The first few times you may laugh or come up blank but after a while you will start being more specific about what you would do. Then ask yourself what is holding you back from doing those things.  Try it today!

Animusic

One night I was watching PBS and saw an Animusic video. I was blown away. It is really creative! Do a Youtube search for Animusic and check it out!

The Invisible Mother

If you are a mother or know someone who is please send this to them. They will appreciate the message!

The Invisible Mother


It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'


Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??


Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'


Some days I'm a crystal ball: 'Where's my other sock? Where's my phone? What's for dinner?'


I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature--but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!


One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'


In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great
cathedrals--we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.


A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'


I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does."


No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.


I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.


When I really think about it, I don't want my son/daughter to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a monument to myself I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, "You're gonna love it there..."


As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.


Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did!

Eric Clapton- Bell Bottom Blues

I woke up to this Eric Clapton song the other day. What a great song!

Bell Bottom Blues


"I don't want to fade away.
Give me one more day please.
I don't want to fade away.
In your heart I want to stay"

What songs have you woken up to recently?

Stand in the Truth

Are you standing in the truth? Listen to this advice from Suze Orman:

Stairs Can Be Fun

I have a confession to make...escalators scare me! I'm always nervous about stepping onto them and stepping off. I think I over think the whole process.  Sure it is a great invention but once on a very long road trip I almost had a nervous breakdown because of an escalator.  I was extremely exhausted and really needed to use the bathroom.  The escalator was the only visible choice to get to the 2nd floor facilities.  I must have stood for a good 10 minutes in panic trying to figure out my options.  I finally discovered a hidden stairwell at the last minute.  Since then I cannot step on an escalator.  Plus I would rather get the exercise using the stairs.

But what about you? Would you choose an escalator over stairs if you had the choice? What if the stairs were fun and more enticing? Watch this video to see a really neat initiative to make stairs more appealing.

Plain White T's Rhythm of Love

I've had this song stuck in my head for the past couple of days. Such a great song!



"We may only have tonight
But till the morning sun you're mine all mine"

Anybody else ready for summer?

11:11

Ever since I was a little girl I have had an uncanny ability to notice 11:11 on the clock. I was always told that when you notice 11:11 it means that someone is thinking about you at that moment. Recently I posted about Angel numerology and the possibility that 11:11 is a wake up call for us to stop thinking too negatively. I just did a few searches online about 11:11 and one popular belief is that our Spirit Guides use 11:11 to get in touch with us. I like that idea and it kind of goes along with my childhood belief that someone is indeed thinking about me at that moment. Another reasoning I found is that people who see 11:11 are "Light Workers," people who are awakening to the light of Spirituality. I guess I would fall in that category. My search for the significance behind these numbers is not over yet though. Here is a video I found about 11:11



Do you see 11:11 or other numbers all the time?

Dilana Smith

I remember seeing Dilana perform on a Rockstar reality show. She has such an amazing and versatile voice!

What do you think of these cover songs?

Landslide-- Are you scared of changing?


Behind Blue Eyes


Roxanne

Manifest A Dream

7 steps to Manifest A Dream from Denise Linn, host of Soul Coaching:

1. Affirmations- Say Affirmations with conviction, passion and belief, Say them over & over again until it becomes reality
2. Visualization- See it, Make It Real
3. Write a letter from 1 year in the future-Write a letter like it happened
4. Act As If- Act like your dream happened, hold your body as if it happened, do actions as if
5. Collages- Put up pictures of the things you dream for; put your collage were you can see it often
6. Let Go- Sometimes we need to let go of a dream because something better is out there for us
7. Get Support-Get together with friends that support your dream; dream together

Blake Shelton- Home

Until today I thought Blake Shelton was singing "Harrison Road"  not "Paris and Rome." True story... LOL!    Either way this song is amazing and Blake's voice really makes this song!   Have you ever been homesick?

Home- Blake Shelton w/ Miranda Lambert


Official Music Video of Home

"Another summer day
Has come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home

Maybe surrounded by

A million people I
Still feel all alone, I wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know"

Mental Conditioning

I love to listen to Hay House Radio and one of my favorite shows is John Holland's Spirit Connections. This morning's show was called, Believing in the Impossible. John talked about how our families unknowingly mentally condition us to certain beliefs by things they say. His family's saying or mantra was, 'We never have any luck.' He told himself that if he wanted to accomplish his goals then he needed to break free of that conditioning. So he started to tell himself, "Anything is possible."

According to John the most common mental conditioning people find themselves living out is, "What will other people think of me?" Perhaps you can relate to some of these mental contionings:

• The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
• You're such a dreamer
• People are out to get you
• I'm not good enough

Sometimes our friends and family members tend to say things to us like, "Yeah right. You won't do that" when we share our goals. Let's take John's advice to "surround ourselves with people who will support and encourage us". If we want to write a book don't talk to your family members about it, instead, talk to someone who has written a book.

One way to change our old mental conditioning is to use positive affirmations and visualization techniques. For example, when John wanted to write his first book he started to visalize the bookshelves at Barnes & Noble and pictured his book on a shelf. He also started to use one of Louise Hay's affirmations and would say to himself, "Life wants me to be happy."

Now what? Take the time to think about what mantra your parent's passed on to you. Are you still living that mantra; and if so, is it time to change your saying? If you are a parent take time to think about the mantra that you are passing on to your children. Let's change our negative mantras into something positive! What will your new saying be?

Aerosmith

I remember as a kid that my Dad had an expansive record collection. I would look through his records and admire all the album artwork. When I got a little older I got a record player and would sneak my Dad's records down to my room and listen to his classic rock collection. He had quite a few Aerosmith albums and I recall him bragging that he got to see Aerosmith live before they were popular. Bet he didn't know at the time that Aerosmith would still be rocking it today! Here are a few Aerosmith songs that I love!

Angel


"You're the reason I live
You're the reason I die
You're the reason I give
When I break down and cry
Don't need no reason why

Baby, baby, baby

You're my Angel, come and save me tonight
You're my Angel, come and make it alright"

I Don't Want to Miss A Thing

"I don't wanna miss one smile, I don't wanna miss one kiss
I just wanna be with you, right here with you, just like this
I just want to hold you close, feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment for all the rest of time"

What artist do you listen to that your parents rocked out to?

Survivor

I have been listening to Pandora lately and ran across these Survivor songs that are awesome!

The Search Is Over


"I was living for a dream, loving for a moment
Taking on the world, that was just my style
Now I look into your eyes
I can see forever, the search is over
You were with me all the while"

I Can't Hold Back


"I can feel you tremble when we touch
And I feel the hand of fate reaching out to both of us
Theres a story in my eyes, turn the pages of desire
Now its time to trade those dreams
For the rush of passions fire"

Do you feel like a Survivor?

Inexpensive Art Appreciation

About six months ago we setup our computer screensaver program to scroll through assorted art photos, photographs and nature landscapes. As new ones come up we have been discussing what we like or don't like about the pictures. Tonight my five year old said, "Momma, don't you wish we could go through the screen right now?" He was referring to a beautiful western sunset. What an inexpensive way to appreciate art!

Positive Affirmations

Every time you say to yourself, "I am fat" or "I am too skinny" you are creating a negative affirmation. Affirmation is just a fancy word for self-talk. Read this inspiring article about creating Positive Affirmations. I am going to use positive affirmations in several categories such as health, love, weight,etc in my life in 2011. What an awesome tool for self-growth!

Why it's good to let kids get dirty!

Many parent's today dislike when their children get dirty, because it usally means more laundry for them. But the following articles and video explain why it's important for children to get dirty.

Let Your Kids Get Dirty--Explains why dirt is good for our kids immune systems

Dirt-It's Good for Kids--"Relax, Let your kids get dirty!" We are being too phobic about germs.

"Dirt is good" for Kids, Experts Insist--Put away the antimicrobial soaps, let kids play in the dirt



Let kids be kids! They should come home dirty everyday or they are not doing their body good!

A Fine Frenzy

I would love to see this girl perform live. Wow, what a voice!

Think of You



"I think of you whenever you're not around...you still pull me home"

Almost Lover

"Goodbye my almost lover"

Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone you loved?  How did you cope?

Happy Housewives

Are you a housewife? Women who stay-at-home to care for their families and homes tend to get a bad rap. Darla Shine, creator of the Happy Housewives Club, says "Stop apologizing and feel proud of the great job you are doing!" Shine wants you to take to heart the 10 Golden Rules for Happy Housewives. Be proud ladies!!

4 Things Kids Need to Hear

Check out this informative article, Overprotected Kids: How to Let Kids Take Risks. Children need opportunities to take positive risks and opportunities to be responsible. A positive risk for a child could be as simple as holding a wiggly bug in their hands, climbing up a ladder to go down a slide, or cutting paper with scissors. A responsibility for a young child might be having them help prepare a meal and then carry a bowl full of food to the table.

The following was at the bottom of the above article and I really felt it worth repeating:

4 things kids need to hear

Children covet facing positive risks and taking on responsibility because they'll hear four affirming messages from adults and peers, Michael Ungar says in his book Too Safe for Their Own Good.

1.YOU BELONG. Risk and responsibility give a child a sense she fits in somewhere.

2.YOU'RE TRUSTWORTHY. When others trust a child, the child will trust himself.

3.YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE. Children relish the opportunity to be seen as soon-to-be grown-ups.

4.YOU'RE CAPABLE. If adults identify special abilities in children, they'll feel capable of making good decisions for themselves.

I hope that you will give your child opportunities to take positive risks and to be responsible.

Benefits of Experiencing Nature

What are the benefits of going outside and experiencing nature?
(Credit: Chippewa Nature Center)

1. It relieves stress.

2. It reduces illness and increases illness recovery.

3. Studies show the amount of TV kids watch correlates directly to body fat. There are no TVs in nature!

4. It reduces behavioral disorders, anxiety, and depression in children.

5. You'll make more friends!

6. Awakens the senses.

7. It provides direct experience with the world.

8. Increases problem solving abilities.

9. Stimulates creativity.

10. Quiet, peaceful refuge from a busy day.

11. Reduces the symptoms of ADHD in children.

12. Minimizes work frustration and increases employee enthusiasm.

13. Renews our sense of wonder.

14. Builds community.

15. Outdoor air is cleaner!

16. To learn about nature.

17. Spending time with family.

Crosby, Stills and Nash- Our House

A friend gave me the lovely bouquet of flowers pictured below on New Year's Eve. As I put them in a vase I was reminded of this lovely song! Happy New Year's!



"I'll light the fire
while you place the flowers in the vase
that you bought today....."



How will you make your house a home this year?

Fear of Change

We all need to grow and change to become the people we were meant to be. But change can be very hard. We are sometimes held back by our fear of change. This first video talks about fear of change and why people tend to stick to the status quo.



Why do people have trouble changing?



Here is a video to inspire you to change and to take action despite our fears, because what we do matters not just to us but to others as well. Our actions take on a Butterfly Effect!

More James Dean

Today was a lazy sort of day so I felt like watching a movie. I looked on Youtube for Rebel Without a Cause but couldn't find the movie. But I did find the movie James Dean starring, James Franco. I really thought Franco did a great job portraying all of Dean's quirky personality traits. You really got a sense of how Dean was not like other actors of his day. I also liked that the movie goes deeper into his childhood experiences and his relationship with his Dad. I felt like reaching through the screen and hugging the little boy who played Dean as a child. So glad I discovered this movie today!



Do you know someone who is misunderstood? How could you help that person?

Build Up Your Sense of Worth

While listening to Dr Christiane Northrup's Flourish radio show I heard her discuss that most people focus on what they didn't do which brings your sense of worth down. To start feeling good about yourself and to feel a sense of accomplishment, she suggests that you write down an accomplishment each day on your calendar.

Don't let the word, accomplishment, scare you! Here are my accomplishments for the first two days of 2011:

1st- Got out of the house and socialized.

2nd-Put away the laundry.

I already feel better! Let's build up our sense of worth together! Feel free to share your accomplishments!

Why Eat Organic?

Why eat Organic?

• Organic Fruits & Veggies Taste Better than produce grown with synthetic pesticides
• Healthier for us (Food Grown with less harmful chemicals)
• Environmentally-friendly (Less Chemicals running off into our water system)
• There are more options available today in the supermarkets
• Many traditional processed snacks contain too much sugar, fat and have little nutritional quality

Organic Snacks: Going Organic When You Snack--Gives reason why to eat organic snacks and the options available for snacks these days

Healthy Snacks for Kids--Good suggestions for general snack ideas

Colbie Caillat

I was driving home one day when I heard the song, Realize, and immediately added the song to my IPod. I really like Colbie Caillat's style of music!

Realize


"If you just realize what I just realized,
Then we'd be perfect for each other
and will never find another
Just realized what I just realized
we'd never have to wonder if
we missed out on each other now."

I Never Told You

"But I never told you
what I should have said
No I never told you
I just held it in"

Are you hanging onto regret? Don't you think it is about time to let it go?