Some days feel like a rollercoaster ride. One minute you’re smiling because your kids are so darn cute! The next, you’re completely wiped and the house has somehow exploded before your eyes. Those are the times I’m tempted to get rid of everything (mainly TOYS!) and start over. Everyone needs a pick-me-up throughout the day. Or what I like to call a spirit booster.

One of my favorite spirit boosters is a good quote. Quotes can put you back into a positive mindset in a matter of seconds. They can make you feel not alone in the feelings you are experiencing. When I heard about the book Happiness Quotations: Gentle Reminders of Your Preciousness I was immediately drawn to it.

The book exceeded my expectations, and I had a hunch I would like it ;). The book became a treasured part of my daily routine. Every day, right before my 15 minutes of meditation in the afternoon, I would read one or two passages from Happiness Quotations. The passages were extremely moving and had the incredible ability to lift my spirits to a higher energy plane, which is a wonderful way to go into a few minutes of quiet time.

Happiness Quotations reminds you of just how precious and special you are. Something I don’t think we focus on enough. You are special and here for a reason. The more you are in touch with that, the more you have to give, and the more joy you receive from life. This book helps you to remember in a soft, gentle way.

I would highly recommend Happiness Quotations: Gentle Reminders of Your Preciousness by Erica M. Nelson. It has been a joyful part of my day. One that I truly cherish. Thank you for sharing your light Erica! The gentle reminders helped me to create a more beautiful day.

p. 11      “Identify victories daily yet dream very big dreams that pull you toward the wings of angels.”

p.17       “Music brings you closer to your true self.”

p.35       “We are all of the same fabric, quilted together in a pattern of stars in the sky each unique, each perfect, each connected to the whole.”

p.91       “Songs have power to change you into becoming closer to your most spiritual being.”

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www.HappinessQuotations.com

www.EricaNelson.com

https://www.facebook.com/HappinessQuotations?sk=app_7146470109

Last weekend, while my Hubby was away I watched 2 movies- Extraordinary Measures and Dear John. Both a mixture of sad and happy with a ton of emotion. One movie I watched with a glass of wine, and the other with a coffee. Still I cried during both ;).

Extraordinary Measures made me feel hopeful. I love when people never, ever give up! Let’s be honest, it is hard to do that, which is also why it is incredibly inspiring. With 2 sick children, the father (played by Brendan Fraser) never gives up hope for a cure for his children. He takes risks. Scary risks! Extraordinary Measures reminded me that we should never give up on those we love, not ever.

Dear John was sad with an open ending of possibility. Also, another reminder to never give up on those we love. As well as an underlying message of how fragile life really is.

You walk away from these movies holding your loved ones a little closer, a little tighter. Funny how as humans we often get swept up in negativity so quickly, when really there is so much hope out there, and an infinite amount to be grateful for. Sometimes we just have trouble seeing it.


Have you watched any good movies lately?

This year we are working really hard to budget wisely (and most importantly – stick to it!).  As a family, we have had our share of ups and downs, but we’re learning as we go and getting better.  Planning ahead is uber important when it comes to budgeting.  Each year after the holidays come and go, I add up all the holiday expenses- from gifts, extra food & baking, decorating, cards, wrapping, and a few holiday party outfits (how do they always find their way in there? )☺.  I take that number and divide it by 12 to find out the amount of $ we should be putting aside each month so that Christmas is paid for ahead of time instead of using credit.

Here is where things get tricky- with the unexpected expenses that pop up, we find it hard to stash away the cash each month for the holidays.  For some reason it is much easier to spread out some of the purchases throughout the year.  A gift here and there is much easier to squeeze into the budget year-round than a whole bunch all at once.  Not to mention it takes some of the stress away that can build around the holidays when it seems there is too much to do and not enough time.

When purchasing gifts ahead time, especially several months in advance, it is really important to find items that you won’t regret purchasing and will still be a good match for your loved ones when December rolls around.  Whenever possible I love to support small business owners, and help the American Dream live on.

Here are 4 Top picks for Christmas in July that are sure to be a hit no matter how far in advance you purchase them:

Aly is a dear friend of mine that I met while living in Vancouver, B.C.  It has been amazing watching her business grow from start-up to the big success it is today!  Her incredible work and talent is second to none.

One of the Aly Dahl pieces we really adore in our family is The Dog Tag Military Style.  

Before the fingerprint dog tag my husband did not wear jewelry.  Jewelry just wasn’t his thing.  I know how much my husband loves and treasures this gift because he wears it every day.  That says more than anything I could possible write!

He keeps us close to his heart wherever he goes. 

For the dog lovers out there you can even order custom nose prints of your four legged friends!

http://www.alydahl.com/

At The Plaid Cupcake you can find many beautiful handmade accessories - everything from luggage tags, coffee/tea cozies, aprons, and sleepover pillow cases, to Cases for Nook/Kindle/Sony Reader, personalized snack baggies for kids and adults, & more.

In our home we have the most adorable Holiday coffee cozy, a stylish luggage tag, and my son is the proud owner of a handmade Buzz Light Year pillow case.  

Patty’s work is fantastic!!   


 **For the rest of July if you use the code XMASJULY when checking out you'll get Free Shipping!!!  
  
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PlaidCupcakeDesigns

I first found Whimsical Creations through Melanie’s popular blog.  Her awesome work and incredible artistic talent keeps me going back for more.  She makes many custom creations for all sorts of events- including birthdays and weddings, and Melanie regularly shares pictures of them on Facebook.  Her ornaments are so reasonably priced, too! 

http://whimsicalcreations.bigcartel.com/

The Picture Globe Company is Seattle based, and founded by a mother-daughter duo.  After the birth of my son I searched for a custom photo ornament as a gift for my baby.  He already had lots of toys and I wanted a special gift to enjoy now and that I would be able to give to him one day when he is grown.

Since that time we have purchased several ornaments from The Picture Globe Company.  The quality is impeccable, and each ornament is adorned with a beautiful ribbon and packaged so nicely.  They are some of our most treasured ornaments.

Here are 2 of The Picture Globe Ornaments that hang on our tree every year.

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Happy Christmas in July, friends!  If you love the work of these talented artists as much as I do, please do share with your family & friends. J

Have a lovely day ☼

Reading The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle felt like a gift.  It is nearly impossible to sum up how I feel about this book, other than to say I wholeheartedly recommend it.  If you allow yourself to enter into its pages with a truly open mind and heart, the ability to walk away from the book with great wisdom and a true sense of peace is at your finger tips.

To be honest, if I had read this book at any other time in the past the message may not have impacted me the way it has now.  The further into the book I journeyed the more awake and conscious I felt.  I took my time reading this book.  Often I would re-read passages several times until I felt in my heart that I understood the message.

The Power of Now has helped me in my everyday life.  The gift I received from this book was the ability to recognize the dysfunction of the mind, especially when the mind travels too much into the past or future.  Now when I feel this happening in myself I have a great tool I carry with me- the ability to shift myself back into the present moment.

Focusing on the present moment removes anxiety about the future, and pain from the past.  It opens the door to peace and joy, like no other moment in time can do.  When living outside of the now, life seems more like a pain/pleasure cycle, but within this very moment is where true love and joy is found.  This is not something I felt completely conscious of until reading this book.  That is the gift you receive from the words Eckhart Tolle shares.

Eckhart Tolle’s ability to be in touch with this ancient wisdom and pass it on is a true gift of love.  Love from the source of greatness we are all a part of.  Living consciously is the greatest gift of all.  The Power of Now is an open door.

Thank you, Eckhart Tolle for holding the door open for me and countless others! ♥

With Love,
Wendy Irene

Negativity

p. 189    “The ego believes that through negativity it can manipulate reality and get what it wants ... Instead of dissolving and undesirable one, it keeps it in place.”

p.191     “But as long as negativity is there, use it.  Use it as a kind of signal that reminds you to be more present.”

Surrender

p.205     “Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life.”

p.208     “Surrender reconnects you with the source-energy of Being, and if your doing is infused with Being, it becomes a joyful celebration of life energy that takes you more deeply into the Now.”

Forgiveness

p.120     “The moment you truly forgive, you have reclaimed your power from the mind.”

p. 168    “A victim identity is the belief that the past is more powerful than the present, which is the opposite of truth.”

p.229     “...this renders the past powerless, and you realize deeply that nothing you ever did or that was ever done to you could touch even in the slightest the radiant essence of who you are.  The whole concept of forgiveness then becomes unnecessary.”

Sunday is Mother’s Day!

In honor of the occasion I have devised a special chocolaty treat.  My husband and I have committed to 3 months of revamping our diet.  With that in mind, I give you a new delightful recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup water

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350▫F

In a large bowl stir flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Add water, apple sauce and vanilla.  Mix until well blended.

Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.

Spread brownie mixture in pan.

Bake 25 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes or more before cutting.

Smile & Enjoy!

Now that we have chocolate crossed off the list for Mother’s Day, what goes better with chocolate than a

Michelle from Trent & Company sent me a TheraPearl Eye-ssential Mask to try out.  I love that it can be used hot or cold, and has many functions from relieving stress and tension headaches, to soothing puffy eyes.  You guys know how much I love to meditate, right?  These packs are a great addition to my 10 minute routine.

Kindly, Michelle sent me a gift to giveaway to one of you- a lavender scented Aroma Home Cooling Eye Pillow! 

I am super excited about this one because as I learned in The Happiness Project, cultivating good smells increases happiness.

From Aroma Home:
“Aromatherapy has been used for healing since the first century.”

“Several scientific studies show evidence that the scent of lavender helps in relaxation, soothes and helps promote sleep, and relieves anxiety.”

Even sitting in its bag in my office, it smells amazing!  I am really excited for one of you to receive the cooling eye pillow.  Whether you use it for daily meditation, or relaxation before bed, I think you’ll love it! Not only that, it is amazing even when you are not using it, making the whole room smell beautiful.

·         This contest is open to everyone. 

·         To enter all you have to do is leave a comment below telling me one thing you love about your Mom. 

·         If you are feeling especially excited about the giveaway and want to spread the love (Please do! :), you can get a second entry by sharing the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or by email.  Just leave a second comment letting me know you did so you are entered 2 xs.

·         The contest ends on Sunday May 8, Mother’s Day!  The winner will be selected at random using random.org and announced on Monday afternoon.  Good luck!

While you are here don’t forget to check out

www.therapearl.com  and on Facebook

www.aromahome.com and on Facebook

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to work for myself, and have my own business.  As a child I loved to block off our dining room, re-arrange chairs, and create a store.  A store where I pretended to sell tickets to my dance recitals, or brownies that I had baked.  I used lots of saran wrap, tin foil, and brown paper bags because of course a product had to be properly packaged!  Lucky for me I had 3 younger siblings willing to go through my rigorous pre-tend play for the reward of a brownie.

There were several Christmases I asked for a cash register.  Not a toy register, but the real deal!  A register I came across flipping through a Service Merchandise catalogue.  It didn’t matter that its sole purpose would be to house pretend money; a real store needed a real cash register!  Needless to say, the $300 register never made it under the tree, but the dream lived on.

Even though there have been moments of doubt.  Moments where I did not feel like I knew what direction I was heading in, my faith remained strong that I would one day discover my true path.  As a young adult I dabbled into various jobs, never really starting a full blown career.  The innermost part of me knew despite what others might expect, those jobs weren’t my calling, and my faith carried on. 

Looking back my life unfolded exactly as it should.  I met my husband at the age of 19, got married at 22, had my son when I was 25 and my daughter at 28.  Now on the verge of turning 31 I am beginning to answer my work calling.  There is something significant about every 3 years for me!

For some, starting a career at 31 may seem late, for me it is not.  It feels perfect, like divine timing.  I have been blessed with time to focus on starting a family without feeling divided or having to give up something I was passionate about in order to do that.  As Cinderella’s fairy Godmother said “Even miracles take time.”

In my early teens I felt a calling within me to teach love, in the form of a day dream.  At the time I had no idea what that meant.  My only speculation was that it possibly meant to teach love to the family and children I one day wanted to have.

My twenties centered around growing into myself, gaining wisdom, and building a foundation of love and support, my precious family.  One day while sitting in the playroom with my two kids I had an urge to start a website and name it Give Love Create Happiness.  The name popped into my head.  I didn’t feel any need to examine or question it.  I simply bought the website that day. 

One year later the Aha moment happened.  I heard Oprah for the first time say that her calling was to teach love.  Immediately the switch inside of me went off.  Those few words resonated so deeply within me, in the most profound way.  It made complete sense to my soul.  Even the name I had chosen for my website on a whim a year earlier perfectly fit the bill.

What I know is that my truth is to teach love, and my passion is to do it in an artistic way.  Creativity and art are a core part of who I am.  It creates happiness in a very meaningful way for me.  Being a writer and owning a website means photography is that perfect link to combining my truth for teaching love with my passion for art.

In my own life I love to surround myself with books, quotes, art and photography that truly inspire and provoke the best in me.  I wanted a way to be able to further share my work in the greatest hope that others would be able to surround themselves with inspiration to create the life of their dreams.  With that in mind I decided to create a Shutterfly Pro Gallery.  As a busy Mom of 2, a writer and Modern Mom Blogger, my day is FULL. 

Shutterfly Pro Gallery is the perfect solution for me to focus on what I am passionate about, creating art in the form of selling photos, while teaching love without having to allot a significant amount of time to fulfilling orders, book keeping, and shipping.  What I love about Shutterfly is that it allows me to focus on what I do best, create.  As my work continues and grows, so will my gallery.  Be on the lookout for continual new additions!

I have never been a believer in asking people to buy something they don’t want.  It creates clutter in your life.  If somehow my work has special meaning to you, stirs something in you, inspires a part of you that you want you bring out, then selling my work becomes authentic for me. 

Self promotion is not something I do easily.  It is a part of the gig called working for yourself, owning yourself.  My most inspirational reminder is a quote from Oprah in an episode of Master Class “Owning myself is the best bet I have ever made.”  For that reason I am willing to push through the uncomfortableness of self-promotion to grow. 

The opportunity arose to push that boundary when Shutterfly gave me an opportunity to write about my Shutterfly Pro Gallery experience for a $50 credit and the possibility of being featured on their site.  An opportunity that would be great for the work I am doing!  I have added photos that would make great thank you cards, or photo books for inspiration in your home or office.

Whether or not these products are something you will ever be interested in is not of significant importance.  What is truly important is that you are here with me supporting me with your thoughts, energy, love and kind words, for that I am eternally grateful!  Thank you for the opportunity to share with you my journey and the work that I am so passionate about creating!

Here is something you may not know about me- I LOVE to sleep!!  If I could, I would sleep 9 to 9.25 hrs a day.  Yup, that is my exact science broken down to when my body wakes up naturally and happily.  This amount of time also give me a few minutes to get out of bed slowly while enjoying the sunshine streaming across my face.

My 2 year old daughter has very recently learned how to climb out of her crib.  Trouble with a capital T!  She now joins her 5 year old brother in frequent attempts at skipping sleep.  You may be thinking... is this the straw that is going to break the camel’s back?  At least I know I was!  Wholeheartedly I put my full trust in the universe, and with love and great timing the lovely women of Modern Mom sent me a Sleep Better Beyond Down Pillow to test out.

Immediate fantasies of becoming a professional pillow tester came to mind.  Can you imagine?  Honey, I have to go to work.  Duty calls! I have to go test out/sleep on my new pillow.  Folding the laundry will have to wait until after work [insert HUGE smile].  Ahh, doesn’t that sound good?!

Well, I might not yet be employed as a professional pillow tester [I’M AVAILABLE!].  However, I have really enjoyed trying the Sleep Better Beyond Down Pillow. 

Something else you also may not know about me- I’m a side sleeper...and I barely drool.  Fortunately, the pillow comes in two forms – a standard queen option, or the one I received which “has a four-inch gusset that properly supports the head and neck of side sleepers [like me!]”

When I happy danced my way over to the bed to insert my new pillow into some fresh pillow cases.  I just love clean sheets, don’t you?!  I gave the dust mites in my old pillow fair warning.  I think I saw a couple of them try to quickly hop over to my husband’s pillow, but the rest went out the door with the old pillow.

“Research from the Carpenter Co. Sleep lab suggests that pillows lose their loft and become filled with everyday mold and bacteria that could be harmful to you after a year of usage.”

Therefore, they recommend you replace your pillows after 1 year.

On one hand I’m thinking YUCK!  On the other hand, but my pillow fits my head just perfectly.  After trying this pillow out I realized change is good!  I have moved on to something better.

The first night was a big adjustment.  I needed to give my head and neck time to adjust to a new feel.  To be honest it feels weird for the first 3 nights.  After that, LOVE!  I feel completely in love with my new pillow.  Now we are great friends and really enjoy our time together!  I even gave her a name- Miss Fluff.  Miss Fluff is super comfortable, and just writing about her makes me long to go back and lie my head down on my soft cozy pillow.

Here is some more information about Miss Fluff (aka- Sleep Better’s Beyond Down Pillow) you should know:

“The pillow is wrapped in the highest quality cotton and filled with a polyester fiber that emulates the highest-quality white goose down, making it hypoallergenic.”

Sweet! No more bird feather poking me in the face!

Thank you Sleep Better and Modern Mom for my new BFF!  I promise I’ll take good care of her :)

My friends, if you would like more information on all things sleep such as tips, advice, and information on how to get a better night’s sleep, as well as solutions for many types of sleep problems and up-to-date news and research on sleep, you can visit SleepBetter.org

Wishing you the sweetest dreams friends *~*

Today’s Question-

Today I have some very exciting news to share with you!  It is about my dear friend Aly, founder of Aly Dahl Designs.  I am soooo extremely excited for her I just had to take a moment to spread the news.  Two years ago after having children, Aly left her corporate job in the financial industry to follow her passion for handcrafting jewelry.  Aly is a shining example of taking a risk to follow your heart, working hard, and turning dreams into reality.  She is truly one of the most inspirational people I know, and now I am so pleased to announce she is packing her bags and going to Hollywood!

Aly has been “invited to take part in one of the most exclusive Pre-Oscar events in the world!”

The Press Release:

CONGRATULATIONS ALY!!!!

Five months ago I had the great pleasure of interviewing the very talented Canadian artist.  The interview is one of my absolute favorites, not only because I know and adore her, but because Aly has an incredible heart and a true gift, which she expresses beautifully in her interview.

If you have a moment please stop by and say hi, and give her your wonderful words of encouragement!

Hi Friends!  How are you doing today?  Things are going well here.  The Holiday commercials are making my kids (and me!) more and more excited.  I am really looking forward to celebrating US Thanksgiving very soon.  We always did a small celebration for US Thanksgiving in Canada, but it was never the same.  It feels very special this year!

Not that long ago I was given the opportunity to be a part of a team of influential women that tested a new application called the Always Me Period and Ovulation Tracker, in order to help ensure that they were bringing forward an exciting tool for women.  Cool, right?!  It was funny because right before I received the app to try I was telling my husband I always forget to mark that time of the month on the calendar, and it ends up being a surprise when Mother Nature calls.  Now I love surprises, but that is one surprise I don’t like.  The Always Me app has really helped.

For some reason it is much easier for me to remember to mark it down when I have the app on my phone.   There is usually some time during the week that I am waiting for one reason or another and have my phone on me, so I find it is a great tool to have.

I also love that you can track your mood, flow, cramps, weight and more with the app.  It helps when I feel like I am going crazy that time of the month to go back and see the days in the previous month I also felt the same way, to remind myself that it is not my circumstances that are truly driving me nuts, it is the time of month.  Then I feel a little saner.  I highly recommend tracking your mood for those reasons.

Although I am not trying for more children at this point, being able to track your ovulation is a wonderful added touch this app has to offer.  Back when I was trying to get pregnant I know I would have loved this function. The app also includes a personalized, expert question and answer, and reminder notifications for anticipated arrival of period or ovulation.

Here is the best part...  the app is FREE!!!  That means you have nothing to lose trying it out!  Don’t you love a free gift?! ;-)  I know I do, and this one doesn’t add any clutter to my home and actually helps me.  The Always Me app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Here is where you can get your Always Me Period and Ovulation Tracker:

itunes.apple.com/us/app/always-me-period-ovulation/id398231766?mt=8

Pass this on to the women in your life.  I think they will love it!

Also, I wanted to include a special thank you to Astrid for the sweet relax package she sent me.  Her cookies were amazing, and I have her painting in my office.  It is a wonderful reminder for me.  She is a talented baker and artist.  You can see more of her lovely work on her site.

Thank you Astrid!



Lastly, my new friend Stanley that I met at a blogger meet-up in Vancouver created his first eBook titled Corporate Scam Literacy Manifesto, which you can find at http://www.sysil.com/ebooks/CSLM.pdf


Have a lovely day, friends!

♥ Wendy Irene