Everything Christmas

I know you would probably expect this post around this time of year - but I have to say that almost every day for the past little while something Christmas has put me in a good mood. Whether it is reading a daily special Christmas story from a book of stories given to our family. Or waking up and seeing that our Christmas Tree lights have already been turned on by my husband who loves to have them on morning and night. Or downloading great classic Christmas songs to put on my IPod  like Mariah Carey's "O Holy Night" and "All I Want for Christmas is You" or Josh Groban's "Thankful" or Michael McLean's "The Forgotten Carols".  Or my favorite - the Hilary Weeks Christmas Album. Or getting a package in the mail from my mom with early Christmas goodies in it. Or seeing neighbors who actually make the effort to put up Christmas lights despite them getting covered by 41 inches of snow.  Icicle lights. Red and Green M&M's, The Salvation Army Bell ringers, Receiving Christmas Cards from Old and New Friends in the mail, finding a good deal on just the right present for just the right person, watching our Church Leaders give a Christmas Devotional, taking time to remember what Christmas is all about, having my daughter re-enact the "Rudolph" play she went to on a field trip, having a snow day, ornaments, twinkling lights, Stephens Hot Chocolate, scarves, going with the kids to the Dollar store to let them pick out presents for each other. Singing bedtime Christmas songs, and more....all these special things put me in a daily good mood. This time of year is a natural good mood enhancer IF you slow down and allow it to be. Merry Christmas.

Sucking it Up...

Have you ever thought of what a great invention vacuum's are?  What did people do before vacuum's? Sweep? hand pick up? Well today I officially admit to having a crush on my vacuum. Since we have moved to our new house I have not had a good working vacuum.  So for months I have wanted one and finally broke down and researched and read reviews etc.. and finally decided on one.(pictured above) I got it yesterday and was like a little girl in a candy store putting it together today piece by piece.  As I ran it over my nasty floors I realized that I LOVE to vacuum. I had no idea how much I loved and appreciated a good vacuum job until I hadn't had one for 4 months.  It was awesome and I feel so much better about my house and my day because my floors are clean and I didn't have to get down on my hand and knees to get them that way. I love it and having a powerful suctioning vacuum is a great mood enhancer. So "suck" it up and vacuum your house and if your vacuum does not suck like mine didn't - then go buy yourself a new one and enjoy vacuuming all over again. It is an awesome feeling. Ahhhhhh.......

AloHA!

This time last year I had the experience to be in a woman's choir directed by the amazing Merrilee Webb. My sister talked me into it and it was a life changing/attitude altering experience for me. The first thing Merrilee shares with you is her story from living in Hawaii and about the Hawaii people's "HA" or breath of life (life energy) and the whole spirit behind the AloHA or the Aloha Spirit.  So when the Hawaii people say AloHA they are breathing life into you.  Merrilee's whole goal is to teach you how to make a difference everywhere you go by your attitude and how you present yourself - to smile to give energy off to the people around you and create friendships and wonderful relationships. It was inspiring and like I said life changing. She has such wonderful stories and she makes you laugh and cry in the same five minutes. I loved my experiences in that choir last year. We were the choir that sang on the day after Thanksgiving on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah last year when they lit up the square with Christmas lights and it was awesome. We all made Hawaiian lei's to wear around our necks and the Christmas music we sang was just beautiful.  We would do a Hawaiian chant at the beginning of all our rehearsals that I will play back on the CD sometimes when I am feeling down just to remember that experience and to remember what the chant meant. Here is the chant and it's interpretation:

HIKI MAI E NA PUA I KA LA’IE

COME FORWARD AND APPEAR YOU PRECIOUS FLOWERS ARISING IN THE

CALMNESS OF THIS SPECIAL DAY

KE PI’I A’E LA KA MAUNA KI’EKI’E

EACH OF YOU ARE TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE OF NOT SIMPLY CLIMBING

A HIGH MOUNTAIN BUT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO CLIMB THE HIGHEST AND

MOST MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN OF ALL

HA’A MAI NA KAMA ME KA MAKUA

DANCE FORWARD YOU CHILDREN OF YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER

HE WEHI PULAMA A’O KE KUPUNA

FOR IS IT NOT SO THAT YOU OUR CHILDREN ARE SO VERY PRECIOUS, IN

FACT, YOU ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS ADORNMENT WORN AROUND THE

NECK OF YOUR ANCESTORS

E KA’I MAI ANA E KA’I MAI ANA

COME FORWARD COME FORWARD FOR THERE ARE MANY ROADS FOR

YOU TO CHOOSE…

E HAHAI I KA LEO O KA HAKU E

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, FOR HE WILL

ALWAYS KEEP YOU, PROTECT YOU, AND SHOW YOU THE WAY.

So when I am in a bad mood I think of the difference one smile, one AloHA can make to someone and I think of the wonderful spirit I felt at every rehearsal in that choir and it puts me in a good mood. So aloHA... go and breathe energy or life into someone.

High Five

I love the act of the High Five. It is such a positive thing.  From infancy you are taught how to give a "high five".  One of the reasons I love them so much is because they can almost never be negative. You would never say to a friend "I am having the worst day ever - please give me a high five" - it just doesn't work. The act of the "High Five" dates back centuries I am sure but for my life "high-fives" have meant a million different things. I remember playing that game when I was little with high fives, you know the one...."Up high, on the side, down low - too slow...etc.." and laughing hard at tricking people. I love watching and playing this game with my kids now. Pure joy. Then as I grew up a little I played sports, so high fives on the field or court or wherever usually meant encouragement to do a good job or to actually say "good job - you did something great".  I would make up 'high-five secret handshakes" with my friends that would include all sorts of high five-ing and cool things that would make me feel like I had something special with people. Then as I started dating the joke would come about of "high-five-ing" on the porch after dates. And I still remember the high five with the lingering hand hold I gave my husband before he left for two years to serve our church.  My husband loves high fives and always has. He would give high fives to everyone in a room when he was leaving and made every person feel special. I see him giving them to my son when he plays basketball with him and I saw him give them to his High School students all the time for encouragement and praise.  How can someone not feel special if you give them a high five? How can you not feel special for giving one out? So next time you are feeling down just ask the next person you see to give you a high five or make up a secret high five handshake with a friend or even play the "down low too slow" game with someone. I love high fives. They are sure to put you in a good mood.

Swinging

I have always loved to swing whether on the playground or on the dance floor - swinging is one of my favorite things to do.  As fate would have it, this is also one of my daughter's favorite things too.  I try to avoid playgrounds with swings because if there are swings that is all she will want to do is be pushed the entire time we are at the park.  It will be a great day when she learns to pump her legs, but until then I push and I push and I push. There could be a rollar-coaster or ferris-wheel at the park, but all she will want to do is have me give her "under-doggies" on the swings. At my elementary school growing up there was these type of swings where you had handlebars you pulled with your arms rather then having to pump with your feet. I think they were designed for handicapped kids. As kids however, we would get one kid on back one on front and one sitting on the seat and we would get going so high and I would love that feeling. Of course, eventually, they were taken out and replaced by something safer - but every recess would bring pure joy and fear as I prepared to board those swings with my friends. I loved them.  So the other day I finally found a park near my new home and of course all my daughter wanted was to swing. So I start to push her and I start to enjoy giving her under-doggie after under-doggie and to tickle her when she swings my way. To see the joy I remembered reflected in her eyes was something special. However, I then realized that my swinging days are not over, I climbed on a swing myself and started pumping and pumping until I was flying very high. I would put my head back and swing down and after the nausea wore off I remembered what it was like to be a child and to swing and that feeling of fear and joy you get on swings. I get that feeling now that I am a grown-up but it usually comes from seeing if checks I write will clear the bank. :) So to feel that innocent joy again put me in a good mood for a really long time. So if you're having a bad day - go find a park and either push your kids on a swing with a few under-doggies or climb on one yourself, let go and remember the feeling of pure joy.

Make your Cake and Eat it Too

I have been watching episodes of "The Cake Boss" lately and have seen Buddy make some absolutely incredible cakes. I mean everything he does with cake is absolutely crazy and unbelievable and looks delicious.Watching all those cakes being made and eaten made me crave some cake so I got a Halloween fun-fetti cake mix with matching frosting from Wal-Mart (Buddy would not approve) and made me a cake. One thing about living not so far above sea level is that things turn out more moist and I LOVE it!!!  So my cake may not have been some amazing decorated thing but every time I walk by it I take a little bite and smile.  I let my kids have some last night and it put me and them  in a good mood even though my youngest only eats the frosting (where did she learn that from?). Then I was thinking about it and realizing that cakes really are a happy food. They are usually made for some happy occasion and every recipe I have had is delicious and eating it makes me happy (except when thinking about the calories, but that is another post altogether)!  So next time you are in a funk either drive to New Jersey and order a cake from The Cake Boss watch an episode of The Cake Boss for some inspiration or make your own - but any way you do it - it will put you in a good mood. Bake your Cake and Eat it Too.

Inside Jokes

Today I was thinking about inside jokes and how fun they are to have.  There are a number of people in my life that all I would have to say is one word or phrase and we would be laughing forever. With my roomies from college all I would have to say is "retainer" or "silverware" or "bike tire" and we would not be able to stop laughing. With my husband all I would have to say is "Amberly" or "hokey-pokey" or "panini fries" and we would be splitting a gut. With my brother all I would have to say is "bub-rub" "sledding accident" or "leprechaun" and we could go on for hours.  Inside jokes are gifts given to us to remember when something hilarious happened that made us laugh really hard. They are memories. Mostly good, some embarrassing and some stressful that became funny after the fact.  I probably have at least one inside joke with almost everyone I know whether they know I do or not. :)  Today being able to think up some of my old inside jokes and memories I put myself in a good mood. Try it - it's fun.