What brings you joy?

Here are a few things that bring joy to my life. In no particular order:

• Early mornings before everyone wakes up. The house is nice and quiet while I enjoy my morning coffee.
• Christmas Shopping. I love picking out gifts for people.
• Wrapping my little one up in a towel and carrying her downstairs after a bath.
• Empty plates after dinner has been consumed.
• A good sandwich.
• Penguins
• Disneyland
• Spending time with my husband or my friends.
• A full fridge and full cupboards
• Making tamales with my (“ex”tended) family
• Eating one tamale from the first dozen tamales we make. There’s nothing like a fresh tamale.
• Playing Apples to Apples with the Wright boys.
• My grandmother’s apple cake recipe.
• Target and the chance to win a $300 gift card to my absolutely favorite store EVER thanks to Barking Mad

With money being tight for many people this year, we are all looking for ways to save on Holiday gifts without giving up the thoughtfulness that comes along with gift giving. We want to give our loved ones something they’ll want, use and appreciate. One of the best ways to do this is to make them something.

I’ll admit there are people on my list I’d never make a gift for. Not everyone on my list would appreciate something made by me. My own kids would be really disappointed if I made them something. So for them, I stick to store bought, and I think that’s ok.

However there are plenty of people that seem to like it when I make them something. Not everything I give has been warmly received, but I’ve learned that the trick is to make them something they’ll like; not something you want them to like. Don’t spend days learning how to knit your sister a scarf if she lives in Hawaii. Don’t decoupage a wooden jewelry box for your mom if she already has a favorite box to store her jewels in. Think about the recipient and tailor the gift to that person.

If you’re not the crafty type, don’t let that stop you. Let this be the year you delve into handmade. Do you need some ideas? Well over at Just A Girl, she’s hosting an “I Can Make That” party today. As of this very moment there are 78 links to various blogs featuring hand made gifts with tutorials. Go on over there, and check out the amazing projects. There are projects for beginners all the way up to experienced crafters. Take charge of your budget and make something!

Just go ahead and click the picture or click right here to get to the post and get started today!

November 14 will be an exciting and nerve-wracking day for me. I’ll have a table at my first ever craft fair. To be honest, I’m extremely nervous about the whole thing, but I’ve had some people that are extremely important to me encourage me in the endeavor. One of my good friends will even be there with me and supporting me the entire time.

I’ve never done this, nor have I even really been to a craft fair before, so I don’t know what to expect.

If you live in the are, feel free to stop by the La Habra United Methodist Church and say hi! I’ve signed up for an inside table so that’s most likely where you’ll find me. It’s located at 631 N. Euclid St. La Habra, CA 90631

You might want to bring the entire family because they’re also hosting a Chili Cook-Off.

In this day and age, it’s really easy to cross the line with our posts. Between blogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and so on, we have a lot of places to air our grievances. But should you?

The answer is a resounding, “NO!” If I feel I’ve been wronged, I might make mention of it over on twitter, but in no way, shape or form and I naming names. I’ll also skip the details and keep it as non-specific as possible. Most of the time I just let it slide.

Recently, I was the focus of a fairly nasty status update. This update turned into a series of off topic comments that just got downright ugly. I’m sure I wasn’t meant to see it, but when it’s out there for the world to see, is it any surprise I did? My mind immediately raced and I wanted to post my own comment, write a rebuttal status update of my own, something, ANYTHING to have my side heard. But what exactly would that accomplish? Nothing. And so I said nothing. Whatever I wanted to say 1) most likely wouldn’t even be seen by the one person I wanted to see it, and 2) wouldn’t change anyone’s mind anyway. Some things are better left unsaid.

Sometimes you just have to let it go.

We must never forget that the internet is a public place. Think before you post. Ask yourself if this is something you’d say to every single person you come across during your day? Would you stand in the middle of Yankee Stadium during the World Series and say it into a microphone for millions of people to hear? If not, then maybe it’s not a good idea to post that status update. Our words have consequences.

And by God, if you have no place talking about something that doesn’t even concern you, then don’t.

For the record, these are things I have to work on as well. I’m not perfect and I’m absolutely guilty of crossing the line. I know this. But I try my best to think about the fact that anyone can access things I say. I have my failures, but I press on and try to do better.

So, I have a question for you?

What does your family do with their shoes when they take them off?

Is everyone required to put them in their bedroom? What if you live in a 2 story place? Do you have a bucket or box for them?

I have a wall by the front door where the shoes are *supposed* to be lined up. When they’re actually paired up and in a row, I don’t mind the shoes being there. But keeping them lined up is a job in itself. Granted it only takes a minute to do, but I don’t do it until they’re in the way or someone’s coming over. We all just kick out shoes off into the pile. Then we end up with a big mess of dirty shoes that end up creeping into the walkway.

How do you keep the shoes contained in your home?