Well its been awhile. a lot of changes going on. well, I have a personal trainer is who is awesome. I am working out almost 6 days a week, usually 5 and have adopted a whole clean way of eating. I feel great. I have lost 40 pounds and still have that much plus some to go.
Next year the non twins Richard and Richie graduate. yeah
Lets we no longer will be doing pride or TRansNation that is going to be such a relief. no more stress
I think after i lose 20 more pounds and get a little stronger i will have a friend of mine help me with pole dancing exercise. she looks amazing. I think it would only help me achieve my goal.
Mary poppins aka. Anna Marie
Friday, July 1, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
9 Soothing Facial Masks From the Kitchen
9 Soothing Facial Masks From the Kitchen
Got free time this weekend? Fix up your face with one of these easy treatments.
Banana
Who needs Botox when you have bananas? That's right: You can use a banana as an all-natural face mask that moisturizes your skin and leaves it looking and feeling softer. Mash up a medium-sized ripe banana into a smooth paste, then gently apply it to your face and neck. Let it set for 10-20 minutes, then rinse it off with cold water. Another popular mask recipe calls for 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 medium banana.
Vinegar
Using vinegar as a skin toner dates back to the time of Helen of Troy. And it's just as effective today. After you wash your face, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water as a finishing rinse to cleanse and tighten your skin. You can also make your own facial treatment by mixing 1/4 cup cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. Gently apply the solution to your face and let it dry.
Milk
Here's another way to give yourself a fancy spa facial at home. Make a mask by mixing 1/4 cup powdered milk with enough water to form a thick paste. Thoroughly coat your face with the mixture, let dry completely, then rinse with warm water. Your face will feel fresh and rejuvenated.
Oatmeal
If you're looking for a quick pick-me-up that will leave you feeling and looking better, give yourself an oatmeal facial. Combine 1/2 cup hot -- not boiling -- water and 1/3 cup oatmeal. After the water and oatmeal have settled for two or three minutes, mix in 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 table-spoons honey, and 1 small egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mixture to your face, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. (Be sure to place a metal or plastic strainer in your sink to avoid clogging the drain with the granules.)
Mayonnaise
Why waste money on expensive creams when you can treat yourself to a soothing facial with whole-egg mayonnaise from your own refrigerator? Gently spread the mayonnaise over your face and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Then wipe it off and rinse with cool water. Your face will feel clean and smooth.
Yogurt
You don't have to go to a spa to give your face a quick assist: • To cleanse your skin and tighten the pores, slather some plain yogurt on your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
• For a revitalizing facial mask, mix 1 teaspoon plain yogurt with the juice from 1/4 slice of orange, some of the orange pulp, and 1 teaspoon aloe. Leave the mixture on your face for at least five minutes before rinsing it off.
Mustard
Pat your face with mild yellow mustard for a bracing facial that will soothe and stimulate your skin. Try it on a small test area first to make sure it will not be irritating.
Lemon
Create a facial that both exfoliates and moisturizes by mixing the juice from 1 lemon with ¼ cup olive oil or sweet almond oil.
Egg
Who has time or money to spend at the local day spa, paying someone to tell you how awful your skin looks? For a little pampering, head to the refrigerator and grab an egg. If you have dry skin that needs moisturizing, separate the egg and beat the yolk. Oily skin takes the egg white, to which a bit of lemon or honey can be added. For normal skin, use the entire egg. Apply the beaten egg, relax and wait 30 minutes, then rinse. You'll love your new fresh face
Got free time this weekend? Fix up your face with one of these easy treatments.
Banana
Who needs Botox when you have bananas? That's right: You can use a banana as an all-natural face mask that moisturizes your skin and leaves it looking and feeling softer. Mash up a medium-sized ripe banana into a smooth paste, then gently apply it to your face and neck. Let it set for 10-20 minutes, then rinse it off with cold water. Another popular mask recipe calls for 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 medium banana.
Vinegar
Using vinegar as a skin toner dates back to the time of Helen of Troy. And it's just as effective today. After you wash your face, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water as a finishing rinse to cleanse and tighten your skin. You can also make your own facial treatment by mixing 1/4 cup cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. Gently apply the solution to your face and let it dry.
Milk
Here's another way to give yourself a fancy spa facial at home. Make a mask by mixing 1/4 cup powdered milk with enough water to form a thick paste. Thoroughly coat your face with the mixture, let dry completely, then rinse with warm water. Your face will feel fresh and rejuvenated.
Oatmeal
If you're looking for a quick pick-me-up that will leave you feeling and looking better, give yourself an oatmeal facial. Combine 1/2 cup hot -- not boiling -- water and 1/3 cup oatmeal. After the water and oatmeal have settled for two or three minutes, mix in 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, 2 table-spoons honey, and 1 small egg white. Apply a thin layer of the mixture to your face, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. (Be sure to place a metal or plastic strainer in your sink to avoid clogging the drain with the granules.)
Mayonnaise
Why waste money on expensive creams when you can treat yourself to a soothing facial with whole-egg mayonnaise from your own refrigerator? Gently spread the mayonnaise over your face and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Then wipe it off and rinse with cool water. Your face will feel clean and smooth.
Yogurt
You don't have to go to a spa to give your face a quick assist: • To cleanse your skin and tighten the pores, slather some plain yogurt on your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes.
• For a revitalizing facial mask, mix 1 teaspoon plain yogurt with the juice from 1/4 slice of orange, some of the orange pulp, and 1 teaspoon aloe. Leave the mixture on your face for at least five minutes before rinsing it off.
Mustard
Pat your face with mild yellow mustard for a bracing facial that will soothe and stimulate your skin. Try it on a small test area first to make sure it will not be irritating.
Lemon
Create a facial that both exfoliates and moisturizes by mixing the juice from 1 lemon with ¼ cup olive oil or sweet almond oil.
Egg
Who has time or money to spend at the local day spa, paying someone to tell you how awful your skin looks? For a little pampering, head to the refrigerator and grab an egg. If you have dry skin that needs moisturizing, separate the egg and beat the yolk. Oily skin takes the egg white, to which a bit of lemon or honey can be added. For normal skin, use the entire egg. Apply the beaten egg, relax and wait 30 minutes, then rinse. You'll love your new fresh face
Monday, March 14, 2011
Soooo... new eating habits.
So in January my beloved and I really started trying to eat wiser. Both for our own reasons. But to be healthier to. Each month we each gave up something. January he gave up French fries, I gave up cheeseburgers and we added meatless Mondays. February he gave up ice cream and I gave up soda(this is the worst, I love Dr.pepper) and March we both gave up candy and all fried foods.
we did like this because it was always to hard to go cold turkey and being a food addict(emotional eater) We needed to find something that works.
So, far its been going well.. we haven't fell off the wagon yet. The only thing I really miss is soda and I have discovered I love smoothies. I make them with protein at home they are fabulous! so I thought i would be a good ideal to post a meatless Monday recipe on here on Sunday night. It will help remind me and maybe inspire someone else:
Black Bean Tostadas
Serves 6
* 1 15 oz can black beans
* ½ teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 6 whole-wheat tortillas
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
* 4 cups frozen corn, thawed
* 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
* 1 avocado, diced
* 1 bunch scallions, chopped
* 1 lime
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine black beans, garlic salt and chili powder. Divide the bean mixture into two parts.
Brush both sides of tortillas with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Top three of the tortillas with cheese and half the seasoned beans and leave the other three tortillas with just olive oil. Set the other half of the beans aside. Heat tortillas in the oven for about 10 minutes.
While the tostadas are heating, in a large mixing bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, avocados, scallions and lime juice. Divide the corn relish into two parts. Combine one part of the corn relish with the reserved beans.
When tortillas and beans are thoroughly heated, remove them from the oven. Cut the plain tortillas into bite sized strips to eat dipped in the seasoned bean corn relish. Finish the bean and cheese topped tortillas with the reserved corn relish and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Black Bean Tostadas
* Servings per Recipe: 6
* Amount per Serving
* Calories: 274
* Calories from Fat: 83
* Total Fat: 9.3g
* Saturated Fat: 2.9g
* Cholesterol: 8mg
* Sodium: 71mg
* Potassium: 739mg
* Total Carbohydrates: 42.6g
* Dietary Fiber: 10.8g
* Protein: 11.9g
* Sugars: 1.2g
*
we did like this because it was always to hard to go cold turkey and being a food addict(emotional eater) We needed to find something that works.
So, far its been going well.. we haven't fell off the wagon yet. The only thing I really miss is soda and I have discovered I love smoothies. I make them with protein at home they are fabulous! so I thought i would be a good ideal to post a meatless Monday recipe on here on Sunday night. It will help remind me and maybe inspire someone else:
Black Bean Tostadas
Serves 6
* 1 15 oz can black beans
* ½ teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 6 whole-wheat tortillas
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
* 4 cups frozen corn, thawed
* 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
* 1 avocado, diced
* 1 bunch scallions, chopped
* 1 lime
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine black beans, garlic salt and chili powder. Divide the bean mixture into two parts.
Brush both sides of tortillas with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Top three of the tortillas with cheese and half the seasoned beans and leave the other three tortillas with just olive oil. Set the other half of the beans aside. Heat tortillas in the oven for about 10 minutes.
While the tostadas are heating, in a large mixing bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, avocados, scallions and lime juice. Divide the corn relish into two parts. Combine one part of the corn relish with the reserved beans.
When tortillas and beans are thoroughly heated, remove them from the oven. Cut the plain tortillas into bite sized strips to eat dipped in the seasoned bean corn relish. Finish the bean and cheese topped tortillas with the reserved corn relish and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Black Bean Tostadas
* Servings per Recipe: 6
* Amount per Serving
* Calories: 274
* Calories from Fat: 83
* Total Fat: 9.3g
* Saturated Fat: 2.9g
* Cholesterol: 8mg
* Sodium: 71mg
* Potassium: 739mg
* Total Carbohydrates: 42.6g
* Dietary Fiber: 10.8g
* Protein: 11.9g
* Sugars: 1.2g
*
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Year I was Born! What was going on!
In 1970, the world was a different place.
There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. Or Face book
, for that matter.
In 1970, the year of your birth, the top selling movie was Love Story. People buying the popcorn in the cinema lobby had glazing eyes when looking at the poster.
Remember, that was before there were DVD s. Heck, even before there was VHS. People were indeed watching movies in the cinema, and not downloading them online. Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement, the novelty. And mostly all of that without 3D computer effects.
Do you know who won the Oscars that year? The academy award for the best movie went to Patton. The Oscar for best foreign movie that year went to Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion. The top actor was George C. Scott for his role as Gen. George S. Patton Jr. in Patton. The top actress was Glenda Jackson for her role as Gerund Brangwen in Women in Love. The best director? Franklin J. Schaffner for Patton.
In the year 1970, the time when you arrived on this planet, books were still popularly read on paper, not on digital devices. Trees were felled to get the word out. The number one US bestseller of the time was Love Story by Erich Segal. Oh, that's many years ago. Have you read that book? Have you heard of it? Look at the cover!
In 1970... The first episode of All My Children is broadcast on the ABC television network. Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war. The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from John F Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport. Mick Jagger is fined £200 for possession of cannabis. The complete New English Bible is published. The Expo '70 World's Fair opens in Suita, Osaka, Japan. Citroën introduces the SM at the Geneva Auto Salon. Teenagers in the United Kingdom vote for the first time, in a by-election in Bridgwater. Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh opens. The 1970 FIFA World Cup is inaugurated in Mexico. An assassination attempt against King Hussein of Jordan precipitates the Black September crisis. The U.S. Foreign Office announces that renewal of arms sales to Pakistan. Democrats sweep the U.S. Congressional midterm elections; Ronald Reagan is reelected governor of California; Jimmy Carter is elected governor of Georgia. Paul McCartney sues in Great Britain to dissolve the Beatles' legal partnership.
That was the world you were born into. Since then, you and others have changed it.
The Nobel prize for Literature that year went to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The Nobel Peace prize went to Norman E. Borlaug. The Nobel prize for physics went to Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén from Sweden for fundamental work and discoveries in magneto-hydrodynamics with fruitful applications in different parts of plasma physics. The sensation this created was big. But it didn't stop the planets from spinning, on and on, year by year. Years in which you would grow bigger, older, smarter, and, if you were lucky, sometimes wiser. Years in which you also lost some things. Possessions got misplaced. Memories faded. Friends parted ways. The best friends, you tried to hold on. This is what counts in life, isn't it?
The 1970s were indeed a special decade. Women's liberation continued. The hippie culture faded. There was an opposition to the Vietnam war, and nuclear weapons. The environmentalist movement began. Tom Wolfe coined the decade the "Me decade" due to a new self-awareness. Mao Zedong died and the market began to liberate in China. There was an oil crisis. After the first oil shock, gasoline was rationed in many countries. In Eastern Europe, Soviet-style command economies begin showing signs of stagnation. The Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, witness the kidnapping and murder of Israeli athletes by Palestinian Arab terrorists. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The Who, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Bee Gees, Abba and others play their music. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison all die at the age of 27. The space mission Apollo 13 nearly ends in disaster. Egypt signed the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. There was a revolution in Iran. The world sees its first general microprocessor. The C programming language makes its debut. Consumer video games show up on the scene. Microwave ovens become commercially available. Margaret Thatcher was victorious in the UK elections.
Do you know what was on the cover of Life that year?
Do you remember the movie that was all the rage when you were 15? Rocky IV. Do you still remember the songs playing on the radio when you were 15? Maybe it was Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears. Were you in love? Who were you in love with, do you remember?
In 1970, 15 years earlier, a long time ago, the year when you were born, the song I'll Be There by The Jackson 5 topped the US charts. Do you know the lyrics? Do you know the tune? Sing along.
You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I'll be there
I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there
...
There's a kid outside, shouting, playing. It doesn't care about time. It doesn't know about time. It shouts and it plays and thinks time is forever. You were once that kid.
When you were 9, the movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh was playing. When you were 8, there was The Cat from Outer Space. When you were 7, there was a Disney movie out called The Rescuers. Does this ring a bell?
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... it's 1970. There's TV noise coming from the second floor. Someone turned up the volume way too high. The sun is burning from above. These were different times. The show playing on TV is Josie and the Pussycats. The sun goes down. Someone switches channels. There's The Partridge Family on now. That's the world you were born in.
Progress, year after year. Do you wonder where the world is heading towards? The technology available today would have blown your mind in 1970. Do you know what was invented in the year you were born? The Pocket Calculator. The Relational Database Management System. Cup Noodles.
It's 2003 and where do you wanna be? In '42 or 1970?
And maybe we should take a good lock around
I don't get why the planet is so upset
And don't do something you might regret
I'm telling you it's starting to get in the way
...
That's from the song Fun by Smash Mouth.
In 1970, a new character entered the world of comic books: Aquarius. Bang! Boom! But that's just fiction, right? In the real world, in 1970, Beck was born. And Matt Damon. Uma Thurman, too. And you, of course. Everyone an individual. Everyone special. Everyone taking a different path through life.
It's 2011.
The world is a different place.
What path have you taken?
Wanna Find out about your birth year?
go to:
There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. Or Face book
, for that matter.
In 1970, the year of your birth, the top selling movie was Love Story. People buying the popcorn in the cinema lobby had glazing eyes when looking at the poster.
Remember, that was before there were DVD s. Heck, even before there was VHS. People were indeed watching movies in the cinema, and not downloading them online. Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement, the novelty. And mostly all of that without 3D computer effects.
Do you know who won the Oscars that year? The academy award for the best movie went to Patton. The Oscar for best foreign movie that year went to Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion. The top actor was George C. Scott for his role as Gen. George S. Patton Jr. in Patton. The top actress was Glenda Jackson for her role as Gerund Brangwen in Women in Love. The best director? Franklin J. Schaffner for Patton.
In the year 1970, the time when you arrived on this planet, books were still popularly read on paper, not on digital devices. Trees were felled to get the word out. The number one US bestseller of the time was Love Story by Erich Segal. Oh, that's many years ago. Have you read that book? Have you heard of it? Look at the cover!
In 1970... The first episode of All My Children is broadcast on the ABC television network. Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war. The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from John F Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport. Mick Jagger is fined £200 for possession of cannabis. The complete New English Bible is published. The Expo '70 World's Fair opens in Suita, Osaka, Japan. Citroën introduces the SM at the Geneva Auto Salon. Teenagers in the United Kingdom vote for the first time, in a by-election in Bridgwater. Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh opens. The 1970 FIFA World Cup is inaugurated in Mexico. An assassination attempt against King Hussein of Jordan precipitates the Black September crisis. The U.S. Foreign Office announces that renewal of arms sales to Pakistan. Democrats sweep the U.S. Congressional midterm elections; Ronald Reagan is reelected governor of California; Jimmy Carter is elected governor of Georgia. Paul McCartney sues in Great Britain to dissolve the Beatles' legal partnership.
That was the world you were born into. Since then, you and others have changed it.
The Nobel prize for Literature that year went to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The Nobel Peace prize went to Norman E. Borlaug. The Nobel prize for physics went to Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén from Sweden for fundamental work and discoveries in magneto-hydrodynamics with fruitful applications in different parts of plasma physics. The sensation this created was big. But it didn't stop the planets from spinning, on and on, year by year. Years in which you would grow bigger, older, smarter, and, if you were lucky, sometimes wiser. Years in which you also lost some things. Possessions got misplaced. Memories faded. Friends parted ways. The best friends, you tried to hold on. This is what counts in life, isn't it?
The 1970s were indeed a special decade. Women's liberation continued. The hippie culture faded. There was an opposition to the Vietnam war, and nuclear weapons. The environmentalist movement began. Tom Wolfe coined the decade the "Me decade" due to a new self-awareness. Mao Zedong died and the market began to liberate in China. There was an oil crisis. After the first oil shock, gasoline was rationed in many countries. In Eastern Europe, Soviet-style command economies begin showing signs of stagnation. The Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, witness the kidnapping and murder of Israeli athletes by Palestinian Arab terrorists. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The Who, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Bee Gees, Abba and others play their music. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison all die at the age of 27. The space mission Apollo 13 nearly ends in disaster. Egypt signed the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. There was a revolution in Iran. The world sees its first general microprocessor. The C programming language makes its debut. Consumer video games show up on the scene. Microwave ovens become commercially available. Margaret Thatcher was victorious in the UK elections.
Do you know what was on the cover of Life that year?
Do you remember the movie that was all the rage when you were 15? Rocky IV. Do you still remember the songs playing on the radio when you were 15? Maybe it was Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears. Were you in love? Who were you in love with, do you remember?
In 1970, 15 years earlier, a long time ago, the year when you were born, the song I'll Be There by The Jackson 5 topped the US charts. Do you know the lyrics? Do you know the tune? Sing along.
You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I'll be there
I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there
...
There's a kid outside, shouting, playing. It doesn't care about time. It doesn't know about time. It shouts and it plays and thinks time is forever. You were once that kid.
When you were 9, the movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh was playing. When you were 8, there was The Cat from Outer Space. When you were 7, there was a Disney movie out called The Rescuers. Does this ring a bell?
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... it's 1970. There's TV noise coming from the second floor. Someone turned up the volume way too high. The sun is burning from above. These were different times. The show playing on TV is Josie and the Pussycats. The sun goes down. Someone switches channels. There's The Partridge Family on now. That's the world you were born in.
Progress, year after year. Do you wonder where the world is heading towards? The technology available today would have blown your mind in 1970. Do you know what was invented in the year you were born? The Pocket Calculator. The Relational Database Management System. Cup Noodles.
It's 2003 and where do you wanna be? In '42 or 1970?
And maybe we should take a good lock around
I don't get why the planet is so upset
And don't do something you might regret
I'm telling you it's starting to get in the way
...
That's from the song Fun by Smash Mouth.
In 1970, a new character entered the world of comic books: Aquarius. Bang! Boom! But that's just fiction, right? In the real world, in 1970, Beck was born. And Matt Damon. Uma Thurman, too. And you, of course. Everyone an individual. Everyone special. Everyone taking a different path through life.
It's 2011.
The world is a different place.
What path have you taken?
Wanna Find out about your birth year?
go to:
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Lunch, ducks, and paddle boats
So yesterday we went to the local lake to just relax. We feed the gaggle of ducks. Had lunch and just relaxed. My youngest son, Richie, came with Big Daddy and I. It's highly unusually that he even wants to be seen with us. So, it was wonderful that he decided to come. He actually loved feeding the ducks. He really wanted to go on the paddle boats. So I went with him. He loved it. He told me how peaceful it is for him and how he just likes to go to the middle and float around and watch the sky. It was a awesome conversation. You see my son has Aspergers, a high functioning form of autism. This last few weeks have been very hard for him and he has been very depressed so it was nice to see him smile and enjoy the day. I hope we have more days like this one!
Please if you know someone with autism . Please
look up Autism Speaks.
Please if you know someone with autism . Please
look up Autism Speaks.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Family Fun with the Mouse
Monday was Disneyland family fun day with my brilliant brother-in-law, my beautiful sister-in-law and our adorable niece! We love seeing them. It just seems life always gets in the way and we are only 25 minutes from each other.
Have you ever noticed that short distances can be almost as far as long distances when it comes to families. We have all been trying to work on that.
Our niece is a cracker jack full of sugar and spice. She is intelligent and funny. A pink pirate, a villain and a loving girlie girl. She has the best parents in the world. They let her express herself, love what she wants to wear, what she likes and they teach her manners and how to love everyone!!!!! Bravo to them I wish more parents would do the same! I applaud them for being individuals and teaching
Bella to be one too!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Phone Blog
So for 2 days I have been trying to get my blog to work via my phone. but I am having so much trouble. I have so many cute pictures and stories,tomorrow I will just have to sit down and write in out!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday Family Dinner!
Sunday is family dinner, fun day! IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME TO KEEP THAT FAMILY CLOSENESS...But you would think sometimes asking them to be at the table at 6pm that I was asking them to rob a bank. I hear all kinds of excuses. I have too much homework... I am playing a game in a battle and can't stop... I'm too tired...no one told me....You name it, i hear it but in the end they usually show up we laugh and joke and have a great time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Morning.......Surprises
So, I wake up this morning to loud male voices in my home. Which isn't unusual because I live with my husband and 2 teenage sons. However this morning I did not recognize one of the voices right a way, in my half awake state. So I get up to go investigate. I open the door and I hear "oh crap" as the door squeaks open. I enter my 17 year olds room and I am jumped on by 2 "grown men".....hugging me, saying "I love you Mom" "Sorry for waking you" My oldest son had come home to visit. It was great to see him. You see he moved out in December because he is grown and needs his own space!
I follow them into the room where I see empty Mexican food boxes, soda cups,candy wrappers every where... nothing changes...:)
Manners
Dining Etiquette Guide
Manners are a big deal at our house with 3 young men. Here are some helpful hints that I found.
Making Restaurant Reservations:
Restaurant reservations are like any other appointment. If you make a reservation, stick to it. Call ahead if you’re going to be more than 15 minutes late, and cancel as far in advance as possible if your plans change so that someone else can get a table. Some restaurants take credit card numbers to hold reservations and charge no-show fees.
How to use napkins:
In a restaurant:
As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin from your place setting, unfold it, and put it in your lap. Do not shake it open. At some very formal restaurants, the waiter may do this for the diners, but it is not inappropriate to place your own napkin in your lap, even when this is the case.
The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal. Don't clean the cutlery or wipe your face with the napkin. NEVER use it to wipe your nose!
If you excuse yourself from the table, loosely fold the napkin and place it to the left or right of your plate. Do not refold your napkin or wad it up on the table either. Never place your napkin on your chair.
At the end of the meal, leave the napkin semi-folded at the left side of the place setting. It should not be crumpled or twisted; nor should it be folded. The napkin must also not be left on the chair.
At a private dinner party:
The meal begins when the host or hostess unfolds his or her napkin. This is your signal to do the same. Place your napkin on your lap, completely unfolded if it is a small luncheon napkin or in half, lengthwise, if it is a large dinner napkin. Do not shake it open.
The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal.
The host will signal the end of the meal by placing his or her napkin on the table. Once the meal is over, you too should place your napkin neatly on the table to the left of your dinner plate. (Do not refold your napkin, but don't wad it up, either.)
When to start eating:
In a restaurant:
Wait until all are served at your table before beginning to eat.
At a private dinner party:
When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.
How to use your silverware and dinnerware:
Dinner Setting Photo by Replacement, Ltd.
Use the silverware farthest from your plate first.
Here's the Silverware and dinnerware rule:
Eat to your left, drink to your right. Any food dish to the left is yours, and any glass to the right is yours.
Starting with the knife, fork, or spoon that is farthest from your plate, work your way in, using one utensil for each course. The salad fork is on your outermost left, followed by your dinner fork. Your soup spoon is on your outermost right, followed by your beverage spoon, salad knife and dinner knife. Your dessert spoon and fork are above your plate or brought out with dessert. If you remember the rule to work from the outside in, you'll be fine.
Use one of two methods when using the fork and knife:
American Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand holding food. After a few bite-sized pieces of food are cut, place knife on edge of plate with blades facing in. Eat food by switching fork to right hand (unless you are left handed). A left hand, arm or elbow on the table is bad manners.
Continental/European Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand. Eat food with fork still in left hand. The difference is that you don't switch hands-you eat with your fork in your left hand, with the prongs curving downward. Both utensils are kept in your hands with the tines pointed down throughout the entire eating process. If you take a drink, you do not just put your knife down, you put both utensils down into the resting position: cross the fork over the knife.
Once used, your utensils, including the handles, must not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate.
For more formal dinners, from course to course, your tableware will be taken away and replaced as needed.
To signal that your are done with the course, rest your fork, tines up, and knife blade in, with the handles resting at five o'clock an tips pointing to ten o'clock on your plate.
Any unused silverware is simply left on the table.
General social and dining etiquette rules:
Follow whatever dress code is requested on the invitation or suggested by the host/hostess.
Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. Never arrive late!
It is proper to bring a small hostess gift, one that the hostess is not obliged to use that very evening. Gifts such as flowers, candy, wine, or dessert, are not good hostess gifts, as the hostess will feel that it must put it out immediately. You must not never expect your gift to be served at the dinner party.
At a dinner party, wait for the host or hostess sits down before taking your seat. If the host/hostess asks you to sit, then do. At a very formal dinner party, if there are no name cards at the table, wait until the host indicates where you should sit. The seating will typically be man-woman-man-woman with the women seated to the right of the men.
A prayer or 'blessing' may be customary in some households. The dinner guests may join in or be respectfully silent. Most prayers are made by the host before the meal is eaten.
Sometimes a toast is offered instead of a prayer. Always join in with a toast. If the host stands up during the toast, also stand up.
Serving tea or coffee signifies that the formal part of the evening is over. Guests may now feel free to leave, or linger if the host or hostess encourages them to do so.
After a formal dinner party, a thank you note should be sent to the hostess.
Serving food:
Food is served from the left. Dishes are removed from the right.
Always say please when asking for something. At a restaurant, be sure to say thank you to your server and bus boy after they have removed any used items.
Butter, spreads, or dips should be transferred from the serving dish to your plate before spreading or eating.
Passing dishes or food:
Pass food from the left to the right. Do not stretch across the table, crossing other guests, to reach food or condiments.
If asked for the salt or pepper, pass both together, even if a table mate asks for only one of them. This is so dinner guests won't have to search for orphaned shakers.
Set any passed item, whether it's the salt and pepper shakers, a bread basket, or a butter plate, directly on the table instead of passing hand-to-hand.
Never intercept a pass. Snagging a roll out of the breadbasket or taking a shake of salt when it is en route to someone else is a no-no.
Always use serving utensils to serve yourself, not your personal silverware.
Eating:
Do NOT talk with food in your mouth! This is very rude and distasteful to watch! Wait until you have swallowed the food in your mouth.
Always taste your food before seasoning it. Usually the hostess has gone to a lot of work making sure the food served is delicious to her standards. It is very rude to add salt and pepper before tasting the food.
Don't blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, take the hint and wait until it cools.
Always scoop food, using the proper utensil, away from you.
Cut only enough food for the next mouthful (cut no more than two bites of food at a time). Eat in small bites and slowly.
Do eat a little of everything on your plate. If you do not like the food and feel unable to give a compliment, just keep silent. It is acceptable to leave some food on your plate if you are full and have eaten enough.
Do not "play with" your food or utensils. Never wave or point silverware. Do not hold food on the fork or spoon while talking, nor wave your silverware in the air or point with it.
Try to pace your eating so that you don’t finish before others are halfway through. If you are a slow eater, try to speed up a bit on this occasion so you don’t hold everyone up. Never continue to eat long after others have stopped.
Once used, your utensils, including the handles, must not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.
If the food served is not to your liking, it is polite to at least attempt to eat a small amount of it. It is never acceptable to ask a person why they have not eaten all the food. Don't make an issue if you don't like something or can't eat it - keep silence.
Even if you have dietary restrictions, it is inappropriate to request food other than that which is being served by the host at a private function. If you have serious dietary restrictions or allergies, let your host know in advance of the dinner.
Table Manners:
Unfold your napkin and place it on your lap. When you are finished, place it loosely on the table, not on the plate and never on your chair.
Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.
Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed.
Guests should do their best to mingle and make light conversation with everyone. Do not talk excessively loudly. Give others equal opportunities for conversation. Talk about cheerful, pleasant things at the table.
Don't clean up spills with your own napkin and don't touch items that have dropped on the floor. You can use your napkin to protect yourself from spills. Then, simply and politely ask your server to clean up and to bring you a replacement for the soiled napkin or dirty utensil.
Loud eating noises such as slurping and burping are very impolite. The number one sin of dinner table etiquette!
Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room.
Turn off your cell phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode before sitting down to eat, and leave it in your pocket or purse. It is impolite to answer a phone during dinner. If you must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table and step outside of the restaurant.
Do not use a toothpick or apply makeup at the table.
Say "Excuse me," or "I'll be right back," before leaving the table. Do not say that you are going to the restroom.
Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit, all men seated with her should stand up.
Do not push your dishes away from you or stack them for the waiter when you are finished. Leave plates and glasses where they are.
Wine:
Never turn a wine glass upside down to decline wine. It is more polite to let the wine be poured and not draw attention. Otherwise, hold your hand over the wine glass to signal that you don't want any wine.
Hold your wine glass by the stem, not the rim. See How To Successfully Taste Wine - Wine Tasting Basics.
Where a different wine is served with each course, it is quite acceptable to not finish each glass.
Dividing or sharing the restaurant bill with others:
Always assume that if you’re dining in a group of more than 6 people (3 couples), that the check is going to be divided evenly among everyone.
When dining when other couples, If you know you’re going to ask for a separate check, tell the server before you order so that the process is simplified later.
Take into account any significant ($15 or more) price differences in orders. If someone only orders soup and everyone else orders 2 to 3 courses, it’s not fair to make them pay the same.
If there are a couple people not drinking alcohol while the rest of the group is, separate the beverage total to take this into account and don’t overcharge the non-drinkers.
Proper tipping etiquette in a restaurant:
At a restaurant, always leave a tip. Tips can vary from 15% to 25%.
Waiter: 15% to 20% of the bill; 25% for extraordinary service
Wine steward: 15% of wine bill
Bartender: 10% to 15% of bar bill
Coat check: $1.00 per coat
Car attendant: $2.00 to $5.00
Remember that the amount you tip reflects the total price before any coupons, gift certificates, etc. Just because you get a discount, does not mean that your server did not serve up the full order.
If the owner of the restaurant serves you himself, you should still tip him. He will divide the tip among those who work in the kitchen and dining room.
Appetizers, Hors d'oeuvres, Canapes:
Food that is served at a cocktail party or during a pre-meal cocktail hour is intended to be eaten with the fingers. This includes olives, pickles, nuts, canapes, deviled eggs, and chips.
Artichokes:
It is both proper and polite to pluck the leaves with your fingers, leaving fork and knife aside for now.
Pull off a leaf, holding it by the pointed end. Put the other end in your mouth and pull it between your teeth, scraping the length of the leaf (the edible portion of the leaves becomes greater as you get closer to the center of the artichoke).
Just before you get to the very center, leaves will become almost white with purple tips. Be careful of these leaves because their purple ends are prickly. When the leaves are pulled, you will be left with the base, the heart, crowned with a fuzzy patch. You have now reached the best part of all, the very reason for eating artichokes: the heart. Carefully scoop away the fuzzy stuff with your knife or spoon (though a properly prepared artichoke will already have the choke removed). With knife and fork, cut bites from the heart like pieces of prime fillet.
If you're provided with a dip such as a vinaigrette or mayonnaise, put a small part of the edible portion of the leaf in the dip and scrape with your teeth as directed above. Don't overdo it on the dip or you won't taste the artichoke.
Asparagus:
Most etiquette books say that you can eat whole asparagus spears, without a sauce, by picking up with your hand. However, if you do this at a restaurant or dinner party, you will draw strange glances. Be safe and use your knife and fork to cut and eat them. Only pick asparagus up with your hands if the hostess does.
Avocado:
If the avocado is served in its shell, it is eaten with a spoon.
If it is sliced on a plate or in a salad, eat it with a fork.
Bacon:
Bacon can be consider finger food if it is dry, crisp and served whole.
If bacon is broken into pieces, served in thick slices, or cooked but still limp, it should be eaten with a knife and fork. The rule is simply that bacon with any fat on it should be eaten with a knife and fork.
Berries: Generally, eat berries with a spoon, whether they have cream on them or not.
Bread:
Use your fingers to remove bread from the serving plate. When a bread and butter plate is on the table, use it appropriately.
Break slices of bread, rolls and muffins in half or in small pieces never larger than one bite. Butter each bite at a time. Small biscuits do not have to be broken. It is never appropriate to cut a roll with a knife.
When the rolls are served in a basket, take one, and always pass the basket to your right. Place the roll on the break plate, which is located on the left side. Never tear your roll in half or into many pieces.
Use your own butter knife and the butter on your plate; buttering should be done on the plate or just above it. Use your butter knife for spreading and not as the butter server. The butter knife remains on the bread and butter plate at the end of the meal.
Caviar:
To preserve the full flavor of caviar, scoop it out using mother-of-pearl utensils, and NEVER use a metallic spoon metal oxidizes the eggs), which will create an unwanted (and pretty horrid) metal bite. If necessary use a wood or plastic spoon.
Don’t mush caviar up while you’re serving yourself or other, lift the spoon carefully. Caviar should be scooped from the container vertically from top to bottom to avoid crushing the egg.
If caviar is passed to you in a bowl or crock with its own spoon, serve a teaspoonful onto your plate. As the following accompaniments are offered, use the individual serving spoon in each to take small amount of minced onion and sieved egg whites and yolks, as well as a few lemon slices and a couple of toast points. Assemble a canapé to your taste with a knife, then use your fingers to lift it to your mouth.
If you're at a cocktail party or reception, where prepared caviar canapés are being passed on trays, simply lift one off the plate and pop it into your mouth.
When served caviar as an hors d'oeuvre, no matter how much you might be tempted by its luscious flavor. It's considered bad taste to eat more than an ample serving of about two ounces, or about two spoonfuls.
Cheese:
Informal Meal: When sliced cheese is served as an accompaniment to a dish, such as apple pie, it is eaten with a fork.
Appetizer: If cheese is served as an appetizer, such as cubes on toothpicks, it is eaten with fingers. If served a wedges of cheese, such as on a cheese plate, a slice of cheese is cut from a wedge, placed on a cracker, and brought to the mouth with the fingers.
Chicken:
It once was acceptable to pick up food on a bone, such as chicken, if it could be held with two fingers. I don't recommend that you do this in a public setting.
When dining at the restaurant or in a public place, chicken should always be eaten with a fork and knife.
If you are at an informal barbecue, in the fast food restaurant where you bought the chicken, and/or at your own home, it is perfectly acceptable to eat chicken with your fingers.
Clams and oysters in the half shell: Hold the shell with the left hand and lift the clam out using your oyster fork.
Corn on the Cob: Corn on the Cob is usually not served in a formal setting, but if it is, it is perfectly acceptable to pick it up and eat it.
Crab, shrimp and lobster cocktails: These are always eaten with a cocktail fork.
Crab/lobster claws: Crack them with a nutcracker and the meat taken out with an miniature or oyster fork.
French Fries:
In a fine dining restaurant, use your knife and forks.
When dining at a dinner party and the setting is very formal, you should use a fork. The best tactic is to watch what your host or hostess does, then do the same.
In the vast majority of eating situations in the United States, French fries are eaten with the hands. It doesn't matter which hand. If served with a hamburger in a casual atmosphere, use your fingers and pick up a whole French Fry. Exception: If they are covered with something (like cheese, gravy, chili, etc.), they are considered utensil foods (use your fork).
Olives:
Generally, olives are considered a finger food. It is perfectly acceptable to pick up and eat an olive with your fingers. Remove pit with your fingers. If you prefer not to use the finger method, use a small fork to stab olive and remove olive from your mouth.
Depending on your dining situation, you can either choose to eat olives or leave them on the plate. If you are on a job interview, don’t eat them. Also, in a highly formal dinner, don’t eat them unless you host or hostess does. The best tactic is to watch what your host or hostess does, then do the same.
Emily Post indicates that, where olives are part of a salad, they are treated like the rest of the salad and taken in by fork and the pit deposited on the fork to return.
Pasta or Spaghetti:
The perfect method for eating spaghetti or other long stringy pasta is to twirl it around your fork. Use a spoon to help if needed.
It is also acceptable to cut pasta with a knife and fork. You can get some leverage by turning the pasta while holding the tines of your fork against the edge of your plate. It's even correct to neatly cut the pasta if twirling is too hard.
What is undeniably bad manners is slurping in a mouthful of trailing pasta without benefit of twirl or knife. It's often loud, and it's never pretty.
If possible, serve warm pasta in warm, shallow bowls instead of on dinner plates. The sides of the bowl aids in turning pasta noodles on the fork.
Pineapple: Use a knife and fork to eat fresh pineapple slices.
Potatoes:
Baked potatoes are most often served already slit. If not, cut across the top with a knife, open the potato wider with your fork, and add butter or sour cream and chives, salt, and pepper.
You may eat the skin as you go along. Don't take the insides out and put the skin aside (or take the foil off). Eat it by scooping out the insides bite by bite.
Risotto:
Using a fork or a spoon, push the grains of cooked rice out slightly toward the edge of the bowl, eating only from the pulled out ring of rice.
Continue spreading from the center and eating around the edges in a circle. This will keep the risotto hot as you enjoy your risotto.
Salad:
If you are served large pieces or a whole wedge of lettuce, cut one bite at a time, using the knife provided.
If the salad is served before or after the main course, use the smaller fork. If the salad is considered the main course, use the entrée fork (large fork).
Sandwich:
Small Sandwiches: Such as tea sandwiches or canapés, may be picked up and eaten with your fingers.
Large Sandwiches: If not cut in halve, should be cut with your knife before lifting and eating.
Hot Sandwiches: Any hot sandwich or open-face sandwich that is served with a gravy requires a knife and fork.
Wraps: Such as burritos and other sandwiches in which the filling is wrapped in thin flat bread (usually tortillas or pita bread) are eaten with the hands. Any sandwich filling that falls from the sandwich to the plate is eaten with a fork.
Shish-kabob:
Appetizers: Shish kebab are eaten directly from the skewer only if they are served as an appetizer.
Dinner Entree: Hold the tip of the shish-kabob in one hand and use the dinner fork to remove the pieces with the other. When all the food has been removed from the stick, place the emptied skewer on the edge of your plate. Always eat the meat with your utensils
Shrimp:
Shrimp Cocktail: If large shrimp are served in a stemmed glass, pick them up with an oyster fork or whatever fork is provided and bite off a mouthful at a time, dipping into the sauce before each bite.
Large Shrimp: If large shrimp are served on a platter with sauce and no fork, pick up with your fingers, dip into sauce and put to your mouth. When eating shrimp with the tail still on, hold the shrimp by the tail and dip it into the sauce once. Eat it in one bite if it is not too large. Otherwise, eat it in two bites. Do not dunk the second bite into the sauce! Then discard the tail as you would olive pits or toothpicks.
Deep-Fried Shrimp: Tail-on deep-fried shrimp is meant to be eaten with the fingers.
Skewered Shrimp: If eating shrimp on a skewer, slide the shrimp off onto a plate (even if it is a paper plate at a cook out). Skewered shrimp should never be eaten like a corn dog.
Oriental Dishes: When eating shrimp with the tail that are part of some orientail dishes or fried foods, remove the tail with a fork and set to the side of your plate or on a separate "discard dish" if one is provided.
Soup:
Dip the spoon into the soup, moving it away from the body, until it is about two-thirds full, then sip the liquid (without slurping) from the side of the spoon (without inserting the whole bowl of the spoon into the mouth).
It is perfectly fine to tilt the bowl slightly (again away from the body) to get the last spoonful or two of soup.
To eat bread while eating your soup, don't hold the bread in one hand and your soup spoon in the other. When ready to eat a bite of your bread, place the spoon on the under plate, then use the same hand to take the bread to your mouth.
Sushi:
At most sushi bars, the waitress will offer a hot towel to wash your hands so you can pick up sushi with clean fingers. At home use hot washcloths.
With your Sushi order, you will be served some pickled ginger, a small mound of wasabi, and soy sauce. Eat a slice of pickled ginger after each variety of sushi to cleanse your palate. It is not proper to mix the wasabi with the soy sauce.
Don't rub your chopsticks together to remove any splinters. It is considered rude!
Sushi is meant to be finger food, quick and tasty. It is preferable to eat sushi with ones hands rather than with chopsticks, but both ways are acceptable in America.
Eat the whole sushi roll at once. It is not appropriate to eat part of a piece of sushi and place the other piece back on a plate. Once you have picked something up you should eat all of it. Exception: If the sushi is just too big to eat at once, bite the sushi in half and place the remainder back on the plate.
Do not dip the rice portion of the sushi pieces into the Soy sauce as it becomes too moist and can cause sushi to fall apart. Simply dip the topping or the seaweed (Nori) in the soy sauce before eating.
If a piece of fish is on top of your sushi, put the whole portion in your mouth, holding the sushi so the fish part touches your tongue (turn sushi upside down).
25 Random things about me
1. I want to sky dive just once in my life, but am really a nervous wreck when I have to fly!
2. I wish I could be spontaneous.
3. When my oldest son is driving me crazy, I go in and rearrange his books because he is OCD about them.
4. I believe in the supernatural.
5. I love papercrating.
6. I still cry at movies.
7. I believe Feug Shui really works.
8. I was a twin.
9. I miss Michigan a lot.
10. I love to scrapbook and make cards, I find it very relaxing.
11. I really do think Mary Poppins is the best!
12. I wish I could just tell people when I think they are being mean but I can't.
13. If I could I would leave my Christmas decorations up all year. It's my favorite time of year.
14. I have always wanted to join the Peace Corp.
15. My hair is really naturally light blond.
16. I am named after both of my Grandmas.
17. I love to watch the sunset.
18. I wanted to play volleyball and be a cheerleader in high school but was to scared.
19. I love to bake for people.
20. I love to play bingo.
21. I can't remember how to play my clarinet.
22. My nick name is Lucy and Cory's is Ricky.
23. I love Disneyland!
24. Cory and I have our own Disneyland season passes but the boys don't know. We go once a month for the day!
25. I miss church choir.
How to Transform Anger into Connection: 10 Tips for Peaceful Words
Even the most calm and level-headed among us gets angry from time to time. It doesn’t mean we’re backsliding in our quest for happiness, and it doesn’t mean we’re bad people or that there’s something “wrong” with us. It just means we’re like everyone else.
For some, anger rears up fast and furious in loud arguments and harsh words. Others don’t like to admit they’re angry but it leaks out anyway in sarcasm, complaints, and cutting remarks. Still others become short and snappish at the end of a long, difficult day or when overloaded with any kind of stress. Anger—along with its cousins aggravation, irritation, and frustration—can be sneaky because it often hitches a ride without our permission or even knowledge. It’s only when our attitudes become uncaring and our words unkind that we realize we have company—unless we’re intentionally mindful of anger.
But what can you do to avoid angry words?
Here are some tips for keeping your words peaceful.
1. nurture compassion by living it
Consider the movies and TV shows that you watch, the things you talk about and listen to with friends and family, and your choice of attitude toward others. If your lifestyle “diet” is filled with angry things, consider eliminating or reducing some.
2. take good care of yourself
Sufficient sleep, a healthy diet, exercise, and meditation or yoga reduce stress which helps you to have more patience and tolerance for others. When you feel good, it’s easier to feel good about others.
3. know your limits
Avoid over-scheduling and constant multi-tasking. Turn off the TV, the computer, the cell phone. Take breaks from work, noise, and distraction. Make your home or office a sanctuary of peace instead of a hub of frantic activity. Consider a 15-minute nap when you come home from work.
4. resolve conflicts
Initiate constructive discussions as conflicts arise. Focus on issues, alternatives, compromises, and resolutions. Express your needs and make requests rather than announcing what’s “wrong” with the other person.
5. let it go
If a conflict or difference of opinion can’t be resolved right away, let it go. Don’t dwell on unfairness and injustice, and don’t bring it up in an unrelated conversation. Consider rescheduling a talk for another time or reevaluating the issue’s importance in your life.
6. know your triggers
If certain challenging people or situations can’t or shouldn’t be avoided, then prepare for them. Decide how to handle the situation calmly and what to do if you’re unable to stay calm. If you do lose your cool, consider it a learning experience. Figure out why certain people or things make you so mad, and find different, more empathetic ways to think about them.
7. take a break
If you feel irritation and anger rising up during a discussion, tell your loved one or friend that you need a break. Go for a walk. Stretch. Breathe. Get in touch with that calm, peaceful part of yourself and remember how much you care about and love the other person.
8. make choices
Remind yourself that you are not your anger, and you are not your thoughts. You don’t have to react to your anger with more anger. Remember that you can choose kind, calm words and avoid using words that hurt. Choosing caring words can help your anger dissipate, but angry words feed the fire in yourself and in other people.
9. cultivate compassion intentionally
Instead of thinking about yourself and what you must get from someone, reflect on what you can give to other people. When we shine our light of love into other people’s lives, that light is reflected back to us.
10. reconsider venting
If you like to “vent” or complain with friends or family, think again. Asking for advice can be helpful. But angry words about the person you’re having a conflict with (or punching a pillow or kicking something) only feeds the fire. It doesn’t really get it out.
When we use angry, unkind words we not only hurt others, we also hurt ourselves by damaging our relationships with people we love and care about. And the only good thing that might come out of angry words is an apology.
But an apology can’t undo damage, and it can’t change the fact that our words have hurt someone. Accepting our anger, understanding it, and knowing we can make choices that are healthier and more compassionate for ourselves and the people we love is a wonderful step on the road to a happier life.
Leah McClellan is a freelance writer, part-time English instructor, gardener, vegetarian, and animal lover who dreams of world peace and writes about communication at Peaceful Planet.
great article had to share
Tranquility
I'm a love child at heart. running around barefoot , with a flower crown, long flowing patchwork skirt.
Preaching love everyone, giving out hugs to all I see, living off the earth and being free. spinning in circles my skirt flowing . i stare into the sky, until i tumble from dizziness, laughing whole heartily, watching the beautiful canvass above me and its ever changing pictures
I am a love child, giving of myself to all near me. freely, with out expectation, with out return
I am a love child who weeps for the women on the gray corner with the brown sign, my love alone does not save this child
I am a love child who smile in the world with the sand between my toes, the echoes of the children laughing.
I am a love child, with my bag of books, thirsty for knowledge, searching for the worlds soul
I am a love child dancing in the aisle with my love freely,feeling the energy pass Throe us like the ocean breeze, soft and sweepy with growing intensity the longer you stay...all the while soothing your soul enough to feel the beats of your heart and hear the winds of your own breath
I am a love child short and round loving , quirky, giving, and grateful
I am the love child!
Preaching love everyone, giving out hugs to all I see, living off the earth and being free. spinning in circles my skirt flowing . i stare into the sky, until i tumble from dizziness, laughing whole heartily, watching the beautiful canvass above me and its ever changing pictures
I am a love child, giving of myself to all near me. freely, with out expectation, with out return
I am a love child who weeps for the women on the gray corner with the brown sign, my love alone does not save this child
I am a love child who smile in the world with the sand between my toes, the echoes of the children laughing.
I am a love child, with my bag of books, thirsty for knowledge, searching for the worlds soul
I am a love child dancing in the aisle with my love freely,feeling the energy pass Throe us like the ocean breeze, soft and sweepy with growing intensity the longer you stay...all the while soothing your soul enough to feel the beats of your heart and hear the winds of your own breath
I am a love child short and round loving , quirky, giving, and grateful
I am the love child!
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