Inconsequential Journals

 Did you scoff when you read that title? I am aware that many of us are not feeling as joyful this season. It is as though a collective ennui has descended upon us all. That's okay. Pushing ourselves to have the "Best holiday season ever!" year after year is draining and ultimately unattainable. If, by chance, you did have a spectacular last few weeks, stop reading and start recording it all in your journal. This was your year. Enjoy it to the fullest! As for the rest of us, I think it might be nice to drum up a little holiday cheer with the time we have left. Decide to do something small to bring yourself a bit happiness. It could be as simple as cutting snowflakes out of scrap paper or taking a walk to see the neighborhood lights. Then, make the loveliest page you can about it. Ignore the fact that you lost feeling in your toes as you walked in the cold or that your spilled some of that hot cocoa on your favorite sweater. Encourage yourself to remember the moment as a g...

 This isn't usually the time of year that I think about saving. The holiday season is full of excuses to indugle a little. However, I have decided to make November a saving month. Some of you might be motivated to do the same. A lower spending plan can be helpful whether you want to store up a little extra for gift giving, pay down an unexpected bill, or build a bigger nest egg. I've posted about making an ideas list several times before so I am suggesting this time that we take more extreme measures. Try to think of things that you can do for free at home or in your neighborhood. If you have to get in your car, leave it for another list. Really try to be creative in ideas. Make sure that they are somewhat fun or interesting. A list full of tasks that feel more like work is unlikely to be done. Attempt to design a page that looks appealing and cheerful. Pump yourself up to accomplish what you plan. Here are a few ideas to get you started... 1- Pick up the sticks in the yard and...

       The goal of this blog is to inspire focus on the small moments in our lives. Last night, many of us were priveledged to experience a wonderfully spectacular one. The northern lights reached considerably farther south then is typical so that a good portion of the U.S. had the opportunity to see their beauty. But what really touched me was the humanity of the moment. It is so easy to become distracted by the daily load of troubles and worries. Even announcements that should fill us with pride and excitement for the future produce a bit of anxiety. None of those thoughts interfered last night. My family and many others sought out the darkest parts of our landscape to gaze in silence together at the lights. It was as though a spell had been cast upon us. We were sharing a point in time that was utterly unique. There was awe and reverence in the quiet that we rarely encounter in our daily living. We were together as people searching for the light.  Let's remem...

           Today I am feeling excited. We are merely days away from the best month of the year in my area of the country...October. Colorful fall leaves create stunning backdrops to even the most mundane of tasks. A crisp morning chill invites you to pull on a sweatshirt and enjoy a quick walk. Countless festive events fill the weekends and, of course, there's Halloween. Many of us can stir up enthusiasm for this spooky holiday even if the local weather is hot and humid. So, let's do something spooky in our journal to welcome in the new month. Think of a ghost story you have heard either around the campfire or in hushed tones over the neighbor's fence. Write down all the spine tingling details you can remember. Just be careful to keep it light. The idea is to give yourself a little thrill not bring up tragic events. Think of the urban legends or mystery lights. Consider old figures from long ago who've been known to cause a bit of mischief at a local musuem...

 Fall is the time of year when I turn to cozy activities. As the sun sets earlier and earlier, I enjoy spending the evening making a meal, reading a book or watching a movie with my family. In fact, movie nights are one of my favorite ways to create an easy and inexpensive way to have some fun.  The internet is full of ideas to help with your planning. Any quick search will bring up food pairings of all sorts to accompany a large vary of family friendly films. Yet there are, suprisingly, much fewer suggestions for films enjoyed by mainly adults. This gives us a great opportunity to create some of our own couplings in our journal. Imagine watching Dracula while feasting on a rare roast beef with garlic buttered potatoes and a lovely red wine. Consider making gyros or having lamb and viewing My Big Fat Greek Wedding or one of its sequels. Include some Ouzo if you like. As the season moves forward, don't forget to pick up supplies for sugar cookies and hot cocoa. Hallmark Chris...

      We recently returned from a week away. You know what that means...laundry, giant piles of it. Due to poor planning and life's little surprises, I had neither the time nor the energy to deal with it as I normally do. So, I broke some rules. Shirts and pants went into the same load as did lights and darks. (A color catcher was used. I'm not that reckless.) It was so freeing. The piles disappeared much more quickly and my sanity was saved. Did it really matter that I didn't follow intructions handed down over the generations for the proper way to clean? Certainly not. Sometimes we need to take a little risk. This idea leads right into our journal topic for today, breaking "the rules" of good housekeeping.  Make a little list of all the times you threw caution to the wind and perhaps didn't pre-rinse your dishes or let the dog eat the spilled pasta in place of cleaning it up. It may even give you a little thrill to know that you are a bit more of a rebel tha...