...and a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! These are all greetings you may have heard over the last few weeks. But, I dare to ask the question, how can you make the new year happy for those you encounter? Don't just wish it for them. Make it happen!

Take the time to check in on your friends and family. Set a goal to accomplish this. Maybe you decide that once a week, you'll call one friend or family member. No text, no email, but actually pick up the phone, call and truly listen.

An awesome friend, Mrs. Stephanie Cassinos Way, called me a couple of months ago. When I saw "Cassinos, Stephanie-SGT" on my phone, I wondered if everything was o.k. She just wanted to talk to me. Little did she know that I needed a friend at that very moment. Do you have a friend that is going through a difficult time? Or maybe you just haven't connected with them in a while. Is their spouse deployed? Give them a call. Heck, you could even mail them a $10 pizza gift card. It's little, but you might be surprised how much this small gesture could mean to them.

Another way to improve the year for yourself and those around you is to get out...get out of the rut, get out into other communities, get out of your box...just get out! What am I talking about here? Well, I'm sure you have some ideas starting to float into your head, but I'll share one way that I did this. 

I attended the annual Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe powwow. I was asked to write a special feature about Native American Heritage month, but in order to truly connect I wanted to experience the culture. What an amazing way to learn. I took my 13-year old brother and it was such an outstanding experience for both of us. Try it! Look online and find one new activity or event each month to check out. 


Next, it's time to put on your thinking cap. Could you volunteer your time? Babysit for that mom that just needs a trip to the grocery sans whining, arguing, pleading and begging. 


Do you have a talent or a skillset that you could donate? I like taking pictures! If you're doing something you enjoy, your love will come through!

Different people, different places, different expressions, but that's what I love about it! Would you have guessed that the Veteran holding the dogtag was married 8 times? Yes, he really was. Enough of my rambling about photography, but find something you love and share it! Ok, back on topic here, folks...

There's also the 'Pay it Forward' method. This one is pretty easy. Stopping through the Caribou drive-thru? Purchase the coffee of the person behind you. I've had this happen to me before (during the holidays, of course) and I couldn't help but drive away with a smile. That was after I paid for the coffee of the person behind me. :-) I wonder how long that cycle continued?

So to you, my beautiful friends, I submit a challenge. What will your goals be? Who will you make smile this new year? All of this new year, not just the beginning of it. Please share your stories or ideas below. 

Happy New Year, and as always...

KEEP SMILING! 

It's contagious!

What motivates you?

Is it your job? Your friends? Family? Everybody has something different that motivates them.

I have many things that motivate me, but lately, I've needed to do some prioritizing. Luckily, my Wisdom Cards by Louise Hay have a way of helping me focus on what is important.

All you need is love. Is love really all you need? 

Hmm, does that ring true with any of my smiling sisters out there?

Imagine yourself starting the day with 100% energy. You're driving to work and someone cuts you off. You get all upset and honk your horn...you just plugged a little bit of your energy into that experience. You get to work and your boss throws you under the bus. You get upset and gossip about them to your co-workers...you just plugged a little bit of your energy into that experience. Are you noticing a cycle here? By the end of the day, you're running on reserves. And for what? 

By not taking responsibility for your own experiences, you are letting other people interfere or ENTER FEAR in your life. Nobody else is responsible for your guilt, criticism or resentment. Do you resent somebody in your life right now? Try this excercise...

Write down the things that you are holding on to. Did someone do something to hurt you? Are you holding a grudge? This resentment or grudge can serve as a blockage to your heart. So, write it all down. Get it out on paper. Then take the paper and burn it (safely). As it disintegrates, imagine your grudges being burning away with it. Let them go. Don't let them "enter fear" in your life anymore. I promise, dear friend, it will be worth it!

After releasing, I like to write down some affirmations. 

"I'm filled with love and light. I release all grudges, fear, resentment or criticism. I release the negativity and welcome people into my life with open arms."

Let me know how this works for you or share your release tips! Until next time, keep on smiling!

Start speading smiles!

I firmly believe that smiles are contagious. About a month ago, I was going through some difficult times. All of the wonderful people in my life came through and lifted me up. In a previous blog post, I told you that I needed to give this love back to the universe. I think I’ve found just the right way to do so.

What are these delightfully happy and colorful frames, you ask? They are awesome frames. My intention is to give these out to people who make me smile. This could be the Caribou coffee lady or someone that I work with. 

I’m hoping that they will pass it on to a smile-giver and that the frames will share love with many people. 

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d love if you would join me in doing the same thing! You don’t necessarily have to make fun frames. Try spreading smiles in your own way.

1. You could simply smile at a stranger
2. Say hi to people passing you in the hall at work
3. Try giving three sincere compliments a day
4. Compliment a stranger
5. Treat your neighbor
6. Thank people

Joy’s Hope is featuring projects you can do every day to spread smiles. One project that caught my eye is bringing a treat to your neighbor. She baked some Pillsbury ‘break and bake’ cookies and took them to a neighbor. It gets dark so early now. Imagine coming home to a freshly baked stack of cookies. That will surely brighten anybody’s day!

Another simple way to spread smiles is a simple thank you! Pick up a pack of thank-you cards and set a goal. Maybe you purchase a dozen cards and want to use them in a month or even a week. When someone shows you love, thank them. Or maybe just pick one person a week and send them a card. Imagine how happy your child, parent or friend would be to get a thank you card...just because.

I always enjoy checking the mail and seeing a handwritten note from someone. We have become so accustomed to communicating via texts and e-mails, that we don’t write love notes anymore.

You could be the difference between somebody having an alright day and an awesome day. You are awesome! Let your light shine bright! 

Please share your smile-spreading ideas below.

When you wish upon a star...

Have you ever wished upon a star and had the wish come true? I honestly can’t say that I remember a time when this happened. I’m not saying that it hasn’t, but I just can’t recall.

I went to check the mail on a chilly night last week. I looked up and saw this amazing star in the sky, shining brighter than all of the other stars. 

Instead of being able to take the moment in and enjoy it, I was reminded of a recent experience that I had with a friend, looking at this very same star. It made me angry.

A friend, that had disappeared without explanation. A friend that made me realize we weren’t as close of friends as I thought we were. 

I was even more upset with myself for letting this person have control over my experiences, although they had so easily disconnected from me.

So, how do we change our paradigm? 

It’s easy, just do it! Create a new memory, a better memory. I sat in my driveway, looking a bit crazy, I must admit. I imagined all of the people that I loved and that loved me. I made a wish for each one of them. I wished for happiness for one, good health for the next and love for them all. 

I released my old friend and sent them love. I released the negative memory and imagined it floating into space.

Now, when I look at that star, I see dozens of amazing people surrounded by love, including my friend. I know all of my wishes for will come true this time!

It may not easy to be honest, but please remember how important it is. Live your life with no regrets! Live your life with love. 

Don’t procrastinate on your life. Don’t wait for a better day, more money or the next best thing. Your grass is green, my friend!

Do you have a paradigm in your life that you can shift? 

Now, I’d like to share some photos of some of the wonderful people in my life, that I’ve had the opportunity of photographing recently!

Congratulations to this beautiful couple, 
Justin and Emily Janacek!

Check out this beautiful Stillwater High School Senior, 
Hanna Gjermo!

Logan's cousin, the adorable Addison!

Congratulations to Kelly and Alex, on the arrival 
of little Madelyn! Here's a great image with 
her awesome brother, Dima!

Wow! Am I lucky? Happy wishes to all of you, my friends! 

Oh! The Low Places You’ll Go

I believe that we all want to be that person that walks around with a perma-grin on their face. We want to do great things for others and say, “Yes!,” to life.

But, even Dr. Suess was smart enough to inform children, that continuous contentment may not always be achieved. 

In the book, “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!”, he clearly spells out the pitfalls of this thing we call life.

“And when you're in a Slump,

you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself,

is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...

or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?

Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused,

that you'll start in to race,

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace,

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place...

The Waiting Place!

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go,

or a bus to come, or a plane to go,

or the mail to come, or the rain to go,

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow,

or waiting around for a Yes or a No,

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.”

All of you who know me well, know that I’ve recently landed in this so-called “waiting place.” Waiting for a place to live, waiting for a job to fall and even waiting for a guy to call. I was in that most useless place. 

But as Dr. Suess goes on, he gives us hope!

“NO!

That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape,

all that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright places,

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball,

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.”

OK, he might have gone a little overboard with the fame thing. But, I did get to experience the most amazing thing while I was waiting. A Boom Band! My son, my brother, A, E, N, fellow Soldiers, supervisors, high school classmates, new friends, old friends...they were my Boom Band!

One of the Boom Band members, a fella that’s a bit of a wordsmith like Dr. Suess, even answered my call for help one evening.

“What’s going on? Let’s talk it out,” he said. I burst into tears and started listing all of the reasons why my life sucked. 

“Woe is me...I feel hopeless...I’m exhausted...yada, yada, yada!”

And then silence...”My car was stolen today,” he uttered. 

Boy, did I feel like an ass?

“But, we all do these things to ourself,” he went on to explain. “I chose to park in a place that my sister had warned me about.”

“But, why? Why do we do we do these things to ourselves,” I questioned. I knew that he wasn’t going to leave me hanging like that. 

As any good friend would do, he then picked me up and said something that I will always remember, “When the lows are so low, it makes the highs seem even better.”

Like my friend, all of the members of my Boom Band had their own problems. They all took time out of their day to show me love! 

In the October edition of Edge Magazine, I read an article about love by Lisa Venable.

“When you listen to and feel the presence of Love, you reclaim your inner power, and follow what makes your heart sing.”

So, out of the waiting place I emerged, thanks to my Boom Band showing me the Love that I couldn’t see. Now, I need to return this Love back to the universe!

But, how could you possibly do that, you might ask?

Well, I’ll give you all a hint.

My idea is inspired by Dr. Suess and involves glitter. I think that we can all agree that these two things are totally a combination for success, 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed!

“On and on you will hike

and I know you'll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!”

Stay tuned to see what I create and how I repay the love.

Oh! And of course, how I keep smiling!

To bra or not to bra...

Take a good look at this photo collage and tell me what lesson you learn from it...

Anything yet?

Well, I guess I'll tell you what lesson I learned today! 

Today was my first day back at work after being out sick for two days. I was all hopped up on Dayquil and determined to get through the day with a positive attitude when I a job posting appeared in my e-mail. 

It was a job for an entry-level "Computer Assistant" position that paid more than the job I had been currently working hard at for more than three years!  The same job that couldn't even guarantee me a position in 5 weeks. Boo...now I was just determined to get through the day. Screw the smile!

Skip ahead to 1600 and I'm outta there, smile half-intact. I'm off to drive 15 miles (in the opposite direction from where I live) to pick up Logey from daycare. This is 15 miles of Yo Gabba Gabba-free driving. There's construction, I take a detour...so did everyone else. 

I get to daycare and after a round of hugs and high-fives, we're off...or so I thought. The on-ramp to the highway is closed! No joke!

So, we're off on a detour...so is everyone else. I decide to stop at Target to let the traffic simmer down a bit. 

Target is an amazing time-zapper, but Logey's patience and bag of Goldfish are wearing thin. We're off again...'Tummy, tummy, party, party, yeah.' --> That's a Yo Gabba Gabba reference for all of you that have never had their charming voices grace your ear.

One mini-concert later and we're home! I unload the car (child, diaper bag, purse, laptop, four bags of groceries, blankie and sippy cups) and I'm now onto making dinner.

The dog is whining and barking because her ball is 'stuck' underneath the bed. Nevermind the ball that I trip over, as I'm walking into the room to free her long, lost ball. 

Logan wants to watch 'Coorus George' and I just want to cook. Luckily, my brother, Mason, steps in and helps and I'm back to my goal of making BLT's.

I'm trying to remind myself that women fought for me to have this 'equality'. Less than a week ago, I was writing a story about 'Women's Equality Day' for work. How could I complain about my FREEDOM to work, be a single housewife and all that jazz? Is this what they were envisioning when they were burning their bras?

Soon, I'm bellied-up to the stove, flipping turkey bacon with one hand and reading one of my favorite magazines (a horrible gossip mag, I'm embarassed to admit). I get two pages in and the smoke-detector starts going off. Disable alarm, check! Round 2 with the bacon, check!

With eyes-a-burnin', I begin to slice tomatoes, fresh from Mike's garden...five minutes later, dinner's ready. All of the forks are in the dishwasher...sigh, before I set my intentions to cleaning forks, I decide to pull a wisdom card (a great investment) before I serve dinner up.


You'll never believe it, but it says, "I rejoice in my employment." REALLY!?! I almost spit out my burnt bacon.

What I realized was that 'this' (my current situation) may not have been why women were burning their bras, but they were burning them so that I may have an option. We, ultimately, have to be responsible for our decisions and have gratitude for what we're blessed to have. 

After cleaning up the kitchen, I just wanted to kick up my feet and finish reading page two of my magazine...maybe, even a full article!

But, that would not have served as evidence of this great lesson that I just learned! So, I broke out the fingerpaints and we made paintings for Grandparent's Day! It only took Logey 30 seconds to blend four colors into a beautiful, chocolate brown hue and he thought that making handprints was the most outstanding thing ever!

After bathtime and the 'we brush our teeth' song, Logey selects the book 'Oh, the Places You'll Go!' by Dr. Suess. We climbed into his car bed and I read the first page (this first page is a little different than the first page of my magazine, thankfully)...

"Congratulations!

Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!"

I couldn't agree more!