And the award goes to......Me! (and maybe You!)

I was lucky enough to be awarded the Superior Scribbler Award from Show Me the Mom, which is one of the funniest blogs about raising kids (4 teen boys to be exact)working fulltime outside the home and living to tell about it! It's a must read for all you busy mom's out there. We are NOT alone!!

The Scribbler award comes with some rules:

• Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

• Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award. This one came from http://www.showmethemom.com

• Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

• Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor

• Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

So, drum roll please, the 5 people I want to pass this along to, in no particular order are:

http://www.cravingbalance.com No need to say more....

http://www.short-temsolutions.com/vablog/ Has some great e-books she calls "instructional fiction" and are written in Janet Evanovich's quirky style. She's also an excellent VA!

http://www.showmethemom.comI know it'a already a winner but I want to pass it on again....I love your blog...never miss it!

http://www.getknownnowblog.comIf you have a business Suzanne Falter-Barns specializes on creating your brand platform and increasing your exposure. She's fun, too!

http://www.kirasabin.com/blog Kira's The Dating Makeover Coach and while I'm married and am way past dating....I love her writing and she has tons of great information presented in her own unique and fun style. She tells you "the truth, the whole truth and nothin' but the truth about dating!"

Would love to have you visit these sites and pass them on.

Spa for Your Soul....Make Everyday a Spa Day!

10 Tips for a Stress Free Holiday

The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of year for many people. It’s a classic example of how we ask too much of ourselves and of others.

November comes around and suddenly we expect to turn into “Martha Stewart!” We want a beautifully decorated house, delicious homemade treats, perfect, well thought out personalized gifts and well-behaved, eternally grateful children......even after we’ve disrupted their sleep routines, filled them up with sugar and drug them to relatives' houses they only see once a year!

So how do you avoid making the holidays humbug? Here are some tips:

1. Ask each family member what their number one favorite part of the holiday is and only do those. You don’t have to do everything! You might be surprised that there are some things that aren’t as important as you thought.

2. Skip the holiday cards-send New Years cards in January or Valentine cards in February when you have more time. When you send something later, people are more likely to read it. If you send cards and family updates in January or February there’s a better chance they’ll remember what it said.

3. Give theme gifts: magazine subscriptions, donations in their name, gift cards, tickets to a concert, movie, play, etc. Go through a list of magazines and choose one that fits each person on your list. Think about their favorite store, go online and order a gift card for them. Give them tickets to an event you both like and maybe they’ll share the second ticket-the gift that keeps on giving.

4. Go to bed for a nap after Thanksgiving Dinner and set the alarm for midnight New Year's Eve. Thought I’d toss that in for fun.

5. Make a list before shopping! Nothing is more time consuming and crazy making than wandering around the mall waiting for the perfect gift to jump out at you or having so many gifts jumping out at you that you feel like your brain will explode! Go through catalogs or magazines for ideas, decide what you want and buy only what’s on your list, or better yet, do all your shopping online!

6. Go shopping with a friend and combine it with a massage, spa treatment, sauna or a soak in a hot tub. Wouldn't it be great to shop for an hour or two and follow it with a great meal or spa date afterwards!

7. Breathe……breathe…….breathe. A deep breath will help you slow down to think and make better decisions. You know that last minute craziness that happens right before guests arrive-your mind races and you're bouncing from one thing to another. Then the door bell rings. STOP! Take a deep breath and your mind and body will automatically slow down. What's done is done....let it go.

8. Make the holiday meal a group event: ask guests to bring part of the meal. If you are hosting an event, let guests know up front that you are happy to provide the main dish and assign or let them choose a side dish to bring. Then they don't need to bother with a hostess gift either. And really, how many candles or cute knick knacks do you need?

9. Schedule FUN things for yourself as well as the kids. While you do lots for your families and friends this time of year, don’t forget to do something for yourself-go to a movie, buy yourself a little gift, hang out with a friend, go skiing or try something you’ve always wanted to do. This is your holiday, too. You deserve to have some fun!

10. And finally, borrowed from professional organizers, do only the things you need to do and the things you love to do. Let go of the rest. What traditions do you love and which ones feel like chores? Going back to Tip #1 - only do the number one favorites. And don’t forget, your favorites count as well-it's the ultimate self-care. (Actually, your favorites count more because "when mama ain't happy, nobody's happy!")

Bottom line....do activities you truly love and you'll be energized and happy. How can you enjoy the true meaning of the holidays, whatever that means for you, if you're stressed out and exhausted! Have a happy holiday, you deserve it!

Free Call-10 Tips for Stress-free Holiday

Free-Teleclass! Spa for Your Soul

Make Your Holiday Season
More Happy and Less Hectic!

Tuesday, November 3rd at 7 PM Central

The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of year, especially for women.
It’s a classic example of expecting too much from yourself!

Is this you?

November comes around and you have more “to do’s” to add to your already long list of everyday chores and responsibilities: gifts, dinners, decorating, baking, parties, religious programs, school programs, planning for guests, plans for travel, working out schedule with extended family,

2 weeks of kids being home from school, etc.

Plus, there is an expectation that everyone become the local “Martha Stewart”….by having a beautifully decorated home, delectable homemade cookies, perfect, well thought out personalized gifts and well-behaved, eternally grateful children......even after their routine is disrupted, they’ve filled up with cookies, candy and enough stimulus tilt a pinball machine!!

So here’s the question….

What do YOU want for the Holidays?

On Tuesday, November 3rd at 7 PM Central Time

Spa for Your Soul Coach, Mary Kay Aide will share

10 tips to make your holiday more happy and less hectic!

You deserve to enjoy the holidays as much as anyone else and
you will learn to make that happen by following these tips.

This is the perfect time to put together a plan to ward off holiday stress
and enjoy the holidays the way you want!

The holidays have special meaning for everyone, full of gratitude, giving and celebration.

You can’t enjoy yourself when you’re stressed out and exhausted.

Register & make the 2009 Holiday Season the happiest and best one yet!

Sign up on the right for the number to get in on the call.

I did my best to schedule this call at a convenient time, so you'll be able to join us live-

I want you to have the opportunity to ask questions and get all you need.

However, if you just can't make the call live, be sure to sign up,

so you have access to the recording.

Looking forward to "seeing" you on Tuesday!!

Two Wolves-Feed Your Strengths

Two Wolves.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, ' My son, the battle is between two ' wolves ' inside us all.

One is Evil. - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. '

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ' Which wolf wins? '

The old Cherokee simply replied, ' The one you feed. '

Author unknown

Free Tele-class-It's Time for YOU!

Do you:

• Spend all your time and energy taking care of everyone else?
• Find yourself on the bottom of your priority list? (Are you even on the list?)
• Ever wonder when it’s going to be your turn?
• Know things need to change, but don’t know where to start?
• Feel like you’ve lost yourself?

If this sounds like you, this Spa for your Soul call is for you!

Five Tools to Rejuvenate your Life

Tuesday, October 27th Noon-1PM Central Time.

Sign up in the box to the right to get the call information, as well as my Spa for Your Soul e-newsletter and a BONUS mini e-course: "Creating more Balance and Meaning in Your Life!"

Listening live will give you an opportunity to get your own questions answered, but if you can't make the call live, that's fine. Register anyway and you will receive the link to listen to the call at your convenience.

Perhaps you have what looks like a dream life, but it doesn't feel very dream like!

Take a break from the many demands in your day and let

Spa for Your Soul help you feel like you just walked out of a beauty spa, energized and deserving of the life you want and deserve!

This free tele-class will introduce 5 Steps to Rejuvenate Your Life!

These doable, concrete and practical steps are designed to support and guide you as you focus on yourself, your values and the kind of life you want!

Registration is on the right and you'll receive the call information as well as a free subscription to my Spa for your Soul e-newsletter and as a BONUS-mini-ecourse: Creating more Balance and Meaning in your Life.

Put this call on your calendar....

Tuesday, October 27th Noon-1PM Central Time

Sign up now, it's only a few days away!!

The Ultimate Cure-The Ultimate Self-Care

"There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure,
but I don't know many of them."
-- Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

I love this quote, but for some reason I’ve never written about it. I’d look at it, ponder about it, then move on to something else. Promoting a hot bath as the ultimate cure of anything seemed a little too decadent or too simple or something.

It’s strange because, here I am, a proclaimed “self-care specialist” and I’ve avoided writing about one of life’s greatest pleasures, a hot bath. What’s THAT all about? Hot baths have been around for a very long time. It’s a fabulous, yet inexpensive way to practice self-care.

Remember the old Calgon commercials? For those of you who are a bit younger than me, it featured a woman escaping into a hot bubble bath with the phrase, “Calgon, take me away!”
How many times do you see someone soaking in a bubble bath surrounded with candles, listening to music and savoring the moment….not in person perhaps (!), but on TV, in the movies, etc.

I would guess that we think about doing it for ourselves many more times than we actually do it. I know lots of people that were so excited to put a spa tub in their new bathroom anticipating long luxurious baths and then later report they hardly use it!

Is that you? If it’s not a hot bath you put off, maybe it’s scheduling a massage or coffee with a friend or any number of fabulous self-care activities.

So what gets in the way of you taking the steps to take care of yourself? Do you, like me, think it’s too decadent or too easy of a solution? How often do you think about how great it would be to pamper yourself a little bit, but there’s just one more thing to get done, one more chore, one more project one more phone call.

What makes you think that your self-care belongs on the bottom of your priority list? I challenge you to move your self-care up the list. You deserve it. As Stuart Smalley says, “You’re good enough, you’re smart enough and gosh darn it, people like you!!”

Be your own best friend and tell yourself that it’s time to allow some regular self-care in your life. Put it on your schedule and do it!! Let me know what self-care activities you plan to include in the next few days.

This is your life……make every day a spa day!

Extreme Self-Care & Life Balance-Things We Can Learn from a Dog

My dog, Penny Lane, will be 1 year old on October 13th.
She knows all about having balance in her life and practicing extreme self-care!

Here she is at 2 and 9 months old.

Happy Birthday, Penny!

Things We Can Learn from a Dog:*

1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
   
2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
   
3. When loved ones come home, always run and greet them.
   
4. When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.
   
5. Let others know when they have invaded your territory.
   
6. Take naps and stretch before rising.
   
7. Run, romp, and play daily.
   
8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
   
9. Be loyal.
   
10. Never pretend to be something you’re not.
    
11. If what you want is buried, dig until you find it.
    
12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle him or her gently.
    
13. Thrive on attention.
    
14. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
    
15. On hot days, drink lots of water and sit under a shady tree.
    
16. When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
    
17. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
    
18. No matter how often you are scolded, don’t buy the guilt thing and pout—run right back and make friends.
    
    (*borrowed from The Networking Survival Guide: Getting Success You Want by Tapping into the People You Know by Diane Darling)