Finally!

Pin It Now! We finally have internet! After 9 brutal months we can connect to the world. Ahhhh. So happy :)

Will share pictures form our trip to Rome later.

Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving!

xoxo

B

Holiday ADD!

Pin It Now! Halloween is over. To me that means the holiday season has really started. Especially since we live in Germany and I have to consider shipping times. I have so many things going on and so many things I want to do! I literally have 8 windows up on my screen (good connection via my phone for once!!) with all the things I'm trying to do.

First I'm on amazon and qvc searching for Christmas gifts. Trying to be very cost effective and practical this year.

 and then....

I switch to buying outdoor Christmas decor. I want a pretty wreath for the front door and a garland and two little trees on each side of the door.

and then...

I go to my Target.com window hoping to find some shirts for little Wright and a winter coat for baby Wright.

And then....

I realize I still haven't found a place to stay in Rome for our trip this month. Hotels are expensive as heck and there are thousands to search through. I want to book an apt, but they are non refundable and I've heard we may get dumped with snow soon....so ugh I cant decide what to do.

and then...

 I go on fb to see what everyone is up. Cute costumes and fun parties from Halloween!

Then...

Im on people.com not at all surprised by Kim Kardashian or Jessica Simpson.

and then...

 I realize I need to start getting stuff together for the holiday party I'm doing for my husband's taekwondo students.

Then I spend most of my  time on pinterest getting even MORE distracted. 

AH! SOL! (scream out load. Im totally starting that as a new abb btw)

Anyone else completely obsessed with that site? It's the climax of all the things pretty.  I've always been a visual person. I used to do google image searches for ideas and would save inspiring images to my desktop. I LOVE how pinterst allows me to stay organized with ideas. It's overwhelming how creative people are and I want to do and see every craft I find. If you're on pinterest find me or let me know so I can find you! I've put together some boards for holiday party ideas and holiday crafts.

How does everyone else stay calm and focused during this nutty season??

Oh and please send me positive energy...will find out about internet in 2 weeks!

XOXOX

B

The secret to hapiness

Pin It Now! I've learned what the secret to happiness is: living a healthy life.  Eating healthy, working out and nurturing your mind, heart and soul will make anyone happier.

You are what you eat.
By eating healthy you are taking care of the only body you will ever have.  I've bought a few books recently, one a cookbook and one just a book that gives a scientific explanation of the benefits of various power foods.  Pumpkin seeds, bell peppers, grapefruit, nuts, berries, salmon, leafy greens, apples, mangoes, avocados, yogurt, squash, asparagus, brocolli and so many more foods that aid in keeping your body functioning at it's best.  Power foods are full of nutrients and vitamins that have show in study after to study to help rid your body of free radicals, prevent cancer, keep your heart healthy, help with liver and kidney function provide your body with energy and help keep you lean and fit.  Just because you don't have heart disease, high blood pressure or high cholesterol RIGHT NOW doesn't mean you won't.  Many people in their 20's and 30's are lucky to eat whatever they want and not see any physical signs of their nutrition.  But at some point or another how a person maintains their body will catch up to them.  It's life and it's inevitable.  Healthy nutrition is preventative health care that can ward off serious health issues later in life.  It's like saving for retirement.  You either plan and make the commitment to save, or you think...eh, I'm only 30.  I've got plenty of time.  But do you?

Not only do power foods provide the essentials to living a healthier life, they help you look better. Which is probably what motivates most people to want to change eating habits. Fresh, vibrant, ageless skin, cellulite free legs, shiney hair and whiter teeth are just some of the benefits reaped from eating good.  If you feed your body goop, you're going to feel like gloop.  Sluggish, less energetic and just plain grumpy.  

Excercise is instant happiness
Many times working out just sucks.  You're not in the mood.  You have to push yourself.  You don't have the time  You have no motivation.  But I've notice if you don't give yourself time to think about it, you won't debate it.  Just put your workout shoes on and go.  Even if it's just a long walk, within 10 minutes time you usually feel good.  Your mood is lifted.  When I'm angry or upset, I have my best workouts and afterwards I just feel like the negative energy has been released.  Endorphines help to rid your body of toxins and negative energy from within.  I remember reading a quote awhile back that said something like, "if you don't make time for your health, you will have to make time for illness."  Find things to motivate you until fitness becomes a way of life and you can't live without it.

Mental health
There are so many ways to help keep your mind healthy.  For me balance is one of the most important things to practice for my mind.   I believe the more you practice balance, the happier you will be.  Practicing balance, patience, restraint and commitment requires discipline.  I am one of the least disciplined and most impatient people around.  I have to make a strong effort to practice each day.   Which is why I love and hate yoga and taekwondo.  They both require so much patience and discipline that it drives me nuts to focus.  However afterwards I always feel so much better. I ALWAYS learn something about myself whenever I do one of those workouts.  Every single time.  

I try to apply the philosophies of yoga and taekwondo to my life and suddenly things click.  I discover things about myself by the way in which I workout and through that discovery I am able to change what needs work and build upon my strengths.  For example when doing taekwondo with Mr. Wright one day he told me I do things as long as it's good enough.  As long as I feel I am getting a good enough workout, I'm content.  I wouldn't push myself because I didn't feel it neccessary.  Not only was I like that when working out, but in many things in my life that same way of thinking carried over.  Whatever it is for you, find something to keep your mind strong.

Nourish your soul and your heart
Do something you love.  Whether it's a hobby or your job, do something that makes you happy and become good at it.  Find a way to use your talent to make the world a better place. 

That's it.  My secret to happiness.  Doesn't mean I won't ever feel discouraged or sad or go through periods of feeling pessimistic.  I'm human and a rose doesn't bud without sunshine AND rain.  But I do believe taking care of yourself does lead to a happier life.

Hallo!

Pin It Now! Hallo blog world and world wide web and friends and strangers who read my blog.  I've been mia for the last month settling into our new life.  I've had internet (via my cell phone), but have just been so busy that blogging had to take a backseat for awhile.

So far, we are still very much in love with our new village.  Little Wright's Kindergarten is great and so adorable.  I've meet some sweet new people who lucky for me share a love for wine. And I've been exploring the surrounding areas and am so happy to have found a bio market (organic), Rewe, fabulous Greek restaurant and trails galore.   The weather has been gorgeous!  I have spring fever and though I'm super ecstatic for spring, I'm also super nervous.  We have a huge backyard and decent sized front yard and I've never done an ounce of yardwork in my life. Like, ever. In Germany, yardwork is no joke.  Lawns are always manicured and very well taken care of and so I'm a wee bit nervous.  I really don't even know where to start, but hopefully I can pull it together somehow.

Other than that things are goin' good.  It's my birthday this weekend.  We are going to Croatia next month (more on that later).  I'm back to crafting projects and also been working out and cooking.  Now that I'm blogging I finally feel settled.

Speaking of traveling to Croatia I wanted to share this video from Rick Steves.  Makes me realize that despite the challenges sometimes faced while living in a foreign country, it truely is a romantic life I'm living.  I cherish it and am so grateful to be able to experience so many different cultures.  It has changed me for sure.



Can't wait to catch up on blogs and see what everyone has been up to!

New Year, New Mind-Resolution Part I

Pin It Now! Going into the new year I have resolutions for both physical and mental health.  For my mind I want to make a conscience effort to be mindful of my actions and thoughts.  I am going to pay attention to feelings of lust, jealousy, insecurity, anger, impatience and even ignorance.  These are very toxic emotions that for me create a very unhappy and unfulfilled life.  It will take practice, but whenever I feel one of those emotions I want to analyze the feeling and decided how to rid myself of that emotion.

Impatience and Ignorance
I often feel impatient with Little Wright and even ignorant of her feelings and actions sometimes.  It’s a challenge to understand her temperaments.  Not only that, but she’s a smart kid and I think I have higher expectations than I should.  When it comes down to it she is a tiny little human being still learning about the world around her. I want to be more compassionate of her needs and less ignorant of the fact she is 3 years old and will have melt downs and even do mean things.  Mr. Wright and I are her teachers.  It is our job to show her otherwise and I want to make that my train of thought. 

When I feel impatient I will stop and think: how important is this to make me feel upset?  Is me getting impatient or annoyed going to help Little Wright in anyway?  How can I better react?  I’ve practiced being more mindful the last few weeks and it really has helped.  It makes me feel more calm and in turn actually makes her feel more calm.  I am her parent and it is from her parents she is learning how to behave and act.  I want her to be a sweet person.  A patient person.  A happy person.  I am the one that needs to set that example.  So going into the new year I will practice controlling impatience and ignorance.

Anger
Another emotion I want to combat is anger.  I don’t have anger issues.  Honestly!  However there are certain discussions or topics that get me heated because I am so compassionate and passionate about them.  Like gay rights for example.  That discussion gets me riled up and makes me want to be mean to the people who are being mean.  But really all it does is make me bitter and it’s toxic to feel that way.  Instead I want to come from a place of understanding (which is super hard!) so I’m not ignorant for one and for two so I can understand how to more efficiently discuss my opinion.

The only way to teach or change people to be more compassionate towards gay rights is to be that way myself.  Take something negative and be positive.  You don’t have to agree with or like a homosexual lifestyle, but be compassionate in the fact that all humans deserve the fundamental right to happiness so long as no one is being harmed.  Me getting riled up just puts other people on the defense.  And as soon as someone becomes defensive they lose all sense of logic and become emotional and just want to be right or prove a point.  I’d much rather not put someone on the defense and make them think.

Lust, Jealousy and Insecurity
Lust and jealousy are emotions I don’t feel very often, but those too are poisonous.  I do sometimes feel blog envy of people who seem to be able to do it all.  The mom that makes breakfast, lunch and dinner all from scratch.  The woman who has a perfectly decorated and clean home, is the perfect hostess and attends all the social events and oh by the way has the perfect marriage.  Yeah, it can make me feel a little jealous sometimes.  But I’ve come to realize a few things.  One, to let that feeling go.  And instead of feel jealous feel appreciative.  Being jealous makes you stagnant.  Being appreciative allows you to learn and improve your own self.  Another I’ve come to learn is a blog is a place for people to showcase something there are the good at.  Of course people want to display their talents and best ideas and work.  But the truth is we are all human.  We all feel a little insecure at some point and overwhelmed and frustrated even.  But as with the other emotions I will feel jealousy and lust from time to time.  It’s normal.  It’s up to me to control it.  If there is a person or situation who constantly makes me feel like that (the on uppers ) then I will remove them from my life.  One of my favorite sayings is “If it doesn’t bring you joy, beauty or happiness, get rid of it”.

I am going to practice meditation to help reflect and analyze any faults that have developed  so I can inhibit more favorable and positive qualities.  I’m reading Becoming Enlightened by the Dalai Lama and one of the daily practices he suggests is reciting the following mantra in the morning:

“Destructive emotions will arise, but I will not voluntarily rush into them.  Today I will do whatever I can to read texts, reflect on their meaning, and work at developing wisdom.  I will also do whatever I can to generate altruistic intention to become enlightened and implement compassion in my behavior.  May whatever obstructs the generation of these practices be pacified.”

Looking forward to hearing what others are committing to for the new year :)

Three frogs are sitting on a log

Pin It Now! One decides to jump.

How many are left?

Three.

The frog made a decision but took no action.

This is a buddhist philosophy that speaks loudly to me these days.  With the new year coming next week (yikes!) I'm trying to change my way of thinking.  To focus more.  To be more brave. More patient. I want to cultivate my dreams and make them a reality one way or another.  I want to make decisions and act on them.  I want to put myself out there and be a bit more true to who I am.  I want to make the decision to overcome a few fears.

I read so many blogs where people are very comfortable with sharing personal information with the whole world wide web.  I use a lot of descretion and am hesistant to share or say things I really think and feel.  It's nothing drastic, but I have a fear of being judged.  I need to get over it, I know.  There are several things I'm passionate about and would love to write about, but I don't.

It's my blog and I can say whatever I want.  I know that.  But then I think what if someone gets offended or doesn't agree with me?  Or what if down the road when I go back to work an employer finds my blog?  Does anyone else also hold back on things they really would want to share?

I have so many opinions and ideas that I want to talk about.  This is the one place I should voice an opinion, right?  A place where I should express my ideas, curiosities and questions.  So going into 2011 I made a decision to be more brave.  Now I just need to act on that :)

Focus

Pin It Now! In life, it seems it’s always when we find ourselves consumed with stress or suddenly feeling  unstable or unsure that we start to look for ways to strengthen our mind.  This past weekend I’ve had each of those feelings and it led me to realize many things.  One of them being I lack focus.  Whenever I do something, I’m thinking about the next 50 things I need to do instead of giving the task at hand my 100%.  Of course I can’t always do that because there WILL be interruptions with little munchkins around.   But still.  For the most part I don’t focus.  I don’t give my entire attention to a task or activity.

But this past weekend I had a lot more on my mind than usual.  More personal stuff than usual.  And it actually helped me to have more focus.  For dinner tonight, I took time to really enjoy prepping my vegetables for dinner instead of trying to rush it.  I gave myself some extra time, turned on Miles Davis and let myself just get in a zone.  Instead of doing a subtle cleanup in the kitchen, I decided to actually spend time and do a more thorough clean (including under the toaster and microwave!) 

This weekend I had the urge to work out for once.  Usually I’m constantly checking the clock to see how much more time I have left.    But this weekend I just gave my workout my all.  I focused on 45 minutes of me time to relieve stress, to think and to work out some things I was feeling.  I focused on my workout and my thoughts the entire time instead of when I’d be done.  I left thoughts of “what else do I have to do after this?” just go.  Actually I didn’t even let them enter my mind.  Because for that short time in my day that’s all I chose to focus on.

This weekend I tried to just focus.  To pay attention to what I was doing and to enjoy the little details instead of be annoyed by them. By practicing the art of focus and concentration I was able to have more control over my thoughts and I feel more calm and more at peace with things going on in my life.

In turn I think I was able to strengthen my mind.  I still need to practice.  But by doing so, I think it will help me become a better version of ME.  And also to see things as they really are.

So for practice this week:

I need to focus on having a schedule.

I need to focus on preparing my Thanksgiving plan.

I need to focus on preschool stuff for Little Wright.

I need to focus on working out and being healthier.

I need to focus on the things I want and don't want in my life.

Do It Anyway

Pin It Now!

Saw this on Marta Writes and love love love it!

DO IT ANYWAY

by Mother Theresa

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; 

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may cheat you;

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, someone could destroy overnight;

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it will never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

Perspective...the size of our world

Pin It Now! This is just....wow

It's like trying to comprehend how much a billion dollars is.  It looks incredible, but it's hard to wrap my brain around. Watch how small Earth gets. Makes ya think....









http://www.rense.com/general72/size.htm

Mini Oktoberfest

Pin It Now! [caption id="attachment_640" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Town center"][/caption]

What a beautiful day in Germany today.  The sun was out, the air was cool and my town was hosting it’s own Oktoberfest this weekend.  I’m assuming the festival in my town is nothing like the well known Drunkfest Oktoberfest in Stuttgart or Munich.  Much smaller.  Much more calm.  And much more family friendly.  And no Bierleichen (beer corpses a.k.a people who pass out from drinking too much).  Just good food and good beer.  My kinda scene.

[caption id="attachment_620" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Town Square, festival"][/caption]

Hubby wanted to stay home today, so I left the kiddos and a friend and I decided to enjoy a few hours of well deserved mommy time.  This is my friend, Mama with Flavor.

I love my babies.  And she loves hers.

But.

It is nice to enjoy adult conversation and my sanity every so often.

Adult conversation and this...

[caption id="attachment_622" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Paulner"][/caption]

Ahhhhh.

The bartenders told us beer is 90% water.

Ha!  Silly Americans.  We believe anything :)

There was a band playing in the center of the square.  Would you believe me if I told you this band of flutes, clarinets and trombones suddenly went from square dance music to playing Thriller?  Seriously.  They did.  In our small German town on a quiet Sunday afternoon, a band played Thriller to an audience of old people.

And for this guy.

He knew how to get down.  I hadn’t laughed so hard in a long time.

Until we saw this!

Bumper cars!

We were both feeling spontanious and thought what the heck?

Oh my goodness.  

It was sooo much fun.  To feel like a kid again and just laugh and be in the midst of excitement was a really, really good time.

It will probably be the last time I go on a bumper car though.  I’m getting old.

After our beer and bumper car ride excitement it was time to eat.  There were two very strong, succulent aromas consuming the air.  Any festival I’ve been to in Germany has crepe stands.  They smell like warm sugar, vanilla, chocolately heaven.  

The other savory smell was of onions and steak on the grill.  

This too smelled like heaven.

And it tasted like heaven.  It was delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course all good things must come to an end.  It was a wonderful day and this is what I got to come home to

My milk drunk baby.

 

 

And my silly little diva.

And my new cuddly litte....wait.  That's not mine!  But gosh isn't he so darn cute??  I want him.

Until next time.

xoxo-

B

Never give up on what means the most

Pin It Now! I have watched this video 5 times this morning. One of the most inspirational things I've seen. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDgVske63cY&feature=search

From the perspective of a parent this video is both heartwrenching and heartwarming at the same time. You could see how destroyed Derek was and the pain on his face makes your heart sink. His entire heart, all his passion, all his focus, all his training and hard work were crushed. But also as a parent, to see your son get up anyway and still finish the race....wow. To know you raised that kind of person, that type of man who won't give up even when he knows he lost. That's just incredible.

I hope he knows that what he did probably changed more lives than if he would have won a medal. He may not have won race, but he did finish. And that was more powerful than winning. He set an example to not quit and inspired and touched the hearts of parents and anyone who has ever been in arms reach of a goal. THAT is something to be damn proud of. My favorite part is when his dad busts past security and is there for him at a point when his son needed someone the most.

Change your world and the world changes....

Pin It Now! ...here it is in all its blinking simplicity: Change Your World, and The World Changes. We are not powerless....

This is not the time to throw up our hands, nor to exhaust ourselves over-defining our problems. It is time to choose our lives. In so doing, we’ll have a rippling impact that will make all the difference.

Consider this:

If we are sick of foreign wars, make peace with our personal enemies.

If we are concerned with our nation’s debt, save our own money.

If we are sickened by materialism, buy only what we really value.

If we are concerned with global warming, conserve, walk, telecommute.

If we are worried about the environment, recycle, plant trees, grow something.

If we are angry with our leaders, propose and post real solutions.

If we are worried about health care costs, eat right, exercise, and sleep.

If we are worried about crime, drugs, and violence, participate in a neighborhood watch.

If we are sad about the decline of marriage, make ours the best example of commitment and fulfillment we can.

If we are worried about terrorists, put some boundaries between ourselves and those who use or abuse us.

I hope you can see what I’m trying to get at. .. These are simply reminders that for every big overwhelming problem in the world, there is a version of it in our lives. If we focus on what we can control, our own lives will bloom and our influence will spread.

Making an Obstacle an Opportunity

Pin It Now! In life the unforeseen and unfortunate happen to us all.  With the U.S economy taking a hit the last few years, many people have experienced unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy and families have had to tighten their budget and relinquish luxuries for necessities.  Even aside from the economy, it’s inevitable that in life less than ideal situations will present themselves.  Obstacles will arise. 

In my experience if you approach obstacles and challenges with creativity, you will have a happier life.  Being creative means being able to survive and to adapt to ever changing scenarios and environments.  If you get laid off from your job you could become bitter and frustrated that life isn’t as good as it used to be.  Or you can look at it as an opportunity; an opportunity to plan better for the future and have more money in savings.  Or an opportunity to learn a new skill or go back to school.  Perhaps it could be an opportunity to finally pursue a dream or goal of yours.  Look at so-called negatives as blessings in disguise.

When bad things happen in life view them as a challenge and an opportunity to learn something, to adapt and to simply make it work.  It truly makes for less stress and more happiness.  It’s a matter of perspective and the willingness to choose to make any situation positive even if at the time it seems impossible.  Creativity means finding ways to survive that you never considered before.  For example when I became a stay at home mom I personally took responsibility for making the dollar go further.  I only order online if I get free shipping or have a coupon (sign up for emails from your favorite stores to get the best deals/coupons), I create meal plans using up the same ingredients so nothing goes to waste and I found ways to reduce our monthly bills by $500/month…just to name a few things.  The point is I have been creative and have found ways to save money that just last year I didn’t consider.

Most of the time negative situations are temporary.  Be grateful for the things you do have.  Be mindful of all the blessings in your life because it could always be worse.  For me as long as my family is healthy, we have a roof over our heads and food on the table I will be happy.  Those 3 things are minimal, but very important.  Take note of what truly matters most and focus on it and you will find happiness.

5 Essential Zen Habits for Balanced Living

Pin It Now! Below is an article I absolutely love.  I truely believe life is a constant balance between positive and negative.  To me, a happy life is one that is balanced.  When you do something negative (like eat 10 cookies), workout a little harder or go for a walk right after.  I also believe that daily reflection and/or meditation is essential to help balance your life.  I have started to be mindful and conscience of the things I do each day and reflect upon it so I know what areas I can focus on and what areas need more balance.

This article has some great ideas for balanced living.

5 Essential Zen Habits for Balanced Living 

 “Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.” – Robert Fulghum

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Anastasiya Goers of Balance In Me.

Do you sometimes wonder whether your life is in balance? It is easy to know if you lead a balanced life because if you do then:

- you enjoy every moment and every second,
- you can cope with any difficulties,
- you can be happy without any reason to be happy,
- you can be yourself and love the person you are.

Today the world constantly tries to throw you out of balance and sometimes no matter what you do you still feel like your life is going in the wrong direction (I know I feel this way sometimes.) Balanced living might seem like one of those theoretical terms that nobody can put into practice but in fact there is nothing simpler than living a balanced life.

It might take some work at first but once you get in the flow and discover the simple ways to steer your life in your desired direction you will feel empowered. You will be inspired and energized by every day of your life. Your life will be full of amazing adventures and events that will make every day memorable. You won’t be wasting your life anymore or spending gloomy hours contemplating about the misfortunes that might have happened on your way.

Does balanced living mean that your life will be full of only positive people and events that will bring you happiness every moment of your life? Not at all.

Balanced living is when you can always offset any negative events in your life with positive ones. It is also when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Balanced living is when you are happy working and playing equally. If you picture happiness and everything great in your life as a diamond, then any negative things that may happen are just the setting that makes this diamond shine only brighter.

If you want to live a balanced life then there are 5 essential habits that you need to develop.

1. Awareness and mindfulness. Awareness is the key to balanced living because it lets you see every moment of your life and appreciate it. A mindful person lives in the present and does not get obsessed with the future or the past. It’s important to plan for the future and learn from your mistakes in the past, but it is even more important to appreciate who you are right now and find joy in this state.
   When you are aware of this moment you are calm and you do not make any decisions that you might regret later.
   When you are mindful you are in balance with the universe.


2. Appreciation of your body. By “appreciation” I mean taking care of your body. If you are grateful for the very first gift that you received in your life (your body) then you must take care of it. It means making healthy choices in life, exercising and being generally active, eating a balanced and healthy diet, letting your body rest when it’s tired and pampering it every once in a while.
   Your body is the tool that lets you experience so many wonderful moments in life and you need to do your best when taking care of it.
   Clearly, balanced living is not possible without a balanced body.


3. Creativity. Every day we face a lot of challenges and choices in life. Some of these challenges might be easy while others will be more difficult. If you approach each of your challenges with creativity then your life will be filled with adventures. Conversely, if you turn off your creativity, then your life will turn into torture.
   Creativity is a wonderful tool that lets us turn our dreams into reality, turn play into work and work into play, and enjoy life even when it seems empty.
   Creative people are the ones who can make the exquisite setting for the diamond of their life.


4. Patience. With patience we can overcome almost anything whilst without it we can ruin almost anything.
   Patience can help us turn our dreams into reality (losing weight, starting a business or blog). It can help us be better parents, spouses, friends and even strangers (sometimes a smile from an understanding stranger can make the biggest difference when you are having a bad day). If you are patient you do not have to worry about the minutes spent in traffic or in the line at the grocery store. With patience you can see results in all your endeavors and you do not have to spend the precious time of your life getting mad or infuriated.
   Patience leads to mindfulness and mindfulness brings you in balance.


5. Simplicity. Simplicity is probably the most important part of life balance. When you build your life around simplicity you reduce the number of out-of-balance things that can disrupt your happy living.
   In balance everything is simple. There are two opposites (like black and white) and you just have to pick something in the middle: 
   
   
   
   • Simplify you work schedule so that you do not have to think about a hundred things at the same time.
   
   
   • Simplify your relationships by connecting with people you truly care about and getting rid of the ones you don’t.
   
   
   • Simplify your diet by choosing simple healthy ingredients that are part of balanced nutrition.
   
   
   • Simplify your social media exposure and enjoy living life and getting things done rather than wasting time online.
   
   
   
   Simplicity makes life balance simple.

These habits have been my lifeline for many years and I cannot imagine a balanced (and happy) life without them.

Living in balance is easy and very rewarding because your life becomes the one of joy, happiness and serenity. If you put some time and effort into turning your life into a balanced direction then you too will live a truly Zen life.

Another year older

Pin It Now! It’s amazing what can happen in 12 months.  This time last year I was panicked I’d have to reschedule my birthday night because of the bipolar Colorado snowstorm that hit.  Luckily just as suddenly as the storm came it went, and my birthday was a total blast.  All because of these girls:




















And these guys:



And this guy:



There was cake, booty shakin' and martinis galore.  Most everyone survived.  Except poor Louis who got tricked into too many shots.  Not sure his stomach ever forgave him. 

 It was my favorite and best brithday ever.  This year is different for many obvious reasons.  No booze for one, boohoo.  But for two I'm in Europe!  Which in and of itself is an incredible experience.  Just yesterday I was in Strasbourg, France with a girlfriend of mine and had a total awe inspiring, "pinch me now because I think I'm dreaming" moment.  It was simple.  Here we were, on a random Wednesday afteroon eating lunch outside at a gourmet French cafe.  Our table nestled on the cobblestone streets, was right in front of the Cathedral De Notre Dame of Strasbourg. 



We were surrounded by history, culture and absolute beauty.  I have been to Strasbourg twice before, but this visit was different.   The winter months in Germany are dark, dreary, cold and just plain depressing.  This was first warm day of the year and the entire vibe of the town was happy to finally welcome spring.  Several times throughout the day I just thought...wow.  How lucky am I to be able to drive an hour to France whenever I want and soak up one of Europe's quaint little towns? 



It is a dream come true to live in a place like this. 

And to have Little Wright with me makes it even more special because even if she can't remember it, she will have pictures of her cute little butt exploring European towns. 



I used to have a desktop background of Capri, Italy and would daydream about what it would be like to live there.  Or even just visit.  Living in another country and being able to experience a different culture and way of life is such an incredible experience.   Life is short.  And getting older makes you realize it.  I don't have any issues with getting older (yet) because as the months pass and a new birthday comes I like the person I am becoming even more.  Wiser.  Smarter.  Happier.

 This time last year we had no intentions or knowledge of living in Europe.  It's so neat to know how much can be changed and how much better life can get in less than a year.  I wonder where we will be for next year's birthday....

Dream

Pin It Now! Mr. Wright and I have spent countless nights discussing where in the world we think is the best place to live and raise a family.  We aren't traditional by any means and so any place ever listed on Forbes or MSN for top places to live never appeal to us.  I think we narrowed it down.  Not only to an ideal location, but an ideal life in general.  It would be a lot of risk and a lot of planning, but to us it would be the best life to live.  I feel like if you put your goals and dreams out there it is more likely to happen.  So here it is...our dream goal (with a lot of MY dreams since thisis my blog afterall):

1) Stay in Europe long enough to travel and save up money to open a Tae Kwon Do school and have enough savings to live on for at least a year.  Pay off all debt and cars.  We would get to travel for tournaments/competitions.

2) Move to Maui.  Oahu is too crowded and over priced.  Maui is still gorgeous, less expensive and less people.  In my dream I would homeschool the kids.

3)  I would have my own garden with tomatos, cucumbers, bell peppers, lemons, strawberries, herbs and a who knows what else I could end up growing. 

4) We would have a boat.  Nothing fancy, just simple. We could go fishing, spend the night on it and go to other islands..whatever we want.

5) I would teach cooking classes or get certified in pilates and teach pilates or maybe yoga.

It would be such an organic, simple life.  We would have a nice home, big enough for just our family.  And in the backyard we would have a hammock and a very inviting backyard for having friends/family over for dinner.   I love that it is less populated there.  I used to be a city girl and have totally evolved to like more land and open space.  Maui offers sunshine, beaches and great weather year round. 

Since we would have lived in Europe and seen most of that part of the world, Hawaii would be a perfect location to travel to other parts of the world such as Australia, Japan, China and other Asian countries.

It just sounds like the perfect life for us.  As it stands today that is my idea of a great life.

A trail of blogs leads to some perspective

Pin It Now! This week my goal has been to put visual reminders of my goals around the house.  Last night I was looking for pictures or ideas to put as my desktop.   One site I visit every so often is Joy the Baker.  I figured maybe I could do a screenshot of her site and use it as my background.  As I was scrolling through her site I found a post about the 2010 bloggie awards.  Basically it is the epitome of awards for the blogging world.  It is broken down into several categories such as cooking, politics, entertaining, most humorous, etc.  I was reading through some of them last night and just so inspired by the creativity of many of the blogs.  People who set out to blog about the things they are most passionate about in life.  I bookmarked the site knowing this would be become one of my visual goal reminders.

The thing about the blog world as I am coming to realize is it is a trail.  One blog leads to another that leads to another  and pretty soon 2 hours have passed.  It can be quite addicting, but also inspiring.

This morning I went back onto the bloggie award site to peruse through some other blogs and found one that I just love, Zen Habits (www.zenhabits.net) It’s going to take me days, probably weeks to read through this guy’s site, but I am so inspired by it.  Now I am interested in not only feng shui, but also zen and eastern philosophy in general.  And I never would have found the site if I hadn’t set out to find visual reminders for my goal.

  After going through Zen Habits I stumbled across a blog by a guy named Marc, http://www.feelgoodeating.blogspot.com/.

His blog post today is so awesome!!  I love it.



Look at the picture taken from space of planet earth and then read the commentary by Carl Sagan

"We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.

The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light.

Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity -- in all this vastness -- there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us. It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

-Carl Sagan

 Couldn't have said it better myself.

Feeling more balanced

Pin It Now! Today I woke up at 8am.  It's Sunday.  A day meant for sleeping in.  8am is too early for a Sunday morning.  It was definitely not by choice.  We have a resident monkey living with us for the next 18 some years and she decided 8am was a good time to be up.  Normally I would drag myself downstairs, get her breakfast and crawl on the couch and lay there until 9am.  Today I decided to not be a bum.  I decluttered some of crap in the kitchen, started laundry and just kept cleaning and organizing the rest of the morning.  I didn't even have a desire to take a nap today and this afternoon I actually worked out!  It felt great and I am going to make myself do it every day (or at least 4 times a week for now).

For dinner I made Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa and was so happy with how delicious and filling it was. After dinner I actually had it in me to not only clean up, but also to do more laundry and clean the bathroom.  I just had such a good feeling of balance today and I truely am convinced it is because of this whole feng shui thing.  The cool thing about this new philosophy and way of life is it is something for me to turn to now.  If I feel sluggish or unmotivated or unsure about anything, I feel like I can use this philosophy to help guide me sort of.  By rearranging elements in my life and space and also by forcing myself to focus on positive thoughts, I believe I can really create a more balanced life.  And today was the first day I tried to incorporate feng shui into my life and so far it really is amazing.  I'll continue to blog about this journey and see if it still amazes me a month from now. 

This week I will be placing my goals in visible areas around the house.  I am going to change my computer desktop, put a magazine cutout of a goal in the kitchen and find other various ways to make my goals visible throughout the house.  According to feng shui this is a way to help make a person feel more confident and reminded that such goals are within arms reach of being accomplished.