I Get Paid for Blogging

You may have noticed a new addition to my blog. The big ad banner on the right… Yes, I am now a member of BlogHer, a directory and community of bloggers with an emphasis on blogs written for and by women. I earn a sort of commission based on the number of page views and clicks my blog receives. Rob has been helping me with getting the ad situated. Let me know if things look crazy on your computer. We’re trying to get it so that it sits to the right and doesn’t interfere with the links and things in the column next to it.

Happiness At Harvard

At Harvard University one of the most popular classes on campus is one called “Positive Psychology.” Taught by Tal Ben-Shahar, it focuses on what makes people happy. These are six of his tips for happiness that I found in an NPR article by Tovia Smith.I think it is fascinating that people (me included) are so interested in figuring out the key to happiness. As if there were some magic recipe that if we all follow it exactly then ta-da! we are living in bliss. It seems like a lot of common sense and the thing that I notice is that it requires an effort and conscious decision on our part. There is no sitting back and waiting for happiness to arrive. We decide if we are going to track happiness down and invite it into our lives.

1. Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions — such as fear, sadness, or anxiety — as natural, we are more likely to overcome them.

2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure and meaning.

3. Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account. Barring extreme circumstances, our level of well being is determined by what we choose to focus on… and by our interpretation of external events. For example, do we view failure as catastrophic, or do we see it as a learning opportunity?

4. Simplify! We are, generally, too busy, trying to squeeze in more and more activities into less and less time. Quantity influences quality, and we compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much.

5. Remember the mind-body connection. What we do — or don’t do — with our bodies influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits lead to both physical and mental health.

6. Express gratitude, whenever possible. We too often take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from people to food, from nature to a smile.

Homeschooling Controversy

After mulling over the idea of homeschooling for some time now, another obstacle has jumped in my way. A judge has ruled that children in California must be taught by a credentialed teacher, and that includes homeschooling parents. The ruling is in connection with a case of child abuse where the parents claimed to be homeschooling their kids. I can see requiring registration with the state, or using approved curriculum, or having your curriculum approved by the state, but to deny parents the right to choose how their children are educated is crazy. To me this is what parenting is all about—choosing what your children will learn and how they will learn it. What do you think?

Back to my Small Town Roots

I heard this song on the radio, International Harvester, and it really brought me back to my high school days… Driving past the dairies and being stuck behind a tractor on a long stretch of road with a solid yellow line… Those farmers pluggin along looking oblivious to the line of cars behind them… It makes me smile now.

Happy Birthday Sabrina!

Sabrina is two years old today! It’s hard to believe that she has been with us for two years already, yet hard to imagine life without her here. Sabrina is a strong willed and gentle little girl. She knows just what she wants to be wearing and what she wants to be doing. Lately she will only wear skirts, dresses, or dress-ups and loves to bring me the “mote” and say “Supa Why!” She is usually happy especially when she is playing with Barbies or Princesses. Her favorite phrases right now are: “Mommy holddew,” “Thank You Mommy,” “pink and puple cuyer,” and “I yu you”.” We love you too Brina!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BeHPsJs8Kk

Great Deals

Inspired by my mom’s money savers post, I ran by our CVS yesterday to see if they still had any Valentines things on clearance. The candy was all gone of course, but I loaded up on cards, gift bags, and stickers for just $3.47! Prices ranged from stickers for 9 cents to a fancy, glittery, fuzzy, gift bag for 47 cents. Woo Hoo!

A couple of weeks ago I also hit a cool clearance sale at Mervyns. They were having a buy 1 get 2 free on all clearance items. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything for Sabrina or Rob on this trip (My ticking time bomb -this time Hannah- went off. Ask Luci, she saw the whole nightmare to my embarrassment.) I also picked up a couple of things that weren’t on clearance, but this is what I paid for:

Hoodie, T-shirt, Hoodie, dress,

pj pants, blouse, dress

and this is what I got free:

sweatshirt, shirt, blouse, brown pants,

pants, pants, skirt

I love a great deal!!

You Raise Me Up

When I hear Josh Groban’s song, You Raise Me Up, I always think of Christ. It has become a little bit cliche with all of the times I have heard it sung to honor people, (I think the one that was the weirdest for me was seeing it sung for Oprah) but I still love the emotion and spirit of this song. In my mind there is a little slideshow that plays out as I listen. I thought about trying to put one together myself, but made a stop on youtube first to see if anyone had beat me to it. Of course there were several, and this one was my favorite.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxRHHpv8yjw