May 7th: Join Hands Day

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."  ~ Anne Frank ~

Join Hands Day is a great opportunity to get together with a group of friends, family, co-workers, etc. and give back a little something to your community.  Choose a place that you would like to do volunteer work for that day.  Give it your all and then enjoy a pizza party at the end of the day together!  You'll not only be joining hands with your community, but also with your friends.  Relationships will become stronger and the joy you'll feel as you serve together will make memories that will last a lifetime!  Giving one day of your time can impact so many lives.  You may never personally know who your service affected or exactly how, but you'll be able to feel.it.  There will be a few more extra smiles in the world and many grateful hearts....that can only make this a better place for all of us to live.  What can you do today to make even just a small difference?

May 5th: National Prayer Day

He listens equally to the prayers of the believer and the unbeliever.
~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Today is National Prayer Day.  President Harry S. Truman signed a bill for this in 1952.  Each President after him choose the date that it would be celebrated each year.  In 1988, President Ronald Reagan made the official date as the first Thursday of May.  It was created as a day for the American people to take a moment and reflect on the goodness that surrounds each of us.  We live in a country that let's us choose to worship how we will, and for that I am grateful.  There is so much to be thankful for each day.  Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions we can experience.  It can truly draw more good things into our life as we begin to appreciate the many gifts that we have already been given.  Take a moment today to look around you.  How many small things surround you that you might be taking for granted?  Pick the first item you see and remind yourself why you are grateful for it.  What would be missing in your life each day without that one item?  The first thing I noticed today is a framed picture of my wonderful husband and I on the night he met my family for the first time.  Each time I look at it, I am reminded how blessed I am to have found such a loving, loyal, devoted man to share each day with.  The smile on my face says it all!  Without that frame to hold the picture, it wouldn't be displayed for me to see each day.  Such a small thing....yet, so significant.  That frame keeps a memory alive in the forefront of my mind.  Without it, one of my favorite mementos would be buried in a box....somewhere in the dark corner of a closet.  Instead, it's out in the open, able to bring feelings of deep gratitude to the surface each time I see it.  Challenge yourself today.  What have you been taking for granted? Begin to feel gratitude for everything that's come into your life, for a specific reason....no matter how large or small it may be.  Once you've rediscovered all of the blessings that really do surround you each day, take a moment and give thanks.....pray, meditate, whatever feels right to you.  Can you imagine the peace, love and pure joy that would surround all of us if EVERYONE in our country did that today....even for a minute?  Let it begin with you....there's so much to be grateful for.

May 5th: Cinco de Mayo

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” 
~ Abraham Lincoln ~


Tacos, tamales, tostadas, taquitos, chips & salsa, guacamole, enchiladas, burritos....are you hungry yet???  Let's not forget my personal favorite....VIRGIN MARGARITAS!  Anytime is a great time for Mexican food, but especially on the 5th of May....Cinco de Mayo!  Get the party started with lots of Latin music.  Hang some green, white and red streamers and lots of big paper flowers in bright colors.  (I've found that the Dollar Stores are a great place to get these items without breaking the bank!)  To spice things up a bit, have Sombreros for the men to wear and small paper flowers for the women to put behind their ear.  (You might have to resort to bribery to get some of your guests to wear them....I know I would!)  See how low everyone can go with a game of Limbo! (Don't forget to give them a pair of maracas to shake on the way down!)  To top off the night, let everyone take turns swinging at a pinata!  It's the perfect time to let your hair down a little and make some memories together.  (Be sure to take lots of pictures....there should be plenty of great photo opps throughout the night!)  Good food, good friends, good fun....what more could we possibly need?  ENJOY!  

Let's Get This Party Started!

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

~ Oprah Winfrey ~

I have always been drawn to the women who take their passion for various homemaking skills and share it with the world.  They have blessed the lives of so many, including myself.  I love learning new techniques and experimenting with them on my family....they're such good sports!  Traditions are something that have always been very important in my life.  They provide security....people and events we know we can always count on.  They bind families and friends together....reminding us that we're not alone in this big, crazy world!  Through the years I have been blessed by so many woman who have poured their heart and soul into their work.  This blog is my way of paying it forward.  If someone's life can be enriched by even one small idea, it will all be worth it.  Enjoy!