Take the quiz -----> Send a book!

Please join me in helping k2kUSA, a project brought to you by Save the Children USA Inc.,  reach their goal of sending 90,000 books to children in need!

k2kUSA is an advocacy campaign that empowers kids to connect with and advocate for each other. The goal is to ensure a fair chance in life for every kid in America. Central to fairness for all kids is ending the childhood poverty crisis, which affects one in six kids in the United States.   

In the 5 seconds it takes to answer just three questions, you will be helping to give the gift of reading to deserving children.  By taking the quiz, you will be sending one book.  Easy peasy!

Click here to take the quiz!

For more information about k2kUSA, click here!

I hope you are having a fantastic week!!

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

This very book shown to the left has been our family for years and I cannot wait for it to become a new tradition with our son!  Written by Robert Barry, it was first published in 1963 and I am pretty sure it has been in my family for that long.  I remember it being on a book shelf at my parents' house and while reading it wasn't really a tradition of ours, I remember loving the book.

To briefly summarize... a wealthy family receives their Christmas tree, but it is too tall, so they snip the top and toss it.  That tip is given to the maid who has to snip the top because it is too tall to fit where she wanted to place it.  That tip is tossed and found by a gardener...and on and on.  It is such a wonderful story!

I managed to snag that old copy from my parents when I moved away from home.  I read that book to my husband every year and while I felt silly doing that, he really saw how much I loved that book.  A few years back, he ordered me the revised edition for Christmas.  It was such an amazing gift from him!!  We now have both copies on our shelf and while it is a bit too long for our son's attention span, he does enjoy looking at the pictures!

Soon enough, it will become a regular part of our holiday preparations.  I cannot wait!

Chocolate Principles to Live By...

Two Christmases ago, my cousin gave me this book and I re-read parts of it every so often when I need a little pick-me-up.  After reading The Secret and A New Earth:  Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, this is a lighter take on the principles of a contented life and how those principles can relate to the enjoyment of chocolate.  It's really a great comparison, if you love chocolate as much as I do!  :)

Here are the seven principles (discussed in great detail in the book) as described by the author, Theresa Cheung:

1.  Discover the Sweet Center:  Positive change takes place from the inside out.
2.  Let It Melt In Your Mouth:  Make your life extraordinary.
3.  Chocolate Makes You Feel Good:  Stop feeling guilty.
4.  No Need to Eat the Whole Box:  Have the strength to say yes to what is important and no to what isn't.
5.  A Little Chocolate Goes a Long Way:  Expect nothing less than the best.
6.  Pass the Chocolates:  Give and receive in equal measure.
7.  Chocolate Heaven:  You can heal your life.

I just love the message!  So I found it only fitting to make brownies!!  I cheated again and used these.  I also added bittersweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.  Seriously, they are the best brownies I have ever had.

When I received my November issue of Real Simple and saw this tablescape, I was in love and so inspired:

I plan to have our Thanksgiving table look similar this year...but because I am impatient, I used what we had around here for a brownie photo shoot in a similar color scheme.  :)

Have a great day!!...and some chocolate.

My new attitude...thanks to Oprah. :)

"When life gives you lemons, take photos of them."

I mentioned a few days ago that I love Oprah and want to am going to meet her.  Aside from the obvious (her rise to the top, her generosity, her philanthropic ventures, etc.), the spiritual side of Oprah is what has truly changed my life.

My husband and I went through some slightly rough adventures of our own (nothing marriage or health-related) a few years back (more on that next week) and honestly as cheesy as it sounds, information I took from several of Oprah's shows is what gave me a very necessary attitude adjustment.  

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The first show that comes to mind was when The Secret was discussed.  I watched this show with various guests speaking of how this "secret" changed their lives.  I taped it (ha ha...yes we still used a VCR at the time...3 years ago) and I watched it over and over again.  I told my husband about it and while he thought I was a little crazy, he put up with my constant outbursts about the show.  My birthday was a few weeks later and he bought me the book as part of my gift.  Every page of it was like an awakening for me.  I have always been a positive person, but reading The Secret gave me such a better understanding of why that is so important in every aspect of life.   Finally interpreting  the laws of attraction, showing gratitude, and realizing that "you get what you give" made complete sense.

"Your life is a mirror of the dominant thoughts you think."  ~Lisa Nichols

After the Secret, I remember when  A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose  by Eckhart Tolle was announced as the newest piece for her book club.  To say this book was life-changing is a gross understatement.  A New Earth goes a bit deeper than The Secret and stresses the importance of living in the present moment.

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One of my ah-ha moments:  Though I considered myself an optimistic person, but found myself slipping away from this.  I had gotten to a point where I was unhappy with several things.  I was frustrated that I had always thought I wanted to be a teacher and then after several years of teaching discovered that I just couldn't do it anymore.  Then when we moved for my husband's job and I stopped working, I was completely content making our first house our home, but felt like I constantly had to answer to others ("What do you do all day?  Aren't you bored?") and justify why I wasn't working.  I also got annoyed with people saying, "That must be nice," when they learned that I wasn't working.  My frustrations with other people were starting to make me miserable.  I needed to just snap out of it.  I knew it really had nothing to do with me, but was all them and how I chose to deal with them.  Once I started reading the book, it was so clear to me, that I was letting what others said affect my daily life, and that really does not help things at all.  By living completely in the present moment, nothing that anyone said or did could bring me down and I felt more in control of my feelings because I now focus completely on what I am doing at the moment and don't let others' words or judgments cloud my thoughts.  I am rambling and I hope I am not sounding preachy, but it was really what I needed at the time.  Now, several years later,  I can honestly say that any event that has happened in the past has no effect on me now.  Whereas before I would hold grudges, now everyday is like a clean slate.  It is so refreshing.

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I have always tried to be as positive as possible in every situation, but this book just changed my attitude about life...in such a great way. Honestly, A New Earth was the missing piece.  After reading it, I now felt complete...as silly as that sounds.  There are portions that deal with anxiety, guilt,  judgment, worry, etc., and how these serve no useful purpose.  It also talks about how people can be so focused on the future, that they forget to enjoy life right now.   It truly helped me see things in a different way and to not let little things get to me.  I also registered on Oprah.com for the webcasts of each chapter of the book where the author and Oprah discuss each chapter for an hour.  Some of the book got a little wordy (like this post) and confusing and it helped to have the author further explain exactly what he meant.  It was also helpful when readers would call in confused about something or disagreeing with something and to see how the author would respond.  I actually took notes and have a file.  I am a little crazy, though!  :)

So to go back to that last Oprah post for a second... In A New Earth, Tolle stresses becoming one with nature when you feel yourself slipping away from the present moment.  I was having a day where I was stressing out about future events and needed to snap myself back into the present.  I went to our patio, laid down on our bench and stared up at our tree.  That's when I saw the Oprah Os...it was all just a little weird.  :)

I hope I haven't completely overwhelmed (or bored) you with this ridiculous book of a post.  I have such a hard time putting my thoughts into words.  Until I read these two books, I didn't really know how to remain positive and present all day, everyday.  Now I do and I can honestly say that I have never been happier.   ...thanks to Oprah.  :)

Great Reads for Interior Inspiration

I personally love thumbing through any one of Kelly Hoppen's design books when I am in search of ideas for my home. I just love her work...simple as that. Some may argue that her designs are impersonal and that her tone throughout her books is somewhat pretentious, but I really couldn't care less. Her interiors are just beautiful and her books are a great resource!

Any one of these would make a great addition to your coffee table and a great source for inspiration. Check these out:

[available at amazon.com]