(from the cafemom group BELIEVE, ACHIEVE, SUCCEED Personal Growth Club  if you’re a member check it out)

The Traveler’s Gift  by Andy Andrews

Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success 2

© 2002 Andy Andrews

THE GUIDED DECISION

I will seek wisdom.

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today.

I will change my actions today!

I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to that which increases my belief in myself and my future.

I find myself searching online a lot for words of wisdom I guess you could say. Words that make me think about my day to day situations, words that help, and sometimes even words that make me feel badly about my choices but all in all I find comfort in the things I read and the thoughts they leave behind. I will more then likely post things up here a great deal not only so I can come here to read them when I feel the need but also so that others may get the same “wake up call” that I do.  I found the first inspirational passage on Cafemom and there are seven of them that I will be posting on different days because I feel that the message is so powerful and helpful in so many ways.

The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews

Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success #1

© 2002 Andy Andrews

THE RESPONSIBLE DECISION

The buck stops here.

From this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past.I understand that the beginning of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility for my past,

I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

Never again will I blame my parents, my spouse, my boss, or employees for my present situation.

Neither my education or lack of one, my genetics, or the circumstantial ebb and flow of everyday life will affect my future in a negative way. If I allow myself to blame these uncontrollable forces for my lack of success, I will be forever caught in a web of the past.I will look forward. I will not let my history control my destiny.

The buck stops here.

I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success.

I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking. Therefore, I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of how I think.Today I will begin the process of changing where I am—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—by changing the way I think.

My thoughts will be constructive, never destructive. My mind will live in the solutions of the future.

It will not dwell in the problems of the past. I will seek the association of those who are working and striving to bring about positive changes in the world.I will never seek comfort by associating with those who have decided to be comfortable.

When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one.I understand that God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right.The rise and fall of my emotional tide will not deter me from my course.

When I make a decision, I will stand behind it. My energy will go into making the decision.

I will waste none on second thoughts.My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.

The buck stops here.

I control my thoughts. I control my emotions.

In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question “Why me?”, I will immediately counter with the answer: “Why not me?”

Challenges are a gift, an opportunity to learn.Problems are the common thread running through the lives of great men and women.

In times of adversity, I will not have a problem to deal with, I will have a choice to make. My thoughts will be clear. I will make the right choice.Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept the preparation.

Why me?Why not me?

I have decided I hate food. Well actually I love to eat food a little too much but I hate everything else about it. I hate grocery shopping, cooking, finding enough money to buy what I need, and most of all figuring out what to cook each night. Everything I read says to plan your weekly or even monthly meals, budget this and that but I just can’t seem to put it together like that. I do know that people who are organized about their grociers seem to save money, time, and have a lot less grey hair!  I have decided I am willing to give it all a try. I am going to become the most organized grocery mom on my block… thankfully I’m the only mom on my block, the next mom is way down the road! (smile) Really though I am willing to give it a try just to see if everyone is telling the truth about how great it is to be so organized.

I took my search to Cafemom, as I always do in my time of need, and found two sites that seem to be working for everyone. The first one seems to really be helping other moms so hopefully it’ll work for me too.

http://cindysporch.com/ 

This site in itself is awesome but if you check out the treasures in the kitchen section you’ll learn how to save money by “shopping at home first.” There are printable lists, charts, and menu planners available also.

Another site that was mentioned as being helpful is http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/   This site offers low cost cooking from scratch ideas.

I also went to http://grocerylists.org/ and printed off the free PDF grocery lists. This list has everything you need and more! You’ll never feel unprepared shopping again!

With Halloween coming up on Friday I guess I’ll start with a little Halloween fun. If you’re like me then your pocket books are empty and the ATM is telling you to go away and stop hoping for money to appear in your bank account!  It seems that when the holidays come money is always an issue. I would like for once to have a holiday where I can just go out and purchase anything I want. Any gift, any decoration, any type of food and not one time have to worry about the price. Well coming back to reality that isn’t going to happen this year! (smile).

I have bought my kids outfits this year already. I purchased two outfits brand new on EBAY for what I would have paid for one in the stores, and my son is going to where his football uniform. My only issue this year is I really wanted to do something fun. Have a big Halloween themed meal, nice scarey decorations, maybe a movie or game to keep the fun going. I think we are still going to do something for the kids, it won’t be a huge party but I’ve learned along the way that kids really enjoy themselves no matter what. The real fun comes from being with family and friends no matter what you’re doing.

I looked around online at games, decorations, food, and costumes (for those of you that may not have one yet) and games all that you can make yourself or are at least cheap and simple.

Handmade Costumes

Kaboose.com has so many great ideas it was hard to choose my favorites so I’m just going to list a few and hope that you’ll like them also.

Witch costume:

What you’ll need:

• Black sweatshirt
• Black skirt
• Cape or black material or shawl
• Witch’s hat
• Broom
• Black shoes
• White calf socks (dyeing green is optional)
• Red tape or craft paint and paintbrush
• Black lipstick
• Black nail polish

How to make it:

1. A cape can be fashioned easily from black material or a black sheet.
2. Socks can be dyed green first if you prefer.
3. Put socks on, then wrap red tape around from bottom to top, to create a striped sock effect.
   Note: You may also use craft paint for the stripes, but tape is faster and easier.
   Paint face green and add dark smudges around eyes and mouth.
4. Use black lipstick and nail polish to finish the look. Adding a wart is optional!
5. Carry broom and wear witch’s hat.

Tips:

If weather is on the cold side, have child wear black or green tights under outfit.

Popcorn costume:

What you’ll need:

• Cardboard Box (big enough to cover body of child)
• Box cutter
• Red paint
• White paint
• Paintbrush
• Hot glue
• Popped popcorn
• Red baseball cap or hat
• White or red turtlenecks and tights or sweat suits

How to make it:

1. Cut holes for the arms, head, and a larger hole for the legs.
2. Paint a box to look like a box of popcorn from the movies making stripes with the red and white paint.
3. Using a piece of cardboard you cut out for the holes, paint it red on one side. Let dry.
4. Use the white paint to paint the word “Popcorn” on the box. Let dry.
5. Hot glue popped popcorn to the “Popcorn” sign and the top of the box. (see photo)
6. Hot glue popped popcorn to the top (and brim) of the red hat.
7. Wear white turtleneck and tights or sweat suit under the popcorn box.
8. Have fun!

Firefighter:

What you’ll need:

• Firefighter plastic hat
• Solid color raincoat (stripes are okay)
• Galoshes

How to make it:

1. You can put any color shirt on because it will not show if you button the coat.
2. Put on the galoshes, raincoat, and firefighter hat and you’re ready for Halloween! If it rains, you’ll be the driest trick-or-treater out there!

Tips:

I have seen inexpensive firefighter hats at party supply stores, but the more durable ones are found at toy stores.

 Decorations:

Ghosts: 

We actually made ghosts out of trash bags. We didn’t have any balloons, which work great, so instead we used newspaper to make a head for the ghost and then tied a knot to hold the paper inside the trash bag. Just hang them up and let them fly outside. Of course you can get creative and make a face on the bags or whatever you like.   

Plastispooks from women’s day: 

Materials:
White plastic spoon
Black fine-point permanent marker or Apple Barrel Indoor/Outdoor Acrylic Enamel and small paintbrush
4 white plastic forks
White Fun Foam
Low-temp glue gun
Spring-clip clothespins
White chenille stem

Instructions:
Draw face on back of spoon bowl and dots along handle for spine with marker or paint, following photo. Draw long lines for bones on front of fork handles and dots for short bones on tines.

Cut ovals for shoulders and hips from foam or felt. Center across top and bottom on back of spoon handle; glue and clamp with clothespin until dry.

Glue arms to shoulders and legs to hips at front; clamp with clothespins.

Wind chenille loosely around spine for rib cage; glue ends to back of shoulders and hips.

Bandana Ghosts from womensday.com 

Materials:
Colored bandanna
String
2 chenille stems
Tacky glue (we used Aleene’s Fast Grab)
Orange yarn
Scraps of black felt or Fun Foam
Two 4 mm movable eyes

Instructions:
Bunch sheet of paper into ball. Place in middle of bandanna; tie with string to make head.

Twist 2 chenille stems together. Bend in middle and insert about 1″ into the inside of ghost head where it is tied with string. Apply small amount of glue; let dry. Bend chenille stems out to form arm shapes.
Knot yarn at one end several times. Glue to top of head; let dry.

Cut mouth from felt or foam; glue on head. Glue on movable eyes.

Coffee filter bats from kaboose.com

What you’ll need:

• 1 basket type coffee filter
• Purple and black watercolor paints
• Paintbrush
• 1 miniature wooden clothespin
• Black or purple acrylic paint
• 2 small wiggle eyes
• White scrap of paper
• Scissors
• White craft glue

How to make it:

1. Paint the clothespin either black or purple acrylic paint and set aside to dry.
2. Cut coffee filter in half.
3. Paint one half of the filter with black watercolor paint and the other half with purple watercolor paint. Let dry.
4. When filters are dry, place the purple half on top of the black half so that they line up. Pinch the filter with your fingers, gathering the paper in the center of the straight edge.
5. Open the clothespin and clamp the gathered end of the filter inside the clothespin. Add a dab of white glue in the clamp.
6. Use scissors to cut half circles from the rounded wings to resemble a bat’s wings. Use the color differentiation between the black and purple sides of the coffee filter as a guide.
7. Cut jagged edges along the circular side of the half circle to further define the shape of the bat wings.
8. Glue two wiggle eyes to the front of the clothespin.
9. Cut two small triangular fangs from white paper and glue to the clothespin “jaws”.

Tips:

• Attach these cute bats to curtains, plants, anywhere they will grab onto.
• Suspend these bats from the ceiling by tying a piece of fishing line to the clothespin and pushing a thumbtack into the ceiling.
• Instead of purple, try red for a different look!

Spooky Spider from howstuffworks.com

Hang a few of these spooky spiders around the house for a scary Halloween! Try out this fun craft project.

What You’ll Need:

Foam egg carton cup
Scissors
Chenille stems
Black permanent marker
Pencil
Needle
Black thread

Spiders look scary, but most are great to have around because they eat pesky bugs. You can make your spider look scary or friendly or silly or even sad!

To make it, cut out an egg cup from a foam egg carton. Draw the spider’s face on one of the sides. Then poke 4 black chenille stems through one side and out the other. Bend them so that your spider can stand up. Have an adult help you sew a thread up through the inside of the spider’s head. Leave the free end of the thread long enough to hang your spider. Your spider may even fool a few bugs!

For a fun and spooky project that you can eat, see the next page and learn how to make Baked Witch’s Fingers!

 Food

Fingers

1/2 butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup almond meal
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole almonds, blanched, halved
raspberry or strawberry jam

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond meal and vanilla extract. In separate bowl, stir dry ingredients together, then gradually add to sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Cover bowl and place in fridge for 1 hour to chill.

Separate dough into four equal parts. Work with one part at a time (keeping the rest in the fridge until ready to work with). With a rolling pin, make two half fingers (make as round as they will flatten when baking), then roll a small ball to make the knuckle. Place the knuckle in the middle. Use a table knife to make slashes on the knuckle. Take the almond half and press down on the end of the finger to make the nail. Makes a total of four fingers.

Carefully place fingers on lightly greased baking sheets. Then bake in 325F degree oven (160C degrees) for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool then cover fingers with raspberry or strawberry jam for an eerie effect sure to scare the pants off your friends. (http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/halloween-recipes.html)

Snakes in the grass: www.landolakes.com

Combine sour cream and salsa in small bowl. Spread cut-sides of each breadstick with 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream mixture. Place 4 strips cheese onto bottom half of each breadstick; cover with top half. To decorate each snake sandwich, attach 2 pieces chopped black olive to one end of top of sandwich with dot of cream cheese for eyes. Cut a piece of red pepper into tongue shape; place it between breadstick halves for a tongue. Attach slices of green olives to the top of sandwich with dot of cream cheese for snake skin design.

Place shredded lettuce onto platter. Set snake sandwiches onto lettuce.

Ghost in the Graveyard Cookie Pizza: www.landolakes.com

Cookie Ingredients:

Topping Ingredients:

Decorations Ingredients:

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients except chocolate chips. Beat until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread dough into lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until cookie is golden brown on edges. Cool completely.

Spread cookie with frosting; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Decorate as desired.

Recipe Tip
To easily spread cookie dough into pan, spray piece of waxed paper with no-stick cooking spray. Press dough into pan using sprayed side of waxed paper until almost at pan edge (dough will spread while baking).Recipe Tip
Place melted candy coating in a heavy, re-sealable plastic food bag. Cut small hole in corner for use as decorating tip.

Recipe Tip
Create tombstones by decorating sandwich cookies with gel or candy coating, as desired. Use other Halloween candy as desired.

Halloween Hoot Owls: www.landolakes.com

Cupcakes Ingredients:

Frosting Ingredients:

Decorations Ingredients:

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all cake ingredients except coconut in large bowl. Beat according to package directions. Gently stir in coconut. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 19 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Combine all frosting ingredients in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.

Frost cooled cupcakes. Place 2 butter rum candies on each cupcake for eyes. Dip bottoms of chocolate chips into frosting; place onto each candy circle to form center of eye. Arrange almonds above eyes for feathers. Add cashew for beak.

Store refrigerated in container with tight-fitting lid.

Recipe Tip
The back of a spoon works great to make decorative swirls when frosting cakes and cupcakes. Recipe Tip
Butter rum candies with holes are available in bags or rolls. Yellow or orange candies can be substituted for the butter rum.

As this is my first entry I’ll take a moment to explain who I am and why I’m doing this blog. I am 28 years old going on 100. I live with my fiance, who I’ve been with since I was 14, and our three kids. Our kids are ages 11, 4, and 2 the only boy being the oldest. My life consists of working from home late nights into the early morning hours, dealing with the needs and wants of my demanding and sometimes unappreciative family, my sons never ending sporting and school events, potty training, learning to handle the independent fours, sleepless nights, and trying to keep my relationship happy and healthy.

I have started this blog because I know that I am not alone on my journey of never ending screams and piles of clothes. I know that there are thousands of women out there that feel as overwhelmed and uncertain in their daily lives as I do. I am hoping that through this blog I can not only help myself but everyone who reads it to find ways to make life a little less stressful and a lot more fun. I want to be able to relax and find five minutes in my day to just be a woman again. I figure if I can find tips, tricks, and advice on making my life a little less hectic then maybe the simple things I am supposed to enjoy will finally become visible to me. Until then I’m on a mission to simplify my life and yours.