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	<title>Serene Journey &#187; Family</title>
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	<link>http://www.serenejourney.com</link>
	<description>Simple Tips To Enjoy Life</description>
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		<title>Listbean Revealed and Decluttering &#8211; How To Get Started</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/06/listbean/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/06/listbean/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:00:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frugality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home & Organizing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.serenejourney.com/?p=4445</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello everyone! It&#8217;s Monday, we&#8217;re just coming off a great weekend and I am proud and super excited to introduce you to our newest online project. It&#8217;s been several months in the making and while it&#8217;ll be a continual labor of love, today is the day we release it into the wild. I hope it [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/06/listbean/">Listbean Revealed and Decluttering &#8211; How To Get Started</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Listbean-photo.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="Listbean" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Listbean-photo.png" alt="" width="332" height="286" /></a>Hello everyone! It&#8217;s Monday, we&#8217;re just coming off a great weekend and I am<strong> proud and super excited</strong> to introduce you to our newest online project. It&#8217;s been several months in the making and while it&#8217;ll be a continual labor of love, today is the day we release it into the wild. I hope it will help you all be just a little more awesome than you already are!</p>
<h1><a href="http://www.listbean.com">Listbean</a>? What the heck is that?</h1>
<p><a href="http://www.listbean.com">Listbean</a> is a site that is <strong>completely </strong><em><strong>free </strong></em><strong>and packed with value adding pre-populated checklists</strong>.</p>
<p>Now, before you roll your eyes and say <em>&#8220;oh great another checklist site&#8221; </em>let me share with you how Listbean is different and how it will be *the* checklist source online.<span id="more-4445"></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.listbean.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-4446 alignnone" title="Listbean" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Listbean.png" alt="" width="191" height="75" /></a></span></h2>
<h2><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px;"> </span>Benefits of Listbean:</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Checklists are great but it&#8217;s sometimes tough to know where to start.</strong> Well, we&#8217;ve done the hard part of pulling the lists together. You can use the lists as is or as inspiration to create your own personalized checklists.</li>
<li><strong>It&#8217;s annoying to have to rewrite checklists you use frequently.</strong> With Listbean you don&#8217;t have to do that. When you create an account,  you can customize any of the lists you see on the site, save them and come back time and time again. Awesome.</li>
<li><strong>Be more efficient, effective and deliberate in everything you do.</strong> With checklists addressing a lot of what you need right at your finger tips you can just get on with what needs to get done. A little work up front can save you several minutes several times a month or year.</li>
<li><strong>Don&#8217;t find what you&#8217;re looking for? Create your own.</strong> There are two ways to create your lists from scratch and have them appear on Listbean. 1) Submit a suggestion via the Feedback form using the Feedback tab at the top left of each page. 2) Add it yourself. Once you&#8217;ve customized a list on Listbean you are given the option to add your own list from scratch to save in your lists. Easy right?</li>
<li><strong>Listbean has a very simple design.</strong> It was custom designed to be simple, sleek and easy to use. Give it a try and if you have any suggestions or feedback please submit it using the feedback form via the feedback tab at the top left of each page.</li>
</ul>
<p>That&#8217;s it really, it&#8217;s pretty simple and straight forward. I invite you all to check it out and I hope it becomes a valuable resource for you.</p>
<h2>Decluttering &#8211; How To Get Started</h2>
<p>There was one question I received last week that fits in perfectly with the launch of Listbean today. Julie asked:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Any advice on decluttering? I really want to declutter and then I look at the all the stuff and become overwhelmed and frozen.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>First of all let me reassure you Julie that you are not alone! I&#8217;ve been there, I still get there from time to time. Here are some things that help to thaw me out and just get started.</p>
<p><strong>1. Begin with the end in mind.</strong> Before you jump right in have a clear picture in your mind as to what you want the space to look like, what you will use it for and how it will make you feel. By doing this you&#8217;re already making a mental picture of what belongs in a room, closet, desk etc &#8230; and it makes starting a little bit easier.</p>
<p><strong>2. Start small. </strong>My advice wouldn&#8217;t be to tackle the whole house at once, not even an entire room at once. I would suggest starting in one corner, a desk, or a shelf. Get it to a state that you are truly happy with and only then should you move onto another area. It&#8217;s been my experience that doing a little bit over a large area leaves me feeling dissatisfied and extremely overwhelmed. I don&#8217;t feel as though I&#8217;ve made much progress as there&#8217;s nothing finished, nothing to stare longingly at and think &#8220;aaaah that&#8217;s better&#8221;. So start small but the key is to start!</p>
<p>3. <strong>What goes out should stay out.</strong> Typically you create three piles when you embark on any decluttering mission.</p>
<ul>
<li>To keep</li>
<li>To donate</li>
<li>To toss</li>
</ul>
<p>When you&#8217;ve decided on what to toss or what to donate put the items in a box or a bag and immediately move them out of your house. Store them in the garage, trunk of your car or anywhere else so you won&#8217;t be tempted to rummage through the boxes and save items. Once you&#8217;ve decided they are no longer welcome in your home, keep them out!</p>
<p>This is how we have approached decluttering at our place. There are a number of different strategies I&#8217;m sure so if you&#8217;ve found something else that works for you please share it in the comments to help Julie out. For some ideas on what can be purged room by room check out the <a href="http://listbean.com/lists/details/187">declutter room by room checklist</a> on <a href="http://www.listbean.com">Listbean</a>. (Remember to sign in to customize it or add other ideas as they come to mind.)</p>
<p>I hope this helps, Julie.</p>
<p>If you like Listbean please share it on your favorite social networking sites, or email the link to a couple of your list loving friends so we can all be awesome. <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/06/listbean/">Listbean Revealed and Decluttering &#8211; How To Get Started</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
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		<title>5 Things To Do Today To Get Your Yard in Gear</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/5-things-to-do-today-to-get-your-yard-in-gear/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/5-things-to-do-today-to-get-your-yard-in-gear/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 May 2010 11:47:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home & Organizing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.serenejourney.com/?p=4401</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The winter months provide excellent opportunities to tackle the clutter we have inside. For several long, dark and cold months we&#8217;ve had plenty of time to purge, clean, sort and organize inside and now that the nice weather is raising its weary head, it&#8217;s time to take it outside.
There are a lot of things we [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/5-things-to-do-today-to-get-your-yard-in-gear/">5 Things To Do Today To Get Your Yard in Gear</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/patio.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="patio" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/patio.jpg" alt="patio" width="320" height="400" /></a>The winter months provide excellent opportunities to tackle the clutter we have inside. For several long, dark and cold months we&#8217;ve had plenty of time to purge, clean, sort and organize inside and now that the nice weather is raising its weary head, it&#8217;s time to take it outside.</p>
<p>There are a lot of things we can do to create an outside space that is inviting and comfortable. Sure you could go all out and do a complete backyard overhaul but that&#8217;s not in the cards for a lot of people &#8211; especially me <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Here are 5 things you can do today to get your backyard a little bit closer to that summer time oasis you dream of.</p>
<p><strong>1. Cut the grass.</strong> Whip out the lawn mower and trim the grass. Although it may be quicker to just run over the lawn and leave the clippings behind I think it actually look a bit nicer if you leave nothing behind. If you have a small enough yard use a bagger attachment for your mower or at least rake up the clippings after. Spend a bit of time going around the fence, flower beds and pathways with a weed whacker (or yes a pair of scissors) and finish the job.</p>
<p><strong>2. Pull weeds.</strong> Flower beds and rocky areas look their best when there are no weeds to be found. Spend some time pulling the big obvious ones and then move onto the smaller ones. I find using a hoe is the easiest and quickest way to weed a flower bed. It&#8217;s fast and it really saves my back.<span id="more-4401"></span></p>
<p><strong>3. Instant color with flowers.</strong> If you&#8217;re free and clear of the frost date (ours is coming soon yay!) then plant some brightly colored flowers in prominent areas through out your yard. If gardens aren&#8217;t your thing or if you&#8217;d rather save the space for vegetables consider a few flower pots filled with annuals placed where you spend most of your time outside.</p>
<p><strong>4. Wildlife. </strong>As I type this I can hear a dozen or more birds chirping away outside. It&#8217;s lovely. Wildlife is what brings a yard to life IMHO. Hang a couple of bird feeders in a tree and set up a bird bath. It won&#8217;t take long for them to figure out where the food is and become regular visitors. Do a bit of research on which flowers attract butterflies and plant some of these. Before you know it your yard and garden will be teeming with life.</p>
<p><strong>5. Light it up. </strong>Make a fire pit, light some tiki torches or string up some patio lights whatever it is lighting can help set the mood and create a very welcoming environment. One of my favorite ideas is half filling a few glass jars with sand, rocks or rice and putting tea lights in them. Use some wire and hang them from tree limbs or hooks, or simply set them on your patio table, deck railing or stairs for nice soft glow.</p>
<p>These are just a few easy things that you can do today to make getting outside even more enjoyable.</p>
<p>_______________________________________________________________________________________________</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a note from our sponsor Simplify-101 in case you&#8217;re like me and didn&#8217;t get allll your organizing done in the winter months. <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://shop.simplify101.com/organize-your-paper-clutter-p/s101ws0014-s4.htm"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4404" title="organize-paper-clutter-120" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/organize-paper-clutter-120.jpg" alt="" width="120" height="120" /></a>That paper mountain growing on your countertop represents a loss of freedom, a loss of control, and a nagging feeling that something important isn’t getting done. There is a better way! With the right paper organizing systems in place you can free yourself from paper clutter and the stress that comes along with it. In the online workshop <a href="http://shop.simplify101.com/organize-your-paper-clutter-p/s101ws0014-s4.htm" target="_blank">Organize Your Paper Clutter</a>, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to decide if you need a piece of paper and how to organize it so you’ll find it again. Replace your paper clutter with systems that provide you feelings of confidence, relief and peace of mind!</p>
<p>Best of all–you won’t go it alone. Throughout this six-lesson / seven-week online workshop, you’ll enjoy support, ideas and motivation from professional organizer Aby Garvey and the simplify 101 online community. The workshop begins June 8th. Click <a href="http://www.simplify101.com/workshops/downloads/syllabus/oypc-s5-syllabus.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> to view the entire workshop syllabus.</p>
<p>Photo courtesy of: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alvarocarnicero/12834686/">Alvaro Carnicero</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/5-things-to-do-today-to-get-your-yard-in-gear/">5 Things To Do Today To Get Your Yard in Gear</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Making Summer Last Through Pictures</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/making-summer-last-through-pictures/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/making-summer-last-through-pictures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2010 12:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.serenejourney.com/?p=4346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Summer is always over too soon in my mind. It seems like we get out of the deep freeze just in time to thaw out only to have it start cooling again and then it&#8217;s back to the freezer.
How can we make summer last a little longer? Well slowing down and having the presence of [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/making-summer-last-through-pictures/">Making Summer Last Through Pictures</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/strawberry-picking.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="strawberry picking" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/strawberry-picking.jpg" alt="strawberry picking" width="200" height="267" /></a>Summer is always over too soon in my mind. It seems like we get out of the deep freeze just in time to thaw out only to have it start cooling again and then it&#8217;s back to the freezer.</p>
<p>How can we make summer last a little longer? Well slowing down and having the presence of mind to take it all in is a good way to ensure you savor every moment. One way I do this is through the camera lense. I love taking pictures. Pictures capture a moment in time that when looked at later can envoke all sorts of feelings. Happiness, sadness, love, tranquility there are a ton of feelings that can resurface from a single photograph.</p>
<p>Here are some ideas of things you can take pictures of this summer to help you remember the beauty and joy of the season.<span id="more-4346"></span></p>
<p><strong>1. Family.</strong> Enlist a friend or a non-immediate family member to take a family portrait. I know for me, I get so focused on capturing my kid&#8217;s milestones that I am rarely in front of the camera. Make an effort this summer to get a really nice group picture. (Notice this is the one picture that is missing from my collection here &#8230; this summer for sure!)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/foot-in-grass.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="foot in grass" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/foot-in-grass.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="150" /></a><strong>2. Feet.</strong> All winter our feet are stuffed into socks and crammed into boots or slippers. Summer is when our feet are free! They take us far, they enjoy the sand, the grass, and the water. Remember how these feel and take a pic of your toes in the sand, gripping the grass or being licked by waves. My fave is chubby baby feet in the grass, they just look so cute.<br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/daisy.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="daisy" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/daisy.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="150" /></a><strong>3. Flowers.</strong> If you&#8217;re like most people you have a favorite flower. Mine happens to be any kind of lilly. I just love em! If it&#8217;s not done correctly a picture of a flower can get lost in the noise of the back ground. Most digital cameras these days have a macro feature that allows you to get in really close and take a very specific shot. I would suggest that if you don&#8217;t know how to use this feature on your camera take 10 minutes to do, so you&#8217;ll be hooked!<br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/dragon-fruit.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="dragon fruit" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/dragon-fruit.jpg" alt="dragon fruit" width="200" height="150" /></a><strong>4. Vegetables or fruits</strong>. If you have a garden &#8211; big, small, patio or container, it doesn&#8217;t matter, get up close and personal with what you&#8217;ve produced. Strawberries, beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes anything goes. Don&#8217;t forget about the innards, sometimes that&#8217;s where the most interesting bits are.<br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ladybug.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="ladybug" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ladybug.jpg" alt="ladybug" width="200" height="156" /></a><strong>5. Bugs.</strong> Bugs are often overlooked when it comes to exploring the beauty of the world around us. Get creative with what you take pictures of and experiment with different angles, head on vs. a picture from above. Ladybugs, spiders, grasshoppers, earthworm or whatever kind of bug you happen upon when you&#8217;ve got your camera out and ready. Don&#8217;t put yourself in danger just to get a really cool shot. Pictures of the most poisonous, venomous or deadly animals are probably best left to the professionals.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/clouds.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="clouds" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/clouds.jpg" alt="clouds" width="200" height="150" /></a><strong>6. Clouds.</strong>There always seems to be a few days each year when the clouds are amazing. Building up to a storm they can be dark, ominous and towering yet on other days they can be whispy, look like popcorn or &#8220;Simpson&#8221; clouds. Clouds are perhaps the easiest thing to take pictures of as they are almost always abstract anyway.<br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/bluejay.jpg"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/bluejay.jpg" alt="bluejay" title="bluejay" width="200" height="171" style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" /></a><strong>7. Birds.</strong> Last year we set up a bird feeder right outside our livingroom window. Each morning my eldest son puts out food for the birds and then we sit and wait. It doesn&#8217;t take the birds long once they figured out our routine. With a little patience and some strategic positioning there are some good photos of birds to be had.<br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/gardening.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="gardening" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/gardening.jpg" alt="gardening" width="200" height="267" /></a><strong>8. Muddy hands.</strong> If you and your famly love to garden capture it with a picture of muddy hands, gardening tools strewn about the yard or rubber boots left on the porch.<br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/not-happy-in-the-rain.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="not happy in the rain" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/not-happy-in-the-rain.jpg" alt="not happy in the rain" width="200" height="243" /></a><strong>9. Priceless moments.</strong> To capture some of these you really need to be right ready with the camera as they tend not to last and they are usually spontaneous. (This is my littlest peanut who was a tad less than impressed that we were inside smiling at him while he was outside in the rain &#8230; <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  )<br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/old-farm-house.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="old farm house" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/old-farm-house.jpg" alt="old farm house" width="200" height="267" /></a><strong>10. Neighbourhood goodies</strong>. If you go for a walk around the neighbourhood or a park take your camera with you. There&#8217;s a lot of beauty and character in everyday things. Look around, is the sidewalk you walk on old, made of cobblestones or blocks? Is there an abandond farm house close by with a window to the field behind it? What about an old mailbox, a swingset or a park bench? There are a million things you could be taking pics of you just need to see them <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /><br />
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<a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/dogs-off-the-dock.jpg"><img style="float: left;margin: 10px 10px 0 0;" title="dogs off the dock" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/dogs-off-the-dock.jpg" alt="dogs off the dock" width="200" height="126" /></a><strong>11.The epitome of summer.</strong> Beach balls, picnics, beach umbrellas, sprinklers, swimming pools and BBQs all designed to bring people together and have fun. Pull out the camera and go crazy.<br />
</ br><br />
</ br><br />
</ br><br />
</ br><br />
Get low, stand on chairs, get close or back waaaaay up, tilt the camera, angle it up experiment and have fun. Make a point of printing out your best photographs and hang them in your home so you can remember the summer warmth and fun even when it&#8217;s a bit chilly outside. Hang pictures of fruit and vegetables in your kitchen to brighten things up, put the family portrait in your bedroom and the fun, brightly colored ones in the family room. You are only limited by your imagination.</p>
<p>See also:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/keeping-it-short-and-sweet-3-tips-to-taking-better-pictures/">Keeping It Short And Sweet: 3 Tips To Taking Better Pictures</a></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;The World Around You Is An Amazing Place – Take Time To See It&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/02/the-world-around-you-is-an-amazing-place-take-time-to-see-it/">The World Around You Is An Amazing Place – Take Time To See It</a></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;Gratitude Journal: 30 Days To Happiness&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/gratitude-journal-30-days-to-happiness/">Gratitude Journal: 30 Days To Happiness</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/making-summer-last-through-pictures/">Making Summer Last Through Pictures</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Getting My Mojo Back</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/body-cleanse/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/body-cleanse/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 03:54:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.serenejourney.com/?p=4332</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Okay I&#8217;m back everyone. I know you missed me  
It&#8217;s been a wild past couple of weeks (okay not really) but the flu and colds have been running through the house. We&#8217;ve been laying low and taking care of each other but this cold thing is certainly overstaying  it&#8217;s welcome. This week we&#8217;ve decided [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/body-cleanse/">Getting My Mojo Back</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="body cleanse" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/fruit.jpg" alt="body cleanse" width="332" height="250" />Okay I&#8217;m back everyone. I know you missed me <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>It&#8217;s been a wild past couple of weeks (okay not really) but the flu and colds have been running through the house. We&#8217;ve been laying low and taking care of each other but this cold thing is certainly overstaying  it&#8217;s welcome. This week we&#8217;ve decided enough is enough and we&#8217;re going on the attack.</p>
<p>This weekend  my husband and I got back into the <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/04/become-a-doer/">doing habit</a> and built a fence and a gate to keep the kids away from the pool. After two years on the old to-do list the baby gate was taken down and the fence/gate went up. It looks awesome, if I do say so myself. It was a beautiful weekend to be working outside and although we felt like crap we plodded along.</p>
<p>On the bright side of getting sick, it&#8217;s coincided nicely with cleanse week hosted by my friend Lisa at <a href="http://www.wellgroundedlife.com">Well Grounded Life</a>.</p>
<p>I have never done a body cleanse before and I actually had every intention of doing one a couple of weeks ago but sickness set in and I just gave into it. I&#8217;m a little nervous about how difficult a cleanse will be. But, I know with Lisa as a guide it&#8217;ll be great. <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  <span id="more-4332"></span></p>
<p>Cleanse week is a companion to Lisa&#8217;s book called the <a href="http://www.wellgroundedlife.com/cleansing-e-book/">Real Food Cleansing eBook</a>. I can&#8217;t tell you how pumped I am to get my mojo flowing again, so this cleanse series couldn&#8217;t have come at a better time.</p>
<p>The<a href="http://www.wellgroundedlife.com/cleansing-e-book/"> Real Food Cleansing Guide</a> is 45 pages jam packed wit<a href="http://www.wellgroundedlife.com/cleansing-e-book/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4341" title="real food cleansing guide" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/real-food-cleansing-guide.jpg" alt="real food cleansing guide" width="200" height="293" /></a>h great information on:</p>
<ul>
<li>why we need a cleanse</li>
<li>how to plan a cleanse</li>
<li>how to determine which cleanse is best for you</li>
<li>and what you can expect from your cleanse</li>
</ul>
<p>There is an additional 17 pages that include sample cleanses, recipes so you&#8217;re not struggling with &#8220;what do I eat?&#8221; &#8211; this was my biggest problem. Lisa has created a cleansing action plan worksheet to help you keep track of your goals, the type and length of the cleanse, and a menu plan so it&#8217;s all there waiting for you each day. I particularly love this last point since there&#8217;s no scrambling and trying to figure out what I&#8217;m going to eat!</p>
<p>I love Lisa&#8217;s home at <a href="http://www.wellgroundedlife.com">Well Grounded Life</a>, unbeknownst to her she&#8217;s always getting me to try new foods. Kale and quinoa are among the new foods that have entered our home thanks to Lisa. Now she&#8217;s bring on the body cleanse and as I said it couldn&#8217;t have come at a better time.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m hoping this week will help me kick this cold for good, feel energized, improve my skin and just feel healthier overall. I hope you&#8217;ll join me for cleanse week with Lisa, you can grab your copy of <a href="http://www.wellgroundedlife.com/cleansing-e-book/">Real Food Cleanse eBook </a>here and jump in. Even if you aren&#8217;t interested in doing a cleanse I still recommend checking out Lisa&#8217;s blog it really is an awesome place!</p>
<p><strong>Have you ever done a body cleanse? What was your experience?</strong></p>
<p>Photo courtesy of: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maistora/479222383/">maistora</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/body-cleanse/">Getting My Mojo Back</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>A New Way To Get Organized</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/a-new-way-to-get-organized/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/a-new-way-to-get-organized/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2010 11:39:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home & Organizing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.serenejourney.com/?p=4321</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m very excited to be able to introduce you to Serene Journey&#8217;s very first sponsor! The folks over at Simplify 101 are lovely and really know their stuff. You can check them out by following any of the links in this post and you will see them all month long over on the right as [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/a-new-way-to-get-organized/">A New Way To Get Organized</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4323" title="simplify 101" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/simplify-101.png" alt="simplify 101" width="469" height="78" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/simplify-101.png"></a>I&#8217;m very excited to be able to introduce you to Serene Journey&#8217;s very first sponsor! The folks over at <a href="http://www.simplify101.com/">Simplify 101</a> are lovely and really know their stuff. You can check them out by following any of the links in this post and you will see them all month long over on the right as part of our featured resources.</p>
<p><strong>Here&#8217;s more information about what they have to offer:</strong></p>
<p><a href=" http://www.simplify101.com/online-workshop-tour.php"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4308" title="a-new-way-get-organized" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/new-way-get-organized-125.jpg" alt="a-new-way-get-organized" width="125" height="125" /></a>There’s a <a href="http://www.simplify101.com/online-workshop-tour.php" target="_blank">new way</a> to get organized! It&#8217;s online. It&#8217;s effective. And it&#8217;s fun! It’s <a href="http://www.simplify101.com/" target="_blank">simplify 101’s</a> online organizing workshops. Rich with content and student interaction, these <a href="http://www.simplify101.com/workshop-catalog.php" target="_blank">workshops</a> give you everything you need to get your next organizing project done! If you’re a visual learner you’ll love the online photo gallery and written lesson materials. If you learn best by listening, the audio lessons are just for you—listen online or download the files to your MP3 player. If you learn best by doing—you’ll thrive in these action-oriented workshops. With clear-cut lesson content and bite-sized actions steps, every workshop gives you the chance to implement what you learn by organizing an area in your home. Plus, the private workshop forum and direct access to your instructor ensures you have the information, ideas, accountability, and motivation you need to get organized—and love your results when you’re done!</p>
<p>**************************************************************************************************</p>
<p>If you have a product or service you would like to share with over 1800 people who are motivated and looking to create a fulfilling, relaxed, organized, positive, and more enjoyable life for themselves and their families, email me at <strong>sherri.serenejourney@gmail.com</strong> or visit our <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/advertise/">advertising page</a> to find out more information on becoming a sponsor of Serene Journey.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/05/a-new-way-to-get-organized/">A New Way To Get Organized</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Adult Tantrum</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/04/adult-tantrum/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/04/adult-tantrum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:48:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.serenejourney.com/?p=4148</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Who do you think of when you hear the words: pouting, moping, and the silent treatment?
When I think of those words I usually think of a toddler, pre-teen or even a teenager who hasn&#8217;t got their way. These are pretty typical responses for people who haven&#8217;t got the emotional maturity of adults.
But wait, you&#8217;re how old?
Yes, [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/04/adult-tantrum/">The Adult Tantrum</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="adult tantrum" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/tantrum.jpg" alt="adult tantrum" />Who do you think of when you hear the words: pouting, moping, and the silent treatment?</p>
<p>When I think of those words I usually think of a toddler, pre-teen or even a teenager who hasn&#8217;t got their way. These are pretty typical responses for people who haven&#8217;t got the emotional maturity of adults.</p>
<p>But wait, you&#8217;re <em>how</em> old?</p>
<p>Yes, tantrums, pouting and emotional blackmail are not just for babies anymore. If you have ever been on the receiving end of an adult tantrum or pout fest then you know what I&#8217;m talking about. If it&#8217;s your child, parent, or sibling who often behaves in these ways there are some things you can do to cope and not get sucked into their drama.</p>
<p><strong>1. Don&#8217;t take it personally.</strong> Easier said than done I know. Remember that you can&#8217;t control how others act, react or deal with issues. You can only control how you react or respond to what they are doing or how they are treating you. Distance yourself from what&#8217;s going on take a breather and then respond in a manner that allows you to stay true to yourself.</p>
<p><strong>2. Don&#8217;t be a door mat.</strong> People only do what they can get away with. If you allow someone to treat you poorly or disrespect you or loved ones they will continue to do it. As tough as it is you need to confront the person and let them know you will not tolerate their behavior any more. This is best done when you&#8217;ve had time to calm down, organize your thoughts and are able to speak calmly, not when you&#8217;re in the thick of it.<span id="more-4148"></span></p>
<p><strong>3. Don&#8217;t be afraid to walk away.</strong> If you are being treated poorly or disrespected don&#8217;t be afraid to walk away. It may be really difficult especially if you don&#8217;t want to rock the boat but by walking away you are sending a very clear message that you will not tolerate their behavior. It may be awkward at first but given enough time they&#8217;ll get the picture.</p>
<p><strong>4. Don&#8217;t be part of the problem. </strong>If a three year old was having a tantrum because you said no to him having a cookie and then you give it to him just to quiet him, you end up rewarding him for the tantrum. Same principle applies to the adult tantrum. If you comply with their &#8220;demands&#8221; or bend over backwards to get them to stop pouting you are rewarding their behavior. It&#8217;s easy to say but much harder to do. No one likes to be ignored by someone they love and most of us would do anything to get them to talk to us again. But by doing that &#8220;anything&#8221; you are telling the other person that it&#8217;s okay to manipulate me to get what you want.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve been putting up with someone&#8217;s adult tantrums for a while then it&#8217;s pretty obvious that you love them dearly. I&#8217;m pretty sure you wouldn&#8217;t tolerate it from a co-worker or casual acquaintance. In any event you need to stand up for yourself if you are to put an end to this behavior.</p>
<p>A note to those of you having adult tantrums, be they on the road in your car, at the airport or in line at customer service, the tantrums are <em>really</em> unbecoming.</p>
<p><strong>See also:</strong></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;Get Rich, Stay Rich – Emotional Bank Accounts&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/get-rich-stay-rich-emotional-bank-accounts/">Get Rich, Stay Rich – Emotional Bank Accounts</a></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;How To Be The Person You Want To Be&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/how-to-be-the-person-you-want-to-be/">How To Be The Person You Want To Be</a></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;Being A Rebel: Is It Killing Your Happiness?&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/06/being-a-rebel-is-it-killing-your-happiness/">Being A Rebel: Is It Killing Your Happiness?</a></p>
<p>Photo courtesy of: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jumerphotography/3393883065/">jumer</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/04/adult-tantrum/">The Adult Tantrum</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>How to Fall in Love With Yourself Again</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/how-to-fall-in-love-with-yourself-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/how-to-fall-in-love-with-yourself-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:57:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Personal Development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.serenejourney.com/?p=4121</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We are constantly bombarded with visions of how we are not good enough or how we need to improve ourselves. With certain reality shows, advertisements, products and even songs it&#8217;s no wonder we get down on ourselves.
And it&#8217;s not only external things that cause us to have such low self-esteems and feel bad about ourselves [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/how-to-fall-in-love-with-yourself-again/">How to Fall in Love With Yourself Again</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="love yourself" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/love-yourself.jpg" alt="love yourself" width="332" height="439" />We are constantly bombarded with visions of how we are not good enough or how we need to improve ourselves. With certain reality shows, advertisements, products and even songs it&#8217;s no wonder we get down on ourselves.</p>
<p>And it&#8217;s not only external things that cause us to have such low self-esteems and feel bad about ourselves either. Maybe you think all the negative-self talk is your way of being <em>real </em>with yourself. Little things like: I&#8217;ll never get it done, I don&#8217;t deserve that, why would they want to help me?, oh I could never wear that, and I&#8217;m not smart enough. Instead of focusing on and telling yourself what you can&#8217;t do try focusing on what you <em>can </em>do.</p>
<p>Focusing on what you can do and what you&#8217;re good at is empowering. Here are a few ideas you can try to build yourself up and fall in love with yourself all over again.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>Focus on your strengths. </strong></span>We all have strengths and luckily they are not all the same.<strong> </strong>Do things you are naturally good at and enjoy and you will build self confidence, efficiency and pride. Look for opportunities that allow you to improve on or indulge in what it is you&#8217;re good at.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>Be proud of your accomplishments. </strong></span>No matter how big or seemingly small your accomplishments are you should be very proud of each and every one of them. Whether it&#8217;s completing high school, university, starting your own company, having kids and raising a family, completing a project that&#8217;s hanging around for far too long, be proud. Celebrate the small and large accomplishments and everything in between.<span id="more-4121"></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>Get excited about who you are.</strong></span> Celebrate your uniqueness. Maybe you&#8217;re a very caring individual, efficient, or adept to solving problems. Embrace it. Be proud that you&#8217;re not like everyone else in your social circle. People love you for being you.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>Share your talent. </strong></span>If you&#8217;ve got it flaunt it. This saying isn&#8217;t limited to it&#8217;s usual context of certain physical attributes. If you&#8217;ve got a talent share it with the world. If you can write &#8211; write, if you can dance &#8211; dance, if you can organize &#8230;well you get the picture. Believe it or not there are people out there who could benefit greatly from you sharing your talents. Imagine if you could play an instrument or sing and you stepped into a seniors living complex or a sick kids ward at a hospital and started playing or singing. Imagine how you might lift their spirits and create enjoyment if even for a little while. Ever notice how giving to others makes you feel so incredible about <em>yourself</em>?</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>Forgive yourself.</strong></span> Guilt is a weird thing. We all have it to some degree or other yet it&#8217;s something that does nothing positive for us. All guilt does is hold us in the past reliving something we wish we could change. Not going to happen I&#8217;m afraid. Forgiveness is a choice. Forgive yourself. Whatever it is you wish you did differently, chalk it up to a lack of knowledge, experience, or maturity. The past is the past (I know you&#8217;ve heard this before but the more you hear it the more you may start to believe it <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  ). Forgive yourself, apologize and move on.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>Do something just for you.</strong></span> Take time for yourself and just relax. Rest both your mind and your body. Rejuvenate by sitting quietly listen to soft soothing music or watch the wonders of nature from your own backyard, balcony or window. Treat yourself to a massage or spa day. Whatever it is that makes you feel special and relaxed &#8230; do it.</p>
<p>Love yourself. Take pride in all your unique glory. Maybe you&#8217;re quirky and have a very different talent. Embrace it. Flaunt it and share it with the world!</p>
<p>I want to wish you all a fantastic Easter weekend and I will be back here on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Also a <strong>huge thank you</strong> to everyone who has bought my first <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/">e-book</a>. I&#8217;m humbled by your support and very grateful. I sincerely hope you are enjoying it. <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Photo courtesy of: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/geko78/3927732285/">Geeker</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/how-to-fall-in-love-with-yourself-again/">How to Fall in Love With Yourself Again</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
</p>
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		<title>Your Life. Live it. Love it.</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/your-life-live-it-love-it/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/your-life-live-it-love-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[I am very excited to finally share with you my first e-book, Your Life. Live it. Love it.  It&#8217;s inspired by a collection of my best posts on living and loving your life with a focus on you, your relationships and enjoying the little things in life.
This e-book is organized into three sections designed [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/your-life-live-it-love-it/">Your Life. Live it. Love it.</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="Your Life | Live it. Love it." src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/400-Book-cover.png" alt="" width="400" height="270" /></a></p>
<p>I am very excited to finally share with you my first e-book,<span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span><strong><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/">Your Life. Live it. Love it.</a></span> </em></strong> It&#8217;s inspired by a collection of my best posts on living and loving your life with a focus on you, your relationships and enjoying the little things in life.</p>
<p>This e-book is organized into three sections designed to logically move you through improving yourself, the way you relate with those closest to you and finally to inspire you to enjoy the little things in life. All of us could use a little help in one, if not all, of these areas, I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;d agree.</p>
<p>The e-book is 19.95 and you can buy your copy here:  <span style="color: #3366ff;"><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><strong><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/">Your Life | Live it. Love it.</a></strong></span></em></span></p>
<p>This book can be used as a reference anytime you feel you are struggling, having a bad day or are in need of a little motivation. You can also choose to focus intently on any one of these sections using the ideas and tips within to inspire you to keep going and <strong>live your best life yet</strong>!</p>
<p>This book contains hundreds of tips and ideas for bettering yourself, building, strengthening or tweaking relationships good, bad or otherwise <strong>all so you can enjoy the life you live more.</strong></p>
<p><span id="more-3379"></span></p>
<p>From the table of contents:</p>
<h2><span style="color: #4d646f;"><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;">Let&#8217;s Get Started</span></em></span></h2>
<h2><span style="color: #4d646f;"><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;">Focus on you</span></em></span></h2>
<ul>
<li>Grab the Reins and Enjoy Your Life</li>
<li>How to Be the Person You Want to Be</li>
<li>How to Become a Catalyst for Change</li>
<li>Your Past is Not Who You Are</li>
<li>Do You React or Respond?</li>
<li>Tips on Dealing with Anger</li>
<li>How to manage your stress</li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="color: #4d646f;"><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;"> Focus on your relationships</span></em></span></h2>
<ul>
<li>It’s all in how you Say It</li>
<li>Is Keeping Score Making You Unhappy?</li>
<li>Stand Your Ground but Only on the Important Stuff</li>
<li>Form Meaningful Relationships</li>
<li>How to Reconcile With Family or Friends</li>
<li>When Reconciliation Just Isn’t in the Cards</li>
<li>10 Ways to Add a Spark to Your Relationship Today</li>
</ul>
<h2><span style="color: #4d646f;"><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;">Enjoy the little things</span><br />
</em></span><em> </em></h2>
<ul>
<li>Tips to Enjoy Life</li>
<li>The Grass is Always Greener Right under Your Feet</li>
<li>Do Something Nice to Restore Faith in Humanity</li>
<li>Gratitude Journal: 30 Days to Happiness</li>
<li>10 Ways to Feel Better in 60 Seconds or Less</li>
<li>Secrets of the Perpetually Unhappy</li>
<li>Create Experiences: Gifts That Last a Lifetime</li>
</ul>
<p>I&#8217;m sure you will enjoy this book so much that I&#8217;m offering a full 100% money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied just send me an email and I will refund your money in full.</p>
<p>Be sure to check out the page I&#8217;ve created specifically for <span style="color: #3366ff;"><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><strong><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/">Your Life | Live it. Love it.</a></strong></span></em></span> Not only will you get more information about the book but you&#8217;ll get to <strong>see what other people are saying about it too</strong>.</p>
<p>As always I&#8217;m interested in what you have to say and look forward to hearing your feedback. Thank you all for your support over the past year and a bit I am grateful for each and every one of you.</p>
<p>________________________________________________________________________________<br />
<strong>My fellow bloggers: </strong> If you’d like to sell <span style="color: #3366ff;"><em><span style="color: #4f81bd;"><strong><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/">Your Life | Live it. Love it.</a></strong></span></em></span> on your site, please head over to the <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/affiliate-resources/">affiliate resources page </a> to get all the information you&#8217;ll need to become an affiliate. Thank you in advance for your help in getting my work out there <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>Sneak Peek of Your Life Live it Love it.</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/sneak-peek-of-your-life-live-it-love-it/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/sneak-peek-of-your-life-live-it-love-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:52:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Okay it&#8217;s Friday, I&#8217;m excited and I think it&#8217;s actually going to be nice outside today. It really doesn&#8217;t get much better than that.
Earlier in the week I promised you a sneak peek at my e book that officially comes out on Monday. I can&#8217;t wait to share it with you guys, I really think [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/sneak-peek-of-your-life-live-it-love-it/">Sneak Peek of Your Life Live it Love it.</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
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]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-4025" title="Your Life Live it Love it" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Your-Life-Live-it-Love-it-640-book-cover1.png" alt="Your Life Live it Love it" width="640" height="432" /></p>
<p>Okay it&#8217;s Friday, I&#8217;m excited and I think it&#8217;s actually going to be nice outside today. It really doesn&#8217;t get much better than that.</p>
<p>Earlier in the week I promised you a sneak peek at my e book that <strong>officially comes out on Monday</strong>. I can&#8217;t wait to share it with you guys, I really think you&#8217;re going to love it.</p>
<p>The book is called <span style="color: #154989;"><em><strong>Your Life | Live it. Love it.</strong></em></span> and it&#8217;s designed to inspire you to <strong>live the best life you possibly can</strong>.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong><span style="color: #154989;">You&#8217;ll get tips and ideas on:</span></strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li>how to <strong>empower yourself</strong> and move beyond feeling as though you&#8217;re just along for the ride;</li>
<li>how to <strong>live your life purposfully, deliberately and with meaning; </strong></li>
<li>how to <strong>be the person you want to be</strong>, and indeed know you <strong>can </strong>be;</li>
<li>how to<strong> improve relationships</strong> with friends and family;</li>
<li>how to <strong>embrace the little things in life </strong>and<strong>;</strong></li>
<li><strong>a whole lot more.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>I&#8217;ll give you more information about the book on Monday, when it officially goes live, so please stay tuned for that.</p>
<p>In the mean time,<strong> get out there today and do something fun! Make a plan right now to have an amazing weekend.</strong></p>
<p>See you Monday! <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/sneak-peek-of-your-life-live-it-love-it/">Sneak Peek of Your Life Live it Love it.</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
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		<title>Put Some Spring in Your Spring Cleaning Step</title>
		<link>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/spring-cleaning/</link>
		<comments>http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/spring-cleaning/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:13:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sherri</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Yay it&#8217;s that time of year again &#8211; spring! Even though we awoke to a couple of inches of snow on the ground this morning I&#8217;m willing to over look it and continue on with all things spring; and that includes spring cleaning.
At just a mention of spring cleaning  there seems to be a collective [...]<p><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/your-life-live-it-love-it/"><img src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/banner-for-feed.png" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/spring-cleaning/">Put Some Spring in Your Spring Cleaning Step</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 10px;" title="spring cleaning" src="http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/spring-cleaning.jpg" alt="spring cleaning" width="332" height="221" />Yay it&#8217;s that time of year again &#8211; spring! Even though we awoke to a couple of inches of snow on the ground this morning I&#8217;m willing to over look it and continue on with all things spring; and that includes spring cleaning.</p>
<p>At just a mention of spring cleaning  there seems to be a collective groan of disappointment. The pure dread of scrubbing and moving and washing and dusting and purging and organizing the list seems pretty endless.</p>
<p><strong>Spring cleaning can be fun if you decide ahead of time that it will be.</strong></p>
<p>Here are some ideas I have on how to make this years annual spring cleaning marathon a lot more enjoyable.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>1. Talk with your family and plan.</strong></span> Talk with your spouse, children and anyone else you may recruit into helping you get the job done. Discuss what you would like done, lay out your expectations and be ready for some serious negotiating. Remember not everyone is as pumped about this as you are &#8230; err I am.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>2. Make a list of responsibilities.</strong></span> Write a list of all the things you need done and take turns choosing what responsibilities you&#8217;ll each take on board. You&#8217;re more likely to get a bigger buy in when you let people choose where they will help you as opposed to strict delegation.<span id="more-3783"></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>3. Have everything you need.</strong></span> There is nothing more annoying than just getting started only to find you&#8217;ve run out of all purpose cleaner, vinegar or sponges. Double and triple check that you have everything you need and the right quantities (let&#8217;s just say three people cleaning and only one sponge, not ideal). Start the week before so you&#8217;re ready to hit the ground running.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>4. Spread it out.</strong></span> Don&#8217;t try to accomplish everything in one day or in one weekend. Spread it out over a couple or a few weekends so nobody is burning out. When people start getting annoyed, tired or sore it&#8217;s time to stop.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>5. Have a reward.</strong></span> We all like working towards and end goal and a sink you can see your face in isn&#8217;t a reward to everybody. Consider taking the family out for dinner or all cooking your favorite meal together at the end of a busy day. Let the kids stay up a bit later, watch a movie, go for a walk or just relax outside.</p>
<p><span style="color: #4d646f;"><strong>6. Gratitude.</strong></span> They are your family, they do live there too but don&#8217;t miss an opportunity to show how grateful you are for their help. A simple &#8220;thank you&#8221;, &#8220;the yard looks fabulous&#8221; or &#8220;look at how much more room you have, awesome!&#8221; goes a long way.</p>
<h2 style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; color: #4d646f;">Other ways to make spring cleaning fun:</h2>
<ul>
<li>play music &#8211; L O U D</li>
<li>use a kitchen timer and clean in 5 minute bursts with a water break or dance party break in between</li>
<li>make it a competition to see who can get their chores done first (still need to have a quality clean though <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </li>
<li>put on some funky cleaning clothes and bedazzle your rubber gloves and apron</li>
</ul>
<p>Whatever you can do to make this a fun and energetic time is awesome. Time will fly and before you know it you&#8217;ll have your whole place looking like new and be able to eat off the floors. <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><strong>What ideas do you have for making spring cleaning fun?</strong></p>
<p>I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that I am now on facebook.  An early adopter I am not but I&#8217;m there now none the less. So you can find me by clicking on the facebook icon at the top right hand side of any page on Serene Journey or by clicking <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sherri.kruger">here</a>. As always you can follow me on<a href="http://www.twitter.com/serenejourney.com"> twitter</a>, sign up for<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=SereneJourney"> free updates delivered to your email </a>or your <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SereneJourney">RSS reader</a>.</p>
<p>Only two more days until I can tell you a bit more about my big e-book release coming up this Monday. Woo hoo. <img src='http://www.serenejourney.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />     <strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>See also:</strong></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;House Maintenance: Spring&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/01/house-maintenance-spring/">House Maintenance: Spring</a></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;Spring Cleaning Food: Use Up The Old, Make Way For The Fresh&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/spring-cleaning-food-use-up-the-old-make-way-for-the-fresh/">Spring Cleaning Food: Use Up The Old, Make Way For The Fresh</a></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;Quick Clean Your Home In Under 20 Minutes&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/03/quick-clean-in-20-minutes/">Quick Clean Your Home In Under 20 Minutes</a></p>
<p><a title="View this post, &quot;When Life Gives You Lemons…Use Them!&quot;" href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2009/04/when-life-gives-you-lemons-use-them/">When Life Gives You Lemons…Use Them!</a></p>
<p>Photo courtesy of: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveaustria/2605884227/">daveaustria . com</a></p>
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<br /><a href="http://www.serenejourney.com/2010/03/spring-cleaning/">Put Some Spring in Your Spring Cleaning Step</a> is a post from: <a href="http://www.serenejourney.com">Serene Journey</a>
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