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Tag: Finds Of The Week

Favorite Finds Of The Week

Finally no rain in the forecast this weekend. Yay!! We are off to the lake to do a whole lot of relaxing and taking it easy. I hope you enjoy these articles I found on my journey around the web this week. Have a great weekend and Happy Independence Day to all of our American friends!

http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/2009/07/01/happiness-tip-practice-random-acts-of-kindness/
Happiness Tip: Practice Random Acts of Kindness – Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online
In “The Healing Power of Doing Good”, Allan Luks reports that there’s a phenomenon called the helper’s high, which is described as a feeling of warmth and increased energy, as well as a feeling of euphoria, that people feel when they’re being kind to others. In addition, a 2005 study from Hebrew University in Israel found a link between kindness and the release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter in the brain.
http://almostfrugal.com/2009/06/29/spend-less/
The Psychology of Cash Management: How Large Bills Can Help You Spend Less – Almost Frugal
Small bills are very convenient to carry around. After all, they do make it easy to pay in exact change. But according to a recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, carrying small bills can actually cause you to spend more on impulse than you otherwise would.
This phenomenon is called the “denomination effect,” and has a lot to do with the ease of making a purchase. For example, let’s say that I walk into a souvenir shop and see a baseball cap I just have to buy. After tax, the cost of the cap comes to exactly $13.00. If I had exact change (say a ten and three ones), it would be very easy for me to complete the transaction. However, if I were only carrying twenty dollar bills, then the transaction becomes a bit of a hassle. I’d have to break a crisp new twenty, and then count my change. Psychologically, breaking a large bill makes it seem like I’m spending more, thus increasing the probability that I’d reconsider the impulse buy.
http://happylotus.com/2009/07/03/the-detachment-myth/
The Detachment Myth – Happy Lotus
When I first began my spiritual journey, I read many books or passages in books that dealt with the concept of being detached. Usually, I felt extreme resistance to the concept of detachment. It sounded too cold and too mean.
Often, I saw passages that would warn against becoming too attached to your loved ones because eventually, you or they will die. There are many books that talk about controlling your emotions as well.
http://www.marcandangel.com/2009/06/29/how-to-make-today-memorable/
How To Make Today Memorable – Marc and Angel Hack Life
Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is just a figment of the imagination.  So if you think about it, today is the only day you’re alive.  Today is the day that matters the most.
Here’s how to make it memorable:
Try something totally new. – Variety truly is the spice of life.  You can see or do something a million times, but you can only see or do it for the first time once.  As a result, first time experiences usually leave a reflective mark in our minds for the rest of our lives.  So spice it up!
Entertain yourself with real-world experiences. – Great memories are the product of interesting life experiences.  So turn off the television (or the computer) and get outdoors.  Interact with the world, appreciate nature, take notice of the simple pleasures life has to offer, and just watch as life unfolds in front of you.
http://www.quantumlearning.pl/they-did-we-did-i-did
They did, we did … I did – Quantum Learning
Conspiracy theories seem to be quite popular these days – ranging across the spectrum from religion, politics through to historical events. If this interests you (and you have 2 hours to spare!) then the film ‘Zeitgeist’ might appeal (see the end of this article for the embedded video).
Personally I don’t need conspiracy theories or elite underworlds to explain the state of the world. I also don’t need alien or divine intervention to explain it.
We did it ourselves!
http://www.dietriffic.com/2009/07/01/rope-jumping/
Rope Jumping As a Form of Exercise – dietriffic
How would you like a piece of exercise equipment, which sells for less than $20, can fit into any bag, the whole family can use it, it’s fun, and it improves your cardiovascular fitness while toning muscle all at the same time?
What is it? A jump rope of course!
What I love about skipping is you can burn an amazing amount of calories in just 15 to 20 minutes. Depending on how fast you jump, you could potentially burn off 5 to 15 calories per minute.

Rope Jumping As a Form of Exercise – dietriffic

How would you like a piece of exercise equipment, which sells for less than $20, can fit into any bag, the whole family can use it, it’s fun, and it improves your cardiovascular fitness while toning muscle all at the same time?

What is it? A jump rope of course!

What I love about skipping is you can burn an amazing amount of calories in just 15 to 20 minutes. Depending on how fast you jump, you could potentially burn off 5 to 15 calories per minute.

Happiness Tip: Practice Random Acts of Kindness - Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online

In “The Healing Power of Doing Good”, Allan Luks reports that there’s a phenomenon called the helper’s high, which is described as a feeling of warmth and increased energy, as well as a feeling of euphoria, that people feel when they’re being kind to others. In addition, a 2005 study from Hebrew University in Israel found a link between kindness and the release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter in the brain.
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Favorite Finds Of The Week

This weekend we were going to try camping in the backyard with the boys. However, with nearly 5 inches of rain expected today and tomorrow we’ve decided to postpone it for a couple of weekends. Instead we are going to get creative and finish up the side rails on the deck and stairs…how exciting!

If you too are having a soggy weekend and find yourself sitting at the computer be sure to check out these great reads I came across this week. Have a good one all!

The Hidden Secret to Genuine Happiness – Happy Lotus

In one of my previous posts, I shared the fact that there were 4,000 books published on the topic of happiness in 2008. Happiness is something that so many people want to have in their life. Call it optimism, joy, bliss or whatever floats your boat; people want to feel good about themselves and life.

I was five when I decided that I wanted to be happy. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I was walking home from school, fed up with having to go there every day. My family was the first ethnic family to move into the neighborhood and my name was extremely unusual. Kids made fun of me and it was constant. I came home from school every day in tears. It is hard to be a kid, even harder when you are the sole ethnic one in your neighborhood.

10 Ways Being Nice Is Good For You – My Super-Charged Life

Did you know that being nice to others can actually be good for you? My mother always chided me to be nice. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.  After all, we all get grumpy from time-to-time and take it out on those around us.

We can see that being nice to others is good for them, but did you know it is in your best interest too?  Recognizing the personal benefits of being nice might motivate us to do it a little more often like when that person cuts us off in traffic.
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Favorite Finds Of The Week

Made A Mistake? Deal With It The Productive Way - Organize IT

Productivity has long since moved on from being about to-do lists and GTD to being almost a way of living. Basically, it’s about being organized, systematic and efficient in what you do and how you live, whether that be with coping when you feel down or – in the case of this post – learning from and resolving mistakes. I’ve often found that I learn more from getting something wrong than from anything a textbook or a bunch of lectures can give me. So why not apply a productive mindset to the experience and make the most of it? Below I’ve detailed my five steps to dealing with mistakes the productive way. Love to read your thoughts on this one!

Feng Shui Decorating Tips - Joyful Days

This post looks at using feng shui for decorating our homes by following the following principles:

1. Yin and Yang
2. The Five Elements
3. Directions

The previous post provided an introduction to feng shui with some practical applications. The next post will look at using feng shui to increase wealth.
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Favorite Finds Of The Week

I hope you’ve all had a fabulous week and are excited about the weekend!  After a dump run this morning (tons of yard waste :) ) Gwynn and I will be taking the kids to my sister’s place for a BBQ and bonfire with the family. It should be a good time. To keep you busy if you’re choosing to stay indoors this weekend here are a few good reads that I’ve come across this week. I hope you enjoy!

But first, a few things to note from this week:

  • We had a guest post over at Simple Mom called Family Traditions: 10 Ideas To Get You Started! So be sure to check it out if you missed it.
  • I was fortunate enough to be randomly selected by Megan at Simple Kids to receive her families favorite unsung children’s book “Carry Me” by Rosemary Wells. I know our boys will love it so I’m looking forward to receiving it.
  • This week Gwynn implemented a few changes I had for the site. We’re really happy with how it turned out, it’s a little more pulled together and dare I say a bit more stylish? A huge thanks to my hubby for getting it done :)

And now…my favorite finds of the week
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Favorite Finds Of The Week

Here are some articles from across the globe for your reading pleasure. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did and are all having a great weekend!

Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 1: Deciding Where to Go – Mommy’s Idea Book  (This is part 1 of 4 be sure to click through the whole series. Amanda has done a very thorough job and there are even printable checklists…awesome!)

While vacations should be fun, exciting and memorable times for you and your family, they can be stressful if you have not planned well and budgeted in advance.Deciding where to go is the first step to any great vacation.Although you may have a few ideas in mind of where you would like to go, here are some things to think about before you make your final decision.

Spring Cleaning: Tips & Techniques – Simple Mom (The spring clean party starts this Monday and goes for 10 days. But don’t freak out Tsh purposely structured it this way to fit with real life, how great’s that?)

The Spring Cleaning Party starts this Monday, and I hope you’re all as ready as I am to start the spring cleaning process in your home!  Decluttering, cleaning, and organizing your living space will not only freshen up your home, it will lift your spirits and get you motivated to live more simply and fully.Here’s the general process of how this will work.


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Favorite Finds Of The Week

This weekend we’re planning on getting outside and doing a bit of spring cleaning around the yard. Raking up old leaves, taking the cover off the pool, washing the patio furniture and scrubbing down the deck is all on our massive todo list. I hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend and take the opportunity to do something, one little thing you truly enjoy. But if you can’t tear yourself away from the computer be sure to check out these articles from some of the great blogs we follow. 

7 Ways to Make Regret-Free Decisions and Overcome Insecurity – Someday Syndrome

Do you ever waver over decisions and or feel insecure about your actions? Perhaps it’s because you don’t have a passionate vision of the future. If your future is murky or you’re not sure the future you have in mind is the right one for you, every decision you make will cause you anguish. You have nothing against which to measure progress and you have no idea if your decisions are correct or not. Indecisiveness leads you to regret every decision you make. The regret then leads to insecurity. Because you can’t trust your inner voice, you start looking for outside approval. You let the opinions of others sway you until you don’t know what’s going on inside your head and your heart.

8 Principles for a Zen Marriage – Simple Marriage 

For over a year now I have been a Zen Habits follower. In fact I have even used some of Leo’s work on Simple Marriage. Recently Leo wrote a post on how to live like a Zen Monk. Which got me thinking about how a couple could create a Zen Marriage.To begin, what exactly would a Zen Marriage look like and why would anyone want to experience one?
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Favorite Finds Of The Week

Why Do We Say Yes When We Really Mean No? – Simple Mom

Stephen Covey, in his book The 8th Habit, says “the first and most demanding form of personal growth takes place in the family.”   Since embarking on the journey of motherhood a little over two years ago, I completely agree with his assessment. Becoming a mother has challenged me to grow and see myself in ways I never have before. It has required an honesty about who I am and how to best care for myself that has produced some of the best fruits in my life.  But they also have been some of my hardest lessons.

Balancing on top of the world – Quantum Learning

Sometimes I want to be more rooted and not so much moving from place to place. At other times I look for more time for writing and not so much wasted time. Or I could do with more fee earning work and less time invested in developing a peaceful future. Of course, in other periods all these are turned exactly in the opposite direction. There always seems to be some aspect of my life where I’m striving for balance.


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Favorite Finds Of The Week

Here’s this week’s faves. Have a great weekend!

 

A Guide for the Overwhelmed - Think Simple Now

Have you ever found yourself in a scenario where you had multiple deadlines, a long list of unfinished tasks, past due bills coming in the mail because you had forgotten to pay them, a rented copy of The Office Season 4 DVD that was due 9 days ago, and family, friends, and bosses asking you to do more? What can we do to gain back control of these chaotic and stressful situations?

 

How To Get What You Want In Life - Present Outlook

I thought carefully about posting an article with a title like this. Is it really that easy? Can you really sum up how to get what you want in life in a blog post? Surely it’s way more complex than that?

But the more I thought about it the more I realised that it really is this simple. The reason it seems difficult is because we are all so hopeless at following through on things. We want everything but aren’t prepared to really get stuck in and get our hands dirty trying to get it. We don’t have the self-discipline to do what needs to be done (at least that’s how it is from my end!).


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Favorite Finds Of The Week

Once again, here are my favorite finds of the week. I hope you find them enjoyable, informative and interesting. Have a great weekend!

How To Improve Marriage And Slow Down Life At The Same Time – Simple Marriage

“Everywhere you look, things are moving at a fast pace. Hurry up is a common phrase. When I want something, I want it right now. ‘What? You mean I have to wait 45 seconds for the book I just bought to download? Where’d I put the number for my Internet provider, I need a faster connection!’

The speed of life takes its toll on marriage and family as well. If your day is spent racing around from one thing to the next, it’s too easy to continue this pace when you arrive home each day.”

Top 40 Ways to Take Notes Online – Marc and Angel Hack Life

“Regular note-taking is one of the most productive habits a person can practice.  The ability to take notes online and access them anytime, from any location is priceless.  Over the last few years, I have personally tested nearly 100 different ways to do this.  Some of these note-taking systems are worth mentioning, and some are worth forgetting.”


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Favorite Finds Of The Week

Well it’s above freezing for the first time this year, Hooray!! We were out and about for most of the day. It’s great to enjoy the Spring like weather, because we know around these parts it won’t last for long at this time of year. Here are some fun, good and interesting reads to get you through the weekend. Hope it’s a good one! Enjoy.

What Makes You Happy? – BBC News

“Maybe it’s marriage or spending time with friends or something as simple as eating chocolate.

After asking for your advice on leading a happier life we can now see that there are countless ways to do so.”

Five Best Foods To Eat To Make Your Brain Sharper – My Super-Charged Life

Want to make your brain sharper?  Eat the right foods and you too can be an Einstein!

When it comes to your brain, the old saying, “You are what you eat”, still holds true.  We can greatly improve our mental ability by learning the best foods to eat.


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