Listing Saturday:: Ways to turn a bummer of a day into a better day

Treat yourself to a latte or tea.  Savor the taste.

Smile.

Breathe Deeply.

Stop.  Look out to the horizon.  Focus on what's far away.

Go to the library and browse.

Walk your dog.

Jog in place.

Take a nap.

Grab your Gratitude Journal and list 10 things for which you are grateful.

 

Make a quick plan.

 

Take a nap.

 

Focus on something humerous.

 

Be the solution and not the problem

 

Help someone out.

 

Secretly pay for someone's lunch.

 

Pay something forward.

 

Take a nap.

 

Read a book.

 

Buy new shoes, if you can afford it.

 

Hold hands with someone special.

 

Window shop.

 

Pray.

 

 

 

Day 25:: 31 Day Writing Challenge:: Listing Saturday:: Why I Love Fall

1) The colors

2) The Contrast in colors

3) The cooling down of the weather

4) The knowledge that spring will come again.

5) Yellow, Red, Green all in one

6) Leaves that crunch on the ground

7) The smell of fireplaces burning

8) A chance to light the fireplace

9) Sleeping an hour longer

10) Lighting the firepot for a few precious hours outside

11) New jackets

12) Jeans

13) Sweaters

14) The warm weather following a killing frost

15) Flowers that survive a frost

What do you like best about the Fall?

Listing Saturday:: I Challenge YOU Today:: How many Blessings Have You Been Given Already?

A friend of mine (Deb Batten) once said to me::

"Not every day is a good day, but everyday has good in it."

The GOOD in each day are blessings you can see in the moment.   We'll talk about the other "blessings" another time--the not so good things that happen to us.  Believe me, they can be blessings in disguise.

So, here's my challenge to you.

Take 10 minutes and write down all of the obvious blessings you have been given before you read this post.

If you like, share your list in the comments section.

Here's mine::

1) My basil is still growing strong!  I'll have frozen basil to use this winter when I cook.
2) The day is almost over.
3) I had a delicious supper tonight.
4) I was able to get in and out of Target without overspending.
5) I have some wonderful friends.
6) The provolone cheese is delicious!
7) The dishes are being washed in the dishwasher.
8) I have two wonderful children.
9) I found some jeans that fit.
10) I was able to make some clay beads today.
11) I was able to arrange it so that I can participate in the Beads of Courage Event tomorrow.
12) I will be able to meet an "online" friend who has just moved to Minnesota at the event! 
13) She's a lovely lady.
14) It might rain tonight.
15) I bought some M & M's!  Shhhhhhh! Don't tell.
16) It will cool down tomorrow.
17) I can wear my new shoes.
18) I can make beads.
19) I'm downloading the new IOS8
20) Pixie might not sleep with me tonight.  She's comfortable on the couch.
21) I enjoy writing this blog.
22) Autumn is starting to look beautiful!
23) I ate some M & M's!  (Don't tell.)
24) I'm ready for bed as soon as the Ipad is finished.
25) I'm just plain happy tonight!

What are your blessings so far today?  Inquiring minds want to know!

25 Things I Love

1) God
2) My Children
3) Beads
4) New Shoes
5) Candy
6) Making Beads
7) Polymer Clay
8) Family
9) Friends
10) Reading
11) Writing
12) My Ipad
13) My Smart phone
14) Pink
15) My pink hair
16) Kindness
17) Peace
18) Joy
19) Hope
20) My dog
21) The smell of spring
22) Thunderstorms
23) Rain fall
24) Mismatched socks
25) Earrings

How would you feel out this list?

In November I was able to

Write in my gratitude journal almost everyday
Appreciate my blessings
Miss a step
Break a bone in my foot
Sprain my ankle
Learn to appreciate the kindnesses of the friends who helped me
Celebrate the joys of my life
Shampoo my carpet
Clean my house
Write more
Blog daily
Drive in an air cast
Reconnect with a dear friend
Learn that I could do it
Crochet the components for a free stye shawl
Decide to become a cantor at church
Remind myself that things could be worse
Read a couple of books
Make a new friend in the blogging world
Participate in a fun charm blog hop

When you hit that Proverbial Creative Wall with a Hard Smack, Here's What To Do...

When You're Stuck

1) Don't just stare, do something.  It doesn't matter what, but DO SOMETHING!

2) Change your routine. Do you normally feel more creative in the morning hours?  Change your work time to the afternoon.  The light is different.  The shadows are different.  You will see a world with new ideas.  If you work in the living room, move to the kitchen.  If you work in the kitchen, move to the bedroom.  If you can't move your creative space, choose a color palette that is new, and work with that.  Use your imagination, and change something about your work habits.

3) Change focus of creativity.  Do you work with polymer clay?  Draw or paint for a few days, instead.  Work with glass, make polymer clay figurines.  If you haven't got the supplies to change what you do, limit what you can use of your supplies.  For example, work only with black and white or red and purple.  Make yourself work outside of your normal box.

4) Make a list of 5 things you need to do and 5 things you want to do.  For every "need" accomplished, reward yourself with the uniterrupted time to do 2 things you "want" to do, or reward yourself with an hour of free time.  After that, go back to your need to do list.

5) Take a walk and take pictures as you walk.   When you edit your photos, randomly chose an "aspect" and change that a little more.  Post your photos in a "notebook" for color or texture or shape.  Refer to these when you need inspiration.

6)  Sit in a quiet room with a notebook and pen or pencil.  Do not use technology for this.  Begin to write random words.  Turn these words into drawings.  Use random fonts to write.  Develop one or more drawings from every word you make.

7) If your dominant hand is your right hand, use your left hand for a half an hour whether you are cleaning your house or working on your projects.  This will awaken the opposite side of your brain.

8) Pull out those UFO's.  Combine two or more to make a new UFO or finished project!You might develop an amazing mixed media piece, and this will force your brain into a new phase of creativity. 

9) Do this exercise:  Walk two steps forward, turn around, walk 3 steps backwards, (Yes, walk backwards but be careful!) Hop two hops to the right.  Turn in a circle.  Walk 4 steps forward. Stop.  Made you think, didn't I?  You've also figured it out, you're dancing!  Continue.  Use your own steps and have fun!  Smile!  That helps, too!

10) Read a magazine or newspaper backwards.  You want to wake up your brain, right?  This is brain work!

After all this, if you are still stuck:

See #1

Ten Things to do When You're Bored and in a Creative Rut

1)  Clean out your junk drawer.  It’s amazing what you might find in there.  Take 1 item from your clean out and repurpose that item.

2)  Find your favorite book.  This only works with a real book, not an ebook.  You can also use a newspaper or magazine.  Turn the book upside down.  Beginning from the bottom of the page, read the words without turning the reading material right side up.  This exercise strives to open those brain pathways that are clogged.

3)  Go into the kitchen.  Set a timer for 20 seconds. With your eyes closed pull out 1 item from the refrigerator, 1 item from the pantry, and 1 piece of fruit or vegetable in those 20 seconds.  Using only these 3 ingredients, make breakfast, lunch or supper. 

4)  If you have small children, ask their permission to use their crayons and a coloring book.  If you don’t have small children, go to the dollar store.  Buy a coloring book and a package of crayons.  Choose one page to color.  Only color OUTSIDE  the lines.

5)  Find a clean, empty jar.  Fill that jar with 5 things that will turn that jar into small work of art.

6)  Make a list of 10 items that you can only find outside.  Take that list.  Go outside and find those items. 

7)  Make a list of your favorite activities.  Choose one from that list.  Go do it. 

8)  Without speaking, walk through your home.  Imagine something that you would like to change about each room.  Choose one room.  Make that change.

9) Make a journal out of unusual items that you find around your house or at the dollar store.  For example, stickers and tissue paper.  Make the journal meaningful to you.

10)  Put your feet up.  Close your eyes.  Take a nap.   

What Are you Going to Do on A Rainy Day?

Now, don't sit around and cry. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow here in Minnesota.
So, what are you going to do on another rainy day?
Here's a list of suggestions for having fun,
even when the weather is bleak!

1. Take a nap. That's number one on my list!
2. Why stay inside? Take a walk in the rain. Can you count the raindrops?
3. Clean out a closet. It's amazing the things you can find when you empty a closet out.
4. Make paper airplanes. Have a contest with whomever is home. See who can fly their airplane the farthest distance.
5. Make popcorn and watch a movie on TV.
6. Turn off anything that makes a noise in your home and listen to the raindrops.
7. Read a book to your children.
8. Better yet, make a field trip to the library with the kids. Spend an afternoon getting acquainted with all the library offers.
9. Turn off the TV and play a game with your children. Give yourselves a chance to make special memories on a rainy day.
10. Pull out old photos or videos from when you were a kid. Share them with your children.