~Count your Blessings~

31 Things that make me happy (that I'm thankful for)

1.        First and foremost, God.

2.        My mother (and dad) for making what I’m sure was a difficult decision after 8 years of marriage, but ultimately it led to raising my sister and I with good morals, values, manners and a sense of responsibility.

3.       And obviously my other family members as well. Holidays would be quite depressing without them! And I think I’m lucky to have both sets of grandparents still alive and kickin.

4.       Overall health. I’ve never had surgery or any serious illnesses other than pneumonia & bronchitis. Pink Eye, Chicken Pox and Lice made their appearance, but that’s common. Hayfever still plagues me every summer/fall, but my organs are functioning fine, I’m disease-free and able to exercise several times a week.

5.       My amigos, new and old!

6.       Sweetie. My cat’s orange and white fur touches every surface of my apartment, but his cute face, funny noises and loving personality give me happy butterflies! When he’s curled up in my arms under the covers or sleeping on my pillow/head with his paw extending to touch my hand, I can fall asleep with a smile on my face. :)

7.       A Bachelors Degree.  I may not be in the Journalism field, but I feel  I did learn a lot & had a lot of fun while at UW-Whitewater. Being an editor on the school paper & traveling for Journalism conferences is something I'll  always be grateful for. 

8.       Opportunities to travel. From my mom taking us to NYC, Colorado & Washington D.C. to visiting friends and relatives in Texas, Florida, California and Arizona to spring break in Vegas, cruises to the Bahamas, Mexico & Jamaica and visiting the Grand Canyon. Next up-Germany for Oktoberfest?

9.       Being able to “bounce back” after a difficult situation-breaking up with a boyfriend, losing a job, getting in a car accident, etc. Always seeing the positive side and trying to laugh and dance away the stress keeps me from getting too depressed about things I can’t control.

10.   Having relatively low debt. I’ll have tuition loans for the next 7(ish) years which is something I’ve accepted. I recently had just paid off my car loan when I totaled my Honda and needed to get a new car and start all over again. I sure did enjoy the whole 2 months that I didn’t have a car payment though! Other than that, my credit card is at a manageable balance which I am determined to squash in the next month or two. 

11.   My ’08 Toyota RAV 4 SUV :)

12.   I can write in complete sentences and use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation (when I choose to, texting doesn’t count).

13.   Sunshine. Even on a winter day, tilting my head back, closing my eyes and feeling the warmth on my face makes my soul smile. Winters are long in Wisconsin, so I soak up the sun every chance I get, even if it’s just sitting on the grass reading a book in summer.

14.   Books! I’d go completely insane if I didn’t have novels to distract me from real life sometimes. They’re moving, interesting and educational. Yes, I’m a nerd. I love to read!

15.   Chocolate. ‘Nuff said!

16.   Trees: camping, hiking, being in nature makes me feel very at peace.

17.   Facebook. Sometimes. I could gripe all day about how stupid some people are on this social networking site, but overall, I like being able to stay connected to friends and know what’s going on in my family’s lives.

18.   Music. Whether I want to blast some dancing tunes, man-hater music, nostalgic 80s/90s melodies or calming pieces, there’s a genre for every feeling.

19.   Food. Tomatoes, Mexican, pizza, Red Robin’s Bonzai Burger (BBQ & pineapple!), any kind of juice, cherry cheesecake, gummy worms, stuffed peppers, soup, Cocoa Puffs… these are a few of my favorite things!

20.   My GPS. I’d be so lost without it. Ha! Get it? Ok, sorry.

21.   The sound of rain on my rooftop or while lying in a tent. So relaxing. Love it.

22.   Purple flowers

23.   Laughter. My aunt Chris has an infectious laugh. Everyone in the room will be cracking up, we don’t know at what, but Chris’s chuckle is so funny you can’t help but howl at it! If my face hurts after hanging out with friends or family, I know it was a good day!

24.   Isabel Marie. On December 12, 2013 I became an aunt. I’ve never been a huge fan of kids but lately that’s changing, as they can be fun and entertaining. Holding my 2-hour old niece for the first time, I instantly fell in love with her. Now I love watching her grow and smile, and I truly cannot believe this little being is part Stacey and part Mike. How can I love something so much that’s not even mine?! (Sorry mom, I still don't want to reproduce though.)

25.    That I'm able to afford to live in my own apartment & not have a roommate. 

26.     Volunteer opportunities. When I moved to GB two years ago I didn't know anyone except my sis, her hubby & my now ex-boyfriend. I threw myself into volunteering for On Broadway Inc, the Cellcom Marathon, the Bellin Run, St Mark's 6th-8th grade youth ministry group called Rooted to the Rock, the St Mark Food Pantry, Big Brothers Big Sisters and others. It's helped me meet new people, network and keep me busy when I was going through a break up & needed the distraction. 

27.     Senses: sight, taste, touch, smell & hearing. I think we all take these for granted. 

28.     Smartphones, when they cooperate.

29.     Heartbreaks, disappointments, pain, fear... I should be grateful for all of these as they make me realize things in life, but honestly, who really enjoys these feelings?! I do not. 

30.     My new job as a Marketing Coordinator for a beer distributor!

31.     Peace + Quiet = Relaxing Happiness! 

~Date Nite!~

Last night I got to babysit my cute little Bug so mommy & daddy could have a night out. I got them tickets to the Gamblers game through my work & some gift cards to the Resch so they didn't have to pay for dinner. My sister & her hubbs were on the "Kiss Cam" and a lady made a thankful announcement over the PA to the paramedics who performed CPR on one of the hockey players at a previous game, saving his life. My brother-in-law is a paramedic and those were his co-workers. I watched the video my sister took on Facebook & it was moving. :-)

My baby niece was a perfect little angel for me, instead of the she-devil she can sometimes be lol. It was a good night for all! 

PS. The Gamblers won!!

~Make a non-monetary donation~

About a week or two ago I posted on my Facebook asking friends if they had any pet supplies they were not using or wanted to buy items on the Bay Area Humane Society's wish list or make a monetary donation.

My fellow former Jagergirl Jess gave me a whole box of supplies, my mother mailed me a check, my fellow Body Combat workout buddy Dawn contributed bags of towels and blankets and two puppy beds. I also went to the Dollar General and bought a few items off the humane society's wish list and wrote a small check. So today after work I went there to drop off all the items, and the lady seemed surprised & pleased at the bags & box I hauled in. Afterwards I felt pretty good, and grateful to Jess, Dawn & my madre for contributing!

As you can see this is the third post about animals as I have a weak spot for cats (and sometimes dogs lol) and want to help shelters/humane societies in any way I can. Even after this blog is done, I'll still continue to make a monthly donation to ASPCA and particpate in any fundraising or volunteer activities I have time for. The kitties are so cute!! ;-)

~You may pass first~

Hold the door open for people. Literally, grab the handle pull it back and step aside so someone can enter in front of you. Men, you should already be doing this for any and all females! Prove to us that chivalry is not dead! :-)

~Go Ahead~

Random Act of Kindness/Happiness: instead of blocking an entrance/exit to a gas station or store at a red light, stop a car length back and let people enter/exit the parking lot.

*beep beep!*

~Bday Tunes~

I typed up a whole entry about taking my "little" to the "Finding Kind" lecture at GB West High School... then accidentally deleted it! :-( Thankfully my daily anti-anxiety meds kept me from going bonkers. I was going to say screw it, I'm skipping today too (yah I slacked yesterday). 

Then I realized I did do something nice today without even planning on it. I called my sweet Grandma on my lunch break & sang "Happy Birthday" to her answering machine! 

Happy bday Gma A!! <3

~Save the Environment!~

The beautiful sun is melting the snow - yay!! But it's also revealing all the gross litter on the ground - boo! Today I donned some latex gloves, grabbed a plastic bag and went for a walk with the sheer purpose of picking up a bunch of litter in my neighborhood.

After 15 minutes my bag was overflowing with disgusting objects that were discarded in parking lots, on the side of the road and in the grass along Bellevue Street. I collected about 10 empty cigarette cartons, about the same number of empty alcohol/soda/water bottles and random crap including a bag of rotten potatoes, cig butts & two big pieces of cardboard.

This is only a fraction of the litter in my neighborhood! The next time I go for a walk, I'm bringing TWO bags!

~Mailman surprise~

Dear Postal Carrier,
Good morning, here's a lil note for you and a piece of candy. Thank you for delivering my mail. Hope you have a great day! ;-)

~The "L-Bomb" aka 3 Magic Words~

It's hard for me to say this phrase, not sure why. "Love" is a strong word & I feel it should only be spoken when truly meant. I do love my friends & family, but I'd rather show you than tell you. I know some people need to hear it though. I want to say that today I made it a point to say "I love you" to people who meant the most to me, but that would involve picking up the phone & calling and ain't nobody got time fo dat!

 
So I texted a few people an "I love you" photo telling my friends I heart them & emailed my mother (mom, if you're reading this Thursday morning thinking "no you didn't!" Check your work email). 
I know I need to say this more, but I feel like if I do, someone will make a big deal about it which makes me wanna say it even less. 


To my family & closest friends:

                              I LOVE YOU!!! <3

~Comfort food~

My planned lunch today: a Lean Cuisine and a bag of chips. When noon struck, I was not feelin it so decided to go home and make a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup! Well, I didn't have tomato soup, I had Butternut Squash. It was delish! I added a glass of milk, some fruit chunks and 2 caramel-filled Hershey kisses. What's your fav comfort food?!

~Vending Machine Surprise~

Leave some coins in the vending machine for the next person to use. Won't our janitor be surprised when he gets a "discount" on his milk today at lunch! ;-)

~Donate~

Today I donated to the ASPCA because I love animals & they need our help!

Give to a cause you feel strongly about. =]

~Zoom zoom~

I don't want to brag about doing something nice for a friend & I would've done it regardless of this blog. So I'm just going to mention it as part of a random act of kindness/happiness. 

A friend's car has been in the shop all week & he lives close to me so I gave him a ride to work three times this week. Yes, I had to get up a little earlier, but it gave me more time to *wake up* before starting my work day & I even treated myself to a latte at Kavarna one of the days so I wasn't too early to work lol 

***TGIF!***

Let's have a happy, fun, kind & safe St Patrick's Day weekend! =]

~Shamrock Shake!~

In my 31 years on this earth, I've never tasted a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's. Can you believe that?! I saw a commercial last night so I decided to treat myself today after lunch. I offered to get one for several co-workers, but they all turned me down saying they're trying to lose weight and are on a diet.

Usually not a huge fan of mint (especially mint + chocolate = not my cup of tea), but since this is a limited time treat I wanted to try it. It was delicious actually, but the sad part is, I didn't eat the cherry at the bottom. By the time I was done sipping this at work, I was on to a Monster energy drink as I was still tired from a long work day/night yesterday and have to volunteer at the Y with a bunch of high-energy 5th grade girls!

Pick up your Shamrock Shake today! (limited time only) :-)

~A Dozen Roses~

My work is having a fundraiser for the Bellevue Lions Club by selling bouquets of flowers or a dozen roses for $15. Roses will be delivered later in the month. I couldn't think of anyone who really needed cheering up so I asked a friend for the name of a good retirement/assisted living facility. He recommended a few and I chose Woodside Lutheran Senior Communities, because I'm Lutheran.

I grabbed a blank card from home with a matching green envelope and wrote a simple note to the staff of the facility asking them to please distribute a rose to 12 people who really need cheering up. Hope it brightens someone's day! :-)

"Being kind to yourself in thoughts, words & actions is just as important as being kind to others."

~New Class~

Yes I skipped yesterday. I spent all day at a brewery near Madison & on a bus with all my co-workers, then went to a networking social event til about 10pm. Needless to say I was exhausted. Random act of kindness-I held my boss' beer while she put on her jacket. Haha. Boom!

Tonight my "little" Ealisa & I tried a new class together-Tae Kwon do. I took this class two semesters in college & incorporate some moves in my weekly gym routine, but I wanted my naughty 11-year-old mentee to try it & learn discipline. 

When you address the Sensei (leader) you always say sir or ma'am & the class starts off with a bow to the American flag & a bow to the Sensei as a sign of respect. After they rambled off their mission or whatever we learned how to count to 10 in Korean as that is what the Sensei shouts for reps when punching. I learned some new kicks, punches & blocks that incorporate some turns & pivoting on the ball of your foot. I enjoyed watching my "little" act so casual in such a strict atmosphere & being corrected by a black belt lol. The girl needs to learn to respect her elders (parents & teachers mostly). This class was free to try as part of Big Brothers Big Sisters. We get one more free class in which we learn how to free ourselves from an attacker & more blocks and self defense. I definitely want her to learn those things. After that its $25/month and you can work your way up to black belt. 

When we got back to her house, we demonstrated some moves to her mother, and she seemed excited. So I'm hoping this new outing was valuable for her. 

~Guns~

Beth and I both have a fear of guns. We wanted to go to the Family Shooting Academy to try to conquer this fear and just to feel more confident. So we get there and decide to do the "Date Night" package which is $40. The guy let us pick out our 9mm, gave us basic loading instructions, eye and ear protection and sent us on our way! Of course we were big girly girls about it at first, totally giggling and trying not to look like idiots. 

I shot first cause Beth was a lil freaked out having never shot a gun, and I shot one like once or twice up at Dad's land. But still I was nervous. So I loaded the magazine, cocked the gun and took a shoulder-width stance. After properly grasping the gun and using the laser to eye up my target, I took off the safety and pulled the trigger. The recoil was what I expected. It was loud. There was a spark and the shell shot out to the side (not the bullet, the shell lol). Yes it scared me, but I kept going. Beth took her turn with hands shaking and did pretty good! Out of 50 shots, 46 hit our target. Woohoo!! 

It was a fun, new experience and now Beth and I have this urge to try more new things! Who's up for skydiving?! :-)

~Help the animals~

This is Saturday's blog.
Happily Ever After is a no-kill animal sanctuary in Green Bay. Their annual "Beer & Biscuits" event raises money for the non-profit organization to buy supplies. Tickets were only $15 which included beer, wine, bread, cheese & cupcake samples. I went with my friend Jon & met up with another friend, Brian and my former Jagergirl Jess who's now carrying twins. 

I wanted to spend money here because I love cats & I believe this is a good cause, but none of the auction items caught my eye. I participated in the 50/50 raffle & the drawing for an awesome grill with a cooker full of meat, but did not win. But I'm glad I went, it was a cool event, fun to hang out with old friends and doing something nice for a good organization! <3

Www.happilyeverafter.org

~Cheese!~

This is Friday's entry.
Smile. :^)
It's the easiest thing you can do to be happy and spread that joyous feeling.
Smile at something inspiring that you read, or something sweet you saw like an old couple holding hands as they take a stroll or a toddler hugging/kissing his little sister. Smile at someone walking past you in the store, while humming a song or at your restaurant server. Smile because someone complimented you or hugged you or made you laugh. Smile because something you did or said today may have a lasting effect on someone else's life. Smile because you donated money to a fundraiser or supplies to a charity, because volunteering makes you feel good, because you love holding your niece ;-) in your arms and doting on the adorable little human being that's cradled in your arms. 

Smile because you're happy with your life!

Don't forget to SMILE!! =]

~Compliments~

When's the last time you paid someone a sincere compliment? Don't you feel on top of the world when someone tells you they like your shoes or tells you you're funny, or a stranger telling you how well behaved your kids are. 

I made it a point today to compliment 3 people today, and they were genuine. A co-worker helped me today by explaining something to me & saying I can come to him with questions any time. I said "Oh, you're so sweet!" and let him know I appreciated his assistance. I went out for lunch today & really liked the hostess' dress, so I told her how pretty it was. Turns out we both love Platos Closet lol. While volunteering at the Y tonight, leading a group of crazy 5th grade girls, I told a girl how pretty her sparkly shirt was. We did a group activity that involved using only a $5 budget to purchase healthy foods. One group had their grocery list budgeted down to the penny! I told them how awesome they were & what a great job they did. Later while swimming in the pool, they were doing somersaults, flips & handstands. I was genuinely impressed considering my "little" is the same age and can't even swim. So of course I was dishing out compliments to all these girls who flipped with perfection. 

Lets all dish out more compliments to make others (as well as ourselves) happier. :-)

~Starbucks~

A lot of us have heard of someone going through the Starbucks drive-thru and not only paying for their order but also pay for the person next in line. I didn't sleep well last night as I think I'm getting sick so I needed espresso! Unfortunately, there was no one behind me in line this morning for me to pay for. Instead of one caramel macchiato, I got two. I beat my boss to work and placed the delicious drink on her desk and got to work. When she came in I heard, "Oh my goodness…." and I explained to her that I needed Starbucks this morning so I just got two, one for her.

What's something small and sweet you can do for someone today?

~Nice Notes~

This is actually Tuesday's entry. :-)

 I took my "little" Ealisa out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. In case you didn't know, I'm involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters and have been matched with a shy yet fun 11-year-old Latina girl for a year. So while we're dining on $1 mini burgers I told her about my blog and that she was going to participate in my entry for today--writing a sweet, funny or inspiring note on a cocktail napkin!

Ealisa excitedly grabbed a pen and started racking her brain for something nice to say. When Morgan, our server, came over to give me the bill we quickly turned our napkins over lol. So after I signed the credit card receipt we slipped the napkins into the black folding thing and left. Ealisa tried to keep stalling me so we could see her reaction when she saw the tip and read the notes, hoping she'd thank us, but I told her part of doing random acts of kindness is not to receive a "thank you." 

Hopefully our server's day was a lil happier after reading these....  :)

~Treats~

Who doesn't enjoy coming to work and finding complimentary treats in the break room?! I had leftover Danishes & dessert bars from my bday brunch yesterday so I brought them to work for my fellow Dean employees to enjoy.

 Then I had an idea for the blog along the same line as what I did this morning. I'd leave a bag of Hershey's kisses out at the gym tonight. So I splurged for the caramel-filled kisses & with the help of my creative amiga Miss Beth Marie, we came up with a cute saying to put on a notecard next to the bag of yumminess, "A random act of kindness to send warm wishes your way, a bag of chocolate kisses to brighten up your day!" I didn't want to be seen putting them out so after changing my shoes I hastily plopped them on the counter and walked out. Hopefully everyone enjoys the delicious chocolates as much as I do  (yes I kept a handful for myself hehe).





~~~"Life is not about making others happy, it's about sharing your happiness with others."~~~

~Happy Bday to Me~

Today I hosted a Sunday brunch buffet in a private room for about 15 female friends and family members to help me celebrate my birthday. Old friends and new friends showed up, my aunt, mom, sister & my cute baby niece. When Googling “ways to celebrate your birthday,” one idea was an overnight road trip or destination weekend to somewhere new which sounded fun, but maybe expensive. Another idea that caught my eye getting a bunch of ladies together for a Sunday brunch. I chose to rent a private “skybox” room at The Gutter which is a restaurant/bar and bowling alley in Green Bay I used to work at (http://www.theguttergb.com/).

I was happy to see the variety of ladies who showed up. I didn’t even care it was for my birthday, I’ll make any excuse to get people together and have fun. I think everyone enjoyed the food (scrambled eggs, sausage links, hashbrowns, bacon and pastries) including the assorted dessert bar platter I splurged on because I LOVE sweets! Since the color scheme was purple (go figure!) the cloth napkins and buffet linens were my favorite color and I made matching centerpieces for the tables – purple flowers in clear vases. We all dove in to the yummy food, hung out and chatted and laughed. They gave me sweet n funny cards and thoughtful gifts like chocolate, wine, a scarf and bracelets. I was so happy to see everyone! 

Five of us did some bowling after brunch and my aunt Diane who hasn't bowled in a long time totally kicked our butts! I got more gutters than strikes or spares haha. We passed my baby niece around and took cute photos. 

Eventually we said our good-byes and I went home to take a nap before dinner & watching the Oscars at my sister's! Thank you so much Stacey, Mom, Diane, Kari, Missie, Sara, Judy, Selese, Lydia, Beth, Amanda and Toni for coming! Heart you all :-

~Spa Day~

Tomorrow is my birthday. 31. Nothing really special about this age. My 30^th was celebrated visiting friends in Arizona - laying by the pool, hiking in the mountains and going out for dinner and dancing in 80-degree weather, a great way to jump into my thirties. Today I am treating myself to a facial and massage at The Day Spa in De Pere (http://dayspaescape.com/), using a gift card I received for Christmas and some extra saved dollars. I’ve been there before and loved it so I’m excited to go back! I thought this would be a great bday treat to myself and a good first entry for “31 Days of Random Acts of Happiness” as it made me happy! :)

----------------------

Starbucks in hand, clad in comfy yoga pants and a zip up fleece I arrive at the lofty day spa around 10 a.m. for my two hours of pampering! A beautiful stone foyer with a soothing, trickling waterfall greets me. As I walk over a little bridge to the stone front desk with tall wood beams, a cheerful lady surrounded by tall white ceilings and natural light welcomes me. After checking in, she escorts me to the ladies area where a soft, clean robe and slippers await me inside a locker. After changing, I proceed to their dimly lit sitting room known as the sanctuary.

First up is a facial which takes about an hour. After turning the overhead lights off and the relaxing/calming green and blue lights on, she leaves the room so I can de-robe and climb under the covers of the heated recliner. My esthetician puts cucumbers on my eyes and proceeds to put facewash on me, then astringent, some other products and then puts a warm towel on my face. She uses this to remove all the products in soothing strokes. Extractions also come with this sort of facial. I've had facials before at the Renaissance Medispa in Oshkosh and know from experience that this is the painful part. Using a little tool, she pokes various spots on my face to remove clogged pores. More product is then put on and my face is wrapped in an ice cold towel to tighten the skin. She uses this to wipe the product off my skin then uses a high frequency wand on my face. This zaps my pores to increase healing and clearing up of the skin. Again, I know from experience that this process clears up blemishes in 1-2 days!

  

With about 20 minutes between services, I take this time to relax in the sanctuary, savoring the cold, lemon/cucumber water and munching on pretzels.

 

The aromatherapy massage is meant to relax, but also be therapeutic. The latter kind of massages are usually anything but relaxing. After my massage therapist puts a drop of lavender oil on my headrest, she starts with relaxing strokes, but then starts pressing the knots out of my shoulders and neck. I keep telling myself, "no pain, no gain!" Today, I have a headache. Well, most days I have a headache, but I was hoping this massage would loosen the knots and relieve tension.

 

When the services are over, it’s time for the steam shower! Each glass shower stall has several shower heads to hit every area of the body, as well as a steamer. After letting the shower steam up for a few minutes, I relax on the wooden stool in the slate-tiled shower with my lemon water and let the steam do its job. This job entails: naturally improving blood circulation, therefore boosting metabolism, loosening tight muscles and releasing endorphins, helping to relax the mind and relieve mental tension. Steam also makes the body perspire which releases trapped dirt and bacteria, and alleviates respiratory infections by letting the warm, wet heat open the airways.

 

After slathering on sweet-smelling lotion and getting dressed, spoiling myself comes to an end. I take my time, reluctant to leave the stress-free haven, but happy that I indulged. With a refreshed sense of happiness and relaxation,  I exit ready to enjoy my work-free birthday weekend! :-)

 

Ps. I highly recommend a custom facial or type of massage to pamper yourself! There’s several types of massages to choose from like deep tissue which is therapeutic, releasing tension and easing back/neck pain, or a Swedish aromatherapy massage which focuses more on relaxation.