Monday Morning Gratitude

It’s Monday, a day I always look forward to because I get to work from home on my business which I love!

It’s a big month as we start the official holiday season next week.  It seems that everyone tends to feel extra grateful this time of year, which is fabulous!

You may have seen this cross your social media path lately:

“Let’s see how many people can do this. Everyday this month, until Thanksgiving, think of one thing that you are thankful for and post it as your status. “Today I am thankful for….” The longer you do it, the harder it gets! Now if you think you can do it then repost this message as your status to invite others to take the challenge, then post what YOU are thankful for today.”

This is a really fun exercise and I think it’s really cool when I log on and see so much gratitude being shared.  Even finding one simple thing daily to be grateful for, can make such a difference.  It doesn’t have to be big – start small with one thing daily.  Write it in a journal, put it on a post it note, post it on Twitter, Facebook or your social media of choice.  It becomes a virtual ripple of gratitude – which is very powerful!

Today I am grateful for another beautiful walk to start my Monday morning and am energized with the opportunities that lie ahead this week!

How about you?  Post a comment with your gratitude declaration and help be the ripple!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 I am so excited for today!  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for gratitude is at it’s core.  It’s a wonderful day to spend quality time with family and giving thanks for everything wonderful in life.

In honor of the holiday, I have a gift for you (actually 2)!  I got together with 11 other wonderful
heart-centered business owners and we created an inspirational screen saver.  Each of us came up with an original inspiring quote, and our quotes are set on beautiful, inspiring nature scenes.
The purpose of the screen saver is to help inspire you throughout your day as you work toward your
goals. We’re also hoping you’ll feel connected and among like-minds as you read through our quotes. And, we’d love it for you to meet some new people and make new connections as well!

 The screen saver is available to you as my gift. To download your copy, simply log on to this web site: http://www.mindfulbusinessespartner.com  While you’re on the site, be sure and check out the other great women who are part of this project!

The screen saver will only be available until December 12th, so be sure and get your copy!

Finally, in honor of the kick off of the holiday shopping season-I’m having a SALE!  Click here to shop 11/28 through 11/30 on our website and use the coupon code FRIDAY during checkout to receive 10% off your entire order.
May you and your family have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

In gratitude,

Thanksgiving and And All That Good Stuff

The month of November has been a great month of gratitude and “thanksgiving.”  I’m really looking forward to culminating the month next week with a delicious Thanksgiving Feast.  We all have our traditions.  In my family it consists of a day of traditional food and football.  How about you?

I thought over the next few days I would share some of my Thanksgiving tips and recipes.  We’ve been hosting Thankgiving for nearly 12 years and have had some good times!

My favorite Thanksgiving tip I learned from a friend many years ago.  I take a pound of bacon and drape it over the top of my turkey.  It creates a natural basting and is quite delicious when cooked.  The drippings really add to the flavor for the gravy, too. 

One year we actually got so carried away preparing for the day that we forgot to baste the turkey!  The bacon took care of that and the turkey was still moist and delicious (thank goodness!)  Although I certainly don’t recommend not basting-it was still good!

Here’s a recipe for muffins that I have been making lately–they are delicious!

MUFFINS

My neighbor recently mentioned this recipe to me and I just love it.  The muffins are delicious and healthy (2 points if you are counting Weight Watcher’s points!)

1 box of any cake mix (spice cake, any chocolate or vanilla variety or carrott cake)

1 regular size can of solid pack pumpkin

Mix cake mix and can of pumpkin together.  The batter will be thick.  Spoon into greased muffin tins.  Bake according to box directions for cupcakes.  Yields 20-24 muffins.

Ironically, mixed with chocolate, you don’t even know that there is pumpkin in these muffins!  I actually made these for my daughter’s birthday and put frosting on them.  The kids didn’t know the difference and it was a much healthier treat!

As a variation, I used carrott cake box mix, added some crushed pineapple and some raisins with the pumpkin.  They were moist and delicious–quite a hit at my house!
 
Enjoy!

Give Thanks! It’s National “I Am So Thankful Month.”

Give Thanks! 
The Gratitude Collection Celebrates National “I Am So Thankful Month”

OXFORD, CT – NOVEMBER 5, 2008 – Did you know that November is National “I Am So Thankful Month?”  With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we are compelled to reflect on our thankfulness and gratitude and in turn express it to others.

The Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to let friends and family know just how much they mean to you. Even small gestures can make a big impact. Everyone wants to feel appreciated – now is the time to help your loved ones feel that way.

“An attitude of gratitude and thankfulness can bring so much into your life and in turn do so much good for others,” said Deanna Collins, founder of the Gratitude Collection a line of jewelry and apparel that reflects the benefits of positive thinking and the acts of gratitude and thankfulness.

“Energy is contagious.  It doesn’t take much effort to express your gratitude—it’s just a matter of mindfulness—go out of your way to pay a compliment or send a thank you note.  It will make you feel so good!” Collins noted.

The Gratitude Collection offers the following suggestions on how you can show your gratitude to the important people in your life:

• Send a handwritten note or card:  So many people use email to communicate today – sending something via postal mail creates a personal touch
• Donate your time and efforts: Take the focus off of material possessions by giving your friends and family your actual time and/or efforts. For example, if your friend is a single mother, offer to babysit a few weekends throughout the year for free or spend some quality time with an elderly friend or relative
• Start a compliment marathon: Make it a point to give someone a compliment every day this month. It can be as simple (and subtle) as telling someone they have a great smile. You’ll be making someone feel good about themselves and that is a very precious gift.  Think about how good it will make you feel, too!

“The holiday time is such a special time—a time when we feel rich with gratitude” Deanna said.  “Be sure to spend time to think about how you want to create a grateful and fulfilling holiday for yourself and others.”

The Gratitude Circle, the online community for the Gratitude Collection, aims to become the premiere online resource for inspiration and merchandise that cultivate a positive outlook on life and create opportunities for people to share personal stories of gratitude.
 
For more information on The Gratitude Collection and to purchase your own jewelry and apparel from the line, visit http://www.thegratitudecircle.net/.