Link love.

Here is a list of recent blog carnivals I’ve posted to. They are very good and full of interesting articles. Check them out for yourself.

These will be coming out this week.
Carnival of Life, Happiness and Meaning at Life Insurance Lowdown
Personal Power at Pinkblocks
Happiness Carnival at Think Happy Thoughts Happiness Blog

Here are last week’s (I was a little late updating).
Engineer your own happiness at The Lemonade Stand
Happiness carnival at Think Happy Thoughts Happiness Blog
Positive thoughts by Chris Stevens

Smile file: Quote fun

Happy animal face Uploaded on January 14, 2007 by Alicia Yeah

Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult.
(T-shirt quote)

Every day perks not to be missed.

Sunshine, lollypops Uploaded on November 7, 2007 by pinkazalea09

As you go through your day, take notice of what is happening. Don’t let opportunities for enjoyment, fun and pleasure pass you by. Be alert and aware of the short-lived joys as they happen. As you add them up you’ll feel happier and find more joy in the little things each day. (This is a great reminder for me as well).

1. The fresh smell of clean clothes.
2. A front-row parking space.
3. A steaming hot shower on a cold morning.
4. A clean kitchen.
5. Savoring your favorite meal.
6. The freedom owning your own car brings.
7. Learning a new skill.
8. Laughing so hard your stomach hurts.
9. A message from a friend.
10. Good music.
11. A comfortable pair of tennis shoes.
12. The smell of fresh-baked cookies.
13. Making someone smile.
14. Giving or getting a hug.
15. The smell of your favorite perfume.
16. The quiet of the neighborhood early in the morning.
17. Green lights all the way home from work.
18. Sunflowers and yellow daisies.
19. A soft cuddly blanket to snuggle in.
20. Fuzzy warm socks for your feet.

10 unusual ways to have fun cleaning.

Picture by holliesanders

Okay we all know that most of us don’t like doing our chores. They are repetitive and boring, there are always other we’d rather be doing. So in an effort to make the drudgery a bit more palatable, here are a few unusual ideas on how to have a little fun while you work.

1. Dance while you work. Make up your own dance moves in the privacy of your own home. Most of like dancing but we have no time to practice. Warning: This can be highly addictive; don’t be surprised if you find yourself dancing in the stores to the overhead music.
2. Read. If you never have time to read, try listening to an audio book each night as you make dinner, wash dishes or pick up.
3. Race yourself. Time yourself to see how fast you can complete your chores. Try to set a goal that’s faster than usual but not so fast you don’t do the job properly. Reward yourself if you can do it faster for a week by purchasing a small gift for yourself.
4. Talk to friends and family. If you never have time to call people you want to talk to, try to do it while you do your weekly cleaning. Put on the headset that came with your cell phone and get two things done at once.
5. Watch a movie. Do you have a few favorite movies that you know almost every line word for word? Put one of them on while you exercise or dust. Even if you miss a few moments you’ll know exactly what’s going on.
6. Make faces at yourself. I’ve done this one as well. Sometimes you just don’t want to do those chores. Maybe you’re tired, or had a frustrating day. Whatever the reason, look in the mirror and make the grumpiest, grouchiest face you can think of. Do this every time you pass a mirror. You’ll find yourself giggling and chuckling at your own silliness and soon your bad mood will be gone.
7. Pretend. Imagine you are a fairy princess being kept as a slave by an evil sorcerer. You must get everything spotless or he will destroy your family and the man you love. Sure it’s silly, but sometimes a little imagination goes a long way. (You could also imagine the look on your mother-in-law’s face when she can’t find a hair out of place on her next visit.)
8. Music. Put on some of your favorite CD’s or a favorite radio station. I did this just the other day with my MP3 player and was amazed at how fast I finished everything. I didn’t get to all the songs I wanted to.
9. Aroma therapy. I have noticed that when I use products with a citrus smell such as orange or lemon I like the smell and enjoy using it more. I used to have a Rainbow vacuum that used water and you could put in different scents to fill the air as you vacuumed. Using more natural products or at least ones that smell good can make your cleaning chore more pleasant.
10. Bless your things. This is a great gratitude exercise. As you wash your favorite glass, put your favorite sheets on the bed, or mop your new tile floor, notice what you are doing. Give thanks for the wonderful things you have and the beauty and joy they give you daily.

While not every idea will work for every person, I hope this will give you something to work with. If you have an idea you’d like to share, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks for stopping by!

Be more generous without spending a dime.

Loose change Uploaded on October 30, 2007 by asilva

I have to admit, I don’t think of myself as a generous person. I tend to horde things I love; books, toys, pens, quotes and most of all money. One of my goals is to be more generous and giving. To stop keeping all the cookies and chocolate to myself, but rather to share it with friends and coworkers. To give away books I’m done reading to others who might enjoy them. To return to those kindergarten lessons we learned so long ago: share, be nice, and treat others are you would want to be treated.

While I may not be as generous as I'd like, I try to share my time and skills with others whenever I can. If I can fix a computer problem for someone who is new, or do an errand to help a busy friend, I’m glad to do it. I love to point someone in the direction of a good restaurant, mechanic or store sale whenever I get the chance. Finding that hard-to-get toy for a niece or nephew is an adventure and long lines and busy stores do not deter my determination.

So why do I feel uncharitable and stingy? One reason is reading kindness web sites, biographies of great people, and self-help books. These stories of people who literally give away their last dollar and the shirt off their back fill me with inspiration and hope, but also a vague sense of guilt.

I resolve to make a plan to share my own type of generosity. As I’ve received kindness newsletters and surfed the Internet for ideas, I’ve come across many easy-to-do and cheap projects. One of my favorites was to put all your extra loose change into the candy, toy and gumball machines in a busy Wal-Mart for children to find and use. I remember as a child wanting one of those trinkets with great longing. This is an example of something that is easy to do, fun, and that will make me smile even if I’m not there to see the results.

Start today making your plan to be more generous. Don’t stick to only the conventional examples of giving gifts or money. Generously give the prime front parking space to the elderly person across from you. Donate your time to baby-sit for a busy family, offer to carpool with a coworker who doesn’t like to drive. Let the mother with three children plus a crying baby ahead of you at the checkout line. Join me in redefining what generosity is. Share kindness, share joy. Share a smile and make the world a better place without spending a dime.

Cartoon theme song fun.

During Halloween I enjoyed several fun theme songs like Ghostbusters, Friday the 13^th, and of course Scooby Doo. So of course I started thinking about Saturday morning cartoon theme songs. My husband and I both remember a lot of them, (they really stick in your mind). The fun of theme songs is they’re short, to the point and upbeat. They’re easy to remember even after years and years.

Coincidentally I saw a commercial for the new Bee Movie coming out. Jerry Seinfeld was doing a spot where he was talking to the crew about a theme song for the movie. He did a whole rendition of the theme song for Super Chicken. It was so funny! Especially when he said that nobody remembers the cartoon, but everyone knows the theme song. It’s totally true. (Although on the commercial his singing was met with blank stares.)

Recently I came across a great web site that has many different theme songs categorized for your enjoyment. They have TV shows, Saturday morning cartoons and more. Take a gander on the main web page, they have a huge selection to choose from. Here are some of my favorites:

George of the Jungle
Mighty Mouse
Super Chicken
Scooby Doo
Spiderman
Banana Splits

What were your favorites?

Fun with trees.

Treehouse from below Uploaded on September 5, 2004 by D'Arcy Norman

As I watch the last of the trees lose their leaves this fall, I think about how I’ve always loved the beauty and majesty of trees. When I was little I used to climb like a monkey (and I hardly ever fell – luckily). I vividly remember climbing to the top of a really tall pine in the woods by my home. From there you could see past our neighborhood and the next one, all the way out to the highway. I felt like a queen surveying her kingdom.

Who doesn’t enjoy a shady tree on a hot day, a delicious apple or pear or the fireworks of color during autumn? So I’d like to share how much fun trees add to our life everyday.

1. Designer trees. We can clip, shape and grow our trees in an infinite number of sizes, designs and colors. Check out some wonderful ideas here.
2. Tire swing. How many of us had a tree swing of some kind when we were little? Doesn’t just the thought of it make you smile?
3. Hammock. Sunday afternoons wouldn’t be the same without a trusty tree or two to shelter us and provide a strong foundation to hold us up while we read, nap or daydream in comfort.
4. Wood floors and banisters. Okay I bet right now you’re thinking how much you’d love to go home, take off your shoes and slip across the freshly waxed floor, or slid down the banister. I’m smiling right now as I remember how many times I did it as a kid.
5. Leaf piles. Raking might be a boring job, but jumping into a soft pile of leaves is worth the effort! Hide and scare the dog (or your brother), or stuff some orange plastic bags to make giant leaf-filled pumpkins.
6. Tree house. Oh how I want one of my own! I love seeing the designer tree houses on TV. There’s something about being up high, hidden among the leaves that is like having your own personal sanctuary.
7. Rocking chairs. Mmmm, just thinking about that makes me want to sit down and take a load off. That rocking motion is so soothing – just ask any baby!

Well, that’s all I can think of off the top of my head. I’m sure there are a million other fun uses for trees. So next time you pass one, stop for a second and send a silent bit of thanks for the wonder and beauty of that ordinary tree.