7.31.11

My month of wealth has drawn to a close, and my summer isn't far behind.


Tonight we took advantage of the cooler 90 degree weather and walked to the township festival. We've done this before, and I recall thinking years ago when we did it, "Gosh, that walk was a lot further than I thought," and I'll be darned if I didn't think the same exact thing this year.


Far indeed. Two miles each way to be exact. 


So we arrived, sweat-soaked tee-shirts and streaked bug spray, and immediately stumbled upon this game.

Will did a great job feeding Mike, and even got an enormous fake fly as a prize (which is remarkably better than the other real bugs he brings me to show and tell).


Then we saw a fire truck. To say that Will shows slight delight in the presence of big red vehicles that make loud noises would be an understatement. He enjoyed touching the tire, and then immediately looking to see if the firemen were looking, but he drew the line when they invited him into the driver's seat. 

After a rather disappointing show of festival food, we took in the band. Will's dance moves were on point. (You don't need to watch this; it's really just for my mom.) 

Sleepy, and surrounded by 14-year-old girls in black tight mini skirts circa Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, complete with off-the-shoulder belly shirts, waiting in line for free tinsel hair (tinsel hair?) and shrieking every time they saw someone they hadn't "like, seen ALL SUMMER!" it was time to go home. (And time for me to start preparing myself for the school year, as Mrs. Kauffman the meanie with no patience almost told a few to start walking and talking instead of blocking the sidewalk, as though I were on bus duty in May.)

And as we walked home in the direction of the setting sun, the locusts winding down their calls for the day, and our four days shy from two-years-old tot entertaining us with the oh-so-many songs he's memorized (much like his mom, the cure for cancer won't be coming from him, as his brain will be full of too many song lyrics), it occurred to me for the thousandth time this month exactly how complete and full and rich and wealthy my little life is. 


August's intention is...

7.30.11

In my quest to DIY Will's new "Big Kid" room, I am alllllllllmost finished.


I saved money by refinishing our old dresser. The body of the dresser just needs a couple more coats of poly. Oh, and a drawer needs a little TLC. As the drawers were drying in the laundry room, a dog got a little overzealous and knocked one off the counter. It sort of came apart into two pieces. I'm hoping Greg can work his engineer magic...


Here are the drawers before (on the left) and after sanding (on the right).

Here are the drawers completely finished.

I think I'm going to want to sit in Will's room and gaze at his dresser incessantly once it's finished. I think I'm in love with it.


And then there's the bed. I opted to not sand and refinish the bed we got for free, although I tried. It was a valiant effort. Too many knobs and round surfaces to do with the electric sander (and I am all about tools that get the job done faster!).


Instead, I fashioned a headboard out of plywood, quilt backing, and fabric, and Greg fastened it to the wall. 


This kid loves his bed...

...any ideas on how to get him to sleep in it? :o) Seriously...we are looking for all helpful tips and suggestions!! 

7.29.11

I wrote about a week ago regarding intention setting in yoga practice.


This morning, I practiced for the first time with this goddess. 


I don't recall setting an intention. I was very in the moment and in the breath (which is a good thing since the practice involved rolling prana through the body to dictate your movements). 


And really, the whole class was slowed way down. It was almost like a workshop. We probably only did 6-8 poses the entire hour and a half. (Interestingly enough, last week I had a conversation with several yogis about how we crave slow practices, that the quick power stuff just isn't for us anymore. There's something about allowing yourself the space to breathe. That breath...that prana...ah, such powerful stuff.)


We began with a sea of OMs. Sitting in a tight circle, I began my OM as soon as I heard the person next to me. 


The room filled. It moved. It sang. It brightened.


As we moved, this beautiful yoga goddess, Karina, began talking about letting the earth nourish you; letting the cool dirt absorb whatever you wanted to give it, and then accepting the food it would give back to you.


I haven't a clue what I released today. I cannot pinpoint any specific emotion or event or person or time in space. I just shed tears. 


And they came in waves, like our sea of OMs, one after another. 


She gave me a dreamy adjustment in a particularly open and inviting twist. "Let yourself be vulnerable," she said. "You don't have to be afraid." 


I have spoken those words in my classes before, encouraged my students to do just that. Today, I cried as they were said to me.


I walked away feeling exactly what her intention was for us: nourished.  It was therapy not for my mind or emotions; it was therapy for my soul. 


Filled up and rich with her teachings, I am nourished.

7.28.11

This post is human.


My wealth of words ran dry.


The only thing I can think about in this moment is that it's my sister's 27th birthday, and I am overjoyed that she is here for it.


Big love to you, sweet sister. 

7.27.11

I think that one of the many blessings of being a teacher is the opportunity to see people from all different situations and circumstances, and feeling so much gratitude for everything that I have. 


Another one of those blessings is being able to help my students in every capacity possible.


Yesterday, I had the opportunity to lead a yoga session with the Cross Country team at Colerain High School. I saw several former students, including one young man who's mother is battling colon cancer. Her progress is good, but I made sure to ask how she was doing with her treatments. The family is truly "good people." You won't find sweeter, more caring gentleness than this family.


What I didn't know, is that another of my former students in the group--just a few kids down from the one I inquired with--has a mother battling a very rare form of blood cancer. 


It circulated in an email today, a 5K being held to help this particular student's family raise money to pay for everyday expenses. Their medical bills are topping $300,000, and there is currently no money coming in, as mom just had a stem cell transplant, and has to be quarantined for a whole year!


I think a wonderful thing about this particular family is that the mom who is ill helped to establish an organization that helps people with disabilities find work. It's now a nationwide program. How unfortunately ironic that she is now the one who needs the help.


But what a wonderful opportunity to show her the same compassion she has always shown for others.


I'm posting the links to help out here, so that we may share the wealth...either monetarily, or through prayer and intention. Whatever you can give is always more than enough.


To read the family's story and make a donation online, click here.


To read more about the 5K happening August 13th, click here.

Peace and love.

7.26.11

I am unabashedly, irrevocably, madly, unconditionally, completely, whole-heartedly, head over heels, filled to the brim and overflowing in love with my cuddly, huggable, kissable, rambunctious, hilarious, witty and wise, sharp as a tack, always muddy and always moving, adorable (biased, of course) little boy. 

That is all.

7.25.11

You know, you have this reserve of energy, and you should be very particular about who you expose yourself to. Some people are energy vacuums, and deplete you of your good, radiant positivity. 


But there are others who just light up, and in turn light you up, and fill you with knowledge and inspiration and maybe even a little bit of peace. 


I know a yogi who is such a person, and I don't get to see her nearly enough. But when I do, she always provides me with gems--diamonds really--of knowledge that leave me inspired for a long time.


I had the pleasure of seeing her twice last week, and at one point we got to talking about her daughter, Anna, who has Down Syndrome. 


She shared the following story last Wednesday, and it hasn't left me. I've shared it with a few of you already, but thought I'd put it out to my dear readers. 


Before Anna was born, my yogini friend knew that there was a chance she could have Down Syndrome. She decided to go ahead with the amniocentesis test. 


However, as the doctor was inserting the needle, Anna's hand kept reaching out for it. It was too much of a risk, and the test was unable to be completed.


"Divine Intervention," she called it. 


My friend knew, test or no test, that she was going to receive a very special child, "baked with a little extra sugar," she said. 


And into this world came Anna, her little spiritual guru. 


When Anna was in first grade, she was sitting at home with her mom and her dad. She kept yelling, "Go Home! Go Home!"


"But you are home, Anna. What is it you need? Where do you want to go?" they asked her.


"Go Home!" she persisted.


A few weeks later, my friend realized that perhaps Anna wanted to go home, to the Heavens that she came from. She had, after all, prayed for Anna. 


Anna is now almost twelve. Last week, my friend found a painting Anna had done back in the first grade. She had always meant to have it framed, and did just that. It was rather celestial: a beautiful night sky, perhaps the sun and moon, maybe a star. 


First, she showed it to Anna. 


"Do you remember this picture you painted Anna?" she asked her.


Anna replied, "Yep. Home Sweet Home." 

7.24.11

The bar is finished! A reminder of what it looked like before...

...and now after!

I ended up buying stainless steel surface-mount door hinges and painting them the same color as the cabinet. I have a feeling that's a design no-no, but the previous owners of this house left me with no other option! The door handles look nice, and you can see in the next photo how I tried to use the countertop and cabinet color (and door handle placement) to sort of flow seamlessly with what we have in the kitchen.

Which brings me to this month's giveaway--congratulations to Rachel and Jen! You BOTH win! Hooray! Please email me (kristin.kauffman@yahoo.com) so we can chat about what you get! 


We did a lot of driving and thunderstorm dodging today to pick up Will's new bed (bonus: it was free!) and although it isn't the style I quite wanted, I'm going to start sanding it down tomorrow. I think with a new stain and the other refinished furniture, it'll end up being great in his new room. I would imagine I could have most of it together by the end of next week, just in time for his second birthday!


Double hooray for saving money! I'll toast this white wine sangria spritzer to that!

7.23.11

I spent the day filling my bank...spending time with my sister (who I haven't seen in 9 months!), teaching yoga to good souls, and ending it all with a Greg-made dinner. And with that, I need to replenish my sleep bank. Yep, we totally rock it out on Saturday nights.

7.22.11

I will preface this story with the fact that I will not be winning Mother of the Year this year, unless it's in the category of "Biggest Hyperventilating Freakout" or "The Dumb Mom Award." 


I will also preface this with, everyone is okay, and I'm already starting to laugh about it, five hours later.


I know Will isn't the first kid to do this, but...he locked himself in my car this morning.


It was 8 a.m., already 85 degrees, and I had to take him to the sitter so I could go teach a class. The sitter lives 8 houses away, and so as I've done a few times this summer, I let him climb into the front seat (here we go with the "You Idiot Dumb Mom Award").


I placed my phone in the console, my keys on my seat, shut the door and walked to the other side. 


In that brief 4 seconds, Will played with his favorite button, and it didn't take but a fraction of a second to realize the extreme panic of the situation.


Here's the greatest two things in the world about Will: He didn't panic, and he did exactly what I told him to do, two weeks shy of turning Terribly Two.


He pressed the unlock button as I instructed him to, only I learned something new about my car: that button doesn't work from the inside unless the car is on.


Cue tears.


I run across the street to my sweet old lady neighbor. She panics with me and says, "Call 911!" 


I'll tell all of the blog world this story, but I don't want to be on the freaking news. 


So she tells me to run across the street to my next door neighbor, Jim. "Get Jim!" 


Jim...well, what to say about Jim. The guy is retired. When his camper isn't on cement blocks in his driveway, he has it parked at a campsite so he can go fish, and drink beer. He starts drinking beer at 10 a.m. and keeps going until he passes out. In the winter, he plows my driveway--with a plow on his four wheeler. But he owns every tool known to man, and at this point, he was my only option.


And in case you're asking these questions: No, there is no extra key to my car. Because it was $150 and we didn't see a need (but Greg purchased one at 8:30 this morning). No, we don't have AAA (but Greg signed us up at 8:30 this morning). No, I couldn't call anyone, my phone was in the car. No, I couldn't get into my house because it was locked, and we don't have a house phone anyway.


So Jim, in his laid-back manner, laughed at me, crying on his doorstep. He walked with me back to my car, where we talked to Will (who is still cool as a cucumber). I manage to calm myself down enough to ask Will to put the key in the ignition (which he did fabulously), but he wasn't strong enough to turn it on (which is okay, because I don't want my two-year-old to know how to start my car). I then realized that the unlock button is on the key, and since Will pushes all of those buttons (including the alarm) at any given time in houses and parking lots, surely he could do it now. 


Only when we said "push the button on the key" he wanted to push all the buttons on the console. 


Then he climbed into the driver seat and pretended to drive.


I mean really, he thought this was pretty cool.


I did not. 


I started crying even harder. Jim laughed at my hysterics (which just made me mad). I asked my sweet old lady neighbor to call a locksmith. Apparently they told her to call 911. So she was also now hyperventilating on the phone with 911, and I was crying so hard I couldn't even stand up, Jim got Will to push the unlock button on the key, and his hand was ready as he pulled the door open immediately. 


I stopped crying.


No, no I didn't. I cried all the way to yoga. I composed myself long enough to order coffee at Starbucks (with sunglasses on). I needed tequila, but I settled for caffeine. 


I didn't stick around long enough to see if the entire City of Cincinnati Emergency Department would show up, but I was told they didn't. Thank goodness. And the class I taught 30 minutes later was distracted but as effective as it could be, I suppose.


Jim gets a big case of Bud Light tonight.


Counting my blessings this evening, and insanely glad it's Yogamama night. Could not have picked a better day to commiserate with other moms.

7.21.11

I read an article recently on the whole idea of setting an intention before your yoga practice.


It summed it up rather nicely--I thought I would, in turn, sum it up for you. (But if you want to read the whole thing--because I really liked what the guy had to say--click here.)


An intention isn't a goal. It's not wanting a nicer rear end, a bigger house, or a better-paying job. It's a thought to guide your actions. It's the lessons you need to help you along your journey of letting crappy stuff go and inviting in the good. You set the same intention over and over again, until it's a part of you--until it's a part of your daily thoughts and you begin to notice the changes in yourself. 


My most favorite intention that I have ever set--and that I continue to set--is non-judgment. Not judging others, and most importantly, not judging myself. When I look back on the first time I ever set that intention in a yoga class, I can see how much progress I have made. I can remember exact moments of shedding layers and layers of negative perceptions of myself and others in classes over the years--releasing them through sweat and tears (yes, tears in the middle of practicing, and even teaching!). 


And yet I know I won't ever come to a point where that journey ends. I'll keep shedding and growing and evolving, but I won't ever be the "perfect" non-judgmental person.


All I can do is continue to grow, to catch myself in the negative thoughts and reactions, and actively change them. 


It's powerful stuff. 


Each month I've been setting an intention of something new, of keeping that thought in the back of my mind. Really, it's been helping me see the brightness in each day.


With "wealth" this month, I've been noticing the richness that is my life--each sweet moment is wrapped up in the most perfect little package, even if there is no bow or glitter or twine. Maybe it doesn't even look like a gift at all. 


No one would think that eating Chinese carry-out with my boys tonight would be a sweet gift.


But for me, it had a bow and glitter and twine and the box was even Tiffany blue.


That's intention.

7.20.11

It's time to start revealing these money-saving mini makeovers!


Mini Makeover Number One:
In my family room, I had this hideous bar.

It belongs in the chocolate brown wood-paneled dark dungeon that this room was originally.


So I used the new Rustoleum Countertop Paint in Pewter to paint the counter (which is the same color as my kitchen counters), and color matched the color of my kitchen cabinets (which I had already done to paint some bookcases in the kitchen) for the dark brown cabinet.

The new faucet is here, just not installed.

The new door hardware (handles) have helped me get rid of that medieval look, but I've yet to find door hinges...so still just a bit of work to do (the doors are not attached in the photo above). 

Mini Makeover Number 2:
Also in our family room was this blank wall. 

And this table with leaves, which we used as our dining room table a lifetime ago when we lived in 900 square feet in Mariemont (you can also see the big blank wall on the left).

So I took the leaves off, and changed its location (more on that in a second). I already love the table (as opposed to my strong distaste for it before, I think "love" means we've come a long way). I plan on refinishing the table (and adding a small piece of trim where you can see the pieces of wood that used to hold up the leaves), 

but it's currently on the waiting list until Will's furniture is finished. Also, the top is veneer, which will be a tricky refinish.


Then I purchased three Ribba frames at Ikea (actually, I purchased four, and a little two-year old stepped on one, and rather than deal with the hassle of driving to West Chester and exchanging it, I decided three would work just fine), and filled them with the same piece of red scrapbook paper (with a velour pattern on it) for $1.49 a sheet. 

I switched out the pricey designer super tall lamp on the table, for a smaller one we have in our lamp graveyard in the basement, and altogether, I now have this homey look. 

And no, it's not centered on the wall, mainly because that's our bedroom door on the right side, and I don't want the family room crowding my sleeping space any more than it already does! Also, once the curtains are up, I'll shift the artwork on the left, and it'll look like a corner of accessories.


Aside from finishing the bar, I'm just waiting on the curtains, and this makeover will be complete!


Feeling inspired yet? Go enter this month's giveaway!

7.19.11

I am so in love with this song and its lyrics.


So during 5:00 dance party at my house tonight, when Will turned on the radio and this song came on, I danced extra goofy. 


I've posted One Republic's Good Life right here. Go to 2:25 and listen closely. Maybe skip to the end and hear the last line.

Tonight, as I express gratitude for all that I have, I know that this isn't my wealth in its entirety.


Sometimes wealth is what we don't have; sometimes, it's all of our favorite memories and good experiences right along side the events in our life we'd rather forget. Sometimes wealth is the people, places, circumstances and belongings we're holding, and sometimes being wealthy is letting them go. 


All together, that makes for a good, good life.


Now, go be creative and inspired and enter this month's giveaway. And see my disclaimer about it all in the comments section. 

7.18.11

Even though I had said in my first post this month that "wealth" would not be about money, I can't help but make this month's giveaway all about it! 

I was recently turned on to this in.cre.di.ble. blog. Seriously. It's freaking amazing. Go take a tour of their totally DIY'd houses.

Their projects page inspired me to completely refinish the hideous bar in our family room, change out the curtains, and hang up some DIY artwork. I'll have before and after shots of the bar and art work soon.

While I'm at it, I'm getting Will's "Big Boy" room ready, anticipating the transition out of the crib and into the "Big Boy" bed here shortly, and this aforementioned blog has inspired me to refinish both dressers and the bed in that room. I'm getting started...tomorrow! 

(On a side note, as I know a lot of my followers are dealing with "Big Kid" transitions...in my quest for a bed--really, do I want to convert Will's crib, purchase a toddler bed, or go straight to the Big Kahuna bed--I learned that if your kid is tall, skip the crib/toddler bed transition. They'll outgrow it quickly and that toddler bed will be on Craigslist.) :o)

So, in honor of the in.cre.di.ble. blog's inspiration, July's giveaway is going to be some DIY help. This isn't going to be a random drawing...this is going to be your entries judged (anonymously) by a guest. 

Here are the stipulations...

1. Become a follower (click at the top of the page).

2. Leave me a comment on this entry about a DIY project you've been wanting to do, but needed some inspiration on. I'm hoping the most incredible blog ever can give you that inspiration!

3. Tell me what stores you'd shop at, what you'd buy, and what your estimated budget would be. I'll give you some examples...to refinish our bar, I had to buy countertop paint, new door handles and hinges, and a new faucet (I adore overstock.com). I was able to use paint I already had for the cabinet. My grand total on the project is $100. The curtains? I bought 6 yards of clearance fabric at Hancock Fabrics. If my mom weren't a seamstress, I'd be buying some hem tape and calling it  a day for a project total of $40, since I already have a curtain rod. The art work? Four frames at IKEA and 4 pieces of paper at a scrapbook store and the project was $40. 

4. You have to be willing to be a guest blogger and give us some before-during-after shots of your DIY project.

5. Your project should keep in mind that this chick is not made of money. :o)

Be creative, be resourceful, and your project and all of its intentions could be funded by...me!

One last thing: you don't need to live near me to win! Inspiration doesn't have city limits! 


You have a deadline: Sunday, July 24th! Get inspired, get creative, save some money, improve your space, and good luck! 

7.17.11

I'm not sure what it says about me--or my husband.


There we were, sitting at the Wiggles Wiggly Happy Birthday Show (or something like that), and they all came out, and everyone was clapping.


And then they did their first song. 


"Toot toot chugga chugga Big Red Car..."


The crowd went nuts. And by "crowd," I mean "parents." Singing and bopping and dancing and bouncing. There were more adult voices singing in terrible harmony than there were children. 


And then, without a whole lot of control, there were tears in my eyes.


How on earth could four goofy guys (who save millions of parents in moments of desperation, like car trips) dressed in primary colors singing about their enormous car in which they eat fruit and play guitar possibly bring me to tears? 


Oh but then I looked over, and Greg was teary too!


It was the event. The moment. This memory-producing moment.


I think it can be summed up in this quote.


"Life isn't measured in the number of breaths you take; it's measured in the moments that take your breath away." 


And this look (as the Wiggles took the stage) of pure oxygen-holding awe...well, I believe captures it all.

Memory bank can put another moment in there.

7.16.11

Just in case tonight is a late night, I thought I'd do an early blog.


Today was another day at the beach, and I could get used to this. Who doesn't say that on vacation though, right? 


My brother joined us and Greg was excited because his scaredy-cat wifey wouldn't go into the water. Correction. I went. I freaked. I got out. There was a time when I would ride the waves for hours. What in the world happened to me? 


They had a blast.

Greg even nearly took out a very unhappy middle-aged lady, but I say, if you're going to walk in the surf, you take your own risks. 

This kid still refused the water. But fun he did have. Zonked after 30 seconds in the car on the way home.

But refreshed and cute as ever after a long nap. 

That memory bank is getting richer and richer.


A very special happy birthday to my dear sister. She's four months older than me (and for those of you who don't know me very well, she's my step-sister, but we've been "sisters" for...20 years?) and although I don't get to see her as often as I'd like, I will get to squeeze her next weekend with appropriate birthday hug force. Cheers to you sweet girl! May your days be filled with wealth in all forms. :o)

7.15.11

Today and for the next few days, we are building our bank of family memories. You know, those moments you come to treasure, captured on film or not. 

Enjoying breakfast in the perfect chair, right at the island, in the middle of the action.

Playing Grandpa's piano.

Hanging with Grandma in her garden.

Building sand castles with the coolest dad...

...the coolest dad who also takes a very scared little boy into the ocean...

...while his beach bum mama stays on the beach.

And why not cool off with a splash? Aaaah, vacation!

7.14.11

Joyeux Anniversaire la France! 


Recently, I have declared my love for Spain. And I haven't wanted my sweet France to know.


But here's the real deal, France: I adore you. Je t'adore. 


I love your bold, strong coffee, your pain au chocolat, your beautiful tartes, your delicious Madeleines, and good heavens do I love your cheese. And a bottle of Orangina. Mmm.


Your castles in the Loire are breathtaking; your Mediterranean coast is mesmerizing.


Your Parisians, well...perhaps I don't love everything. Their addiction to cigarettes, their cold stares--bleh. But I do love their cafes, their twinkling tower, and their obsession with a great accessory, specifically the scarf. 


The only history books I've ever bought to read for fun are the ones about your old royal regime. Oh how I love hearing stories about your ridiculous lavishness. But oh how that absurd way of living has made you the culture you are today. 


More than anything, j'adore votre langage. I love everything about it: the way it rolls off the tongue--especially the "r"; I love the sweetness of the little "pttz" noise that is made when you need to show your disgust; I delight in delicious words like pamplemousse and boulangerie; and you never disappoint my excitement for the vowel and all of its various sounds that your language and its accents so confusingly throw at learners. 


Yes, France, my love affair with you was never finished. Like a true Frenchman, I always keep someone waiting in the wings (Spain).


But when I stand at the bottom of that twinkling Tour Eiffel on a summer night, absolutely immersed in your beauty, there's no other culture in the world that could make me feel richer in my zest for life.

7.13.11

Family vacations are one of my favorite growing up memories, as I'm sure they are for most people who didn't get car sick, or who weren't forced to sit next to a sibling who did.


Tomorrow, we leave for ours, a few days at my mom's on the beautiful Jersey Shore. Hopefully Snooki keeps her big fur boots far away from our sand castles.


The car is packed with Twizzler's for Greg and I, and Annie's Organic Bunny Crack Snacks (seriously, once you start eating them, you can't stop) for Will. We loaded up on Wiggles DVDs at the library today (in preparation for our big Wiggles Live! Show on Sunday). I've got some Ayurvedic reading to do, and I'm sure we will throw in an alphabet game or two, always getting stuck on the "Q," longing for a Quality Inn or La Quinta to come our way.


I don't have a cool pink cooler like my mom did, full of Tab and chicken salad sandwiches. Nor do I have a portable CD player in which to play my Mariah Carey CD over and over again. My siblings won't be there to call "Captain's Chairs!" and there won't be any GameBoy games to fight over. The Magna Doodle has long been sold at some garage sale, and magnetic checkers and tic-tac-toe have been lost with them. Sour Patch Kids have been replaced by those Twizzler's, but I'm sure there will still be a Goldfish...or 73...on the floor of my car when we arrive.


Yes, those are some of my richest memories.


If you pray, or you meditate, or you just send out good intentions, my family could use a little extra love tonight. We're all okay, but a few extra vibes never hurt. My absolute gratitude in advance. 


Next post will be a few miles from The Situation...

7.12.11

I was looking for a little inspiration tonight, so I went to YouTube and typed in "heartwarming video." 


This incredible gem was number two on the list, and it not only warmed my heart, it made me get a bit misty, and led me to tonight's message.

Go ahead. Watch it first. It's not even three minutes.


We're only as wealthy as what we give. What can you do tomorrow as a small random act of kindness that will fill someone's heart with at least a smidge as much as what this guy felt?


I was loading 50 pound bags of sand into the back of my car a few weekends ago. A nice man pulled into the parking spot next to me, said "Let me do that for you," finished loading them, got in his car, and drove off. 


So I paid it forward. I do it as often as I can. I don't need medals and accolades for it. Have you ever seen the smile on someone's face after you randomly make their day? That smile...it's payment enough. It fills me up. It makes my heart and soul wealthy.


I'm thinking that if even five of my blog readers go through their Wednesday tomorrow and do something, well, kind, the world's heart will be that much richer.


Need ideas? Email a friend and tell them how great you think they are; call your mom...or your dad; pick up your significant others' favorite candy; buy the coffee for the guy (or girl) behind you; sit down on the floor and play with your kids (no, really play with your kids--do the voices and the movements and the silly interactions--go all out); smile. Plain and simple.

7.11.11

Since the heat didn't make me feel like a rich Persian Princess as I'd anticipated, I settled for a day with my little Prince. The highlight? Not the trip to Jiffy Lube. No, the highlight was popping pop corn and watching Toy Story on the couch with Will.

Sometimes--well, most of the time--it's the little stuff that fills us up.

7.10.11

My DailyOM horoscope gets read about once a week. It's usually on Sunday mornings when I have a few extra minutes in bed before all chaos breaks loose. Chaos in our house comes in the form of three dogs and one closer-to-two-years-old-than-I'd-care-to-admit tot.


Today's said I should try a listening meditation. It "helps us become aware of the richness in the world." Well, Universe, okay. That seems pertinent. 


In a listening meditation, you quite simply listen to the sounds around you and absorb yourself into them, until you are essentially not aware of anything.


So technically, one could meditate anywhere. This morning's gym workout was not going to be that place. The guy next to me was grunting too loud and I did not want to absorb myself into his grunts.


The silence of Chaos during Will's nap this afternoon would have been perfect. Except absorbing myself into silence seemed to defeat the purpose. And since I chose to mow the lawn instead, absorbing myself into Lady Gaga on my iPod seemed odd (although I am digging the reemergence of 80s electric sounds in songs like "Edge of Glory." And yeah, I just said "digging").


Alas, my last chance for the day: the pool. I plopped myself into the fish raft we got for Will, and with one foot holding on to Greg's leg (and his eyes on Will), I closed my own eyes and let myself be absorbed into splashes. Laughter. Whistles. Warnings. Shouts. Screams. 


Summer.


The rest of the horoscope went something like this.


"In our lives we can easily go through the day not noticing the world around us. When we do notice things, it is often because we are irritated by them. Learning to listen to sounds allows us to become attuned to what happens in our environment. By listening without judgment, we develop the sense that everything in this world has its proper place."


There's a richness to Summer, isn't there? Sounds we hear that are only reserved for this time of year. We have to soak them up, savor them, store their sweet memories away for those cold nights Winter brings. We shouldn't hurry through these long days, shouldn't rush through the heat to this vacation or that get-away. I suppose the true lesson here--the one that everything seems to boil down to--is stay in the moment.