Mmmm...Gelato....

If you've never had Italian gelato...OMG, you're missing out on one of life's hidden treasures! It's not ice cream, it's better. Ice cream is around 50% fat, this is more like 8 - 10% fat, less calories, able to be eaten by lactose-intolerant people, and you've never tasted such strong natural flavors. Imagine eating banana ice cream, only denser, and sweet but not the typical "sugary" taste. Each bite has all the flavor of a real, organic banana.

It's healthier, more filling, more satisfying, and more tasty. In the Northeast, there's a place on (or near) Merrimac Street that serves it (google search?), and I know Boston's "Gelataria" in Faneuil Hall is amazing. Here, they just opened a store called Angel Sweet. It's so amazing. It's my new treat when I've been good and got all my work done.

You've gotta try some!

WE DID IT!!!

We started a Monavie home-based business March 1st of this year. In just 9 1/2 months, we made it to the following levels:

Star
Star 500
Star 1000
Star Maker
Bronze

Not only that, but in our group, we've got 2 personal 1000s, 2 personal 500s, lots of Stars, and that's just the ones we've personally put into the business. Only 2% of distributors that sign up in Monavie ever hit the level of Bronze. Here's what we've found:

My migraines are permanantly gone - 100% of them!
My rheumatoid arthritis in my right thumb is better when I'm drinking the juice.
My auto-immune disease - scleraderma - is in remission and it's almost gone.
I sleep better.
I'm more rested, even on nights I get less sleep.
I don't have chronic fatigue anymore (no more crashing on the couch asleep at 3pm)

AND THE MONEY'S REAL !!!!! We make over $500 a month in our business now. And if we get it to make $2000/month, I'll be able to come home and be a stay-at-home Mom again. My goal is to leave the workforce by June 30th, 2009.

It's real...and if you're looking for a solution to your health issues, or income issues, you've got to at least TRY this!

Looking Forward to Rest

As busy as the last 2 weeks have been, the last 2 weeks of December should be a time for more rest. I normally have Sun - Tues off from work. That gives me the time to teach all day Monday, do my Tues. bible study, drop kids off at drama class and make it to the Tuesday night business meeting.

Well, Christmas week we're closed Christmas eve and Christmas day - Th and Fri. That gives me Sun - Thursday off! My in-laws will be here by Tues. afternoon, but that's not hectic. I enjoy their company and the kids get to hang on someone else for a change!

The week after, we're closed Sunday through Thursday again! So I'll have another 5 days off after the holidays to rest, sleep in, play with the kids, get caught up on stuff, and get back to playing drums. I actually expect that by the time those days get here, I'll have filled them with stuff to do, but at least it'll be stuff I want to do instead of going to work.

Oh...to sleep past 6:30am for just one day!!! It's been 6 months since I could do that!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

I was feeling a little restless on the last night of my 3 days off, so Tim and I went to walk through the outdoor mall down the street. They've got 2 great sitting areas with outdoor furniture, heaters, fireplaces, waterfalls, Christmas lights, a huge tree, lights that look like falling snow, etc.

I love this time of year. People act, do and give their best - and make things look as pretty as possible. Having Thanksgiving so late this year makes this season fly by. I hope I can take as much as possible in before it's over.

A Good Thanksgiving

It took a lot of planning and lots of running around before-hand, but I made it a good thanksgiving. I cooked (with Logan & Jordan's help) roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing, turkey gravy, homemade orange-cranberry sauce, mixed vegetables (real ones, not frozen or canned), real mashed sour cream & onion potatoes, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, vanilla cheesecake, homemade thumbprint cookies and fudge we'd made last week and frozen.

We played cards, ate together, laughed together, Tim took the younger two for motorcycle rides, brought Adam to a parking lot to practice his driving (can you believe he's almost 15?!), we looked through past Christmas' scrapbooks, made homemade ice cream with the kids, went to church the night before, started filling out Christmas cards, and even found time to relax and watch the football game. Oh yeah, we put up the Victorian tree too!

Now we begin planning Christmas. It's definitely going to be low-key, peaceful, and not some commercial whirlwind of complaining. We're focusing on what we want to give, not what we want to get. The kids are catching the vision.

Lots of baking still to do, and shipping boxes to find.
It's going to be great.

Mid-Week...how are we doing?

So far:

I baked a few things with the kids (the fudge came out really good, especially since I never made it before).

I had time with both Cathy and Marina.

I listened to Christmas CDs.

I bought Christmas cards (we'll take a family photo Monday to put in them).

Tonight is our church's Thanksgiving Eve service at 7.

I'll try to pull out the Christmas tree and ornaments tonight after work, before church

After dinner tomorrow, we'll probably decorate the tree and make ice cream with the kids.

Thanksgiving week hopes

This year, I'm hoping to make the holidays less commercial and more meaningful, even though I'm working. Here's a list of my Thanksgiving Week hopes:

1. bake with the kids
2. make homeade ice cream with the kids
3. introduce the Advent Wreath and it's meaning
4. attend a Thanksgiving Eve service at church
5. set up my Victorian Christmas tree
6. listen to Christmas CDs (TransSiberian Orchestra's rock, and Manheimm Steamroller)
7. buy and start filling out Christmas cards
8. go out to eat Friday night with the family - my treat
9. have lunch with both Cathy and Marina this week
10. help the kids make gifts for my in-laws

I'll let you know how it goes.

Neil Simon's Fools

Adam was in another play tonight, Neil Simon's play FOOLS. It's about a village that believes it's under a curse that makes them stupid. OMG it's such a funny play! Adam played the magistrate who was in charge of marrying the main characters.

It's possible this may be his last play. It's not cheap to be in drama, and it's a lot of time and money if you've only got a tiny part.

I've watched Adam in so many shows, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Cinderella the Musical, Antshillvania, The Music Man, and now Fools. I'm always so proud of him (and Logan when he's in a play too). Moezart Productions has been such a blessing to our family, especially for bringing Adam out of his shell and giving him back his self-confidence. We've been so fortunate to have found (by accident) a Christian Production Company run by a homeschooled, missionary woman who loves kids as much as Sharon does.

I have to admit, the "Drama Mamas" I've met have become some of my closest friends, too. I'll really miss them if we're through with drama. Logan has interests in learning technical sound & lights stuff from Sharon's husband Steve, so maybe we'll still be around behind the scenes.

State Fair Photos

It's hard to match up wording to photos since blogs sometimes shift order so here's some basics:

We took photos from the biggest ferris wheel (and the sky ride), you can see the city's skyline in the background in a few pictures. Jordan loved her ice cream, she's spent 3 weeks trying to drop a few pounds to fit into a new shirt she has with a monkey on it. She did it, so I let her get a small cone as a treat. Logan went on his first roller coaster today - all by himself. The kids loved the hydro slide, it's a smaller version of Canobie Lake Park's Boston Tea Party ride back in NH.

Adam stayed home to work on school and babysit (his choice, I begged him to come, and he gets paid to babysit 2 girls Jordan plays with).

What else can I tell you? Oh, the strange photo that's first is looking straight up through the ferris wheel's spokes. I think it's the biggest one I've ever been on, but I don't know how tall it was.

ENJOY!

The State Fair

This is the time of year we have our huge state fair. I went with Tim when we first got married back in 1992. We've lived here for years now and never brought the kids. It runs for a few weeks, but it's either too expensive or not convenient, but this week, we're going to try to go on my day off. Their last experience was the Rochester Fair in NH. It was small, very "country", had a tiny petting zoo, a few rides that were expensive, no music or entertainment, not much to do. It's okay when the kids are little, but with them being 14, 12 and 10, it takes more to amuse them these days.

We'll hopefully get to see things that will expose them to the surrounding cultures in this part of the country, maybe they'll get to try new foods (no, we won't try deep-fried CocaCola or anything too unhealthy), maybe they'll even see an entertainer or two.

Anyway, with them getting so big so quickly, I really hold every moment with them as being very precious. I'm looking forward to spending the day with them playing. I don't like our only interaction to be school or chore-related.

If we make it there, I'll post photos.

The Holidays are Coming

This week was the week the Holiday season was introduced. I saw ads for Kmart lay-a-way plans for Christmas, and we put out all the holiday decorations we'll be selling at work. This weekend is our Harvest Tea when we have menu changes to include pumpkin and other fall foods.

Even though this year we won't be putting up a tree (where would we put it?) and won't be spending on gifts (one family gift this year instead - money's too tight), I'm still looking forward to it. Maybe without the pressure of spending, we'll figure out how special the holidays really are. Maybe this will be the year the kids will finally learn to be thankful for all that we have in spite of how broke we've been. Maybe this year they'll make each other gifts, or better yet, focus on volunteering to serve others.

There's lights to see, parades, church pageants, and so much more to do for free here that we can still enjoy the holiday season without going deeper into debt.
Maybe my next post will have to do with things I'm thankful for - in advance of Thanksgiving.

Not a bad two weeks...

In spite of a few minor setbacks, the last two weeks have been extremely productive for me. I've managed to put 3 new people in our business in just 14 days, and got 2 inactive people to become much more active (that credit goes to Tim's Dad). Also, when I started working at Abbey Gardens we were 5th in the state according to a popular website - and the last 4 comments were made by my customers - and we moved up to 4th, then 3rd, and we now sit at #2 in the State for tea rooms. The number one spot is held by a place that isn't a tea room at all, it's more of a Starbucks for tea, no food, no atmosphere, not an experience, just a place to buy tea in take-out cups.

Also, we've made it through the rough spots of Honors Algebra I and Spanish with my oldest, we're working on more responsibility and accountability with our middle child, and the youngest is really progressing in her Math and Science classes.

Tim's also having some great days at work, and my customers have been wonderful, especially in their tipping. So we're caught up on bills instead of falling behind (lowered gas prices and deals on groceries really has helped lately too).

So all in all, life is good and progressing forward.
We're even planning a trip after the first of the year and it looks like we'll be able to pay cash for it. We've been consistently making a few hundred bucks a week with our business. Our goal is to earn $2000/month with it so I can come home and be a full-time, homeschooling Mom again. Then the kids can participate in more stuff because I'll be available during the day to take them.

Life is good.

What an amazing day!!!

Yesterday afternoon, a bunch of us from our Tuesday morning Ladies' Bible Study went to the home of Pastor Phil Toole and his wife for a baptism. There were over 35 people who made the decision to declare to the world that they will follow Jesus in obedience and choose to be baptized as he was.

Growing up Catholic, we were baptized as babies, and that was taught to mean you "made it into heaven". As I got older and read the Scriptures for myself, I realized what it really said, that only by believing Jesus already paid the price for your sins (the wages, or cost, of sin is death) will you go to Heaven. Baptism is a personal choice you make, often as an adult, but also as a child or teen who understands. It's like "coming out" where you're telling the world you want to follow Christ, obey him, be more like him.

In the picture are my friends: Diane, Cassandra, Sallie, Laurie, and Tracy. There were another dozen of us or so that came to cheer them on and be a part of this special ceremony with them. We are family. Sisters in Christ.

I Have New Recipes!

Working at my favorite restaurant, which happens to be an elegant, Victorian tea parlour, has been great for adding new recipes to my family's meals! Check these out:

Tropical Scones
(Cold) Strawberry Soup
Chicken salad in a cucumber boat
Mimosa salad (with oranges & strawberries)
Turkey sandwiches w/Rasp. Cream Cheese

...just to name a few...

I really do enjoy cooking for my family when I'm home long enough! Tonight no one was really hungry, Adam & Tim weren't home, so I whipped up Caprese salad and Strawberry Soup. Light, sweet, healthy, and easy!

Next I may branch out to some of the desserts, which scares me since I'm a cook, NOT a BAKER. There's a huge difference! I'm going to try to make either the Lemon Bars or their Black Cherry White Chocolate Bars...when I get up the nerve.

Saguaro Lake

Here's our recent 2 trips to Saguaro Lake. It's about 1/2 an hour from here but never found it before this year. Here's Jordan after a mud fight with Logan, Logan making hot dogs in a solar cooker he built, Me & Tim (but the sun was in our eyes), and Adam with a large reed he found and made into a Tiki Torch. He looks so tribal. His sense of humor is so funny.

This place is great. For just a $6 day pass per vehicle, you can bring stuff to grill and make a day of it. It's nice to get away to hidden places like this. It's our new favorite swimming location because it's got a soft bottom where most others you need to wear sneakers in the water because of all the rocks.

It always seems that the kids are nicer and play together better when we get away to spots like this.

It's Getting Better

I've been working for about a month now, the money's pretty good, the people are great, it's a good "team" environment, but yes, it's still a job. I miss being with my kids when I'm at work. I really enjoy teaching when I have a day off. I've got Mondays and Tuesdays off for now. That works out perfect because I get to start off the week teaching the kids what they need to do the rest of their week's work. I still get to go to my Tues. morning Bible Study. Without that, I'd never have the support and strength to get through everything else all week. Adam gets to stay in drama on Tues. afternoons (he pays for it). And if someone wants to attend a Monavie Team meeting, they're on Tues. nights so I can go to those too.

I realize by my aches and pains that I'm older than I realized, but I think the addition of so much walking at work is good for me. I'm losing weight consistently, so that's good too. I just get really tired these days. I used to deal with chronic fatigue, but since my scleroderma has been reversing itself, that's not really a problem. However, I have a new problem...I can get sick now where before my never-shutting-off immune system prevented that. I've been sick with a bad cold for over a week now, constantly struggling to breathe clear, and I can't stop blowing my nose.

It's an adjustment, but at least it's only temporary.

She's coming!!!

I've waited for over a year now for my best friend to move here from Boston. I've known she was coming and the waiting has been so hard! We talk on the phone for hours every time - what'll it be like when she's finally here? We have so much catching up to do. The last 15 years we've been apart trying to build a life for ourselves, figuring out how to be good wives, etc., now we can learn and grow together.

I'm so excited to meet her husband again too. We met him briefly around 5 years ago, but it was the last weekend before we moved here, it was at a family and friend gathering where I'd been away a long time and he was fairly "new", so we didn't talk too much. We probably were thinking the same things that day, though. My friend is forever telling me how wonderful and intelligent he is, how much she respects him, and would do anything in the world for him. That's so refreshing to hear in today's "me-me-me" society. I'm sure I'll learn to love him like a brother. She's been my long-lost twin for most of our lives: we think alike, finish each other's sentences, enjoy and respect the same things, married very similar men, have identical thoughts (and words) within 24 hours of each other, even though we're 3000 miles apart. It's going to be the best thing for me to have her in my life again. I barely can come up with words to describe how much she means to me. The weekend I last saw her, before our move, I cried my eyes out at the thought of not seeing her again. I never cried saying goodbye to my family, friends, church members, neighbors, but with her, I was so scared to let go of her. We've been through so much together. Now we can go through EVERYTHING together. My kids already call her "Auntie ________ " when she calls.

I pray that she'll be here as soon as possible. It's less than a month to go now.

My new job at Abbey Gardens

If I have to work, what a great place. I get to work with great people who understand the importance of serving others' needs, take a team approach to getting jobs done, everything that surrounds me is Victorian, girly, porcelain and beautiful, it's perfect. I also don't have to be at work before 10:30, so I can teach the kids for 2 hours even on days I work. I'm home by supper. I keep my Tuesday's off for Bible study, drama and business meetings. I even get Sundays off for church. I couldn't make as much money working hourly anywhere else. Although I'd rather be home with my kids full-time, I'm still truly blessed by God's favor.

Top 10 Things About Lisa

1. I'm a server at Abbey Gardens tea house now.
2. I'm writing a Genesis Bible Study to teach at church this fall.
3. I play drums, but I'm self-taught and still learning.
4. I'm an avid scrapbooker.
5. I love homeschooling my 3 kids - I believe it's my true "calling".
6. I love building my Monavie business (www.the-team.biz/mv909588)
7. I love to cook but hate to bake.
8. I've gone as organic as possible on our budget, also no white flour, sugar or corn syrup in our home.
9. I love living in Arizona, although we could use a bigger house in a real "neighborhood".
10. My favorite subject to study and teach is American History.

What a busy week!

This has been a busy week and it's not over yet. My Tuesdays are always busy anyway, then Jordan and I went to spend some time with a dear friend on Wed. We used to see her and her daughter all the time, but since summer came, and everyone's busy and gone, it's been pretty near impossible. It did me good to be around her, she's like me: she has every reason to claim "I'm a victim" yet she goes through life with a positive, loving attitude, always the first one to help, and never asking for anything in return. She's always so happy. When I don't get spend time with her for a while, I find myself getting too serious. She reminds me that you can't control life anyway, so have fun with it.

Thursday I got to see another friend I've missed, along with her step-daughter. We spent time talking about everything we've been dealing with lately, and stuff that we need answers for. We're able to be honest with one another - what you see is what you get - no pretenses - and encourage one another to grow and become better. Afterwards, we spent about 2 hours in and around the pool. It was perfect because it forced me to get fresh air when I probably would've spent most of the day writing on the computer, otherwise.

Friday was Adam's 8th grade graduation, so it was a little crazy...we (us and Tim's parents) drove downtown, dropped Adam off for practice, drove to 2 car dealerships, picked up Tim, picked up Adam, ate supper at a slow-paced restaurant, then the ceremony itself - all in the same 6 hours.

Today was okay, we had a small celebration for Jordan's 10th bday (Sunday), and I had to run Adam to a friend's on the other side of town. Oh yeah, and I had about 4 loads of laundry to do!

Sunday we try out a new church. It's one of the ones on TV, so I'm already skeptical. Then I have to practice my drums and spend the rest of the day writing my Genesis curriculum so I'll be done before Sept. 8th.

Monday I take Jordan to the tea house for her real bday celebration: The 2 of us, 2 of my friends, and their 2 daughters, Jordan's friends. We only get with them once a year, so we really look forward to the quality time we get with them.

Tuesday - the week starts all over again - busy!

Only a few weeks left...

This summer has flown by. What have I done? Well, let's see...I found a fun place to hang out called As You Wish. They have pottery there and you paint it, they fire it in the kiln and you pick it up 3 days later. So far I made Jordan a fairy, a gift soup bowl for my father-in-law, and then a decorative dessert plate for my friend's birthday.

I didn't swim every day this summer like I normally do. It seems like I've had other stuff to do, appointments, stuff that took up my summer.

I spent a few hours today swimming and talking with a friend of mine, but I haven't done that at all this whole summer until today.

School starts back up in just about 6 weeks, so I better figure out what it is I want to do before it's too late and I'm too busy...

I'll go to a movie tonight, and the tea house on Monday, and spend time with a friend tomorrow. Maybe that's enough. Maybe it's a summer to rest, stay indoor where it's air conditioned, and just write.

Latest on our Monavie Business

Well, it's been 4 months, just about 120 days or so, and we've made it to the levels of Star, Star 500, Star 1000, and we'll be at the Bronze level soon. We started with nothing but the help of Tim's parents and our own few contacts, and now we've got around 109 people in our group. This is the easiest thing we've ever done - and the most fun! We're making money consistently and let me tell you, people are LOOKING for something!

Our oldest just signed up and made his own contacts that we'll be meeting with this week. Imagine, by the time he's done high school, he could be making thousands of dollars a week, own his own house, pay cash for his car and toys (motorcycles, 4-wheelers), and never have to work for anyone else his entire life. He's faithful at giving to charity too, so I know his heart's in the right place and his focus is right.

Where else can you sign up to own a business for just $39, order just 4 bottles of juice that makes you healthier, and within 30 days, you've recouped ALL your cost, plus made enough to pay for your NEXT month's supply too!?! The money is absolutely crazy, it doesn't take hundreds of people to make a few bucks, the product actually tastes great, and the only risk is cheaper than a tank of gas or one dinner out for two?!

Everyone should at least TRY this!

End of June already?!

This month flew by! I got some things accomplished from my To Do List, but others didn't quite get finished as I'd hoped. I guess it's time for my July list to be compiled. Here's what'll be important to me so far:

July bdays posted on my Family blog, send bday and anniversary cards to family and friends, rest on the 4th, play drums more than once a week, swim more, eat better, reach the next level in our business (made it through the first 3 already! Yeah!),
attend a seminar, finish Phase I of my Genesis project, donate another bag of my clothes that are too big or too small, have tea with my daughter for her birthday at our favorite tea parlour with 2 of her friends she otherwise doesn't see for months at a time, drop 10 more pounds, go to my son's 8th grade graduation, and enjoy a 2 week break from my 2 youngest as they visit their grandparents up in the mountains.

And if I'm lucky, maybe I can get away for 2 days at the end of July to the mountains too.

More Memories Gone

This morning I read online that the China Tea House in the town I grew up in, burned down. This was a favorite hangout for me and my friend Michelle. It seems like we must've eaten there almost every week for years once I got my driver's license. We spent hours there laughing and sharing. They used to have Chinese lanterns over each table and although I'm not proud of it today, it used to be a challenge to take a tassel off the lamp and leave with it, without getting caught. By the time we'd spent a year or two going there, most table lanterns were missing quite a few. I don't even know what I did with all of them. We also took a napkin and a coconut shaped drink cup...yeah, we were young and stupid, and not yet Christians.

You know, we also lost our wedding location a few years ago when the property was sold and knocked down for something else. It just goes to show, you need to get pictures of meaningful places and things - not just people - because nothing lasts forever, and later on, that photo will be all you have to remember it, and share it with your loved ones in stories of fond memories.

Summer Plans

What a great summer this is going to be. Although I won't get to do everything I'd like to do, like attending my sister's wedding and visiting family/Boston, or getting to San Diego, it's still going to be great.

My oldest and youngest will be spending 3 weeks at their grandparents' house both visiting and earning money doing odd jobs. That'll give me some time to spend with my "middle child" to try to calm his angry spirit. He's been so quick to lose his temper for so long, I hope some one-on-one time will help calm him down. He gets a lot of attention, but if his siblings do too, it's like his didn't count.

After that, he'll get to spend 2 weeks up there where he loves it so much. I don't know yet if the other 2 will come home at that time, or if one will come home, or if all 3 will be there - and I may be child-less for 2 weeks - wouldn't that be amazing?!

In any case, I'll get to relax, spend time by the pool, sleep til 8 or 9, read stuff "for me" for a change, and who knows what else! It's just what I need before we start up our new curriculum in August.

Although I love to travel, with gas being over $4/gallon soon, and maybe even up to $5/gallon before summer's over, I'm glad our major business convention is right here in the city. Last year we had to go all the way to Utah, but this year, we'll save money, don't need to stay in a hotel or eat out that weekend, so we can spend less than usual.

I'm really looking forward to this summer.

School's over (sort of)

Well, we did it. We finished this year's assignments, but we'll have to carry Spanish through the summer. Adam needs it for a high school credit next year. We missed a few weeks of school during the year:

2 Wks. of Drama Dress Rehearsals and performances
1 Wk. of Adam's Teen Pact government experience
2 Wks. when public schools were out so the kids could play w/their friends
2 Wks. we take off around Christmas & New Year's

So now we've made up almost all of it, except Spanish.

I also instituted a reading contest for the kids. If they read 5 books in the next 8 weeks, they'll go to a pizza/arcade place and can bring a friend. Jordan already read the first Narnia book, The Magician's Nephew and she's half-way through the book Sounder (about a dog). Logan's reading a fiction book about Silas, a scribe hired to write things Jesus said. His dilemma is that he's trying to decide if he believes Jesus was the true Messiah sent to save the world - or just a nice guy who seems wise. Adam has told me he's not interested in participating. Last summer he read 5 books or more with no contest or reward. I may do something nice for him anyway.

I'm excited about teaching next year. I've got the new curriculum I'm using, got all the schedules figured out, the kids' notebooks are all set up, I've got the library books I'll need for the first month already in my "wishlist" cart online with the local library, I've ordered all the school supplies I'll need, and I'm now ready to take the summer off.

If things go well, I'll go to lunch and a movie for my anniversary, take a trip to a lake with the kids (we have quite a few to pick from), get 2 days with adults at a Summer Convention for our business - no travelling this year - it's right in Phoenix - how cool is that?! I'll try to get with friends for lunch once in a while, spend the 4th of July with friends, go to Adam's 8th grade Arizona state graduation in July after the Homeschool Convention in Phoenix. I'll read, swim, sleep in (that means til 8:30), get caught up on writing, studying and scrapbooking, and with a little hard work, raise our Monavie business income from an extra $100/week to an extra 2 or 3 hundred a week. We've got over 90 people in our business now and I'm making more than I would if I went out and got a job for 20 hours a week.

Yes, I think it's going to be a nice, relaxing summer.

Summer's almost here!

School's finally wrapping up for the year. I think the only class that'll have to run through the summer is Spanish I. We need to finish it all so Adam will do well in Spanish II, and it'll set the grammar solidly for Logan even though he wants to take French I and II in high school.

I picture a summer with lots of time to swim, sleep in, rest and read. Adam may be working at Chick-Fil-A in the mornings/afternoons, Logan & Jordan want to spend most of the summer at their grandparents' house up north. I think they'll go for 3 weeks from the end of June til the middle of July, but that's about it. During those 3 weeks, I can focus on throwing/storing away stuff from their rooms, getting the house really clean, going to lunch with my friends, reading all the non-school books I've been waiting to read, and relaxing by the pool and swimming.

I'm hoping to do a trip for a few days around the end of July. With gas and money being such a problem lately, we may only get to go to a lake nearby, but at least it'll be something to do together. I also want to try to make some of the fun stuff in our Backyard Ballistics book - especially the potato canons, match rockets, and the fire kite.

For Jordan's birthday, we'll probably skip the loud party and choose another day at Abbey Gardens Tea House for her and just her closest friends (and their Moms). Last year was great, just 6 of us. This time, maybe we'll choose Tina & Britani and Stephanie & Jessica...it's up to her, we'll see.

Maybe someday we'll get to San Diego for a vacation!

Tea Party for Grammie Cross

After years of not being able to leave the house, I decided that since Grammie was doing better and moving around now, I'd bring her a tea party to her. We enjoyed tea treats in the patio room with 4 generations. Yeah, I know the generation for me should be Tim, but Mom didn't have any girls! We even have 4 teacups we used marked "Grandmother, Mother, Daughter, and Granddaughter". I hope to see them passed on long after Jordan's using the Grandmother cup. By storing and keeping them together, hopefully it'll be a reminder to the future generations to make time to be together, even if it's just for an occassional cup of tea.

The Music Man

Well, we made it through 5 performances of The Music Man, the kids all did great. It was one of the hardest scores to learn (just my opinion) with all those tongue twisters and rhymes! I was so proud of my boys.

After the performance, we took a few days off to go up north and relax. We did everything from Tea Parties to riding 4-wheelers. Now it's time to buckle down and get our school year finished up.

A good scrapbooking convention!

This weekend I had fun at the Creating Keepsake's yearly Mesa Scrapbook Convention. I'm so fortunate that I only live about 5 minutes away. I took 8 classes, all in a 24 hr. period from Thurs. night to Friday night. I have a table full of my projects, not to mention I brought home extras, goodie bags, prizes and others stuff worth more than I spent to go - so it was a good time.

I also met a new friend named Serena. She lives just a few minutes from me and now I have someone I can scrapbook with. She's not married, has no kids, but she's older than me by a few years. She's a lot of fun and we have so much in common. I homeschool and she's working at a local community college while earning her degree to become a teacher. We even jumped out of our seats at the same time to teach others around us how to do a difficult project in one of our classes.

So here's what I made:
An accordion album, covered front & back with great paper and lots of the new velvet paper. A rolodex-type system scrapbook, 3 photo clip stands (made from binder clips), 3 solid, heavy, wood photo blocks I'll cover with photos, 5 great layout pages with photo matte cutouts, and even 2 with moving parts!, a travel tag mini book, a see-through acrylic mini album, a FRIENDS shaped album, and some other stuff I'm probably forgetting.

I only do this once a year, and the homeschool convention once a year. Those are my 2 to 4 days a year I take for me. The other 361+ are for others.

Monthly and Weekly Goals

How many of us have set yearly goals only to forget what they even were by the time March rolls around? I usually find forgotten lists around August and then scramble to see what I still have time to complete. I'm learning to break it into smaller pieces to get more done that's truly important.

I now set monthly goals in several areas: my work (can be your job, home business, even stuff to get done regarding housework if that's your daily job), my health, my mind (what I'm going to read to get better), my friends, my family, (who I'll connect with that month), my finances, my faith, my recreation, and my renewal (what I'll do for me).

After you figure out some things you'd like to get done, then break it into weekly goals - week 1, week 2, etc.

If you need to, you could even break it into daily bites, like to read 10 minutes, or 1 chapter every day.

Here's an imaginary list to get you started:

May:

1. Reach the next level in our company.
2. Order next year's Math curriculum.
3. Donate all outgrown and unwanted clothes to the Goodwill bins.
4. Drop 5 pounds by walking 3 times a week and eating healthier, smaller portions.
5. Read The Eighth Habit by Stephen Covey.
6. Call Elaine in CA.
7. Talk to Lynn on the phone again.
8. Take kids to a movie.
9. Date night with spouse.
10. Get started on Sharon's gift.
11. Stick to $100/week grocery budget.
12. Read Psalms 1 - 20.
13. Enjoy going to Scrapbooking Convention just for me.
14. Take a trip to a nearby lake.
15. Write the next chapter in my book.

Now 15 things may seem like a lot to work on in just 30 or 31 days, but if you break it down to Weeks 1 - 4, it's not so bad:

Wk 1: Find 2 new businesses, go through drawers for unwanted clothing, walk MWF, read first 1/4 of book, email Elaine to set up time to call her on the weekend, check out movie lists, plan date with spouse, buy items for gift-making, read psalms 1-5, attend convention, pick a lake to visit, write 5 pages this week in my book.

See, now it's manageable, not to hard, just break it down and get more done. Even if you don't get it all done, you'll get more done than if you hadn't planned, right?

Beginning Soccer season

This week is Jordan's first time trying soccer. She's been a dancer 5 years. She can do ballet, tap, jazz, and now she has to learn to be more aggressive, and play as a teammate. Yes, she can do all the stretches, and she's got strong legs, but the whole concept is so different.

When she was in dance, it was a lesson in personal responsibility. The challenge with soccer will be if she accept her mistakes, own up to them, and not blame her faults on her teammates. I suspect the first time she takes a soccer ball to the face she'll ask to quit, but she'll need to learn the term "recovery time". You know, how long it takes to get over doing something wrong or embarrassing and to get back to playing your best again.

She's got the best coach in the league (in my opinion). He loves the kids, he's more concerned about their fun than fierce competition, and is careful they don't sustain any serious injuries this young. He'll push her further than she thinks she can go, but she'll learn that mistakes are part of learning.

I'm looking forward to it, and when the season's done, I'll look back and tell her how proud I am of her.

Before I turn 40...

After recent commercials for The Bucket List movie, I've decided to come up with a

Before I Turn 40 List

Here's what I have so far:

1. Build a successful Monavie business to the level of Diamond (or above). This will allow for the other things on the list.

2. Pay off all credit card debt, the minivan, and get Tim a new bike.

3. Donate money to the Africa Hope Center, the M.O.R.E. Foundation, e3 Ministries through donating to our friends the Berrymans and their children, the Brooks'.

4. Take the kids to the Grand Canyon.

5. Visit my Grandmother in Boston.

6. Drop 30 pounds.

7. Go on a family cruise at Christmas.

8. Move into our new house.

9. Plant a garden.

10. Help 6 people in one year to become self-funding, financially free. We've already hand-picked 4, have an idea for the 5th, and the 6th, I don't think we've even met yet.

So, the clock starts ticking today - one year to make all this happen.

My Birthday, already?!

My birthday is Sunday the 30th but I got to celebrate early. Tim's parents gave me a few more pieces the the bathroom set they gave me for Christmas. It's for the new house and will match the 50's decor very well. I also got a card, cash and a purple shirt/pants set.

Last week, I was taken to lunch by 2 of the drama mama's (our kids are in plays together). We went to Abbey Gardens, my favorite tea house/restaurant.

Today, my friends from Bible study took me to Mimi's Cafe in Scottsdale. I spent time with Cathy, Pam, Stephanie, Elaine and her kids (visiting from CA), Tracy, and Sallie. They blessed me with their company, words, cards and gifts. I'm so blessed. I hope they know how special they are.

My best friend EVER, Michelle, also remembered my birthday and wrote me a sweet card that said all the things I feel for her too. I treasure it.

Tuesday I got another little gift from my friend Virginia, and the other ladies at bible study signed a card for me. I look forward to it the most every year. It reminds me why I do what I do when it's hard.

My mother sent me a card with a dollar for every year that I am - very cute, like a little kid - but I'd guess she had to really scrimp and save for it, so it's also greatly appreciated.

I got another card from my Aunt Brenda. She and I were close through my teens/early 20s. It means a lot that she remembered.

As for the rest of the family - they always let me know I'm loved, so I miss them, but don't expect anything from them - they've all given me something I needed - to belong.

I'm so happy.

Spring Break's here (sort of)

The next 2 weeks will be a little more fun than usual. I purposely scheduled the kids to have less work and a few less classes for the next 2 weeks. This week is spring break out here and since some of their friends are in the public schools, I wanted them to have time to play with them. Next week, the kids all go back to school and our favorite places won't be so crowded - so we'll have a 2nd week of lighter classes so we can fit in a trip to the zoo, the science center, and maybe a place we haven't been yet - like to a lake, or a new museum, or a play or something.

The weather is in a state of change here. We hit 83 a few days, it was only 60 yesterday, cloudy and very windy, and today should be in the low 70s but sunny. I'm thankful for every cool day we have before it gets into the 90s, and then the 100s. We usually hit 100 around Mother's Day, and it stays over 100 until September/October. It's still okay til about 107, then your eyes hurt going to the mailbox. (hard to explain)

Anyway, for those of you in a cold climate, you'll be seeing grass and flowers before you know it...just hang in there...winter can't last forever.

Our new adventure!

On March 1st our family joined up with the Monavie company at www.monavie.com.
We've been around MLM's for 20 years, but OMG is this different! In the very first week, we're making hundreds of dollars, it's easy, and we haven't sold a single bottle. It's just $39 to join, and you drink healthy juice made from a blend of 19 fruits, leading the way with the acai berry - the number 1 free-radical warrior, the most powerful antioxidant food source known to man.

We get healthy, the company lets us join in for next to nothing, and no one recommends we go to lots of meetings or sell stuff. Making money was never this easy or this much fun.

Anyone that knows us, especially Tim, knows that we make every decision with logic, not emotional hype. If you know us, you also know we don't waste money and always look for the best deal. Trust me when I say, you can do this too.

They pay weekly, their only a binary (2 legged) system, so everyone grows fast, and everyone gets to benefit from not only their own work, but that of others as well.

A big plus is that the company runs the M.O.R.E. Foundation, which is a non-profit foundation to build orphanages in the slums of Brazil. They currently feed, clothe and educate 800 kids daily in a land filled with daily murders and streets run by drug lords.

Check out their site, watch their videos on the acai berry product and the compensation plan. It just may be the answer you were looking for in an unexpected source.

Our latest venture...

This week Tim & I signed up with the company Monavie. With so many people fighting health issues and especially cancer from free-radical, abnormal cells, their product makes sense. It's from the acai berry, preserved by a procedure that retains 99% of the berry's nutrients. (Most store-bought acai berry drinks aren't as healthy, since the berry loses all but 12% of it's nutritional value in the first 24 hrs. of being picked). Their flash freeze process done on-site in Brazil makes all the difference.
You just drink the Monavie juice, just 2 oz. twice a day, and it's a blend of 19 fruits from the 4 corners of the world, and has the anti-oxident and nutritional value of 7 - 9 servings of fruit. It's not a cure, not medicine, but it's a superfood, which means it can sustain life on its own. How cool is that in a society where we never eat enough fruits and vegetables, and those we do aren't natural anymore unless you buy organic?

The best part is the money. We've been involved in other systems before, but they never had this kind of money, especially this quickly. I had the opportunity to meet people making thousands of dollars a WEEK and they aren't superstars, or the unusually successful type, and they've only been in a year or less! The cool part is, we can start for just $39, not hundreds and hundreds.

Finally, there's light at the end of the financial tunnel and it isn't a train!
It's good to have hope again.

What did the world do before video games?

I've spent most of the day watching my son and my husband playing video games. I enjoy using the wii as much as the next person. It's fun to play tennis, bowling, golf, baseball, shooting, billiards, and more - and the mii people/characters are so cute! I love creating them and downloading cute ones like Chicken Little, Yakko Warner and Snoopy. But the system's been on at least 8 hours today. First Adam plays online against people in Guitar Hero III, then in Medal of Honor 2. It's very different from playing against a computer, or someone in your house. But now even my husband's addicted to playing the online WWII game! It's kind of funny when Tim says, "You know, Adam, you've been playing for over an hour..." Then he proceeds to play for the next hour and a half himself!

Meanwhile, I sit here in our tiny living room wishing we had the new house already. I'd be in my room away from all the noise, or relaxing in the swimming pool, or enjoying the clear, warm, night sky, or making something in my beautiful new kitchen.
But here I sit, wondering, "What did the world do before video games?"

I remember growing up, my parents would put me on the back porch, threaten me if I left the yard, then locked the door for the next 3 or 4 hours. I spent so many hours on our postage-stamp sized yard in the city with nothing to do but draw, read, and occassionally exchange a few words if a neighbor came out.

My kids used to always play outside riding bikes, climbing trees, playing on their swingset, digging in the mud, you know, outdoor stuff. Here we don't have a yard, so they can sometimes play a sport in the grassy common area, or ride their bikes, but I can't wait til we're in a neighborhood where they can walk around, explore, meet the new neighbors, and play at friends' houses.

Anything but waste hours on end playing games and staring at the TV. The part that really gets me is that the war game that they spend hours playing doesn't involve activity like other wii games - it's just like all the rest - great for building couch potatoes.

I hope we get the house soon!

I can't wait til late March/early April !!!

My friend Michelle and her husband Elio are moving here from MA in August (or sooner, if possible). Her Mom, Ginny and her husband Steve are moving out here too! I've had so much fun this past week taking pictures around town to send them to keep them motivated during those long, gray, cold, winter days back east. I can't wait til they get here and see how pretty and colorful and sunny it is here. They're going to just love it, I know it. Their cost of living will go way down so they'll have tons more opportunities once they're here. I'm so excited their coming, but I'm also very excited FOR them and all they great things that they in store in the near future.

To be reunited with Michelle like this is a long-time dream come true.

Adam's cool weekend:

This weekend will be pretty cool for Adam. Friday night is a sleepover with a bunch of friends for a birthday party. They're going to stay up most of the night playing video games. They'll be leaving for their own homes mid-Saturday.

Sunday, Adam will be at church, as usual.

Sunday night, the church where Adam attends his Bible Study (and played sports) is hosting an all-niter at Amazing Jakes from 11pm to 6am. (Yes, there's church chaperones and his friends are all going and the doors get locked so no strangers get in. Only church-invited people can attend.) They get video games, a pizza buffet, go-kart racing, laser tag, bowling, rock climbing wall, karaoke, bumper cars and snacks! Oh, to be 14 with so little responsibilities again!

But to do the right thing, Adam did both Friday's and Monday's schoolwork early so that he can sleep in Monday and not get behind on his classes. A motto in our house is "We do what we HAVE to do before we do what we WANT to do."

The Adam Fan Club

How funny is this? Jordan and her friends started an Adam Fan Club and so Jordan set up a blog where his members can keep up with what's going on in his life, see pictures of him, and learn more about him.

Maybe it'll be a good experience for him to learn to model good behavior, and be a good example because people are watching his every move. It could be an important lesson if he's going into law or politics.

The website is www.adamtowerfanclub.blogspot.com

Logan & Adam's Birthday songs

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Logan turned 12 on Friday the 8th. Adam turns 14 on Sunday the 10th.

Adam goes to Washington?

Well, not exactly...but he IS spending this week in downtown Phoenix learning how government works. He's part of a group that does one week a year together, called Teen Pact. Christian, homeschooled students get together to learn how to write bills, how they're turned into laws, Parliamentary etiquette (rules used in government, like you see on C-Span), etc. They deal with issues that are important to the values they hold, as well as funny ones. He's learning a lot and spending all week with highly intelligent people who plan to make a difference and change this country for the better. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and I'm really proud of him.

Who said life was fair?

Last night I mentioned to Tim that I'd like a cookies n' cream shake from Chick-Fil-A next to our house. As soon as I said it, he was out the door to get one for me, himself and Adam, since he stays up with us later than the other two.

In the morning, I come downstairs and I'm greeted by Logan & Jordan. Not by "Good morning!", but by "so, did you 'eat more chicken' (Chick-Fil-A's slogan) or did you drink more shakes? We found the containers in the trash."

Okay, so where do we get the idea as kids that life is always fair? It never is. There's lots of times when good stuff happens to bad people and bad stuff happens to good people. Many times the people that stay home collecting checks have nicer lifestyles than those who work hard at 2 jobs. The short lines take longer than the long lines at the grocery store. The snobby kid gets all the recognition. The spoiled kid keeps getting more and more. The poor kids struggle day after day, grateful for what little they have, and can't seem to get ahead. So where does this idea of fairness come from?

Maybe it goes beyond this world...When you get good things in this world, but aren't a good person, you lived selfishly for yourself and not for others, you never needed to be "saved" since you didn't seem anything you did was wrong, than what you get here on earth is ALL you get.

When you lived your life for others, but still made mistakes, still lost your temper, still made some bad choices, but you understand that, you realize you need someone to save you from the bad things you've done, and you trust Jesus, you may not always get a lot here on earth. Here's where the fairness comes in - you get eternity without tears, pain, mourning, death, problems - forever! So maybe the fairness thing is instilled in all of us before we're born, and we spend our time trying to figure out what's fair and what isn't.

Free Rice while Learning

I got this link from a friend. Play for free, no sign in required, build your vocabulary, and the advertisers donate money to buy rice for the hungry. Please Play, then bookmark it to play often.

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

It's been a good week for Adam.

In the last 4 days, Adam got a wii, got to use his Subway giftcard for their "sub of the day", got a Starbucks Strawberry Frappaccino with another gift card, bought Metroid Prime 3, and pre-ordered Brawl that comes out, oddly enough, on his birthday in 3 weeks.

For Tim, it's a time of him changing jobs soon, so we're not sure how his schedule will look. Fortunately, we have activities to a minimum, so whatever it turns out to be, it shouldn't be too hard to adjust to.

For me, this week is a time to focus on praying for my ladies' bible study friends. Our group has grown to almost 30 women, so praying for each of their requests is pretty time-consuming. Our latest study is laid out with every other week off from homework. That gives us all plenty of time to pray for a few friends per day, at least every other week.

For Logan, it's been a tough week. He's been in an arguing mood all week. He argues over everything, no matter how little or stupid. Not like he wants to be confused with the facts or anything!

And then there's Jordan. The smallest in a house of all Type-A personalities with attitudes and stress. She spends a lot of time doing girly things in her room...makeup, hairstyling, playing with Barbies, re-decorating her 8 X 10 room...just trying to stay away from everyone til the air gets a little more breathable.

Next week's goal: To get outside more, walk, take in more sun and fresh air, bringing the kids with me. I bet it'd do us a world of good - but the wii's still new, so the kids stayed in all week.

Adam got a Wii - finally!!!

Today was a great day for Adam. He worked outside, in 100+ degree days in the middle of summer, outworking the adults. He earned hundreds of dollars. He spent the next 5 months debating if he really really wanted a Wii or not. After much deliberation, he decided he wanted one, and as you probably know, it was sold out EVERYWHERE !!!

Enter my childhood best friend, Michelle. She lives in Massachusetts. I told her how frustrated Adam was at not finding one, so she decided she'd find him one back east, even if she "had to go to China to get it!" Her relative had one he never used beyond the first week he bought it, so she got it from him, boxed it up and sent it to Adam, paying for the shipping herself.

We never told Adam it was on the way. (Michelle and I love fun surprises for other people!) The box came in today. I said to Adam, "Could you unpack this box for me while I do something?" His reaction was just as expected...he kept saying "OMG! It's a Wii !!! I can't believe it!" I've never seen him so happy.

I'm also beaming from ear to ear, not because I got to help make him happy, but because now I don't have to hear how frustrated he is every single day about not having one, stupid Japanese marketing, and artificial supply and demand. Yes, he really talks like that.

So today was a very good day.

Boys and Weapons

You teach them right, you tell them to appreciate peace, and by the time they're 4, they bite their toast into the shape of a gun! My boys aren't the type to enjoy jumping in mud puddles, skateboarding on guardrails, or wrestling each other. They ARE the type who:

- raced down a huge hill from the barn to the driveway on anything with 2 wheels while dragging their feet, putting new holes in the toe of new shoes every few weeks
- took off at 2 years old during a party to drive a tractor away from the house into the center of Papa's yard while all the men looked on and the women were busy in the kitchen
- while the adults were giving supervised horse rides around the arena, one boy took off on his own horse to the other end, a good 200 feet away!
- went out for a day with Papa at the horse farm and came back with blood all over his chin and shirt because he wanted to "swing on the electrical tape"
- now in their teen and pre-teen years, they still play with toys - like a blowdart gun and air soft rifles

And that's just the way they were made - I wouldn't have it any other way - Ahhh, fond memories.

Say it isn't true!

Is the football season really almost over? That's so sad. I wait all year to watch football on Sundays (and Mondays, and Saturdays...), then it's gone so quickly! All in all, it's been a good year. The Cardinals did better than most people expected. Before the pre-season got started, I called that they'd end about half wins/half losses. I was pretty happy. I also still like the Patriots. I figure if I had to live through 30 years of them being so awful - I can live out of New England and still share in their victories. But my favorite team of all - the Indianapolis Colts - did great this year! #2! Thier coach Tony Dungy is great. I was thrilled when Payton Manning finally got his superbowl win last year. The guy next door roots for Dallas (I can't stand their coach, therefore, I don't like them). Last year he told me they were going all the way and I told him it'd be the Colts. This was about 2 weeks into the season...I was right! Woo-hoo!

I've loved watching football as long as I can remember. I think it's because it reminds me of happy times. My family never watched football. I used to watch with my friend Sue's family when they'd gather for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and the SuperBowl. We even followed Boston College when Doug Flutie was their quarterback! As I got older, my best friend Michelle and I used to watch football together too. She liked the Steelers and either the NY Jets or the NY Giants. I like the coming together for a common cause, I guess. It never was about the cute little pants they wear like some girls. It's all about the game.

Now in my house, I watch my 3 favorite teams and whoever else may be on (except Dallas). The rest of the family isn't into it like I am, they just "tolerate it" I guess. I'm the only one yelling at the TV and coming unglued over bad calls made against "my" team. And now, it's almost over.

What am I going to do on Sunday afternoons for the next 6 months?

I love winter in Arizona

I spent a good 2 hours or more today talking on the phone with my best friend from my childhood/teen years and my little sister. Both live in Massachusetts, where I was born and raised. The greater Boston area got over 44 inches of snow in just the month of December!!! They're both pretty happy people normally, but I can tell they're both sick of the cold, gray weather and driving in mounds of snow. One's moving here, one's moving to Florida next fall.

I hated all but about 8 weeks of the year in New England and spent most of my life asking, "Why do we still live here?" The year we left (2003), it actually snowed in 8 months of the year! Our first snow was in October and our last storm, which dropped about a foot, fell on May 3rd! I'm so thankful I'm here year-round, but ESPECIALLY in the winter! I wish I could tell them it'll all be okay when next Christmas they're eating outdoors staring at Palm trees.

Every day I see another beautiful, amazing site here and wonder how many thousands of people drive by the same thing and are blind to it...a gorgeous sunset, pink and purple clouds, a rainbow that touches the ground, sun rays blazing from a hole in a cloud, the blue water of the Salt River contrasting the green and gray desert on either bank, the purple hues of the Superstition Mountains, the view of Phoenix lights from the McDowell mountains, a cotton field in full bloom (kinda looks like snow, right?)...I could go on and on...

I guess my message for today is to take the time to look around and enjoy the beauty all around.

Amazing Grace movie

If you haven't seen the movie Amazing Grace, it's about William Wilberforce, the great abolitionist of the European slave trade. Based on the true story, it's a reminder of how we need to stand for what's right, even against great opposition. If good men do nothing, then who's making all the decisions?

Also, a quick reminder to register to vote, do your homework: find out how each candidate has voted or where they really stand on issues. So often, I hear people say they're voting for a particular candidate, just to next say they agree or disagree on something that contradicts that candidate's stand.

Value the freedom we have in America. Be thankful we aren't under the rule of an evil king, dictator or other ruler, like so many of our ancestors were. Veterans were willing to die for us to have freedoms and choices. Be smart. Be pro-active. Vote intelligently.

I love to take walks.

This morning I decided to take a walk with Logan & Jordan. (Adam's not into walks I guess.) We live in a very unique place. Our complex is located right next to a nice, safe neighborhood with million dollar homes. They all have manicured lawns, no trash to be seen, fountains, bridges, stained glass, rose bushes trimming the edge of the lawn, you get the idea. I love walking through that neighborhood. It's peaceful, with very few (if any) cars on the roads. I always feel safe walking there.
I feel good that I did something good for myself. I feel renewed, my mind is cleared, the wind on my face, the sun shining on me, it's the best way I know to spend 40 minutes with my kids.
If you live in a place too cold for a walk, maybe walking in a mall is for you; or curling up in a cozy chair under a blanket, sipping hot cocoa, reading a good book for 40 minutes. If you're stressed, maybe it's a 40 minute soak in a hot bubble bath - you're never too old for that.
As much as my resolutions have to do with others - we all need time to recharge and renew. Find a way to enjoy some time for yourself today.