Where the Hell is Matt?

I have been following www.WheretheHellIsMatt.com for a few years. He's doing so much with his bad dancing..just released a new book and his speech about how he got people to dance with him. Every time I view his newest compilation, I can't help but smile. Keep dancing, Matt!

Baby Girl is 11 mos. old

here's the baby girl at the z girls 1st birthday.

thanks janice for the cute dress! :-)

Last week of March

The last week of March was so much fun. It started with the usual calls and meetings. And then...

On Tuesday, I got to go shopping at Sam's for the Salvation Army Women and Children's Shelter with two other ladies. We decided to divide and conquer the list of things the shelter director told us was needed. I was assigned the baby category. I loaded the cart with diapers, wipes, juice, snacks, etc. We filled almost four carts full of stuff in less than 30 minutes.

On Wednesday, I got together with my friend Tracy who I haven't seen in forever for our birthdays. Baby Girl had to join us since Mr. Wonderful was running not so wonderfully late. It ended up being really nice for him to meet the baby girl since he hadn't seen her outside of my belly.

The next day was bittersweet, I caught up with a longtime friend for lunch and then headed out to pick up Baby Girl to get some shots. I hate shots day! What mom doesn't? She cried like crazy for a minute but then was back to her usual self trying to grab pictures on the wall and standing on my lap holding on to my shoulders. She is growing up so fast!

Friday was a great day too. I had asked a friend of mine from MetroPlan to come over to kick off my office's first official Lunch 'n Learn. And, of course, she did a fabulous job. Talk about passion! After the lunch, I had to head over to the airport to pick up the BeFrie and her baby J. They were coming in for a visit for the big Dedication Weekend.

March Recap

So, I was just looking at my blog thinking...Ummmm...Where did March go? I posted a few pics mid-month but have been off in la-la land since then. The month of March is always full of good times with good friends.

During the first full week of the month, my soccer team beat the Ma's and Pa's in the playoffs for the first time, I think, in VooDoo history. They're a solid team and seem to knock us out every season prior. We played another game and lost but at that point, we were so happy about the victory over the other team, we went home with smiles on our faces at a game/season well played.

Also, this week the family celebrated birthdays through thought and snail mail to both Trish and Erin. Happy Birthday! We love you and are thinking of you!

The second week of March was Communications Week at Flagler College. I traveled to St. Augustine for a speaking engagement. It was great to hear the collective messages..."Network." "Don't be afraid to do whatever job you're asked to do." "If you have an opportunity to talk with top level management about ideas that can help drive the business, do so." And, my favorite, "work with passion"..Really, be passionate about what you do. Most times, that is the differentiator for those that are good at their jobs to those that are GREAT.

On Friday, I enjoyed getting together at Jason and Bernice's place for their wine tasting event. They had a representative from Trinitas there in their home, sharing the different wines available from the vineyard. Really cool time.

On Saturday, I enjoyed taking my cousin Lanie and my other cousin in heart, Nerissa, to the Farmer's Market and introducing them to three of my favorite things: 1) a bagelwich, 2) a large bag of hot kettle corn and 3) fresh squeezed orange juice. Baby girl was there too and enjoyed hanging out with the girls for the morning.

Later that afternoon, the family jumped in the car and headed to Melbourne for J's birthday party. Baby Girl was so excited and had the perfect dress that her Aunty Soluna picked out even before she was born. Aunty Maria helped her decorate her first cupcake. She crawled around a lot and played with the big kids. J. ended up not liking cake at all. Something tells me that Baby Girl won't have that problem just by her genetic makeup. (We'll see in a few weeks!) After the "kid's party" was over, we ate a lot of really awesome Indian food. The Padilla's and Kriese's were thinking that the food had been served and then Soluna came over to let us know that what we had was just appetizers. We couldn't believe it! Needless to say, we were so full at the end of this party that even though I'm a major cake addict, I had ZERO room left for anything else. That was probably some of best Naan I've ever had along with a bunch of other dishes that I don't know the names of. We left pretty late that night and got home at almost midnight. What a day! I think everyone was exhausted in a good way.

SUNDAY was my birthday! Mr. Wonderful invited as many friends as he had phone numbers to to come over and celebrate around the new grill he got a few weeks before for his birthday. It was all hamburgers, hot dogs and anything else he could throw on there. Really fun! Everyone pitched in so I could get my new favorite thing -- A KINDLE 2!!! So love it! Thank you to everyone for making my birthday so much fun and helping to give me the gift that keeps on giving!

The same week of my birthday is Heidi Hi's big day along with Lori and Wendy. Hope everyone's birthdays were extra special!

Third week of March was full of great food with great friends. Andres and Soluna took me to lunch on Monday at Dessert Lady...SO YUMMY that if I had a saying about how good it was, I would insert it here. Then, the Triple L ladies met up for breakfast to catch up on life and the latest. Friday night, I decided to get out of the house and join in on the Stampin' Fun with the ladies. I didn't do a lot of stamping or scrapbooking but I had a nice time just being out of the house. I think the weekend was pretty laid back. On Sunday, I went to a Stampin' workshop at Diana's and learned how to make some pretty neat cards, including a pop up, and an Easter basket. Really fun.

Then to continue to the birthday wishes, a big one goes to my sister-in-law, Cindy. :-)

I will continue the last week of March on another post. What an awesome month!!

Hello Lover!

this is the MILKY WAY CAKE. it is awesome.

try to say otherwise and i'll kick you in the eye.

THANK YOU BeFrie and BeFrie Momma for making such a beauty.

It tasted great too!

Baby Girl Dedication

Shopping for the Shelter

@ sam's with m. and c. shopping for

the women and children's shelter.

we had a lot of fun and filled up three huge carts of much needed items.

Got my KINDLE 2!

Happy Birthday to me!

My Kindle 2 arrived and it's so prettty.

One of my fave family pics

Just don't see this every day since we are a Florida Family

through and through.

Enjoyed visiting Wisconsin though!

STILL HERE!

I've been busy celebrating birthdays and planning get togethers and painting bathrooms. Life is full and very good. So thankful for the amazing friends in my life and my family. Mr. Wonderful put together a nice gathering for me on my special day. We are loving the new grill!

Take a moment and say THANK YOU for all that you have, all that you are...

AMERICAN or something else?

Talked to a friend today about how we are way too segmented as a country. He believes we are all American and referenced the following from Teddy Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Celebrating Ted! "Birthdaying" it up with friends and family.

Happy Birthday to My Mr. Wonderful!

He and Baby Girl in Melbourne.

He and Baby Girl in Wisconsin.

ATL with the Be Frie and the Little Fries

Happy Birthday Anais Nin!

Googled her and found the above information and the Anais Nin Blog. Very nice!

There were always in me, two women at least,one woman desperate and bewildered,who felt she was drowning and another who would leap into a scene, as upon a stage,conceal her true emotions because they were weaknesses, helplessness, despair,and present to the world only a smile,an eagerness, curiosity, enthusiasm, interest.

We are going to the moon, that is not very far. Man has so much farther to go within himself.

MiSo Happy!!

Going to see my BeFrie. Back on Sunday!

Family Trip - pics from PdC

where we stayed in PdC

Tanya and Justin so happy together!

Wendy and her grandbaby along with baby girl and her YaYa.
Baby Girl loves to touch other baby's hands.

Moi, Cousins Michelle and Tanya with Auntie Mila

Happiness Emergency

Thanks to Kelly K. King, I am posting the following interesting read from the Happiness Project that she pointed out.

How To Respond to Your Happiness Emergency—Stat!
Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2009 9:13 AM By Gretchen Rubin

Every Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday: Nine tips for dealing with a happiness emergency.

I originally posted this tips list on the fabulous Zen Habits, but I wanted to put it here as well.

What do you do if you're feeling blue because of the financial crisis? Or if you're just having an extremely lousy day? Here are nine strategies that can boost your mood right now in a happiness emergency. In the next 30 minutes, check off as many of the following items as possible. Each one will lift your spririts, as will the mere fact that you’ve tackled and achieved some concrete goals; by doing so, you boost your feelings of self-efficacy, which can boost happiness.

1. Boost your energy: Stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better, take a brisk 10-minute walk outside. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up, and the activity and sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information. Plus, because of emotional contagion, if you act energetic, you’ll help the people around you feel energetic, too.

2. Reach out to friends: Make a lunch date or send an e-mail to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Having warm, close bonds with other people is the key to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch. Perhaps surprisingly, socializing boosts the moods not only of extroverts but also of introverts.

3. Rid yourself of a nagging task: Answer a difficult e-mail, do an errand you’ve been putting off, or call to make that dentist’s appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and relief.

4. Create a calmer environment: Clear some physical and mental space around yourself by sorting papers, pitching junk, cleaning a closet, stowing supplies, sending out quick e-mail responses, filing, or even just making your piles neater. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Try to get in the habit of using the one-minute rule—i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute. And always make your bed in the morning! For most people, outer order contributes to inner peace.

5. Lay the groundwork for some future fun: Order a book you’ve been wanting to read (important: not something you think you should read) or plan an excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theater—whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is an important part of that pleasure. Try to involve friends or family, as well; research shows that people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.

6. Do a good deed: Make an e-mail introduction of two people who could help each other. Or set up a blind date. Or shoot someone a piece of useful information or gratifying praise. Do good, feel good—this really works. Also, although we often believe that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. When you act in a friendly way, you’ll strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people. Along the same lines ...

7. Act happy: Put a smile on your face right now. Research shows that even a fake smile has a positive influence on your emotions—turns out that just going through the motion of happiness brightens your mood. In the same way, a recent experiment suggested that people who use Botox might be less prone to anger, because they can't make angry faces. If you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.
8. Count your blessings. Take 10 minutes to think about all the things in your life that are going right, about all the things that other people do to help you, about all the things that you’re thankful for. In the tumult of everyday life, it’s very easy to focus on the negative and to lose sight of what really matters.

9. Perform an action that reflects your values. Do you think organ donation is a good idea? Sign up online to be one yourself; it takes less than a minute. Worried about climate change? Refill your water bottle from the tap instead of buying a couple of bottles throughout the day. The First Splendid Truth holds that to work on happiness, we should think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right in an atmosphere of growth. Living up to your values will help you “feel right.”

Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal. To the contrary. Studies show that happier people are more sociable, likable, healthy, and productive—and they’re more inclined to help other people. So in working to boost your own happiness, you’re benefiting others as well.

Feel happier yet? Have you found any other effective strategies to give yourself a quick jolt of emergency happiness?

Tips to Being More Creative

Really into lists lately...Here's an interesting one about being more CREATIVE.

So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years.

1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.
18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.
24. Don't worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
31. Remain frugal.
32. Allow your work to age with you.
33. Being Poor Sucks.
34. Beware of turning hobbies into jobs.
35. Savor obscurity while it lasts.
36. Start blogging.
37. Meaning Scales, People Don't.
37. When your dreams become reality, they are no longer your dreams.

TO DO every day...

MONDAY, MONDAY!!!

Got this today in an email and enjoyed reading through the list:

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Sleep for 7 hours.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Play more games.
6. Read more books than you did the previous year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
18. Smile and laugh more.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Forgive everyone for everything.
26. What other people think of you is none of your business.
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
31. The best is yet to come.
32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
33. Do the right thing!
34. Call your family often.
35. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy.
36. Each day give something good to others.
37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.