Bit #38: Lessons in Lyrics~Wonderful Time of Year

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 38: Take time to enjoy this most wonderful time of year

This song resonates in our head each year. It is a lovely song that always makes me smile and sing/hum for days.

The song was written in 1963 and originally performed by Andy Williams. I hope you all take some time this holiday season to reflect on the joy that we all have in our lives.

What makes this time wonderful for you may not be the parties for hosting, marshmallows for roasting, or the mistletoeing, but I do hope your "hearts will be glowing" as you are surrounded by people and things you love. We all do have so many things to be thankful for and this time of year, although hectic and crazy is a wonderful reminder that life is good.

Enjoy singing and humming this song all day long. :)

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of Year"

It's the most wonderful time of the year

With the kids jingle belling

And everyone telling you

"Be of good cheer"

It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the hap-happiest season of all

With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings

When friends come to call

It's the hap- happiest season of all

There'll be parties for hosting

Marshmallows for toasting

And caroling out in the snow

There'll be scary ghost stories

And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago

It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be much mistltoeing

And hearts will be glowing

When love ones are near

It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be parties for hosting

Marshmallows for toasting

And caroling out in the snow

There'll be scary ghost stories

And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago

It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be much mistltoeing

And hearts will be glowing

When love ones are near

It's the most wonderful time

It's the most wonderful time

It's the most wonderful time

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Bit #37:Finding That Girl~Pay It Forward

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 37: It's all about giving and we all have a helping hand to lend

"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. " ~Anthony Robbins

{Editor's Note: I love this week's Finding that Girl post and will definitely follow Whitney in this quest and pay it forward as much as I can this season. We ALL can do something. I also will add the minis in the mix. My son is just starting to "get it" in terms of giving back and learning what this holiday season is all about. Thanks Whitney for challenging all of us!}

I've been decorating for Christmas all weekend, listening to Christmas music and just generally getting in the holiday spirit.

I've had my first official "Christmas" Starbucks in the red cup, seen mothers fighting over the last "My LifeSize Doll" in the WalMart toy aisle and waited in a checkout line longer than the number that represents the federal deficit.

The official holiday season has begun, y'all.

Last night while I was going to sleep I was thinking about last Christmas and I remember one post from a blogger that really stood out to me. I had just found Gwen's blog and this was one of the first posts I had read, but it had such an impact on me.

This is what the holiday season should be about - giving. Even if it's something small, no matter how much it makes a huge difference.

So, I'm going to make a pledge and a challenge.

My pledge is that at least once a week, I'm going to pay it forward to someone. It could be someone in line behind me at Starbucks, my struggling co-worker, a fellow blogger - I won't know until the moment strikes me.

My challenge is to have you join me. Once a week, give to someone who least expects it. And make it a spur of the moment decision. Sure, it will make you feel good but I guarentee you it will make the recipient feel even better.

And little by little, that will make for a better holiday season for everyone!

Oh, and let me be the first to wish you Merry Christmas!

Love,

Whitney

"If you can't feed 100 men, just feed one." ~Mother Teresa

Bit #36: Use Your Imagination

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 36: Don't Leave your Imagination at Home

I stumbled upon this piece by Ellen Phillips in a book entitled 50 Things that Really Matter. We always emphasize on the use of imagination in children, but sometimes I can get lost in my imagination and daydreaming like thoughts.

Dr. Seuss is a classic and wonderful example of someone who used his imagination in his work and sparked a love for reading and imaginative thoughts in children.

Here is the excerpt from Ellen Phillips:

"But Imagination for each of us is about more than physically seeing-it's also about 'seeing' connections between seemingly unconnected things. We may pick up the colors of a favorite scene in the yarns of a sweeater or scarf. (And the peaceful, repetitive nature of knitting is ideal for freeing our minds to imagine other things, too-like an attractive arrangement for next summer's garden or a new recipe for cookies.)

Ultimately, whatever way we use our imagination, we are telling a story. And the more unusual connections we see, the richer and more interesting our creations-our stories will be."

Happy Weekend!

Bit #35: Be Curious

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 35: Keep a Curious Mind

"Curiosity is a gift we each can share. Harvesting it is simple: Just be like a child. Wonder, play, pretend, and live in the moment. Then watch with amazement as the world unfolds around you." ~Kara Messinger

The most famous and smartest people in history that have gone on to achieve great things had a very curious mind!

Albert Einstein-clearly curious to sit around and figure out that E=mc2 and the other "over my head" mathematical business.

Michelangelo-Curious! "Why couldn't you paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? I mean it looks so boring just being white."

Thomas Edison-Thanks for being so curious and inventing the lightbulb

Serget Brin and Larry Page-The Google creators were very curious and thanks to their curiosity for creating the search engine to learn about ANYTHING, they can help fuel our curiosity.

I have a curious child and sometimes it can be exhausting. He must have 1004 questions for a minute detail of a story, movie, why the refrigerator just made that weird noise, or homeless man we passed in the car on the way home from preschool. Even during those times of frustration mixed with exhaustion, I must remember to take a deep breath and see it as an AMAZING mind at work and foster that love for learning and knowing more about how the world works, surroundings, and why things happen.

The list above of famous curious people could go on and on. The moment we stop being curious, the moment we stop learning. So ask questions, think of different perspectives, and look for the hidden beneath the surface answers.

The mind, like the rest of our body needs to be exercised. So, go on...get your curiosity on.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning...Never lose a holy curiosity." ~Albert Einstein

Bit #34: Lessons in Lyrics~Smile

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 34: There will always be a reason to smile

"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful." ~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Smile, even if it's a sad smile, because sadder than a sad smile is the sadness of not knowing how to smile." ~Unknown

This week's Lessons in Lyrics comes from Nat King Cole. You'll be humming and singing this song for a while which will undoubtedly make you smile.

Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may be ever so near

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile

Bit #33: Send Thank You Notes

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 33: Always send Thank You Notes

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone." ~G.B. Stern

We live in a fast paced world where we forget common things and we rely too heavily on email and text messaging to communicate with the outside world.

When you are given a gift, WRITE A THANK YOU.

A handwritten thank you note is a necessity and is forgotten by many. Don't send a email or text, and don't decide to not write one because you forgot and it's been too long.

With the holidays approaching you are going to be showered with gifts, baked goods, and other acts of holiday cheer, so you need to get your "thank you note caps on." (Doesn't it just scream that I was an elementary school teacher in my previous life before children?!?!?!)

ALWAYS WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE!

There is an easy formula with 6 points that should be included in every thank you note. It is easy to do and should be memorized, used each time, and passed on to others that might not know.

Get some stationery to keep on hand so you will have it when a lovely and thoughtful gift comes your way.

1. Greeting~Don't forget the greeting. Dear Aunt Mary, works perfectly.

2. Express Your Thanks~Actually show your gratitude and thank the person(s) for the gift and name the gift/gesture in which this note is to express thanks for.

Thank you for the lovely cashmere throw

Etiquette Tip: Don't ever mention the amount of money that is given. Just say kindness or generosity.

3. Talk about Use of Gift~Say something nice about the gift and how you will put it to great use in the future. If it was a monetary gift, you can write how you will use it. Also, if it was a gesture such as being a guest in someone's home, you could say something like "It was so nice to have such a comfortable and welcoming play while we explored New York."
I look forward to curling up on the sofa during those chilly winter nights with the throw.

4. Mention the Past, Allude to the Future~This one is the one that I have found people have the most difficulty with. Make a mention of a recent visit or an upcoming party or trip. If this is someone you never see, you can write something like "I'm thinking of you and hope you are well."

It was so nice to see you at Grandma's house for brunch and I look forward to seeing you at the family reunion next month.

5. Gratitude and Grace~Show your gratitude one last time.

Thank you again for thinking of me.

6. Closing~Make sure to include a closing and signature to your note.

Regards,

Cate

Thank you notes should be written as soon as possible, but don't worry if you forget or something comes up. Better late than never...

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Bit #32: Finding That Girl~Roll With the Punches

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 32: Sometimes You Just Have to Roll With the Punches

{Editor's Note: Of course, I love all of Whitney's posts, but this week's "Finding That Girl" column rings oh so true. Oprah calls them "aha" moments and we all have them. The question is, do we always listen? We all know that will hand us lemons. Thanks Whitney...we're proud of you for making that lemonade. Have a great day!}

If you're a planner like me, when something throws you off course you immediately begin to make another plan. You start weighing all your options, lay out possible scenarios and you might even make a pro/con list for your decision making process. That's what I started doing when I found out my hours were cut at work.

I knew that I couldn't make it on what my new paychecks were going to be, so I knew I would have to start figuring something out. Right away I decided I would get a part-time retail job at night, sell what I could on Ebay and re-work my budget cutting out any and all completely unnecessary expenses.

Then, I couldn't find a part-time retail job. My availability isn't all that great due to my full-time job, nobody could pay me what I need to be paid and every store wondered why someone with my retail experience was trying to get a nighttime register position.

I didn't know what to do; my plan had failed me.

Then, I had a "lightbulb" moment.

Do what I know.

And what do I know how to do more than anything else?

Shop.

In college I did mystery shopping on a very part-time basis for extra money, so why couldn't I do the same thing now only not so part-time? I checked back into one of the old companies I worked for and then found some new ones that were looking for independent contractors. I've been back at it for a little over a week now, and while it doesn't completely replace my missing income from my regular job I'm at least making it. And I get to keep my flexibility and familiarity that I love so much.

And that's a lesson I re-discovered this week - roll with the punches. I'm not always going to make the best or right plan, things aren't always in my control and I just need to take what comes my way and make it work for me. That's hard for a type-A, control freak, fixer like myself but it really puts me in my place.

And sometimes, we need to be put in our place and learn to roll with the punches.