We just finished watching AI (courtesy of our DVR) and wow!! I was sooo impressed with 2 of the performances!!! ENJOY!!!

Wow!! Is it not amazing how much stress can take out of you and how quick it can come on? One minute you are sitting there in a normal state and then BOOM! you get a side swipe that takes you off course!! Well, that is what happened yesterday. I was on a straight course and then the side swipe came. Not good.
Well, I found some good stuff on stress (more John Tesh)....hopefully I can use some of this in the future (teeehehehe).



Try These Tricks to Ease Your Stress
Don’t freak out! If stress is sending you into a tailspin, try these tricks from Quick and Simple Magazine.
Form a fist. The next time you’re stressed, try this trick: Clench your fists tightly for five seconds, then open them. Why does this work? Because when a muscle tenses as much as possible, it becomes able to detense completely. Basically, clenching and releasing your fists is kind of like pushing an internal “reset” button on your body. Which helps you relax.
Look at something blue. Like the blue screensaver on your computer. Or a blue pillow in your living room. Rutgers University researchers found that blue triggers the production of a calming brain chemical. According to Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of 101 Exercises For The Soul, since blue is the color of the ocean and the sky, we automatically associate it with the serene feelings that come with being out in nature.
Belt out a tune. It doesn’t matter if you’re off key! According to researchers at Frankfurt University in Germany, singing can slash the body’s level of stress hormones! Why? Because when we sing, we’re breathing deeply, and this lowers the body’s blood pressure and heart rate.
Help someone. Being kind to others produces a rush of feel-good chemicals in the brain. That’s according to the book Stress Free For Good. That endorphin surge boosts your mood. So help a little old lady cross the street. Or offer to watch your neighbor’s kid while they run to the store.



Here are the Easiest Ways to Lower Your Stress Levels
Stress no more! Here and now, I have the easiest ways ever to calm down, be happier, and lower your stress levels. We found these scientifically proven methods in Woman’s World magazine.

* For instance, battling stress is as easy as turning on Animal Planet – or watching a National Geographic DVD about nature and wildlife. Researchers tried this test. They had volunteers watch either a soap opera, a video of animals, or a blank TV screen. They found that the animal video was hands-down the best at reducing blood pressure and heart rate – which are key signs if stress. So why does watching animals work? Because they naturally fascinate us. That’s according to Dr. Alan Beck from the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University. Dr. Beck says animals hold our attention and that distracts us from stressful thoughts.

* Another way to get rid of stress is to stop hanging around Debbie Downer or her brother David Downer. The pessimism of negative people is contagious. The effect is so strong that hanging around a negative person will spike your blood pressure faster than being with someone you outright hate! So why do we “catch” pessimism so easily? Psychologist Dr. Adam Duhachek says it’s because we assume that if someone has such a strong negative opinion, it’s for a good reason. So we adopt it without thinking about the other side of the coin.

* Get a 15 minute aromatherapy massage. It really does work! According to the Journal of Clinical Nursing, when emergency room nurses were given 15 minute aromatherapy massages, with fragrant oils and soothing music, their stress levels plunged from 60% to just 8%. Combining the massage with relaxing aromas and music works better than just the massage on its own.

I am soooo in love with MOTOWN! This is one of my favorites!!!....

Today I was in an all day training. It was way better than I thought. Lots of information and motivational stuff. I feel inspired and ready to go back and motivate my people. It was also a day of meeting new people. It got me to thinking what kind of first impression did I make? I met some people for the first time and I have impressions of them. Are the correct? Did the impressions they make what they wanted? Or were they aware of the first impression? I know I am not always aware of the fact that I am making first impressions all the time. I was reading this article on JOHN TESH and I thought it was some good information to be aware of...


You have just 7 seconds to make a good first impression

A man named Roger Ailes, a media strategist, famously said, "You have just 7 seconds to make a good first impression." And he was pretty much right. Our primitive ancestors needed to be able to size up a situation quickly and decide if they were faced with a friend or a foe. And we do the same thing today.
According to Yale University psychology professor Marianne LaFrance, 90% of a first impression is based on appearance, posture, facial expressions, and tone of voice. So here’s how to put your best foot forward.
First, know this, when you meet someone new, your hair style will get noticed more than your facial features. Long hair says, "My looks are important to me". Short hair says, "I’m confident and successful". And shoulder length hair says, "I’m intelligent and level-headed".
Next, your handshake matters. The Yale study found that people who make eye contact while offering a handshake that’s firm, dry, and vigorous – as opposed to clammy, limp, and wimpy – not only makes a better impression, but makes people believe you possess the qualities associated with your grip. Also, here’s something just for women.
Your instincts about other women are more accurate than your instincts about men. Why? Because women are programmed to want to make a connection with a man, so your opinions aren’t as harsh. Chemistry throws off your radar.
Now, what about charm versus cheekbones, which goes further? A good looking face or a charismatic presence? Charisma wins over beauty. If you seem confident, open to new experiences, and interested in others, you’ll get better marks than the good looking guy next to you.
But here’s the one thing you need to remember – a first impression is less about you, and more about making the person you meet feel good.
Want to go further? Check out the book "First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You".

Today is the middle of the week...2 more days left in the work week...and I am sooo glad! Tomorrow is a huge day full of meetings/trainings and will go all day and into the night so it will be interesting to see how I feel when it is over!! Since I have such an odd schedule this week I was able to spend some time with the girls and Reggie. It was fun!! We went to see Horton Hears A Who! (AWESOME MOVIE!!!). I cried during the part where the Who's were yelling that they were "were here...were here!!". It was sooooo emotional and wonderful!!! My daughter was telling me about some of the meaning behind the movie and I could so see them and more. I recommend this movie to everyone and we have decided to buy some of his books (the girls own some but they are put away and I am being selfish and want my own copies...teeehehehe). All four of us loved this movie and we plan to own it when it comes out!!! I am telling you see it if you can!!! You will not regret it!!! After the movie we went to dinner at Bennigan's and had a good time!!! It was a great family day!!!

I came across this today and thought it was good stuff...especially after my all day meeting...

Five Things Happy People Do

There just may be a hidden formula for joy! Experts reveal the secrets of happy women.

By Gabrielle LeBlanc

From O, The Oprah Magazine, March 2008

Sages going back to Socrates have offered advice on how to be happy, but only now are scientists beginning to address this question with systematic, controlled research. Although many of the new studies reaffirm time-honored wisdom ("Do what you love," "To thine own self be true"), they also add a number of fresh twists and insights. We canvassed the leading experts on what
happy people have in common—and why it's worth trying to become one ofthem:

They find their most golden self. Picture happiness. What do you see? A peaceful soul sitting in a field of daisies appreciating the moment? That kind of

passive, pleasure-oriented—hedonic—contentment is definitely a component of overall happiness. But researchers now believe that eudaimonic well-being may be more important. Cobbled from the Greek eu ("good") and daimon ("spirit" or "deity"), eudaimonia means striving

toward excellence based on one's unique talents and potential—Aristotle considered it to be the noblest goal in life. In his time, the Greeks believed that each child was blessed at birth with a person

al daimon embodying the highest possible expression of his or her nature. One way they envisioned the daimon was as a golden figurine that would be revealed by cracking away an outer layer of cheap pottery (the person's base exterior). The effort to know and realize one's most golden self—"personal growth," in today's lingo—is now the central concept of eudaimonia, which has also come to include continually taking on new challenges and fulfilling one's sense of purpose in life.

"Eudaimonic well-being is much more robust and satisfying than hedonic happiness, and it engages different parts of the brain," says Richard J. Davidson, PhD, of the Univ

ersity of Wisconsin-Madison. "The positive emotion accompanying thoughts that are direc

ted toward meaningful goals is one of the most enduring components of well-being." Eudaimonia is also good for the body. Women who scored high on psychological tests for it (they were purposefully

engaged in life, pursued self-development) weighed less, slept better, and had fewer stress hormones and markers for heart disease than others—including those reporting hedonic happiness—according to a study led by Carol Ryff, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

They design their lives to bring in joy. It may seem obvious, but "people don't devote enough time to thinking seriously about how they spend their life and how much of it they actually enjoy," says David Schkade, PhD, a psychologist and professor of management at the

University of California, San Diego. In a recent study, Schkade and colleagues asked more than 900 working women to write down everything they'd done the day before. Afterward, they reviewed their diaries and evaluated how they felt at each point. When the women saw how much time they spent on activities they didn't like, "some people had tears in their eyes," Schkade says. "They didn't realize their happiness was something they could design and have control over."

Analyzing one's life isn't necessarily easy and may require questioning long-held assumptions. A high-powered career might, in fact, turn out to be unfulfilling; a committed relationship once longed for could end up being irritating with all the compromising that comes with having a partner. Dreams can be hard to abandon, even when they've turned sour.

Fortunately, changes don't have to be big ones to tip the joy in your favor. Schkade says that if you transfer even an hour of your day from an activity you hate (commuting, scrubbing the bathroom) to one you like (reading, spending time with friends), you should see a significant improvement in your overall happiness. Taking action is key. Another recent study, at the University of Missouri, compared college students who made intentional changes (joining a club, upgrading their study habits) with others who passively experienced positive turns in their circumstances (receiving a scholarship, being relieved of a bad roommate). All the students were happier in the short term, but only the group who made deliberate changes stayed that way.

They avoid "if only" fantasies. If only I get a better job…find a man…lose the weight

…life will be perfect. Happy people don't buy into this kind of thinking.

The latest research shows that we're surprisingly bad at predicting what will make us happy. People also tend to misjudge their contentment when zeroing in on a single aspect of their lives—it's called the focusing illusion. In one study, single subjects were asked, "How happy are you with you

r life in general?" and "How many dates did you have last month?" When the dating question was asked first, their romantic lives weighed more heavily into how they rated their overall happiness than when the questions were reversed.

The other argument against "if only" fantasies has to do with "hedonic adaptation"—the brain's natural dimming effect, which guarantees that a new house won't generate the same pleasure a year after its purchase and the thrill of having a boyfriend will ebb as you get used to being part of a couple. Happy people are wise to this, which is why they keep their lives full of novelty, even if it's just trying a new activity (diving, yoga) or putting a new spin on an old favorite (kundalini instead of vinyasa).

They put best friends first. It's no surprise that social engagement is one of the most important contributors to happiness. What's news is that the nature of the relationship counts. Compared with dashing around chatting with acquaintances, you get more joy from spending longer periods of time with a close friend, according to research by Meliksah Demir, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Northern Arizona

University. And the best-friend benefit doesn't necessarily come from delving into heavy discussions. One of the most essential pleasures of close friendship, Demir found, is simple companionship, "just hanging out," as he says, hitting the mall or going to the movies together and eating popcorn in the dark.

They allow themselves to be happy. As much as we all think we want it, many of us are convinced, deep down, that it's wrong to be happy (or too happy). Whether the belief comes from religion, culture, or the family you were raised in, it usually leaves you feeling guilty if you're having fun.

"Some people would say you shouldn't strive for personal happiness until you've taken care of everyone in the world who is starving or doesn't have adequate medical care," says Howard Cutler, MD, who co-authored The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World with the Dalai Lama. "The Dalai Lama believes you should pursue both simultaneously. For one thing, there is clear research showing that happy people tend to be more open to helping others. They also make

better spouses and parents." And in one famous study, nuns whose autobiographies

expressed positive emotions (such as gratitude and optimism) lived seven to 10-and-a-half years longer than other nuns. So, for any die-hard pessimist who still needs persuading, just think of how much more you can help the world if you allow a little happiness into your life.

Gabrielle LeBlanc is a writer and neuroscientist in Washington, D.C. By Gabrielle LeBlanc from O, The Oprah Magazine, March 2008 © 2008 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

wow!!! today was one busy day. I spent the day in training. It was fun and i am glad i was able to meet other people. I also learned a few things and I am anxious to try some of them out on my team and personally. The first thing I need to do it get a rubber band (long story....) and I bought some Thank You cards on the way home so I am halfway there (smile). I have another huge training this Thursday and I am not sure how that will go...it is with our division and looks to be huge!!! All this training is going to make my schedule very interesting!! (and I am sure I will be exhausted by the end!!)

Happy Easter!!! Today was an interesting day...it started off a little rocky but ended real good!!!! We went to dinner at Black Angus and then visited Boo's Nina Lucy and Elena and Reggie's parents. It was a great time and we enjoyed both visits. I was talking with Boo and saying we need to visit more because you come away feeling good. *sighy* When time permits!!! The girls received their Easter baskets (I don't think they will ever be to old to get one from me....teeehehehehe) and Reggie received a cd of Michael Jackson's hits and an Easter "soccer" Egg. I will post pictures later. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and above all else I hope you spent it with people you love!!!!

The day before Easter and it has been a real busy day!! I started out shopping (finishing up my basket stuff). I also went to Michael's to use my 30% coupon (off my entire purchase!!), I bought lots of bead stuff and some craft magazines. I also put gas in my daughters car (wow!! $3.02 for gas!!! OUCH!!!). I also this huge purse at Target so I splurged (with some of my bonus) and bought it!!! FUN!!!
I took the girls with me and we went visiting. We had fun time with my Aunt Virgie and Uncle Frank. We also learned some history on the Ruiz family!!! It was very interesting. We also went to my Grandma G's house. We also went to see my Mom. It was a good time to visit and I am so glad I was able to do my visiting done this month!! I also saw Michelle Olguin at Target!! It has been years and it was so good to see her! She is doing great which is wonderful to hear!!

AND...I also bought us Singstar and Guitar Hero. We have been playing these tonight and they are AWESOME!!! We have been laughing and laughing and having a wonderful time together!! They were a wonderful gift to us!!! I so recommend these two games!!!

It's Good Friday! and yesterday was the first day of Spring! Wow...to think Winter has come and gone. And...before we know it Gigi will graduate and Summer will be here! Wow!!! I need to get in the mindset of Spring...doing yard work, spring cleaning, planting flowers... I am wanting to do some yardscaping this year... I am not sure if I will be able to get this done. I always have the best intentions but every year I never get out there to accomplish this!! Maybe this year. I love to visit Hobby Lobby and see all the fun yard decorations. They always have such cute stuff.
today was beautiful. it was sunny and it felt good to be under it. It is days like this that make me wonder if I should go back to a regular shift so I can enjoy all of this! I mean working my schedule does make for little sunshine! teeehehehehe.

I am excited about the Spring season. This will be a time to enjoy the "newness" of the year and enjoy warmth and sun! I would also like to do some planting...I bought some of those flowers in the bedding (the tyoe where you water them and watch them grow!!) on QVC last year and I need to get them planted or they will go to waste. Maybe this year!!! Hmmmm...let's see what happens...

Blessings...

I am always in awe of any type of blessings God may bring my way. Any prayer answered. Any concern addressed!!! I mean...He is God and I know he is busy and I know I am a mere speck in the world but...to know he hears and cares ALWAYS amazes me!! It always has and I hope it always will. He is so incredible and the thought of him stopping and paying attention to me boggles my mind!! GOD!!!! stopping his busy schedule (and I know it is busy!!!) and seeing my heart, my stress, my doubts and responding!!! AMAZING!!!!

I was very stressed about some things at work (remember I am a perfectionist and freak out when things are not going well or walls are in the way of me achieving the best possible numbers!!!) Well, I was smack dab in the middle of this and it was freaking me out!! My poor family! They had to listen to my woes for weeks! Well, towards the end of my "freak out" sessions I heard a voice that asked me to calm down and KNOW things will work out! Well, me being me...this was hard to grasp. Very hard. Impossible! Crazy...o.k. you get the idea. Well, after sharing this with my family (boy..do they deserve a million bucks for putting up with me!!) I let it go. I stepped back and, with confidence, knew it would work out. Not because of me, not because of others, no...the only reason everything would be ok was because of GOD!!! The last week was a good week, I had to calm team fears but mine were fine (because there were very few of them). I knew the end of the fiscal month was coming to an end and things were needing to draw to a close...and to be honest my numbers were not changing!!! No...I did not freak.

Well...long story short last week I received some real good news and saw changes!!! And then today I was called into see my manager and he delivered the rest!!! GREAT NEWS!! All my concerns were addressed and things were changed. I was asked why I was not more excited and as i walked out I wondered the same thing. Where was the excitement? The cheering? Well...as I drove home it hit me...

GOD IS INCREDIBLE!!! HE IS AWESOME!!! HE AMAZES ME!!! And I stand in AWE of him. and I stand in shame...who am I to deserve these blessings? WHO???

A question I will continue to ask....but in the meantime I will take great joy in knowing he listens and cares!!! The God of the universe!!! WOW!!!

Bored..so why not some fun quizzes???

You Are a Swirled Easter Egg

Completely psychedelic ... just like the Easter Bunny!

What Kind of Easter Egg Are You?

You Are an Easter Egg

You're so sweet, you don't need candy. You much prefer the taste of artificial coloring instead.

What Easter Candy Are You?

You Are a Green Apple Jelly Bean

Of all the flavors, you're the most complex and the most real. A little sweet, a little sour, and totally tangy. People can't describe you, but they love you!

What Flavor Jelly Bean Are You?

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

I was reading some good stuff in Woman's World and thought this was good...


Secrets to staying young-inside and out!

* Eating salad...2 servings of veggies can slow the brain's aging process by 35%! (WOW!!! I am soooo going to eat my carrots!!!)
* Walking every other day...30 minutes three times a week will keep your mind sharp by engaging several parts of your brain at once. (Time to start walking...again!!)
* Stepping outside...Just 15 minutes a day in the sun helps your body make vitamin D which protects everything from my brain to my bones!!! (It's a good thing I LOVE the sun!!)
* Build strength...as we age, we loose muscle and gain fat (yucko!!). Trying weight-training twice a week for 40 minutes will help!!! (??? hmmmm...weight training...maybe i should get use to walking again before I try this one...)
* Expect good things...research shows that people who believe they improve with age live an average of 7 years longer!!! why? Because their upbeat thoughts release feel-good neuropeptides that help stall cellular decline! (WAHOO!!!! I love this one...

I really do believe age is so much a mind thing (ok...not 100%, I mean there are some aches and pains that come with age...)! There are days when i let this "age" thing get to me and i start "feeling" my age (I still don't know what that is..but I know it involves depression, aches in my joints, tiredness...teeehehehehe). It starts in my head and if I don't get a grip on it I find myself falling fast!! I then have to do some mental head shakes and force myself out of it. I hate when this happens! I feel so much better and healthier when I "feel" like I am a better person (inside and outside) than I was 5 years ago. Heck...I think there are days I look better than I did 10 years ago!!! And when I can look at my skin and see smooth soft skin I get excited!! Yes....it's the little things that help me stay young including panties...

YES!!! I did say panties! I am so excited! I went to Walmart for my lunch hour (looking for Easter basket stuff) and was looking at underwear for my oldest (she LOVES sexy underwear!!) when I came upon some fun underwear for me!!! And it was in my size...and it fit (I know cuz I tried on a pair as soon as I came home...teeehehehehe!). They are sooooo cute! They are boy shorts and they were only $3.99!!! What a bargain! I go to Lane Bryant ans spend $16.99 for 1 pair and these ones are just as cute!!! I am soooo going back and getting one in each color and also the lacy ones they had!! Yummy!!! *sighy* I told you it's the little things (and I feel buy purchasing these panties I will add 6 mnths to my life...because they make me so happy and I will feel so young and sassy when I wear them!!! Teeehehehehe). And...if I wear them to take a walk to Wendy's for a salad I could add another 6 mnths!!! OK...I am soooo loving these tips!!! teeehehehehe!

OK...I know it is March and we are hitting on Easter...but I had a few Nuggets pictures (my daughters dance group performed for them!!) to share (barely downloaded them this weekend...*sighy*). Boo loved it and we were so proud of her, dancing in front of thousands of people!! She did an awesome job!!...

wow!!! I cannot believe Easter is less than a week away!!! Where is time going? My parents asked me what we were doing on that day and in all honesty I could not answer. Dinner?? Here, there, a restaurant? Wow!!! I do not know. Decisions...decisions. What happened to all my plans for 2008? I wanted to celebrate holidays and be on top of things!! Auuuggghhhh!!! Ok..there goes my perfection! So I did not celebrate St. Patrick's Day the way I wanted...that does not mean the year is doomed!! *sighy* Well...I guess I have some decisions to make and some Easter basket stuff to buy!! Wow!!!!
...and in the meantime work goes on...My team started training this morning and this will not end for at least 8 weeks!!! OUCH!!! We are treading in a new area and style of training so this is sooooo new and anything can happen (I like to say we are guineas pigs....teeeehehehe). On top of that I have an incentive I am trying to run but have not received all my supplies (my fault...I need hunny bunny to get out my Easter stuff...I told you Easter came to fast!!) I will keep you updated!

HAPPY ST.PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Another Movie??!!!!

Me and the girls watched this movie last night. I had been wanting to watch it for a while. It was fun and I soooo loved SPIKE. He was adorable! I want one for myself!! I would have to give it 1 thumb up. teeeehehehe...i am off to find my bedazzler!!!!

Sunday Blessings....

1/ My health (boy it feels good to be healthy!!)

2/ Long Weekends (I had a 3 day weekend)

3/ Seeing things "work out" (my numbers at work lowered!! wahoo!!)

4/ A husband who is responsible and acts on that!!

5/ Daughters who love to laugh and look at pictures!!

6/ Sleeping in (yummy!!)

7/ Music!!!!!!

DID I SAY MOVIE MONTH???

This was a real good movie! My daughter had been wanting to watch it so we both stood up and watched it. I was a little freaked out because I was not sure how it would end (the director is famous for interesting endings!!). Anyway...two thumbs up!!! I loved the story line and the story between the main characters was great!! I LOVE the way I hated her when she was beating him up and then found myself liking her and yes, even hoping they would end up together in the end!!! I know I am soooo romantic...hehehehehe. Well...I would see this again and the writing was real good and kept you in suspense (was he or was he not???). See if if you get the chance!!

Another one!!!!

OK...I love Jodie Foster and when I saw the previews I sooo wanted to see this movie. Well..I was unable to get to the theatre but I am sooo glad I saw in last night!! (It was a good balance after my chick flick movie...teeehehehehe) This was a "Chick kicks butt" movie and wow!! The ending was incredible (my hunny bunny was even shocked!!). It was sad and I was moved at how much an experience can change your life forever!! I would give it 2 thumbs up and I have to say I am soooo glad her hand shook at the end!!!!