Outside my window... It is kind of cloudy today, i believe it might rain. It isn't too cold which is nice, i can't wait to see if the day warms up so i can take DA outside to play before church this evening!

my thoughts... Beginning to pack for the trip to Wisconsin to see my family for the next few days! Also need to finish picking up the house so it is ready for Oour departure as well.

Today's Quote... "To love is to admire with the heart." ~ Theophile Gantier

i am thankful for... The ability to have a loving caring man in my life and the ability to go see family for holidays, this is the first time in years i have seen most of my family!!

From my service training... This week i am focusing on making sure Reaper and DA are ready for the trip we will go on this week.

From the kitchen... Tonight: I think Wwe will have chicken with veggies. A1 Burgers for Monday night, Steak for dinner Tuesday, Fish for dinner Wednesday, Wwe leave for the trip on Thursday.

i am wearing... PJ Shorts and a t-shirt, and slippers, comfy for packing and cleaning on a lazy Sunday.

i am creating... Blogging for this and another Blog i have decided on starting that is strictly Nilla, for friends and family members.

my adventures this week... To the Doctor on Wednesday and to Parents on Thursday for a week.

Becoming well read... The Bible, other blogs, mommy sites, and the news. Need to find a book!

i manifest and co-create... my hopes and dreams for this week are that DA is good for the trip, and that things go well while at my family's house.

Today's Melody... Not currently listening to music, however, DA is gabbering, and tv is on TLC for background noise.

One of my favorite things...Cherry Cordial Ice Cream bars! Yummm!

Further plans for this week...Other than traveling? None.

Spring Cleaning Grand Plan

Front Porch

The front porch is an important asset to your home. First impressions are important. If the entrance to your home is a mess, then it doesn't matter how organized the inside is, you're still perceived as "messy". Assemble your supplies, broom, window cleaner, screwdrivers, paper for lists, trash can.

Start at the front door. Is there a dead rug for wiping feet? Is it savable? Toss it into the driveway for hosing down, into the trash, or into the laundry basket.

Remove everything from the porch that you can. Trash bags, recyclables, kids' toys, those boxes that go to Goodwill. Set things in the grass if you have to but get them off the porch.

Is there a swing? Look at it closely. Are the hinges catching on clothes? Is it a disaster waiting to collapse? A quick turn of the screwdriver can fix that. How about the cushions? If cleanable, put them with the rug for hosing down. If trash, then trash them. Write down "get new cushions" on your list.

Take the screens off the windows. Put them with the rug & cushions for hosing. Using the broom, sweep every windowsill & door frame. Sweep down the outside walls. Look up high-are there cobwebs in the corners? Sweep 'em down!

After doing the walls & frames, then you can sweep off the porch itself. Don't forget the steps. Open the front door and sweep off the sill too. Do you need to change the light bulb? Put new bug lights on your list.

Wash the outside of the windows. While they're drying, get out the hose & spray off the rug, screens & swing cushions. Put the screens back on the windows.

Now step back and admire what you've done so far. Look at the mess in the yard that came off the porch. Does any of it belong back on there? Do you have to keep the weekly trash there or can you hide it somewhere else? Toys in the back yard? Perhaps a big bucket for front yard toys? Only you know what can stay there.

Do the hedges in front of the porch need trimming? Either put that on your list for the next nice Saturday or get out your clippers & trim them up now.

Does the front door need painting? How about its screen? New hardware can make a big difference. What about the mailbox? Does the doorbell work?

Write down any fixes and set a specific time to do them. And then do them when the time comes! As long as you've done this much, go ahead and look at the sidewalks & driveway. Too much junk? Remove it to the backyard. Sometimes it's easier to hose down the driveway than to sweep it.

Now go out to the street and really look at what you've accomplished. Aren't you proud to live there now? You should be! Head inside for a well deserved rest. Don't forget to take that list you made & transfer it to either SHE cards or your planner!

Living Room

Begin by washing the outside of the windows in this room. You will appreciate being able to see outside when you sit down at the end of the week in your beautiful, clean, and organized living room!

Take everything off walls, dust it, and set it aside. Dust or wash the wall, vacuum or dry-clean draperies and blinds. Get your favorite cobweb killer and sweep down ceilings, corners and tops of doorways.

Take cushions off furniture. Vacuum thoroughly, replace cushions, spot treat any stains and shampoo if necessary.

Wooden furniture (and anything with drawers/shelves): Empty, sort and throw away what you really don't need. Put the rest where it belongs. Dust/polish the piece you've finished with and repeat with other pieces. Don't forget the maintenance on piano.

Baseboards: depending on condition they're in, dust or wash them.

Coat closet: empty, sort clothes (by family member, season). Remove any "off-season" items and decide whether to trash, donate, or store elsewhere. Replace only those items which should be in your coat closet.

Clean the TV screen (if you have a set in this room). Don't neglect the stereo items either. Re-organize tapes/records/videos as per your needs.

Clean/change the silk flower arrangements as per seasonal needs. Wash/trim any live plants in this room.

Other items needing attention if your room has them:

• Fireplace/mantel/chimney/glass doors
• Lamps (does the shade need dusting or replacing?)
• Electrical cords (check for frayed wires)
• Mirrors (items framed w/glass) get out the Windex
• Doorknobs/drawer-handles (are they clean?)

Now is a good time to measure furniture pieces and windows, to enter in your planner or Household Notebook and keep on hand for shopping for necessary items.

Stacks (of anything!): Take time now to use the sorting method of trash/donate/store elsewhere. Now put these new piles where they belong.

Vacuum the carpet and clean if necessary.

Hang the items back on walls, if you haven't already and take a good look around. It should look pretty good by now. Take out camera and take pictures for inventory.

Entry/Foyer

Use the basic remove/clean/replace policy for those items which are wall-hung.

Consider how the area looks when a visitor enters your home. Again if it doesn't belong there, remove it! If you have a chair or rack that welcomes clutter, consider moving it until everyone breaks the habit of just dropping everything off in the foyer.

The next time you enter the front door after being away a few hours, look around and sniff around just like you were in a strange house. Our homes can develop "houseatosis". There are a great many air freshener products and potpourri assortments on the market today, use one if you need it!!

Don't forget to clean out the umbrella stand, if you have one. If you don't, do you need one?

Do you have a rug or maybe carpeting in this area? Do a thorough job of vacuuming it. you'll be pleased.

Do you have a window in your front door, or "side lights" which could use bit of glass cleaner? Don't forget to thoroughly dust/wash front door itself, and also the baseboards in the area.

Plan a place for everything which needs to be kept near the front door and keep it there! Everything else goes!

Now, do you need to go back and spend time on last week's project? If not, could you choose another declutter project that would enhance the beauty of your home? Choose something close to the entry or living room to help give that feeling of flow between organized rooms. like smiles and yawns, organization is contagious!

Master Bedroom and Master Bedroom Closets

First. let's do what we did in the living room. All draperies or curtains taken down and washed or dry cleaned (or at least vacuumed). Do the same with your bedspread. While windows are bare, clean blinds and glass.

Clear off those stacks and piles on and around your dresser/chest of drawers. Now, dump each drawer, one at a time, or all at the same time into a central location. Vacuum the drawers if necessary.

Go through and sort items. Decide what you want to have in the dresser drawers and put only those items back. use the 4 box method to sort the remaining items. If you haven't worn an item in a year, ask yourself if you will wear it within the next year. if no then get rid of it! (Garage sale, donate to the needy or someone you know will wear it, or THROW IT OUT!)

Do similar with items other than clothing that you find along the way. How about those worn undergarments?? Get rid of them and treat yourself to new! You may want to invest in, or make dividers for some of these types of articles.

How about the jewelry box? Time to go through & inventory. Might want to give some that you don't wear to your kids to play, and leave room for your better items.

Have you checked under the bed yet? Better do so! There could be shoes, books, and other items that have long since been forgotten. You might want to consider getting storage containers for use under there for your off-season clothing.

Now you're ready for the closet! Use the same technique as for drawers: take everything out of the closet and pile in a central location. Decide what you what to store where in the closet! Then use the 4 box method as you consider each thing you removed from the closet before you put items into the closet!

For shoes, try on all pairs if you can't wear them now, chances are you never will. Get rid of them! And if you never really felt comfortable in a certain pair, find a friend who would. Come on now, do you really need to keep the old maternity clothes?? Would anyone else want them? If so, give them away, if not throw them away! Okay now, get ready to fill the closet with things you need and love.

Have you changed the linens on the bed? Turn the mattress first, so you won't "wear" a valley in it! Throw the pillows into the dryer to fluff, and pull out all the dust they collect also.

Time to dust and clean off all the furniture with your favorite product. Don't forget the TV screen & any mirrors you may have. Everyone has different things in their bedrooms which are individual to your household. Take a good look around and see if there is anything we left out.

Vacuum the floor of the room and the closet!

List time: do you need new hangers? Have you replaced winter clothes for summer clothes? Have you found that necklace that fell behind the dresser last year? Did you check the ceiling fan, light fixtures & air vents? Do you need a new mattress pad? or mattress cover?

We should be finished! What an adventure!

Master Bathroom

Go through the medicine chest. Do you really store medicine in here? It is not a good idea to store your medications here as the steam and heat of the showers can affect them. Consider finding a new place. While you rearrange them, throw away the horrible tasting stuff that you do not use and the expired items. Check your first aid supplies. Do you have enough Peroxide, band-aids, gauze pads, antibacterial ointment? Find a printable first-aid checklist here.

Just look at those towels! Are they torn? In need of replacement? You needed some new rags anyway! Put it on your list to replace. Reorganize the ones you have.

Clean off handles, knobs, light switches. Does anything need replacing?

How about the bathroom mat or carpet? Does it need some spot remover while you go on? Does it need to be replaced?

Clean from high to low. Take down the curtains or blinds and clean them. Vacuum the screens in the windows. Clean the windowsill and wash any knickknacks.

Clean the entire bowl. Spray with a good disinfectant. How is your bowl brush? Does it need replacing? A sponge brush works better than a bristle brush here.

Polish all the metal fixtures make them gleam. Get around the bowl and clean spots you have not seen in a while! Open the window while you spray a good mold remover if you need to. Scour sinks and bathtubs, and showers.

Do you need a new soap dish? A decorative hand soap dispenser?

Get under the sink. Look at those three bottles of hair spray. Do you need and use all that stuff under there? Consider purchasing some under the cabinet organizers to give you more storage space and allow you to get things easier. Wipe out the bottom of the cabinet.

Don't stop there. Time to get the drawers now too. Throw away what you have not used.

Does the shower curtain need replacing? Is it really moldy?

Wash out the wastebasket and let it sanitize.

The bathroom scale hasn't been scrubbed in a while. Do it now! Get the baseboards and wipe them down, spray the tile with a good tile cleaner while you are doing the baseboard then wipe the tile down after it had a chance to sit.

Take note and replace, repair all items that need attention.

Kids' Rooms/Play Areas

Kids' Rooms:. Let's get shelves done first (if appropriate). Use same method: examine, toss/save/donate, replace onto shelves. This is a good time to get rid of games with lots of missing pieces, or save for while you're in the playroom in case the pieces are hidden there.

Desk drawers: go through (or have your children if they're older) and sort out what papers need to be saved and what can be tossed. Get rid of old magazines, old McDonald toys, toys in pieces, broken crayons, non-functional pens. make room for the stuff on top of the desk!

Clothing Drawers and Closets: Again, check for current sizing. Too small? Donate to a friend's kids, Goodwill, or homeless shelter. Torn? Can it be used for rags? Box up anything to be saved for a sibling. Label and the box and put it away now. Throw out anything not able to be repaired! Have your child try on questionable items.

Before we go further. have you thought about taking curtains down, and washing? Better start now! Throw the bedspread & blanket in the wash too!

Time to check under the bed for the nasties down there. This might be a good place for under-bed storage containers. Once everything is picked up off the floor, don't forget the ceiling fans, and wash your ceiling fixtures. Now's a good time for windows & blinds too! Don't forget to dust, & polish any wooden furniture.

If you have boxes stored in bedroom or closets make sure you have a good marker with you to mark the outside of boxes with contents. (You can do this but I find that giving the box a code number, letter or name and not marking the contents directly on the box but instead on an index card placed in your SHE box, you can at anytime change the contents of the box without writing and rewriting on the box what is inside.

You can use the same methods for playrooms or play areas. Perhaps if you have a hobby room and no children, you can use this for your sewing or craft room. If you have none of the above, then take a relaxing bath. Then go over any areas that still need "doing".

Guest Room

Guest bedrooms and other bathrooms. Use the same procedures for master bathroom and bedroom. Take note of your area and surrounding . Make lists of those items you need to replace.

Donate or toss what needs to be. Be ruthless this time.

Kitchen and Pantry

Kitchen Closets: Empty them! Pull everything out. Use trash bags, boxes, etc to sort and redistribute your items. Remember-places would love donations of kitchen items. If you have not used something in a few months, chances are you just will not use it so donate it. Kill the clutter!

Kitchen Cabinets: Tackle one by one if the job seems overwhelming. Start above counters, on one side of the room and work in one direction & when done, tackle cabinets below the counter. Save the under-sink area for last, for me it was the hardest.

Get Rid Of:

• Old, currently unused cleaners
• Cans & Bottles of food over 6 months old unless there is a later expiration date.
• Old cracker/cookie boxes probably stale
• Pans & pots that you don't use, have duplicates of, are in horrible shape, etc.
• Extra serving dishes (store them elsewhere unless you have lots of room) until needed. Donate if you have not used them in the past six months.

Check any open boxes for bugs.

Don't forget to wipe down empty shelves, re-line (if necessary).

If you store medicines in the cabinets, check expiration dates. Verify prescription items with your pharmacist. Throw out medicines that "didn't work", expired or tasted so horrible you won't use them, etc.

Don't forget to empty drawers, clean inside, then replace items. Get rid of duplicate items (utensils) if you can.

Clean all appliances inside and out (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker--use vinegar once through, followed by several rounds of water-- stove vent, etc.)

Sink: Use a toothbrush to get rid of gritty dirt at faucet. Clean drains, disposal, etc Use favorite cleaner to make "shine".

Pantry: Use same method as for the cabinets. don't forget to wipe down while empty. Try to combine duplicate boxes of things to throw out that which you haven't and probably won't use.

When this is done, you will probably want to dust any appropriate items, vacuum from ceiling to floor, including vents/ a/c ducts, clean any windows, and sweep & wash the kitchen floor (I always do that last!) As far as I'm concerned this is probably one of the hardest rooms in the house. If you have tile on your counters or table, this is a good time to spray them down and clean and reseal the grout.

Be ruthless! Go through every drawer, cabinet, counter. Did you take time to do all that work and sell yourself short? Did your Mama tell you a job worth doing is worth doing well??? Well go ahead an "git": make that kitchen shine. Go through the spices and the cookbooks again. I know there are things you still really need to do.

Family Room, Den or Rec Room

Since the Family Room is much like the Living Room, consult the notes from that week as well, to be sure we haven't missed anything! Here goes!

Start by washing the outside of your windows.

Take everything down off the walls, take down curtains etc. Wash, vacuum or dry clean as needed.

Sweep ceiling corners and other nooks in the room - tops of doorways, windows, arches, bookcases, etc.

Wash inside of windows and sills. Polish and touch-up stain on wood.

Re-hang window coverings.

Take cushions off furniture, vacuum thoroughly. Vacuum cushions, checking for wear and turning as needed. Spot treat any stains or shampoo furniture as needed.

Wooden furniture and anything with drawers: Empty, sort, and throw away what you don't really need. Put the rest where it really belongs. Dust/Polish the piece you're finished with, repeat as necessary. Do shelves the same way.

Baseboards - dust or wash as needed touch up scuffs on wood or touch up paint on painted surfaces.

Clean the TV screen. Dig out and sort all the accumulated electronic equipment--games, tapes, camera parts, wires, connectors, etc. Put everything where it belongs and get rid of the rest. (I stash things for a few months in the attic and if they don't miss it then I can dispose of it as I please!) If something doesn't work, take action--if it is worth getting fixed then decide when it can be done. Otherwise just liquidate it now.

Vacuum the entire room. Use a whisk broom to get into those hard to reach areas and around the baseboards if your vacuum doesn't clean close enough. Yes, get help and move the furniture. There may be a wealth of lost treasures hiding under the sofa right now!

Clean/change silk flower arrangements for the season. It is also a good time to clean, trim, and/or repot live plants. They can't absorb CO2 and light through a layer of dust!

Other items needing attention if you have them are: Fireplace/mantel/chimney/glass doors Lamps - cleaning and/or replacing shade/bulb/wiring Light switches (clean)

Mirrors and anything framed under glass clean it.

Door handles--and the area around them-- if you have little sticky fingers be sure to get the area below them clean too with an appropriate cleaner. Polish the wooden doors and retouch scuffs.

Clean shake/wash/vacuum/take to professional-- any area rugs.

Now is a good time to reorganize the video tapes and CDs ,Cassettes etc. If you have not viewed or listened to them in a while, donate or take to a consignment shop or a second hand music store and swap

Garage / Storage

This a designated area used for storing "needed" items until it is time to use them. It is not "someplace else" for procrastinators. It can be the attic, basement, section of garage, closet, shed or even a rental unit.

An efficient storage area is the backbone to your home. Overload it & the whole house suffers. There are basically two types of items that should be stored: seasonal-occasional (Christmas, camping, Baby stuff only if anticipated need (g), suitcases, etc.) & home management (backup supplies used in managing a home), (extra paper goods, soaps, kitchen supplies, light bulbs).

Remove everything from storage area.

Sort everything into related piles, boxes, or bags.

Streamline these piles until only keepers are left. (Other items go to the place they belong, i.e. trash, Goodwill, garage sale)

Designate centers in your storage area according to available space and keeper categories. Your categories of keeper piles automatically determine your centers.

Maximize your space & increase your storing efficiency by using the following techniques:

1. Hang as much as possible in drawstring bags.
2. Consolidate by placing related items inside each other (bag of baby bedding inside bassinet, suitcases inside each other, etc.).
3. Use shelving around area & make aisles like they do in warehouses. You can use metal shelves or boards on blocks, buckets, pipe, etc.
4. Always consider how any given item is used, where it is used, & how often it's used-- then put things where they belong.
5. Keep things that are used together stored together. It's simple but it works!
6. If no room for it, you don't need it!!

Group and store like things together, just as the grocery store does, don't scatter. Consolidate as much as possible.

Hang as much as you can.

Use grocery store arrangement by lining the perimeter of your area with shelving, then run stacks of shelves both parallel and perpendicular to this.

Assign a space for empties. No more setting empty jars, buckets, drawstring bags in front of full containers.

For home management & backup storage, you will want to keep a record of items being stored (3-ring binder or computer).

Only store supplies that your family uses & likes. Wasted storage space is too expensive to pay for unwanted items.

Don't be tempted to just shove things into the storage area until you can find another place for them. Keep the "backbone" of your household skeleton lightly and efficiently loaded, and you'll experience greater efficiency and control throughout the rest of your home.

Attic / Storage

The attic works the same every other room does, except it's probably got mostly stored boxed and old clothes. Remember what our motto has been? If you haven't worn it in the last year, and you can't figure when you'll wear it in the next year, get rid of it! (Donate it somewhere, or throw it out if it's not in good shape.) This can really make a big dent in the storage facilities.

And don't get caught with "well, Johnny can wear this when he's 14." Let's be honest, how many kids really want to wear hand-me-downs that are way out of style? We must swallow our pride (if my daughter doesn't want to wear my wedding gown when she's old enough, I guess I won't get upset!) and get rid of what truly we won't use, and will have no value later on (but not that wedding gown! I can't part with that!). Everyone will have treasures that you can't part with, and that is fine, but set a limit.

As for those boxes, bring a few downstairs and work on them in front of the TV, or at the bottom of the stairs. The old "can't go to bed cause I can't get past these boxes yet" works nicely here. Or do it while the kids are at school if you are able. Once again. ask yourself if you will really use the item again. If no, and it has no sentimental value worth passing to the next generation (and collecting dust!) then donate it to somewhere that might really appreciate it.

Dining Room

Using the basic plan, take everything off the windows and clean them.

Take everything off the walls and clean items and wall.

Empty all drawers, shelves, ledges, etc. Clean items, but don't replace-- YET.

Using the philosophy from the "It's Here Somewhere" decide what you want to use this area for. eating, entertaining, playing games, alternative office space, etc.; then place only those items related to those uses back into drawers, shelves, whatever. De-clutter! Use the 4 box method, place everything that isn't usable in this room into the appropriate box. trash, Goodwill, someplace else or storage.

Streamline down to what you will actually use in this room.

Remove all furniture, and clean the floors and baseboards.

As furniture is replaced, clean each piece with appropriate cleaner/wax. Check chair/table legs to see if they need new protective caps.

Re hang pictures. on the wall -- only try using only half of them. Then add more only if you can't stand the empty look. According to the "Law of Household Reduction", when you decrease the number of things, you expand your space visually as well as physically.

Add a new arrangement or fresh flowers and plan to invite company for dinner!

Holiday Decorations / Storage

As I recall, we had only to find and sort those holiday decorations. This covered ALL holidays. and all things pertinent to those holidays,too. (like the red/white/blue centerpiece for the 4th, the Thanksgiving candles and wreaths, and centerpieces, etc.) I believe the idea was to group these all together in ONE box if possible to be added to the storage area (WHO HAS THE ROOM?). This is to free up space in the house and kitchen cabinets by removing these non-essential but occasionally needed holiday items. The "storage" reminder at the end of this week's title was to give some people more time on that very difficult area in our homes. After the previous weeks of the grand-plan. the storage areas are FULL of stuff that must NOW BE FACED !!! Are we going to hang onto our "junk" or clear the clutter??? Only you know yourself. so what'll it be??

You might as well check on all the other decorations while you are in the process or storing the Christmas decorations. Mark those boxes well and make a list of what you want to replace. You might still be able to find those after Christmas bargains for those types of things.

Last Week!

Take this week to budget for the things you noted you needed to have done: new wallpaper, carpet re-stretching.

What about the outside?? It is a good time to really clean well the patio furniture and to sweep off the patio and trim the plants. Any weeding needing to be done? Section off the outside yard just as you would do the inside of the house and get to it. You can enjoy your home inside and out! )

Learn to delegate! Talk with your family and tell them how hard you have worked. (So what if they really do not understand.) Tell them how you need to have their help. Be specific! Delegate specific chores and write them down on cards . No Nintendo, TV, or playing with friends till that is done. No Ifs ands or buts about it!

It takes 21 days to make something a habit-- for you and everyone else in the family--so stick to it! Keep on them. Work on relationships now. You have been so busy in the house! Plan a lunch alone with your son. Take your daughter alone to a movie! Buy a new sexy piece of lingerie and treat you and Hubby! Have fun now that you have your home all organized and clean!

Serving in Public: Whether it’s at work or a sit down restaurant, how do you disguise or enhance your service so that it flies under the radar of the everyday folks we interact with?

Reaper and i don't really "disguise" anything in Oour relationship. Wwe are who we are. That said... as His slave, i maintain a respectful tone, do not question Him in public, i also act respectfully to Eeveryone. i do not call Him Sir or Master, even at home normally its just His name or Babe or some term of endearment. It works for Uus, the only time i refer to Him as "Master" is when i know i need to or if i've behaved out of line. When in public, i get His drinks if i can, and also order for Him. Oour relationship doesn't really need to fly "under" radar, because to Uus how Wwe act with eachother is normal, and we don't really worry about other peoples opinions.

What Do We Really Want, Need?
"Nobody wants me. Everybody wants you. I need a miracle."

What do we really want, need? That's been going through my mind a lot lately.

Maslow comes to mind, with his hierarchy of needs - air first,
then good (whoops, typo - meant to type food),
and a long way up, self-actualization.

I'm tempted to go off on a tangent, about our need for good -
which I do think is a basic need - the need to do good.
But first, I will mull around with - what do we need, on some deep level?

I'm at an airport - but I could as well be at a mall or a grocery story or
on a busy street or in a parking lot cram packed full of cars that have unloaded people to do some busy thing.

Not much satisfaction on most of the faces around me.

Almost everyone looks like some big thing is missing.
They look like house plants that haven't been given enough light or water -
or that are drowning in too much water, roots rotting.

There are billions of us, teeming all over the place -
only a few with satisfaction on our faces.

Satisfaction is most common - in my mental image, anyway -
on the faces of people from low-tech high-religion cultures.
I think of my grandmother, alone for forty-odd years,
living in poverty most of her life, yet with a kind of quiet satisfaction to her, a lot of the time anyway. (At least that's how she exists in my mental image of her.)

Her kind of satisfaction is alien to me.
wants versus needs

****

Dissatisfaction isn't alien to me.

What I feel most, though, is longing - a hunger, a longing for more.

And often, I feel restless, edgy, close to anger.
I see that kind of close-to-snapping look on a lot of the faces around me.

Even more often (on the negative side) I see resignation, hopelessness, flatness.
Something is missing.
wants versus needs

****

What to we need, want, desire, long for?
When do we feel satisfaction, happiness?

First, wants versus needs - how do we tell them apart?
And then, does getting them met lead to satisfaction?

Needs - those are urgent things. Air. Water. Pretty soon, food. For many people, the need they feel most is for money, a loan, a job. (In other words, they have air and water, but urgently feel another lack.)

When the need is extremely urgent and we don't know how we could possibly get it met, then we say, I need a miracle.

Wants - those things, on some level, are optional. If we're desperate, we say I need money fast. We're not desperate when we say, I want a job.  (We may even desperately need a job, but not want a job.)

Needs - having them met brings relief. We're underwater. We surface, gulp in air. Relief.  We're lost in a blizzard. We spot a house in the distance. We knock on the door. It opens. Relief.

Then in the warmth of the house, warming up with a mug of something steaming, fingers thawing, we may feel much more than relief. Satisfaction.

But if there is nothing beyond the relief of need, the satisfaction isn't likely to last.  We get bored, fed up. Two hours after finding safety from the blizzard, we may be restless, irritable, irritated. We want to move, to get out of that little house, back to wherever we were heading when we got lost.

Wants - those come from a place other than need. We want an answer to a question going through our head. We want something that holds our interest. We want more friends, more money, a holiday, something to wear for a party, more time to ourselves, more peace and quiet. We want to learn something, don't want to have to do something.

Want - it comes from wanting.

Then there is desire - that is an urgent want, often not something socially sanctioned, often to do with love and lust. Dangerous desires. Endless desire. Burning desire. Dark secret desires. Fueled by desire. Shameless desire. Haunting desires. Unconscious desires. Forbidden desires. Beyond desire.

We don't just want what we desire. We're caught in the drip of something more powerful.

Then there is longing, yearning aching. Memories of past love, of hoped-for pleasures.
Often there's a bit of resignation to longing. We often long for ... things beyond reach. needs vs. wants

****

And with that, I come back to what I started with. The many dragging sagging flat faces around me when I'm at a mall, parking lot, airport.

How does one get to satisfaction?

In the West, there's more material comfort than in just about every low-tech society that exists or ever has existed, except a few where the weather is idyllic.  We have more things, more comfort, more access to more. Not more satisfaction.

You could say - we should not want so many things.

I say: much of what we want doesn't give satisfaction. Another to-shirt. Another big Mac.
Another cell phone, iPod, laptop. Another trip to the mall, the airport. Another trip.
A bigger home. New kitchen cabinets.

The want ("I want this or that") is satisfied. Often we're not.

That's the rub.

The question: what satisfies?

I'm not, by the way, against the things. I have lots of things. They satisfy the want for those things - a home in the country, a car to go city to country, high-speed internet, and so on.

But I know that, in the long run, kitchen cabinets, high-speed, and so on don't satisfy deeply. wants vs. needs

****

What satisfies deeply?

I am going to come back to my typo - we need good (food too, but also good).
It's doing good to build and reach and connect.
It is good to be able to help more than we ever could.

In my case, my greatest doing good has to do - according to the voice inside me - with sharing my gifts (my good) - and one way of doing this is by building one small part of the burgeoning web-based community - in my case a creativity and idea community.

What satisfies deeply?

I'll leave you to your own answer.

Here is mine for self satisfaction, life satisfaction.
I'd say that a huge motivation in my life is satisfaction motivation.

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. - Albert Einstein

Keeping Peace is a hard thing to come by these days. Sometimes it seems as if everything in life is conspiring against our having peace. The dog is barking, the trouble with work/career, you're stuck in traffic and you just had an argument with a dear friend. In the midst of all of this unrest, we wonder how peace is possible. The answer to this question depends in part on how you define peace.

One way to define peace is simply the absence of conflict. If you can resolve whatever conflict you are facing, then you can have peace. But when conflict rears its head, peace runs out the door, and it won't return until the conflict is settled. This notion of peace is a good start, but it is also fragile, because it is totally dependent on your circumstances.
A stronger definition of peace is one that allows you to rise above your circumstances and remain calm despite the storm raging around you. It is a sense of assurance that no matter what happens, things will eventually get better, and that somewhere, someone trustworthy is in control. This sort of peace is not dependent on circumstances. Rather, it allows you to see beyond your surroundings and fix your eyes on a point in the distance that allows you to hold steady on your course and ride out the storm. How can you find this sort of peace?

By putting your trust in the one person who transcends all of our trials and struggles: God. God is the only one who can truly offer us this gift. If we put our trust in Him, He will give us the strength and the endurance we need to weather any situation. God doesn't promise that life will be easy. In fact, if we truly follow Him, He says we will experience trials of many kinds.

But rather than let these problems lead us to despair, we can be assured that we are not alone, and that we are not struggling in vain. As the writer of the book of James in the Bible says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2-3). You can place your trust in God by asking Him ( and your guides and Angels) to help you deal with these circumstances.

Take a moment and tell God about it. Tell Him you trust in His ability to help you deal with the situation, and ask Him for the strength and wisdom you need to get through it - as well as for her. Then wait expectantly to see what God will do. Your circumstances may not change immediately, but your level of peace and contentment will.
I suppose we all have our ways, our methods, of keeping strangely sane in a world that seems to be changing with every minute. It's hard to keep your spirits up, and it seems so surreal sometimes, to think that we have to work hard at staying positive.
The key to staying positive is to rely on what's inside instead. But keeping positive inside for many can mean facing their past, and what is embedded in them. Most of which includes negativity. I think positivity for many does mean what is inside, and realizing that inspiration and good moods are much more than partaking in the aspects of life that make us happy.

Expect temporary setbacks and failures on the road to accomplishment. By doing this, you won't crash and burn mentally or emotionally at the first sign of a real challenge. Because life is not fair, and is far from perfect. We have to coast along, we have no option there. But we can choose how we feel, and somewhat train ourselves to be positive amidst the most grim situations and circumstances.
By expecting that setbacks will occur, that bad things will happen, we can lose our mindset that life is supposed to be perfect, fair, good, and just. Life is all of those, but unfortunately it's up to us to find those aspects that make life so sweet. That is not what everyone wants to hear, I think, but it's the truth.
The easiest way through life is to "follow your guidance." When you feel the action in right, follow it. If you don’t feel comfortable about it, don’t. This may sound simple, but most people don’t follow their guides’ direction. They exercise "free will," which is our God-given gift, but with the exercise of free will comes a whole new set of challenges they might not otherwise have had to experience. This is not a bad thing; just think of it as an assignment for "extra credit."
Life is a process of change to progress and to regress. We need to fully acknowledge and realize that. Otherwise, we won’t feel fit anywhere we go and in anything we do. Biologically speaking, mature adults experience regression, while at the same time progressing career wise and psychologically.

We have been experiencing changes all our lives, thus one tiny step shouldn’t be magnified in a manner that hurts our potential to self-empowerment. Being able to acknowledge this and be willing to appreciate the change as a process of growing up and getting empowered would be the best attitude to help ease the pain of any kind of transition. Life is an odd thing. Being alive is not.

To announce it ahead of time-- Master, Daddy's Angel, and shaia will be on vacation for 11 days starting next week. shaia doesn't know if this will affect her blog yet or not, but in the interest of her readers, consider this as the reminder that for about 11 days, her blog may or may not be posted. Reaper, DA and shaia wish you Aall a wonderful Easter time.

Love yourself enough to say no to others’ demands on your time and energy. Step back & reassess the situation.

shaia is encouraging you (and herself) to put yourself first for one whole month. It’s not about ignoring your family members or friends or becoming totally self absorbed. It’s simply about making sure you are rejuvenating yourself sufficiently on a physical, emotional and spiritual level and not giving out more energy than you receive.



This is an opportunity to:

* eat and drank well - you’d be nourished and hydrated
* be conscious of your breathing - oxygenating your body
* give yourself quality rest - getting a balance between busy and calm, yin and yang
* say no more often without feeling guilty - strong personal boundaries
* releas stress and worry often with regular rejuvenation tips
* soften your thinking
* add more simple simple pleasures
* spend time alone
* spent more time outside to revive your spirit and soul - get grounded



Get Your Groove Back:

It’s all about energy in and and energy out:

This month I encourage you to observe just how much time you spend on giving energy out compared to receiving energy in. The ultimate goal of course is to add more and more moments of receiving energy in; so you feel full, whole and complete rather than half empty, drained and depleted.

A more balanced and equal exchange of energy in and out is what we are all aiming for to rejuvenate ourselves naturally.

Here’s a couple of ideas to get you started: start a walking meditation or treat yourself to a chocolate facial


Start by focusing on your breath:

When your breathing is shallow and fast your thinking is hurried and fast. You talk fast, eat fast, drink fast, become anxious and work fast. It’s a classic symptom of stress.

By observing your breathe and becoming conscious of slower, deeper breathes you are sending quality, life giving oxygen into your body and brain. You greatly calm your mind and actions along with releasing stress and tension with each long slow exhale. All this and much more happens when you simply choose to put yourself first and focus on your breath.

Your nails maybe small but they are an important part of your body. Imagine yourself with no nails, how will that look like? Despite the importance of the nail though, it always amazes me how many people (especially guys) who don't give a rat's ass about it, while some thinks it's really complicated and they can't afford a pedicure or a manicure. The truth is, maintaining healthy nails is easy. They are naturally healthy without much care... relatively. Spend just 20 minutes a week on your nails and you'll see a significant difference. What does a beautiful set of nails mean to you? Your nail indicates your general health. If you nails cracks easily and dull, you are guaranteed to be unhealthy. A set of healthy nails to me, is just as important as a soft shiny hair and even smooth supple skin. Important Nails DOs and DONT's 1. When your nail gets too long, never clip them short, instead use an emery board and file them. Always file them in one direction, instead of back and forth 2. If you ever apply nail polish, use them only occasionally. Although there are no health effects, frequent users can experience their nails turning slightly yellowish. If your nails are already yellowish, you can dip your nail into lemon juice for a few minutes to lessen the stain. 3. After washing your hand with soap, use a moisturizer and cream on your fingers because soap tends to contain drying agents. This also applies after a bath. 4. Apply garlic for 10mins once a week to kill germs on your nails. 5. You can rub lavender oil on your cuticles to maintain your nail's health and give it an awesome fragrance. 6. If your long nail chips, file them. Waiting for it to heal or covering it with bandage will only make things worse. If You Have Weak And Brittle Nails Weak nails need extra care. Do not use nail polish remover more than twice a month and you do use them, avoid those that contain acetone. Instead of removing your nail polish, you can touch up. If you want to apply enamel, paint a layer of ridge-filling base coat before applying color polish. Always keep your nails dry and do not let it stay in water for too long. The Most Important Thing To Do As I have said, your nails reflect the overall health of your body. To have a beautiful set of nails, the best way is to improve your health. You can start drinking hair and nail supplement. The usual increase intake of vegetables and fruits while decrease intake of meat still hold true. It is always better to go organic if you can afford them. Organics have up to 5 time more nutrients and vitamin in them. To really boost your health, you can eat whole food supplement like Goji berries, Spirulina, Chorella and many others. Yes, protein can make your nail stronger if that's what it is lacking, but a lack of protein intake is rare is the America. Increasing its intake often does help.
click the link to watch a great video on nail care!!
Home Spa Manicures and Pedicures

Peanut butter, tomato and chilies spark up this Thai combo.

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 9 hours 15 min
Makes: 4 servings

8 chicken thighs, skin removed (2 pounds)
3/4 cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Place chicken in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except peanuts and cilantro; pour over chicken.

2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from cooker, using slotted spoon; place on serving platter.

3. Remove sauce from slow cooker; skim fat from sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.
(Total time will vary with appliance and setting.)

Serve With

Complement this dish by serving it with rice that has been cooked in canned coconut milk instead of water. The coconut rice is especially good when you use the hot salsa in the chicken. Add a side of cucumber vinaigrette, and you'll have a wonderful blend of flavors and textures.

Success

The flavors of peanut butter, tomato and hot chilies are a popular Thai combination. We took a shortcut and used a purchased hot salsa for the tomatoes and chilies. If you prefer a dish with a little less kick, use a milder salsa. You'll still have a tasty dish.

Substitution

Have that bottle of fish sauce on your shelf since the last time you cooked Thai? You can replace the soy sauce in this recipe with fish sauce for a more authentic Thai flavor. If you would like to try fish sauce for the first time, look for it at an Asian-foods market or a large supermarket. It is made from salted fermented fish, is salty like soy sauce and has a pungent, strong fish flavor.

 Types of Love

In general society, there are 6 types of love.  shaia will discuss these types but first perhaps we should look at the definition of love. 

Main Entry: love

(1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests 2 : warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion 3 a : the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration  b (1) : a beloved person : darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British —used as an informal term of address
4 a : unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1) : the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others b : a person's adoration of God
5 : a god or personification of love
6 : an amorous episode : love affair
7 : the sexual embrace : copulation
8 : a score of zero (as in tennis)
9 capitalized Christian Science : God

— at love : holding one's opponent scoreless in tennis

— in love : inspired by affection

Now that we have the definition, lets look at the types of love that exist. 

Eros – romantic, passionate, love.  In this type of relationship, love is life’s most important thing.

Ludus – is a game-playing or uncommitted love.  Lying is a part of the game.  A person who pursues ludic  love may have  many conquests but remains uncommitted.

Pragma – is a pragmatic, practical, mutually beneficial relationship.  It may be somewhat unromantic.  A person who leans towards this type of relationship may look for a partner at work or where the person is spending time.  Sex is likely to be seen as a technical matter needed for producing children, if they desire.

Mania – is an obsessive or possessive love, jealous and extreme.  A person in love this way is likely to do something crazy or silly, such as stalking.  The movie Fatal Attraction was about this type. 

Agape – is a gentle, caring, giving type of love, brotherly love, not concerned with the self.  It is relatively rare.  Mother Theresa showed this kind of love for impoverished people. 

During a study in 1985, men were found to show the ludic type of love, while women were more likely to be storgic or pragmatic.  Studies of couples happily married over 30 years showed that couples who rated their marriages as highly satisfactory described their relationship in terms which resembled erotic love more than the other five types.  This might be surprising; because it also found that limerence type relationships tend to flare out quickly among college students.  However, it might be the case that long-term relationships that contain both friendship and a passionate spark are more likely to endure and provide satisfaction to both parties than relationships that are low-key and pragmatic. 

Finding Inner Peace

First Wwe need a definition of Inner Peace--

Inner peace (or peace of mind) refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress.

Now that Wwe have the definition perhaps Wwe need to know WHY inner peace is needed in life.

Here are 20 Reasons Why you Need Inner Peace

1. It improves your ability to concentrate.
2. It improves your ability to handle efficiently the daily affairs of life.
3. It increases your inner strength and power.
4. Its possession eliminates impatience, anger, nervousness and restlessness.
5. It helps manifesting patience, tolerance and tact.
6. It makes you feel centered, grounded and stable.
7. Being mentally and emotionally calm contributes to enjoying better sleep.
8. You gain the ability to be emotionally and mentally unaffected by what people think or say about you.
9. You gain the ability to eliminate stress, anxieties and worries.
10. You enjoy happiness and bliss.
11. You gain self mastery and self discipline.
12. It helps you relax your body and nerves.
13. The healing energies of the body work unhindered.
14. Being peaceful enables you not to be swayed by events, hardships and difficulties, and to maintain inner poise, clear judgment and common sense in such situations.
15. Inner peace eliminates negative, futile and restless thinking.
16. It improves your relationships with other people.
17. It makes life look brighter.
18. It increases creativity.
19. A peaceful mind improves the ability to meditate.
20. Possessing this ability opens the gateway to enlightenment and spiritual awakening.

Ok, so now that we have that covered, we need to start getting down and dirty and involved in obtaining Inner Peace. While shaia realizes that there are many ways to go about this and that maybe her readers have inner peace, it might be good to take a refresher course just in time for spring!

Inner peace is the most valuable thing that we can cultivate. Nobody can give us inner peace; at the same time it is only our own thoughts that can rob us of our inner peace. To experience inner peace we don't have to retreat to Himalayan cave; we can experience inner peace right now, exactly where we are. The most important criteria are to value the importance of inner peace. If we really value inner peace, we will work hard to make it a reality.

Finding Inner Peace in 10 Ways

Accept what is
There is only so much we can affect. What we cannot change, what we cannot influence no matter what, should not be a concern to us. This is what shaia notices with so many people, in that we focus and linger on things which we have no control over. Why worry about something that all the worrying in the world will not change? Why care about what other people think of us when we're not even sure what it is they are actually thinking? Once you open the blinds to this fact, and start accepting what is that you cannot change, you automatically relieve yourself of a mountain of stress and anxiety. It's like a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Taking this path is following a road towards peace.

Meditate
If you do not meditate yet, you are missing out on a very important activity that can change your life. Meditating for 20 minutes daily can have an enormous impact in all areas of your life. Take a look at this page shaia wrote 100 Benefits of Meditation. If that doesn't convince you to start meditating, shaia doesn't know what will! If you have a lot on your mind and you feel like your thoughts are driving you crazy, meditation can help you find peace. Simply close everything, sit back, close your eyes, and clear your mind of every single thought. Focus on the emptiness. You will be surprised what a mere 20 minutes of meditation can do to turn things around for you. If you have trouble meditating, shaia would suggest getting a professional guided meditation CD, which will help you get used to this level of peacefulness.

Spend time in nature
We spend so much time confined in buildings of steel and concrete and bricks that we quickly forget where we come from. It is natural for us to be in nature, and this is why it feels so good and it is so peaceful when you take a walk in a park or bike on a trail in the forest. As she is typing this blog, she is looking out the window to this gigantic tree in back of the apartment. Watching its stillness, with the wind blowing through its branches calmly, it is a sight that not only inspires me, but that she finds peace within it. shaia hasn't blogged before about how she enjoys hiking and one of the reasons is that it brings me closer to nature. It is something you just can't experience in a car. If you feel overwhelmed, take a stroll outside where there are tons of trees and far from the city. Be there and just enjoy the sights, the sounds, and the peace.

Learn the power of a smile
Whenever you are laughing or smiling, something interesting happens. Not only does something happen on a chemical level to make you feel better, but it also stops all stress and negativity from entering your psyche. A simple smile can make such a difference. For example, the other day shaia mishandled a dish and it fell on the floor, breaking into pieces, creating a big mess. Now, shaia could have been angry with herself for being clumsy and thinking "here's another reason shaia's life sucks!" But she did the opposite. shaia began to smile and kind of make fun of herself for not being able to hold on to that plate properly. As she cleaned up the mess, there was no bitterness or anger. As a matter of fact, she did it with a smile on her face…she does it with peace. So whenever you find yourself in a similar predicament, just think of the silver lining, and don't be shy to poke fun at yourself. You will quickly realize that peace finds its way much more easily to you when you smile.

Think outwardly
What shaia means by this is that most of the time, we are so consumed within our own problems that we can no longer see the forest from the trees. Therefore, it helps to remind ourselves how big the world is. Take a moment and read up about some other countries, cultures, and the likes. Be aware that the world does not revolve around your problems. shaia finds that when she hears about a tsunami or an earthquake killing hundreds of thousands of people on the other side of the world, her problems aren't really "problems". Looking beyond ourselves is very important in finding peace and it leads shaia to her next point.

Care about others
You will never find peace by being self-consumed and only worrying about your own needs and wants. When you begin to genuinely care about other people, so much goodness comes right out. This only helps into solidifying your inner peace. It can be people close to you or pure strangers, but any act of kindness and goodwill eases your way towards peace. When shaia helps other people, she stops focusing on her so-called problems and realize that her life isn't so bad after all. This rids my entire being of all the stress and feelings of overwhelm. There is great peace and wisdom in thinking and caring about other people, which we are blind to when we are too deep within our own selfish ways.

Never lose hope
Hope is something you can never afford to lose. With hope you always have a path towards peace. Whenever we get too stressed out and overwhelmed within our own life, we forget that hope. We forget that the sun always shines after a rainy day, and that this is merely a bump in the road. shaia finds immense peace in just knowing, deep within her heart, that everything will be ok. With hope, shaia knows that whatever is seemingly terrible is only temporary and that soon enough, things will be just fine. This lifts off all of that negativity from her entire being, and she feels better pretty much instantly.

Embrace your beliefs
shaia is not one to pick or favor one belief system over another, so whatever it is that you believe in, embrace it with your entire being. Be within your faith 100% and peace will find its way into your heart. Now, we may all disagree on each other's beliefs but one thing we must all agree on is that having a solid, healthy faith is crucial in founding a proper conscience that helps into guiding us towards peace and wisdom. There is a reason why research has shown that people that are deeply devoted to their faith have a higher life expectancy and are less likely to have diseases such as cancer. This is because they experience more inner peace, which is important if you want to increase the quality of your life.

Keep learning
One thing that provides us with much stress in life is the fact that we always worry about not having all the answers. Just accepting that you do not know everything and that you are open to always keep learning is a tremendous step to take towards achieving inner peace. shaia finds great joy in learning all kinds of different things, and just being aware that shaia is growing as a person each and every day provides me with great feelings of peace. Accept that life is one big journey of never-ending learning and you will find yourself closer to experiencing true peace within yourself.

Live in the present moment
Most of the time, what we worry about is relating to something either in the past, or something that hasn't happened. Living in the present moment erases all such thoughts. Why worry about something in the past that we cannot ever change? (see point #1, accept what is). Why worry about something that we are not even sure will happen or not? This is why in the present moment, you find true inner peace. In the present moment, there are no problems and no concerns. There is only stillness, and it is within that stillness that you can uncover peace. shaia used to be such a person that worried all the time, to the point where she had trouble sleeping. Once shaia learned to live in the present moment, she stopped thinking about the past and any potential future, and just worried about being ever-present in each and every moment. shaia's life is definitely more peaceful since then!