An 'Ode To Joy', Sort Of. Or A Cheat Sheet For 'How To Avoid Feeling Like Poopy'.

I get these daily 'truthbombs' from Danielle LaPorte.  They were one of the few things that survived my self-help and inspiration purge a few weeks ago.  One day this week, the phrase she sent was, 'Joy expands.'  It really hit home with me so I printed it and cut it out and now it lives on my desk.  See?

I had to make this message a part of my desk decor because I have a theme word for 2014 (yes, I really did that) and it just so happens to be the word, EXPAND.  I took this message to be a clue about expansion.  Joy expands.  Does that mean that joy gets bigger and bigger?  I think it does.  But it also means than having joy helps us expand.  In that case the sentence is only missing an object.  Joy expands stuff.  And this year, I'm looking to expand in a lot of ways except my butt size, for obvious reasons.

My feeling is, if we feel joy we're more apt to allow ourselves to expand in life.  And there are so many things you can do/work on/attempt if you're aiming to up your joy quotient.  Here are just a few, in no particular order:

Be grateful.  Studies have shown that being consciously grateful on a daily basis makes you happier.  Try writing down four things every day that you are grateful for, it will make a difference.  Be grateful for little things.  Sunshine, pencils, or even just the ability to breathe are worthy of gratitude.  Say 'thank you' out loud.

Forgive.  Oh, this one's a doozy, but so very important.  You have to forgive or you'll never be free.  Forgiving someone doesn't mean you condone whatever happened or that you keep the door open to a bad situation.  It just means you're no longer going to carry around the negative feelings from the experience.  The anger and negativity is only hurting you, it has no effect whatsoever on who hurt you in the first place.  And forgiveness must also extend to ourselves.  We are not defined by our mistakes.  We all make them, and they are only mistakes if we fail to learn from them.  They say 'to err is human; to forgive, divine.'  And who doesn't want to add a little bit of divinity to life?  Forgive.

Exercise.  I don't care if you're running an ultra marathon or going for the burn lifting soup cans in a chair.  Exercise makes you happier.  There's science out there to back that up.  Just do something.  But don't get weird about it - life is about balance, people.

Love.  Love others.  Love yourself.  Send love out to the universe in general and open your heart to the love around you.

Be present.  It's hard to live in the moment, but the past really is over and who know's what the future holds?  'In the moment' is really the only place we ever are.  Why not try to make right now the best it can be?  Be aware about how, who, and where you are - don't mindlessly race through life.

Take care of things.  Take care of yourself.  Take care of those you love.  Take care of your possessions.  Take care of what needs to be done.

Open up.  Seriously.  Lean back, open your chest, let your lungs expand and feel what it's like to not live all curled up.   Sometimes life makes us want to roll into a ball and when that happens, by all means, go fetal.  But, it's not good to stay there forever.  We need to physically open our heart area when the time is right.  Or, maybe life isn't making you curl up, but your computer is.  A lot of us sit at keyboards for most of the day and I can't be the only one who's noticed that sometimes my chin is nearly touching the space bar on my laptop.  We need to reverse that posture and open.

Laugh, dance and sing.  Do one or all three.  Do it alone or with others.  Just lighten up and don't take yourself so seriously.

These are just few things I've found that help me to be more joyous - maybe they'll work for you too.  Lord knows I fall off the joy bandwagon more often than I'd prefer, but when I remind myself to focus on these things it's definitely easier to get back into the flow.

I'm wearing this:

In honor of the Olympics, I've decided to dress like a gold medal.  With suede booties.

gratitude:  this song and video, the Olympics, heated car seats, blueberry waffles

thanks and love.

#ILOVEYOUWITHALLMYHEARTANDITHINKYOU'REDOINGAGREATJOBBUTCOULDIJUSTHAVEAHUG?

Communicating with teenagers is not for the faint of heart.  Or quitters.  Or anyone who may be experiencing any kind of hormonal imbalance.  Teens can type 1,000,000,000,000 words per minute.  And they are able to carry on multiple friend conversations simultaneously all within different mediums.  One second they're texting a paragraph to a friend about boyfriends or the trig homework, then they're snapping a photo of themselves sitting on the couch eating crackers to share with another lucky someone, all while adding filters and hashtags to an Instagram shot of them in 5th grade for Throwback Thursday.  Sorry, #TBT.  It's mind-boggling.

But it's nowhere near as mind boggling as the experience of attempting to communicate with these constantly connected beings and receiving only one word responses.  How is it possible that when I text two, well-crafted sentences that aren't overly nosey or too affectionate (but still cheerfully express love through punctuation and a clever use of emoticons) - a message that also is worded in such a way as to naturally lead to a poly-syllabic answer - and I get a 'Nope'?  How does that happen?

I understand that one word texting answers is small potatoes compared to some issues other parents face - my heart goes out to anyone dealing with serious challenges.  But for me, this current level of interaction (while totally normal) is a little disappointing.  Sometimes, when I'm attempting teen connection, I feel like Jane Goodall easing her way into a family of chimps .  I wait and observe at a safe distance then slowly move closer in an unobtrusive way and, if I'm lucky, we sometimes share a banana or engage in a moment of social grooming.  Ah, sweet victory.

So, I'm just going to keep on keeping on - sending love while still being a grown-up.  And I'll cling to any spontaneous moment of conversation (which, by definition requires an actual rally of back and forth comments).  If the kids happen to come home and I'm in the kitchen making a delicious tray of irresistible nachos, no one should immediately label it a trap.  Sometimes I'm just hungry.

I'm wearing this:

I must say, it's getting harder and harder to feel psyched about scarves and sweaters.  But, it's -5 degrees right now.  There are no other options.

gratitude:  the heater in our bathroom, large paper clips, core workouts, yoga bricks

thanks and love.

Completing Even A Mundane Task, Like Laundry, Can Give A Person An Emotional Lift. Taking That Into Consideration, The Piles Of Dirty Clothes In My Upstairs Hallway Are Essentially Little Mountains Of Potential Joy. Right?

Once again, it's time for a stiff upper lip, Denver!  We should be pretty used to this by now.  All those Super Bowl victories have been great, but overcoming shocking losses has (unfortunately) been a more common day-after experience for our fair city.  And once again, as Bronco fans, we find ourselves facing yet another disappointing post-Super Bowl Monday.

That said, this post shall be a short one as a Super Bowl letdown, combined with slight parenting stress, a messy house, a little anxiety in the work department, and the very sad passing of a talented actor have me feeling less than glib.  Although when I think about the Bruno Mars halftime performance the corners of my mouth do lift up a bit.

I think I'll take a walk today to soak in some much-needed sunshine and emotionally helpful Vitamin D.  You can keep your clouds and coffee, Seattle - at least in Colorado we can soothe our hearts with sunny skies.  Congratulations anyway, Seahawks.  You have a really good defense and a nice quarterback too.  Plus your uniforms look cool.

Now on to the Olympics!

It's Meatless Monday and unfortunately, we'll have to delay our meatless meal until later in the week.  I made a celebratory pot roast for the Super Bowl, but the moods were so low and we'd eaten a truck load of 7-layer dip throughout the evening, and now I have a ton of leftovers.  Our refrigerator has a storage capacity only slightly larger than a dorm room fridge, so we need to eat the pot roast tonight to clear some room before our milk delivery arrives.

I'm wearing this.

The white jeans are a consciously defiant move in the face of a week of freezing temps.

gratitude:  hyacinths, yoga, accessories, peach detox tea

thanks and love.

I Thought I Had A Bad Case Of Bronco Fever, But It Turned Out To Be A Sinus Infection. Now, With The Benefit Of Modern Medicine, Those Around Me Can Enjoy The Big Game Without The Sound Of Constant Sniffling. TMI?

Well, Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching and, at the High House, we are ready for a big Bronco victory!!  We'll be having a few people over to watch and I'm already working on a some menu ideas.  I think I'll serve pot roast in honor of Terrance Knighton, the fabulous Bronco defensive tackle, who's nickname is Pot Roast.  I'm using the Pioneer Woman's recipe and her recipe for Mashed Potatoes as well.  I'm also going to whip up a lovely 7-layer dip for the pre-game cocktail hour because who doesn't like a 7-layer dip?  And, as a family of Bronco fans, the Number 7 holds a very special place in our hearts.  I'm considering making it into a Snackadium.   Like these I found on TheKitchn website.

Certainly a Bronco beverage is in order for the big event.  I figure any wheat beer with a slice of orange (Bronco orange) would work, as would a mimosa with a couple blueberries floating atop.  When is champagne ever a bad idea?  Of course, we'll certainly offer up some Orange Crush soda to the younger set and those choosing not to imbibe although we don't know any of those people.

I purchased some additional Bronco garb for the family this week.  I haven't had any Bronco specific gear since the Orange Crush t-shirt I wore in 6th grade.  I just never felt the need.  I actually like to wear orange from time to time, so I always have a few shirts in my closet that I can throw on if I need to show some team support.  But since this is the Super Bowl I felt like it was time to put some skin in the game and invest in a little something more.

It took some effort to find things that weren't too over-the-top. The door is wide open out there for some kooky getups.  Team support is great and it's fun to be a part of something as big as a Super  Bowl, but unless it's Halloween, I just don't think your goal in getting dressed should be to look like you're crazy. To each his own.  If you are into that kind of expression, I highly recommend the orange, satin jacket paired with the blue and orange tiger stripe pajamas.  Throw on a Bronco horse-head hat and you'll be practically guaranteed some on-air camera time.

Yesterday I saw a woman walking out of the grocery store decked out in jeans with bedazzled Bronco logos, an orange shirt, a Bronco jacket (also bedazzled in orange and blue bling), and big, orange dangly pom-pom earrings.  It was a sight to behold, but it made me wonder.  If this is how she looks on the Thursday before the game, what is she going to be wearing when Sunday comes around?

This is what I'm going to wear:

While there is no bedazzling, I do have a few accessories I'm considering.  The orange necklace gives me a subtle tone-on-tone look, the turquoise necklace adds an unusual twist to standard Bronco blue, and the scarf is a cozy option that's seasonally appropriate.  Edge of your seat excitement, right?

I'm also looking forward to the Super Bowl commercials.  I'm really glad I've already seen the Budweiser commercial with the puppy and the clydesdales so I'm prepared to brace myself emotionally.  Last year I welled up for two weeks every time I thought about the Budweiser ad.  Since I know what's coming I may excuse myself when they air the spot - I don't want to risk a breakdown.  Uncontrollable weeping kills a party vibe pretty fast.

Go Broncos!!

gratitude:  a Bronco Super Bowl, antibiotics, animals, snowy days

thanks and love.

A Focus On Minutiae Proves That Each Moment In Life Holds Value And Interest. And That I Can Fill A Page With Lots Of Words About Absolutely Nothing.

I go grocery shopping about 75 times a week.  That may be a slight exaggeration, but not by much.  It seems the natural and organic products we prefer have a shelf life barely longer than the drive home from Whole Foods.

So when you're grocery shopping, have you ever had that experience where you run into the same person over and over again?  That happened to me this week.  It wasn't even like we were following the same path through the store.  I was totally unorganized, having left my massive shopping list at home (of course), and I was wildly bouncing from aisle to aisle, department to department without so much as a tidbit of logic.  And everywhere I went, there she was.

It got weird after a while.  The first time we connected was in the produce aisle.  We were both going for the lemons (non-Meyer).  We laughed, excused ourselves, and carried on.  Then we found each other in the pasta aisle, the tea section, and Frozen Foods.  Each time we'd do that little dance with our carts - working our way around each other - 'you go right, I'll go left'.  By the time we'd had our fourth contact it wasn't funny or coincidental anymore - we exchanged nothing more than stiff, slightly sarcastic smiles.  It had become irritating.

So when I was headed for the meat department and saw her eyeing the prepackaged steaks, I circled the Soups and Stews island for awhile making every effort possible to end our oddly uncomfortable relationship.  I tried to appear fascinated by the bison chili while using my peripheral vision to see when the coast was clear so I could get my chicken breasts and be on my way.

I also struggle a bit with the sample people.  I like my alone time while I gather supplies, so I usually avoid having to interact with anyone asking me if I want a lukewarm piece of grilled chicken or some room-temperature hummus.  I feel bad saying 'no' if I don't want the product, and I'm not a fan of eating whatever happens to be on a table at the end of a grocery aisle.  One time, I did step out of my comfort zone and engaged with a sample person because they were offering ice cream and my interest was understandably piqued, but I lived to regret it.

I jostled for position around the ice cream sample table and the person manning it handed me a freshly scooped wooden spoonful which I eagerly popped into my mouth.  Seconds later I nearly blacked out when he uttered the words, "smoked salmon", and my taste buds confirmed what I'd just heard.  I had a mouthful of smoked salmon ice cream and I had to swallow it because there were people watching.  I forced it down as my eyes filled with tears and my scalp started sweating, but the experience only proved that keeping to myself while I shop is the best approach for me.

I also learned that smoked salmon and ice cream are a disturbing combo.  And that once you've had smoked salmon ice cream you can force your gag reflex into action simply by thinking about it. Even almost a year later.  Fascinating.

I'm wearing this.

This is a fun shot because it's up to you to guess whether or not I was watching someone come down the stairs or telling Geoff there is no way in the world I'll look at the camera.  Discuss.

gratitude:  pink clouds, salads, suede booties, the Stella & Dot Joy candle

thanks and love.

Rarely Do Appliances Break On A Weekday Before Five O'Clock In The Evening. Weekends And Pre-Dawn Are The Prime Time For Appliance Failure. These Are Also The Most Popular Times For Your Pets To Eat Something They Shouldn't. Truly One Of Life's Great Ironies.

Has anyone heard the chirping of a smoke detector warning during daylight hours?  I doubt it.  That's because they only warn you about a low battery in the middle of the night.  And so it was at the High Household this AM.  Early, early, early this morning one of the 4,000 smoke detectors in our house began producing a brain-piercing beep every 30 seconds.  At first, I worked it into a dream which was getting a little weird anyway so I was grateful to see it come to an end.  But, once I came to my senses, I realized the failing device was far-enough away that a well-placed pillow might sufficiently block the noise, allowing me to enjoy the remaining few precious hours of sleep.

The pillow worked surprisingly well.  I've become a master of sound muffling with bed linens lately -we have a bit of a snoring issue to address (ahem).  I thought I'd make it to 6:00, but I heard Geoff get up and realized his sound-proofing skills obviously aren't quite as well honed as my own.  I figured he'd manage the battery switcharoo on his own until I heard something I'd been dreading since we moved into our house.  Geoff was in the garage getting The Big Ladder.  That could only mean one thing.

The faulty detector was on the highest ceiling in our house.

A ceiling so high, I'd convinced myself that the detector I saw up there was only decorative - no one would expect your average homeowner to have access to a ladder tall enough to reach it unless they were a fireman or a tree trimmer.  We worried someday this would happen, but we'd clearly been lulled into a sense of complacency because this detector hadn't made a sound in four years.

I offered to crawl up The Big Ladder to replace the battery because Geoff is still dealing with some vertigo issues.  I mean, how often does a former cheerleader get the opportunity to put those pyramid climbing skills to good use, right?  The battery replacement was a success.  I even got it in the right way on my first try, which is quite an achievement since my motor and logic skills at 4:00 in the morning are almost non-existent.

And that was how we started our day.

I'm wearing this:

I'm sure the staff at Whole Foods appreciates a nice statement necklace.

It's Meatless Monday.  I've decided to make an organic green bean casserole - like the one you eat on Thanksgiving - for our main course.  A little baguette alongside, and we're good.

gratitude:  ski weekends, sweet onion on sandwiches, my own bed, mountain house fantasies

thanks and love.

You Know How It Is When You Eat A Piece Of Cake And It's So Delicious That You Go Back For Another? The Second Piece Confirms That This Is The Greatest Cake You've Ever Eaten, So You Have A Third Because This Kind Of Baked Good Perfection Doesn't Happen Every Day? But Now You Don't Feel Happy, Just Barfy? That's How I Feel Only Substitute 'Inspirational Reading' For 'Cake'.

I have been on an over two year binge of inspirational readings and practices and I simply don't have any more room left in my head for this kind of information, so I'm going on a bit of a cleanse.  It seems weird to have to purge my life of so many wonderful words and lessons and rituals, but I've overdone it and now what started out as a beautiful bit of daily enrichment has become an arduous task of overwhelming, and frankly, crippling proportions.

It started as a simple, but regular yoga and meditation practice that I began during a particularly sensitive time in my life.  It felt great and I knew I was gaining a lot of insight, strength, and wisdom from it.  I added the task of reading a certain inspirational website on a daily basis to fortify all I was learning.  To that I included more websites offering multiple articles on insight, productivity, wellness, spirituality, motivation and the like.  Books on the subject filled my Kindle.  There were daily email alerts I felt compelled to read, Facebook posts, Pinterest pins, YouTube videos, and a slew of yoga practices to strengthen my doshas, chakras, and immune system.  I added recorded meditations, journaling, I focused on my core desired feelings, worked to establish a miracle mindset and always, always strove to release fear and ego.  It just got to be too much.

I felt I needed to start my day with all this so I'd be a more joyful, more centered, and more productive person.  But eventually I came to resent it all.  It took me so long to slog through everything and I worried, if I didn't, I'd miss The One Thing that would bring it all together for me.  It started to get in the way of actually living life.  It became a bit of an addiction.  And I was moving farther and farther away from actually being joyful, centered, and productive.

You can, indeed, have too much of a good thing.

So I've decided to eliminate the vast majority of my current spiritual, inspirational, and self-help intake for now.  I've unsubscribed from all the reminders and updates.  I'm sure I'll come back to some of these resources once I've given myself a chance to put my learned knowledge into practical action, but for now, the act of just being is my priority.  I feel lighter already.

I'm wearing this:

Nothing says "I'm ready to be my best me" like a grey t-shirt and white jeans.  Practically a cliche, right?

* We will be leaving tomorrow for a long weekend in the mountains.  I don't think I'll post on Friday, as I expect I'll be bravely chasing my family down the slopes and very much looking forward to an apres ski glass of wine.  Happy weekends, all!

gratitude:  birthdays (Happy Birthday, Geoff!!), manicures, sunrises, coffee

thanks and love.