Substance of Living

Are your eyes ever bigger than your stomach when it comes to food?  Mine are all the time and now my brain thought I was up for a challenge - beyond something I've ever done!  I've pledged (unofficially) to not purchase home decor or ready-made clothing this year.  When I talk about home decor, if it is something that can be sewn then it will not be purchased but made.  Purchasing fabric is permissible. This isn't a new idea and you've probably seen recycling , upcycling, refashioning , and other descriptions of such around the internet and in the book stores for some time now.  Since DH and I moved, we've been downsizing and a lot of the items were donated but now we're to the point that we are into the soft items.  Items that are still in really good shape but no longer wearable for whatever reason.  We don't want to pass along a top if there is a hole in the knit or a stain - so I'm reusing the material to make other things. A challenge, that...

Follow the brick path to your dreams. A void negative sources, people, places, things and habits. B elieve in yourself. C onsider things from every angle. D on't give up and don't give in. E njoy life today; yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come. F amily and friends are hidden treasures.  Seek them and enjoy their riches. G ive more than you planned to give. H ang on to your dreams. I gnore those who try to discourage you. J ust do it! K eep on trying.  No matter how hard it seems, it will get easier. L ove yourself first and most. M ake it happen. N ever lie, cheat or steal.  Always strike a fair deal. O pen your eyes, and see things as they really are. P ractice makes perfect. Q uitters never win, and winners never quit. R ead, study and learn about everything important in your life. S top procrastinating. T ake control of your own destiny. U nderstand yourself in order to better understand others. V isualize it. W ant it more than anyt...

Welcome to 2014! January is a time of newness.  We put away our holiday decorations and prepare ourselves for the future.  Many of us have resolutions, set annual goals or financial goals , create a visual board , or choose a word to help guide us through the new year. My word for last year was RELEASE .  I worked on letting go. Release my past.  Moving on and looking forward. Letting go of clothes that no longer belong in my closet whether they still have the price tag or not. Paired down my book collection. Released negativity. R elinquished control and allowed others to help. My word for this year is PASSION .  I want to wake every morning with a spring in my step and an eagerness to get out of bed and get my day started.  Doesn't that sound like a great goal - to be excited to greet every day?  I know we all have a passion in which our soul is trying to make us aware.  Are you living your passion? Each of us has a purpose an...

A goal is a dream upon which one acts. The First Step in goal setting is to decide which dream you'd like to turn into a goal and eventually a reality.  Then figure out if this goal is: Short-Term - something that can be accomplished within a day or week Daily or Weekly To-Do List Intermediate - something that will take longer than a week but typically a couple months Canning or preserving items from your garden Long-Term - Buying a house or going on a dream vacation A daily To-Do list is a great way to keep each day organized as well as break down tasks to reach your goals.  To make a long-term goal managable, break it down into intermediate goals, then into short-term goals and then list each task on the daily To-Do list. Once you incorporate a daily To-Do list, guesstimate more time than you think a task will take.  Then mark down how long the task actually took.  This will help you more accurately schedule your time in the future. For example,...

Happy New Year! So much has happened in the past few months that DH and I didn't always know which way was up or in what direction we were going.  Did it feel like that to you as well? A quick recap of last year before moving on ... Substance of Living was born out of necessity, sanity, and the longing to reach out and meet new friends. DH and I moved into our dream home and neighborhood. Parties were hosted. Parties were attended. Patio on our back yard was laid. Holidays were enjoyed with family and friends. We jumped right in and started meeting people next door as well as down the street and throughout our community.  We did this by inviting people into our home and attending activities.  We hosted a blind wine tasting; gathered friends one evening for dinner out, view Christmas lights, then back to our house for coffee and dessert.  We joined groups to go out to dinner; wine tasting; performing arts; themed events; and dances. What we've (more...

Vision Boards are a visual To-Do list for your future.  It works with your subconscious to keep your goals in front of you and remind you of all you deserve.  You can be as specific as you'd like - what your wedding dress, cake, bridal party will look like or exactly how you'd like to furnish your each room in your home to a broader spectrum - a beautiful sunset on the beach to represent vacation or peace or strong words such as "Success". Creating a Vision Board is fun and can be done alone or gather some of your friends or colleagues and sit down.  You might create a Vision Board for your department and hang it in the conference room or lunch room.  Then watch how you turn your dreams into goals and create your future. There is a quote that goes something like " You must be able to visualize where you are going or you will never get anywhere. "  I guess that means that we must know our destination in order to get there or we will end up somewhere else...

How did you enjoy Part 1 of our Online Golf Lessons that got us started with the grip and proper swing?  Did you find the videos and explanations helpful? This lesson will introduce some new techniques and help us correct some common errors. The first topic is technically not a "golf swing".  Have you ever intentionally tried to shank a ball? Correcting the Shank Did you know that there are different types of grips for putting? Putting Grips Conan Elliott Proper (Pendulum) Putting Technique Paul McLoughlin I wish you the best of luck with this week's lesson.  Check back and let us know how these tips helped with your practice or game.   Please share me with your friends! Please forward this post to your friends or better yet share on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.  THANKS!  Your comments and help in spreading the news about this site is ALWAYS appreciated!  Be sure to sign up to receive future articles delivered dire...

Whether you are a beginner, like me, or an advanced golf player I'll bet you spend hours at the range, playing, reading about or watching golf. Here are a few videos and websites that might help get you started or improve your game: The Basics of Golf Clubs Before we can even think about purchasing or the proper grip we need to know what a golf bag holds.  There are 14 permissible clubs that are comprised of Woods , Hybrids , Irons , and Putters .   Gripping the Golf Club A Game Golf Instruction   The Slow Motion Swing Brad Brewer Putting Paul Wilson   We hope you enjoyed this week's golf lesson and join us next week when we address tips to improve and how to correct some common errors. Are you a long-time or beginner golfer?  Have you taken lessons?  Please let us know what tips have helped you along the way or what issues you are presently facing.   Please share me with your friends! Please forward this post to yo...

I'm the last person that will tell you to not keep a list of things to do.  I'm the queen of lists.  I'm visual.  I like to color code my events with highlighters or changing the font on the computer.  Guess I haven't given up my box of crayons. I am one of the first to say to keep it simple.  My life hasn't always been that way, but the simplest methods have stayed with me through the years. If you're anything like me, you might have a list in the kitchen telling you what time of day to do a particular chore.  For example, sweeping the kitchen floor, cleaning out a drawer, going over my to-do list in the morning while the coffee is brewing.   In the evening, my list might include doing a load of laundry, sort the mail, scrub the tub after baths are complete. DH and I have pinky promised each other that we will completely 100% unpack and put everything away in our new home.  See, we've moved so many times that we get, I don't know, 80% maybe...

Are you like me and secretly wish you were more like Martha Stewart when it comes to your house, garden, decorating, entertaining, and just about every other aspect?  If only Martha could advise me on finances I'd not need look any further. However, I've recently come to start channeling Suze Orman where my finances are concerned and went online today to find a spreadsheet by her and wasn't able to find anything.  She has several books about family planning, trusts, and why finances are so important but sometimes just the basics are needed.  Do you remember the show where the guy says, "Just the facts, Ma'am."?  So, until Suze starts emailing me personally, here are some budget worksheets to get us started.  There are more out there for holidays , vacations , gift purchasing , weddings , and just about everything else. Here are the basics... Quick-Start Budget by Dave Ramsey Household Monthly Budget by Practical Spreadsheets Household ...

Stuff is sticky .  I don't think I'm hoarder but I've certainly been known to collect things.  Now, I'm in the process of downsizing and simplifying. I've assigned sentimental value to my collections.  This , I received for my 20th birthday; This , I bought while visiting Texas, This , oh my goodness, I can't get rid of this - this was found on the trail while hiking on a break during a bike ride.  The memories are there every time I look at an item. What I've found over the past few months is that the memories are still with me.  I don't need the stuff to keep the memories alive.  In fact, some of the memories are allowed to slip away if they so choose. Some items were sold on Craigslist , word-of-mouth, or through a moving sale.  The majority, however, were donated to local charities .  Then some of the things were passed along to family, friends, or neighbors. Initially, the thought of having to get rid of things fo...

There seems to be an App for just about everything.  We have them on our phone, tablets and laptops.  It seems with all this technology that we can find ourselves in overload or not knowing where to begin. If you're looking for ways to get organized, shop smarter or stay in touch, here are our Top 10 FREE choices to get you started: SKYPE - Free "Make free voice and video calls to anyone else on Skype, whether they're on an Android, iPhone, Mac or PC, as well as IMs to your friends and family." BARCODE SCANNER - Free "Scan barcodes on products then look up prices and reviews.  You can also scan Data Matrix and QR Codes containing URLs, contact info, etc." GARAGE SALE ROVER - Free "Locate local garage sales on a map.  Get the largest source of garage sales, yard sales, tag sales and estate sales anywhere!" GEOQPONS - Free "GeoQpons delivers thousands of mobile coupons, offers & deals every day from top name brand retailers, resta...

Have you every wondered how you are supposed to “find the right person for the job”?  With these guidelines you can quickly assess a prospective hire or at the very least know some key areas to bring up in conversation.  How to spot the right person for any job , whether you are hiring a new team member or someone to paint a room in your house: They are busy people They know how to prioritize.  They are good time managers. They are goal oriented Which means they are ambitious. They are not the “sales type” They attract not attack.  They want to build relationships not one-time acquaintances. They don’t know a lot of people If they are new to the area or just starting out, they will be much more likely to want to develop a strong reputation. They are good decision makers and not procrastinators They don’t see themselves as victims of circumstance.  Not all the li...

Wearing a Mask Doesn't Always Protect Your Identity from Thieves   The SECOND step is to protect your identity.  Did you know that there are probably over 500,000 people, each year , that have their identities stolen? Thieves have ways of stealing your personal information: They could hack into your computer, break into your home of office, riffle through your trash, steal your mail, steal your purse or wallet, copy your credit card information.  There are probably as many ways as there are thieves. What specific items are these thieves seeking? Credit Card information Your FULL Name, Mother's Maiden Name, or any other information they may think you might use for your security codes or passwords Anything with your Social Security Number, Tax Information Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers Your Family's Names and Addresses, Email Accounts Where you went to School I'm sure there are more items.  Think about the information you might provi...