Lucky Seven

7 Quick Paths to Serenity

Posted on January 12, 2010 by crystal

Stress. We all feel it sometimes, but the way we handle it usually determines how long it will last.

I’ve done a little research and gathered my findings in this edition of Lucky Seven!

It features 7 quick paths to serenity. 😀

1. Plan something
Having something to look forward to can be the perfect de-stressor.
Buy concert tickets, schedule dessert with a friend, make an appointment for a pedicure, order from a seed catalog, or plan a summer getaway!

2. Call a friend
Or email. Or visit! Discussing your worries helps you to feel cared for and can give you some perspective, too. What relief there is in sharing the burden!

3. Hit the tub
If you don’t have time for a hot bath – put a warm washcloth on your face. Take a deep breath and imagine you’re luxuriating in fragrant bubbles and feel the stress melt away!

4. Play soothing music
Before you know it, you’ll be breathing a contented sigh. Music truly has the power to calm and refresh.

5. Just Say No
Trying to be super-woman is a one-way trip to Stressville! Think carefully about your limitations, and stop trying to please everyone all the time.

6. Daydream
Research shows that spending a few moments gazing out a window at the clouds or the trees, and then allowing your thoughts to gently wander, can be a very beneficial way to snag a few moments of inner bliss.

And finally – my favorite tip of the bunch! 🙂
7. Show Those Pearly Whites
Did you know that smiling works both ways? We smile when we are happy – but the act of smiling can actually make us happy – even if we’re not at that moment. Smiling sends nerve impulses from the facial muscles to an emotional center in the brain, and those impulses push the neurochemical balance toward a feeling of contentment. So when you’re feeling tense – just smile!!!

How do you de-stress?

Posted on December 9, 2009 by crystal

We’re overdue for another installment of Lucky 7!

In the spirit of taking time to stop and enjoy the little moments during the rush of the holiday season, I’ve gathered some words of wisdom with a Christmas theme.

Hope you enjoy them! Which one do you like best? 😉

7 Lovely Christmas Quotes

1. The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~ Burton Hillis

2. Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
~ Norman Vincent Peale

3. Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
~ Hamilton Wright Mabi

4. The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect! ~ Charles N. Barnard

5. I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.
~ Harlan Miller

6. Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
~ Oren Arnold

7. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more.
~ Dr. Seuss (from ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’.)

Lucky Seven

Posted on November 11, 2009 by crystal

Last month, I started a new series called Lucky Seven, where I list 7 items or examples in a changing theme. This installment is about food – snacks in particular! 😉

With the holidays approaching, it’s a pretty sure bet we’ll be tempted to at least taste the smorgasbord of delicacies that magically appear at this time of year!

Oh-oh… there goes that belt notch.

Maybe the best plan would be to concentrate on eating sensibly in the weeks leading up to the festivities, and then there would be a little more freedom to relax and enjoy those holiday treats.

They say it’s not so much the meals we eat that do us in – it’s the snacks! The conventional wisdom is to gnaw on celery and carrots between meals in order to avoid overeating.

Now I love veggies as much as the next guy, but if I get an attack of the munchies, somehow crunching on a carrot stick is not going to cut the mustard – at least not on a regular basis. Ya gotta have fun, sometimes! 😉 So, I searched and came up with seven snacks that are satisfying, but only about 100 calories each!

7 Low Calorie Snacks

1 slice Pepperidge Farm Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread with 1 tsp. light butter

12 Quaker “Quakes” Cheddar Cheese Rice Snacks

28 grapes

20 roasted peanuts

1 Yoplait Light Smoothie

1/2 small apple with 2 teaspoons peanut butter

60 Pepperidge Farm Baby Goldfish Crackers

I’ll bet you know of some other tasty but low cal snacks!

Tell us one . . . . . please? 😉

Lucky Seven

Posted on October 14, 2009 by crystal

In my never-ending search for ways to amuse you, I think I’ve come up with a new feature.

I’m calling it “Lucky Seven”.

I figure if Letterman can have a “Top Ten”, why can’t I have a lucky 7? 😉 So from time to time, I’ll post 7 things about … well … something!

For example: 7 good books, 7 ways to save money, 7 ways to de-stress, 7 great snacks … you can see where I’m going with this.

For the first edition I have: 7 Very Wise Quotes.

OK – you know me – I’ll have to be sure that a couple of them will make you smile, too!)

Let us know which one you liked best – or add one of your own if you like!

Special note: The violets in today’s post are for Carol, who is one of the most dedicated commenters here on the blog! Today is her birthday and violets are her favorite flower!
Have a great day, Carol!!!! 😀

7 Very Wise Quotes

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
~Mark Twain

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
~George Eliot

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful. ~Buddha

I refuse to enter into a battle of wits with an unarmed person. ~Unknown

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep.
~Scott Adams

You don’t stop laughing because you grow old.
You grow old because you stop laughing.
~Michael Pritchard

Veni, Vidi, Velcro
(I came, I saw, I stuck around)
~Unknown