Would you rather shop online or at the mall?
Black Friday is fast approaching. For many years my mom and my brother picked me up at 4:30 am and we would hit the malls and department stores in the hopes of getting the best deal on holiday gifts. Remember the Beanie Baby and Tickle Me Elmo craze? Boy, do I remember the mad rush as the doors opened, people pushing and shoving to get in. Hundreds of obnoxious men and women would stampede to the back of the store to make sure they were the first 100 to get that extra bonus and to get there before the toys were gone. Talk about great marketing; limited supply and the free gift. Aren’t holiday’s meant to be fun and blissful?
Thanks to the advent of the internet and its amazing growth, I now sit in my office, toasty warm, with a mug of my favorite Perfect Blendz coffee, shopping online! The only stampedes I experience are my two dogs as they vie for the spot under my desk. It’s way more safe and convenient than fighting the masses at the mall; not to mention there’s no traffic. With our lists in hand and breakfast cooking on our own stove, my husband and I hit the net!
If you love the Day after Thanksgiving Sales but can’t stand the crowds, shopping online in the comfort of your own home is wonderful. Almost anything available "in store" is generally available "online", except for a few of the extreme door busters. Most stores offer the same, if not better, deals online as they have in store, will have have online only sales and offer free shipping. If you are interested in "buying local" many local retailers have a website, which makes it easy to shop with them and keep the money in your own community.
We get a list early from our brood of five children and my husband spends a few hours researching where we’ll get the best deals. Then, between reading our email, updating our Facebooks and tweeting about how warm we are, we get busy ordering our holiday gifts. In just a couple of hours we are finished with most of our holiday shopping. The best part is nobody pushed and shoved us around or scowled at us as we picked our prize.
No matter what your preference is, I wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, as well and a wonderful holiday season. Next time you’re in line at the store, even if it’s the mad rush of Black Friday, remember we all have one thing in common – gift giving. Give the gift of a smile and a warm wish for happy days!
Smiles…
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Blisstory Question – What does integrity mean to you?
Integrity? What’s that my daughter asked? The definition, according to her favorite source, Dictionary.com, is:
1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
Ok, so what does that mean to a kid? It means, “be kind, be truthful, and be the person you would want to be your best friend.”
To preserve the integrity of my empire, that being my family, I look to lead by example. It’s really not that difficult when you think about it. First and foremost I tell my children to be true to yourself and then everything else will fall in to place. You’ll always know if it’s the right thing to do when it feels good. When that uneasy feeling begins in the pit of your stomach, you better run! I then tell them that when you live your life with integrity, you never really have to question whether it’s the right thing to do.
Over the years, I have experienced many who do not value the word, integrity. Sometimes I didn’t heed my own advice. I stayed in a situation, maybe a work environment, surrounded by people who had no ethics or values, people who were mean spirited. I stayed way beyond the point when I felt that knot in the pit of my stomach, hoping to make a difference. We’ve all been there. I’ve learned to listen to myself, to trust my instincts and to act on them. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A little integrity is better than any career.”
Make it a blissful week!
1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
Ok, so what does that mean to a kid? It means, “be kind, be truthful, and be the person you would want to be your best friend.”
To preserve the integrity of my empire, that being my family, I look to lead by example. It’s really not that difficult when you think about it. First and foremost I tell my children to be true to yourself and then everything else will fall in to place. You’ll always know if it’s the right thing to do when it feels good. When that uneasy feeling begins in the pit of your stomach, you better run! I then tell them that when you live your life with integrity, you never really have to question whether it’s the right thing to do.
Over the years, I have experienced many who do not value the word, integrity. Sometimes I didn’t heed my own advice. I stayed in a situation, maybe a work environment, surrounded by people who had no ethics or values, people who were mean spirited. I stayed way beyond the point when I felt that knot in the pit of my stomach, hoping to make a difference. We’ve all been there. I’ve learned to listen to myself, to trust my instincts and to act on them. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A little integrity is better than any career.”
Make it a blissful week!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Blisstory question
What are some of your dreams and goals?
How will you achieve them?
For years I have said that when my daughter (the youngest one living with us right now) graduated high school (and started college) it would be time to move more freely, getting back to my own dreams, goals and visions. Like many of you, plans got altered, dreams changed, careers transitioned and life, well, just moved forward.
As parents, our main goal in life, was to help our children become well rounded, responsible, loving adults. Although they are “young” adults, I do believe we’ve been successful. They are pretty amazing young people. All are giving, outgoing, creative individuals, moving forward with their own dreams and visions.
My vision and dream, however, will always include them, as well as my husband and the rest of my family; whether it’s my biological family, my family of choice or my “earth family”. They are all part of my blissful history and future. We are all pretty much here for the same purpose aren’t we; to serve humanity to the best of our abilities, while nurturing ourselves along the way? My dream and vision is to create more and more bliss in my life and the life of others. I’ve got a few ideas on how I’m going to make that happen.
How am I going to keep my dream alive? Aside from sharing my life through The Bliss Network, the Blisstory Journal questions, using Social Networking strategies and really connecting with as many people as I can comfortably fit into my schedule, I’m creating a “Miracle Box” with my friend and colleague, Tamara Stone. For me, the Miracle Box will be a beautiful reminder of the Miracle of life and the wonderful travels it holds. Like a vision board, my Miracle Box will hold that which I believe expresses my bliss completely.
I’m really looking forward to setting my Miracle Box in a place that I can view on a regular basis. I’m looking even more forward to the days I can pick out one of the dreams inside the box, knowing the Miracle is alive.
Here’s to you all and the Miracle of your life! Blissfully yours, Teri
How will you achieve them?
For years I have said that when my daughter (the youngest one living with us right now) graduated high school (and started college) it would be time to move more freely, getting back to my own dreams, goals and visions. Like many of you, plans got altered, dreams changed, careers transitioned and life, well, just moved forward.
As parents, our main goal in life, was to help our children become well rounded, responsible, loving adults. Although they are “young” adults, I do believe we’ve been successful. They are pretty amazing young people. All are giving, outgoing, creative individuals, moving forward with their own dreams and visions.
My vision and dream, however, will always include them, as well as my husband and the rest of my family; whether it’s my biological family, my family of choice or my “earth family”. They are all part of my blissful history and future. We are all pretty much here for the same purpose aren’t we; to serve humanity to the best of our abilities, while nurturing ourselves along the way? My dream and vision is to create more and more bliss in my life and the life of others. I’ve got a few ideas on how I’m going to make that happen.
How am I going to keep my dream alive? Aside from sharing my life through The Bliss Network, the Blisstory Journal questions, using Social Networking strategies and really connecting with as many people as I can comfortably fit into my schedule, I’m creating a “Miracle Box” with my friend and colleague, Tamara Stone. For me, the Miracle Box will be a beautiful reminder of the Miracle of life and the wonderful travels it holds. Like a vision board, my Miracle Box will hold that which I believe expresses my bliss completely.
I’m really looking forward to setting my Miracle Box in a place that I can view on a regular basis. I’m looking even more forward to the days I can pick out one of the dreams inside the box, knowing the Miracle is alive.
Here’s to you all and the Miracle of your life! Blissfully yours, Teri
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