The mighty bargain hunter and do-it-your-selfer ........

 Who doesn't love a sale? To me, a sale, bargain, or deal is the prize "catch" of the hunt or the winning "trophy" of the competition. No matter where I go shopping, the sale isle is always my first stop. There is something quite satisfying about stealing a deal. I feel as though my purchase is a victory of sorts. My endorphins kick into high gear when I spot (what I deem as a much needed item at that very moment) with that "reduced" tag/sticker attached. I then move quickly to snatch it up and declare (to myself) "Victory is mine!"

Why am I sharing this subject with you today, dear reader? Well, I wanted to express to you the thrill of shopping on a budget (yes, I said thrill) and to help you along with the self confidence needed to attack home and job/work projects yourself.

You see, most of us are not doing as well financially as we would like these days and have had to cut back on many things. After paying for the necessities like mortgage/rent and utilities, we need to find ways to save a bit on all purchases made, from food to fashion and everything in between, let alone getting the leaky faucet fixed by the high priced plumber. This can be a very painful process, I know. That is why I am here to give you a bit of hope and help you through this "speed bump" by making it a fun challenge, or sport, if you will.


I am not a "coupon queen" by any means. I find them tiresome and laborious. If they work for you, then great. I would rather go hunting for bargains sans a bucket of coupons and the rifling through at the register. I guess I'm just not as patient as some.

Creativity and necessity can go hand in hand when it comes to shopping for bargains. You may find yourself trying out new recipes with those 10 cans of corn you just bought on sale at the grocery store for 20 cents each. You may come to the conclusion that buying off the sale rack (in the back) at your favorite clothing store is really not so bad and that you've become fond of paying less while others pay more for the same quality clothing at the front of the store.

 Yes, you really wanted that gorgeous slate tile in your kitchen you saw at the designer home center, but for maybe half the price you can go to the home warehouse store, or tile outlet center and get enough of a similar tile to maybe do twice as much. Who knows? You may even like that tile better!

Are you in the market for a new car? Do you really want a certain make/model automobile that you know is way beyond your means? If you so choose, you can do what I did and went to that particular car dealer and purchased a "certified" vehicle for a lot less. Yes, it will be a couple years old and have a bit of mileage on it, but who needs to know and who cares?

Do you need a room or two repainted and don't have the cash for a painter? Why not try painting the rooms yourself? If you don't know where to begin, then learn! The sense of accomplishment afterwards will leave you with a major amount of self confidence. With this new found confidence, you will find yourself indulging in other home fix up projects. The money you will save on supplies and labor will be enormous and the new found talents you will have under your belt will be priceless.

By not depending on others to do the work for you (whatever and wherever the project may be) and learning to do them for yourself, you become more astute as to how much money you spend on these services in the future, cause if you can do it yourself, you won't be as willing to hand over your hard earned earnings.

On the surface, the above listed examples are but a very few things you can do to save money. Yet, my true intention for you, dear reader, is that you become a bit more mindful of your purchases. That you turn the negativity of a smaller bank account into a hopeful challenge. That you discover your hidden talents. That you can recover from this "recovery" with a new found sense of empowerment and the peace of mind in knowing that you are not alone and that you can get through this.

There are oh so many of us living with great financial adversities these days. If you happen to be fortunate enough to not be in this predicament of sorts, please make sure to be mindful of those around you who are. Give them hope and the helping hand that they so desperately need, for we are all connected. We are all here for one another and we all matter.

Today's Gift 7/14/11: The Butterfly Bush

The Butterfly Bush at our home lives right beside our back patio and can be seen without obstruction through the family room window. We are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy all of the visitors as they stop by, but for a brief moment. They include; humming birds,dragonflies and of course the glorious butterflies (to name a few). I am grateful to have their company even though their stay is short and sweet!

Thoughtful Thoughts.......

When you find yourself constantly having a difficult time saying "no", please realize, that the universe will perceive this tendency as you not having limits and therefore, leaving yourself open for others to take advantage of you.........Peace :)

Thoughtful Thoughts.......

Don't always believe what you see, for your vision may be distorted and therefore, your perception skewed........

"Liar Liar,pants on fire!"...or maybe not

Let's be honest: we have all lied at one time or another for one a number of reasons. Lying is a natural impulse. Whether it be an innocent act in order to spare someone's feelings,  to hide the truth about yourself, to hide shame, or even for the evil and unsavory purpose of manipulating others, these motivational differences are what I'd like to discuss with you today.

First, let me just share with you, dear reader, that I tend a bit to be on the "too honest" side. I find that I have to hold myself back, on many occasions, in order to not hurt the feelings of others.When someone asks my opinion, I feel compelled to be very truthful in how I feel about the subject. In being this way, I therefore expect the same honest responses from others.

There are times when I'd rather not know the truth and will avoid the conversation all together, knowing that the truth may leave me feeling badly. If I am feeling badly with the truth then I feel compelled to fix it and sometimes the methods are not pretty. I also take great offense to those I find are blatantly lying to me. I feel as though it is a complete insult to my intelligence, as should you. For the liar believes you to be naive enough to believe them.

White lies, as we refer to them, happen frequently. We all go around committing this act without a second thought. Some times, we may even feel that we are doing the recipient a favor by not being truthful. These are usually as incidental as telling your friend that they look nice in that dress or wishing someone you really do not care for a nice day.

And then, there are the lies we tell disguised as excuses. Excuses are told as to not suffer the consequences of your offense. For example: your explanation as to why you were late, why you forgot someone's birthday, or why you did not eat that last piece of cake, just to name a few. These excuses act as an innate protection mechanism shielding us from public as well as private shame. You see, we are not immune to giving the same excuses to ourselves in order to feel good about things. All the same, excuses are just that: excuses. There is no resolution in them. They do nothing but hold you back in your forward journey.

During your life's journey, you will find yourself involved with those who you cannot trust. You cannot trust these individual because you know quite well that whatever comes out of their mouth is going to be a lie, no matter what it is. They, for some reason, will not surround themselves with truth. They are most comfortable living their entire lives wrapped in one big lie after another. Therefore, their sense of reality is warped. You should, in turn, have not time for them.

One of the most difficult and negative emotional wounds suffered because of lying happens when you come to the realization that you have been mislead, in a big way, by someone of great closeness. This, dear reader, presents itself to you as betrayal. You may feel as though you've been a fool. You may also experience self doubt about how you read others. You may not be able to trust this person again. Depending on the depth of the betrayal, and the character of the offending individual, you may choose to either forgive them or move on forward without them. Every situation has it's own complexities and they all must be acknowledged in order to come to a satisfactory and peaceful conclusion.

In conclusion, I would like to wish for all of you clearer vision/insight in order to detect the liars around you and the ability/strength to not let yourself get sucked into their cluster. No one can be immune to all their tactics but if you view the world with a more discerning perspective, this would be helpful. And to those of you who find yourselves with no other choice but to constantly lie, please look within and figure out your motivators for doing so. You must accomplish deep personal change in order to travel this earth in a more honest, loving, and peaceful way.

One last note: I would be remiss if I did not mention half-truths. For half-truths in themselves are missing the other half which in essence are lies. Be wary my dear readers, for these can be very subliminal in nature, but still as full on harmful as if a blatant lie has been told.

I close this post honestly, with much love and affection for all..... Peace!

Sharing is Caring......

There are those among us who share freely and those who do not. There are those who give without hesitation and there are those who do not. There are those who have not much to give but do any way and those who have more than they could possibly need and choose to hoard it all away. The way in which people share or not reveals a lot about their character.

First, I'd like to speak to sharing in literal terms concerning tangible things. These things that we posses that others would find great joy in having a bit of it. For instance, an old family recipe, divisions of plants from your garden or it's bounty, a bottle of wine, or even a homemade meal (to name a few). These may not seem like great gifts, but if they are given and shared with love and kindness, they are treasures just as you are for doing so.

 Some other things that are shared are items of means, such as a transportation, a job opening lead, financial assistance, advice on how to do something, or a new friend with common interests.

Then, there are the most important gifts we share: the ones in which come from inside ourselves, for instance our minds, our hearts, our passion, our vision, our guidance, and even our time. All of these things are intangible and priceless.

When you happen upon individuals who for whatever reason cannot find it in themselves to share in any of the ways stated above, you will notice that they do not posses kindness of heart. They will tend to be the first ones there to take from you (and others) and the only thing they seem to be able to share easily are lies and sad stories. This is a pity. They know no peace, They know no connection. They are too wrapped up in themselves to consider others. By all means, please try as best you can to stay away from this type of person, for they will leave you feeling drained and confused.

Whatever and whenever we choose to give to another, the payback is tenfold. It comes to us in the satisfaction of helping someone (or in some cases, many) out. The joy of sharing brings peace and harmony to everyone involved during this type of transaction.

So if you are a sharer, please continue and know that in doing so, you bring comfort to others. And if you find that you are not accustomed to sharing, please give it a try. Step out of yourself for a moment and give freely of yourself, whatever it is. I guarantee wonderful results. Be careful as to not overindulge another, as this can turn out have a negative affect on all involved, leaving you resentful and them needy and spoiled.

In closing, please let me say that I am always grateful for these opportunities to share with you, dear reader, my thoughts in these posts with the hopes that you may find peace of mind in each one. Thank you!