Thought for the week
At this time of the year we all rush around to get our last minute festive season errands done, and our levels of irritation seem to increase proportionately with the amount of things that we need to get accomplished.

Since our lives and needs are important to us, we tend to think that they are far more important than those of others and we forget that others have needs too.

So when you join the hustle and bustle of this festive season, take a deep breath and count to ten every time you are about to lose your cool. Keep in mind that the person next to you is also looking for that perfect gift, making their money stretch, getting everything done, and would also rather be at home having a quiet and relaxing afternoon or evening.

To help make your Holiday shopping easier, check out gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com You're sure to find something for everyone on your list. No crowds, no parking worries!

Gratitude Website

Since this is the week we think about all we should be thankful for, here is a website for you to check out. http://www.gogratitude.com/masterkey/

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

Thanks to HowAboutOrange for finding this cool recipe on Haydee's Chocolate Journal from the Traverse City Record. So this is now a fourth-hand shared recipe! TCR says:Why is this a dangerous cake recipe? Because chocolate cake is now less than 5 minutes away!

Dangerous Chocolate Cake-in-a-Mug
1 coffee mug (microwave-safe)
4 T. cake flour (plain, not self-rising)
4 T. sugar
2 T. cocoa
1 egg
3 T. milk
3 T. oil
Splash of vanilla
3 T. chocolate chips, optional
Add dry ingredients to the mug; mix well with a fork. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix well. Add chips, if using.
Put mug in the microwave, and cook for three minutes at 1,000 watts. Cake will rise over the top of the mug -- do not be alarmed. When finished, carefully remove mug from microwave and allow to cool a little. Tip onto a small plate prior to serving, if desired. Yields one generous serving or two "more virtuous" servings.

Your own chocolate cake in 3 minutes. What could be better than that!?!

National Family Caregivers Month

President Bush declared November 2008 as National Family Caregivers month. We would like to extend our well wishes and Thanks to all those that take care of our loved ones. Whether they are being taken care of in their own home, in special care facilities or hospitals, the wonderful folks that take care of them hold a very dear place in our hearts.
Caregivers can be husbands & fathers, wives and mothers, sons, daughters and nurses and nursing assistance and the list goes on. You need to pamper yourself and take care of yourself too! We know how special you are, but do you? Don't ever think that what you do is 'just a job' as it is way more than that. You are the ones with the loving touch, the simple smile and more, that make our loved ones know they are being cared for when we can't be there. Each day you need to take a few moments and smell the roses!
When was the last time you had a relaxing bath? Where you filled the tub with really warm or very hot water and just sat there and soaked, undisturbed? With candle light? and soft music? Close your eyes and cover your face with a dampened cloth and just sit back and relax. Stay as long as you like and tune out the world. You deserve it. Don't have time for a bath? How about a foot soak and a little foot massage?
Gathered From the Garden has some great products to pamper yourself or to give to caregivers to show your appreciation. Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com for more ideas.

I Like Your Hair...

I finally got a haircut that I have been trying to describe to many different stylists! I'm gone to a myriad of stylists over the past year--a trendy salon, one who does hair in her home, a cut and run place in the mall, a beauty school...and each time I leave with a different cut but not the one I was after.
But today on a whim, I stopped at another cut and run place at the mall. I got right in, described the cut I wanted and miracle of miracles--I got THE cut!! All for a very reasonable price and it didn't even take very long. Needless to say, I got this stylist's card and will be back to see her again.
I can't believe how happy a haircut can make me! I am looking forward to going to work tomorrow just because I think I look pretty good! (Yes, I'm a little vain.) It makes me wish I could pay for a good haircut for someone in need. Do you suppose there are any support organizations that deal with hair?
If you need some help with your hair; ideas for a cut or color, hair products, advice etc. check out www.hairfinder.com You'll find everything you've always wanted to know about hair. Maybe it will inspire you to get a new cut that will make you look and feel wonderful!

Celebrations

We have just finished celebrating Halloween. I was in Walmart and Target today and the Christmas decorations have already replaced the orange and black. As we look ahead to celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas here's another reason to celebrate.

In her book Living Juicy, SARK says we should "learn to celebrate ourselves. Each of us is outrageously wonderful and delightfully imperfect." We are pretty much untrained to be "self-celebrators". We are often told not to get a big head or be selfish. We forget how we celebrated little things when we were children. (It was a big deal to find a little frog or celebrate rain by stomping in puddles!)

Have you ever stopped to celebrate yourself? Baked a cake in your own honor? I think sometimes as women we got so caught up in celebrating others we never think to "celebrate ourselves". We are so caught up in looking good, achieving more that we don't think about being imperfect as being delightful! So I think we need to stop and plan a celebration!!

I think I am going to write a little tribute to myself in my journal. No one else has to read it but just writing it for myself with validate that I am outrageously wonderful! What are you going to do to celebrate YOU?