Things I've Learned - 75 Reminders for Tough Times

While stumbling the other day I came across this site - Marc and Angel Hacklife. It is full of amazing articles on improving your life. I especially liked this one. (I hope I don't get in trouble for posting it!!)

75 Reminders for Tough Times. We all need reminders some times.


When life gets stressful, we often forget the things we should remember, and remember the things we should forget. Here are 75 reminders to help motivate you when you need it most.

Tough times never last, but tough people do.
- Robert H. Schuller

1. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.
2. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
3. You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
4. Nobody is perfect, and nobody deserves to be perfect. Nobody has it easy. You never know what people are going through. Every one of us has issues. So don’t belittle yourself or anyone else. Everybody is fighting their own unique war.
5. Crying doesn’t indicate that you’re weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you’re alive and full of potential.
6. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying. (Read Unstoppable.)
7. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
8. Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Let it go.
9. Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. Start small. Start now. (I love this one...it's part of my 30 things to do while I'm 30)
10. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
11. Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.
12. You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.
13. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
14. You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.
15. Give up worrying about what others think of you. What they think isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.
16. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
17. When other people treat you poorly, keep being you. Don’t ever let someone else’s bitterness change the person you are. (You are great, don't let anyone else's attitude change that)
18. You have to accept that some things will never be yours, and learn to appreciate the things that are only yours.
19. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world who’s struggling, who’s frustrated, or unsatisfied, or barely getting by. But that feeling is a lie. And if you just hold on, someone will find you and help make it better. Because we all need a little help sometimes – someone to help us hear the music in our world. To remind us that it won’t always be this way. That someone is out there right now.
20. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. Some of your best life experiences and opportunities will transpire only after you dare to lose.
21. Sometimes we accidentally allow small problems to escalate and dominate our lives. If we get overcharged a few cents, it is irritating, but don’t let it ruin your day. There will always be small issues that irritate us; the secret is to be able to give them the miniscule level of importance they deserve.
22. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go. (Read The Dip.)
23. Ask yourself whether each of your relationships drags you down or lifts you up. Surrounding yourself with positive, loving people is half the battle of living a happy, successful life.
24. Spend more time with those who make you smile and less time with those who you feel pressured to impress.
25. There are few joys in life that equal a good conversation, a good read, a good walk, a good hug, a good smile, or a good friend.
26. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future for too long. Right now is life. Live it. (Eckhart Tolle wrote a great book on this exact topic called The Power of Now. This book sits in my bookshelf and is read at least once a year. I highly suggest it.)
27. No matter how cautiously you choose your words, someone will always twist them around and misinterpret what you say. So just say what you need to say.
28. In order to be creative, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
29. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of good luck.
30. To be great does not mean you have to dominate others. It means you have to dominate your own potential.
31. If you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved.
32. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
33. Forgiveness is one of the primary keys to happiness.
34. The best revenge is happiness, because nothing drives your adversaries more insane than seeing you smile. (This goes along with #17. Smile and piss them off!)
35. Stay positive when negativity surrounds you. Smile when others frown. It’s an easy way to make a difference.
36. If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so. Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay. (I think this is easier said than done.)
37. Don’t regret intimate relationships that don’t work out. Because they will only help you find the right partner for you, and better appreciate them for everything they do and everything they are.
38. What lies before us and behind us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us.
39. The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists. It rewards people who get things done. And the only way to get things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time.
40. Never lie – not even a white lie! When you steer away from the truth, you steer away from your soul. Be honest, be real and tell the truth. This awareness forces you to make better choices and be a stronger person.
41. Feelings, good and bad, always come and go.
42. Don’t get caught up in wasted potential from years past. Potential is all we ever have.
43. We are not alone. No matter how bizarre or embarrassed or pathetic we feel about our own situation, there will be others out there experiencing the same emotions. When you hear yourself say “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie so you will continue to feel sorry for yourself.
44. It is okay to be angry. It is never okay to be cruel.
45. Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.
46. Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.
47. Money is a renewable resource. If you lose some money, don’t sweat it. You can always make more. However, if you spend valuable time stressing over money, or lost opportunity, you’ll never get that time back. Time is more valuable than money – time is the greatest constituent of life.
48. Never let people know that they got to you. Ignore them. Hold your head up high and pretend all their negative remarks don’t even phase you, and someday they actually won’t.
49. There is nothing to hold you back except you. And there is only one question to ask yourself: “What would you do if you were not afraid?” Think about it. (Love this quote - "What would you achieve if you believed it was impossible to fail?)"
50. Life is way more enjoyable when you stop trying to be cool and simply focus on being yourself.
51. It’s often hard to tell just how close you are to success.
52. When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.
53. No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.
54. You must see things how they are instead of how you hoped, wished, or expected them to be.
55. Even when you feel like you have nothing, someone else likely has far less. Find them and help them. You’ll see why.
56. Laughter is the best medicine for stress. Laugh at yourself often. Find the humor in whatever situation you’re in.
57. If you want to feel rich, just count all the great things you have that money can’t buy.
58. Forgiving yourself is far more important than getting others to forgive you.
59. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
60. You can press forward long after you can’t. It’s just a matter of wanting it bad enough.
61. It’s not about getting a chance, it’s about taking a chance. You’ll rarely be 100% sure it will work. But you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Sometimes you just have to go for it!
62. If it were easy everyone would do it. This is why get rich quick schemes will never be true. If it was so quick and easy then everyone would be millionaires. Accomplishing great things is hard work, but well worth it.
63. Notice and cherish life’s surprises. Just because it’s not what you were expecting, doesn’t mean it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for.
64. Be vulnerable. Allow yourself to feel, to be open and authentic. Tear down any emotional brick walls you have built around you and feel every exquisite emotion, both good and bad. This is real life. This is how you welcome new opportunities.
65. You must create and look for opportunities. Opportunities rarely ever come knocking on the door of someone who’s not seeking them. You have to create and seek opportunities for yourself. You have to take the initiative to get the ball rolling and the doors opening.
66. If it’s out of your control, why fret about it? Concentrating on things you can control is how you make good things happen.
67. Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities. (Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)
68. No matter how much progress you make there will always be the people who insist that whatever you’re trying to do is impossible. Or they may incessantly suggest that the idea or dream as a whole is utterly ridiculous because nobody really cares. When you come across these people, don’t try to reason with them. Instead, forget that they exist. They will only waste your time and energy.
69. If you spend 80% of your time focusing on the problem and only 20% on the solution, what do you think is going to happen?
70. No matter how badly you think your life may be going, or how messed up you think you are, there is at least one thing you are doing right in your life or you wouldn’t be alive reading this.
71. A problem is a chance for you to learn.
72. The greatest struggle is to be something different from what the average man is.
73. In times of great stress, it’s always wise to keep busy, to plow your anger and frustration into something positive.
74. One thing is for sure: Regardless of the situation, life goes on. (Isn't that the truth!)
75. Everyone wants a perfect ending. But over the years I’ve learned that some of the best poems don’t rhyme, and many great stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end. Life is about not knowing, embracing change, and taking a moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next.

Oh, and…
You wanna know who’s awesome? Read the first word of this line again.



Aren't these great. I sure hope you enjoyed.

Things I love....Homemade Iced Coffee

While on Pinterest the other day I came across a pin to a "what looks to be delicious" homemade iced coffee recipe. Let me tell you it's delicious!

Now I loooove my coffee, but with these crazy hot temperatures we've been having, I've had to curb my coffee drinking a bit. This recipe is the perfect replacement.  You can find the recipe at here at Craving Comfort. She has very clear instructions to get you through the process. It does take a while to make, as you have to cold brew the coffee for 12 hours, but trust me it's worth it.

picture from Craving Comfort

I have to admit that while my coffee was cold-brewing, I was very impatient and I did use some cold coffee from my coffee pot with the sweet cream from the recipe and it was great!

For an extra fancy schmancy drink, stick everything in the blender for an instant frappacino! Delich!

If you try out this recipe, I'd love to know what you think! 

30 Things

On July 24th, 2011 something happened. Something I've been dreading for years. Something that is totally unavoidable and that has caused me a great deal of conflict in my mind.

I turned 30. Yup I said it, I'm telling the world. I am no longer a twenty something wife, mother,blogger, homeowner, crafter, fire performer, concert goer,  etc. I'm all that and I'm 30. Do I have to grow up? Do I have to act my age? How exactly is a 30 year old supposed to act? Everyone keeps saying...Ah you're still so young, just wait til you hit 40. That one really hurts. Well I don't want to grow up. I just want to stay me. The girl with all the hobbies.  I can still do that can't I? I don't have to change just because I had a birthday that sent me into a different decade. (ugh). Nope I'm not going to. I've decided to create a list of 30 things I want to do while I'm 30. Some of these are fun, some will not be fun at the time but will be satisfying in the end and I'm sure some of them will force me out of my comfort zone, causing me to grow. Some will not really be measurable but i think they still have a place on my list. Hopefully by the end of my 30th year I will be able to look back and see how far I've come. 

30 Things To Do When I'm 30

1. Take a photography course
2. Go on a family vacation somewhere we've never been before
3. Master the Behind the Back Weave
4. Read 50 books. (I was going to put 30 to make it fitting, but that surely isn't enough. The date listed is the date I finished the book)                    
                     1.  The Happiness Project July 26, 2011. (Dan gave this to me for my birthday. It's 
                   great. I'll be doing a post about this book real soon)
               2. Life's too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets. July 31, 2011 (A book packed full of tips to make housework easier. One being - 10 Things you have to clean, in order, if company is coming in 30 minutes.)
               3. Orchid Blues by Stuart Woods - August 2, 2011
               4. Orchid Beach by Stuart Woods - August 6, 2011 (Just a note - If you read Orchid Blues and Orchid Beach, read Orchid Beach first. I read them in the wrong order.)
               5. Five Days in Paris by Danielle Steel - Aug 7, 2011
5. Exercise Regularly. At least 3 days a week.
6. Quit Smoking

7. Clean out my closets

8. Take a tour of the Mint. (Aren't you interested in how they make money.)

9. Take Pole Dancing Lessons. (I bought my groupon for this and I saved $580. Yahoo. Only $20 for 20 lessons. Now I just have to go.)

10. Make at least 52 crafts/projects, etc. (One a week. I know I won't do one a week, but if they average to that in a year I'll be happy.)

11. Smile at one stranger a day (at least).

12. Create a family tree.

13. Help someone in need.

14. Print the kagillion of pictures on our computer and organize into albums

15. Complete a 5K run

16. Start Photography Project 365

17. Ride in a hot air balloon

18. Go on a real roller coaster. (The only rollercoaster I've ever been on is the one at Tinkertown. I want to go on a huge, crazy scary roller coaster.)

19. Acquire a Serger

20. Start an Africa Saving Account

21. Eye Doctors Appointment

22. Annual check up

23. Be Happy!

24. Volunteer somewhere

25. Create a time capsule with each child to be opened at their wedding.

26. Learn to throw a boomerang

27. Give Blood

28. Open an Etsy Store

29. Write a Novel

30. Have Fun! (I want to remember to have fun where ever I am, whatever I'm doing. Life is way more enjoyable that way.)

Whenever I complete a task I will cross it off my list with the date and hopefully a little explanation of each task.

I just have to add that when I showed my husband this list his response was "Looks like you're gonna be busy". Yes I will be, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be worth it.

If you have a list of things that you want to do this year, I'd love to hear what you have planned.

Some Front Yard Fire Poi

I haven't posted a video of my favorite hobby yet, so today is the day.  Now it's not the best video or performance but I just wanted to get something on here for ya'll to see. I'll try to get a few more video's this summer for you. Here is me and my fire poi. I hope you enjoy it.

Things I've Learned - Dear 16 Year old me.

I came across this video today and thought it was very fitting to share, especially to those who live here with me in Manitoba.  It is soo cold here for most of the year (like snowy winter from October to April, sometime getting below -40C.), so when it does warm up the majority of us bare most of our skin to get that glowing tan.  Please be careful. One bad sunburn before your 18th birthday doubles your chances of getting melanoma. Not really worth it if you ask me.

Take a look at the video and pass it along.

Vintage Candle Holder Re-Newed

A few weeks ago I was browsing through my local thrift store when I came across an old mirror. All the different ideas on what I could do with it were running through my mind but decided against buying it. It would have been nice if there were a pair of them.

Well, as I was standing in line to pay, it kept calling my name. "Sarah, come on Sarah, take me home". So I did.

Before

Doesn't it remind you of something you would have seen in your grandma's house years and years ago.

The first thing I did was tape the mirror off. I didn't want to get any of the spray paint on the mirror.

all taped up

 Next it was time to spray paint.  I did 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of gloss white.

Don't forget to spray paint your lawn so when people ask what happened you then have a reason to show your project!

After the paint was dry (well actually it sat for a few weeks, until I got around to it again) I glued a small candle holder onto the newly painted candle holder. I first tried my hot glue gun, but that didn't work. So I got out my Amazing Goop!! This is the best glue ever (well it's worked for any test I've put it through). This is what I used to get my Garden Markers to stay on the sticks.

I hung my Re-Newed Candle Holder in my dining room. This is how it turned out.

After

I'd love to know what you think. Leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading!!

I'm linking up to these awesome parties! Check em' out!

Things I love....SOOOO EXCITED

What a great day! This will be kind of a repeat of my last Things I Love...but only better.


Today I love

and the reason I love it even more today, than yesterday is because Anjie Jaye at Crayon Freckles is the best. She sent me my very own invite!! Yahoo. Thank you so much!! You should check out her blog because she is so awesome!!

So now on to why I love Pinterest so much.

You can "Pin" things to "Boards". That means no more forgetting neat ideas for crafts, awesome quotes, recipes, anything.

Just pin it to a board and it'll be there forever. And it's a great place to go for inspiration.  If you'd like to check out my boards and see what Pinterest is all about click here.

Awesome hey. Do you see why I'm so excited :)

If you'd like an invite to pinterest I'd be happy to send you one. Just follow me (the button is over there --> on the left hand bar) and shoot me a comment to tell me you like one.

Well I'm off to go pin some more! Bye for now.

Under 30 Minutes Skirt

Here is a picture of a great little skirt I made last night which took me less than 30 minutes and cost me under $1.00. Hurray!! After telling a few people what I made it out of, I'm kinda scared to share it with the world. But whatever, I think it's cute so I'll share. Can you guess what I used?

Promise not to laugh, or make fun of me. Please.

Ok. I made it out of a pillowcase. I bought the pillowcase for 50 cents. The whole roll of pink trim was only $1.00, so it probably works out to like 10 cents for the amount I used.  And for the waist - I didn't feel like playing with zippers last night, so I just made an elastic waist casing for some elastic I had on hand.

I think for under $1.00 it's great! I hope you liked this quick and easy skirt (and that you're not laughing at me) :)


PS - Isn't the polka dot umbrella great. It actually was raining and I wanted to get these pictures taken while it was still light out.

I'm linking up to

Repurposed Shower Caddy

UPDATE!!!

I was featured on Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy for my Repurposed Shower Caddy!! Check it out!!

A while back I was on the lookout for a new shower caddy.  I came across a gorgeous brushed nickel one with plenty of shelves for shampoo, soap, a couple hooks for facecloths. You get the idea. It says it fits standard size shampoo bottles. I think it was around $20.00. Perfect.

I bring it home all excited. Something pretty for my bathroom. I take down my old one, put up my new one. Put the soap in it's holder, then the shampoo bottles...what the. They don't fit. C'mon. It says it fits standard sized shampoo bottles, well, that's a lie.

Ugh, I was so mad. Do you ever have those days/weeks where everything you purchase (that you don't really need) is crap. It was one of those weeks.

Now I hate, HATE returning things. So this shower caddy sat for a few weeks. Then one day while trying to find a certain pair of earrings I had a thought. Check it out!!

It has a place for everything!! I have tons of room for earrings, hooks to hang my necklaces, shelves for bracelets. I love it.

What do you think? Have you ever used something for a completely different purpose. If so please share. If you have a blog, feel free to link it up here!

Check out some of the places I've been linking up! Yeah, they're awesome!

Canada Day

Today is Canada Day, and I am so ! I love Canada Day celebrations, fireworks, and being able to spend time with my family on this day to celebrate this great country we live in.

Do you have any family Canada Day traditions that you'd like to share?

From my house to yours, Have a Great and Happy Canada Day!

Clothing Re-Do - Aloha Dress

A few weeks ago I came across this blog -  New Dress A Day.  The blog author Marisa is creating an outfit a day for 365 days. That's 365 items of clothing for only 365 dollars. $1.00 a day. She shops at thrift stores and creates some amazing outfits out of the clothes that she finds. After reading her blog I was inspired to try this myself. Well, not the 365 days of it, but just refashioning clothes.


So off I went to my local thrift store and picked this muumuu up for $3.99.  Now this dress is way too long and way too big, but I love the color and I thought I could do something with it.

Before


For some reason I cannot get my camera to capture the true color of the dress which is more like this.

So to begin with I took off the sleeves -

 

Then I cut off the bottom ruffle.

After taking it in about 3 inches on both sides, hemming, and finishing the armholes I ended up with this......I call it my Aloha Dress.

After

Back

I paired it with a belt I got at the Thrift store for $1, and leggings I bought in Ireland for $4. A whole outfit for under $10. That makes me a happy camper :)

I would love to hear what you think. Your comments are always appreciated!

I'm linking up to -

The Creative Crate

Things I've learned....Getting rid of ants

I've decided that when I come across something I think is brilliant and I think you should know, I'm going to share it with you. So, I welcome you to the first installment of....

Ok, so I don't know about you, but in my front yard we have a crazy problem with ants. These little buggers are creating ant hill after ant hill and I can't  couldn't get rid of them. I've tried everything....

• foaming Raid
• dish soap
• borax
• liquid ant killer stuff
• cinnamon

I can't remember them all, there's been so many.  You'd think with all the rain we've been getting the little buggers would die. Nope.


So the other day my friend was over and I was telling her about my problem and she suggest something I hadn't heard before. I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. I actually had some inside. I ran inside immediately and sprinkled a fair amount over each of the hills.

Here's one of the 9 ant hills I have on my front yard sprinkled with the secret ingredient.

I had completely forgotten that I put this on the ant hills until I was cutting the grass today.  I bent down to check it out and - the ants are gone!!! THE ANTS ARE GONE!! Yahooo!!

Are you curious? Want to know my my friends secret ant killer........

 Cream of Wheat

Yeah, Cream of Wheat. How awesome is that. It's safe, natural, and it actually works!!  Now I just have to find a way to remove the ant hills themselves.

Thanks Tara for the great tip!

things i love...

Welcome to the first edition of....

I've decided that once a week, I am going to share with you the 5 things that I love this week. 

1. craftgawker - Have you heard of this site? This is an amazing website to find inspiration on crafts, decorating, photography, sewing, etc. I love it. I have found tons of projects to keep me busy. Like I need any more projects :)  They also have weddinggawker for those of you who are getting married. If you are looking for ideas for your home, check out dwellinggawker. For the foodies out there, there is also foodgawker. It's full of links to amazing recipes for you to try out.

2. Pinterest - This is an amazing site that allows you to "Pin" things you like to your board. If you have a look, you will see tons of amazing boards that people have created. The inspiration you can get from this website is unbelievable.


Unfortunately, there is a downside. You have to be invited in order to get an account. You can request an invite but it doesn't seem like they actually grant them. I've been waiting for months. If you know someone who has a Pinterest account they can send you an invite. If anyone who reads this has an invite to spare, I would LOVE one. Thank you.


Besides not being able to create your own board easily, pinterest is still worth a look at.

3. Stumbleupon - Are you bored? Bored and stuck at your computer? Have you seen the entire internet? Have I got a website for you. :)  Check out stumbleupon. This is one of my most favorite websites. -You have to create an account to login but it doesn't take very long and well worth the one email they send you a week. After you're done creating your account you have to pick all the categories you are interested in and then you click Stumble. Bahahaha... this is awesome.


Stumbleupon randomly searches websites for what you are interested in. You can also have them search only one category. Like if you only want to look at crafts, you select the crafts category in your interests and it will only bring up websites with crafts.


If you like one of the websites it brings up you can click the thumbs up icon and it will add the site to your favorites. That way you can always find it again.


I cannot tell you how much I love stumbleupon. 


4.  Check out this awesome hair do.. Isn't it beautiful.

I actually found it on craftgawker. Here is the link to love Maegan. This website has the tutorial on how to do this. She has a lot of very good tutorials of pretty ways to do your hair.

5. Now, the last thing that I love this week is this flower that is growing in my flower bed. It's a Strawflower. When it gets late, the flower starts to close up and hides the yellow center.  Isn't it pretty?

Now tell me, what do you love this week?

 

If you'd like you can link back to the things you love this week and show the world what you love.

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