A Gust of Uneasiness

Periodically, a gust of uneasiness blows through your life, rocks the foundation of YOU, and forces you to look for a deeper meaning for what happened; what's happened to you; and what actions are you going to take to move past this experience. It could be a job layoff (or in my case, company shutdown); financial challenge; death of a loved one; act of significant betrayal (cheating boyfriend?); or anything life experience that rocks your foundation of thought/philosophy or moral code. For me, its been the experience of surviving financially in uncertain times - managing money when there is a less positive cashflow; keeping a social life going on a shoestring budget; living a marriage on solid, happy grounds; filtering out the noise and temptations of daily life to figure out what makes you tick and how to move forward. Stressful - at times; manageable - absolutely. You'll get past whatever your crisis it - stay focused on what's important for you to reach resolution; be efficient and effective with your time and money, but also save yourself some "whimsy time" - doing what you want to do or treat yourself to a simple luxury uninfluenced by the needs or actions of others. You'll survive and you'll be better for it.

Note: The term "gust of uneasiness" was coined by Roland Merullo in his book, Breakfast with Buddha.

What your mother really doesn't want

Mothers really don't want diamonds on Mother's Day! I learned this tidbit and a few other words of wisdom from the ladies in the locker room today. I discovered that Moms wanted to feel loved, remembered, but not overwhelmed with trinkets and activities. Here's a brief rundown of their feedback...

--Make sure only one sibling sends flowers. More than one bouquet and Mom begins to feel like she is hosting a funeral at her house.

-- Late arrivals, overcrowded restaurants, dietary concerns, misbehaving grandchildren, and sibling rivalry can make a Dinner Out a tough event to attend.

-- Leave Bow-wow the dog at home when you go to visit dear old Mom. If she wanted to care for a dog, she'd have one already.

-- Dinner at Mom's house. Great idea Make sure to bring it already prepared, clean and put away the dishes after you, and take home the leftovers! If Mom has to work her own event; its not a treat!

- Manicures are lovely, but she'd rather have a gas card and a cup of coffee. Yes - even mothers are feeling the purse pinch at the moment and are looking for help with basics.

-- Diamonds are a girl's best friend; a phone call or quick visit is Mom's. She's got all the jewelry she needs; what she doesn't have is enough time with her kids and grandchildren

-- Clothing. Most moms felt they were too hard to fit and really didn't need add another cardigan to the closet. But a nice Chanel lipstick ... well, that was another story!

What's a girl to do? Call or visit Mom on Mother's Day. A few minutes of your time and a hug may just be the best present.

Skinny Cows Ice Cream Sandwichs Rock!

Cruised down the freezer aisle at the local market today after an intense morning at the gym (aqua-running, light weights, and yoga), looking for a guilty food pleasure that wouldn't break my budget or my carb count target (I'm diabetic). Glad I did an extra lap down this aisle of the market because I discovered a great new treat -- Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches! (97% fat free; 140 calories; 3 grams of fiber and no trans fat). Fabulously satisfying. Now if I could only stop myself from eating more than one....

Helping others one coupon at at time

I'm sitting in the fab reading chair in my office, enjoying the solitude of a sunny Monday afternoon and wondering how I can help others when I'm short on cash myself. A solution comes to mind as I start of at a pile of unused coupons. Money is tight with many families. What about starting a coupon exchange at the local library? Just because I'm not using the coupon doesn't mean that someone else won't? Think I'm going to make a small box with my coupons that I'll just place next to the newspaper racks and check it over the next few weeks to see if anyone uses it. stay tuned for an update.