True Gift - A Chill Holiday Season

The tide of holiday stress is coming, and you can see it all around with the overblown consumerism and expectations. I have ridden that wave off and on throughout my adult life, but not this year.

The biggest gift I am giving, is, To Myself and it's a Break. I have decided to get off the "Stress Mess Train", and just be in the moment and present. I am focused on creating memories, especially with our teens on the cusp of young adulthood, and leaving the nest soon. There will be plenty of "Merry and Bright" as we all enjoy decorating, entertaining, and good food. But I will work to enjoy the process and journey, as much as the end result.

We choose our emotions, and I have learned this the hard way. I choose to be "light", a state of appreciation or grace. We have so much to be thankful, and this is really the meaning of the holidays.

It is a privilege to "pay it forward" this season. This includes - telling the cashier at my neighborhood drugstore how much I appreciate her, donating old blankets and towels to the animal shelter, or purchasing toys and clothes for a girl in foster care. This things cost little, but make us feel so rich.

Thank you for sharing with with me, your time and thoughtfulness. I hope that you will give yourself the gift of kindness this season, and witness how wonderfully contagious it is.

My best to you always and all ways, Martha

Photo of Point Lobos State Preserve, Carmel By The Sea, California

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Motivation Monday - It's that time of year

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving - the holiday season is really in full swing now!

Would you believe I haven't yet given the first thought to shopping or decorating? Guess I can totally forget any kind of crafts this year. It's been a very busy year for me and about to get even busier. As of this week the boys will have 6 concerts per week, 3 on week nights and 3 on the weekends. I somehow have to work full time, manage my usual stuff, be ready to attend all these events, try to find time in between to shop, decorate and prepare for Christmas. To top it off I have company coming this weekend, and then more the following weekend. I don't know how I'm going to manage it all, but somehow I know I will.

With that said, I seriously doubt if I will have time in the upcoming month for my usual posts. For December I will be bringing you little more than a single thought, quote or photo on Mondays - just a little blurb of motivation for you for the week...

                              Source: tumblr.com via Martha on Pinterest

Have a great week and a wonderful holiday season!

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R & R for Sunday, November 27th, 2011

R AND R TIP # 77:  RELIEF is in the simple things

Many of us tend to get stressed out this time of year and I found a few SIMPLE THINGS that might just keep us all a bit more peaceful.  

Enjoy a Candy Cane 

 Studies show that just the menthol smell alone will pep you up to enjoy the holiday festivities.  It's also yummy for your tummy, helping to calm an upset stomach.

 Grin While You Shop

Having a cheery attitude during the holiday season increases the chances that those around you will feel warm and fuzzy too, according to one study.

Make Friends With Hot Cocoa

Just holding a warm beverage makes us more generous and friendly, And it turns out that warm hands are linked to warm hearts by way of a part of the brain called the insula, which helps process both physical temperature and emotions.

Peel Yourself a Clementine

When researchers mapped the moods created by certain fragrances, they found the scent of this sweet, juicy fruit more likely to boost joy. Not only will a whiff of one help keep you happy, the vitamin C, calcium, and potassium in it will help keep you healthy too.

Now that Thanksgiving is over most of us will be getting ready for Christmas.  There is an old Christmas carol that says.. All is Calm, All is bright.. Keep Calm and Bright this holiday season.  Relax, Enjoy, and Remember to get that much needed Rest too

See you all next week!

Love, Live, Laugh and Be Happy!

ma 

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It's GITTING time!

The idea of a GIT Challenge is to play catch up with whatever we need to get done. Just leave a comment saying you'll play along, minimize this post so you can easily come back to it throughout the day, stop what you are doing (meaning get off the computer and stop procrastinating!), take an hour right now to catch up on things you need to do and work as fast as you can!

Come back every hour or two and leave a comment with your progress. Check out what other participants have accomplished - all in the comment section, no blog hopping necessary. After updating, get back to work for another hour or so until you're done for the day. We always accomplish so much during these challenges!

Jump in anytime, there's no special time to start or finish. It's fun working together - join us!

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Happy Thanksgiving/Question of the Week

Happy Thanksgiving From All of Us at The Motivation Station…

 

What will you make with your turkey leftovers…

Our favorite is turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry sauce…

Share in the comment section or link up a blog entry to our Show and Tell in the Sidebar…

Happy Thanksgiving…

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Our Cup Runneth Over, A Toast to Napa

I hope you enjoy these photos of our recent trip to the Napa Valley in California, a place where I've never been. One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Schramsburg Winery which makes sparkling wines in the champagne method. (Only sparkling wines made and fermented in the Champagne Valley of France are allowed to be labeled as "champagne" by international law, serious stuff.) This is the house built by the founder, Jacob Schram for him and his family.

The wine is aged in caves that were dug 150 years ago by Chinese Immigrants. The work had to be done by hand as required by the soft tufa rock. You can see the pick axe marks on the walls of the caves which stay a constant 55 degrees F, perfect for aging wine.
Plaque detail from right of photo above.

Our tour of the winery took us into the caves which hold many, many rows of stacked wine bottles, front to end, approximately 5 thousand bottles per row. Some caves contain over 60 rows of wine. Wine is fermented for 2, 5, 10 years depending on vintage and harvest.

After the vintner has determined that the wine is ready, "drummers" unstack the wine and bang them against a rubber mat to dislodge the particles created by fermentation, i.e. the dead yeast that has digested the sugar. The wine then goes through a "riddling" process over a period of weeks to further clarify it. The particulate is removed with an "ice cork", (very ingenious), after being coaxed into the neck, and then a small amount of wine with varying amounts of sugar is added, before it's corked, wired, and foiled, and Voila, it's time to enjoy a most lovely glass, (or two), of California bubble-Liciousness! This is the good stuff, especially when you learn of the craftsmanship, time, effort, and the role of nature in this beverage, and the history of its creation, made "completely in the bottle", which has not changed for centuries.
It was a real treat to sample "champagne" in the caves, with the candlebras glowing and champagne flowing. It felt a little like something out of "Phantom of the Opera" as I kept expecting him or the Hunchback of Notre Dame to appear as we raised our glasses.

Thank you for joining me on my little tour and I hope you enjoyed it. While our hearts are full, our glasses too, a Toast to you and yours this Thanksgiving. I am Thankful for the gift of you.

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Motivation Monday - We want to be Motivated by You!

Yesterday I had one of those days where I had the time to get started on some of my massive decluttering projects but didn't have the motivation to get moving. I spent most of the afternoon on the computer searching for blogs that would motivate and inspire me to get started. I never did get much accomplished, it was just one of those days - but it did make realize that we are lacking links to resources outside of our own little team here at The Motivation Station.

I would like to give you an opportunity to motivate our team and readers!

                                                                          Source: google.ca via Chelsea on Pinterest

I would love to create a regular feature here where you can tell us your story and/or introduce your blog. Do you have a blog or an article you would like featured that fits any of the categories below - other motivational categories can be added too if yours doesn't fit into any of these...

Simplicity, Frugal Living, Cleaning, Decluttering, Organizing, Minimalist Living, Health, Diet, Fitness, Eliminating Debt, Time Management, Green Living, or recipe blogs that are either Vegetarian, Vegan, Healthy Meals or Super Simple Recipes.

If so, email me (mm.seasidesimplicity@gmail.com) about you and/or your blog with "Feature Me" in the subject line - I will be posting your feature exactly as you present it in your email. If you have any questions please send them in a separate email or in the comment section. I would also love for you to include a photo of yourself and/or an example that showcases what your blog or your personal journey is all about, and if you do have a blog please don't forget to include the name and URL.

You don't have to be an expert to be featured, you can be just starting out, or anywhere in between. I'm ready to start the features as early as this week.

We can't wait to be motivated by you!

Originally posted (with edits) at Minimalist in the Making.

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R & R for Sunday, November 20th, 2011

It isn't any trouble. Just to S-M-I-L-E

. 

So smile when you're in trouble, It will vanish like a bubble.

 

If you'll only take the trouble. Just to S-M-I-L-E 

R AND R tip # 76:  Relax and be happy

 I hear how unhappy some are with too many things to do and with the season changing and the holidays coming.  It's a time of year that our immune systems are down and that all makes us very tired.

It's when we are feeling this way that it's time to change our attitude.  We need to decide to lighten up and relax awhile.

One of the best ways to lift my spirits is to SMILE.  If you can picture yourself smiling and feel better when you do,  can you imagine how much better others are going to feel when they see your smile?

So today I'm going to share a SMILE with you and hope it makes you feel much happier. It is the season to be THANKFUL. It's also a time of giving.  Give others a hug, appreciation and love and guess what?  What you gives comes back to you every time.

Why do turkeys always go, gobble, gobble?

Because they never learned good table manners

SMILE!

Relax and think about what makes you happy.  

Make a be Happy List and relax and SMILE awhile.

I know you'll be feeling so much better when you do.

And on this Sunday before Thanksgiving take some time out to think about what you are thankful for.

I'm thankful that I've had lots of wonderful things to SMILE about this year!

I hope you have had some too.

Have a Wonderful Sunday and a very Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving too!! 

See you all next week!

Love, Live, Laugh and Be Happy!

ma 

More about → R & R for Sunday, November 20th, 2011

It's GITTING time!

The idea of a GIT Challenge is to play catch up with whatever we need to get done. Just leave a comment saying you'll play along, minimize this post so you can easily come back to it throughout the day, stop what you are doing (meaning get off the computer and stop procrastinating!), take an hour right now to catch up on things you need to do and work as fast as you can!

Come back every hour or two and leave a comment with your progress. Check out what other participants have accomplished - all in the comment section, no blog hopping necessary. After updating, get back to work for another hour or so until you're done for the day. We always accomplish so much during these challenges!

Jump in anytime, there's no special time to start or finish. It's fun working together - join us!

More about → It's GITTING time!

Question of the Week

Only one more week until Thanksgiving…

What will you be serving on your table…

Or maybe you will be the guest at another’s table, will you be bringing something…

Or maybe you are choosing to eat out at a restaurant this year…

Share your answer in the comment section or link your blog entry to our Show and Tell in the Sidebar…

We will be having Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, Yams, Beets, Cranberry Sauce/Apples, Green Salad, Rolls, Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Pie…

pictures courtesy of Google…

Happy Thanksgiving…

 

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New Food Finds

Greek Yogurt and Berry Tart on Vanilla Wafer Crust adapted from this Food and Wine recipe.

Happy Wednesday and I send my best to you and yours this Mid-Week. In my quest to eat healthier, I am always on the lookout for foods that provide more nutrition and less "bad stuff", without sacrificing yumminess. A few new pantry items that are getting regular rotation include-



Organic Agave Syrup- Use in place of honey and sugar on cereal, yogurt, and fruit, also in baking. It provides a light and lovely sweetness without the sometimes overpowering taste of honey. It has a low "glycemic index" which means it doesn't cause a sugar rush and crash.

Greek Yogurt- Replaces sour cream in many dishes with its mild and delectable taste and consistency. It can be used as a topping on tacos, for dips, and drained to use in a tart. It's hard to believe that much flavor comes Non Fat.

Tomato Paste in a Tube- This isn't necessarily a new food item, but the tube packaging, (which is common in Europe), is wonderful and solves the age old dilemma of only needing a tablespoon or two of paste, and not wanting to waste the open can. (Or wait until it becomes green with mold and throwing it out anyway.)

What wonderful new foods or delivery systems have you discovered lately?
Thank you so much.

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Motivation Monday - Menu Planning and Freezer Meals

I know I was supposed to be concentrating on the One a Day Challenge this past week and ready to share results this week, but it was a fail for me this week. If you have continued your decluttering please link your posts on the sidebar or tell about your accomplishments in the comment section.

I have a feeling with the holidays coming thing will just continue to get busier, my projects will have to be pushed aside. During these busy times I'd like to remind you just how important menu planning is and how much easier it can make our lives. It saves time, money and so much effort on a daily basis!

I haven't been doing menu plans for the last couple of weeks - what a disaster! I thought I could do it all mentally and know what I was doing from day to day, but most days I'd either stand in front of the fridge wondering what I could pull together or picking something up on the way home. Not good. Needless to say we haven't had the healthiest meals lately either.

This weekend I decided to get back to menu planning. I kind of fell back into it after needing to come up with some premade homemade meals for the freezer for a friend at work who is going to have surgery over our Thanksgiving break, and also for another friend, who when asked what he wanted me to make him for his birthday responded that he would love some homemade freezer meals. I guess that really is a nice gift for the single guys who don't cook for themselves!

                                                                   Source: joelens.blogspot.com via Martha on Pinterest

Yesterday I was making egg casserole for brunch, my family loves it and it's easy. Instead of making one, I made four - one for brunch, one cut into single serve pieces for the freezer for the boys during the week, and one for both friends all cut into single serve for the freezer - that's 12 breakfast servings for each friend!

Later I browned 12 pounds of ground beef with taco seasonings (at Sam's Club we get ground beef marked 50% off 6 pound packs by shopping later in the evening). We had tacos and burritos tonight with yellow rice and cheesy refried beans for sides. After dinner I made up two burritos each with the sides for my two friends, labeled and put right in the freezer - two meals for each of them.

Today I will use the leftover beef to make a huge pot of chili. It's quick and easy to make with the beef already cooked. My guys will have it for dinner and then I'll package up the rest to divided between my freezer and probably two servings each for my friends.

Already I have prepared meals for us for two nights, made four nights worth of meals for my friends each and have at least one freezer meal left for us.

Tomorrow is Sam's Club run day, those big plump rotisserie chickens are on the list for a few recipes this week!

Anyone have any great freezer meal recipes to add?

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R & R for Sunday, November 13th, 2011

He that can have Patience, can have what he will

 Benjamin Franklin

R and R Tip #75:  Relax, be patient.

Since it’s often impossible to avoid stress, we must deal with it. The key in dealing with stress it learning how to de-stress. It’s all about opening your valve and releasing the pressure.  Patience is the main ingredient necessary to get through difficult times.

Patience is our cheerful acceptance of life. Patience allows us to turn failure into success. Patience avoids needless worry and anxiety and in place brings peace of mind.

Patience means waiting for an expected outcome without the frustration, tension or anxiety.

Yes, it’s hard to be patient! But, without patience, you would have no hope. And, if the universe was organized so that your desires materialized instantly, that wouldn’t serve you either.

Patience helps you grow. It nourishes both compassion and empathy. So, embrace patience. Ultimately this makes you a stronger person.

Think about it.

Being impatient feels terrible. Traffic stresses you out. Crowded schedules drain your energy. Your kids acting like kids do frustrates you. Such tension causes strained relationships, manic diets, higher blood pressure, eroded happiness, and less focus

When you grow patient with yourself, you lighten that tense burden of accomplishment. You let go of a stressful timetable to enjoy the process of achieving your goal.  When you rest from work and a hectic schedule, you are in touch with your internal energy. Just as your muscles grow during periods of rest, so does your soul!

We can learn patience from observing nature. Look how long it takes a seedling to grow, flower and bear fruit. Why should we be different and unnatural?

Add to Life 

Sir William Osler

We are here to add what we can to, not get what we can from, life.

When in doubt, remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Speed doesn’t always win. And if life is a race, do you really want to sprint to the end?

Just live patiently and enjoy the journey!

Have a Wonderful Sunday! 

See you all next week!

Love, Live, Laugh and Be Happy!

ma 

More about → R & R for Sunday, November 13th, 2011

It's GITTING time!

The idea of a GIT Challenge is to play catch up with whatever we need to get done. Just leave a comment saying you'll play along, minimize this post so you can easily come back to it throughout the day, stop what you are doing (meaning get off the computer and stop procrastinating!), take an hour right now to catch up on things you need to do and work as fast as you can!

Come back every hour or two and leave a comment with your progress. Check out what other participants have accomplished - all in the comment section, no blog hopping necessary. After updating, get back to work for another hour or so until you're done for the day. We always accomplish so much during these challenges!

Jump in anytime, there's no special time to start or finish. It's fun working together - join us!

More about → It's GITTING time!

Question of the Week

Thanksgiving is just two weeks from today…

Do you have special dishes, table settings or centerpieces that you use each year…

 

I have a special turkey platter just for the turkey…

I’ll light candles…

And put out my ceramic turkey centerpiece…

Share your Favorite table setting in the comment section or link up your blog entry to Show and Tell in the Sidebar…

Happy Thanksgiving…

More about → Question of the Week

Love at First Bite - Ahi Poke Salad with Avocados and Wonton Crisps

One of the great things about travel is trying new foods. During a trip to Hawaii several years ago, I fell in love, "at first bite" with ahi poke salad. It is a popular menu item at West Coast restaurants, and very easy to make at home with this recipe from Epicurious.

Ahi Poke Salad with Avocado


Other delicious versions include the addition of mangoes, yummy.

The availability of quality ingredients is another bonus with the abundance of fresh sashimi* grade tuna and avocados. California might have problems galore, but you can't beat our avocados.

What wonderful dishes have you found on your travels across the ocean, or around the corner? What fresh and local ingredients inspire you?

Thank you so much and Happy Wednesday!


*Partially paranoid nurse reminder about raw fish should not be eaten by those with impaired immune systems including pregnant women.

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Motivation Monday - Back to the One a Day Challenge

I took a break from the One a Day Challenge last week since it was Halloween week and I knew everyone had been busy preparing. Now we only have a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving arrives. Everyone ready to get back to the One a Day Challenge this week?

When I feel overwhelmed I seem to do best when I announce it publicly and especially when I can recruit others to join me in a challenge. Working together always seems to make things easier, and it's a way to hold ourselves accountable too..

{Graphic Credit}

CHALLENGE - Pick one thing a day to declutter. It can be one bag, one box, one basket, one drawer, one shelf, one cabinet, or even just one single thing. 

It would be a good idea to think about what we need to do to be ready for the holiday season while doing the challenge in the coming weeks.

For me it's really hard to get motivated with decluttering during the week. My days are long with very little time to squeeze in anything extra. To top it off, I'm more of an all or nothing kind of person. That works out great when I have time to do it "all" but when I don't "nothing" gets accomplished. I'm hoping this challenge will motivate me to take those baby steps and do it a little bit at a time - it's the only way I'm going to get anything done!

Join me at my new blog Minimalist in the Making to follow my journey, and we'll meet right here next Monday to discuss this weeks One a Day Challenge progress.

Wishing you a Motivated Monday!

More about → Motivation Monday - Back to the One a Day Challenge

R & R for Sunday, November 6th, 2011

R AND R TIP #74;  It's time to reclaim that extra hour of sleep

The Autumn Equinox has come, but many of us continue to fool ourselves that it's just late summer.  However, the game is over once we turn back the clocks.  Many  will start driving home form work in the dark.   The clock change is really the marker for many people that a change in seasons has actually happened.

Autumn means many more hours of darkness and cold weather.  As a result many feel depressed and feel sleepiness and fatigue.  Why fight it, sleep is what we need...so just go to bed.  Most of us are sleep deprived anyway.  Going to bed when you feel sleepy is one of the wisest things you can do for yourself.

For most people it's not the change in time that affects them, its the cold dark dreary days.  It's important to get as much morning light, and throughout the day, as possible.  For some people this is a good solution. There are many light therapy lamps and bulbs on the market, create more light at home, your body just may need it

I do hope you all remembered to set your clocks back one hour and I hope you were blessed with that extra hour of sleep too!  Rest and Relax and enjoy your Sunday.  It will help you to be refreshed and renewed for the coming week!

Have a Wonderful Sunday! 

See you all next week!

Love, Live, Laugh and Be Happy!

ma 

More about → R & R for Sunday, November 6th, 2011

I'm finally almost on my way... home and cancer free! AND It's GITTING time!

So as we begin the trek home after being here for a year and a half (thanks mom), we realized that we acquired a few things while here. For Martha's sake I'd like to be able to say that we could pitch it all, but alas these are real treasures for our house and unpitchable and unreplaceable. Since I have yet to have all my strength return, moving has become a major endeavor for us.

We decided to hire a mover, you know, an end of the load kind of deal. We don't have many pieces of furniture (just a few BIG bargains ~ 2 tables, an antique file cabinet, an antique bar stool and a bed frame), but it's primarily boxes so we started contacting companies and decided on a home grown American based mover that uses up and coming mom and pops, Proud American Moving Network. The day we signed the contract, the local news station did an expose' on moving scams. So off to the Better Business Bureau to check out our new found mover we went. We are pleased to say they are not part of the scam and had no local open complaints. That was when it hit me - do a blog post, take some pictures and chronicle the move.

Think about it - one of the biggest complaints you hear from people is about moving companies - how they damage your stuff, don't settle the insurance claims, etc...

The very first piece of advice I have is PACK YOURSELF!!!!!!!! My mom has moved a few times and used the same company each time. The last time I was in college and needed a few extra bucks so offered to do their packing for them at a reduced rate. If I remember correctly even with paying me a nice sum, she still saved A LOT on their packing fees, used less space and nothing I packed got broken in the move. It's all about space, organization and weight distribution.

For this move I have created an inventory, numbered and weighed the boxes myself. One of the points on the expose was that some of these companies overcharge based on weight. Now how are you going to know the total weight of the load unless you weigh it yourself - one box at a time. That also ensured poor me who has so little strength right now that the boxes would not be too heavy. After all, if I can carry them, some guy with a dolly certainly can!

Even the kitties are getting used to their temporary house for the move!  Now on to the GITTING part of the day.

The idea of a GIT Challenge is to play catch up with whatever we need to get done. Just leave a comment saying you'll play along, minimize this post so you can easily come back to it throughout the day, stop what you are doing (meaning get off the computer and stop procrastinating!), take an hour right now to catch up on things you need to do and work as fast as you can!

Come back every hour or two and leave a comment with your progress. Check out what other participants have accomplished - all in the comment section, no blog hopping necessary. After updating, get back to work for another hour or so until you're done for the day. We always accomplish so much during these challenges!

Jump in anytime, there's no special time to start or finish. It's fun working together - join us!

More about → I'm finally almost on my way... home and cancer free! AND It's GITTING time!