Jack and his boy plus other stuff

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Annie Anderson

Welcome back! Coffee's always on around here. Pull up your favorite chair and a grab a cup. Enjoy your visit today! And don't forget to stop back by again soon.

Lots of things to write about today – if I can remember all of them! LOL So let’s get crackin’ before I forget . . .

First, I’ve started a new “store” on shopify selling Reusable Bags. Because I think the Earth and our environment is a gift to us, on loan from the Creator. And it’s our job, our duty to protect it and cherish it. I use reusable bags when I shop and I love them. Since it’s something I do and whole-heartedly believe in, I thought, “Why not?” I’m still adding products to the store but it IS open if you’d like to take a peek! You can even buy something if you’d like – the shopping cart and payment gateway are all set up as well. Just head over to In The Bag.

Second, the “Around the Web” is going to be starting again soon, likely next week. I have several things and places to share with you that are scattered all over the web. Some are other blogs, some are specific posts on those blogs and some are just stuff I think is cool.

Third, a quick story from yesterday -

My mom and I went grocery shopping yesterday morning and on the way out of the store parking lot after we finished shopping, was a young man and his dog. He was holding a sign that said the dog needed food. After discussing it for about 10 seconds, we looped around, went back into the store and got some dog food, a box of dog biscuits, a couple bottles of water and some sandwiches. They were so thrilled and appreciative, it was a sight to watch! Jack (the dog) was a cutie and very well mannered. I think his boy even got a little misty-eyed. ;-)

Fourth, I think I’ll bring back the Reading List. Haven’t done one of those in a while, either. Got lots of good books on the shelf that waiting to be read and it’s time to get ‘er done! Any books you’ve read lately that you’d like to share?

Fifth, this blog now has, according to my feed stats, about 575 subscribers via the RSS feed and several hundred more who are subscribed via email. Why are you all so QUIET??? Speak up! Post comments! Talk to one another! ;-) I want to hear from you. This blog isn’t just about me – it’s about you, as well. Please, tell me what you think.

Sixth, my oldest child is turning 16 tomorrow. I can hardly believe how times flies! I keep thinking there is NO WAY I am old enough to have 16 year old! LOL But sure enough, she is. And I’m delighted she’s my daughter. Sure, she can be difficult – like any kid – but she’s the reason I’m a mom and I’m glad she’s part of me and my life.

Seventh, have you picked out a ThemeWord for 2010? Mine is CREATE. What have you created lately? Please share! I want to know what you think. ;-) It would be fun to really CREATE a community around this, this year. That’s part of my goal.

So, if you’re out there and you’ve never commented here or you haven’t commented in a while – what are you waiting for? Introduce yourself!

Be blessed,

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Free stuff: menu planner, assignment sheet, character sheet

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Annie Anderson

Even though I’m not one of those uber organized people, I would like to be exceptionally more organized than I am. And I used to be – way back before I had a house full of kids running around. Not so much anymore. I still try, though. ;-)

One of the things I do, is make forms for myself. It helps me keep things on track and pretty much eliminates missed or forgotten things. Plus, I like to write (who knew?). Anyway, I have 3 forms to share with you today that I use regularly and I thought you’d like them as well.

The Menu Planner. It’s fairly colorful, easy to use and simply designed. But anyone from a small child to an adult can follow along and see what food is planned for what meal any day of the week. Even my youngest has learned to tell which color block is which.

Student Assignment Sheet. Even though I no longer homeschool my kids, I kept this form for myself and it’s been nice to have on hand for my college courses. It’s a plain form – no color embellishments or anything here, but it’s still simple and easy to use for most grade levels if you need to keep track of assignments. It’s 2 pages long and has lots of room for all the details you’ll need to know what assignment is due and when.

Mini Character Sheet. This is a form I use for writing fiction stories. It’s a simple sheet where I can put all of the details about a character when I’m sketching out a storyline. It lets me get to know the character and help develop a background for them. There are 2 character sheets per page which I usually cut in half but sometimes, it’s nice to leave them together. Depends on how many characters I’m sketching out.

I hope you enjoy them!

And please, let me know if you use any of them and what you think. Also, if there’s a form you’d like to have, whether for business or school or home, let me know. I’ve made so many different forms, it’s likely I have something similar to what you want.

Be blessed,

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I don’t do resolutions

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Annie Anderson

It’s 2010 and I’m thinking big. I’m adjusting my perceptions, making some decisions and keeping my ThemeWord (CREATE) at the forefront of what I do and plan to do. Granted, it’s only Day 2 of the New Year but I have hopes for this year. And I think that those close to me may be a little bit surprised about some of my plans.

Now, I know a lot of people tell anybody who will listen what their plans are. Not me. I keep my plans all tucked away inside my head. Why? Because I think that sometimes sharing everything with those around you gives the naysayers an opportunity to speak up. And speak up they will. Especially those closest to you.

Oh sure – they’ll say it’s only because they care about you. They’ll say it’s only because they want the best for you. In some way or another, they’ll shoot down every shining star you try to reach. And maybe it’s because they’re insecure in their own thoughts. Maybe they’re jealous. Or maybe they just don’t know any better.

Whatever the reason, my solution is to just not tell them in the first place! I may give a general idea, but I’m not one to actually put my whole thoughts out there for all the world to see and say “This is what I’m going to accomplish this year.”

I know that often the big goal and motivation gurus will tell you that putting your intentions out there for everyone to see will keep you accountable. Maybe for some. For me? It simply doesn’t work. And I hope maybe that gives you a little bit of hope as well, to realize that the gurus don’t always know the answers . . .

In any case, let me just say – I don’t do resolutions or set goals. I find they hinder my achievements. That’s not to say I don’t have some sort of a road map for what I want out of life – it just says goals and resolutions, which some say are meant to be broken – aren’t the end all, be all thing. And if you don’t do them, it doesn’t make you a bad person.

Personally, I choose to call them something else, such as intentions, that doesn’t have some stigma or preconceived idea attached to it like “You’re a failure if you don’t reach the goal.” Failure is fine and sometimes necessary. But not meeting the goal isn’t always failure and I think a lot people get caught up in that, thinking it IS.

Again, I’m here to tell you – not meeting the goal isn’t always a failure. Only YOU can decide whether you’ve failed or not. Maybe the outcome wasn’t the end result you expected but that doesn’t mean something wasn’t learned or gained along the way that is far more important than the outcome.

I encourage you to find a system that works for you in creating some kind of plan for your life. Call them goals or resolutions if you wish but know that you don’t have to. You can call them whatever works for you. The idea is to have some sort of concept about what you’d like to accomplish and by when.

There is a lot more I plan to share about goals and the process of mapping out your ideas over the coming days and weeks as this New Year gets underway. I think it’s an important topic and while it’s at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts, I figured I’d put my .02¢ worth in. ;-)

Right now, I encourage you to just pick a word that you feel lead to associate with this year. As I mentioned previously, my ThemeWord for 2010 is CREATE. For 2009, it was ACTION. And basically, you just take that word and apply it to everything you do. Let it be your motivator, your guide and your anchor.

Be blessed,

And PS – I have some cool tools coming soon! Tomorrow, look for 3 forms I designed that I use in my own work and family life including a Weekly Menu Planner and a Mini Character Sheet. I hope you enjoy them!

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How not to play it safe

Posted on December 31, 2009 by Annie Anderson

When you’re taking time over the next few days to establish the goals and accomplishments you want to complete in 2010, don’t play it safe. And by that I mean, whatever you THINK you want to achieve, multiply by about 3.

Yes, really.

Because I’ve found for myself that I often tend to stay within a “safe zone” when setting my goals. But you know what? Goals aren’t about being safe! They’re about pushing your boundaries. Exceeding the limits. Claiming victory.

Not about settling.

Annie’s 5 rules on how NOT to play it safe

1. Pick a word, any word. Well, at least pick one with some meaning, like COURAGE, EXPLORE, RELEASE.

For 2009, I chose ACTION and made it my single-minded goal, my ThemeWord. Like I mentioned earlier, for 2010 I’m choosing CREATE. And everything I do for the year will be as a result of that one thing. Every goal, every task on my list will be the question, “What can I CREATE from this?”

2. Take your word and keep it at the forefront of your mind all the time, day in and day out. Breathe it. Earn it. Live it. Let everything you do come from that one idea. Make it your mantra. Put it on your desktop wallpaper. Write it on your mousepad. Whatever. Just make sure it’s always confronting you.

3. Every time you make a list of things you want or things to do, multiply it by at least 3.

I’ve found that often I will stay within my comfort zone, my safe zone and put down something that’s probably a little more than I’ve done but still too easily reachable. For example, I may have a goal to ride my bike every day for at least 4 miles. Well, 4 miles is definitely doable for me and doesn’t really challenge or stretch me. Putting down 4 miles would be a cop-out.

Be honest with yourself – what can REALLY do? Multiply the number by at least 3. Can you ride 12 miles? Is it a little OUT of your safe zone? Well, put THAT down. Push the limit of your comfort level.

4. Get out of your preconceived box and go for the challenge! Don’t take no for an answer. Do your best in all things.

5. Be fully engaged and aware. No half-assed attempts. Either do it, or don’t. Nothing spells defeat to your inner self like doing something half way and feeling guilty. Like Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

If you pick a ThemeWord for 2010, let me know what it is. I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this concept. I’ll try to keep you posted periodically on how things are going with mine.

And with that, I’d like to just say have a Happy New Year! Be safe! Drive carefully. Be responsible and all that stuff. ;-)

Be blessed,

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Get ready for 2010

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Annie Anderson

Just over 24 hours from now, it’ll be 2010!

There’s just something refreshing about a New Year. Like the slate gets wiped clean and one can just start over from the beginning. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but that’s how I feel about the turning of calendar. (Yes, I do realize I said “just” at least once in every sentence in this paragraph.)

And I’ve already posted about New Year’s over on margin of {error} so go ahead over there to read all about it. It’s a short ‘n sweet post.

Be blessed,

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A holiday song for you

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Annie Anderson

Just heard this and had to share it with you -

Jennifer Hudson and Michael Buble singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

Stay warm, y’all!

Be blessed,


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That time of year again

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Annie Anderson

Every year during the last few weeks of December, I like to sit back and think about the past year. It’s a time of reflection and introspection for me. And I think, probably a lot of other people. This time between Christmas and New Year’s is maybe a little less hectic and I find it’s a good time to just relax and think about things.

I’m not really one for resolutions – I think they often do more harm than good. Instead, I like to create an outline of the things I hope to accomplish in the coming months, more like milestones I hope to cross. I simply ask myself “What do I want for this year?” Sometimes, the answers surprise me. ;-)

And last year, I started a new tradition – a theme word that becomes my single-minded goal for the year. For 2009, that was Action. I planned to simply take Action on anything I felt compelled to do. I must say, it worked out rather nicely! And I think I’ll keep the tradition.

So today I was a reading a blog I subscribe to and low and behold! I find out she and several other people in the blogosphere do this keyword for the year thing! Only they have been calling it a “ThemeWord” so I’ve decided I’m going to borrow that name and call it my ThemeWord. Because, really, “single-minded goal” is just a mouthful! LOL

In any case, I’m not entirely sure what my ThemeWord for 2010 will be yet. I’m leaning towards Create but due to a few things I’ve experienced in the past few weeks, I think it could turn out to be Transition, instead. Frankly, I’m a little scared by that. But we’ll see what happens, I guess.

What do you do this time of year? Anything special? Do you do New Years resolutions? Why or why not?

Regardless of what you do this time of year, I wish you much peace, relaxation and happiness in 2010 and beyond!

In the arena,

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