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It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the holidays, and New Years Eve, are just around the corner. This year has been an absolute whirlwind! There’s been a lot of good, some bad and a whole lot of fun.

I have a lot to be thankful for but it’s the special people in my life that really mean the most. Thank you to all of you, you know who you are, for sharing in my triumphs and supporting me during my trials and tribulations. You are all amazing and I am so grateful to have such wonderful, loving and giving people in my life. You have to admit, it may not be easy but it’s always interesting!

My mom in 1967 (check out this book)

Sunday is Mother’s Day and I just wanted to take this chance to tell my mom I love her. Enjoy your weekend and CALL YOUR MOTHER!

Happy Birthday to the cutest pup in the whole world. It’s hard to believe Willa is 4, they grow up so fast! I love you poodle!!!

via we heart it

I attended Japanese magnet school for all 4 years of high school and took Japanese for years before that. My family and I hosted many students from our Japanese sister school and when I was 16 I was lucky enough to travel to Japan. It is absolutely one of my favorite places I have ever been. It’s a beautiful country with a mix of rolling mountains and booming metropolises, but the most striking part of Japan is it’s people. Friendly, strong, and unabashedly passionate about their country.

I’ve been incredibly sad all week and can only imagine what it must be like to be there. I’m struck by just how far Japan is from recovering from these disasters and being in the clear. If we learn anything from this I hope it’s to be grateful for all that we have every single day because in a flash it could all be gone. Donate here this weekend.

via we heart it

Valentine’s day seems to be the most controversial holiday of the year. People either love it or hate it. Personally, I have no problem with it. I think it can be fun if you have someone you want to share it with but you could also just  ignore it entirely and make sure you focus sharing and showing your love all 365 days a year. So from my heart to your’s Happy Valentine’s Day!

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I’ve made a decision. A big one. And it’s one of the first big decisions I’ve made that doesn’t involve my computer, my phone, my iPod or the internet — in a very long time!

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I am going to start writing letters.

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I’m talking real snail mail.
On beautiful stationary.
Packed in pretty envelopes.
Adorned with the prettiest stamps I can find.
Sent to people I love and admire and those whom I feel like sending a little special surprise to.

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I recently reconnected with someone who I actually introduced myself to in a letter. We were in middle school, he was the cute new boy, and I was the ballsiest of my girl friends (Go figure?!) and we wanted to know if he had a girlfriend from his old school. It was very dramatic (and obviously took place during lunch/recess) and it was a very big deal when the letter came back and ‘NO’ was circled. Long story short, we ended up dating for a long time and he reminded me of how special notes can really be.

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I am a huge proponent of email. I don’t buy into the hysteria that lacks the ability to capture emotion, etc. etc. etc. But what email can’t do, or what I can’t do with email because I don’t have a tablet, is share with someone my penmanship, little doodles and a proper signature. Those things are fun, and I love switching up my handwriting based on the type of letter I am writing.

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Mark my words. If you are a close friend or family member you may very well have a letter coming your way.

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*The only hurdle in this whole new plan is finding addresses…hrm!?!?

These are the 5 Reiki principles ingrained in the amazing healing technique, but they have become goals that I set for myself every morning.

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Just for today, I will not be angry.
It’s not a matter of never getting angry, but rather, when anger creeps in try to deal with it accordingly and then let it go.

Just for today, I will not worry.
Again, there is no way to absolutely avoid worrying, but rather than worry about what happened before or what will happen next, be present and let the worry pass.

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Just for today, I will be grateful.
Be grateful for simple things and as well as the things in the larger scheme of life. Even difficult things can give way to things such as thanks, forgiveness, smiles, good words or gratitude — all things that worth being grateful for.

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Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
Believe in the work being done and do that work respectfully. Life should be lived honorably and with a head held high.

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Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing.
Bring loving-kindness into every personal encounter. Treat things as you would treat people, and as you would like to be treated in return.

images via Little Garden

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You don’t just have to celebrate love on Valentine’s day. One of my mid-March resolutions (Note: It is obvious that the practice of declaring mid-March resolution hasn’t caught on entirely, but I like being ahead of the curve and I will have proof that I brought it to your attention first!) is to give more love, hugs, kisses, bushels, pecks, etc. to the people I love and who love me! I am so grateful to have the amazing friends and family that I have and they deserve to know that all year long! Other resolutions include bi-monthly Ayurvedic cleanses, finding the perfect wedding gifts for my brother and future sister-in-law and to start my own Reiki healing practice.

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Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it’s fairly simple to cut right through the mess,
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.

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(Lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson)

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I used to call Sesame Street YaYaz, I’m still not sure why but I think it had to do with how young I was when I started watching it. (I probably couldn’t pronounce Sesame as an 18 month old!) It was my favorite show as a kid a it still holds a significant place in my heart and in the heart of my entire family. My recent online obsession is the Sesame Street gangs’ tweets — they are absolutely hilarious and I really feel like they highlight what is so special about Sesame Street and all of Jim Henson’s creations. The humor used is smart and clever so that adults can truly appreciate it and at the same time the characters are so cute and adorable that kids just fall in love!

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• Big Bird: It’s hard for me to type these tweets. Keyboards aren’t made for those of us with wings.

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• Grover: Today I thought of something very clever to tweet about. This is it.

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• Bert has more than 368 bottle caps in his highly-treasured collection. #sesamefacts

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• Elmo: Someone just told Elmo yesterday was Talk in the Third Person Day. Elmo doesn’t know what that is but it sounds fun. Can Elmo play?

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• Cookie Monster: Me had philosophical moment: what if there no such thing as cookies? What would dat make me? Dis stuff keep me up at night.

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• Big Bird: Maria made me a new cross-stitch pillow for my home. It says “Nest Sweet Nest” on it.

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• Grover: Today I am feeling a bit fuzzy. And a little blue. But then, I am always Fuzzy and Blue!

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• Cookie Monster: Sometimes Moon look like giant cookie. Must look into joining space program.

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• Grover: Did you hear? There is a monster at the end of this Tweet! I am so afraid! But we are almost done and the only monster here is…me!

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  • Grover: Oh, I am so embarrassed!

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It’s March 1st and it’s time to take a look back at the road I set out for back in January. That means it’s time to check in on my progress with my New Year’s resolutions.

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1. Wear high heels
I made it through January, I believe I wore high heels at least 6 out of the 7 days a week. It was great, until the snow started at the end of the month into February. Because of that I have adjusted this resolution, which I was telling myself was to wear high heels EVERYDAY, to attempt to wear high heels whenever possible and appropriate. It really is a great confidence boost and a great workout, especially downtown on those cobblestone streets!

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2. Find a man who buys me flowers
Still working on it. Maybe I should hire some help! Accepting hydrangeas at all times!

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3. Add to my collection of Buddhas
I haven’t added to my collection but I have a few Buddha’s that I am interested in purchasing including this Buddha candle and this adorable fuchsia Buddha pillow.

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4. Concentrate, meditate, negotiate
A huge change has occurred in my life with the discovery of Reiki, the ancient Japanese spiritual healing method. It has renewed my faith that health and happiness is an active, hands-on, extreme sport, not a passive waiting game. I have been sharing Reiki with everyone who is interested and writing a lot about my experience both here on my blog and privately. I think the best lesson I have learned while meditating is the beauty of personal mantras. I share a few more common mantras every so often here and here, but I have come up with a few that really help me center myself when times are tough. I AM A STAR THAT SHINES GRACEFULLY.

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5. Buy a proper vacuum
Done! I didn’t buy it per se, I got another hand-me-down, but much lighter, vacuum from my parents and it works great! In addition to regular vacuuming I also lint brush my new couch, which is white and collects a lot of hair and fuzz, on a weekly basis!

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6. Floss
Still hate it, but doing it everyday and….yeah, it’s just flossing — nothing too fabulous to report here!