Best Life NOW! Blog

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass   - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Looking back at this past year's pictures, I realize how amazing it was.  So many fun adventures and accomplishments. Going forward and looking at the new year, I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2016! What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. This week has been so dreary!  Grey skies, rain, sleet and snow.  Blah. I needed a pick-me-up.  So I watched some videos of the ocean from our recent trip to Hawaii. I thought I would share one with you.  Enjoy! What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I found this poem, in my grandma's handwriting.  I'm not sure if she wrote it herself or found in a book or publication. However, it really rings true. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. This quote has been sitting on my desk for the past year and a half. I got this from my coach, Elizabeth Hagen .   I needed this quote for quite some time to remind me every day that I needed to stop thinking of the worst case scenario and think of the best . I realized yesterday that I no longer needed this quote.  I've moved on from it. (Thanks to Elizabeth !) I found a new quote that I have as the background of my computer. Time and experience change perspectives.  I won't always have this quote to greet me each time I look at the background of my computer.  I will change it to whatever suits me at the time. What quote do you need right now? What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass   - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I've been sorting through our shoes and found several pairs that need to go.  They are still good shoes but we are done with them. Imagine my joy when I found out that Soles for Souls has a local donation site.  (In the past you had to box up your shoes and send them to a donation site.) This is going to be so simple!  I get rid of shoes we no longer want and we help several someones in return. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Pulling into a client's driveway, I see this sweet little squirrel.  A black squirrel.  This is interesting to me because around here, all I have ever seen are your run of the mill brown squirrels. Apparently he is pretty smart.  My client saw me taking a picture of this squirrel and came outside to ponder him with me.  (She and I both share a love for animals).  She said she put a feeder up in one of the trees and this squirrel climbed up, somehow got the feeder part loose, and hauled it back to his home.  We had a good laugh about that. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I want to wish all of you a Christmas filled with joy and happiness! What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Someone posted this video on their Facebook page yesterday.  I could not stop laughing. Enjoy! What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  J oyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I got the nicest gift yesterday - A gift card to Dunkin' Donuts.   We just had a Dunkin' Donuts restaurant built in town a few months ago and I haven't made it a point to check it out.  Until I got this gift card.   I decided to take a little break and get myself a treat.  An iced caramel frozen something or other.  It was delicious! How often do you take time to stop and do something nice for you ?  If it's been a while - do something nice for yourself now.  Today. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the J oyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. My grandma clipped out these cartoons (called Thrifty Nifty) containing helpful household hints many, many years ago.   Looking at them now, I see something familiar - are these cartoons the forerunner of Pinterest? I really enjoy looking at these cartoons.  While my grandma had carefully clipped them and glued them into a notebook, I just took them to the next level and scanned them. I will make them into a digital book and give that to my mom. My grandma was always ahead of her time.  She was always organized and efficient.  I'm so happy to be following in her footsteps. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I love flowers.  I love getting them, I love buying them for myself - I just love to look at them. Taking time to smell the roses, right? Normally this time of year you don't see many flowers.  Then I realized they are right in front of me - poinsettias!  A pink poinsettia to be exact.  I love pink - it's one of my favorites.   While you can't "smell" poinsettia's you can enjoy their beauty. So enjoy my friends! What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I stumbled upon some pictures of my grandma when she was a girl as well as of our family from way back when. I scanned all of the pictures, uploaded them to Shutterfly and created a book that I will give to my mom for Christmas (shhhh ...... don't tell her.) I love seeing all of these pictures in book form.  In a way, it tells the story of our family. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I really hate paper.  I just detest it.  This hatred  intensified for me last year when I brought boxes of paper home from my moms.  These papers were important and had to be kept - ancestry papers, pictures, letters.  The problem was that I didn't want to keep the physical paper.  What to do, what to do? I broke down and purchased this little gem.  It is a Neat Scanner.  I could not be more pleased.   This sweet little scanner allows me to keep the important stuff - electronically.  All I do is scan it into Neat and it sends it to my Evernote account.  In my Evernote account I have loads of pictures, ancestry documents and my work stuff as well. So I have the paper - but I don't have to physically store the paper.  I could not be happier! What made  you  joyful to

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Today was a kind of tough day.  To come up with something to be joyful about.  Ever have one of those days?   I finally came up with something that I could be joyful about.  Coffee.  (I know, right?)  Now, I had my usual two cups this morning before I left to work with a client.  When I got home and walked into the door I thought how wonderful it would be to have a cuppa.  So I did.  Of decaf.  It was delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I just thought of something else I am joyful about!  During the session with my client this morning she asked if I would mind if she played Christmas music.  Well of course I don't mind.  It was so nice to get to enjoy Christmas music while we worked. I know it's not always easy to be joyful but if you can, you can usually think of

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Tires.  Not a fun purchase, but one that is very necessary if you want to stay safe - especially in the snow. I have to say that I am pretty pleased with myself.  My husband was working on a big project at the time that new tires were suggested by our mechanic.  So I did the research, priced them out and got the new tires installed. Like I said - not a terribly fun purchase but I really like sticking with things - especially the road. Safety cannot be overrated. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. At the retirement community my mom lives at, she was recently awarded the prestigious award of Resident of the Month for "freely giving her time to many different tasks." My mother is the social butterfly in the community and she is always helping someone.  Finding lost keys, helping new residents get around in their new environment and steering wheelchairs. I'm so glad that mom was recognized for her gift of helping others. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I've been reading - Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way.  Timeless Strategies from the First Lady of Courage by Robin Gerber.  One chapter talks about courage and I want to share this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt.   "Courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run it is easier.  We do not have to become heroes overnight.  Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down." "It is not as dreadful as it appeared."  "It" never is, is it?  We tend to think the worst, right?  I know I sometimes do.   Knowing that I have the, "strength to stare it down," is helpful.  We all have that strength.  I smile knowing that. What

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I wear glasses.  I'm generally okay with this.  However, when it's really sunny out - I used to squint because I could not find a pair of sunglasses to fit over my glasses. Until Hawaii.  My husband and I were lucky enough to take a trip recently to celebrate our 21st year of marriage. On a lark I decided to check into a selection of sunglasses at a local shop. I found these! They fit perfectly over my own glasses - AND - the lenses are rose colored.  I am a very happy  cliché.    I am truly looking at the world through rose colored glasses. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I am lucky to have many of my grandma's pictures.   Some of my favorites: Grandma dressed up in her brother's outfit.  Around 1926. 15 years old.  1924. I'm getting to know my grandmother as a young woman.  What a gift! What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. It is 60 degrees today in Northern Indiana.  In December.  I wonder if we broke a record for the warmest temperature today? I decided to take the opportunity to go for a walk today.  (How could I not?) As I was heading around the track I saw two kids rolling down the hill.  This is a sight I would normally see in the Summer - not the middle of December. Try to take advantage and enjoy opportunities like these.  When you least expect the weather to be warm, the sun to be shining, an unexpected pocket of time opens up - whatever it may be.  Life moves too fast.  Slow down once in a while and look around. What made  you  joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. I am a big fan of Days of Our Lives.  Not of anything recently, but the older shows.  Specifically the mid 1980's storyline of Patch and Kayla.   (Anyone else remember this?)  And yes, I was about 10 years old and watching a soap opera. So recently I discovered that YouTube has many episodes of Days of Our Lives and the storyline I wanted to see.   How awesome is that?   I am now enjoying watching these clips - and realizing just how many episodes I missed due to having to go to school.  (Kidding - kind of.)  I'm also enjoying watching these clips with my husband and his commentary on this soap opera. (Lots of eye rolling and snarky comments.) What made you joyful today? In Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Check out the lyrics in this song ".....I've got everything I need and nothing that I don't.......It's the weight that you carry from the things you think you want.......I've got everything I need and nothing that I don't."  WOW!   As an organizer I was just blown away.  I think this should be the anthem for the organizing industry! Enjoy the video.  Especially during this season of excess.  I hope you have everything you need - and nothing that you don't. I have been feeling the need to reduce the amount of "things" I own for the past few years now.  It is paying off!  I'm really excited to report that I have fewer clothes, shoes, books, DVD's, paper, dishes and so much more (or less.)  I'm loving not

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. A few days ago, I walked into the post office to pick up the mail.  Who do I see in the lobby?  Dave.  Now normally, Dave is at the counter just beyond the lobby. I laughed out loud.  In fact, I'm surprised that this picture isn't blurry for all of the laughing I was doing.  I think Dave understood that I was laughing with him and not at him (he usually gets my quirky sense of humor). I really could not figure out why this was so funny until I thought about it.  You see, Dave has a personality that is larger than life - definitely larger than this little cardboard box that he is sitting behind.  So trying to "box him in" was just funny to me.  It cannot be done. I have felt boxed in.  I hated it.  So I decided to change it.  That took some time.  First I

Each day from December 7th through the day of the  Joyfully Organized Teleclass  - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Fresh (okay, frozen now) blueberries from this past summer. That is what I am so happy about today.  Just about every summer I head out to Stateline Blueberries to pick up a couple of pounds of blueberries.  Some to enjoy then and some to be frozen to enjoy later. I get to reminisce about the joys of summer each time I open a container and I get the health benefits of these berries as well, which doesn't hurt. What made you joyful today? In  Joy, Wendy

Each day from December 7th through the day of the Joyfully Organized Teleclass - January 7th - I will be posting each day about something that made me happy, joyful, smile or laugh - you get the idea. Today I am joyful about a radio station.  Yep, you got it.  In the days of satellite radio (is that still a thing?), Apple Music and connecting your phone right into your car  stereo - I listen to the radio most often. In scanning the stations I came across one that plays, well, I guess you would call them "classics".  The songs I remember from when I was really young.   Crosby, Stills and Nash - Southern Cross, Robbie Dupree - Steal Away, Christopher Cross - Sailing. The thing that kills me about this radio station - is that it is run by students!  How do they know these songs?  Now, I was thinking they were college students.  Nope - high school !  Well - I'm not going to question that - I'm just going to enjoy. What made you joyful today? I