Taking a Much Needed Break

 

Hi There,

It's the middle of July and we've been having a heatwave here in Tucson, AZ (temps. over 100 each day). The weather makes me feel sluggish and unmotivated, and perhaps you can relate.

In any event, I've decided to take a short break from blogging to find my center again. 

I want to focus on nurturing practices that energize body, mind, and spirit, and even have a little fun as I do that.

While I'm doing my thing, here are some links to posts that you might enjoy. 

Journal Prompts for a Sweet Summer

Wonders of Monsoon Season in Southern Arizona

Benefits of Walking Every Day with Tips for Success

Positive Color Quotes to Brighten Today

Wishing you a beautiful rest of the month. Don't forget to reserve time to repair, renew, and refresh your whole being and apply Tender Loving Care (TLC) to enhance the process.  

You may need to remind yourself that it's self-caring to take time for pleasurable things. Observe what happens when you read for enjoyment, learn something new, participate in a sport, hydrate, and cook and eat healthier food. 

All of these things help me relax, kick-back, and/or inspire me. What lights your fire?

What kind of activities or pastimes do you want to participate in this July and onward? Please share comments below, but do not put links in them as I won't be able to publish them that way.

If you're embarking on a new hobby or project, what has stopped you from doing it before? Please comment below.

If you put off taking a vacation or don't allow time for socializing with friends or family, what are your reasons? Jot down your ideas below.

The summer season may be an opportune time to take it easy and be more self-reflective. I'm going to use my free time to do just that (regroup).

Wishing you a beautiful few weeks until we meet here again, at the place where colors and a healthy lifestyle intersect.

 

5 Easy and Effective Ways to Practice Gratitude

Grateful for Love in My Life

The Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as the quality of being thankful, and readiness to show appreciation for and return kindness.

Post Updated 5/28/2025

 

This post will show you 5 easy and effective ways to practice gratitude, and illustrates  "Top Reasons to Practice Gratitude with Tips to Help You Do It."

5 Easy and Effective Ways to Practice Gratitude

 1. Observe and Revise Words you Use to Communicate. Grateful people have a positive communication style. They freely express ideas and feelings to convey awareness of life’s gifts, givers, blessings, good fortune, abundance, and verbalize their thankfulness often.

2. Grateful people acknowledge inherently good things others have done on their behalf. Feeling grateful and accepting and appreciating help from others creates a more relaxed body state and allows the subsequent benefits of lowered stress to wash over them. 

Tip: Check in with your mind and body at least once a day to gauge whether practicing gratitude increases your sense of well-being.

3. Grateful people act accordingly. When people follow through on grateful motions including smiling, saying thank you, and writing letters of gratitude or “going through grateful motions,” parts of their minds and bodies get conditioned to feel gratitude more often.

Grateful for Friends and Family

4. Grateful people live and delight in the current moment. When people savor the present moment and witness what it holds, they are less likely to project into the unknown (future) or dwell on the past.

5. Grateful people are those who find value in each experience, person, or thing (not take anyone or anything for granted). 

Finding a lesson or blessing in everything that happens, is a step in the right direction to feeling grateful and satisfied with daily living.

The regions of the brain associated with gratitude, are those parts of the neural network that lights up when people socialize and experience pleasure. These regions are also heavily connected to the parts of the brain that control basic emotion regulation, such as heart rate and arousal levels.

One of my most treasured life goals is to have relationships that bring out the best in us. I seek friendships with people who are kind and respectful people. I have learned to practice healthy behaviors that are relaxed, encourage personal growth, and stimulates a sense of gratitude and joy.

What steps have you taken or want to take to live a more grateful life? Please share a comment or observation in the section below.

Have you made strides in improving your self-care practices and/or do you need motivation, encouragement, or support in this area? Please share that too.

I read and appreciate every comment, but please don't put links in your comment. I won't be able to publish it that way.

Grateful for the Bounty in Each Season

Wishing those who celebrate Thanksgiving or other holidays or special days this month a Happy and Healthy holiday. Good wishes and thanks to all who read this post. I'm grateful you visited and invite you to please come back again. My wish for everyone is to ...

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Brilliant Ways to Declutter This Season

 

The start of a new season is a great time to do a thorough declutter to put your home, mind, and spirit more at ease. A cluttered home environment can create chaos, stress, and unmanageability.

Post updated 1/13/2025

 

Look below for 24 brilliant yet simple ways to declutter your home spring, summer, fall, and winter. 

1. Before you begin, think about the change of season and the items you’ve just finished using, and those that are suitable for the coming months. 

2. Adopt a minimalist mindset, and ask yourself if you really need each thing that's crowding your space. The less seasonal clothing, blankets, pillows, sports equipment, toys and games, pots and pans, etc. you save for a rainy day, the clearer your view. 

3. Cultivate a desire for quality over quantity. This attitude can help you appreciate what you already own, and champion only those items that are well made, functional, and/or beautiful.

4. Tackle one small messy area at a time. Schedule and devote 10-15 minutes for decluttering the first day. Then gradually build up to any increment of time that suits you. 

5. Set a daily goal and jot it down on your calendar or planner. 

6. As you work, place unwanted stuff into donation, recycling, or garbage bags. Take each out of your house that day, and bring it to the appropriate place. 

7. At first, select those areas where it is easier for you to make decisions. Even small amounts of progress breed more success.

8. Pace yourself to avoid overwhelm. Just remember you need to persevere ( walk the walk), if you want to see results.

9. Check the expiration dates on make-up and grooming products. Dump out those that are ancient, caked or are a glob, smell bad, don't work.

10. Check medicine cabinet, bathrooms, and other places where you store prescription or over the counter medicines. 

Use proper disposal methods for expired or unwanted medications. Before you do, read "Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines."

11. In the kitchen, look at your spice and herb inventory to see what needs to be dumped in the compost pile, replaced, or swapped or donated to a friend, family member, or charity. Even unopened spices lose their potency after a few years. For details read “Do Spices Go Bad?"

12. Go through your pantry and refrigerator and get rid of anything that’s stale, moldy, or you and your family won’t eat. Unopened foodstuffs are a welcome addition to food pantries, food drives, etc.

13. Do the same for unopened cleaning materials you can't use. Check with a local charity, church, or homeless shelter to see whether they will accept them. If they agree, take them out of your house and bring them to them right away.

14. In your home office, go as paperless as possible. Cancel print newspaper and magazine subscriptions, and read them on-line instead.

15. Convert paper bank statements, utility bills, stock brokerage account statements, etc. into e-statements to reduce clutter and your paper trail.

 

See "Feng Shui Tips to Refresh Home's Chi" for additional ideas to help you simply.

 

16. Remove broken chairs, tables, and chipped or stained furniture. If you love certain pieces, spend the time and energy to fix them. Donate or recycle the rest.

17. When your living room, bedroom, or dining room is untidy or overcrowded with dirty clothes and dishes, rugs, drapes, throw pillows, throw blankets, or too many plants, clean, reduce, release, and breathe. 

18. Gloves, vests, coats, shoes, and boots can crowd rooms, closets, drawers, shelves, hooks, and nooks and crannies. Simply your collection and feel the energy flow.

19. Upcycle, trade, donate, or sell those things that are in good condition but you don't need or want. Consider using worn or stained items as cleaning and dusting rags.

20. Shred old financial records, and donate unwanted books, clothing, and excess knick-knacks. These moves can help you feel less cramped and more comfortable in your living space.

21. Follow the old adage, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” You'll be able to see what you have, and reduce anxiety and time spent searching for misplaced things. 

22. Do you misplace your car or house key often? To remedy the situation, designate a basket or wall mounted key holder near the front door to store keys. This move is sure to contribute to greater peace of mind.

23. If it's hard to keep up the decluttering momentum, find a friend or relative who is willing to help you weed out junk. 

This person can hold you accountable to your decluttering schedule and lend a hand with tasks. They also won't likely experience the same emotional attachment to certain things, and can offer an unbiased opinion about whether you should keep or release them.

24. Get with the program and focus on getting rid of unwanted possessions to create an organized, streamlined living space. You are entitled to live with less stress and find serenity, pleasure, and happiness by living well and clutter-free.

Want more? See the related post, "Tips to Make Deep Kitchen Cleaning Green and Healthy." 

Do you think, feel, believe, or recognize places in your home that are cluttered or getting out of control? Please explain below in the comment section.

Have you made strides curbing impulse spending and/or come out of denial about how much clutter you have accumulated? Please share about that below too.

What ways to reduce or prevent clutter mentioned, are most relevant and helpful to you? Please comment below.

I read and appreciate every comment, but can not publish those that contain links. Thanks for understanding.

Thanks for the visit, and please share the love on social media.

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Stunning Flower Design at Yume Japanese Gardens

One of my favorite pastimes is to walk outdoors to commune with nature, and unwind in a serene place that captures the essence of the season. 

Last October I had the pleasure of seeing a flower arrangement exhibit, Fall Ikebana 2023 Festival at Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson, AZ that was sublime. I'm excited to share my photo essay with you.

For those unfamiliar with the term Ikebana, it is the traditional Japanese art form of flower arrangement. To learn more, read

What is the Japanese Art of Ikebana. 

 

The gardens are located at 2130 N. Alvernon Way in central Tucson, AZ. The picture right above shows the entrance. The gardens may be difficult for first time visitors to notice, since signage is small. My tip is to drive slowly, once you're on the 21oo block of N. Alvernon Way.

The gift shop, book store, museum, and 8 garden areas are concealed in the back. Parking is free but limited, although there is neighborhood on-street parking nearby.

Hours, days of operation, and admission fees vary depending on event. Check ahead by calling 520-303-3945 or see the website.

Stunning Flower Design at Yume Japanese Gardens

kimono is part of museum collection

Paper flower designs (Oribana-combo of Origami and Ikebana)) exhibited in museum

Next Ikebana Exhibit Feb. 22, 2024 through Mar. 3, 2024

See Ikebana Flowers at Yume Japanese Gardens for additional flower arrangements.

I love the minimalist look of Ikebana flower arrangements, graceful lines of museum memorabilia, eye-catching décor ideas, and serene and refreshing landscapes at the Yume Japanese Gardens. 

This flower design exhibit in Arizona was food for my mind, body, and spirit.

Have you ever been to a Japanese Stroll Garden or Ikebana Flower Exhibit? Please share about it in the comments section below.

Which flower arrangement do you like best or least and why? Please share below.

Note: I read and appreciate every comment. Just refrain from putting links in your comments, as I can't publish them that way.

Thanks for your visit and please share the love on social media.

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