Earth View from Google Earth - Beautiful Extension for Chrome

So for #TeachMeTuesday I'm actually doing kind of a #TechTuesday post. 🤭 I just found this new Chrome extension and I've been trying it out this week. It's super fun!

It's called "Earth View from Google Earth" and it's pretty simple but amazing. Basically it shows you a different stunning landscape from the Google Earth satellite images every time you open a new tab in Chrome! It's kind of fun, and much more interesting that the plain old Google search page.

It's a great way to take a few seconds each day to appreciate the beautiful world we live in.

~JS~🌞

Check it out here!
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/earth-view-from-google-ea/bhloflhklmhfpedakmangadcdofhnnoh

Tips for reducing stress! (According to WebMD)

I know some of these are easier said than done. But if you can work on them one at a time, you'll go a long way to helping yourself have a happier and less stressful life! 😊💯😍✌️🕊️🌞

(1)Keep a positive attitude.

(2)Accept that there are events that you cannot control. That's okay, let it go!

(3)Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.

(4)Learn and practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga or tai-chi.

(5)Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.

(6)Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.

(7)Learn to manage your time more effectively.  Set limits appropriately and say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.

(8)Make time for hobbies and interests.  Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.

(9)Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress. Drugs and alcohol can stress your body even more.

(10)Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you love.

(11)Seek treatment with a professional trained in stress management or biofeedback techniques to learn more healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life.

Make each day your very best!
~JS~ 🌞
#StrategySaturday
#stressrelief #healthyhabits #makeeachdaycount

"I Just Want Everyone to Smile!" Wise Words from a Child

This is so great! "Everyone just needs to settle down and be nice and be friends!" Wow, if I need advice in the future, I'll know where to turn! Isn't she adorable? 😍👧



This is why we have kids. They teach us so much!
~JS~🌞 #FamilyFriday

#cutelittlegirl #greatadvice #justbenice

Becoming Your Very Best Self! 💙

Imagine your very BEST SELF! 😊 Not your perfect self, because no one's perfect, but your BEST self...

What does this person look like? A person who's your best friend and is with you everyday,  every step of the way. 🤼‍♀️ A person who forgives you no matter what mistakes you've made. A person who cheers you on and helps you become the best that you can be.  📣

Do you believe it could be possible to become such a person? If not (to quote a loved and hated song) just "Let It Go!" 💙

Let go of negativity towards yourself and others and focus on the positive. ➕ Be your own best friend because you're the only person in the world who will always be there for yourself until the very end. 🔚

Let go of any part of yourself that doesn't believe it. 💖

I believe in you!!!
~JS~🌞
#MotivationMonday

#selfrespect
#letitgo #beyourownbestfriend #motivation #abundance

Strategy for a Happy Life

Here is today's #StrategySaturday post,  a reminder to look for happiness in whatever life brings. Reprinted with permission from: https://happinessisajourney.com
~JS~ 

*****

Happiness is a Journey, by Crystal Boyd

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we’re frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are. After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We’ll certainly be happy when they’re out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, “For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with…and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you’re off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you’re born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

*My youngest son holding my first grandson.*

I'm Grateful for the Beautiful World Around Me!

Wow, today it was just so wonderful to wake up early enough to see this gorgeous sunrise!

Today's View from my Back Porch! #nofilters #noautocolorcorrect

* * * * *

I often have a difficult time getting up in the morning, and I have to lay there talking myself into it, or I find myself just sleeping right through waking up when I know that my husband's got a handle on the stuff with my teenagers in the morning. 😯 This getting-up-early thing is one of the challenges that I've had throughout my life, because my natural tendency is to be more of a night owl. If I want to get up early, I have to do a lot of mental gymnastics and positive self-talk to prepare myself for it the night before.

But today, for whatever reason, I just woke up automatically around 5:00 A.M. At first, I thought I was going to just go back to sleep for awhile. But I ended up listening to a podcast in bed, and then finally about 6:00, I just decided, "Heck with this, I might as well get up!" Wow, my efforts really paid off when I looked out the back window around 7:15 A.M. and saw this gorgeous sight!

What a great wake-up call! #nofilters #noautocolorcorrect

* * * * *

I often find myself taking pictures of sunrises and sunsets in the beautiful country town where I live. We just seem to get so many incredible sunlit views punctuated by the mountains and fields all around us.

See what I mean?!? #nofilters #noautocolorcorrect

* * * * *

There's just something so majestic and magical about seeing the sky all painted in a variety of colors. It just lights me up inside as I stare at it in wonder!

Makes me want to never move away! #nofilters #noautocolorcorrect

* * * * *

So though these photos don't do it near enough justice, maybe you can catch a tiny glimpse of what I saw in person this morning. To me, it's a little tender mercy blessing from heaven, given to me by a loving Heavenly Father as motivation to get myself out of bed the next time that I don't particularly feel like it. :)

This is the only one I brightened a bit... I just had to do it so you could see those cute little chickens wandering around happily in the back field! #smartphonephotography

Today I'm just feeling super grateful for the beautiful world around me!

~JS~ 🌞

Resurrect the Sunshine Within!

Okay, so I really don't have any time to write, but I'm going to do it really quickly anyway. Wow, that's awful grammar. But the the whole point of the way I write on here is to sound the way I would if I were talking to you, so don't edit me!! (Can't help that part - I've been socializing with a bunch of writers lately and I know they will all be going crazy when they read this. But enjoy it anyway and don't complain!!)

Wow, I sound like I'm grouchy today, which I'm not. . .

ANYWAY - so I'm going to write because if I don't, I'll probably not get to it until next week. Why? Because tonight is NEBO RELAY FOR LIFE! Yay! So excited to get out there to the track and walk all night! Why? Because all these people come who really care about someone who is fighting cancer or who has lost their battle. And we all come together to CELEBRATE - REMEMBER - FIGHT BACK! It's a very humbling experience and you leave there feeling so grateful for what health you have, and for all the people in your life who you care about. There's nothing like a life crisis to help things fall into perspective.

So I will be a zombie tomorrow, and possibly all weekend, so I need to write now or I won't write at all for awhile. My life has been SO crazy! I can't even begin to say how crazy, but it seems like that phrase is starting to become a "normal" phrase for me, which is really scary. But there's nothing to do about it except go on. . . put one foot in front of the other and smile and keep going!

Speaking of, the thing that prompted me to write was a really great little video that my sister-in-law shared on her Facebook page. It's from a website called tryhappy.org and it's called "Choose Happiness". Sorry, you'll have to watch a brief commercial first. But it's worth it!

Nice, huh? I think that website will offer some really valuable insights for many people. It reminded me of why I started jumbledsunshine.com. To help people. To reach out and be myself, without fear or worry, and help others to love and accept themselves, too. No matter your personality, talents, trials, or how you fit into this world, the most important person you need to love and care for is your own self.

I'm not talking about selfishness here, I'm talking about love for who you are, who God knows you are, and gratitude for living. Quite simply - learning to be happy no matter what!

Learning To Be Happy

Notice I didn't say "being happy", I said "learning to be happy." There's a difference.

I have been very happy for most of my life, and especially jubilant for the past six months or so, but that wasn't the case last summer and fall, due to a whole host of issues, mainly some kind of chemical imbalance that took forever to figure out and fix. So I really do understand where people are coming from who struggle with anxiety or depression.

I know what you're thinking - wait - Jumbled SUNSHINE struggled with anxiety and depression?!?

I know - it doesn't seem to make sense, does it? Sounds like an oxymoron! But yes, I've struggled on and off with it occasionally throughout my life. Except I didn't know it! I've always been an extremely happy person, a very social person, a very "bubby" person, you might say. But there have been times in my life when circumstances totally overwhelming have thrown me for a loop.

Most of the time, it was just some small, short moodiness, or a bout of post-partum blues, or something like that. But last summer & fall it was full blown anxiety and panic and depression. When you sincerely can't think of a good reason to get out of bed and do anything. . . that's when you start to realize that there's something wrong.

Pinterest Stress? Really?

So, I came across this article today and was flabbergasted that this is even an issue. Maybe because I've reached a certain age and experience level and I forget that others aren't there too. Not that I'm any smarter or better than anyone else, I am seriously challenged, as you all know by now! But it really saddened me that people are basing their self-esteem on external things like what they perceive others can do that they can't? Honestly, if you think about it, that's just a form of coveting. . . but I jump ahead of myself. How 'bout I share the article? Then you can go read it and see what you think.

Today Show Report:
'Pinterest stress' afflicts nearly half of moms, survey says

http://www.today.com/moms/pinterest-stress-afflicts-nearly-half-moms-survey-says-1C9850275

Here's my grade of this whole line of reasoning: 

I honestly could go on and on about this and re-post the entire thing, and write in my comments after all the little places where these women are saying things that hurt them inside. I feel so sad for them. That said, I do admire the principle that when something affects you negatively, you should remove it from your life. Very true.

But even better, how about remove the cause of the negativity? I don't think it's the website itself, it's the person's perception of what the website is about. It doesn't matter if it's in the form of a website or a magazine, or a church congregation or gym class. Wherever you are, if you spend your time comparing yourself to others and expecting yourself to live up to "being like everyone else", you will most certainly fail. Your job is to be the best YOU that you can be. At least that's how I see it.

I will say that I *love* the idea of "pinterest fail" - to show how *real* projects turn out. Sometimes they are really great, but most of the time, crafts and dinners and other things like that turn out mediocre or good at best. Not picture perfect. And guess what. . . that's okay! That's real life! That's why I posted pictures of my messy home at the end of that one weekend. . . it's just the way it is, my jumbled friends, it's real life, and guess what - it's okay! Be happy anyway!

But why am I going on about this anyway? I already wrote a comment responding to the article on the Today Show website. I hope that it's helpful to someone. I am re-posting it here for your convenience. I'd love to hear what each of you thinks about this topic!

Talk to you soon!
~ JS ~

Read the comment that I left on the Today Show article by clicking "read more" below: