Blog Your Family History

It's that FUN time of the year again - BYU Education Week! I love being on the BYU campus again, seeing the beautiful flowers and smelling that aroma that floats through the air that reminds me of all the good times when I was a student here. Last year I discovered the joy of joining the Hosting Staff at Education Week, which means that I get to spend a portion of my day serving others instead of just filling myself up all day. And the best part? I get in all week FREE - so it's a win-win! 

So right now I'm sitting in a class called "Blog Your Family History" and the teacher gave some great ideas about what types of things could be blogged about when sharing your family history. Then she started sharing the specifics of how to create a blog, post to a blog, etc, which I have just a little teeny bit of experience with, so I decided that I would type up a post while I'm half-listening to the presentation. :) I've gleaned some great ideas, though, which is always the case with Education Week presentations. Any class I go to always has some value, and others... can I just say that I have found incredible gems in my years of attending!

Here are some of the great ideas for what you can do with a Family History Blog:

• Record & share general family history research
• Create a place to post family newsletters so everyone can keep in contact
• Post new information regarding research on a certain culture or location
• Post mini family history lessons and tips
• Organize missionary letters
• Travel adventures
• Scripture study notebook
• Journals
• Family recipes
• Track pregnancy with pictures (kids, grandkids)
• Ancestral stories
• Memories of relatives and ancestors
• Quotes about family history
• Funny family stories
• Ancestor “birthday blog” - write a story “on their birthday”
• And for more ideas....
• Find genealogical blogs to read and follow to see what others are posting!

One point they made in the class is that if you are posting things about living people, you need to make sure you have their permission to share the information. An alternative is to create a "private" blog and only share it with people in your family.

Anyway, I don't think I'll be starting a "family history blog" any time soon, because I don't have time for any more new projects!! (And quite honestly, because I would probably do it for awhile and then quit...) BUT - I will add a new "label" called "Family History" so that when the whim hits me I can simply post some great family history stuff right here on Jumbled Sunshine! :)

Class has ended.... so off I go to the next one! I'm going to be brave and just post this without editing or anything, so hopefully it's not too wrought with imperfections! ;) Until next time....

~JS~

6 Easy Steps to Using Feedly and Chrome for One-Click RSS Feed Subscriptions

Just a miscellaneous tidbit today. . . 

Have you tried to sign up for an RSS feed and been frustrated when you get a bunch of "gobbledy-gook" after clicking on the little orange RSS feed icon? ME TOO! 

Or. . . Have you always wondered what the heck an RSS feed is? Been there, done that. 

Here's a little tutorial to help you out. 

Stock Image by Leo Blanchette
Credit HERE. 

An RSS Feed is simply a text version of new posts on a website (usually a blog). By subscribing to RSS feeds, you can read updates of all your favorite blogs and websites in one place, instead of having to surf the web to visit all your favorite sites. It's a great idea, but since they discontinued Google Reader, it's been tough to find a good replacement RSS Feed Reader. Until NOW. 

I did a little bit of searching and figured out a solution that's working well for me. I used Feedly and Chrome RSS Subscription Extension together. Here's how you can set it up in 6 easy steps!

How to Add RSS Feeds to Feedly Using a One-Click Chrome Extension

1. Set up an account at feedly.com. I recommend that you use the "sign in with Google Account option" so everything will seamlessly integrate with the Chrome extension.

2. Install the Chrome RSS subscription extension (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/rss-subscription-extensio/nlbjncdgjeocebhnmkbbbdekmmmcbfjd). This extension puts the familiar orange RSS icon in your URL bar whenever a site you're visiting has a feed.

2. Go to a site that has an RSS feed (i.e. - feedtheworld.org). You will see the little orange icon pop up on the far right side of your address bar. Right click on it and then choose "options."

3. In options, you will see "RSS Subscription Options" at the top. Click on “add…” button and fill it out like so (you'll only have to do this the first time you subscribe to a feed):

• Description: Feedly
• URL: http://www.feedly.com/home#subscription/feed/%s

(note: if you copy & paste, you'll need to add a space to the end before the OK button will pop up)

4. Delete the other RSS feed options to make Feedly your default. 

5. It’s done! Now when visiting a website which provide RSS, you will see the RSS icon in the multibox, Click on it to quickly add the feed to your Feedly account. 

6. To read your subscriptions, login at feedly.com and read away!

Hope this helps some of you who have been wanting to find a replacement for your Google Reader!

ENJOY!

Ward Cousins Performing at Malad Idol!

I love my cute nephews!

Post by Jill Ward.

Left to Right: Jayson Spencer, Collin Spencer, Benjamin Ward, Porter Ward, and Lance Ward.

Post by Jill Ward.

The Ballad of the Broken-Down Cars

Image from North Geelong Radiator Center

I didn't want to get on here and complain, so I haven't said anything on Facebook or anywhere else, but my life has been SO ridiculous this week that it's just downright funny now! So I just had to share.

The short story? Hubby in Africa, both vehicles break down, internet goes out, stranded twice. 

Yeah. 

Here's the timeline:

MONDAY - Lonny flies to Malawi, nearly misses his flight, then the last leg is delayed and he spends the night in the airport in Nairobi. But he finally arrives safely - yay!

TUESDAY - Our 1999 Cadillac Seville overheats just driving a few miles to Santaquin, even though the coolant was filled before the very short trip. We decide not to drive it anymore until my brother-in-law, Lyle, (who is my hero when Lonny is gone!) can check it out for me.

WEDNESDAY night - Our 2002 Chevy Express Van's battery light starts glowing. I've never seen it happen, so I ask Lyle about it and he agrees to look at it when he comes over Friday. Also, our internet starts having issues, so we have on/off internet & phone all day. This continues throughout the week. Lonny's having internet issues too, so no communication with him in Africa.

Why I Love the Miss Genola Program

Last year three of my daughters participated in the Miss Genola Program, one as a "Miss Genola" contestant, one as a Junior Miss participant, and one as a committee member. We were all hesitant to get involved at first, because I have never been in a "pageant" in my life, I've never had a desire to do so, and my girls have pretty much followed my lead on that.

However, last winter my oldest daughter, Jessica, was asked by Kristy Green, to participate on the Miss Genola committee. Jessica loves Sister Green so readily agreed to help. When she heard what the program was going to be all about, she said to herself, "Now THAT'S the kind of program I want to be involved with!" Once she agreed, Jessica set about to convince her sisters that they should all participate. She got a lot of push-back, because... well, I already told you why - we just don't do pageants.

But then Jessica mentioned to 16 year old Katilyn that there would be a scholarship for the winners of the program. This started to get our attention a little! So, we decided to go to the Introductory Brunch and see what it was all about. By the time we left, we were psyched about participating in Miss Genola! 

Why? I'll tell you why! This is no ordinary program!

In fact, it's not really a typical pageant at all, in the sense that many of us think of pageants. First of all, it's very far removed from being a "beauty" pageant, because the contestants' scores are based only 10% on appearance. Yeah. Really! No swimming suits, no prancing about, no immodest attire. In fact, the program focuses primarily on inner beauty, service, building strength, and developing friendships. 

If it's not a Typical Beauty Pageant, then What's it All About?

Well let me tell you about one of our gatherings, and you decide for yourself.

Blog Spotlight: DIY Confessions & A New Journal Idea

This morning I read a post on the Flylady mailing list about a recipe for homemade bathtub cleaner posted on a blog called "DIY Confessions." I went to www.diyconfessions.com, anxious to see what other fun household tips they had. I was surprised to see that the current post on the home page was not about housekeeping at all. It's title read: "Seven Tips to Eliminate Postpartum Depression."

This caught my attention for a couple of reasons. First, because I have been feeling kind of blue the last few weeks. Second, because I am no stranger to the whole "baby blues" thing, after having given birth to 7 children in 13 years! Though my youngest is now 9 years old, and baby blues are far behind me, I have friends who may be dealing with postpartum issues.

So - I started reading.

The very first tip caught my eye because I think it's such a great idea, whether you're dealing with actual depression, or if you're just wanting a really great way to end each day with some positive closure. Although, I have a confession of my own: Being the jumbled person that I am,  I haven't actually read the rest of the tips in the article because I got so excited about sharing the first one with all of you - my jumbled friends - that I came over here to start writing and never finishing reading the post! hahaha... oh well! It's a really good tip, so I'm sure the rest are great too! ;) Here it is....

Keep a journal. 

Simple, right? But how can that help? Here's a bit of what blogger Ceara said about it: "This was actually the most effective tool I used! I would just write these three questions out before bed and answer them: 

1. What was the high point of my day? 
2. What was the low point of my day? 
3. What am I looking forward to tomorrow? 
4. I eventually started added a verse as well that I found encouraging. 

She continues: "I saw how shallow the lowest point of my day was. You know, the thing that was supposedly ruining my life? Yeah, when I looked at it on paper it didn’t seem so bad."

Here's a picture of one of Ceara's actual journal entries.

Wow - this is SO SIMPLE and yet SO PROFOUND! Writing in a journal can really be a great way to get your feelings on paper and give some closure to each day. In fact, my husband Lonny told me once that he doesn't sleep as well if he hasn't written in his journal, because it gets rid of all of that stuff that's bouncing around in his head, and gets it out on paper so he can rest.

I love the four points that Ceara suggests including in your journal entry each day. Instead of being overwhelmed by trying to catalog everything that happened that day, you can just write a few simple things to get an overall view. Being able to think back on the day and identify something great that happened as well as something tough that happened helps you to take a step back from your life and see it from a different perspective. And listing what you are looking forward to tomorrow? What a great way to give yourself a reason to get out of bed the next morning!

I've been keeping a journal fairly regularly on and off since I was a teenager, and I've been working at getting my habit back "on" since 2014 started. My goal has been to write just 5 sentences every night, no matter how tired I am. I did really well in January (don't we all?) and then dropped off a bit in February. So - March is a new month, and I'm going to use this idea to get myself motivated to write more often again. Tonight I'm going to write about my high point, my low point, and what I'm looking forward to tomorrow. PLUS - a scripture verse - love those!! 

How about you? You may want to give the journal thing a try! 

If you'd like to read the full post and learn about Ceara's other six suggestions for eliminating post-partum depression (which I haven't read yet, lol!), visit DIY Confessions for yourself at www.DIYconfessions.com. You'll also find "tutorials for DIY projects, crafting, thrifted finds, delicious recipes, the joys of motherhood, tips & tricks and green cleaning." 

Thanks for reading, and have a marvelous day! 
~JS~

Teach Kids About Internet Safety and Digital Manners

I just found this fantastic site created by Common Sense Media that teaches kids about online safety and digital manners in a fun game-like atmosphere. I've been playing a few of the games myself for the past hour or so! :)

digitalpassport.org

I am so grateful for companies that create things like this to help parents teach and protect our children. Thank you Common Sense Media!

Check it out!

digitalpassport.org

Jumbled Sunshine Review: Screenit.com

Today it's getting harder and harder to judge a movie by it's rating. Take, for instance, the controversy over the MPAA rating of "Philomena" which was contested by the producer and allowed a lower rating. Who is determining what type of criteria is used to rate our movies? How do they exactly decide what makes a movie appropriate for which rating? And are these people someone that parents should trust to be making this decision for them?

This lack of consistency can be especially discouraging for parents who are trying to make sure the movies and TV shows their children see are age appropriate for their children, and customize what their family views for the personal needs of each child's personality and sensitivities. Every family is different, so trying to "rate" a movie based on ambiguous guidelines can be really tough. What one parent thinks is horrific may be totally acceptable to another parent. What's a parent to do?

I like to look up parental reviews for movies and TV shows before I watch them, especially if I am going to watch them with my kids. Occassionally I will share various sites that do parental reviews and give my thoughts on them. Here is my first "parental review site review." ;)

Jumbled Sunshine Review: www.screenit.com

• Overview:
• My go-to parental review site in the late 90's and early 2000's when my kids were small, through the 1990's when my kids were small, www.screenit.com is a great website that focuses on simply giving parents information about what's in a movie so you they can choose for themselves. 
• Cost:
• I haven't used the site as much recently because they now charge for membership (I can't tell how much from the main site anymore), and I just didn't find myself using it often enough to be worth paying. However, I totally understand why they need to charge, since they have to find a way to pay the people who meticulously go through the movies. 
• One month membership is $7.95, or you can pay for a year for $47.00. They are currently offering a free 3-day full-access pass to their site that requires only your name and email address to sign up for. 
• They also offer a 30-day full money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the service. So as long as you don't forget to cancel (like some busy parents may do!,) you've got nothing to lose.
• Rating System:
• Their rating system is great for parents who don't want someone else to tell them whether it's a good movie or not, but want to see what's in it and decide for themselves. It's an excellent approach. They make no attempt to rate the movie or say whether or not is it appropriate for children - that's up to the parent to decide.
• They take everything that happens in a movie and categorize it into various areas such as violence, profanity, sexual content, etc. They list the number of occurrences of each type of thing in movie. You can look at the overview which rates each category on how often it occurs. The more times it occurs, the more intense the rating will be. For example: 
• profanity - mild
• violence - heavy
• smoking - none
• etc.
• OR - you can click on the details of each category and see specifically what occurs in the movie. These details may contain spoilers, of course, but if you're looking up a G-rated movie and it says the nudity category is "mild," it's nice to go read the details to see if it's a big deal or not. 
• Case in point - When I looked up Mulan years ago, it was listed as "mild" for the nudity category. Shocked, I clicked on the details to read what was considered "mild nudity." and remembered the scene where the soldiers are skinny dipping and Mulan looks up and obviously sees one of the characters on the beach. She covers her eyes, and it's obvious that she has seen more than she wanted to see. This is not obvious nudity, but it's good to be aware of as a parent before you take your kids to the movie, especially a "family-friendly" cartoon. That scene didn't bother me when I saw it, so it was intersting to see it written out in black and white.
• Summary
• Like I said before, I used screenit.com all through the early years of my kids' growing up, and it never let me down. Though I haven't logged into the website recently, if it's anything like it used to be, it is a great option for parents who want to know what's in movies and don't mind paying a bit to do so. Get your free 3-day pass and decide for yourself!

-----

Coming Soon - Jumbled Sunshine Review of parentpreviews.com

Saying Yes to Mess - Another Perspective on Clutter

Post by Erika Ward.

The New York Times published this article in December 2006 about the fact that perhaps we should embrace clutter, because it is the mark of creativity. While extreme, the article was an interesting take on the recent phenomenon of the past several decades in which everyone beats themselves up about not being organized enough.

New York Times Opinion:

Here are the first few paragraphs of the article:

"It is a truism of American life that we’re too darn messy, or we think we are, and we feel really bad about it. Our desks and dining room tables are awash with paper; our closets are bursting with clothes and sports equipment and old files; our laundry areas boil; our basements and garages seethe. And so do our partners — or our parents, if we happen to be teenagers.

"This is why sales of home-organizing products, like accordion files and labelmakers and plastic tubs, keep going up and up, from $5.9 billion last year to a projected $7.6 billion by 2009, as do the revenues of companies that make closet organizing systems, an industry that is pulling in $3 billion a year, according to Closets magazine.

"This is why January is now Get Organized Month, thanks also to the efforts of the National Association of Professional Organizers, whose 4,000 clutter-busting members will be poised, clipboards and trash bags at the ready, to minister to the 10,000 clutter victims the association estimates will be calling for its members’ services just after the new year.

"But contrarian voices can be heard in the wilderness. Ananti-anticlutter movement is afoot, one that says yes to mess and urges you to embrace your disorder. Studies are piling up that show that messy desks are the vivid signatures of people with creative, limber minds (who reap higher salaries than those with neat “office landscapes”) and that messy closet owners are probably better parents and nicer and cooler than their tidier counterparts. It’s a movement that confirms what you have known, deep down, all along: really neat people are not avatars of the good life; they are humorless and inflexible prigs, and have way too much time on their hands."

Ouch. 

Jumbled Sunshine's Opinion:

My take? The truth lies somewhere in between the two extremes of "too much" clutter and "too much" neatness. What do you think?

Here's a link to the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/garden/21mess.html?ex=1324357200&en=de87bee10be66d1f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

ENJOY!
~ JS ~

Book Spotlight: The Power of Full Engagment

Just in case you haven't noticed. . . I have a teeny tiny bit of a problem with consistency. I keep telling myself that it's okay because, after all, this blog is called "Jumbled Sunshine" for a reason, right?!? And that excuse is true to some extent. . . . it leaves me free to write whenever and whatever I want and not "ruin" the theme of the blog, because it's for busy, jumbled people like me, right?!

Yes. . . er . . . No. . . er. . . Well, kind of.

Honestly, I think I'm just kidding myself to think that it's okay to let MONTHS go by without posting. Don't you think? I mean, the whole point of this blog is to support those of you out there who are also "jumbled" to one extent or another. And how in the world can I support you if I don't put anything on here?!?!?

Um, yeah. . .  that's a bit of an issue.

SO - I need to let go of my perfectionism and stop waiting for "enough time" to do a post "right" and just write a post! I like that phrase: Don't wait to do it just right — just WRITE!

SO - I'm back! And I have some unfinished business to take care of from previous posts, which I am bound and determined to finish! But first things first. . .

Today's Book Spotlight

If You Could Not Fail

I came across this quote today, and it struck me quite profoundly. "What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" 

How often do you quit something because you lose enthusiasm, or because it gets too hard? If you really knew that you could not fail at something really important to you, would you be more persistent? Doesn't it make sense that if you are persistent with your goals, there is a lot more chance that you will succeed at them?

This is a key concept for the jumbled mind and jumbled life. Sometimes we give up or get discouraged with ourselves because we cannot see the future to know how it will pay off. But if you could see how the future would change because of your persistent work, wouldn't you be more likely to put in the time and keep going?

Just think about it for awhile.  

I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas! Post your comment here or email me at: jumbledsunshine@gmail.com. Have a wonderful day! ~ JS ~

Thoughts from "Fiddler on the Roof"

Sunday night we watched Fiddler on the Roof with our family. For my two youngest kids, it was their first time seeing it. The rest of us have seen it a few times, but it had been a long time. We've been singing songs from the musical for a few months now, all gathered around the piano, and my younger kids were pretty excited to see what it was all about. What an experience! 

What did I learn from my re-watch of Fiddler this time? Quite a lot, actually! Here are just a few of the things that stood out to me when I watched it this time. 

1. This movie is full of VERY catchy songs. The next morning after watching the movie, one of my sons (who, incidentally says he hates musicals) was whistling "Tradition" all morning. Hahaha. Today I'm still finding myself singing "To Life! To Life! L'Chiam!"
2. I watched the movie with a slightly different viewpoint this time, seeing it from the perspective of a parent with "young adult" children. It portrays a very unique view of the way life used to be, with parents making so many decisions for their growing children. How difficult it must have been for those who wanted to do what was best for their children, but found themselves fighting between old traditions and the modern progress of the world. That is something we continue to struggle with today - keeping what's good from the past while embracing the improvements offered by the future. 
3. This was the first time I really saw and understood the poignant message of the scene with Tevye and Lazar Wolf celebrating the marriage match they had just agreed upon in the local saloon. Notice that the Russian citizens are also there, congratulating them and singing and dancing with them. The people from both cultures had grown up in the same town - together but separate. They celebrate with each other and are happy for one another. However, later in the movie, political and religious pressure from the outside world tear their friendships apart, and eventually the entire community is broken up. It's a very powerful message reminding us to beware of the world pressuring us to abandon friendships because of differences. I believe the world would be a better place if everyone was more understanding of one another and worked together in love. 
4. I was deeply touched by watching the way Tevye struggled with the conflicts between his traditional beliefs and his love for his daughters. Everything he did, all day long, was for his family. And though he spoke of wanting to be rich, it was obvious that what he cherished most was his family. It is difficult for the parents when their children make choices that are in conflict with what they think is best for them. Considering the time and place, I think these parents do a pretty good job of balancing the two. The ending, where he *kind of* makes peace with his youngest daughters is extremely touching. "And may God be with you" he says quietly under his breath...  
5. Tevye's wife Golde is a funny character, speaking harshly all the time, and yet showing her love through her service. She works so hard every day to give the best to her husband and children. And I especially love the scene where Tevye and Golde sing about whether or not they love each other. Golde: "For 25 years I've lived with him, fought with him, starved with him... if that's not love, what is?" This reminds me of a quote I heard long ago that says, "Love is not a noun, it's a verb."  

Moving on. . . There are SO MANY great quotes in this movie! 

10+ Favorite Simple Essential Oil Recipes

I've just started learning about all the nutritional and health benefits of using essential oils for wellness. It's been a really fun journey and I learn something new every day. Here's one I just found out recently: Did you know that you can use essential oils in cooking? (Just make sure the brand you use is suitable for internal use. Hint: Any doTerra essential oil with nutrition facts on the bottle is suitable to be used internally.)

Here are some fun essential oil recipes. . . some of them sound mighty delicious! I've tried #2 and really liked it! My sis-in-law said that #6 is incredible! Enjoy! ~JS~

1. Add a few drops of doTERRA essential oil into several bowls of melted chocolate chips (i.e. peppermint, orange, lavender, OnGuard, etc.). Use to dip fresh fruit.
2. Put 2-3 drops of OnGuard in a bowl of water. Then, add slices of apples to the water for a refreshing treat.
3. Put 2-3 drops of OnGuard in a spray bottle with water. Spritz over sliced peaches.
4. Mix 2-3 drops of Cassia in greek yogurt for a delicious fruit dip.
5. Put 2-3 drops of a variety of doTERRA essential oils into small bowls of whipped cream for dipping fresh fruit or pound cake.
6. Add 2-5 drops peppermint essential oil to your favorite chocolate brownie recipe.
7. Add 2-4 drops Wild Orange to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.
8. Add 2-3 drops of your favorite doTERRA essential oil to frosting for cupcakes.
9. Add several drops of lime to guacamole for a zesty treat.
10. Add 1-3 drops basil to strawberry lemonade for an amazing drink.  
11. Bonus Idea - At BYU Education Week this year, Chef Brad added Citrus Bliss to the smoothie he made for us in his demonstration. YUM! 

If you're interested in learning more about essential oils, I'd love to answer your questions. I'm still learning, but I have a great support team that seems to know everything there is to know about them! I'm really loving what essential oils are doing for me and my family. So grateful to have gotten started - I'd love to help teach you if you want to learn more about them! Just shoot me an email at jumbledsunshine@gmail.com or visit my distributor store here: http://www.mydoterra.com/jumbledsunshine/    ~JS~

Inspirational Thought of the Day

I'm not sure where this originated, so I can't post a source. . . but it's a beautiful thought, isn't it? Don't worry, because no matter how hard life gets, you have the Savior on your side. 

For the full story, read Matthew 14:22-33

Fabulous Quote of the Day!

YES!! I love this!!

Courtesy of: studiojru.com - "Filling your walls with scriptures and encouragement."

Doesn't it make you feel better already? ;) 

~ JS ~

Best Blog Post Award: "To Moms of One or Two Children" by Sarah Short

This woman has such a gift with words. . . what a perfect answer for those who wonder how to get through it all when they are struggling as a new parent! I wish I had been able to think of something this clever to say when I was asked "How do you do it all?" by other mothers again and again as I was raising my crew! :)

 My short-and-true-but-not-nearly-as-helpful answer was: "I just. . . do it. . . I don't have any other choice!" :) 

Read Sarah's answer to this frequently asked question by clicking on the title below:

To Moms of One or Two Children

by Sarah Short, author of www.shortstopblog.com 

My comment on her post:

Sarah, Thank you for your beautiful post! 

I have seven wonderful and amazing children who are growing up right before my eyes, so I've "been there, done that." When #6 was born and my oldest was only 10, I thought, "What in the world have I done? This is crazy!! We. Are. Completely. Insane." But just like you said, I grew into it, and God helped me through. And I even found room in my heart for one more. 

Today, my oldest is 21 and my youngest is 8 and it is a completely different world. Not an overwhelming, bone-numbing physical strain like before, but a fierce emotional time with teenagers finding their way, and young adults trying to learn how to make it on their own. I am so grateful to the women in my life who were such amazing, supportive examples. 

You are so right that it is important to find YOUR OWN WAY as a parent and not worry about what other people think. When I discovered that, and truly began to live it, that's when true peace came and overwhelming happiness in whatever stage of parenting I was in.

Personal Kanban - Keeping it Simple!

You'll never believe what I'm doing. . . I'm working on time organization - again!

I know. . .shocking, huh?

I tend to go in spurts, and the cycle goes like this:

1. Get schedule & tasks organized.
2. Follow it, get things moving smoothly, get lots done.
3. Get burned out or tired of the system, or dissastisfied with how it's working.
4. Wing it for awhile (FREEDOM!!)
5. Become overwhelmed. (PRISON...)
6. Start over!

And on and on it goes. Anyone else in this boat?

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.

Day 9: Books!

Guess what I'm doing today?? YEP! I'm resuming my POWER PURGE!! If you thought it would never happen again, you thought wrong! I know, too many exclamation points. But I'm excited!!!!

DAY NINE IS BOOKS!

I love this picture! I have this really cool background on my login on hubby's HP laptop - it rotates amazing pictures of libraries from all over the world! 

Here's the plan:

• Read Hannah's blogpost about books: http://hannahkeeley.com/blog/30-day-power-purge-day-nine
• Watch video about decluttering your books:
• Today's challenge is your book collection. Remember to sort your books into three piles--give away, throw away, and put away. Throw away if in shreds, give away books you no longer need, donate to library (you can write off the deduction).
• Your extra credit is to de-clutter your magazines.
• Your bonus is to organize your books into categories.

I love this quote: 

"It can feel overwhelming, but YOU CAN'T GO BY YOUR FEELINGS. You have to go by your commitment. That's what that timer is for. Even if you don't feel like it, just set it for fifteen minutes, that's all, and see what you can do. The hardest part is just starting the task. Once you get momentum moving, it just takes over. Before you know it, you've de-cluttered!" - Hannah Keeley

I'll check in later to tell you how it went!!

~JS~

A Beautiful Birthday at the Gardens

Yesterday we had the most wonderful day! Both my husband's birthday and mine are this week, so we thought it would be fun to spend the day doing something we've been planning for a long time, but have never made the time to do. So, we enjoyed a beautiful tour of the Thanksgiving Point Gardens.

Beautiful wooden archways at the Rose Garden.

The first thing you notice when you visit the gardens is the beautiful, peaceful atmosphere. Everything is done to perfection - from thoughtfully planted flowers, shrubs and trees, to strategically placed benches in the shade, to rest stops with bathroom facilities, water and vending snacks. But overall, the most poignant feature of this beautiful place was the peace.

Inside the Secret Garden

We hardly saw a soul during the 4 or 5 hours we spent there, with an occasional group passing us or visible across a large expanse of lawn. This is probably because we were not there during a festival or special event, and the 55 acres is so expansive, and the walkways and trees planted so well, that we felt like we had the entire place to ourselves.

Entrance to the Secret Garden - just like the movie!

We even saw a red-breasted bird hopping around, just like the one that helps Mary find the secret door!

The beautiful white stone fountain pool is the centerpiece of the Secret Garden.

We went on a Friday morning, June 7th, and arrived there about 11am. I was a little worried about the heat, because it was going to be 90 degrees by mid-day yesterday. However, there were so many trees and bushes providing shade, that my worries proved to be unfounded. We carried a water bottle with us, which I would highly recommend. There are drinking fountains here and there along the way where you can fill them up, as well as a few stops with vending machines stocked with ice cold drinks. 

I loved the little details like this gorgeous rock-hewn bench.