The “Aha Moment”

Sometimes a new concept comes up in conversation and it really strikes you as an “aha moment.” When your brain wakes up to something new and worthwhile. During the family Christmas dinner, one of the things that we talked about – and we talked about a lot of things and someone mentioned how much stress they are feeling in their everyday life. I was thinking that although I don’t feel a lot of stress, that I do have this unsettled feeling that gets bothersome and I could use a little re-assurance or motivation. Then someone else at the party mentioned a TV show about finding balance between work and your home life.

In fact, there is a new network dedicated to this subject and I read about it this morning on MindfulLivingTV.com. This website is my “aha moment” because their philosophy is to embrace the life you are living and experience it for the moments you have. They have full transformation episodes that can inspire you to face your fears, get advice from experts on medical and spiritual issues, and find your passion. I have sent the link to this wonderful website to everyone that was at the dinner table, most of them will delete it but maybe at least one of them will take a moment to check out what they have to say and have their own “aha moment.”

Fundraising Is A Fact Of Life

Gone are the days in most cities and towns across America when kids were sent knocking on people’s doors trying to sell folks items for a fundraiser.  Let’s face it, schools, churches, sports and all the other non-profit groups, they all desperately need money and fundraising can be a lucrative way to get it.

Unfortunately in today’s world it isn’t necessarily safe for our children to go around the neighborhoods anymore.  Most fundraisers specifically request that the kids do not go door to door anymore, they tell you to have family, co-workers and close family friends help in supporting the organization.

With having two kids I have done my fair share of fundraising and I certainly will still participate when I can.  It was a lot easier when members of my immediate family were all living pretty close to each other, now a days everyone is spread out all over the darn country so that puts a damper on using them as a resource, for the most part.

I ran across a really cool fundraising program on the Web called Schoolpop.com and I am going to contact our elementary school and see if they would be interested in participating in this non-traditional school fundraiser opportunity.

By using Schoolpop, you can pay down your tuition and any extracurricular activity costs, it can assist in paying back student loans for college and help your school earn monies, all year round by shopping at the several hundred listed of name -brand merchants and service providers whether it be online, in stores, catalogs purchases, even with gift cards or with the Schoolpop Visa credit card.

You can apply for the Schoolpop Visa credit card right on line!  Every purchase that you make for your groceries, gas, clothing, movies, restaurants  – it contributes 1% to the student’s school.

It sounds like Schoolpop may be a way to raise money that would/should be embraced by our school and the families, we shall see when I call them this week.  I’ll also call my sister who has a son in a very nice private school and see if she would be interested in learning a cool and easy way to raise money for private schools along with us in the public school system.

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

Elvis and Me

I’ve always loved Elvis. He deserved a better wife than that girl-child he brought back from Germany!

To celebrate Elvis’ birthday this year, I searched for info on his favorite foods.

Elvis loved good down-home cooking like what his mother served him as a child. His tastes never strayed far from Southern-style cooking. Grits, black-eyed peas, ham and bacon, fried chicken, cornbread, mashed potatoes and homemade country gravy were just a few of his favorites.

Elvis did not like exotic or foreign foods. Most of the foods he consumed were basic hearty foods, the type Southern women cooked daily for their families.

At Graceland or at his home in Beverly Hills, Elvis specified what should be kept on hand in the kitchen. Must-haves included fresh lean ground round, hamburger buns, rolls, pickles, potatoes, onions, fudge cookies, assorted fresh fruit, canned sauerkraut, mustard and peanut butter. His refrigerator also contained at least three bottles of milk or half and half, thin-sliced lean bacon, vanilla and chocolate ice creams and freshly squeezed orange juice. Pepsi, Nesbitt’s Orange and Shasta Black Cherry were his favorite soft drinks.

When the King was in residence at Graceland, also on hand were ingredients for his favorite snacks — brownies and banana pudding. Both were made daily by the kitchen staff.

Elvis made the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich famous. He called it a “peanut butter and ‘nanner’ sandwich.” He would ask that they be prepared for him at all hours of the day and night.  I could do that for you, Elvis.