I know, I know….I didn’t do a download last week.  Some weeks are just like that.  But it’s back today and I have had requests this week for some Christmas downloads for our holiday frame (click here for more info about our holiday frame idea).  If you’re like me, you want to get those Christmas decorations up!  If you’re like Jason, you are determined to wait till after Thanksgiving to make sure it gets some attention, too.  I believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas share the same purpose – being grateful, giving to others, etc. – so I don’t mind lumping them together in the “spirit of the season.”  I do hold off on listening to Christmas music till after Thanksgiving, though.

No matter how you do it, the time has come for a Christmas download.  This week I decided to do something that will work for many situations.  Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I think that this message applies to all of us during the holiday season.  So, here you go – you even have two color combos to choose from this week.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays (including Thanksgiving) to all of you!

I just received an email from my cute cousin, Janae.  Here’s what she said:

Hi Kolette!

I wanted to write to tell you I used your cute “Gobble till you wobble” download, and I love it. I have never purchased Thanksgiving decorations before, and after cleaning up my Halloween stuff my front table was looking a little bare. I didn’t want to have to buy anything, so your download fit my budget perfectly! I even found a frame that I’ve never used (wedding present) that was perfect. I was just so proud of my my (your!) free creation that I thought you should know your work is being put to good use!

Thanks again!

janae

It’s music to my ears.  I love giving you a chance to try something that you haven’t done before because it is so simple and accessible.  High impact, unique, and easy.  Those are three words that really get me going when I am thinking about projects.  So, thanks Janae!  Thanks for taking the leap and then telling me about it.  You rock, girl!

Now that you have your frame all set to go – next I’ll be giving you some Christmas downloads that will fit perfectly in there also.  Easy-peasy.

Have a fabulous Wednesday!

You have requested the pieces and parts to my simple version of the Gratitude Journal (click here) and so here you go – click on the image to see the various color options.

Enjoy!

Halloween took on a whole new meaning for us this year.  Cole didn’t even mind wearing his costume for the neighborhood Trunk or Treat on Friday, some photos in the front yard on Saturday and even the Skype chat with Grandma and Grandpa on Sunday.  Holidays are a blast with kids!

But now it’s November 2.  Here in the US that means Halloween is officially over and we look ahead to Thanksgiving.  But whether you celebrate this holiday or not (hello to our international friends out there), this is a time that you can participate in the spirit of Thanksgiving just as easily as we do.  It’s all about having gratitude.  Seeing the good.  Being thankful.  Giving back.  And that can be celebrated anywhere you live – which is why I made last week’s download, “Never suppress a generous thought,” one that will fit into your holiday frame.  It’s good for Thanksgiving for sure, but it truly works anytime and anywhere across the globe.

Today I’ll cater to those close to home when it comes to your download.  It also will fit into your holiday frame, but this one is geared toward what we think of when we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the States…the turkey dinner feast, of course!

You can also use it to make dinner invites or place cards for the big meal to keep the festive spirit going strong.  Happy planning and give yourself a chance to stop and be grateful.  You’ll be glad you did.

Enjoy!

I know, I know.  Download Day is late by about 36 hours.  But I just couldn’t bring myself to sit down and blog yesterday.  I was doing mom stuff and wife stuff and family stuff – in other words….I was running errands.  But between each errand I ended up having to keep coming home to help Jason or put Cole down for a nap and I don’t know what else.  All I know is that my list of errands ended up taking me three trips to finally complete.  Have you ever had one of those days?

The truth is, though, I really enjoyed myself.  I didn’t allow myself to get frustrated because I kept being interrupted and I just worked my way through the things I wanted to get done.  It truly made for a great day.

So as I was running my errands, I decided to stop by our local wholesale decorating store to see if I could find a fall wreath.  I didn’t really see one I wanted so I became inspired instead.  It’s been about 20 years since I have made my own wreath but yesterday I decided to try my hand at it again to see if I could do it.

No, I am not an expert.  No, I didn’t even google how to do it.  I just jumped right in and made up the rules as I went along.  Here are some of the things I learned during my self-taught wreath-making workshop:

1.  Find some interesting items to use on your wreath.  3-5 different types of things works well.

2.  Stock up on hot glue gun sticks because you need a lot to make sure everything is secured.

3.  Prepare yourself for getting burned with said hot glue gun sticks when you press leaves and things onto your wreath.

4.  Have a larger pair of wire cutters than I own because a lot of silk flowers have chunky wires in them that you end up having to bend back and forth a million times to get them to break.

5.  Use a sheet of felt to cut arc-shaped strips that you can glue to the back of your wreath so that it doesn’t scratch your door.

6.  When you are using small skinny things, consider putting them in a little bunches of about 5 flowers and tape them together with scotch tape at the base of the stems.  Then it’s easy to hot glue the bunch to the wreath instead of when they are separated.

7.  Work in a circle with small cuttings of your flowers and leaves but then to add some dimension, have something pop straight out from the wreath or go the opposite way.  As long as you blend the parts it will look fabulous.

Camilla Kimball said, “Never suppress a generous thought.”

And that leads me to my final tip for creating a successful wreath: Never suppress the thought to use a generous amount of supplies.  Seriously.  This could be the tip of all time when it comes to beautiful wreaths.  It seems like you can’t really go wrong if you don’t make it look too skimpy.  Sure, there are wreaths out there that are made to look minimal on purpose and they create a cool effect.  But in general, BE GENEROUS.  Create a wreath that bursts with personality – just remember to watch your fingers around that hot glue while you’re at it.

Thank you Camilla Kimball.  Thank you for those five simple words that can be applied to so many aspects of our lives – including crafting (I’m sure that’s exactly what she had in mind when she came up with such a beautiful sentiment).  Enjoy your wreath-making tips and the following download – this one will fit in your holiday frame (click here).

And especially, as the holidays approach…never suppress a generous thought.

I facebooked a couple weeks ago that I had made “Crazy Caramel Brownies,” which, although I did not concoct this recipe, I gave it this name because of its crazy goodness.  There was a request for the recipe and so I am gifting it to you as our download.  Simple for sure since that’s all I do.

Tasty stuff for a Monday morning.

Halloween is approaching so of course we need a spooky download or two.  Here’s one that would look great on a card, a party invite or scrapbook page but I’ll show you what I did with it:

please click on image to download pdf

For a large, dramatic “gallery style” effect, choose a frame that is larger than 8 x 10 (mine is 16 x 20 and I got it 40% off with a Michaels coupon but I think 11 x 14 would be ideal) and have a mat cut for it that has a 6″x6″ window.  This is a great way to get a custom-framing look without the cost of a custom frame.  Notice how I have the window offset towards the top.  I had them cut the mat so that the top and two sides have the same amount of mat space and the excess is all at the bottom.

I inked the edges for a Halloween effect.  Then just insert the download behind the window and tape it in place for instant holiday decoration that can easily be changed out for Thanksgiving and Christmas and Valentines and….well, you get the idea.

You can also do this project easily using a smaller frame and cardstock instead of a mat.  I used an 8 x 10 frame and simply cut my printed cardstock to fill the frame.  Instead of just trimming the image, I then placed a metal-edged ruler down on my artwork and tore along the the ruler to create distressed edges.  Then I used pop dot adhesive to mount the artwork to the cardstock – again, having an even amount of space on the top and sides and more space on the bottom.

This is such a simple but unique way to decorate for each season that I have decided that I am going to do holiday downloads that fit the 6 x 6 and 4 x 4 sizes all year so that we can all easily celebrate whatever holiday is coming up.   How does that sound?

A fabulous gift idea would be to get the frame and mat all ready for someone and then teach them how to download and print out the new artwork all year from my blog so they can swap out the phrases themselves.  Easy, meaningful and a gift that gives all year long!

Enjoy the download and now it’s time for our winner.  Email me your address Karen (kolette@kolettehall.com) and I’ll send out some of my holiday stamps!

Karen

Hey Jim….Not a boot camp kind of gal…runner turned biker after knee replacement….with colder weather here in the east, time to go back to the gym and spinning!!!
my tip…set goals and stick to them …it pays off I am down 32lbs!!!!

I’ve told you before that the whole “military style” motivation at boot camp is more funny to me than motivating but I have to admit that Jim has found the strategy that pushes my buttons and gets me going.

Four words: “Kolette, you’re the timer.”

There are between 3-6 people in our class – depending on the day.  Up until now, each of us has been required to do each exercise a certain number of reps before moving on.  This is where my slowness hasn’t really bothered me but I admit that sometimes I bog down the flow of the other members of the class.

That all changed when Jim said that the person in front of me couldn’t move on to the next exercise until I had finished the assigned reps on my exercise.  That certainly lit a fire under me!  I didn’t want the person in front of me to have to do more reps than they would have if they were doing them on their own.  My own exercise routine is one thing but my motivation to move more quickly certainly increased dramatically when I knew that my actions affected someone other than myself.

Jim must have realized that this is an effective motivation for many of us because we have been doing various versions of being “the timer” the last few sessions.  It’s interesting how when we all stick together, we help each other, encourage each other, support each other even more than when we are only focused on our own tasks.  We become a team, working as a group to reach our goals.

There are many situations where working together gets us further than working alone.  The encouragement and care and motivation to improve increases when we approach our tasks with the High School Musical philosophy that “we’re all in this together.”

Enjoy today’s download, celebrating “the timer” in all of us.

I have had a few opportunities this weekend to think about this idea of “becoming.”  There are so many events and moments in our lives that mold and shape us into who we are – for good or not so good.  How we choose to react to our circumstances, moment by moment, shapes our character into something that is hopefully better than when we started.

The same is true with the people we choose to interact with.  We all have those people in our lives who change us because of what we have learned from them through their example or their love, their teaching or anything else that impacts us.

This week’s download is in celebration of those people in our lives.  If you print it out (making sure the “shrink to fit” box remains unchecked) then you can whip up a few cards with this sentiment – or simply skip the card and just trim the thought itself.  Whatever works for you.

But let’s pay it forward.  Take a moment this week to share this message of gratitude with at least 5 people.  Thank them for the impact they have had in your life – whether large or small – and let them know that they have contributed to all the good things that you are becoming.

Have fun and let me know how it goes.  I love hearing the “after” part of the story.

Quote of the Day:

Jim (in the attempt to motivate):  “Do you want me to show you how I can do it twice as fast?”

Me:  “No.”

Of course you can do it twice as fast or twice as good or twice as long, Jim.  That’s why people don’t pay me to be their trainer.  Duh.  If you couldn’t do it better with your fierce muscles then I would be concerned.  So no, I don’t want to see you do it better than me.  Thanks, though.

But in the spirit of the response, “No,” I am sitting here looking at a post-it note on my desk.  It is a list of things that need to get done or things I am thinking about doing.  One thing on the list involves a Christmas service project that would be a big commitment.  This morning I am crossing it off my list.  I have thought about it for almost a week, gotten the info so I can make a good decision about it and have decided that I need to say no to this particular project.

Jason and I always do some kind of Sub-for-Santa effort during the holidays but this new idea is over the top in terms of being able to manage and I’m not sure I can do it — so I’m moving on.  We’ll do something else.  But the key was giving myself a chance to think about it before I committed.  Whether it’s five minutes, five days or five weeks, it’s often good to pause before we say yes to a new commitment.  It removes the immediate pressure and helps us to think it through more clearly.

I realize that many people (especially women) feel guilty saying no to good causes or activities or events.  But we don’t have to.  It’s ok to say no.  It’s ok to recognize what we can do and stop there.  It’s ok to not be the same as our neighbor or friend or sister or mom when it comes to what we choose to do.  It’s ok to volunteer in the classroom instead of being the PTA President.  It’s ok to not have the perfectly cleaned house or perfectly groomed children or perfectly cooked meal.  And it’s ok to say no to many of the plethora of opportunities that we are bombarded with in this day and age.  Just because it is possible doesn’t mean it is good for us to take on.

So we’ll do something else this holiday season.  There are many opportunities to serve and we’ll do the things that make sense for our family at this time.  Besides, there’s always next year…and the next…and the next…

Enjoy!

I am going to do it.  I have thought about it for a few months now, wanting to make sure I could commit to it before I took the plunge but I think I am ready.  Boot Camp.  I’m sure you’ve heard of them – intense exercise programs that meet 5 days a week for a certain number of weeks where they work you to death.

I think this is the way to go.  I need a jump start into getting myself fit again after having Cole and I have learned that right now I clearly lack the motivation to do it on my own.  So after much thought I am going to go for it.  4 weeks.  Then if I like the program and want to do more, I will….or maybe I’ll do something else.  But 4 weeks is a big initial commitment.  I will have to send Cole to the babysitter’s each morning for his morning nap while I head to Jim’s Gym (is that name for real?) to be exercised into submission.  Today’s download will be my mantra as I work through the program and since I love to cross things off my list, I made us a way to do just that for the next 20 days.

The payoff will be worth it.  This much I know.  I will feel better and stronger.  I will have more energy and increase my quality of life.  Those are just the natural effects of staying fit so who cares if I need some help to get the job done?  We all need a hand to pull us along sometimes.  For the next 4 weeks – I’ll use Jim’s.

please click on image to download pdf

So how about joining me?  Do some kind of exercise today.  Take a walk.  Do a few sit ups.  Just stand there and squat up and down a couple of times.  It doesn’t have to be Boot Camp – just do something.  And then do something tomorrow, too.  Why wait for a New Year’s resolution to start exercising?  This way we’ll look great in all of those photos that happen when we party for the holidays.

I’m in this Monday – Friday for the next 4 weeks.  Commit right now to do some kind of exercise each day with me for 20 days – 5 out of 7 days each week.  Seriously – stride to the mailbox instead of walking.  Or sit at your desk, put your hands on the seat at your sides and push yourself up and down out of the chair.  How about laying on the floor and using your baby as a barbell (my current personal favorite).  Exercise is easier than we think sometimes – share your manageable “get fit” ideas here – we’re all in this together.  Come on, don’t you want to do it just so you can cross off the numbers 1-20 and reach the crown on the download?  Now that is serious motivation.

Who’s with me?  Take my hand.  For the next 4 weeks I’ll do it with you – and it will all be worth it in the end.  See you on the treadmill!

Teaching 4th Grade

I was looking through the Back to School issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine and came across an idea from Becky Higgins that struck a chord with me.  When I taught elementary school I always received many thank yous from students and parents at the end of the year and that felt great.  But Becky put a spin on that idea and decided to give her children’s teachers a thank you note at the beginning of the year – thanks in advance for a great year.

I have thought a lot about that since I read the magazine and have decided that it is a far more effective tool of building positive relationships with a teacher than one might first imagine.  Setting an expectation that you are going to have a great year with a teacher can actually help you get closer to achieving that great year than anything else.  By giving a thank you like this in the beginning, you are telling yourself, your child and the teacher that what is to come will be positive.  You are telling the teacher that you support them and recognize what they are doing for your child.

All in all, this idea of “thanks in advance” becomes of tool for building the kind of relationship that each parent hopes for with their child’s teacher.

So that is my download today – a “thank you in advance” label in traditional school colors that you can use on a card for a teacher.  Or simply trim around it and it becomes a flat card on it’s own with no other work involved.  Jot a note on the back and you’re done.

And as I have thought about this principle of pre-thanking, I have decided that there are many other situations that would also benefit from establishing a foundation of gratitude.  Any time we work with someone else toward a common goal we are more effective.  Why not thank your spouse or partner in advance for something they will do that is important to your family?  How about thanking your children before they clean their room or make good choices as a way to encourage them to make it happen?  What about thanking a neighbor for the support and memories that you will share in the future?  So I am also giving you other color versions of this download so that you can have one for any situation.

Pre-thanks.  It’s an interesting concept that can help create powerful results toward a positive relationship.  I would love to hear your thoughts about this idea so feel free to share your comments, thoughts and experiences about “thanks in advance” here.

We can never be too grateful so why not give generous gratitude a try?

Here’s to a great school year.  Enjoy!

please click on image to download pdf

click on image to download pdf

sunshine + otter pops + a good book + poolside = contentment

What’s your summertime recipe for the good life?

Enjoy your week, friends – and soak up the richness of summer.

July has been a month of reunions for us.  It’s been 20 years since both Jason and I graduated from different high schools so we attended his reunion in  the beloved Boise, Idaho.  I feel very lucky to know many of his friends from high school as they continued their friendships through our college days as well.  I was just as excited to see many of his friends as he was.  They always keep a place in my heart because of their ability to love and nurture him after he broke his neck when he was just 15 years old.  They saved him and I’ll forever be grateful for their hand in helping him become the man that he is today.

I do admit that during the slide show I kept thinking, “Hey, that’s me!” and having to remind myself that it wasn’t because I didn’t go to that school – we all just had the same hair back then.  It was the 80s – big hair, big fun!

The weekend after our trip to Boise was the family reunion of my mother’s siblings and their families.  We had about 80 people from three generations and all of my mother’s siblings were there.  Although this was only about half of the entire family, we loved every minute of swimming, the bounce house, eating Italian ice, chasing little ones and catching up on old times.  I found that my zoom lens on my Canon was perfect for capturing all of the best moments of the weekend – without people knowing they were getting their picture taken.  I could get right in on someone even when they were across the pool and it was such a joy to freeze each moment of this fabulous time together.

So, in the spirit of reunions and coming together, I have created a download that you can use as a journaling block on a page or card or whatever you choose.  These are the best moments of our lives.  Aren’t we lucky that we get to capture them?

]]> http://kolettehall.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/download-day-its-back/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:22:10 +0000 Kolette http://kolettehall.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/download-day-its-back/

First of all, Happy Father’s Day to Jason – the first-time dad at our house!  He’s a natural in every sense of the word and Coleman is a lucky little munchkin to have him as his father (including his ability to think up crazy stunts and tricks involving children – like only a dad can do).  Thanks for all you do and are, Jas.  XOXO

I had a great week last week.  I feel fabulous and totally like my old self again – wait, maybe not like my old self because I have learned a lot of things having to deal with a month of postpartum issues.  So, I would say that I’m better than my old self.  I appreciate the encouragement – that makes such a difference when we are going through challenges in our lives.  Thank you.

With this in mind, I decided to pat myself on my back for getting through my postpartum fairly unscathed.  We all need to remember to celebrate our victories – no matter their size or scope of impact.  Consider putting this quote from our Big Picture Scrapbooking workshop “A Life Well Crafted” in a place that will remind you to pay attention to each triumph in your life, even if that means simply making it through another day.  And remember: when you print – unmark the “fit to page” setting to get the actual size of the image instead of a full-page version.

please click on image to download pdf

I’m back.  Healed, more aware of who I am and what I can do but all in all, better than ever before.  I can’t explain the gratitude I feel for being able to spot the signs of postpartum so quickly – within days, in fact.  By doing so I was able to change direction almost immediately and head back to the real me much faster than if I had let things linger.  I’m so grateful for that.

Thanks everyone!  Enjoy the download and take a minute to pat yourself on your back with me – and celebrate you!

This month we have been talking about hope in our Big Picture Scrapbooking workshop “A Life Well Crafted – Great Expectations.”  Registration closes tomorrow – click here to join us and here if you want to sign up for next month’s workshop called “The Comfort of Color.”  Since you can still squeeze in to this month’s, then I thought you might like to get one of the quotes that we sent out during Week 2 of the workshop.  It comes from the audio portion of the class and is a quote from Jason himself:

We truly believe that the first step to being happy and successful is just having a little hope that it’s actually possible to do so.  In this time of uncertainty and distress, we can and should have hope.  We can be happy in spite of the turmoil around us.  We can live richly in spite of unemployment.  We can find success in spite of dire news reports.  All it takes is a little hope in our hearts.

When we choose to approach each day (and sometimes we have to remind ourselves to do so as often as moment by moment) with just a little hope that we can be happy, our chances for achieving that happiness increases dramatically.

Now, we all know that Jason hasn’t really done a scientific study that has helped him arrive at this particular percentage that he quotes.  In fact, the running joke in our family is that Jason likes to speak in percentages on a regular basis with no actual statistics to back up his findings at all.   You can often find him saying things like, “I would say that there is a 65% chance that I will make it to my appointment on time.”  Or even”There is a 40% chance that Cole’s diaper is poopy.”  Huh?  What’s with the percentages, Jason?   Maybe he has an app on his iPhone that converts real life into statistics for him – who knows.

But what I do know is this – hope does matter.  And waking up each day, approaching each moment with a little hope really is the key to being successful, happy and living the kind of life we want to live – no matter what our circumstances might be.

So I’m sticking with Jason on this percentage of his.  In fact, I might even up it a little bit and say that hope could actually be as much as 95% or 97% of our success.  How’s that for scientific facts!

Hope.  It matters.  And after the last 7 days of living with a raging flu – I am going to say that I even have a little hope today that it might be on it’s way out of here.  58% chance, as a matter of fact.  I’ll keep you posted on how the stats are changing as the week progresses….

Happy Download Day!

I was just having  a conversation with a neighbor a few days ago about friendship and including people into our lives.  I’ve thought a lot about this topic over the years because although I feel like I am a good friend, I’m not necessarily the one putting myself out there to seek out new friendships.  I get nervous.  I’m not ever sure what to say or how to do it.  And I am very comfortable with having a few close friends and many, many acquaintances.

Jason, on the other hand, can make friends with a person while they wait on a street corner for the light to turn green.  It is his gift and talent.  He has and makes friends everywhere.  Thomas Hughes wrote:

Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God’s best gifts.  It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one’s self, and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.

In the last 16 years (almost 17 – I can’t believe it!) of our marriage, I have often used Jason somewhat as a crutch when it comes to this friend-making ability.  When we go to a new place, he is in charge of making the friends and forging a path in the “building relationships” area.  With him paving the way in this partnership of sorts, I then have more courage to follow along, using his strength to help me be more brave.

However, as we have recently moved to a new town, I have decided that I want to become better at doing this myself.  I believe that people can change.  It’s true that we come pre-wired, so to speak, with certain attributes and characteristics that make up the essence of who we are.  On the other hand, I also believe that we each have the ability to adapt or change, improve or get rid of certain qualities that we don’t like while adding characteristics to ourselves that we want to have more of.  With desire and hard work, we literally have the chance to become the best version of our own selves that we can be – no matter what our past has doled out for us or what our natural tendencies are.

So, with that in mind, I have worked on developing this quality of making friends in my life over the course of many years.  I want to be more like Jason.  I want to be more comfortable and open and able to create more meaningful relationships with those around me.  Throughout this personal quest for the ability to make friends more easily, I have learned something.  Having acquaintances is easy for me.  I have a lot of those.  I have business acquaintances, church acquaintances, neighborhood acquaintances, and so on.  I try to be kind to all those I meet – whether they are the person at the checkout stand or someone I pass while taking Cole for a walk.  That’s not the issue.

The trick for me that I have been working on is in developing those deeper, lasting relationships that mean more than just a wave or a hello in passing.  And the hard part about that is one simple thing – it takes a lot of time to build a strong friendship.  It takes effort.  It takes moment after moment after moment, all piled on top of each other to create something more substantial than a friendly smile to an unknown stranger.

But I’m working on it.  I am mustering up my inner courage and I am getting better at it.  I am taking the initiative more to be “that friend” to others.  I am stepping out of my comfort zone on purpose – with the understanding that if I truly want to become better at making new friends, I have to be willing to put in the time and effort to develop something with more meaning.  How do you do it?  Think about the best friendships you have – and they can include family because sometimes those are the hardest ones to maintain.  What do you do to develop and cultivate meaningful friendships?

With those thoughts in mind, here’s today’s download.  You can use it to make a card for a friend or maybe you are a little like me and you want to become better at creating strong friendships in your life.  If so, perhaps you’ll want to print it out and frame it as a reminder of this inner characteristic you are trying to develop or strengthen.

The best friendships are built piece by piece, conversation by conversation, kindness by kindness, memory by memory.  A million little things that each take a little time – but as that time passes, we emerge with more of our best selves invested in someone else’s life and deeper, stronger, more meaningful friendships.

please click on image to download pdf

I am a strong believer in the power of personal choice when it comes to how we respond to life’s ups and downs, twists and turns, and peaks and valleys.  I know that times are tough for many of you out there right now.  I don’t have to look far in our own neighborhood to see the effects of the economy.  We feel the pinch in our lives as well.  And if that isn’t enough, many people have challenges with health issues, relationship problems, self-esteem struggles, natural disasters, and anything else imaginable (as well as much that is beyond imagination) to deal with.

But through it all, no matter what your individual challenge is, we each have a choice.  We get to decide how we are going to respond to our circumstances – those of our own making as well as those out of our control.  Yes, things are hard right now for many people.  Yes, it might be discouraging or scary or overwhelming.

So take a moment to pause.  You may not like what you are dealing with but you have to go through it anyway.   How are you responding to your circumstances?  Can you change the choice you are making in how you deal with things you are facing?

True, there are definitely people who struggle with chronic depression and I know it’s hard to overcome that.  But if you can, remember what Jason would say:

Happy or sad I’ll still be in a wheelchair, I still won’t be able to walk…so I might as well enjoy the ride.

This week’s download is a quote that our lucky Big Picture Scrapbooking students got to have a few months back and now I want to share it with you.

Give happiness a try.  In spite of everything – make the choice to be happy.  Choose not to complain.  Look at the positive instead of the negative.  Be grateful.

You just might be surprised at how your life changes when you do.

Does the feeling ever go away?  I look at other mothers – you mothers out there with multiple kids, especially – and I think, “How do they do it without always needing a nap?”  Or wait…maybe you do need one but you can’t take one so you just keep moving forward.  Is that it?

Well, I’m not there yet.  Coleman J. Hall is officially a great sleeper.  We start the bedtime ritual (feeding and bath) at about 7 pm and he’s asleep by 7:30 or 8.  That has worked for us for a long time.  I have never minded having to get up once during the night to feed him because ever since Jason had his car accident I have had to get up to roll him over during the night anyway.  So after 12 years – you might say I’m used to that part.

What seems to be working for Cole is to go to bed by 8 pm and then he has been waking up for a little food around 2 or 3 or 4 am.  Somewhere in there.  It doesn’t matter to me since that’s when I help Jason also:  a two-for-one deal.  To sweeten the situation, Cole’s middle of the night wake-up time has been gradually moving later and later until last week it was 5 am for a few nights and more and more he’ll sleep right through till 7 am.  Plus, of course, he’ll take a couple of naps during the day.  Yes – I’m lucky.  I have a good sleeper.

So why do I still feel like I need a nap every day?  This is currently my “question of the universe.”  My universe, at least.  What’s up with that?  Does it ever get better or will I feel like this for the rest of my life?  Moms, how in the heck do you do it?

I’ve always thought that mothers were amazing but as each day passes that belief is becoming more and more clear to me on many levels.  Moms – you rock.  So I’ve made you (and everyone else out there who needs a nap) a door hanger for our Download Day.  (Not that it will actually work but hey, it’s worth a try and the idea of it might make you feel good).

Enjoy!

With 27 International Tokio Hotel Fan Clubs signed up (so far), Cherrytree Records Featuring the story, and the Media starting to give it attention (see small scan below), Download Day is shaping up to be something Big.

Paper: Matin Bleu, Switzerland

If you are in a country where neither “An Diener Seite (Ich Bin Da)” or “By Your Side” is avaialble on itunes, such as the UK, follow the instructions below the jump to request the song:

#1 Go on : http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunes.html

#2 Fill up the online “quizz” / questionary (?) be carreful, my itunes contact said it is only in ENGLISH. So put you name, e-mail…

#3 In the box “Request type” please select REQUEST A SONG a fill up the boxes like that :
- SONG TITLE : An Deiner Seite (Ich Bin Da)
- YEAR : 2007
- ARTIST : Tokio Hotel
- RECORD LABEL : Universal Music group
- ALBUM : Zimmer 483

#4 On the box “comments” please right the short message below (don’t forget to insert you country!) :

I would like to request that the song “An Deiner Seite (Ich Bin Da)” by the band Tokio Hotel be added to the itunes in my country (insert your country here). If it’s not possible to get this song, could I purchase the English version of the song, “By Your Side” . The availability of this song will allow me to participate in the huge download-day that has been organized for this song on May 16th.

#5 Click on “Send Feedback” and wait for an answer. More people will do this, more you will have the chance to have the song!

If this doesn’t work, I believe there will be an alternate song chosen just for the UK.

And, yes, you DO have to download itunes. It is a safe download from Apple. The file will not be compatible with all players, but you can burn it to a CD and uninstall itunes later, if you want. You do NOT have to have an ipod to download or play the file. You do NOT have to have a credit/debit card or enter this information into itunes; you can puchase an itunes Gift Card (minimum $15) at many stores (retail, supermarkets, drug stores, 7-11) and use that as you payment option, or use Paypal.(

I was working on some invitations this weekend for a meeting where I made a puzzle for our theme and attached a piece to each invitation – then the person brings the piece with them to the meeting and the puzzle gets put all together (“everyone is important” object lesson to kick off the meeting – yea!).

Anyway, I used the image from today’s download on the invitation. When Jason saw the invitations he said, “You’re using that bird again?”

Yep.  I love it so much that after I made a stamp with it for Hampton Art I have used different forms of it on various personal projects and in BPS workshops.  Actually, it pops up all over the place with little tweaks here and there.

I can’t help myself.  I love it that much.

So, in honor of you dear Jason, here’s one more look at my favorite birdie of all time (again, tweaked just for you) – and I’m sharing it with all my friends across the world.  And as with all of my downloads – please use it for personal projects only and don’t modify it, take it apart, etc.  It’s my gift to you so I appreciate you being nice with it.

Enjoy!

please click on image to download pdf

I admit.  Last week was a little rough for me.  I don’t think my hormones are back to normal and I found myself in the parking lot of Arby’s crying before going home on Wednesday.  It just springs up on me – as I’m sure it does with other new moms – this sense of being overwhelmed or tired or frustrated or all of the above.  I’ll be going along great and then all of the sudden I can’t get a handle on it.  I think the root of last week’s parking lot scene was based on this:

I don’t know how to work and be a mom at the same time.  I haven’t gotten a system figured out yet of how to do both and I do best when I have some kind of a system – even a loose one.  Yes, I realize that the point of motherhood is that things always change and I can’t expect too much of a schedule, and all of that.  We have a good routine going on and I feel like there are many ways in which Cole and I are in a good groove (I have the book “The Baby Whisperer” to thank for that – read this one first to get the idea then this one for more in-depth help – it is a similar philosophy as “Baby Wise” but I liked “The Baby Whisperer” series better).  So we’re on a good track with sleeping and eating and all of that.  But the work thing – I’m struggling to figure out how to be effective with my work plus be flexible with Cole’s growing and changing as well.

I know that we are all in different situations, have different needs, capabilities and things to deal with.  I am a work-at-home mom who has control of my own schedule because my work is based on juggling deadlines.  I get to decide when I work – whether it’s in the middle of the night or during the day.  I simply have to meet my deadlines and get artwork or BPS content uploaded by a certain day.

That’s my work situation and I know that yours will be totally different.  But what do you do, you working moms out there, to manage work and being a mom (which I know is also work) at the same time?  I think I need some tips or strategies or maybe just reassurance that at some point it will be ok and I will get better at managing both.

Today’s download is as much for me as it is for you and I had to keep it simple.   I was thinking it would be perfect on a card for someone who needs a little pick-me-up.

To be clear – I feel positive and happy and I very much love being a mother.  I don’t dread getting up in the middle of the night, I don’t mind the laundry or washing bottles, and I think motherhood is the greatest job and opportunity on earth.  But that doesn’t mean it’s not hard, too.  I have help – both of Cole’s grandmas live within an hour and they love to come babysit or take Coleman to their house to give me a chance to work.  I also send him to my sister’s house or my sister-in-law’s to hang out for the day.  I like him to be around lots of people and to have to get used to sleeping other places and being in different situations than just home so that he can be adaptable.  But what else can I do?  Any ideas out there to help me figure out how to balance work and motherhood?

I have a feeling you’re all going to tell me to not be hard on myself and roll with it and that I’ll figure things out.  So I guess I’ll start with advice to myself: Hang in there, Kolette!

click on image to download pdf

Venerdì 17 aprile per un giorno intero, tutti i possessori di cellulare di qualsiasi operatore di rete mobile avranno la possibilità di attingere dalla library musicale di MTV Mobile e scaricare gratuitamente tre brani per ciascun utente in formato Mp3 DRM free.

Per ventiquattr’ore potrai vivere la musica in completa libertà e trasferire facilmente i brani DRM free scaricati su qualsiasi dispositivo, dai lettori Mp3 agli iPod, dai PC ai telefonini, e vivere un’esperienza unica all’insegna del divertimento.

Come fare?

clicca qui per continuare

Thanks Elena per la segnalazione

Fonte:mtvmobile

Battere un record può diventare un’ottima trovata pubblicitaria.

L’uomo-gatto, Edgar Muller, Cathie Jungs ed i loro stili di vita sono solo alcuni esempi degli effetti della notorietà che porta l’essere inclusi nel libro dei Guinness World Record.
Anche le aziende si inseriscono anch’esse in quest’ottica, come Mozilla Europe che si è lanciata anch’essa nell’impresa di aggiudicarsi un record mondiale.

Per promuovere la nascita di Mozilla Firefox 3, concorrente noto di Internet Explorer, la Mozilla Europe ha realizzato un Download Day il 17 giugno 2008, giorno in cui è stato possibile scaricare il software in anteprima e, allo stesso tempo, contribuire alla realizzazione del Guinness World Record. L’obiettivo era quello di far diventare il browser il programma più scaricato nell’arco di 24 ore superando la soglia dei 5 milioni di download.
Il numero di download è stato scelto arbitrariamente poiché non esisteva un record precedente, e questo a mio parere conferma la volontà di Mozilla di intraprendere una strategia commerciale più che di battere un record poiché da battere non c’è stato nulla.

Il record è stato realizzato grazie a download provenienti da ogni parte del mondo anche se gran parte dei contributi sono arrivati dagli Stati Uniti, seguiti da Spagna, Iran, Francia ed Inghilterra e ultima, ma non meno importante, Italia (ci siamo “classificati” al 7° posto con 240.000 download). Inevitabile il blackout che ne è conseguito a causa dell’immensa quantità di traffico riscosso: 8 milioni di download alla fine della giornata.
Alla fine del Download Day chi ha scaricato il software, oltre ad essere soddisfatto del record raggiunto grazie al proprio download, è entrato in possesso di un browser veloce nella navigazione e nella visualizzazione delle pagine con molti strumenti e gadget utili al suo utilizzo.
Ma ad essere stata ancora più soddisfatta è stata la Mozilla  che, con questo stratagemma, è riuscita ad arrivare nelle case e negli uffici di milioni di persone che probabilmente utilizzavano addirittura altri browser (come internet Explorer) e che senza la scusa del Download Day non si sarebbero forse mai avvicinate a Firefox mentre ora ne possono sfruttare le risorse.

Il potere di Internet!

What a weekend!  Such fabulous meal ideas!  You’ve gotten me excited enough to even print some recipes out – and I am not a recipe collector, to say the least.  So many of these are manageable and easy – and the ones that seem a little tricky are so intriguing that I have to try them (baked French Toast, for one).  I also had to look up the meaning of some of the terminology from our international friends.  I feel so exotic now!

I really like the theme that has run through so many of your thoughts about “pay it forward” and “pass it on.”  I haven’t really thought of that before – finding inexpensive dishes to take the meals in and then let the recipient know they can “pass it on” or even keep it for themselves.  It’s a heartfelt gesture and a way to go green.

So, with that to inspire me this week, I have created a little tag to go along with the meals or desserts that you graciously give to those in need.  Here are some of the ways that I have learned (from you!) that a tag like this can be used:

• jot a note telling the person how much they mean to you
• regarding the dishes: tell them to “pass it on” or enjoy it for themselves
• write down an inspirational quote
• tell them a funny joke to lift their spirits
• write down the recipe for them
• list heating instructions for the food

See, there are lots of things you can do with this tag that will be “just a little something” extra to make an great meal even more extraordinary.

please click on image to download pdf

Share the love, spread the care…and keep the food coming!  Remember – comments on my last post will be eligable to win in my latest giveaway – I’ll draw a winner for my stamps on Wednesday.  Don’t worry, I have asked some people to go back and post their recipes – I will only count each person once in the giveaway.  We have quite the collection of great ideas going – thanks goes to our reader, Carmel for asking the question in the first place.

Enjoy!

______________________________________________________

Note from Kolette: The download is working now.  Thanks for checking back!