November 27 - Mindful Gift Giving

"It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” — Mother Teresa

 This evening I was Christmas shopping for my five grand kids. In the past, I confess, I have gone a little overboard with presents. I truly enjoy the shopping and trying to find things I think the kids will enjoy. However, this year I have been instructed by my daughter and daughter-n-law to cut down on toys. In fact, they prefer not many, if any toys at all. Since they have reminded me multiple times, I decided to heed their advice. For one gift, I am giving each child a magazine subscription. This will encourage reading and be a gift that lasts all year. My next task was to find that one special gift purchased with each child in mind. I'm happy to say after visiting with parents, the kids, and then shopping the internet. that I found something unique for each grand child. The interesting thing is that I have been more mindful than in past years.  I followed the tips below taken from the article "6 Tips for Mindful Gift Giving".

Mindful giving involves paying attention to:

• What is meaningful for the recipient
• Exploring your whys behind giving the gift
• Reconsidering your preconceived or habitual ways of giving

The above article is excellent and one I highly recommend reading! Gift giving should be a joy and come from the heart.

Days 353 - 359

November 21, 2017 - Happy Thanksgiving

"Thanksgiving isn't just a day, it's a way we can live our lives every day!" - Katrina Mayer

Thanksgiving, which is tomorrow, provides a great time to be mindful of our blessings. My top 5 things I am thankful for today:

• Birthday blessings! Last week was my birthday. I received birthday wishes and gifts from friends, students and family. I felt special ALL day!
• Hearing from an old friend through good old fashioned "snail mail". What a treat to get a "real" letter from a friend, just because she was thinking of me!
• A special gift bag of goodies with creative notes from one of my students. For example, I received an Amazon gift card with a note about what an AMAZing teacher I am. (This was just one of multiple notes.) How wonderful to be appreciated!
• Family blessings! I am forever thankful for the family that God blessed me with!
• Faith! A good friend lost her father last week. It reminded me of the loss of my parents. My faith reminds me that I will see them again some day.

Many blessings and Happy Thanksgiving! 

Days 332 - 352

November 1 - Mindful Spending

The price of  anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.

A topic I've rarely addressed in this blog is that of money. I feel like I'm financially in an okay situation, but deep down I know I could be in a much better place. Not one to like following a budget or deprive myself, I tend to have a recurring habit of trying to earn extra money when things get tight. I've done numerous direct sales adventures over the years, many of which were prompted by my need (or want) for money. (Yes - you can make money in direct sales, although I have yet to make the "big" money.) Many of my direct sales business ventures I've truly enjoyed and they really didn't seem like extra "work". But regardless of my level of enjoyment and extra income, there was one thing I was giving up - TIME! Eventually, because of the time commitment it took to do a good job, I'd quit my business or stay minimally active. 

Today, finding myself a few months before Christmas, I have found myself researching the internet for new "opportunities" and thinking about becoming more active in the few I'm still involved with. Then I asked myself - "If I were more mindful about money, would this be necessary?"

What does it really mean to spend mindfully? I like the definition I found from this blog post:

Mindfully spending your time and money means pausing to consider the impact of each expenditure on you, your life and the lives and environments of those around you.

Do I really do this? Since I can look over my expenditures at different stores and not even remember what I purchased, I'd have to say "No!" In order to spend more mindfully and in a manner that is consistent with my priorities, I am challenging myself to ask the following questions before spending money.

Why am I buying this ...?

Is this something I could live without?

Am I replacing something with this purchase? If not, do I really NEED it?

Can I make it myself?

The bottom line, we need to all remember  - Why before Buy!

 

Days 317-331