The Best Part Of Waking Up.......

So tell me, what's the best  part of your morning?

Would you say it’s hearing someone say good morning... or maybe it’s saying good morning to someone else?

Is it getting out of bed first to wake the family?

Is it to kiss your kids when they awake and open their eyes for the first time that day?

Is it hitting the snooze button over and over, before you realize you need to get up?

Maybe it is looking out the window to take a peek at the beautiful sunrise.

If you are into fitness, maybe it is a quick jog around the track, working out at the gym or a walk in the park with the family pet?

Perhaps it is reading the daily paper to catch up on the news.  It could be eating a healthy breakfast instead of that chocolate filled donut that you really want.

Or maybe if it’s a little like mine, it’s the chance for just a few precious moments to sit at my table and be thankful for another day... to read…to journal... to think about the day's busy schedule… am I picking the kids up from school or is my husband? ... Think about getting the dogs groomed… schedule a dentist appointment for the kids ... remind my husband to fix the front pasture fence… remembering to pick up the dry cleaning… stop at the store for some bananas and milk… all while drinking some coffee and listening to some music to get my day going.  

My daily ritual that I just love, really helps to shape my day, and my family's. You know what they say, “If mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy.” And it shouldn’t surprise you that music and coffee are now helping to shape young peoples' lives as well by supporting musical creativity. 

Even though my children are young I can see how music is shaping their lives just as my morning ritual shapes my day.  From the music we listen to while in the car, to music activities in their school, to the music and sounds in the house, it is all shaping their creativity for their future.

And I would say that’s a ritual worth having in their life.

Folgers asked me to write about my morning rituals and tell you all about the jingle contest they are having! Take a look at the Folgers® Jingle Contest Finalists, and listen to the tracks that earned them a spot in The Top 10. Cast your vote once every day through June 19th. You could win exciting prizes, like free Folgers Coffee, iTunes® gift cards, signed CDs from Gavin DeGraw, and even a $10,000 Grand Prize just for voting! Before you vote, follow the Road to the Jingle on Facebook to see how they traveled the U.S. to track down the Top 10 contestants! Remember, you can vote once a day through June 19th! Click here for official rules.

PS- This is a sponsored post from Folgers but the things I think about sitting at my table, drinking coffee  before I get my day going ....are just mine. 
PPS- I really want that chocolate filled donut!

Grateful for~

Those few precious moments every morning 

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Can Organization Be Stylish....You Bet

So please tell me... 

Can you pat your head and rub your belly at the same time?

Is the grass really greener on the other side?

Did "Gnarly" really mean very cool in the 1980s?

Do you count your chickens before they hatch?

Can you really have your cake and eat it too? 

When saying good bye to others, do you find yourself saying, "Catch you on the flip side?"

The apple doesn't fall too far off the tree, does it?

Are you one who uses "groovy" to describe something

 so excellent? 

Can you really gag someone with a spoon?

Do you think you can be organized and stylish at the same time?  Do you think that something that looks so good can take minutes to put together?

 You bet... And my Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery Wall Manager proves that it is possible.

I have tried for a while to find something that fit the "look" of my office aesthetically, at the same time being completely functional. I mean who doesn't need a place to write notes, jot important events on a calendar, and store bills that need to get paid all while looking stylish?   Besides, being organized also helps me be productive. To achieve this stylish, organized and productive system, I started with an open frame that I painted to coordinate with the room.

 

Next, I cut a piece of foam board to fit inside the frame and covered it with fabric, using spray adhesive to secure to the foam board.

I placed my Martha Stewart Home Office Wall Manager - available in black and white, exclusively from Staples - on my board to determine the placement before securing it with the nails that were provided with the kit. There is also a built-in level to help keep things straight. This is perfect for people like me who tend to "eyeball" when hanging things on the wall. Is that you too?

As soon as the board went up, I immediately started to feel more organized because everything now has a place on the wall and is visible to me when sitting at my desk... and paying bills.

 Oh and for the record... the grass is only greener on the other side if it gets more water and fertilizer.

 To enter for a chance to win a $100 Staples Gift Card tell me "How and where would you use the Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery Wall Manager products?” You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment (with your email) in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post 
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 4/1/13-4/30/13. Be sure to visit the Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Good luck!

Savvy Southern Style

The Latest Craze The 'Cough In Elbow' Dance

Just as the Gangnam Dance has gone viral, so has the 'Cough in Elbow' dance. Have you heard of it?  It's the next You Tube Sensation.  Right now grown men, women, and children of all ages are experiencing this centuries old dance craze. The 'Cough in Elbow' can be seen across the country night or day when a cough or sneeze is present.

It's also the latest craze around here at my house, particularly during flu season. Getting our dance on, helps us to prevent the spreading of those unwanted germs during flu season, and with 3 little ones, we dance and disinfect a lot. 

Since technique is everything in fighting germs, I have asked my main  'cough in elbow' dancer (and her puppy) to demonstrate the proper moves for you so you can help prevent the spread of germs by touch by these simple dance steps.

Step 1- Pick an arm, any arm and fully extend it in front of you, while holding on to your favorite puppy.

Step 2- Take that arm and bend it at the elbow in front of your body with your favorite puppy looking on.

Step 3- When you feel a cough or sneeze being initiated take that elbow and raise it to you mouth, quickly.  That's important. This will help to eliminate the need to touch your mouth and possibly spreading the germs from the cough or sneeze on to your hands or on to the puppy.

Some other quick tips from puppy to help prevent cold and flu preventation in your household~

Wash Your Hands Frequently throughout the day: Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. I also use Clorox Cleaner with bleach around the sink basins to get any of the unwanted germs that were left behind. 

Disinfect Germ Hot Spots: Disinfect the surfaces you touch frequently – like the remote control, doorknobs, light switches, faucets and plastic toys with Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes to kill flu viruses.  I also keep a few of the wipes in a plastic bag in the car and use on the handle of shopping carts at the stores.   Shoppers have germs too!                 

Follow Good Health Guidelines: You have heard it before and will hear it again, but you need to eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep to help boost your body’s ability to fight the effects of colds and flu.                          

You can visit Clorox.com to learn more about the importance of disinfecting and other tips for keeping you and your family happy and healthy. *Use as directed

Good luck and keep on dancing and disinfecting!

Grateful for~

No flu in my household this year thanks to my Clorox products!

   

Fall Burlap Wreath Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Watch for details on the Christmas Burlap Wreath Giveaway in November~

Is this Burlap Wreath going to be hanging on your door this fall?

And no worries if your name doesn't start with a 'J' you still have a shot of winning

I'd say a pretty decent shot since the wreath won't come with the letter

but does come with the Fall embellishments

 The only thing you have to do to win, is visit my Facebook Page and become a fan and leave me a comment on my blog with your email address. If you already are a facebook follower thank you, but still leave me a comment on my blog with your email address so I know how to contact you and find out where to send the wreath. The giveaway will end on midnight Saturday the 6th and the winner will be announced here on my blog on Monday, October 8th. 

The giveaway is open to the contiguous US only.

Good Luck!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow There's a Winner

I did'nt find a pot of gold 

in this beautiful rainbow

but what I did find

 is a winner

 for a very sought after Bunny in a Burlap Wreath

Congrats to Sandra K comment #74

"I'm a new blog follower:) "

Sandra, please email me with your address and I will send your wreath out ASAP. 

Thanks to everyone of  you for entering the giveaway. My bunny feels loved!

PS-The above photos were taken on my property the other day after a passing shower. The size and colors of the rainbow almost made me feel like the rainbow was right there in the front yard and close enough to touch. Incredible to see.

Winner #74 selected by
Random numbers generated Mar 27 2012 at 18:57:47 by www.psychicscience.org