Special seasons during the year provide me with a feeling of gratitude. At those moments, I take time to reflect on my blessings. Most of my blessings are a result of the support I get from loved ones.

My connection with my family and friends deepens during special times each year. When I am prompted to reflect on the good times in my life, I immediately reach out to them. Family gatherings, gift-giving, singing Christmas carols, and special meals are also inseparable parts of Christmas. 

I use each opportunity I get to tell my family how important they are. It is easy for me to pinpoint their influence in my life.

When I am at odds with a friend, special seasons allow us to rekindle our relationship. I use those times to consider the role we play in each other's lives. I acknowledge that a season of caring and love is the best time to offer and receive forgiveness.

Houses aglow, parties with friends, and memories made with family—Christmas...

The Christmas holiday season is supposed to be a wonderful time for you and your family. But, sometimes, the stresses leading up to the holidays make it seem like quite the opposite. Remember that there are ways to enjoy yourself and survive the holiday crunch even in poor economic times.

Saving Money

Chances are you will be spending money during this holiday season. Through careful planning, you can make a small budget go quite a long way.

Consider the following holiday money-saving suggestions:

1. Conserve Throughout the Year. Most women let the holidays creep up on them. Suddenly, they realize it is only weeks before the holidays, and they need to start preparing. You cannot pull money out of nowhere, and you should resist the urge to put all of your purchases on credit. If you have done this in the past, you know first hand that you may still be paying for last year's gift charges for years!

* Try automatically withdrawing a small sum of money from every paycheck...

Tiffany Marie Olson was a beautiful young lady from Manatee County. She enjoyed the ocean. And, like all of us at Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary, Tiffany also loved all animals. She cherished her dog Simba. Simba had been found injured on the side of the road as a puppy and had surgery to mend injuries to her hindquarters. Tiffany adopted and rehabilitated her. Tiffany was also very close to her mother Christine. They enjoyed taking day trips together.
 

Staying joyful is vital to me. Busy holidays can add to stress, but stress leaves me like water off a duck's back. My life is overflowing with positivity and happiness. I remain joyful no matter what the holiday brings me. Each holiday is a distinctive occasion to do something that brings me more joy.

As holidays near, I find ways to stay calm. I let my peace radiate out to others. They see the peace I have, and they feel better about their holidays. I help a lot of people just by staying happy and positive during stressful holiday times. I know the holidays are what I make of them. I choose to make them joyful and fun.

I turn the stress of my life into positivity by concentrating on solutions. Holidays are wonderful times to appreciate family and friends. I take pleasure in finding the beauty of the holidays. I see that beauty and concentrate on it to help keep my stress levels down. Low stress equals high joy.

I live in joy this holiday season by walking in...

Every woman has areas of life where there is a lack of organization. Whether at home or the office, we misplace things and cannot find items when we need them because we are not orderly.

What happens when systems are not put into place?  What if an organizing system is not established? Well things get lost, chaos ensues, and you lose time looking for stuff! I have multiple businesses and do animal rescue. My schedule is nuts.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial for us to stay organized! Here are hacks for you that I use to keep myself and my businesses as organized as possible and I promise will save you time (and maybe a little sanity!) 

Being organized is a great help with time management. Declutter both home and office before attempting to tackle keeping organized and managing time better.

     1. Forget complicated systems.

Any systems you use for organizing that take a lot of time to...

Every day I wake up with rekindled strength and decide to make the day a great one. I arm myself with positivity and a winning mindset. When I step into the world, I start to hear the beautiful hymn of hope that follows me everywhere I go.

Even when others choose to play a soundtrack of hopelessness, I dance to my hymn of hope. My ears are prepared to listen only to the sound of hope and to disregard any other noise. I abstain from listening to negative news reports that will only try to deprive me of my capacity to hear the sound of hope.

With so much negativity around me, I have to actively seek the good in the world to stay filled with hope. When I concentrate on the good characteristics of others, I can come up with hope.

My life is a song filled with hope. Although there is no guarantee in life, I am confident that my life choices move me on the right path. I know that I will be successful.

I sing my hymn of hope to the world so others can be lifted...

It is easy to be grateful for the good things in life; however, to experience the full benefits of gratitude, we must learn to find gratitude in our challenges. 

It is that time of year when most women give up on their goals because they do not see the results they want. Resist the temptation to give up right before the end. Remind yourself how far you have come this year, from the small wins to the big moments. You owe it to yourself to do the best you can.

“We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good; if bad, because it works in us patience, humility, contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.” – C. S. Lewis

 

Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions we can cultivate as women. And, gratitude inspires a positive mindset.

Best of all, there is always something women can find to be grateful for,  from the big things - such as a promotion, achieved goal, dream relationship, or...

Are you wondering if a spin on the original holiday pie will be well-liked? Pies for Thanksgiving are time-honored. However, don't you wish to bite into a delicious brown butter carrot cake for a change or snack upon chewy cookies? Why not whip up amazing Thanksgiving desserts?

Do not limit yourself to a simple pie for dessert. Get your creative buckle on and change up your usual Thanksgiving dessert menu. You will be surprised to watch the crowds go ga-ga, relishing desserts like never before.

Sticking a spoon into the creamy pie is hardly a dessert to end a king-size feast. There should be a few too many options to treat your sweet tooth.

Are you running your brain, trying to come up with desserts that are winners and crowd-favorites? Don't think too hard. Figure the core ingredients first. Is it only pumpkin that screams Thanksgiving in all possible ways?

What about succulent apples or starchy sweet potatoes? Can you miss the pecans or the chocolates?...

Staying physically fit matters to me. I make time for fitness even when my life is very busy. The Thanksgiving holiday is a busy time, but I still have plenty of hours in the day.

I get things done because they are important to my life. The things I do each day have value and meaning to me. Staying fit is one of those things that I value highly.

To stay fit, I make time for exercise. I avoid changing my routine during the holidays. I can enjoy the holiday season and still keep my workout routine. In doing so, I ensure my continued fitness and good health. I make sensible choices during the holidays. I stop and take time for myself when things start to get hectic.

Because I see the value of exercise, I make it a part of my schedule. I encourage others because I want them to succeed in their fitness goals.

By working with others to help them meet their fitness goals, I feel fulfilled. Seeing me fit and healthy makes others want to work toward their own...

Stop shying away from experimenting when shopping for fun presents. Social occasions like Thanksgiving are not an ordinary affair. The yearly get-together brings the family hanging hats under one roof. Maybe they are all there for a fancy dinner. But, delighting the host is just as crucial.

Your host might be simmering in stress. After all, organizing a party keeps one on their toes, keeping tabs on several things simultaneously. Popping in with a fun and happy gift could set the mood to be cheery.

Best gift ideas to stand out

1.   A contemporary close-packed cheeseboard -Everyone admires a swanky cheese board. Choose a board that’s chic and relatively new in design. Try getting your hands on the foldable swivel cheese boards.
2. Exclusively customizes cheese knife -Wouldn’t it look nice to stack up cheese spreaders that are one of a kind? Shop rare designed and best quality metal cheese knives. Add a touch of personalization by inscribing something just for the...