Positively Mom Street

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people.  A nation does not need to be cruel in order to be tough.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hello from the Big Apple! So, I’m actually writing this from the train – I feel so very urban!  As you may or may not know – I work from home in the beautiful state of Colorado.  My employer is located in Manhattan and I was lucky enough to fly out and spend a few days meeting everyone and seeing the sights.  Right before I left, I was telling  my boss I was a bit nervous about getting from Newark all the way to Times Square – and he laughed a bit and said “Just ask anyone on the street for help – New Yorkers LOVE that.  Ya know – being so nice and all.” Gulp. Now I don’t necessarily believe the hype that New Yorkers are mean.  I mostly believe they are busy people that don’t have the time for lost Coloradans wandering their streets asking for random directio...

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” - Dale Evans Ok, yes – I know – it’s not Christmas yet.  Usually I am the first one complaining about “Christmas Overload” where the decorations start filling store shelves and holiday music is playing in October.  But this year I feel different.  I feel excited about Christmas.   I’m ready.  So so ready. I think it’s because of my Kind Year commitment.  I really do.   Instead of seeing Christmas as a hassle (too many gifts, too much money, too little time) I’m beginning to see it as a magical moment where my efforts can truly make a mark. I’m inspired. Inspired by my kiddos – who seem to be picking up this Kind Year vibe and running with it.  Case in point – my oldest –  decided to start a little snow shoveling/yard raking business this year. He’s 10 going on 11 and ready to help out, make some money and do his part.  He cr...

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” - Dalia Lama Well – October has come and gone.  I hope everyone had a great month and enjoyed the cuteness and candy of Halloween.  It’s a good time for a little touch base and check in. So – how you doin? Are you participating in the 10 cans of conscious kindness challenge?  If so – you only have about 6 weeks to finish up shopping for your 10 food items to donate to a charity (by which I mean ANYONE you see fit) and help ease hunger. I have been moving forward with my quest.  It started with a box a Bisquick and after about 4 weeks I have the following items ready to go for my family in need. Well, not a lot of fancy going on there but I think it’s a great little start.  A family could easily have at least one, if not two, complete, nutritious meals with those items.  In the next few weeks I’ll continue to add items that are versatile and healthy plus I definitely want to bring in...

“I am obsessed with becoming a woman comfortable in her own skin.” - Unknown Comfortable in my own skin.  It’s a bit of a weighted concept.  Literal or rhetorical – it comes down to looking into the mirror and thinking “Wow – you go girl – all that hard work has paid off.”   I’ve always been a bit of an exercise junky – so staying fit, healthy and active has been an extremely important part of my adult life.   Vanity is a powerful motivator – being able to fit into jeans that are 10 years and at least 2 babies old always makes me smile.  However, the mental effects are so much more rewarding.  I have more energy, less stress and am generally a nicer person when I get regular exercise.  I love walking into the gym – full of crab and grump – and walking out feeling like a million bucks. So, I was completely thrilled to realize I could incorporate my love of fitness into the kind year journey!  This month I’ve been able to support 2 great ca...

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe. Our task must be to widen our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” Albert Einstein So, we have one standing rule in our house: Do Not Kill.   Pretty simple, right? This applies to everything from ants on the sidewalk, spiders in the house all the way up the food chain.  I firmly believe every living thing has the right to continue existing without our interference. Now, that said – I did grow up on a farm and am no stranger to death.  We had cows, pigs, chickens and for a short time a sad, lonely, single goat. Our animals (with the exception of the goat) eventually became our dinner.  I’m ok with that.  While I don’t like to kill – I do like to eat – and I love me some hamburger – so I get the whole cycle of life thing.  I believe it’s one thing to kill for sustenance – it’s another to kill for fun.   When we see insects on the side...

“I feel good.  I feel free. I feel fine just being me. I feel good today.  Oh so good today.” - Jon Batiste & The Stay Human Band It’s been a quiet week enriched with some very small, simple pleasures. Earlier in the week, I went to Walgreen’s to pick up a script and of course get some snacks for the family.  While in line, the guy in front of me didn’t have enough cash to pay for everything he had picked up.  After looking around – he said “put that back” and pointed to a Hershey chocolate bar.  Well, considering I was buying 4 chocolate bars for my family there was no way I was going to watch him put back the best of his cash out items! I quickly offered to buy the chocolate bar and he was really appreciative!  Score – chocolate for everyone and a warm, fuzzy “I did good” feeling for me! Yummy Kind Act! Fast forward a few days and I was grabbing a quick dinner at Qdoba.  I had a coupon for a free entree so I was totally excited tha...