A Vote FOR Watching TV!

I realize a lot of people think TV is a waste of time.
It’s melting our brains, etc.
After all, No TV = more books and fewer negative news reports, right?

Okay, but I’m not sure that no TV is the perfect answer either.
There are some pretty interesting & creative programs out there these days!
And lots of them can be viewed on your computer.
All in moderation, right?

WARNING!!!  The following program could make you HUNGRY!!!

A new favorite of mine is CAKE BOSS on The Learning Channel.
Buddy, the boss, runs Carlos’ Bakery in Hoboken, NJ and the special cakes he and his team make are PHENOMENAL! There’s no competition, it’s just him and his crew, doing their thing.

I love how Buddy gets a VISION of the cake the minute the customer describes the event…..
and how he always EXCEEDS their expectations!!!
He is a perfectionist and is DETERMINED to make it work, no matter the obstacles (such as the Solar System Cake)!
He can be tough on his crew (all family) but he always thanks them & ACKNOWLEDGES their dedication and fantastic work!

From Sesame Street’s 40th Anniversary cake to the Bronx Zoo Anniversary cake to a Robot Cake that moves to a Solar System cake that truly defies gravity, his cakes go beyond the beyond.

p.s.  this Sunday, Jan. 31, Buddy takes the challenge of making a life-size RACE CAR CAKE! If you are a Grammy watcher, you’ll have your 3D glasses on (avail at Target!) to see the Michael Jackson tribute!  But fear not, the Cake Boss is normally on Mondays and is replayed quite a bit. Or you can watch it on TLC’s Web site.  Then again, Buddy’s cakes may be even wilder with 3D glasses!

So I am giving TV a ‘thumbs-up’ for having some programs that not only entertain, but INSPIRE!
Stay tuned for some more suggestions!
You never know, you might find something that inspires you too!

Leave a comment and SHARE your favorites here!

More Cake!
~ Cindi

Honoring a “Stellar” Dog Day!

Tuesday ~ January 5th 2010

A ‘STELLAR’ DAY! ~ Today is my sweet dog Stella’s 6th birthday & the 4-year anniversary of the day we met at the DC animal shelter.  The date became her birthday as it was the beginning of our life together.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (despite the hair-do! or lack thereof) My little hairy mess from the streets of southeast DC stole my heart the first nano-second I laid eyes on her at the shelter.  I knew immediately that our meeting was fate and that she was my new furry best friend.

Stella, when I first saw her at the DC shelter! Yikes!

Less than a week later & only 1 day before my birthday, Stella came home with me! Who could ask for a better birthday blessing?

DUMPSTERS to PAJAMAS ~ During her first 2 years of life, I think Stella scrounged for food on the streets and may have even spent time with a homeless person.  But the dog who was once quite skinny and had long, matted, dirty hair now gets brushed often, has a growing wardrobe (including the cutest ever pink pajamas!) and lots of healthy, yummy treats.  And with my sister & her dog, Evie, Stella has a best pal & an aunt who spoils her silly.

Stella in her pj’s with her newest friend to cuddle with.

Evie doesn’t even mind if Stella shares her new dog bed!

Stella adores her aunt!

GIFTS FROM DOGS! ~ Dogs are a HUGE part of my life.  I am forever amazed at how they continually give WAY more than they get & Stella is no exception.

Me & Stella & her cuddle friend.

Everyday I feel so grateful & blessed to have Stella in my life and in my heart.  She reminds me to LAUGH & to not take life so seriously.  She does everything with PASSION ~ whether she is running at the beach or keeping the bird feeders squirrel-free or sleeping on the couch.  Every moment my LOVE for her grows deeper & deeper!

Stella & her special pal, “Horsey” made their first online appearance in my Valentine’s Inspira-Letter!

Stella & Evie as Princess Leia & Darth Vader for Halloween.

Stella says, “Come on, Evie, Catch me if you can!”

Running at the beach is a favorite past-time!

Stella waits patiently on squirrel patrol!

Stella springs into action to make sure the birds are the only customers at the feeders!

LOVE A RESCUE DOG TODAY, I SURE DO ~ Stella has never exhibited a mean trait.  She’s far better at SILLY! Aside from when we play tug, she has never come close to growling or being aggressive.  She wants to see EVERYONE, from neighbors to the mail woman to a jogger passing by.  At the beach we frequently realize that she has wandered over to nearby sunbathers who are thankfully dog people and don’t mind her sandy paws.  Rescue/shelter dogs need love & have PLENTY of love to give.  Stella loves to cuddle…. just ask anyone, including my Dad.  So, skip the breeder & check out the shelters and rescues.  Try Petfinder.com for help with your search.

Me Huggin’ Stella ~ not long after I adopted her.  One of our first trips to the beach together!

Evie & Stella ~ “chillin” on the beach!

ANGELS WITH PAWS ~ Sometimes I just sit and look at Stella when she is cuddled up, contently sleeping in my lap or on the couch or as she soars across the sandy beach with such pure joy and I am amazed at these magical creatures we call DOGS.  Honestly, I think they are ANGELS.

Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary Stella Bella!

Dogs Rule,
~ Cindi

Self-Compassion Wrap-Up & Happy 2010!

As we bid farewell to 2009 & ring in 2010, I wanted to wrap up our December focus on self-compassion with a summary of some key tips:

• Just 5 Minutes ~ even if you are so strapped for time that you can only squeeze in 5 minutes of some type of self-care activity, those 5 minutes are better than none at all. Give your body & mind a chance to disconnect.
  

• Acknowledge, Acknowledge, Acknowledge Yourself! ~ Take the time each day to acknowledge YOURSELF for all the things you did well, from big stuff to little stuff.  Remember, what we focus our attention on WILL grow! If you don’t want to keep a self-acknowledgment journal, try keeping a ledger or piggy bank and give your acknowledgments a numerical value.  Let the numbers add up and designate a self-care reward for reaching a particular number.
  

• Your Flock ~ pay attention to who you are surrounded by and strive to be connected to positive, encouraging and compassionate beings. Having a self-care buddy is a great idea too…. someone who will hold you accountable to being good to yourself.
  

• Be Gentle ~ self-compassion is not just about self-care, but is about being gentle, encouraging, accepting, forgiving and tolerant of oneself, especially when things don’t go as well as we may have hoped.  Beating yourself up won’t do any good!

• Animals & Nature ~ MY FAVORITE self-compassion tip…… interact with some animals and/or spend time in nature.  If you have a dog, cat or other animal companion, spend lots of time with them.  Hug them, cuddle with them, play with them or just chat with them.  If you don’t have any animals in your home…. try visiting some at a shelter, fostering one, or just communing with the animals in your yard, area park or neighborhood.  I know two dogs in my home who never seem to get enough attention!  For many of us, nature & animals offer a perfect win-win in terms of our learning to be compassionate and also receiving the healthy benefits of that amazing & magical connection!

• Create a Self-Care Inventory ~ identify the types of self-care activities that nourish you and help you to reduce your stress.  Are there certain things on the list that you can commit to doing everyday?  Weekly?  Are there other more luxurious activities that you can earmark as a reward for completing a goal or milestone? What’s the ONE self-care activity you need MOST today?  Get CREATIVE & have fun with your self-care!
  

• Oxygen ~ keep the airplane oxygen mask analogy handy to help remind yourself that you won’t be much good to anyone else if you don’t first take good care of YOU!

• Energy ~ pay attention to the kinds of activities and/or people that light you up from the inside versus those that drain or weaken you.  Strive to fill your life with the ones that light you up and reduce the ones that weaken you!  Since your reality may still include some energetically draining people and/or activities, do what you can to protect yourself from taking on their negative energy.  For example, prepare yourself mentally and emotionally before engaging with these individuals or doing these activities, visualize the situation improving, do things to boost your comfort & confidence level, create a positive mantra to repeat to yourself and finally, imagine yourself surrounded by a positive & protective barrier, like a favorite color of light.
  

Happy New Year & CHEERS to 2010 being your most Self-Compassionate year yet!
~ Cindi

Encouraging Creativity & Keeping Game Night Alive!

Over the holidays I spent some time with a 10 year-old member of my extended family named Michael.  Ever since I have known Michael he has loved board games and thus, I felt we had a connection.

I have ALWAYS loved playing board games, card games, make-believe games, ANY kind of games.  I LOVE game night and have driven my family (esp. my sister) CraZY, begging them to play games with me.  So I have a soft spot for Michael when he wants to play a game. How can I say no?

This time, Michael went from playing games to CREATING his own games, some with very elaborate instructions.

We played one of his games called, “Imagine if,” where you ask a question about another person and the other players guess how they think the person would answer.  For example, ‘Imagine if Cindi were an animal, which one would she be… a tiger, squirrel, bear or jaguar?’

This game was right up my alley.  It stimulated the right side of our brains as we came up with questions and as we decided what answer fit us best.  We could have really worked our brains if we followed with the question, “why?” i.e. asking Cindi why she would be a Tiger and not a bear.

And, perhaps the best part of a family game is that we LEARNED a lot about each other in the process.  i.e. Spaghetti is Michael’s favorite food AND if he were to write a book, he would write about a family of dogs that survives on its own. (2nd choice for the book would be one about a boy vampire.)

There may already be a board game like Michael’s, but the point was that Michael was creating it himself.  I was inspired by his PASSION for games that bring people TOGETHER and for CREATING things & using his IMAGINATION.  And, as I encouraged him, it reminded me of the importance of ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY in young people.  Without creativity we would not have beautiful things like music or art, and without creativity, our brains would not function nearly as well as they do when we are creatively engaged.

But unfortunately, creativity is not always encouraged.  We are more often encouraged to focus our energies on our academic pursuits.  And though I cannot dispute the importance of getting a good education, I believe the Arts & creativity are often undervalued & overlooked.  For example, studies have proven that children who study music perform better academically, yet the Arts programs are often the first to be cut in schools.  Creativity, in general, is useful for solving problems, making decisions and for living a more JOYFUL life!

So I encourage all of us to keep fanning the creative fires in the young people we come in contact with & to be avid supporters of keeping the Arts alive in schools.  I will encourage Michael to keep up with his game-creating.  No matter what, that type of creativity and imagination will serve him well in all kinds of endeavors.  And maybe one day you’ll be buying his games for YOUR family game nights!

CREATE ON!
~ Cindi

Just Ask…

Today’s Self-Compassion Tip is a simple reminder to ask for help when you need it & accept it happily when it is offered!  Too often we wear ourselves out and lower our spirits by trying to do it all by ourselves.  We put our blinders on and then, marching full steam ahead, we fail to realize that there are people out there who are more than willing to lend a hand.  Is there an area of your life where you could use some help right now?  Don’t be afraid to ask!

~ Cindi

Who’s #1?

Today’s Self-Compassion Tip is about taking care of responsibilities.  We each have many responsibilities ~ to our family, our community, our work, our country, etc.  But I believe our first responsibility is to OURSELVES.

People often ask me how to put themselves first without being selfish?  Again, as I have said in previous tips, I am not suggesting dropping all of your responsibilities and heading for a secluded tropical island (tempting as that may sound!).

I believe there is a healthier place of harmony & balance between being selfish & self-less.  I believe self-compassion lives in this healthier space with a process that includes prioritizing your values, acknowledging what is most important to you and being honest & authentic with yourself & others about your own needs and feelings. It is a place where we can still take the needs of others into consideration, but without completely losing sight of ourselves.

Just as practicing good self-care enables us to be even stronger & be there even more for others….being Responsible to ourselves and Honoring WHO WE ARE creates a situation where the people and tasks we commit ourselves to will THRIVE that much more. 

Not an easy tip, but an important one.

Be True to You!
~ Cindi

Life lessons from the airplane…

Today’s Self-Compassion Tip & Heart-Art is a reminder of one of my favorite analogies regarding the importance of taking care of oneself.  When you are on an airplane and the flight attendant explains emergency procedures, it is made very clear that you are to FIRST put on YOUR oxygen mask BEFORE trying to assist others.  I believe this is true in everyday life as well.  The better we take care of ourselves, the better able we are to care for other people and tasks. I am not suggesting ignoring or neglecting others, but rather acknowledging the priority nature of making sure YOU are getting YOUR “oxygen.”  For many, this can feel backwards and be a difficult pattern to shift, but believe me, the people and things depending upon you will benefit from you taking care of YOU!

Breathe Deeply,

~ Cindi

A reminder from the heart…

Go Easy on Yourself!

Today’s Self-Compassion Tip is to GO EASY on yourself when your day doesn’t quite go as you would have liked.  Perhaps you had lots of great plans and intentions for your day, yet somehow things got off track.  Maybe you were up all night with a sick child (or dog!) and so your day got off to a late, tired start.  Or maybe your plans for the day get diverted by an emergency, a request for help from a friend, your own illness, or some other type of “fire” that needs to be put out.  Now you are beating yourself up about all the things that you did not get done…. right?

But beating yourself up won’t change your day or help you to get any more done.  It will just help to make you feel worse……more defeated and deflated. The most important thing is to treat yourself with kindness, acceptance,  tolerance and compassion.  BE GENTLE.  Encourage yourself to move forward and visualize tomorrow being an enjoyable and productive day!

Happy Days!
~ Cindi

Take A Siesta!

Sometimes the best thing you could possibly do for yourself is to take a NAP!  So that is today’s Self-Compassion Tip.  Put aside the paperwork, the television, the E-mails, the cell phone, the dishes….even put down that yummy novel and take a sweet, dreamy nap.  What a great way to recharge!  Cozy up with a favorite quilt or stretch out on the couch with your furry companions and get some all-important snooze time.  Dogs & cats certainly seem to have this particular tip mastered, don’t they?  I know our dogs are definitely expert nappers.  Take a cue from your dog or cat and grab some super good shut-eye!

Here’s my girl, Stella, with her cousin, Evie, who is sort of using Stella as a pillow!  Stella sure doesn’t seem to mind!  I guess good pals nap together ~ like in kindergarten!  ~ CAS

Here’s another pic of this famous duo from back in 2006 ~ not long after I brought Stella home from the shelter.  They were already napping pals!

Sweet Slumber!
~ Cindi