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Welcome to Millheim, Pennsylvania & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #129
I know. I know. I know. I said I was taking a blogging break. And what happens when I finally say it? I get inspired. And I cannot ignore the inspiration when it hits. Any creative person knows this. We live for that moment. We wait for it. We seek it out in all corners of our existence. We exhaust ourselves trying to tap into it. We get tired. We take a break. And it is right inside those breaks where we find our inspiration. You can’t fight against the universe. You just have to succumb. And when you finally do, she delivers in spades. So that’s what I did.…
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The Benefits of Altruism & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #127
Did you know that practicing altruism benefits the giver as much as it does the receiver? Maybe even more. Caring about other people and acting in the interest of others with no expectation of reciprocity fulfills and energizes us in a unique way that no other behavior really can accomplish. While it is proven that exercise releases dopamine which helps to improve our moods and make us feel happier, the act of giving and helping others unconditionally also releases endorphins that activate the part of the brain associated with trust, happiness, and social connection. When you perform a good deed for someone else, it really does make you happier. This…
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The Perplexities of Social Media & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #126
Humans beings are social creatures. Even the least social among us still require community and interaction to survive in the modern world. Sure, there are some people who choose to live off the grid, but it is only through social education that they have acquired the skills to survive such a remote lifestyle. Social media at its most basic level has been integrated into human societies as far back as ancient times when the first postal services were created as a means of long distance human communication. Probably few of us even consider ancient postal services as a form of social media in the context of the modern world and…
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My Blogging Life (with Five Local Business Plugs) & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #124
If you are a blogger, you know that everywhere you go you are constantly on the lookout for photo opportunities. Yes, I plan outfit photo shoots on mornings when my husband and I are available to drive somewhere and sneak a quick shoot in before the day begins. But then there are those days, like weekends and holidays, when family time becomes the priority. But as a blogger, you still have photo ops on the brain! So yesterday, my husband and I decided to load the kids up in the car and drive to Clayton, New York, which sits on the Saint Lawrence River near Lake Ontario with Canada just…
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Some of My Favorite Things & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #123
As I said in yesterday’s post, I have so much to say (always…I talk a lot) but nothing to share, so I am going to use today’s post to share some of my favorite things recently. Dresses with tights and boots. This look is kind of working for me lately. Mostly because it is still cool enough to wear tights and not overheat. And even more so because my left shin has come down with a bad case of eczema that is rather unsightly. (Ew). These new floral cowboy boots from Country Outfitter. I have them in gold as well and I get a million compliments every time I wear…
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Salty But Sweet & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #122
I know, I know. I am still wearing sweaters, boots, and gloves. It is still really cold here. We have had a few intermittent days of Spring weather, but the reality is that you are not going to see my bare legs for at least another week or two. Temperatures are mostly hovering in the 40’s and 50’s with the occasional drop into the 30’s at night. This is Spring in the North Country. Or as we North Country folk more aptly call it, Mud Season. As the ground starts to thaw and the rain persists, there is literally mud everywhere! I think I have officially ruined my pink velvet…
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Reminder: The Good Buy/Good-Bye Book-Polka Dots & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #121
It is that time again to share some of your favorite and least favorite items for May’s Good Buy/Good-Bye Book. This month we are featuring Polka Dots. I love a good polka dot print. I find them so fun and whimsical with a touch of nostalgia. Big or little, bold or subtle, polka dots just sort of bring smiles, don’t they? And they are perfect for mixing with other patterns like stripes and florals. Next week, Nancy and I will be posting the fifteenth edition of The Good Buy/Good-Bye Book and we would love for you all to join us! The theme for May is Polka Dots! Any polkas dot will do…they can be on pants or…
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Childhood Grief & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #120
I had planned on talking about the Law of Attraction for today’s post. I even had it titled that way and sat down to write the first sentence. But I couldn’t get the words to flow. Because there is something else weighing heavy on my heart the past few days. And while it is not a topic that I would normally discuss in a #SpreadTheKindness post, it is the topic that is overtaking all other thoughts in my mind right now. And something is telling me that it is what I need to be writing about today. Maybe for me. Maybe I need your support, advice, suggestions, prayers. Or maybe…
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There’s a New Market in Town & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #119
Have you heard there’s a fun new market in Watertown, New York? Located just two doors down from my place of employment, Solitary Consignment, on the other side of Cook’s Jewelers, right in Public Square…Downtown Julie Brown Marketplace has a little bit something for everyone with over 20 local vendors housed inside this huge open space that is filled with light, love, and laughter. They just opened their doors a few weeks ago and I finally had the opportunity to stop in last weekend. I needed to get myself another slouchy hat from Linda Gibbs Handmade and I saw this denim blue one in the window, so I bounced on…
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The Best Slouchy Hat Ever & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #118
I am becoming obsessed with slouchy hats. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise. I become obsessed with most things related to fashion and style. Shoes and boots? Obsessed. All things velvet? Obsessed. Blanket scarves? Obsessed. Jeans? Yep, totally obsessed. Camouflage, floral, polka dots, stripes, leopard print, plaid? Absolutely obsessed. I could go one like this forever. But I will stop because I think you get the point. Anyway, my new obsession is slouchy hats. But not just any slouchy hat will do. Because Spring is finally arriving in the North Country (although it probably does not look like it in these dreary gray photos with spatters of snow still…
