In My Everyday Life

My 6 Easy Tips for Holiday Cards Happiness

Hello wonderful you ✨

I’m feeling so so festive, the holiday season is here and I’m loving it. A few days ago I sent out holiday cards. I had stopped sending out cards a few years ago when everyone I knew was texting holiday greetings and I also jumped on that band wagon, it just was easier, but, a couple of years ago I decided to renew that yearly ritual that brings me so much happy.

It actually started when my grandson Sean, sent me a card. It was such a wonderful surprise to go to the mail box and find it there. When I saw the beautiful card and read his loving words, it filled me with joy and made me miss honoring the season with the gift of a card. There’s a loveliness a card can fill you with that you can’t get in a text, and also for me, I love displaying the cards I receive out on my kitchen counter so I can see and enjoy them.

If you’re thinking this is crazy, you couldn’t possibly add another thing to your to do list, you’re overwhelmed as it is. Let me tell you that you do have the time if you plan it out and it can be a very calming, happy and a loving time to spend with yourself.

Here are my 6 easy tips:

A great time to look for cards is at the end of the season when you can find them on sale. Also, some stores have their Christmas stuff out in July and sometimes you can find cards. But, mostly they get displayed around Thanksgiving or right after. I have a drawer where I toss everything into it so it’s all in one place.

You can get a box of cards and/or individual ones. When I’m looking at individual cards, one will always pop up for a specific someone that is just perfect for them, when I get home I’ll put a sticker on the card with their name on it.

Make a list of the people you’ll be sending a card, don’t leave it to memory. And I make sure I have everyone’s current address.

Order stamps through the mail if you can, this will save you time.

Mail out your cards early in December and cross them off your to do list. I actually had them all ready to go in October but that would have been a bit too early 😂 mailing my cards out during the first week in December, gives me a sense of accomplishment and I don’t have to think about it and hope everyone receives the card before Christmas.
And most important, set aside a little time for you to do this. Put on some holiday music if you like, grab yourself a cozy cup of tea/coffee, light a candle and make this a special time for you, a pause time to feel the joy of the season while you’re filling out every card with care and love. And, you don’t have to do it all at once, you can fill out a few cards at a time if that works best for you.

I don’t have to tell you how this season can be stressful, filled with highs and lows, at times leaving us wishing it was all over and so, receiving a card in the mail is an unexpected delight, a luxury of sorts that touches our heart and fills us with gratitude and joy in a way a text never can.

My invitation to you today – why not give the unexpected and brighten someone’s day with a card that says – I’m thinking of you, happy holidays, I love you.

Well, I hope this blog post serves you and inspires you. Share your thoughts, love to hear from you.

🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻 🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻 🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻

What I’ve found delightful:

Have you ever hosted a holiday cookie swap? I haven’t, but, I gotta say it sounds like great fun, here.

This is a unique gift idea that will delight anyone’s senses, here.

What I’m reading, here.

Wishing you a happy, bright and blessed holiday season! 🎄 🥁 🎁

Masha xo

December 11, 2022

Masha2 Comments

This Morning Practice can Change Everything

Hello wonderful you,

Smile, your body is listening (message on a bathroom mirror)

When I saw Kelly Ray Robert’s Instagram post I was inspired to share with you my morning practice. It’s not very complicated and it may seem a bit silly, but, I can tell you that it’s very powerful, it changes everything. It’s made a huge difference in my own life and I know it can make a difference for you too.

The first thing I do when I wake is, I consciously, intentionally and purposefully bring to my mind loving, kind uplifting thoughts about myself and I say them to myself – I am so happy. I love me. I love everything about me, every single little inch of me. I love my life. I am so blessed. I am prosperous. I am vibrant and whole. I am healthy…and as I’m saying these affirmations to myself I feel the happiness, the joy, the love that it’s creating in my body. It’s like my whole being is smiling and healing.

When I go into the bathroom I look at myself in the mirror smile at myself and I tell myself good things – you are great, you are amazing – I can do anything…sometimes I make silly faces and I just LOL crack myself up.

A few more affirmations:

I am divinely guided. The universe always supports me. I’m listening to my inner knowing. I am healthy and getting healthier every day. I am worthy, deserving, I am smart and amazing. I am proud of me. I am open to receive all the goodness. Miracles are happening for me today.

This didn’t come so easy and without struggle. I had a hard time accepting those words of loving kindness towards myself, all I ever did, like many of us, is put myself down. When I started this practice I thought being kind to myself was something shameful, egotistical and everything else that meant that I wasn’t a good person and how dare I?

Every word and thought you have creates a feeling within you, every feeling creates an experience and every experience creates your reaction.

You have the ability every day to consciously choose how you want to feel, what you want to experience and how you want to act in that day. When you don’t make a conscious choice and choose, what you’re doing is giving that power away.

You can choose to have thoughts that will give you feelings of confidence, self worth, happiness. You can choose to give yourself feelings that will embrace you and feel loving and good and hold you up and empower you. And when you feel good about yourself you will give good to others and you will attract more good towards yourself, your days will unfold in magical ways.

And I gotta be honest with you, this morning I just couldn’t concentrate, I tried and tried but my mind kept on jumping to other things and I couldn’t concentrate onto myself but, you know what? that’s ok, it happens, every day cannot be the same and if you can’t get into it or, you just don’t feel like it, that’s ok, tomorrow is a new day.

By repeating this practice every day I’ve created a ritual that honors my own sacred being. I’m removing stress and negativity from myself and I’m opening up to receiving goodness and blessings. I’m also putting myself in a positive emotional state and I’m setting myself up for success.

This one act of self-love has empowered me to know myself in ways I would not have without it.

My invitation for you today – give yourself this precious gift of a few minutes of loving on yourself first thing and watch everything change 🙂

^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^

What I’ve found delightful around the web:

On my Insta. about these beautiful flowers, here

I love this 2022 guide to everything Thanksgiving that is all about comfort and ease, here

Well, that’s it for today. I hope this blog post serves you and inspires you. Leave a comment love to hear from you.

Wishing you a happy, bright and blessed Thanksgiving.

Masha xo

November 20, 2022

Masha10 Comments

I Am Responsible for All About Me and My Magical Life

Hello friends,

I have the words – magical life – written on a white board that hangs on the wall above my desk. I also have this quote by Emmerson

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

A reminder that I am in charge of and responsible for, everything about me – My success, my joy, my failure, my health. I am deciding to allow doubt. I decide my thoughts, my faith, my belief and my trust in myself. I decide my courage. I am deciding and in charge of it all.

I am deciding the woman that I am and the woman I am becoming.

Whether I consciously know it or not, accept it or not, like it or not –

I am deciding every moment who I am, how I want to feel, what I am experiencing, how I act, how I respond. How I treat myself and others. What I hold to be the truth for myself. I am deciding what I want, what I care about. My fears. My longings. My dreams. My happiness.

I am deciding to go within, to tear down the walls, to open the doors, to step over the threshold of my inner world.

I and only I am deciding, am in charge of, am responsible for – all about me and the magical life I’m creating.

My invitation for you today – Get to know yourself, keep yourself at the front of your mind and remind yourself often that you and only you are in charge of and deciding everything about you.

Since it’s that time of the year, my favorite time of the year, I’m sharing this photo I took a couple of weeks ago at the supermarket 🙂

And here’s a quick, easy to make pumpkin pie dip, here

Well, that’s it for today. I hope this blog post serves you and inspires you. Leave a comment love to hear from you.

Wishing you a happy, bright and blessed week ahead and Happy Halloween 🙂

Masha xo

October 30, 2022

MashaLeave a comment

5 Ways Loving Yourself Will Change You

Hello friend,

I was thinking the other day how much greater my life has become since I started to love myself. The change is really amazing. Loving myself has been the catalyst to reclaiming myself and finding and discovering who I am.

Loving myself has opened the way to a love I hold deep within for myself and made me realize that I am the only one who can give to me what I really want my life to be.

This is my life, no one elses and I am responsible for everything I do, think, believe, give to myself, deny myself…everything. I also realized that I am responsible for loving myself, that what I’m looking to get from others I already have inside of me to give to myself. If I’m waiting for someone to come along and validate me, love me, care for me, that’s on me, I’m choosing to give that power to someone else instead of harnessing it myself for myself. So, I took myself off the back burner and placed myself on top of the list and what a game changer. It’s changed my life.

Here are just 5 ways in which loving yourself will change you:

When you love yourself you’ll feel more alive, you’ll feel liberated.

When you love yourself you’ll strive to take better care of your health. Your self-care and wellbeing will be of the utmost importance to you. You’ll start to pay better attention to what you need to keep your body, mind and spirit in optimum health.

When you love yourself you’ll change how you talk to yourself, you won’t put yourself down or criticize yourself, you’ll nourish yourself with words and thoughts that uplift you.

When you love yourself you’ll remove the barriers that are in the way of being who you truly are.

When you love yourself, you’ll have the courage to give to yourself happiness and everything else that you want.

And these are just a few of the changes that will enrich your life.

If you’re not loving yourself, ask yourself why? I used to believe that loving myself was somehow sinful, that it made me a bad person, I was afraid of what others might think of me. But, let me ask you this, why is it better to not love yourself, to not create a life that makes you happy to be in it? Why is it so wrong to live from an energy of love? When you love yourself you exude loving energy to others.

My invitation for you today – love yourself – and if you’re concerned that loving yourself will make you selfish or a bad person in any way, consider this, while caring and giving to others is part of our very nature as humans, what do we really have to give or care with, if we abandon our own selves, if we don’t fill our own cup first 🙂

Your own love is the greatest gift you can give to yourself.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

What I’ve found delightful around the web:

If you’re like me and you love seasonal scents in your home, here is an easy to make Homemade Potpourri, here

And since this is hot cocoa season, here is a simple recipe for hot cocoa for one.

Well, that’s it for today. I hope this blog post serves you and inspires you. Leave a comment love to hear from you.

Wishing you a happy, bright and blessed week ahead.

Masha xo

October 23, 2022

Masha2 Comments

5 Delightful Things

Hello wonderful you,

Today’s post is all about feel good articles I found around the web in the last couple of weeks that were a delight to read. I’ve made it a habit to spend a few minutes every day indulging myself in reading articles that fill me with joy. These are those every day little treasures that I love coming across that tickle my senses and inspire me.

And, talking about delightful things, below is a picture of the little piece of branch I found at my front door yesterday morning, a wink from the universe reminding me fall is here. Welcome Fall!

But, before anything, I know that there is someone out there who needs to hear this, a gentle reminder that – you matter, you are important, you are worthy and you deserve to have all that you want, desire and dream of and don’t let anyone tell you or make you feel otherwise.

Here are my 5:

If you’re into DIY projects, check this out, an easy to make stunning and unique fall center piece for your home. How beautiful is this and so easy to make, here I don’t do any DIY projects but I love reading about it, I get all inspired 🙂

Here’s a great article I enjoyed reading and got a couple of pointers on decluttering from the, be more with less, Courtney Carver “7 Notes to Help you Live with Less”, here

Is there anyone out there who does not procrastinate??? This is what you need to know to stop procrastinating, here

As the Season Turns, is a wonderfully delightful podcast for welcoming each month, here I just recently came across this podcast and really enjoy listening.

And, if you like home decorating, I love The Inspired Room with Melissa Michaels, here

My invitation for you today – take a few moments to read something or, listen to a podcast that makes you feel good, it will enrich your life.

Well, that’s it for today. I hope this blog post serves you and inspires you. If you have any delights you’d like to share, please feel free to do so, in the comment section below, I love comments.

Wishing you a happy, bright and blessed week ahead. Happy Fall.

Masha xo

September 22, 2022

Masha4 Comments

Journaling Opened a Way Into Myself

Hello wonderful you,

When I started journaling, I didn’t realize it then but, journaling opened a way into myself. It gave me the way to go within, to find out about me, what I believe in, what I wanted, who I am.

The more I sit with my journal the more I’m in love with not just my journal, but the joyful time I’m spending with myself journaling.

Over time I’ve built a relationship with my journal, and while at times, I may not pick it up every day, I know that I cannot live without it. It’s my go to place, my sanctuary. There is nothing that I cannot spill onto the page, it doesn’t matter if it’s just three pages of pure jibberish or, deep, childish or amazing, it feels so good to let it out. This is my magical world and I don’t have to pretend to be anyone but who I am. It’s where I can open to my deepest secrets, my deepest pains, the deepest everything within me, bring them to light so I can see beyond the obvious and gain clarity and understanding. It’s where I can record new ideas, find out what I’m thinking, give thanks, write a gratitude letter to my body, embrace change, vent frustrations, connect with my inner knowing…I mean there is so much that journaling offers.

There are many styles of journaling (but that’s for another blog) for me, I found that I love free style writing the most. It’s the greatest way to free myself from thoughts that are cluttering up my mind, gain clarity, understanding, expand my mind and play in my imagination.

Discovering our own self is the magical ingredient in our life.

I really believe that the greatest purpose we have in this life is to get to know who we are and what our inner gifts are and journaling is the tool that opens the way.

My invitation for you today – pick up a notebook and a pen and begin.

When you start to know your inner most self, life becomes magical.

Well, that’s it for today. I hope this blog post serves you and inspires you. I’m happy to read your comments.

Wishing you a happy, bright and blessed week ahead.

Masha xo