Happy 7th Birthday to my son, Isaac

He is still on a sugar high from all of the Christmas goodies. WOW, this kid may need to go through DETOX soon (smile).
My youngest turned 7 today (yup just 2 days after Christmas).

Being that I was born on Christmas day and my family NEVER separated the 2 celebrations, I go out of my way to be sure that he gets a birthday cake with NO Holiday themes on it and also wrap his gifts in Birthday paper and not Christmas paper.

Last night after Isaac was asleep – I blew up about 15 balloons and left them floating all over his room. He woke up bright and early this morning and ran into our room and said “This is the best day EVER!!”

Isaac is genuinely one of the sweetest kids that I know. He is truly an old soul that has so much compassion for others and that alone makes me proud!

We plan to have a small party for him at the house and he has MORE presents to open. His Grandma’ and Uncle will come over as well.

WOW – I am tired!

Free, easy & helpful money saving tips

Saving money is not just about putting all of your cash into a savings account. It is also about spending your money wisely and trying to lower your bills.

Here are just a few tips money saving tips for you:

Lower Your Thermostat – If it’s cold in the house don’t just automatically switch the heating to high. Did you know that households that lower their thermostats by 1 degree Fahrenheit (1° F) during the winter season may see an average savings of $15 – $40 or more?

Lower Your Water Bill – Try to take showers instead of baths. Also, be sure to turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth.  When washing dishes, use a large bowl or fill the sink up with water instead of leaving the tap running.

Here are some great money saving Tips for you: http://www.reallifesolutions.net/personal/bills.html
Take Care,
Aurelia

P.S. Discover how to live on a budget and save money without giving up all of the things that you love
http://www.reallifesolutions.net/budget_living.HTML

WAHMs Carol for a Great Cause! Take a Listen

Christmas is the season for carols, fun and giving.  How would you like to hear your fellow work at home moms sing your favorite Christmas carol? This is a UNIQUE Christmas Fundraiser inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas.

This fundraiser will run only for 12 days beginning on December 13 and ending on December 25, 2006. All proceeds of this fundraiser will be donated to the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. To listen to the carols and to donate – please visiit http://www.mommycommunity.com/go/CarolforaCause

Once your donation is received, you will be directed to a page where you can access the “carols”. As a Thank You for your donation, you will also have access to awesome resources and e-books like:

- Traditional Christmas Carols
- Holiday Stress Ebook
- Creating a Magical Family Christmas
and some business resource ebooks too

What’s On Your List?

I hope this message finds you well.

You may think that I am referring to a Christmas list but actually; I am referring to a Gratitude List.  

Gratitude is the state of being grateful and although we encounter many trying times, we should take a moment to reflect upon those things that we are grateful for. 

I would like to challenge you to create your own gratitude list, keep that list with you, and add to it as needed. A few things that you can add to the list could be:

* Good Health
* Loving Family
* Caring heart

As you see, the list could go on and on if you really sit down and reflect on it.

Here are a few tips to get started:

Set aside a small amount of time each day to focus on things that you are grateful for. You can spend as little as 5 minutes on this task and bring those items that you are grateful for into your mind.

Get a small notebook or just a sheet of paper and use it to note the things that you are grateful for.  Writing down the things that you are grateful for is a great reflective activity.

Little things count too.  It can be something as everyday as “I’m grateful for nice clothing” or “I’m grateful for my evening cup of tea”.  The key to this exercise is to think about what we are thankful for whether big or small. 

Studies have shown that expressing gratitude promotes our physical and emotional well being.

Why not start today?

Today I am grateful for ___________________. (Fill-in this blank with what you are grateful for).

My answer is:

Today I am grateful for the support of many wonderful women.

What is your answer?

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Real Life Coaching Freebies & Specials
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I had an opportunity to have one of my Self Esteem Coaching sessions recorded. Please stop by  http://www.reallifecoaching.net  to listen to the session, it is very powerful!

I offer a free 30-minute consultation (valued at $45); by telephone, instant messenger or  in person to help you decide if coaching is for you. If you are interested, simply e-mail me at  info@reallifecoaching.net to set up an appointment.

10% off Coaching Special! I am offering my subscribers a 10% discount on any of my coaching packages. You can view the packages here http://www.reallifecoaching.net/packages.shtml Be sure to mention this  special when you sign up! 

Do you make New Years Resolutions?

WOW where in the heck did 2006 go? 

I am curious to know how many of you out there make New Years resolutions.  I remember reading a study last year that said that 83% of the people in this country that make New Years Resolutions break them before the end of January?

So, do you make them? Keep them? Break them?

What are your Resolutions this year?

Aurelia

Real Life Solutions

Tips on how to avoid holiday weight gain

For those watching their waistlines, the holiday season can be a truly stressful time. However, there’s some good news – most people don’t gain as much during that time as they might think. But, the bad news is that the weight gained during the festive season turns into an unwanted gift that can’t be returned. You can enjoy the rest of this informative article Here.

Setting Goals & Reaching Them

One of the hottest topics lately seems to be Goal setting & Goal Getting.

Setting good, clear goals is a powerful process for both your personal and professional well-being.  By setting goals on a routine basis YOU decide what you want to achieve and then move step-by-step towards achieving these goals.

I always encourage women to make an effort to spend time setting sharp and clearly defined goals.  One of the beautifully empowering things about goal setting is that you can measure and take pride in the achievement you make as you get closer to your goals. By setting goals, you will also raise your self confidence as you recognize your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set.

The process of setting goals allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on to do it.

Remember, your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.

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Action Steps
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Here are a few action steps for you to take into consideration when working on setting and pursuing your goals:

Make sure you set goals that you can realistically reach. Striving to be perfect is not a realistic goal. Striving to eat healthier, exercise more..etc. is a realistic goal.

Break your big goals up into bite-sized chunks. If your ultimate goal is to launch a new website before September, break the goal down. Work 1st on asking for others to give you the opinions on possible webmasters, make a list of what you want your site to look like, contact certain webmasters, ask for price quotes etc. The key is to take small, thought-through steps to reach that ultimate goal.

Set a specific time-frame to achieve your goals.

Write your goals down and force yourself to be very specific about them. You can then refer back to your goals list and you can see how you are measuring up. It is an empowering feeling to set goals and achieve them.

Celebrate! When you achieve a goal or overcome a hurdle that brings you closer to that goal, CELEBRATE you and your accomplishment!

Aurelia
Goal Setting & Getting

How to deal with child temper tantrums

Ahhh the joys of parenting.  Most parents have witnessed their little bundles of joy in the throws of a temper tantrum.  Even the most dignified parent has been left red-faced and wanting to be swallowed into the ground while their toddler is having a publicmeltdown.

Here are some free tips on how to deal with your childs tantrums! http://reallifesolutions.net/family/tantrums.html

Helpful Resources:

 

Better Behavior Wheel An upbeat, fun, and totally unique approach to child behavior management.

 

Vicki Lansky’s Practical Parenting Tips: Over 1,500 Helpful Hints for the First Five Years. A treasured classic of time-tested tips and advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics and from parents “in the trenches.”

A Free Newslettter For WAHMs

Be sure to check out this totally free online newsletter and networking group  WAHM Zine.  It featurs a private members area, up to date articles, free ebooks, ecourses, resources and business tools dedicated to helping new work at home moms (WAHMs) succeed.

Join them for the latest home business information, upcoming events and a new freebie every month. Our December Freebie is ~ Creating a Magical Family Christmas ~ an ebook full of decorating tips and fun ideas for the whole family. Join Today!

Ack, I’ve been Tagged – Triple Tagged actually

Recently I was tagged by Arika, Nicole Dean & Tishia.  They tagged me and invited me to a “Come As You Are” Blog party which means, I had to stop what I was doing and take a picture of myself at that very moment.  Good grief ladies you all picked a heck of a week for this party – I’ve been down and out with a cold and look like Pure-Heck!…Hee hee

 Well Here I am in all my glory:

 

So, the instructions are to post a picture as you are right at this moment, then tag four other bloggers to come join the party… so here goes:

And I am tagging:

• Holly
• Nola Cooper
• The lovely lady at 1smartmom.com/
• Fellow Coach: Jill the Goal Guru