How to Have a Happy #Thanksgiving

1. Wake up and think of all the things you're grateful for.
2. Continue to think of all those things all day long, even if a family member makes you want to throw the gravy across the room.
3. Try to keep smiling and try not to stress eat..
4. When you are away from your family who may or may not annoy you, watch your favorite TV show or do your favorite hobby, like reading or scrapbooking or woodworking or WHATEVER. Try not to comfort eat.
5. Consider going for a walk after dinner.
6. Check out these awesome Thanksgiving crafts my kids made at their homeschool co-op.

How to be a Witch

How to Avoid a Sleepless Night

I love sleep. Who doesn't? But it's difficult to sleep well when your body is on a crappy mattress and your head and neck are on an even crappier pillow. To me, it's worth it to spend a little bit more for comfortable bedding, including mattress, pillow, and sheets because I spend roughly one-third of my life in bed! I need good sleep to be able to keep up with my busy lifestyle of homeschooling five kids and running several businesses, which include proofreading and writing, which really require my very best brain power and focus.

Something important you need to do that you might not be thinking about is ensure your mattress and pillows suit your sleeping style. Your sleeping style? That’s right! Think about these other factors, as well, when searching for a good night’s sleep:

• Do you toss and turn or do you rest peacefully in one spot most of the night?
• Do you prefer a hard or soft mattress?
• Do you prefer one or two pillows? Flat or puffy? Feather or foam? When my kids were younger they didn’t want pillows at all. As they get older they always want one, and when they start to hit the tween years they insist on two pillows! My husband and I each use two pillows, and one of mine is a Tempur-Pedic that should probably have been replaced a long time ago!
• Do you sleep alone or with your spouse? A Sleep Number bed might just be the answer if you and your spouse have differing opinions and tastes in mattresses.
• Do you snore? Get a pillow that fits your neck well so that it’s more comfortable for you to sleep on your side, where you are less likely to sound like a freight train all night long!
• Do you need a noise machine or fan to help you fall asleep?
• When was the last time you changed your mattress?
• What kind of sheets do you prefer? Super soft or anything goes? Maybe even flannel sheets in the wintertime might make you feel cozier and help you sleep better.

Better sleep tips:

·        Limit caffeine at bedtime, unless you are like me and are hardly affected by caffeine at all!

·        Stop smoking! Nicotine is a stimulant.

·        Avoid alcohol 2-3 hours before going to bed. Seems like a glass of wine would knock you out, right? But for most people it has the opposite effect, giving them the unwanted gift of restless sleep.

·        Know yourself. For some, exercising before bed helps them rest well, as it tires them out. For others, it gets them fired up.

·        If you just can’t destress but don’t want to become dependent on sleeping pills, consider taking the natural supplement of melatonin. You won’t wake up feeling groggy or hung over.

·        Make sure you go to the bathroom before going to sleep and also keep water near your bed so you don’t have to get all the way up out of bed if you get thirsty. You definitely want to be able to fall right back to sleep if you wake for any reason.

The Lovely Candy Company Pre-Review

I'm so excited to the opportunity to sample and review six different candies from The Lovely Candy Company! Here is some information about the company. I love that it's gluten-free because then I can easily share with our gluten-free friends and neighbors. What great gifts!

The Lovely Candy Company makes premium, consciously crafted candies for consumers looking for indulgent treats which offer the best ingredients available. Lovely candies are all natural, certified gluten free, tested non-GMO, certified kosher and contain no high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients. They have Chewy Caramels, Fudgee Rolls(think a better Tootsie Roll), Fruit Chews with real fruit pieces, and Gluten-Free Licorice. A great treat for you and a fantastic treat for the whole family. Live Life Lovely! Get your Lovely Candy for the Holidays TODAY! 

If My Kids Went to School ... (and Now They Go To Co-op!!!)

This is making the rounds about a mom who mixed up pajama day with picture day. And all I can think is, "Yeah, that might be me pulling something like that and I can see Samuel with these jammies and this put-out look on his face." Priceless!

**I originally posted this back in 2014 but had to share again today because it's co-op picture day so the kids are out of uniform for a day. I was thinking it would be funny to send them in pajamas. Just kidding! I wouldn't do it on PURPOSE for my own entertainment or anything like that!