Acts of Random Kindness to You

I think I would be remiss to not mention Haiti on this blog. Those poor people and what they must be going through after the earthquake as if they didn’t have it hard enough already. However, the last thing the Haitians probably need from me or anyone else is pity. They are a proud nation and although they want our help, I am sure they want it with the dignity that they deserve.

If at this time, you feel inclined to give something to help put Haiti back together again, then I would recommend visiting the site sponsored by Bill Clinton and George W. Bush at http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org/

This will at least give you a starting place to give where the funds are most needed. Make God bless you all and especially the Hatian people as they struggle through these challenges.

So, I am just over 2 weeks in on this incredibly long weightloss journey when it occurs to me that I never really gave my starting weight. So, here goes for the entire world to see…at 5′3″, I began January 1st 2010 weighing 262#. Ugh..there, I have said it or rather typed it for the world to see.

On the first weekly weigh in (January 8th), I was down to 256# which was impressive even though I know in my mind that much of it was probably water weight. A loss is a loss and I will take it. Then, on Monday, January 11th we started a BIggest Loser type contest at work with weigh-ins on Friday. I signed up and on the 15th was my 1st weigh-in for the contest. I was happy to see that I was down to 255# which isn’t a huge loss, but still a loss.

This weekend was nothing short of me going overboard. I got some good news and then hubby and I decided to take off for an overnight at the casino. I ate terribly. Oh well, we all have those moments and I am not going to dwell on it. Today, I am back on track with a nice 3 mile walk at the gym and tracking all my foods yet again.

We shall see what the scale is on Friday. Have you began your journey yet? I would love to know how you are doing. Let’s get there together!

Last night started the new season of The Biggest Loser on NBC. I love this show. It is so inspirational and it is also very informative if you pay attention and don’t play on the computer. Also, I absolutely adore everything about Bob Harper. My husband gets a bit tired of hearing what Bob Harper has to say. In reality though, I would have to train with Jillian. She is exactly what I would hate and would need in a trainer. Plus, who on earth wouldn’t mind looking like her??

So, I watched the Biggest Loser and it was actually an episode that made me tear up a few times. I mean the largest man to ever be on the show was there as well as a set of twins that weigh almost 1000 pounds combined. I think the saddest thing about the twins was that one of them got voted off. They REALLY need to be on the show.

On another note, my first weigh-in since New Year’s Day is on Friday morning. I will update you here with both the starting weight and the new number which I sure the heck hope is lower. How are things going for you in the New Year? I hope that whatever goals you set, you are well on your way to success.

In preparation for the New Year and my resolve to lose 100 pounds, I headed back to the gym today. I actually like the gym, but let me get away with not going for a week or so and it is like a distant memory. Our local YMCA is actually very welcoming. They have little televisions on ever treadmill so I have something to occupy my mind while do the daunting 60 minute walks.

One thing I have to say about the gym is that I would not be there at all if it weren’t for the constant encouragement and insistence of my husband. My father developed Alzheimer’s very young and all research shows that being active and healthy can help. Alas, my husband seems to want me around and in good health for awhile longer so he pays the membership and when I get off track for a bit, he drags me back!

Got a local YMCA in your area? I reccomend checking it out. It isn’t nearly as bad as I thought and I have 100 pounds to lose!

Anyone want to take a journey with me in 2010? I am planning to lose over 100 pounds before the 1st day of 2011. It won’t be easy, but I have all of the tools I need to be successful and I would love for you to see it happen right here on ARK2U.  After all, it we aren’t kind to ourselves, there is no way for us to have the energy to be kind to others.

So, beginning on January 1st, I will devote a separate category to weightloss. I would love to have all of your support, tips, encouragement, and even failures to help me along the way. Let’s make 2010 the year to remember for all of us. Isn’t it about time?

This time of year is crazy. You are so concerned about making everything nice for others that somewhere along the way, you lose yourself. It may only be for a month or so, but even at this time of year, it is important to be kind to yourself.

Save a few minutes every day to do something you enjoy such as reading a good book, playing on your favorite website or indulging in your favorite television show. Also, don’t stop exercising and eating right. It’s okay to indulge in those holiday treats, but take some time out and continue your healthy habits. This will give you the energy you need and the attitude others like to be around.

The holidays are not just for everyone else. They are for you too. So, relax and enjoy them by taking a moment or two out for you. Make it your very own special gift. Happy Holidays!

It is one of the best and most emotional times of the year. I lost my dear grandmother at Christmas time and this year will be celebrating a 2nd year with my father in a nursing home at Christmas time. I have much that I am blessed with, but there certainly are things that make me sad.

I will be writing a Christmas post very soon and also have some new ideas for the coming New Year. Stay tuned and enjoy the days ahead.

As a teacher, I spend a great amount of time looking at books, reading books, and picking just the right book to get kids interested in reading and writing. As an aunt, I always want to be sure I know that my nieces and nephews can each express themselves in their own way. So, I was super excited when I had the chance to look at and review “The Daily Doodle” written by  Janet Lee (who just happens to have her PH. D and might know a bit of something about children).

The first thing I noticed about this book was that it was colorful and fun looking. My niece was immediately drawn to the colors and pictures on the cover. So, we decided to explore it together. The first few pages are full of ideas and thoughts for parents and ‘kudos’ to the author as she also remembered to write a letter to the kids. My niece loved me reading the letter directly to her and we hadn’t even gotten to the fun part yet.

Once you get into the book itself, it has pages and pages of activities geared toward self expression for children. Each pages has a topic and then there is lots of room for the child to draw or write whatever it is they feel about that topic. I was curious to see what my niece thought about bedtime because unlike her teenage brother who loves to sleep, putting this 6 year old to bed is nothing short of a miracle. So, we turned to that page and I read the title, “Bedtime”. I told her to write or draw whatever she wanted and at first she was hesitant, so I acted busy doing something else and she began. She colored and drew for a good 15 minutes before showing me the picture of a “playground” of all things. It gave me a great place to ask, “Why?”  She explained to me that every night when she goes to bed she is mad because she has to stop playing. She wants to play and not sleep so much. Can you imagine the discussion from this one simple activity?

It got me excited because some of the pages could really allow a child to express themselves and give their parent/teacher/counselor a jumping point for discussion. My niece and I were both very impressed by the book. We decided we would do one activity a day, but I can also see that it could be used on an as needed basis or any way that someone felt it would fit their situation.

So, if you have an opportunity to buy one fun, but useful book for your child, I would without hesitation recommend that you check out, “The Daily Doodle” written by Janet Lee or check out her webpage for other books at www.drjanetlee.com or on Amazon.com

I am a Special Educator and I love it. I love the kids and I love what I do. My kids have so many amazing capabilities. Once in awhile, they struggle with their behavior or a writing assignment, but otherwise they are typical high school age kids. I decided to do “ONE MORE YEAR” of summer school with them, so I am currently in the middle of that and although they are there for a variety of reasons, my reason for being there is the success of the kids.

Once we hit summer school, it is a new start. I don’t care that they failed during the regular school year or that they didn’t do a thing I asked them to all year. They get another chance now and that’s what we are there for; to do it together!

So, today a wonderful co-worker brought them a homemade treat. They loved it. It made me chuckle though that her children had wondered why she was bringing something to kids that had failed. I loved her explanation to them and I think it speaks volumes.
She told her children, “Have you ever failed at anything? When you fail is when I try the hardest to let you know that it’s o-kay to fail and that I will be there to help you get back up. We all fail! We all need someone to pick us back up and today that pick up for these students is this treat!”

We do all need people to pick us up when we fail. Failure is a part of life and often a time that I personally learn more than I learn from success. So, remember the next time you see someone fail that it may be you that gets them back on track. One act of kindness at a time, we can all change the world.

Wow. I can’t believe it has been so long since I last wrote here. I have no good excuse except that I am a slacker sometimes. I admit it. Yes, life has been busy, but not so busy that I couldn’t jot a few lines about kindness. I think it is often times the being busy that keeps us from being kind and noticing kindness in our lives. Enough about that, I have some kindness that I would like to spread to my readers. Below, I am going to list some sites and links that over the past few years have made me some real money. Although they are referral links, feel free to use them without the referral if you would rather. These are legitimate and fun sites. Once that have outlasted the others and a couple of new ones too. Interested? Read on and check out those that interest you!!

1.) Mypoints - An old standby. I can expect without doing any purchasing to get at least (3) $25 gift cards from here a year. They are reliable and the prizes come quick.

2.) Swagbucks - This is an amazing site. You can search and win Swagbucks that turn into gift cards, prizes, and now even paypal. I have earned several hundred dollars since December of 2008 for just searches and participating in contests. If you do ONE site, I would make it this one!!!

3.) Gather - A great Social Networking site. Although the prizes have slowed down somewhat, they are reliable and often have contests that allow you to win more points. Points become gift cards and now even paypal. You will meet some amazing people while winning some great prizes too.

4.) GSN - A fun game show site. This one is fairly new for me, but I cashed out for (2) $10 gift cards and received them almost immediately. So far, so good and a really fun site too. You win OODLES and turn them in for prizes. Great fun!

5.) Redgage - Another new site, but interesting in concept. It too is a social networking site, but you get paid for your content. It can be anything you have done. Blogs, posts on sites, articles…anything you want to share and the bigger your network…the more you make. Interested? If you want to use me as a referral, just type Cyclonewriter where it askes who sent you. If not, that’s fine but look me up so we can be friends!!

These would be my top 5. Got others? I would love to hear about them. Be sure to give me your referral link in case I am interested…Regardless of what you decide, just remember that kindness makes the world a better place !