Happy Fall everyone

Well, Saturday was the first day of fall (Autumn for some of you formal folks), and it is time for all things, harvest, Halloween, and the last holiday, Thanksgiving.

I will not say that I enjoyed my summer, nor do I hate it either.  My summer was so-so.  I cannot say anything about my summer at all, except this.

First of all, my July 4^th was wonderful yet hateful at the same time.  The way I planned my summer was to lay low from June 21^st to July 18^th, travel to Orlando, Florida for all things family reunion and Disney, ending the rest of the summer in this “catch up on my business and revamp where I can” type of summer until the first of September 1^st.   Instead, my parents did not want to travel to Florida, I had not saved for Florida, and neither did my brother, sister, and nephew.  I did not get to see my city’s Red, White, and Boom celebration because my parents and I were in their hometown of Tuscaloosa and Moundville, Alabama.  Mom did well coming and going, but the hotel was not the most promising.  In fact, we ended up changing hotels in the middle of the week.

The first hotel was a hot mess dot com.  We arrived at a less than quality Howard Johnson, at 4808 Skyland Blvd E, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405.  They were in the middle of a room renovation, switching out television sets, peeling walls, worst breakfast in the history of me having the worst breakfast, bad handicap bathrooms (mom needed one) I ever seen, and I have been in some bad hotels.  We stayed there until about Tuesday of that week.  Next hotel was actually a better deal with a nice room, a couch, handicap bathroom on point (except I missed my bathtub) and had to stay in the room with the parents.  The first one, I had my own room. This room was spacious for three of us.  The only things I hated about that room in addition to the shower deal, I was catching an allergy/cold that lasted all summer (last week I finally am starting to feel like myself again) and dad snoring on some nights (He had the c-pap machine, but he did not use it, what was that all about?)

The 4^th was spent at one of my uncles’ house, and he threw down with the food.  We had ribs, chicken, brats, corn on the cob, spaghetti with meat sauce, greens, desert, baked beans, and watermelon. There was Potato salad, macaroni salad, and a few other things that I could not remember.  We visited my aunt in Bessemer, AL, and I had TCBY for dessert one night (that company decided to close up in Central Ohio, it was one of my favorite places to eat Froyo.)   

I took off for August.  I prepared to write posts, but I did not publish anything.  Look for those to come at the end of the month.  I did not vlog anything or create anything. I was preparing for this month, but this month, I did not much either.  So, it is now the time to get back to work full time.

Pigeon Forge, TN (Copyright
2015 P.Lynne Designs

Fall in love with a forever changing blog….

New in this blog:

Starting October 1^st, I will break this blog into segments.  I have been meaning to do this, but as I was not sure how to do it, especially with it being in Blogger format.  I have been researching other blogs and found that everyone was able to break off their subjects into different segments.  One reason is for an organization and the other is, so I know what keywords to put for my readers to be able to find a post.  The segments are:

-          Motivational Mondays- Encouragement from writing your first post to anything that has to do with you and writing your masterpiece.  The first piece of this newly minted day is on Humility.  Look for it next Monday.

-          Tip Tuesday- Enough said, but it has to do with tips on writing, except on journaling.  I will save those for ….

-          Write it Down Wednesdays- (honestly, there are no days of the week that goes with journaling).  I addressed this one of my posts.  I recently started a series on journaling.  I had so much fun tackling this subject until I want to write about it at least once a week. 

-          Throw Back Thursdays- This is a post that I can update or a subject that I previously posted about and give it a new twist.  No, this is not another chance for me to attack Abby Lee Miller (I wish her well in her cancer treatments), but this is for posts that promote motivation, writing and other stuff related to the current status of my blog.

-          Facebook Fridays – Well, it is for more than just Facebook, it is for all of the social media, at least the big six (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube). I did a series a couple years ago on social media as I know it, and I recently wrote about Facebook as an updated version of that series.  Again, like the journaling series, I had fun writing it until I want to write on the subject for a while.

-          I will skip Saturday and Sunday, which would be a good time for me to do a Social Media Saturday or Sunday, but I want to spend time with family and friends and to regroup from the week. 

That is it for now.  As for Fall…

·         Embrace all of what fall brings. 

·         This is bonfire weather, pass the popcorn and apple cider while you read a book under a cozy blanket weather. 

·         Leaves are falling, and kids are ready to jump into a pile of them. 

·         Time to find that costume for the end of October.

·         And finally, have a bountiful feast consist of turkey, stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, and Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie. Do not forget to give back to those who have to do without.

Be grateful the little things.  Again, Happy Fall/Autumn.  Be safe, warm, and God Bless.

The art of being Organized-Gift placement

(C) 2016 P. Lynne Designs

Well, well, well, look at all of those gifts.  You sure got a lot, now didn’t you? 

It is a wonderful thing to get gifts for Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, Festivus, or even your birthday.  (10 points of you had a combo month - you know the drill-Birthday + any two holidays, 20 if you throw in Thanksgiving = Thanksbirthanuzafestmas^*).  Let the food coma begin.  Nothing like the coming of the new year to throw it into overdrive.

Fact: this is the worst time of the year for anyone with food allergies, Gluten intolerance, or diabetics.

Once New Year’s Day is over with, it is time for normalcy to kick in.  Kids go back to school, parents go back to work, and the daily routine schedule commences.  My question is, “where did you put all those presents from December 2016”?  If you do not know, perhaps you are not as organized as you think you are.  Have you even used them yet?  If the answer is yes, good job.  If not, why?

What to do with the gifts?

I know, silly question but I am here to help you out.  You can do several things with gifts.  You can use it, re-gift it (it is not rude to do so). You can return it. Make sure you get a gift receipt, know the store from where the gift was purchased AND their policy, and a good excuse to the gifter on why you are returning it in the first place. (Saying that it is ugly is NOT a good excuse).  You could also sell it.

Have a gift card to a store you do not shop at?  You could try the store out, after all, you may like it, or there are several online places that will exchange the gift card for the one you like, or get a Visa, American Express, or MasterCard gift card. (I have not seen a Discover Card gift card as of yet.)

If you decide to keep said gift…

Please use it.  Nothing is more embarrassing than the gifter standing in long lines just to get you the perfect gift and you do not look at it.  Do not use it out of pity either.  Store the gift in its proper place.  If you do not have a place for it, create one.  Find a like item (something you already have that is in common with the gift).  For instance, my father got me a purse for Christmas.  I am not crazy about the color combination, but I love that I can put my mini Ipad in the main compartment of the purse.  My phone fits up front, and my wallet fits inside with the Ipad.  I do not carry tons of makeup, so when I do, it will fit as well.  I will carry the purse until it is time for the season to change, then I will store it with my other purses.  Now it has a home.  I store my purses in my bedroom closet.

There is another place…

To put an unwanted gift.  You do not need any monitory value for it at all.  Donate the item.  Most places like consignment shops, thrift stores, and shelters take gently used items to give to those without a whole lot of money.  Some places will pay you money for your unwanted gift, like consignment shops and shops like New Uses, but do not expect a lot of money for the precious item.

Back in the summer, I needed some money, so I decided to try New Uses.  I had some retired Longaberger baskets to unload (8), so I decided to give New Uses a try.  Longaberger baskets are worth a lot of money, but the total I would have received from New Uses was a whopping $27.72, had I taken the money.  I was expecting around $200.00 tops.  The buyer explained to me that they go by the size and shape of the baskets, NOT what it is worth. In other words, the value.  She held up the smallest basket and said that it is was worth $2 by itself.  I was so heated, until I grabbed all the baskets, and got out of there. 

Thrift stores do not pay, at least in Columbus, Ohio.  Your best option is to simply donate the gift.  While you are at it, clean out your closets, so your gift would not be lonely.  The donation alone makes a great tax write-off for the end of the year.  My church’s denomination, The United Methodist Church has a free store on the south end of the city.  Those who are in need go there to get gently used items, and it is like a store, where products are set up on shelves or hanging on racks.  The only difference is the people pay nothing for the product, eliminating the stigma of not having any money to pay for a new doll or a new pair of pants.  All you, the donator needs to do, is drop off the products for the people to “purchase”.  Of course, you get a receipt for the items you donate, and you present that receipt to your tax preparer.

Conclusion…

You have received so much in one day, make the most out of it.  Maybe you have not, and this holiday season was such a struggle for you. Perhaps you do not celebrate any holidays or birthdays for whatever reason you choose to, or it was something you were taught.  Whatever the reason, whatever the thought process to the gift you received, and whatever the gift is or was (remember Hanukah and Kwanza are still being celebrated as I type this), always remember that it is the thought that counts, and it is better to give than receive.  Give to others and receive the present of family and friends, for those are lasting memories.  Time is very precious.  Make good use of it.

Happy Fall

Fall colours (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whatever you call it, Fall or Autumn, it is here.  Summer 2012 is a thing of the past and in the history books. How did you survive?  I told you in my last post what I did for the summer, and so things (and truths) I learned during this time.   I learned:

1. Heat and hot flashes do not mix.
2. Heat rises to second floor and stays there even when you are asleep.  Best to keep the air on all night.
3. Save your own money so you do not have to share a hotel room with your parents.
4. Ipads and smartphones make the time go a lot quicker while riding in a car.
5. Military bases do not have WiFi, and will not have any in the near foreseeable future.  Best bring your own.
6. Stretch a lot before walking uphill.
7. Bring lots of money to Canada.
8. Pack like you are staying for a month.
9. Plan ahead and have a plan b,c, and d.
10. Did I mention Heat and hot flashes do not mix.

I love curling up with a blanket and a pillow and just read.  Fall is made for that type of thing.   Summer is too hot for it, and winter is too cold.  Spring does not do it at all for me.  It is not a curling up season.  I ready to shed off layers by then.

Leaves, I used to love to jump in a pile of leaves.  I think it is a kid thing.  It's soft and messy.  You can track in the leaves and make parents mad because you do not have to clean it up.  Now that I am the adult, it is no fun anymore.  Finally, Thanksgiving and harvest (I am not a big fan of Halloween), you get ready for the next to last holiday of the year,  and each year, the turkey steals the show.  I love my mom's dressing, and I do not make it as good as she does each year.  This year, I will have to ask her if I can make it, with her guiding me.  I know someday I will have to make it without her help.   

I love everything that the season brings to the table, and for Fall 2012, I hope it is a good season.

Be blessed everyday.

  

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