Fine.

I had Amanda find a recipe online and we proceed to make our own homemade tortillas.

Not bad, huh?

The flour tortilla recipe was straightforward, but I would suggest having a marble rolling pin (which is what I used) or a tortilla press (which I will be purchasing).

I always hear the saying ‘never trust a skinny cook’. Not sure I completely agree with that. I mean, Gordon Ramsey isn’t fat. I prefer to say ‘never trust a neat cook’.

But, {yeah, there’s always a but} he prefers corn tortillas over the flour ones. So, tonight I made tacos for Amanda and searched for a different tortilla recipe. I’m fairly sure these were some odd version of corn pancakes. They were edible. They will not be made again. And a huge mess was made. Eh, these things happen.

Oh, you want to know how much it all costs?

Well, the flour was bought on sale for something around $1, but I also inherited an insane amount of flour from my mother when she passed. On average you can get a 5 pound bag of all-purpose flour for around $2. Baking powder is about $1 or so (again, I have several cans in the cupboard). You would think I bake/cook a lot or something. Salt is super cheap and most everyone has this in their house. And water is free! So, for less than 50¢ I made 11 delicious flour tortillas, I know every ingredient, and I saved money. ♫ Love it! ♫

Cooking 101: Homemade Tortillas is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

Right now it’s somewhere in the middle which is how I ended up with three cups of coffee sitting in my French Press and no one to drink it. Not wanting it to go down the drain (figuratively and literally) I poured it into containers and in the fridge it went.

It must be fate.

Someone somewhere is trying to tell me something. I have read two posts this past month on the Toddy Cold Brew System. First there was Rachel, who reviews how the cold toddy system works. Seriously, read this before you buy one.

And of course Andrea of Mommy Snacks has a Toddy Cold Brew System giveaway going on right now. Hey, it’s always more fun to win something. {If you’re interested in this you better get to it. The giveaway ends Saturday, July 24th at 9 pm EST.}

Yet, my kitchen real estate will not allow for a traditional coffee maker, a French Press, and the Toddy Cold Brew System. How about you?

But I like my special, ridiculously expensive, I-would-never-pay-this-much-for-anything-else coffee.

Me, too! And now I can have that ridiculously expensive, I-would-never-pay-this-much-for-anything-else coffee without the ridiculous price tag. It’s really simple. I used my Bodum 3-Cup French Press, but you can use a drip coffee maker, percolator, or any other method you choose. Note, you’ll want to have your coffee made and cooled ahead of time.

All right, you’re coffee has been refrigerated and now it’s time to make some yummy cold coffee drink. YaY!

• Put about 6- 8 oz of coffee in a blender
• Add approximately 3 oz of milk (I like soy or almond)
• Toss in a couple ice cubes.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• Add desired flavors. I used a few drops of almond extract and cinnamon, but you can invest in flavored syrups. Just know this is not necessary and you can use what you already have in your cupboard.
• Blend together for about 20-30 seconds or until ice is crushed and drink is desired consistency.
• Pour into your favorite mug or cup (or leave in your little blender and save yourself a dish like I did)
• Garnish with a little spray of whipped cream, shredded chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever your little heart desires.
• Add a straw and enjoy!

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Pre-making your coffee

• The first thing you have to figure out is how strong do you like your coffee. I really don’t want to put hair on my chest, but that’s just me. My French Press says to add 5 scoops of coarsely ground coffee. I add about 2 1/2 and it’s just about perfect for me.
• Next, well, maybe this should be first, choose your coffee. I used Maxwell House. We’re so not coffee snobs in this house.
• Follow the directions on your coffee maker. For mine I added my coffee grounds to my press. Then brought water to a boil on the stove using my mini tea kettle. Once the water comes to a boil, I pour it over the coffee grounds in the press and put the lid on (do not press down just yet). Wait approximately 4 minutes, then press.
• Let it cool a bit, then refrigerate for a nice cold coffee drink.

Need a new coffee maker?

Amazon is running a Buy Three Get a Fourth Free deal on their kitchen and dining items. There is so much more than just coffee makers here. It’s also a great way to start buying those holiday gifts instead of waiting until November and the big holiday rush. And if you have SwagBucks to redeem you can make this an even sweeter deal. It only takes 450 SwagBucks to earn a $5 Amazon gift card.

Disclaimer: No compensation was received for writing this post. All opinions are 100% my own. Amazon product links within this post. SwagBucks affiliate link used. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Saving Money 101: Specialty Coffee is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

Why cashew butter? Well, I have peanut butter. And I have almond butter. So, it only stands to reason I would want to try cashew butter next. I made mine with 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews and canola oil. And check out this cute jelly jar. It’s about 3/4 full of yummy homemade goodness.

Homemade Cashew Butter is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

10 Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier Me

1. I get a little exercise every day. Whether it’s a planned workout of 10-30 minutes or more or just trekking through the yard to feed the chickens [up & down a hill on our mini farm] I always manage a little something.
2. Keeping fruit handy that everyone enjoys. Bananas and apples are staples, but watermelon, plums, grapes, strawberries, and honeydew have been making a much welcome appearance these days.
3. Colorful dinners. Variety in veggies and colors on the table are not only pretty but good for you.
4. Drinking water instead of soda, most days.
5. I have a weakness for chips and all things salty. I bring few into the house.
6. Spending time outside. With Spring in the air and the sun shining I find myself outside more and more.
7. Playing with my Ivy dog. She loves attention and needs exercise, too.
8. Laughing. It really is the best medicine. And when you’re around my family you rarely ever get sick!
9. Switched to almond milk. I was a big soy milk girl, but then learned that I need to limit my soy intake.
10. Writing. Yes, this helps me express myself and share with people all over. Life happens, why not write about it!

Bonus Tip

Drink more orange juice. Not only is it good for you, but now you can get rewarded even more for doing something good for your body.

If you are new to the Tropicana’s Juicy Rewards program, then I have a code to help get you started. TWMOM-READR is worth one Juicy Rewards point [that’s up to $5 in savings]. This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account. Limit one new account bonus code per new account. All accounts must be created and all codes entered by May 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.

What little things do you do?

It could be as simple as parking farther away from the store and walking to going a day without fast food. It all adds up to a happier, healthier you!

Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop 50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

The Little Things Really Do Add Up is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

This year Stephen didn’t request any special meal for his birthday, but he did request a special dessert. Stephen made this with my mom one summer. I don’t know its origin. If it is you, please let me know so I can give you credit.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

Cooking time (duration): 120

Number of servings (yield): 8

Meal type: dessert

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

My rating:4 stars: ★★★★☆

Microformatting by hRecipe.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

Lately I’ve been working on expanding my cooking knowledge.

First I made homemade noodles and learned I never have to buy egg noodles again!

The best part of homemade noodles [besides the homemade part] – they do not stick together after cooking like store bought noodles.

Last week I made homemade bread, which became garlic bread. I will be sharing all of that next week. I made a lot of homemade bread last year when I first became unemployed.

And two weeks ago I tried my hand at homemade bagels. These were such a hit that I made them again last Sunday for our lovely little breakfast prior to taking Megan back to school.

AND…

I will be making these again, per Amanda’s request.

First things first

Thanks to John D. Lee for posting this recipe over on HubPages.com. Be sure to check it out and see the wonderful images John has posted. He also posted a video on bagel rolling techniques. And if you try this out, make sure you drop him a comment.

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Recipe: Homemade Bagels

Summary: Handrolled homemade water bagels as easy to make as a loaf of bread.

Cooking time (duration): 120

Number of servings (yield): 8

Meal type: breakfast

My rating:5 stars: ★★★★★

Microformatting by hRecipe.

Sesame Wheat Bagels is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

Rachel of Shedding It & Getting It and Leah of Your Nutritionista have come up with a way to keep us all on our toes for the next 9 weeks with a little OTBchallenge!

To find the current week’s challenge just click on the week you want below:

Outside the Box Challenge

Starting Monday, March 1 and ending Saturday May 1, Rachel & Leah are going to give us a new “outside the box” task to complete.

[3/1] Week 1 – Frontier Girl [Guy] Test

The challenge: Make something from scratch that you would normally buy [and don't make regularly].

This was so much fun to read and do! I found a bunch of great healthy recipes I just have to try now. And that’s saying a lot for a picky [and I mean don't like eggs, beans, or most of the healthy foods picky] eater like me.

Check out my Sesame Wheat Bagels. Tell me these don’t look store bought. I dare ya. And they were quite tasty, too.

[3/8] Week 2 – The Core Fusion Shock Your Body Test

The challenge: Try a new workout. It can be a new machine at the gym, a new DVD, a class you’ve never tried before, or just a new and different way to do cardio or strength training. To make sure you really shock your body, it should be something you haven’t done for the past three months! [as taken from OTBC]

And to my surprise and delight the Core Fusion Collection is on sale right now at Amazon for $19.49. This was just over $32 the last time I looked. Oh, and with a free trial to Amazon Prime I’ll get this by Wednesday. Sweet!

Update [3/10]: Hard Core! Core Fusion Pilates Plus is five 10 minute workouts that will kick your butt! I made it through the first 2 sessions before crying uncle. I watched the third and thought Oh My Goodness, they want me to do WHAT?!?!?! But I ♥ pilates and core work is right up my alley. I haven’t done the plank in a long time. In my best days I could hold it for a good 2 minutes; today I was so glad it was a short 30 seconds then child’s pose.

[3/15] Week 3 – The Culinista Test

The challenge: prepare a meal ahead of time that you can get at least three meals out of (so the meal on day you make it, and then two more meals). [as taken from OTBC]

At first I was thinking this would be easy for me. I cook all the time and making a meal that will stretch, well, is not a stretch. But, I want to really challenge myself. So, I am going to make something that will transform itself into different meals stemming from its original self. Stay tuned…

Update [3/22] One Chicken, Three Meals [and counting]. It started with a baked chicken on Tuesday. One pot: whole chicken, potatoes, green peppers, & onions seasoned with black pepper, garlic, onion, & parsley. Thursday followed with a chicken stir fry. Using the leftover chicken from Tuesday, I tossed it in my wok with a little black pepper & sesame oil. Then I added carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, edamame, & bean sprouts + a dash of soy sauce. Lastly, I made an open-faced chicken sandwich with gravy for lunch on Friday.

[3/22] Week 4 – The Stonyfield Know Your Food Test

The challenge: Research one brand you often purchase, whether it’s meat, dairy, or even fruits and vegetables, to find out what the company’s growing practices are. Try to address the following questions as you play detective:

• Are the company’s foodie philosophies and practices in line with your belief system?
• Does the company make an effort to share that sort of info with its consumers?
• Should you reevaluate supporting that company?
• What makes a brand worth buying in the first place? [as taken from OTBC]

Update [3/28] I didn’t track down images, but that is mainly due to me not wanting to become a full-on vegetarian. I know first hand what it’s like to raise, care for, and then kill [we culled 7 of our roosters last summer] your food. It’s trying to say the least. So, I was pleased to hear that Perdue Farms cares about their chickens, too. Although they are not free-range, they are not densely packed in cages either. No hormones or antibiotics and well-trained staff, as well as, being a vertically integrated agribusiness keeps Perdue Farms in the loop every step of the way.

[3/29] Week 5 – The SPRI Fantasy Fitness Test

The challenge: This week’s challenge is a two-parter.

1. Create your ultimate fitness fantasy. Your dream workout. The exercise session of your wildest imagination. Where are you? What are you doing and with who? Do you have a trainer? Who is it? What time of day is it?
2. Make it a reality. At least, partially. Try to incorporate ONE aspect of your fantasy workout into your workout reality this week, and then tell us about it. [as taken from OTBC]

Update [4/2] My ultimate fitness fantasy is quite simple. Lots of fresh fruits, veggies, nature, hiking, yoga, pilates, sweat, and the salt air of the ocean [the only thing I'm missing here in the mountains of Virginia]. This week I chose few words and let pictures do the talking for me. Go check out my fitness fantasy in pictures.

[4/5] Week 6 – The Note Your Nibbles Test

The challenge:

• Write down everything you eat and drink for an entire day or photograph everything you eat for an entire day.
• Also make note of how you felt at the beginning of each meal and the end of each meal. Were you stressed? Happy? Sad? [as taken from OTBC]

Update [4/11] Time is almost up and my nibbles have been noted. By comparison I definitely have much room for improvement. Overall, it was still a very healthy day considering I was gone from 9 am to about 5 pm with the kids [shopping, of course]. My favorite meal was my veggie stir fry. I had been wanting to try bok choy for a while now and finally did with this wonderful mix of fresh veggies. Mmm, veggies! Next thing I want to try is rainbow chard. It looks so pretty. I hope is tastes just as good, too!

[4/12] Week 7 – The Have A Little Herb Test

The challenge: Bring a new herb into your life — one you haven’t enjoyed in the past three months at least. And let us know how it goes! What did you choose and why? How did you use it? What did you think? [as taken from OTBC]

Oh, and there are prizes to be won. Everyone likes a little extra incentive, right? This week there is the book The New Healing Herbs and an amazing prize pack from Amazing Grass! AND, if you have been participating since week 1 you are still in the running for the grand prize. I am sure this will be something phenomenally awesome!

Update [4/18] This was took a bit of time to find. I have been wanting to try a little savory for awhile now. I made a nice little pork roast with a lovely little savory rub. Mmm

[4/19] Week 8 – The Don’t Pour Some Sugar on Me Test

The challenge: to go without added sweetener for a whole day. We’re defining added sweetener as any form of concentrated sweetener, natural or not (this means maple syrup, agave, and honey are all no-nos!). This also includes artificial sweetener. NOTE: this includes added sugar in those processed foods we love so much. [as taken from OTBC]

Now, to go play a little Def Leppard and rock out with my bad self! Oh, 1987, how I miss you and your hair bands. When girls were girls and you had to do a double take with the guys.

Update [4/23] Do you have any idea how much sugar, sweetener, high fructose corn syrup is in the foods we eat? I have come to realize that most of what I eat must just be crap. According to those who have already completed this challenge it was easy. Easy? I found it damn near impossible to find no sugar, sweetener, whatnot in my regular foods, that is, unless I just ate all natural stuff. Not a bad change, I know. I sort of completed this challenge on Tuesday, but I really wanted to partake of the stuffed shells I made, so sugar was consumed. I managed to complete this challenge with little issue on Thursday. Guess it’s time to re-evaluate the foods in my home. How about you?

[4/26] Week 9 – The Reflections Test

The challenge: Which challenge was the hardest, which one was the easiest, and why. [as taken from OTBC]

What a nice way to end a 9 week challenge to your routine. It’s always good to look back on things, assess, and reflect on its impact on you. I’m going to think on this a bit, although I do know which was the hardest test. The easiest test will take a little more time to decide. Patience is a virtue.

Break up with your routine

I’m going to keep a link to this post in my sidebar and update as each weekly challenge is posted then share a link to how I completed each week’s challenge.

Want to join in? Just submit your photo, video, or post about how you completed each week’s challenge. And be sure to check out what everyone else is doing and get inspired!

Oh, and I ♥ comments! Why not leave me one below and tell me what you’re doing to break up [with] your routine. And let me just say THANK YOU in advance.

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the OTB Challenge only. No compensation was received for writing this post. All opinions are 100% my own. Amazon product links within this post. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

Break Up Your Routine #OTBchallenge is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

This is what happens when I get restless from being indoors too many days in a row.

Homemade Egg Noodles

This was super easy to make and took surprisingly very little time. I must confess I used my KitchenAid Mixer to mix and then knead the dough, but I rolled out and cut the noodles by hand. And it was so cool, too. They look, feel, and taste like noodles!

Since this particular recipe isn’t listed online I’m going to omit the specific ingredients [don't want to infringe on any copyrights]. I did want you to know how simple this really was, but still very exciting all the same so I will tell you how I did it.

Directions

Mix flour, dried herbs, and salt. Make a well and add eggs, water, and oil. Mix until well blended. If too dry add a water drop by drop. If too sticky add a little flour until pliable. Knead for approximately 5 minutes.

Separate dough into 4 equal parts. Cover 3 parts and set to the side. On a heavily floured surface roll out dough until approximately 1/16″ thick. [Note: I realized the noodles will expand some when cooking so make sure noodle thickness allows for this expansion.] I used a marble rolling pin to roll out the noodles.

Lightly fold dough in thirds. Cut the dough in 1/4″ strips. I used my kitchen shears and this worked out really well. Unfold the dough.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil. Once boiling add noodles and cook 3 – 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Enjoy!

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This recipe was found in my Betty Crocker Cookbook. I desperately need a new one as mine is well loved and falling apart. But what better book is there for finding basic directions for cooking chicken, beef, pork, fish, homemade egg noodles!

I ♥ comments!

Why not drop me a line and let me know of a great adventure in cooking of yours. Leave a link to your post if you prefer. This is a Do Follow blog, so why not get in on the bloggy love.

Disclaimer: Amazon affiliate link used. No compensation was received for this post. I was just that excited about making my very first noodles!

My Very First Homemade Noodles is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

This is a sponsored post. I received 4 coupons for free cereal courtesy of General Mills via MyBlogSpark in return for sharing this information.

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children’s diets.

Other cereal benefits:

• Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children’s diets.
• Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child’s diet today.
• More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

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In our house it is not uncommon to see a lot of cereal. It’s great when your kids [and husband] love the non-sugary kiddie cereals. But, let’s face it, every now and then we want those little marshmallow thingys, too. I think it’s wonderful that General Mills recognizes this and has made a commitment to reduce the amount of sugar added to single digit grams per serving in cereals marketed to kids under 12 years of age. In addition to less sugar, General Mills is adding more of the good stuff like calcium & Vitamin D. And what parent doesn’t love knowing there is good stuff in what their kids are eating?

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Savings to share

Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals.

Disclosure: I received no further compensation than that listed in the beginning of this post. All opinions are 100% mine. Benefits and study information courtesy of General Mills.

General Mills is Raising the Bar When it Comes to Cereal is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

Why I am Determined to Shed Negativity

I use the word shed and immediately think of Rachel and want to workout. That’s a good thing. Rachel and working out are positive aspects in this life. Both in some form will lead me towards happiness and away from negativity.

Oh, I know, ultimately I am responsible for my own happiness. True, true. But if I continue to allow negativity into my life then happiness will remain elusive to me.

To rid myself of these elements I am giving up a few things.

1. People who claim to care only to berate and name call when you have a difference of opinion. It doesn’t really matter the subject; it’s still wrong. It’s time to disassociate and distance as you are definitely not on my path to happiness.
2. Clutter. This is a work in progress and may take a while, but a clutter is stifling. Time to be free of things.
3. Drama Queens [Kings, too]. These are those people who jump on any bandwagon just to feel as though they are a part of something. They need constant drama in their lives. Good, bad, indifferent, doesn’t really matter as long as everyone else is doing it. I have one word for you ~ Baa! Oh, I mean, Buh-Bye!
4. Boring television, movies, books, etc., etc., etc. Life is short. It shouldn’t be dull, too.
5. Overly caring what others think of me. I will still care, just not that much.

Just put on a happy face

Ever feel old? I do all the time. Especially when I write things like that [and hear it in my head, too].

Happiness is found within. If you are looking for happiness in a paycheck or popularity, then you will be searching for a long, long, long time. Money provides for the things you need and [hopefully] a few things you want, but it does not provide happiness. That is completely up to you.

A smile is contagious.

A smile can be heard over the phone.

Laughter really is the best medicine.

Laughter can strengthen your ab muscles. Seriously, laugh hard and for extended periods of time. You will feel it.

Exercise

Ah, don’t poo poo the idea. Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you feel good. Feeling good makes you happy. End of story.

I joined a gym last week! I am so excited, too. I started with a fitness assessment and already did my first workout.

My arms hurt! In a good way.

I cannot wait for tomorrow and the next day and the next.

I lack motivation not desire.

I want to fit in my clothes without feeling like a summer sausage.

I went ice skating with the kids on Saturday.

I thought my feet and ankles would be sore. No, it is my abs! Really. Anytime you have to balance [so you don't fall and bust your ass on the ice] you use your core muscles. There is video, but until Megan uploads it to youtube you’ll just have to use your imagination here.

Eat Healthy & Drink More Water

Vegetables are good for you. Fruit, too. Not that I don’t like a good steak once in awhile, but moderation is truly key.

Drink water. Lots of water. Instead of reaching for that soda [no, diet soda is not any better, in fact, it's worse] have a glass of water. Plain water.

Lay off the cookies. Lay off the chips. Put down that double chocolate chunk ice cream. Okay, you can eat these things just be mindful of how much of these things you are eating.

Moderation, moderation, moderation.

Everything in moderation.

Volunteer or Make a Donation

Giving of yourself is one way to give yourself that deep down good feeling.

If you don’t have money, volunteer. Contact your local United Way, Soup Kitchen, Church, well, you get the picture. If you are handy, why not check into Habitat for Humanity?

If you don’t have time, make a donation. Find your local shelter, boys/girls home, or even retirement center. You can make a donation to your local Goodwill or Church, too. This can be money or items in good condition that are no longer needed by you.

Remember, charity begins at home.

If you have loved ones who need a helping hand, lend one.

In 1999 I filed for divorce and bankruptcy, in that order. It’s not as bad as it sounds and I had a plan. I retained my home and learned about needs versus wants. And I mean, really learned. Struggle can be a good thing, ya know.

My kitchen floor was horrendous, especially compared to the hardwood floors in the rest of the house. My brother had just laid ceramic tile throughout his home and had some leftover. It was enough to do my kitchen. He and my step-dad installed the floor. This was no easy task in a house deemed easier to tear down and rebuild than to install a new door [really, 32" external front door, try to find one].

It’s not about a handout; it’s about a hand up.

Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.

- Author Unknown

Live within your means

Nothing makes me happier than having a little bit of money in the bank.

Fun fact: I have been unemployed since November 2008 [election day to be exact]. I still have money in the bank.

I need to find a job and soon, but I have gone a full year without a job and am not dead in the water. Not yet, anyway.

Money management is important. If you don’t know how to manage money, learn.

Do it now.

Today.

Stop with the instant gratification.

If you can’t pay cash for it you don’t need it.

Stop using credit cards to finance your life. Look up the meaning of indentured servitude. Is this really what you want? Find happiness by freeing yourself of unneeded material possessions.

Who are you really trying to impress? And are they really worth impressing? At what cost? See #5 above.

Put Yourself First

Don’t be selfish. Do be smart.

Not everyone is going to like you. Accept it. This alone will make you a happier person. Once you accept this fact, then the pressure is off. Phew!

Yeah, you’re wondering how people not liking you will make you happy. Simple. Those who truly like you will like you without you having to please them constantly. And trust me, people pleasing is hard work. This does not mean be a jerk. But don’t try so hard.

You have to be true to you.

Don’t worry about what your buddies have. Don’t try to compete with them. Instead, get in on their dime. Don’t use them, but if they want to waste their money on the latest and greatest, let them.  You don’t need to buy it when they already did.

Now, that’s being smart.

I feel happier already. How about you?

How to Rid Yourself of Negativity and Let the Happiness Inside is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010