“Summertime and the living is easy”? Maybe not so much…
Summer can produce mega stress with the kids out of school and a list of “Summer Fun” activities that keep you on the road more hours than the UPS man! Add to that, basket upon laundry basket of sweaty Tee’s and underwear; outdoor plants and gardens that need tending to; dirty dogs with fleas; sky-high gas prices dampening promised vacations; water bills that make you want to dig wells, visits from out-of-towners on their vacation; cooking on the grill; keeping the hummingbird feeder full; mowing the grass; severe thunderstorms that zap your PC and keep your nerves on edge; trying on bathing suits with 3-way mirrors; the summer kid swap with your “ex” and mosquito bites on top of sunburn…
Good grief! All this summer “fun” makes the chaos of the Christmas season look like a swing in the hammock!
And speaking of hammocks, when was the last time you rested your weary bones in one or any other comfy thing for that matter? When was the last time you did something nice for yourself? Write down what it was and how long it has been since then:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I imagine you just created a pretty short list of event(s) and that they took place some time ago, right?
Now look at my list of 50 Fun Ideas To Give Yourself A Lift and with no guilt, excuses or reasons why not to, pick one that appeals to you. Then copy the sentence below on a piece of paper, fill in the blanks and then tape the paper to your bathroom mirror.
“This week on (write the specific day of the week) ______________,
I am going to__________________________.”
50 Fun Ideas To Give Yourself A Lift!
1. Go card shopping – mail one to a friend and one to yourself.
2. Ask the manicurist to glue a gem on your pinky nail.
3. Take any kind of a “first class free” class.
4. Buy yourself some flowers at the grocery store.
5. Lie on a blanket and stare up at the sky.
6. Sit outside in the sun, close your eyes and listen to the birds.
7. Drive to the closest body of water and splash!
8. Pick out some fancy stationery to write on.
9. Visit to an upscale market, drink the complimentary coffee and try all the
food samples.
10. Plant some garden bulbs in a tight group.
11. Brush your hair 100 times.
12. Start a project with a friend – scrapbooking, knitting…
13. Take a train ride.
14. Go roller or ice skating.
15. Subscribe to a new, fun magazine.
16. Make yourself a hot fudge banana split with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry
on top!
17. Light every single candle in the house.
18. Drive to a new neighborhood then get out and walk it.
19. Read something worthless while you get a pedicure.
20. Sing in the shower! Loud!!
21. Go to a pet store and hold the bunnies.
22. Go to the animal rescue league and bring home a friend.
23. Order a gourmet sandwich you have never tried before and eat it at a picnic
table.
24. Invite a friend to join you for “formal” coffee wearing a hat and gloves.
25. Go to a beauty school and get a facial…
Want to see the other 25? Great! Shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] and I’ll send them to you right away! I’ll also add you to my list of Column Friends so you can start receiving my column and our more-or-less quarterly newsletter.
Remember: Stressed spelled backward equals desserts – and you deserve some!Choose to change things with a new attitude that says, “I’m worth taking good care of!”, and begin taking time for some summertime fun just for YOU!
And smile! God loves you.
