Tag: gifts

adventure, friendship

The Gift

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I was gifted a little tiny pig about a month ago. Why? No particular reason, but I felt an immediate connection to the tiny figure. Maybe it was because my son gave it to me. Maybe it was the uniqueness of it. Maybe it was just what I needed to spark my creativity. Cute enough to fit in my pocket. Flirty enough to take on adventures. Off we went.

We spent time out west posing and sharing our adventures via Snapchat with a group of friends. It became a game of sorts. Free entertainment. How could I outdo the last photo or snap? Where else could my pig go? We posed for holiday photos with Santa. We make snarky workplace comments only a pig could get away with. We had a good time.

My pig made it to a national park. My pig visited an animal sanctuary. My pig flew on a plane. My pig traveled to multiple states. My pig has done some funny stuff. My pig even played hide-n-seek virtually. Teens and adults were eager for the next move. I decided to share the wealth or fun. I ordered up a variety of small figurines from Amazon to gift. 

I then put them in holiday cards with instructions to live your best life with your new buddy in 2024. It’s been awesome so far! 

I get messages of coffee with friends. I get snaps about work frustrations. I get destination photos. Milestone photos. Down right funny photos. My last one being a car rave with techno music with my pig and a few new companions.

A simple idea. A simple share. 

Silly as it sounds, I spread smiles. I made a difference. I used my creativity to spark a giggle. To get others to tap into that part of their brain even if they are having a crappy day. We now have a virtual connection that stimulates many near and far.

Just a little fun for you on this Friday. Have you ever given a random gift with no expectation in return? Give it a try. It’s super fun.

Maybe you will catch a glimpse of my miniature friends that will be floating around the internet. I believe we have:

A pig of course.

A turtle out on expeditions.

A sheep having coffee and folding laundry or maybe it’s climbing a mountain.

A cat prancing around the office causing havoc.

A pink flamingo doing flashy stuff.

A duck planning a wedding.

A lady bug being good luck to a cancer patient.

A dog being the best pet for a girl who can’t have a real dog.

And many more are just beginning their journeys. Maybe I’ll give an update later in the year. For now know that my companion hangs out in my little Lululemon shoulder bag waiting for the right photo opportunity to appear. She is going to take an international trip in 2024 and she is going to run a few miles in unique destinations. Yes she is a she. A diva. Of course she has to be as she travels with me. My little pal seems to be an adventure buddy while others may have an emotional connection or a cooking partner. Whatever it means it’s hilarious to me.

2024 is going to be be a blast for me and my piggie! Can you spot the pig below?

balance

Mayhem

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The month of May this year is summed up to me in one word: chaos or mayhem as the post is titled.

End of year banquets for school-related programs. Warmer weather. Busy business month. Graduations. Lots of graduations both in state and out of state. Summer-itis which is defined as almost summer but not quite. Vacations on the horizon but only anticipated at the moment.

Many extra duties to plan ahead for the chaos. Lots of extra budget dollars spent on gifts, travel and necessities like bathing suits. Wink wink. Not to mention gas prices are through the roof and groceries are equally painful on the price scale.

Mayhem. Chaos. Both words seem to sum up my month of May. I didn’t even mention the crazy news headlines of violence near and far. Insanity on the home front with guns in school and parents going crazy over this that and the other.

What was more celebratory in May? I circled back to reading my few pages a day of my current book that was put to the side temporarily. I caught up on some much needed rest. My sick dog made a miraculous recovery when odds were against her. I spent time with some of my favorite crazies. I took a dance lesson. I made time for fancy show downtown with friends. Many other fun and spontaneous events took place that created memories and happiness for me.

Despite the mayhem of May, I found my joy. I rededicated time to myself. I made the most of May. It was very important to settle amidst the mayhem of May as June and July are full-blown travel months for me. Gone more days than most. Living life to the fullest but knowing the homefront is handled while absent is equally important. The gentle balancing act.

What is hot and happening for you this summer? A new vacation spot? A new mode of travel? A staycation? A budgetcation? A new adventure? A big purchase?

Will you try anything new this summer? A hot new dance class? A theatre show? A comedy act? A farm experience? Skydiving? Learning a new hobby like knitting?

If you survived the mayhem in May, what can you challenge yourself with for June and July to make your summer memorable? Get your thinking cap on. I gave you plenty of ideas above. Share your stories of you do soemthing spectacular. I know I plan to dip my toes in the sand and ocean at least once this summer.

Happy summer to all our readers in blog land.

celebrations, dare to be different

1 Down 4 to Go

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I started with the number five. A group of gal pals each assigned a task that would involve me doing an activity they plan that is new, has a new twist, and is just plain fun. Why? Because it’s my 50th year on this earth and I thought it would be fun to spice things up and encourage my friends to get creative.

So far so good. What am I?

I am nothing more than a piece of art in the making. My first adventure was a paint class in a group of about 8 crazy ladies.

We had snacks. We had drinks. We had conversations. We giggled. We concentrated. Some cussed, a lot. One painted hidden objects in their masterpiece. One flipped the finger while painting. Somebody stole somebody’s crackers while they were so focused on painting. Oh,\ the faces that were captured that night on camera.

And then there was the instructor of the class. A little fruity for me, but it’s who we had for the evening. Our diverse group flustered her for sure. We tested her knowledge. We asked for help but then said no thanks. We took our time when she wanted to stay on task. The list could go on and on for this lady, but I will spare you the touchy freely details. 

Now we all had the same instructions but we ended up with totally different variations of the image. This was probably my most favorite part of the night. The finish line. The interpretation of each masterpiece. For example mine had a heart stamp added to keep mine unique. Another had their hidden objects. Some chose to blend colors more than others. In the end they were all amazing.

If you don’t currently have a friends group, I suggest you find one. Expand it when you can and welcome friends vs. limiting your friends. The more the merrier. More friends, more adventures always equals fun memories.

For this post I will toast my gal pal Kim who helped make this event a success. From start to finish no detail was left unturned. It is my hope that somebody reading this will join a new friend group, start a new friend group or just get out with friends and do fun things. We all learn by doing.

Painting was fun but frustrating. The time went by fast and the masterpiece is perfect for a white elephant gift with a gift card taped to the back of it. My friend Sarah gave me that genius idea and I can’t wait to regift my painting over and over again.

author moments

Cel-e-brate

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The unexpected happened. I was completely and utterly surprised by my mini.

She wrote something extremely genuine to a friend in need. If I could have written it myself I wouldn’t have changed a word. I had that “oh wow” moment. I did something right! She does listen. I’m really not talking to a teenage wall.

I am celebrating in my mind. In my body. As a mother many days go by when you have a thankless job. Too many actually. This one day made up for the 100 crappy days before.

For today I will take a deep breath and feel the joy associated with this moment. This writing helped a dear friend over a life hurdle. My cup is overflowing in joy for her. For me. For the receiving party.

Now on to the day to see what doom or gloom comes my way. No matter what my heart is full from this one little moment. The moment of words. The wisdom of words. The power of words whether written or spoken. 

adventure

Bricks & Alpacas

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Bricks remind me of strength. Bricks are the basic foundation for many buildings and / or empires. Bricks would be the last thing I thought about carrying around today yet I am so excited I had such a great opportunity with a brick.

You see, the brick is representative of a challenge from my adventure book. As odd as the instructions appear when read, the more fun that can be had ahead. How one interprets the assignment leads to the adventure itself. We started by naming our bricks. Mine was named Flash as a brick doesn’t move fast. Another was named Richard or Dick for short. Chase was named as well as Ash. Little Ash has a backstory. She could be short for Ashley or Asher making her gender neutral. Also bricks are represented in fireplaces as is ash. Brittani with an I was named in honor of Brittney Spears and the brick she is. Below is the first outing with our brick family as we set out for the day of fun adventures.

The girl gang is loaded with bricks today. A weapon? A stepping stone? An item to build with? For today it’s about the adventure and memories we create with our bricks. A strengthening of our relationships. Our travels start by car so the bricks are packed in a bucket with tissue paper for protection as well as flair. Off to eat brunch we go. Will the restaurant give us a high chair for our little brick family?

The bricks were involved in photos ops and shenanigans as the day progressed. From poses at the restaurant to a visit to an Alpaca farm. There was never a dull moment.

The bricks will find their final resting place in a pasture on our family farm while we head off to make more memories without the weight of the bricks. The giggles will be present for years to come as we pass by the bricks in their new spots on the farm.

As I close out this brick post i’ll now leave you this smiling Alpaca who posed for me on our field trip. This gem of an animal smiled bright with its stained teeth and grass-colored face. It was so funny to share this creative pose. So soft and fluffy yet such a hot mess up close.

What started out as a brick adventure ended up including an educational agri-tourism component allowing me to learn about Alpacas. It was a pretty cool experience and I won’t ruin the surprise by giving away the details of my Alpaca experience but I will share some photos for fun.

Because who doesn’t like a creature with hair as cool as this?