Creating a Positive Emotional Environment ...

... is apparently easier said than done, especially when you have two small children at home and summer vacation has just begun. It's 11:00 a.m. ... I'm a late sleeper .... coffee please.
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Okay, coffee break's over , let's begin
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I think I would be speaking for most mothers when I say that my home is where I spend the majority of my time.  Since I, as the mother and the wife, am the heart of the family so to speak it is my responsibility to ensure that, first and foremost, I am happy and comfortable in the home environment. I mean, we all know if Mother is not happy ... no one is happy. Therefore, I know that my home needs to essentially be the ideal environment not only for my family, but for myself. Someplace I can thrive in, relax in, and feel absolutely one hundred percent comfortable in.  So, I spent the day yesterday rolling this notion around my head and I realized that in order to begin creating the prime emotional environment for my family and I,  I needed to ask myself two questions.

1.) What kind of person am I? This is not the easiest question to answer. Mostly because a person never really knows how they look through anyone else's eyes, and if you ask you are more than likely going to recieve a generic answer that doesn't include the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So, instead of asking others what kind of person they think I am ... I figured ... I'm doing this project for ME so I will answer the question MYSELF.

Well, apparently Myself did not want to delve too deep into those waters just yet, so for the sake of creating a positive emotion climate .. which is what I am working on ... I came up with this.
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I am creative, easily stressed and quick to anger, clean (most of the time), and sometimes lazy. Simple right? Well, I know that there is much more to me than just that ... but I will keep it gradeschool for now.
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2.) What type of environment do I enjoy and thrive in? This one is easy. I thrive in environments that are calm, quiet, clean, and organized. Easy enough. And then I look around my house. Crying children, clutter, dirty dishes still in the sink, nowhere to put anything (especially since we just moved into a smaller house), and the list goes on. Bottom line ... this is not the ideal environment for me ... or anyone else to thrive in ... or even be comfortable in. I must ensue a POA.
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And so begins ... Operation CAPE (Create A Positive Emotional Environment).
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To Be Continued ...

The Ultimate Spaghetti

I am so making this for dinner tonight. Only ... I'm substituting the mostaccioli with spaghetti. It's going to be yummy and make me smile. Like this :D

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Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) mostaccioli
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1-1/4 cups chopped green pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

• Cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, soup, Italian seasoning and pepper.
• Drain mostaccioli. Add mostaccioli and 1-1/2 cups cheese to beef mixture. Transfer to two greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Courtesy of http://www.tasteofhome.com/
Mostaccioli Casserole Recipe

The Rage .... or why I picked up the book in the first place.

After staring at the screen for an eternity and juggling different ideas on how to begin this in my head ... I've decided to start simple. The Happiness Project is something I really want to get started on, however, it's also very complex and something that I want to approach logically, with a full understanding of what direction I need to take to satisfy my resolutions. Therefore, I am beginning with baby steps and focusing on Not Sweating It.
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Let me just begin by saying that those of you that know me on very personal level know that I am quck to anger. Have you ever read anything about the rage? Yes .... that is me. I anger easily. More easily than I should. Although, I am quick to forgive and forget, my actions ... or reactions rather ... in the moment of anger are for the most part inexcusable. This is something I have struggled with for quite some time. Only now ... it's not just me struggling with it .. it's my loved ones as well. I am attempting to make myself more aware of when I am getting angry and to calm myself down before I react. I have been put on anti-depressant meds as well, and they help, but they do not eliminate the issue. I need to learn to be angry in a healthier way and to control that anger.
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This very issue is what led me to the bookstore one afternoon, no children in tow, just time for moi. As I sat sipping my cinnamon dulce and reading through the newest Candace Bushnell I looked up and realized that I was directly across from the self help section. I thought, "that is what I need .... self help." So I grabbed my books and my coffee and  sat directly in the middle of the aisle. I pulled and thumbed through around a dozen books while sitting there. Chicken Soup for the Military Wive's Soul, The Secret, some Dr. Phil jargon, and then I noticed a group of tiny little books with the title, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." That was interesting. I thought ... maybe that was IT. Maybe my anger was so intense because I  stress out over absolutely EVERYTHING. I rubbed my index finger along the title of the different books in the series and found, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ...With your Family". I picked it up ... opened it somewhere in the middle ... to a page that read in big bold letters Forgive Your Outburts. We had a winner!
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Since I brought the book home a little over a month ago I have to admit ... I haven't read much of it. I occasionally pick it up ... put it down ... reread what I've already read ... and so on.
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Do I think that this book is going to be the resolution of my anger problems? That would be ridiculous. However, it is a start. For the next few weeks, months, or years (Hopefully Not) I am going to be taking each chapter of the book and breaking it down. Incorporating each idea into my own personal life and then reporting  ... on this blog ... my successes, my failures, my experiences, and my thoughts. If not for your entertainment, then a way to evaluate myself and progresses. A way to make it real. Put it into action.
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The First Step .... Creating a Positive Emotional Climate. See you tomorrow. :)

Some People Know You Better Than You Know Yourself

Okay so ... upon reading Kimberly's latest blog post ... I suddenly realize .. DUH! What I am missing is happiness and self love. Isn't that what this project is suppose to be about? Finding happiness and learning how to love myself. How could I have been so in the dark? I guess I must have began without really evaluating myself.
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Therefore, this blog is about finding that "something missing" which in turn happens to be happiness and self love. What a refreshing discovery.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff } Intro to Live Full

Do you ever feel like life is just ... passing you by without even doing you the courtesy of flipping you the bird on the way? My bet is you're one of many ... including myself. There are nights that I find myself lying in bed thinking WTF am I doing, where am I going, is this IT for me? The fact of the matter is I am actually fairly content with my so called life, however, I am consistently searching for that "something more" that so many people have referenced before me.

This blog is going to be my dedication to finding that "something more" that I find myself in such desperate need of. It will be a journey as I am starting from scratch having absolutely no idea how to begin. I am basically beginning with the  ingredients that I THINK will work well together in order to make me full. Therefore, this blog could quite possible end up being sporadic posts of self help projects, rantings, craft ideas, recipes, personal adventures, etc. Think of it as a manuscript of my life's trials and errors. My goal is to post everyday but this blog may dwindle to a little more than one post a month. That's the fun part ... it's spontaneous ... I simply don't know .. and neither do you. ;)

Last but not least I must give credit where credit is due. Live Full was inspired by a friend, who was inspired by The Happiness Project, who in turn inspired me to be inspired by a book call "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"  ... which is where we will begin.

Thank you Kimbo.