It is that time of the year, cooking the turkey, putting up the tree, and a million other family traditions we facilitate during the holiday season. You may observe Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or for religious purposes or personal preferences don't celebrate none of the mentioned. We all experience certain energy during these particular months may it be good or not so good. Children are on their best behavior to receive the latest toy or high-tech gadget. The fact is gifts are a lot more expensive now than in the past. If you are among the blessed who did not suffer financially during the pandemic, you are lucky. Fear of new variants of Covid has led shoppers to avoid department stores and malls for the safety of shopping online. Last year I tried to make a few extra dollars by becoming an affiliate for Amazon. I did my best, but nobody seemed to be interested in using the links provided. The task was a bit daunting, and a lesser woman would have given up. Will I? NO, I will try harder and achieve my goal of meeting the required sales quota. Times may be tough, but you know you will be ordering from Amazon. Here is a gift to you from me. PLEASE feel free to shop via my Amazon link. Amazon is advertising awesome Black Friday deals. You are welcome!

Happy Holidays to all,

​Danni

​Staying healthy has been a real challenge these past few months. You would think the rising cases of COVID19 would pause and make me reconsider my decision before going through the drive thru. The truth is it does not, after I have consumed the food, I do feel foolish, but fully justified in my choice. When the pandemic first began, I was more cautious, and actually made a comment regarding the government getting rid of the old, and sickly people around the world with this disease. My opinion when restaurants were being allowed to reopen was now they were getting rid of the stupid. For a while I was officially one of the less intelligent individuals or perhaps was. No longer do I fit into this category and have figured out a genius solution to save money, remain safe from accidental exposure, and eat healthily. Before leaving for work in the morning I place my meat in the crock-pot, set timer for 10 hours, by the time I arrive home in the evening dinner is cooked.  This gives me time to eat and relax before going to bed. You can cook frozen meat, potatoes, vegetable and more and the crock-pot keeps the food warm after it is done. I still eat out occasionally, but I no longer use the excuse of having nothing cooked and being hungry to eat fast food.

​The first day of summer is June 20th, as we move into the era of leaving life as we knew it, I am reminded of 4th of July past. Years ago, my mom purchased a shelter for us to sit under in case it rained. Before everyone arrived, we played cards and Trivial Pursuit, I loved that game, it made me feel like a genius. Later friends and family came over, we played dominoes, and listening to music. Mom had set the gazebo up in the front yard because there were dogs in the back. We had so much fun, I really miss those days. After the holiday was over, the gazebo remained up.  A few days later we had strong winds here in Alaska, the structure was blown down the street, the top part flew onto the roof. It was hilarious. They forgot to secure the structure with the stakes provided. Needless to say, the gazebo was ruined.  This year I plan on ordering one. Our gathering will be small but being around family and a few good friends is important. My normal is changing, one thing I refuse to give up is summer fun. Hunkering down and social distancing for safety is reality, my plan is to simply enjoy being healthy and alive this holiday. Remembering everybody did not make it this year.

​Friday morning on my way to work I saw the cutest thing. A pit bull was riding in a car with it is human and he was looking out the window. On his face were a pair of goggles, I thought it was so he could enjoy the scenery without the wind irritating his eyes. I was surprised to see a dog wearing goggles, was not aware it was even a thing. Once saw a movie with the dog in a sidecar of a motorcycle wearing goggles, assumed it was just for the film.  I was curious to know why, so I researched the reason behind the idea.  I learned allowing your dog to hang its head out of a car window is dangerous. Your pet’s eyes are exposed to dirt, flying pebbles, and particles. The human of this dog was smart in protecting his eyes from being damaged. Googles protect their eyes from being injured. My mom’s dogs enjoy riding with their heads sticking out of the window. After I told her about the hazards, she ordered some for her fur babies. We all want what is best for our animal friends. There will be many road trips this summer, we all want to get out and enjoy the sun, order your pets goggles today in time for Memorial weekend.

​I do not like to be confined; my aura demands the space around me to be spacious. Being in a small room feels claustrophobic, a way I have learned to maximize space in my apartment is strategically placing mirrors throughout my home. It makes a difference and gives my living space natural sunlight. I can see the sunrise and set from my bed, while not facing the window directly. Place the mirror adjacent to the window, to perfectly catch the angle of the light and bounce it through the room. Having the illusion of more space and rooms filled with light gives me a boost of energy. Another convenient way to stretch the dollar if you cannot afford new furniture is by investing in furniture covers. Couch and chair covers come in a variety of colors and you can find them for sectionals also. How about a cover for each season? Compared to purchasing new living room furniture, the covers are truly inexpensive. Items are delivered free in some states, order today and have your merchandise by Memorial Day.

​While changing my diet a great revelation was discovered, eating clean changed my attitude and had a serious impact on my mood. Feelings of positivity ensued, energy levels went up and happiness and excitement became familiar emotions. In the second phase of improving my health, I ate clean one day and normally the next, reintroducing foods taken out of my diet in the first phase. As I began eating foods containing sugar and carbohydrates, I routinely felt negative and annoyed. Although fresh fruits and vegetables were more expensive it was still worth the price. To have more fresh vegetables I planted a garden and added a few herbs to complete my set up. In the process, I uncovered a good way to establish good health by gardening. Most do agree gardening does offer exercise, yet do not realize gardening is mentally and physically beneficial. Being outside in the sun provides an excellent source of vitamin d. Digging up weeds, tilling the soil, and planting seeds burn calories. Mentally it offers a wide range of rewards such as easing stress, anxiety, depression, and also teaches lessons in life. We learn the value of taking our time and waiting, seeds take time to grow, what sprouts is not always picture-perfect, yet it is still good for us. We are shown how little we control on this planet by observing how sometimes the flowers bloom and other times only a bush appears even though we did everything correctly. Here are some great gardening tools and seed ideas to get started. Go outside and create something, plant some lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, strawberries, flowers, herbs. Educate your children on giving back to our planet. Get started today, make it fun by allowing the kids to choose the seeds.

​In August of 2018, I lost a piece of my soul. My cat of 20 years had to be euthanized, his kidneys were giving out, and his skin began to thicken where water shots were being administered. I could no longer keep him comfortable, every evening when I came home, he would be sitting in front of the back door staring into space. My heart knew it was time to let him go. At the time of his passing, I still had his 16.5-year-old mate. Having her kept me sane after my beautiful boy was put to sleep. She had started to go blind in one eye due to cataracts, my baby girl developed a uterine infection and had to also be euthanized. I was grief-stricken and vowed to not get any more pets, but never say what you will not do. Soon after, my son asked me to take a kitten he could not take care of. I fell in love with her, and as fate would have it while at the gas station, a lady was crying because she had to get rid of her kitten.  A tiny ball of black fur, to curious for her own good. Apparently, no pets were allowed where the woman lived, and miss kitty, kitty was very active. We are now a family of three, and both are very active. They love getting into tubs, playing in the water, under cabinets, and rolling around in plastic bags.  I needed something to help them burn access energy. I found a cat condo at a pet store here in town, only to see one similar online, priced $150.00 cheaper. If only I would have searched online prior to purchasing the one, we have. I also found out what worked for my beautiful boy and lovely girl does not work for them. One kept getting cat acne, the vet told me to change her cat dishes to ceramic or glass, fancy that all these years and I had no clue. I am not upset; in the end, I am lucky to be blessed with these sweet little beings. Every day I thank God for bringing them into my life.

​Orange, yellow, light blue, neon colors have a wonderful effect on your mood. Invigorating colors give you energy, makes you alert, and evokes feelings of happiness and content. True they could be annoying, but the benefits outweigh the negative aspects. Each Sunday before my work week start, I get up early in the morning and open the curtains to look up at the sky. I have a privacy film on my windows, I see out, yet neighbors cannot see in. I sit in bright orange hammock swing. Yeah, hammock swing, smack in the living room. I turn on my electric fireplace, minus the heat because it is spring and not very cold outside. I sit with my headphones on blaring my favorite tunes on Pandora and I become lost in the music and the swaying.  When I get up Monday, I am refreshed and ready to start the week, it is not against the law to simply enjoy your life. These days your living space can be decorated any way you choose there are no rules.

​Parents working from home, kids running around, being confined to home is beginning to wear thin on us all. Sure, life has become bunkers, I am still in shock. I practice an attitude of gratitude and am so thankful for my blessings. Looking around my community I notice those who are worse off than myself.  I do not have much to complain about, others have less. What about those who have always worked to support their families and may feel ashamed to ask for help. We all know of neighbors who were living at the poverty level prior to our current circumstances. In our daily routine, it is easy to forget some are worse off than we are. A good way to contribute without intruding is to send a care package. Giving is beneficial to the giver and receiver. Studies have proven giving makes you happy, improves your health, and helps social connections. During this time helping those in your community puts a little less stress on the food banks and lifts moods and promotes positive feelings. Only a few left brighten up a families outlook.