Joyful Living: Smiles are Contagious!

I thank God for blessing me with the facial muscles that it takes to smile. Smiling is one of my favorite things! I love to see others smile, it just makes me want to... well... SMILE! I am continually amazed by how contagious smiling really is! Next to yawning, smiling is the most contagious facial expression. I'm so thankful that frowning does not get passed around like smiling!

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

~ Mother Teresa ~

A smile is one of the most powerful expressions! They are contagious! Smiles are such beautiful, life giving things! 

Smiling isn't always easy, but it is always worth it! Smile at those you love and smile at those who treat you with no respect, smile at everyone! You will be blessed and you will bless everyone around you!

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a

listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all

of which have the potential to turn a life around.” 

~ Leo F. Buscaglia ~

A smile has the power to transform a life. Use it!

~Clair

A Little Mishap...

I climbed into our car still soaking wet from the afternoon spent swimming in the pond with my in-loves. Ahhh, what a nice evening I thought to myself as I started the engine. My tummy let me know how hungry I was after all of the games, laughter, and fun. I envisioned the Skinny Chocolate that I knew awaited me at home as I put the car into gear. After turning in my seat to be sure that all was clear through my dust covered rear window I slowly began to back up. My thoughts were just returning to the pleasures of returning home, when Wham! I felt my rear bumper strike against an object. My first thought was, "Oh, no! I've run over one of the tricycles!" Hopping out as quick as a flash I discovered that I had hit no tricycle, it was more like Providence Prairie's farm truck!!! I nervously began to giggle as I ran to assess the damage. Our fender was missing some paint and unfortunately I had put about a basketball size dent in the truck. Oh, brother... I felt so ridiculous! The only thing that kept me from crying was the fact that I was laughing my head off! After further inspection I was extremely glad to note that the door still opened and closed. 

All is well that ends well! My father in-love wasn't upset and was very forgiving and reassuring. Trey moved the truck and I was on my way home. 

Perhaps one of these days I won't find myself doing quite so many embarrassing things...

Have I ever told you about the time I went over the culvert and wrecked into the split rail fence while driving down their lane? Well, I'll save that one for another time...

~Clair

Delicious, Lean and Green Salad Dressing!

 I LOVE Salad!!! Salad is one of my favorite foods! There is nothing like a giant salad, especially if it is covered with cheese and a creamy dressing! I am a Ranch dressing gal, that's for sure. Sometimes I have Blue Cheese dressing on my salad, but either way, it has to be something creamy and packed with flavor!

I'm currently on day #3 of the two week  Fuel Cycle from the Trim Healthy Mama book.

I was browsing Bulk Herb Store's youtube channel this afternoon and stumbled across a recipe that I believe has change my life FOREVER! It is called  Lean and Green Salad Dressing. After watching the video, you can find the complete recipe here at Bulk Herb Store's website.

I immediately ran to the kitchen and began making it. In less than 10 minutes I had a super delicious, homemade dressing! It was so easy and used super common ingredients! I omitted the honey, using 2 Tb. of xylitol and a few shakes of stevia instead. I also added 1/2 tsp. of Glucommanon to make it a little more creamy, although it was not at all necessary.

I drizzled it over my large salad and added less than 1 Tb. of Parmesian cheese and was it ever DELICIOUS!!! Who knew such a simple salad could be sooooooo packed with flavor?!!!? I also dipped my cucumber slices in it! Yummy!

I'm sure I will still eat store bought Ranch dressing from time to time, but I will most definitely be using the Lean and Green Salad dressing on many of my S salads from now on!

Follow the link above to check out Bulk Herb Store's youtube channel. Shoshanna Easling overflows with energy, creativity and joy. Her videos always leave me in fits of laughter with a smile on my face and some new-found knowledge!

~Clair

Ahhh...Relaxing on a Sunday Evening!

After a very busy morning and afternoon Trey and I were pleased to arrived back home, where Trey had less than an hour to spend with me before moving on to his next commitment. I had a brilliant idea! I begged Trey to  come to the back yard with me and try out our new lawn chairs (that we found at a yard sale for $1!). 

I quickly made a up a super healthy, homemade "Frosty" before heading to the backyard.  (It took a little convincing to get Trey out there. =) ) 

After spraying on some bug repellent which was very effective in fighting off the vicious mosquitoes, we kicked back and relaxed and savored our DELICIOUS "Frosties". Mmm, Mmm, Good! Thank you Trim Healthy Mama!

I read aloud to Trey from the book we have been reading together, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations.

It is actually geared toward teens, but it is really an excellent book so far. I would recommend it to anyone who has influence in the life of children and young adults. (Okay, that's pretty much everyone!)

We didn't have a huge amount of time to spend together, but that's okay, because it doesn't matter if it is 5 minutes or 3 hours, spending time with my Husband is bliss!

I followed a simple hair tutorial from Shoshanna Easling today to create a fancy up-do! It is so romantic and feminine! It will be perfect for the hot Summer days ahead! The best part is that it is so easy and takes less than 10 minutes to do, even if you aren't very skilled when it comes to hair styling! Go check out the video and have fun trying it today!

Enjoying life, one day at a time!

~Clair