I’m rounding out the month’s “Tips for Vacation” with some ideas for inexpensive, fun activities. Whether you’re traveling alone or with a family, vacation activities often can be costly. Here are some things you can do that are easy, fun and inexpensive!

1. Museums and Cultural Events. Most cities have a museum or host cultural events throughout the year. These are fairly inexpensive to get in and can entertain you for the whole day! My recommendation is to pack a light lunch so you do not have to spend money on the food and drink, which could get expensive here as well.

2. Go outdoors! Look for public parks in the area – even if you’re in an urban setting, you will find parks for picnicking, hiking, fishing and even camping! These are inexpensive activities fun for the whole family!

3. Go indoors! With Game Day! I remember a trip to Costa Rica with my husband, we were rained out of the surf, so we spent a couple days inside with our beer, cards and board games. It was so much fun! If you’re with a group of people, try an “Olympics” with the different games you have access to. A little healthy competition livens things up!

Hope the tips throughout the last weeks have helped with your vacation planning. Maybe it’s even inspired you to plan your NEXT vacation! For right now, however,. . .
What ideas do you have for some fun, inexpensive vacation activities?

Next month, look out for me featured in the Compass MAP(TM), “Taking Care of Self.” In it, I will lead you through some ways to achieving better balance, improved health and happiness! This is definitely a Self Care program you do NOT want to miss!

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technorati Tags: inexpensive activities, travel, vacation, museums, outdoor activities, indoor activities, family vacations, travel tips

A friend, who also happens to be a mortgage specialist, sent me her newsletter with some great information, “How to Select a Pet Sitter.” I believe the original information came from a site called RISMedia which has various information for professionals in the Real Estate industry.

This information was very pertinent to me because I have a dog and a bird and when I go away for more than a few days at a time, I’d like to make sure they have someone reliable to care for them. They’re a part of the family and I want to make sure that they not only get their food and water, but they get the playful attention and exercise they need.

Here are the 10 steps they mention (in summary):

1. Ask friends, neighbors and family for suggestions. Sometimes a reliable and trustworthy sitter is right under your nose.

2. Ask local professionals such as pet-groomers, veterinarians and pet clubs. They are a great source of information.

3. Ask other professionals you hire, such as a housekeeper or landscaper. They may know someone OR they may be willing to do some side work and take care of your pet while you’re away. If your pet already has a good relationship with this person, it’s an added bonus!

4. Follow Up Recommendations. Word of mouth recommendations often indicate that the Pet Sitter is good, so follow up on others’ referrals.

5. Interview your potential pet-sitter and keep an eye on how they interact with your pet(s). These first signs can be a vital sign to you as to how they treat your pet while you are away.

6. Observe YOUR pet(s) reactions to the potential pet-sitter. Is your pet happy? Agitated? Angry? Calm? Skittish?

7. Ask questions. You deserve to know the level of expertise and experience of your pet-sitter. Some sample questions include: Have you done pet-sitting before? For what type of pets? Do you have other pets you are currently sitting? Do you have a set time for visiting pets that you care for? How long do you spend? Do you understand the dietary requirements of my pet(s)?

8. Ask for references. Contact or meet their references if possible.

9. Test your own feelings. Did YOU feel good with the sitter? Do you feel you can trust this person with your pet? Trust your instincts. If you are not pleased, keep looking.

10. Agree on a fair price. This is not the time to haggle. Be aware of the going rate for pet-sitting in your area and be prepared to pay it. Some may charge more for quality care, but in return, you can ask for a written confirmation of obligations the pet-sitter must meet.

Once you’ve found your pet-sitter and you feel confident, before you leave, prepare a checklist of daily tasks that the pet-sitter can check off each visit. This will help ensure they remember each step, particularly if there is medication or special dietary requirement involved.

Hope that helps with your search.
If you have some other tips to find pet-sitters, let us know. Simply comment on this blog to share.

Next week, I’ll share “Tips to Save Money on Vacation”

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

Technorati Tags: finding pet-sitter, taking care of pet, vacation, tips for travel, resource, information

With Aloha and Good Cheer!

 Wishing you much JOY and HAPPINESS in 2008!

With Love and Peace,

Susan

How do we open our hearts to appreciate the LOVE of the season without being overwhelmed and stressed by it at the same time?

This is a good question to think about regardless of the time of year. With clear purpose and intentions we can open our hearts and our lives to LOVE without being affected by some of the potential stressors of everyday.

Start by discovering what is most important to you. Once you identify that, it will help keep you focused for what you want in life. Holidays are often filled with activities that drain – think of the reason behind the activity and determine if it is important for your life.
ASK YOURSELF:
What are the things that drain you? Why are you doing it?
Sometimes it could be cultural, traditional or simply out of feeling obligation, but usually there is a reason why you are doing it. Reconnect with that purpose and consider what is important for you in your life right now.

Next, budget your time and money. Planning a little will help prevent overwhelm around these two areas. AND it will enable you to stay more focused on what is important instead of worrying or running around spinning your wheels.
TAKE ACTION:
Budgeting Time – When considering your schedule with family events, volunteer request, holiday parties, travel, business obligations, make your decisions based on the purpose and intention behind the event. Ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Why is this important?
Budgeting Money – Create a budget. It’s that simple. It will help keep your spending focused. Budget for regular expenses, donations, gifts, travel, entertainment, personal and miscellaneous. As you create your budget, think about what is absolutely important to you – again find the purpose and intention behind the spending. If you get caught in the midst of an “impulse” buy (which is easy to do during the holiday sales!) review your budget and consider what you could take off your list in exchange for this “impulsive” purchase. If it is important enough, the replacement will be easy; if it’s difficult, reconsider.

Finally, by taking care of your body, you also take care of your heart, mind and soul. How you feel physically will certainly affect your mindset and vice versa. Taking care of your body through WAG (see below), will enable you to love and fully appreciate because you won’t feel sluggish or sleepy. In fact, you’ll feel energized and happy with your body.
TAKE ACTION:
1. Drink Water
Water is so important to our diets. During the holidays amidst the glasses of eggnog, sodas and wine, water is forgotten. Not only will water re-hydrate and keep the bodily functions moving along, it also helps to fill the body with a non-caloric way to quench your thirst, helping to maintain a healthy diet (see Grazing).
2. Stay Active
Activity is easy to come by during the holidays, but often it’s the likes of going to parties, having drinks, going shopping, etc – not quite the exercise regimen of a healthy lifestyle. You may not have time for the gym, but you can still stay active and keep healthy. For example, park at the opposite end of the mall and walk briskly to your destination – that can be a good 10-20 minute event, depending on the mall. If you can do a full workout, GREAT! But if not, take the stairs, walk, incorporate activity where you can.
3. Graze
Grazing is pretty common during the holidays – food is omnipresent. It is the quantity and what we eat that throws us off balance (and maybe even gaining a pound or two). When grazing, it’s about reducing the size of each meal, not just eating more frequently, so cut your normal portion into half or thirds. Also, when choosing the foods to eat, start by eating a protein, second eat a vegetable, third drink water and finally allow yourself to indulge with a “goodie” if you like. By the time you eat the sugary goodness, at least you will have had some nutritious food AND you will be partially satiated.

The above are my strategies and suggestions. – if they sound good, try them. I encourage you to develop some healthy strategies for yourself.

Technorati Tags: holiday, budget, spending money, time management, activity, self care, season, love, being present

“I love my house cleaner, Julie.”
I am constantly reminded of this fact.
Just recently I came back from a 10 day vacation to a tidy, clean, scrubbed down house. It felt great! It wasn’t always like this, however. It took me a while to accept, embrace and truly LOVE Julie as my house cleaner.

I am a “Git-It-Done” kind of person and I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I DO get things done. “Take Action!” is my motto and I live by it, gosh darn it! No matter what it is:
Cooking
Cleaning
Developing my business
Volunteering
Taking care of my family
Walking the dog
Gardening
Taking classes
Having dinner parties
Keeping up with our friends
Networking
Grocery shopping
Laundry
Washing the car
And the list goes on and on. . . . I can “Git-It-Done!” ALL OF IT!

Well, I can’t and I didn’t.

I remember when all was going great until “life happened” and priorities shifted, schedules changed and sometimes things got put on the backburner. Then the dust bunnies mulitplied and when they took over, my home was no longer my “haven.” It turned into something I was tolerating and a source of frustration. Most days I was able to harness the positive and keep my mindset in check, but those few “off” days certainly did not have a positive effect on my mood, my work or my motivation.

Finally, it took my husband to suggest a housekeeper that helped me see the light.

At first I resisted, “No, I can do it. No problem.” Inside I didn’t want to be a failure at being able to manage everything. So I did it, . . . created a schedule, extended my days, started spinning, spinning and spinning. . . until one day I realized I wasn’t LIVING any more, I was just DOING all the time and feeling miserable for my efforts.

And one day it just hit me.
“I” was creating this miserable state.
All my efforts were making me miserable.
“I” have to change.
So I did. And it took a while.

At first I would clean up right before Julie arrived, tidying things up just a bit. It was silly, but I was still holding on to the “I-Can-Do-Everything” mentality. Then one day I had a meeting, did not tidy up and you know what happened? Nothing. She came. She cleaned. It was great! And “I” felt great!

I realized that my letting go of this task, accepting and embracing Julie’s services, was not only important to the state of my physical space and environment, but it was vitally important to my own personal well-being.

I was “cleaning house” in more ways than one. I found that I was feeling better, more productive and felt calm and relaxed. Even though she only comes twice a month while I clean and tidy up throughout the week, I SO appreciate those days that she is here. I walk in to a clean, fresh smelling, tidy home. Let me say it again:

“I LOVE my house cleaner.”

Technorati Tags: delegating, letting go, appreciation, self care, personal change, realization, well-being, positive environment

What kind of vacationer are you?
Do you throw everything into a suitcase at a moments notice?
Or are you at the other end of the spectrum where every minute of your trip is planned out?

Whether you’re structured or spontaneous, the important thing is to TAKE THAT VACATION and create an intention around your vacation: to explore, to discover, to strengthen relationships or just to relax. I call it “intentional vacationing.”

I remember when my vacations were “accidental.” My days off were grouped together with weddings and side business trips and other reasons to travel. Living in Hawaii, I wanted to make the most of every trip that I took off island. Although the time traveling was always wonderful and fun, I was somehow not satisfied. I didn’t feel refreshed and revived and the time spent with my friends and family felt hurried.

I realized the problem was that I was not living in the moment. I was not in the PRESENT.

Since my intentions were not focused on MY VACATION, my “accidental” vacations gave me “incidental” fulfillment and relaxation.

Are you getting the most out of YOUR vacationing?
Are you having “Intentional Vacations?” or are they “Accidental?”

Bringing luggage on vacation is great, but “baggage” on board the trip is no picnic!

To have a great Intentional Vacation, I harness the power of my ability to “Get Lost.” This is the ability to let go of the thoughts and images of the daily grind and just cut loose and lose yourself in your vacation. Again, it has to do with being present, but more importantly, it’s getting into the right mindset to have a fabulous vacation. Have you ever had the experience of going on vacation and not being able to wind down? And then just as you’re able to relax and unwind, it’s time to go back home!

Here are a three steps to creating Intentional Vacations and getting into the mindset.
1. Decide what kind of vacation you want. Is it going to be an adventure and exploration trip? Do you want to make family activities a priority? Or do you want to just purely get down to the basics to relax - eat, sleep, drink and massages!
2. Start with the planning stages BEFORE your go on vacation. Create a checklist of items to bring, required documents, confirmation numbers and reservations and activities.
3. Do NOT plan anything the very first day of your vacation. Take this time to “de-tox,” feel out the location and get in the mindset. I find that if you hit the ground running, it’s a lot harder to stop and the vacation is done before you know it. �

Technorati Tags: vacation, planning, relaxation, balance, being in the present

Trap #5. GAINING WEIGHT
Yes, we all like to eat and we all know that the holidays will fill our every carbo-craving from mashed potatoes to pumpkin pie, fromcandy corn to stuffing. It’s not just the carbo-loading. . . it’s also the AMOUNT of food we tend to eat.

TIP: Eat, then exercise. Go ahead and eat that second dessert or have the extra helping of potatoes, but then make up for it by going for a long evening walk (at least an hour) or start a football game with your family. You’ll find the exercise refreshing and perhaps be able to spend a little more quality time with friends and family instead of rushing to the next holiday obligation!

Trap #4. TOO MANY OBLIGATIONS
It wouldn’t be the holidays without parties, events, shows, fundraisers - the busy lifestyle. Some people thrive on the pace,
so to those people I say, HAVE FUN! But others may wear themselves down. . .

TIP: It’s okay to say no. If you’re finding that you are spinning your wheels and you’re just not having any fun with the obligations, say no. Skip one event that you really do NOT want to go to and do something you KNOW you enjoy – whether it’s watching a movie, gardening, spending time with your own family or staying at home. What’s the point of ringing holiday cheer with people if you’re not enjoying the moment or the company?

Trap #3. SPENDING TOO MUCH MONEY
The holidays leave you with a full stomach and an empty wallet. You don’t have to stress about finances every time the holidays roll around – you can start planning today for this year AND next!

TIP: Organize all your holiday spending lists - gifts, events, fundraising events, etc. – figure out the cost for each item and then a total. Determine a budget for how much you are ABLE to spend. If they match or you have more in your budget than you want to spend, you’re golden! However, if your budget falls short of what you need there are two things you can do:
1) change your budget and allot more money or
2) cut something(s) out.
Either way it’s up to you and you have to make a decision and accept it. The added benefit of knowing what you want to spend now is that you can plan for next year and reduce potential stress.

Trap #2. FORGETTING YOUR SELF
Buy gifts for everyone, check.
Send holiday cards out, check.
Plan and invite everyone to holiday party, check.
You’ve taken care of everyone and everything else, now it’s time to put your feet up and relax. Pamper your self a little.

TIP: Do something for yourself. Buy yourself a present. Reward yourself with that extra sugary, creamy pumpkin spice
latte with whipped cream (and then take that walk) Or simply, spend 10 minutes with yourself, relaxing, taking a nap, soaking your feet. Remember yourself and give your Self a little bit of that holiday cheer that you’re spreading to everyone else.

Trap #1. GETTING THE HOLIDAY BLUES
Amidst all of the holiday festivities and gatherings of the Holiday Hurricane, sometimes, the whirlwind brings about
the Holiday Blues – missing people, regretting what we have not accomplished in this last year, getting older, and the natural change that comes with the new year. Sometimes it might be a short riff, but for others it may a long improvised Blues solo that lasts through to the new year. Unfortunately it’s human nature to focus on what is “lacking.”

TIP: Focus on what you HAVE and not on what you do NOT have. Focus on who is with you NOW, instead of thinking of those that can’t be with you. Think back to the beginning of the year and think of all the things that you HAVE accomplished this year – recall where you started and how far you’ve come. Sometimes we find ourselves in a place where we begin to focus on what we lack. Instead of singing the blues about the things that “have not,” be thankful for EVERYTHING that “IS.”

Technorati Tags: Stress and Overwhelm, Balance, Organization, Self Care, Holiday, Appreciation