Tag Archives: happy

Navigating the Holidays With Your Toddler

Christmas is just around the corner, and this means lots of travel with your toddler in tow. In order to make your visits with friends and family as fun as possible for you and your toddler, keep the following tips in mind. These are things that I learned over the past couple of years with Dylan, and I am going to rely on these strategies again this year as I head out of town with Dylan and Blake for a couple of days. One very helpful tip is to keep your activities as close as possible to your toddler’s schedule. … Continue reading →

Stay Merry This Christmas

 The holiday season is upon us, and if you are pregnant the mere thought of all of the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and everything else that you usually do for the holidays might leave you feeling exhausted. Fortunately, as with many things, the expectations that other people would place on you during the holiday season are likely to be far lower than those that you might set out for yourself. Here are a few tips for making the holiday season a little bit merrier and a little less stressful. First of all, make sure that your holiday schedule is realistic. Do … Continue reading →

HAPPY: Pet Exemption Bill Introduced in Congress

There was a flyer on the bulletin board at work this morning about the HAPPY Act: Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years. This is a bill that seeks to allow pet owners a tax exemption for pet care expenses. H.R. 3501 seeks to amend Internal Revenue Service codes to allow a deduction of up to $3500 per year for qualified pet care expenses. This doesn’t include livestock — the bill only covers domesticated household pets and does not include animals used for business or research purposes. What inspired this? The bill mentions two key facts: A 2007-2008 survey of … Continue reading →

Feeling Affluent

Most people who chose a frugal lifestyle do so initially out of necessity. Perhaps they decide to have one parent stay home and are reduced to one income, sometimes circumstances require them to cut back, and sometimes they just want to lead a simpler life with less stress and less formal work. Whatever the reason, frugal living can make you always concerned with saving money. In the beginning, especially, you are constantly calculating costs and values. Later, it gets a little more automatic. You know, for example, how to get the best price on bread, and you don’t even agonize … Continue reading →

Frugal Contentment Thieves 2

When we last left off, we were talking about how a comfortable neighbor can rob you of your frugal contentment. Now, let’s see what to do about it, as well as how to face two other potential thieves. The best way around this is to realize that your frugal living is a choice that you have made. You might be able to have some of the things that your neighbor does, but you might also have the debt, the second or third job or the stress that goes with it. And isn’t it better to enjoy a simple life free … Continue reading →

Accentuate the Positive: Start Today

In a recent article, Four Tips for a Healthy Marriage, I asked this question: “Do we look for and mention the positive things our spouses do and say, or are we often too quick to make note of the negative?” It is important to discuss differences. I’m not suggesting otherwise, but being quick to find fault without taking the time to notice the good things our mates say and do as well, can lead to resentment and bitterness. It’s wise to remember that constructive criticism works better and it works best when applied along with other positive, more complimentary statements. … Continue reading →

Love, Honor, and Cherish

Love, honor, and cherish are such beautiful words, and we readily say them before family, friends, and for people of faith, before God, as we take our marriage vows. Yet, do we really understand the meaning of those words and apply them to our daily lives with our spouses? These are strong words, filled with meaning. If every couple kept these definitions in mind, and actively used them in our relationships, we would all be much happier. Even if we already have happy marriages, there is always room for improvement. We have all heard the saying that love isn’t always … Continue reading →

Denmark: “The Happiest Place on Earth”

“The Happiest Place on Earth.” No, this isn’t a blog about a Disney theme park. Rather, the title typically used to describe the land of Mickey and Minnie has been adopted by a European scientist to describe a country not everyone would consider a prime vacation destination. According to Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at the UK’s University of Leicester, Denmark has won the title of “the happiest place on earth.” White used responses from 80,000 people worldwide to create a “world map of happiness,” though some say its better classified as a “map of subjective well-being.” The study … Continue reading →

Rejoicing

Biblical joy is somewhat different from the meaning of the word used in today’s society. Joy has almost become synonymous with being truly happy. However, in the Bible the words joy and happiness are not always the same thing. A Biblical joy can be defined as contentment in every situation because of the confidence a Christian can have in the Lord. Christians are even to rejoice when they are suffering for the name of Christ. Here are a few verses on Biblical joy and rejoicing. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4) “You make known … Continue reading →

Developing a Positive Attitude

Take a glass half full of milk. Are you the type of person who looks at the glass and says it is half empty or half full? In a world increasing in negativity and despair it is important that we teach our children to look at the glass as half full. Having a positive attitude helps people cope with their daily lives. It reduces negative thinking and helps life seem happier and brighter. But a positive attitude has to be developed. Some people are more naturally inclined to be positive, but that doesn’t mean the pessimists out there can’t change. … Continue reading →