Make it a Great Day!

Make it a great day …or not…the choice is yours!

We often hear the frequently insincere phrase: “Have a Nice Day.” The truth is, it is up to us to determine what sort of day we are going to have. Notice the emphasis on us. While we do not have control over everything that happens to us on a daily basis, we have a choice to control how we react to things. Some days are greater than others—that’s just a fact of life—but every day can be a great day if we choose to make it that way.

Having a positive outlook goes a long way towards creating happiness for ourselves. Don’t wait for someone to make you happy—reach out and grab the happiness for yourself. Alter your state of mind and find the joy in life—even if it is in the little things that seem insignificant.

Attitude is a choice and I want to strive to choose to have a positive one. With this in mind, I want to share with you my plan of action to make this a part of my every day life:

1. Let go of selfish notions. “It’s not all about me.” Make a plan to help others—go the extra mile and share your gifts and talents. Everyone could use a helping hand—extend yours.
2. Acknowledge your blessings. Be thankful for what you have, and while you’re being thankful, remember to thank those around you. Thank the bank teller for assisting you, the stranger who held the door, the co-worker who helped you meet that deadline, etc.
3. Lighten up. Plant a smile on your face, even when the world seems to crumble around your feet. Just the simple act of smiling can improve your mood and those around you. Go the extra mile and throw some laughter into the mix. Don’t take yourself so seriously and look for the humor in every situation.
4. Let it go. Grudges suck the joy out of life. Everyone hurts someone—we are not perfect. Be the first to apologize and be quick to forgive. We feel better about ourselves the more we learn to accept and give forgiveness.
5. Live with passion. Envelope your uniqueness and believe in yourself. Don’t let you be the roadblock in your own success. Believe in yourself—the world needs you to do your part.
6. Look for the good in all things. You are going to face difficult and unpleasant circumstances in life. The key is to use those experiences to learn and grow. Turn negative experiences into positive life lessons. Learn those lessons well or you are doomed to repeat your errors.

I’m putting this plan in action moving forward, starting today. My first step is to create a line of positive, upbeat, and uplifting greeting cards. I plan to donate 50% of the proceeds to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Fund. I will post pictures soon and get these uploaded to both our website and Etsy page. Remember to check back soon, and while you are here, don’t forget to sign up as a follower of my blog and leave a comment about what methods you use to stay positive.

Bad, Bad Blogger

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger. It’s been far too long since I contributed to my blog. While I do enjoy having an online presence, life just has a way of getting in the way—especially in the past few months!!! The bulk of my energy has been taken by a few unexpected projects and events. However, I am working hard to get myself back into the groove of things. So please accept my apologies for my extended absence, and while I am apologizing, let me do so in advance for any future absence that may be required as I struggle to juggle the complexities of the life of a busy crafter.

For those who don’t know me well, let me take a moment to reintroduce myself. I am a 30-something workaholic who stays exceptionally busy as a full time property manager, owner of a medical transcription company, and crafter who is in a joint venture with my sister called Busy Lil’ Bees Designs. I’m also the proud parent of a head-strong (but lovable) 17-year-old who will be graduating this year. I will be celebrating 20 years with my high school sweetheart (and 18 years of marriage). I also have a few health challenges (that’s what I prefer to call them) that tend to complicate things a bit. As you can probably tell, I like to keep busy, and with all the responsibilities I have on a day-to-day basis, that’s not hard to do!

Busy Lil’ Bees is where I get to let my creative juices flow—creating and selling all sorts of gift items (diaper cakes, cupcakes and wreaths; towel cakes; spa gift baskets; fleece blankets; etc.), home décor items (tole painting, cross-stitch, flower arrangements, wreaths, kitchen angels, etc.), and greeting cards. When I am not busy creating, I am working on marketing this craft business by blogging, managing a Facebook presence, maintaining our own website, selling our goods on Etsy, and booking local area craft shows.

I plan to continue to offer FREE paper piecing projects on a regular basis on this blog, as well as to showcase some our most recent products, keep readers informed of upcoming local area craft shows, and maybe even provide some helpful insights to other fellow crafters by way of advice and critiques of products.

So if you are interested in the crazy life of a busy crafter, don’t forget to sign up as a follower of my blog, and hang on for a wild and bumpy ride! If nothing else, I hope this blog can provide a few laughs with the funny stories I share (Confessions of a Cricut Addict or A Crazy Day in the Life of a Crafter) to help you get to know me. Thanks for stopping by!


P.S. If you have a moment, submit a comment. After all, you never know when I’ll send you a FREE surprise just for fun! I've been busy adding new products to our Etsy site, you can check it out at http://www.busylilbees.etsy.com/. I will be working on updating our website at http://www.busylilbees.com/ where any upcoming craft shows will be posted.