Did you know?

Occasionally, I think it is interesting to learn little known facts. Tonight, feeling a bit sleepy, I decided that I would Google "quirky facts about sleep". The lists that came up on the various websites seem pretty similar. Following are the ten I thought to be the most interesting.

- Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

- A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year.

- As a group, 18 to 24 year-olds deprived of sleep suffer more from impaired performance than older adults.

- Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.

- British Ministry of Defense researchers have been able to reset soldiers' body clocks so they can go without sleep for up to 36 hrs. Tiny optical fibers embedded in special spectacles project a ring of bright white light (with a spectrum identical to a sunrise) around the edge of soldiers' retinas, fooling them into thinking they have just woken up. The system was first used on US pilots during the bombing of Kosovo.

- Exposure to noise at night can suppress immune function even if the sleeper doesn’t wake. Unfamiliar noise, and noise during the first and last two hours of sleep, has the greatest disruptive effect on the sleep cycle.

- The "natural alarm clock" enables some people to wake up more or less when they want to. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up.

- Tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt the sleep cycle even if you do not fully wake. The light turns off a "neural switch" in the brain, causing levels of a key sleep chemical to decline within minutes.

- Ducks at risk of attack by predators are able to balance the need for sleep and survival, keeping one half of the brain awake while the other slips into sleep mode.

- Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.

And with that, I'm going to call it a night and get a good night's sleep! I hope you take care of yourself too and get the rest you need. Sweet dreams!

Follow Your Dreams

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you thought you had a really great idea? I mean the kind of great idea that gets you so excited that you are so giddy you can hardly contain yourself? This is the kind of idea that wraps you up, the idea that consumes you and perhaps may not even let you sleep at night because it just keeps getting better and better?

Finally, you have all of your thoughts together enough that you can present your moment of brilliance to the "powers that be" or your friends/family. You walk into the room exuding the very face of confidence. Your plan is great and it is going to work out amazingly well. The next thing you know, you find yourself walking out of that same room feeling almost the opposite - kind of like you were just hit with a stun gun. Your brilliant idea suddenly wasn't so brilliant. The people you shared with saw areas for improvement or reasons why your idea wouldn't work.What a letdown! You've walked away discouraged and gave up on your idea.

Perhaps you are thinking that you haven't experienced anything like that. Let's take a look at that scenario without the hype. Scale it down to a household situation. As a parent it's our duty to raise our children to become responsible adults. We know that in order to accomplish that task, it is probably best to teach them to participate in housework of some sort - for example, keeping their bedroom clean. We creatively look for different ways to encourage participation. Eventually the concepts will stick, but the road to adulthood is long. Sometimes we can just say what we expect; other times, we may need to use a more creative approach. No matter what, even our children have the ability to destroy our "brilliance" without even realizing what they are doing!

I think it's safe to say that one level or another we can all relate. Somehow, we have all had a brilliant idea shot down. We've been disappointed. Fast forward... You see your brilliant idea implemented. You know, that one that "everyone" shot down before? Yeah, your idea has now paid off for someone else! You could have been that person! But let's look at why you weren't…

Throughout life, we are put in oodles and oodles of situations where another person has the opportunity to build us up or knock us down. (Receiving encouragement is not too often a problem…unless pride becomes an issue, that is!) It's the times that knock us down that tend to bother most of us. We long to be accepted and encouraged. We trust those that we surround ourselves by. So in presenting our great ideas to them, we give them an opportunity to "tell" us what to do. They may not specifically tell us to do or not to do a particular thing, but their encouragement or discouragement is enough to drive us one way or another.

What would happen in we believed in ourselves and allowed the feedback we got to fuel our motivation? That so called negative energy would turn into a positive driving force propelling us to go after our dreams. Take heart, dear reader, allow the things you hear to turn into a positive energy force. You have been created in God's image. Use the gifts He has blessed you with. And as you move forward in His name, you will find more and more reasons to be motivated and follow your dreams.

It's Time to Have Fun!

I have somehow evolved from someone who used to love to get out on Black Friday to a person who would much rather stay home or go really late. I discovered cyber shopping last year. (Not that I didn't know about it or had never purchased anything online before; I had simply not joined the masses in these "special" sale days.) Entering into cyber space was wonderful! No lines, just the quiet peace of my home. I find free shipping and don't have to lug all of the packages around. About the only thing I miss is the "exercise" - if you could even call it that!

I have found that shopping online is a fantastic and easy way to comparison shop. This year, I had just a few items that I knew I wanted. Following the advice of more experienced cyber shoppers, I dutifully typed in search queries for coupon codes to enter at checkout. I was successful each time!

One of the stores that had a good price on an item was Macy's. I was surprised to see that of several coupon codes listed, one of them was an in-store coupon for $15. Given the fact that I needed to drive to Appleton anyway and knew exactly what I wanted, I decided to check to see if this coupon could save me even more money than the approximate $10 value of the other coupon code good for my online purchase. To make my long story short, I will simply tell you that I was able to purchase the product in the store for one third of the original retail price! I was even more thrilled when I got the item home and realized that it had even more bells and whistles to it than I had originally thought! My online experience had saved me time and money even though I did end up purchasing the item at the store any way.

Another of my shopping outings today was to a website called www.discountmags.com. I'd seen this website a couple of times via group postings on Facebook. I could not have been happier. I was able to gift a subscription for a quarter of the newsstand price which for this particular publication was substantial! (Fair warning: Be alert! I had another subscription I was going to purchase for myself. It was by far cheaper for direct from the publisher.)

The bottom line is - You don't have to spend a lot of money to find that perfect gift for someone.  Whether you decide to invest time into shopping around or create a gift, just be sure to put some time and thought into it and your gift will be well received. Listed below are some ideas that I have found to be creative, yet inexpensive gifts that are well received. I hope you enjoy the list and have fun with all of your shopping! As you do, remember the truth behind this crazy time of year - Jesus is the reason for the season! Be sure to find time to focus on the most amazing gift that was given to us. For without Him, life would be meaningless.

 

1. A coffee/tea cup filled with gourmet coffees,  teas, candies or a gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop

2. Homemade cocoa  or mocha mix in a pretty jar - sometimes all it takes to decorate a jar is a simple piece of fabric on the top and a pretty ribbon

3. Holiday serving bowl or platter filled with goodies fresh from your kitchen - the container is a part of the gift
4. Homemade mixes with instructions for baking
5. Locally made or homemade items - barbeque sauce, maple syrup, jams, jerky, etc
6. Muffin mixes with muffin pan

7. Set of dish towels and dish cloths
8. Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes
9. Specialty cookbook
10. Journal with personalized inscription inside and a special pen

11. Books or a gift certificate to Amazon so they can purchase an e-book

12. Cards and book of stamps - my friends and I enjoy making cards. We all smile when we receive a card from one another in the mail - it is always blank with a note inserted on a piece of paper so we can reuse and re-gift our handiwork!
13. Collage of special photos - you could even order a photo book or other item with a special picture imprinted on it.
14. Picture frames
15. Movie theater gift certificates
16. Create coupons - good for a night out, a meal made and delivered by you, yard work, snow shoveling, possibilities are endless!
17. Certificate for a personal treat - pedicure, manicure, massage, etc.
18. Nice shirt
19. Fun socks
20. Special soaps, lotions, or candles - be careful on this one. Know the person you are buying for. a.) You don't want to offend them b.) You don't want to purchase a scent they don't like and c.) Some people are allergic to fragrance.

I look forward to reading your comments, ideas and suggestions. The more ideas we pool, the more fun we can have thinking about how to share the love!

Time to Soar

Last week I wrote about planning. I'm still considering what my big picture looks like. In fact, it is on my list of things to write out for the week this week. The key here being that I really need to write it down. When I do write it, I want it to be in a place that I will see it - someplace where it won't get buried by other paper work or simply overlooked. I want to and need to be reminded of it often so that I keep my focus on what may lie ahead.

This quote will be included with my list: "Set your sights high, the higher the better. Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now. Realize that nothing is to good. Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you or hold you up in any way." ~ Eileen Caddy

I think the first step for me is going to be time management. I have no inbred sense of time. Combining that with my current condition is interesting!  Sometimes a minute can feel like forever. Other times it feels like the day just flies by! Listed below is part of my action plan. Hopefully these goals can be helpful to you, but writing them here also gives me a sense of accountability.

Step 1 - Identify goals.

I think I have a semi-clear picture forming in my head now, but meeting them effectively and efficiently will depend on my ability to complete the steps that follow.

Step 2 - Make a daily to do list.

I have always been a person to have a mental check list. Up until this year, it worked well for me. Now, it would probably be better if I wrote things down. I had several wonderful co-workers at my last job, but the person that I job shared with was the biggest list writer I have ever seen. I followed her system and found that even though I probably didn't always need the list, it was actually fun to cross things off the list! The best part of the list was seeing all that was accomplished and knowing that if everything was crossed off, it was a day well spent. Her system included a list on the computer that we could tweak if need be, but inevitably there are always additions with each day. Adding the "extra" job(s) just added another sense of accomplishment.

Step 3 - Make a schedule.

I love my Google calendar! Some days I check it several times. Anyone with a smart phone should take full advantage of the Google calendar feature. It will put all of the pieces of a day together for you. I was able to combine my schedule with my family's schedule and see it all in one place wherever I was. If I don't break down my list of long and short term goals and add them to my calendar, my chances of meeting those goals are not nearly as high.

Another benefit to the Google calendar is that I can visually see how much of my day is filled. It is important to me to leave some open time on my calendar. That open time will create space for me to refresh my mind, allow for interruptions such as phone calls or visitors, and leave space for unexpected occurrences that need to be taken care of right away. Seeing the calendar also helps me to understand whether or not my expectations or hopes are realistic. I have come to value the space cushions and the freedom from stress that they provide.

Step 4 - Set a timer or reminder.

Google has this option ready for action and it is one of the things that I miss most about my smart phone. When you schedule events on your calendar, you have a choice of when you would like to be reminded. It could be anywhere from no reminder to weeks before. Notifications can be received via e-mail or a pop up on your computer.

The lesson I have learned here is that in order for me or my family to be on time, we need to allow twice as much time as necessary to travel. For example, if I want to travel to church, it takes me 25 minutes to get there. I round that up to half an hour and tell my family that I want to leave an hour before the scheduled start time of the event. Yes, we know the cushion is there, but we have also learned how nice it is to travel without stress. We are learning to follow the same guideline whenever we have to be someplace.

In my mind, I can see how writing lists and scheduling events can appear limiting on the outside. I love to fly by the seat of my pants and let life happen. Experience is teaching me that although rules, lists, and scheduling can seem to confine, they also allow a much greater sense of freedom. I look forward to experiencing a greater amount of that freedom than I already do as I aim to set my sights high and begin to meet some new goals.

What is Your Plan?

"Do as I say, not as I have done." I often used this line with my children. It's not that I  want them to take that advice to heart on every issue. Throughout life we learn. Learning doesn't stop when we finish school. We learn until the day we die. I am simply encouraging my girls to look at my life, consider my choices, learn from them, and then choose wisely for themselves.

Here are some of the life lessons I have and am learning:

1.) Don't be afraid to think for yourself and stand up for what you believe.

In the end, what will it matter what others thought? You are responsible only for your own decisions.

2.) Look at the BIG picture.

It's easy to get caught up in the here and now. Yes, it is important to live for today. But unless we have a good overview of what we would like to see in the future, we cannot plan for it.

3.) You need an action plan.

No matter what you are planning in life, you need to have the big picture in mind as well as the action plan. Whether you are thinking about planning a birthday party, planning or retirement, or even an ordinary day, an action plan is essential.

I, personally, am not the world's best example of a planner. In fact, for most of my life I have lived "flying by the seat of my pants". I love to be spontaneous. While spontaneity can be a good trait, it can also be very damaging.

I am currently striving to improve my life. Unless I have a plan, I know that I will not accomplish many of the things I hope to do. I have found two pieces of advice that I think are really good.

Create a plan that you can list step by step how to get to the end. But wait! The next part is the best: Be able to speak your plan out loud. Speaking your plan out loud will help you to internalize it and you will be able to share your plan with others. If you are not able to share your plan (or aren't willing to share your plan) you lose accountability.

Another little tip that I have recently learned is to include your goals on lists that you write. I get an e-mail from www.moneytalknews.com. One of the articles was about how to save money at the store. Including your goals on your shopping list was one of the tips! For example, if your goal was to save money and it was written on your list, chances are you would be reminded while you are at the store and skip some of the frivolous purchases. I'm sure that same tip could be used if you are trying to lose weight. Interestingly enough, if I remember correctly, the article also advised readers to list their goals on the shopping list a few times!

Many people already have a plan. Our hopes, dreams, and goals are generally within the realm of possibility.

Eileen Caddy once said, "Set your sights high, the higher the better. Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now. Realize that nothing is to good. Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you or hold you up in any way."

Do you have a step by step plan to help you meet the potential that lies within you?