Wordless Wednesday: Gingerbread

Tell Me Tuesday: What kind of shopper are you?

Do you prefer to get your shopping/errands done in the morning, afternoon or evening?

Do you always go to the grocery store on the same day of the week?

Q1: I am a morning shopper all the way. It just seems the cashiers are a little more friendly and the traffic a little smaller (both on the street and in the stores). I love getting all of my errands finished before lunch. And some stores, if I dont make it there before lunch then I wait until the next day because I dont want to fight the crowds (like the grocery store on certain days).

Q2: Yes, I usually try to go on Thursday morning.

Marriage Monday: Attitude

"Most athletes would agree that winning is ninety percent attitude and ten percent hard work. If that is true in the world of sports, it is certainly also true in the world of relationships. What we think largely influences what we do. In turn, our actions greatly influence our emotions. This connection between attitude and actions opens a door of hope for all couples.

The most common mistake couples make is allowing negative emotions to dictate their behavior. By failing to recognize the power of a positive attitude, they fail to achieve their marriage's highest potential.

Circumstances are neutral--or at least they're common. Therefore, it is not what happens to us but how we interpret what happens to us (our attitude) that makes the difference between success and failure."

Gary Chapman

Things to think about (or discuss & comment on!):

Is it easy changing your attitude from negative to positive? (How about a positive to a negative?)

Does hearing this make you want to try harder the next time you feel yourself having a bad attitude?

What are ways you've found that have worked to help change your attitude?

Do you think being around someone with a positive attitude is contagious? (How about a negative one?)

Quotes in this post were found in The Four Seasons of Marriage by Gary Chapman (Author of The Five Love Languages)

You can find my other Marriage Monday's here.

Christmas Angel Winner

Congrats to

Becky J

for winning the delightful Christmas Angel CD!!

*email me your address and I'll get it mailed off tomorrow!

Giveaway: Christmas Angel

I am so excited to get to share this AMAZING music with you. I've been a fan for a few years now and really think you'll love it too!

Archangel Records presents Christmas Angel

and I have one to GIVEAWAY to a lucky reader!!

Entries:

(Please leave a comment for each entry so I can be sure to enter your name for each item. Thanks!)

+1 Like Archangels Records on Facebook.

+1 Listen to any of their music samples and comment here and tell me which one you listened to.

+1 (daily) Tweet about the giveaway (If you want you can copy/paste this: "I just entered to win Christmas Angel holiday music CD by Archangel Records from @Cranberryfries http://bit.ly/uQgD2c .")

+1 Follow @Cranberryfries on Twitter.

+1 Follow my blog (Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs-both are --> to the right)

Terms & Conditions:

Open to US residents only. Winner will be notified via email within 48 hours of the giveaway. Giveaway will end Saturday, December 10, 2011.

**You can also order your own (or one for a great gift!) from Archangel Records.**

Also if you're going to be in Southern California area check out their concert series! They will be be joined by vocalist Robin Harper and pianist Marvin Goldstein as special guests at their Christmas concerts on December 16th and 17th, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are only $10 each, and will sell out quickly.

Marriage Monday: Chemistry

I was flipping through a handful of my books trying to decide what to share to day and this chapter caught my eye. I think all too often it's easier for a spouse/married couple to say, "I/we fell out of love" when it could be that they decided that working at their marriage was too hard or that 'the butterflies' just weren't there anymore when again, they might have just stopped trying to find those positive, happy feelings. Marriage takes work. And I love the way the first quote starts.

"Chemistry makes everything about the marriage work better. When it's present, people get along better, they work together more effectively, and they resolve conflicts with less pain. They not only want to be around one another, they also want to hold hands, sit together in one slightly oversized chair, hug, one another, and say all kinds of 'sweet nothings' to each other. Indeed, chemistry is fundamental to a great marriage."

"Chemistry between two people is responsive to mental and emotional processes over which we have tremendous control. That's right, you can make chemistry happen. If you don't feel the flutter in your heart for your spouse that you once did, if the magic is gone from your relationship, don't panic. You can change that! I have worked clinically with several couples in an effort to determine whether chemistry can be increased, and the results have been incredibly positive. I honestly believe that chemistry can be re-created."

"Chemistry and the senses are closely linked. Understand this gives us a substantial amount of control in an arena where control is not easy to develop. In addition to the senses, chemistry is enhanced when our needs are met by someone else. It doesn't matter much what the need is that gets satisfied; the crucial thing is that a particular individual helps us get this need met. When this happens, the magic begins."

What are your thoughts?

Information from this post is found in:

Learning to Live With the Love of Your Life...and Loving It! Formerly titled The Triumphant Marriage by Neil Clark Warren, Ph.D.

You can find my other Marriage Monday's here.

Marriage Monday: A Free Session

The Healing Group is offering FREE counseling for one day only (in exchange for one item of women's winter clothing to be donated to the shelter).

Read more about the details here: The Healing Group blog or check them out on Facebook.

The FREE sessions are available on Nov 17, 2011 and I just checked and they still have a few slots available so dont wait, call in now!