A Love Language

Posted on December 10, 2024 by msw blog

Gift giving is a love language. The tradition of holiday presents is not the commercialism lamented in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It’s a way of seeing and being seen. Expressing affection, tangibly, in a way that lingers long after you’ve left the room or the city, and your words have since dissipated.

Leah Kaiser of West Seattle says, “It’s not about giving expensive gifts or buying things that are flashy. It’s about the person: what they want, what they need, who they are. It’s about taking the time to hunt down something they’ll really enjoy.”

She loves seeing the joy on a loved one’s face when they receive something unexpected, something they didn’t even know they wanted — “or that they mentioned so long ago they’re surprised you remember.” Gift giving is a great way to show you’re listening.

“Most people will say what they want, if you listen.

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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Preparing your home for winter: Faucets and Hoses

Posted on December 9, 2024 by msw blog

Outdoor faucets aren’t insulated, which can prove troublesome.

“People forget that their hose is connected,” says Cuevas. “The water in the faucet freezes the whole pipe and it expands and explodes.”

Purchasing an inexpensive plastic or Styrofoam faucet cover can solve the problem.

Additionally, if you have a crawl space, ensure any water lines are properly wrapped and insulated.

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Cultivating Patience

Posted on December 9, 2024 by msw blog

Having patience means being able to wait calmly in the face of frustration or adversity, so anywhere there is frustration or adversity—i.e., nearly everywhere—we have the opportunity to practice it.

It seems there are everyday ways to build patience as well. Here are some strategies suggested by emerging patience research.

  • Reframe the situation. Feeling impatient is not just an automatic emotional response; it involves conscious thoughts and beliefs, too. If a colleague is late to a meeting, you can fume about their lack of respect, or see those extra 15 minutes as an opportunity to get some reading done. Patience is linked to self-control, and consciously trying to regulate our emotions can help us train our self-control muscles.
  • Practice mindfulness. In one study, kids who did a six-month mindfulness program in school became less impulsive and more willing to wait for a reward. The Greater Good Science Center’s Christine Carter also recommends mindfulness practice for parents: Taking a deep breath and noticing your feelings of anger or overwhelm (for example, when your kids start yet another argument right before bedtime) can help you respond with more patience.
  • Practice gratitude. In another study, adults who were feeling grateful were also better at patiently delaying gratification. When given the choice between getting an immediate cash reward or waiting a year for a larger ($100) windfall, less grateful people caved in once the immediate payment offer climbed to $18. Grateful people, however, could hold out until the amount reached $30. If we’re thankful for what we have today, we’re not desperate for more stuff or better circumstances immediately. We can find more ease in taking our time.

–Mindfulness

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Best Gift

Posted on December 8, 2024 by msw blog

The most meaningful gifts I have ever received are anonymous handwritten notecards in my mailbox, a book anonymously left on my porch with a sweet message written inside the front cover, and a surprise delivery from a bakery from an unknown sender, all with sweet messages of “I see you and support you.” These writings are my most cherished gifts, and I still do not know who they are from – Casey Lines   

Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…

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Ornament Grinch

Posted on December 8, 2024 by msw blog

My mother-in-law loves quirky Christmas ornaments. Each year she gets my husband and I each at least one new ornament.

My problem is that I love uniform ornaments and decorations. I want everything to match. I have the perfect set for our Christmas tree. I know she gets us these out of love, but how can I kindly ask her to stop? Or would it be terrible if I had a separate, smaller Christmas tree just for these ornaments?– Ornament Grinch

This post hit close to home . I am a friend, auntie, and a sister who started a tradition decades ago of giving an annual Christmas ornament to the children in my life. This tradition is not only an affordable gift alternative, but also a beautiful, whimsical way to capture the year. Therfore, I love Eric suggestion on how to handle this :

Dear Ornament: You have come to the right place! I have such a long history of Grinch-esque ornament preferences that I’m banned from Whoville. (I still stand by the tree I decked out in cranberry and pewter.)

A “Mom’s Christmas Tree” is a good compromise and can even start a lovely new tradition. Asking her to stop is likely to result in bruised feelings, as is getting into a long conversation about arboreal aesthetics. Accept that these ornaments come from a heartfelt place and give them a heartfelt place in your house.

I’m curious what you’ve been doing with the ornaments thus far. If you’ve been begrudgingly adding them to your uniform tree, it might seem like a demotion to move them. A simple conversation might help smooth things over. But a tree where all of her gifts to you can be displayed is a lovingly festive gesture.

issue. How would you handle it?

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