Category: ARTICLES

Just for an hour- PLEASE make it STOP!!!

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I wanted to share with you an idea that I heard falling out of my mouth during my interview with Abigail Eaton-Masters for the Bounce Back Queen Summit.

It went a little something like this:
Somewhere in the last few years the world has become obsessed with this idea of fear. We are all living our lives surrounded by a healthy dose of fear. Fear of what might go wrong, fear of what might go right, fear that we don’t know enough or that we will say or do something to look stupid, fear of being judged, fear of our fear, of not being aware of the havoc it is bringing to our lives, of being too aware of the havoc it is bringing to our lives….  it never ends.

When I lost my Muchness a HUGE part of that involved taking on a ton of fear. And when I lost my girls, that just magnified all of those fears, and added a dollop of new ones.

But ya know what, I’m sick of it. 
There was a time when I was NOT ruled by fear. Fear was just a thing that popped up here and there, stuck around for a few minutes, barely getting any attention, and then crawled back into it’s little hole so I could go about the business of living my life. 

Sometimes I think that by giving our fear all of this attention- coming to terms with it, analyzing it, sometimes even naming it, all we’re doing is inviting it to come out of it’s hole, put up it’s feet and stay a while. 

So here’s what I think. Just for a day. Tell your fear to take a hike. Seriously. Just send it on a vacation, into it’s little hole, and ignore it. 

Just for a day.

And if a day is too hard, start with an hour.

And while it’s out of the way, do something it wouldn’t want you to do. Like go for a drive and get lost. Chop your hair off. Write an email to someone who intimidates you. Or just paint your nails purple. Neon purple.

That’s it. That’s all I gotta say about that.

Let me know how that goes for you. 😉

xox, Tova

Stop being afraid… Then, do a happy dance.

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SO Excited!!!
I am now officially a regular contributor to Still Standing Magazine!
Today my first post went live and I am so proud to be in the company of the amazing women (and one dude) that get to write for them on a regular basis!
My friend Beryl from The Muchness Meets Photography Challenge is a contributor there and it was really she (though she doesn’t know it) that gave me the confidence to approach them about writing. Ya know, for a year I’d thought about asking for the opportunity, but didn’t have the guts to just do it.
So, ya know what I have to say (to you AND to me???)
Stop being afraid to ask for what you want!! I woke up the morning after I quit my job with a fresh outlook and the first thing I did was write them an email asking if I could be a contributor.
They said no.
But they did offer me to write a guest post, which I did that same day.
And then, about a week later, they asked me to be a contributor.
And I totally happy danced around the living room like a dork. My goal for 2013? Plant more scary seeds which give me more reasons to potentially dance around the living room like a dork.
…after all, my living room is MADE for dancing.

The path may lead us where we never expected

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I remember, as a kid in jewish sleep away camp, we had a 45 minute “learning” session each morning where they taught us about the scripture of the week, or some life lesson that we should apply to our camp experience. In all honesty, I never paid attention. Ever. I’d sit on the lawn and pull out the fattest pieces of grass from the earth and them split them lengthwise down the center. Or, I’d find little bits of tree bark and branches and pick off the outer layer of bark bit by bit till the hard wood insides were exposed. OCD much?

I went to sleep away camp from the time I was 5 years old (Not a typo) until I was 16. 11 years of 45 minute daily lectures and I remember just one. One. Perhaps I should not be bragging about that fact … but alas, it’s basically true.

So what is the one lecture I remember? Well, actually , I don’t remember. Pathetic, I know. Of the 45 minutes I remember just one- but I remember it well. The person giving the lecture said, very emphatically,  that “We are all put on this earth for a reason. We all have a gift, a talent – SOMETHING – that makes us special and we should find that thing and live a life that honors it. It is the reason we are born.” I think when I heard this I was about 10 or 11 years old. I clearly remember thinking “My thing is that I can draw and make artsy stuff. I am an artist. I know this. That is what is my thing. I am very lucky that I already know what it is.These girls around me probably don’t know their thing. But I know mine. And that is just one reason I don’t have to listen to this lecture. It has nothing to do with my life’s purpose.”

And that is pretty much, the path my life took. At 12 years old I started my fashion portfolio and set my sights on studying Fashion Design at FIT, like my mom, and my dad’s mom. And at 17 I did just that. And that has been my career and I am and have always been really good at it. (Toot. Toot. That is me, and my horn.)

But these last few years have changed me. I still love art and creating and still want  need to do it in my life. But I have also found that I have other passions, other skills, and an overwhelming desire to bring joy to other people’s lives. This desire used to be met through my art and design. When, in my 20’s, I started my own company designing unique and inspired handbags, I truly felt like I was using my talents to bring people joy. And I was. I remember the names of my two biggest fans. They wrote to me all the time and always wanted the next, newest bag I would be designing. People would email me to tell me how perfect the bag they’d bought was, how it was the reason they’d had an incredible evening. Stuff like that rocked my world.

Now, it is my family and it is this- this Muchness- that rocks my world. Talking to people – connecting with them and helping them feel joy again, see light again, appreciate themselves and their individuality, this is what lights me up. This is not a gift I knew I had. It’s not what I would have thought at 11 years old sitting on the grass. It’s still not a gift I’m sure I have, but it’s a calling that I have to answer. The fact that I have somehow managed to create a space in this tiny little corner of the internet where I have combined my artistic talent with this new passion, blogging about the pretty little sparkly things that that make me smile, and know that it is bringing a smile to someone else’s face and inspiring them to bring a smile to someone else’s face… I feel like it’s no accident. I believe this message is one I was put here to share. I believe it’s the message my girls were brought here to help me find. I believe it is the reason they were born, and it is my mission to fulfill their purpose.

I want to thank every single one of you who reads or comments on my posts, who writes on your Muchness blog, tags me with pictures of your pretty sparkly Muchness Moments… Your support and encouragement remind me and inspire me every day that though this may not be the path I expected my talents and gifts to take, and though I often feel like I am stumbling and fumbling to follow that path in the way I am meant to, it is an amazing path and I am excited and humbled to be on it. Thank you for being here with me.

 

Have you seen your new Member Homepage?!?!

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I’m terribly excited to share with you the new member area homepage!! Ever since I started this project, the thing I loved the most was watching new members join and make the commitment to find their Muchness by documenting their Muchness Moments. If you’ve been a long time reader, you know that I have been through so many iterations of this site trying to make it just right. I’ve had so many ups and down, the biggest down being The Great Server Crash of 2011, where I lost some incredibly beautiful, inspired and healing Muchness Challenges. In a panic, I hastily moved the site to a whole new “pre-designed” platform with lots of bells and whistles, but it just never felt ‘right.’

So now, I’ve been slowly building and rebuilding the site and community to really represent what The Muchness has grown into.

We are a community of support, sharing, healing, fun and sparkle, but ultimately, we are and have always been, about YOU and YOUR journey to find YOUR Muchness. 

We just give you a give you a place to explore, create, experiment and push yourself into bigger, brighter, more colorful and joyful places in your world. Creating that space for you is truly my joy and that’s why I put So Much energy into creating a safe, encouraging and easy space for you to blog and document your Muchness Moments!

I know what you’re saying… You’re saying “Yes! I love that! But every time I sign in I’m still confused by what to do!” and I am here to say NOT ANYMORE!!! Check out your new member page:

That’s all the groovy muchtastic stuff you can do when you’re a member– all easily laid out for you!! I have put so much thought and heart into creating this site and I want it to be a spot of joy and comfort for you to come back to, time and time again. For that to really come to fruition, I knew that making it easy and pretty was an important step.

As with all technology, there may be some bugs getting started, and I am counting on you to let me know if you come across any!! Please let me know your thoughts, questions, likes, dislikes in the comments below. Go LOGIN to your membership area to check it out for yourself! If you like what you see and want to join the Muchness Community, Click here!
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Like what you see but not ready to make a commitment yet to Get In Touch With The Much? That’s OK, sign up for our Free Weekly-ish Newsletter to stay up to date on all the much going’s on! When you’re ready, we’ll be waiting!
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Oh, and one more thing- Beryl and I have been working on our big plans for the Muchness Meets Photography Guided Group Challenge and I am getting so stinkin’ excited!! If you haven’t signed up, GO! Do it! Even if you can’t make it to the August 28, live virtual event, you will receive all the info via email- inspirational tidbits, photography tips, creative, joyful challenges… I promise, it’s TOTALLY worth the price of admission!! (Did I mention it’s totally FREE?)  

Can’t wait to see you on the flip side!

 

What does the mother of two dead babies look like?

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This past weekend I had an amazing, once-in-a lifetime opportunity and I wanted to tell you about it. One of the women I’ve met through Bschool is an incredible, top-tier photographer named Tanya Malott. She saw my story in one of the Bschool groups and reached out to me, and we instantly clicked. She is amazing.
This past weekend, she offered a day of FREE headshot photos to anyone from Bschool who could make it to the shoot. I pounced on the opportunity. She got access to this glamourous photo studio in Manhattan owned by Heike Grebenstein – who makes jewelry that is simply gorgeous and she arranged for our hair to be done by the incredibly talented Joshua Barrett, and fellow Bschooler, celebrity makeup artist Michelle Coursey did our makeup. I mean, the whole thing was like a dream.
But beyond all the pampering and how fun and inspiring it was to was to meet other bschoolers face-to-face, something profoundly emotional happened to me that day, and that’s really the reason I’m sharing this story….
After getting my pictures taken, I was talking to one of the other women there and I found myself telling her a story that I’ve been meaning to share with you but just… haven’t. So, I’m sharing it now.

After the twins died, everything in the world just literally became gray. It was all I could see. I’d wake up in the morning, my face puffy from the tears that had dried on my cheeks the night before. I’d drag myself into my closet and pull something out that felt like I felt. Something gray. Something brown. Something stained, ripped, dirty, overwashed and ill-fitting. I really didn’t care. I’d walk from the bus station to my office, sometimes crying the whole way. Not caring that people were looking at me strangely. “If they had two dead babies, they’d be crying too” I said to myself.

I’d get to the office and do my work, feeling like shit, looking like shit. I wasn’t worried what my coworkers thought of my appearance. That just never occurred to me to matter.

Then, one day, my boss unexpectedly called me into a sales meeting. The women who sat at the table looked polished and fresh in the bright display lights of our showroom. I stood before them, completely mortified. I remember clearly what I was wearing that day. Jeans that were unwashed and way too big, saggy on my tush with an actual patch in the seat to cover a hole. Gray sneakers. An olive green t-shirt stretched over my muffin top and post (dead) baby belly with a graphic of The Beatles stretched across my chest. Over that, I wore a brown vintage button down polyester shirt. I believe it was missing a button. My hair was in a messy, unwashed ponytail.

My boss introduced me as the head of design. “The genius who makes magic happen.” he said. I stood before them feeling like something that crawled out of a sewer. I pasted a smile on my face and answered their questions. When I walked out of the room I thought to myself “Well, they’d look like shit too if they had Two Dead Babies.”

And when I heard myself think that, that’s when I knew. Enough Was Enough.

It was up to me to make the choice to sink or swim, and I decided to swim. The only way I knew to start was with the outside. And so I did- No more gray, no more heavy disgusting clothing. I was going to infuse my outside with color and shine that was so bright and so bold it could break through the wall of gray that surrounded me. And, you know how that story unfolds. That decision ultimately found a name, and it’s name is The Muchness.

When I look at pictures of me before the twins, I feel like it is a different person– a naive, innocent, opinionated girl I no longer know. And when I’ve looked at pictures of me after, it’s felt like a kaleidoscope of bits and pieces of me in the middle of some kind of reformatting process.

This weekends photo shoot felt like a culmination of that journey and that decision to swim. Tanya knows my story and understands the path I’ve traveled to get here. She saw my dress and it was her suggestion to take pictures in this setting. Pictures of a woman who has not drowned in her grief, but has been able to push through to a brighter, even more beautiful place of light & joy. I mean, really. Who wears a party dress in the bathtub?

I looked at the pictures Tanya took of me- beautiful, incredibly muchy pictures of a woman with two dead babies, who has found happiness and beauty and joy again. And those pictures Tanya took, they were pictures of a woman I do know. The woman I am learning to see myself as. Me. 20120703-105429.jpg

5 Reasons Muchness on the outside = Muchness on the inside

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It’s no secret that when we look good, we feel good. We’ve all heard that before, but honestly, just writing it gives me the feeling that I’m talking in clichés that mean nothing and it kinda gives me the icks. I mean, in my mind the only people that put “looking good” that high on their to-do list are obviously people with too much time on their hands, right? And they probably all have their plastic surgeon on speed dial, or, they live at the gym and loooove building up a sweat.  Not exactly the person I see when I look in the mirror, ya know?
But here’s the secret. It’s not about those things. I mean, if plastic surgery or loving the gym are your thing- more power to you! But if you’re just who YOU are, doing YOUR thing- working, chasing kids, running errands, going to school, dealing with the crap life sometimes throws your way- there is NO reason you can’t also be an individual that proves the sentiment “When you look good, you feel good.” Really. It’s actually easier than you think. As one of our current Muchness challengers recently wrote “…now I see the difference between being selfish and just simply being nice to yourself.” 

Here are 5 reasons why something as small as happy nail polish can actually enhance your mood- on the inside:

1- You can make your Muchness Meter Ding like mad!

Ya know that feeling you get when you come across a picture or color and you instinctively go “Oooh! I like that!”? Well, that’s what I like to call your Muchness Meter, and it’s going “DING!”   Here’s the thing- you can actually recreate that little jolt MUCHNESS dozens- if not hundreds of times throughout the day just by wearing toe nail polish in a color you love! Every single time you look down at your toes it’ll be like “ding-ding-ding-ding…” (this same concept holds true for fingernails, and pants, even cute little colorful under-things- though you’ll see them less frequently. 😉 )

Imagine your Muchness Meter Dinging 300 times a day when your toes are this color!!!

2- People are judging you.
I’m not talking about the kind of judgements that we imagine in our heads (those nasty gremblins of insecurity- were gonna work on kicking those to the curb with the help of Muchness too!) but I’m talking about the subconscious conclusions we draw about a person based on the energy they emit. When you walk around wearing dull, frumpy, sad looking clothing, guess what? People are going to assume you are dull, frumpy and sad, and consequently, they’ll treat you as such. Can you really blame them? But, if you make the active choice to wear bright, fun-loving colors and accessories, people will organically treat you as if you’re joyful and fun-loving! Now this is Very Important: you can feel like absolute crap on the inside- like the happy bus just ran you over and left skid marks on your ass- but if people are treating you like you’re joyful and fun-loving, it will always make you feel a little bit less like crap… and possibly even joyful and fun-loving. Trust me on this one.

I mean, would it ever occur to you that the person wearing these pants feels like crap? See? I didn't this so. 🙂

3- People will compliment you.
That’s right! When you wear something fun and cheerful, people will notice it! And since they assume you are fun and cheerful, they won’t shy away from offering you a compliment! And you will graciously accept their complement. Because you made them smile, and that will make you smile— it’s just a glorious cycle of muchtasticness!

A sparkling smile. The other thing you'll be wearing after someone compliments you.

 

4- You are giving yourself something muchy to think about- namely, what MUCHNESS are you gonna wear tomorrow?
When we get stuck in a thought loop, the same ideas and words can toss around in our heads for hours, or days- even months or years. Early on in my grief I’d spend my time letting really sad and upsetting thoughts live in my head. In truth- I needed to deal with those thoughts and I needed to allow them to work their way through my brain so could move to the next stage of healing. But at some point I was ready to start setting those thoughts free. But what else was I going to think about while walking to and from the bus station and my office? During that walk, I was so used to entertaining thoughts about my sadness and grief – I didn’t even know what else to think about! So, I thought about sparkles. And nail polish and tutus and cute shoes. And those things made me smile. Simple, but true. Ask yourself what makes you smile? Then think about those things more.

Me- Feeling Muchtastic. 🙂

 

5- And the number 5 reason why wearing something Muchy on the outside makes you feel good on the inside?

Because You are taking care of you.
Oh, I know— another chiché about women… we put everyone else before ourselves. Funny thing about clichés… they’re often so true. So, maybe you don’t have to time to go to the gym on a regular basis, Maybe you’re not interested plastic surgery, and maybe you ate the kid’s leftover chicken nuggets for dinner because that’s all you had time for… that’s life and we do what we can. Taking a moment each day to focus on your own muchtasicness will benefit you and everyone around you! You will feel better, happier, your kids will benefit, your husband will benefit, your job will benefit.

 

Here’s what I want from you- In the comments below name ONE thing that you KNOW will make you feel muchtastic if you wear it, but you just haven’t found the “right” time, and then tell us how you plan to wear it- SOON – even if you need to invent an occassion! Imagine what you will feel like when you wear that item and put that energy into the universe. And then Do It. Don’t own an item like that? Imagine what that item would be and then describe it and I’ll go Muchness Hunting for it!! Woohoo! I Just Love Muchness Hunting. 🙂

Muchness is NOT just reserved for Muchkins!!

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"...we lose the ability to be vividly, unreservedly alive (which small children have) it takes growing older to regain that capacity."

 

I purchased Harpers Bazaar Magazine today. I am quite sure I have never bought that magazine before, so I don’t know what compelled me today to pick it up. But I did. Inside there was this article by Dominique Browning entitled “Why I Like Getting Older.”

I haven’t read the article. I started to. I plan to finish. Logic would dictate that I finish the article before I write about it, I know. But the kids were distracting me after four paragraphs and I’d already read something that got my brain going, so I figured I’d write it while it was fresh in my head.

The article, from what I can tell, seems to  be a positive spin on how getting older allows one to sit back, relax, find confidence, and remember to appreciate the little things. In my language, take stock of their Muchness Moments. Obviously this is a concept I can stand behind.

What stood out to me though was the cavalier way the author dismisses “the ability to be vividly, unreservedly alive” as something only “small children have.” Why? Can only small children and enlightened boomers find a way to be ‘vividly, unreservedly alive?” Even as I write this I feel myself grow resentful of the premise. I LOVE the words “vividly, unreservedly alive.” They are so… aspirational, so inspired, so Muchtastic! I regret that I had let my desire to live “vividly and unreservedly” fade over the years, but I am now here, blogging about vividly unreserved shoes and colors and sparkles and creative ideas that are helping me infuse my life back with an energy that is uniquely, vividly and unreservedly ME.

I guess what I’m saying is, unlike the authors wording would suggest, I don’t think that HAS to fade when you stop being a small child. I think it often does, and that’s sad. But I prefer to think that there are people who are able to maintain that into adulthood! (One of my favorite designers of all time, ever, Betsey Johnson, comes to mind)  I think if we, as adults, stop being afraid to live out loud, to live creatively and colorfully and vividly and unreservedly, we may just be lucky enough to raise some children who will learn that they NEVER have to lose that spirit, (only to attempt to try to refind in their golden years or after a tragic loss like I did.) What a gift that would be to a child.

I just commented on Jen’s Post how a few months ago I went to a family event and spent a bit of time talking to a cousin I used to be close with when we were children, but haven’t really seen since I was about 10 or 12 years old. I was yapping away and she commented that my personality “hadn’t changed a bit”. I took it as a compliment and replied that actually, I had changed. But recently, I made the decision to change back. I realized I  much preferred the optimistic and colorful and “Why be normal?” irreverence of my youth so I’m making an active effort to reclaim it. Admittedly, it’s harder to be that vivid and unreserved when there are bills to pay, people to answer to, responsibilities to handle… I guess that’s why I look for ways to maintain it- or create it- or remind myself what it looks and feels like. If it’s in the way I respond to a pair of shoes, or some over-the-top nail polish, or even just by paying attention to the beauty of my daughters’ laughter. Those are the Muchness Moments that combine to equal a vivid and unreserved, ie: a MUCHTASTIC existence.

What are some ways you make a conscious effort to live vividly and unreserved- tapping into the enthusiasm you had as a kid? And what are some areas you would like to work on to add a little more of that in your life? I’d love to read your Muchy thoughts!

10 Simple ways to tap into your Muchness!! – Add your own!!

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So many little things we can do to brighten up the world we live in and bring little Muchness Moments into the every day. Here are a few- Ill bet you can do all 10 things in 24 hours and make your tomorrow MUCH MUCHIER!

  1. Replace that pen. You know the one. It rolls around in the bottom of your purse. The one with the insurance company name on it. Just go out and get a cute pen. Seriously. Every time you reach for it you’ll think “ooooh! I forgot how cute my pen is!”
  2. Wear a pair of colorful tights. What? Too Much? OK. Build up to it! Start with colorful sock inside boots. You’ll forget they’re there and then when you pull off your boots at the end of the day, POW! A surprise burst of color to make you smile!
  3. Do your nails. But wait. Don’t do them in them in the safe, soft, neutral color you think you should! Instead, do them in the gorgeous, bold, color that made you go “OH! Now That’s a beautiful color!”
  4. Call and old friend. Someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. The one you’ve been thinking about calling but haven’t found the time. Find the time.
  5. Replace the buttons on an old sweater or coat with something Muchy, colorful or unexpected. You’ll forget you did it and get a rush every time you reach for the garment and remember how you brought it back to life. Too much? Replace the little inside fly button on your favorite black trousers with a kooky colored button. No one will see it but you and it’ll perk up your bathroom breaks!
  6. Crank up the car radio next time a song comes on that makes you wanna sing! Bounce your shoulder! Make up lyrics! Invent drum noises and pretend you’re a rock star!! What? You’re worried the lady in the Honda Odyssey next to you is gonna think you’re nuts? WHO CARES?!? Cranky McCrankster’s just jealous of your Muchness! Wear it Loud! Wear it proud!
  7. Get totally glammed up and go on a dinner date. To the local diner. Everyone will assume you are just coming from or on your way to someplace totally fabulous! (And you’ll get to wear that cocktail dress that’s been hanging in your closet since 2007, begging for a night on the town!)
  8. Cover your important papers with happy face stickers. Like your bills. Someone, somewhere is gonna receive that mortgage payment and see your happy face sticker and it’ll make them smile. because opening other peoples bills all day is probably not that persons dream job either.

Uh Oh! I need two more but it’s my bed time!!! Please help me finish this list!!! How can anyone easily tap into a muchness moment on any random day?!?!?!

Dennel added these great ideas too!!!

LOVE your list!  here’s a few ideas for you 🙂

pretty bras.  They even have sequin bras at la senza right now.  You can feel sexy even if you’re dressed totally normal.

super colorful eyeshadow.  takes like 10 seconds.

sexy lingerie.  I had to take care of a freind post surgery for a few days.  had a hard time finding appropriate sleepwear becasue all I have is sexy lingerie 😉

muchness band on your rearview mirror-reminds you to smile when you’re stuck in traffic.

air fresheners.  hard to be sad when the room smells so delicious you wanna eat it up

dress up and dance with your kids.  make it a very important event, send an invitation even.  don’t answer the phone or touch your electronic devices, be completely plugged in to having fun with your kids.

heels.  i have yet to accomplish skinny heels, but I think for this summer, it will be my goal.  I would love to have that strutt.

baking…I make llike 6 dozen buns or cookies at a time…..but wait…then send your kids to each of the neighbours with a bag full.  spreads muchness and teaches your kids to take care of others and neighbours will love you. 🙂


Ideas for Muchness Challenge themes

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Not sure what to ick as a theme for your Challenge?

Thanks to Shannon for creating this Muchtastc list of ideas— they are just the tip of the iceberg! More ideas to follow!

-Go Seasonal! If it’s winter, think of creative ways you can push yourself to enjoy the weather!  

(Buy a new hat, scarf, mittens, jacket , Build a snowfort or snowman ,Color snow with spray bottles and food coloring , Make Colorful ice rocks by filling water balloons up with water & food coloring, freezing them (outside would most likely freeze them!) and remove the balloon, Make a big batch of Hot Cocoa! Make homemade marshmallows for your hot cocoa or build a hot cocoa buffet with peppermint sticks, chocolate chips, cinnamon sticks, etc, Go Sledding! Go Polar Bearing :oD  OH MY! (FYI that means jumping in a frozen cold lake in your swimsuit), Make a snow angel, Shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk,)

Take the opportunity to focus on your relationships! (Romantic or otherwise)

You can spend 30 days revamping your marriage or rebuilding bridges with people you no longer talk to or make it a goal to get out of the house and visit someone everyday!

Go visit your Grandma!  Bring her a pie, take her out for lunch, play scrabble!  Ask her about what it was like when she was younger! Patch up an old friendship, Visit someone you never seem to have time for, Host a family gathering for no reason (“Everyone come over for a sunday brunch at my house”) Tell someone you love them that may not know you do! Let the people who have always been there for you know that you appreciate them!

Love Lives…

Watch a romantic movie, Learn your hubby/wive’s favorite hobby, Watch a sunset or sunrise or look at the stars, Play a board game (we had a blast during my challenge when I did this) Play a video game together even, Make a candlelight dinner for your family (kids love this too) Give a massage! Make them a gift, Make a list of the reasons you love them, Write a poem, Buy them flowers (mostly for the wives!) Make their favorite food!

You could make your 30 Days about doing something with your kids!

Teach them something new (ride a bike, teach letters in a creative way) Play a game (board or video) Extra messy Crafts, Take them outside (park, play a sport, go for a walk…) Take everyone’s pillows and blankets and put them in the living room for a movie night!  Throw in some colored popcorn or weird flavor’ed popcorn… cinnamon or italian seasoned or popcorn balls! Or regular popcorn lol  or try popping it without your microwave!  Play dress up with them, Play a blindfold game with them : Guess the mystery food! Take them somewhere fun like Chuck E Cheese, Monkey Joes (bouncy slides and moon bounce type places), Laser Tag, Put on your fanciest clothes and have a living room dance party!

Muchify the things you already own- Get creative and crafty!

Painting, Sewing, Learn Knitting or Crocheting, Start Scrapbooking, Jewelry Making, Kids Crafts (homemade play dough, clay, crayons, paints, etc etc) Glitterfy things (OH YeAH! Thats what im talking about), Add sequins to things, Drawing (Carry crayons and a little notepad and doodle something daily), Make a decorated frame, woodwork, revamping old furniture (find something at Goodwill and see if you can make it look muchtastic!)