A Compliment a Day

I’ve had a few people ask about the compliment a day that I used to do as a teenager (for several years actually, I consciously did try).

As a teenager, I gave out lots of compliments to my friends outfits or hair styles, but also tried to be appreciative of people’s special talents. I even tried to find some thing positive to write most weeks about the service in our Church communication cards.

I have to admit I did better at giving compliments when I was out than at home!

I found that a lot of people find compliments hard to deal with (in Australia we are notoriously self-deprecating!) and at that time in my life I felt the odd one out by responding with a simple ‘thankyou’ to compliments I received.

Some people still feel that I’m insincere or trying to get something out of them by giving them a compliment, I try to ignore it an perhaps just tone down the compliments in future. Of course my compliments are sincere and I truly hope people don’t get the wrong end of the stick!

Over the past 15years I’ve consciously tried to get into a habit of speaking positive words to gain a smile, rather than being sarcastic to gain a laugh from others.

In some ways, I think it did help me form a habit of looking for the positive in most situations.

One thing I ask – when you receive a compliment, take it on face value, smile and say thankyou!

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

Free Time Management Course for Scrapbookers

In this two day online course, Jennifer will teach you the 5 Simple Truths of Time Management and help you:

• Rid yourself of scrapbooking stress and guilt
• Find balance when you’re overextended
• Scrapbook in smaller amounts of time
• Banish procrastination and overwhelm forever
• Know exactly where to start when you scrap

Keep a Contented Heart: Scrap Happy Blog Hop

Welcome to the Scrapworthy Lives Scrap Happy Blog Hop.I've been loving reading Stephanie's blog about the Scrap Happy project over at Scrapworthy lives, so I was thrilled when I found out she's got a blog hop going. You have probably found me from Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking.

This month the theme is:

Keep a Contented Heart

During this busy Christmas season when advertisers and even the government seem to be encouraging us to buy more, do more, and spend more ;Gretchen Rueben suggests some tasks that keep us focussed on contentment:

Laugh out loud

I’ve talked about a couple of ways to document the laugh out loud moments in my Dececember Daily Inspiration Podcast!

Use good manners

Oh yes, being mannerly can help us focus on the good, and be concerned about our own actions rather than those of others.

Give positive reviews

As a young teenager, I decided to try complimenting at least one person per day, something I should pay attention to doing again!

Find an area of refuge

For me a few quiet moments of contemplation, prayer and sleep while Emily rests are my refuge. My art is also a refuge, but one that I can’t rely on being able to do every day! But I do write most days – especially during December Daily!

Being Content helps me focus

Rather than being scattered thinking about the next big thing, being content helps me focus on the here and now, the precious moments I have in my hand already!

How has being content brought you happiness lately?

Head over to Nihao, Cupcake! for the next stop in our journey.

In case you get lost, here are the rest of the blogs:

• Fun Mama
• Kiss & Tell Scrapbooking
• Melissa’s Blog – you are here
• Nihao, Cupcake!
• Our Life with Spiky Potatoes
• Scraps & Sass
• Scrapworthy Lives
• Slice of Life
• Take a Picture and Remember This
• This Kalil Life
• Your Memory Connection

Melissa

PS Want more Scrap Happy goodness?

• Scrap Happy Blog hop: Buy some happiness #New52
• Scrap happy blog hop: Contemplate the heavens
• Pay Attention: Scrap Happy Blog Hop

Enjoy this post? You may also enjoy Lisa Day’s Journey to Happiness What Matters Most class at Big Picture.

What matters most in your life? Have you really taken the time to think about the answer to that question?

“We will be working towards celebrating and creating a life
dedicated to focusing on what matters most to you!”
- Lisa Day

In Lisa Day’s latest workshop, you’ll spend four weeks setting up creative action plans to make sustainable changes that will help you focus on and stay true to what matters most. In class you will create two layouts and two mini albums which can be used as a guide to creating and celebrating a life – never losing sight of what matters most.

Do you want to make some changes in your life so that you can experience greater happiness and really focus on the things that truly matter to you? The journey to happiness is an on-going process, but with a clear focus, you can enjoy that journey every step of the way.

December Daily: Day 10

Traditions: Advent calendar.

Craft: Christmas cards

Decorating: Not exactly decorating, but preparing for Phill’s party.

Singing: You guessed it: Away in a manger.

Eating: Pancakes for breakfast!

Organising: Phill’s party.

Watching:  Emily riding her bike! She can just reach the pedals and can ride at least on the smooth floor inside.

Receiving: A few birthday cards for Phill

Cooking: 2 cakes, 1 cheesecake and 1 icecream cake

Buying: Meat, rolls and salad for the party.

Listening: Phill and Emily watching Anamaniacs and singing some song: “O so feathery”

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

Missed True Scrap?

For a limited time, class recordings of this awesome online papercrafting event are available for only $9.99 each. Check it out!

 

December Daily: Day 9

Tradition: Opening the advent calendar. Christmas lights on the tree.

Craft: Christmas cards

Singing: Away in a Manger (get the theme here?)

Eating: Emily had her first hard boiled egg (that I know of) – she ate two whole eggs and was asking for more!

Buying: Kebabs and some groceries for the party.

Organising: Tidying the house for Phill’s party and making our plan of attack for the cooking etc.

Listening: Emily playing by herself while I am still in bed at 10 to 8!

Emily watching the cricket, NZ batting: “Mummy I see him, I see Daniel Vettori” “He’s not playing today, he has glasses, the other ones don’t have glasses” “Yes, it is Daniel Vettori!” “Turn the sound on Mummy”

Hmm, no photos today…

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

December Daily: Day 8

Traditions: Getting locked out of the house! It happened last year as well! Thanks Michael for helping us out. Thanks to the next door neighbours for having us over in the mean time!
Singing: Emily and Grandad S Singing away in a Manger
Buying: I signed up for Karen Grunberg’s Reclaiming Your Time workshop  (50% off!) at the last moment!
Receiving: A Lego Reindeer with Emily’s Lego Club

Eating: Lasagne for tea with Mum and Dad S.

Organising: Phill’s party and other family events.
Watching: Sherlock
Listening: Emily to Reindeer at nap time: “I’m berry berry tired.”
Melissa
*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

Free Time Management Course for Scrapbookers

In this two day online course, Jennifer will teach you the 5 Simple Truths of Time Management and help you:

• Rid yourself of scrapbooking stress and guilt
• Find balance when you’re overextended
• Scrapbook in smaller amounts of time
• Banish procrastination and overwhelm forever
• Know exactly where to start when you scrap

December Daily: Day 7

Traditions: New tradition? Life group Christmas breakup. We had a present swap – I got a cool travel mug and Phill swapped to get a swear jar for work to raise funds for the Fathering Project. The bug zapper was a popular gift!

Eating: The best peaches! Phill bought the fruit for playgroup again and every time we all comment on how good it is. Even the Mums were eating the peaches!

All sorts of party goodies at Mousa and Michelle’s.

Organising: My plans for digital scrapbooking in January

Watching: Children’s programs

Giving & Receiving: Christmas cards (though not at playgroup as planned as Emily was too upset after hitting her head). We got our first card today! Secret Santa swap at lifegroup.

Realising: I am thankful for an awesome Chiropractor – I arrived with a headache and left without one! Thanks Sally!

I am totally blessed to have wonderful hardworking husband, a gorgeous little girl, and a little baby on the way who is just starting to kick – so precious.

Listening:  Emily needed ear muffs for while Daddy was cleaning the carpet in her room. Emily fell and hurt her head while packing up at Playgroup and was so upset, not fun listening to her crying in pain But happily she’s not even got a bruise on her.

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*

December Daily: Day 6

The story today is all about Reindeer. He was a true favourite of Emily’s at 6 months, he came with a Christmas suit I bought at Target Kalgoorlie.

See him on the windowsill?

In 2010 he was packed away in storage. I never expected that he would be so well loved when he reappeared among the decorations.

Helping Emily get to sleep.

Waiting for Mummy to wake up from her afternoon nap.

In other news the weather today was the wettest December day on record.

So much lightning the airport was closed all day!

And out new marquee didn’t really drain as well as it might have! Mum came an helped me empty it out before it was totally destroyed.

Craft: Finished the advent calendar today!

Singing: Away in a Manger (Emily can mostly sing the 1st verse!)

Dancing: As always.

Eating: Pies and salad to clear our the freezer ready for the party.

Organising: Christmas cards – printed them and wrote the Christmas letter.

Watching: Emily on the Bunnings play equipment. The Mentalist, while Phill was out with friends.

Listening: “Mummy, Spot is all wet!”(He swam in the pool! So did Emily at about 4:30 once the rain stopped!)

Melissa

*affliliate links where possible- please use them to support my blog*