Several years ago, there was an overnight sensation that took over classrooms and playgrounds. All of a sudden, little plastic and metal hand-held spinners showed up everywhere! They came in various colors and different sizes and were in such high demand, that they were sold out across the board. It shocked me at the time, because I recall wondering how something could become so popular, in all parts of our country, without any advertising or promotion. How was it that school kids in Texas were as obsessed with these little devices as their counterparts on the east coast? The Fidget Spinners created such a distraction in schools, that almost as quickly as they appeared on the scene, you started hearing about them being banned. I am not sure what my sons have done with their Fidget Spinners, but I know exactly where my cute little pink one is (yes, I got one too)...it is kept in the top drawer of my desk.   Whether you followed it closely or not, you were probably aware that recently there was an impeachment trial going on. The Senators were under a strict no-talking policy and a ban on electronics. One of the things that you may have heard is that the legislators had trouble staying awake and focused during the many hours of testimony. In an attempt to rectify this situation, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina got a hold of a large supply of Fidget Spinners and passed them out to his colleagues. Cameras were not allowed during the proceedings, but sketch artists released drawings of the fidget spinners which took up residence on many desks. Some legislators were seen spinning them on their desks, others were using them as they were designed to be used, spun between the fingers to relieve stress and/or boredom and to improve concentration. As I mentioned earlier, schools all across the U.S. banned the toys after they proved to be a distraction among students.    What do you think? Do you think that fidgeting helps to keep you focused or does it lead to distraction? Read More

The word “blackout” probably means different things to different people. Perhaps when you hear the word, you conjure up thoughts of your favorite incredibly decadent blackout chocolate cake. If you are a theater person, the word blackout refers to what happens at the end of a scene or an act in a play. NYC residents will recall the famous electrical blackout of 1977 that left the Big Apple in the dark for days. This week, many people are talking about Kobe Bryant’s famous basketball practice sessions known as blackouts...because of how hard he worked and pushed himself and how long into the night his workouts lasted. The sudden, untimely and tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year old daughter Gianna and 7 of their friends shocked the world this week. I believe that years from now, we will all remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the shocking news. Much has been said about Kobe’s illustrious basketball career and his many accomplishments, championship wins and record breaking stats. I know, as we all do, that he was legendary, winning 5 NBA titles, 2 Olympic Gold Medals and having 18 All Star appearances. Everyone seems to be talking about Kobe’s life and legacy, both on and off the basketball court. All of the numbers, awards, achievements and accolades aside, for me what is more notable is that he surmounted his missteps and went on to become a very devoted husband and father. Read More

This past Monday was a national holiday to celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday holidays mean a cure for the dreaded and uneasy feeling we all get around dinner time on Sundays. This emotional state actually has a name...it is known as “Sunday Night Syndrome”, the “Sunday Scaries” and the “Sunday Night Blues”. Reportedly millions of people suffer from it. It is both the result of and a cause for stress and occurs when an individual has anxiety on Sunday night because of having to get up for work or school the following morning. Common symptoms can include moodiness, racing thoughts, digestive distress and problems with sleep. The only known cures for this syndrome are holidays, vacations, sick days and snow days. Then, almost magically, the stress is replaced with a feeling of euphoria gained from knowing that you do not have to set your alarm clock for an early wake-up the next day. Since there are more regular Mondays on the calendar than there are holidays, it seems like we need to come up with a better way to deal with our Sunday night stress than praying for a snow storm or that we will come down with a sudden case of the flu. Read More

It seems as if traffic circles and roundabouts just keep popping up everywhere! I fully understand that the intention (when a four-way stop is turned into a circular traffic pattern) is to slow down the speed of the cars, prevent accidents and ensure the continuous flow of traffic. However, when I see what results as I endeavor my way through the traffic circles in my community, the whole concept boggles my mind! What has been built for the purpose of calming traffic and aesthetics seems to create chaos, confusion and danger! You undoubtedly already know that the entrances to traffic circles are either controlled by yield or stop signs or not formally controlled at all. These circular junctions give priority to the cars already in the circle and the yield signs are there for a reason...to slow down approaching cars to avoid collisions. What I have continually noticed is that 9 out of 10 times, the cars approaching the roundabout fly right through the yield signs! It is as if they do not even see the large bright red and white signs. Perhaps you have experienced this as well or maybe you are proudly or inadvertently one of the non-yielding offenders! Failure to Yield is categorized as “reckless” driving and comes with penalties, fines and possible license suspensions. I don't know if drivers realize this as they make the choice to ignore the posted yield signs. Have there been other times in our lives when we have failed to yield? Read More

entitled “Small Change - Little Things Make A Big Difference.” The wise message that this book delivered was extremely powerful and has stayed with me until today...the secret to success is to focus on the small steps, not on the long and big journey. The book is divided into chapters, each one dedicated to a different aspect of life which may be made better through making small changes. This is the perfect time of year to revisit this message since the start of a new year has us all thinking that we have to make huge changes to our lives in order to see and feel any improvements. I have recently changed a small item in my home that epitomizes the “small things can make a big difference” concept. Many times over the past two decades, I have replaced the floor mat in front of our kitchen sink. No matter how perfectly they may have initially coordinated with our kitchen decor, each one inevitably got worn out, stained, and ended up looking terrible. I did not learn anything from my shopping mistakes and kept replacing each woven rug with another very similarly made one. It was the classic example of doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result. I did not realize what I was missing by not branching out and buying a different model. I have always wanted to get one of the gel-filled kitchen mats that are advertised in the back of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine. After all, if Martha approves of them, then they must be great, right? They cost more than my previous carpet-woven versions, so I had really resisted buying one. This year, my husband surprised me with a gel-infused kitchen mat for Christmas! Perhaps you would not find such a gift particularly exciting. For me, it was a dream come true! I love my new mat! Washing dishes is such a pleasure now. The gel mat offers cushion and support, it feels so comfortable to stand on (even for a long period of time), and is easily cleaned with a damp cloth. No more aching back and feet after kitchen clean-up duty. It feels so great each and every time I step on that mat! What a lesson I learned...it truly is the simple and small things that sometimes bring the most pleasure and can result in a big change. Read More

For years my husband was a Boston Red Sox season ticket holder. Before you start wondering if we have a money-growing tree in our backyard, the tickets were affordable for several significant reasons. One was that he purchased them before the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. Another reason is that it was the “tenth man” package which meant it was tickets for only 10 home games each year. Most notably, the seats were “obstructed view”. My husband never minded...he was happy to be there rooting his team onto victory and he often told me that “any seat at Fenway Park is a great seat!” You may have found yourself in a similar situation over the years, whether by choice or not. Perhaps you purchased concert tickets not knowing that your seats were located behind the stage - the true definition of obstructed view! Or you got a great deal on an oceanfront suite at a resort because there were palm trees standing in the way of you and your view of the waves. For me, I recently encountered an obstructed view situation which pushed me into taking action. Allow me to explain...   Every time I entered my walk-in closet, I was greeted by stacks of sweaters on one of the lower shelves. For some reason, I had made the decision years ago to make my sweaters easily accessible and I put my purse collection on the top (highest) shelf. Despite the fact that my sweaters were organized by color and season, the system that I created never really worked for me. I change purses far more frequently than I rotate through wearing my entire sweater inventory, yet every time I wanted to get a purse, I had to get a step stool, reach way up high and get past the stacks of sweaters that were obstructing my view. I finally had enough of this situation when I realized I wasn’t tall enough, even with the stool, to reach the red purse I wanted to use for going to Christmas Eve Mass. What resulted was a massive purging of sweaters, sweatshirts, and anything else that was in the way! I ended up doing the same thing with my dresses, suits and blazers. As I held up each item, I asked myself a few key questions: “Do I still love this?”..."Will I ever wear it again?”..."Is there someone else who could use this more than me?” I ended the year 2019 by making a very large donation to a local women’s shelter. I kept the dresses on the hangers with the dry cleaning tags on which I was told meant that they could be easily given away without requiring any sorting or cleaning. My closet no longer has an obstructed view situation, my purses have been relocated to the lower shelf where they are beautifully displayed and easily accessible, and my year-end purging project will be a blessing to those in need. Read More

I typically use this forum to encourage you to be the biggest cheerleader for yourself, the President of your own Fan Club, and to put yourself first and foremost. I want to make sure that you always put your own oxygen mask on first. In the spirit of the holidays, now is the perfect time of year to talk about concentrating on giving to others.   This past weekend was the 69th Miss World Competition held in London. You would think by the photos and videos (which have gone viral) of Miss Nigeria's reaction that she was the clear and present winner. What we are actually looking at is photographic evidence of what it looks like to be a true and supportive friend. The winner of the Miss World pageant was Miss Jamaica and even though she was probably very happy to hear the news, the memorable reaction that everyone is talking about this week is that of her friend and competitor, Miss Nigeria. On Saturday, there were three contestants remaining on stage (Miss Nigeria, Nyekachi Douglas, Miss Jamaica, Toni-Ann Singh, and Miss Brazil, Elis Coelho) during the beauty pageant’s final round. The three contestants were waiting to find out who would be crowned Miss World 2019. When Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica was announced as the winner, her reaction was one of complete shock and amazement. Miss Nigeria, Nyekachi Douglas, was so excited for her friend's win that she began dancing, stomping her feet and shouting her congratulations! She then embraced the two other finalists into an enormous group hug.   There was an immediate reaction on social media as many people began praising Miss Nigeria as the ultimate example of being a graceful and perfect loser as well as a beautiful and touching display of what it means to be a true friend. Read More

There is something about snowfalls that make me pull out the puzzle boxes. They sit on the shelf of our board games closet all year collecting dust until the darker and colder days arrive. Several years ago I cleared the framed photos off of a table in my living room and declared it the family game table. I love displaying on it the Scrabble Board that I made for my family during one of my crafting phases or the gorgeous chess board that my husband's grandfather made over 30 years ago which has recently been handed down to my sons. The Scrabble and Chess Boards have been replaced by a 1,000 piece puzzle of my family's favorite ball park - Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. At the moment, my son and I have been working together on it and little by little, piece by piece, we have been putting that puzzle together. It is finally starting to look like something recognizable.   Even if it's been a while since you dusted off your own puzzle boxes, you can probably easily recall the important steps of the puzzle- making process. First, you need to start with a flat surface which will not be disturbed where you can lay out all of the pieces. Next, you will want to turn all of the pieces face up, separate them by shape and color, pull out the ones with straight edges, and keep the box cover handy for future reference. Most people follow the age-old rule of "putting the corners together first." It makes sense when you think about it...you need to start somewhere and why not create a "frame" for your masterpiece. The corners serve as the anchors within which every other piece will fall into place.   Read More

"Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar." Remember that catchy jingle for the popular chocolate bar? I was impressed by this marketing marvel, not only because once you hear the words, they are stuck in your head all day; but also, because of the double entendre - of taking a break by breaking off the pre-perforated candy treat. Kit Kats have long been a favorite of mine, but sadly, my breaks no longer include this calorie-rich, high sugar snack.   Recently, a friend of mine gave me a gift card to a lovely local tea shop. She told me when she gave me the thoughtful gift that her intention was for me to "build in a break." She said, "you are always busy going from appointment to appointment, class to class, at various locations around the community. You need a make a point to build into your schedule some time to take a break." What a fabulous gift as well as much needed words of wisdom from my very sage and thoughtful friend.   Perhaps you have a job that mandates a break time. If you do, then you know the power of even just having 10-15 minutes to yourself. After several hours of working, you have the time to finally go to the bathroom, get some fresh air, return a phone call, refill your drink and/or grab a bite to eat. If break times are not built into your daily work life, then you are like me and you have to make a point to create your own. Read More

True confession time: I really enjoy shopping at Whole Foods. The staff is friendly and helpful, the products are organic and high quality, and now that they are part of the Amazon family, the shopping experience is even better. Until recently, I had never seen a Whole Foods television commercial. The one that has been running the past few weeks is about Thanksgiving. It is hilarious, relatable, and it's only 15 seconds long. Take a look. Read More