Tag Archive | holiday

Mindfulness <3

Dec11

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“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

Yeaaahh! There’s so many beautiful things to be mindful of and tune into using all the senses we have!

Especially this season! I love the holiday season! All the lovely fragrances and decor! This year it’s hot as hell in Philadelphia! It’s often freezing cold & snowing by now and this year people are still walking around in shorts! Walking to work today, it felt like Summer!

I love cold weather but at least with it so warm, work is opened more days. We often close for “bad” weather. And another great thing about warm temps is some flowers are still in bloom and Summer bugs haven’t all died off. I love those things!

One visited me tonight at work.

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What a beauty! They are green with clear green wings. If you can identify this beautiful creature, let me know, please! ❤

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It kind of sucks because we already had Spring & Summer this year! We don’t need another. But it’s still beautiful and I’m looking at the bright side!

😀

Much love to you!

xoxo Kim ❤

Step Into Christmas

Dec5

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“Step into Christmas
Let’s join together
We can watch the snow fall forever and ever
Eat, drink and be merry
Come along with me
Step into Christmas
The admission’s free”

I love Christmas & Winter themes! Cozy pj’s and blankets, crisp cold air, pine & cinnamon, peppermint, candy canes, Santa Claus, reindeers and elves, glistening snow, gifts, the sense of unity in the air, decorations, wreaths, Christmas music, holiday cheer, holiday movies, fireplaces, giving, snow covered hills ….all of it! It really is the most wonderful time of the year! Lol

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The Christmas spirit is always with me all year but especially in October to January! I keep it under control the rest of the year usually!  

It annoys people!

It comes flooding out at any second no matter what part of the year it is! It’s kind of like grief except this is purely pleasant. You know how grief never goes but at any second maybe triggered by something, maybe not, it comes to the surface and is more raw like when the loss recently occurred? That’s how my Christmas spirit is, always here but gets stronger at some points. ;-D

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When I walked into work recently, I found that my manager has it all decorated for Christmas! Yay! What a pleasant surprise. 

Here are some pictures I took of our decorations:

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And a lovely song sung by Elton John!

Step Into Christmas – mobile

Step Into Christmas – desktop

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“Take care in all you do next year
And keep smiling through the days” ❤

Huugs & loove!! ❤ 😀

xoxo Kim

Random Inspiration #5 {Christmas Cheer}

Dec18

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“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” ~Norman Vincent Peale

There’s nothing that brings in the Christmas spirit like watching the movie, Home Alone! Especially while drinking a Snickerdoodle cookie iced latte! 

Home Alone is the most hilarious movie no matter how many occasions I see it! It never gets old and I laugh as if it’s the first moment I’m seeing it! Lol

And I love the end, so sweet and inspiring!

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Snickerdoodle iced lattes with whipped cream are the most delicious iced lattes I ever tasted! I wish they were out all year long!

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“Christmas is a time when you get homesick — even when you’re home.”~Carol Nelson

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“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” ~Roy L. Smith

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“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.”~Andy Rooney

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“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” ~Charles Dickens

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“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. “~Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas

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“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

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“A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away.”
~Eva Logue

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“For the spirit of Christmas fulfils the greatest hunger of mankind.” ~Loring A. Schuler

😀

Much love, happiness, & joy to you!

Xoxo Kim ❤

My grown Up Christmas list

Dec24

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“Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies

Well I’m all grown-up now
And still need help somehow
I’m not a child
But my heart still can dream

So here’s my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need”

Macy’s collects letters to Santa written by people of all ages. For every letter they receive, it helps a sick child’s wish be granted. Isn’t that beautiful?! My sister and me wrote letters and put them in the Santa MailBox! We also watched the beautiful light show at Macy’s with my mom, dad, and all the others who showed up to watch.

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It was so cute to see all the little kids writing their letters for Santa Claus and putting them in the mailbox. They were so happy and joyful. I wish all kids can have the opportunity to be so happy and carefree.

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My Christmas list this year is for a world in need. I wish for 

1.) hope & healing for all those who are suffering. Humans & animals alike
2.) a warm and happy place to live for all homeless people and animals.
3.) love, acceptance, and tolerance instead of wars and unjust discrimination 
4.) More empathy & understanding for each other in this world
5.) a friend for everyone
6.) hope, strength,  & happiness for everyone
7.) for everyone to have the ability to see the good that exists in the world
8.) Unconditional love

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I am deeply inspired by the Christmas song “My Grown Up Christmas List.”. It is a stunningly beautiful song with an incredible message.  I love Amy Grant’s version.  

“No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list”

Desktop video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc
Mobile video:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc&app=m

This is my lifelong wish, my grown up Christmas list, not for myself but for a world in need.

Much love & blessings to everyone. 😀

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Xoxo Kim

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List of Christmas Favorites <3 :-D

Dec1

ImageIt feels very Christmasy to me today! Lol. I see so many windows around where I work decorated with stunning lights, beautiful decor, cute holiday characters and more.

I’m in the mood for posting some Christmas cheer – a list of some of my favorite Christmas songs.  

Here are some of my absolute favorite Christmas songs that I love!! ❤

 

1.) What Christmas Means to Me – Paul Young

It’s so uplifting and has beautiful mental imagery.

 

2.) Christmas Eve – Celine Dion

A beautiful love song about spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with the one she loves. ❤

 

3.) My Grown Up Christmas List – various artists

Amy Grant sings one version

It’s beautiful and about how she wishes for a better world and hope and healing and friendship for everyone instead of just inanimate material possessions.

 

4.) Christmas Serenade – Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge 

Beautiful song about Christmas with beautiful imagery

 

5.) Jingle Bell Rock – Hall & Oates version

I love it. So uplifting. ❤

 

6.) Holly Jolly Christmas

– Burl Ives 

 

This song inspires me. It’s just lovely.

 

7.) Christmas All Over Again – Tom Petty 

This song amuses me and is uplifting.

 

8.) All I Want for Christmas is you

by Vince Vance & Valiants

 

This is not a different version of the other song by Mariah Carrey; it’s a completely different song all together.  

It’s really good.

 

9.) All I Want For Christmas is You – Mariah Carrey

 

10.) Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Amy Grant’s version

 

And many, many more. I really love Christmas music and can really listen to it all year but I believe that laying off it for the rest of the year makes it extra thrilling and special when the holiday season is actually upon us. ;-). 

I love everything about Christmas. Everything. The movies, the tv programs, the music, the lights & decorations, the sense of unity in the air, the holiday gatherings, gift giving, surprises and all!

Maybe I’ll post another list of holiday favorites later. 😉

❤

My reasons to smile today & a special thank you to anyone who reads, likes, & shares my blog or specific entries <3

Nov28

I have been sick for the last two days and today. I’m prone to frequent kidney stone attacks. Sometimes, when a kidney stone is present I have constant pain but sometimes the pain comes in unbearable waves of excruciating misery.

Also, when I have a kidney stone attack I usually get extremely ill with hot and cold spells, sick feeling all over, dizziness, and weakness, and just an overall feeling of not being weImagell.

But even with all this I have been in an extremely grateful mood and able to easily see all the beauty around me and all the blessings.

So I decided today to list my reasons to smile and hope it helps inspire others to see amazing things around them no matter what may be going on.

 

1.) I love the holiday season and everything it entails: gingerbread people, hot drinks with whipped cream, wreaths and Christmas trees, snow, and cheerfulness, holiday music, and more. I love it. ❤

 

2.) Sweet cold weather. Love it.

 

3.) Beautiful songs I have just downloaded onto my phone.

 

4.) Beautiful teapots and nik knacks my little sister bought me.

 

5.) Beautiful friends. ❤

 

6.) Stumbling upon an inspirational song I have never heard of before and loving it. ❤ Standing Knee Deep in a River (Dying of Thirst) there are different versions but the one I have come across is Joe Cocker’s version. I love his voice and very soon I will dedicate a whole blog entry to this topic of this beautiful and lovely song. 😀

 

7.) I was blessed with the pleasure of seeing big beautiful snowflakes falling today. And rain. Which I absolutely love. ❤

 

I want to thank everyone who likes or/and shares any of my blog entries. I truly appreciate that people read what I have to say and like it. Thank you so much!! Please if you have a blog or website and want me to share here on my blog or on my facebook account, e-mail me and let me know! I love to help out. I’m not the best at html. In fact I’m kind of the worst! Lol. So my blog isn’t as pretty as those who are html experts or just really good! But I plan on having some good content on here! ;-). My e-mail is jacq04@temple.edu

Or send me a facebook message with your link:

kimberly.mccarthy3@facebook.com

You can request me as a friend but even if you aren’t comfortable adding strangers, I will still share your link even if you don’t add me! I add just about everyone as long as the person requesting me doesn’t come off as just a mere troll liking to stir up trouble or a person intolerant of other people or diversity.

But for the most part, I add everyone who requests me! :-). I love meeting and getting to know people.

Thank You all again!

I truly cherish you. ❤

And knowing that just one person sees and likes my blog or some entries is great because my goal is to positively touch and inspire anyone I can.

 

“I will keep a smile on my face and in my heart even when it hurts like today.” ~ Og Mandino 

X0x0Kim