I'm so happy the weekend is here. After a week of cold and dreary weather, I am ready for a little sunshine. This week I was really looking forward to all the fun and creative things on my to-do list, here are a few...

This week's Joy Diet chapter is all about Laughter. Instead of reading ahead of time and applying Martha Beck's concepts to my daily routine, I carried the book around in my purse—unopened all week. I find this to be an ironic act of rebellion in light of my recent admission...

In my last post, I revealed my goals for November and mentioned I have struggled to make it to yoga class. Lauren admitted she has been facing the same challenge, even though we both call ourselves yoginis. The big question that comes to mind is, "why do I avoid the things I know are good for me?" If I am brutally honest with myself…

As I consider my goals and priorities in November, the prevailing thought that comes to mind is of gratitude. This goes nicely with the spirit of Thanksgiving, but I think it's more than just good timing. As you may remember, my theme for fall is staying focused, frugal and fun. I plan on continuing the 3 Fs theme into this month, building on the progress I have made so far...

This week’s chapter in Martha Beck’s The Joy Diet is all about positive reinforcement. I am so happy that after all our hard work on nothing, truth, desire, creativity and risk it is finally time for a treat! Working through this chapter I really enjoyed cataloging my instant smile triggers and creating a list of my sensory delights...

It is hard to believe that we’re well into the middle of Martha Beck’s book, The Joy Diet. It seems to me that every week I fall behind—and then I remember this is not a race. Thinking about The Joy Diet as a practice instead of a requirement has softened me in a way that is hard to describe.

When the middle of the week hits, I sometimes find it hard to break through the grind. Two things that really help me are enjoying small treats and having creative projects to look work on. There are a number of things that make me smile even on my cloudiest days—here are a few...

We process information from the moment we wake up, to the time we go to bed. Whether we realize it or not, we soak up everything we encounter. The change in seasons is a good time to consider all you take in on a daily basis—here are a few small adjustments I am making to simplify my extras.