To a greater extent Tuesday

"Life is about using the whole box of crayons" - RuPaul

Less than three,
Chalauda

Finding flowers friday

Flowers make a positive impact on people's lives, emotionally and physically.  Waking up in the morning and seeing pretty blooms outdoor or on your kitchen counter sets up a better mood for the rest of your day, in which your positivity spreads to others around you. A set of flowers can create a welcoming and beautiful atmosphere; hotels invest in a good florist to decorate their lobbies, and companies have vases of flowers in their receptions and meeting rooms. Not only that, many different types of flowers aid in treatments, are used as infusions for tea, and provide tasty additions to meals.

Having more blooms in your life has got to be a good thing, so why not add some more flowers to your life this friday!  Try putting fresh flowers in the kitchen or around your work space and see how they improve your mood throughout the day. To ensure a definite mood increase, don't forget the cupcakes next to the flowers ;)   HAPPY FRIDAY from the Chalaudas to you! 

Copyright: Chalauda Photography 2013

Less than three,

Chalauda

Tumbleweed Thusday

Today is Tumbleweed Thursday, we challenge you to live your life like a tumbleweed! Tumbleweeds are an icon of the American West. Did you know that this plant grows to about 3 feet? At maturity it breaks at the base and because it is rounded, it tumbles in the wind. There is a natural purpose to this tumbling--the tumbleweed can produce up to 250,000 seeds, and the tumbling serves to spread those seed wherever it tumbles, guaranteeing that there will be more tumbleweeds in the future.

You might ask "How do I be a tumbleweed?" Simple! Be open to the universe and let it be your guide. Tumbleweeds don't force themselves in any one direction, they just tumble with the wind. Sometimes they stop temporarily, standing still until the next gust picks them up. Never staying in any one place permanently, the tumbleweed must be open to change in order to survive! Wherever you go, leave behind your seeds. We are all unique and hold special talents, take a risk by leaving a little of yourself behind with all those other tumbleweeds you meet along the way.

Best of all, eat a cupcake and get round like a tumbleweed!

Less than three,
Tumbleweed Chalaudas

Wednesday Without Worry

Do you worry about fat, calories or carbs? Ask yourself why. Enjoy food and cupcakes and celebrate yourself today without worries!

Less than three,
Chalauda

The Three C's Tuesday

Less than three,
Chalauda

Make the most out of Monday

Have you ever told yourself that you would do something tomorrow instead of today? I'll workout tomorrow, I'll clean tomorrow, I'll call my friend tomorrow - are all things I have said before. I even recently found an old box of chocolates that i was planning to use to make brownies, but never did; which inspired me to think "why wait any longer?" Make the most out of Monday because it is today! I once read that tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, which is why it is called the present! So change your daily routine and start on that project that you promised yourself that you would do tomorrow today. We're not waiting for tomorrow to eat cupcakes, we're eating them today!

Less than three,
Chalauda

Fix it Friday

Simply, positive, joyful living begins with one's self. We all have setbacks, obstacles, and negativity in our life that, if not handled correctly, can control and impact our way of thinking, decline our health, limit our interactions with others, and minimize our outlook on life. All these things are inevitable in life, but it is how we view them that defines us.

Today for friday, we encourage you find a bad habit or trait and SLOWLY replace this habit that is harming you (and others) with something that doesn't and is more positive. Doing this will take time and patience is virtue. Set your mind on fixing something and do it slowly because changes that are done slowly and mindfully stick with us. And remember, you can always fix yourself with a cupcake!

Copyright: Chalauda Photography 2013

Less than three,
Chalauda

Thinking of a celebration Thursday

Today is a wonderful day to celebrate your most cherished friends! Why wait to honor those you love? There is no better time than the present to ring up a friend, pull her aside, or surprise her to let her know how much of a positive impact she has had upon your life. If you are ever so fortunate to come across those special people who stick by you through thick and thin, who let you be youer than you, then celebrate your priceless gift. Thank you from the bottom of my less than three heart for my Chalauda Bear, having double cupcakes all the way today!

Less than three,
Chalauda

Wealthy Wednesday

What is wealth to you? Many of us spend years or decades trying to build or accumulate an abundant supply of money or possessions of value that makes us wealthy. But did you ever think that simple things such as your health, family and friends, and yourself is wealth to you? Money makes us rich but staying young, happy, and healthy is a wealth that no amount of money can buy for you but only you can create for yourself.

I saw this in a newspaper column and thought I would share with my blog audiences! Share this with someone you love and live life to its fullest each day!


HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about that, that is why you pay "them".

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keep sakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. 

Copyright: Chalauda Photography 2013

Less than three,
Chalauda
 

Marathon Monday

Today was the 117th Boston Marathon and unexpectedly, 2 explosions occurred at the finish line resulting in 2 dead and leaving more than 100 injured (Yahoo news). We would like to dedicate this Monday blog to all the runners in the Boston Marathon. Our hearts and prayers goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event. 

Less than three, 

Chalauda

Tea time recipe Thursday

Transform any mug into a cup full of well being with this simple feel good tea recipe. In your favorite tea pot or mug, add 1/2 a stick of cinnamon, 3 cm chunk of ginger (chopped), and some lemon peel. Pour boiling water over contents, and let steep for a few minutes. Enjoy! The combination of ginger, lemon, and cinnamon have wonderful anti-bacterial, anti-inflammation, and anti-fungal properties that act to detox your inner system, and improve well-being. The aroma of this tea awakens your senses and clarifies mental sharpness. What a wonderful Thursday tea time recipe!

Less than three,
Chalauda

Why not Wednesday

In the midst of the middle of the week, give yourself a break from work, school, writing and

1. Why not... sign up for a marathon?
2. Why not... plan your next vacation?
3. Why not... go to the beach?
4. Why not... enjoy the spring blossoms?
5. Why not... have a treat!

Copyright: Chalauda Photography 2013

Less than three,

Chaulauda

Water wisdom wednesday

Wednesday water wisdom: Did you know that drinking just one glass of water can reduce stress? Just one glass of water hydrates, cleanses, and flushes unwanted toxins from our bodies. Just one glass of water is all you need for a short burst of DIY stress relief. Use just one glass of water as your daily meditation practice. Focus on the water pouring into your glass, listen to the water, see how the water effortlessly fills the volume of the cup. Next, focus on drinking the water, feel the water reach your lips, and concentrate on how the water tastes, and the coolness it leaves behind as you take one swallow after another. In just one glass of water you can wash away the worries of the day by concentrating on the present moment. (note: any of the aforementioned 'water' can be replaced with 'cupcake').


Less than three,
Chalauda

Take control Tuesday

Do you spend more time holding onto anger and grudges at someone who has wronged you or do you forgive and forget rather than letting letting your negative feelings crowd over your positive ones?

Why let anyone who has wronged you have power over you? When we hold onto grudges, we are drowned in an ocean of negativity filled with depression, anxiety, and stress. We lose conscience of what's truly  important and miss out on the good things in life. Take control of your emotions and rather than holding onto grudges, hold onto a cupcake!

Less than three,

Chalauda

Mason Jar Monday

What do you do when you're sick of studying?  Do a mason jar craft!  I recently got a pinterest and always want to do the cool things I see on there, so I picked one that I thought was super easy. Turns out, "pinterest easy DIY" does not equal "works on the first try"!

I wanted to decorate some mason jars to hold my hair things, qtips, etc. and stuff in a pretty display on my bathroom counter.

 I found a project that's supposed to be simple:  you put some rubber bands around a jar, spray paint it, then take the rubber bands off and you have a cool pattern. The jar on the left is what it's "supposed" to look like, courtesy of google images.

see how easy it is?

Except not.  I failed twice!  I don't know if it was my spray paint, or if I didn't use rubber bands that were tight enough, or what, but they turned out all messy with the paint dripping everywhere and peeling when I took the rubber bands off and general imperfection.  I should have taken a picture.

So I decided to just paint the inside of the jars for the present.  You literally drop some paint in, swirl it around the glass until it covers the whole inside, and voila, it looks kind of pretty.  But I wanted more than just a solid color, so I just drizzled some paint across my jars to see what it would look like.  It turned out okay!

I'm pretty happy with my easier-than-easy project for now.  But I have more mason jars left, so there might be more to come!

Have a great day =)

<3

Deborah