Definition: love·fest
Pronunciation: \ˈləv-ˌfest\
Function: noun:love fest 2; broadly: an expression or exchange of goodwill, praise, or affection
Your *sprinkle* is to cut out some big, imperfect paper hearts and use them to decorate a window or door.
Last night, each member of my family was given pink or red paper and a pair of scissors with the instruction to cut one paper heart for every member of our family. We then wrote on those hearts, one thing we love about each person.
I believe this qualifies as a LOVE fest.
it was FUN.
This week your *sprinkle* is to follow your curiosity and use Google or Wikipedia to learn more about an interesting person. Quite often when I’m reading books, I’ll circle the name of someone that is mentioned or quoted and write “Google” in the margin. It is delightfully fun to dive a little deeper into influential lives.
I just recently watched the fabulous movie, Julie and Julia and must admit that I was completely enthralled with a story of creative expression through cooking and the healing and guiding power of personal connection.
Life is busy, but I hope you’ll snatch up 15 minutes to look up someone you’ve read about or been introduced to via television or the movies.
Enjoy the chance to learn just a little bit more.
And … if you still have time, make something delicious with real butter.
Planes, trains and automobiles really are amazing.
Think about modern transportation as you come and go this week. Feel curious about things that go.
*Sprinkle* your life with a little gratitude for the time in which you live. There will always be inconvenience tied up in travel, but we are able to reach far away destinations in the matter of hours — that’s a cool thing.
Treat your trusty set of wheels to an automatic car-wash.
List the places you’ve flown to in the last five years.
Check out a book on the history of planes, trains or automobiles.
Talk to a child about how transportation has changed and about how it is changing to meet the needs of the future.
Ride the bus this week.
Leave me a comment and answer this question: If you bought a train ticket, where would you go?
I love this poetry called ‘Flight’ by artist Brian Andreas:
I knew a man in college who grew up in the inner city of Chicago & what he was doing in Iowa I never did figure out. But whenever he would see a jet trailing across the sky, he would stop everything he was doing & he would watch. Once, after a jet was gone & there was nothing left but the white line disappearing like a scar into the blue, he turned to me & said, An airplane is a miracle & I didn’t give it much thought, but now & then, when I am ready to give up hope for human beings in general, & for one or two of them who are bugging me specifically, I will look to the sky & there will be one of those miracles & I will remember it’s all about concentrating on the right thing.
Take flight this week — if only in your imagination!
I love preparing a recipe that reminds me of a friend.
My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe reminds me of Michelle in Bountiful, Utah.
Taco soup, that we eat on Super Bowl Sunday reminds me of my sister-in-law’s sister, Syd.
Tuna souffle reminds me of my mom.
Your *sprinkle* this week is to share a recipe you love with a friend. You can send it via email, pick up the phone or deliver it in person.
Because you are all my friends, here’s my new and very delicious recipe for an easy meatless meal.
Mixed Grain Casserole
Bakes 1 Hour
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 can black beans, drained + rinsed
1 can corn (or 1 cup frozen)
1 cup broth
½ cup pearl barley
½ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup bulgar
¼ onion chopped
¼ tsp garlic salt
Combine all ingredients
Bake covered 350 degrees for 60 minutes
Stir once at 30 minutes
*Sprinkle* with grated cheddar cheese and serve with fruit salad and your favorite muffins.
Your *sprinkle* this week is to STOP.
Really. Every time you encounter one of these very familiar signs. I want you to come to a full and complete stop.
This *sprinkle* is both literal and figurative. If you’re like me (confession time) you roll up to a stop sign, take a quick look both ways and then pull out in front of a car or cars because you can — there is both room and time to move on. However, if we stopped, all the way. We could pause; we could notice where we are and think for a minute about where we are going — the school, the library, the store … maybe even home.
Stop all the way this week.
After all, it is a brand new year, before we proceed full speed ahead in life, it might be nice to STOP. Look. And then proceed.
I think we might realize how often we feel hurried and how good it feels to deliberately stop.
I love this time of year when we get to look back and reminisce and reflect on happy memories and everyday moments.
Your *sprinkle* this week is to select and share 12 favorite photos from the past year. To make this an exercise in intuitive creativity, you are NOT going to make this task hard. For example, you won’t make yourself pick one photo from each of the last 12 months–even though that seems like a good idea. You won’t play even-Steven and make sure all the people you love are represented in your collection. You won’t attempt to force a theme or look for a specific kind of photo. What you will do is use your kitchen timer and follow these six steps:
Create a “2009 Favorites” folder on your computer.
Open up your digital photo library.
Set your timer for 12 minutes and hit start.
Scroll quickly through your photos until an image catches your eye.
Stop and save this image to your folder.
Continue selecting and saving until your timer beeps.
If you’re like me, you’ll end up with more than 12 images. When the time is up, look at your collection as a whole and quickly delete images until you have just twelve.
Now, think of a way to share them. You could …
Email them to your extended family.
Print them and display them on the fridge or back door.
Post them to your blog or Facebook.
Put them together on a scrapbook page.
Use them to create a 2010 calendar.
Here are 12 photos from 2009 that I LOVE:
2009 was a good year.
If you share your favorites online, leave me a link.
I’d like you to start each day this week with a prayer that your heart will be open to the needs of those around you. I’d like you to specifically ask God to help you feel His Spirit and I’d like you to ask Him to help you recognize and act on promptings that you have to smile at, talk to or somehow reach out to people that cross your path.
Christmas is not an easy holiday for many people. It can be lonely and full of sadness. But I absolutely believe that willing hearts are guided and able to help. I realize that this may sound more like a “Sunday post” than a *sprinkle* but I’m at a place in my life where I just really want to be me and not worry about making or taking offense. I honestly can’t think of a better way to *sprinkle* your life and the lives of others with goodness this week, than by asking for the ability to give someone what they really need.
For me Christmas is for gathering family and friends and making treats and honoring traditions, but it is ultimately about our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is about celebrating his birth and the opportunity we have to learn of him and try to become more like him. If you have a minute, or rather 3 minutes and 51 seconds, watch this and let it inspire you.
Thank you for being a part of my life. Merry Christmas!
If you’re like me, you’d love to be DONE with Christmas preparations by the end of this week. You’d love to have your lists complete, so you can settle in for mostly quiet, at home traditions and celebrations with family and friends. This means, you likely have a TON to accomplish this week!
Remember that my *sprinkles* page is all about adding easy everyday joy to your busy life. This week, my *sprinkle* this week is for YOU.
Sprinkle No. 11
This is what I need you to do: Tie a jingle bell (or two) on at least one pair of your shoes. As you “run around” in productive preparations, allow yourself to hear the jingle-jingle and remember that only YOU can make your spirit bright.
The oft-sung lyrics to Jingle Bells, talk of bells on bobtails that make spirits bright. I don’t have a team of horses to pull me around, but I do have two feet that will be moving fast this week and I believe bells attached to my shoes might just remind me to keep my spirit bright and happy amidst all the hustle and bustle.
If there is NO way you can bring yourself to tie bells on your shoes (like I did), then put a few in your pocket or purse and when you bump into them you’ll have the same opportunity to pause, look around, smile and intentionally brighten your spirit.
Warm or cool, rain or shine, this is the season of ringing bells and these people warm my heart.
This is why I have declared it “be nice to a bell-ringer week”
I made a personal pledge several years ago to always find something to drop in the famous red kettle. I encourage you to make a similar commitment this season. This means you’ll need to be prepared with singles in your wallet and/or change in your pocket. If you have children talk to them about The Salvation Army and get them involved too. I stood inside Walmart for a few minutes on Monday and was amazed at how many people walk past the bell ringer without even seeming to notice. Sad.
Your *sprinkle* this week is to notice these dedicated people.
Smile.
Say Thank You.
or, even better …
purchase a $10.00 gift card inside the store and hand it to your bell-ringer on the way out. Drop some change in the kettle and say “This is for the Salvation Army and this is for you!”
Speaking of bell-ringers, you can get your own virtual red kettle here and you can download a bell-ringer iPhone app here.
I’m sure you have plenty to do this month, so *sprinkles* in December will be easy to add-on to your everyday routine.
sprinkle No. 9 is to …
Buy a cashier a pack of gum.
Picture it like this:
You’re checking out at the supermarket or general merchandise store. When the cashier asks how you are doing or if you found everything OK, respond with something like “I’m in the mood for some gum — what is your favorite kind?” The cashier will tell you what their favorite kind of gum is. You will then put two packs of this gum on the conveyor belt.
When he or she swipes the gum, you say “The second pack is for you!”
And … why don’t you leave me a comment and tell me what kind of gum is your favorite!
Every week I’ll give you some little thing to think about or add to your to-do list, some little thing akin to putting sprinkles on your morning toast ... and every week, you’ll have the opportunity to report back and be recognized for your efforts!
