Mother’s Day Treat

Posted on May 11, 2012 by cinzia in Thought Box | Leave a comment

Français : Un bouquet offert a ma femme (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This past week at an event sponsored by Treat.com , a personalized greeting card service, we were asked what our ideal treat would be for Mother’s Day. Now that is a tough one. I must admit a whole host of thoughts came streaming through my head.

I envisioned myself walking on a beach with the warm sand between my toes. I thought about being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and wildlife while hiking. Heading out for a day of kayaking would cool. Biking in Costa Rica, perhaps?

After that round of day dreaming, my mind focused on some more practical items. I’d so totally love a Laundry Fairy that arrives Friday evening and has everything washed, folded and put away by Saturday evening. How great would that be? My weekends would be so much calmer. This Laundry Fairy would also take care of the Dry Cleaning by the way. A personal chef for a year that cooks all our weeknight meals. I personally love cooking, however there is no time during the week but I will gladly take that on over the weekend. Seriously, there were tons of things that flashed through my mind, but only one stood out as the single, ideal treat for Mother’s Day.

This coming Mother’s Day I will spend it with my kids and I’ll be laughing and smiling as they proudly bring me my breakfast and give me my cards. I truly can’t imagine spending it any other way.

Oh Darn, I Forgot Again…

Posted on May 9, 2012 by cinzia in Friday Fun | Leave a comment

Anyone that has known me for a long time knows that I am ~~pretty bad~~ okay, terrible at remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other miscellaneous events. Even if it is a Graduation or Wedding, if I’m not actually going to be at the event it takes me forever to get that card and gift in the mail. My own nephew can attest to the Graduation scenario.

I know how all this must sound, but honestly I have the best intentions and even when I do get the card prior to the said occasion, more often than not it will sit on my desk signed, even addressed on most occasions but not sent. Is it just me that never seems to have stamps?

That being said, when I was invited to a blogger event this past Monday for a greeting card service called Treat I was very excited. A big thank you to Heather (@CafeSmom) for the invite. Treat is an online service that allows you to create personalized greeting cards by adding your own images, photos, and text. I love having the ability to add my own personal touch to the cards. Some other highlights and features include:

The ability to customize the front, inside and the back of the card. You can either upload your own pictures and/or images, or even select pictures directly off of Facebook. It is really a fun way to personalize a card.
Connecting your account to Facebook and have it automatically load all of your friends’ birthdays.
Advance scheduling of your cards. So yes, if you have nothing to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon, sit down and get to creating! This particular feature is my personal favorite.
The ability to add a gift card or make a donation to the card recipient’s charity of choice.
And, yes an actual card is sent in the mail to your recipient.

Treat Greeting Card Sample

I created my account on Monday night and I have to say I absolutely love it. I’ve already sent two cards and scheduled another two cards for upcoming birthdays. It is so easy to use and I love having the ability to add my personal touch on cards and get them out on time. Here is a shot of a sample card in the Treat Goodie Bag. I’m very impressed with the quality of the cards. You can find Treat at the following:

Twitter: @TreatCards
FaceBook: TreatCards
Google+: Treat Cards
Pinterest: TreatCards

The blogger event was held at DC Pasta in Strongsville. The food was amazing and our server, Brad was great. I’d highly recommend you try it and that recommendation does not come easily, because you can ask anyone how picky I am about eating Italian out.

Melanzane | Zucchine | Pomodori Secchi

: Gnocchetti Sardi Verdi E Blu (spinach pasta w/ walnuts & gorgonzola cream sauce)

Thanks to Treat and to Heather for the invite! It was a great event. If you have a chance, please check out some of the bloggers that I met that evening.

Heather @ http://www.cafesmom.com

Melissa @ http://koskim.wordpress.com/

Amie @ http://www.myretrokitchen.blogspot.com/

Karen @ http://www.karenathomeblog.com/

Lisa @ http://lisabrowndesign.blogspot.com

Tesa @ http://www.2wired2tired.com/

Disclosure: Treat provided me with a free meal and a complimentary year-long subscription to their site. Please note that I will only promote a product and/or service that I believe in and use. Thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2012 by cinzia in Thought Box | Leave a comment

Yes, today is THAT day. The day that red and pink hearts are everywhere. It is the day that roses cost anywhere from two to three times the normal price and kids’ tongues are that multi colored stain from the boxes of candy hearts they’ve eaten. We feel the love in the air.

I guess that all depends now, doesn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, I think all the little ones running around in their red and pink, heart covered attire is adorable, but I would think that if they wore that same outfit on any other day, as well. Red is after all my favorite color. What I don’t think is so great is that there are people out there that have come to dread February 14th largely due to the fanfare surrounding Valentine’s Day. I take issue with being bombarded by commercials that have been specifically created to convince us that whatever they are selling, be it flowers; candy; or jewelry, is the grand gesture that will show your girlfriend, boyfriend, child, mother, father, husband, wife or any other person in your life that means something to you that you truly love them.

So, as far as I’m concerned, I’ll skip the dozen roses, chocolates and jewelry on Valentine’s Day and opt for the random hugs and kisses, occasional breakfasts in bed, the surprise Mochas, dinners when I just don’t feel like cooking and above all else the love and respect we give each other all year round. It’s the little things that are done every day and throughout the year that say, “I love you”.

The Prickly Nature of Relationships

Posted on January 27, 2012 by cinzia in Wellness | Leave a comment

Eyes open anew
Senses dulled by the chaos
Awaken from pain

~Cinzia Rolling

Photo by @CinziaRolling Taken in San Diego

Relationships are often complicated. There are familial relationships, friendships, romantic relationships, professional relationships and also our very own relationship with our self. The balancing
of all these relationships can be tricky and trying to manage them can easily become overwhelming. Ironically, it seems that the majority of us tend to put all the other relationships ahead of the one with our self.

In doing this, the relationship with our self tends to be the one that suffers the most. We leave it unattended, under nourished and sadly forgotten. Without the healthy treatment of ones own self can we truly be effective in any other relationships? To a point I’d have to say yes we can be. However, with the continued neglect of YOU things will eventually begin to falter.

We typically don’t even realize when it is happening, but over time we become worn out. I liken it to being in a boxing match. You start off in Round 1 and you’re feeling good, strong and ready for anything. You take some pretty good hits, but you are determined and confident so you keep getting up and keep going on. Each and every Round gets harder and harder and each and every Round you find it more difficult to get back up.

It continues on like that for a while. No matter what the round is when you get to that breaking point you know it but you’re just not sure how to handle it. You can feel the difference. Everything is in slow motion and you are aware of your surroundings and what is going on, but at the same time you’re also strangely unaware. You have every intention of giving it your all and you do but sometimes your all doesn’t seem to be enough and instead you get knocked down pretty darn hard. You may have seen it coming, but somehow you just didn’t have the strength to react fast enough. You’re laying there sweaty, bruised and tired. You’re trying to get up, but you’re so tired that you just want it to be over.

As impossible as it might seem at the time, you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try to work through it – even with the pain.

Always be true to yourself.

Listen to your body

Open your heart

Believe in yourself

Please remember, that you need to take the time to recover and heal. You need to make your own needs just as much of a priority so you can go out and be the best you that you can be.

What tools do you use to get back up?

The Power of Our Senses

Posted on September 1, 2011 by cinzia in #LiveLifeWell | Leave a comment

The sound of the waves crashing over the rocks is mesmerizing as I sit on the edge of the cliff. I catch the rays from the sun glistening on the deep, blue water as I watch the ocean. With each breath as I stare at the horizon; I taste the salt in the air.

CC Image by norman_baboo on Flickr

Have you ever been brought back to a memory from your past that rings so vivid in your mind by something visual, a smell, sound or even a touch? Our senses are a powerful thing if they are allowed to be and this especially rings true when it comes to our well being.

How often are you driving and a song comes on the radio that instantly brings you back to a certain time or memory in your past? Music and sounds can do amazing things from relaxing you to motivating you to achieve your goals. I know for me when I am on longer runs, I always time the last few miles with upbeat and motivating music that keeps me going. Self generated sounds can work wonders as well, hence the use of chanting in one’s yoga and meditation practice. Studies have shown that chanting can lower blood pressure, produce endorphins, and even increase metabolic processes which are all good things when it comes to your health and well being.

How about a change in how you are feeling when you walk into a room and spot fresh flowers? Flowers do tend to put a smile on my face and if I take the time to really focus on how I am feeling I can notice a greater sense of relaxation and difference in my breathing. If you haven’t had fresh flowers in your home or office in a while, go ahead and try it! Either cut some fresh flowers from your garden or buy a bouquet and notice if it makes any difference in your day.

Scents can also be a powerful mood adjuster. Looks like those fresh flowers do double duty with sight and smell. Candles are another great option or scented oils. Even certain foods can elicit a calming reaction because the aroma is associated with a particular memory. For me, a pot of homemade sauce can instantly take me back to Sundays as a child growing up, and I can almost hear my Mother’s laughter.

Our sense of touch is unique from other senses in that it is found all over the body. Some areas will tend to be more sensitive to touch due to increased nerve endings, but for me it also brings a greater awareness and grounding. When I’m feeling sad, something as simple as a hand on my shoulder by a loved one can make a world of difference.

Go ahead and try to pay attention to your senses for the next week and see if it makes a difference. Do you have a greater sense of calm? If we can learn to tune into our senses it can lead to a greater sense of self and trust. Everyone is different and some senses may have a greater impact on you than others, while some may even be bothersome or uncomfortable. I know some experience discomfort with smells so be mindful of yourself and experiment with a variety of senses to see what works best for you.