To live a well balanced, rewarding life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night.
I’m honored to be tweeting with so many terrific tweeters: my unexpected wonderful experience with Twitter
Published July 30, 2011 | 
As I continue on my Warm Milk Journal blogging journey I continue to learn and be amazed by all the wonderful people there are out there.
Twitter, Facebook, and comments on my own Warm Milk Journal site have been a great place to meet like minded friends.
I feel thankful for this experience. If you put yourself out there on the internet and in social media with integrity (that is to say you are genuinely yourself and honest) I know people will pick up on that.
We all have different reasons, interests, or agendas for sharing on the internet but I am finding some commonalities.
Ten things we all have in common (on Twitter and in life):
1. We have the need to be appreciated.
2. We want to help others.
3. We want to be affirmed.
4. We all have ambitions for ourselves and in life, but in the end we all truly cherish the little things.
5. We all value health, family, friendship.
6. Most of us are curious and want to learn new things.
7. People love a good sense of humor.
8. We love animals.
9. We love good food.
10. We appreciate the differences in each other even as we come to realize we have more in common with each other than not.
I remember being a little girl going through the “It’s A Small World” ride at Disneyland in California. I recall the wonder of it all – the idea of there being so many people, so many different cultures, and yet we all can be friends and love one another. This journey of blogging and putting myself out there on the internet has given me that same sense of wonder.
I am truly humbled and grateful for all of you out there. Thank you for taking the time and interest in reading and sharing with others The Warm Milk Journal. Thank you for all the sharing of yourselves that you do on Twitter, Facebook, and comments on The Warm Milk Journal.
I look forward to continuing on this ride with you (let’s just not get stuck on that “It’s A Small World Song” shall we? lol).
In Peace,
Debra
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The Three As: Acknowledging, Accepting, and Appreciating All of the good in your life for happier days, peace, and better sleep
Published April 6, 2011 | 
I’ve said it before but it is worth repeating: what you focus on grows. Be attentive to what you give your attention to. I find that I am so much happier and enjoy greater peace (and yes, a good night sleep!) if I do these five things:
1. Set a positive intention for my day first thing in the morning when I am waking up.
2. Find something to like and appreciate about my job.
3. If I don’t like something I try to remember that all things are temporary and impermanent.
4. I keep a gratitude journal.
5. I bless and appreciate my loved ones, my health, my paycheck, my car, my country, etc.
Acknowledge, Accept, and Appreciate All the good in your life.
Do this and bask in the light by day. Restore and rest at night.
Simple, yes!?
Debra ; )
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People in loving, healthy relationships live longer and sleep better: Ten simple ways to nurture your relationships
Published July 23, 2010 | 
Studies and reports are always coming out about the benefits of a good marriage and having other loving supportive relationships with the people in your life. The benefits include: improved ability to handle stress, better health and well being, and better sleep. Love is such an incredible gift. Having a caring partner in your life is something to nurture and never take for granted. Good friends are also a treasure.
What are some simple and easy ways you can nurture these relationships?
- Compliment and show appreciation often
- Say “I love you” frequently
- Do little unexpected things to pamper and delight
- Be generous with hugs and kisses
- Give what you want: if you want more attention, give more attention, if you want to be listened to then be a good listener, etc.
- Be happy with yourself first so that you are not putting so much pressure on relationships to meet your emotional needs.
- Play, laugh, and have adventures together
- Write little thoughtful notes or texts
- Never go to sleep mad
- Touch each other often
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Posted in Good Health, Love | 
appreciation, good health, good sleep, love, loving relationships, nurturing love | 
2 CommentsWhat is working in your life and what is not?
Published May 7, 2010 | I am at a point in my life (I am 43 years old) where I just don’t feel like I have the time to mess with things, people, or circumstances that are not working for me.
What is working for you? What is not? This is a great journal writing activity.
Ask yourself:
- What is important to me?
- What is in my life or happening in my life that lines up with my most important values?
These are the things we need to appreciate, thank God and the universe for, and focus on. What we appreciate appreciates! What we focus on grows.
We can then ask ourselves this question for our journal writing:
- What is in our lives that is not serving our greater good? (this can be people, things, places, circumstances)
- What is toxic?
- What is holding us back?
- What is not supporting us?
Once we have identified these negative influences in our lives we can choose to let them go. Write these things down on a separate page in your journal. Then tear it out and burn it in your fireplace. Have a nice letting go ceremony and be done with them already.
Then go back to the page where you wrote about what is working in your life. Ahhh..the stuff that is truly deserving of your time, energy, and attention. Look at that. Focus on those good things , appreciate them and they will be what dominate your life experience. Pretty nice, huh?
Debra : )
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Thank You
Published May 6, 2010 | Thank you, Warm Milk Journal readers. This blog is a work in progress and I hope that it is helping or inspiring you in some way.
Other things in my life I feel thankful for this evening:
- I am thankful for my wonderful supportive, loving, and sexy partner
- I am thankful to have a meaningful job where I have the opportunity to positively effect the lives of 46 second graders 180 days of the year
- I am thankful for my children who are good at challenging me and humbling me and teaching me what it means to love
- I am thankful for my parents who continue to love me and enjoy their lives to the the fullest
- I am thankful for my cat Mew who is adorable and is a constant loving peaceful precious presence in my life.
Now it is your turn (time to get out your journals):
I am thankful for:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Be in love
Published May 2, 2010 | I am happiest when I am “in love”: with my partner, myself, my students, my kids, my cats, my home, my beautiful State of Florida, my country, my life.
Love is where its at. If I am not living my life guided by love, chances are I am not in a very good state and I am not sleeping my best at night.
Putting love first means:
- Giving
- Being present
- Focus on the good
- Smile
- Be the kind of person that you would want to be around
- Don’t take things personally
- Accept people for who they are
- Practice forgiveness
- Notice the little things
- Do the little things in your relationships
- Appreciate!
- Don’t complain
- Communicate honestly and directly
- Be gentle with yourself and others
- Be in The Now
- Make play a priority
- laugh often
- have adventures
- Be still and use our senses to experience the beautiful world we live in.
- Don’t take for granted any day or special person you have in your life. There are no guarantees in life. All we have is today.
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Posted in anxiety, Love, Self-empowerment | appreciation, being present, love, loving relationships | Leave a comment"Throw off yesterday as a snake sheds its skin"- Joseph Campbell
Published April 8, 2010 | Regret. Worry. Mistakes. Woulda Coulda Shoulda…. this is the stuff of angst filled days and sleepless nights.
For years I did this to myself. It is not a good place to be in.
Here are four things to focus on:
1. Be in the present (there are lot’s of good books out there on this subject such as Eckart Tolle’s Power of Now).
2. Practice acceptance and just let it go. Surrender. Sometimes “letting go and letting God” is the best thing to do for our peace of mind especially if it is circumstances that are beyond our control.
3. Practice forgiveness. Forgive yourself, Forgive your parents, Forgive exes. Forgive politicians. Forgive former employers. Forgive bullies from our childhood. We are all doing the best we can at the time with what we have. Let it go. The past need no longer hurt us if we no longer give it any power.
4. Practice appreciation for all the blessings we have now. What we appreciate appreciates.
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Posted in Spirituality, Uncategorized | acceptance, appreciation, be in the now, Eckart Tolle, forgiveness, present | Leave a commentWrite three letters: of appreciation, apologizing, and forgiveness
Published April 6, 2010 | If you are up late and can not sleep, here is something that you can do that will improve the quality of the relationships in your life.
I started this practice one year at Yom Kippur time which is a Jewish Holiday in the Fall during the high holy days. Yom Kippur is called the day of atonement. It is a day that we are supposed to fast and reflect on the past year. If there is anyone that you feel you need to apologize to or forgive, now is the time to do it.
We don’t need to be Jewish or have a special holiday to do this. First, think of someone you think you have wronged and write a sincere letter of apology to them. Second, think of somone in your life whom perhaps you feel you have taken for granted and write a letter of appreciation to that person. Third, think of someone who you think has wronged you and write a letter of forgiveness to that person.
There. Three letters. Whether you send them or not is up to you. They could be in the form of an email but there is something satisfying about writing the old fashioned way by hand. If you are courageous enough to send them know that wonderful things will come back to you. Give it a try. This is one practice you won’t regret.
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Posted in Spirituality | apology, appreciation, forgiveness, gratitude, handwritten letters, Jewish Holiday, writing letters, Yom Kippur | 3 Comments 
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