The Fun House Cleaning Workout

We all have to do it - those house cleaning days sneak up on us far faster than the 'I get to sleep in' days and we find ourselves grinding the scum off of the shower yet again.

Isn't there a way to make doing the chores more fun? Haven't we dragged that vacuum through the house of aggravated silence long enough? I got tired of doing the housework in a zombie-like state, always grumbling in my head about all of the things that I had to accomplish that day.

I always got it done - but it was excruciating! I thought to myself that it certainly didn't have to be torturous to accomplish something I'm going to have to do for the rest of my life anyway. I developed a theory;

I seemed to clean the house whenever I was in a bad mood. Something would happen in my day that I would allow to set me off and I became miserable. Years ago I would get mad and go to bed and sleep it off (I was an adult, but this seems to apply to me when I was a child as well and they call them 'naps').

Later, instead of getting angry and needing a nap, I would find myself with ridiculous amounts of energy. I discovered that I could tear through my house and clean the whole damn thing and I felt terrific afterwards! Whenever I was ticked off, I cleaned my house - very well.

Later still, I wasn't angry any more. Things didn't get to me the way they used to. I had held a giant garage sale in my life and discarded all of the broken, negative things in it. I filled up on love, support, positive relationships and found myself growing up and moving forward. We all do - or we all should - and not because it is something 'everyone does' - but because it feels great.

So instead of fuelling my house cleaning with anger (which means I develop a habit of always being in a crappy mood when it comes time to clean the house), I came up with a 'House Cleaning Workout' that any of us scouring that sink can do.

It is so simple!

HOUSE CLEANING WORKOUT FOR ANYONE CLEANING THE HOUSE

Step 1: Find your favorite music. It MUST be upbeat and not depressing. It's time to vamp it up!

Step 2: Start cleaning your house. you decide where, when, how.....and why I guess. The only rule is that ONE PART OF YOU IS ALWAYS MOVING.

Note: This could mean your shoulders are moving while you wipe down the counter tops or your derriere is shakin' while you're scrubbing the porcelain place you put it. SOMETHING is moving. Arms, legs, feet - you might want to throw in a little head and neck combination for additional giggles!

Step 3: When you hear that heart pumping, make-ya-wanna-sing-it-loud chorus - YOU SING IT LOUD!

Step 4: While conducting Step #3, be sure that when that chorus hits you are moving your body too!

Step 5: Forget if anyone can hear you. If you'd prefer not to be on YouTube, ensure they can't see you.

Step 6: Be aware of how great you feel after you clean your house......if you manage to get it done. ;)

Step 7: Repeat often.

My Musical Confessions

Confession:

I have music that I like - music that I love and music that if someone doesn't shut it off, my tendencies for migraines may return.

Music is a series of wavelengths and I find that very interesting when you look at the phases of our lives and the music that is most familiar with that age group. Here is what I mean;

When we are babies, our caregivers hum or sing soothing songs to us to calm us down, make us feel safe or lull us to sleep.

As young children, songs are fun! I remember tunes like 'The Farmer in the Dell' and 'Three Blind Mice.' There always seemed to be some sort of a conundrum in these songs. I used to be quite fond of 'Ring Around the Rosie' until I learned (as an adult) it had actually been written about the Bubonic Plague.

I did find this write up about one of my favorite songs:

Ring Around the Rosie

When a person contracted the Bubonic Plague, they would gain rose-colored, puss-filled sores on their body called rosies. As the infection spread, rings would wind around the rosies. "Ring around the rosie," refers to these rings.

Pocket Full of Posies

During the time of the Bubonic Plague, people realized that it was harmful to go around the body of someone who had died from the plague. The common practice in some areas of Europe was to fill the shirt or jacket pocket of the deceased with posies so that others would know to leave the body alone.

"Pocket full of posies," was what would soon happen after the person started getting the rings around the rosie. Once the rings started to form, the undertaker would be called to prepare the posies.

Ashes Ashes

Once the body of the person who had died from the plague had been taken away, it would be burned. This is essentially when cremation started as a form of burial.

There was a lot of worry that extra handling of the body could cause people to get sick. There was also worry by some that the body would come back in the form of a vampire or some other type of the walking dead. Burning the body was the only true option they had.

We All Fall Down

It was believed by many that eventually that Bubonic Plague would wipe out all of civilization. It is understandable why they had this belief because of the number of people that were dying everyday from the Plague.

The Black Death killed off an estimated 20-35% of the population of Eurasia during its historic run. It was nearly impossible for anyone to not know at least one person who died from the Plague at the time.

This nursery rime has been with us for centuries, and will probably be sung for centuries more. It is interesting about how many people have sung this song without knowing what it meant.

Published by L. Vincent Poupard

YUCK!

Seriously? We had all been singing songs about plague death and burning bodies - and none of us had thought to ask or think twice.

'London Bridge is Falling Down' is either about a viking attack, child sacrifice or the age and damage of the bridge causing its demise. No one is certain. I personally don't require that particular knowledge.

When we are teenagers, our music tends to be whatever our parents can't stand. I admit, I used to listen to all of my parents cool albums around the age of 10 - I thought they were great! I still do - and much of my taste in music is because of the foundation they set for me.

When I was in high school - it was the 1980's. I apologize for this retrospective list of artists I listened to whilst a teenager. I call it 'The Melting Pot of Musical Mayhem.'

ARTISTS I LISTENED TO:

Bon Jovi

Skid Row

Def Leppard

Madonna

Samantha Fox

Roxette

Pat Benetar

Simon & Garfunkel

Wilson Phillips

Metallica

Alice Cooper

Aerosmith

The Rolling Stones

AC/DC

The list could go one forever - and it does - with some of the most embarrassing artists I dare not say I listened to. People think they know me - but here are 5 little known things about me and music that will certainly change the way you look at me.

1.> I once attended a 'Color Me Badd' concert because one of my two sisters couldn't go. THEY were going. I wasn't. For a reason.

I know what you're thinking - Color Me Badd? Really? 

It was like New Kids on the Block at the time - but they wore cartoon looking outfits and thought they were suave.

There was a lot of screaming female fans and flashing lights. I remember thinking I was so grateful I had been a 'Duran Duran Fan' - those guys were cool. Still are or so I hear.

OVERALL CONCERT EXPERIENCE: 

The good part: It ended.
The bad part: They opened for Paula Abdul. Straight up.

2.> I pleaded for tickets and willing went to a George Michael Concert - The Faith Tour. 

That was one of the best shows! 

Sadly, George went on to make headlines all over the news and shatter a dream of mine - but look at that facial hair and that pleather! 

Back in the 80's it was all about the look. He did it well. Plus the music kind of ticked off the parents so there was that.....

At this concert I remember George Michael slipped on a rose someone had tossed on the stage. I watched it happen.....he wasn't impressed.

OVERALL CONCERT EXPERIENCE: 

The good part: I bought the T-shirt, the album, the program the glasses, the chains and the whole idea that he really liked that shimmying lady on stage with him.
The bad part: He shaved the goatee.

3.> I saw 5 Bon Jovi concerts by the time I was 21 years old.

I remember being dropped off at BC Place Stadium and feeling such freedom! I think it was 1987 - I would have been 15 years old. There were giant banners of the group on the side of that ginormous building and my breath was gone. Awe had me!

(Seriously - look at that face!)

The band always put on a great show and I loved the variety between hard rocking songs and the slow, loving ballads. They hung it all out there for us and we couldn't get enough. Not only that, but the guy is one of the richest who is willing to share types. Read all about it here.

OVERALL CONCERT EXPERIENCE: 

The good part: Jon Bon Jovi and the whole group playing their best stuff. I even attended one concert with pneumonia. I wasn't missing that!
The bad part: I could have had better seats. Like on stage.....

4.> Alanis Morissette was the most boring concert I have ever been to - and I saw The Irish Rovers in Vancouver at Expo 86.

I remember there being a lot of hair flinging - of course, I saw her in her grunge days. She kind of interested me only because she was 'out there' but I lost interest after that concert....

....and I really preferred her a bopping teenager where she sang that cool song, 'Too Hot.'

You will love this. I had the same hair in Grade 12.

OVERALL CONCERT EXPERIENCE: 

The good part: I went with great friends.
The bad part: The hair flinging and Cranberry-esque screeching.

5.> I once caught a guitar pick from a Cheap Trick concert. Still have it.
OK - I didn't actually catch it myself - I paid the kid who did $2 and he more than willingly gave it up.

I still have it.

Music 'does things' to us - makes us move and creates feelings and emotional responses that can definitely change moods. I now know why I locked myself away with my music so often.

Experiment with your favorite tunes and find out why they 'get to you' too.

Rock your day!

A Music Lesson - The Scientific Power of Music.

I love science and I love music. I wasn't the type who sat in class during my school years and paid close attention, took excessive notes or even did well in labs. I consider myself a student of the world and the experiments must go on! Add some music to that mix and I am a happy gal!

 

We teach simple experiments to our children - remember the baking soda and vinegar volcano? The eruption is a nice touch, and we'll remember it always - but the combination of why the soda and vinegar react the way they do is the important aspect of the experiment. I never retained that information - I fell in love with the volcano part.

 

We all learn in our own ways.....

 

This video explains why music 'gets to us' the way it does. The explanation is simple and easily understood. I prefer lessons like that.

 

I also love music - and now, I actually know the chemical effects of it. Enjoy!

 

 

 

The Non-Existence of Stress

What is the number one thing that 'gets to people?' If you answered 'stress' - you're right! Stress is the number one killer of human beings as far as any stats person can figure out to date. Over and above every single other thing in our lives, stress is the first 'danger area' we need to worry about when it comes to health.

People take pills for it, others carry it between their shoulder blades for years and then become ill, and there are still others that talk about how busy they are constantly and always look like they just drank six pots of coffee.

Yet 'stress' doesn't exist.

Did you catch that? It DOES NOT EXIST.

Wayne Dyer, self development guru said it best, "If I asked you to go out and bring me back a bucket of stress, you couldn't do it."

Think about that.......we couldn't even bring back a handful of stress. Why not?

Stress is something that is only created out of thinking about it. It isn't something we can hold in our hands or load into the car on the way to work, yet it kills more of us than anything else?

We need to re-think stress - and I mean that literally. When we begin to create hurt in our own lives through simple thoughts repeated and believed constantly - we're going in the wrong direction. 

There are tonnes of ways to de-stress, de-compress and relax after a long productive day. The catch is that if we aren't having a productive day, that may very well be the reason we're feeling stress..

We thrive on doing, creating, interacting. When we don't do those things, we start to fade. Fears climb aboard and then we're really in for a ride!

We get so 'busy' working on other projects that we forget the most important one - ourselves. There will be no projects to do if we aren't there to do them, so focusing on ensuring we are all in a place where we can function and still feel good is crucial.

I mentioned the many ways of releasing stress. Some really simple, cost-free examples are listening to your favorite music (crank it!), going for a walk (force yourself), talking to a confidante, writing, painting, playing with our pets (this is a great one!) or reading and learning something new.

I've asked others why it is so difficult for us to do these things when it is so important to our wellness. The one answer I got the most was, 'because no one will pay you to do those things.' This being true doesn't change the fact that it is crucial for well being. One evening without a television, surrounded by paints or loved ones and a board games is going to change minds if we just try it. 

Unpack the stress suitcases and let's get moving forward!

10 Things That Inspire

There are so many inspirational things in life that when I get asked the question, "What inspires you" - there are so many things I want to say that it gets jumbled up traveling from my brain to the 'word creation area' and finally to my mouth where my tongue has difficulty forming the words I'm not sure of yet.

Could you repeat the question please?

Inspirations. They're everywhere!

I'm in. Let's get to it....

in·spi·ra·tion  

/ˌinspəˈrāSHən/

Noun The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative: "flashes of inspiration". The quality of having been so stimulated, esp. when evident in something: "a moment of inspiration in an otherwise dull display."Inspiration gets the juices flowing. We get creative. We feel inspired by any number of things and often it isn't the getting started that is the tough task, it is the keeping going where we fall short.

10 Inspirational Things

1.> People

I love talking to people, hearing the stories they have to tell (as long as we're not dwelling on the negative) and supporting them. Seeing people go from Point A to Point B is cool too! Change is good when it works for you.

2.> The Sky

Don't ask me why I am infatuated with 'looking up' but I am! I love the shapes of the cloud formations, the variations of colors at any point of any day - the different ways the sun and moon rise and sink every day. You want inspiring - look up.

3.> Life

Have you ever given real thought to the idea of life? All life - it's everywhere. maybe I should have made this the last point on the list.....

4.> Swimming

Anytime we can be fluid and weightless it is an intense feeling. Moving through the water just feels good! If you can open your eyes and look around, even better. It makes one feel like a mermaid....and I know I'm not alone on that one.

5.> Friends

They tell it like it is and 'plant seeds' in us so that we can learn and move forward. Some just come right out and tell us what they think. Either way, we end up giving thought to what they say because of a connection we have to them (we know they would never harm us) and we actually hear them. What we do next is up to us if we are 'inspired' enough.

6.> Animals

Spending time with pets can be a wonderful way to let go of what we cling to in daily life and allow inspiration to find us! A good walk with the dog always helps. heck, even enjoying a fish tank is said to be extremely relaxing.

7.> Music

Nothing inspires like great music! From a time we are young, we experience it and music is inside each of us forever. We can't help but move our bodies sometimes. Get up and dance!

8.> Art
I truly believe that everyone is an artist in some way. We are born to create. When we aren't creating, we feel disengaged somehow - like something is missing. A project or creative outlet - every person has one or is looking for one. Art (like life) is completely open to perspective.


9.> Poetry and Other Writings
There are so many great books, poems, editorials and articles written, it too is considered an art form. We all have our favorites - those stories that got us moving and interested.....'inspired.' Interestingly, if we kept a diary when we were younger, we'd already be well on our way to our own memoirs (just a thought).

10.> YOU

Yes - YOU. 

You know the reasons why. ;)