Most Beautiful Monday

The holidays really provide a sensory feast... there are the decorations, the gift wraps, cards, music, and the aromas of delicious foods. Everywhere I look in my home I can see something that just gives me that happy kick, 'oh yeah, its Christmas!'.

The house is quiet, and the roads are wet, I am soothed by the sounds of cars 'swishing' down the road, a totally different sound to the traffic on a dry day... the tyres, they just skim along the surface making this light, delicate sound 'ssshhhhh', I am quite entranced by it.

The scent of cinnamon fills the air from my lovely cup of steaming chai latte.

I think I might be in heaven.

Most Beautiful Monday

Okay, so I've been a bit busy, I have let my Journal of the Senses slip... its a book I write in, in appreciation for anything I've noticed using my senses, I find its a great form of gratitude, and regularly writing in it has raised my awareness of the present moment as I live each day. I have still thought about these experiences, but I haven't actually written them down, or shared them as I sometimes used to in my blog. So I thought I'd try and do this each Monday and call it Most Beautiful Monday.

The most beautiful thing I heard today was a horse whinnying quite happily in a distant paddock, this gave me such a surge of joy, which I guess I should explain! We have lived in a semi rural area for such a long time, for years there was paddock after paddock with agisted horses coming and going. Sadly in recent years the big development companies have bought out the small holdings and constructed 'lifestyle' villages. Saint Ives took over the riverfront, and the smaller companies built along the entrance roads to what I must now call our 'suburb'. I heard one whinny in the morning, and one again in the afternoon and it was medicine for the soul.

The most beautiful thing I saw today was the moonflowers that opened overnight, this is the flower at the top of the post, but its a picture I took late last summer. Each flower only opens for one night, and we have them growing a long way along the back fence as the season progresses we can have too many to count all open at once, truly over 100 of them in one night!

I really hope I can stick to doing these posts regularly, practice makes perfect, right?

Welcome to Easy Giving 101

Hi, my name is Starry and this is a continuation of a blog I created on bigblog, so to all my loyal readers from the pond, thank you, and to my new readers, I hope you will enjoy Easy Giving.

I created this blog to help inspire people to give from the heart. We have all heard it said that it is the thought that counts but many people don't know how to express themselves, especially to those they love or have profound appreciation for.

I will give you tips on how to speak from the heart, as well as profile free and affordable gifts that you can create, and also show you store gifts that I am excited about. I don't believe that money equals love, only love is love. Gifts that are meaningful and personal are the most memorable and in these tough economic times, make the most sense. Your recipient will enjoy their gift knowing you have not placed yourself in financial strain to celebrate their special day.

Missy Etiquette answers reader's gift related questions.

Special tutorials are given, some to date on bigblog include how to write personal comments in cards and letters, photographing pets, and craft projects that are easy and fun.

Giving from the heart in general is also encouraged, giving to your self, your family, and the world in the most positive and rewarding way. From time to time I share entries from my gratitude journal to help inspire your own grateful thoughts, we are creating a gratitude garden.

I hope you will get a lot out of the site, and enjoy Easy Giving as much as I do, love Starry