Tickled Pink

Best Gift of All

I'm on vacation this week.  We just spent a long weekend with my parents, aunt, sister and brother-in-law here at the beach.  We celebrated my parents 40th wedding anniversary....wow! that's a long time.  My sister and I got my parents this very cool gift; a customized print that included memories from their life together (check out http://www.yourmemorylane.com/).  My mom & dad LOVED it, even made them cry.  The best part was that my sister and I worked on it together...without even arguing (at least not much).  The gift gave as much to my sister and I as it did to my parents.  It was a time for she and I to re-connect, reminisce and work productively on something for people we love.  After all is said and done, the best gift is still time with family, friends and ones you love.

Give to Grow

Yesterday morning, I spoke to roughly 50 women at the River City Express network about how you can Give to Grow your business or your career.  I am completely tickled pink by the response I have gotten from everyone!  It was such fun to share ideas about how giving really does pay huge dividends.  If you want to learn more, I've created a new blog site for everyone to post their ideas for giving to grow...just visit: www.GetTickledPink.typepad.com/G2G   (G2G for Give to Grow).  I'd love for you to take a look and add your thoughts and ideas!  Pass this on to others you think might want to also be tickled pink by giving to grow!

Missed me?

or just glad not to have seen more junk recently??  Anyway, for those who did miss me, sorry for the absence and I have no excuse.  I was just tickled pink by a blog sent to me by a friend.  So today's very short tickled pink is about the power of your appearance in making you feel good....read this blog entry for yourself and hopefully it'll make you smile too.

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/11/19/confidence-boosters-that-work-for-me/

Tune in tomorrow, I'm sure to be tickled pink...I just feel it coming.

37 Days Blog....

I read a semi-local publication called Skirt!  (I call it semi-local, it is actually published in a variety of towns/cities with some common content and then some localized content).  If you haven't seen it, you should absolutely pick up a copy.  This month's issue had several great articles (as always) one of which lead me to a blog called 37 Days....  I think you might enjoy it and I'm tickled pink to share it: 37 Days

Education Celebration!

This comment was submitted today and it was so great, I wanted to make sure everyone got to see it!:

"I just love this webblog and not just because my dear friend created it! I have been dying to have Tickled Pink moment to share. I actually have many Tickled Pink moments with my children, friends and family but worthy of the blog?  Anyway today I have something to celebrate, something to share, a true Tickled Pink moment! I was accepted into the Doctoral Program for Educational Leadership with VCU. As an educator, I truly believe in being a life long learner and the power of education. I will work in a cohort with other leaders from my school system. I am thrilled and just Tickled Pink to have this opportunity to grow professionally and personally! Wow! isn't it amazing how good it feels to share special news!" ~ submitted by Rachel

Yea! I didn't win!

I am an avid reader of O! magazine.  A month or so ago, I saw an article about a program O! was doing in conjunction with The White House Project (a non-profit that helps to promote women's leadership activities, www.thewhitehouseproject.org).  I have long been a fan of The White House Project. So when I saw this 'contest' to be able to attend one of their programs, "Women Rule!", in NYC, I submitted an application.  Yesterday, I found out I was not accepted.  Yea!  OK, so maybe I wasn't really thrilled to have been turned down but I was introduced to a new on-line social network for women leaders hosted by The White House Project.  I have been tickled pink in the past 24 hours to see how many fascinating and exciting things women all over the country are doing to change their lives and the lives around them.  Women Rule!  (you can join too, by going to http://leaders.thewhitehouseproject.org/).  OK, so I took a chance that didn't payoff the way I had hoped, but the application process made me think about myself and my skills and this new network is giving me a chance to expand my virtual network.  All in all, I still say that's a win!  Take a chance on something today... you never know what unexpected payoffs could come from it.

How does your garden grow?

I do not have a green thumb; I think its because once I've put the plants in the ground, I just want them to take care of themselves.  I can never remember to water them.  Forget about feeding them.  I hate to weed.  But at this time of the year, I am always tickled pink to find last year's perennials poking back up, in spite of me.  And this weekend, I was tickled pink to plant a few new 'easy to grow' additions....including a variety of rose.  I thought roses would always be beyond my grasp, but a helpful garden store employee, instructed me otherwise.  I once read "You can't grow grass and children at the same time", so it was great to learn that while I'm busy growing the kids, there are still options for having some beautiful things to look it in my yard.  By the way, the new rose bush is pink, of course!

Leavin' on a jet plane

Ahhh vacation.  Is there a sweeter word in the English language?  I am tickled pink to be leaving tomorrow for a short one; a long weekend to somewhere I've never been before - Key West.  Here's a funny thing I realized today, one really fun part of a vacation is the anticipation.  The build up.  The I-can't-wait-and-I'm-so-excited feeling. I used to experience that all the time as a child.  Now, I guess the hectic pace of everyday life gets in the way, so it's been great to have a little of it back in my life again.  Maybe now is a great time to find small ways to get that feeling of anticipation back into everyday life, to great each day with it....hmm, something to ponder, while I'm sipping my margarita!

Green makes Pink

I was tickled pink this evening to attend my 3rd grader's music program....for a few reasons.  The most obvious is, of course, just being a proud mom and seeing her up on the stage.  The second was the notable difference in the skills of these kids that I've been watching each year; this year in particular, their abilities have reached a whole new level.

And the source of most my tickled pink moment was not pink at all but green.  The theme of the program this year was "My Planet, Your Planet".  All of the songs had titles like "Everyday is Earth Day" and "Recycle Rap".  I was truly thrilled to see the kids using the arts to learn about the environment.  So with that in mind I say: Do something green today....it'll be sure to make you tickled pink.

Making the Grade

Today was report card day.  I was tickled pink that both kids (3rd grade & kindergarten) did well.  But what really got me tickled pick was the improvement in the kindergartner's grades and, more importantly, how proud he was of himself.  He was just bursting to show me the report card and how much he'd improved.  I think we should all be graded on 'Conduct'...and I think the kindergartners could teach lots of us a thing or two about it.