Bring only the best

As the new year rapidly approaches, I want to leave you with a thought:

Bring only the best of who you have become into the new year.

Let's make 2011 the greatest year of our lives!

Recycle your tree

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas filled with love, laughter, and time spent with loved ones.  If you bought a live tree, make sure to go green and recycle your Christmas tree.  "Treecycling is an easy way to return a renewable and natural source back to the environment instead of disposing it in a landfill, where decomposition rates are slowed due to lack of oxygen." (see below for source) 

For information on how to do so, go to: http://earth911.com/.  Happy recycling!

My Christmas Card

Instead of sending out Christmas cards this year, I decided to do a blog.  I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas spent with loved ones.  Regardless of where you are, enjoy every minute of this amazing Christmas season.  I hope all of you cherish the most amazing gift of all time-one that we get every day of every year.  "For unto us, a child is born..."

Merry Christmas!

Love in Christ,

Elle & Georgia

Looking for a last-minute gift idea?

Searching for a last minute gift this week? Instead of driving yourself mad while elbowing your way past other frantic shoppers, go green and make a donation in that person’s honor to a relevant charity/non-profit organization.

I have done this many times, and people seem to love it. Not only are you donating to a cause that person believes in, but you are also saving time, money (no wrapping, gas to get the gift, etc), and resources by simply donating money to an organization. You don’t have to look for a parking space, and you don’t have to wait in line to buy the gift. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

If you aren’t sure what organization to donate to, think about what that person likes. If they’re an animal lover, make a donation to their local SPCA. If they (like me) are passionate about the environment, consider donating to the Sierra Club (https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Donation2?idb=1609319439&df_id=1282&1282.donation=form1&s_src=N10ZSCZZ02&s_subsrc=PW) or another organization of that nature. If he or she served or currently serves in the military, make a donation to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (http://www.fallenheroesfund.org/Donate.aspx).

Your donation will undoubtedly warm their heart and will help make a positive difference in our world. Sometimes the best gifts can't be seen or touched.  Aren't they the best kind?

Beware of the Black Swan

Even though I saw Black Swan three days ago, my mind keeps going back to this film. While some of the content was extremely disturbing and psychotic, overall, the movie was extremely well-made. The actors did an amazing job, and the entire team deserves much accolade.

Since I grew up dancing (and still dance to this day), I can sympathize with what these dancers go through. While I never danced professionally, I can attest to the intense pressure most dancers feel to be perfect and be the absolute best. The pressure to be perfect coupled with weight issues and aging can make even the sanest person feel hopeless, confused, and unsure of themselves.

The movie is certainly not for everyone (due to its’ quite shocking and extreme content), but I think it contains lessons that apply to all of us. In the movie, Natalie Portman is chosen to play the Swan Queen, a role which has two parts: the innocent White Swan and the evil Black Swan. She perfects the White Swan but struggles with playing her nemesis.

Unfortunately, I think we all have a Black Swan inside of us. When faced with life’s pressures and stresses, fear, loathing, and self-doubt can take over. We can become deeply entrenched in our own nightmare that we’ve created in our minds. We try to hide or run away but keep running into our worst enemy-ourselves. Trust me, I have been there, and it is a very dark and scary place. To me, the movie brings to light the idea that sometimes our biggest enemy is ourselves. Be careful; when the Black Swan takes over, it is very difficult to fly away.

That's a wrap!

As the weather gets colder and Christmas nears, make sure to go green every chance you get.  Reuse gift bags or wrap gifts using items such as pashminas, newspaper, or reusable grocery bags (http://www.baggu.com/).  How fun would it be if the wrapping was part of the gift!  If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, we would have enough wrapping paper to cover 45,000 football fields.  That's a wrap!

In LOVE with Mary Kay!

So, I recently fell in LOVE with Mary Kay...the makeup and skincare line that is. Having never used Mary Kay before, I attended a friend's party and was blown away by their amazing products. Everything from the eye shadows to their lipglosses is absoluetly phenomenal.

I highly recommend their Timewise Miracle Set. It is pricy, but I can already tell a difference in how my skin looks and feels. I truly love all Mary Kay products, but some other favorites are their eye shadows, lipglosses, mineral powder foundation, and their blush. Their eye shadows are actually made in the same factory in Italy as MAC but cost less than half the price. You really can't go wrong!

If you live in the Atlanta area, you should schedule a Mary Kay party with my rep Laurin. That way you can take advantage of the fabulous hostess benefits. If you don't live in Atlanta or don't want to host a party, visit her Web site at www.marykay.com/Laurin to check out all the wonderful products. Laurin is fabulous, and you will love working with her before, during, and after your party. She didn't ask me to write this by the way...I am just IN LOVE with all of these products and wanted to share them with you. Let me know what you think!

Pearl Harbor

In honor and memory of the brave people who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, we remember you and salute you today. You did not die in vain, and we honor your sacrifice.

Prayer

"While prayer may not change a situation, it may change the way you experience it."  (Unknown)

Need a light?

While you decorate your home and Christmas tree with lights this year, make sure you go green by choosing LED and/or Energy Star lights.  They use less electricty therefore they save you money.  You can also set your lights on a timer, so they come on when it gets dark and turn off when you go to bed.  No need to have them on late at night while most people will be sleeping.

Fore more information on these type of lights, go to http://www.greenyour.com/node/13887.  Happy decorating!

Utmost hope

Tonight's message at Buckhead Church was one of utmost hope.  Andy Stanley shared with us the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, a couple who had hoped and prayed for a child but reminaed barren.  After many, many years, the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah and told him that God was going to bless them with a son.  "But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.'" (Luke 1: 13)  Their son John would go on to become John the Baptist, and the rest is history.
What an amazing reminder of how difficult and frustrating it can be when we pray for years, and it seems like God either isn't listening or doesn't hear us.  Sometimes, all we need is to know that He hears us.  And believe me, He surely does.  Not only does he hear our prayers, but He plans out every single detail of our lives according to His perfect plan for our lives.  Sometimes things take MUCH longer than we anticipate, and we start to grow restless, weary, and lose hope.  All I can say is to hang in there friends.  God is hard at work and will bless us according to His will and perfect timing.  Trust me, I have sat, hoped, prayed, and waited for years for certain things to happen.  And guess what, some of them finally have happened for me.  I know it's not because of anything I did, but it is because of God's faithfulness and promises to us.  "He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3: 11)
As we get busy and sometimes stressed out with countless holiday parties, work events, and presents to buy, let the Christmas season serve as a reminder that God always keeps His promises.  Even when we think God doesn't hear us and/or doesn't care about us, our faith and hope are not in vain.

Sharing

"Sharing what you have is more important than what you have."

(Albert M. Wells Jr.)