Being Careful to Find the Happy and the Good...

One of the things I was worried about when I first decided to start a blog was that I would end up using it as a place to carry on a continuous stream of ranting or vents. I saw right away that I could very easily use this space to complain about everything; businesses or services that I've had problems with, that annoying neighbor down the street, a bad day with the kids, bad hair days, or just a bad day in general.

Yes, I could see how very easily I could start a big old whine fest right here online. But that isn't what I wanted to do! That's why I named my blog Haunted Dollie's Happy Hideaway! I want to blog about the happy things that life has to offer and the happy things that occur in the lives of my family.

I'm not saying that bad things don't happen. They do. And when a product or service not only does not meet expectations, but falls way short of a consumers needs and wants, I believe that consumers should speak up in any forum they can. How else can other people be made aware of shoddy merchandise and shady business practices? In speaking out, the consumer is taking steps to stand up for themselves and to protect others from having similar bad experiences.

I had an extremely bad experience with a company yesterday. I am very unhappy right now. I do plan to post about this experience... Later.

Simply because I had such an extremely bad experience, not only with the product but with the customer service I received, it would be very easy for me to lose sight of the good experiences I have had lately. And there have been several of those! Just as I believe bad products and customer service should be exposed, so do I believe that great products and awesome customer service should be acknowledged, so people can benefit from these products and have happy experiences. It's all well and good to be warned away from the bad and actively avoiding it. It's so much better to be made aware of the good and actively seek that.

So while I will be detailing my bad experience, once I calm down a little and can (hopefully) be more objective (though honestly I don't think I can be more objective than to relate exactly what happened and the results,) I plan to first post about some really wonderful experiences I have had with some really amazing bloggers, wonderful companies with great products, and the customer service people working with these companies.

I want to focus on the good and the happy, first and foremost, here on my blog and in my life. I think part of the path to happiness is not to ignore the bad, but making the baddies accountable, and finding a way to improve or fix an unhappy situation. But focusing on and appreciating the good even before dealing with the bad is more important.

Be on the look out for my first three reviews (no giveaways associated with these,) over the next few days. I'm looking forward to the writing of them, not only because I enjoy writing and want to keep my blog updated, but because the reviews I am planning are for companies, products and people who deserve support. I look forward to supporting them now that I know about them and having been the beneficiary of their excellence and quality.

So here's to having found the happy and the good... The bad can wait!

So Behind... And Catching Up Doesn't Look Like It Will Happen Soon...

Back to school time is usually filled with excitement and planning for children and parents. That's true in my house as well. All of the school supply shopping has been done, the kids love doing that, and we'll be loading them all up into the brand spanking new back packs in just a few minutes.

The new uniforms have been purchased, dimming the excitement somewhat for all of us. We loathe uniforms, but the school requires them, so what are we gonna do, you know? They've been washed, folded and put away.

Oh, and the boys got fresh haircuts over the weekend. So they will look presentable on the big first day.

So, I'm not behind, it seems on back to school. That's a good thing!

Back to school prep has left me behind on everything else, though!

My house is as close to a shambles as I have ever seen it. I have OCD, so this is not a good thing. It makes me cranky, so I'm short with the boys.

Add to that the fact that I haven't had time to work out in weeks and I'm more cranky. No feel good endorphins from the exercise coursing through my system makes me a less than pleasant person to be around.

I'm behind on my favorite hobby of entering sweepstakes and giveaways, behind on my writing. I've neglected this fledgling blog of mine (in the grand scheme of things, being behind on the blogging isn't huge. It's a new blog and I don't have an a large and active readership clamoring for my next post, but still!) I bought a new book to help teach me about the art of blogging and the technical aspects, too, and it's been sitting here for weeks waiting for me to crack the cover. I'm very motivated to read it, but I'm too exhausted to turn a page or to expect myself to be able to focus on the words swimming on the pages.

Mr. Dimple and Bowser, my youngest boys, are on a short tether, too. Hot, and bored and tired of the insect bites that the summer out here brings, they are more than ready to get back to school.

If I am to be totally honest, I'm way more than ready for it myself.

I'd like to think that I'll be able to catch everything up and get back to my normal routine, quickly, after that first day of school. I'd like to think that, but I just know that it will still be weeks before I am able to get it all together.

Mr. Dimple's ninth birthday is on the 15th of August. I already bought the ingredients for the cake and the presents, but that cake still has to be baked and the presents wrapped. I secretly sigh in relief that we didn't plan a party this year!

I have to catch up on all of the housework that couldn't be done properly with the boys in the house, especially the floors.  The floors are the bane of my existence during the summer. I can sweep them and mop them, but it is utterly impossible to keep them clean for longer than 10 minutes when two active boys are constantly around. If I send them outside so I can mop the wood floors, I can count on them to be waist deep in a pond catching tadpoles and coming in dripping wet and dirty just as soon as I've got the bucket rinsed out and the mop put away. I can't really be upset with them for being healthy, active boys and doing just what boys their age are supposed to do when they live in a rural area... But my heart breaks a little for my poor floor!

There are five sweet little kittens to find homes for in the next few weeks. I foresee quite a few tears shed over that. I've already been asked to keep them all.

With all of that to do, I have all of the regular, day to day, housework and errands to run... And Halloween costumes to plan for and possibly make. And Bowser's birthday is just a few days before Halloween.

Does it sound like I'm whining? Probably... I'm really not, though. I really enjoy this time of year. I enjoy the work and the planning and the mad whirl of excitement that all of it brings. I'm looking forward to Autumn. It's my favorite time of year! And the holidays are coming. We all love the holiday season with the wonderful food and shopping, presents and socializing it brings.

Tomorrow is the first day of school, and the start of great things!

Just One of Those Day!

Do you ever have just one of those days?

It's not like it was a bad day. Nothing bad really happened. It wasn't one of those tragical days.

It was just one of those days when it seems like I did tons of things and yet absolutely nothing really got done. Do you know what I mean?

Right now, I'm taking my alone time. The kids have gone to bed, all of the housework is done, all of the errand and everything else I planned to do... But I'm not enjoying my usual leisure time. I'm just too tired.

It doesn't seem like I should be this tired. Honestly, it seems like I accomplished nothing today. I'm even too tired to whine about it much, which makes this the end of my post! :o)