smiles lost.

It's an uphill battle keeping the smile on this time of year - for me anyway! Thankfully, I "do community" with a message board chock full o'moms like myself, and a very wonderful woman had this to say about the battle with her own blues... I couldn't agree more and wanted to share her to-do list:

read the Bible, pray and be thankful for so very much you have

surround yourself with uplifting people

take a hike outside regardless of the weather

have a pamper me night or whenever...paint your toenails a new sassy color, dreamy lotion, pluck your eyebrows, etc.!

exercise and eat right

laugh

serve other people .... it's hard to be depressed when you're making a meal for a shut in neighbor or tray of cookies for the rest home!

smile, smile and smile some more...it's an instant mood-lifter

declutter your home

visit with someone elderly

play uplifting music (pssst! don't tell...but I popped in a very old John Mellancamp from my pre-mom years and danced around my kitchen!) it felt so good!

visit inspiring blogs

It's real, my friends... this Seasonal Affective Disorder. As hard as it may be to "shake it off", there really are some things you can do to lift your spirits until the trees bud and the days become longer.
Hang in there!