14,000 to Be Happy About Book Review

What makes you happy?

14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer is a book that makes you remember the little things in life that make you happy. The author recorded one line phrases of things that made them happy for 20 years. This book is just a list collection of the 14,000 things. There is no order to the list. The book is small enough that you can carry it around with you. 

These are some items in the book I starred as well as a few of my own:

• Doing your own thing
• Lying on your back in a snowy field; making an angel by moving your arms in arcs
• The first week of school
• Working on a project
• Horse show ribbons on the wall
• Running down a beach
• Falling in love again
• Reading all the books you never had time for 
• Farm fresh food
• Getting your hair washed
• The first day of spring
• Getting a gift
• Spending the morning in bed, watching old movies
• The wonder of life 

I love the idea of writing down things that make you happy. The book is the author's personal list, but the items might help you remember happy moments in your life. Whether you keep a notebook or a journal on the computer, just jotting down a phrase or couple words of something that makes you happy each day will make you remember those little moments that are worth remembering and practice gratitude. You can also look through the pages on bad days and use it as a journal to record your memories. 

I encourage you to write your own list or daily journal of things that make you happy. Let me know what makes you happy in the comments. 

No Chill Vegan Molasses Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon clove

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups brown sugar 

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons sugar, for rolling

Note: If you want to make sure these are vegan, use vegan sugar and molasses. 

Instructions:

 

 

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F or 165 degrees Celsius.
2. 2. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
4. 3. In a medium sized bowl, combine brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses, vanilla and apple sauce.
5.  
6. 4. Combine dry and wet mixture to form the dough. Stir until just combined.
7.  
8. 5. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop up dough and form round cookie balls. Roll the doughs of balls in to sugar (I forgot to do this step so they turn out okay either way; they just won't be as sweet without the sugar). 
9.  
10. 6. On an ungreased cookie sheet, add the dough balls. Press them down slightly with your fingers. 
11.  
12. 7. Bake for 13-16 minutes in the oven. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
13.  
14. Overall, these cookies came out pretty good. They were not my favorite cookie ever, but they were pretty good. I think I will try rolling them in sugar next time. The texture was good and I liked the flavoring. I also like that you don't have to chill the dough so they were easy to make.
15. What kind of cookies do you like to make? Let me know in the comments.

I love the flavor of gingerbread and molasses. I made these Vegan Molasses Cookies from Food.com. They are pretty easy to make and take about 20 minutes.

Custom Items and Mailing List E-Mail Courses

 

 

I have some shop updates. In my Etsy shop, Move the Needle  I changed the decorative paper for custom items. Before, I had a bunch of listings for each topic of decorative paper (maps, watercolor, etc.), but I thought it would be easier to make it all one listing. If you want a different decorative paper other than the one listed, you can just contact me. I also added different colored card stock for greeting cards.

I think I will add some Halloween items in my shop soon. I do not think it is too early to list Halloween items. I am going to do custom items so I will just make items to order.

I am also working on a couple e-mail courses that will be free. I started a new mailing list under my name, Anna Leehey, where you will get updates on all my projects including my shops and blog. The reason I started a new mailing list is because I use different names for my shop and blog and I thought that would make it easier. You can sign up for my mailing list on the right side of this page. 

I think I will have one course for my craft shop, Move the Needle, where I give art journaling tips. The course for my new mailing list will be on how to start and grow a handmade business on Etsy. Let me know what courses you think I should do in the comments. 

What is Your Favorite Way to Make Money?

What is your favorite way to make money online?: 

There are many ways to make money online. With all the different options, it can sometimes be confusing what works and what doesn't. I have been experimenting with different ways to make money online. I often post reviews and different thins I have tried on this blog. I am curious what your favorite way to make money online is.

My favorite way to make money online right now is to do freelance work for other people. I have found it is a good way to make money quickly and also lets you connect with other businesses. Another way I like to make money online is to sell things. I sell things through my Etsy shops, Move the Needle and Printables and Things. I also like to use eBay to sell used items and things for other people.

Let me know in the comments what your current favorite way to make money online is and what works for you.

Desserts

 

Planner Inspiration

With the school year approaching, now is the perfect time to buy a planner. Here is some planner photography inspiration:

Do you like to decorate your planner?

Random Food Photos

These are a couple of photos of food I took recently. 

 These are dried pinto beans I made. I have been experimenting with different types of dried beans lately. I do not know if I prefer the taste over canned beans, but they are cheaper to buy. 

 

 

I like using the beans in bean and rice dishes. The photos above use brown rice and black beans. I like just mixing then together and adding salsa or another ingredient to give them flavor.

 

 

I love the vibrant colors in these two photos.

 

I have been having oatmeal for breakfast a lot. I am looking for more ideas of what to put in my oats. Let me know in the comments what you like to put in your oatmeal or what you have been cooking lately. 

Olympics: Gymnastics

Gymnastics is one of my favorite sports to watch on the Olympics. Gymnastics uses strength, flexibility, balance, agility, endurance and control. 

 

Artistic gymnastics is the most popular division of gymnastics. The women's events includes being judged on vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Men's events are floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar. 

 

Did you know gymnastics evolved from circus performing skills? Another version of gymnastics is rhythmic gymnastics. Rhythmic gymnastics manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus - rope, hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon and freehand. It combines ballet, gymnastics and dance. 

 

Have you watched trampolining? Trampolining involves performing acrobatics while bouncing on a big trampoline. Athletes perform jumps, somersaults and twists. 

I took gymnastics when I was little. I also used to have a big trampoline in my backyard where I would play with my friends. 

Let me know if you watch gymnastics in the comments. 

Olympics: Equestrian

Equestrian events in Olympics started at the 1900 Olympics in Paris. There are three equestrian disciplines - dressage, eventing and jumping. There are individual and team medals. 

 

Did you know the equestrian related events are the only Olympic events that have animals? Women and men athletes compete together on equal terms.

 

 

This is a shot of me riding horses with my family when I was little. I used to horse back ride when I was younger. I did mostly jumping and not dressage. 

 

If you are a horse lover, check out this cute necklace. 

Have you ever gone horse back riding? 

Olympics: Swimming

One of the most popular sports in Olympics is swimming. There are events in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, individual medley and relays. 

 

Diving is another popular Olympic sport which involves diving from a platform or springboard while performing acrobatics. 

 

Synchronized swimming is a fun sport to watch that combines swimming, dance and gymnastics. It can consist of solos, duets, trios, combos, or teams. 

Did you know underwater swimming used to be a sport in the Olympics? It was held at the 1900 Olympics games in Paris. Underwater cameras could make this an interesting sport to see in modern day. 

 

I love going swimming even though I have never tried competitive swimming. I taught myself how to swim when I was little. I love swimming in open water such as in the ocean.

Do you like swimming? What events do you watch on the Olympics? 

Olympics Inspiration

Do you watch the Olympics? These are some Olympic themed finds on Etsy:

If you are having party, why not use a cute Olympics USA Rio 2016 Party Invitation for your guests?

Dress up for the occasion. I think this Olympics Rio 2016 Rings T-Shirt is really cute. This Wire Wrapped Olympic Ring would make a great gift.

Decorate your planner with Rio Olympics Planner Stickers. I like how these stickers use the colors of Rio. This Blue and White Washi Tape is perfect for decorating your planner or envelopes.



Show your patriotism with this American Headband or this Crochet American Flag Baby Hat.

Having a party? I love this Olympics celebration party invitation.