Be Accepting ... Be Less Judgmental

I read a post the other day, recommending that we be open minded to why people might still be wearing face masks.  With the mask restrictions being lifted, people who are still wearing them are being judged as "weird", "germophobic", or other disparaging things.  

It struck me when I read this, that we judge people quickly, all the time.  It made me realize that we should all try and remember that in some cases, we just don't know what other people are going through.  We don't know the reason they are doing what they are doing.  

• 
  Someone cuts you off ... they might be racing to get to a hospital.
• Someone's outfit is totally mismatched ... they might color blind or unable to afford a good wardrobe.
• Someone drives with overly bright headlights ... it could be a new car and they don't realize how bright their lights are or how to reset them.
• Someone doesn't answer your question the way you think they should ... they might not understand you or your question.
• Someone ignores you when you say "hi" ... they might not have their hearing aid turned up.
• Someone wears a mask ... they might have a cold and are trying to be a good neighbor and not spread their germs.
• Someone reacts "wrong" to a situation ... they could have been raised in a foreign country and their reaction is appropriate to their upbringing.

The list goes on and on.

Now, sometimes people are just rude and uncaring. But, given we do not know what other people are facing in their lives, we should strive to give people the benefit of the doubt and not pass immediate judgement on them.  

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Upgrading to Rollerblade Wheels is Remarkable

Not sure if you have issues with the wheels on your desk chair, but I had a ton of issues. 

Mine seemed to be a huge magnet for dirt and cat hair.  They would get clogged and no longer roll easily.  I cleaned them often, but it never seemed to get any better.  The same day I cleaned them, they would be all gunched up again.

My husband received rollerblade wheels for his chair from his company as a surprise gift. He loved them immediately and still loves them. 

I generally hate to waste money on "upgrades", but in this case, I went ahead and popped the $25.

I ordered a set of rollerblade wheel replacements and WOW … what a difference they make. 

I can practically roll throughout the house on one push from the desk. Of course, I now have to be very careful when I push away from my desk, not to rush into the wall behind me. They don’t get clogged and cat hair doesn’t seem to bond with them.  I should have upgraded a long time ago.

Again, I almost never encourage spending money on just a simple upgrade, but in this case... it was money well spent.

Note: almost all office chairs can be upgraded, but some cannot. Please read the reviews and check your chair wheels if you feel this is something you want to consider.

Small things can mean so much

It always amazes me how much the smallest gesture can really touch my soul.  

• 
  A friend gave me a calendar she thought I would enjoy.  
• It happened to be right at the time I was switching to working fully remote, moving departments, and sort of feeling unsure how my future would pan out with the friends I had made at the office. This thoughtful gift meant the world to me and made me feel that even with working from home and changing roles, I would not loose the friends I had made.
• Family members reached out to see about how I felt after my second covid shot.
• I didn't feel well.  I knew this was very temporary and that the shot was truly going to help, but I still felt sorry for myself for having nasty side-effects. Just receiving a text asking how I was feeling, brightened my spirits.  Made me realize people cared.
• A stranger complimented me on my hair.
• I was having a truly bad hair day and was considering chopping it all off.  The stranger's compliment helped remind me that just because I was having a bad day, didn't mean I should change my looks. 
• A friend gave me a smiley rubber stamp she always kept on her desk.  
• She thought I would appreciate it. I still keep it on my desk to this day and it makes me smile.

I have really come to appreciate the small expressions of friendship and kindness. I know people are very busy. The fact someone took the time to help improve my day, means a lot. Sometimes the smallest kind words, thoughts, gestures, or gifts can have a huge impact.

As you go through your day, try and ensure you help brighten someone else's day.  And, if someone takes the time to uplift your day, realize what a blessing you have received.

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Lesson Learned - Party Hosting

I love to host parties. Having family and friends over gives me great joy.  I am honored that people accept my invitations and seem to enjoy themselves when they come over. 

But, throwing a party can be stressful and requires planning, setup and supervision.  Over the years, I have worked hard to make setting up and hosting a party faster, easier and less stressful - that way I can enjoy the time with the people that attend.

Here are a few things I have learned that have helped me:

• Set up a trash / recycle area, away from the food area(s).
• I have a pvc pipe trash bag holder that is easy to put together.  It holds two bags - so I can mark one with a sign for trash and one for recycling. 
• It helps keep people from digging in my cabinets trying to figure out where I hide my cans.
• It helps the flow of traffic around the food area(s).
• It breaks down to store easily and doesn't take up much room.
• I can easily wash the pvc pipes if they get dirty.
• I place trash bags under the open bags, that way I can swap them out easily during the party, when the bag is full.
• Put out extra towels and an extra roll of toilet paper in your bathroom.
• This saves me having to check the bathroom off and on during the party.
• Dedicate a shelf/shelves in your cabinet(s) to hold party bowls, platters, etc.
• I have two shelves that are high and require a stool (or John) to reach the partyware.  I keep it all together on these shelves, to make it easy to find when I have a party.  It also keeps it out of the way of my normal daily bowls and plates.
• 
  Keep your paper products in a box.
• I have a box that I put all my paper products.  If I know the party is a paper-product sort of party, I can just pull out that box and everything is there (bowls, plates, utensils, koozies and napkins). I also keep an electric strip in this box, in case I need to plug in crock pots and warming trays.
• This keeps my cabinets clear and I can store it near the pvc trash can so I can grab everything in one trip.
• Put beverages in a cooler or tub.
• If the party is larger and I am concerned about every thing fitting in my frig, I put out a few beverage coolers or larger, round tubs.
• This helps keep the food area less crowded.
• This allows people to help themselves.
• For my tubs, I put down a plastic bag, covered with a beach towel, to help absorb the condensation.  Helps keep my floors safer and ensures no one slips if water builds up under the tubs.
• Put out chairs and tv trays (or small tables) to allow people to make themselves at home.
• You don't need to be fancy with this, just set them around - people will move them to fit their needs.

Most importantly, remember that people are there to visit with you and other people.  They are not there to do a white glove test or check your baseboards for dirt.  You don't need to deep clean before the party. You don't need to have everything perfectly arranged.  People want to feel at home and enjoy the time together.  They will make it work and probably feel more relaxed if your house is not perfectly set for the party.

I have found, over the years, I can put together most of the party in the morning.  I then catch a nap.  I set up the rest of the rest of the party right before people start showing up, or while they are showing up.  The chaos of new people appearing helps cover my last minute grab for serving utensils or toothpicks for appetizers.  Remember - the idea is to have fun and everyone else should have fun also.

If you enjoyed this post, please check out some of my other blogs:

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Questions and Answers

In the past, I have written about getting answers and helping others with questions.  

There are two other important parts of asking and answering questions...

1. The acknowledgement of receiving the question
2. The reply to receiving the answer

How many of us have asked a question... just to get crickets.  Sometimes a few days go by and suddenly, you get an answer. Sometimes, you never hear anything. So frustrating.

If someone asks you a question, take a quick moment to recognize their inquiry.  Let them know you saw it and either you will have to search for an answer, or you will never know the answer and they should ask someone else. If you don't understand their question, ask them to clarify.  There is no shame in letting them know you don't have all the answers or don't understand what they are asking.  But, I do believe their is shame in not letting the other person know you saw their question.

And, if you have received an answer to your question, give a thank you.  Or, if their answer doesn't actually answer your question, circle back for clarification.  Maybe the responder didn't truly understand your question. 

I know when I ask someone a question, I am thrilled when they let me know my question was received. And, when I give an answer to someone's question, I love the feedback - both positive and negative - regarding the help my answer provided.  In fact, if I get a note "thanks for the reply, but that didn't really give me the answer"... I enjoy the challenge of learning how to better interpret and answer questions.  

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