Beyond the Coupon

How To Be A Lucky Person

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We all know that person that is always ‘lucky’. They get the best opportunities and everything just always seems to work out for them. Researchers have discovered that, what we call ‘lucky’, people share the same qualities that allow good things to happen to them. Clear your mind and try something new!

be a lucky person

If you can be a lucky person by integrating these Inc.com traits into your life.

1. Be an opportunity magnet

Why is it that some people just seem to attract more opportunities than others? It’s because they are open to new opportunities and they make sure everyone around them knows it. If, for example, you want to get an offer for a better job, what do you think is the best way to achieve that? Right: Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for a new job. As word moves throughout your network of colleagues, friends, and relatives, chances are you will be presented with a number of opportunities.

2. Loosen up

When people are rigid and uptight, in their business or their life, then only a relatively few things fit into their definition of what constitutes and opportunity. As a result they let countless opportunities pass them by. If you find your outlook is too narrow then loosen up and allow some serendipity to enter into your life. The best opportunities, and the greatest sources of luck, often arrive from unexpected places at unexpected times. Be open to possibilities rather than shutting them down.

3. Be outgoing

If you want to be lucky you can’t be a wallflower. You’ve got to put yourself out there and talk to people, quite possibly in places and in ways that you might not normally be comfortable doing. If you’re an introvert you’ll need to make an extra effort to be outgoing. Recognize your tendency to avoid socializing or hold back in conversations, and then practice doing just the opposite. The more outgoing you are, the more opportunities–and luck–you will attract.

4. Be flexible

We all make plans in our lives: We want to achieve this particular goal by this particular date, we want to be living in this place by this date, etc. Plans are great, but luck doesn’t necessarily care what your plans are. In fact, luck follows its own plan. So, when a new opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to be agile and ready to modify, change, or throw out altogether whatever plans you’ve made. The more flexible you are with your future possibilities, the more luck you will bring into your life.

5. Don’t be afraid to fail

When opportunities arrive we can’t be afraid to act on them. Sure, there’s always the possibility that we might fail, but we can’t let the fear of failure rule our lives. If you focus on the opportunity and put everything you’ve got into it, chances are you will succeed. Even if you don’t, simply pick yourself up and quickly move on to the next opportunity. The faster you fail and move on, the faster you will ultimately succeed. Of course, you might just succeed with your first opportunity. You’d say you were lucky, but science might say otherwise.

24 Cheap Activities To Keep Kids Busy

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We found the top 24 best activities to keep kids busy this summer for less than the price of toilet paper, unless you use discounted gift cards.   

1. Put colored tape on the carpet to make roads for your kid’s toy cars.

Put colored tape on the carpet to make roads for your kid's toy cars.

The tape comes up easily when you’re done.

2. Tape can also be used to create a fun outdoor board game.

Tape can also be used to create a fun outdoor board game.

Learn more here.

3. A couple sponges and a box of chalk are all you need to turn your driveway into a bull’s-eye target game.

A couple sponges and a box of chalk are all you need to turn your driveway into a bull's-eye target game.

4. Exploding Paint Bags turn your sidewalk into a work of art.

Exploding Paint Bags turn your sidewalk into a work of art.

These are totally kid-friendly and can be made with items you likely already have in the kitchen.

5. Paint on wet glue with food coloring.

Paint on wet glue with food coloring.

Save lids to cottage cheese, butter, or Cool Whip for “canvases.” Learn more here.

6. Use leftover bubble wrap to make Stomp Paintings.

Use leftover bubble wrap to make Stomp Paintings .

Kids will get a good laugh while exploring their artistic side.

7. DIY a throwing tarp.

DIY a throwing tarp.

Tarp, rope, scissors, marker, tape… Play ball.

Tape a paper towel roll to the wall to keep toddlers busy.

Toddlers will drop the pom-poms into the bowl over and over, and develop their fine motor skills in the process.

9. Some pipe cleaners and a colander will also keep toddlers occupied.

Some pipe cleaners and a colander will also keep toddlers occupied.

10. Burlap (from a gardening center) can be used to make a preschooler-appropriate sewing station.

Burlap (from a gardening center) can be used to make a preschooler-appropriate sewing station.

This one is great for developing fine motor skills too. Find the how-to here.

11. Preschoolers can also continue to learn how to draw letters with this easy-to-make sugar-writing tray.

Preschoolers can also continue to learn how to draw letters with this easy-to-make sugar-writing tray .

12. Experiment with water marbles.

Experiment with water marbles .

Buy a 2-ounce pack for $7.99 here.

13. Another super-cool science experiment lets kids extract DNA from strawberries.

Another super-cool science experiment lets kids extract DNA from strawberries.

Learn more here.

14. Super-fun balloon rockets also teach an important science lesson.

Super-fun balloon rockets also teach an important science lesson.

Kids learn the concept of “action and reaction” while having a blast.

15. Pencil erasers and a marble make a surprisingly addictive at-home bowling game.

Pencil erasers and a marble make a surprisingly addictive at-home bowling game.

Find the how-to here.

16. Well-placed yarn is all you need to let your kids get their Mission Impossible on.

Well-placed yarn is all you need to let your kids get their Mission Impossible on.

17. Play “Escape the Volcano” to teach kids about color recognition, shape names, counting, and more.

Play "Escape the Volcano" to teach kids about color recognition, shape names, counting, and more.

Find instructions and templates here.

18. Put a bar of soap in the microwave to make soap clouds.

Put a bar of soap in the microwave to make soap clouds .

19. Make a bowl of popcorn and challenge your kids to play the Popcorn Olympics.

Make a bowl of popcorn and challenge your kids to play the Popcorn Olympics.

Find a list of popcorn games, like “straw blow” and “distance throw,” here.

20. Painter’s tape and some balled up newspaper are all you need for this “sticky spiderweb” activity.

Painter's tape and some balled up newspaper are all you need for this "sticky spiderweb" activity.

21. Turn an old box into an indoor slide.

Turn an old box into an indoor slide.

This one needs lots of parental supervision, obviously.

22. Make a Rainbow Bubble Snake from materials you undoubtedly already have around your home.

Make a Rainbow Bubble Snake from materials you undoubtedly already have around your home.

23. Cut a pool noodle in half to make a marble track race.

Cut a pool noodle in half to make a marble track race.

Find the tutorial here.

24. Pool noodles can also be used to make a backyard obstacle course.

Pool noodles can also be used to make a backyard obstacle course.

Find more fun and safe ideas for pool noodles here.

Find these and more cheap activities to keep kids busy on Buzzfeed.

8 Ways To Spoil Mom This Mother’s Day

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It’s your mother, she has done so much for you, and on her special day, she should be spoiled. If none of the ways to spoil mom,below, appeal to you, getting her a gift card to her favorite store or restaurant is never a bad idea. Discounted gift cards allow you to save money and give your mom more this Mothers Day!

1. For The Fruity Mom

If your mom is the kind who lives for dried mango slices and fresh juice, give her the gift of fruit in the most indulgent (and stress-relieving) form. While fresh fruit has become quite the fixture at day spas, consider throwing your mom a citrus-relaxation zone of her own! Follow these instructions to treat her to a homemade spa bath and citrus mask, and make sure to fill the room with some lovely essential oils. As a post-relaxation goodie bag, treat her to a beautifully wrapped, delicious smelling candle (such as this grapefruit scented one).

2. For The ‘Cinnamon, Spice And Everything Nice’ Mom

The smell of home can mean different things to different people, but no one can deny that cinnamon-like goodness can pull at the nostalgic heartstrings like nothing else. If your mom is the type who spends long hours whipping up delicious, cinnamon and nutmeg filled delicacies, treat her to a little bit of her own sweetness. If you are looking to go all out, surprise her with a trip to the Ocean House’s OH! Spa for a cinnamon-maple body scrub. Alternatively, you can always gift her this fantastic-smelling cinnamon scented candle, and create your own cinnamon scrub at home.

3. For The Tea-Loving Mom

A wise woman once told me, “tea is not just a drink; it’s an experience.” Take this adage to the next level and give your mom some tender tea love. You can create a tea-themed gift bag for her, including this delicious looking tea soap bar, and a scented candle. In addition, green tea pedicures are all the rage at many nail salons! Treat your mom to a tea-filled day, and make sure to have a steaming cup ready for her when she is done.

4. For The Classic Chocolate-Loving Mom

Does your mom go crazy for cocoa? If so, try thinking outside the box and give her some deliciously indulgent “me” time. A number of spas offer chocolate body wraps, foot scrubs and more. However, if you are looking to pull out all the stops, Chocolate For Your Body, a spa in Chicago offers an entire day of blissful cocoa-licious treatments including a chocolate body wrap, facial, mani, pedi and a chocolate martini to top it off. Go with something more creative and make your mom some amazing brownies.

5. For The Pinot Noir Mom

For some mothers, the simple pleasure of a glass of wine is more than enough to ease the stress of a long day. Channel that mindset through some healthy-for-your-body wine uses. Give your mom an adorable wine bottle candle, and treat her to one of these wine-inspired spa treatments.

6. For The Caffeinated Mom

Is coffee the way to your mother’s heart? No matter if she’s the dark roast macchiato-type, or just jonesing for her morning drip — treat her to the touch and smell of a coffee-filled treatment. Go the extra step with some DIY coffee crafts: try making this rustic looking candle, or an insanely easy coffee body scrub. Alternatively, you can go all out and take her java habit straight to the spa.

7. For The Nutty Mom

All moms are nutty, but let’s admit it: Some wear their silly better than others. If your mom falls into this category, show her how much you love her zany side by treating her with some funky treatments. Seek out the rare candlenut, a type of tree nut that can actually be used as a candle all on it’s own. Alternatively, you can treat her to a set of almond body products, which treats weary skin and smells incredible all at the same time.

8. For The Herbal Mom

Does your mom live for gardening? If so, she probably feels a special kinship with the scent and feel of hearty, fresh herbs. Indulge her clean and natural side with a set of basil scented soaps and candles from Mrs. Meyer’s, and give her feet the treat they deserve with an herbal spa pedicure.

Original article on HuffingtonPost

10 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Your Children

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When did we decide that growing up meant becoming a different person, once who doesn’t take not of the little things, or has a burning curiosity for how the world works? Maybe we can take these life lessons you can learn from your children, from HuffingtonPost, and bring the wonder back into life.

lessons you can learn from your children

1. Every day is a fresh start.

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” – L.M. Montgomery.

Wasn’t it always amazing how the end of a school day always felt so final, so finished? The break between June and September seemed like a lifetime. Because when you are young, every day feels like an eternity and a new day means new opportunities to make new friends, explore new adventures, learn new things. Children don’t carry baggage from one day to the next. They start fresh, always.

2. Creative pursuits are fun and good for you.

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

How often do you see children losing themselves in a creative project for hours at a time? Drawing, playing with clay, building a sandcastle with meticulous attention to detail. For some reason, as we get older, we stop seeing creative activities as worthwhile. How many adults, aside from artists, draw on a regular basis? How many play with clay or finger paint just for the fun of it?

3. Be courageous.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin.

Sing out loud. Dance when you feel like it. A child’s life feels limitless because they are not confined by fears of failure or humiliation. They march forward with hope and determination because they don’t know any better. They haven’t been beaten down, they haven’t experienced failure. They embrace life and all it has to offer with open arms.

4. Laugh every day.

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

Children have the beautiful ability to find joy all around them. Just watch the humor a child can find in a shopping mall or at the park. They see silliness everywhere.

5. Be active.

“Play energizes and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” – Stuart Brown

When you were young, playing outside was the highlight of your day. You would run and chase your friends until you were out of breath and your cheeks were rosy. You would jump and do cartwheels at the drop of a hat and you never thought of it as “exercise” or “daily fitness.” It was just playing. And it was fun. “It is a happy talent to know how to play.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

6. Nurture friendship.

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” – Khalil Gibran

Children find true joy while playing with friends and they love making new ones. They join soccer teams, go to a birthday parties, start new schools. These are all ways that kids make new friends. Children adhere to the motto, “the more the merrier,” and adults should, as well.

7. Be the hero.

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” – Nora Ephron

When a child tells you a story about school or the soccer field, they are usually the hero of their story. The world revolves around them. As we age, we don’t want to be conceited or egotistic, so we downplay our accomplishments and achievements. We don’t want to brag. But in doing so, we often slip to the side of self-deprecation. We put ourselves down to make others feel better or to be more relateable. Modesty becomes an admirable quality and we start to convince ourselves of our own mediocrity.

8. Scars are badges of honor.

“Every day you either see a scar or courage. Where you dwell will define your struggle.” – Dodinsky

When a child breaks a bone, everyone they know will sign the cast. They become the superstar of the class, the survivor. If they fall down and cut themselves, everyone wants to see the scar, they wear it proudly. As we get older, we hide our scars, our wounds become our secrets. We don’t want to be seen as weak or pitied, so we tell no one where it hurts. But what children recognize is that scars aren’t signs of weakness, a scar is a sign of strength and survival. A story to tell. An accomplishment.

9. Try new things.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

Children are not afraid to play a sport they have never tried before. They will jump on a trampoline, dive into a pool or ski down a mountain even if it is foreign to them. As adults, we fear the unknown. We stay safely ensconced in our comfort zone and rarely venture out. Adventure exhilarates us and awakens the spirit.

10. Notice the little things.

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

My niece loves watching the sandpipers run back and forth at the water’s edge. She notices their little legs and how fast they move along the sand. Something simple that we take for granted brings her immense joy and profound inspiration. When did we stop noticing the tiny miracles that surround us daily? How much more beautiful would life be if we could see these miracles again?

35 Things I Hope My Daughter Never Has To Experience

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My daughter

To all the mothers out there who have experienced the world at it’s best and it’s worst will understand that there are things that you hope your daughter never has to experience. EliteDaily brings a great article for all those mothers out there that hope for a better world for their daughters to grow up.

To say that I’m scared for the future generations of the world is a passing statement. To say that I’m scared to bring a daughter into this world is a fear I hold tightly.

It’s a fear that consumes my subconscious and conscious states and sits deep down in the pit of my stomach. It’s a fear that keeps me up at night and comes out in my darkest moments of despair and loneliness. It’s an innate instinct that strengthens as I grow older and another year hardens me.

You see, I’m scared to bring another woman into this world because I know what it is to be a woman. I know what it’s like to wear the deep scars of inadequacy and to carry the heavy burden of fading youth.

I know how it feels to be ostracized, immortalized and degraded at the same time. I know what it feels like to have your heart broken into a million pieces by a man who wasn’t worth a hello. I know what it feels like to be constantly compared to idealized women with perfect bone structure and airbrushed hips.

I know what it feels like to be reduced to just a pair of tits and ass. I know what it’s like to be judged by a glance and overlooked for a woman with better hair and bigger tits. I know what it feels like to be put down because of gender-induced stereotypes. I know what it feels like to never want to get out of bed because you don’t feel pretty enough to face the world.

I know what it feels like to be afraid of rejection and to be desensitized to belittlement. I know what it feels like to be discarded and replaced. I know what it feels like to be betrayed and judged by impossible standards, and I never want my daughter to feel this way.

I want my daughter to feel strong and invincible. I want her to wear her flaws and imperfections as badges of strength and beauty. I want her to look past the stares and the judgments and find a path of self-acceptance, which so many women fail to ever unearth. I want her to never feel the deep pain of heartbreak or the shallow judgments of her peers. I want her to see beyond stereotypes and to walk above the grain. After reading an article that spoke of all the things a woman wanted her daughters to see, I started thinking about the things I never wanted my future daughter to go through.

I want her to be her own woman, and I hope she doesn’t ever have to experience these dirty, evil and superficial bits and pieces of life:

1. Heartbreak from a man who did her wrong.

2. Betrayal from a friend who was nothing but an enemy.

3. Hopelessness from a world that doesn’t seem to get any better.

4. Despair from being told she “can’t” too many times.

5. Jealousy of people who are nothing more than airbrushed images.

6. Belittlement from a society that only judges on outward appearances.

7. Insecurity from the women around her.

8. Inadequacy from images glamorized by the media.

9. Rejection from men who don’t understand depth and real beauty.

10. Loss of faith in a world that continues to disappoint.

11. Fear of the unknown.

12. Envy of women who aren’t worth envying.

13. Embarrassment of her flaws.

14. Disappointment from those who are supposed to protect her.

15. Shame of her body.

16. Discouragement from those who are supposed to believe in her.

17. Discomfort from the cat calls of perverse men.

18. Bullying from kids who were raised with no moral centers.

19. Gender inequality in her new found job.

20. Lost moments from worrying about the future.

21. Uselessness by people who don’t see her worth.

22. Guilt for things she cannot change.

23. Dishonor in her roots and her past.

24. Contempt for things unworthy of anger.

25. Self doubt in her limitless abilities.

26. Anxiety over the daily stresses of life.

27. Disbelief in the evil doings of fellow man.

28. Grief for things that aren’t worth tears.

29. Desolation in the future of the world.

30. Torment over the suffering of others.

31. Obsession with the materialistic and the mundane.

32. Preoccupation with people who don’t care.

33. Finding her validation in another person.

34. Regret from never putting herself out there.

35. Feeling like she isn’t worthy of all she truly deserves in life.

Photo Credit to ∞ Fashion ∞