The Magic of Chocolate!

Welcome 2011! All that rushing for the holidays - then they're over in a flash! Now it is time to celebrate you! Isn't it time to "live" it up? You do so much for others - how about doing something special for you?

One thing that truly makes me happy (besides my wonderful family and friends, of course!) is chocolate. Milk or dark, with caramel or nuts, hot or in big chunks. Chocolate can change my mood. It allows me to escape, even for just a while, and think of a simpler time when people used to drink it for its magical powers. And with the crazy lives we all lead, what's wrong with a touch of magic in your day?

We recently enjoyed a great trip to Taza Chocolate Factory in Somerville. For just $5, we got to sample all sorts of funky flavors of chocolate (salt and pepper, chili, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and more), tour the place, and learn how they make this great stuff straight from the cocoa bean! They use traditional Mexican stone methods, using all organic ingredients. And it tastes great! Who knew all this could happen in Somerville? I highly recommend this adventure (maybe combined with dinner at Redbones BBQ, like we did!).

If you're willing to splurge, there's still time to join us for a trip to Boston to the "Chocolate Bar" on Saturday, January 15th. The cost is $65 per person for all-you-can-eat incredible desserts, tea or coffee, tax and tips, and roundtrip bus from Middleton or Saugus. Once you do this, you will not be the same! It will make 2011 seem a whole lot brighter already! Hope to hear from you before January 7th!

I know the new year is when you're supposed to be dieting and eating better. And you still can take care of you! But there's nothing wrong with living it up with a new experience and splurging every now and then! Besides, you gotta love those antioxidants in chocolate!

Whether it is at Taza, the Chocolate Bar, or just with a few Hershey kisses, wishing you the sweetest and most satisfying new year ever!

Taking Care of You in 2011!

It was great to end my Fall Wellness Series ("Faith, Hope, and Charity") at Cradles to Crayons in Quincy this past Sunday. A fabulous group of Ever After volunteers got to match outfits for children, making nearly 60 bags of clothes to be dispersed this week. We had a lot of laughs and left with hearts full of hope for the numerous kids the agency serves. A big thank you if you volunteered with us and/or donated items that we delivered that day. We hope to volunteer again next year and hope you might join us next time.

After the hectic holiday season passes, remember to take time for you and attend my Winter Wellness Series, "Live, Love, Laugh". It kicks off on Saturday, January 15th with a trip to the yumilicious Chocolate Bar in Boston. Cost is $65 per person for all-you-can-eat desserts, coffee or tea, tax, tip, and round-trip bus transportation from Middleton or Saugus. It is time to "Live" it up and enjoy yourself after taking care of so many others in your life! Please let me know soon if you would like to attend.

My husband, Larry, and I will host a talk on "Love" in February - more details to follow soon! Great for couples, too!

Then in March, we'll "Laugh" together at a presentation at the Reading Public Library on Tues., March 22nd from 7pm-8:30pm. Complete with comical video clips, this is something you won't want to miss!

Hope this holiday season brings dreams that come true and hopes fulfilled. May 2011 be the best year yet for you and yours!

Holiday Shopping Idea: Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice!

Holiday shopping is in the air! Mall parking lots runneth over already - and if you're anything like me, you're probably thinking of running the other way! I'm doing my best to avoid the malls this year and try smaller local businesses instead. Here's some ideas...

Spend an afternoon on Route 20 in Sudbury, Wayland, and Marlborough. Start with Russell's Garden Center for a unique selection of holiday decorations, jewelry, toys, and so much more. I thought Russell's was only for gardening but was I ever surprised! Although they can be a bit pricey on some items, it is difficult to leave here without a few unique gifts for those who seem to have everything.

My next favorite stop is the Wayside Country Store in Marlborough. Their candy counter alone is worth the trip! Kids of all ages will have a ball picking out all sorts of "penny" candy - from watermelon gummy bears to Finnish licorice to handmade nonpareils - this place has it all! Great stocking stuffers! Right next door is a country store with pickle barrels and ginger snaps, also offering numerous unique gift ideas, including Byers' Choice carolers and specialty foods.

Backtrack to the plaza with Learning Express for toy ideas and have dinner next door at Lavender, a stylish restaurant serving Asian favorites such as Beef with Sliced Ginger and String Beans, Tangerine Chicken, and Pineapple and Spinach Fried Rice. When a Chinese restaurant offers free wontons when you sit, and ends your meal with free sliced oranges and fortune cookies, you've got my attention! After all this shopping, you deserve a nice meal!

Have unique stores you like to visit? Please share them here or email me and I'll list them. We can all use a little help finding unique gifts this holiday season and helping keep smaller stores in business in this economy. Thanks in advance for sharing your tips!

We All Benefit from a little Practical Magic!

October is my favorite month. I love the crisp autumn air, the smell of cider donuts and apples, and the mystical way Halloween makes me feel. This is the time of year I pop "Practical Magic" into the DVD player and kick back with a few of those mini candy bars that I should be giving out to trick or treaters instead.

"Practical Magic" contains my favorite song, "This Kiss" by Faith Hill. Romance isn't the easiest for the Owens sisters. And may not be the easiest for some of us - but never stop hoping. There's something magical about making a True Love Spell and wishing for the person of your dreams to come your way, or to at least add some spark and spice to your current romance.

Women feel empowered by this movie. I love the scene when all the ladies get together to help free-spirited Gillian (Nicole Kidman) get rid of her abusive zombie boyfriend. We can always use a group of pals to help us "clean house" and sweep away life's pain. Sometimes they may be just aquaintances who will later blossom into good friends. Gal power reigns supreme in this flick, even when it depicts how catty us women can sometimes be to one another. Who wants to befriend a witch with a past? I've learned to take those sort of chances - it makes life much more interesting!

And let us not forget the value of midnight margaritas! We all should be dancing around our house in the middle of the night, margarita in hand, just like the Owens family. Although my husband might think I've lost my mind, this might be just the thing to jump start our energy and get us thinking creatively. Live alone? Have a sleepover with this goal in mind. These are the moments we laugh about and remember - where we share, bond, and forge friendships that weather nor' easters and more!

One of my favorite friendship memories is heading to Foxwoods late at night with my cousin and two dear friends many years ago. We played the slots for a bit then headed home into so much fog that we couldn't see to drive. We had to pull off the road and wait in the car in the parking lot of what appeared to be an old mental hospital. Yes - a little too much like the movie "Halloween"! We chatted in the car for a few hours, laughing and sharing until the fog lifted. Although it was a bit scary, I really didn't want the night to end. Times like these make you feel alive - taking chances and doing something a bit crazy - not to mention the terrific company!

Here's hoping your fall will be full of unexpected surprises, midnight margaritas and other crazy times with good friends, and just a touch of magic!

Leaping into Faith!

My Fall Wellness Series, "Faith, Hope, and Charity" kicked off last Wednesday evening with a presentation about Faith at the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers. With a crowd of just under 20 people, we tossed around the different meanings of faith - from one's religion to a belief in a supernatural power that controls human destiny to believing in ourself and others. Fitting for spiritful October, we thought about what happens when we die as suggested by various psychics including James van Praagh and John Holland. We laughed at how what psychics say and fortunes in fortune cookies often have more meaning than what our family or friends say to us. It must be that supernatural force behind them, right?!

Next, I shared a photo I took from a concentration camp in Poland depicting two sets of railroad tracks (one that led to being a prisoner and one that led to the gas chamber). I keep it on my desk as a reminder that although we should consider the road less travelled as Robert Frost suggests, sometimes we don't have a choice (deemed choiceless choices by Sonia Weitz, Holocaust survivor who lived in Peabody, MA). Choiceless choices and other difficult times often lead us to embrace religion and believe in the Divine or God. The value of community from your local church or some other type of group can never been overstated. Friends that will help you through life's toughest moments as well as its sweeter ones are extremely important.

While some of us believe that much in life is meant to be, we agreed that not everything is. People make mistakes -- it is what we do with what we are dealt that really matters. Although some good can come from bad (such as young Adam Walsh's death leading to his father helping catch numerous criminals on "America's Most Wanted" and the Adam Walsh Act about sex offenders put into law in 2006), it doesn't make us feel much better about the initial loss. Sometimes we may never know why things happen. Sometimes our woes can affect someone else's life and destine that person to a new calling.

A favorite quote shared by Teilhard de Chardin was "You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience." Being human is far from perfect. Thinking of ourselves as tiny spiritual beings floating on a cloud sprinkling happy thoughts to one another is much better than feeling human and powerless at times. When we think this way, chores like grocery shopping, cleaning up, making dinner, tasks at work, getting homework done - which often consume our daily life - become less of our focus. The meaning of life is what we decide to make of it and how we choose to live it. Laughter, cuddling your pet, looking into your lover's eyes - these small moments should make up your bigger picture.

Lastly, we reminded one another to let go of beliefs that don't help you and embrace new ones, including being part of a community where you feel empowered. Faith may make all things possible but LOVE makes it easier. Seek out those who help rekindle your flame and inspire others in return. Volunteer! Laugh at mistakes and missteps along your journey instead of getting caught up in them. Laugh a lot. Think about what faith means to you, and if you don't know, take some time to figure it out. You will probably feel happier as a result. And who can't use a little happiness?!

The evening ended with everyone picking a random fortune about their future from a special basket. (And I think those made more of an impression than our entire discussion! Guess I can't compete with the supernatural! Glad you all liked them!) Special thanks to Donna Maturi and the library staff for hosting me!

Hope you will join me for "Hope," the next segment in the series, on Monday, November 15th at 6:30pm at the Flint Public Library (Route 114) in Middleton. We'll talk about wishes, how to get through life's difficult moments, laugh as much as we can, and end by creating our own "wish list" to take home (generously provided by Jenna Amara from Mums Art Studio in Tewksbury). You don't want to miss this one!!

Advice from Romantic Movies and Fortune Cookies

I'm a sap for a good romantic movie. Maybe that's why I enjoyed "Letters to Juliet" recently. Women who had their hearts broken are encouraged to visit the courtyard of Juliet's house (yes "the" Juliet of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") in Verona, Italy and leave a letter, asking for her advice on what to do. Every day Juliet's secretaries (lovely ladies from various backgrounds and all different relationships) write back to the heartbroken with words of encouragement.

Don't you wish you had secretaries just dedicated to you - people you could ask for advice from and they'd know exactly what to do? Of course, we are fortunate to have wonderful friends. But there is something spiritual and fascinating about leaving a note in a courtyard and receiving a response from an experienced wise soul who doesn't know you. It makes the reply all the more mystical and powerful.

It is almost like cracking open a fortune cookie after a delicious Chinese meal and getting a terrific fortune. We believe these just HAVE to come true. I carry good fortunes in my purse, post them in my cubicle, etc.! And I know many of you have done that, too!

If you'd like to receive an encouraging message for the days ahead, please consider joining me for a discussion on "Faith" at the Peabody Institute, 15 Sylvan Street, Danvers on Wed., Oct. 13th from 7pm-8:30pm. We'll talk about how fate intervenes in life, finding your meaning, and the power of spirituality. Don't worry - we'll share some good laughs - as always! Please come and bring a friend! RSVPs appreciated to donnadavislmhc@verizon.net.

Got Faith? See What Fate Has in Store for You!

Ever play solitaire? Lately, I've developed this silly habit of playing it on my computer as my way to try to test fate. I always play the first game I'm dealt, likening it to the fact that in life, we don't always have a choice -- we have to try to tackle whatever comes our way. I try my hardest to win the first game, but it isn't always so easy. Sometimes fate has other plans. If I lose, I select "Deal Again" and keep clicking on "Deal Again" until I see a mix of cards that I think will give me a better chance of winning, trying to play a part in my fate with knowledge that I've gained from past attempts.

In the game of life, sometimes we are at the helm of our destiny and other times we feel lost over so many situations that we can't control. This is where fate lends a hand. The universe may have other plans for us. We may not like them and we may make a lot of fuss, but most times, in the end, we grow and learn, and find ourselves on a better path. We just have to have faith to see it through.

Others have shared stories about a break-up that ultimately was the best thing for them or a job loss that led them to a new opportunity. It was far from easy at the time, and they fought hard to change it, but after accepting it slowly, they recognized it may have been for a reason. Similarly, in tough situations, some realize what they have compared to others, and view their lives differently, accepting the flaws in their partner or their own limitations, for example. Ever have someone share their troubles with you and you actually feel better about your own life in return? This is faith reminding you to hold on.

Having faith gets us through the dark times. Accepting our fate can be very liberating and actually create new possibilities for us. This doesn't mean to sit back and give up. Rather, allow the universe to open doors and then take a chance and enter them. Ask for help from a higher power along the way. Sometimes you are in a holding pattern and that is ok. Rest but keep your eyes open for those new pathways. It also may mean to go back to an old pathway with a different attitude. We are never too old to grow and learn.

I love talking about faith, fate, destiny, and hope. It is so fascinating - and we can learn so much. This is why I have developed "Soul-Soothers," ideas to embrace, enlighten, and empower. This Fall, let's consider the lessons of Faith, Hope, and Charity. I hope you and yours will consider joining me for a discussion on "Faith" in Danvers on Wed., Oct. 13th at 7pm; "Hope" in Middleton on Mon., Nov. 15th at 6:30pm, where we will also make a Wish List thanks to Mums Art Studio of Tewksbury; and "Charity" at Cradles to Crayons in Quincy on Sun., Dec. 12th at 10am, where we will create care packages for kids in need. Check out "Upcoming Events" on my website for more details. All of these events are FREE and open to the public.

Hope to see you at one or all of the Soul-Soothers! Take some time out for you - you deserve it! And you never know who you might meet or where fate might lead...!