Make Today Matter Mini Makeover Catalog

Mini #151
by Sherriebeth Czepiel

Who doesn’t love getting a beautiful card for a birthday or anniversary, or one congratulating us on a new baby in the family?  Who doesn’t love to know that someone out there is thinking of us during this special time in our lives? Or when we are down, how encouraging is it for a sister-friend-mom to send (or receive from us) a little card with a few words to say “I know this time is hard, but I also know you can get through it and I am here to help you!”?Yet many of us do not do this simple act…why is that?

The simple answer to this simple question is that we just do not have the time to go to the store, buy a card, take it home, find a nice pen, write it out, find the address, find a stamp, and drop it in the mail.  Even regularly-scheduled events, like a child’s birthday or a religious event of great importance, we often do not plan far enough ahead to make sending a greeting card easier, thus relegating it to another ‘I gotta’, ‘I should’, or ‘I need to’ stressor in our lives.

In this Mini, Sherriebeth shares how to make a greeting card station that allows you to send cards easily, efficiently, and on time. She offers multiple systems so you can choose the one that best suits your paper-personality and offers step-by-step instructions for set up.

Mini #145
This is the featured Mini for our April 2011 Sat. morning workshop

In this busy day and age, a personal note means so much to the recipient. In this Mini-Makeover, we will create a portable writing station to organize our writing materials (from cards to stationary and pens), as well as, review the lost art of writing personal correspondence.

So often we say “I should send her a card” or “I need to write to Aunt Sally” and because we don’t have our writing materials together, often, the letter or card never gets written.  Creating a writing station will allow you to have all your writing materials (from pens to paper to stamps and addresses) in one easily accessible location - enabling you to get that “thinking of you” or “thank you” note in the mail quickly.

We will also cover how to write a reply to common situations (thank you, congratulations, apology and condolences).

Mini #120

Often our lives feel like a push-pull as we struggle to find a centered-place from which to make healthy decisions. We know that being balanced is a great goal–and a great concept… but how do we figure out what balance looks like for us? And how do we identify the boundaries we need to maintain that balance when we find it? In this Mini we will explore those questions and more with tips to help you find and maintain balance.

Mini #115 - April Featured Mini

One of the ways to maximize your time in the Make Today Matter program, and your time in general, is through a routine of Priority Planning. While it takes a little time, this planning is key to helping us stay on track throughout the month. Done thoroughly, this planning allows us to stay focused in  spite of adversity and to focus on what truly matters.  Priority Planning also reduces stress and helps us manage our time better. The five steps of Priority Planning can be accessed by all MTM Members in Phase II by following the link in the blue “quick links” menu. This Mini is an additional workshop that provides an audio version of each of the five steps, and also provides a location to share and encourage one another with our plans!

Mini Makeover #105

If you are ready to do an in-depth analysis of your strengths and weaknesses to help you “go beyond the Snapshot” then this is the Mini for you! Brook developed the Life Profiler Mini to help people pinpoint what specific steps they can take to improve life areas of concern. The Profiler includes over 200 questions and can be downloaded in Microsoft Excel format. After answering the questions, you will be able to see how well you score in 17 different life areas as well as learn what MTM solutions and strategies can help you improve! This is a great in-depth review to do once or twice per year.

Mini #101 (You may also like Mini #95)

Eco, earth-friendly, recyling, green-living… all buzzwords of recent times.  What’s it all about? The Green Initiative shares some hard realization about they way we are currently growing and consuming resources… “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.”

Going green is a step each of us can take to help preserve the earth for our children and their children. It is a great example for any parents with children at home to set. Beyond the global impact, becoming “greener” offers additional benefits–primarily by improving your health and providing many ways to save money.

The big challenge is deciding where to start! What steps can you take that improve health, help the environment, and save money that don’t cost an arm and a leg? Mini #95 introduced a 30-day action plan for getting greener. This Mini builds on the first, adding additional effective green-strategies that help you save instead of spend, and promote a healthier, greener lifestyle.

Mini #98
15 pages

In this Mini we explore how to host a cookie exchange along with Stress-Free Party Tips & Ideas for entertaining during the holiday season. We start out by exploring 8 holiday theme parties and practical strategies to make entertaining stress-free. You’ll discover free resources to manage invitation lists, how to plan the right amount of appetizers, and more. Then we turn our attention to planning a cookie exchange. A cookie exchange is a gathering where each guest prepares a designated number of their favorite cookies prior to the gathering. The day of the gathering, each guest receives a dozen of the each attendee’s cookies, and gives each attendee a dozen of
their own. Recipes are also attached so that your family can add new holiday favorites to your repertoire. Typically, at the gathering, the cookies are sampled, stories
are shared, and fun is to be had by all. The cookie exchange is a great way to have some fun holiday time with the girls, have many cookie types without preparing each one on your own, and enjoy the stories and recipes of others.

Mini #97
14 pages
*November Featured Mini *

Note: If you are taking the 10 Weeks of Christmas course you will receive the information in this Mini in the week’s prior to Thanksgiving. If you are not taking that course and would like to visit www.maketodaymatter.net and choose CLASSES or visit the Member Link in the Library for your exclusive MTM Discount.

When I was younger, I was not nearly as enthusiastic about Thanksgiving as I am today. When I was younger, I thought Thanksgiving paled in comparison to the fanfare and excitement of hristmas (and my birthday, which falls in December). As I became a young woman, Thanksgiving soon became one of my favorite holidays. An entire day edicated to being thankful and celebrating the joys in our life!

I don’t know about you, but I have made a few observations. (1) A lot of people like to complain – they almost seem addicted to complaining, chaos or negativity.
(2) Often we are too busy to just “stop” and be thankful! (3) Being thankful around the actual Christmas celebration, can be more challenging because there is so
much going on!

Having a day devoted to gratitude, without the stressors of presents, high expectations, and the like, is a welcome relief. It reminds us all to STOP and
celebrate what is here. In this Mini we will explore ways to celebrate thankfulness throughout the month, activities and ideas, ways to involve children, a Thanksgiving Menu and shopping list, and a thanksgiving prep-checklist.

Mini #95

Eco, earth-friendly, recyling, green-living… all buzzwords of recent times.  What’s it all about? The Green Initiative shares some hard realization about they way we are currently growing and consuming resources… “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.”

Going green is a step each of us can take to help preserve the earth for our children and their children. It is a great example for any parents with children at home to set. Beyond the global impact, becoming “greener” offers additional benefits–primarily by improving your health and providing many ways to save money.

The big challenge is deciding where to start! What steps can you take that improve health, help the environment, and save money that don’t cost an arm and a leg? This Mini will walk you through a 30 day action plan in effective green-strategies that help you save instead of spend, and promote a healthier lifestyle.

Mini #88 - September Featured Mini
Available 9/3/09
Includes Audio
and Month of Magic Worksheets

Special online event with Brook Noel: Join Brook Noel from 7:00PM-8:30PM on September 23rd for a special chat event.

Often when we think of making change we think BIG. Sometimes SO BIG that we paralyze ourselves from taking action. This Mini is designed to show you how simple taking positive steps can be–and how a well thought-out plan can help you promote and maintain balance, contentment, joy and organization.

In this Mini you will create a special set of “10 Minute Cues” using a template that encourages you to give a little focus to several important life areas. These cues will then become a grab bag for creating a month of magic. Each day you will choose a 10-Minute Magic Prompt at random and paste to a calendar. You will be amazed at how much magic you can create in a single month with a little concerted effort!

Mini #64

Many people think “day dreaming” is a useless exercise – they may be right – but I can guarantee that visualization is not a useless exercise. Visualization is the practice of vividly and clearly envisioning something you wish to manifest in your life. The clearer this image in your mind, the more likely you are to see it in reality.

Visualization in terms of our goals is very important. We must have a crystal clear vision of how it will feel to live this goal to get us through the obstacles that will undoubtedly surface. In this Mini we work through the process of creating a Vision Statement for your goal and then illustrating your goal with a goal poster.

Mini #53
Please note this Mini will not be available until November 7

“Gratitude turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie

Developing a thankful attitude, goes a long way toward developing a more resilient, confident, and appreciative self, while also dramatically influencing life joy, contenment and inner peace. In this Mini we work thorugh practices for keeping a Gratitude Journal to increase your attitude of gratitude.

This Mini includes printable Gratitude journal pages, exercises, and prompts to help you discover the magic of this timeless tool.

Mini #55
20 pages
Please note this Mini does not open until November 7, 2008

When people are asked what gifts they remember most from past holiday seasons, often it is the handmade gifts, given from the heart. In this Mini I share 17 gift ideas that easy and economical. Instructions are porvided for 17 easy and economical homemade gifts, including:

• Painted Glass Ornaments
• Christmas Tree Craft
• Journal Craft
• Journal or Address Book
• Magnetic Moments
• Screen Saver
• Decoupage Ornaments
• Ice Cube Candles
• Memory Bag
• Coupon Gift Sets
• Beautiful Bracelet
• Decoupage Memory Box
• Foil Stained Glass Ornament Craft
• Magnets and Thought Stones
• Gifts from the Kitchen
• Mosaic Mirrors or Picture Frames (courtesy of Sammy)
• Keepsake Memory Box (courtesy of Sammy)

Mini # 54

13 pages
Includes Excel file for tracking system

Slowing down and reconnecting with others is a prime theme of the holiday season. Christmas cards can be an enjoyable part of the process when we start early and break the process down. We will begin by collecting our names.  Then next week we will break this list of names out into a realistic plan to get the cards in the mail on time.

Making Friends with Christmas Cards
My friends used to tease me because I would send my holiday cards in July. If you think I was overly organized—think again. I wasn’t sending cards six months early; I was sending cards six months late! Or, each year, I would be tempted by a great card design, invest in enough packages to cover my “send list,” then “run out of time.” One year, I discovered I had 38 unopened and unsent boxes of holiday cards! Although my intentions were good and my holiday spirit at its peak, my holiday greetings went unexpressed year after year. Finally, I made a habit of starting my holiday cards long before they were “due.” I could then think through my holiday cards, write special notes and enjoy the process versus having it become another to-do in a long list!

In this Mini we cover

• Choosing a tracking system (an Excel file is provided for electronic filing)
• Collecting your names
• Creating your Card Quota
• Creating a “Christmas Card Spiral Sender”
• Electronic card ideas, digital cards ideas, homemade cards
• Each week work to meet your quota, share your quota and progress on the Mini message board

Mini #45

It was fun to develop this Mini because it emphasizes the part of the Make Today Matter Life System that is most important to me. When I created MTM, it was very important to me that it contained a contingency plan for when “life happens.” I wanted women to know that when life happens and you cannot login as often as you would like or the Toolbox Steps seem a million miles away—it’s okay. You are not behind. You are right where you should be and MTM is ready for you—no matter where you are.

This Mini is designed for two audiences in particular:
1.    Women who completed the Toolbox but worked quickly or did not fully implement each Step.
2.    Women who have been away from the program because life happened and are looking for some guidance to get “back in the groove.”

During the first seven days we review and focus on the 5 essential practices to build a solid daily foundation. During the second week we walk through how to make the most of your Make Today Matter Membership and use the site to match your goals and priority areas.

Mini Number #32
11 pages

Includes:
•    5  activities with journaling space
•    Printable wallet affirmation card
•    Printable 3 x 5 Kindness Card

 If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years.  ~Bertrand Russell

So often people get caught up in their to-do lists or become so busy they forget the things that are important in life… connecting with other people.  With all the committees we belong on, the volunteering we do at school for our kids, etc…. it would seem we were “connected” with others. However, when we are being pulled in different directions, it is easy to not think about others and our connections to them.

The activities shared in this mini are a part of a “Happiness Toolbox” I developed for myself to use during those moments I felt the need to reconnect.  Based on the latest scientific findings on what brings happiness to our lives, we will explore five practices enabling us to connect with others in our journey to recapturing daily magic.

This Mini Makeover is divided into five separate activities. On the main page for this Mini you will find journal space for each activity. I encourage you to record the steps you take. Going forward you will know which steps most dramatically create an attitude shift for you. You will also find a forum for discussing each of the activities.

1.    Put People at the Center
2.    No Comparisons
3.    The Rat Race
4.    Forgiveness
5.    Giving Back

Note:  Mini #15 focuses on activities enabling us to look within ourselves to recapture daily magic.  Mini #32 focuses on activities that allow us to connect with others as we recapture daily magic.  Both minis are independent of each other. It is not necessary to one before you take the other. However, if you enjoy this Mini-Makeover, you may want to consider adding the other to your mini collection. Combined you will have 10 activities to explore.

“I always had a dream that when I am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it will be like this: So, empty your pockets. What have you got left of your life? Any dreams that were unfilled? Any unused talent we gave you when you were born that you have left? Any unsaid compliments or bits of love that you haven’t spread around? And I will answer, ‘I have nothing to return. I spent everything you gave me. I’m as naked as the day I was born.’”-Erma Bombeck

Mini Number #17

As I built this program I spent a great deal of time analyzing at which points in my life I felt the most balanced, content and joyous .complete. As I recalled my most harmonic times, I looked for common denominators and discover during these period of contentment I was involved in a volunteer effort of some kind. Sometimes it was just an hour a month, other times it was hours per week. In this Mini we explore the meaning behind the quote “The quickest way to help your self is to help someone else,” and the joy derived from giving. I’ll share a varied list of ways that fit any schedule to discover the joy of giving back and issue you a personal challenge in the area of giving back.

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Mini Number: #005

Have you ever felt there must be “something more” but been unable to identify what it is? Have you ever felt your life is a series of to-dos but that you aren’t really living? These feelings are often caused by a disconnection between actions and values. This Mini-Makeover will help you rediscover your personal values–not the values others would like you to have. You’ll work through a values worksheet to deduce your core values.

These core values act as a filter. In times of indecision, we can compare options to our guiding values to make a decision. Values are the seams which shape the fabric of our lives. Without defined values, we have torn seams where the unwanted can sneak in, and our energy can sneak out. Values allow us to advance confidently in a meaningful direction. Without them we will be blown around by the emotions, people, and external events of the day. Recommended for ALL LIFE AREAS.

Related Minis: Creating Value Cards for Your Personal Power Deck #11, Creating a Personal Vision Statement #018 (It is recommend to complete this Mini before working on Mini #018.)

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Mini Number: 003

“You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”—John Wooden … To give for the sake of giving is one of the greatest blessings we can give ourselves, our communities and those we care for. In this Mini-Makeover we explore invisible blessings and random acts of kindness that add radiance to life.

(Featured image is a printable available at the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation…. www.actsofkindness.org )

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