Beating Writer’s Block

August 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Want to beat writer’s block? Take a trip!

Whew! About one month prior to our 1 month international extravaganza, I lost my focus and drive to write. Yep, I caught the famous writer’s disease known as “writer’s block.” I’m not exactly sure what happened. It didn’t even start off with a small sniffle, like I was catching a cold. It just hit me one day-bam! Didn’t feel like writing about anything. I ended up getting fairly pumped up by going to the More Magazine Convention in May, meeting celebrities and finding a writing agent for genre specific material, but even as I returned from the convention, my focus to write was lost. So, I took a break. Sometimes- that is the best thing to do.

A few weeks later, my older sons came home for their summer visit….something I was very much looking forward to!

 

I planned a fairly big trip for us for many reasons, but the main reason being as my boys grow older and their activities increase, gaining time with them during the summer is only going to get harder. Since my older two live with their father across the United States, my time with them is very limited. Each day that you wait to do what you really want to do, you lose an opportunity. I refuse to do that.

Join me and my family on our adventure - my blog has a new and improved look and I am now beefing up a new category - ”Travel Diaries and Beyond,” which will describe our family’s 1 month international extravaganza in detail, including pictures that begin in our hometown in central Oregon, then take us to New York City, NY; from there, we move onto the Queen Mary 2, the largest transatlantic cruise liner which took us from NYC to Southampton, England. We then took in countryside England sites at Stonehenge, Lacock Village (including Harry Potter film sights), Thornbury (stayed at a famous castle), and Bath (Roman Bath houses and beyond). We ended in London, England, fighting the crowds at Buckingham Palace and walking the streets of Parliament and Big Ben. From there, we traveled briefly through Cairo to Johannesburg, South Africa. Ultimately, we ended up at Enkosini Wildlife Reserve…about 1 hr south of Lydenburg, South Africa, (where we volunteered hard labor). Think I have writer’s block after all this? Nope.

This is a trip my children will not  forget and a trip that ultimately broke the confines of that darn writers disease “writers block.”

 

 

Filed Under: Travel Diaries and Beyond Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

100 Days to a Better You, 96 Days left!!

May 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mikey…I think he likes it!

By: Genuinegal

Quote: "Most things which we think are impossible in life, is because we have never tried them. So go for every dream and opportunity before making a judgement."

("100 Quotes to make you think" Compiled by Wolfgang Reibe)

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Today's message is all about Life. Although the image above is from a commercial which dates me, it was the first thing I thought of when I read the quote for today. For those who are too young to know or remember…"Mikey" was a famous kiddo who was willing to try a new cereal that his older brother didn't want to try. In the commercial, the older brother knows how finiky an eater Mikey is, and fiqures, "If Mikey likes it, then it's worth having." The producers of the Life commercial hit the nail on the head with the promotion of their cereal and it was a huge hit through the 70's and 80's. Funny though, isn't this typically how real life goes?

Though there are many people in life who take the bull by the horns and go after their dreams, take a chance, and sometimes will succeed and sometimes will fail. These are action people. I like to call this group the "Lifechasers."

Then, there are other people- who play it safe, (so to speak), whom stand in the wings and let others take various risks first. I like to call this group the "observers." The observers will decide what they are willing to do based off of the results of the "Lifechasers."

Which one is Mikey in the commercial? Is he a "Lifechaser" or a "Observer"? While nothing is wrong with being in either group, each group can learn from one another.

Are you an observer? Will you wait for Mikey to try the cereal first? Will you wait to see if he succeeds at his new invention? Do you see dreams as impossible because they have yet to come true? What action have you taken to make them come true?

Don't pass judgement on anyone or on yourself until you have tried it. Whatever the "it" is…which could be a dream job, a vacation, a home, a family…

Are you a lifechaser? Do you take action and go for your dreams? Do you take risks knowing you might not like the outcome or that you may have to try and try again?

Lesson today:

To the observers: Try something you have been wanting to do, you might be surprised and really like it! Be a lifechaser. If you are typically an "observer," balance your role and try something new. Take a risk. You might fall. You might fail. But if you keep trying, you will succeed eventually.

To the lifechasers: Take time to plan. Learn to balance and think things through. Get to know observers and take a few moments to understand their perspective. Although Mikey found out the cereal tasted great in the commercial, some people push the envelope to far and take a risk that is too dangerous.

Filed Under: 100 Days to a Better You Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

100 Days to a Better You, 97 Days left!

May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I'm one of the Kardashians, too!

By: Genuinegal

Quote: "Wake up and stop falling prey to the conditioning of the media and society around you. It's only those people who are awake that live in a state of constant amazement."

("100 Quotes to make you think" Compiled By Wolfgang Riebe)

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Ok, so maybe I am not a true Kardashian, but today's message is just as glamourous as the beautiful Kardashian sisters are. Honestly, I love certain celebrities. Some of the things they do beyond acting or singing just make me want to meet them and have a heart to heart. They can be inspiring. Now, the Kardashians don't really inspire me so much, but since they are big right now, I used them as an example. Celebrities like Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, Ellen Degeneres, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and well, quite a few others are some of my favorites. If you look up some of the efforts they assist in globally, you will understand my admiration. But see, this is just it…I look this stuff up, because for me, these people are more than a pretty or handsome face.

The quote above speaks for itself, in a way. "WAKE UP," in the truest sense of the word. Don't be "sucked in" to the media and everything that surrounds us on a daily basis or fall into being conditioned into thinking you have to look or be like what you see on TV, the Internet or in the latest magazines. While the message is nothing new, most people are sometimes guilty of the green eyed monster. Men do it just as often (if not more) than women do. Unfortunately, this conditioning begins at a young age…like around 10 or 11 years old. I find this sad, because once we covet what we want and see, it is hard to let go of that image.

"It's only people that are awake that live in a state of constant amazement."

Are you awake? Are you amazed about the things you do on a daily basis? Maybe today is the day this changes. Maybe today, you can commit to being amazed. Look into the mirror.  No matter what you see as negative, you are more than that- even if you have been sleeping for half the day, have no make up on, haven't worked out in a long time, maybe developed a bit of a gut, maybe you lost a job, or maybe you are on your last dime), look again. 

Look at the color of your eyes. Are they brown like a chocolate candy bar? Are they green like a beautiful fern? Are they blue like the color of the ocean? Focus on the color and see something beautiful about yourself.

Smile…you are every bit as glamorous as the next person. You really are.

Now hold on to that good feeling and write it down. Expand on it. Dream if you want. Why do this? Because there is more to you than what is in the mirror. You have thoughts, a heart that beats, and probably some dreams!!

Take this as a moment to make a different direction for yourself. Wake up, be awake, and be AMAZED.

Join me today, tomorrow and every day for the next 96 days. We will work together to be a better you!

 

 

 

 

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100 Days to a Better You, 98 Days left

May 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Does a Bee really Sting?

By: Genuinegal

Quote: "Opportunities are found by those who look for them. The bee has a sting, but honey too…so look at every negative and make a positive out of it."

("100 Quotes to make you think" Compiled by Wolfgang Riebe)

Thumbnail  I am allergic to bees. I found this out over time… I was stung as a child and then again as an adult, each sting got worse, giving me terrible hives, swelling, etc… Needless to say, bees are not my favorite insect. Whenever I go camping or spend time at a park, I try my best to stay clear of the bees, along with carrying the Epi Pen Shot, just in case!

Today's article brings a great message. Although these pesky bees do bring me personal strife, I can't help but see this as an opportunity to look into the positive value of a bee. 

Like the quote above, "a bee has a sting, but honey too…" and after all, honey has so many wonderful uses from feeding a bear to feeding us humans. Bees help sustain life, from the beautiful flowers to the vegetables we eat, which means all plant life. Bee pollination is counted on heavily by the US Agriculture department. We are talking billions of dollars!

So the mere sting of a bee (purely a defense mechanism) is not so negative when compared to all the positives the bee has.

What is today's lesson?

Find the positive in all that is negative, or better yet, lose negativity altogether!  

Sometimes it is hard to see positive opportunity when a "bee" stings you. The "sting" of a situation hurts so badly that you develop a negative reaction, but if  time is taken to see the positives in a person or situation, more than likely, positive attributes will highly outweigh the negative.

Who or what are the "bees" in your life? Do you try to avoid them because they are negative or have hurt you? Make a list of the "bees" in your life and use the opportunity to find the positive things rather than see their stinger. You may just find those pesky stingers are just a defense mechanism and nothing compared to the value  of what the "bee" brings to you. Maybe they need someone to take the opportunity to tell them what a great "bee" they really are.

*****

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Mothers!! Love, Genuinegal

Filed Under: 100 Days to a Better You Tagged With: , , , , , ,

100 Days to a Better You, 99 left

May 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What is Free Advice?

By: Genuinegal

Quote 2: "Free advice is the kind that costs you nothing unless you act upon it."

("100 Quotes to make you think" Compiled by Wolfgang Riebe)

 

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This quote seems oddly fitting for the article today. It also brings up a great story, which fits in nicely with this "free advice." Imagine yourself, driving down this winding road, snow capped pine trees, the sun is shining, the sky is clear. Beautiful right? Suddenly, you come upon a traveler, on the side of the road, blinker lights on, and he waves you down. The driver looks distressed.

The gentlemen motioned for us to roll down our window.

    "Did you hear on the news about the storm coming? The highway is about to be closed…up ahead, there is an exit with plenty of places to eat and you can stay warm until the storm clears. We are just trying to warn travelers because there isn't another exit for nearly 20 miles and we don't want anyone getting stuck in the storm."

We looked at the sky again. (Yes, take another look at the picture above!)

I was thinking the guy was maybe a bit loony, but then, here he was, standing on the side of the road giving out "free advice." We turned on the radio and sure enough, there were warnings of a huge snowstorm. We said thank you and went about our way.

Dilemma? Would you have kept going? Would you have heeded this person's "free advice"?

The cost of ignoring free advice can honestly go either way.  Because truly, who really knows what will happen? Each situation should be weighed out. Our cost….

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We did not act upon this "free advice." Our cost was great. Rather than sitting in a warm restaurant, we slipped and slid our way through the storm for 2 hours. We covered 20 miles before we indeed, were forced to get off the highway because it was closed.

While we made it through the storm, we watched as others who also ignored "free advice" of the media and probably the nice guy on the side of the road, struggle with sliding into snow banks, etc…

The moral?

Weigh the cost of free advice carefully. Whom is it coming from? What are their intentions? If there is a dollar sign behind advice, does it really mean it is worth more than free advice? Maybe.

What if there is someone like the guy on the road, who just wants people to steer clear of the storm. Will you act on it? Here I am, working and toiling away, talking to you my reader…giving you free advice and making you think.

Will you continue to join me for free…for next 99 days?

 

 

Filed Under: 100 Days to a Better You Tagged With: ,

100 Days to a Better You

May 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

100 Days to a Better You

A special tribute must be given to the following sources for the next 100 articles I write.

1. Matthew Saluto, my husband. December 2010, he bought me the Apple Ipad. I am currently having a love affair with the Ipad. I recommend you do the same.

2. Apple company. Thank you. You are genius. http://www.apple.com/ipad/

3. Apple, Itunes, Ibooks app…love it. http://www.apple.com/ipad/built-in-apps/ibooks.html

4. Wolfgang Riebe, author. In 2010, Wolfgang compiled and published "100 Quotes to Make you Think," and I have definately been thinking. See www.theriebeinstitute.com for more excellent titles. I downloaded this ebook from Ibooks onto my Ipad, hence my inspiration.

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Quote 1, Lesson 1   

By: Genuinegal

 "More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth. So dust off the cobb webs and use all those great ideas you have."

( "100 Quotes to make you think" By Wolfgang Riebe)

 

What is gold?

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The flaky mineral can be melted and molded into long thick chains to adorn the necks of women and men alike, or made into round rings with diamonds set upon brackets, poured into bars to use for monetary value, or even made into decoration to signify wealth and royalty, much like the face mask of the Egyptian kings of our past….

Gold is truly mined from mother earth, and is altogether valuable, beautiful, and worth alot.

To metaphorically say "more thoughts have been mined from the thoughts of men than gold," is to say our thoughts have MORE VALUE, BEAUTY and WORTH than gold. How awesome is this, and yet, many times we miss this within ourselves. What is the advice and how can we change this within ourselves? How can you and I, normal people of the world, see our thoughts as MORE VALUABLE, MORE BEAUTIFUL and WORTH more than gold?

Shake off the Cobb Webs!

ThumbnailCAIKLTZJ  As said in the quote, "Dust off the cobb webs and use all those great ideas you have." Cobb webs are spun by spiders and typically sit around for a long time…especially old, dusty houses. Do you want your ideas and dreams to sit around, collecting dust until they fall away with the wind? No! Make your thoughts MORE VALUABLE, MORE BEAUTIFUL, and MORE WORTHY than the most brightest of gold. Don't let your dreams die. It doesn't matter how old you are, or what you think you don't have…you can accomplish anything.

While mother earth will still produce the flaky mineral known as gold, and all will marvel at gold's value, beauty and worth, a mineral is all it remains as.

But a thought, is endless energy. Thoughts are produced in the trillions, by every living being. Thoughts can grow in value, grow in beauty, and grow in worth…what will you allow yours to do for you?

 

 

Filed Under: 100 Days to a Better You, Consumer Products You Should Try Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Author: Anne Michaels

May 6, 2011 By

The Creation of Anne Michaels:

Some people may ask why authors come up with a “pen name” when writing. I am not sure why others create pen names, but for myself, it is about stepping into another piece of who I am as a person. If you look into my profile, check out my background, and begin to read about who Sheri Saluto is…there are many pieces of the puzzle. Anne Michaels was in the making since I was 3 years old…I wasn’t aware of what her name was going to be, but I did know that she loved to read, and was a creative writer.

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The above picture is a picture of me at 3 years old. I was named as Sheri Ann Silver by Dayton and Patricia Silver. This picture was taken for a news article in a library, where my father, introduced his love of reading to me.

I grew up surrounded by print. I was one of the lucky ones. 

I try to pass the love of my reading, writing, and knowledge on to my children….set the example.

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One evening, in the year of 2008, I came home from Colorado Christian University, where I was near completion of my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education; that evening,  I wrote a children’s story in one night. The class I had been taking  fostered appreciation for diversity and different cultures.

Sheri was inspired, and Anne Michaels, my author persona, took flight.

In searching the web, I came across a writing contest. If I won the contest, I would be given the money to have my book published through Authorhouse Publishing Company. Guess what? I won without illustrations to my story!!

Not only was Anne Michaels born, but the creation of “The Day the Dogs took School Over,” was alive as well! I called up my cousin, Ted Conrade, who is one of the most talented artists I knew, and asked him to come up with some illustrations…from there, we toiled through our first publishing process.

Two rocky years later, in November 2010, “The Day the Dogs took School Over,” was published. Due to image changes and book reviews, the cover has been revamped, so the new release date is May 15, 2011. 

This children’s book is the first of which is now to be known as the “Dog City Series.”

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Future Anne Michaels Projects

Children’s Books: Dog City Series, Books 2, 3, & 4

Young Teen Books: The Mirror Follows Series, Books 1-6

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My Background Check

May 5, 2011 By

Sheri Saluto’s Background Check   

Personal Stuff:  Married to Matthew Saluto since December 31, 2009

I have 5 children: Brian Rico Jr (15 yrs) Alec Rico (14 yrs) Michael Rico (7 yrs)

Angelina Jean and Abbigail Jane Saluto (Deceased at 9 days old, Oct 2010)

Power Quote:  Love is an Action, have you loved today?

Byline:  Education moves faster than money…Education should be AMERICA’s first priority!

Educational Background:

Warner Southern University, Lake Wales, FL.

* (1992) A.A., English Literature

Colorado Christian University, Loveland, CO.

         **Graduated Magna Cum Laude

* (2008) B.A., Elementary Education, ALL Subjects Pre-K through grade 6

Marylhurst University, Lake Oswego, OR.

 * (CURRENT STUDENT) M.A., Education: Endorsements Included

 Middle/High School Endorsement (*LArts/S.Studies grades 8-12)

 Reading & ESOL Endorsement

 Teacher Leadership Certificate

Licensed & Highly Qualified Teacher:

* Pre-K through Grades 8: (States of OR, HI, & CO) Current License until 12/2013

Speciality Work & Volunteer Services:

* A Woman’s Place (Safehouse, Domestic Violence Shelter in CO) 2006-2008

* Teach for America (Hawaii Corps) 2008-2010

* Enkosini Wildlife Preserve (South Africa) 2011 

Social Networks:

* Blog: www.awaketoreality.typepad.com (Authored as Genuinegal)

*Facebook: Sheri Saluto

*Twitter: @ssalutogengal

*SocialSpark: Genuinegal

Freelance Writing Contributions:

*Technorati (Once a week)

*Blogcritics (Twice a month)

*More Magazine (Once a month)

Published Children’s Book Author:   Pen Name is Anne Michaels

ISBN: 978-1-4343-5692-5

(2010) Michaels, Anne. Dog City Series: Book 1, “The Day the Dogs took School Over”

        Authorhouse Publishing, Bloomington, IN.

*(2011) Dog City Series: Book 2, “When Anson Looked in the Mirror” is the current project

Small Business Owner & Education Mentorship:

* TeenSmart, LLC.

   See Link: http://awaketoreality.typepad.com/awake-to-reality/teensmart-llc.  

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The World’s Amazing

April 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 
World's most amazing lesson from a tree and a 7 year old…

On Easter Sunday, I learned a wonderful lesson from my son. "The world is amazing!" A seven year old's excitement can be so very exciting! After discovering his Easter surprise from the bunny, we ventured as a family to the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon.

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This place was amazing. Not only is Easter Sunday a great day to come to avoid crowds…we practically had the place to ourselves! Exhibits were globally connected, meaning all parts of the world were displayed. From learning about the dangers of losing the Polar Bear to strengthening conservation around the world, the discovery museum is a wonderful place to learn how trees and forests are important to our livelihood.

Seeing the excitement and joy on a child's face as he discovers the layers (rings) of a tree was so refreshing.

Michael, at 7 years old, is on his way to becoming a scientist or engineer…I just know it! While this could be the rantings of a proud parent, as an educator, I unfortunately know too many children who want the "instant gratification" and the "give me the information now," kind of attitude.

Michael read through the description of how scientists discover the age of a tree, then walked over to a very large cross-section model and began counting rings.

He stopped for a moment, looked at me and said, "Mom, this could take awhile. You might want to sit down."

I couldn't help but laugh as I sat down. I gave him space. I gave him time to explore. At about the 40th ring, Michael said, "Well, so far at this point, the tree was 60 years old, and I am not even half way through counting, which means this tree has been around for a VERY long time. Even older than you Mom!"

(Gee, thanks kiddo! He..he..)

As a parent, sometimes we rush too fast through life…going from one activity to the next, and so forth.

Would it have been easier to say, "Michael, the tree is well over 600 years old…now, let's get moving to the next exhibit." Sure. But then I would have missed a valuable moment in time, where my child took his tenacious time, meticiously counting layer after layer, touching the cross section of a tree, using his math skills to figure out the age, and conceptualize the beauty of life…and how long life goes on.

If I had skipped through too quickly and pushed my son through the exhibits, then, when we sat and watched the video on how many forests are destroyed for the development of things unnecessary….like another resort….I would have missed hearing the comment, "Mom, that is so sad. Why do people want to cut down those young trees? You know they are young because there isn't many rings to it. Aren't there already enough hotels in the world?"

Hmm, what an excellent observation, coming from a 7 year old. 

Lesson learned?

 Take time to explore.  Ask and answer questions. Foster learning.

Like all the young trees that shouldn't be cut down….neither should our children's minds. 

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Filed Under: Education, Family, Teaching Strategies, Elementary, What I've Learned from my Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Children’s Book News: “The Day the Dogs took School Over” to be released in May!!

April 21, 2011 By 2 Comments

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Get a signed copy for $12.00!

**This image above is a mock up version of my Children's Book Cover, which currently is under revision. All characters in the story are hilariously illustrated by Ted Conrade. If you order through my Paypal link, I will send you a personalized, signed copy or (copies) for $12.00 each!! Sign up to follow my blog AND visit my Paypal link. Books are released May 10, 2011. You will have your signed copy by the end of that week!!

 About this book:

“Anne Michaels” begins her Dog City Series by utilizing her favorite animal…the dog!  In book one, “The Day the Dogs took School Over” teaches us to accept and appreciate diversity. All teachers know every school day can bring different challenges, but teachers also know those challenges can be enlightening! This is a lighthearted, funny tale about a teacher who is suddenly greeted by canine students. Her class of students and their variety of colors, shapes, and sizes are just the beginning of how special these canines really are!  As all good tales have a moral, young and old hearts everywhere will gain appreciation for unique and noticeable differences and embrace the differences with love!

Note about my Blog: 

I am in the process of obtaining my Masters, teaching, freelance writing for Technorati, Blogcritics, and now More Magazine. I just received a call from my marketing advisor from Authorhouse and we are in the process of planning my 6 week publicity push for my Children's Book, which means my blogging trickled back to once a week. I have been writing like crazy, really, I have! My online presence and my story for the "West Oahu Spirit: Waianae Chronicles" has just been bought. With the help of editors and publicists from Authorhouse, Technorati, Blogcritics, and More Magazine, my dream of becoming a credible author is coming true.

The look of my online presence will finally have some organization and an official web design, so please stick with me and we will change America's educational priorities…one day at a time!

 

Filed Under: Books for Children Tagged With: , , , ,