The Bluebird Patch

I love sharing Etsy finds, especially if part of the proceeds are intended for charity. Scarlett Dalilaha, has created a Bluebird of Happiness Crown. For evert crown sold, she will donate $7.00 to GiveDirectly through GiveWell , an independent, nonprofit charity evaluator. This crown is a limited edition and will only be available in the year 2013. In 2014 another Caring Crown will debut, along with another charity to which she will donate. The tips of the crown and the zigzag trim are silver metallic and make for a stunning display of sparkle. The bluebird carries under its wing a silver metallic heart, spreading happiness and love far and wide. Scarlet mentions on her Etsy page: "GiveDirectly, the specific charity that will be the recipient of our donations, distributes cash to poor individuals in Kenya. I was lucky enough to spend 4 months in Kenya while my dad was on sabbatical there. It is an amazing country. I am excited to be able to donate ...

I'm DYING!! Dying for these cute little birdies.  Inspired by the Lefton porcelain bluebirds from the 1950's, this little retro-styled, needle felted bluebirds made by   Melanie Nord-Monsees   are light as a feather and ready to fly to your home! Unlike the rare and hard to find Lefton or Napco birds, this birdie won't ever break no matter how many times you drop it!   They are  Great for home decor or a gift to brighten someone's day. Add one to a flower arrangement, put one on your computer monitor, your car...clip one on your kitchen curtain, or place one on the edge of your favorite plant! Need a bird for that birdcage? There's so many places for this little bird to perch!  

Want to be happy?  A 26-year study of Germans suggests it's not that hard. Marry someone who's not neurotic. Focus more on friends and family, less on material goods. Get involved in making the world a better place. Have a job but also enough time for leisure. Stay physically active. For men, don't be underweight. For women, don't be obese. Other interesting findings: -- Finding a partner who is similar to oneself doesn't seem to be linked to long-term happiness, despite some research suggesting that partners with similar personalities are likely to be happier. -- Being neurotic oneself makes one even more unhappy, but being with someone who is neurotic has a substantial effect on life satisfaction and doesn't get better no matter how long one is married. -- "Women whose partners give high priority to family goals are significantly happier than women whose partners give family matters low priority." -- Being involved in re...

More than a month ago, Doug and Diane Willard of Midlothian found the tiny bird lying flat, featherless, freezing and breathing heavily in a neighbor's newspaper box. A handyman, Doug Willard was helping close his neighbor's newspaper holder to deter bluebirds from nesting there. The near lifeless bird's mother had not returned to the nest in some time, and another young bird was dead on the ground. "You could feel the body, and it was just cold," Diane Willard said. "So I brought it home, and for four weeks, I had it on a heating pad. It was so pitiful. I mean, it was just flat as a pancake." Five-and-a-half weeks later, "Birdy" is a full-size bluebird with majestic, royal-blue wings and a hearty coat of gray feathers on her breast and back. The Willards' neighbor, Louise Nuckols, another adoptive figure in the fledgling's life, even found Birdy a cage to sleep in. "We didn't think it would make it through the wee...

There's no denying that a fresh bouquet of roses or a handful of vibrant lilies brighten a room. Still, a new study has shown that flowers can be immensely beneficial for senior citizens. Researchers at Rutgers University have proven that beautiful buds can alleviate depression, encourage social interaction and foster memory skills during one's golden years. "The results are significant because as our nation grows older and life becomes more stressful, we look for easy and natural ways to enhance our lives," said Dr Jeannette Haviland-Jones of the Human Development Lab at Rutgers. The study followed willing participants over the course of six months. Afterwards, 81 percent reported a reduction in depression, while 72 percent scored higher on memory tests than those who did not receive a regular bouquet of blooms. Read more: http://www.retirementhomes.com/library/senior-living/retirement-living/flowers-can-encourage-happiness-among-retirement-living-seniors-20...

Close romantic partners unknowingly smell each other’s feelings of happiness, fear and sexual arousal, according to a study presented on May 29 at the Association for Psychological Science annual convention. The study included collecting sweat from volunteers via armpit pads during sessions in which they watched videos meant to evoke certain emotions, such as happiness, fear, and sexual arousal. The pads were then put in jars and presented to the voluneteers' partners to pass the sniff test. Amazingly, in nearly two-thirds of the tests, partners were able by smell alone to detect the emotions of their better half, with couples that had been living together the longest having the best results. Source  The Post Chronicle More info about Denise Chen reserach here.

Happiness is....3 sunburned kids.... all tuckered out....at a rented beach condo! Happiness is...... Flowers that are faithful  to bloom in my yard year after year!         Happiness is.......a daddy daughter kiss on a boat! Photos by Angie Tillman AKA Miss Phickles Pickles ;) Happiness is…connecting with nature. Photo by Mark A. Ficek ( @Papachote in Twitter) Happiness is realizing how much  two siblings love each other. Photo by Liza. A. Cardona

  According to Sonja Lyubomirsky Ph.D., author of "The How of Happiness", there are three main factors that influence our happiness: Genetics, Environment, and Voluntary Choice! Yes, happiness is a choice. Why are you waiting to embrace it? You can choose to brood and be angry or find the brighter side and be happy with what you have.

The good life begins at fifty claims a new report which found that this was the start of the happiest time of our lives. For many, the age of 50 may be the beginning of the end, but a group of scientists claim the good life begins only when people reach their fifties. Despite increased risk of death and disease, it seemed that people in their fifties worry less, ignore the negatives and accentuate the positives, according to scientists at Stony Brook University, New York.  "As people age, they are less troubled by stress and anger," the researchers noted in their study, which was led by Arthur Stone, of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University and published online May 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . "And although worry persists, without increasing, until middle age, " they continued, "it too fades after the age of 50." Read the full post here .

Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. A Schweitzer

If you want happiness for an hour take a nap. If you want happiness for a day go fishing. If you want happiness for a month get married. If you want happiness for a year inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime help someone else.    Chinese proverb Please support the thru my lens project. Please submit a photo with the caption "Happiness is..." to capturinghappiness@yahoo.com

Happiness is when your cat loves you as much as you love him - Ollie and Colin Photo by Dianna R. ( Free Sample Momma) Happiness is having some Paradise Cake  From King's Hawaiian Bakery! Photo by  Ernest Sanada ( @ernsand )  Happiness is watching my boys play on the beach at sunset. Photo by Tanya Ponce ( @MauiMami ) Happiness pictures can be sent to capturinghappiness@yahoo.com or can be posted via twitter with the #thrumylens hashtag

"Finding happiness is like finding yourself. You don't find happiness, you make happiness.You choose happiness. Self-actualization is a process of discovering who you are who you want to be and paving the way to happiness by doing what brings YOU the most meaning and contentment to your life over the long run." David Leonhadt Author: Catherine Samuels If you want to know the key to discovering happiness it's essential to look no further than your own children. Listed below are 5 secrets and techniques to being pleased that you can learn from your children: never take things for granted, be curious, spontaneous laughter, forgive and forget and imagine that anything is possible. Read on to learn how these simple issues can lighten your mood and make you a happier person. 1. Never take things for granted As we grow older we start to take life for granted and stop appreciating the straightforward things. Take your children on an outing and spend the time se...

The Bluebird of Happiness has landed  on the U.S. Congress I want to congratulate President Obama for achieving this important milestone in his political career. Health-care should be a basic right, just like proper housing and food.The House vote approving health care reform is without doubt the most significant congressional vote in the last four decades.  Maybe all that talk about the bluebird of happiness during the ' Rules ' hearing had something to do  with it ;)