The ongoing Gwen Bell “Best of 2009″ idea continues with: Gift. What’s a gift you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving?
COOKIES!
Baking knowledge is my gift. Cookies especially. They bring people together. They bring a smile to someone’s face. You can let someone know you’re thinking of them as they eat it. You only need a few ingredients to make a LOT of happiness. Cookies (specifically for me chocolate chip) are the best gift ever. As with any gift, moderation is (unfortunately) the key. So don’t always just give a plate and walk away. Bag a handful up with some fun or silly, or creative wrapping and write a little note. If they truly are tasty, it gives you all another reason to get together again. “You know Pepper, your cookies are always so fluffy. I can’t wait til you make more!”
I know I should learn more this year, and I do have some recipes I am dying to try. But it’s always helpful to have an ace in your pocket to cheer someone up. 
Learning experience. What was a lesson you learned this year that changed you?
The Golden Rule is everywhere. (the big pic is worth it.)
The Golden Rule is hard. Especially when other people haven’t heard of it and treat you like crap.
But you still have to press on toward a goal, or happy time.
But I have learned that before talking or doing something that involves anyone else, taking a step back and thinking about this particular ethic is helpful.
I still have a long way to go before i can do it every time, but I am constantly working toward a goal of selflessness.
The ongoing Gwen Bell “Best of 2009″ idea continues with: Web tool. It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn’t live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience.
Going through my Outlook tips I learned last year and putting some to good use. For example, having emails from certain senders automatically put into folders. I know it seems like newbie stuff to set that up, but I had just been putting it off for no good reason.
So I can finally look into my work email and not feel overwhelmed by all the mish-mashes of emails I get. I can go into each folder (Boss, Brochures, AOT, etc.) and have smaller, more manageable actions to fulfill.
So instead of getting overwhelmed and not answering any emails, I can DO IT ALLLLL! *stands like Superman*
The ongoing Gwen Bell “Best of 2009″ idea continues with: Startup. What’s a business that you found this year that you love? What makes it special?
photo via cup of jo
Not necessarily a business but a non-profit organization, I adore Movember. What the H is Movember, you ask? Well, even though I did write about it not too long ago, for the sake of brevity:
Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for cancers that affect men.
At the start of Movember guys register with a clean-shaven face. The Movember participants, known as Mo Bros, have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their Mo, raising money along the way for cancers that affect men – specifically prostate and testicular cancer.
Technically it has been in the US since 2007, but I’m a bit late on most things. When it comes to health awareness, though, it’s never too late to start.
Project. What did you start this year that you’re proud of?
Definitely my Drawing Lists. I’m not a good artist in any sense of the word. Even my stick figures are somewhat unreal. But I told myself I wanted a better way to stick to my list of things I want to do.
After trying a couple different ways, I have found that this poster helps a lot better than anything else I’ve found. It is big enough it can be hung on the wall, so that it has to be seen often and I don’t forget about the things i want to do.
I also like making people laugh with my hilarious yet decipherable drawings.
The ongoing Gwen Bell “Best of 2009″ idea continues with: New person. She came into your life and turned it upside down. He went out of his way to provide incredible customer service. Who is your unsung hero of 2009?
I don’t know if I can think of one person who is new who has made a huge impact, but there are a couple people who I have found this year that I knew way back when I was a wee lass.
I haven’t spoken to some of them in years, but we started to bond again over old photos and MMA, among other things.
JA (who weirdly happens to have the same initials I do) I knew in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. I moved to a different part of town and lost touch with most of the people from that time of my life (for the better, trust me), but some I wasn’t ready to let go. JA was one. he was cool and we like a lot of the same bands (being the weird-looking tomboy skater that I was), and yet we were both straight A students.
Now he’s kickin’ A, working on primatology and being a complete and utter metalhead. I had posted some about Fedor (you guys know how much I love my MMA), and we started talking about MMA and lo and behold, another intelligent friendship had begun. He told me about his girlfriend getting interested in the sport, and we made a double date (of sorts, we don’t call them that anymore) to watch some fights in the future and BAM. New (yet old) friendship sealed.
There are a couple more stories like that, and it has made a happy difference with me. I like meeting new people, but since I can get extremely shy I don’t know how to go about it. Testing out the waters of rapport with someone you knew way back is an excellent way to delve into social situations better.
