JOURNAL IDEAS: what to write about: Choose a topic/question each day or week and start writing! YOUR CHILDHOOD/SCHOOL YEARS: 1- What was your favorite childhood story? Why did you like it? 2- What was your favorite childhood game? 3- What was your favorite school subject? Why? 4- Talk about a happy school experience 5- What did you do for fun that kids don t do today? 6- Tell about a non-family person you admired when you were growing up? Why? 7- Talk about a childhood swimming experience. 8- Describe your childhood in 3 words 9- What was the most embarrassing experience? 10- What was your favorite dinner? 11- What did you eat when you were a child that you don t eat today? 12- What was your favorite dessert? 13- Where did you go for dates? 14- What was your favorite movie? 15- Share a childhood experience with death 16- What was your favorite outfit? 17- What was your favorite smell to smell? 18- What subject did you learn that they don t teach today? 19- Tell about prices of food. Then and now. 20- Share a childhood memory about bedtime that makes you feel warm 21- Where did you go to school? 22- Where did you live? 23- What did you like most about the place that you lived? 24- Where did you like to hide? 25- What did you like to play? 26- Who did you play with? 27- What was your favorite toy? CHURCH: 28- What is your favorite church memory? Why? 29- Who was your favorite teacher and why? 30- Who do you admire at church? And why? 31- Tell about something funny that happened at church 32- The best part of going to church is 33- What is your favorite scripture? Why? 34- What is your favorite hymn? Why? 35- What is your purpose in life? 36- Talk about the importance of religious faith in your life 37- When I walk into the church building I feel 38- The thing that I love most about the church building is FAMILY: 39- Say something about illness and how it has affected your life in a good way. 40- Share a family ritual that has special meaning to you. 41- Share a family tradition that has special meaning to you 42- Share a new family tradition that you have started recently 43- Share a family tradition that you would like to start. 44- Complete: 5 things I like about myself 45- Name 3 things that you don t think your family knows about you. 46- Name 3 things that you would like your family to know about you 47- Who do you admire in your family? And why? 48- How do you think your mother/father would describe you? 49- How do you think your brother/sister would describe you? 50- How do you think your grandmother/father would describe you? 51- How do you think your children would describe you? 52- Share a compliment that a family member has given you 53- Name one person you feel close to in your family. Why? 54- What do you like best about one person you live with? 55- If you could have a committee of 3 people (living or dead) to help you make decisions, whom would you choose? FEELINGS/THOUGHTS: 56- Tell about a depressing time in your life. How did you get through it? 57- Tell about a wonderful time in your life 58- Complete: I hope 59- Share your feelings about financial security 60- What kind of emergency scares you the most? 61- Complete: the happiest time for me is when 62- Tell about a recent news story that has captured your interest 63- Tell about a time when you needed help and someone helped you! How did you feel? 64- Tell about a time when you helped someone. How did you feel? 65- Tell about a time when you secretly helped someone. How did you feel? 66- What would be the most difficult news for you to accept about someone in your family? 67- How do you feel about sharing personal problems? 68- Say something about resentment. 69- If you could watch only one hour of TV this week, what would you watch? 70- What seems to be the biggest problem in your life today? Name 3 things that you can do today to fix it? 71- How do you feel about donating parts of your body at the time of your death? 72- How does TV advertising affect your buying habits? 73- Complete: I wish I had someone with whom I could share 74- Share something that no one knows about you 75- Which of your senses do you value most? Why? 76- Tell about a time when you felt awkward and someone helped you? 77- Say something about poverty 78- Talk about responsibility 79- Share your feelings about changing jobs 80- Talk about your eating habits. Choose one thing to change today. 81- Talk about newspapers and how they affect your life 82- What roles do love and affection play in your life? 83- Say something about apologizing. 84- Say something about alcoholic beverages. 85- Describe divorce in 3 words 86- Say something about gambling 87- Describe the car you would like to own 88- Tell about the last time you were late for something 89- How would you want to spend the last year of your life? 90- Say something about suicide. 91- How do you feel about guns? 92- Tell about a mistake you have made recently 93- What is the best thing in your life today? 94- Tell about the most significant person in your life 95- Describe something you like that you know someone else does not like 96- What are 3 things you would like to be doing in three years? 97- Talk about competition 98- How does music affect your life? 99- Say something about surprise parties 100- When I am in a large group I 101- Share a funny dream that you have had 102- What do you know now that you wish you would have known when you were younger? 103- Tell about a time when you felt productive 104- What are your feelings about space travel? 105- What is your purpose in life? 106- Describe the funeral service you would like held for you 107- When do you feel most confident? 108- When do you feel most peaceful: 109- Tell about a time when you felt successful 110- Tell about why you want to go on living. 111- What is one thing you could do to improve your life? 112- Tell about something that you have learned to do recently 113- Tell about something beautiful you saw this week. 114- What have you done in the past 3 months that makes you feel proud? 115- Tell about an understanding person in your life 116- What would you like to achieve with your life? 117- Give 3 reasons why you like yourself. 118- Share a compliment you have received recently. 119- Tell about a book that you have read and why you liked it. 120- Tell about a movie you have seen and why you liked it 121- Describe the most pleasant job you have ever had to do 122- Describe the most unpleasant job you have ever had to do. 123- How do you act when you want to avoid something? 124- Say something about spontaneity 125- Say something about hitchhiking 126- Make a statement about honesty 127- What is your favorite sport? Why do you like it? 128- Complete this sentence: my favorite kind of music is 129- Complete this sentence: my favorite time of day is 130- If there were 6 more hours in a day, how would you spend them? 131- Describe your favorite movie star 132- Which fairy tale character do you feel most like? Why? 133- How do you decide between right and wrong? 134- Describe the greatest dessert in the world. 135- What color would you use to describe yourself? Why? 136- Would you rather be a sunrise or a sunset? Why? 137- Would you rather be a sports car or a family car? Why? 138- Would you rather be a lake or an ocean? Why? 139- Would you rather be a red light or a green light? 140- Describe the kind of house you would most like to own. 141- Talk about a time when you were locked out of the house 142- Talk about a time when you were locked out of the car 143- Tell about a time when you got lost 144- What musical instrument would you use to describe your self? Why? 145- Talk about your favorite TV show 146- Tell about a secret desire that you have 147- Describe an ideal vacation 148- What you like to receive on your next birthday? 149- What was the best gift that you have ever received? 150- Tell about your favorite magazine and why you like it. 151- Tell about a time when you were teased and LIKED it! 152- Talk about bragging 153- How do you think your mother would describe you? 154- Talk about the last time you lost your temper and apologized 155- Complete this sentence: I am the kind of person who 156- Describe the pet you would most like to own HERE ARE SOME IDEAS TO GET YOU STARTED IF YOU ARE WRITING A JOURNAL FOR YOUR CHILDREN: 157- When I was pregnant I craved 158- When I was pregnant I thought about 159- When you were born 160- When you turn/turned 2 161- When you turn/turned 5 162- When you turn/turned 10 163- When you turn/turned 12 164- When you turn/turned 16 165- When you turn/turned 18 166- When you turn/turned 21 167- When you go/went to college 168- When you get/got your first job 169- When you get/got married 170- When you have/had a baby 171- Your favorite dinner is 172- The thing that you like to eat that surprises me is 173- Your favorite dessert is 174- Your favorite movie is 175- Your favorite toy is 176- Your favorite outfit is 177- You go to school at 178- You live at 179- My favorite thing to do with you is 180- I remember something funny that you did 181- What I think about the guys/girls you are dating 182- How I feel about you 183- I am proud of you because . 184- One special thing I like to do with you is 185- We went here on vacation 186- Birthday parties were celebrated 187- Pets and names of pets that you have had 188- I remember when you got hurt and I . 189- I remember when you surprised me with... Compiled by Barbie Boop

I guess Godiva Chocolates are my favorite candy for the occasional chocolate fix. Sees Candy has gone way downhill too except for a few classic items. Their stores are full of candy bar type stuff and they got rid of Sugar Sticks!!!. Now, they still make them because they are still put in the boxes for holidays. But you can't buy them alone anymore. You have to buy a box of stuff you don't want to get 2 or 3 of them. I like Russell Stover candy at the drugstore. All my old favorites have been reformulated or changed. UNO bars are no longer much different from a Three Muskateer. Annabel took the middle layer of chocolate out the Rocky Road bar. Hershey's has recently change their chocolate Kiss formula also. Probably think we won't notice by introducing all the silly different varieties but people did. Even Lifesavers messed up their flavors. It will be just like what happened to hamburgers *sigh*. A whole generation of kids grew up on McD's so they think In and Out or Sonic are something special. LOL I still like Swedish Fish. But only the original red ones. The multi-colored ones are just wrong.

I love the smell of my fresh rosemary when I pick it. I also grow mint and that is wonderful too. Susan

Pawprints, wow I must have really splurged on that detergent (Seventh Generation). I use it for a few things only, because I love the scent and want to make it last. So undergarments and sheets that don't get soil on them. The bottle states 3 enzymes, but as far as stain removal, I don't know. I don't get stained clothes usually. For stained towels, I use a powder like Persil or Miele for whites. Then add STPP and Oxi. They come out very clean at 140f or the sanitized temp of 158f. DH uses the hand towels to dry his grubby hands. He gets lots of ground in dirt and oil from farm machinery and daily farm chores. The white towels are stain free and WHITE. Non of my clothes have much of a scent when they come out of the dryer. I use 3 rinses always. In the wash cycle I have a touch of bubbles. Occasionally a bit more.