Daily Life on Shine

User post: Be eco-friendly--Clean your home with vinegar

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It may sound strange, but plain old white vinegar is a great multi-purpose cleaner. There's no reason to waste money with expensive bottled cleaners full of chemicals that are harmful to your family and the environment. A bottle of white vinegar will take you a long way in your house…

8 tips for working more happily with your colleagues

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Some time ago, I posted sixteen suggestions for feeling happier at work by tackling aspects of your work space and your day. But actually, your relationships with your co-workers has more influence on your happiness.

Maybe you have lots of co-workers -- or maybe, like me, you work by yourself so you have to fashion your own "colleagues." Here are nine strategies that I've used at various point in my work life:

Surprise! Surprise parties don't always make people feel happy.

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I was talking with some friends the other night, and we got in a very interesting conversation about the fall-out from various surprise parties. Turns out that surprise parties are more perilous than I’d thought.

One friend threw a lavish party for her husband. “He loved it, but for months…

8 tools for boosting your happiness -- today

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This is an exciting month for me! First, my book became available for pre-order. For the first time, the book…

6 tips for keeping school-day mornings calm and cheery

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Unbelievable, but school is starting up again. And that means that the dreaded early-morning scramble is starting, too.

I had a major insight about the challenge of keeping our school-day mornings moving along smoothly and peacefully.

Here’s the insight: I was focused on…

Quiz: Are You an "Abstainer" or a "Moderator" When Giving Something Up?

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Often, we know we’d have more long-term happiness if we gave up something that gives us a rush of satisfaction in the short-term. That morning doughnut, that impulse purchase, staying up too late watching TV.

A piece of advice I often see is, “Be moderate. Don’t have ice cream every…