Linda's Relaxing Lair

Family friendly personal blog. A very warm welcome to you! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit. My purpose for having this blog is to offer a place of serenity, encouragement and to hopefully brighten your day from the hustle and bustle of life. This is a blog where everyone is welcome, and all ages are welcome. From near or far, children to the elderly, I hope to provide in my posts a chance for you to relax, smile, laugh or just take time to unwind, to live in the moment.

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Soothe away your stress!

Hello dear friends and fellow bloggers! A very warm welcome to you all! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to visit me here! I really appreciate you all so much! My next post will appear on my blog on Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

If you are looking for an alternative way (or a backup) to follow blogs, here are a few suggestions.

You can follow me by email. (I only post twice a week). (the email option is at the top right column of my blog). Or...you can click on any one of the following links/websites. If you use Feedly or The Old Reader, or Inoreader you can add other blogs that you wish to follow, including mine, and you will be updated when any new posts appear. Having a backup is a good idea to keep up with your friends and readers. They are all free to use! I hope this helps you all!

Here are today's picks, which I hope will brighten your day!

Good morning. :)

Lucie Bilodeau, Artist

Relax your mind. Take some deep breaths and relax your mind. Release your thoughts and feel your body relax. Notice how your energy begins to flow more freely again! You can always think about things later. For now, let your mind rest.

Saratoga Ocean

Daily Focus: Calm. Focus on staying calm today in every situation. If you find yourself feeling stressed, take some deep breaths and remember your focus. This will help you to train yourself to respond calmly to the unexpected.

Saratoga Ocean

Stay in peace today. Start today by intentionally putting yourself in a peaceful state of mind. You can do this by meditating, reading or doing something calming and relaxing. Once you feel calm, focus on that feeling, and then see if you can maintain it throughout the day.

Saratoga Ocean

Talk to them calmly. They learn your voice.

I haven't lost my mind. Half of it just wandered off and the other half went looking for it. :)

Stress vs calm mind. Your mind decides your life.

stress: overthinking, anxiety, low focus, poor decisions, burnout.

calm: clear thinking, better focus, emotional control, smart decisions, inner peace.

Calm mind is a superpower.

Excuse me! Were you attempting to use the bathroom alone? :)

Henopause...when a woman gets to a certain age and starts collecting chickens. :)

How to calm your mind. Finding presence and productivity in anxious times. Chris Bailey, Author of Hyperfocus (book)

Remember that stress doesn't come from what's going on in your life. It comes from your thoughts about what's going on in your life. - Andrew Bernstein

WomenH

If you see me talking to myself do not disturb. I'm having a staff meeting. :)

Aren't you glad that we don't look like what we've been through? :)

Angel Feathers Tickle Me

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. - Sydney J. Harris

The Minds Journal

Cleaning up your mental mess - 5 simple, scientifically proven steps to reduce anxiety, stress and toxic thinking - Dr. Caroline Leaf, Author (Amazon)

Banana oat cookies

2 ripe bananas, mashed, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. Mix.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes.

Buy a few bags of pet food for a shelter instead of fireworks. Make a difference instead of noise.

That's all folks! Good night. :)

The following photos are my own, which I took with my cellphone. You can click on any image to see a larger view. I just thought the sky and clouds looked so beautiful I wanted to capture it and share it with you.

The following video is a Just for Laughs Gag (Juste pour Rire in French) done here in Montreal. Enjoy! :)

Kung Fu mantis vs jumping spider (BBC Earth)

Mudskippers: the fish that walk on land (BBC Earth)

Down by the lazy river - The Osmonds

YMCA - Village People (official music video 1978)

Thank you all so much for visiting me here! You can leave a comment by clicking on the comment link at the end of my post. Please do not put any hyperlinks or website links in your comment. Please note that comments are moderated to deter spam, which is why your comment will not appear immediately.

Sunday, September 13, 2026

Some Positivity and Fun

Important News

I applaud Google for fixing the issues with the commenting as well as the photos. I think all of us who use Blogger have noticed by now that the news reader has not updated in more than a week now. You can follow me by email. (I only post twice a week). (the email option is at the top right column of my blog). If you use Feedly or The Old Reader, or Inoreader you can add other blogs that you wish to follow, including mine, and you will be updated when any new posts appear. They are all free to use! I hope this helps you all! I have decided to use one of these methods to follow the blogs I have been following! Even if and when Google fixes the issues, there is no way of knowing how well it will function...the decision is entirely up to you. I have chosen an alternative option rather than wait for the issues to be fixed.

Here are today's selections, which I hope will brighten your day!

Welcome to the bathroom. The cats will be with you shortly. :)

Find your inner purr. :)

Chocolate peanut butter smoothie.

1 banana, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons oats, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3/4 cup milk.

Healthy banana pancakes

2 eggs, 2 bananas, 1 cup of clour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch of salt. This is 2-3 days worth of pancakes.

A few seconds of your patience...could mean an entire lifetime to the animal crossing.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

It is only a short trip, enjoy it.

There is so much power in believing. Everything will work out.

We are here to heal, not harm. We are here to love, not hate. We are here to create, not destroy. - Anthony D. Williams

Sometimes we are tested, not to show our weakness, but to discover our strength.

Cruelty to animals is a sign of an evil heart.

You may not be able to change yesterday...but what you do today could change tomorrow.

Princess Sassy Pants & Co.

Seek stillness.

Buddha Doodles

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. - Joshua Becker

Vanilla Papers

Svetlana Peric, Artist

Real strength isn't in striking back - it's in rising up, letting go and choosing peace over poison. - Dede Hawkins

Health is more than what you're eating. It's what you're thinking, saying and believing.

Stay pawsitive (positive), handle with care. Fur therapy is real. :)

You are worthy of healing, joy and a beautiful life.

Self Healing Pathways

Family is not about blood. It's about who's willing to hold your hand when you need it the most.

A helpful guide.

1. Friend who makes wax and lots of honey (bee)

2. Very fluffy friend who really loves flowers (bumblebee)

3. Friend who pollinates and eats pests but needs more personal space (wasp or hornet)

Good night!

This is a photo that my cousin Vince shared with me. This photo is of his parents' wedding. My Uncle Maurice and my Aunt Audrey. (Aunt Audrey was my mother's younger sister). You can click on the photo to see a larger view.

The following video is a Just for Laughs Gag (Juste pour Rire in French) done here in Montreal. Enjoy! :)

Stray mama cat chooses public bathroom to raise her kittens (The Dodo)

People are obsessed with dog that looks like mythological creature :) (GeoBeats Animals)

The long and winding road - The Beatles (1970)

I saw the light - Hank Williams

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Thoughts and Smiles

Here are today's picks, which I hope will brighten your day!

I meant to behave but there were too many other options. :)

Well, good morning handsome. :)

Don't wait for reasons to be grateful...be grateful and you will see reasons all around you.

Princess Sassy Pants & Co.

If you're not seeing the beauty around you, you might be walking too fast.

Tiny Buddha

You can do it! You've got this! encourage mint (encouragement) :)

Peadoodles

Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they're always there. - Norman Vincent Peale

Pass It On, The Foundation for a Better Life

There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen

Spirituality & Health

If you feel hurt by people, you must keep in mind that they are not hurting you because you are you. They are doing it because they are them.

Karen Salmansohn

Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me! - Dr. Seuss :)

Bright Drops

Excuse me...the squirrel ate all our birdseed. :)

Wise people are not always silent, but they know when to be. - Lynne Taylor

Ups, Downs & Roundabouts

We were meant to explore this earth like children do...unhindered by fear...propelled by curiosity and a sense of discovery. Allow yourself to see the world through new eyes and know there are amazing adventures here for you.

Illuminating Souls

Everyday is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been and move on. Don't let negative words or actions of others affect your smile. Decide that today is going to be a good day.

Perapy

Stop chasing the wrong one. The right one won't run. - Alfa

Spirit Science

Think once before you act, twice before you speak and three times before you post on Facebook. - Paul Brunson (I will add to this...or any social media site or email)