Lasára Allen » Seasonal & Holiday http://lasaraallen.com …author, educator, activist, coach. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:59:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Arise Then, Women of This Day – The Roots of Mother’s Day http://lasaraallen.com/articles/arise-then-women-of-this-day-the-roots-of-mothers-day/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/arise-then-women-of-this-day-the-roots-of-mothers-day/#comments Sat, 07 May 2011 20:59:55 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=1601 Did you know that Mother’s Day was created as an opportunity to stand against war?

Here is the first stanza of a piece of writing called The Mothers’ Day Proclamation written by Julia Ward Howe, a feminist and abolitionist, in 1870.

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, Whether our baptism be of water

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/arise-then-women-of-this-day-the-roots-of-mothers-day/feed/ 3 Lent: A How-To for Mystics http://lasaraallen.com/articles/contemplation-meditation-prayer-articles-by-lasara-allen/lent-a-how-to-for-mystics/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/contemplation-meditation-prayer-articles-by-lasara-allen/lent-a-how-to-for-mystics/#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:28:58 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=3015 (Reprinted from Elephant Journal. First publication 3/8/11.)

I am not, nor have I ever been, your typical Christian. Most wouldn’t even call me Christian, though I would say my spiritual reality is very catholic (small “c” intentional) and I do have my own special relationship with Christ.

I am in no way claiming to be your spiritual

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/contemplation-meditation-prayer-articles-by-lasara-allen/lent-a-how-to-for-mystics/feed/ 2 Lent: A How-To for Mystics at Elephant. http://lasaraallen.com/articles/lent-a-how-to-for-mystics-at-elephant/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/lent-a-how-to-for-mystics-at-elephant/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:44:02 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2985 Read my latest at Elephant Journal, Lent; A How-To for Mystics, TODAY!

Excerpt:

I am not, nor have I ever been, your typical Christian. Most wouldn’t even call me Christian, though I would say my spiritual reality is very catholic (small “c” intentional) and I do have my own special relationship with Christ.

I am in

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/lent-a-how-to-for-mystics-at-elephant/feed/ 0 Looking Forward to 2011! http://lasaraallen.com/articles/health-and-fitness/looking-forward-to-2011/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/health-and-fitness/looking-forward-to-2011/#comments Sat, 01 Jan 2011 04:03:31 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2905 Looking Forward to 2011!

(Instead of Resolutions, Try Dedications, Intentions, and WHY NOTs Instead.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jump into Your New Year: Mind, Body, and Spirit Renewal Program * New Year’s Coaching Sessions – Start the Year with Clarity

Dedications:

Self:

To keep working toward my best over-all health: Exercise. Diet. Rest and Relaxation. Meditation. Mental

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/health-and-fitness/looking-forward-to-2011/feed/ 1 A New – Or POST – New Year’s Tradition; Give Up Resolutions! http://lasaraallen.com/articles/dedications-intentions-and-why-nots/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/dedications-intentions-and-why-nots/#comments Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:23:46 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=439 by Lasára Allen, www.LasaraAllen.com

Are you planning on making any resolutions for the coming year?

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions – and then fail. A whopping 88% of well-meaning New Year’s revelers will “fail” in achieving the resolutions they set out as a

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/dedications-intentions-and-why-nots/feed/ 3 Self-Care for the Holiday Season http://lasaraallen.com/articles/self-care-for-the-holiday-season-2/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/self-care-for-the-holiday-season-2/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:15:35 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=615 The holidays are upon us. No matter what your spiritual persuasion, you’re probably going to be finding time within this season of cold days and long nights to gather with family and friends, sit around the feast table, and celebrate some light in the darkness. What a wonderful thing!

But even so, the most joyful season

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/self-care-for-the-holiday-season-2/feed/ 0 Baby, It’s Cold Outside – A Very Groovy Christmas Collection http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/baby-its-cold-outside-a-very-groovy-christmas-collection/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/baby-its-cold-outside-a-very-groovy-christmas-collection/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:22:19 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2752 Happy holidays! Enjoy this fun and funky Christmas mix!

Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on Technorati Post this to MySpace Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on Reddit

]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/baby-its-cold-outside-a-very-groovy-christmas-collection/feed/ 0 The Answer to the Season’s Biggest Question; Yes, Santa IS Real! http://lasaraallen.com/articles/the-answer-to-the-seasons-biggest-question-yes-santa-is-real/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/the-answer-to-the-seasons-biggest-question-yes-santa-is-real/#comments Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:00:49 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=106 When it comes to the delicate matter of belief, there are creative ways to answer our children’s questions without taking the magic out of life.

When my oldest daughter was about five, she asked whether Santa Claus was real. Her dad and I told her that Santa is real — to those who believe.

Is love real?

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/the-answer-to-the-seasons-biggest-question-yes-santa-is-real/feed/ 0 Happy Holidays! Stay Grateful, Gracious, and Green! http://lasaraallen.com/articles/sustainability-articles-by-lasara-allen/happy-holidays-stay-grateful-gracious-and-green/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/sustainability-articles-by-lasara-allen/happy-holidays-stay-grateful-gracious-and-green/#comments Fri, 26 Nov 2010 06:15:26 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2580 Gift Buying with Consciousness – A Guide to Compassionate Consumerism

Often my anti-consumerist, smaller footprint, “live simply” self, and my “the kids deserve the joy that materialism so easily delivers”, acquisitive, affluenza-suffering self war with each other.

Especially during birthdays, and holidays. During these special days I, like every other conscious consumer, enter the

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/sustainability-articles-by-lasara-allen/happy-holidays-stay-grateful-gracious-and-green/feed/ 0 Thanks and Thanksgiving – Gratitude is a Gift, and so is Remembrance http://lasaraallen.com/articles/thanks-and-thanksgiving-gratitude-is-a-gift/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/thanks-and-thanksgiving-gratitude-is-a-gift/#comments Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:51:26 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2414 Most of us know something about the far-from-glorious fall-out that followed that first, mythical “Thanksgiving Day”. It’s easy enough to get attached to the negative political connotations of this holiday, and to have Thanksgiving become “Guiltfast” or “Guiltfest”.

In no way do I want to belittle the horror and carnage that followed the “founding of a

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/thanks-and-thanksgiving-gratitude-is-a-gift/feed/ 0 A Grateful A – Z — A Gratitude Game for Kids of All Ages http://lasaraallen.com/articles/articles-on-gratitude-by-lasara-allen/the-gratitude-place/a-gratitude-game-for-kids-of-all-ages/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/articles-on-gratitude-by-lasara-allen/the-gratitude-place/a-gratitude-game-for-kids-of-all-ages/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:03:44 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2372 When I was a kid, we played alphabet games in the car to pass the time on long drives or road trips. I’ve recreated one of those games, with a gratitude theme. A Grateful A to Z includes players of all ages – from talking age up.

A Grateful A to Z is an adaptable game.

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/articles-on-gratitude-by-lasara-allen/the-gratitude-place/a-gratitude-game-for-kids-of-all-ages/feed/ 0 Eid al-Adha Mubarak! http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/eid-al-adha-mubarak/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/eid-al-adha-mubarak/#comments Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:18:45 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2362 Happy festival to you! If you made Hajj this year, mabruk! Alhamdulillah.

For those of you who are not Muslim, I offer a link to a “controversial” article I wrote in honor of Ramadan – Seven Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Islam. In honor of the Greater Festival of Islam, I hope it brings us

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/eid-al-adha-mubarak/feed/ 0 Holiday Health: Compassionate Consumerism, and Self-Care. http://lasaraallen.com/articles/sustainability-articles-by-lasara-allen/holiday-health-compassionate-consumerism-and-self-care/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/sustainability-articles-by-lasara-allen/holiday-health-compassionate-consumerism-and-self-care/#comments Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:39:50 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2307 The holidays are (basically) upon us! Since starting to do the Holiday Season binge-shopping (yeah, me too), I thought I’d offer a link to my article, Gift Buying with Consciousness: A Guide to Compassionate Consumerism.

And, since we’re all prone to losing track of our self-care during the season, I am also linking Self-Care for the

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/sustainability-articles-by-lasara-allen/holiday-health-compassionate-consumerism-and-self-care/feed/ 0 My Grandfather’s Flag http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/my-grandfathers-flag/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/my-grandfathers-flag/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:35:55 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=2278 Marcus A. Golczynski, 30, the father of this child, was killed in Iraq on March 27, 2009. "We fight and sometimes die, so our families don't have to."

“…I hope you’ll take a moment to remember, to pray for, all those who have fallen in the lines of fire – not just “our” men

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]]> http://lasaraallen.com/articles/seasonal-holiday-articles-by-lasara-allen/my-grandfathers-flag/feed/ 0 A New Generation of Fathers – A Shout-Out to the New Dad http://lasaraallen.com/articles/a-new-generation-of-fathers-a-shout-out-to-the-new-dad/ http://lasaraallen.com/articles/a-new-generation-of-fathers-a-shout-out-to-the-new-dad/#comments Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:30:58 +0000 Lasára Allen http://lasaraallen.com/?p=1804 I know very few peers who were raised by both parents. I have very many peers whose fathers were at best absent, and at worst abusive. Though really, abandonment leaves scars nearly as readily as any other kind of abuse does.

Most of us lived through our parent’s divorces as kids. Divorce is as prevalent as

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