Amy Bebo
Cedar House Media
Dana Damara
Michele and Brian Larsen
Carol McKeag, CPC
Jennifer Powers
Cherie Waatti
Zen Flow Yoga

Thank you all for starting 2012 by helping us spread joy, optimism and inspiration! Thank you, thank you!

Picking up balloons at Dollar Tree

My dear friend and fellow spreader of joy Dana Layon-Damara of Zen Flow Yoga and I, along with our kids, went out to pick up 75 smiley face balloons today. Add those to the 20 already in house and there are now 95 big yellow smiles filling my living room (aka: The Joy Team office).

These balloons, each accompanied with a specially-made card, are destined to to spread joy to every single patient spending Christmas in the hospital at Legacy Salmon Creek.  The cards carry simple wishes of joy and love and will be signed by several folks tomorrow before each are attached to a balloon. We’ll be delivering these bright bundles on Friday to Legacy Salmon Creek and the good people working there will pass them out to each patient on Christmas Eve. Our hope is that these small tokens will bring big cheer to not only the patients, but also to the hospital staff.

A big shout out to Seth (wearing the Santa hat above), one of two managers at The Civic Dollar Tree on West Burnside in Portland. He went out of his way to help by driving around and picking up enough smiley face balloons to fill our order.  He had them filled and waiting for us when we got there.

And some more love to Camille Hollingsworth and CRAVE Portland!  The raffle she held at the CRAVE Chat last month raised $88 for The Joy Team–and almost completely paid for this holiday cheer project.

Christmas is just one week from today and I find I’m singing Joy to the World in my head with increasing frequency the closer it gets. I just can’t help myself.  But because I can’t remember all the words I keep making up different ones. Fun, playful, joyful words.  And I put them down on paper.  Then I invited people to come over and sing them.

We sang. And drank coffee. And ate pumpkin bread. And sang a bunch more.

In the end we came up with a very playful, joyful version of Joy to the World that we hope makes you smile.  Maybe even giggle a little. So, in the spirit of love and joy and laughter, here’s a little ditty we did for you (and for us, too):  Joy To The World ala The Joy Team.

That beautiful, strong voice you hear is Michelle Wirta’s of Spiral Life Consulting. Isn’t she awesome?

Feel like singing along?  Here are the lyrics, along with a holiday wish or two.

Chalk the Walks on August 23rd

Here’s a FUN way to spread joy that the whole family can be part of. All you need is a little sidewalk chalk and about 10 minutes on August 23rd.

Chalk the Walks (a project of The Joy Team) is all about spreading joy, optimism and inspiration through the magical power of sidewalk chalk.

Remember when you were a kid and you’d draw pictures and write happy thoughts with chalk in your driveway and down the sidewalks of your  street? And the adults always smiled when they read the big, pastel-colored messages? This is just like that. Only we’re bigger now. And we don’t have to go in the house when the street lights go out.

The idea is as simple as it was in childhood: write happy messages, have fun doing it, spread some joy while you’re at it.

Then, share your lovely creation by posting it on the Chalk the Walks Facebook page and Tweet about it with #chalkthewalks. By the end of the day, we’ll have a fabulous collection of images from (hopefully) all over the U.S. (or even the world!) spreading joy, optimism and inspiration through the playful, magical power of sidewalk chalk.

Fun, yes?  Yes.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get some chalk!

Need some ideas for messaging? Try some of these.

Eric Altman

Eric Altman (formerly Eric Robert) is offering a Distance Healing on April 27th.

You can learn more about Distance Healing on Eric’s event page on Facebook.  ”Like” his page, Eric Altman, Living Peace International; to keep updated on his events and healings.

Register for this wonderful opportunity for energy healing on The Joy Team’s Distance Healing page.

Dana Layon's Weekly Om

If you want to be happy, there are a more than a few things you’ll need to accept, just as they are. The people in our lives are very possibly one of the most challenging things to accept “as is”.

“If only he would do this…”

“Why can’t she just see it this way?”

“I wish he was more like…”

These are not thoughts that lead us to joy.

Cultivating acceptance, on the other hand, is one way to live a joyful life. We have a lot more room for happiness when judgement isn’t taking up residence in our heads and hearts.

Dana Layon, a local yogini, beautiful soul and dear friend of mine, writes a Weekly Om sharing her insights and experiences. Last week’s does a wonderful job of expressing the value of accepting the people in our lives just as they are. Read it here.

If it speaks to you, you can sign up for your very own Weekly Oms here.

Tonight at 7:30 pm at Lucy Activewear she’s releasing book 4 of a 7 book series of her Weekly Oms relating to the 7 chakras. If you’re in the mood to connect with some wonderful people, I recommend attending. Click here for more details.

Joy Overstreet

We joyfully welcome our very 1st new member of The Joy Team for 2011: Joy Overstreet of Joyful Spaces.

The JOY Team. JOY Overstreet. JOYful Spaces.  I think it was meant to be.  Don’t you?

Thanks oodles, Joy, for being our 1st new member of 2011!  And for all you do to spread joy in the world!

P.S. You can also find Joyful Spaces in our new directory for Joy, Kindness & Love.  Listed in the JOY category, of course.

Thank you, Robert, for helping us to spread joy, optimism and inspiration to millions!

Welcome to our newest member, Nel Rand!

Thank you for helping us spread joy, optimism and inspiration to millions!

Urban Fiber Arts

Urban Fiber Arts joined The Joy Team today as our newest member!

Love to knit? Live for joy? You might really like this store. Shop owner Cindy Abernethy sent this note along with her donation:

On behalf of Urban Fiber Arts and Knit For Joy, under which I publish knitting patterns. Joy to all!

Thanks, Cindy and Urban Fiber Arts, for being a continual spreader of joy!