2016 comes with 24 extra hours… LEAP DAY!

Leap Day keeps our modern day Gregorian calendar in alignment with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun. Leap Day is keeping the world in alignment… well, that is one of “In A Pikle’s” specialties too, just look at our “Pikle Products”! We also, couldn’t be more grateful for an extra 24 hours to make “what’s inside… count!” Here are 5 simple “Pikle” recommendations to make Monday, February 29th really count:

1. Leap Day is not like every other day… in fact Irish legend indicates it is the one day that women can propose to men. Reality tells us women propose all the time… so let’s make it count for other reasons. Paying attention to the little daily habits will throw you outside of the box and make you think just a little differently. Who knows what innovative ideas are just waiting to be released once you open up to a different path. Innovative? – YES, like creating a game, solving a puzzle or starting a new business. Just taking a different path for your jog, waking up on a different side of the bed, or taking lunch earlier with a different crowd has the potential to spark an idea that could bring your life back into alignment.

2. Align your relationships as you recognize someone you love and make it a priority to let them FEEL how much they really count! Call someone you haven’t spoken to for a while, or maybe it’s someone who has passed on already, or they are in the room right now. Learn new things about them, create an inside joke, look through old photo albums, watch the sunrise/set or go for a simple walk or visit their grave site. Maybe ask for or give forgiveness if needed. Simple acts of love will bring you and those you love closer.

3. Often we dismiss commonly known things, like a Leap Year, by categorizing them as ordinary. Many ordinary events, when simply recognized, become extraordinary. So, make the conscious effort to recognize amazing moments out loud. If the sun peeks out of the clouds just for a moment, recognize it! Did you see someone do a small act of kindness, recognize them for it. Maybe just get to know your local barista (or wherever you go to get your daily pick-me-up beverage) and recognize him/her as “My Guy/Gal”! The more you recognize the ordinary as extraordinary, the more your life and other’s lives count. Try it for one day and see what happens!

4. Click, click… scribble, scribble… DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! This day only happens once every four years, well… almost, so why not start a “Leap Day” journal or scrapbook. Take pictures of what the day is like, what you feel, eat, watch, do… journal everything for one day. Don’t feel you have to say what has happened, just document what is and leave it at that, simple. Keep it safe for the next Leap Year and the next, and next, etc. Everyone can journal for one day and journals or scrapbooks (you choose) are amazing legacy gifts that align your posterity with your life experiences.

5. We all know the reputation of “Mondays,” the day we feel the least aligned with what is ahead for the week. Right? So tell us, what would you want to experience… Monday, February 29th, (wha.. wha.. wha) OR “MAKING IT COUNT 2016” (woop, woop!). By naming the day as an event and referring to it often, you will immediately change the expectations, the attitude, and purpose to something more! This is a simple thing that will make a big difference. Maybe that difference is that you don’t publicly share about yourself, your opinions, or your ‘thoughts’ for 24 hours and that you just listen to others for a whole day! Maybe its that you SMILE for 24 hours… no matter what! Maybe it’s that you finally take a little extra care of yourself with a full-fledged bubble bath, finish that book you’ve been reading, or buy yourself that little gift you’ve been eyeing. (wink, wink!) Some of you may call it your Birthday, we wish all our friends with Leap Day Birthdays a fabulous day!

Ultimately, whatever is in store for your Leap Day, make it unique from any other day, let the day’s activities come to an end without remorse and don’t look back too soon. Instead, keep your “Pikle” close by for those little emergencies and move on to March 1st… not to replicate Leap Day, but to

TOP IT!