Yesterday was one of those days where I wish there was some kind of Bean-O for the brain. I couldn't seem to maintain any train of thought and caught myself just sitting there or wandering trying to figure out what on earth to do next. I wanted to do none of it. It was the brain fartiest of days.
So in an attempt to wake the sleeping hamster in the wheel I had two cups of coffee. It didn't work. Yes, I know, I "gave it up" but I'm not blindly cutting things out for all time so that I feel restricted. I'm making choices. Coffee is not a "can't" it's a "I don't want it daily". Though, in the last week I've been hitting that slump that comes when sleep hasn't quite been as restful or long as it should be for too many days. So I've been reaching for what is easy and tastes oh so yummy. So yesterday, in a brief moment of coffee induced clarity, I realized that the coffee was probably part of the problem. My water intake hasn't been where it usually is either. I've not dropped to a point where I can push the precious save button on the scale in a couple of weeks and I've not been as organized in my work day as I'd like to be.
Time to get organized!
I use a planner and calendar. But that really isn't enough. I have my pre-made seasonal schedules that are a great guide but on a day to day basis - especially while so much is still shifting in this season of transition - I need something daily that I can modify. There are scriptures I feel drawn to spend time in, blog posts I think I should write, people I should connect with and because it is basically just floating around in my skull it's not happening. What I do know is that when I get really organized and get it out of my head and visually onto paper, I am much more efficient with managing my day, time and tasks. The wonderful result is that my interactions with people become deeper and more intentional.
I need something daily. Something to fill out and check off as I go. Yep, I ended up on Pinterest. I know.....you knew it. I ended up at Simple Mom and found her free printable "Daily Docket". It was oh so close to what I wanted but needed some modification to fit my goals.
Yep.....I'm a technological genius and have no idea why this came out sideways. Nor how to change it.
But I'm guessing you can get the idea. Basically this is my first try and I already have modifications I want to make. Essentially what you see is: Top left - water intake. I use 20oz bottles so I have 3 water glasses to check off. The narrow bar on the top right is for the day or date. Left column: "training ~ focus" is for a scripture or thought that I'm focusing on. Right now that would be the verse of the day for the 30-day challenge. "Events" - meetings, tests, birthdays etc - highlight items to be aware of. "Priority Items" - things that need to get done if nothing else does. "Daily's" - this would be where my seasonal schedule comes in. Here is where I will put my regular daily household tasks. These are to be done first before other tasks, I'll get to that one in a minute. Right hand column: "meet Me here" - scripture, devotional, whatever I'm pulled to or working through. "Whats for dinner" - I think that one is easy....but there is also a "prep" spot there so I know if I need to pull something out to thaw or the prep might take extra time. "Connect with" - emails, phone calls etc. "Organizing extras" - this is the project area. The space where those random things creep into the day that I want to tackle but distract me from my "daily's". Now, I can write it down and once the daily's are done, I can move on to this spot. "Tomorrow" - things that didn't get done, extras I don't want to forget or just reminders. The bottom has a "sometime this week" spot for random things.
I'd like to redistribute some of the space, the "daily's" box is larger than I need and a "Notes" area would be helpful so I don't have random notebooks all over with things written that I find a month later.... Keeping things in one place where I can address it and organize it in conjunction with my planner will stream line things and free up extra time that I would otherwise spend wandering about the house between chores. Not to mention the amount of notebooks lying around. I might even get more of those "52" things checked off!
Today will be the test run, notes on how to modify it and such and see just how much it helps. Granted today is not a day full of tasks. I'll be pickling veggies at the request of a friend but today is officially "food processing/cooking day" so it works. I don't always use it as such but today I will.
Blessings for organized productivity to you, with dashes of inspiration.
...or maybe absent is more like it. My mind has been focused on all the stations of transition in our lives right now. Lots of changes, some big and some small but all are important.
The biggest transition....the biggest change....is that my husband is changing careers. Not just his job. This has been a dream of his for nearly a decade. The Lord orchestrated this timing perfectly and all the doors were flung open for him and the support that rallied around him was so encouraging. This will be a very felt transition for the whole family. He won't be just changing buildings or offices. He will have 4 months of intense study and training - right here in our basement, taking all the classes and tests on-line through the company. It means creating a working, functioning office space for him. It means a diminished income (but we've been planning and saving for this possible opportunity for many years and have a plan), tightening the belts and making choices more thoughtfully. It means he will be home, the commute from home to work will be mere seconds. It means lunches and hugs and learning to respect each others work and work space while sharing it. It means new schedules and volume levels. It means a lot of unknowns and that our attitudes will need to be chosen wisely. It means a big huge transition for him physically and mentally.
The school year means transitioning from seeing our daughter frequently, to very little. Its hard. Hard to have to miss out on the little things we will never get to be part of. Morning routines and kitchen door send offs. It means more phone calls and facebooking. Catching up on the details of her life after the fact.
The school year also means our Dude is in the middle of his own big transition. It's waking up earlier, riding a bus, learning to navigate the hallways and get to classes on time. Dealing with stubborn lockers and learning to play an instrument. Making friends and finding his place. Starting a new youth program and meeting new leaders and students.
For me it means supporting all these people I love so much. It means being aware of where we all are, what the needs are of our family and making sure that the tone set in our home is one that gives them comfort. Making sure that home is a place where they can decompress, relax, refresh and restore from all that stuff that goes on in their day. A place where they can feel free to talk it all through and know that there is someone who is going to listen, help them find a solution or just simply understand the frustration. A place full of hugs and sometimes cookies but always a place where they feel safe to be who they are and have a voice to say what it is they are feeling.
Gosh, even the house itself has gone through some big changes. Dude's room was redecorated. Living room got new furniture and everything was moved around. All the furniture moving changed out a couple of pieces in the dining area. The basement has had a huge face lift just from trading the furniture out and moving everything around. There was another great purge and a trailer load of stuff was brought to the dump. The garage got cleaned out and totally reorganized.
The Great Purge of 2012 seems to go so far beyond just the stuff we are getting rid of. Old selves are being cast off. Weight is being lost both physically and mentally. Attitudes are shifting and there is great growth happening. Its an interesting place in life. Only the Lord knows what else this season will bring.
Blessings of flexibility and patience to endure the shifting seasons with grace and wisdom, the Mrs.
Remember how earlier today I said I minister at the kitchen door? Remember how I said I'm in a new comfort with myself and that in the summer I do not achieve anywhere near the productivity I intend and things get all out of whack?
Apparently all of these needed extra highlighting and emphasis today. This morning I intended to take advantage of the morning by getting on the treadmill. So I skipped the shower and intended to take one after being on the treadmill. I intended to do the dishes after said shower so I would have enough hot water. I also intended to make a to do list, start the bible study book I received last week, get the laundry folded and figure out how the carpet cleaner (which was purchased 2 months ago) works, as well as start getting the next few months of calendar ready for the start of school so we are organized going into it.
Here's what actually happened.
I ended my blog post by following up with a couple emails, checking facebook and dropping in on Pinterest. Found a pin on organization which lead me to this post on 52 weeks of organizing where I fell in love and printed out the form to make my own list of 52 organizing projects. I read a bit there and then my guts told me they hadn't eaten yet, so I had elevenses (yes, that's a hobbit meal reference and I use it often and well) at 10am.....the irony is not lost. After lunch I decided I needed to get on to figuring out the calender issue so that I could give a proper answer on whether I could babysit for a friend in August. Putting my calendar together is time consuming with all the different things that need to be consolidated (2 different school district calendars, Mr's work/golf/etc, church, birthdays/anniversaries and WT's parental rotation schedule). The Dude arrived home from school while I was in the center of a calendar whirlwind. He was barely done with lunch when his buddy called to come play.
At this point I considered that I should set things aside and just get to doing other things.....intended things. But not wanting to leave a project unfinished ignored all else....hmm....no to-do list means no ta-daaaa.
So an hour or so later the buddy's mom arrives at my kitchen door. Filling me in on a host of trials going on for their family. I attentively listened and expressed as much encouragement and understanding as I could to someone I'm not well acquainted with and therefore was unsure of what she may need in the moment. The homemaker in me was horrified as my unshowered self stood before the mother of my child's friend, in my SO messy kitchen with the garbage to the top and the recycling poking out (which is of course located in direct eyesight of the entry we are standing in) which was only to be topped by our very senior aged dog walking behind her to vomit in the doorway right behind her. No, I'm not kidding. As I dragged the old dog to the back door to let her outside, in case there was anymore to come up.....I found a present to top off the beautiful experience. One of the little dogs had decided at just that moment to take a poo right there on the kitchen floor. Mortified.
Yes....here in one fell swoop I had an opportunity to minister a new person at my kitchen door while cleaning up poo and vomit off of my kitchen floor, unshowered, hair a mess, no makeup, trying to push dirty vomity poo filled paper towels into a too full garbage can while trying to reassure an overwhelmed mother that her son can come over any time and to please let us know how we can be helpful.
Really? I am surprised she let him stay after she left. After she left and I had time to sit and think about it....all I could do is laugh. Quite the reality check sent in affirmation.
Yes - you do minister at your kitchen door. Yes - you've gotten comfortable with who you are enough to pick up poo and vomit off the floor in your too messy house and not be overly apologetic or completely insecure about your place in humanity. You did it with grace and without panic or frustration. Yes - you have slipped in your duties. Yes, you have allowed your home keeping to fall out of priority. Here is your moment of awareness that you are indeed in a very good place but your inefficiency at your work can compromise the opportunities I give you for ministry, the ones you are very aware are spontaneous. It is your job to just be ready.
Father forgive my procrastination and laziness! I have full confidence that You can turn this messy moment into a good thing.
There's my confession for the day. I was an unprepared mess when the Lord brought someone knocking. I have fallen down on the job and need to totally reassess how I manage my time in an effort to bring balance to keeping home and mommydom.
Blessings of preparedness for when the Lord comes knocking unexpectedly......with the laughter and smile to go with it. the Mrs.
The steadiness of moving from one task to another.
Knowing the timing of your day.
These are just a few things I would love to be in my day. I want one day to be able to move through the tasks of keeping my home without thought because they are like the blood in my veins...a part of me that requires no conscious thought. Learning and modifying, adapting to changes and new awareness of how things work best in our season of life, my day, my issues.
Don't accuse me of striving for perfection....not true. I strive for improved. "Good, better, best"....when I know better I want to do better and I will only do that by trying. Its like anything you want to improve upon, you must practice - but not to be perfect....to do your best. I don't feel I do my best. I am the picture of inefficiency. I flit from task to task, often leaving the last unfinished....not intentionally. I am excellent at making lists and horrible at following them.
I dream of the day where I can meander through my day on auto pilot, merging from task to task easily and without thought. Loving what I do, even if my head is under the toilet. To feel the easy rhythm of a finely tuned routine and be interrupted without a surge of panic that things won't get done....but to welcome the interruption with open arms as the most important thing in that moment.
Today, I decided that coffee would be taken from my menu. Gasp, I know, I am too. Currently my brain feels as though it's in a tub of water and someone has carelessly bumped it quite hard. Yep....it feels a bit sloshy....maybe that's not a proper word but I'm going to use it anyway. It fits. I decided that since there is really nothing really redeeming about coffee...from a nutritional stand point.....especially considering that I can't seem to stand it without loads of coffee syrup and cream......perhaps I should try tea again. It is so good for you.....maybe I'll see some benefit either in clarity of thought or in removing that mid afternoon slump. It's worth a try anyway.
Underwater blessings to you for a clear and efficient day, the Mrs.
Time for a switch. I think I've been taking mental multitasking to a whole new level.....at least for me. I need to slow it down and cut a few things out. I determined that I'm taking a vacation from weight-loss.
What does that mean? No counting. No treadmill - unless I have a genuine desire to....but lets be real, it's unlikely to happen. No pressure. My LIFE is about paying attention to food, what I eat, how much I eat, when I eat, how it makes me feel, what ingredients have changed and how I need to counteract it all. It's a full time job all on its own. I think I need to step away so I can return with a refreshed desire for the goal. The family challenge that we set about a month ago is off. No one was really taking it seriously and it didn't have the motivational desire we thought it would. Mr is going to continue to do his own thing and keep going.
I'm still going to weigh in every Monday like I have for the last year. I'm not going to report it here for now though. I'm still going to be watching what I eat and how much but I'm going to be focusing in a bit more on the balance of plants to grains....less of the white food and more of the colorful stuff.
Yesterday I watched "Food Matters" and "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and rebooted my attitude with food and why I need to be vigilant about what I eat. Along with my attitude, my passion was rebooted. I think that is something we all need from time to time. We can get into a rut with our routines and the monotony of our own normalcy. The shine and the passion can dull a bit bringing the need to go back to the roots, the beginnings of why we do what we do. Renewal is good. I really don't have a choice about how I eat, but I have a choice about how I look at it....what my attitude is. These were excellent films on their own but they were especially good reminders for me. A rekindling of the passion and joy that is found in eating natural whole foods and squelching the feeling of it being work.
My attention is needed in more important areas than my waistline. The Great Purge of 2012 must go on as well as the reorganizing that needs attending to. As our family merges into a new era of life, its time to re-evaluate the efficiency of all the areas in our home so we can move into the next season ready to take on all the new challenges it may offer. The Dude has his room re-do coming up - now that colors have finally been chosen. We are in the very early stages of planning a screen porch build on the back patio....we will be building it with the generous help of friends time and energy. We are planning a sweet 16 birthday party for our WonderTeen and there is just so much family goodness going on in all these things.
For now, this season, my focus is on slowing down. Doing what I do with intention and joy. Purging not just our home of clutter, but my mind of hurry and life of excess. Loving the process and the people it's all for.
While "weight-loss" and I may be on a break, I think I'll have lots of other things to chat about.
Blessings of a slowed down love bringing you back to your roots, the Mrs.
Being "well" takes work. I don't think it's something that just happens, not in the truest sense of the word. Too often people completely take for granted being well......or even forget what it feels like to be truly well and end up mistaking mediocre for wellness.
Well: adjective /wel/
In good health; free or recovered from illness
- I don't feel very well
- it would be some time before Sarah was completely well
- he was not a well man
In a satisfactory state or position
- all is not well in her ideal-looking town
Sensible; advisable
- it would be well to know just what this suggestion entails
The sense of being well is different for each individual, I doubt that what well looks like for me would be good enough for some and for others, sadly, it would be a welcome relief. Well, for the individual is when that person is performing and feeling at their optimum levels in life. What that looks like varies from person to person but I'm sure at the basic level, they are more similar than different. We want to be satisfactorily rested, as free from illness or pain as possible, content with our sense of self, our relationships and our surroundings. There is inner well being and a physical well being....they both need attention.
When various conditions enter into the equation, the solution changes. For me, there is a lot that goes into wellness. As a child who was always sick, illness is no stranger. I was a regular patient at Mayo Clinic for many years with an autoimmune condition.....all of my teen years, actually. A few years into that I was in a car accident that left me with permanent damage to my brain and my body. Pain, is no stranger either. A year or so after having my son, I began to develop symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), something that seems to have been passed down the line on my mom's side of the family. A few years after that, food became the enemy and affected nearly every system in my body. I wrote more about that here.
What I've learned keeps me well...
Sleep. I learned that my brain needs a sufficient amount of sleep in order to function clearly. When I don't get enough it's hard to stay focused. I feel like I'm in a fog and everything is moving slowly. Is this common for everyone? Sure. But for me, even at optimum levels all across the board, I have to put real effort into focusing on any one thing. Conversations, take concentrated effort...so I prefer written communications because people deserve the best of what I have to offer. Those venues allow me the ability to articulate things more clearly by taking my time, choosing my words carefully and being able to actually think about not only what to say but how to say it. Words matter and I find that I use the wrong ones more often when I can't really think about things. In order to really think, I need sleep.
Diet. What I eat matters a great deal. I cannot eat blindly or without thought. Not just because I'm trying to lose weight but because everything I put into my body has the ability to either nourish or hurt. There is no in-between for me. Whole, nourishing and mostly organic. I've cut out most meat and added more and more veggies and fruit. I can feel a difference. When temptation hits and I want sweets...MnM's, cake, a beer, pop, fast food.....I have to stop and think. Those indulgences have a price.....not only on the scale but I pay with pain and time. I need to drink lots of water, not too much diary - IBS and dairy are not the best of friends. Not too much bread but when I do, only whole grain, no corn products, nothing "enriched" (that word does not mean what you think it means - it's not a positive word in your food). Fresh, REAL food. The things a body was meant to consume. There were no Doritos trees in the garden of Eden. There were no burger trees or french fry trees. There were no plants with packets of powder to add to things. Eat as if your only resources were the earth itself. If man hadn't stepped in and tried to make things cheaper, lazier, more profitable, worthless, "easier" we would eat from gardens and local farmers. We wouldn't be listening to people tell us that protein was SO essential that we ate WAY too much of it and found any possible way to shove it into our bodies in forms that are not natural. We would eat when we were hungry and only until we were full.....because we wouldn't be eating food that blocked the receptors in the brain that tell you "stop eating, you're full". If it's processed, powdered, something you can't grow, pick or kill - I don't eat it.
Stress. Stress triggers a great many things. IBS is triggered by stress. My brain doesn't function well under stress. When my brain doesn't function well, I don't make good decisions about eating which triggers reactions in my brain, joints, muscles and IBS. Stress is not good for anyone. For me, it just makes a lot of things more complicated. I manage stress a few ways...one is to make sure that our calendar does not get filled up with things to just be busy. Relationships flounder when there is too much going on. When people are always in a hurry relationships float at the surface, there's no time for real conversations or even time to think, feel or know how you really feel about anything. "Fine" becomes the answer to how you are because you haven't had time to identify how you are. Is that what life is? Being too hurried to connect to the people you love? Too rushed trying to accomplish "things" and "tasks" that "should" be done? I read a phrase many years ago in a book that changed my way of thinking. I don't remember much of the book but the one phrase made an impact: You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. And I do. Hurry serves no good purpose. Eliminating it, keeps stress in check.
Exercise. Okay I totally admit that I don't like this one. BUT I confess that I know that I feel better when I am regularly active. I don't enjoy working out at all but I know that exercise is very good for people with IBS, it helps to flush toxins out of the body faster which is very good for my food issues. I have some limitations here because my arms never fully recovered from the months of being incapacitated by food reactions. I don't have the strength in my hands that I once did. If I overexert the connections in my hands and arms it is painful....not always right away but later, being completely still will be my only comfort. It's been hard to know, and I'm still learning this, what my max is. Its hard to know how much is too much when there is no immediate reaction or sign to alert me. So I move. Not aggressively, not in a way that many would even consider a significant workout but for me, it works. It keeps me feeling good, moving forward in weight-loss goals and most of the time, without pain.
Vitamins and supplements. I take a lot.
My health and wellness depend on this more than I ever realized it would. When I run out of an essential, I am more susceptible to illness, pain, brain fog and food reactions. High doses of Magnesium keep my IBS in check and my muscles relaxed. Vitamin D helps in our climate for energy and boosts the immune system - I don't consume a lot of dairy and don't care for sunbathing so I have experienced significant deficiency here, thus a daily dose in the winter with smaller doses in the summer. I take a high potency Vitamin B complex which helps avoid nerve pain, boosts immunity, great neurological benefits and when I don't take this I notice a nearly uncontrollable desire to eat. It also has mood boosting, PMS busting benefits! Folic Acid helps to balance the B complex as well as makes your hair and nails healthy. Taurine works with neurotransmitters...basically people who are highly sensitive to MSG/Manufactured Glutamate benefit from taking this regularly. Evening Primrose Oil nourishes joints, muscles, skin and inflammation. Echinacea boosts immunity and healing. Calcium keeps my muscles from twitching and all the regular bone health and such. Green tea for energy and antioxidants. When I need them I take White Willow Bark and Bosweilia for pain. When I miss a dose, I feel the difference....sometimes it's only that I don't feel as well as I could, other times I get sick or experience some other negative effect.
Attitude. I strongly believe that attitude is significantly linked to wellness. There is NO reason to dwell on the negative. None. Attitude is a choice. Free will is so much more than only the choice to believe in God or turn your back on Him. We have a choice in how we receive information. We have a choice in how we move through life. You can have a negative experience and still have a good day! Choose it! You can endure pain and still be joyful! There is always something good to focus on. I choose to not give weight to any limitation in my life. I forget things, so? I experience pain quite often, so what? The Lord blessed me with a high tolerance for it so I'm equipped to handle it. I can choose to be bitter about the things in my life or my past or I can choose to embrace the moment I'm in, the place in life I'm in and see all the amazing things. Sure, some days stress gets to me and I'm not so positive. I'm human. More often than not though.....I'm going to choose joy. I choose to smile. I choose to look for the lovely...because it can always be found.
Faith. The Lord has brought me through a great many things in my life. He has made me wiser from them. Better, deeper, richer for it. He is my constant companion, I am never alone. Without Him I would be a different story. More than likely I wouldn't be here to tell that story either. He has saved me in more ways than I can count, carried me through more pains and illnesses that I thought would destroy me. Refined by fire. He brings me out the other side of each trial stronger for it......and in His amazing and brilliant, glorious way, He always puts someone right in front of me who needs to hear the story. That they aren't alone and someone else understands. He shows them that He offers healing and joy and proof that the past can be left behind. It IS possible to heal and stand tall, the past doesn't always have to hurt, nor does it have to be forgotten. The past is past....it can't hurt you unless you chose to hold on to the hurt. There is freedom in letting go. Freedom in His love and mercy and presence in the here and now. He is always good, always perfect, always loving. He makes me well.
There is a lot that goes into being well. I don't always get it right. I screw up a lot. I make bad choices and have to pay for them. Though the act of putting thought into what it really takes to BE well, may just be one of those things required to maintain being well....
I rather impressed myself yesterday. Not only did I catch up on things but I managed to make decent headway on my regular monday list. It was a long work day - which was needed - but it really felt good to be back on track even with spending a regular hour on the phone with dad as well as having a visitor for just over an hour.
I only managed to get on the treadmill for one episode (currently working my way through Battlestar Galactica, which we've already watched but offers an extensive list of episodes to work through). Shoveling didn't get accomplished but inside duties were well taken care of.
Maybe I'll finally get into that productive groove again. This is a good start at least!
I thought I'd share something that I have found to be really helpful. I've mentioned green tea many times. It is SO good for you and is excellent for both energy and weight loss. BUT all of these things are greatly enhanced when 1) you brew it correctly and 2) you use loose leaf tea. Bags of tea are convenient yes, but they are also more expensive (you are paying for the packaging) and low quality because you are just getting the dust and leftovers from the good stuff. Loose leaf tea can be brewed multiple times, 2 ounces can be as little as four dollars and change which is 25 cups of tea.......BUT with multiple steepings could offer you as many as 50 or more! You don't get that from a box! Here's where I order mine: Teasource they have excellent information on their website too.
Getting to my point....great intentions to drink more green tea do not always result in the actual drinking of more green tea! The time it takes to stop and steep (for no longer than 3 minutes with hot but not boiling water) causes distraction for me because I must actually stop. I have over steeped tea SO often....yes even with a tea timer....then I've needed to toss it because over steeping turns it bitter. Finally, I've found a way to get my green tea in that takes no time at all!
oh how I love a mason jar. This is a quart mason jar, it holds 4 cups. I fill up my tea strainer ( I love the fine mesh ones because you don't get any of the tiny bits escaping into your tea) with a blend of a few different green teas I have. The largest portion is of Moroccan Mint - a lovely blend of green tea and spearmint - and I steep it a little longer just because of the quantity - 4 minutes usually - add sweetener while it's still hot if you like and then store it in the fridge. Then you have quick iced green tea right at your fingertips!
That has hugely helped me to get in more tea. Granted I also take a green tea supplement because its way easier but there is something more to steeped tea. The energy boost comes within minutes and all of a sudden I am filled with the urge to move and get things done. I am always more productive when I get my tea in.
Today is grocery day so I'm off to run in the cold and snow. Maybe I'll actually get that shoveling done! ....Maybe..... lol
Blessings to you today in all that you do, may you choose to be joyful in every task doing it all for His glory!
After having my butt kicked for the first week of the year, I'm ready to kick back! I'm feeling like today is the real start of my new year. Last night it was like I could feel the breath getting put back into me. I started slowly with lists, just gathering my thoughts for how to approach the coming week and how to edit this weeks drive to roll over into next week. Motivation and energy started to build and eventually I'd checked nearly everything off a mini list of to-do's for last night. Things were ready to get started for this morning - nothing was in perfect order, there are still piles of dishes to be done but what I needed was available and ready to start a regular Monday morning.
It felt so good to be in the kitchen preparing breakfast and lunch for my husband again. Seeing him come up the stairs from his shower, smiling and ready to attack his day, made me feel grateful to be feeling well again. Not 100% but getting closer. My belly is a bit pooched and sore from the last week but weigh in this morning surprised me and gave me just the boost I needed to kick things off!
I wasn't expecting much. I knew that due to losing over 3lbs from illness meant that my body was going to cling to every calorie that was put back into it. My expectation was that I'd end up breaking even or maybe with a small loss of less than 1lb. This morning I was greeted with a -3.4! Now granted I didn't do a whole lot of anything good to achieve that but I'll take it! Feels like a bit of a gift after the way the week went. I will need to be careful this week because my body will still be regulating itself and recovering. Next week will probably be smaller but once again - leave this week behind and look forward to the next goal. The next 2 lbs.
Goals for the week:
Devo: Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon daily + Practicing His Presence by Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach while waiting in the pickup line at school.
Home: Decorations down and get the house in basic functioning (and clean) order.
Diet: Daily detox water, small cup of coffee in the morning vs big mug, careful tracking and bumping up the fruit.
Fitness: work out daily- incorporate some Pilates for a few minutes each day plus treadmill or boxing (both are good but one or the other is fine this week...don't over do it!).
*Find an outfit for the holiday party!!
Proof I'm feeling better.
I always have something on my feet but when I have a sneaker on....there is an extra pep in my step, I move a bit faster....frankly I just move more and feel more productive. Thus, I am more productive.
Blessings to you for joyous energy in your pursuits!
Its been one heck of a week. Whatever hit my gut last week did a real number on my body and the recovery has felt like a roller coaster. Each time I thought that I was clearly feeling better it wasn't long before I would get hit right back down. Today is as consistent I've felt in a week. No where near 100% but I do feel that at the very least I can function and get a few things done without needing to lay down. THAT feels good!
Today one of my missions was to get some thoughts organised for the coming week. I've got two goals for our home - 1) get the house in order - working order, 2) take down the decorations. This will be my work filter. No veering off to deep clean a room or reorganize anything. This week is all about the basics. Getting into a routine, clearing up clutter and all matter of things that have gone by the way side while mom has been sick. Mr and the Dude have done an amazing job of taking care of both the house and me. I am so grateful that they respect what I do and try so hard to not let things pile up! The help has been wonderful! But as we all know, when someone else is taking care of our work space things can get shifted around and put back not quite how we would do it and it takes some readjusting to get our space back to where we can work efficiently. I decided I would need to set a couple of goals to keep me on track as well as to keep me from over doing it.
In other news, it was middle school instrument night this week. I can't believe the Dude will be in middle school.....baffles my mind how that tiny boy has grown so fast! So he's wanted to play the violin for a few years now and we just haven't gotten there. Now he had his first real opportunity to play a host of instruments and see what he thought. There were teachers and instructors there to show the kids just what to do - how to hold their hands, play notes, etc. There was a string room, a brass room and a wind room. SO many instruments!!! He fell in love with the bass.....we were so surprised!!! It's SO BIG! It was a near tie with the violin and the instructor said he was very natural with them both and quickly figured out how to play "hot cross buns" and how many fingers you used to hold the strings down depending on which instrument you used. It was such fun to see him with these instruments! He doesn't have to make a final decision until late summer when they will do this again for the kids but he is SO excited!
Last night, Mr was out at a function and Dude brings me a ziplock bag with the most recent lost tooth in it.....ehem......he lost it over a week ago.... Our tooth fairy is fairly delinquent....forgetful and unobservant. So he dangles this baggie and I stumble for some sort of excuse about how his dresser was so messy "maybe she couldn't find it" and he just smiles and says "Mom, you know I don't believe in the tooth fairy right? I mean you keep telling me that if it's not mentioned in the Bible that I shouldn't believe it and I don't think God mentioned fairies in the Bible......He also didn't talk about bunnies who sneak into your house to leave candy either......" My jaw dropped and I cracked up!! Not one indicator previous to this moment that he'd stopped believing in either! So he was still dangling this tooth in the air and I said "Well what a relief! You know parents do this for their kids because their parents did it for them and wonder of it all is so fun when you are little. ......so, why are you still dangling this tooth in my face? What do you want me to do with it now?" D: "uh.....pay me for it, like all the others?" he says with a smirk. I laughed SO hard!!!! After he said goodnight, as he went back into his room, he yells over his shoulder "Santa was a man and I still believe in him!!!!" Kid cracks me up.
I'll be on sometime in the morning to post on weigh in. I'm very curious to see what happens, food has been a major battle this week with everything that has gone on. I'm trying to drink lots of water today and flush out all the crud. I've got my pitcher of detox water made and ready for tomorrow and plan to drink that all this week. Mr has a holiday party for work on Friday so I need to find something to wear and get myself in shape for that. Can't wear jeans and that is all I own!!! Gee.....guess I need to do some shopping...oh, darn.
Blessings to you for health and wellness and a wonderfully positive perspective on the coming week!! the Mrs.
Today is shopping day. Groceries and home supplies, anything that needs to be "shopped" for is done on Tuesday. Normally that means about 3-4 stores and if I need to go to Trader Joes I slip that in on another day in the morning. Most of the stores I visit each week are clustered near each other and TJs is in a whole other city. So it gets its own day to save time and gas.
I try to organize my shopping in a kind of loop, conserving time and gas so that I'm not running a crazy zig zag pattern all over town. Bringing my own bags helps, Aldi charges for them and Target gives you a 5cents per bag credit on your total. It's like a coupon! I love it.
Yesterday I spent the day in list mode.....I currently have 6 lists going. A grocery list, a "gifts left to buy" list - which will go with me and the grocery list today to be taken care of; a list for Sam's Club later this week for Christmas dinner essentials; one for regular household things that need to be done and another for all the "company is coming the day after we will be running around for 2 days" list - this is the planning ahead to keep my sanity list; and finally there is the list of dinners and what to expect in the evenings...mostly a "will dad be home or not" list.
These are all posted on the kitchen wall so people can help out and so I have a central place to look - an IN sight IN mind kind of thing.
My ordinarily efficient 2 hours of shopping this morning I assume will be less efficient and a tad more crowded. The routine is that I drop the Dude off at school and then head straight to the stores. I'll be doing the same today but I'll be shopping for more groceries than usual, as well as finishing the gift shopping and stopping at the new Goodwill to see if I can find some holiday tops for us.
When I am out on these days I try to keep to my morning time - in the summer I head out even earlier. Mornings are quiet, the staff hasn't been too stressed at this point and the required "customer within X number of feet away" greeting is friendly and genuine. I don't feel rushed or crowded, I can offer the people I meet with a friendly hello and get to know them just a bit. At the checkout lanes, because it isn't busy, anyone with less than I have in my cart gets the offer to go in front of me. There are little blessings that can be offered as we go about our business.
Too often I notice the entitlement and lack of courtesy to employees. Retail workers have the most thankless job. They are often treated as lowly, they take the brunt of customers frustration for decisions that are not in their control, they have to clean up the messes that people leave because they were too lazy to throw out their garbage (in the clearly labeled receptacle) or put their cart back where it belongs. Because I do my shopping on the same day and time of the week I see the same shifts of people. I hear about grandchildren being born, cancer treatments leaving them tired (but still working a standing job behind the register), deer eating up the garden, the stress and pressure of high volumes of customers and not enough workers.....not to mention the attitude of those customers. I hear the good and the bad, the smiles and the tears. These are human beings with lives and families and they deserve to be treated with respect.
For me, it is a part of my weekly shopping plan to be as friendly as possible to these good people. To take care of a stray cart or two, to fix a product or rehang a shirt, ask about a new baby or how things are going.
Jesus came not be served but to serve. Make the most of your encounters. Be responsible with your words and your actions. Be courteous as you are out and about and remember that if you put something back where it doesn't belong.....someone else has to do it for you. Hmm....as mom's isn't that what we repeatedly tell our kids? "Put your things back where they belong, I shouldn't have to clean up after you"....if only we all remembered that as adults.
Blessings to you today for the vision to see the unseen, to notice the small and spread good cheer,
...okay so I just missed yesterday....it is Wednesday right?
wow....it feels like a lot longer has gone by since Monday.
Today my son his home sick from school. Nothing big but when I ask the question "do you think you can make it through a whole day at school?" and his answer is "no". I know he really isn't feeling well. He is the most honest straight forward kid I have ever met. If he didn't want to go to school, he'd say "I don't want to go but I am not sick enough to stay home, I can go." Not kidding. This boy epitomizes "rule follower".....to the letter. I love it and him. It can be amazing, frustrating, inspiring and hysterical to have such and honest and literal child.....I wonder if this is what I was like as a kid?
Anyway.....I have gotten my workout in for the day and even made a trip to Goodwill to search for "sock hop" clothes for Mr. I think I may have found something but not entirely sure. I did however find a few tops for myself while I was there. It is the coolest feeling to go through a random rack of clothes and know that SOMETHING will fit and flatter! It's not such a huge search anymore! I can shop pretty much anywhere right now. No need for a special "plus size" store or section anymore!
Currently I'm able to wear a top in a size Large - sometimes a Medium! (that's down from a pre-weight watchers size 14/16) I don't know numbers yet tho... Jeans or pants....I'm not entirely sure yet. I have one pair of jeans that actually fit and look nice on, they are a size 15 from the Jr's department (which is down from a 16/18 in the plus size stores).
I am short and carry all my weight in the middle on top of chicken legs - picture a tomato on toothpicks.
The waist area is taking its sweet time in melting but there are beginning to be signs that there really is a rib cage under there! I still have no waist or hips to speak of....really more of a block. BUT that will change in time! :)
So there's my check in for the day. I'm struggling to stay on track and get things done in a timely manner but working out is throwing things off. Mr told me in no uncertain terms that I am not to put housework before working out. My priority is supposed to be me and whatever I need to do to keep going and he will help with whatever doesn't get done. Isn't he sweet!
Time to hit the showers and get ready for him to come home with Wonder Teen. It's our weekly Wednesday night visit before she goes to church.
SO today I am babysitting my great-nephew. He's nearly 4 and a super talker! He is hilarious. We have already debated the yummyness of boogers - I took the con side. Discussed what monkeys eat - apparently they swing from trees to pick and eat corn.....cuz that's where the corn grows ya know. Then he made me laugh hysterically when he started a rendition of "brown chicken, brown cow" from the backseat. Oh this kid is funny FUNNY! And he quite obviously picks up on anything said around him.
We have gone to the grocery store - wow, I haven't done that with a toddler in a LONG time! He's a good kid tho so it wasn't too hard....just lots of questions and remembering to keep the cart just far enough away from things to keep him from grabbing them. Now we are in a Disney movie marathon.
So today, I'll try to get some laundry done and my plan is to get chili going. I just know my Mr will be overjoyed at that one since he's been asking for it. :) Babysitting throws me off just a bit but I think I compensated well by tackling most of my grocery list last night, so it's one less thing on my list today. Oh man....just realized I haven't even written today's to do list down or flipped the page to this week in my planner.....see....penny on the railroad tracks. Derailed already! Oh well! It's a joyful derailment! :)
Random mention here: I have to say that Pinterest has totally made coming up with new meals easier. Not to mention keeping track of the recipes! I am horrible at writing things down especially when I'm in a hurry but with this, I can peruse when I have time and then just pull it up when I'm ready to cook or make my grocery list.
Alright - time to gather up all the clothes and then get some lunch going!
Hope you are all starting off your week feeling blessed!
Blessings and love, the Mrs.
Okay....so I said I'd be writing more about life in general and not limit myself huh....so why haven't I been on?
I am still not in the swing of the season. Strangely it's taking longer than usual BUT I have pulled out my schedules again and am going to get back on track. I have seen so many people have routines in their Homemaking binders, or whatever you may call yours, and they all vary so much. I came to the conclusion that a rotation worked best for me. So I work with four sheets, one for each week of the month and I have four sets - one for each season. Because lets face it, I'm not gardening in February when there is 5 feet of snow outside.
I also got myself a day planner....hmm....maybe I mentioned that already...anyhoo...so far I feel like it's helping. As the kids get older and with my Mr's work stuff I need to keep things organized or something will fall straight off the radar!
Here's my schedule and day planner. I have a copy of my schedule in my binder (of which I now have two! - one for home and one for family) but the ones I use are in plastic sleeves and held together by a metal ring. That way I can move them easily from place to place without messing with my binder but still keep track of what I need to be doing.
I am in an epic fail cycle with weight watchers. Before school started I took a break from counting and managed to hold still for nearly a month....then....September hit and I just seemed unable to get back on track and I couldn't figure it out. Now we are in October and I have regained about 5lbs - 5! It may not seem like much but considering where the weight goes and my 5'3 frame - they are visible. TOTALLY visible and they mock me. Lame. SO, I had some sort of light bulb moment and realized that my fairly extensive vitamin regimen was off. I hadn't taken vit C in weeks and a couple of other things were out.....so I wondered....and then I read some random link between hunger and vitamin C levels and figured, what the heck! SO I reordered and restocked - and guess what just came to the door!
Yup those are all mine.
I've never been so excited to pop pills. :) Hopefully I can get my body back to feeling normal - for me - and crack the whip on points and getting activity in daily. Something has got to give!
On other notes - today is the 13th anniversary of the day I married my Mr. All those years ago people didn't think we'd make it. It was silly for us young 21 and 22 year olds with a little one to think we could be grown ups. But we did it. Today I am so proud of our story. I am so thrilled and blessed to have had a front row seat to watch what the Lord was going to do in our lives, how He was going to grow my Mr into such an amazing (not to mention smokin hot) man of God. Our anniversary is so cool because it's also the anniversary of us becoming a family. I got a package deal - wife and mother in one swoop! She's gone from my punkin head to my wonder teen - she went to homecoming last weekend! Craziness.
Happy anniversary to the most amazing man I know. I could not have dreamed up a man as wonderful as God has made you. I am blessed to be your wife and with each year I fall more deeply head over heels for you. I love you so much!
I'll be back......hopefully sooner than later.... :)
Today is a day where my plans and my agendas needed to be thrown out the window.
I was hoping that it would be a primo "Monday after spring break". Spring is emerging here and the sunshine brings such goodness it fills up my spirit with motivation after the l.o.n.g. snow before thanksgiving long, extensive, dark winter. Did I mention it was long?
I happen to like Mondays. It's like a reset button. I use the day to clean, take care of laundry, plan the groceries for the week and make sure that we all start the week filled up and prepared. The Monday after spring break ~ that's a special kind of reset button. Its a BIG button. The messes are bigger, the groceries are lower and the mountain of laundry is higher. Not to mention that no one is happy about getting back to school and work......except mom. :)
Today however was not a reset day....not as I planned. Half of today was spent on the phone discussing discoveries of broken character issues with the Teen. Oh the drama of it all..... Thankfully the Lord gave me a great dose of peace and the Teen's "my two moms" put our heads together on how to approach this new situation.
That was deviation number one. Dominoes anyone?
I had a whole other situation weighing on my mind before that phone call came in. All that the Lord has been putting on my heart about my role as a woman in my family and in the church came into use. I was asked to participate in a unique opportunity within the church. Flabbergasted and honored as I was it really put my feet to the fire to choose the Lord's will or man's. In the end, after discussing with my husband and seeking the wisdom of a wise female friend in the Lord, I turned the opportunity down.
I think the Lord can use our No just as much as He can use our Yes. In the end I had an opportunity to share my thoughts, and heart, the scriptures that brought me to that place and I was able to be an example of walking out what the Lord is pouring into my family.
Hmm......funny how He takes our requests and puts them to use. Not long ago I asked the Lord to help me to be more consistent in my life.....I meant being consistently in the Word, consistent in routines and not slacking on the job.....apparently what I got was an opportunity to be consistent in my faith and in my walk. Perhaps I should have been more specific.... :) The Lord has such a sense of humor!
I feel very at peace with today and received wonderful affirmation from my wise friend. My home on the other hand......still needs a giant reset button. Nothing has been tended to as it should and I have a headache looming. I will chose to smile through it and get done what I can. I may not have been productive in the work of my hands but the time spent in careful contemplation, discerning wise choices with a trusted friend and honoring the Lord by standing firm in the truth......this is good spiritual productivity. Not a wasted moment there. These are growing moments to be paid attention to, breathed in and allowed to settle.
Time to plug in the iPod and crank up my Jesus Culture play list.
Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say forevermore "Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of His servant!" Ps. 35:27
Blessings of sunshine and warmth to you!
lovingly, the Mrs.
