Motivational Monday #5

Holey Moley!  I've been doing this for 5 weeks.  Wow... that alone motivates me, because that means I've been consciously focusing on being awesome and getting back on track when I'm a little less than awesome.

Tonight my friend and I are starting a new exercise/spiritual life program together: PrayFit by Jimmy Pena.

 We are looking foward to motivating and encouraging each other through making our bodies better so we can accomplish the Awesome mission God has lined up for us.  We don't know what it is, but if we are in our 30's and groan at getting up off the couch at the end of the day... we clearly need to do better.  [Rumor has it that a certain Catholic Shoppe may be looking to stock this book as well.]  I'm super excited... how can I not get into a program that is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.  Yeah, that sounds good.  PLUS, you can go to PrayFit.com and read daily motivation, order books/paraphenelia, or get on their mailing list and get your PrayFit daily right in your mailbox.

Can you tell I'm excited?  Seriously, if you could see me typing at you, you'd see... I'm typing "super fast speed" (as my Godson, Daniel, says).  

In addition to that, I'm pretty sure God reached his hand into my life and tried to stop me from my own stupidity.  This morning, I pulled into Tim Horton's to grab breakfast after a quick run through  Wal-Mart.  Now I drove into that drive thru line with the best of intentions, when I was wracked with a coughing fit.  Suddenly I found myself  trying to say, "Powdered sugar jelly filled donut of some sort, please" while choking.  Oddly, they didn't have any, but offered me 5 timbits instead.  I bought them, plus a fruit & yogurt.  After 2 timbits I was satisfied... and feeling less guilty.  What do you think would have happened if they'd had the whole, fatty donut available? I'd be lying on the couch right now in a sugar coma.  As it is... I'm fired up!I've got a list of things I'd like to get cracking on, so off I go to be motivated!

Okay, I confess, the other 3 timbits looked lonely, so I ate them too!  I've got a list of things I'd like to get cracking on, so off I go to be motivated!

Soothing Sunday #4

Thank Goodness for Soothing Sunday.

We had considered getting up early to get Church "out of the way" at an earlier time and have more relaxation time at home.  Ha ha... we decided to sleep later instead.  Good thing too... it's the start of Catholic Schools Week and my kiddos had to "represent" their school at Mass.  All in all, we still relaxed by sleeping in, right?

My son had to work on a video for school, so I had to sit QUIETLY for an hour while he prepped and recorded himself.  A whole hour of being quiet.  Now that's weird... and I was awake too.  I wanted to do laundry, clean out the dishwasher, etc, but I had to just be quiet.  Not easy to do... especially when you realize, you forgot to eat lunch before he started and you are hungry.

My hubbie and I decided to check out the new show on FOX called Alcatraz.  I'm still undecided... on one hand it's my favorite genre "Crime Show" and on the other hand, there's that X-File-y/Fringe-ish aspect where you know there's more to the show but you don't know what it is and you're not sure you're going to like the show when you find out.  Yet, I still want to watch another episode, so I guess I've fallen for the "schtick."

Hmmm... I'd love to say I have some pithy advice on making your Sunday Soothing, but the above highlights one thing: taking time to just relax.  Maybe for you it's a mega work out... or a family meal (and that's still on my agenda) or perhaps, playing board games together.  Today I'm just hoping to recharge my batteries and get my brain functioning properly again.

I had a week of forgetfulness that as beyond belief... my favorite (which my friends and husband really got a kick out of) was going to the grocery store and realizing after I had checked out and walked into the parking lot that I had unpaid groceries on my cart.  I turned back around, paid for them, went back out to the parking lot and loaded my groceries into the car.  After going home, unpacking and putting away the groceries and then going to a Dr appointment, I realized, I left that stuff in the cart anyway.  

I also managed to stop at green lights, misplace my phone for a day, and forget which kid activities were scheduled when... oh, sigh!  Here's hoping my  brain re-wired today! 

Super Saturday #4

Here at the "Awesome Ranch" we're all hibernating.  Seriously... the weather forecast was for occassional snow that would not accumulate.  It's not a  blizzard outside, though I'm guessing someone who has never lived in North Dakota might claim it is one.  It's cold, windy, and snowing with a smidgelet of accumulation. 

I have to admit... the house is a bit trashed.  My kids have been playing and there's kid stuff all over.  As much as I'd love to have my house look like one of those organized beauties from an issue of a magazine.  The reality is... today, we're busy living in our house.

So... my goals are minor this Super Saturday... get the dishwasher cleaned out and have a nice family dinner together.  I know I can manage to delegate both those tasks.  In fact, it's my son's job to clean out the dishwasher.  I also "outsourced" dinner to my husband.  I believe he's planning to make spaghetti with garlic bread and a salad.  That's fine with me. 

In addition, my husband is busy doing some work on the basement and I'm playing "keep an eye on the kids animals."

How are you making your weekend a special time for your family?

Family Friday #4

It's Friday and I'm so glad it is... I seem to have finally gone from treading water to standing in shallow water.  I'm not totally on my game (as I'd like to be) but it's okay.  I'm making progress towards my goals.

I'm looking forward to tonight's movie night.  I haven't picked a movie yet, but I have a feeling it will involve either princesses or super heros.  I'm inspired like that.

As I alluded to last week, we had to severely restrict our kids priviliges last week.  I'm happy to say, that it's working.  My son has mostly found a new attitude and my daughter realized mommy wasn't kidding when I refused to take her dance class this week.

Sometimes it's hard, because when your kids turn it around and act well-behaved for a little bit, the instinct is to just give them back their priviliges.  After all, the kids are soo sweet and (mostly) innocent, you want to be forgiving.  I always try to recognize that as important as forgiving is, so is respect and consequences.  My kids are currently under 10 years old and it's my firm opinion that if you've got a sassy one at this age, it's only going to get worse.  Don't get me wrong, some sass is good-- so you know your kid can stand up for themselves.  However, I don't need my kid to tell me "it's a free country and I can do what I want.  I don't have to listen to you."  [If it had been summer I would have pitched the tent in the backyard and sent someone outside to sleep.  Fortunately for them, it's too cold.]

I've had people tell me, "Oh if my kid had said that, I would have given him ___"  You fill in the blank with what people talk up how cruel they are to their kids.  I don't want to be cruel.  I want to be even-handed and forgiving.  If you read the Bible, you see mankind repeating the same behavior over and over again in the Old Testament while God punishes them for their transgressions.  However, then in the New Testament, the full picture of a kind, loving and forgiving God develops.  You can see the path to salvation, how to live righteously and how to do things differently.  As a parent, I want to mirror that image of love: kind, forgiving and showing my kids how to live right.  

I guess that's my message for the day... being even-handed without being heavy-handed.  When you are giving your child reasonable consequences for their inappropriate behavior out of love then you are following what God has shown you to do through Jesus Christ.

I'm not perfect, by the way, just awesome.  So sometimes, I'm a little more heavy-handed with my consequences (as in they might be too severe for the situation) and then I explain to my kids, I'm not perfect and I mess up.  Yes, I really do.

So for this family friday, stop and enjoy your kids. And in the moments you are enjoying them, think of what values you want to pass on and how you mean to accomplish that.  Feel free to share some here or on Facebook. 

Happy Friday, ya'll.

Thinner Thursday #4

Sorry folks, there was no post today due to technology upgrades.  Nothing you'd notice but my internet speed is faster. 

Web Wednesday #4

Okay peeps, I got a lot to do today... but if you're taking a break (like me)... here are some fun web finds.

• 3 Surprising Reasons to Give Up Soda... short and to the point article. 
• If you recall me saying, don't re-invent the wheel yesterday, you'll definitely want to check out FlyLady.net... especially the Launch Pad.  You can get yourself in gear and on track with just a little encourage ment.  BTW, today is Anti-Procrastination Day (as is every Wednesday).  What do you need to make finally tackle today?  [for me it's the leftover nasties in the fridge!]
• Upcycle some boxes into cute storage bins... because we have nothing else to do? [Credit Pinterest and Mandy's Krafty Exploits]

Have fun today... tackle those out of control corners in your house and ROCK it... because you're AWESOME!

Tipster Tuesday #4

Okay, I just gotta say it... I feel great.  Fizzle?  What Fizzle?!  My January Fizzle is gone.  I just needed to give myself permission to feel a little worn out and then regenerate.  So my hottest tip for the day is give yourself permission to feel what you feel... don't try to pretend things are great.  If they aren't, that's okay... give yourself some time to collect, process and refocus your energy. 

I must also confess, that I read a blog yesterday (January 23) that hit the nail on the head for me.  It's called The Mary Mission.  Yes, it's a Catholic blog and no, I don't always agree with her posts... but I don't always agree with the person sitting in the room with me, either.  But yesterday... she touched on a sentiment we all feel sometimes: Something's Missing.  Yes, yes... that's what January Fizzle was all about.  However, Mary Mission blogger Barbie Nesbitt is much smarter than this blogger.  Although I had given myself permission to feel what I feel, I hadn't quite come around to what was missing.  At the end of her blog, which articulated how many of us may feel, she captured it in this prayer: "Make me wise, O Lord. Help me to understand that my lack of wisdom is the only real lack I am experiencing. Amen."

Genius... and truly inspirational.  So now that I'm fired up (and you will be too if you read the blog, regardless of whether or not you are Catholic).

So on to today's tips... because I know you're feeling pepped up and inspired right now. 

• Don't recreate the wheel.  If you're having trouble getting on top of things, keeping up with house work or exercise... don't feel overwhelmed because there are tons of resources out there to help you.  We live a time when we are blessed (and at times cursed) with the Internet and social networking.  [I'll be posting some great ones for Web Wednesday #4 tomorrow!]
• Reach out and touch some one.... Are you old enough to remember those old Bell Telephone commercials?  Yes, feeling disconnected... grab your phone and call a friend.  It doesn't matter which friend... but I'm betting the one that pops into your head first is the one who needs the call more than you do! 
• Keep drinking your water!  If you gave up soda/coffee/tea, you'll find you're craving it, when you are thirsty.  Guess what... a cool glass of water is actually just as effective.  It will pump you up better than caffeine will... really.  [Yes, I probably have posted this tip already and I'll keep posting it because it's a good one]
• Last, but not least... if you want to get something done, make yourself accountable to someone!  That's right!  If  you're working on being awesome like me (ha ha), tell someone.  Get someone fired up just like you are and make plans to accomplish something.

Have a wonderful day, readers!  Let's go be awesome!

Motivational Monday #4

It's so easy to be motivated on the 2nd day of the year, isn't it.  Anybody else got the January fizzle going on?  You know... full steam not head?!

If you've ever watched an exercise video, or been in an exercise class, you know that there's the warm up, the work out and the cool down.  Well... if you're watching Richard Simmons.  In the newer workout videos, there's the 2 minute warm up, the workout, and the cool down too.  Now adays, however, it's "cool" to have intensity bursts in the middle of those work outs.  Trust me, my behind is still sore from last week's Turbo Fire!  After those intensity bursts, there can be a "break for water" command issued or a bit of a mini-cool down and lowing of the intensity. 

Life is like that... sometimes we're moving so fast everything is a blur and other times (vacation, perhaps?) is like that cool down period.  In order to be able to keep going we have to speed up and slow down to keep our energy flowing.  So  if you're feeling the fizzle this week, it's okay to have a mini cooldown.  I'm not saying, "Jump of that wagon and hope to heck you can get back on."  Nuh-uh.  I'm saying, "Back away from the tailgate of the wagon and get yourself all cozy up against the side with people to hold you in and relax a bit."

So if the work out/wagon analogies aren't working for you.  Here's a retail one (yeah, we ALL love to shop for something!):  I was in The Gap one time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If you've ever shopped there you know, the shelves always look pristine.  Well, they looked more like my daughter's closet after she's looked for "just the right thing" to wear.  As I'm browsing, and oddly very close to the only customer in the store, the manager called out, "Recover." Then all the employees went into action and it looked like a clean up fire drill.  Folding, straightening, rehanging... you get the picture.  I asked one of the employees, "Is there an inspection or something?"  The answer was, "During the Christmas season, there's no point in trying to follow everyone around and straighten up when the store is so full.  So we plan it out, rather than just keep doing it.  It keeps us sane."

This week, let's all call out "Recover" in our lives and spend the time getting things back in line so that  we can keep our sanity and our motivation going.

Soothing Sunday #3

Ever feel like you're stuck in the mud?  I don't mean with a car... I mean, there's just one issue in your life that just won't move forward?  I do!

And it's hard to find anything soothing, when half the time, you're seething.  Really... and I'll be honest, it's the mouth on one of my kids that has me ready to head for the hills.  Literally... I want to escape from this child's presence because I'm not sure I can be calm much longer.  At one point today, I was so fed up, I wanted to call a divorce lawyer. 

If you know me, you know I'm completely and utterly not a proponent of divorce as a method of solving problems.  The reality is, I wanted out of the room, off the same floor, out of the same house, out of the same town away from my own kid.  If you've been a reader for even just a week, you know Family is super important to me.  So I hope you're getting that it's just that bad.  I did what any sane person would do... I just played possum.  Yep, I went limp: emotionally and physically.  If I didn't shut myself down, I was going to join my child in an outrageous display of how not to behave.  In fact, I played it so well... I actually fell asleep. 

Apparently, it's hard to keep arguing with a sleeping person, because now, said child is quietly reading a book next to me as though nothing happened.  I'm quite sure this is not the proper way to resolve things. I wonder if the thought went through this child's mind, "Oh, Crap!  I broke mom!"  I doubt it.  I doubt there was even a realization on conflict resolution or the fourth commandment (Honor thy mother and father.). 

It comes down to this... (and I rarely feel this way)... I can't wait for them to go to school on Monday, so I can relax for an hour... uninterrupted.  And I'm going to do it. 

I know, not exactly the most awesome sentiment I've posted for Soothing Sunday.  If you've been following my posts this week, they've been late since some stuff went down on Wednesday.  My whole week has been off since then.  In fact, considering the things I accomplished today, I'm pretty sure today was Super Saturday... maybe I'm off because of the holiday last Monday, maybe because of personal issues, maybe because my child seems to be affected by full moons/falling barometric pressure/rising barometric pressure/flowers blooming in South Africa/a monkey in a zoo somewhere eating a banana.  Either way, it doesn't matter... there's a lesson here. 

You have to find a place to carve out some peaceful time for yourself.  If you're one of those people who can refresh yourself with a cuppa tea (like I can most weeks), great!  But it's really okay if you're not.  You're still going to be awesome.  Why? Because being awesome is about acknowledging your own faults and shortcomings and praying for assistance.  And believe me, I have!

If you read Friday's post, I mentioned a book that a friend had returned.  And I feel this comes back to Soothing Sunday (after my whining intro above), because it's evidence.  Of what you might ask?  Well, I need to back up a bit further...

I'm doing a fairly intense bible study of Genesis.  It was supposed to be 6 weeks in Genesis and here we are, 15 weeks later just coming up on Chapter 26!  A little more slow, but my Bible Study leader and group have all extensively discussed, that we'd all rather drag our feet through the Word than gloss over it.  One of the things that's been niggling at my brain is... how much easier it would be to truly believe without any doubts or challenges coming in, if God was seemingly reaching his hand into my life as he does in the Old Testament.  In there he's just in everyone's lives and then in the New Testament, it's all Jesus.  But in our day and age, it can really feel like he's just not here... like we're just not "worth it."  After all, why would He hear my voice over all the others crying out to him? 

I'm not trying to challenge Him, really.  I'm trying to illustrate that there's a lot more junk getting in the way.  But when I pray (including a rosary for the intention of my son) and I ask people to pray for me and for the child referenced above, and I still feel lost.  I wonder... maybe I'm overreacting, maybe there's no soul in jeopardy, maybe I'm not really Awesome.  I gotta say, when my friend handed me that book, I was confused.  I didn't even remember reading the book at first. 

And slowly through the course of the evening on Friday, it occurred to me that God had indeed reached his hand into my life.  Would I have found or remembered that book if it were on the shelf in my "library"?  Probably not.  So he took it away from me, knowing I didn't need it and wasn't ready to hear it just yet.  I feel like he's leaned down and placed his hand on my shoulder to say, "I'm here and you have forgotten my Word.  Here you go... I've pulled out what you need right now. "

And as I wrap up this post and reach for my book,  with a notebook, pen and highlighter nearby, I truly feel soothed.

So when things don't go right in your world and it seems like you're lost and forgotten, you're not really.  What do you need to ask God to help you with right now?  What's stopping you from asking?  Do you think that you aren't worth his time?  If I am, you sure as heck are!  After all, we're Awesome in his eyes.

Super Saturday #3

Kinda late on Super Saturday... I know... unlike me right?  Hah, not this week.

And I needed today to be more Super than Awesome.  It's been a draining week. We're fully back in the swing of school and after school activities.  I've seen the inside of my van more than my house this week... whew... I'm feeling OVERCOMMITTED to my kids activities.  And it's bitterly cold out the last few days... the urge to eat fattening foods and hibernate for a month or two is pretty strong.

On my agenda for Super Saturday: 

-- Volunteer at the kids' school's Monthly Fundraiser (which I'm training to be the co-chair...). 

-- Stop in my favorite store and browse

-- Stop at the grocery store and pick up cat food.

-- Laundry mountain!

My reality for Super Saturday:

-- Volunteer at fundraiser... pretty sure I was the worst co-chair trainee today.  Honestly... I wanted to sleep in today

-- Stop in at my favorite store and browse... my daughter had a stinking meltdown because she needed $12.95 to buy a book and she only had $6.  Sorry... babe... do some extra chores and you'll have that money in NO time.  She did not like that at all.  But her pouting and tears made me want to help her out even less.

-- grocery store... ugh... it was too close to noon to have been a nice calm visit.  Again, I don't like shopping on Saturdays and I did it AGAIN this weekend.  Will I never learn?

-- Laundry mountain... I got the pile folded, but it's not put away and there's the "waiting in the wings" batch that needs to be washed, dried, and folded... Soothing Sunday is going to suffer a bit!

There's only one way to have a Super Saturday... that's to stay on task during the week to keep on top of things so weekend work is minimal.  This week, that wasn't a possiblity for me, because I had some personal emergancies to tend to (well, okay... that sounds bad, but visiting someone in the ER trumps laundry any day!  So it was someone else's emergancy that I [without question] had to assist with and that person is okay.).  Things didn't go according to my plans this week and that, frankly, makes me GRUMPY.  So here I am on Saturday evening, feeling more tired because I'm grumpy at all the things that have piled up. 

Yep, I'm human... but since I'm awesome, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and dig in.  The reality is... it's all a pile of minor stuff and if I just make a list and tackle it... Soothing Sunday is still possible.  So I'm going to champion early Mass attendance so I can get my shizzle done before noon.  So my daughter and I can finally watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  And yes, I own the DVD!

 

Family Friday #3-- Awesomeness Deficit Edition

It's already late on Friday evening and since my kids displayed a phenomenal inability to get along in the last week, our usual Friday Night Movie is postponed until better behavior arises.  Yep... we've had to can movie night here.  [If I told you why, you'd cancel too!]

Instead, I'm listening to the muffled sounds of my 2 kids playing basketball in the basement as the temperture drops below freezing.  My husband and I are fiddling with our respective electronic devices.  Oddly, we're actually getting family time.  We ate dinner together. We talked about our day.  We are doing our own things right now... and that's okay.

I know, it sounds odd... but our "own thing" this week means respecting each other. 

What strikes me as odd, is that I loaned a book to a friend months (maybe a year) ago... she returned it today.  It is about "heart-oriented" discipline.  It takes things from a biblical perspective and references Proverbs quite a bit.  It is precisely the book I needed to pop back into my life.  So tonight's family tradition has been replaced with my kids playing, not fighting; my husband being intrigued by a book on discipline and corralling the kids; and me... just wondering.

As far as awesomeness goes... this has been a week of displaying our awesomeness deficit.  Sometimes, as a family, it's absolutely key to just stop and do nothing.  Not every minute has to be jam packed with creating memories and moments.  I'm pretty sure that my kids will one day look back and say... remember that night our parents let us play basketball in the basement.  Sometimes, moments happen when you're not trying.

[For the Record:  the above referenced book is: "Don't Make Me Count to Three!" by Ginger Plowman]

Thinner Thursday #3

O Dear... my first truly late post. 

In my own defense there were some family matters to attend to yesterday and I was just too beat to write up a decent post for you all.  In fact, it's still questionable today as to whether or not this post will be decent. 

In my quest to eat healthier... I totally fell off the wagon this week... with my low point being a hot dog with french fries for lunch yesterday (Thursday).  Oh and thinking I "deserved it," I sucked down a big glass of  orange soda with it.  Yep... and I felt crummy and grumpy all afternoon and evening... talk about getting what you deserve.  Today, in contrast, I ate half a chicken salad sandwich... and I oddly wasn't hungry.  Why?  Apparently freshly made chicken salad has more nutrients (and veggies) in it that a hot dog.  No surprise there.  Wait, there kind of is a surprise... I ate less food and felt better because the food was healthy.

Kinda gives you something to think about, doesn't it?  What are you stuffing into your mouth thinking, "I've earned this indulgence," that's really just doing more harm than good?  Just as your body will ache when you (perhaps foolishly) think you can do a 1 hour work out called "Turbo Fire," it will also tell you when you have (completely foolishly) stuffed junk in your mouth.  Bad moods... bloated belly. Calories aside, because I could "afford" them yesterday... it just wasn't worth my choice of calories.

So... here's tonight's dinner recipe.

Italian Sausage Skillet.

1 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 bag Simply Potatoes diced potatoes with onion [you can do this yourself, but I was in a hurry!]

1 tbsp. Olive oil

Drizzle olive oil in skillet and cook sausage, browning outsides.

While sausage cooks, clean and dice peppers.

Remove cooked sausage from skillet and add in peppers and potato mix. 

Cook potatoes until browned and peppers have softened.

Slice sausage and add back in to potato mixture to warm back up.

Serves a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids... no teens... double the recipe if you have teens!)

Seriously, that's it and it's healthy.  In fact, my husband was surprised to discover the sausage was made of turkey. 

Web Wednesday #3

I must confess... I love Subway Art.  LOVE IT!  I want to paint my hallway like the London Underground, put a big "Paddington Station" symbol up and hang inspirational Subway Art UP and DOWN the (10 ft) hallway.  

Chances of that happening are like zero!  In the interim, I've fallen into a bucket of pinterest and have these goodies to share. Chances of some of these making it to my walls... 99%!

From Silly Bean's Idea Space [inspiration]: 

From Simple Crafter [free printable and it matches my kitchen... JOY!]:

From Realistic Wedding [a great post for a bridal shower-- again, inspiration]: