Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

How many of us really know how to relax and unwind? Do you know how to push the pause button in your brain? Do you know what refuels you? I'm not talking about mindlessly numbing yourself through screen time or binge eating or drinking... I mean being truly refreshed! Our bodies need rest. We need proper sleep as a way to heal our bodies and reset ourselves. We also need to find healthy ways to relieve the stress that we each face in our day to day living. Honestly this is one of my most difficult changes to make... getting adequate sleep. The problem, I stay up late and then I struggle to get up early. Repeat. I know getting enough sleep helps me function better- mentally, physically, emotionally, etc. But sometimes feels so out of reach. I know also managing stress is very important for my health. I love hot baths and soothing teas. Reading a great mystery. Baking or cooking a new recipe. Painting my nails. Taking a quick nap on a Sunday afternoon. What refreshes you? H...

Do your remember the movie "Madagascar"? That film still triggers images of my kids jumping and down squealing, "I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. MOVE IT!" Do you like to move it? Use it or lose it... this includes our muscles, our flexibility and our strength. We need to be moving around, bending, stretching, reaching, pushing, pulling... in other words active to keep ourselves strong. This doesn't mean you have to go run a marathon... Do activities you love... walking, cycling, dancing... Making those chores serve an extra purpose: cleaning your house with gusto, raking, vacuuming, scrubbing. Fit it into your daily life: Squats and toe raises by your desk, lunges as you walk to the copier. Arm workout by lifting your baby over your head. Parking farther away and walking the extra distance. The point is don't get caught up on doing it "right" or perfectly. Don't let yourself stop becau...

It's easy to remember to drink water in the hot summer months but when the weather has turned cool and Fall has arrived I somehow manage to reduce my water intake by half. Dehydration sets in... Yuck. So again I have to remind myself to drink. To hydrate. This article has 10 great reminders, or in it's own words, life changing reasons to drink more water... https://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/10-life-changing-reasons-to-drink-more-water So pick up a glass and fill it to the brim with water... Cheers

I love how God is always bringing things together in my life. How He slowly and surely guides and directs my paths... leading me, guiding me, giving me new resources. I love how so many different things converge into one thing.... My life has been on a path of transformation for a while. I have gone from a person who struggled with what other people thought of her to one who is so enraptured by God that others opinions have greatly diminished. I have gone from a victim: of sexual abuse, of difficult circumstances to a hero of my own story who sees every challenge as an opportunity, every difficulty as another story to tell to encourage, serve and bless others and every suffering as a means to draw nearer to Christ. I have shed a lot of my perfectionistic tendencies for good enough... If something is worth doing, it's worth doing imperfectly. I am learning to run, literally. It's the craziest thing. I would never have seen myself as a runner. I'm not an elite athlete...

Sometimes you have to spice things up or it will get boring. One of my favorite recipes is a marinade that I used for chicken, steak, etc. it's a heavenly mixture of olive oil, soy sauce, Red Wine vinegar, fresh garlic, ginger, brown sugar & rosemary. One of my favorite things is when I mix it up and just start at it before the oil completely separates and the rosemary creates a lovely spiral affect on top. The grill has been my choice of cooking lately and I'm thankful my husband is quick to grill for me. Mmm... we've had some yummy steaks. This week I will marinate chicken.

Some days I just want to quit. I don't want to deal with the hassle of preparing food. I just want to drive-thru and say forget about it. Today especially packing and preparing to go the zoo with Michael and Peter. I mean I was already making sandwiches for them. Why do things different for me? Why not make a PB&J since I was already doing it? I mean if I fixed a salad for myself wouldn't I look hoity-toity amongst the other moms with their sandwiches and bags of chips? So I told myself. Just do it. Just keep doing it. Don't worry about what others think. Don't cave into the easy and simple. I fixed myself a salad and cut up strawberries and apples that I knew I could also share with the boys. Some almond butter to dip my apples in. I know some days I "fail". Sometimes I have setbacks. Sometimes I cave and have a dessert splurge or a sugary coffee drink with a friend. But the difference is I don't call it quits when that happens. I get right ba...

I recently purchased a bundle of e-books on home-making. Super steal. 97 e-books for $29.00 (a value of $640.00). In addition I also scored some free deals. A company called Cultures for Health gave me a free starter for yogurt. I got a Greek yogurt start for free and all I had to pay was three dollar shipping. I'm a fan of Greek yogurt. I love the thick tangy creaminess. I love drizzling it with honey and adding fruit. I enjoy the probiotics and the great amount of protein I'm getting. What I don't like is the cost. It's so expensive. So I'm branching out and making my own. Wish me luck. I'm super nervous because it seems really complicated. I never thought I would be one of THOSE women. You know, the kind that make their own yogurt. We'll see...