Who's on the Bus? Discovering what you are letting into your life

I’ve had a few of what Oprah calls “A-ha” moments.  I’ve done a lot of self-discovery, and inevitably, with this work, comes some surprising realizations.

One such self-discovery tool that I was introduced to is an exercise where you envision yourself as a bus driver.  You label all of the unwanted “passengers” that are occupying the bus and making the ride (your life) negative, unproductive, or unpleasant.  These passengers are things like self-doubt, anxiety, etc.  You can then decide who to kick off the bus, and what “positive” passengers you want to replace them with to make the ride more smooth and enjoyable.  This can be done visually as a drawing, or just by making a list. 

While doing this process, I had one of my A-ha moments. 

I HAD NOT EVEN BEEN DRIVING THE BUS!

I had not been driving the bus for a very long time. FEAR was driving the freaking bus! 

I was just another passenger, surrounded by all of those other undesirable passengers, being dragged along for the ride in my own life!  Many, if not most of my more recent decisions had been fear-based. What I did, what I wore, where I went, how I acted, how I interacted with my husband and kids, my career path—pretty much everything.

So many things I did were to avoid pain, abandonment, missing out, disapproval, loss of money, blame, or rejection. There was also the ever-present fear of the unknown that tends to loom like a dark cloud for many of us. 

I was not driving my own bus. That was a pretty tough pill to swallow. 

I know there are SO many people out there experiencing the same thing, whether they realize it or not.  We all have fears.  I’m willing to bet that fear is running your life in some way—big or small.

Here are some ways that fear may “driving” in your life.  See if any of these resonate with you.

· You don’t act certain ways around certain people that you know won’t be accepted.

· You only talk about certain things that you know will be neutral, or agreed with.

· You don’t rock the boat.

· You bottle up things that you really need to talk about out of fear that it may cause a debate or argument, and then feel resentment that you can’t talk about things.

· You have “toned yourself down.”

· You weigh every decision through the lens of what you assume other people will think of you.

· You act a certain way so that everyone will like you.

· You can’t accept if you perceive that someone doesn’t like you.

· You do things to avoid pain - physical and emotional.

· The fear of failure paralyzes you, and stops you from pursuing things in life.

Do any of these things sound familiar?

Think about this for a second.  If everything we’ve done has been driven by fear, then that means nothing has been driven by WHAT WE REALLY WANT.  Nothing has been driven by our hopes and dreams, or even our real personalities.  We’ve acted only based on what we DON’T want. 

I ask you - what do you think happens when you’ve been operating from that position of fear for a long, long time? 

You lose yourself.  You lose your dreams.  You don’t even know if your dreams are yours or someone else’s—that is, if you even have dreams anymore.  You feel resentful that you haven’t lived your life the way you’ve really wanted.  But fear not - it’s not all bad.  Self-discovery is NEVER bad. 

So, how do we turn this around?

First of all, if we could only all be so blessed as to know ourselves.  As they say, knowing is half the battle.

If fear is driving the bus for you, and you know this, congratulations.  However, I will assume that this is NOT the way you want to be living or making your decisions.  Just being aware that this is how you’ve been operating is a game changer!  You have a new lens with which to view every decision, thought, and action through.  Take pause while making decisions and ask yourself a few questions:

· Is this what I really want?

· Am I doing this out of fear?

· Is this really “me”?

· Are these someone else’s beliefs, or my own?

The more you practice using this litmus test, the easier it will get, and the more you will realize just how much you’ve been operating from fear.  Just having this awareness will empower you to take control of your life.

I am really grateful that I did this exercise, because it made me much more cognizant of how I was living life based on other people’s expectations, and putting my own values and happiness aside.  This process allows me to check in with myself and make sure I’m creating a life that I really value - a life I won’t feel resentful about later on.

And the bus?

Visualize your new “positive” version of the bus (or better yet, make a drawing!).   Who do you want to allow on your “bus”?   I want my passengers to be confidence, joy, positivity, love, and peace.  Refer to your new bus as often as you need to as a reminder of the life that you want to create – a life where YOU are the driver.

Low-carb, Dairy-free Protein Latte!

Since we are headed into summer, I've been cutting carbs.  One of the things that I find hard about low-carb is what to eat between meals if you are hungry.  In the old days, I used to grab a string cheese, but since I've cut out dairy, too, it's gets more complicated.  I've recently embraced cucumbers and pork rinds, and I was also excited to discover this Low-Carb, Dairy-free Protein Latte!

It's like drinking a fancy Starbucks, but better for you.  And because it's super foamy, and has fat and protein, it actually fills you up for a while!   I don't usually sweeten coffee, but I think it would be delicious with some stevia, or a little honey/maple syrup (if not low carb).

Try it out! Customize it to your taste preferences, and let me know what you think!

Low-carb, Dairy-free Protein Latte!

-1 raw egg (preferably free range, organic - we get ours from a farm co-op)

-1T coconut oil

-1 "cup" of HOT coffee

-1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Optional:

-1T grass-fed collagen powder (for extra protein/nutrients)

-Splash of Coconut Cream/Milk

-Cinnamon

-Stevia

- Raw Local Honey or maple syrup (if not low carb)

Add all non-coffee ingredients to blender.  Brew coffee, then add hot coffee to blender.  Blend immediately so that the egg doesn't start cooking before blender is going.  Blend for 20 seconds or so on high to create a super frothy beverage.  Pour in mug and top with some cinnamon. 

Enjoy!

Facebook: Friend of Foe? My Love/Hate Relationship with Technology, Part 1

Gosh, I REALLY love my phone.  I mean, how awesome is it to be able to look up anything you want at any time you want and get an answer in a split second?  Or have your favorite songs at the touch of a button, no matter where you are?   I love the convenience of sending my hubby a text and knowing he’ll get it…even if he’s in a meeting.  And who doesn’t love the time-wasting games at your disposal when you are stuck in a waiting room, school pickup line, or really boring family party?  And then there is social media.  Wow--when I joined Facebook, I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.  I connected with friends old and new.  I loved seeing pictures of everyone’s kids or travels, and being able to keep up a little bit on everyone’s lives.  As a stay at home mom, that made it a little less lonely.  I felt a tad less isolated, and a bit more connected to people. I found all kinds of awesome bloggers that were so encouraging to someone in my season of life.  I realized I wasn’t “alone” in this thing called motherhood.  And I was equally happy that I could vent, or share a funny story that might brighten someone’s day.   The cherry on top was the distraction it offered me from the mundane days of cooking, cleaning, refereeing, and wiping butts on repeat.  I was happily addicted.  Well, up until more recently…  Then, I realized I was just plain ol’ addicted, but not really happy about it.   I started to inquire about what had changed in the past 5 years, and I realized it was quite a bit.

Trying to Keep Up

I realized that I wasn’t that excited to see what was on Facebook anymore, but only felt stressed because I didn’t want to miss something.  I had subscribed to so many things that were of interest to me, that I couldn’t keep up.   Don’t get me wrong, they are all great things that teach me, encourage me, or make me laugh.  However, it got to the point where I could never get to the part of my newsfeed where I last left off.  That left me with a little nagging, incomplete feeling.  I knew I was missing friends posts because I was too busy reading EVERYTHING ELSE.  And then there was the stress from all the articles I didn’t have time to read, or that I said I’d read later.  Just the sheer INFORMATION OVERLOAD was starting to take its toll on my brain.

Inferiority

There is also the aspect of social media that I didn’t think affected me.  The dark side.  The part that makes you feel inferior in some way.  I told myself that it didn’t apply to me.  Nope, I just LOVE learning and I love seeing what’s going on in other people’s lives.  I guess I was a little bit in denial, because I would never want to have to give up the gift that is Facebook. 

Most people are putting their best face forward on Facebook.  I am guilty.  My intention is to try not to post only good stuff, because I really want to keep it real.  However, when it comes down to it, you are only going to want to share the good pictures, not the ones with the double chin.  You are only going to want to share the funny or cute stories, not the one where you cried in your pillow because your kid acted like an a-hole and you think he might end up in jail one day and it’s all your fault because you didn’t implement 1-2-3 Magic early enough.  It just happens. 

The problem is, that without realizing it, you start to compare other people’s lives with yours.  You see how well-dressed Mary’s kids look all the time.  You see how Dick and Jane seem to have date nights all the time.  You see how Lucy manages to go to the gym 5 days a week.  Or how Tom seems to have all this money to go on vacations all the time.  Or how Sally manages to work full time and still has well-behaved kids.  Or how in-love Bob and Nancy are.  Or how smart Ned seems to be.  Or how well decorated and clean Harriet’s house looks, etc, etc, etc.  You start to feel as if everyone else has it all together.  Their lives look so perfect. “Why can’t my family get along like that?”  You start to question and doubt yourself.  “Why doesn’t my house look like that?”  You start to think your situation should be different.  “Why doesn’t my husband do those things for me? “ 

There is a saying I heard somewhere that says “Don’t compare your everyday life with someone else’s highlight reel.” Or something like that.  And that’s exactly what Facebook and Instagram is—your highlight reel. 

Distraction

Wait, I thought the distraction was a good thing?  Well, it was, and it can be…sometimes.  The distraction can also detract from other important things in our lives.  How often do we get lost in our phones and not hear our child or partner asking us something? Or don’t even look up…just say “just a minute.”  We have all been guilty of this.  Sometimes wasting time is good, but what if we are wasting time that could be spent with our kids, or developing meaningful relationships? 

This distraction also saps our productivity.  I have found myself caught up in reading articles and blogs for an hour or more sometimes.  So what are we neglecting when we are doing this?  Doing things we love (instead of just reading about them).  Cleaning our houses.  Building our businesses.  Cooking healthier meals for our families.  Connecting with friends and family (in person).  You get the idea.

Too Many Opinions and Too Much Information

As I mentioned above, I love learning.  I also pride myself on having a pretty open mind.  I am able to consider other people’s viewpoints.  This is typically a good trait, but it can also be detrimental in some ways.    Sometimes, too much of other people’s interests and beliefs are not in your best interest.  Let me explain what I mean.   Many people can take in loads of information and viewpoints, and take it all with a grain of salt.  They can absorb what information they want, and discard the rest of it.  Done.  Some people, however (including me), have a harder time doing that.  I absorb it all.  I soak it up.   I save it to re-read later.  I want to know it all.  “How to organize your entire house and life in 16 easy steps.”  “How to be a better parent.”  How to be a better partner.”  “How to cook only super-healthy organic meals and never eat fast food again.”  I want to do it all.  I want to be perfect…and that’s a problem.  Not only does this lead to some mad chaos in the brain, but it also leads to some serious guilt.  No one can do it all. Or read it all.  Or follow it all. Or keep up with it all. Or be perfect.  I finally realized that all this chaos, and information, and pressure, was not in my best interest.  I unsubscribed from everything that was not a true, positive, major interest for me.

Judgy-ness

Face it.  No one likes to be judged.  We judge ourselves enough, so to have someone else do it to us makes us feel the lowest of the low.  Facebook can be and is often used as a weapon.  We’ve all probably seen those folks that use their comments or posts as a passive-aggressive jab to another person or group of people.   It’s so easy to sit behind the protection of a computer screen and pass a semi-cryptic judgement about someone else.  It happens ALL.THE. TIME.   People share personal information about others.  People start rumors about others that can be devastating to someone’s life and family.  It’s disheartening.  OK, this next part will make me sound like a real hippie…  Everyone is on their own path, on their own journey.  So why can’t we all love and support one another, no matter what path we are on?  Sometimes it’s hard, but we have to understand that many people are guided from a place of fear.  Or by deep pain.   Many people are operating from a place of abundant knowledge, and some people from a lack thereof.   All of us are guided by a love for our children and families.  We are all human.  My wish is that we can all operate from a place of love and respect for the entire species, and not just our own families.  End hippie rant.  And that leads me to…

Spreading of Fear and Hatred

I love the freedoms that this country was built upon.  I love that we have freedom of religion and freedom of speech.  I love the internet.  It’s an incredible tool.  But we know that some of these freedoms come with a dark side.  I wish that technology could only be used to spread love and forgiveness and tolerance and knowledge, but unfortunately, our freedom of speech allows those to spread fear and hatred, as well.  This has never been more prevalent.  My fun, light-hearted, supportive, encouraging newsfeed slowly morphed into one of negative news stories & images, judgy-ness, and downright hatred.  This increased spreading of fear and negativity is the very same reason I stopped watching the news, and is now the reason I have cut down my Facebook browsing by about 85%. 

Cutting back on the social technology outlets may sound impossible.  Though it can be a little uncomfortable at first, it really does end up feeling amazing.  I will still post a cute picture of the kids, or something positive here and there, but won’t waste away my days getting caught up in article after article...or stewing for 8 hours about something someone posted.  If I need to find something, I’ll go to and find it.  I won’t browse for 2 hours and feel guilty about all these Pinterest-y projects I never got around to.   I feel a sense of freedom from the Facebook shackles.  I’m more productive.  I’m giving the kids more of my undivided attention.  I’m feeling better about myself.  And best of all, I’m feeling a lot less guilt.  And guess what?  I don’t really miss it. Win-Win-Win-Win-Win.  

If you're feeling like I was, why not give it a try?

Life is good.

 

Essential Oils I Use Every Day

It's no secret, I loooove my Young Living Essential Oils!  I wanted to start out by talking about a couple of oils that I use almost every single day. 

I could go on and on about the benefits of oils (and I probably will at some point), but as a small side note, since having oils in the house, I no longer buy perfume.  Actually, I didn't buy perfume much anyway because they all made me NAUSEOUS!  It was kind of a bummer, because there are so many perfumes that smell wonderful, but within a minute or two of smelling them, I felt light headed and sick to my stomach.

Luckily, I love my oils, and there are some blends that smell so wonderful, I use them as perfume!  This is a win-win situation for me.  Not only do I smell awesome, but I am getting the benefit of the oils as well! 

Here are some of my favorite-smelling blends:

JOY

Joy was the first oil that I was happy to use as perfume.  Just the name Joy attracted me to it originally. This oil is associated with happiness and togetherness.  I put a drop on my heart area (Joy in my heart).  I will also put it on/in a diffuser necklace.  It reminds me a bit of the perfume Happy because of its hint of citrus.  Joy is a delightful blend of Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Lemon, Coriander, Tangerine, Jasmine, Roman Chamomile, Palmarosa, and Rose essential oils that harmonize for a sweet, joyful aroma.

VALOR

Valor is associated with courage and confidence, and it smells awesome!  Its woodsy, positive scent comes from a blend of Black Spruce, Blue Tansy, Rosewood, and Frankincense. I wear it on my wrists most mornings...even when I'm wearing other oils.  People will often ask me what I'm wearing, because I smell so darn good. :) 

PEACE AND CALMING

Ahh, I love the smell of this oil!  It does have the citrus-y smell I love, but is lighter and different than Joy.  I love to put this on my ears and clavicle area. Peace & Calming essential oil is a gentle, sweet blend of Ylang Ylang, Orange, Tangerine, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy. It's a beautiful oil that is associated with, go figure, peaceful and calm feelings!

STRESS AWAY

The name says it all, right? This one smells a bit different, but equally as awesome. It has a more flowery/vanilla smell to it. I love to put this one on the back of my neck, just below my skull.  Per Young Living, "Stress Away essential oil blend is a natural solution created to combat normal stresses that creep into everyday life. Stress Away is the first product to contain the unique stress-relieving combination of lime and vanilla pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils. Stress Away also includes copaiba and lavender to reduce mental rigidity and restore equilibrium. Featuring powerful plant constituents, such as the cedrol found in cedarwood and the eugenol that occurs naturally in vanilla, Stress Away can help induce relaxation and reduce occasional nervous tension."

I hope you've enjoyed learning a tiny bit about my four go-to "super perfumes."  I love that I am getting benefits, and smelling good at the same time.  There are also many other applications and places on the body for these oils, as well.  If you are interested in learning a little more about my journey with oils, click here.

Thinking about getting started with Essential Oils?

I’M THINKING ABOUT GETTING ME SOME OF THOSE OILS! WHERE DO I START?

Hi! You’re in the right place!  I know you’ve heard good things about Young Living Essential Oils. Do you want to know more?

My name is Michele.  I am a soccer mom with two young boys.  Over the last few years, I have incorporated Young Living Oils into my daily routine, and also into my rituals for supporting my family’s health.

I was very skeptical at first.  I would hear about a certain oil from a friend, and occasionally order a single oil here and there.  I loved the oils I bought, but honestly, I was a bit too cheap  frugal to dive in and get the whole kit.  I thought it was expensive (I’m still working on this whole frugal thing).  I bought a few cheap bottles from the health food store that didn’t seem to work (maybe because they didn’t work).  Looking back, this turned out to be a big mistake for me, because I missed a couple years of experiencing so many uses for oils in all areas of my life, such as:

-Supporting our emotional health

-Keeping healthy immune systems

-Adding zing to cooking and drinks

-Cleaning the whole house without chemicals

-Supporting different body systems

And more!

So, as I heard more and more about the vast benefits that my friends were getting from oils, I became more intrigued.  I researched, and perused Pinterest for different uses for oils. Wow!  I began to realize that you get what you pay for!  These other, cheaper oils were not therapeutic-grade, and many were just watered down with solvents, even though they were allowed to say 100% pure essential oils (since there was a little bit in the bottle).  No wonder they didn’t work. 

I am a more holistic-minded person by nature, so I want to avoid chemicals as much as possible in my home and in my body. The lightbulb went on.  “This isn’t expensive if I am I replacing other things I use daily!”  I signed up for Young Living and haven’t looked back! I love being able to use something natural and supportive in my life instead of synthesized chemicals.  Plus, by using oils to support our health and immune systems, I figure I have saved tons of extra money on “sick management,” as well!    I’m so glad I finally got the whole kit, so that I have been able to experience a full array of benefits at any given moment…not just one here and one there.

WHY YOUNG LIVING?

I did a lot of research and once I learned about Young Living, and their stringent Seed to Seal process, I felt confident that this was the gold standard—the best of the best!  I want to feel  100% confident about what I put in, or on my body, or in my home or family!

SHOULD I BECOME A WHOLESALE MEMBER?

To receive your starter kit and enjoy wholesale pricing (24% off retail), you “join” young living as a member.  There are no requirements or annual fees.  There is no obligation to “sell” Young Living, either…though you can if you want!  You can always just order when you want something.  If you don’t spend $50 personal volume in a year, your account goes dormant, but you can reactivate at any time.

Young living also offers their Essential Rewards program which credits you points on all your purchases that you can use to buy more awesome products!  A.K.A. “FREE STUFF.”  My favorite words. ;)  With Essential Rewards you also receive a reduced shipping rate.  There are also great promotions every month, as well!

WHAT KIT DO I BUY?

I HIGHLY recommend the premium starter kit.  This is what I wish I started with at the beginning of my oils journey.  Not only does it come with an oil diffuser, it comes with 11 Everyday Oils, as well as some other goodies and samples!  In my opinion, this is really the BEST way to jump in and see how these oils can benefit your family in so many different ways.

The Premium Kit comes with everything you’ll need to get started with essential oils and you get to choose which diffuser is best for you!  You’ll get:

     -An Everyday Oils Collection with 10 of Young Living’s most popular oils

     - A bonus oil (Stress Away) to bring your collection up to 11

     -A Diffuser of Your Choice (Dewdrop, Bamboo, Rainstone  or Aria)

     -Oil Sample Packets

     -Oil Sample Bottles

     -Oil Sample Sharing Cards

     -2 Packets of NingXia Red

     -1 Roller Fitment

YAY! LET’S DO IT!  HOW DO I SIGN UP?

Easy peasy.  Click on my sign up page.  SIGN UP HERE!

-Choose Your membership Option – I recommend the Wholesale Membership.   If you choose Retail Customer, you are paying full retail price, which is 24% more than the Wholesale Membership.  Remember, there is no obligation to sell anything as a wholesale member.

-My ID number should already be filled in for you (2001036) – select your country and your language preference. 

-Fill out your name, email, billing address, shipping address, and contact info. (The reason you are asked to list your social security number is for tax purposes. If you make over $600/year selling Young Living products, you will receive a 1099 form in the mail, as is required by law. Young Living will never share this info with anyone.  The IRS just needs to be able to connect some number with you for tax purposes). 

-Create your password and pin which you will use to log in to your account and order your oils.

-Choose the kit you want. {I highly recommend one of the Premium Starter Kits.}  You can choose between :

     -The Premium Starter Kit with Dew Drop Diffuser  $160

     -The Premium Starter Kit with Bamboo Diffuser  $170

    







-The Premium Starter Kit with the Rainstone Diffuser $205

     -The Premium Starter Kit with Aria   $260

Once you've selected your desired kit, proceed to check out. You can skip the Essential Rewards part for now unless you would like to join ER right away.  You can always sign up for ER later if you wish. 

Don’t forget to CONFIRM YOUR ORDER so you get your wonderful oils!

THAT’S IT! CONGRATULATIONS, AND WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF OILS! I'M SO GLAD TO TAKE THIS AMAZING JOURNEY WITH YOU!

Hugs,

Michele

PS - Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or for support at: chicksrock2@sbcglobal.net

Stress-Free Meal Planning

This is how making dinner used to go down in my house:

4:30 p.m.:  Oh crap.  It's time to figure out something to make for dinner.  (opens fridge)  Nothing in there.  (Opens freezer.)  Hmmm, I have some frozen chicken. What can I make?  Maybe some sort of casserole?  Nah, no one in my house likes casseroles. I guess I'll just bake some chicken.  What can I make with the chicken?  (Stress starts to ramp up.)  Making dinner sucks. I wish I didn't have to make every meal every day. (Opens freezer again. Finds mixed veggies. Makes dinner.)  Hmm...I guess I still need another side.  I don't have one. I wish I was more organized.  I guess I'll just pop a piece of bread in the toaster for everyone.  (Serves dinner.)  Dinner is boring and no one likes it.  Why bother?

Does this scenario sound familiar? This was almost every day for me.  Dinner felt like a burden I had to take on.  I resented it.  I felt like I wasn't good at it. Ok, well, I still feel that way, but anyway... Then, one day it came to a head.  My husband finally lost his patience with me after, like, the millionth time that a big part of the meal was missing.  Naturally, I yelled and told him he was picking on me, and judging me, and that I couldn't be perfect like his mother. 

But, I guess he was sort of right.  Something was always missing or substituted.  A side.  An ingredient.  Something.  He suggested I meal plan, to which I swiftly rolled my eyes at.  I had pledged to myself many times to make a plan for the week ahead, on the weekend.  Then the weekend happened.  It was too hard.  It never happened.  I never remembered. I'm not one of those born-organized people.  My life is a tornado of chaos.  I fly by the seat of my pants.  There was always something more pressing needing my attention...like, watching American Ninja Warrior or something.

So, to appease the hubs, I reluctantly tried again so I could show him what a stupid idea it was.  Since he didn't seem to want to help (???),  I did it myself.  And I did it differently than before.  And it actually turned out pretty great.  And it's still working, months later. 

Here are the steps...


MAKE A LIST OF MEALS YOUR FAMILY WILL EAT

For my family, this is hard.  Really hard. One kid likes hot dogs, one hates them.  One likes chicken, one hates it.  One likes steak, one hates it.  Both kids hate anything healthy, really.  Hubs hates soups, stews, chili, casseroles, and most pasta.  You get the picture.  So, we obviously can't please everyone with every meal, but we can list the ones that might be acceptable to the majority.  Try to find at least 30 meals for the list...or even more if you don't have picky eaters like I do.

PUT EACH MEAL IN YOUR ONLINE CALENDER AS AN APPOINTMENT

I put my "appointment" between 4:30-5:30 pm every day, since that's when I'm usually making dinner.  Put this appointment in for every day of the month (you can always tweak it at the beginning of the week if you know you have a party or event outside of the home). It doesn't matter what order things are in, just put certain meals on days that make sense for your family.  Pizza Friday?  Taco Tuesday?  Grill out Sunday?  If you have pizza every Friday...BAM! You have all your Fridays covered!  Make it work for your lifestyle.  You can even designate days for Leftovers, Eat Out, or YOYO (you're on your own).  Yoyo really only works if everyone in your house can make food for themselves.  I'm looking forward to that one.

IN THE NOTES OF YOUR APPOINTMENT, LIST INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THE MEAL

This step is important, and it makes grocery shopping a breeze.  This is what you reference at the beginning of the week when you are making a shopping list for the grocery store.  You already know what you're making that week.  No guessing.  You know what ingredients you need to make all the meals.  Complete meals.  You know what to thaw out a couple days before.  Forgot to make your list?  No problem. You can just pull up your calendar on your phone at the store.  Sometimes I end up running into a store unexpectedly, and I don't have to worry about not having my list.  It's in my calendar.  Booyah.

MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT RECURRING

This is the magic part.  With a small amount of work up front, you can essentially have your meals always planned out!  Most meals can be made once a month, and it won't be overkill.  Make those recurring monthly.  Some meals you may not want to make EVERY month, so you can make them recurring every other month, or every third month.  Once everything is entered for the first month, look forward a month or two and see if there are any holes to fill in.  There will most likely be, since not all months have the same amount of Mondays, Tuesdays, etc.  Fill those in with every other month items, or every third month items, until everything is full. 

It does take a little work up front to make the lists, look up the ingredients, and get everything entered, but it's so worth it!  I don't always follow the meal plan exactly. Sometimes I switch what the sides will be.  I also have to adjust for events that come up.  Very often, I will switch two days around, or skip over a meal if something doesn't make sense due to an activity with the kids.  Or sometimes we end up going out to eat unexpectedly.  However, that happens a lot less since I now have a plan, and I know that I have the ingredients I need for the meal.  Sometimes I will try a new recipe I found instead of what is scheduled.  I look at the plan as more of a guideline, than something that I have to follow to a T.  Also, printing out a weekly or monthly view of your plan and displaying it in the house keeps everyone's expectations in check.

Follow these steps, and you now have an endless meal plan to make your life easier! I hope this method makes you feel more prepared and organized, and helps take the stress out of dinner time!  This has really helped my family, and has also caused us to eat out a little less. So, hubs may have been right about the meal planning concept, but I like to take credit for the idea. ;-)

Just One of Those Weeks

I am not SuperMom this week...and it's okay.  I want to keep it real here.   

I am tired.  I have slept for 10-11 hours a night, and am still yawning all day long.   I took a nap when C was at preschool, instead of doing something “productive.” 

I don't feel strong.  I ate Halloween candy and potato chips.  

I am kind of cranky and irritable.  I can’t seem to handle much of anything.  I feel spacey and out of it. 

I feel like I need a break.  A day to just lie in bed all day and cry. Or read.  Or listen to the sound of silence.  

I feel uninspired.

I had been feeling really good for the last month or so.   I was motivated, happy, and upbeat.   But I am human, after all, and I have bad days.  Sometimes, my brain just needs a “reset.”   Or maybe my body or mind needs to process something big.   I am honoring that.  Though others may not understand, I am choosing to give myself grace.  This too shall pass.  It always does, doesn't it?

I am committed to my goal of “accepting imperfection,” so I am rejecting guilt.  

We humans all have our days (or weeks or months).  We are not perfect and it's okay.  Let's rid our minds of the idea that we should be perfect.  Are you with me?