“Girl, Wash Your Face”{book/ Audible review}

Posted on by

0

***************UPDATE*******************

In April of 2021, Rachel Hollis lost me as a follower and a reader of any book she may put out in the future. I’ll let you decide for yourself, but she got too far up her own behind for my liking. There are better books out there. There are better people out there with more education and knowledge to guide those looking for more from their lives. Google “Rachel Hollis April 2021 TikTok” to find out why I no longer listen to her. **********************

Let me start by saying that I am an extremely hard critic for books that tell me what to do. I guess I don’t like being bossed around by anyone.

One of my closest friends took me to see “Made For More.” This is a movie about Rachel Hollis and her conference, Rise.

I have to say that Rachel is likeable right away. She’s relatable and funny (that’s why she has a tribe of over a million followers). I wasn’t over the top excited to leave and run and get the book though. I felt like it was great for certain women, but not really for me.

Fast-forward a few days later and I was looking for something to inspire me to do more than just get through my days (which is the way I’ve felt lately). I looked at all kinds of books. I then listened to an excerpt from this book and bought it with an Audible credit.

I listened while I worked out. I listened while I waited for someone to get done with an appointment. I actually was inspired. I didn’t expect to enjoy it half as much as I did. I didn’t really expect to feel inspired or excited from it, but I was!

It’s hard to put my finger on why. I don’t know exactly why. I know that listening to Rachel talk about her struggles, her fears, her dreams, and her successes has made me feel like I can do so much more than what I’ve been telling myself, and what I’ve been letting others make me feel like I can do.  Somewhere along the way, I lost a sense of hopefulness about the future. I needed to hear someone tell me that women tell themselves lies and let themselves believe lies, and that we have to stop it! None of this was new news, by the way. I’ve heard this all before. Head to Pinterest and you’ll see a thousand quotes all about it.  I’ve just never heard it from another person exactly when I needed to hear it.

Even though I don’t have the same dreams as Rachel (I don’t want to be a mogul or friends of the rich and famous) she still spoke words into my heart that urge me to move past the limitations that I allow myself to believe and reach for so much more. I just want to live a life that abundantly serves others,  but in a way where I feel blessed to do so, and not in a way that leaves me depleted and overwhelmed.

I’m looking at my life with greater expectations.

I would recommend this book to any woman out there who feels stuck in a rut, any woman who needs someone to tell her that she’s made for more than what she’s settled for in the past, and any woman who is looking for a cheerleader and a coach to tell her what she needs to do to get out of her own way in order to live a beautiful and full life.

7380C0C8-9BA0-40EF-B9EA-B0200B7BC90B.png

Interested in Keto?

Posted on by

0

As soon as it was evident that I’d lost weight, people began asking how I did it. Truthfully, my weight fluctuates as much to ten pounds up and down so it took a while for people to start questioning how I’d done it, but I was glad to tell them once they asked. Most people had heard of keto but didn’t know anything about it. Some people thought I was asking for a heart attack with all that fat. Some questioned how my cholesterol levels must look (assuming they must be awful). After a few weeks and months, more and more people started asking me more about the diet. They wanted to know what I ate in a day. Did I count calories, carbohydrates, fiber, etc? I was happy to tell them, but I also wanted to arm them with knowledge. I wanted them to decide for themselves based on research if this diet was one that they could believe in and actually stick to. I realize that on any particular subject there will be multiple sides with varying opinions, but I want to always make sure I don’t make decisions based on trends or fads.

I am going to link several studies. If you are interested in learning more about a ketogenic diet, these studies will help you learn more and see what research shows. I hope they will be helpful and that you will be inspired to do more research on your own. Also, Mark Sisson has a great website and podcast about primal eating and the ketogenic diet.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-keto-diet-gains-popularity-scientists.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/diagnosis-diet/201809/latest-low-carb-study-all-politics-no-science

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/13/493739074/50-years-ago-sugar-industry-quietly-paid-scientists-to-point-blame-at-fat

Whenever I read articles or “studies” which claim that the keto diet is all meat and no vegetables, I get irritated. Mostly, because I don’t know anyone who eats like that. I am extremely sensitive to protein so I eat meat (fish, chicken, turkey, or uncured pork) once or twice a week at most. Most days my diet mostly consists of several salads, cheese, eggs, and avocados. I also eat broccoli, green beans, and berries. If the fiber grams are subtracted from the total carbohydrate counts, my carb count still comes in below 50 grams daily.

I always recommend that if you are planning on starting a new diet or exercise program that you talk to your medical doctor first. I am closely followed by my own doctor. My bloodwork is also done every six months. I am very happy to report that my numbers are excellent.

D8E58B26-1580-4556-914A-3C3D3CB4E8C1.jpeg

 

One last thing, I went off the diet for a week while in Disney World (we had the dining plan). I felt horrible! I went to bed with a massive stomachache for the first two nights. I could hardly wait to get back home and back on the diet. The experience solidified the fact that this diet is the one that works well for me and that leaves me feeling the best overall.

I would love to hear your comments or questions.

Best Stain Cleaner {Puracy}

Posted on by

0

Throughout my life I’ve tried to look for ways to be more “natural”.  I’ve cleaned with vinegar and essential oils. I’ve tried the newest “all natural” cleaners. I’ve even made my kids do school experiments to see which cleaner is more effective with Petri dishes, mop water, and various cleaners. Within the last couple of years or so, I’ve stumbled across an American brand of cleaners that is natural and not harmful to the environment. The brand is Puracy. I love their cleaners. I especially love their stain remover. I love it so much that I make a point to carry some with me anytime I’ll be doing laundry (on vacation, short trips, every day of my life basically). We use their shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, lotion, stain remover, and general all purpose cleaner. My daughter even uses it at college. When one of her roommates, who works at a famous ice cream shop, came home with a shirt stained with chocolate ice cream my daughter told her she had to try the stain remover. Her roommate assured her she’d tried everything to get the stain out. My daughter told her she just had to try it. Of course, it worked and now she’s a Puracy devotee too. I don’t get anything for passing along my love of this brand to everyone out there. I just like to know what works and what is worth my time and money, and I want to pass along that information to anyone else who may be looking for something natural and effective. 8d8bdb3d-68e5-4fc4-acdf-67010cfbaa9b

Party On{Dinosaur Birthday Party}

Posted on by

2

I can’t believe I haven’t shared one of my favorite parties of all time.

David is like every other five-year-old boy I’ve ever met! He loves dinosaurs!! He knows most of their names, and whether they were carnivores or herbivores. He knows about how they fought. He surprises me regularly with his dinosaur knowledge. So there was no question that we would have a dinosaur birthday party for his fifth birthday.

506ee3d8-eb70-45d7-84ec-147eab2f378fce259b24-29af-4190-9877-a635bdca3bf905b7496c-0df5-4671-ad96-f61558567846537b0079-a038-4cb1-bc3c-b07f9b5fd4a8We served “dinosaur” eggs. I made these deviled eggs by cracking the shells and placing them in water with food coloring for awhile. I also bought some silicone dinosaur molds for small chocolates. I made fossil cookies out of sugar cookies and when they were just about done, I pressed a small dinosaur toy into the cookies. My daughter made a volcano cake out of Rice Krispies and a real cake. We put a cup in the middle and put dry ice in so it would look like it was erupting.

1c5fc5f3-c528-4e8a-903d-aa562bccf371ea450f78-8dcb-485b-bc27-1294ef761ab7894ce623-3dde-4ab4-9cff-8aaa1db38ced652867a9-b23f-4eed-bc05-4b8a32c99532For activities, we had an ice age game. I had a cooler of dinosaurs and icy water. In 20 seconds, the players had to rescue as many dinosaurs as the could. 369f73fd-3b53-4137-adc4-4958efb6048e

We also made dinosaur bath bombs. Bath bombs are all the rage, so this was a fun activity.

209d2e0e-4c7f-4d43-8dbf-996ae5ba0216

We did our trivia game as usual. We also did a photo scavenger hunt. I find this is one of the only ways I can get lots of pictures of the party-goers. We did the unwrapping game as always. We also did Dino egg pong (just like beer pong without the beer). I also bought wooden 3-d dinosaur puzzles. They were so hard, only the adults could do them, and even then, most gave up.

c4b4d841-8ef7-4f4c-a6df-48c7578428301faa1401-d6f0-46a9-a0a5-5f8b816eed16d334506c-e657-4c28-a2f6-472529724bb7

e175f6df-c672-435d-8713-dd1352b86d99b6e880b4-cee7-44ce-8e05-1f3f22fe66bd

It was a very busy, but fun party!

Happy New Year

Posted on by

2

2018, you were a rough one. Many of your 365 days were so very hard, but they were also scattered with so many blessings!

I am so hopeful for the new year. 2019, I pray you are a great year!

In the next few days, I hope that my presence here on this blog will be more frequent. I am trying new recipes. I have lots to share about the things that have gone on in the last few months. I have some new things on the horizon.

Happy New Year to you and yours! Here’s to today and the days ahead!

toast party ball cheers

Photo by Caio Resende on Pexels.com

 

 

 

Thankful in Every Season

Posted on by

0

 

I hope this Thanksgiving finds you all feeling grateful and blessed.

I haven’t been as active as I was previously due to a thousand little reasons and a few big ones. During the more difficult seasons of life, I find that I draw inward and even stop writing in my daily planner. Just getting through each day can seem to be a struggle.

As a result of this particularly difficult season that my family has been in over the last few months, I am actually feeling more grateful than usual.

Without going into a ton of detail, my mother fell and broke both her arms, then found out she has the very earliest stage of colon cancer, and one of my children has been struggling with depression and all that goes with it. Even though these are things that are not good, I am thankful for my family who will step up and help out when we need them. I am grateful for doctors who are so intelligent, discerning, and thorough in what they do. I am thankful for true friends who know that sometimes all I need is to know that they are there when I need them. I feel blessed that my husband’s job offers good benefits which make finding help easier. I am most grateful that my God never leaves my side. I can come to Him in every moment and cry out to him in joy and despair. I am loved and cherished by my Savior who died for me. For that, there is nothing for which to be more grateful!

Every one of us will go through hard seasons in life, but I pray that I will always be able to find things that make me realize how truly blessed I am. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!

In-Every-Thing-Give-Thanks-Neat-Free-Printable-e1447607973807

This image is the property of the linked blog. Please, visit her blog for this free printable and many more!

https://www.neathousesweethome.com/free-thanksgiving-chalkboard-art-printables/

Sausage Cheese Rolls {Keto}

Posted on by

0

I’m sure I’m not the only person who used to love sausage cheese balls. Those little balls made of Bisquik, cheese, and sausage were a favorite of mine for sure! I wanted to duplicate it as closely as possible while making it Keto friendly.

I’ve attempted this recipe many times. This was my first win at it.

02087BD7-1A90-41B8-996B-ACFAD39CE86B.jpeg

Here’s what I did:

Keto Sausage Cheese Rolls

Cook 2 packages of breakfast sausage. Put the cooked sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and 2 1/2 to 3 cups of shredded cheese in a bowl and mix. When cooled a little, add 2 eggs and 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1/4 cup almond flour. Mix well. Preheat an oven to 350. Roll them into balls and cook them until they brown. A warning: They will spread out so don’t put them too close to each other.

Enjoy!

Regrets

Posted on by

0

I have always hated the feeling of regret. The dread of it has caused me to change my plans or my mind on many instances. It has also protected me many times. It has left me wondering other times.

Both of my grandmothers were good cooks. I had many more opportunities to experience my Granny’s food than my Grandmomma’s. I have a few of my Granny’s actual dishes, but I have none of her recipes. I regret that I never asked her how she made her green beans so much better than average. I wish I had her recipe for lemon meringue pie. I’ve never had a better one than hers.

Her life was so different than mine. My sweet, tiny Grandmomma was the same.  I wish I could go back and ask how they did it. How did they deal with the questions, doubts, fears, and regrets? How did they keep on keeping on when their lives were collapsing in on them?

What I find myself longing for are connections to their lives, connections to their times. I need to know that we all want and need the same basic things, no matter when or where we live.

I regret that I do not have a single recipe from either of my grandmothers. (If your grandmother or mother wants to be a surrogate to me, I would happily, graciously, and enormously appreciate her recipe for anything!! Please, feel free to leave the recipe or just a link to it in a comment, and I would greatly appreciate it!)

A recipe may seem like such an inconsequential thing. As many of my children approach adulthood, I find myself second guessing every moment that I can remember. I know that I couldn’t do it 100% right. I want them to know, though, that even though I’m not perfect, I do want the very best for them.  I want to leave them with lingering memories of the love that existed for them. Love that sought to nourish and sustain them, just like those meals my grandmothers made for their families.

If you are lucky enough to still have grandparents or parents living, please ask for those recipes that are special to you, and if you can get them to write it down for you, you’ll treasure it even more!

 

 

Best Beach Towels {Dock and Bay}

Posted on by

0

It’s sadly been too long since our beach vacation, but I did discover the best beach towels ever before our last visit to my favorite place. They are from a company called Dock and Bay. The towels are ultra light and fast drying. Personally, I cannot stand coming out of the pool to find my towel is still wet from the last time I used it. It doesn’t get me dry or warm like that. I have bought too many towels over the years trying to find just the right ones. Finally, after way too much money and time, I think I’ve found it! They come in several sizes and shapes. They also come in a variety of colors. I love that they are soft to the touch and the colors are vibrant. Each towel comes in a canvas-type carrying case. We monogrammed the cases so we could keep up with whose was whose I also loved, loved, loved how they were packaged!! The plastic is biodegradable and says you could even eat it, but the directions say it doesn’t taste good so you shouldn’t. I just loved everything about these towels and the company. If you’re lucky enough to still have a vacation planned, go check out Dock and Bay Towels.

1237DACA-98F6-4C98-9E7D-B520CDB1932A

I Love {Barre3 online}

Posted on by

0

Every once in awhile, I’ll come across a workout channel or website that I really enjoy. Even though I work out at the gym almost everyday, I still like the option of doing workouts at home. Some mornings I will put on a Barre3 workout and go through one of their routines. They have so many options. There at 10, 30, and 60 minutes options. There are workouts with and without props.

Many Americans do not exercise enough and have sedentary jobs as well. The CDC states:

“Key Guidelines for Adults
All adults should avoid inactivity. Some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.
For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalence combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably, it should be spread throughout the week.
For additional and more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalence combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity. Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond this amount.
Adults also should do muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate- or high-intensity and involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits.”

Barre3 is a great way for everyone to get in those recommended minutes of exercise. It can be done at home and there are modifications for most exercises if there are joint or mobility issues. Starting on June 18, they are offering free workouts sent to your inbox. All you have to do is register online here.