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What to do when you don't feel like working out
We all have the workout blues from time to time right? I had them just today. I knew I wanted to wrap up my weights regimen today so that I could either rest or run tomorrow depending on the weather (and what time I wake up) :) but this morning I just didn't feel motivated. What to do, what to do....I got down there and did it! So here are my tips to help you kick it when you don't feel like it:
1) Dress for success
Sometimes just putting your workout clothes on is enough motivation! It's like they whisper to you "when you wear me, you can do amazing things!"....or something ;-) Today when I was feeling blah, I made sure to put on my "cute" workout clothes, not just my clothes that can sometimes be designated as workout clothes because I don't really care about them and they don't really fit that well...
If you are interested in my personal recommendation ( although there are super cute clothes that you can get at target or other places as well!) I just came across this amazing store at The Greene called Bend and I am in LOVE! Their clothing is made super well, with super comfortable materials and it's just generally amazing. I love the feel and the look of it. I also bought some new running shoes last week. My old ones were kind of tight and they also made my feet heat up to 1,000 degrees when I was running. Not pleasant. These were on sale in the Nike store at the outlet mall!
1) Dress for success
Sometimes just putting your workout clothes on is enough motivation! It's like they whisper to you "when you wear me, you can do amazing things!"....or something ;-) Today when I was feeling blah, I made sure to put on my "cute" workout clothes, not just my clothes that can sometimes be designated as workout clothes because I don't really care about them and they don't really fit that well...
If you are interested in my personal recommendation ( although there are super cute clothes that you can get at target or other places as well!) I just came across this amazing store at The Greene called Bend and I am in LOVE! Their clothing is made super well, with super comfortable materials and it's just generally amazing. I love the feel and the look of it. I also bought some new running shoes last week. My old ones were kind of tight and they also made my feet heat up to 1,000 degrees when I was running. Not pleasant. These were on sale in the Nike store at the outlet mall!
2) Pick some upbeat music!
Or really, whatever you feel like jamming to! I love Pandora because you can decide what mood you are in and choose a station accordingly! Let the music get you going.
3) Just do it
I know, I know....I couldn't think of anything better to say? What I mean is, sometimes all it takes is forcing yourself to get in the area that you normally work out in. For me recently it's down in the basement. So I head on down to the basement, put some pandora on, and get into stretching. If it's the gym, just get yourself to the gym. Once you are in your workout environment you will make it happen!
4) Have goals, shake it up, and reach out to others if you need to.
There are so many options out there! If you need to workout at home, Pinterest, Bodybuilding.com and Google are your friends. If you are able to get to the gym, have goals (and celebrate your achievements)! Do you want to run a certain distance? Find or create a plan. Do you want to lift a certain amount? Establish a timeline of goals. Shake up your workouts so you don't get bored! Along with my goal of getting through these bodybuilding workouts (which is totally new for me!) I have other goals like achieving my first pull up, getting all the way down in my straddles and splits....things like that!
Don't ever feel bad about falling off the wagon or needing some encouragement. We ALL need that at times! Have a friend, spouse, or trainer be someone you can text when you feel unmotivated. Just this morning I was texting my husband and he told me he had felt the same way but made it to the gym anyway and got through his workout. Shortly after that I was down in the basement kicking butt.
Make sure you incorporate rest days into your program and also make sure that what you are eating helps your progress instead of hindering it! If you need any encouragement or suggestions I'm always willing to chat!
XO
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| Getting there...... |
Green Smoothies
Hello! I'm laughing a little bit right now at how varied in content my recent posts have been....welcome to my brain :) Today I want to tell you about the glories of green smoothies and why I think you should try them! This is something (like running) that Patrick got me involved in when we met. I was pretty resistant at first but now I'm obviously on board. I'm someone that likes to read about the WHY behind something, so I read The Green Smoothies Diet and learned all about different ingredients, health benefits, and how to get going.
I think there are different levels of green smoothiers. Beginners, Intermediate, and Hard Core. The Beginners smoothies taste very sweet and have lots of fruit. The intermediate has plenty of greens but still leans towards some sweetness, and the hardcore smoothies are green green green and basically taste like grass. I have had some hard core smoothies (think blending up the lemon rind with the lemon because of the nutrients) but generally I think I'm a more intermediate smoothie drinker. I like them to have a little sweetness even though they are packed with nutrients.
How do you build a smoothie? It's easy! I'll show you how and then you can mix and match however you want to make it to your taste:
Base:
If you are watching calories, use water as your base. Don't worry, all the fruits and veggies flavor it right up. Other options are almond milk, coconut milk, or coconut water. I also like my smoothie cold and always add a few ice cubes. 1cup of liquid is a good start. If you star blending and it's too thick, add more.
Greens: I usually grab a huge handful of spinach. I like spinach because I can use a lot without really tasting it! You can also use kale or a mix of greens that you like.
Fruit: I love to add berries! Blueberries in particular are really great for you (antioxidants and vitamins!) and I'll grab a handful and throw them in. If you have frozen blueberries you won't need ice, but I love to eat them fresh when I can. Pineapple is also great. It's a pretty strong flavor and adds a lot of sweetness. Strawberries, cherries, you name it. You like the fruit? Throw it in.
Sweeteners: Bananas! I didn't add this under fruit because one banana will really add a lot of sweetness. 2-3 dates. Dates are amazing. They add a LOT of sweetness. They also pack a lot of calories (140 in two dates) so if counting calories is a concern just make sure you limit it. You really shouldn't need very many anyway! Honey is also great.
Additions: Flax seed is my normal go-to. I love to dump some flax seed in my smoothies for some omega 3s! Avocados are great for healthy fat and longer satiation! Use up to half an avocado in one smoothie. Chia seeds and other seeds or nuts are great to add in also. I like to throw in a tablespoon of almond butter or sunflower seed butter sometimes too!
When you are eating whole foods as a regular lifestyle I don't normally recommend counting calories (because you don't need to!) but just to give you an idea of what a normal smoothie might look like:
2cup of spinach: 14 cal
1cup of blueberries: 85 cal
Water+ice: 0cal
2tbsp flax: 70 cal
1/2 avocado: 120 cal
1banana: 100 cal
Total: 389 cal
Green smoothies are so great because you aren't cooking any of your food which means you are getting 100% of the nutrients in them! A smoothie like this is a great meal replacement. Have it for breakfast or lunch and then have a snack a few hours later. Adding healthy fats really help the smoothie keep you full longer.
To get more recipes and ingredient suggestions on a regular basis check out Incredible Smoothies on facebook!
Want to get your greens in but really craving something sweeter? Keep it simple and make a chocolate banana smoothie with water, spinach, a banana, some unsweetened cocoa powder (also good for you!) and dates or honey to sweeten. You can play around with the ingredients as much as you want! Want your dessert smoothie to be creamier? Add some avocado. Want more of a peanut butter taste? Add more of the nut butter. The possibilities are endless - what's YOUR favorite?
Overwhelmed with Thankfulness
Sometimes as I go through my day, whether it be working out, cooking dinner, grocery shopping, teaching, writing, or designing cool shoes, I am just overwhelmed with thankfulness. Do you ever just think about your life and realize how amazing it is? I do. Almost every single day.
Granted, my husband and I both went through horribly awful, sad, uncomfortable points in our lives before we settled into this happy phase together, but sometimes I catch myself waiting for the other shoe to drop! I feel like I don't deserve to be this happy. I didn't earn my wonderful husband, my loving son, our beautiful home or our sweet cuddly dog....
I especially feel this way when I think about other countries and some of the awful conditions in which people live day to day, how Christians are persecuted and killed, and I wonder why God allowed me to be one of the people who doesn't have to suffer those things.
I am deeply grateful for the time and place God chose to bring me into this world. I hope I never take the life He gave me for granted and I hope that I use my life for whatever purpose He has given it to me for.
I was recently reading "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey and in it he talks about your perspective, or your paradigm. Sometimes we need a paradigm shift. In other words, a change in our worldview. This is because our attitudes and actions stem from our perspective/paradigm/worldview. He tells a story about how he was riding the subway one day when a man with two kids plops down and closes his eyes. The mans children were loud and disturbing everyone so Mr Covey leaned over and asked the man if he might control his children a little more. The man replied that he probably should. They had just come from the hospital where his wife died shortly before and he didn't know what to do and wasn't sure his kids were handling it properly either. Of course Mr. Coveys perspective changed in that moment.
In my life, I could choose to be negative about any number of things, but if my perspective is right I will choose to be thankful. I'm so far from perfect, but one thing I know is that choosing a positive/thankful attitude makes my life a whole lot more enjoyable :)
Col 3:1-4
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears,then you also will appear with him in glory.
Religion based on Opinion
Facebook is an interesting thing. I am friends with SO many people with an extreme variety of beliefs. I always find it funny for example when one of my liberal friends posts something opinionated and one of my far right friends posts something just as opinionated and Facebook laughs and puts them back to back on my timeline. Those things amuse me. I do try to be friends with many people. I don't discriminate and I will love you regardless of what you believe. I generally try not to be controversial myself for a few reasons. First, I hate confrontation. Normally it is very unproductive and just stresses me out. Secondly, in Romans 12, we are instructed to love one another and when at all possible live in peace with everyone.
I do however enjoy discussions which I find to be completely different than a confrontation. If you believe what you believe and you know why you believe it then generally we can have a great conversation and learn about each other's beliefs without being personally offended or hurt, or attacking each other. That being said, I'm going to share a belief I hold about "Religion based on your opinion". Allow me to preface this by saying that I am by no means an expert on the Catholic church and do not claim to be. My Mom was raised Catholic however, I have dated a catholic, I have had a lot of exposure to what the Catholic church believes and promotes, and I have had many discussions about Catholic theology so I do feel like I can generally hold a conversation about it and what the differences are between what Catholics believe and what I believe and why.
That being said, I was scrolling through my Facebook page yesterday when I saw someone make note that the Pope appointed Father Barron to be Auxiliary Bishop of LA. (whaaaat?) Thanks to Google I know what that means. :) An auxiliary bishop is one who is assigned to a diocese because either the bishop there can't perform his duties, or the area is so large they need more than one. So then I noticed that this Father Barron is a super popular priest. He has a ministry called Word on Fire and he has a website, youtube videos and is generally kind of a "hip/modern" priest. I clicked on one of his Youtube homilies: Is Hell crowded or empty? I started watching it and became concerned pretty quickly. Instead of focusing on scripture (he loosely refers to it but never quotes it directly), he focuses on people, the church, traditions, and his own opinions to come up with his final belief system. This is something that is very dangerous for us as Christians. You should *always* go back to the Bible and see what it really says. Please feel free to open the video in a separate browser window and walk through it with me...
Video; 0:00-:5:25 - He begins with Rob Bell and the fact that Bell teaches that no-one ends up in hell and calls him a moralist/universalist. This is true...so far so good. Barron goes on to reference some parables that Jesus taught referring to Hell and the existence of eternal punishment stating "we didn't just drag this language of hell out of nowhere, it's coming up from Jesus himself.". Great! Around 1:45-1:50 He says, "And then as the tradition unfolds, we see this question debated back and forth." What tradition is he referring to? Just to clarify for you, it's the tradition of the catholic church. Next, Barron reviews ideas from several past theologians. He begins with Origin of Alexandria who believes that in the end, all will be saved... even the devil and his demons. Barron goes on to state "well the church condemned apocatastasis..." Notice, his focus is on the fact that the church condemns it, not that it contradicts scripture. This is dangerous because how do you know if the church is right or wrong? They are, after all, comprised of human beings. One verse you can use to refute apoca-whatever-it-is:
Revelation 20:10 "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
So clearly Satan does not ,in the end, become redeemed.....So far the Catholic church and I are on the same page, I just wish he use scripture to defend why. He continues on to the theologian Augustine of Hippo who believed in original sin, which resulted in the whole human race deserving hell. Augustine also subscribed to the belief that a handful of people are "chosen" to be saved. Friar Barron calls this view very pessimistic. Now, while we could debate the semantics of God's choosing people verses free will to salvation (calvinism vs. arminianism which are both protestant belief systems), overall this belief system is much closer to what scripture says.
Original Sin/Born with sin results in eternal separation from God:
Romans 3:23-25a "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. "
and
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 3:10 "As it is written, there is no one righteous, not even one."
To me, this is pretty clear cut. Without accepting Jesus as our savior, we are, as pessimistic or negative as you may feel it is, doomed to an eternity without Christ. (By the way to me this is not unfair or pessimistic, but that's an entirely separate blog post).
Video: 3:10 the video continues and Barron moves on to Thomas Aquinas - Aquinas believes that most go to hell and also believes that part of the Joy in Heaven is to look down and see God's justice being served. Ok I don't have a scripture for this (and I'm pretty sure this statement is more of an opinion and not a theological belief point anyway) ...so in MY opinion since there are no tears in heaven (Rev 21:4), I cannot imagine this as a possibility. When your hearts are perfected to be like Jesus' heart, and your souls are in heaven and your mind knows everything perfectly, I find it hard to believe that anyone would find Joy in God's justice while watching a family member suffer while being separated for eternity. Hmmmm..... continuing through history to Karl Barth - Barron states that Barth's belief is "pretty much a universalist position and that through the cross of Jesus, all people are saved, and the church's job is to announce this good news to the world." Barron kind of blows past this and moves on to the next guy but woah woah woah. This is so far off scripture!
Mark 16:15-16
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Maybe that wasn't the point Barron wanted to focus on, so he continues right on to what seems to be his favorite theologian Hans urs von Bathasar. Bathasar said "We may reasonably hope that all people may be saved".
Now if you want, you can listen to the video from 5:25 on, but I have included a transcript of what Barron says. I've underlined a few things that I will come back to....Barron says,
"My own view, having surveyed this grand tradition, my own view is that Bathasar had it pretty much right. I think that God desires all people to be saved. God has gone to the limits of God forsakenness to effect this salvation. Can it be resisted? Yes, and that's why we have to hold to the existence of hell. At least as a possibility. See hell, or Gehenna, the fire, all that... Those are spacial and visual metaphors for the state of deep loneliness that comes from having rejected a divine love. That's how I put it. Hell is not so much a place. We use spacial metaphors for it. It's a condition, it's a state of being. It's having refused in freedom, the divine love. And it results in this terrible loneliness. We have to accept the possibility of hell, we have to accept the existence of it as a possibility because of human freedom. But, are any human beings IN hell? We don't know. We don't know, the church has never declared on that subject. And, and we may pray that all be saved and may even have reasonable HOPE that all may be saved. So it's a universalism if you want, but not of the Origin, Barth, or Rob Bell variety, where I know everyone will be saved. It's a theologically grounded reasonable hope that all will be saved. You know, in light of that, let me say a word about C.S. Lewis because he gave one of the best images, I think, for hell. He said "The door to hell, is always locked from the inside, not from the outside." It's not so much that God sends someone to hell and then locks the door, rather we send ourselves there. If anyone's in hell, he or she sent himself or sent herself there and now has locked the door. I've used the image before of heaven's like this great party. It's a share in the divine life. Everyone's invited. Hell would be the state of that person who has slunk into the corner and refused to join the party. Has locked himself into this sad, and dark, and lonely place. Not so much sent there by an avenging God, but a self imposed exile. That's hell as a possibility. Just a last thought. Hell you might say, is a corollary of two more fundamental teachings. Namely that God is love, and that we are free. You can't hold to those two, and I think everyone wants to hold to those two...that God is love and we are free...if those are both true, you have to accept hell as a possibility. Because the divine love can be refused in our freedom. When it's refused, it causes pain. You know, it's as simple as that. That's why Lewis again says "The love of God lights up the fires of hell." See what he means is, the love of God when resisted, hurts. It pains us. But not an arbitrary imposition, it's a self imposed exile. I think that's the best way, from the Catholic perspective, to grasp this complex issue of hell and salvation. Bottom line, we may reasonably hope that all people will be saved. "
I will just go through the text in the order that he did:
1) Grand Tradition. My biggest issue with this entire youtube video/homily/sermon if you can call it that, is that scripture isn't anywhere. It's a lot of abstract thought, a lot of church traditions, a lot of trust in human ideas passed down through the years (which by the way has evolved and changed as you see happen throughout his historical summary) and it's all condensed to be what seems like this kind of nice, non-offensive, happy middle ground of belief.
2)God desires all people to be saved. Of course He does! This we can agree on. Let's back that up with some scripture.
1 Tim 2:3-6a
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
3) Because we can resist God, we have to hold to the existence, or possibility of the existence, of hell. Wait a minute....Because of free will? Because we are sinners who have the ability to say no? That's why we believe something? What about the Bible? What about the fact that the Bible references it, a LOT? What about Revelation 21:8, Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Matthew 13:50, Mark 9:43, Jude 1:7, Proverbs 23:14, Matthew 25:41, 2 Peter 2:4-10, Revelation 20:13-14.....you get the idea.
4) Hell is a spacial metaphor - it's a state of being. Great! So I don't have to worry about NOT believing in God or Jesus, or salvation because the absolute worst thing that will happen is that I will be super lonely. That's comforting... so Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, and Nero are all in heaven right now, they are just super lonely because they rejected God's love....
5) This is my favorite. We have to believe it's a possibility, but we can't know for sure if anyone actually goes to hell. Why? Because the church has never come out and made an official statement about it. I'm sorry, but I missed the memo where I needed an organization to interpret scripture for me. I would rather read it myself and see what is actually says. Refer to #3.
6) I lied, this might be my favorite. Barron says this is a theologically based belief. What? What theology is this and what's it based on? Some random mix of dead, fallible humans who claimed to believe in scripture and also embraced Catholicism so it's acceptable to mush them all together to come up with something that makes you feel all warm and mushy inside? Sometimes the Bible isn't comfortable. Sometimes Truth isn't comfortable. Sometimes telling the Truth is hard. If no one was going to be permanently separated from God because of our sin nature (which by definition separates us from God in His perfection until we accept his forgiveness and salvation and are declared righteous as well) then why in the world would he sacrifice his son as an offering to cover those sins? This whole theory diminishes the power of the cross and the incredible sacrifice and covering for our sins that it was.
7) Ok, ok, so let's all agree hell is actually a possibility....Barron likens it to be invited to a party, going to the party, and then not participating. So.....everyone GOES to heaven they just aren't happy in heaven? Either this is a horrible metaphor for what he actually believes, or what he actually believes is horrible. There are so many things wrong with this.
First of all, not everyone gets to heaven ok? If you believe what the Bible says, it just is what it is:
Matthew 7: 13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (also see verses 21-23, Rev 20:11-15, and all of point#3 above).
Secondly, there is no way anyone is getting into heaven without an eternity of happiness...No one will be a sad wallflower in the party of heaven.
Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
8) Once again, he sums it up trying to explain the Catholic perspective. I wouldn't necessarily have an issue with this is if was a debate between denominations trying to explain how one belief differed from another, but as far as I can tell this is a homily for church goers/believers to find answers and there are no scripture references, and no real theology. Instead, it's religion based on opinion. Opinions of humans, and opinions of a large organization.
The Bible warns us of false prophets, wolfs in sheep's clothing, lies that are so carefully disguised they appear to be the Truth. How are you able to discern what is true and what isn't? How do you know that even if something makes you feel good, is politically correct, doesn't offend your friends so it must be right....is wrong? How do you know if what you believe is RIGHT? How do you know if your discomfort in something is good or bad?
You have to personally read the Bible and see what it says. You can't depend on anyone else to do that for you. Read the chapter the verses come from so that you understand context and where they are coming from.
If you are a friend of mine and are not a Christian, this might be a loaded/offensive/difficult/confusing post. This is really directed at fellow believers who also believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God. If you want to talk to me about what I believe I would love to talk to you. I believe that Jesus is the son of God, I believe that humans are born with a sin nature and therefore are eternally separated from God until they accept salvation. I believe that God sent Jesus to earth in human form 100% God and 100% human as the ultimate sacrifice/payment for our sins. I believe that Jesus is our one and only mediator (1 Tim 2:5), meaning we do not need other humans or organizations or saints to intervene on our behalf because Jesus is now our mediator. I believe that if we accept that Jesus is God and that his death paid the consequences for our sins, then through his grace we are saved and will spend eternity with him. We are able to do that even though we are imperfect beings because as scripture says:
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace have you been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it was the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast."
We can never earn our way into heaven or out of hell. All sins are equal. God provides his gift of salvation to anyone who accepts it and believes in Him. I am not a universalist because I am a Christian who believes that there is only one way to heaven:
John 14:6
"Jesus answered. 'I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through me."
There is only one way, but he made it easy!
Romans 10:9
"If you declare with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
You may read this and disagree with me. and that's OK! As long as you know why. =) XO
Hashtag First World Problems
Isn't it a beautiful day today?! Oh my goodness, my family just got back from a long weekend trip in Nashville where the weather was suffocatingly hot and humid! We loved it, but WHEW! Coming home to 80 degree weather is almost refreshing.
Today I just wanted to share with you a few real life real (first) world problems I have been having. This summer has been particularly difficult for me in regards to health/fitness/wellbeing. I believe it's a combination of travel (which makes controlling ingredients in food more difficult), and Summer (Keegan being home means it's a lot harder for me to get to the gym or make time for workouts).So I'm just going to share a few things I have been having a hard time with and what my goals/solutions are. Maybe it can help you too!
PROBLEMS:
1) Weight gain. To anyone else it's probably a non-issue but to ME, I've gained a few pounds and can't seem to drop them! It's not enough to buy new clothes or have people say "oh she's gained some weight!" but it's enough to make me uncomfortable and want to make some changes.
2) Bloating and acid reflux. I have REALLY struggled with bloating/digestion and often feeling like there is a brick right below my belly. Not sexy. Just this alone makes me feel fatter than I am and I hate that feeling! Acid reflux is so uncomfortable and not something I typically have an issue with but I think this may be related to all my traveling and not being strict enough with my food ingredients.
3)Fitness. I am doing my best at keeping active this summer, but it gets difficult. I don't go to the gym because there is no kids corner and I don't really enjoy running when it's over 70degrees. I have made some efforts to do in home workouts or take advantage when the weather is nice early in the morning but I think I need more of a schedule/goal.
Overall, this summer has just been kind of "blah" in regards to consistency! So I have a few solutions because I know what I need to do to get back on track!
SOLUTIONS:
1) Elimination diet. This is my most important solution because it will help with most of the problems. I was supposed to start this over a month ago but with all my traveling I have really been loose about it. (When you go to Hershey, PA, how can you say no to chocolate?!) I will be very strict about dairy, peanuts, eggs and grains (more than just wheat, I will be eliminating corn and rice as well, at least for a period of a few weeks). After the few weeks I will try a few of these ingredients back in my diet to confirm what my trigger foods are and what I can actually handle. ** I will NEVER bring wheat back into my diet. It's poison. :)
2) Good food intake. While I'm eliminating food, I'm also making sure to get good foods in. I'm going to be focusing on green smoothies, vegetables, meats, nuts, and fruits.
3) In order to be successful with 1 and 2, I am making an effort to plan ahead. For example, when I got home last night I premade a side that I can grab anytime out of the fridge and heat up in a few seconds in the microwave. I stocked the fridge with fruit that I can make into a salad or eat alone and veggies with some hummus to snack on.
4) Fitness - I haven't come up with a written out weekly goal yet, but I think I will be focusing more on weights rather than cardio (unless it's cool enough to run) for the next few weeks. Weights build more muscle which burns more fat during the day without doing anything. It has more long term effect than cardio anyway. It's also something I can do in my house whenever I want!
Feel free to keep me accountable and/or ask for recipes or suggestions if YOU are having trouble being consistent! I was actually relieved when we came home from our vacation because I knew I would be home for awhile now with no traveling and I can really get focused on what I'm eating so I can feel better fast!
Here's a fun little tip for you: I have a go to spice mix that I use on a few different things. It's super good for your belly and I LOVE the flavors. I do this to taste so I don't have any measurements for you...
Suggested Uses: Chop up cauliflower to tiny little bits and cook it in a pan with lots of coconut oil (maybe 1/4 cup). Mix in spices until you like the flavor and cook until the cauliflower is tender.
Another option is to use sweet potatoes and make a hash. You can either cut sweet potatoes up into squares and cook with all the spices or if you have a food processor, peel the sweet potatoes and shred the pieces using the shred attachment. Add the spices and cook in the skillet until tender.
Let me know if you have other ways to use this spice blend!
Today I just wanted to share with you a few real life real (first) world problems I have been having. This summer has been particularly difficult for me in regards to health/fitness/wellbeing. I believe it's a combination of travel (which makes controlling ingredients in food more difficult), and Summer (Keegan being home means it's a lot harder for me to get to the gym or make time for workouts).So I'm just going to share a few things I have been having a hard time with and what my goals/solutions are. Maybe it can help you too!
PROBLEMS:
1) Weight gain. To anyone else it's probably a non-issue but to ME, I've gained a few pounds and can't seem to drop them! It's not enough to buy new clothes or have people say "oh she's gained some weight!" but it's enough to make me uncomfortable and want to make some changes.
2) Bloating and acid reflux. I have REALLY struggled with bloating/digestion and often feeling like there is a brick right below my belly. Not sexy. Just this alone makes me feel fatter than I am and I hate that feeling! Acid reflux is so uncomfortable and not something I typically have an issue with but I think this may be related to all my traveling and not being strict enough with my food ingredients.
3)Fitness. I am doing my best at keeping active this summer, but it gets difficult. I don't go to the gym because there is no kids corner and I don't really enjoy running when it's over 70degrees. I have made some efforts to do in home workouts or take advantage when the weather is nice early in the morning but I think I need more of a schedule/goal.
Overall, this summer has just been kind of "blah" in regards to consistency! So I have a few solutions because I know what I need to do to get back on track!
SOLUTIONS:
1) Elimination diet. This is my most important solution because it will help with most of the problems. I was supposed to start this over a month ago but with all my traveling I have really been loose about it. (When you go to Hershey, PA, how can you say no to chocolate?!) I will be very strict about dairy, peanuts, eggs and grains (more than just wheat, I will be eliminating corn and rice as well, at least for a period of a few weeks). After the few weeks I will try a few of these ingredients back in my diet to confirm what my trigger foods are and what I can actually handle. ** I will NEVER bring wheat back into my diet. It's poison. :)
2) Good food intake. While I'm eliminating food, I'm also making sure to get good foods in. I'm going to be focusing on green smoothies, vegetables, meats, nuts, and fruits.
3) In order to be successful with 1 and 2, I am making an effort to plan ahead. For example, when I got home last night I premade a side that I can grab anytime out of the fridge and heat up in a few seconds in the microwave. I stocked the fridge with fruit that I can make into a salad or eat alone and veggies with some hummus to snack on.
4) Fitness - I haven't come up with a written out weekly goal yet, but I think I will be focusing more on weights rather than cardio (unless it's cool enough to run) for the next few weeks. Weights build more muscle which burns more fat during the day without doing anything. It has more long term effect than cardio anyway. It's also something I can do in my house whenever I want!
Feel free to keep me accountable and/or ask for recipes or suggestions if YOU are having trouble being consistent! I was actually relieved when we came home from our vacation because I knew I would be home for awhile now with no traveling and I can really get focused on what I'm eating so I can feel better fast!
Here's a fun little tip for you: I have a go to spice mix that I use on a few different things. It's super good for your belly and I LOVE the flavors. I do this to taste so I don't have any measurements for you...
- Turmeric powder
- Garlic (fresh or powdered)
- Onion (real onion not powder, I like to us shallots when possible)
- Cumin (my favorite and I use a TON of it)
- Curry powder (sometimes)
Suggested Uses: Chop up cauliflower to tiny little bits and cook it in a pan with lots of coconut oil (maybe 1/4 cup). Mix in spices until you like the flavor and cook until the cauliflower is tender.
Another option is to use sweet potatoes and make a hash. You can either cut sweet potatoes up into squares and cook with all the spices or if you have a food processor, peel the sweet potatoes and shred the pieces using the shred attachment. Add the spices and cook in the skillet until tender.
Let me know if you have other ways to use this spice blend!
More than 140 characters....
"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God." Isaiah 61:10a
Recently I started a Beth Moore devotional and that was the opening verse today. It ties into my life so thoroughly at the moment I thought I would share.
When my Parents named me, my mom was very careful about it. She made it up so she was careful about the spelling of Kylene and also very careful about the meaning she designated to it. My name means "delights in God." And she assigned me the life verse of Psalm 1:2 "for [her] delight is in the law of the Lord and [she] meditates on it day and night." Then, as if she wanted to drive the point home (and in case I hated my unique name when I grew up) my middle name is Joy. Do you know that most people who are raised understanding the meaning of their name in some way live up to it?
This weekend I took my son on a short little vacation partially to bond and have a good time while my husband is out of town and also to see a friend of mine perform at Sight and Sound theater in Lancaster, PA. I had never heard of that theater until he started working there and told me all about it. It's a Christian theater and they write and produce their own shows, but they only do shows based on the Bible. For example, the show we went to see was the story of Joseph.
Now, you may be thinking 1) Christian arts (drama, movies and music) are usually sub-par and 2) What does this have to do with the verse? No worries! I will address both concerns post haste.
1) Normally I would agree with you. But Sight and Sound theaters match any show I have ever seen on Broadway. They certainly live up to their name by constantly dazzling your senses with beautiful sets, incredible visual effects, beautiful singing and wonderful acting. It was, I would say, in the top 5 shows I've ever seen.
2) This all ties together, and here is how....the way Sight and Sound told the story of Joseph was so beautiful, I was holding back tears many times throughout the show. I was incredibly moved and when I stopped to think about why, it was because not only do I appreciate music, particularly when it's well done, but there were hundreds of people sitting in this room enjoying a show the sole purpose of which was to glorify God .... and it moved me deeply. It felt like the Holy Spirit was jumping for Joy inside of me.
It's hard sometimes in day to day routines to remember my (our) purpose ... That is to rejoice in, delight in, and glorify God. But it's such a tremendous feeling when I do delight in Him. And why wouldn't it be? We are created for that very purpose!!!!!
And why do we delight?
"....for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorn his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels." Isaiah. 61:10
Twenty-Nine
Just kidding :). I'm not that girl! I actually LOVE birthdays and so far I LOVE getting older. As I enjoy my last year of being in my 20s, I have some goals and I'm excited also for the next decade. Every year so far has just gotten better and better ❤️.
Other than New Years, my guess would be that the most frequent time people reflect on their lives and goals is their birthday. Normally I just celebrate and move on, but this year I have a specific "moving into my 30s, let's get this under control now" goal. And that is, loving my body more. Now before you think that this is 1) totally self focused or 2) super new agey, maybe I should phrase it another way: I want to be confident in the body God has given me.
That doesn't mean I'm giving up my love of fitness! Haha. No, rather, it means that even the most fit (way more fit than me) have imperfections in their body and I need to accept mine. Instead of dwelling on them, I need to move on from them and be comfortable and confident as I am. 💪🏻 Basically, focus on the positive! I tend to be a perfectionist in some areas of my life and in those areas it is easy never to feel good enough. When you let that thought take root then it is a destroyer of confidence!
Instead, focus on the positive things! psalm 139:14 says " I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. "
God knows exactly how he made me and you and it is wonderful! He doesn't make mistakes! That doesn't mean we can't strive to be healthy and "in shape", (after all, if our body is Gods temple *1 Cor 6:19* we should take care of it!) but it does mean that I need to relax and ....to be honest....focus on more important things in life :)
So! Here is to 365 days of being 29, and learning to be more confident in who God has made me to be!
It is well with my soul!
Hello friends!
Wow, 2015. Life has been very busy for me this year and VERY exciting, so I thought I would update you on a list of things accomplished, done, or experienced so far....
1) At the beginning of this year I performed 3 months in La Comedias "South Pacific" as Nurse #4. It was so much fun. I met wonderful friends, and while I only had two spoken lines, we made the most of it by coming up with different ways to say them almost every night. I felt like I was practicing improv while getting paid to perform. So it was pretty cool. The positives were friends, performing experience, resume addition, and not having to wonder the rest of my life "what if I auditioned for....?" The negatives were how much time it took and how much it wore me out. I was gone evenings Wednesday-Sunday which in the end I think was not the best situation for my little family. Keegan is a delightful child who doesn't necessarily want to be DOING things with you all the time, but he wants you to be in the house or in his little sphere. That makes him happy. This is something going forward I will have to consider when thinking about future jobs!
Wow, 2015. Life has been very busy for me this year and VERY exciting, so I thought I would update you on a list of things accomplished, done, or experienced so far....
1) At the beginning of this year I performed 3 months in La Comedias "South Pacific" as Nurse #4. It was so much fun. I met wonderful friends, and while I only had two spoken lines, we made the most of it by coming up with different ways to say them almost every night. I felt like I was practicing improv while getting paid to perform. So it was pretty cool. The positives were friends, performing experience, resume addition, and not having to wonder the rest of my life "what if I auditioned for....?" The negatives were how much time it took and how much it wore me out. I was gone evenings Wednesday-Sunday which in the end I think was not the best situation for my little family. Keegan is a delightful child who doesn't necessarily want to be DOING things with you all the time, but he wants you to be in the house or in his little sphere. That makes him happy. This is something going forward I will have to consider when thinking about future jobs!
2) I have been in 3 commercials! Whaaaaaaaaaat....... I know. It's so weird. Who in the world ever thought I would do commercials? It's actually a lot of fun. I did a series of three TV and 3 radio commercials for Directions Credit Union. You can see the videos HERE. Then I did an internal company video for FirstData, advertising their Clover Station POS. Unfortunately, I never saw the end product for that one, but it shot in a cute little coffee shop in Cincy. THEN and this is where it gets crazy - I shot a commercial for Speedway. Yup, the gas station. Like how does this even happen? I didn't have any lines, I was a military wife and mom. This commercial I believe comes out around July 4th - keep an eye out!
3) Health and fitness - Well, In this area I am doing my best and there are a few updates. Remember how I said La Comedia wore me out? About halfway through it my body basically said "ok, I'm done, I'm going to be tired now no matter how much sleep you get.". Towards the end of my undergraduate degree, I was coming home and crashing in the middle of the afternoons etc. Basically, when I get stressed out emotionally or physically, and my schedule becomes more demanding, my body says "peace out!". I was able to see a chiropractor/nutritionist down in NC that my sister has used and confirmed some suspicions. I may have a leaky gut - you can read more about that HERE, but basically, your intestines don't absorb micronutrients and there can be all sorts of issues like skin issues, food reactions, fatigue etc....She also said I probably have adrenal fatigue which is actually why I went to her. Your adrenals control your stress hormones and there fore help your body react properly to stress. When they are fatigued, things go bonkers (again things like fatigue...). Learn about Adrenal Fatigue HERE. Thankfully, there are supplements that can strengthen that and so we are starting a regimen to hopefully balance it out. I am also going to have to do an elimination diet which means certain foods my body may be reacting to now (in my case dairy, peanuts, wheat, eggs) I give up for 2 weeks. Then I reintroduce them one at a time and monitor my body's reactions. Once the real culprit is identified (I'm pretty sure its dairy) then often times your body doesn't really have an issue with the other foods.
4)College - OMG - this wasn't even on my radar to go back to school and get my masters, but a friend of mine from WSU approached me and asked me to consider it and then WSU offered me a full ride! a FULL RIDE! I have some conflicting feelings about it, but how could I say no? This is a big reason I sought help for my fatigue. I want to be able to handle everything thrown at me through this process!
5) Marriage and parenting- well well well.....isn't parenting HARD? haha. I love being a Mom SO MUCH. But we go through phases where I feel HORRIBLE at it. Luckily, I have an amazing kid who loves me, and works on being good, and challenges me to become better. That's something I think that has really happened this year- me growing that is. As Keegan grows so must my parenting skills and abilities. He's about to hit middle school so watch out!!! haha. On the marriage front, I am about to hit my 2 year anniversary and I am so excited about it. For those of you who have known me a long time, you may remember I didn't make it two years last time....I dislike bringing up that relationship because it was so negative, but it just makes me want to celebrate my current relationship SO MUCH MORE. What we have is beyond what I could have imagined and I'm so happy!!!!
6) Celebrations. I love spending time with my family, and when our schedule allows (keegan is in select soccer now, the big boy! So that takes a lot of evenings now.) we try to have dinner once a week with my parents. I love that. MY parents 40th anniversary is tomorrow, and my sister and I decided to throw them a party. Since my parents eloped, we only thought it appropriate to throw them a small wedding. We told them 2 days prior to the event and we were so happy to find out that they loved the idea and got really excited about it!!!! It was so sweet to see my mom in a dress holding a bouquet with my Dad walking her down the isle. When their friends stood up as they walked down, I almost cried! My parents deserve the love and recognition they received this weekend.
As you can see, 2015 has been a busy year and we're only halfway through! God has definitely provided wonderful opportunities. Can't wait for the second half!
Valentine Gift Ideas
Valentine's Day... you either love it or hate it. I personally love it and have for as long as I can remember whether I was single, dating or married. Who doesn't love a good excuse to each chocolate and wear pink or red? I certainly do!
The best Valentine's gifts to me are ones from the heart. Ones that take some thought, some careful planning, and are individualized. Be sure to identify you and your special someone's love language. Don't know what I mean? Check out my post about it here.
If you still need some ideas, here are a few you may still have time for....
2) A manicure, pedicure, or BOTH! Don't underestimate how pampering this is, and for many women including myself, a real TREAT!
3) A weekend away. I personally like to plan (a LOT) but if it was a surprise getaway for a few days (think staycation in a hotel near you) then I think that would be so fun!
4) An evening of surprises - Has she been hinting at things she would like to do with you? Maybe it's been hard to get away to see a movie. Plan a whole afternoon/evening where it covers what she has been wanting to do with you - manicures, dinner, and a movie throughout the day. Leave little notes that tell her how you feel along the way.
4) Chocolates are good of course, and flowers too. But make sure to accompany them with thoughtful notes. List reasons you love her, and let her know that she makes you happy.
2) Leave sticky notes with things you like about him listed on each one leading a trail to his gift (slippers? lingerie? cologne?) Tailor that to your relationship of course :)
3) A scavenger hunt where he has to answer one clue to get to the next location a clue is awaiting him. They could lead to him to a bag of chocolate kisses- redeemable of course for the real things!
4) Something personalized - a DIY t-shirt with his name, couples t-shirts, mugs, something he may enjoy (and use!) that reminds him of your relationship and how much you love him.
2) Take them out on their own "date". Go to lunch and spend some one-on-one time.
3) Buy them a small gift, and accompany it with their favorite candy. Make sure they know how loved they are on this mushy day too!
The best Valentine's gifts to me are ones from the heart. Ones that take some thought, some careful planning, and are individualized. Be sure to identify you and your special someone's love language. Don't know what I mean? Check out my post about it here.
If you still need some ideas, here are a few you may still have time for....
Gifts for Women:
1) A massage. It could be a gift certificate, or an appointment for a couples massage. Either way, you are sure to make someone feel loved....AND relaxed! I personally love Alec's Day Spa!2) A manicure, pedicure, or BOTH! Don't underestimate how pampering this is, and for many women including myself, a real TREAT!
3) A weekend away. I personally like to plan (a LOT) but if it was a surprise getaway for a few days (think staycation in a hotel near you) then I think that would be so fun!
4) An evening of surprises - Has she been hinting at things she would like to do with you? Maybe it's been hard to get away to see a movie. Plan a whole afternoon/evening where it covers what she has been wanting to do with you - manicures, dinner, and a movie throughout the day. Leave little notes that tell her how you feel along the way.
4) Chocolates are good of course, and flowers too. But make sure to accompany them with thoughtful notes. List reasons you love her, and let her know that she makes you happy.
Gifts for Men:
1) Don't underestimate your man's level of gushiness. A framed picture of the two of you with a note telling him why he is the man of your dreams will make some men swoon,2) Leave sticky notes with things you like about him listed on each one leading a trail to his gift (slippers? lingerie? cologne?) Tailor that to your relationship of course :)
3) A scavenger hunt where he has to answer one clue to get to the next location a clue is awaiting him. They could lead to him to a bag of chocolate kisses- redeemable of course for the real things!
4) Something personalized - a DIY t-shirt with his name, couples t-shirts, mugs, something he may enjoy (and use!) that reminds him of your relationship and how much you love him.
Gifts for Kids
1) Make some cookies together and decorate them with icing, and cut them in heart shapes for the occasion!2) Take them out on their own "date". Go to lunch and spend some one-on-one time.
3) Buy them a small gift, and accompany it with their favorite candy. Make sure they know how loved they are on this mushy day too!
I hope you have an amazing day tomorrow,
any way you celebrate!. XOXO
Funk Town
Remember that song? "right about now....the funk so bruthuh..." HA! ok I'll admit I actually liked it...it was catchy! Anyway, today's post isn't me reminiscing about 90s music....unfortunately it's about the fact that I get into a funk sometimes. Like a depressive funk. And it's hard to get out of it because sometimes I want to wallow.
I have a lot of great things going on in my life. In fact, my last blog post was all about those great things and how excited I am! Like any normal human being, I also have a few really negative things in my life as well. I am totally a proponent of cutting negative things out of your life and staying positive etc etc etc...and in effect, that's what I'm trying to do, but unfortunately some past choices are literally haunting me and there is nothing I can do about it.
If I had a platform to speak to young adults/teens, one of the things I would warm them about is how your choices have the potential to affect you years to come. Certainly far beyond what you may expect. I made a major life decision when I was 21 (?), and it has had so many negative consequences I can't even tell you. Of course God uses those things and has blessed me abundantly far beyond what I deserve and I have grown a lot due to those experiences. But occasionally, it just hurts. And today was one of those days where it was overwhelming and it felt unfair. I woke up this morning having to deal with the repercussions, and when I found out that today was just another day without a resolution but that I would have to continue dealing with this some more I cried. And then when I was done crying I settled into my sorry for myself funk. It all boils down to control doesn't it? I don't like this situation because I can't control the outcome. It makes me anxious and it makes me sad. But I know I can only wallow for so long. It's not fair to my amazing, supportive, loving husband, it's not fun for me, and it's unproductive.
And I know that God is in control. If I didn't believe in Jesus as my Savior, if I didn't have hope for a better future, I don't know what I would do in these situations. I am so thankful for the HOPE I have in Jesus. The fact that He is in control is comforting because if I am going to release control to anyone.....I think He's my best bet :-)
I have a lot of great things going on in my life. In fact, my last blog post was all about those great things and how excited I am! Like any normal human being, I also have a few really negative things in my life as well. I am totally a proponent of cutting negative things out of your life and staying positive etc etc etc...and in effect, that's what I'm trying to do, but unfortunately some past choices are literally haunting me and there is nothing I can do about it.
If I had a platform to speak to young adults/teens, one of the things I would warm them about is how your choices have the potential to affect you years to come. Certainly far beyond what you may expect. I made a major life decision when I was 21 (?), and it has had so many negative consequences I can't even tell you. Of course God uses those things and has blessed me abundantly far beyond what I deserve and I have grown a lot due to those experiences. But occasionally, it just hurts. And today was one of those days where it was overwhelming and it felt unfair. I woke up this morning having to deal with the repercussions, and when I found out that today was just another day without a resolution but that I would have to continue dealing with this some more I cried. And then when I was done crying I settled into my sorry for myself funk. It all boils down to control doesn't it? I don't like this situation because I can't control the outcome. It makes me anxious and it makes me sad. But I know I can only wallow for so long. It's not fair to my amazing, supportive, loving husband, it's not fun for me, and it's unproductive.
And I know that God is in control. If I didn't believe in Jesus as my Savior, if I didn't have hope for a better future, I don't know what I would do in these situations. I am so thankful for the HOPE I have in Jesus. The fact that He is in control is comforting because if I am going to release control to anyone.....I think He's my best bet :-)
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Existing Delightfully in 2015
At the end of every year people reflect on how it went and what they want to change or improve upon. For me, 2014 was an amazing year. I wasn't perfect and I didn't accomplish everything I ever wanted to, but I consider it a success because I made more progress than the year before. That's my general life goal... every year build upon and improve upon the last. This past year I had several health problems that caused long pauses in my fitness routines and when you get out of the habit it's always hard to jump back in. So there were many breaks this year as I worked through some issues but I think I still ran more this year than last! I also know that I ran further distances more frequently than before as well so that is progress in the right direction.
In regards to my food journey I, like anyone else, like to have sweets probably too often. But we have really held the course in regards to making better choices overall. I like it when I'm able to cook at home, and make healthy dinners. Cheating for me now means that I have too much dairy, or I get a dessert out a restaurant that has white sugar in it (or some candy around Christmas!). On a regular basis though, I prefer to keep my sugar intake a lot lower than I used to. It really seems to affect my body, and it's better to limit it, so I like to make my homemade paleo desserts when I have that craving. One of my favorite discoveries this year was mug cakes! Sweetened with cocoa powder and honey. It's just enough sweet for me!
Professionally, I started my own business SparklingDaisy Shoes and that was a grand adventure! I started out slowly just wanting to see if I could do it, if people were interested, and if I would enjoy the process. Turns out, I love it! I have goals of pursuing it more strongly in 2015 and really establishing it as a business.
I was able to plan my church's Christmas Eve program and that really topped off 2014 for me - it was such a special thing to be able to participate in. I loved the whole process of planning, and I especially loved getting to know people in my church more closely.Vocally, I feel like I have made some really exciting progress this year, and I'm hoping to audition and perform more in 2015!
Speaking of 2015....In less than 24 hours it will be a new year- and here are my goals:
1) I'd like to be more consistent with green smoothies. 3 a week would be great. I need the nutrients they provide - gotta get those greens!!!
2) Build more on my running. I participated in a few races this year, and I'd like to keep doing that - staying consistent throughout the year, running at least 15 miles a week. (I might have to build back up to that!!!!)
3) I have several professional opportunities at the beginning of 2015. I am excited and nervous. My goal is to go in and take opportunities as they come whether they scare me or not! Jump into my business, and jump into my booked jobs with enthusiasm!
4) I love my family, and this past year has been really great. I want to keep it that way :)
Overall, the general goal is to be more consistent in my habits that last year - I have established some great guidelines and want them to be my norm!!!
I hope you have a wonderful New Years Eve spent with friends, and I hope you have wonderful memories of 2014. I know 2015 will be spectacular!
In regards to my food journey I, like anyone else, like to have sweets probably too often. But we have really held the course in regards to making better choices overall. I like it when I'm able to cook at home, and make healthy dinners. Cheating for me now means that I have too much dairy, or I get a dessert out a restaurant that has white sugar in it (or some candy around Christmas!). On a regular basis though, I prefer to keep my sugar intake a lot lower than I used to. It really seems to affect my body, and it's better to limit it, so I like to make my homemade paleo desserts when I have that craving. One of my favorite discoveries this year was mug cakes! Sweetened with cocoa powder and honey. It's just enough sweet for me!
Professionally, I started my own business SparklingDaisy Shoes and that was a grand adventure! I started out slowly just wanting to see if I could do it, if people were interested, and if I would enjoy the process. Turns out, I love it! I have goals of pursuing it more strongly in 2015 and really establishing it as a business.
I was able to plan my church's Christmas Eve program and that really topped off 2014 for me - it was such a special thing to be able to participate in. I loved the whole process of planning, and I especially loved getting to know people in my church more closely.Vocally, I feel like I have made some really exciting progress this year, and I'm hoping to audition and perform more in 2015!
Speaking of 2015....In less than 24 hours it will be a new year- and here are my goals:
1) I'd like to be more consistent with green smoothies. 3 a week would be great. I need the nutrients they provide - gotta get those greens!!!
2) Build more on my running. I participated in a few races this year, and I'd like to keep doing that - staying consistent throughout the year, running at least 15 miles a week. (I might have to build back up to that!!!!)
3) I have several professional opportunities at the beginning of 2015. I am excited and nervous. My goal is to go in and take opportunities as they come whether they scare me or not! Jump into my business, and jump into my booked jobs with enthusiasm!
4) I love my family, and this past year has been really great. I want to keep it that way :)
Overall, the general goal is to be more consistent in my habits that last year - I have established some great guidelines and want them to be my norm!!!
I hope you have a wonderful New Years Eve spent with friends, and I hope you have wonderful memories of 2014. I know 2015 will be spectacular!
Holiday Treats
Hello and Merry Christmas!
With all this hustle and bustle, sometimes it's easy to fall into old routines when it comes to sweet treats. There is always a lot of talk about "diets" during the new year, "indulging" over the holidays, fighting that holiday "bulge" etc etc etc....
But what if I were to tell you, you can have your sweet treats and avoid the extra few pounds that come along with it? How exciting! Since we have gone quasi- paleo (I say quasi because we don't avoid ALL grains but always avoid wheat) it has been so much easier to maintain a healthy weight even though I eat sweet treats. This is because:
1) I make them myself
2) The ingredients are real, whole, non-processed foods
3) The things that sweeten the desserts are dates, coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup (which means low glycemic index for those of you that may have issues with blood sugar!)
Of course I don't want to save all the deliciousness for MY family, I want to share! So here are some amazing recipes that you might consider making this year.... (click for the recipe)
There are many more recipes at Elena's Pantry and Against All Grain. Enjoy treating yourself this year without the guilt!
With all this hustle and bustle, sometimes it's easy to fall into old routines when it comes to sweet treats. There is always a lot of talk about "diets" during the new year, "indulging" over the holidays, fighting that holiday "bulge" etc etc etc....
But what if I were to tell you, you can have your sweet treats and avoid the extra few pounds that come along with it? How exciting! Since we have gone quasi- paleo (I say quasi because we don't avoid ALL grains but always avoid wheat) it has been so much easier to maintain a healthy weight even though I eat sweet treats. This is because:
1) I make them myself
2) The ingredients are real, whole, non-processed foods
3) The things that sweeten the desserts are dates, coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup (which means low glycemic index for those of you that may have issues with blood sugar!)
Of course I don't want to save all the deliciousness for MY family, I want to share! So here are some amazing recipes that you might consider making this year.... (click for the recipe)
Christmas Cake (Anyone I have ever had try this has LOVED it - customize it with the type of dried fruit (no added sugar) and nuts that you like!
Chocolate Chip Cookies - If you just want a basic chocolate chip cookie, this is the recipe for you. No one will tell the ingredients are good for you. They taste like Tollhouse soft chews!
There are many more recipes at Elena's Pantry and Against All Grain. Enjoy treating yourself this year without the guilt!
Because it's all about that Grace 'bout that Grace...
Yeah I came up with that title all by myself ;-) And as I'm sitting here I'm pretty sure I will finish rewriting the rest of the song as soon as I'm done posting this!
What, you may ask, has inspired me to post with such a title? Well, I was driving today and thinking about many blessings I have in my life. And no, not just because it's November when everyone suddenly becomes thankful for 30 days. I go to a church called Centerville Grace Church. And they have really helped me this past year. How so? Why, let me share =)
If you have read a little of my story, you know that I have had many hills and valleys in my spiritual walk over the past 10 years or so. Many things have happened that were very hurtful but also strengthening to my spiritual beliefs. What I started realizing this year is how I have developed some major trust issues with people who identify as Christians and "church" in general.
I came to Centerville Grace a little over 2 years ago. I definitely had a wall of protection up against myself. I walked in wanting to find a good little church that was theologically sound and family oriented for what would soon become my little family. I became engaged shortly after we started attending, and that's when I became really nervous. We asked one of the pastors there to marry us, and of course, he asked that we go through a few sit downs with him to talk about some things (pre-marital counseling). I was so nervous of being judged for the fact that I was divorced. I didn't want to talk about it, and I didn't want anyone to judge my fiancé either....BUT....guess what happened? Nothing. We talked, he asked questions, I uncomfortably blushed (for no legitimate reason)and answered them...and we moved on!
I continued to attend, but with this feeling in the back of my mind that someone in the church would find something to judge me or correct me on - my clothes, my outspoken beliefs....nothing logical of course, just anything that might allow me to feel anxiety.
I started developing friendships within the church, and as I grew close to a few people, I kept thinking to myself "Kylene what is your problem? These people are proving over and over again how much they love you. They know about your past, they accept you, they are true friends, and you really need to work on this." But I just felt like some day a ball would drop and I wouldn't be "accepted.".
A few things happened this year to change that. Or at least begin healing. The first thing that really made significant impression on me was when my husband got offered a job. It was a really really good offer, and we were seriously considering it. We would still be in state, but about 4 hours away. There was the potential to move up in his career and move to "bigger" "better" cities in the next few years because of that. But we were torn. My family lives here, and we had begun to really root ourselves as a family unit. We had also started developing relationships in church. We were worried about moving our son away from his grandparents because they are so involved in his life and so we shared with the same pastor that married us, our concerns. He prayed on it and eventually shot us an e-mail with his thoughts. It happened to be sent the same day we were looking at houses we could potentially live in. That's how serious this was! He lovingly presented his thoughts on what we should consider for our family, and let us know our relationship wouldn't be hurt no matter what we decided. He mentioned things we were already considering, but presented them from an outside perspective. Obviously, we didn't accept the job. :-) And I noticed something. I wasn't offended that he offered us advice. I didn't feel like he was judging, or pushing, or butting in where he didn't belong, I felt like he was being a really good friend. One that I could trust, and one that cared enough to have a conversation. p.s. his wife is amazing too!
A girlfriend of mine at church really started opening up to me about her life and struggles, and I found out that we have more in common than I ever thought we might. I am so glad now that she introduced herself to me. Believe it or not, I'm kind of an introvert! Her friendship has really helped me through several things this past year knowing that she is ok with me shooting her an e-mail and asking her to pray for me or my family.
Finally, in the past few months some pretty deep, scary, difficult things have happened in my family and I didn't really know what to do. I turned again to that same pastor/friend. And guess what - he was on it! He was praying, offering advice, replying to my questions, and generally following up to see how things were going.
These are the types of things I feel like I can never repay. I am so truly thankful to have come to such an amazing church and met such wonderful people. God is really at work in me through them. Someone referred to the church as a bunch of misfits - no one is perfect. And I love that thought. A bunch of misfits who somehow fit together....because it's all about that Grace. ;-)
What, you may ask, has inspired me to post with such a title? Well, I was driving today and thinking about many blessings I have in my life. And no, not just because it's November when everyone suddenly becomes thankful for 30 days. I go to a church called Centerville Grace Church. And they have really helped me this past year. How so? Why, let me share =)
If you have read a little of my story, you know that I have had many hills and valleys in my spiritual walk over the past 10 years or so. Many things have happened that were very hurtful but also strengthening to my spiritual beliefs. What I started realizing this year is how I have developed some major trust issues with people who identify as Christians and "church" in general.
I came to Centerville Grace a little over 2 years ago. I definitely had a wall of protection up against myself. I walked in wanting to find a good little church that was theologically sound and family oriented for what would soon become my little family. I became engaged shortly after we started attending, and that's when I became really nervous. We asked one of the pastors there to marry us, and of course, he asked that we go through a few sit downs with him to talk about some things (pre-marital counseling). I was so nervous of being judged for the fact that I was divorced. I didn't want to talk about it, and I didn't want anyone to judge my fiancé either....BUT....guess what happened? Nothing. We talked, he asked questions, I uncomfortably blushed (for no legitimate reason)and answered them...and we moved on!
I continued to attend, but with this feeling in the back of my mind that someone in the church would find something to judge me or correct me on - my clothes, my outspoken beliefs....nothing logical of course, just anything that might allow me to feel anxiety.
I started developing friendships within the church, and as I grew close to a few people, I kept thinking to myself "Kylene what is your problem? These people are proving over and over again how much they love you. They know about your past, they accept you, they are true friends, and you really need to work on this." But I just felt like some day a ball would drop and I wouldn't be "accepted.".
A few things happened this year to change that. Or at least begin healing. The first thing that really made significant impression on me was when my husband got offered a job. It was a really really good offer, and we were seriously considering it. We would still be in state, but about 4 hours away. There was the potential to move up in his career and move to "bigger" "better" cities in the next few years because of that. But we were torn. My family lives here, and we had begun to really root ourselves as a family unit. We had also started developing relationships in church. We were worried about moving our son away from his grandparents because they are so involved in his life and so we shared with the same pastor that married us, our concerns. He prayed on it and eventually shot us an e-mail with his thoughts. It happened to be sent the same day we were looking at houses we could potentially live in. That's how serious this was! He lovingly presented his thoughts on what we should consider for our family, and let us know our relationship wouldn't be hurt no matter what we decided. He mentioned things we were already considering, but presented them from an outside perspective. Obviously, we didn't accept the job. :-) And I noticed something. I wasn't offended that he offered us advice. I didn't feel like he was judging, or pushing, or butting in where he didn't belong, I felt like he was being a really good friend. One that I could trust, and one that cared enough to have a conversation. p.s. his wife is amazing too!
A girlfriend of mine at church really started opening up to me about her life and struggles, and I found out that we have more in common than I ever thought we might. I am so glad now that she introduced herself to me. Believe it or not, I'm kind of an introvert! Her friendship has really helped me through several things this past year knowing that she is ok with me shooting her an e-mail and asking her to pray for me or my family.
Finally, in the past few months some pretty deep, scary, difficult things have happened in my family and I didn't really know what to do. I turned again to that same pastor/friend. And guess what - he was on it! He was praying, offering advice, replying to my questions, and generally following up to see how things were going.
These are the types of things I feel like I can never repay. I am so truly thankful to have come to such an amazing church and met such wonderful people. God is really at work in me through them. Someone referred to the church as a bunch of misfits - no one is perfect. And I love that thought. A bunch of misfits who somehow fit together....because it's all about that Grace. ;-)
Happy Birthday!
I.LOVE.BIRTHDAYS!!!!!!
Even when I worked in an office, and my birthday fell in the middle of the week, I still loved it. I wake up on my birthday feeling so happy and special! When else do you get to walk around with a tiara all day and not get strange looks? Well today is my husbands birthday and minus the tiara part, I want him to feel the same way about birthdays- so this post is dedicated to why I love him.
1) Most importantly, he is a man of character and integrity - he ALWAYS does the right thing, is kind, and loving, and prioritizes his Christian beliefs and family.
2) I have traveled so much since meeting him! I have seen Lake Tahoe for our honeymoon, Cape Cod for our 1yr anniversary, Disney World with Keegan, UTAH (though that didn't end very well!) and lots of weekend trips. Tomorrow we are heading to Baltimore so he can run the marathon! I LOVE traveling, and I love it even more when it's with my best friend.
3) Speaking of marathons, I love how active he is and how active he encourages ME to be! 3 years ago I didn't even run. Like at all - our first e-mail communications had to do with my disdain for the concept, even while I enjoyed working out in other ways. Well, less than 2 months later he had me under his spell at the gym doing insane workouts. NOW I have a fitness group on facebook, our eating lifestyle is dramatically improved together, and I am consistently running 5Ks (which he could run backwards).
4) He is so considerate - as a roommate, I couldn't ask for a better one. When he gets up insanely early for a run or for work he is the quietest person trying to let me be lazy and sleep late. He also takes charge of dishes, laundry, and cleaning quite frequently.
5) He is always thoughtful and ready to talk - if I need to talk about something he is there to listen, and he encourages me often by leaving notes around the house.
6) He's basically hilarious and makes me laugh every day about SOMETHING!
So today, I hope you have an amazing birthday Patrick because I love you and appreciate you SO MUCH! Now let's go eat cake :-)
Even when I worked in an office, and my birthday fell in the middle of the week, I still loved it. I wake up on my birthday feeling so happy and special! When else do you get to walk around with a tiara all day and not get strange looks? Well today is my husbands birthday and minus the tiara part, I want him to feel the same way about birthdays- so this post is dedicated to why I love him.
1) Most importantly, he is a man of character and integrity - he ALWAYS does the right thing, is kind, and loving, and prioritizes his Christian beliefs and family.
2) I have traveled so much since meeting him! I have seen Lake Tahoe for our honeymoon, Cape Cod for our 1yr anniversary, Disney World with Keegan, UTAH (though that didn't end very well!) and lots of weekend trips. Tomorrow we are heading to Baltimore so he can run the marathon! I LOVE traveling, and I love it even more when it's with my best friend.
3) Speaking of marathons, I love how active he is and how active he encourages ME to be! 3 years ago I didn't even run. Like at all - our first e-mail communications had to do with my disdain for the concept, even while I enjoyed working out in other ways. Well, less than 2 months later he had me under his spell at the gym doing insane workouts. NOW I have a fitness group on facebook, our eating lifestyle is dramatically improved together, and I am consistently running 5Ks (which he could run backwards).
4) He is so considerate - as a roommate, I couldn't ask for a better one. When he gets up insanely early for a run or for work he is the quietest person trying to let me be lazy and sleep late. He also takes charge of dishes, laundry, and cleaning quite frequently.
5) He is always thoughtful and ready to talk - if I need to talk about something he is there to listen, and he encourages me often by leaving notes around the house.
6) He's basically hilarious and makes me laugh every day about SOMETHING!
So today, I hope you have an amazing birthday Patrick because I love you and appreciate you SO MUCH! Now let's go eat cake :-)
These are a few of my favorite things...
Fall is one of my favorite things. Under the umbrella of fall are many subsets of my favorite things like yummy drinks (cider, apple chai, occasionally a Starbucks), loose sweaters, boots, the fireplace, cuddles under blankets, and of course, FOOD. Pumpkin everything for desserts, homemade apple sauce, and for dinners, warm, thick, comforting, delicious food. Which typically also includes family time which happens to be another favorite thing.
I am very lucky that most of my family is GF and different shades of paleo because that makes get togethers so much easier. I love weekly dinners at my parents house (I usually bring dessert of course) and this weekend my brother in law was in town so we had everyone over for dinner last night and boy was the food DELISH. I made paleo spaghetti, my Mom brought the apple cider, and my brother-in-law made lava cakes. You heard me - LAVA CAKES. You know, that really decadent little cake that literally melts in the middle? mmmmmmm
I thought it only fair to share with you:
Spaghetti Squash noodles:
- Heat up your oven to 400F
- Cut your spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the yucky squishy insides and seeds.
- Put aluminum foil on a pan, grease it (spray or coconut oil works) and place the spaghetti squash face down....
- Place it in the oven until you can poke the outside with a fork pretty easily, about 45 minutes.
- Then take it out of the oven, flip it over and use a fork to scrape and separate all the "noodles"
Homemade Sauce:
This is really variable depending on what you like! I don't have any measurements for you, but double the meat and tomato sauces if you have company over...
- Brown 1lb ground beef
- Drain, and add 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomato's, and 4oz chopped mushrooms.
- Add spices to your taste. I added fresh, chopped cilantro and parsley, along with ground garlic, rosemary, sage, oregano and salt!
Super easy right? YES and soooooo delicious. And to think - you are substituting horrible wheat noodles for a VEGETABLE! It's doesn't get better than this :)
For a really decadent treat (yes this cheats with evil sugar), try these - but HALVE THE BUTTER!!!!!
If you want to make amazing, homemade apple sauce use this recipe - it's a great activity with kids, and it uses the crockpot so it can't get much easier!!! Also, I love to make a lot and then freeze some for later in the year.
What makes food taste even better? When you have a house full of family you love to eat it with you. :)
ENJOY! :)
Beauty found in San Francisco
I am currently flying out of Denver, over the clouds, and on my way home to Ohio. Isn't technology cool? This weekend was really crazy fun.
I flew to San Francisco not really knowing what to expect. I had seen this opera workshop (www.theoperaworkshop.org) advertised on Yap Tracker and decided to step out of my comfort zone and look into it. It's funny how God works because I usually delete my Yap Tracker e-mails. I haven't felt ready to audition or perform yet, and so I don't usually look through them too hard, but for some reason (and I can't even remember what prompted it) I either looked at that e-mail or got onto Yap Tracker and saw this workshop advertised. What intrigued me about it was no audition required. This could either be a really good or really bad sign! But I figured... it's in CA right? So I mean... if it sucks, at least I'm in a really cool location!
Well, I couldn't be more surprised and pleased with how this weekend turned out. I not only worked on an aria, but I found a confidence in myself that I wasn't sure was there. One of the biggest realizations this weekend was that if I really connect with my piece and the character I create, I stop worrying about the audience. My piece was stripped bare - literally - I usually use a lot of props and jewelry and ham it up. Instead, we focused on real emotion, real life thoughts and feelings, and in turn, how I would react to those things. I tend to be worried about how I look or sound instead of focusing on telling the story of the character truthfully. So we worked on that, and it brought me to a place in my singing that felt so good - and the technique followed. This is very very exciting for me, because I am constantly feeling like my technique fails. But now I feel like I am finally reaching a happy place, and I am so excited to pursue it more and more. One of my favorite things the director said was that we have to make the audience cry our tears. In other words, we feel and sing with an emotion so complete, and so realistic, that the audience cannot help but feel the full weight of it for us.
I have to mention the two guys who organized and ran the whole workshop by name. Daniel Witzke and Bruce Olstad. Both are kind, and extremely knowledgeable in their field. What really stood out to me though, is their sincere desire to help you succeed., and to encourage you and guide you on your first baby steps to become a legitimate acting singer who is able to move the audience (whether it be 3 judges in an audition setting or 2000 people on a mainstage). The warmth and clarity with which they present instruction created an environment where people thrived. Everyone started and ended on different levels, but each individual made great progress.
I'm so thankful for the opportunity this provided, and in the process I met some really wonderful friends on the West Coast. I am heading home very excited and ready to work on some new musical goals. I am convinced God has a plan, and there is a reason I went to this. It's my job now to follow through and keep the momentum going :)
Good Morning San Francisco
This weekend, my friend and I have the opportunity to be in San Francisco for an opera training workshop. I'm not sure exactly the schedule yet, but essentially there will be some lectures, and we get to sing and be instructed by a few people in front of a group of other singers, and then watch everyone else go through the same process to learn more about acting, and technique as a group.
We were/are both very much looking forward to this experience! And we were excited of course that it's in California! I have to say though, our "Welcome" from San Fran was less than stellar.
Upon our arrival yesterday, we quickly came to realize that the city is packed. Like very packed. People are everywhere, and they tend to be rude. They don't care that you are trying to turn on your green light, they will mosey right in front of your car and not even look at you or speed up to get out of your way. If you dare to slow down (being unfamiliar with the area) you will promptly get honked at. The traffic lights are difficult to see as they don't hang over the intersection because of trolley car lines, but there may be one or two lone lights posted on distant corner across an eight lane intersection. We had the great misfortune to try to get back to the hotel during rush hour. We were stuck for about an hour and a half while the hotel was less than a mile away. This is how I felt about that.....
I was pretty cranky last night. Tired, HUNGRY and cranky. Today I woke up thinking, who in the world would want to LIVE here? I like my personal space and trees, and flowers, and the girl at the grocery to say "Hi how are you today, did you find everything ok?" :)
But after I read todays sections of my Bible in 90 days challenge in which I saw this:
and this
... I gave San Fran another chance. I have to admit, looking at it the next day, in a more calm afternoon setting, walking around some beautiful architecture, seeing flower vendors, and buying some delicious chocolate form a corner shop, I feel much better about it.
I am excited to see what happens in class starting tonight!!!
I'm warming up and preparing to sing like this....
....I was also told my "ah" vowel wasn't relaxed and free the first time. I had to fix that promptly!
Have a good weekend everyone! I'll be having fun singing under my new stage name:
We were/are both very much looking forward to this experience! And we were excited of course that it's in California! I have to say though, our "Welcome" from San Fran was less than stellar.
Upon our arrival yesterday, we quickly came to realize that the city is packed. Like very packed. People are everywhere, and they tend to be rude. They don't care that you are trying to turn on your green light, they will mosey right in front of your car and not even look at you or speed up to get out of your way. If you dare to slow down (being unfamiliar with the area) you will promptly get honked at. The traffic lights are difficult to see as they don't hang over the intersection because of trolley car lines, but there may be one or two lone lights posted on distant corner across an eight lane intersection. We had the great misfortune to try to get back to the hotel during rush hour. We were stuck for about an hour and a half while the hotel was less than a mile away. This is how I felt about that.....
I was pretty cranky last night. Tired, HUNGRY and cranky. Today I woke up thinking, who in the world would want to LIVE here? I like my personal space and trees, and flowers, and the girl at the grocery to say "Hi how are you today, did you find everything ok?" :)
But after I read todays sections of my Bible in 90 days challenge in which I saw this:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!..... Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things!"
~Phil 4:4...8
and this
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
~Phil 2:14-18
... I gave San Fran another chance. I have to admit, looking at it the next day, in a more calm afternoon setting, walking around some beautiful architecture, seeing flower vendors, and buying some delicious chocolate form a corner shop, I feel much better about it.
I am excited to see what happens in class starting tonight!!!
I'm warming up and preparing to sing like this....
To which I was told I sound like a dolphin, mixed with a Disney princess, who took singing lessons from a mouse....I clearly had to reply like this:
Have a good weekend everyone! I'll be having fun singing under my new stage name:
Minnie Flipperella.
Having coffee with Jesus every day
It's amazing, how many things get done in a short period of time. A little over 2 weeks ago I shared how I was having a lot of anxiety about my son being away from us for another 2 weeks. Prompted by that, I started going through the BibleGateway.com study of reading through the Bible in 90 days.
I cannot even tell you the difference that has made. It takes an average of 45 minutes a day to complete the assigned readings. Sometimes I forget until late at night but I know I have to get it done or it will take me so much extra time the next day! I felt such a peace since once I started. I can only attribute that to the fact that when you are reading the Bible, it's like having coffee with Jesus and He fills your Spirit up with the "peace that passes understanding". It is definitely beyond MY understanding - I tend to be high energy, wanting to control situations and worrying way too much about them. But letting go and letting God handle it has been so comforting.
One of the most interesting things for me during this time is getting little snippets of God's personality revealed. I so wish I could hear His tone of voice sometimes. In the Old Testament, I saw anger, compassion, forgiveness and what surprised me a little bit and made me laugh out loud, SARCASM....blatant sarcasm.
Check this out - Jeremiah 34:17
"Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the LORD--'freedom' to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.
Um, air quotes anyone?? God was using air quotes before it was cool. I laughed out loud when I read that and had to share it with my husband.
Then in the new testament, I see Jesus having extreme compassion, anger towards the Pharisees and dare I say it - annoyance/frustration with his disciples! How many times did He say "You of little faith", or "do you not yet understand?" to his followers. Like. "Come ON guys, don't you get it yet? ugh." This is why I wish I could hear Jesus's tone. Maybe he was extremely patient and gentle. But I get the feeling that occasionally He got super frustrated with everyone and just laid it out for them in layman's terms.
Again, I see sarcasm/anger/frustration when speaks to the Pharisees. Matthew 12:9-13
"Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus."
I can only hear in modern day language - "seriously you guys? You would grab your cat out of a tree if it was stuck on a Sunday right? And you are trying to accuse me of sinning because I heal someone from cancer??? Get a grip."
One of the things I'm really enjoying about this process besides getting to see God's personality, is reading these huge chunks of scripture at one time. In the Old Testament there is a lot of repetition when you come to the prophecies, and yes sometimes it got really boring, but oh my goodness how applicable it is to what is happening right now in the Middle East. It was incredible timing as I was reading about God's promises to Israel and His promise of destruction for nations that come against her. Then there is a lot of history - incredible glimpses and details into the past and the future.
Beyond just the information though, is the sense of peace I have had. I'm thankful to have decided to start this process and I'm enjoying my way through it!
90 Day Bible Challenge - Confessions of a control freak
Good morning dear friends,
I like to think I'm in charge of things around my house. (ha!) I like thinking I have it all together, but then I fall on my rear and realize that's just not the case. This past week I have been having terribly vivid, awful dreams. I could only think it's due to stress in my life. You see, in addition to several life decisions being made right now, my son is going away for two weeks tomorrow, and this is not something that I am ok with. This is the second time this summer he will be away from us for such a long period, and I worry and become anxious and stress out like the end of the world is coming. I know he will be fine, I know he will enjoy his time away, and I know he will be safe. But the thing is, I'm a control freak, and this is a situation I cannot control.
I love my son - as if he was my own biological blood. The things that anger me most in life are anything regarding his safety or mental well being - if either of those are in jeopardy my head explodes and I go into mamma lion mode where I'll kill anything that comes in between me and my cub. I think these are healthy emotions to an extent, what mother doesn't want the best for her children? To love them, protect them, and raise them in a happy and safe environment? For me there is an issue though, and that is that I am not his biological mother and occasionally there are things beyond my control in regards to his life. There are times where I have to let him be away from me whether I like it or not and I have to let him fly across the country and be away from me for weeks at a time. I don't like it at all, but I have to do it.
Like any control freak, this is hard. I have being praying about it and giving it to the Lord, knowing that He is in the ultimate control and He can keep my son safe while he is out of my sights. I have a Bible app on my phone, and when I'm struggling often the verse of the day is exactly what I don't want to, yet need to hear. God's funny like that isn't he? Especially when you are working through anger and bitterness and up pops Luke 6:27-28 " But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." GRRRRRR - worst verse in the whole Bible. Seriously, who wants to pray for those horrible people? But ok Lord, ok.
Today, my Bible app verse is Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way." How DOES He do that? It's like He speaks to the bible app people and says "Kylene needs this verse today....this shall be your verse of the day" ha!
Searching for peace about the situation, I went to www.biblegateway.com this morning, and noticed their reading plans. Reading the Bible in a year just seems like a goal I wouldn't stick to, to be quite honest, but I saw they had an option to reading the Bible in 90 days. That's more like it! So I'm letting you know this because I'm committing to reading it the next 90 days ( or at least most of them) :) If you are interested in joining me, just click this link. If you miss a day, you can click on the calendar and catch up.
Don't worry, I won't post my revelations every day for you, but maybe just some highlights when God speaks to my angry/anxious heart. I have a feeling that He will be working hard the next to weeks to soften it and relax it. Just this morning reading through some chapters in Jeremiah gave me more peace in my heart than when I woke up. So I am planning on sticking to this. I know it's a beneficial habit for me to get in anyway, and I am thankful for the ability to do it.
For those of you who have the ultimate say in your children lives, don't take it for granted. Wake up every morning and hug them and love them and let them know that you are always there no matter what. And when they get on your nerves - just remember, you are lucky to have them in the same room. :)
I like to think I'm in charge of things around my house. (ha!) I like thinking I have it all together, but then I fall on my rear and realize that's just not the case. This past week I have been having terribly vivid, awful dreams. I could only think it's due to stress in my life. You see, in addition to several life decisions being made right now, my son is going away for two weeks tomorrow, and this is not something that I am ok with. This is the second time this summer he will be away from us for such a long period, and I worry and become anxious and stress out like the end of the world is coming. I know he will be fine, I know he will enjoy his time away, and I know he will be safe. But the thing is, I'm a control freak, and this is a situation I cannot control.
I love my son - as if he was my own biological blood. The things that anger me most in life are anything regarding his safety or mental well being - if either of those are in jeopardy my head explodes and I go into mamma lion mode where I'll kill anything that comes in between me and my cub. I think these are healthy emotions to an extent, what mother doesn't want the best for her children? To love them, protect them, and raise them in a happy and safe environment? For me there is an issue though, and that is that I am not his biological mother and occasionally there are things beyond my control in regards to his life. There are times where I have to let him be away from me whether I like it or not and I have to let him fly across the country and be away from me for weeks at a time. I don't like it at all, but I have to do it.
Like any control freak, this is hard. I have being praying about it and giving it to the Lord, knowing that He is in the ultimate control and He can keep my son safe while he is out of my sights. I have a Bible app on my phone, and when I'm struggling often the verse of the day is exactly what I don't want to, yet need to hear. God's funny like that isn't he? Especially when you are working through anger and bitterness and up pops Luke 6:27-28 " But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." GRRRRRR - worst verse in the whole Bible. Seriously, who wants to pray for those horrible people? But ok Lord, ok.
Today, my Bible app verse is Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way." How DOES He do that? It's like He speaks to the bible app people and says "Kylene needs this verse today....this shall be your verse of the day" ha!
Searching for peace about the situation, I went to www.biblegateway.com this morning, and noticed their reading plans. Reading the Bible in a year just seems like a goal I wouldn't stick to, to be quite honest, but I saw they had an option to reading the Bible in 90 days. That's more like it! So I'm letting you know this because I'm committing to reading it the next 90 days ( or at least most of them) :) If you are interested in joining me, just click this link. If you miss a day, you can click on the calendar and catch up.
Don't worry, I won't post my revelations every day for you, but maybe just some highlights when God speaks to my angry/anxious heart. I have a feeling that He will be working hard the next to weeks to soften it and relax it. Just this morning reading through some chapters in Jeremiah gave me more peace in my heart than when I woke up. So I am planning on sticking to this. I know it's a beneficial habit for me to get in anyway, and I am thankful for the ability to do it.
For those of you who have the ultimate say in your children lives, don't take it for granted. Wake up every morning and hug them and love them and let them know that you are always there no matter what. And when they get on your nerves - just remember, you are lucky to have them in the same room. :)
Healthy steps part 2- The Pantry
Thank you so much for reading! I hope that my journey encouraged you. Please share my blog if you feel like the information was helpful, and "like" my facebook page Delightful Existence to get instant notifications when a new post is up.
When I started eliminating things from my diet, I felt very overwhelmed. What in the world can I eat? I love to bake, and any diet without sweet treats would be unsuccessful for me - what ingredients can I use? Are fries gluten free? It was definitely a learning curve for me, but I dove right in and after a short time, it became easy to spot what is and is not allowed. Thankfully, my family is on board and that makes it so much easier. If you don't have a support system to bounce things off of, please feel free to contact me with questions! The overarching rule to your pantry is this: If it's not a natural ingredient or whole food, it shouldn't be in there.
One of the biggest helps to me besides reading books, was facebook. There are so many paleo bloggers out there who are brilliant cooks and have come up with amazing recipes so I don't have to! I definitely have my favorites, so today I'll share some pantry swaps, facebook pages you may be interested in, and some of my favorite recipes from them.
My Pantry
Flour:
- Instead of wheat flour, we use Honeyville Almond Flour - Their flour is better than Bob's Red Mill which is at most grocery stores. Bob's is too clumpy and coarse. You have to buy Honeyville online and 3 or 5lb at a time, but it's totally worth it if you like desserts or breads. Plus if you want to have it on hand but don't bake that frequently it lasts quite a while in your fridge or freezer!
- Coconut flour: Any coconut flour seems to be fine - Bob's Red Mill is at most grocery stores. It is super absorbent, and the recipes will usually call for a smaller amount. I usually buy my coconut flour from Honeyville as well, it's very fine and great quality!
- Arrowroot Flour - Bob's Red Mill also makes this, and while I haven't used it often, it is occasionally used as an addition to other flour in baking recipes.
- Almond Butter - I know it's not a flour, but just as a point of information, some baking recipes use nut butters as the base. No flour at all! (*Most nut butters can substitute for each other like sunbutter, almond butter, and cashew butter, so use what you have on hand, or what is cheapest at your grocery).
Pasta:
This depends a little bit on how strictly paleo you want to be. Depending on your health goals, there are lots of options!
- Rice noodles: Taste great, works well as a regular pasta substitute. If you are avoiding grains altogether, this is a no go, but if you are just trying to avoid wheat and you have no issues digesting rice, then this is a yummy option.
- Quinoa noodles: These also taste great! Same caution as above - it depends on how sensitive your tummy is, you can certainly see how you do with them. Taste-wise they are very god, and sometimes a box is rice+quinoa.
- One of my favorites is spaghetti squash! It's a vegetable and works really great in place of spaghetti noodles. Added bonus, it's super low calorie and counts as your vegetable intake for dinner! See how to prepare it here: Cooking Spaghetti Squash
- Shiritaki Noodles - I haven't tried these yet, but I can't wait! They are made from yams, have no carbs, and are either ZERO, or very very low calorie! (whaaaaaaaaaat??). Here is how to prepare them: Cooking Shiritake Noodles
Oils:
I mostly use coconut oil - you can find it at most grocery stores. Don't bother looking in the "healthy" or "gluten-free" sections, as those brands are usually way more expensive. Just go to the baking isle and it's right next to olive oil.
Olive oil - yes I use it!
Butter:
I try to use either grass fed butter, or coconut oil (recipes will often tell you if you can substitute).
Milks:
- I am dairy free as much as possible, and no longer buy dairy milk. We do always have Almond Milk and/or Coconut Milk in the fridge for baking, or for the gluten-free cereal I let my son eat. I usually get unsweetened, but sometimes Vanilla.
- Don't get this confused with Coconut Cream or Coconut Milk that come in cans. This is the type of coconut milk generally called for in baking recipes. Generally coconut milk in a can separates into coconut milk AND coconut cream. Unless the recipe says otherwise, always get the full fat (not the LITE) version. You can find the cans in the ethnic isle.
- You can make your own Coffee Creamer with coconut milk too! I did this for quite awhile myself, and got used to it but now I cheat and buy premade So Delicious Coconut Creamer which I know isn't as great, but it tastes so good and it's less work for me!
Sugars:
- Honestly, I hardly use any anymore! A lot of recipes call for dates (I like Medjool!) as a sweetener and they work really well.
- Also, cocoa powder for chocolate recipes - it really adds a lot of flavor without needing extra stuff.
- I do use 100% Maple Syrup on my pancakes.
- I've gotten away from adding it to my coffee, but sometimes I use Stevia or Truvia (basically the same thing) for my coffee.
- Honey, or Raw honey.
- Coconut Palm Sugar
- And for a lot of recipes that are chocolate based like my favorite brownie recipe that call for added chocolate chips, I use dairy free, soy free, gluten free Enjoy Life chocolate chips. I have found them at Kroger, Walmart, Health Foods, and Earth Fare. Different stores carry different sizes, like chunks vs. minis. I know that's a long list of things those chocolate chips DON'T have, but let me tell you, they DO have the most amazing taste!
If you have boys in your house, you probably need easy snacks on hand! This has actually been a process for me, as I now think I might also be sensitive to corn. If you have no issues, then switch from chips made from flour tortillas, to chips made from corn! Watch for the non-GMO
But don't despair! Even with sensitive tummies, you have lots of options.
- Potato chips (believe it or not) are an occasional treat. Look for bags that only list potatoes, oil, and salt on the ingredients like Cape Cod Potato Chips.
- Vegetable chips like Terra Chips are soooooo yummy and come with lots of different seasonings.
- Rice chips like Lundberg Rice Chips also come in several varieties and are super delicious.
- You may also see options in your grocery store for lentil, or black bean chips. My suggestion is to always check the labels until you get used to brands that you like. They should only consist of ingredients you are familiar with.
My husband and my son are not dairy free. They kind of refused that step, and love to indulge in crackers and cheese! Oh how I miss that. Crackers however, I do love on occasion and Blue Diamond NutThins are awesome!
What's great about these swaps is they are yummy and you can find most of them at your regular grocery store!
Paleo Blogs/Website I Love
Be sure to favorite the sites on your computer or "like" the facebook pages so you can get updates on new recipes, and you have easy access for menu planning day! Also, most of these have pinterest pages as well.
Elena's Pantry and her facebook page. I love her, because her site is organized by category. Whether you are gluten-free, paleo, egg-free, nut-free, candida diet, etc....she makes it easy to navigate. Plus, her recipes are ALL amazing. She really experiments a lot before posting her final recipes to make sure they are truly wonderful. You are not disappointed with her recipes, and you will find several below when I link to lots of my go-to favorites! Her recipes were a big help during my transition!
Against All Grain and her facebook page. I. LOVE. HER. Not only do I love her recipes, Danielle Walker seems to be an incredibly sweet, genuine, loving person. Her recipes are truly delicious and I recently bought 1 of her "old" cookbooks and pre-ordered her new one. So far, I am loving her recipes. Just yesterday my son and I made homemade JELLO using gut-healing gelatin and no sugar added fruit juice. It was a success!
PaleOMG and her facebook page. Her site is also well organized, and one of my favorite things about her site is she has a whole crockpot section! In a world where you have to make most of your own food, the crockpot is a time saver!
The Paleo Mom and her facebook page. If you are interested in more information on paleo for kids, autoimmune diseases and paleo, and the paleo lifestyle, she posts lots of interesting articles that might help you! She also has several recipes on her site and she has a cookbook I'm interested in getting The Paleo Approach.
Nom Nom Paleo and her facebook page. Looking for more recipes? She has lots on her site and she also has a cookbook I haven't purchased yet Nom Nom Paleo for Humans. She also has a resource section on her site where you can find lots of information about the paleo lifestyle and link to the websites of other paleo gurus.
Taylor Made it Paleo and her facebook page. You won't believe that she is only 21 when you try her recipes! They are really yummy! She may love dessert as much as I do :) Muffins, scones, cookies, ice cream.....she has a recipe for that!
Slim Palate and his facebook page. Even younger, is 18 year old Joshua who had a weight transformation and started cooking paleo, creating scrumtions creations himself! He has one of the most amazing Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes I've tried so far! Plus, he does all his own photography! Truly talented. This up and comer just came out with his first cookbook The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook
The Spunky Coconut and her facebook page. Kelly seems like a really wonderful person as well. While she has some dinner recipes on her site, I feel like she really specializes in sweet treats - specifically - ICE CREAM! I am so thankful for her new cookbook Dairy Free Ice Cream - the recipes are sooooooooooooo good.
Finally, Stupid Easy Paleo and her facebook page. She not only posts recipes, but articles that help you make informed decisions for your personal choices, like "Are White Potatoes Paleo?" "Why am I still hungry on Paleo" etc...
You will find out who your favorites are, and soon build up some go-to sites and favorite recipes! You can't go wrong with any of these paleo chefs. They know what they are doing, so we don't have to do the legwork. YAY!
You may wonder why there are so many recipes for desserts vs dinners when the point of paleo is eating fruits vegetables, nuts, and meat. Well like Elana said on one of her posts recently, it's not very hard to make a chicken dinner recipe paleo is it? Much more tricky to figure out how to make our desserts and satisfy our sweet tooth without the bad ingredients. And I am so glad that there are so many options out there!
Some of my Favorites
Breakfasts:
(besides eggs, sausages, fruit and coffee)
Plantain Pancakes
3 Ingredient Plantain Pancakes
Apple Coffee Cake
Sweet Potato Hashbrowns (I throw in tons of my own spices and sometimes add onion!)
Chocolate Chip Scones - whaaaaat? I just made these and they were UH-MAY-ZING. House guests wouldn't know they are paleo. Great for a weekend treat!
Dinners:
Green Chili Turkey Burger (I use beef usually because that's what I have on hand!)
CROCKPOT Chicken Enchilada Stew (if you want less spice, skip the jar of jalapenos)
Chicken with Ginger & Green Onion Salt Dip - one of the easiest AND most delicious meals EVER!
** I really only use the recipe for the dip, and I usually double or even triple it. Cook the chicken however you want and just use 5 minute rice! Just drizzle the dip on top of your plate filled with rice and chicken. Extremely flavorful and a little bit goes a long way!
Paleo Pad See Ew
Summer Vegetable Tian - I made this before being more strict with dairy, but let's be honest, I'll probably cheat occasionally. When I do, I like to use natural cheese like ORganic Valley Raw Cheddar Cheese
Desserts:
Brownies so easy and delicious.
Christmas Cake - This is SOOOOOOO amazing. A little bit of work because you have to watch boiling the orange for an hour and a half (keep an eye on it, mine doesn't take that long to split and become soft) but the end result is so worth it. Everyone that has tasted it has told me how much they love it. Plus it's so healthy I have eaten it for breakfast before. Definitely a great recipe for Christmas gifts to neighbors and friends!
Chocolate Layer Cake - This is definitely involved. But everyone deserves a cake for their birthday and this won't disappoint!
Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt
Date Bars
For more breakfasts, dinners, snacks, and treats, I highly recommend the following cookbooks. They are packed with AMAZING recipes I can't post here!
Practical Paleo - If you have specific health issues you want to address by changing your diet, this is a great resource for you.
Against All Grain
She has everything you need through your day, breakfast, snacks, treats, drinks, and dessert!
Dairy Free Ice Cream
Craving that mint chocolate chip ice cream from ColdStone? What about Rocky Road, or Bing Cherry? She has those recipes plus vanilla, chocolate, fried banana and many more!
I hope that this has helped you! This is by far the most comprehensive list I have ever put together, but I'm sure it's incomplete! If you have questions about something specific I didn't mention, let me know! I may not have an answer, but if I do I'm happy to share and I'll try to update this post accordingly!
Happy Living!