A fun way to remind kiddos to be polite ✌
Children benefit from having LESS toys!! (And so do the parents! 👍)
I learned about these awesome benefits from this short video (6.5 mins) made by Joshua Becker from Becoming Minimalist. He also wrote a blog post if you would rather read it.
My sister and her hubby are intentional about limiting their children’s toys and I have witnessed all these benefits!
Children who have less toys….
- Learn to be more creative
- Develop longer attention spans
- Establish better social skills
- Learn to take better care of things
- Develop a greater love for reading, writing, and art
- Become more resourceful
- Argue less with each other
- Learn preseverance
- Become less selfish
- Experience more of nature
- Learn to find satisfaction outside of the toy store
- Live in a cleaner, tidier home
*A great way to teach your kids to be content with less things is to practice it yourself Less stuff = More life. Try it.
Look to the Heavens
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3&4
Let’s HUG each other MORE! 🤗
Life & death are in the power of the tongue
2-3 min read
Most of us have heard the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” And….most of us know that this is NOT true at all! The words you speak can either build up or tear down. This is true for words you speak to others and also to yourself!
God created the universe and everything in it by His words! That’s got to show something about how important and powerful words are!
So…. First of all, take a moment to think before you speak. Be quick to listen, and slow to speak….
Ask yourself, “Is what I am about to say true? Necessary? Kind?”
We often use words like always or never and more times then not, the statement is not true. Do they really NEVER listen to you? Are they really ALWAYS late? Probably not. Also, those words don’t address the present situation and they express little hope for change in the future.
Your words can change someone’s whole day! A little encouragement goes a LONG way, yet so does a little criticism… So, be intentional and kind with your words! Proverbs 15:4 states: A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
I challenge you to be conscious of the words you use. Do you say I can’t, I have to, I need to… Just a little shift can make a huge difference in you mindset. For starters, instead of “I have to”, say, “I choose to” or “I get to.”
For example, I stay away from processed foods, gluten and most sugar (I do not have allergies to these foods, I just don’t think they help maintain a healthy body). People often say, “You can’t eat that, right?” To that I answer, “I could eat that, I just choose not to”.
I don’t HAVE to work out in the morning, I GET to workout in the morning! (Not everyone has the opportunity or ability to). You don’t NEED to go to your child’s sporting event, you GET to! 🙂
You can also change what you view as problems as opportunities for growth! Be careful not to sabotage yourself with your words. “I can’t cook” could be changed to “I’m learning to cook better” or “This is going to be so hard” to “This is an interesting challenge.” See what I mean? Choose your words wisely!
Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body
Proverbs 16:24
My word for the week is INTENTIONAL
2-3 min read
…And that’s what got me right here…right now. I am being intentional about being more intentional with my time 😉 Some days, I find myself thinking, “what have I been doing for the last 2 hours!!” Don’t get me wrong, I think restful days are needed and doing a whole lot of NOTHING is good for you… sometimes.
But…most days, at least for me, if I fail to plan, I plan to fail… So, I plan my day the night before. The saying is true; a great day starts the night before! Going to bed early also sets you up for a successful tomorrow!
Making a schedule is different than having a to-do list… a schedule has specific things you want to do and a time slot allotted for just that. First put on the schedule the MOST important things to you. Then fill in the rest of the time for other tasks. When you are working on a task, FOCUS on just that task. Put your phone away and avoid other distractions. Add breaks to your schedule since you will/or should be taking them and that way, you won’t feel guilty and you will stay on schedule!
If having schedule makes you feel too restricted, remember, if needed, you can ALWAYS adjust it! I often change my schedule for a last minute hike with a friend… I typically prioritize relationships over pretty much everything else.
Here’s a fun tip that will help you keep you going: Give yourself a reward for accomplishing a task! When you get a reward, your body releases dopamine, which is addicting so it will push you to do more!
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, came up with this cool illustration of big rocks, pebbles and sand being put in a glass bowl.
It goes something like this:
Think of the rocks as the most important things, the pebbles as other responsibilities/interests and the sand as allllll the other stuff you want/need to do. If you put the sand and pebbles in first, you will not be able to fit all the big rocks. However, if you put the big rocks in FIRST, then the pebbles, then the sand, you will probably be able to fit it all!! So, the lesson to be learned is prioritize the MOST important things and all the other stuff will fall into place. Or, possibly, you won’t be able to fit all the sand but that’s okay because you already got the most important things in! You may even need to learn to say “NO” to some of the sand so you don’t even need to try to fit it 😉
Being intentional is not just for your time but also for your words, your reactions, and your diet–which is not only what you eat or drink but also what you allow in through your eyes and your ears.
So…I encourage you to be INTENTIONAL with your life. It will make a big difference in your happiness and accomplishing your goals!
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15&16
Mashed No-tatoes!
This has a taste and texture so close to mashed potatoes but without all the carbs!
Mashed No-tatoes!
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons organic butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic optional
- to taste pink himalayan salt or sea salt and black pepper optional
Instructions
- Steam cauliflower until very soft
- Chop up cauliflower
- Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor
Snacks, snacks, and more snacks! :) :)
- Veggies and hummus or babaganoush
- Snap peas (yummy all by themselves!)
- Cucumbers and balsamic vinegar
- Rice cakes with nut butter and banana (could add jelly too!)
- Smoothies! (my go-to smoothie consists of: greens (you won’t even taste them) frozen blueberries, 1 banana, chia seeds, and chocolate or vanilla protein powder. sometimes I add almond butter) I use water or almond or coconut milk but I like them thick so I don’t add much liquid…..it’s almost like ice cream! Super easy to make and so so delicious!
- Olives and cheese
- Nuts and seeds plain or nuts with melted coconut oil (a little goes a long way) and pink himalayan salt (can add pepper, or turmeric if you want to spice it up)
- Brazil nuts (I eat 2-4 daily for selenium)
- Pistachios
- Celery and nut butter with raisins (ants on a log- see pic below)
- Seaweed
- Yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit (we use frozen berries- much cheaper than fresh). Optional add ins: nut butter, cinnamon, honey
- Collagen protein bars from Bulletproof. These are seriously so good! And good on the go because they do not need to be refrigerated. They have some new flavors but some of my favorites are the lemon cookie, vanilla shortbread, and mint chocolate. You can get them at most health food stores.
- Wild Alaskan canned salmon; we make salmon salad by adding garlic powder, salt, pepper, pickles, and chopped up tomatoes. Could put it on a bed of greens or on celery sticks.
- Lettuce wraps with turkey*, tomato, mayo or mustard, and a pickle.
- If we eat deli meat, we usually go with the Applegate brand because it’s:
- organic
- no antibiotics ever
- humanely raised
- no chemical nitrates or nitrites
- no artificial ingredients or preservatives
- no fillers
- no GMO ingredients
- If we eat deli meat, we usually go with the Applegate brand because it’s:
Peace with God! :) :) :)
A message of hope!
My words are not perfect but I hope this message gets the point across! God LOVES you! He sent His son to die for YOU! So that you can be in a right relationship with the living God! AND IT IS AWESOME!!
There is more (much more!) I could share about Jesus but I tried to make this short-ish.
*I did not make this clear but when someone has put their trust in Jesus’ sacrifice for their sin, and they are forgiven, it does not mean that they will not sin again. We are ALL sinners! The Holy Spirit living in us guides us, convicts us, and empowers us to fight sin and try to walk in obedience to God.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Roman 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.