Proverbs Challenge

With the encouragement of my face book friend and fellow blogger, Sherri Murphy I am once again doing the Proverbs challenge. There are 31 days in January and 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. The goal is simple, read one chapter a day. It is easy to remember your place in your reading, you just follow the date. I have to confess my bible reading has been very lacking lately and like before, now that I have purposed to pick it up and read it every day it has become "addictive" again.

Actually this leads me to a small prayer request that I need to share. We all have times in our lives when we are closer to God than other times. Peaks and valleys, everyone has them. There have been times when my relationship with God has been so intimate and powerful. My prayers seemed stronger, I was in tuned to everything around me....walking "in the spirit". Not sure how to describe it exactly, but felt like I picked up on little things God was trying to tell me or show me. Because of ridicule or doubt from others, sometimes I would doubt myself.

Now, like many other times before, I have a strong desire to get back to that place...with one reservation. Every time I make my way back to God I am faced with a trial. I know, it's an attack from the enemy to keep me where I am. I went through this back in the spring. I felt a real calling from God on my life. One day I was so excited and ready for whatever it was he had for me. I went to chapel at Katelyn's school that morning and was encouraged, I prayed and confessed things in my life that were not godly, and surrendered myself to whatever it was God wanted from me. That very night we had the biggest "blow up" in our house that we had ever had. It was basically an argument over something small that led to everyone yelling, my son left the house and I was driving around town at almost 10 o'clock at night to find him. I decided that if growing close God meant that every time I tried I would have to face a battle that I would be content with a so-so relationship with Him. I have since repented of that, knowing it isn't the right attitude to have, and certainly not obedient to the word.

So to all of you believers and prayer warriors out there I have one request. Please help me pray against an attack again. I know we all face trials, the scripture says to "count it joy" when we have trials and temptations. I am not there yet. I already have challenges in my everyday life, I am not asking to be exempt from that, I just don't know if I am up for a major battle. I am going to cling to the word that reminds me that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". It would make me feel better knowing I have people I care about on my side, helping me fight the "powers and principalities" that will come up against me. Thanks ahead of time, I already know there are some of you I can count on. If you like, leave a comment and let me know what it is I can pray for you about. There really is strength in numbers.
Be encouraged in the Lord and have a great weekend!

So Far, So Good!

Ok, so I am still feeling recharged and focused on taking better care of myself. Again, baby steps. I have not made a huge declaration of all the things I am going to cut out of my diet, instead I am first focusing on what I need to add to my diet. On my way to work yesterday I stopped by the grocery store. Thinking about my post on antioxidants, I headed toward the produce section and was very happy to find blueberries on sale...thanks God. (seriously, our "grateful list" should include even the small things we encounter in our day we are thankful for) Anyway I grabbed a 6 oz container for $2, also picked up some concord grape juice, and a container of vanilla yogurt. Oh, and pistachios were 2 for $6...gotta have some fiber.

I got to work just before noon and had enough time for a Healthy Choice steamer thing, which was really good. Very small, but good. The rest of the night was pretty busy, I had set out a little bowl of the pistachios so I knew how much I was eating (never eat from the bag) and just picked up one or two when I went to the back room. A little later in the evening I tossed some blueberries in my yogurt and because I was busy, didn't have time to sit down and eat it so again, just grabbed a bite here and there. I have found in the past that "grazing" really works for me and it did this time too. By the time I left work at 8:30 I was not really hungry. Usually my stomach is growling and I come home and eat too much.
So if you think this is something that would work for you, give it a try. If you are a stay-at-home mom, set out something healthy vegetables, fruits, nuts, and nibble on them as you are doing your housework or chasing that toddler around. If you work outside the home and are able, keep healthy snacks around to hold you over so you don't feel as hungry at meal time.

I know this is something you have heard before, and it isn't rocket science. But don't focus on it as a "diet" or "weight loss plan". Just think of some things you need to be getting from your daily diet and add them in. I was not primarily trying not to eat when I did this yesterday, as I said, I just wanted to get some healthy stuff in and found that after I did I wasn't as hungry for anything else. Remember this is a blog about taking care of ourselves, and eating right is a big part of that. So slow down, make some preparations so you can grab something healthy and quick. It will make you feel better physically and mentally because you've done something good for YOU!
Have a great day.

The Great and Powerful Oz Has Spoken!!

Does anyone else like Dr. Oz as much as I do? I don't watch Oprah a lot anymore, but always tried to tune in when I knew he was going to be on. Now he has his own show! Unfortunately I am not always home when he is on (I have to get one of those DVR things). I went to his website, and was a bit overwhelmed...information overload! He has so many "challenges" and "programs" what to do first, do I want to look younger in 30 days? diet with a buddy? find out my "real" age? lol
For those of you who aren't familiar with Dr. Oz, I'll fill you in. He is a medical doctor, and like I said, started on the Oprah show. He is probably most known for his direct approach on what he is talking about. He either has graphic images or has actual organs from cadavers that are diseased and compares them to healthy ones (again, real ones). Its sounds weird and disgusting but really helps you see what he is trying to teach.
I did go to the website about a month ago to look at his anti-aging checklist. There are several steps to the program, and again I felt overwhelmed, so I have decided to implement one or two steps at a time. Of course I won't get as quick of results, but not sure how much I believe in all that anyway.
The first thing I am going to start with is antioxidants. Oxidation is aging from exposure to oxygen (what happens to an apple when you slice it). If you put lemon juice on the apple it keeps this from happening. Antioxidants do the same thing for our bodies. Foods rich in antioxidants are great for cancer prevention. Foods with deep colors are rich in antioxidants. Blueberries, tomatoes, sweet potatoes. I love concord grape juice and am going to drink at least one serving every day. You should have at least 5 servings a day of antioxidant foods or beverages, such as green tea. If you are reading this, you have access to a computer, look up a list of the foods, there are a lot of them, surely you can find a few you like and make sure you are eating them.
www.doctoroz.com Here is a link to Dr. Oz's website. If you get a chance watch his show and see what you think.
We've all heard the saying "It's all in perspective" One of my New Year's goals is to look at the good in situations that seem bad or trying. You know, the Pollyanna way..lol So, I leave you with at thought I had today. If its seems that everyone wants something from you, it must mean you have a lot to offer! Be blessed!

I Have Practiced What I Preached!

I did it, I am off to a great start. Last night I made an appointment with myself for a nice bath and exfoliating, and shortly after 9 pm I was in the tub! I didn't have a good scrub on hand, so just like I suggested, I went to the kitchen and mixed up 2 TBSP of sea salt and 1 TBSP of olive oil and because I like the smell just a splash of baby oil. It felt so good to get the dead skin off. When I got out of the tub I dried off and immediately put on some intensive lotion for extremely dry skin. I am not kidding, today I can still tell that my skin is softer than it was and I haven't itched at all today. I even took time to wash my face and put on some of my skin care products that I like to use.
Tonight I got on my new exercise trampoline that I got for Christmas. I have to always remind myself that it is ok for exercise to start with "baby steps", and that any time spent exercising is more beneficial than doing nothing. Each night I will try to do a little more than before. I really wanted to come straight to the computer, but knew if I did I would end up here and not get anything else done....so I am going to use computer time as a reward for getting everything else done that I need to.
I have so many ideas and discussions that I can't wait to share with you all. Especially because each thing I suggest, I know I have to do myself....so here is to a great start to a better "us". Be Blessed!

Just let it go...

A couple of you have already asked me about managing time or not bogging yourself down with obligations. This may not be the best advice, and surely not what you would get from a lot of people, but if you feel like housework and chores are keeping you from your family, if at all possible, let it go! Figure out the best time management skill for you and put it to work. Life in my house is a little unpredictable so making a week long schedule will never work. I do things a little more short-term and plan a day at a time.
Let me say first that as a Christian I know that when I start my day with the Lord, it goes a lot better. Pray about your time management. Ask God to help you see priorities, give you the perseverance to get chores done, avoid the temptation of distractions, and spend some time with Him. I am a visual learner, so I love object lessons. Some years ago, I was at a ladies evening at church and a woman talked about time management. She had a quart jar, a bowl of beans, and three objects, I think maybe small blocks. The three objects represented bible reading, prayer, I think church, and the beans represented responsibilities or chores. She began by having us name things we must get done throughout the day, laundry, dishes, cooking. Each time we named one she added a scoop of beans to the jar. After it was full of chores the other stuff would not fit it. She then dumped out all of the beans, put the important stuff in first and the same amount of beans fit perfectly....even got the lid on. Now to some of you, that may be elementary physics, but it obviously impacted me enough that I still remember it. It makes a great point. Start your day of with God, read His word, talk to Him and he will guide the rest of your day...bumps and all!
The beginning of this blog was no way to imply not doing what needs to be done so that you can play all day, but make sure you don't let quality time with your family be replaced with that last bit of dusting that needs to be done, and those supper dishes will be there later. My children are 16 and 13 now and I can tell you it goes by quickly. I already look back and ask myself "did I hold them enough?" "do they have memories of us spending fun time together?" Most of you have probably heard this poem but it is one of my favorites, I will leave you with it:
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow
For babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Have a blessed day, go rock your baby while I grab a tissue!

Let' Back up a Bit

Usually when someone speaks about a subject, and especially gives advice about it, it's because they are an expert on it. Let me say that is not the case here. And I am right there with most women not taking time out for themselves. One of the reasons for this whole idea was to work on this myself, with encouragement from other women (or men).

Now on to the first thing I need to get started on....my dry skin. It's winter, the air is cold, our houses are dry because of furnaces or possibly wood heat and it takes a horrible toll on our skin. I have found one thing to be most effective in this area and that is exfoliation. Quite often when I am giving a pedicure or other spa service my client will complain about their dry skin. Usually they tell me that they use lotion regularly and it just doesn't help. My question to them is always this, "Are you exfoliating?" I usually already know from the appearance of their skin that the answer is "no". Dry skin sits on top of the good skin and is very absorbent. When you apply lotion, it is "sucked up" by the dry, dead skin and never reaches the good skin below. If you first exfoliate that dead skin away you will notice a big difference after you use a good moisturizing lotion. There are all kinds of scrubs out there, sugar, salt, oatmeal, etc. My favorite to use for pedicures is called Sea Salt glow by Creative. It is very coarse, so you wouldn't want to use it on your face, but anywhere else would be fine. It has a subtle lavender scent that is wonderful. I know that Mary Kay makes a microdermabrasion scrub for your face that I have seen people have great results from as well. If you don't want to buy something (remember, I am thinking about budget as well) you can use things that you probably have in your kitchen. You can make a great scrub out of sea salt and olive oil. If you are prone to acne, be careful about sugar. Google it, find one you like, and share it here! Be sure with any scrub that you wipe down the tub when you are finished so the next person that steps in doesn't slip!
I have decided for the routines or habits I need to get into, face washing, exercising, that I am going to have to make an "appointment" for them. We all want to say we just don't have time, no it's that we don't make time for ourselves. A few of you have already asked about saying "no" to keep from overloading yourselves with responsibility and like the Nike ad says, you have to "Just do it". I have really started thinking before saying yes to a favor, or that client that wants in on my day off, or even the co-worker that needs me to cover for them. This may sound corny but the second I say "no" I feel a weight off of me, knowing I am not going to have to juggle my schedule or wear myself out for one more thing on my to-do list. This is a hard thing for me, because I always want to help out , but have realized that I just cannot do it all.

So, I have penciled myself in for 9:00 pm tonight. Household will be winding down, it will be a good time before bed to take a nice bath (and yes Jay, that is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about) scrub away the dead skin, and cleanse and moisturize my face before turning in.
I have a feeling you all are right about this blog thing becoming addictive, it is already alot of fun!

Put yourself back on the list.

A few years ago Wynonna Judd went on the Oprah Winfrey show to talk about her struggles with her weight. She thought if she voiced her plans of weight loss in front of millions of viewers it would make her feel more accountable and would encourage her to keep trying to lose. When she was asked about gaining the weight her answer was very interesting. She said that she had alot of responsibility, a list of things and people to take care of and she was the woman that "forgot to put herself on the list". That is probably true for most women. We are so busy taking care of so much, or maybe mismanage our time that we really don't take care of ourselves. I am not talking about the "spoiling" ourselves with huge shopping sprees or indulging in sinful foods (although that can be therapeutic in moderation). I am talking about really taking care of ourselves. Eating right, skin care, finding quiet or "me"time, if you are Christian, growing in that. Your complete spiritual, physical, and mental well being.
There is something that has inspired me to start this blog. I know that the economy is bad and we are all penny pinching right now, and because of this I have encountered some women with bad "do-it-yourself" color and cuts. Now, as a cosmetologist I could look at this as a way to build business, let people screw up their hairs so I can fix it...lol. Actually it is sometimes very difficult to do that. But I am having to watch my budget as much as anyone else and would rather give some tips then let a poor fellow "sister" go around with awful hair!
Also, I am really hoping that this turns into more of "community". I want to hear from other women too. Have you found a product or time-managing skill that has helped you out? Read an inspiring book or anything else that could be helpful to other women? What I don't want this to be is some New Year's resolution type of thing that falls by the wayside in a week a two, and so I am not making any huge goals about how often I will blog. Just whenever I think of or find something worth sharing. Speaking of the new year, I wish everyone a very happy one. I do have one small goal of becoming a bit more computer literate, I would love to do a few video blogs, it would help out alot, especially when we talk about bikini waxing....just kidding!
The first thing I am going to do is work on a better sleeping habit, so I am now going to bed! Goodnight friends!