Category Archives: Health

Joy Stealers

25 Friday May 2012

Posted by in Practical Help, Health, Inspirational Mama, Rest and Refreshment, Sticking through tough times

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I wish I had a magic recipe I could give to my friends that they could spray around the house to make their joy come back; kind of like the lavender counter spray that makes me feel happy every time I clean my kitchen!

Joy can be elusive; one minute we feel pretty good about the world and the next minute we’re telling ourselves we’ll never do anything worthwhile and that we are lower than dirt.

If this happens to you a lot you may have a physical reason for feeling so lousy. We women are a marvelous mixture of hormones. We are biological beings but we can forget that about ourselves!

My husband had a friend who used to say, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing a woman can do is get a good nights sleep.” I would look at him and wonder what in the world is he talking about?

Then, one night my husband and I had a heated argument that we couldn’t resolve, so I decided to go to bed. I was so sad and upset and angry that I thought it would be easier to face the reality of our horrible marriage in the morning.
You can guess what happened. I sobbed myself to sleep, slept deeply and woke up rested. I sat up and yawned and thought, what a beautiful day and look at that cute man I married!

Yes, sometimes the most spiritual thing a woman can do is to tell herself that maybe she’d better not do anything until she rests, eats less sugar or takes a walk in the fresh air!

Simple decisions can make a huge difference in this busy life we live. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. If you need to confess a sin and repent of it, then do it knowing that God who is faithful and just will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. But, if you keep making poor choices because you are exhausted…give yourself permission to breathe deep, eat right and take a nap.

Listen to your Auntie Jill :-) !

Fast and Easy; Healthy Yogurt and Fruit Parfaits

21 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by in Easy, Health, healthy and quick recipes, Homemaking, Practical Help

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Our family has been enjoying these easy parfaits for several years now so you can imagine my surprise when we stopped at a MacDonald’s and discovered they had stolen our idea! I had no idea that children everywhere went to MacDonald’s to get these but was reassured by my ten year old that ours were better (mothers, be sure to teach your children to compliment you on whatever you do in the kitchen. It will make your world a little brighter).

You can make these delicious and healthy parfaits for less than fifty cents each if you make your own yogurt and granola. Both are surprisingly easy to make so give them a try.

Even if you buy all your ingredients you will still save loads of money over a store-bought parfait. They are so easy to assemble your children can do it.

I use short, hard plastic cups, cover them with plastic wrap after they are filled and freeze. They are refreshing to eat cold on a hot summer day.

Tired mothers whose young children need breakfast at an early hour would be wise to have a few of these on a refrigerator shelf where children could grab one for breakfast. Use a rubber band to attach a plastic spoon to the cup and you earn yourself a few minutes more of hard-earned sleep.

Ingredients:
Yogurt (plain or vanilla)
Granola (plain or flavored)
Berries, rhubarb sauce or jam
Chopped nuts or coconut
Do you see the potential for an infinite variety of choices here? Choose what you want! Throw in some chocolate chips if the mood strikes you. The choice is yours!

To assemble:
In a plastic cup or pretty parfait glass layer:
1/2 inch or more of yogurt, then fruit, granola and/or nuts. Repeat until glass is filled, ending with fruit or jam.

Enjoy immediately or cover the top of the cup tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. Eat when thawed.

My Heart’s at Home; Practical Help for The Woman Who Wants to be a Stay-at-Home Mom

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in becoming a stay at home mom, Cleaning, goals, Health, Homemaking, Inspirational Mama, Marraige, Practical Help, Reading Aloud, Thoughts and Prayers

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Today I begin a series of posts aimed at the woman who longs to stay home with her children.
(There I go, again, with a picture of a mother reading to her child. I slip those in every opportunity I have!)

I am giving a nod to Laura at The Thinking Housewife because this series was inspired by what I read there.

I want to call your attention to a woman who wrote into The Thinking Housewife who desperately wants to stay home with her child but can’t afford to. Please read the beginning of the post One Woman’s Anti-Feminist Awakening
and then scroll waaay down and find Sarah Nelson’s response to the woman(as you scroll down you will see my response as well).

Sarah shared her own journey back home and the kind of hard choices she and her husband made in order for her to be at home with their child. Sarahs deliberate and careful hard work at home is one reason why I hate the term “stay-at-home-mom.” Wives and mothers who are successfully hewing, building and hammering a loving and faithful marriage and family are not just staying at home! They are planning, working, saving, feeding, loving, praying, cleaning, beautifying; in short, working very hard at home!

So, pour yourself a big glass of water (it’s winter when you need more water,girlfriend!) and read about Sarah and how she was able to stay at home with her child in spite of school loans that needed to be paid.

I contacted Sarah and interviewed her because I wanted to learn more about what she went through in order to make the adjustment to working at home with her child. I”ll be posting that interesting interview in two days.

Are you a mom whose heart longs to be home or do you know someone who feels that way? Ask them to join us as we encourage those whose hearts are at home.

As always, I love to hear from you!

Feeling Sad in a World of Happy

06 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in Decluttering, Health, Homemaking, Inspirational Mama, Practical Help, Rest and Refreshment, Thoughts and Prayers

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You’ve made it through the season when “all is merry and bright” and now you are standing shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the world peering into a New Year. So where’s the optimism and hope? Having a hard time dragging yourself out of bed in the morning? You are not alone.

I am going to do a “doldrums intervention” on you because I am an expert in this area of mid Winter “blahs” so listen up!

Here are my top suggestions for getting through the mid winter depression that affects so many of us.

1) Take a shower. If you have to put five children into a playpen right outside the bathroom door, do it! Then, dry off, lotion up and put on the prettiest clean clothes(note the emphasis on the world clean)that you have available.

There, don’t you feel better?

2) Trust God but don’t over spiritualize what is probably a biological problem. Pray and then look carefully at what you are eating and drinking and how much time you are spending inside.

3)If you live in the Western Hemisphere and are experiencing any kind of Winter at all (short, dark days) you are in the worst time of the year for your body.
Take your cod liver oil. You simply can’t beat the benefits for your brain, mood, skin and bones. No other supplement is an important as this one especially in the Winter (in some Wintery climates they take it in every month with an “r”; September through April).

If you are the mother of young children make the codliver oil a priority (you can get it in flavored capsules:-) and make sure your children take it too.

For those of you who live in the South, don’t think that lets you off the hook! A good friend of mine who lives right near the White Sands Missile Range (name withheld to protect the not-so-innocent) is vitamin D deficient! Girls, she lives near a desert that is just one windstorm short of being the Gobi or the Sahara and she doesn’t get enough sunshine!

How can this be (you ask from your dark snowbound corner of the universe)?

Five children and the mistaken belief that she can get the housework finished each day.Need I say more?

So take your cotton pickin’ cod liver oil! And, if you may possibly be having a baby any time in the future, you will be growing a smarter baby by doing this!!

**Updated Jaanuary 20th 2012 Here is my daughter Lorna’s blogpost about fighting the blues! Great minds think alike!

3) Move!I have been among the many who, out of desperation, joined a gym in January but it didn’t work well for me because I can’t stand the blare of the t.v.’s and the music. So, if the weather allows, I walk, walk, walk. If I have to, I go to the mall and join the old people over there. Either way, exercise is miraculous for mood and fresh air is wonderful as well.

4) Praise God! Sing as you exercise or listen to great music of the faith. We are commanded to do this and it is good for our soul!

If you are the mother of young children who can’t easily get out of the house I suggest jumping jacks, running or walking in place or up and down stairs. Make sure you pump those arms! Listen to great music and include young children. You’ll feel better.

5) Tan therapeutically. I know, I can hardly believe I am typing those words but I have discovered that five minutes under a tanning bed does wonders for my mood. This is only worth it if you buy the tanning minutes instead of the sessions. I get 100 minutes of tanning for 34.00 so that is 20 sessions for me.It is an incredible mood brightener for those living where the days are very short.

6) Once you’ve gotten your vitamin D levels up and your blood circulating, begin tackling your environment with this three part series I wrote Decluttering Starts in Your Brain.I also posted some of Michael Hyatt’s great suggestions in a post entitled How to Get out of that Funk.

Take care of yourself during these dark days of Winter, trust in the Lord and look forward (with me) to my favorite month of February when I will try to brighten our lives with some cheery hearts in my little corner of the web!

How to Get Out of that Funk by Michael Hyatt

28 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in Health, Inspirational Mama, Practical Help, Rest and Refreshment

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It’s that time of year when I begin to feel sleepy, slightly depressed and unmotivated. This post by Michael Hyatt is full of good advice.

I know it’s hard for some moms to get out of the house to go for a jog or exercise but take the time to do jumping jacks in the living room or run up and down the stairs throughout the day (if you have them) and remember that Vitamin D is very important for bone health and mood!

 

Emotion is created by motion.

If you want to change your emotional state, often all that is necessary is for you to change your physiology. I have experienced this first-hand again and again.

Don’t believe me? Try this:

  • Slouch in your chair
  • Round your shoulders
  • Take shallow breaths
  • Close your eyes
  • Frown and then sigh

If you are like me, almost immediately you will start feeling down—maybe even a little discouraged. As it turns out, discouragement and sadness have specific physical manifestations.

But so does joy and confidence.

This is why you can look at someone and say, “You look like you are having a difficult day.” Or conversely, “Wow. You look like you are on top of the world!”

Over the years, I have learned that I can change my emotional state for the better by focusing on my physiology rather than my emotions. So can you. Try these five steps:

  1. Put on some upbeat music. This can dramatically alter your mood, because of the memories you associate with certain tunes. Gail recently created a playlist of “Music for an Outstanding Day,” which I borrowed. It is awesome!
  2. Stand up and stretch. Try to reach the ceiling. Get on your tippy-toes. If you are brave—and no one else is around—jump up and down for 60 seconds. Shake it out. Rotate your neck. Look up.
  3. Take several deep breaths. Oxygenating the blood makes you more alert and awake. Close your eyes and concentrate on breathing. Draw the air deep into your diaphragm (or gut). This is a great way to forget about what has you down or afraid.
  4. Get your body in motion. The more vigorous you can move the better. Go for a run, a bicycle ride, or simply a walk—preferably outdoors. This stimulates your blood flow and gets oxygen to to your whole body. If you do it long enough, your brain will release endorphins that elevate your mood.
  5. Focus on the positive. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he“ (Proverbs 23:7). Think strong, positive thoughts. Affirm what you know to be true. Give thanks for what you have rather than what you don’t have. Shift your internal narration to what you get to do rather than what you have to do.

Preventing Colds and Flu

20 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by in Health, Home Education, Homemaking, Practical Help, Rest and Refreshment

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The following information came from my favorite source of health information, Dr. Carolyn Dean. She calls herself the “Physician of the Future” because she has both medical and naturopathic medical degrees. She is a balanced source of information and has written some great books as well.Visit her website!

For further health information on preventing illness and boosting immunity check out my page on health in my blog sidebar which I update occasionally.

1. Cover your mouth when coughing, don’t use cloth handkerchiefs,
and wash your hands before touching other people or their
possessions.

2. While you are sick, keep your toothbrush in 3 percent hydrogen
peroxide (that you can get from the drug store), then replace or
boil your toothbrush when you recover so you won’t re-infect
yourself.

3. Stop all sugar, dairy, and wheat to decrease mucus and don’t eat
heavy foods such as meat and fried foods.

4. Don’t smoke.

5. Take plenty of (diluted) fruit and vegetable juices and chicken broth.

6. If there are no contraindications, use a warm‐water enema with
the juice of one lemon to pull out toxins. Or try a coffee enema.

7. Take Epsom salts baths, 2 cups in hot water, to open pores. You
can add clay to your bath as well. http://www.magneticclay.com/123.html

8. For winter colds wear lots of clothing layers to encourage
sweating, wrap a scarf around your throat, and wear a hat at all
times to avoid the possible loss of 40 percent of your body heat
from your head.

9. Use a vaporizer; mucus can collect at night if the air is too
dry.

10. Do chest clapping to loosen mucus in the chest.

31 Days of Healthy Snacks

29 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by in Health, Homemaking, Practical Help, Recipes

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In preparation for starting our Fall school routine (and the word routine is used very loosely but it is such a great word for giving the impression that I have my organizational act together;) I am sharing 31 days of healthy snacks. Enjoy!

1. Apple slices and cheddar cheese.
2. Smoothies! Yougurt, frozen fruit and healthy fat (flaxseed oil, virgin coconut oil) all blended together or frozen fruit and greens (spinach, kale) blended well. Delicious!
3.Nuts and raisins.
4.Thinly sliced meat and/or cheese wrapped in a lettuce leaf and skewered with a toothpick.
5.Popcorn and sliced fruit or frozen berries.
7.Tostada chips and pinto bean “dip” (smoosh beans and add salt).
8. Celery and carrot sticks and ranch dressing.
9.Homemade bread and butter.
10. Hummus (blend canned chickpeas, a little sesame tahini, lemon juice and fresh garlic) and toasted triangles of pita bread.
11.”Roll-ups”(spread flour tortillas with peanut butter and jelly or your favorite spread) roll up and slice into pin-wheels.
12.Celery and cream cheese
13. Cottage cheese and tomatoes.
14.Dates stuffed with cream cheese.
15.Hearty cookies made with whole wheat flour, whole grains and half the sweetener.
16.Peanut butter balls (stir together equal parts of powdered milk, peanut butter and honey-roll into balls and roll balls in dried coconut, cocoa or any crunchy topping).
17. Hot dogs sliced and skewered onto toothpicks with pickles and cheese.
18.Deviled eggs and veggie sticks.
19.Homemade fresh fruit popsicles.
20.Yougurt parfaits (layer plain or vanilla yougurt with fruit, coconut, granola or anything tasty in a clear plastic cup. These freeze well).
21.Cheese sticks and crackers.
22.Baked kale chips (wash and tear Kale, salt and bake at 400 degrees until crispy-really tasty even for children:).
23.Chicken strips dipped in bar-b-que sauce.
24.Meatballs and veggie sticks (good hot or cold).
25.Whole grain muffins and cream cheese/honey spread.
26.Tostada chips with melted cheese and salsa.
27.Homemade granola bars.
29.Tuna and mayo on crackers
30.Homemade trail mix (nuts, chocolate chips or M & M’s, dried fruit etc.)
31.Ripe bananas rolled/soaked in lemon juice and frozen.

Twenty-six things I’ve Learned about Motherhood

20 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by in Health, Humor, Inspirational Mama, Practical Help, Rest and Refreshment, Thoughts and Prayers

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This post was inspired by Karen Edmisten’s list.

Why twenty-six things? Our eldest turned 26 this summer…which brings me to the first thing I’ve learned about motherhood;

1. You know how the old geezers said that children grow up before you know it? They were right. Choose to spend as much time as you can with your children even if it means sacrificing.They need you.

2. Speaking of time, give yourself some of it as you plan your day. Hurrying and over scheduling will steal your joy and make you resent your little dawdlers.

3. The psychologists, by and large, were wrong. Children are resilient. Don’t raise them like you’re treading on eggshells. Trust God, pray a lot, seek wisdom and be firm. Firm parents cause way less “damage” to children than worried, hand-wringing parents do.

4. Get down on their level every once in a while. Smell the play dough and dig in the sand. They’ll love it and you’ll remember what it’s like down there.

5. Be a loyal parent. Don’t complain about parenting on the phone or over coffee with your friends…your children will probably take it very personally.

6. Toilets get clogged and stuff gets broken. Life is like that. When you’re old and gray you won’t sit around wishing you could hold your old jewelry box one more time.

7. You know those insanely different ways that you and your husband approach parenting? Believe it or not this, too, is part of God’s plan(read a great article from Focus on the Family here).

8. You are the parent; not the servant and not the fairy godmother. Once they are past the baby stage you don’t have to meet all their needs. Someday you will be unleashing adults on the world. Let your children work hard as they grow. It’s good for them.

9. When you feel like you are at the end of your rope take a nap. Superwoman is a myth.

10. You know how the flight attendant told you in the event of an emergency to put your oxygen mask on first and then help your child put on his? When you take care of yourself and go on dates with your husband you’re putting on your oxygen mask. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage…even if you didn’t do it in that order, your marriage takes priority.

11. You can be the wonderful cookie baking mother you have always dreamed of but you don’t have to eat all the cookies. It adds up over time! Ask me how I know.

12. Choose to act and look happy (yes, it is a choice!). Children feel secure when they know their mother is happy. Practice smiling at your family every time they walk into the same room. Let them know they make you happy.

13. If it’s late and you haven’t started dinner yet, fry some onions.It will fill the house with the aroma (and the illusion) that you’ve been slaving away for your beloved hungry horde.

14. Confession is good for the soul. If you’ve sinned against your children, admit it to them and ask for their forgiveness. Children are good little forgivers.

15. Don’t be surprised if you are tired at the end of the day. It’s probably because you’ve been working hard…which is the right thing to do.

16. The laundry and housework will never be “caught up.” Have fun with your children anyway.

17. You know that beautiful greeting card that says, “My home is in my mother’s eyes?” It’s true. Look your children in the eye many times a day. They need to know you see them!

18. Quirky, irritating mannerisms usually pass. So do those awkward, clutsy stages of growing up. It just feels like forever when you’re in the middle of them.

19. Touch them. Ruffle their hair. Notice them.You won’t regret it years later.

20. Tell stories about yourself when you did stupid,silly things. The stories will become part of the family lore and your children will hear the unspoken moral which is, Mom understands because she’s human too.

21. Tell them that God rejoices that He made them. Tell them they are gifts from Him. They need to hear the truth.

22. Remember the time you said “no” to getting the puppy when you had a toddler in the house? You don’t need to feel guilty about that…you were wise.

23. Even if you aren’t a reader, learning to be one is a precious gift you can give to your children. Read good books together. Discover inspiring authors together. You will glue your family together in a special way.

24. Homemade popsicles, dinner together around the table with the t.v. off, talking (and listening), singing together, roasting marshmallows over a campfire, sitting in church together…wonderful memories are built bit by bit over a lifetime. Don’t give up!

25. Little boys can be challenging (to put it nicely). That’s because,someday, they are going to be men! Whatever you do…don’t give up! The world will thank you.

26. The worst lie ever foisted on womanhood was that we could “have it all.” That’s crock. We can’t have it all but we can do our utmost to have a close bond with our adult children someday by being there when they are little. It is worth it…and (as someone who is fast becoming an “old geezer”) remember that they grow up very very fast.

Five Things Fathers Do Best

15 Wednesday Jun 2011

Posted by in Health, Inspirational Mama, Marraige, Practical Help, Rest and Refreshment, Thoughts and Prayers

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From Focus on the Family, a ministry that had a profound impact on me as a new Christian.

Five Things Fathers Do Best

1. Fathers teach us empathy: A study by the American Psychological Association found that children with very involved fathers are more likely to be sensitive to the needs of others. Effective dads also helped their children become more generous and thoughtful too.

2. Fathers give us confidence: Fathers are more likely to challenge their children to try difficult things by taking safe and measured risks. Research shows that a man’s more physical play style-and slower response to help his children through frustrating situations-encourages problem-solving and self-confidence in both boys and girls.

3. Fathers increase our vocabulary: Children who spend lots of time with Dad are more likely to have larger and more complex vocabularies. That’s because fathers are more likely to speak to their children as they would an adult. This often initiates a vocabulary lesson.

4. Fathers protect us from crime and violence: You’re not likely to find well-fathered boys in gangs. A father’s affirmation fulfills the need that makes gang life attractive. Likewise, girls with good fathers are not as likely to be sexually active, having already experience the wholesome, fatherly love of a good dad.

5. Fathers promote better treatment of women: Find a young woman who won’t be victimized sexually, emotionally or financially, and we’ll show you a woman who most likely has a good dad. Even when a good dad stumbles, if Mom calls him on it and he responds like a gentleman, the kids take note.

This Father’s Day, instead of handing Dad another tie, thank him for making a difference in your life-in ways you many not have known about…until now.

Thank you Focus on the Family for reminding us that Dads don’t act like moms and our children benefit from it!

Battling Fear and Anxiety

08 Wednesday Jun 2011

Posted by in Guest Post, Health

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When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? Psalm 56:3-4

I thought I had won the battle when I was first married. Every night at bedtime, just as I was dropping off to sleep, I would be assailed by violent and scary thoughts. I have a vivid imagination, so I would wake up startled and be afraid to go back to sleep. My husband would pray for me. I recited scriptures and rebuked Satan in the name of Jesus over and over. This went on for five years!

Follow me over to Far Above Rubies to read the rest of my guest post.