Family Dinner

I’m sure you can all agree that we are busy. We have busy schedules that include; school, work, church, family, friends, etc. Today I wanted to share one thing that we strive for as a family that I pray is an encouragement to you.

Before having children we were intentional about having dinner together. Special thanks goes to our parents for making that a part of our upbringing. It’s a great time to wind down together and discuss what happened during the day. Once we had children it became even more important. Routine and schedule seems to so beneficial for children. Once our children were talking it was an opportunity to learn so much about them and their little world; what happened at daycare or school, relational issues they might be facing, what they think about certain foods, toys, etc.

As the primary cook at our house I can get overwhelmed by the time it takes to prepare a meal, the little time it took to consume it and then everyone wants to run away! It can be very discouraging. At that point I’m ready to sit and talk. I’m not desiring praise for whatever I’ve prepared; I’m hungry for relationship!

We have implemented a few questions we ask to each person during dinner. They are:

What was the best part of your day?
Did you have anything sad, funny, scary, crazy, or (fill the blank) you want to share?
What did you learn today?

These have become our staple questions although we mix in others sometimes too. These questions can be the springboard for other thoughts too and we might rabbit trail and we know that sometimes those can lead to rabbit holes and before you know it you’re reeling it in from silly, potty talk. Why are poop and farts so funny?

Having a routine like this has shown, according to the Washington Post in 2015, to “boost vocabulary,” and helps teach nutrition. Another website, thefamilydinnerproject.org, states these specific benefits of family dinner:

Better academic performance.
Higher self-esteem.
Greater sense of resilience.
Lower risk of substance abuse.
Lower risk of teen pregnancy.
Lower risk of depression.
Lower likelihood of developing eating disorders.
Lower rates of obesity.

What is a family building exercise you’ve found that is enjoyable? Do you have any tricks or tips to share that helps you eat nutritious meals or get movement in together? I’d love to hear from you!

Cheers to your next family meal, health and happiness!

Priorities and Procrastination

“Action expresses priorities.”
Mahatma Gandhi

“It’s not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.”
Bruce Lee

People say things to me all the time about how frequently I exercise. Priority is what it comes back to. My priorities in the morning are as follows: 1) rise and pray (IF I’m up early enough) 2) read my Bible and 3) exercise. I used to exercise first and then decided that I would rather wake, let my system adjust, and give God the beginning of my day. It has been such a blessing to me! I make an effort to post on social media a Bible verse or a portion of a devotion that stood out to me as well. Why? Because I want to first reflect a woman who loves and fears God. How else can I do this except by reading His Word and communicating with him? The devotion, Daily Bread, makes sharing on social media particularly easy since they include an image with a Bible verse or saying that is easily shared to Instagram. What a great way to shine a light! I hope, and pray, it encourages others. I love seeing scripture posts. It inspires me!

Another priority that I have this year is to declutter my house. Oh my! When you make this a focus you realize just how much STUFF four people can accumulate. So much unnecessary junk! I haven’t hit it too hard because with all the regular daily life stuff it could be overwhelming. I’m chipping away at it though! Why? I desire for my home to be a place of peace and rest not just for my family but for anyone. When I feel stressed about stuff I know I don’t have a peaceful demeanor and this too is a priority. This is another area that social media can be useful. I’m in a group on Facebook (invited by my dear “sister”-in-law) that is for Moms and is encouraging declutter/organization. So many great ideas!

I know I mentioned social media several times. It certainly can consume us! I wanted to highlight some of the positive ways that it has helped me. I hope and pray that you’ve read something here that inspired or encouraged you. If you did feel free to drop a comment or tag me on social media with one of your favorite Bible verses, inspirational quotes or exercise move of the day!

What priorities do you have? I believe that if you make something a priority just long enough it will become a habit and those don’t seem like work at all!

What inspires you? How do you want to inspire others? I know you’ll be encouraged if you will take one small step today, or even right now!

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”
Stephen R. Covey

New Year. New Goals.

I had such aggressive goals when I started this blog. The initial reason was to promote my Beachbody coaching business. Since I withdrew as a coach (due to financial reasons) my goal became personal. I had transitioned from wife and mother working outside the home to a full time, stay at home mother and home educator. I’ve always been passionate about truly supporting other women and this move gave me the ability to do just that.

It’s been a year and 1/2 filled with not only spending lots of time with my children, and neighbors but also helping numerous girlfriends with their children for a date night, doctor appointment, school trips, hair appointments, etc. I have been so blessed!

Regarding my exercise I set a goal in 2019, before Memorial Day, after reading an article in the Runner’s World magazine. Although I enjoy running I’ve always said it wasn’t my preferred method of exercise. The magazine encourages a “running streak” from Memorial Day until Independence Day. You are supposed to run at least one mile per day during that time. I completed that with a friend and enjoyed it so much I decided to continue indefinitely. I ended up breaking my streak in August when we were on family vacation because I wanted to just be able to relax and we were doing a bunch of hiking during that vacation as well. I got back to it later in the month of August and set the goal for a 365 day streak. I made it until December. My streak lasted 145 days. December 30th, 2019 was day 145.

I had started to have a lot of ache, pain and strain in my knees. I was doing other exercise during this time as well such as lifting and other cardio and weight programs. I am the type of person who once I set a goal there isn’t much that can deter me even if my body is practically shouting to take a rest. Getting sick on December 30 got my attention. I think it was a combination of some type of virus and my body just giving me the most obvious signal that I needed some rest. I haven’t run since then.

I would be lying to say that I have no regrets about stopping. Because of the “Type A” nature of mine it killed me a little to stop running after I’d set the goal for 365 days. I have since set some new goals.

I’ve been interested in running a Spartan race. I haven’t due to the distance from Savannah and the cost. In November I started looking at the Spartan race again. I was looking at the obstacles to see what I would need to add to my exercise routine to be ready. I found out that if you sign up to volunteer at the race you can race for free. That is huge considering the race fees alone are over $100 and the closest ones to us are in Atlanta and Jacksonville which also requires at least a 2 night stay. AJ and I discussed it and talked about where the race was in Atlanta in April. I felt that would give me enough time to train, it’s warm enough that we can tent camp, and maybe even head up to North Georgia to visit our friends and their new baby!

What goals have you set for yourself? Is there a goal you set and you just aren’t loving it? Is your body talking to you, like mine was, and telling you to start or stop something? Is there an adventure you’ve wanted to take and there was a niggling feeling holding you back? Is it something you’ve procrastinated about? Is there a wall you need to push through? A new program to try? Nutritional changes? Relational changes or boundaries? Is there something you’ve wanted to learn and haven’t taken the time? Is there a book you’ve wanted to read?

Now is the time!

Please share your stories with me. I love to encourage and see you killing it!

Drawing a blank

Have you ever thought you had something saved in a certain place only to go there and find it empty? That was me today. I thought I had an entire list of blog ideas and yet when I went to the document I thought they were saved in; BLANK.

Having a plan is so very important. Benjamin Franklin said, “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” Isn’t that the truth! I started using a day planner several years ago. I didn’t get anything fancy like Erin Condren. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t use those; you should be aware of the cost and the planning it will require to even purchase one! I’ve picked mine up at Michael’s and have spent less than $20 every time. The one I bought this year says Every Moment Matters on the front and comes with super cute stickers you can use to mark days with birthdays, appointments, positive sayings, etc. Fun! Fun!

Currently my planner includes my workouts for each week. I write them in every Sunday. I’ve planned, and written in, entire programs before but have found that when life gets in the way and I have to change something it really bothers me to have it written and then try to follow a day behind. Grrrr!

I also plan my meals each week. This helps me not waste what we have in the pantry, freezer, etc. by planning around what’s already here and needs to be used. Then there are days they get Hot’N’Ready for dinner. Cause, life.

Another tidbit about me. I’ve greatly reduced my social media time. I couldn’t say exactly cause this week has been a blur but have aimed at less than 15 minutes on Facebook and similar, if not less, on Instagram. I know this has helped me to be present with my family and it makes me feel so much better. Nothing wrong with social media. It would be foolish not to recognize the real dangers that lurk there even as adults. The biggest being the comparison problem. Consider how you’re spending it. Do you really need to “Like” or “Comment” on all those posts? Does it matter how many people liked yours? Are you telling your family to wait so that you can do something on social media? Is it worth it? These are the questions I’ve asked myself. I want my social media to a positive, genuine place. I also want my family to know they have my full and undivided attention.

How are you living your best life today? What blank do you need to fill today to be prepared for tomorrow?

Rock on!

Read. Repeat.

I read a book last year that affected the way I think about my life as I age. I don’t dwell on my age. Actually, I delight in every age that I’ve been. Being 37 is great! I don’t “feel” my age. Well, most days I don’t.

The book is called Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge M.D. This book was recommended to me by an older, mature and wealthy individual. He clearly appears to have taken these “Rules” to heart. Although this book is aimed at 50+ the rules, especially when applied early, are beneficial for all ages.

These are the rules:

Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life.
Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life.
Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life.
Spend less than you make.
Quit eating crap!
Care.
Connect and commit.

Good rules huh?

This book is so much more than just these seven rules. It is filled with humor and personal stories of the rules in action. I read the women’s version but am sure that either one would be pertinent and enjoyable.

I’m also reading a book entitled Hands Free Life: 9 Habits to Overcoming Distraction, Living Better & Loving More by Rachel Macy Stafford. This is one of those books that hits you right between the eyes, cuts you to the quick, causes you to stop, pause and reflect on an interaction that may have occurred that very day and you think the author must’ve seen and written about you. It has really caused me to step back and consider how I can implement the habits in my own life for the good of my family. My summary, although I’ve not finished, is that by being intentional daily and in all the precious moments God has given us we can truly invest ourselves in the lives of those that are nearest and dearest to us.

What are you reading? What is impacting you lately? Please share with me as I build my reading list.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

I am so excited about my meal prep achievement this week that I couldn’t wait until next week to post! I have been cruising Pinterest and adding ideas to my “Meal Prep” board for a few weeks now. I wanted to share what I was able to make and how it’s been working for my family.

My goal by adding this to my schedule was for ease of dinner preparation as well as lunches. AJ has been trying to lose weight and by focusing on healthier options that are portion controlled I know he can reach his goal. Also, having these precooked foods in the house will make lunch choices at home easy as well.

My purchases included:

Chicken thighs and tenders-4 packages, approximately 2.25 pounds each. I love Lucky’s and they had both of these on special for $1.88 a pound.
Ground beef 85/15 – 3 packages, approximately 2.25 pounds each. Also purchased at Lucky’s on sale for $1.88 a pound. Also, Fresh Market has ground beef for $2.99 a pound every Tuesday.
Zucchini-6 small/medium.
Pineapple-2, on sale at Kroger for $1.88.
Strawberries-2 pounds, Sam’s Club $3.98.
Grape tomatoes – 2 pints, on sale at Lucky’s for $1 each.
Bertolli pasta sauce – BOGO at Publix.
Chobani plain Greek yogurt – BOGO at Publix.
Shrimp (frozen, raw, sustainably harvested) – 2 pounds, Sam’s Club.
Broccoli florets – 2 pounds, Sam’s Club.
BBQ sauce – Kroger brand.
Ginger Stir-in paste – Kroger.
Feta Mediterranean Herb crumbles.
Hand Spiralizer – for making zucchini noodles. This tool came with 3 sizes; noodle, thick spiral and ribbon. It is goodcook brand and works very well!
Flour tortillas – frozen for taco night.
Green onions.
Green leaf lettuce – Lucky’s.
Honeycrisp apples (organic) – on sale at Lucky’s for $1.77 a pound.
Pears – on sale at Lucky’s for $.98 a pound.

I prepped the following:

2 pounds of taco meat – nachos on Tuesday and the other pound in the freezer for next weeks taco night.
Spicy chicken and sweet potato bowls – AJ didn’t care for the sweet potato with this meal. I used Cajun seasoning for the “spice.” The bowl included steamed broccoli although the recipe called for asparagus.
Hawaiian chicken bowls – AJ said he really liked this meal! I enjoyed it too. I warmed all ingredients together and in hindsight would have preferred the pineapple as a topping, cold.
Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs – I personally, LOVE this one! My kids were not thrilled with the smell of the sauce or the finished product. More for me!
Marinated chicken thighs – I will chop this on salads or shred to use in other recipes. My friend shared this recipe with me and the marinade is the bomb! It could also be combined with some roasted zucchini, grape tomatoes, and the feta cheese and herb quinoa I made for a Greek inspired lunch or dinner.
Strawberries and pineapple were washed, sliced and stored in the fridge for additions to salads, breakfasts, or topping yogurt.
Hard boiled eggs – After discussion with friends about our dissatisfaction with how our eggs were cooked as well as peeling this is the method I’ve been using and it works great! Water should cover the eggs by at least 2 inches. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and salt to the water. Once boiled add eggs. Boil for 8 minutes. Immediately remove, drain and ice. Happy peeling!

We had a lot going on over the weekend and I wasn’t able to get all my grocery shopping done on Friday or Saturday. I had to finish on Sunday afternoon and didn’t get home until around 5 PM.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED ON SUNDAY (2 1/2 HOURS):

Marinated 1 package chicken thighs. Grilled both packages of thighs. One plain for use in other recipes.
Cut, seasoned and baked chicken (used tenders) for Spicy chicken bowls.
Cut, cooked and added BBQ sauce for Hawaiian chicken bowls.
Washed 3 apples and 2 pears. Peeled 1 1/2 apples and sliced all storing in baggies for quick grab lunches and snacks.
Soaked green leaf lettuce, drained and stored in a gallon Ziploc for salads, tacos, etc.
Washed strawberries, sliced and stored in gallon Ziploc for salads, snacks and breakfast additions.
Cooked 2 pounds ground beef and added taco season. Separated into 2 gallon Ziploc.
Washed 1 zucchini and used spiralizer to test noodles that will accompany Hawaiian chicken bowl.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED ON MONDAY (1 1/2 HOURS):

Prepared meatballs for Sriracha recipe.
Prepared 1 pound beef into breakfast sausage patties.

WHAT I LEARNED:

The time I allocated to this was appropriate.
I would like to include my family in planning and prepping in the future.
I need to plan better dinners. The meals I chose were designed for lunches, but can easily convert to a dinner item. AJ wouldn’t want to have the same thing for lunch and dinner.
I will be adding a few “dump” recipes (designed for a crock pot) to my Meal Prep board so that I can include these on my planning. These are designed to be put together in a bag or container and dumped in the crock pot on the day you decide. Easy peasy!
I purchased a pack of 5 of these Meal Prep containers at WalMart. True to form the 2 times I’ve been back to purchase more of these they don’t have any. I might order them online or just use Prime. If I was working outside of the home I would want enough for AJ and I to pack our lunches for all 5 days; 10 total. However, since I’m not and can conveniently make my food at home or prep in another Tupperware to carry out the 5 we have are sufficient for now.

Please share your meal planning/prepping ideas! I’d love to add some new recipes.

Bonbons and Budgets

I know that bonbons have never been part of my life let alone my grocery list! It does make this subject much more appealing though wouldn’t you agree?

I asked my Facebook friends to weigh in on grocery budgets and received some great feedback! The family sizes ranged from 4 to 6 (parents and children) and commented regarding both budget dollars and whether they purchase organic items. The age ranges within these families is important as well because it seems very true that when we have children in the teenage years we are being, “eaten out of house and home!” The children were at or below 12 years old; including several with infants. Budgets range from $125 to $150 per week. Our budget had been at $500 a month for a LONG time and approximately 2 years ago (when the kids were 9 and 5) we began to overspend. I analyzed the spending about 9 months ago and found that our average for the prior 6 months had been closer to $700. That became our new budget amount.

I realized from reading the comments on my Facebook inquiry that I’ve included items such as paper goods (toilet paper, paper towel, and cleaning products) in my grocery budget and if I’m going to get micro on our spending I’ll need to break these out. I also have a multivitamin and protein that I use and these are lumped in the grocery budget as well.

WHAT DID I LEARN?

First, our family is well within the range of “normal” for our family size (4). I would also categorize our eating as, “healthy convenience,” (as one friend dubbed it). Healthy convenience to me means that we eat a lot of the “perimeter” items; fruits, veggies, meat, dairy, eggs, and much less middle aisle items where the processed foods live. When I am making a mid-week grocery run it usually involves a vegetable that was either forgotten or was eaten earlier than expected or another staple item like milk or eggs.

Second, I plan our meals weekly (7 to 10 days) and base these on what we like as well as what is on sale. The freezer we used to stock up on items like meat and frozen vegetables died a while ago. I miss it! This has caused me to have to plan much more carefully since I have less freezer space. It also keeps me accountable for what I’m buying so that I don’t end up with a bunch of junk that we don’t need. Junk items such as frozen pizza, toaster strudel, Eggo’s, etc.

Third, I’m trying some new things like “Meatless Monday.” I’m not vegetarian or vegan but recognize that our bodies need more plant based food and less meat. We will have a large salad full of many different grilled or steamed vegetables, beans and hard-boiled eggs for dinner. Although we will add grilled chicken this is an easy change for “Meatless Monday” by simply adding only the eggs.

Fourth, we went through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University many years ago. Staying within the budget could easily be achieved by using the envelope system instead of my debit card. What works well for you?

DID ORGANIC MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

The feedback I received on the organic front was generally that those families didn’t buy much organic unless it was on sale. My stance is that there are items that are better bought organic because of the exposure they may have to pesticides; such as apples, potatoes, or other fruits and vegetables that you eat the skin of. If it has a thick skin or is something you peel, bananas and avocados come to mind, I don’t buy organic.

I’m interested to hear from my readers on whether they buy organic, why and how they make allowance for that.

I plan to go into more detail on protein powder in the future as well as vitamins.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

New Year’s Resolutions. FAIL!

Approximately 55% of resolutions are health or fitness related. According to a study of athletes specifically January 12 is the fateful day of failure and the death of a resolution. The University of Scranton states that just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolution.

Why so dreary? Well, it’s catchy! But seriously; what have you “resolved?” Honestly I’ve never resolved to lose weight. *Cue all the people who just stopped reading this blog.* It doesn’t mean that I haven’t been overweight. And to clarify “overweight” is determined by measuring your Body Mass Index (a measurement of your height and weight which categorizes you as underweight/normal/overweight/obese). As far as health and fitness for me I think about how I feel in my clothes and how the food I’m consuming makes me feel.

Enough about me. This blog is actually dedicated to encouraging you to DETERMINE, rather than resolve, how you can make the change you’ve been hoping for by December.

First, goals. Or rather; your determination. Working with my 2nd grader this week on exact nouns is a perfect example of how to do this best. Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” or, “I’m going to exercise,” be S.M.A.R.T. and say, “I want to lose 10 pounds,” or, “I’m going to exercise 3 times per week for 30 minutes minimum.” The acronym, S.M.A.R.T., is probably so overused I’m getting an eye roll about now, however, it bears repeating.

S-Specific M-Measurable A-Attainable R-Realistic & T-Time Bound

This is beautiful! Just typing it out made me smile and realize that I have a few to add to my day planner.

Second, write it down. If you don’t have a calendar investing in a day planner, white board calendar for you and/or your family or simply a wall calendar that inspires you and keeps you on track. I wasn’t a day planner type until a few years ago. Let me just say I’m hooked! I love having it. It keeps me organized. I’ve found mine at Michael’s and enjoy the way it is divided by month, week, etc. I know some people spend a lot of time deciding what planner they will use and they can get expensive. I spent less than $20 on mine.

Third, and last. I read a great article from MyFitnessPal with 10 Simple and Realistic Ways to Eat Healthier in 2019. A few that stood out to me that meet the criteria of S.M.A.R.T. goals listed above are:

Swap a sugary treat for fruit
Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. Or 1/2 your body weight in ounces.
Cook more at home. To be SMART decide how many days you’ll try to cook at home and for how long you’ll try before increasing or changing.
Eat 5 servings of vegetables per day.
Try Meatless Monday. I’m adding this to my plan for sure!
Focus on one change at a time.

If you’re looking for an accountability partner comment here and I’ll reach out to you. I personally LOVE the Beachbody programs which you can stream at a tremendous value! Ask me about the programs or for a contact to get yours today.

A Blog is Born!

Hurrah! After only 2+ years of wanting to start a blog; here it is!

I live in Georgia, am married and have 2 children. I homeschool my children; grades 5 and 2. Staying at home and homeschooling is new to our family since May 2018. I hope to share more about this in my blog. I enjoy fitness and use many of the Beachbody programs along with running and other outdoor activities. I used to work as a bookkeeper at a local accounting firm and plan to be back in that field in the future.

My goal with this weekly blog as a place for inspiration and encouragement. At WW Consulting there are four main goals; faith, family, fitness and finances. I have LOTS of ideas for this blog but I’d also like to hear from you, my readers, on what you’re interested in. I won’t even begin to pretend that I’m a professional, or even proficient, in most of these areas. I have done a lot of research for various things in my life and hope to share as well as learn.

I look forward to hearing from you all and am already thankful for your readership!

I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13