I am continuing my journey towards losing my extra "fluff" after a bit of a break the past few months. I will be posting "my story" that I recently shared with some fellow homeschool moms in the near future.
Tonight, I just wanted to post the tips a fellow homeschooling mom shared with me. They will help you lose weight and get your metabolism going even before you start to watch what you eat or exercise! Some of these I knew about (and have seen them work) and some I didn't.
Here they are:
1. Eat within 30 minutes of waking up (I also drink a glass of water with a little lemon juice in it first thing in the morning.)
2. Eat small meals throughout the day when you are hungry (many people who struggle with excess weight have lost their ability to tell when they are actually hungry, this is one of the first things to work on!)
3. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Divide your current weight in half, and drink that many ounces of water a day. You can work up to this amount over several days if needed. It will help to cleanse your body, keep you correctly hydrated (we often mistake thirst for hunger) and help you be more alert!
4. Go to bed by 10:30pm and get up at the same time each morning regardless of when you go to bed! Once again, work up to this better schedule! It will keep you from wanting to eat late night snacks and my friend explained that certain stress hormones are also secreted when you stay up late, making your body stressed the whole next day!
5. Sleep in complete darkness. Your body will actually get more rest that way and it will function correctly!
If you try some of these, let me know how it works for you! I have been working on all of them to some degree or another this week and my weight has dropped by 2 pounds! We will see if it continues. I will be working on eating healthier as I go along also. Right now, I am writing down everything I eat to get an accurate picture of how what I am eating, doing and trying out the above tips, is affecting my weight!
I will share more as I can of my progress!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Free Ebooks!! Win a Prize!
Hello, everyone! I just wanted to share about this great site I found. I have already been able to download over 20 books for free!
There are all categories of books and the free book of the month (on the front page towards the bottom) is the Velveteen Rabbit.
Just go to: http://www.wowio.com/index.asp
Click to sign up for a free account on the right hand side. When you get to the part of the registration asking if anyone referred you, please enter my email address (minus the spaces):
wencla 2004 @ earthlink . net
Have a look! It is all free and you can find many types of books good for adults and children!
There are all categories of books and the free book of the month (on the front page towards the bottom) is the Velveteen Rabbit.
Just go to: http://www.wowio.com/index.asp
Click to sign up for a free account on the right hand side. When you get to the part of the registration asking if anyone referred you, please enter my email address (minus the spaces):
wencla 2004 @ earthlink . net
Have a look! It is all free and you can find many types of books good for adults and children!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Clean Room!
Our boys, 7 and 10 1/2 years old, share a room. They have been struggling lately with keeping their room cleaned up. A lot has to do with the younger one not putting things away when he is done, but both have some bad habits we are trying to work on.
Well, yesterday, they did a great job getting the room cleaned up with the youngest actually doing a majority of the cleaning this time! He was so proud of himself! He even cleaned out their closest!
Here are a few pictures of their progress. I know it may not be "clean" by some standards, but for them it is a major improvement and they will finish up some of the problem areas today (like the corner of clean clothes to put away and boxes--the clothes are actually done now).
Well, yesterday, they did a great job getting the room cleaned up with the youngest actually doing a majority of the cleaning this time! He was so proud of himself! He even cleaned out their closest!
Here are a few pictures of their progress. I know it may not be "clean" by some standards, but for them it is a major improvement and they will finish up some of the problem areas today (like the corner of clean clothes to put away and boxes--the clothes are actually done now).
Harvest Honey Cake
A friend of mine has inspired me to do some baking! She has been making a new, yummy dessert each day this week!
I worked on making Banana Bread and then making a new cake called Harvest Honey Cake. The recipe is from a Pampered Chef cookbook (and one that is "from scratch"). I used mostly organic products to make it, so it was even a little "healthy" for you!
Baking is one thing that we used to do a lot of but have gotten away from doing. I want to do more cooking with my kids in the coming months so they will know how to cook a variety of items and help with meal preparations!
Here are a few pictures of my oldest daughter helping with the cake and then the finished products.
These are the apples she cut up for the bake.
I worked on making Banana Bread and then making a new cake called Harvest Honey Cake. The recipe is from a Pampered Chef cookbook (and one that is "from scratch"). I used mostly organic products to make it, so it was even a little "healthy" for you!
Baking is one thing that we used to do a lot of but have gotten away from doing. I want to do more cooking with my kids in the coming months so they will know how to cook a variety of items and help with meal preparations!
Here are a few pictures of my oldest daughter helping with the cake and then the finished products.
These are the apples she cut up for the bake.
Monday, May 07, 2007
New Endeavors--Studying and Using Herbs
I have recently started a new quest to learn all about herbs, how to use them and how to make them into my own products to use with my family and friends.
I started my journey by visiting: The Bulk Herb Store I purchased a couple of books from them as well as well as a number of herb combination packs and the awesome water filter system they have on their site. Their prices are great and the products are also great! There is a wealth of information in the various articles on the site as well.
The books I purchased, Herbal Antibiotics and Practical Herbalism, are wonderful resources! I am trying read through and learn as much as I possibly can (of course, it is in between all my other "normal" responsibilities).
I also found a great source for containers and other supplies useful in the making of herbal concoctions: Mountain Rose Herbs They offer a large selection of organic products as well as supplies for making soap, cosmetics, herbal preparations, etc. They also have some articles and recipes you can try out.
I came across this site recently, LearningHerbs.com They offer a lot of helpful information on their site. They also have a free ecourse "Supermarket Herbalism" which shows you how to use common items you can find at your grocery store to help your family. They have a starter kit you can buy that comes with instructions to get you started with making your own products---I haven't purchased it, but it looks like a great set.
My assortment of nicely packaged herbal concoctions!
So far I have made several batches of "Miracle Rub" in various forms--a salve/rub, an oil rub and a rubbing alcohol based rub. They all actually work very well!
I have also made a batch each of the Women's and Men's "Jungle Juice". It is basically a combination of herbs to support health in men or women. They are made in a glycerin base.
I have made several other tinctures. They are "Immune Booster" and "Restful Sleep". The Immune Booster is to use when you start to have symptoms of a cold, flu, etc or even just allergies. The Restful Sleep tincture is to help with falling and staying asleep and it can also be used in a smaller dose to help children or adults calm down.
I have just finished making a batch of "The Vinegar of Four Thieves". It is to be used as a natural insect repellent on people and animals. We will see how it works this summer!
It is fun to experiment with how to use herbs. It is amazing how many "weeds" that we try to kill in our yards, are actually beneficial plants! I plan to spend part of the summer teaching my kids more about the herbs, how to use them and how to make herbal preparations to help our family and our friends.
God truly has provided all we would need to keep ourselves healthy and to help our bodies heal in the plants and trees that He created!
I started my journey by visiting: The Bulk Herb Store I purchased a couple of books from them as well as well as a number of herb combination packs and the awesome water filter system they have on their site. Their prices are great and the products are also great! There is a wealth of information in the various articles on the site as well.
The books I purchased, Herbal Antibiotics and Practical Herbalism, are wonderful resources! I am trying read through and learn as much as I possibly can (of course, it is in between all my other "normal" responsibilities).
I also found a great source for containers and other supplies useful in the making of herbal concoctions: Mountain Rose Herbs They offer a large selection of organic products as well as supplies for making soap, cosmetics, herbal preparations, etc. They also have some articles and recipes you can try out.
I came across this site recently, LearningHerbs.com They offer a lot of helpful information on their site. They also have a free ecourse "Supermarket Herbalism" which shows you how to use common items you can find at your grocery store to help your family. They have a starter kit you can buy that comes with instructions to get you started with making your own products---I haven't purchased it, but it looks like a great set.
My assortment of nicely packaged herbal concoctions!So far I have made several batches of "Miracle Rub" in various forms--a salve/rub, an oil rub and a rubbing alcohol based rub. They all actually work very well!
I have also made a batch each of the Women's and Men's "Jungle Juice". It is basically a combination of herbs to support health in men or women. They are made in a glycerin base.
I have made several other tinctures. They are "Immune Booster" and "Restful Sleep". The Immune Booster is to use when you start to have symptoms of a cold, flu, etc or even just allergies. The Restful Sleep tincture is to help with falling and staying asleep and it can also be used in a smaller dose to help children or adults calm down.
I have just finished making a batch of "The Vinegar of Four Thieves". It is to be used as a natural insect repellent on people and animals. We will see how it works this summer!
It is fun to experiment with how to use herbs. It is amazing how many "weeds" that we try to kill in our yards, are actually beneficial plants! I plan to spend part of the summer teaching my kids more about the herbs, how to use them and how to make herbal preparations to help our family and our friends.
God truly has provided all we would need to keep ourselves healthy and to help our bodies heal in the plants and trees that He created!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
On love, rudeness, smiling and hypocrisy
It is interesting how God will put multiple events/conversations, etc. before us that all relate to a similar theme. He usually does this to teach us something and to make us search His Word for His truth!
The past few days have been one such occurrence for me. I had been reading through several devotions at Above Rubies . Then, as I was "blog surfing", I came across a post on a blog that was talking about hypocrisy, smiling and referring to the author of the devotions at Above Rubies. The particular devotion was entitled, "The Warmth of A Smile" by Nancy Campbell. Then, a friend posted on our homeschool egroup list some comments on another recent devotion she had received. It is posted here.
I wanted to share what the Lord has taught me about these ideas. Nancy makes a statement towards the end of her devotional, "Try it dear mother. Start smiling at your children. Keep smiling at your children. Smile when you are happy. Smile when you are unhappy. Smile even when you don’t feel like smiling." The blog I came across as I was "surfing" was critical of this statement. She thought that it was hypocritical to "smile even when you don't feel like smiling".
Unfortunately, the whole point of the devotional thought is being missed. If we are walking in the warmth of God's smile (realizing how He is looking upon us), we should be doing the same with our children! God's Word talks repeatedly about being joyful whether we "feel" like it or not (1-feelings/"fleshly reactions" are deceitful and not what we are to pin our understanding on anyway). It doesn't mean we are always "happy" in the situation but we are filled with joy (2) because God is faithful even when we are not!
We need to remember to share that joy with our children! It is so easy to give lots of smiles to everyone but our own family, so it wouldn't hurt to try to keep it foremost in our mind to make sure we smile when the opportunity arises. Many tense moments have been broken by a smile or a laugh in the midst of it... "(3)laughter is good medicine". It doesn't have to be done hypocritically... but we may have to renew our minds to the understanding of how God wants us to be with our kids and others around us. Smiling at others would be done in obedience to what God calls us to do--"love one another". It may take some effort, but with God's help--asking HIM to help us realize when to share a smile, when to laugh/release our tension, etc.--we can share the joy He has placed within us.
If we make ourselves smile, even if it is only in the mirror at ourselves, it will change our mood and attitude. Try it sometime, you just might make yourself laugh! So Nancy is right in saying that smiling can change the atmosphere of our homes, and there is nothing wrong with that! We tend to take our own family for granted so much and spend more time fussing with or about them instead of seeing them through God's eyes.
I know I do this often, unfortunately. My prayer is that God will open my eyes and my heart to see my children and family as He does, even in the midst of tough or stressful situations!
Just a few examples:
1- John 6:63; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:41; Romans 8:1, 5
2- Psalm 16:11, 27:6, 51:12; Nehemiah 8:10; Habbakuk 3:18; Zephaniah 3:17; I Thessalonians 2:19
3- Proverbs 17:22; Job 8:21; Psalm 126:2
The past few days have been one such occurrence for me. I had been reading through several devotions at Above Rubies . Then, as I was "blog surfing", I came across a post on a blog that was talking about hypocrisy, smiling and referring to the author of the devotions at Above Rubies. The particular devotion was entitled, "The Warmth of A Smile" by Nancy Campbell. Then, a friend posted on our homeschool egroup list some comments on another recent devotion she had received. It is posted here.
I wanted to share what the Lord has taught me about these ideas. Nancy makes a statement towards the end of her devotional, "Try it dear mother. Start smiling at your children. Keep smiling at your children. Smile when you are happy. Smile when you are unhappy. Smile even when you don’t feel like smiling." The blog I came across as I was "surfing" was critical of this statement. She thought that it was hypocritical to "smile even when you don't feel like smiling".
Unfortunately, the whole point of the devotional thought is being missed. If we are walking in the warmth of God's smile (realizing how He is looking upon us), we should be doing the same with our children! God's Word talks repeatedly about being joyful whether we "feel" like it or not (1-feelings/"fleshly reactions" are deceitful and not what we are to pin our understanding on anyway). It doesn't mean we are always "happy" in the situation but we are filled with joy (2) because God is faithful even when we are not!
We need to remember to share that joy with our children! It is so easy to give lots of smiles to everyone but our own family, so it wouldn't hurt to try to keep it foremost in our mind to make sure we smile when the opportunity arises. Many tense moments have been broken by a smile or a laugh in the midst of it... "(3)laughter is good medicine". It doesn't have to be done hypocritically... but we may have to renew our minds to the understanding of how God wants us to be with our kids and others around us. Smiling at others would be done in obedience to what God calls us to do--"love one another". It may take some effort, but with God's help--asking HIM to help us realize when to share a smile, when to laugh/release our tension, etc.--we can share the joy He has placed within us.
If we make ourselves smile, even if it is only in the mirror at ourselves, it will change our mood and attitude. Try it sometime, you just might make yourself laugh! So Nancy is right in saying that smiling can change the atmosphere of our homes, and there is nothing wrong with that! We tend to take our own family for granted so much and spend more time fussing with or about them instead of seeing them through God's eyes.
I know I do this often, unfortunately. My prayer is that God will open my eyes and my heart to see my children and family as He does, even in the midst of tough or stressful situations!
Just a few examples:
1- John 6:63; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:41; Romans 8:1, 5
2- Psalm 16:11, 27:6, 51:12; Nehemiah 8:10; Habbakuk 3:18; Zephaniah 3:17; I Thessalonians 2:19
3- Proverbs 17:22; Job 8:21; Psalm 126:2
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