52 Weeks of Kindness

Today marks week 2 for My Three Bittles 52 Weeks project.   This week my random acts of kindness include:

• Doing the dishes for my husband when he had to work late - we have an arrangement, I cook, he cleans; but I gave him a day off this week
• I left $5 in a crack on the ground at the school bus stop across the street from my house.  Every morning the lone high school student at the stop smiles at me and little bear... this morning he had something extra to smile about!
• Used Charity Miles to track my distance on my dog walks, and earned funds for the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.  

Feel free to share your acts of kindness, or kindness passed on to you! 

Winter Wreath Tutorial

This weekend I made a new wreath for my front door. When I took the Christmas one off, I was surprised to find that I did not already have a wintery one to put up.  It was clearly time to get my craft on!

I headed out to JoAnn's and picked up a wreath form, some flowers and feathers, and a roll of remnant fabric.  The whole project took about twenty minutes once I got home!  

Easy Wreath Tutorial    

 

 

SnapShot of Joy

 Have a great day, and remember to laugh!

Google Images Source

Whole 30 Week 1

As you read in my 2013 Goals post,  I am tackling the Whole 30 program this month.  It has been a week now, and I figured an update was in order.

The first couple of days of any new program always seem to be the easiest ones for me.  I'm excited about the new food and the new direction.  Usually by about day four or five the shine starts to dull and reality sets in.  
This first week has stayed true to that course.  The last couple of days have been a bit harder and the temptations seem like they take a little more will power to avoid.  I have been successful though in finding that will power.  Since I am still making non-Whole 30 approved food for the hubs and the little bear, finding that strength is pretty awesome!

I have discoverred a new favorite breakfast - warm apples and almond butter.  It replaces my normal bowl of oatmeal or cearal and really helps to keep me full.  All you do is dice an apple, sprinkle it with cinnamon, then microwave for about a minute.  Add in a spoonfull of almond butter and microwave for another minute.  Today I also added a few blueberries and a sprinkle of chopped pecans.

The good news is that after only a week I am sleeping better and have more energy.  I get hungry more than I probably should be between meals, and tend to need a snack in the afternoon and evening.  Which tells me that I still have work to do on finding a better balance of foods for my meals.  

All in all I'd say the first week was a success.  My goals for the second week are to add in regular exercise and focus more on leaner protiens. 

Meditation Monday

 Happy Monday!  Here is this week's meditation inspiration:

Pinterest Source

To tell the truth, I'm having a hard time with my new eating habits.  Well, not so much as with the new food; that is totally working and I feel better already.  The cravings for the bad food have settled in the last couple of days... hence my struggle this week.  

I figured a little reminder of the three P's was in order.  This week, let's remember that the key to any success is to have the right attitude, give yourself time to figure out the right path, and then just keep at it!

Have a wonderful week!

52 Weeks of Kindness

I almost missed the first 52 Weeks.  Nothing like punting on a resolution before the end of the first week!  ha-ha 


This was a quiet week.  My random acts of kindness were that I packed up a box for Goodwill, and also helped a co-worker fix a problem.

I'll have to get a bit more creative in the coming weeks!  Don't forget to stop by My Three Bittles to see what others are doing each week to spread some happiness.
 

Tips For Turning Around a Blah Day

I'm having one of those days when I can feel my happiness level going down.  There's no particular reason, just having a case of the Blahs.  Since I know they happen to all of us, I thought I would share some of my tips to stopping that Blah Day in its tracks!

source

1.  Get out and go for a walk, even if it is winter time and freezing where you live.  Specially if the sun is out!  If you can't go outside, have a mini dance party.  By moving around you will feel better than if you just lay around feeling sorry for yourself.

  

2.  Pick one item on your to-do list and do it!  You may have to force yourself, but just stop making excuses and get to it!  Trust me, once you accomplish one task, no matter how small; you will have the momentum and motivation to go on to the next one.  Just make sure not to start with the hardest item... that will just set yourself up for failure and not help at all!



3.  Make a list of the things that went right today or even this week.  Be sure to also write out why they went right.  The key here is to be honest with yourself and take credit where applicable.  That new recipe you tried was awesome because you knew how to cook it in the right way, not just because the author wrote a good recipe!  


4.  Finally if all else fails, reach out to a friend or loved one and just ask for a hug.  Even if you don't go into details as to why you need one, the physical interaction and emotional support is a great reminder of all the good and love that we do have!  Also, don't forget that if you can't have a physical hug, a long distance one can provide just as much emotional support!

souce

I already feel my Blah Day retreating, just by getting something accomplished and sharing with you all!  

Have a wonderful weekend!

2013 Focus Points and Goals

Hello Friends!  As promised here is my 2013 goals post.  

I have a hard time with resolutions; I don’t think my brain takes that word seriously.  I totally buy into the big joke that the whole point of a resolution is to just break it before the end of January.  This year I am opting for Focus Point and Goals… we’ll see if I can’t trick this old brain into action!

Focus Points: 

Healthier Me – This year I am not setting a weight loss goal.  In all my years of dieting and struggling, I have finally begun to realize that a specific number on the scale is not nearly as important as feeling and performing at my body’s best.  I just want to feel better and have more energy.  My plan to get there is to tackle the Whole30 program this month.  I know if I can just keep at it for 30 days, the improvements will be enough to keep me choosing healthier going forward.  I also have an exercise regiment all worked out and posted on my desk… eating good is only half the solution.  Time to get myself moving more too!


Acts of Kindness – Amber at My Three Bittles is starting an awesome blog hop for the year called 52 Weeks.  She has set a goal to accomplish one act of kindness a week for the next 52 weeks.  That's a year of good deeds!  She invites us all to join her each week and share our acts of kindness and love... changing the world one deed at a time!  I am planning on joining, and hope that some of you will too.  



Family Fun Time – Now that little bear is three, I’ve found that getting out of our routine and going to new places is a thrill for all of us.  It is so much fun to experience things through his eyes.  Since we live about 30 minutes from Downtown Chicago, I’d like to take better advantage of all that the city has to offer.  We’ve lived here for 3 plus years and have just barely scratched the surface of the City.  This year I would like to change that, and at the same time build some great family memories that my little bear will be able to carry with him.  We’ll explore our city, and build our family relationships… can’t argue with that! 

Blog Improvements – I have been working on this blog for just over two months now.  While thoroughly enjoying the process, I feel like I can and should be doing more.  Now that I have gotten a feel for the work and process, I’d like to start offering better content and more original posts.  I’d also like to work in more of my own graphics and photos... which will be another learning experience.  As always, there is still more room to grow!


2013 Goals:

1.  Complete Whole30 Program
2.  Exercise at least 4 times a week
3.  Monthly trips into the City for Family Fun
4.  Be more present with Hubs and Little Bear
5.  Expand charitable acts to more than just giving $$
6.  Write more quality articles for blog
7.  Clearly define and refocus Point of View
8.  Start a Not Done Growing Hop or Link Party

I am looking forward to continuing my journey this year, and am so happy to have the help and support from my readers.  Feel free to leave a comment, I’d love to hear what your goals and focus areas are for the year!

SnapShot of Joy

Embrace the New Year with open arms and a heart full of JOY!

Pinterest Source

January Charity of the Month

January's Charity of the Month - First Book




One of the best ways to improve literacy and education is to make sure children have access to books.  Created in 1992, First Book's goal is to make sure children of need have the same access to book as any other child out there.  To date they have distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources!  First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education by making new, high-quality books available.

First Book Donation Page

During the month of January, I will donate $1 to First Book for the first 25 new followers to my blog AND the first 25 new likes on my Facebook page.

First Book's mission is to provide new books to children in need; let's see what we can do to help them out this month!