Welcome to the Broken Bone Club

Well shit.

Those were the very first words the husband said to me after I told him what had happened.  You see- I woke up one Monday morning and it hurt to walk.  Like- A LOT.  So I babied my offending foot that day and prayed it would be better by tomorrow.  It wasn't.

Then I tried all the things in my arsenal.  Icing, elevation, Epsom salt bath, special essential oils to help with aches and pains, massage- tried it and not a single one worked.  So by Thursday, I had had enough of the hobbling around and I called a podiatrist.  Unfortunately the soonest they could get me in would be the following Monday.  A whole week after the pain first began.  But I had hope that it would heal and I would make a miraculous recovery over the weekend and could then cancel my Monday appointment.  It did not and so I went.

Turns out- I have a stress fracture, or a tiny little broken bone, in one of my toes.

Boo.

I'd been walking around with a BROKEN BONE IN MY TOE FOR A FULL WEEK y'all.  Ah-mazing really when you think about it.  I'm a ROCKSTAR and clearly my pain tolerance is BEYOND.

The Boot

I'm now in a "boot" and let me just say that I am NOT PLEASED.  This damn boot hurts worse than the broken bone.  It's heavy and holds my foot at an uncomfortable position all day long.  I have also been instructed to stay "immobile".

BWAHAHAHAHA.

Now that's funny.  The timing could NOT be worse as I'm working all weekend, it's the kiddo's birthday tomorrow, we've got family parties, friend party, karate belt testing and the last soccer game until the next session.  I am also not a person who sits around doing nothing.  This is physically VERY hard for me.  And can I just say that I've been sitting for 1.5 days (in between cooking and doing laundry) and I've already done WAY more online shopping than should be legal.  And read two books.

Save me Jesus.

So the point of all of this you're probably wondering?

Well....do you remember a couple blog posts ago where I was lamenting the possibility of Mom Burnout?  It turns out....I was probably right.  I'm thinking this broken bone, of which I've never broken a bone before ever, was a sign that I need to slow down.  I need to rest more and give my body the calm and relaxation it needs and deserves.

So y'all- my message to you today is simple.  Take time out for yourself.  For YOUR health before you find yourself in a boot and a member of the Broken Bone Club.

Convo's In The Car- Learning Happens In the Everyday

If you are a regular over on the Facebook page, you've seen me post "Convos in the Car."  These are perhaps one of my most favorite regular segments.  Although "Hey Girl Fridays" are super fun!

Convos in the Car is the idea that we can take tiny and unassuming moments to TEACH our children.  They reinforce the concept that learning happens in the everyday and that sometimes the simplest moments (like riding in the car) can have a big and lasting impact on our children.

For that reason- I just LOVE Convo's in the Car!

Here is the latest one I shared about 9-11.  This conversation was prompted from a bumper sticker the kiddo saw and the questions he asked me after.  We then went home and did more learning on The Google.  The learning happened in an organic way and the result was important and good.

Convos in the Car:

Kiddo- Mom, I thought only a couple hundred people died in 9-11?

Me- No child. THOUSANDS died. Almost 3,000 I believe and easily double that were hurt very badly.

Kiddo- But how?

Me- Well, the World Trade Center was a VERY big building. I went up in it once while in high school, I think it was the tallest building in New York City. Over 100 floors high. Think of all the people that would hold. Think of everyone just working & visiting the building that day. Then remember all the people on the planes.

Kiddo- On the planes?

Me- Yes. Two planes FULL of people. Plus the one in the Pentagon that everyone seems to forget. Those planes crashed & everyone died.

Kiddo- Everyone? How many people are on a plane?

Me- I don't know- lots. We can Google it when we get home. But it wasn't just the people in the planes & the building. Remember all the people who came to help. Many of those people lost their lives too.

Kiddo- Wow....That's a lot of people.

Me- Yeah, it was....

*This convo was prompted from a bumper sticker the kiddo saw on a truck in front of us. "We Will Never Forget" happens when we continue to speak & educate our children about the tragedy that occurred that day, when we take the available opportunities to really TALK about what happened & why, when we remember the everyday folks who died & the impact their deaths had on their loved ones & the community.

Can I encourage you to seek out & jump on these moments? It's important.

#NotAllLessonsComeFromATextbook
#RaiseThemUp

I Could Never Do That

A phrase that I hear all the time is "you homeschool? I could never do that!" and I have to be honest and say that can really irritate me sometimes.

Why?

Because I simply don't feel like I'm doing something special and amazing and over the top.  This comment, "I could never do that" implies that I'm doing something most people can't.  But the truth is that I'm just doing something most people won't.

When we first started on our homeschooling journey almost 9 years ago now, I was nervous and had my doubts that we could really do this.  But I soon learned that it's not all that difficult- at least not to the extent I had built it up in my mind.  Especially in those early years when children learn mainly through play- it's just all about exposure and lots of play time and reading.  Done and Done.

While I will admit that we've had some struggles along our journey (learning to read, fractions, etc) it has never been something so difficult and trying that I'm willing to throw in the towel and admit defeat.  It is simply an extension of our parenting.

If your child is acting a fool and refuses to do his chores, do you just throw up your hands and say "OK son" or do you buckle down and teach them it's not an option?  When your kids are cranky and don't want to go to bed early, do you allow them to stay up even later?  Or do you handle your business like a MOM and get those temperamental children on the path to dreamland?

Homeschooling is exactly the same.

When my kid throws a fit because he doesn't think he can learn how to multiple those fractions, we sit down and we go through it together.  When he whines about his geography work or laments that fact that those spelling exercises are pointless- I do not just give up and let him run the show.  Just as I wouldn't do with traditional "parenting issues", I take the same approach for our homeschool.

I'm not doing anything differently.

I take the same approach to education as I do to the rest of my parenting.  My job is to cultivate, encourage, support, provide, uplift in ALL THE AREAS.  This isn't extraordinary- this is simply called parenting.

And every single one of you CAN do it if this is what you desire.

Please don't let your fear of the unknown overwhelm you.  Have confidence in your ability to raise a good child and know that homeschooling is simply an extension of what you are already doing.

So now when someone says to me "Oh but I could never do that", I smile and respond, "you'd be surprised what you can do."

Mom Burnout

Well shit.....this month has completely gotten away from me.  Legit, I am lagging & feeling TIRED.

I'm usually pretty good at recognizing when I'm overworked and attempting to fill my plate too full.  But this month- ugh.  I cannot with this month.

February has become a trial for me.  By now, I've got no more "holiday" excuses left as to why we are not back on track with homeschooling.  So of course the Mama guilt emerges because I feel as if I'm failing somewhere.  One of my jobs sees the most calls and customer issues during this month as business picks up for Valentine's Day.  Another job has decided that two people need to be scheduled for each shift where once we just had the one.  This means my hours have doubled this month and every month moving forward until we can hire on more people.  To summarize- I am working pretty much non stop.

And let's not forget that it's Valentine's Day and I need to plan something special for my boys.  But the big event for February is the kiddo's birthday.  In just 11 days, my baby will turn another year older and I have done NOTHING in preparation for this big day.  Not a thing y'all....

I am really feeling the pressure this year and think I may be approaching BURNOUT status.

I am sharing this with all of you- not to be a whiner, but to simply say that it happens to us all.  At some point, you will reach max capacity of what you can handle.  I think the most important part is to be able to recognize you're reaching the limit and take steps to combat it.

I am in desperate need of a hot bath and a good book.  A date night out with my husband.  A day off work.  A weekend home instead of going to an event or working.  I could also use more quiet time and I'm feeling that a break from social media might soothe my soul.

Because honestly- I do not want to see another political post from anyone.  Can we just go one damn day folks?!?  One day....

Unfortunately, I do not think I will be able to get any of these things this month but I will do my best to make some time for myself as soon as I can.  And this is simply my message to all of you-

We cannot pour from an empty cup.

Take the time to heal, to be still, to rest and to fill yourself back up.  Your people deserve you at your very best and yes- this means you need to make yourself a priority too.

We Got This

I posted this over on the Facebook page and it is such a good message that I wanted to share with you all here in Blogland.

Today is Inauguration Day.  Today is the day we officially get a new President.  Never can I remember in my lifetime a nation SO divided.  Tempers are HOT, words are SAID and our children are WATCHING.

This post is not about who I voted for or who YOU voted for- it's just not.  It's about using this moment in history to teach our children a valuable, lifelong lesson.

There's a lot of FEELINGS happening today.

Buckets full of bad ones, angry ones, hopeful ones, sad ones....today is a big day.

But today is also the same as yesterday.

I'm still gonna drink my big cups of coffee, I'm still gonna run my errands & clean the bathrooms, I'm still gonna teach my child. I'm still gonna be me.

These buckets full of feelings won't change that. The angry & hurt feelings from friends, the outrage & cries of "not my President!", the smug comments from those who feel they've won- while I understand them & the sadness & hope they inspire, they won't change the course of today.

So yes- today we can be ALL UP IN OUR FEELS but tomorrow- let's not forget that we are still us.

Please be cautious with your feelings today. Your children & your people are watching. And if God gives you the gift of tomorrow, please remember that YOU can change things through your ACTIONS. Let today's buckets of feels inspire you to improve your tomorrow & your children's tomorrow.

WE GOT THIS.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

A Healthy Living Class

Recently I was asked to give a class on "Healthy Living".

Umm...you do know I like cheeseburgers and fries, right?  Like- a LOT.

Meh.  Ok....healthy living...I got this!  And so I sat down to really figure out what these ladies wanted to learn.  I set about making a game plan for this class and of course, you know that I just had to share it here with all of you.

The "class" is really meant to be just a big ole gab fest where I sit and tell everyone what I'm doing to keep my family healthy and share what you can do as well.  Questions will be asked, products will be shown and lots of coffee will be drunk.  YEAAASSS HONEY!

My opening sentence-

My 11 year old son has NEVER had the flu.

So that will get them interested!  And it's true.  The kiddo has NEVER had the flu, he's never had a fever (with the exception of his car accident which does NOT count as far as I'm concerned), he has never had a full blown cold- only a bit of the sniffles that cleared up in less than 24 hours and of course he hasn't suffered many of the common illnesses that so many of our sweet children suffer.

My follow up sentence is equally awesome-

The husband and I haven't been sick in years.

How is this possible?!?

I attribute it ALL to diet and lifestyle.  Simple as that.  We homeschool, so of course the kiddo is not exposed to nearly the same amount of germs as many traditional school children are.  However, we don't live in a bubble and he attends homeschool programs and classes as well as swimming, soccer and karate.  As a result, we are able to control our environment a bit more but we are still very much exposed.

The next big factor is diet.  I cannot say enough good things about an organic, natural, plant based diet.  I just cannot.

Remove the meat, eliminate the processed foods and eat more fruits and veggies.  Easy peasy!  Well...mostly.  I talk quite a bit about my family's journey towards this diet, so please take some time and read back through the blog.  It's all here.

Personally, we strive for a really good balance.  We eat meat about once per week, almost all of our meals are homemade, I buy organic as much as my budget will allow in order to reduce the chemicals in our food, we do go out to eat about once per week, many of our meals are vegan since the kiddo's recent dairy allergy diagnosis and our food centers around plants NOT animals.

If you do nothing else here- DO THIS.

To further expand on this idea of removing chemicals in our food- we also reduce or eliminate many of the chemicals found throughout the house.

Take a moment and just add up everything you use or come into contact with inside your home that has chemicals.  Go ahead, I'll wait.

Bathroom Cleaner
Laundry Soap
Wet Wipes
Windex
Floor Powder
Pinesol
Stain Remover
Oven Cleaner
Kitchen Cleaner
Glade Plug Ins
Air Freshner Sprays

Bleach
Cold/Flu Medicines
Hairspray
Makeup
Body Soap/Body Wash
Shampoo/Conditioner
Deoderant
Perfume
Nail Polish
Dog/Cat Shampoo
Flea & Tick Treatments
Plastic Storage Containers
Draino
Pledge
Insect Repellent
Dishwasher Detergent
Hand Soap
Dishwashing Liquid
Faux Wood Furniture
Mattress
Low Quality Carpets
Throw Rugs
Paint- Lead Paint
Flame Retardants- specifically in clothing
Non Stick Cookware


Well shit.

The list is quite literally NEVER ENDING and so damn overwhelming that it's hard to know where to start.  Lucky for you- I'm going to tell you.

STOP CLEANING WITH CHEMICALS.

Work on this task first.  Any easy enough way to make the transition is to just buy all good quality, chemical free, natural products.  Once you've conditioned your brain to just Amazon Prime your products instead of picking them up at the store when you're low- the rest is history!

I highly recommend Mrs. Meyers products.  I have put them to the test and they really work.  They are also fairly affordable and have lots of different products and scents to choose from- we like Lemon Verbana!

In addition, Mrs. Meyers products have NO ammonia, chlorine or phosphates.  YEEEASS HONEY!  They are cruelty free which means NO animal testing, they use raw, natural ingredients and plenty of yummy essential oils.  Legit, they could NOT be any better.

Once you've gotten the hang of cleaning with better quality products, you can then navigate the world of making your own.  But for now- we'll just keep it simple.

Next up- switch out your personal care products to more chemical free, natural alternatives.

Full confession here- I am still working on this one.  I am a woman who LIKES her products so this one has been the most difficult for me.

I am currently using Lorac makeup which is 100% cruelty free, contains no harsh chemicals, is fragrance and oil free and uses plenty of plant extracts.  While it's not the very best, it is still way better than what I was using.  And I truly LOVE their foundation- it's flawless.

We've switched our soap out to Kiss My Face, I use Juice Beauty for my daily moisturizer, our toothpaste is now chemical free and I slather on the coconut oil every day and night.  While the kiddo and I use a more natural deodorant, the husband is still hooked on the Old Spice.  Clearly we are still working on it- so I hope you can be encouraged that we all have our struggles along the way.

And finally- treat illness naturally with essential oils and other tricks.  Keep in mind that prevention is half the battle.  Do things to boost your immune system like drinking Elderberry syrup, diffusing immune boosting oil blends, drinking Honey, Lemon & Ginger tea and washing your hands on the regular.  Don't forget to get plenty of sleep too!

There's lots on the blog about these things, so read up my friends!

Quick tips-

• I use Eden's Garden essential oils.
• There are diffusers in my living room and each bedroom.
• I make a batch of Honey, Lemon & Ginger tea & store in the fridge for easy access.
• Stop buying OTC meds.
• Learn how to treat any illness the natural way first.  The Google is your new BFF.

And that'll be $149.95.

Ha!  Don't you fret- I'm just joking!  Kinda...

But for reals- I had to learn all this stuff THE HARD WAY through trial and error so I'm super excited to pass along my knowledge to all of you.  Please know that I am always learning more and making improvements to keep myself and my family as healthy as possible.  But there are some basics that will never go out of style.

Get plenty of sleep.

Don't drink too much alcohol.

Eat a well balanced diet.

Exercise.

Be happy.

Here's to a Healthy 2017 Friends!

Souper Saturday & Slow Cooker Sunday

Ask the kiddo and you'll find out that I like trying new things.  I introduce new foods, new school work, new workbooks, new places, new ideas, NEW STUFF all the time in our house.  But the kiddo will also tell you that only about 50% of it sticks.

Meh.

Such is life.

It's true.  I do like new things.  Goodness could you imagine doing and being and eating and living THE SAME always?  How boring!  So yes- I like to stir shit up and then I learn from it and take what I want and incorporate those lessons into our daily lives.  Not too bad if you ask me!

Recently I found this super cute weekly schedule for meal planning over on the Pinterest.  Not to be confused with actual menu planning- this one is different in that it assigns a different day of the week to a different category.  Think Taco Tuesdays y'all....get it?  Good!

While it was super cute- it just wasn't realistic for our lives.  So I've slowly been transitioning it to work for my house and I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with the outcome!  Here's my adapted version of the weekly meal schedule, you're welcome!

Meatless Monday

Well....no brainer here because every day is meatless in my house.  But this day, without a question has become ANIMAL FREE.  I've kicked it up a notch like old Emeril and BAM- no more animal products on our dinner plates on Mondays.

Meals Include: veggie pastas, family size salads, soups, chili, lentil and quinoa, stir fry- the sky is the limit here!

Taco Tuesday

Y'all.  Tuesdays were MADE for tacos- who am I to mess with perfection?  However, it's really become more "Mexican Food Tuesday" and clearly our vegetarian, Americanized version of what Mexican food really is comes no where near the real deal.

But I try.

Meals Include:  black bean soups, veggie enchiladas, mexi lasagna, tacos, bean burritos, fajitas, tortilla soup

Wild Card Wednesday

I've given myself A DAY to do whatever the hell I want.  Wednesdays are also the days where I'm home working just one job and the kiddo is gone all day at homeschool classes with friends.  So this means I've got more time to be in the kitchen.  As a result- it's usually the day I get my baking done in addition to dinner.  Sometimes I even prep a few other meals or make things like dips and veggie trays to snack on later.

Some nights I give my boys a special treat and make something with meat in it.  Remember, I did say WILD right?!?  Other times, you'll get a counter top full of leftovers or a frozen meal.  I've also been known to throw down the SNACK NIGHT like a BOSS.  But most Wednesdays I end up doing something NEW and FUN that we haven't ever had before.

Meals Include: white castle burgers, jack fruit BBQ sandwiches, Betty Crocker meat & bean chili, truffle mac n cheese, snack night with tiny pickles & olives, veggie Big Mac "burgers", homemade onion rings & other appetizers, fondue, cauliflower fried rice

Throwback Thursday

My people need one day per week that they RECOGNIZE and know they like otherwise, CHAOS WOULD REIGN.  And it just so happens that our trusty favorites fit in nicely on Thursdays.

I try my best to rotate this based upon what I've already made earlier in the week.  Meaning if I did make REAL meat burgers on Wednesday- then I go meat free on Thursdays.  Coincidentally, this day also works great for leftovers if making dinner simply doesn't fit your schedule.  Throwback right?

Meals Include: lasagna, spaghetti, meatballs & rice, cheese enchiladas & beans, meatloaf & mashed potatoes, no chicken & dumpling soup

Fancy Friday

My Fridays are typically my one day off per week- well, that's not true, but I'm usually only working ONE job instead of two or three.  So Fridays are the days I do my grocery shopping and on Fridays, I try to make something a little bit fancier.

Depending on what your personal schedule is like- Fridays also lend themselves nicely to Free Day Fridays or Fend For Yourself Fridays, where you do whatever you want or pile all the leftovers on your kitchen counter so your people can choose for themselves what to eat for dinner.  I know many people reserve this day for going out to dinner too.

Truth be told- I flip flop back and forth between a fancy dinner and leftovers because I have legit run out of steam some days.  Do what works for you.

One word on Fancy Friday- it doesn't necessarily have to be super fancy food.  In our house, we just aren't fancy.  You're shocked right?  But fancy can mean other things too- tablecloth and linen napkins, candles, mood music etc.  Any meal can be made fancy with a little table dressings mmkay...

Meals Include: fancy fish, veggie pot pies, steak with fancy veggies like Brussel sprout gratin, complicated pasta dishes, homemade rolls, cauliflower stuffed shells, truffle oil lentil soup, crab cakes

Souper Saturday

YES HONEY!  Nothing like a big ole pot of soup to nourish your soul.  I make at least one soup per week and usually try to do it on Saturdays, or prep it on Friday to make on Saturday.  I work all weekend long and a big pot of soup means my boys have leftovers for Sunday lunch while I'm at work.  It's also easy to make in the evenings after I've worked all day or something I can make earlier in the day if I'm working later in the evening.

Basically- it's "souper" flexible and easy.  Time willing, I will also pop some bread in the oven or bake up some biscuits.  Some days we have a salad with it or might crumble up some tortilla chips and plop a scoop of sour cream on top.  Yay soup!

Meals Include: vegan split pea, minestrone, no chicken tortilla, lentil, baked potato, chili, no chicken & dumplings, lasagna soup, potato & leek, kale soup.

Slow Cooker Sunday or Sandwich Sunday

Sunday is entirely dependent on what has occurred earlier in the week.  Since I try to not repeat the same type of dish twice in a row- what I throw into the slow cooker will depend on what the weekly menu plan was earlier in the week.  Or- I LEGIT may have just given up and you get leftover soup or something easy.

We don't really eat lots of sandwiches but "Easy Sunday" just doesn't have the same ring to it.  In my mind- sandwiches are one of the easiest "meals" you'll ever make.  Same thing goes for anything you pop in the slow cooker.  Sunday is for relaxing and even though I'm almost always working all day, I still try to relax when I get home and not spend the rest of the day in the kitchen.  So it works.

Meals Include: any slow cooker meal, sandwiches, grilled cheese & soup, french dips, leftovers


Alright.  There you have it.  We are officially a few weeks into this fun meal planning schedule and so far so good.  I have written down a cute color coded cheat sheet that sits on the side of my fridge (I hate lots of clutter on the front y'all) along with my weekly meals and grocery list.  It is SUPER easy for the kiddo to now see what's for dinner without asking me a million times over.  It's also pretty helpful in my planning because I usually have a general idea of what needs to be made each day along with my time constraints and work schedule.  And of course it helps me keep to a well rounded meal schedule along with aiding me in feeding my family a well balanced plant based diet.


It's easier than you think- I promise.

Tip:  Did you notice the amount of times I said LEFTOVERS?  I purposely make more just so we can have leftovers.  I rely on these damn leftovers y'all.  We eat them for lunches and I've been known to stretch them out further and even re-invent them for dinner time.

LEFTOVERS ARE LIFE.

Psst- if you try it, I wanna know!  Leave your comments below!