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!

Teaching Contentment

We have always placed a high importance on learning to be happy just as you are, with who you have and the things you've got in your life.

Learning to be satisfied and content with your exact spot in life will only bring you further happiness in the long run.  And so- this has been a very important and ongoing lesson for the kiddo.  For us as well y'all....

I want to tell you that it's easy.  But in a time when so many people in general are living beyond their means and charging up a storm on their credit cards- we know it's not so simple.  Most especially, for children as they covet what their friends have and see how other people live- it can be difficult for them to truly understand.

Our house is not "THE FUN HOUSE" because we don't have all the newest and latest video game systems.  Sorry, not sorry.  We don't have an Xbox or Wii, the kiddo doesn't have his own computer or TV, there's no dirt bikes or above ground swimming pools.  Just nope.

And let me say- if you have these things, I am not casting judgment.  Please know this.  We all have "things n stuff" that fill our homes.  We have more than many and less than some- this is simply our story.

We have made an effort to buy less, we are careful with where our hard earned dollars go and when it comes down to choices- we will always choose the one that brings us an experience rather than a thing.  Things break, get boring, outdated but an experience creates a lifelong memory.  SOLD.

There's many ways that we go about showing the kiddo what it means to be happy and appreciate what you have- most importantly is to show him what it means to NOT have it.  Did you know that the majority of children today simply don't realize that there are some kids out there who go to bed hungry?  Jesus.  Can you imagine?!?  Some families live in their cars or on the streets, some can't afford to go to the doctor, people who suffer addiction or mental illness or parents who can't afford a new pair of shoes.  These people are our people, they need us.  So we help the kiddo understand how truly blessed he is by giving back to those in need.

I promise you that the simple act of GIVING will encourage a grateful heart in yourself and your kids.

When a child literally gives the shoes off his feet to another kid in need, he will no longer beg for a million pairs of super expensive shoes.  That boy will wear his own until he can't wear them any longer and then he will seek out another to give them to.

Yes Mama's.  Yes.

All this giving creates a sense of purpose and appreciation for your own blessings.  Even if some days you struggle to pay the bills, you know without a doubt that you are more fortunate than so many others.  You do what you can to be a gift to those in need even when sometimes you struggle yourself.  It makes you thankful for each and every blessing in your life- big and small.

How can you not be content when you are filled with a grateful heart?

Another very simple way we teach contentment is by being an example.  We teach goals- sweet child, please dream to your heart's desire.  Set goals, push higher- go for the gold baby!  But let's be realistic mmkay....We work HARD for our money.  We are not rich, we can't afford many things but that doesn't stop us from dreaming and doing.  You can still have things- just not ALL THE THINGS.  So decide what's important, set your sights and go for it.

We do this in all aspects of life.

For example- a family vacation.  Good Lord but vacations can be expensive!  We start by setting a budget, deciding when and where to splurge (it's vacation after all) and then we WORK as a family towards this goal.  Find ways to make it more affordable, earn extra money, realize you may have to make a few sacrifices (like no meals out) until you reach your goal- but y'all- TOGETHER YOU WILL GET THERE.  And can I just tell you, that once you are on that hard earned vacation- you will all appreciate it so much more.

Goal setting.  It works.

To wrap this up- it's a constant lesson in our life.  To be ever thankful and appreciative, to realize how truly blessed we are and to never place our security and happiness in jeopardy simply because we want what others have.

And when your child says to you, "Mom, I'm really happy here.  We have a great house, I have good friends, there's a pool I can use right down the street and plenty of room to ride my bike- this is just a really good place for us"  SWEET JESUS but you'll know that your child UNDERSTANDS what it means to truly be content.

Facebook Has No Place in the Bedroom

My name is Chrissie and I'm addicted to my phone.

I love all the things about not just my phone, but my Ipad as well.  Whether I'm popping in to Facebook to check my newsfeed, sharing a funny homeschool Meme, surfing Pinterest for vegan recipes, online dreaming over at Torrid, reading a sexy book on my Kindle app for my book club- I simply LOVE my electronic devices.

But then it became a problem.

I didn't realize it at first of course.  I was just thumbing through Facebook while driving in the car with the husband or reading a book while he was watching something on TV I didn't want to watch.  We were still together, sharing the same space so I thought we were good.

We were not.

Yes, I was there physically, but I had allowed outside distractions to take away from my time with my family.  So much so that they were beginning to not only notice but comment A LOT on my distractions.

I will tell you all that at first, well- shit.  At first I thought that it wasn't so bad.  I kinda still feel that way, like my boys were over exaggerating my involvement in my phone and Ipad.  They are glued to theirs as well, so I figured it all evened out.  I was not taking responsibility for my own actions but rather looking at other's actions in order to justify my own.

Wow.

The husband and I talked this out one night.  I mentioned to him that he was knee deep in his tablet in the evenings as well and we had a bit of a go around about this.  Neither one of us willing to just admit our faults.

Meh.  Not a good look for a marriage y'all.

We talked again after the New Year and made a pact.  One that we had sort of, kinda, maybe...attempted to do before but this time, with renewed understanding and desire to succeed.

No more phones or tablets in the bedroom.

No more you guys.

The details of this can be a bit tricky.  Especially if you've got sick family members you are responsible for who like to call at all hours and you use your phone as your alarm clock.  But here it is- once we hit the bedroom, this is SACRED SPACE.

Facebook has NO place in the bedroom.

Our cell phones are there, sitting on the nightstands.  For emergency purposes and so we aren't late for work and get fired purposes.  But this is it.  We do NOT browse around social media, we do NOT conduct our online shopping, we are NOT texting friends- none of it because our time as a married couple is WAY more important than anything anyone could post on Facebook.

My marriage matters more than your cat video.

Since putting away the electronics, our marriage has personally seen a great uplift.  We are cuddling more, have more intimate time, focusing on the words and messages- actually listening more to each other.  It has truly been a great blessing and we are only five days into the new year.

In addition, I have personally been putting away my devices more.  You may have noticed that in the last six months, I've been posting less over on the Facebook page.  Trust me- I have.  I have been blogging less and just taking more time to be PRESENT with my family.  I have renewed this personal goal and I am striving to maintain a balance between something I really enjoy versus something I love beyond measure.

While social media and electronics are most assuredly a great thing- they have a time and a place.  As a busy Wife and Mom, I should legit be able to have a few outside hobbies and interests.  Facebook is simply one of them and so I won't be giving it up completely.  I get to have nice things, things that I enjoy, things that bring me happiness.  I deserve that.  But I will be pushing for balance and putting the important things first.

So yes- my name is Chrissie and I'm addicted to my phone.

But I'm working on it and I encourage all of you to do the same.  I promise it will bring great things to your marriage.

New Year, New Me...Or Not.

Well it's almost that time of year where we all make GRAND plans and resolutions and end up following through on maybe 30% of them.  Meh- that's life right?

I for one LOVE all the things about making goals and New Year's seems like a perfect opportunity.  It's a wonderful time for a FRESH START, to try something new, get outside your comfort zone, follow up on ideas you had, make positive changes and just in general- be better than you were before.  Even making the plans sets you up to succeed and creates a buzz of new life and excitement.

Years ago I had a blog post all about HOW to make some great goals and resolutions for yourself and your family.  I still do this and follow this great method for improvement and in saying this, I wanted to share with you all today the plans I've made not only for myself but for my family and my house for 2017.

Umm....yeah.  2017.  Crazy business!

For myself-

The goal is pretty simply.  Walk more and drink less coffee.

Ideally I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to begin my day with a healthy green smoothie.  But I am LEGIT fooling no one here and so I'll simply make the much more realistic goal of ONE CUP OF COFFEE each morning.

And let's just not mention how big the cup is mmkay....

For my family-

As we help the kiddo with his dairy allergy diagnosis, the goal is to use dairy more as a condiment instead of the main course.

Y'all- we love our cheese and sour cream in this house.  But I need to make more changes towards a vegan diet and convince the husband that he doesn't require neither cheese nor sour cream on every single dish he eats.  We've been slowly making progress but I would really love to see us moving towards a full vegan diet in 2017.

For my house-

I have some areas to de-clutter, mainly the coat closet downstairs and the upstairs linen closet.  I cannot with the pile of stuff in these closets- BOO.  Other small projects include buying new floor lamps or getting the husband to repair the LEANING TOWER OF LAMP and replacing the slightly outdated draperies.

The big project for the house this year is to replace all the trim and interior doors.  Well shit- there goes all my money honey!  But I simply cannot look at this 1980's wood trim a year longer!  And here's a little secret that only guests in my house will know- there's a big ole hole in two of the interior doors where the previous owners made their destructive marks.  I would really love to replace these but I have to do all the interior trim work at the same time so they will match.  This is my cross to bear in life- I like things to match.

Other random goals include: saving more money, helping the kiddo catch up with his math schoolwork, working on my lifelong struggle with speaking less and listening more and spending more quality family time and married people time with both the husband and kiddo.

Some really great plans in mind for the upcoming year and I for one am super excited to see what 2017 has in store for us!

What are your goals for the New Year?