An Update! And Healthy Morning Recipes

Good Morning, Friends!

It has officially been a week since my last post (I hope to be a bit more frequent than that, but I'm off to a good start) and also a week since I began my "healthy eating/working out" campaign! And I'm here to update that I've done pretty well at it!! I've worked out, in some capacity, every day this past week but two days and so I feel good about that not only physically, but mentally. I've eaten very healthy as well and cannot believe how much I DON'T crave all that junk I once did. I know, I know it's only been a week but I'm telling you when presented with temptation to pig out on junk, I have opted for a healthier snack and my body is thanking me for it! I feel I have more energy and I simply just feel positive in knowing that I'm feeding my family things that fuel their bodies in a wonderful way!

Here are some of my Healthy Living highlights from the past week:

• A couple of my favorite workouts that I alternate between are: the circuit option from Lauren Conrad's "7 Days to Skinny Jeans Plan" (which I elaborate on in a previous blog), a day of focusing on stretching/flexibility and basic pilates, and a weight training circuit that I do with my hubby (which is good because you do it quickly to keep your heart rate up AND you have a "buddy's" support!) which involves incline presses, one arm dumbbell rows, pull ups, arnold presses, dumbbell lunges, stiff leg dead lifts, incline dumbell curls, and bench dips with weight (15-20 reps of each of these with the exception of pull ups, do as many as you can!). It's tough but you feel really good about yourself when you're done, I promise! :)
• Some of my favorite meal options this past week have been: quinoa with fresh fruit, a spinach smoothie, or yogurt and granola for breakfast, homemade chicken quesadilla or 1/2 whole wheat bagel with low fat cream cheese and fruit for lunch, apple slices with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter or whole wheat crackers and swiss cheese for a snack. Dinner has been anything from the cauliflower crust pizza (which I shared about in an earlier blog post) to broccoli cheddar quiche to homemade soup and salad. It's all been delicious and I've been perfectly full and satisfied for every meal. If I am craving something sweet I usually do a spinach smoothie, a piece of dark chocolate, or 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt topped with either granola or fresh pineapple and blueberries...YUM!

Some other random highlights from my week:

• I've been consistent this week with my daughter's homeschooling (I'm not a patient person by nature and so this has been a bit of a challenge to discipline myself, and her, to stick with it. But it's been so rewarding and I've enjoyed the one on one time I get to have with her).
  
• Otto had a three day weekend and we got in a ton of great family time as well as time as a couple, which included shopping and dinner out (don't worry, I picked healthy options...although, I do need to work a bit on portion control...yikes!).
  
• On Saturday, my sister (who works in disaster relief for the Red Cross) gave our family a workshop on being prepared for disasters; anything from house fires to emergencies at a national level were covered. It was very informative and I think, at least for me, that we sometimes don't take all these things seriously enough to have a plan for each situation. I definitely feel more prepared and at ease now, especially when it comes to having a plan for a house fire...a scary thought with young children!
  
• I also got a night out with my mom and sis this weekend: we went to dinner, watched the movie The Help (LOVE! It was like the 3rd time for me), and had a slumber party at my mom's; what fun!
  
• And last, but not least, the Lord has really been blessing me this week: blessings of time with family and friends, the grace to stick with the resolutions I've made (especially eating healthy and working out), and just a real sensing of His presence and the work that He's doing in my family's lives.
  

Anyways, I'm really trying to get my blog posts a bit shorter. I can be a lengthy writer and I know we don't all have time to sit down during our day to read all that; so hopefully they won't all be tremendously long! I wanted to give you an update on my week and hopefully encourage you to stick with your plans and resolutions...How are you all doing?!

And lastly, I wanted to give you a couple of my favorite breakfast recipes I've made this week. When you take on the challenge of eating better and revamping your diet, variety is important so you don't get bored and stray. These two make it quite easy to stick to as they are DELISH...

The first option is Quinoa and if you are not familar with it, let me give you some background. Quinoa is an edible seed that most resembles something like cous cous or rice (and cooks up basically the same) but is actually more closely related to beets, spinach, or tumbleweed. The correct pronunciation of quinoa is said: keen-wah. If you're like me then you've been pronouncing it like it looks: quin-o-a, which is especially embarrassing for the hubby when you send him to the store for it and he asks every available associate for "quin-o-a" and they're like "uh, you mean keen-wah?" Um, yeah, that's possibly what I mean. Whoopsie!! I felt very educated and classy after this experience, let me tell you. :) Anyways, when you cook it up it doesn't get soft like rice; it has a bit of a bite to it and holds it form. It's very versatile and can be cooked up as a breakfast cereal or as a savory side (I've had a spicy black bean that was yummy). It's not the cheapest thing in the world (at around $4 for a small box of it) but the health benefits are worth every penny. Quinoa is highly appreciated for it's nutritional content. It is a high source of protein, essential amino acids, dietary fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. It is also gluten-free and easy to digest. A place like WalMart doesn't carry it in plain form (although that is where I got the spicy black bean version if you're interested in that); I've had the most success at Kroger or Cub foods in the organic/gluten-free/healthy eating section of the store. Like how I described that? :) The box I buy saves you a step when preparing because it is pre-rinsed and ready; some aren't and therefore need to be washed before using. The following is a delicious recipe that makes a healthy, filling, and delicious breakfast:

Breakfast Quinoa
(makes 2 cups or about 4 servings. This stores great in the fridge and reheats well so a big batch can be made and you can eat on it for a few days!)

2 cups whole or low-fat milk, plus more for serving (I actually use unsweetened almond milk in the same amounts. It is higher in calcium than milk and has vitamin d. For those of you who limit your dairy intake this is a great option.)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar, plus more for serving
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
1 cup (1/2 pint) fresh blueberries, plus more for serving

Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in blueberries, and cook for 30 seconds. Serve with additional milk, sugar, cinnamon, and blueberries.

***Original recipe can be found at: http://www.marthastewart.com/314453/breakfast-quinoa?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/quick-and-easy-breakfasts#slide_12

The second recipe is for Homemade Granola. This is SO worth the effort and cost (some of the ingredients can be a bit expensive up front but then you will have most on hand for future batches). It is simple, healthy, tastes WAY better then store-bought, and is very versatile. Eat it alone as a snack, with milk for a breakfast cereal option, over greek yogurt, or as a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt. You can also change up some of the ingredients each time you make it to create new combinations...Be creative!

Homemade Granola
(makes a big batch!)

3 cups rolled oats (I used old fashioned as opposed to quick oats.)
1 cup pistachios or pecan chips/pieces
1/3 cup wheat germ
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup PURE maple syrup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom or nutmeg
1-1 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt (to taste; I like the salty-sweet taste so I do 1 & 1/2)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, cut into small pieces
(I also added in 1/3-1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips once granola has cooled).

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss the oats, pecans/pistachios, wheat germ, sesame seeds, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg/cardamom, and kosher salt together in a large bowl. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once half-way through (I spread it into two separate baking dishes, one 13x9 and one 9x8 since they're a bit deeper and therefore easier when it comes to stirring). Remove from oven and stir in coconut and fruit (you can pour all this back into your large mixing bowl if you are using separate baking dishes to get it all combined proportionately; then just divide back into the baking dishes for the rest of the bake time). Bake until golden 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container. Keeps at room temperature for up to a week or in freezer for several weeks.

***Original recipe from my sis, Alyssa!

Let me know what you think of these "Healthy Start to Your Day Recipes"! I would also love updates on your progress this past week as you commit to a healthier lifestyle. Be on the lookout for new blog posts this week with more recipes, scheduling-out-your-day tips, homeschooling information, and more!

***Happy Reading...And Happy LIVING!!***
~Mel



(Sources on quinoa information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa)

Eat, Live, and Be Well!

Today I want to share a personal triumph...I actually got up early, worked out, showered, had some quiet time to read/pray, and made a healthy breakfast for my family ALL BEFORE 3 out of my 4 fellow family members were out of bed (Max got up while I was working out and kept giving me crazy stares like "this is not, mom...she's usually still in bed when I get up!" It doesn't matter how late my kids go to bed, they are always up ridiculously early. This is why I've always shied away from getting up before them. I am NOT a morning person, but...)...It felt GREAT. And, while I am feeling a bit tired, I have to say I can definitely get used to this. It's a wonderful feeling to be up and prepared for the day and in turn be ready to give your family a wonderful start to their day.

So, I thought I'd share with you what my new plan is for the beginning of each day; the focus being on eating healthy and working out. In a later post I want to share with you my personal "Stay-at-Home Mommy Schedule". I'm a HUGE believer in schedules, to-do lists, and staying organized. And while I've failed at it a number of times over the years, I always give it another try. To me it is the ONLY way to make it through the day when you have several other people and things to focus on besides yourself. I've avidly researched other mommy's schedules to get ideas on how to make mine work and I've definitely found it can only be a guide, never something that is set in stone because you just can never plan for what will happen in your day. It's the same for eating healthy and working out...You will mess up, you will forget or just not fill like it one day, you will be tempted...And that's okay. Use it as a guide, do your best, and before you know it, it isn't something you have to do, it's something you want to do because you've naturally made a significant lifestyle change over time. Make it something simple for you to follow regardless of how easy or stupid it seems to someone else; only you know what you're capable of and whether or not, realistically, you can stick to it.

Eat Well.
Ohh, eating healthy...how I loathe thee!!! In all seriousness, there is a large part of me that really wants to eat healthy and make wise choices when it comes to what my family puts into their bodies. However, the other very large part of me really just wants to eat deliciously, sinful foods (hello, sweets!) all the time and indulge in anything and everything! I LOVE GOOD FOOD. I love to eat out, I love to cook and experiment with new recipes and new foods, and I really enjoy making up my own recipes, which I do frequently (let me say here that this DOES NOT apply to baking. See, I tend to not measure things, blame Rachael Ray if you need to, and this doesn't work well when you bake... Just a friendly head's up! When baking, you probably want to stick to the recipe. Unless of course this happens to be one of your talents, then by all means go ahead!). But really good food isn't usually healthy (plenty will disagree with me but you cannot substitute ooey-gooey sugar loaded yumminess with sugar free, carb-less desserts...you just can't, people. But it's time. I truly desire a healthier lifestyle and 2012 is the year I plan to make it happen. And so far I haven't been disappointed and my kids haven't noticed either (bonus!). Yesterday was the day I really began incorporating healthy meal choices into our diets. After a day spent grocery shopping and racking up a hefty bill, I had lots of fresh and healthy ingredients on hand and therefore felt inspired to begin. For dinner we had cauliflower crust pizza. Yes, I know it doesn't sound appealing and honestly it doesn't smell the best while you are preparing it, but it's totally worth the end result! It tastes pretty much like pizza (although mine didn't quite slice up like pizza, but it tastes like it all the same), it looks like pizza, and best of all you can indulge in several slices without having a horribly heavy, bloated, and guilt-ridden feeling that all that thick-doughy crust usually leaves you with. If you're interested in trying this version for yourself, here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.eat-drink-smile.com/2011/04/cauliflower-crust-pizza.html

The second healthy meal replacement option I've incorporated into my family's diet are good old Spinach Smoothies! I first heard of spinach smoothies last year from our family chiropractor. She swears by them and always starts her morning (and her family's morning) off with one. The benefits are AMAZING and best of all, if done right, you cannot taste the spinach at all. A salad in drink form...what a healthy, beneficial, and energizing way to get your family off on the right foot (and sneaking in those veggies for the kids...or yourself if you're like me and not a fan). I made the first one last night for Otto and I as a late night snack and we were both so impressed. I made a big batch this morning for the whole family as a simple, healthy breakfast and the kids were so excited to watch and then super eager to drink this new creation (that, before you add the fruit, is a vivid green color...what fun!). They did ask me while I was making it why I was putting "salad" in our smoothies, but after the first sip they were hooked! Please give spinach smoothies a try; as crazy as it sounds, it is worth it to your health and really does taste SO delicious! Here's the recipe I make:

The PopEye Smoothie
(makes two 8 oz servings)

1 cup vanilla no-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup 100% no sugar added cranberry juice
a generous handful of spinach (start here but once you're comfortable, do a small handful per serving...added benefits!)
*Pulse the above ingredients in a blender on low until spinach is chopped to fine pieces.
1 banana, cut up (fresh or frozen)
3 whole strawberries (fresh or frozen)
10 pieces of chopped mango (fresh or frozen)
(You can also use fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries in place of the mango or in addition to it. Be creative; this is very versatile. Flax can also be used for additional nutritional value.)
*Add to the blender and blend on low until "smoothie-like texture".
A few Ice cubes.
*Add to the blender and blend on high until incorporated.
*Pour into two glasses and ENJOY!

The original recipe, nutritional information, and more healthy smoothie recipes can be found at:

http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Delicious-Spinach-Fruit-Smoothie-Recipe-10692176

Live Well.
One of the most important and valuable things you can do for yourself is to work out; the benefits aren't just physical; It also helps you to feel recharged, mentally and emotionally, too! I haven't always made this a priority in my life. In all honesty, it's been about 2 years since I've worked out consistently. Why I was successful then has a lot to with the fact that a. I had a buddy system in place to keep me accountable and to motivate me and b. before that I worked at Curves as a trainer and, well, it's kind of a job requirement. In my younger years I was quite active but I don't think it's something I even realized; it was as intricate a part of my life as attending school daily, sleeping, maybe even breathing so I never thought twice about it. I just did it. I have a total of 18 years experience in being an active participant in competitive power tumbling, cheer leading, dance, and track. To go from something like that to basically just loafing around is quite a lifestyle change! But anyone that's done any of those things for many hours a week for many years, probably has had a time when they wanted to do quite the opposite! While, at twenty-seven years of age, I don't think competitive tumbling or cheer leading is in the cards for me any longer, I do hope to regain some of that drive and desire back of keeping my body fit and healthy. And so it began today...the first (I'll admit it, baby steps) back into consistently working out. The plan? I found earlier this week an online blog by Lauren Conrad that had to do with exactly this topic. I don't typically follow her blogs but stumbled upon it and this caught my eye: "Shape Up: My 7 Days to Skinny Jeans Plan" and I began to read. It seemed simple enough, even for me, with some easy rules to follow to get you back into that pair of skinny jeans that were just a bit too tight after all that holiday indulging. And while my goal isn't exactly to fit back into a pair of pants (although I did dig out a pair of skinny jeans from 2008 that were hiding in the dark corners of my dresser drawers that were, yes, a bit tight), I did think it was a helpful, easy plan to get me motivated and ready to make a change. Some highlights? It's a one week commitment (I can do this!), you choose a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner option (she gives you many simple to prepare options so the work is done for you), and a once per day work out option (the work is done here too; she lists several plans for you). While I'm not doing exactly what she's laid out for meal plans (I've worked in some of my own), I am attempting to follow the workout plans as they seem, for the most part, beginner level and not too time consuming. Today I did the "circuit" plan which I tweaked to my own tastes a bit: 5 minute jog in place to warm up, 50 jumping jacks, 25 crunches, 25 squats, 10 push-ups, 25 lunges, 25 bench dips, 60 second wall sit, and a 60 second plank. I repeated this cycle twice and ended with a 5 minute jog-in-place cool down and some stretching. My legs were shaking and I was breathing heavy (a good indication that, yep, I'm out of shape). The whole thing took me about 30 minutes which was perfect; long enough to make me feel I accomplished something but not too long to where I wouldn't be up for doing it again. I really encourage you to try this if you're a "healthy eating/working out-aphobe". It's simple and really reaffirms that, after-all, "yes you can do this!!". Over the next several weeks I plan to definitely step it up, of course. I'd like to get back to my morning runs as I really do love them (but hate it in the winter) and I'd also really like to start yoga and pilates. I'll keep you updated on my progress. If you'd like to learn more about Lauren's "7 Weeks to Skinny Jeans Challenge" you can go to the following link:

http://www.laurenconrad.com/post/shape-up-my-7-days-to-skinny-jeans-plan

After making the decision to change your lifestyle and start up a healthy diet and a consistent plan of working out (Eating Well and Living Well), I think you're well on your way to an abundant, long, full, and happy life don't you think? And really, who could ask for more?


Until next time, make the decision to...BE WELL!

~Mel

***Please share your healthy eating and work out tips, habits, recipes, and goals in the comments below. Let's motivate one another and get some accountability going here!!! :)

***I tried to upload some pictures I took of my Cauliflower Crust Pizza and Popeye Smoothie but it was an unsuccessful attempt. Be patient with me, I'm new here...I'll get the hang of all this soon! :)

A Bit of "R and R"...My Official Blog Introduction.

Hi Everyone! As we close out this first week of a brand new year, here's to hoping you're finding yourselves rested and recovered from all the holiday busy-ness and refreshed and ready to bring on whatever this year has to offer you! For me, I spent this first week of January feeling an assortment of things...And none of them too good. In December, I was feeling excited about the new year...I had all these plans to be motivated; motivated to eat healthy and workout more often (hello, cliche New Year's Resolution!), be a better-loving-more patient-fun mom, an attentive wife, re-focus on the Lord's plans for me rather than my own, be a better friend and keep better in touch with those I had lost touch with, be more financially savvy...Is that too many??? And after a wonderfully refreshing and relaxing holiday season, I awoke to 2012 feeling quite the opposite of how I had intended...Tired, lazy, depressed, impatient, anxious, annoyed and quite on the edge of snapping out on any available and innocent bystander would all be more accurate descriptions...WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH ME??? This is NOT what I had had in mind at all...So, I spent the next few days lying around, letting my house get ridiculously messy, letting my kids watch movies all day and have run of the house, skipping out on meals (but binging on sweets, of course), avoiding phone calls, and basically cutting myself off from God and the world because, heck, I'm an adult and I can if I want to (is that too honest?)...But all the while really hoping this was no indication of how 2012 was going to go for me. So how did I snap out of it? I can't say really...Only that I quit avoiding God and the world...I made a phone call to a friend and not that the conversation had anything to do with what had been going on...but I was having a conversation and that was encouragement alone! I also talked it out with my hubby who prayed over me and voila! I awoke this morning to a renewed attitude, love and patience once again pulsating in my heart toward my children, easy conversation flowing to God, and several things checked off the Morning To-Do List, including but not limited to: laundry, a grocery list made, and bills scheduled and paid for January. AND, last but not least, look at this...A new blog in the works...

Several years ago, I was encouraged to start a blog by my husband, Otto. I needed a hobby and I love to write and so it seemed natural to start blogging. Yeah, it didn't last long...Why? A combination of things really. While the topic was and is still near and dear to my heart (fashion), it required some research on my part. I didn't just want to write about fashion or what clothes were in my closet etc., I wanted to profile fashion icons of the past and present and take inspiration from their style to find similar looks for less that others could incorporate into their wardrobes. I also researched the latest trends and made up reports on what was in for that particular season so that you would have an all-in-one-spot guide of the top items to update your wardrobe with for that season. Not a bad idea...But, all this took time. And time I did not have with two young children and another on the way (or maybe I could have found the time, but hey, I've always been a procrastinator and horrible with time management...my old college friends can attest to this one!) and I just didn't keep up with it (insert my official apologies to those that followed my blog in the past and were really pulling for me. Sorry I let you down.) So what's different this time around...

The first "R"...Restorations.
Last April, my husband and I purchased our first home! After moving five times in six years (yes, you read that correctly and actually this recent move put us at six in six years so we just really outdid ourselves), it was time to put down some roots...and I mean that quite literally as we bought a little farm. I can't say what possessed us to buy a farm, neither one of us being farm-type people (Otto's a city boy and I grew up in a small town. And while growing up in Dillon is rather country, it's still a far cry from farm life)...But, maybe it was the fact that we jumped on the "sustainable life and organic living" bandwagon. We wanted to grow and raise our own food, teach our children exactly where their food comes from, and be all hippie like (something I could totally get into) and we had some friends who were into it at the time as well and that only fueled the fire. We read books and watched documentaries, I started making homemade butter and sprouting my own grains, I bought a canner so I could properly store all this homemade stuff I was going to be growing and making, I started the kids on their own little herb garden, we obsessed over the end of world and how we needed to stockpile food and silver so that when the grid went down we'd really be good and ready unlike all you fools, and and and...AND during this time we started looking for a home to buy. Now, let me break here and say, no, we're not nuts and I hope you don't think so either...although, in retrospect, we may have been a little nuts at the time...but we realize it now so that's good right? And let me also say that there is NOTHING wrong with this type of lifestyle; it's quite good, actually and an amazing way to raise children. But if you're not in it to the fullness of every fiber of your being and prepared to take on the work and the amount of time it takes to run a farm and produce and store your own food...it's a bit crazy, yes. You need to know what you're getting into is all I'm saying; it can't be a trend or phase that you're into for a little bit but then move on from (for example, when you were eight and you had teased bangs and wore a once piece denim jumpsuit with keds you colored on; so cool then...horrid in pictures now, but it didn't really alter your life). Now back to my original thought...In the past when Otto and I talked about our dream home, it would always involve a farmhouse or Victorian-type house with a big wrap around porch (very The Notebook like if you need a visual), old woodwork, and lots of period character and charm...But it would already be restored by someone else and very turn-key. We're not fixer-upper people; we're not handy at all! But when you're in a "sustainable living/The End is coming" frame of mind, you'll do about anything to get your hands on some acreage and some outbuildings way out in the backwoods. So here we are, almost nine months later, living in the middle of nowhere down our own little gravel road with a 45 minute commute to work (for the hubby) and wide open spaces and silence (for me) plus almost 3 acres, 4 barns (3 of which need to come down before they fall over on their own), a pasture that's grown up about 8 feet tall, a garden that was tended to maybe a month out of the summer before we said, "Aw, forget it! We're not outdoorsy people!", a purebred English Shepherd that was born ready to herd all those chickens and goats we don't have, and a little 3 bedroom farmhouse that yes, has a front porch and no, isn't the wrap around kind I had been dreaming about all these years. Do I have your attention yet? Because there's light at the end of the tunnel, I promise! Yes, we may have blew it...big time. We quickly decided to make the biggest purchase of our lives all while moving through the motions of something that wasn't truly a part of who we are and therefore was destined to fail us. But that doesn't have to be the way it ends for us. We don't know what God has in store for us here; whether it was His plan for us to move here or not isn't really the issue anymore, it's more about what can He do with us in the midst of our mistakes or when we didn't wait on Him that's important now. Luckily, He's faithful to do it...While all our ideals fail us, His never do. He turns our ashes to beauty EVERY TIME and so, for us, it's time to look forward at what can be and not what could have been. In the time since we've been here I've had quite a love-hate relationship with our country livin'. The kids adore it...their own playset and all that room to run, finally a dog and cat of their own, and plenty of new adventures just waiting (like "safaris" with dad!). Otto really does enjoy gardening; I think as time goes on he'll fine a knack for it and we might actually produce something worth eating. He also is finding he enjoys the hard work that this lifestyle brings and he's a bit more handy then he thought. For me, I love the peace and quiet, the wide open spaces that provide so many amazing views, the fact that when a bee chases me around the yard in the summer I can scream and dance around like an idiot because there aren't any neighbors to see it, or garden topless because I can (that happened. it was just once alright?), but best of all the endless ideas that come to me about what this place could become for us and others...

Restorations...
~the return of something to its former owner, place, or condition...
~restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit...

To me, those two statements say it all. There is so much I want to "return to its former condition and eternal purpose" here...Our old farmhouse, the land we live on, my marriage, the impact I have on my children, my heart and my soul, my passion for and my relationship with my Savior...Why not here? Why not surrounded by the peace and silence and the beauty of creation? Oh God, restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit!!! I must first be willing...And God is faithful to Restore.

The second "R"...Resolutions.
There truly are an abundance of ideas and hopes and dreams that I have for our little farm in the future, many of which I'll share throughout my future blogs (and who knows? Maybe I'll end up with some chickens and goats and a flourishing garden...and I'll dust off that canner and put it to good use...) For now, I just want to open my heart to the possibilities that 2012 holds for my family and I. That's the reason for this blog, why I think it may work this time. I don't have to research it or feel like it's a part of me I have to "make fit" into my life, this IS my life and all I have to do is write about it. I think, for me, blogging about all this will be therapeutic and also bring fresh perspective. I've always been able to better write how I feel and what I'm wanting to say then to actually say it so this will be natural for me. That's where the resolutions for a new year come back into play. I don't typically make resolutions because I can't ever stick to them but this year I hope to change that. The following are mine (I'll probably think of more as the year progresses), beginning with sticking to this blog! :)

1. Blog openly and honestly about life and it's ups and downs, mom tips, progress on the farm, recipes, work outs and healthy eating, cleaning and organizing, and anything that interests me and I hope interests you. This is more for me than anyone else...I've struggled over the years with my "identity" maybe because I married and had children so young (I think others probably feel this way), but I want to embrace all that God has given me and enjoy the place I'm in now and stop living in the past and what "might have been". I hope to always be candid and honest.
2. Eat healthier and more consciously and consistently work out...Make these things a way of life so my children see it as an example.
3. Keep in touch! There are so many people I miss having a part of my life and I hope to reconnect with them. I am HORRIBLE at keeping in touch with people so this is a big one! :)
4. Just take a deep breath and ENJOY! This really applies to my kids. I find I miss out on special moments because I'm too concerned with orders and schedules and staying on top of things...Hoping to let some of that go and just have fun with them.
5. Hubby time = a priority in our busy lives...More time to share and connect.
6. Live for Him and know Him even deeper...more fellowship with Him and other believers.
7. Stick to a budget!!!

Well, this was longggg, people, so I'm wrapping it up! But I'd love to hear from you all...feedback, topic suggestions, questions, comments, your stories, and RESOLUTIONS for the new year! Hope you're feeling positive and RESTORED as you head into 2012!!!

xoxo,
Mel