PINK FLAMINGOS!!!! Two of them...perfectly gaudy, just the way I like it! 
This is me calling my dad and singing The Wind Beneath My Wings to him because, well, he's my hero, he sent me pink flamingos!
Isn't my "sick" hair so cute?! Life is good. :)
Amberlee, from Just a Bunch of B.S. (Bailey.Shepherd)
YAY!!! Congrats!
Sorry it took me so long to post the winner - it was not a happy day in sickland!
Makes
Me
LAUGH!!!
How to Clean While Pregnant
Three Easy Steps:
1. Get off the couch and get a phone book....no wait, just stay on the couch and dial 411 with your cell or portable phone.
2. Call a maid service (or a really good friend) and get some help.
3. Go back to watching Judge Judy while eating your chips, popcorn, crackers, bubble gum, cookies and soda (make sure other children are fed).
The below post was written by my dear sister-in-law, Renee:
Longing for the Ideal with Hope and Grace
Do you know what I really long for? Maybe it’s the same desire you have: to be a really great (and I mean the kind of great that receives many rewards in heaven) woman, wife and mom. For me, this means meeting my ideal expectations of myself. We might all fill in the blanks of what that looks like to us differently. Some of my blanks start with: to always _________ or to never __________.
Do you know what my problem is? I find that my real self never quite reaches my ideal expectations- and many times falls miserably short. It seems hopeless when I see who I want to be and then see myself as I really am.
A book I read recently, Changes That Heal, helped me with this struggle between the good and the bad that I face inside of myself. The truth and grace I found there brought great freedom.
The truth is my real self doesn’t match my ideal self. But the grace given by Jesus makes a lot of room for imperfection. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection- which gave Him victory over imperfection and its consequences- I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t even have to be good! Jesus is my perfection for me. He is my goodness. My hope for becoming all I long to be rests in Jesus whose job it is to perfect me and make His work of creating holiness in me complete.
For me, in practical terms, this means ‘the pressure is off’! I can ‘reveal’ my real self to myself and others. I don’t need to feel shame or embarrassment over my failures or shortcomings as a woman, wife or mother. I can rest and not weary myself with striving for an ‘ideal’ while trying to cover up my ‘real’.
With Jesus’ help, I work towards obeying God to produce righteousness in all areas of my life. And with the picture of Jesus’ work on the cross, I work towards that goal imperfectly without guilt or shame. The good and the bad of my real self can co-exist without a cover-up so that Jesus’ work in me can shine.
Hello friends,
Don't worry, this isn't a dear John letter, more of a taking a break from writing everyday letter.
I'm still going to write.
I'm still going to finish the 31 Days to Clean, and I'm still giving away this sweet vacuum cleaner. But, I must take the pressure off and not write everyday right now. Why? I feel like poop most days, I'm so tired, and my brain has shut down - the joys of pregnancy! So please please please bear with me and don't leave. I don't want to lose my dear readers and friends. I also want you to know that I plan on visiting every one of your blogs, it just might take me some time! Grace is great, isn't it? I don't have to do it all...balance it all. It's okay to say, "I just can't" right now. Thank you for understanding. Remember, this isn't goodbye, this is hello sporadic writing! I might write everyday, or every week, but the pressure is off - whew! Once I'm back to "normal" I will continue my daily posts. In fact, I already I have a new series in mind...
By the way, I'm drawing the name for the vacuum on Friday...FRIDAY! :)If, by chance, you are one of the few sweet readers who left an anonymous comment hoping to win, please comment again with your name and e-mail address, otherwise I won't know who to give the vacuum to should you win! Thanks!
We all have one. The "junk" drawer that everything random goes into. Mine is actually a cabinet in my kitchen (okay, I have a cabinet and a drawer!).
It's the drawer you go to when you are looking for batteries, light bulbs, keys, and other things you need to find but don't know where else to look. It's the place that many have newspaper clippings, photos, recipes, and screws. Wouldn't it be nice to have that drawer cleaned out and organized?
Today is the day to do it.
Let's go:
Check out Home Made Simple for more great drawer organizing tips!
Drawer organizers by Space Savers.
Find anything you've desperately been missing?
First and foremost, let me apologize for getting this post up so late. I have been so darn tired as of late with growing baby number three, and my brain seems to have shut down. I am going to try and work on my posts at night so that I can have them up and ready for you bright and early. Now, let's begin, shall we?
Today's challenge is to clean out, organize, and refill your medicine cabinet. This will actually be somewhat fun if you like rearranging and sorting. I don't know why, but I really enjoy this sort of thing.
Here's what you should be stocked up on:
The conventional list:
* two pairs of sterile gloves
* sterile dressings to stop bleeding
* cleansing agent/ soap and antibiotic towelettes to disinfect
* antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
* burn ointment to prevent infection
* adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
* eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as a general decontaminate
* thermometer: non-glass and non-mercury
* prescription medications
* prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies
* scissors
* tweezers
* aspirin and/or non-aspirin pain reliever
Other things to have handy:
* chlorine bleach
* vinegar
* salt
* essential oils
* zinc-gluconate lozenges
* fresh garlic (go here to find out why)
* mouthwash
* elderberry extract
* ginsana
* paper masks
Thanks Laura for this list!
Have fun!
We all have things in our lives that keep us from keeping up with all our duties perfectly, or even as we'd like.
For me, right now, it's queasiness in pregnancy. Although I am not as sick (thus far) as previous pregnancies, I am still struggling to keep my home in order while dealing with this fallen body.
Today, if you are someone struggling with pregnancy, depression, chasing after little ones, balancing job and home, etc., just do something. Make your bed, vacuum, put some flowers on your dining room table. Do one small thing to bring life to your home even if you don't feel like you have much life in you at the moment.
"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" Philippians 4:13
I'm going to leave you with something I wrote a while ago on one of my good days. It reminds me of what to look forward to - a future hope:
"Some days I wake up and I am so tired and I feel so gloomy...my spirit inside yearns for more, but my body halts me. Then there are days like today when I wake up and feel so fantastic-physically and mentally! My giddiness totally pushes out the darkness of the day and I hear the birds sing instead of the rain fall (although I do love the rain!) Why is this? Why can't I wake up ready to take on the day everyday? Why is it that on days like today my coffee is only a supplement instead of a defibrillator bringing me back to life? I want my life to be a light shining for my children...I want them to see a bouncy, jolly homemaker whizzing through her tasks with all the joy of the Lord! Boy do I fall short! It's days like today that I glimpse what heaven will be like and my body and its physical limitations and weariness will be but a shadow..."
Reminding myself that my body won't always hold me back definitely works for me.
By the way, I'm also blogging over at Blogging Basics 101 today if you'd like to come check it out.
Blessings arrive in unexpected packages—in my case, cancer.Those of us with potentially fatal diseases—and there are millions in America today—find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God’s will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence What It All Means, Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.
The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer the why questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can’t someone else get sick? We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is—a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.
But despite this—because of it—God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.
Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.
To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life—and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many nonbelieving hearts—an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live—fully, richly, exuberantly—no matter how their days may be numbered.
Today, we resume 31 Days to Clean.
What is the one thing you hate to clean the most? What is thing you put off time and time again? Whatever it is, I challenge you to take it on today.
My most dreaded job (toilet scrubbing is a very close second) is cleaning windows. In fact, I've never done it. You heard correctly - I have never washed a window in my whole life (pathetic, and scary, I know). I constantly put it off because it seems like such a huge job to me. Today, I am going to give you (ahem, me) some tips on cleaning your windows, just in case any of you hate to clean them as well!
Get Yourself Some Cleaner
Soap in a bucket will do - your dish soap is fine. If you want to make your own window cleaner, here's a "how-to" from the site coupons and Refunds:
Ingredients:
½ tsp liquid soap
3 tbs vinegar, 2 cups water
spray bottle.
What to do: Combine the ingredients and put them in the spray bottle. Use like any window cleaner.
Tip: Use newspaper to dry your windows. It's cheaper than paper towels and it leaves windows shiny and streak free. (If you're going to use newspaper, where rubber gloves so you don't get ink hands.)
Prepare to Scrub
Grab a wash cloth, old t-shirts (husbands have plenty, they just don't want to admit it), or an actual squeegee. These are your tools of the trade.
The Actual Cleaning Part (evidently, this is an art)
"When scrubbing a window, start with the edges. Scrub back and forth, up and down along each edge. Then, start scrubbing from the top and work your way down to the bottom using small circular motions." Do-it-yourself Window Cleaning
For in-depth squeegee action and tips, go here.
Don't Forget the Window Sills
You can do this with warm, soapy water and a rag.
Apparently, "window cleaning should not be drudgery! In fact, with the right tools, it can be a relaxing and enjoyable activity!" Hmm...never thought of it that way. Still don't.
What is your most dreaded cleaning job?
Please forgive me for putting off our 31 Days to Clean another day, but I had the privilege of interviewing June Fuentes of A Wise Woman Builds Her Home and I could not resist putting it up today! Enjoy!
June Fuentes is the author of the blog A Wise Woman Builds Her Home. She is happily married to Steve and is joyfully raising eight special blessings. Here are her words of wisdom:
Sarah: Why did you choose to be a stay-at-home mom?
June: Because it is one of the greatest and highest callings of a woman to stay home and raise the next generation who will change the world for Jesus Christ.
Sarah: What kinds of kinds of things did you do to train your children in the Lord?
June: We try to keep the Word central in our home, prayer and Christian character training are very important. We try to be consistent in our training--this is a very important key, but must be done hand-in-hand with love, shepherding and discipling. We made mistakes along the way---no one is perfect in their parenting---but it is important to not give up and to ask for forgiveness when we do fail (and we will)--I always like to point to Jesus because this shows how much I need Him--not just for my children sake but also for myself. Also, we must never underestimate the power of our own daily example---it speaks and teaches volumes. I also think that it is important to challenge them to be 'world-changers' for Christ. They can help change the world--even at a young age--we just need to raise the bar in regards to expectations.(Note: I must emphasize that anything good you might see in my children is a work of God and not us. I am still learning as a mother--but grateful the Lord always continues to gently guide us.)
Sarah: How did you discipline your children - what worked best?
June: We believe in shepherding and disciplining our children according to the Word of God. With eight children you quickly find that what might work with one child might not work with the other. That goes also for each incident. One event might need grace while another might need a more severe punishment. One might need just a verbal warning and the other much more. Everything needs evaluation, each child is unique---I ask God everyday to give us wisdom so we might be a good judges regarding this topic. So I don't think one 'method' worked best for us--except the method of God's Word, consistency and love (I Corinthians 13).
Sarah: What are some "tools" in your tool kit of parenting that have worked for you?
June: My most important tools are:
1. Jesus
2. His Word
3. Prayer
I do recommend the book "Biblical Parenting" by Don Gilchrist for those who need help in the practical application parenting. I have learned a lot from people like SM Davis, Nancy Campbell, Vision Forum, No Greater Joy, The Maxwell Family, Lydia Sherman, Ladies Against Feminism, JR Miller, etc.
Sarah: What would you do over if you could?
June: If I could go back and get saved at an earlier age and live my life for Christ---then perhaps the struggle to live the Christian life would not be so challenging in my older years.
Sarah: Did you have family worship/devotion time? If so, how did you do this?
June: Yes, we have them. and they have taken on all kinds of forms. But basically we like to sit around the living room with our Bibles with Dad teaching and children asking lots of questions. Many times we'll include a worship time beforehand. The babies are allowed to play quietly if not we lay them down for naps. We have used coloring sheets in the past that synchronize with the passage or worksheets. Once we even held it in a park and sang by a creek, with dad teaching us at a picnic table. That was a beautiful memory-- the little ones just loved it and so did we! Occasionally, our children would also love to act out various Bible stories and/or dad would act parts out. Personally, I always liked when he started off the study with a very challenging question. Oftentimes my son, Stephen, who is 8, will get his pulpit out that Dad made and preach to us after Dad is done. We like to interrogate him with a doctrinal Q & A time afterwards---he loves it.
Sarah: Any advice for stay-at-home moms who feel like theyʼve lost themselves as women?("I feel like Iʼ'm only a mom" etc.)
June: Yes, control your thought life!!!! Satan would love to have you wrapped up in a pity party to incapacitate you. Don't abandon your posts---know who you are in Christ Jesus and know how greatly your role as a mom affects the course of history of generations you might never see. Remember, we are not just 'moms' but we are world-changers. For more inspiration, check out my blog A Wise Women Builds Her Home, Above Rubies Magazine and Ladies Against Feminism.
Sarah: How did you make time for your husband when you were exhausted with little ones?
June: It wasn't always easy but we would try to connect when he came home from work for 15-30 minutes. I would try to rest up before he came so I might be fresh when he arrived. I would also try to eagerly anticipate his arrival to create a nice welcoming when he came home. You definitely have to be purposeful. Having a date night is great, but not always feasible, then we would just rely on putting the children to sleep earlier so we could spend the extra time together. Some days we would just have long conversations on the phone if he was away, but we always tried to connect with each other.
Sarah: What is the greatest thing youʼve learned in how to be a good wife?
June: Just try to be his best helpmeet---find out what he would like from you instead of what the world wants you to be. Find out what he likes to eat, how he likes the house, what he likes you to wear. Some husbands don't care if the house is immaculate but they do care if there is not a hot meal waiting for them when they get home. Also ask him in the morning- "Is there anything you need me to do today?" and then put that first on your list--after your Bible devotionals, of course. Even if that means pushing aside your ever- urgent 'to do' list. And lastly, I should have probably put this first---RESPECT. Be sure to love him by respecting him. I also highly recommend the book "The Excellent Wife" by Martha Peace.
Sarah: What is your favorite "cheap" date?
June: Hmmm....probably hanging out in the bookstore and having coffee---there we can sit quietly and talk about our favorite subject--church planting. I simply enjoy his company and just enjoy being with him anywhere. He is a fun person to be around and has a great sense of humor.
Sarah: If you could only pass on one piece of wisdom for young wives and moms, what would it be?
June: Trust in God no matter what.
Sarah: Thank you so much for your time! I pray that your words of wisdom will encourage us and penetrate us so that we will learn and grow as godly women.
Read more "Lady of Wisdom" interviews here.
VACUUM CLEANER?!!!Oh yes, you heard correctly. I have in my posession a brand new 100th Anniversary Hoover Wind Tunnel Bagged Vacuum Cleaner all ready to go for one of you special friends!
First, let me tell you a little bit about this bad boy:
It really sucks! (I hope that is appropriate language, but what I'm saying is true!) The 100th anniversary Hoover Windtunnel has a HEPA filter (cleans the air), an embedded dirt finder (so you know if your carpet is really clean), a pet hair tool (my husband thinks this is the bomb!) and it is self-propelled (hello easy vacuuming)! Seriously, if you want a great vacuum cleaner, this is it! I personally love how all the tools are easy to get out and put back, it is so simple. I also love that the hose can really suck - it actually lifts my carpet up! Having a one year old and an almost three year old that leave little droppings of randomness everywhere (including food around the table), I need something that can get everything up for me with no hassle, and let me tell you, this vacuum does it (thank you Hoover)! If you want more details on this awesome vacuum cleaner, check this out. It retails for $229.00, but for you, FREE! (Well, at least to one of you!)
Here's how to win:
1. Just leave me some comment love - how easy is that?!
2. If you want your name entered twice, leave a comment and subscribe to my blog - I love loyal readers and getting know you all better! (If you are already a subscriber, drop me an e-mail and let me know!)
3. If you want your name entered three times, do the above two things and mention the giveaway in a post on your blog with a link back here. (Make sure to let me know in your comment if you do this!)
The contest will end on day 31 of 31 Days to Clean. ARE YOU EXCITED?! I am! Good "luck" to all of you!!
P.S. It's a FREE day - Go play with your kids...or your husband...or your dog...or something! :)(I will only be shipping to the lower 48 states, so please forgive me if you are ineligible to win - I'll make it up to you somehow!)
It's nearly black! The good news is it washes out in 28 washes. (My husband says I have to wash my hair everyday!)
To join in on My Husband Rocks! Friday, head over to The Great Adventure!
Blogging is not my cup of tea (or should I say coffee), but I peered over Sarah's shoulder and noticed some comments involving our beloved wedding picture inside the pantry. So this is the disclaimer....***disclaimer*** She removed the picture from a high eye traffic spot for which I liked seeing it regularly and I found it in a pile heading upstairs which usually means into the abyss never to be seen again until one of those "...look what I found I haven't seen this for years..." kind of moments. So I said to myself, "self, she needs to be able to see this picture just as much as she has seen it in the past." So I put it at her 5'7" eye level, that way everyday when she goes into the pantry she sees our wonderful wedding picture. That's it.....that's the disclaimer and that is the answer to why we have a wedding picture in our pantry. Now, I must find another useful place to put since she decided to clean the pantry.
Sincerely,
Husband searching for new wedding picture spot.
In accepting this prestigious ;) award, you really should follow these rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog.
What does e-mail have to do with cleaning?
Let me ask you a question: what does your inbox look like? If it is anything like mine you have 500 e-mails just taking up space (and, incidentally, making your computer slower). Wouldn't it feel great to have those "put away" or thrown out? Having e-mails just sitting in there is clutter - just like junk mail sitting on the table by your front door. It's messy. Let's straighten up.
Today challenge is to go through ALL your e-mails and either delete them or create folders for them. I tend to leave e-mails in my inbox that I want to respond to but don't want to do it right away. The temptation is to leave them, but many times I know I just forget about them. Create a RESPOND folder so you know what you have to respond to but it doesn't clutter your inbox. The goal is a clean and tidy inbox.
Here are some great tips for organizing your inbox!
31 Days to Clean - Jump in here!
I just found out and I’m unsure and scared
Facing pressure and parents, it all seems so unfair;
Is there really something inside me so small and with life?
Could I really be a mother even if I’m not a wife?
I’m sorry little one, I just don’t know what to do;
I want to pretend you’re not there, but you are, aren’t you?
I wish it would just go away and be a bad dream
This feels like a nightmare, I just want to scream!
They tell me it’s no big deal, a clump of cells doesn’t need a tomb
But my heart tells me otherwise, there is a soul inside my womb
I learned you have a little heart that beats today
But I have to ignore it, otherwise what would they say?
I’m so young, I’d feel such shame if people knew
My parents would kill me, and he’s not ready too
I feel so alone, so lost and undone
All the pressure’s on me, and the weight is a ton
I’ll just go to that place and then it will all be through
I’ll go back to my life, never knowing you...
Listen to me, you don’t have to do it
I’ve been there and I know you can get through it
We have one chance at this life so do the right thing
Sacrifice for love and not regret anything
Don’t live your days knowing he never had a chance
To smell a sweet flower or feel the wind dance
You can be strong and you are not alone
One day he will thank you at how through adversity you shone
Going digital is great.
You get to see your pictures right away; it's like Polaroids on steroids! You can upload them and have them on your computer or a CD in no time. I have found only one problem...
I haven't had pictures developed since 1972.
Alright, so maybe I wasn't even born in 1972, but the point is, since going digital, I don't develop my pictures and I can't possibly be the only one (am I?). I have hundreds of pictures on my computer and Cd's, and only lonely photo albums waiting to filled with life.
Why develop?
It's great to have your pictures in albums on your computer, but what if your computer crashes and you lose everything? All those memories...gone. We're also talking space here. The more pictures you have, the slower your computer can become. You can put your pictures on Cd's, but then you can't look at them on a whim. I'm all about real albums with real pictures.
Perhaps you do develop your pictures. Perhaps you still use a...a...what the heck do you call non-digital cameras anyway? Maybe you have a drawer full of pictures like I do that are in desperate need of a real home. Today is the day.
Your challenge for today is to begin to develop and organize your pictures. For some, this may be a huge job (for scrapbookers, today is surely a free day for you!). I'm not expecting that you finish today, but at least get started. If you want to save some $, here are a few sites that offer free digital prints when you first sign up:
Snapfish (50 free prints)
Clark Photo Labs (30 free prints)
My Photo Album (20 free prints)
York Photo Labs (40 free prints)
CVS (50 free prints)
Have fun strolling down memory lane - but don't get too distracted!
Good morning dear friends and visitors! Up until now we have focused much on getting ourselves in order, along with our home. Today we will move outside to the vehicle.
I happen to have a cheese wagon (with a spoiler - oh yea!)
A cheese wagon collects cheerios, cheese, chicken nuggets, toys, cups, clothes, and sticky stuff. It also collects things a regular car does, such as dust, goo, hair, and random papers. Maybe you are the type that keeps your car clean (applause), but is the dashboard dusted? The radio wiped down? How about vacuumed (speaking of vacuums...check back later...)?
Today's challenge is to clean out your vehicle - make it sparkly and new! Get yourself a nice little good smelly thing and stick it in there too! I can't wait to hear if you find anything crazy! Do tell!
My husband rocks because he loves me just the way I am - crazy teen girl at heart and all! (Just in case you were wondering, I was 27 in this picture.) :)
To join in on My Husband Rocks! Friday, head over to The Great Adventure!
I know that some of you out there have way more purses/shoes/jeans/etc. than you actually use. As a woman, I understand the need for these things, however, they create the great nemesis: laundry! (Well, maybe not the shoes and purses, but I think you get my drift).
In an effort to reduce our curse load, I am creating NATIONAL GOODWILL DAY! (Okay, so it's not exactly official, but whatev). Today go through your drawers, closets, and any other random spaces that your clothes/shoes/purses hideout and pull out anything that you realistically do not use and will not use for that one day you just know will come when you need that particular white purse with the silver chain (sorry, I digress...). And if you're saving those too tight jeans for the day "when I'll wear them again," just give them up my friend. In the event that you do lose those "last 10 pounds," celebrate by buying a new pair! In the meantime, PURGE BABY, PURGE! For some of you, this will be very hard, like letting go of some good friends, but sometimes, you've just got to let go. Remember, you don't have to do it alone - we're here for you, we support you, and we really can't wait to pick up your once dear friends on a sale rack next week for $1.00. (Thanks in advance).
Now go! And please tell me what you're chucking!
Me: A baby is growing in mommy's belly.
Sweet Daughter O'Mine: I'm going to grow one in my belly too!
Me: Not until you are married to a daddy.
Me Thinking Later: Hmmm....married to a daddy, hope that came across right...
When was the last time you cleaned off the tops of your washer and dryer? How about the little cartridges that hold the detergent and the good stuff (Downy April Fresh...sooo...goood)? Organized your laundry "tools"? How about just cleaning up around your washer and dryer?
If you were to walk into my basement, you would see clothes piled up all around my washer and dryer. You would also notice some hair right on top of the washer along with dust and detergent drippings. My laundry "room" (which isn't really a room, but rather a space in the basement that invades my husbands "game" space) is a mess. Even though I have a new washer and dryer (with a stand - thank you sweetie!) they already need a good scrub down! I also need to organize the area and sort the laundry (yes, I still have more to do, even though I did do four loads yesterday!).
Today, let's clean our laundry rooms! Whether you have a closet, a basement space, or an actual room, let's get them all cleaned up, organized, and ready for the loads to come!
"It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted." Mary O'Connor
One more thing; with all this cleaning going on it's easy to forget why we clean in the first place. Maybe you clean because of your personality, or maybe because "someone has to do it." But let's not forget that our real purpose is eternal. Everything we're doing that seems mundane is important - to our children, our husbands, and to God.
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Do you ever wake up feeling like a mac truck hit you...and then ran back over you?
Some mornings, before I have my coffee, that's exactly how I feel. It doesn't matter how "organized" I am for my day, if I have my priorities staring me in the face, or a routine to kick my behind in gear, when I'm tired, I'm useless. Now that I can't have my beloved coffee anymore (hello baby # 3) I don't know what I'm going to do! Oh, I know what I have to do, laundry.
Here are the best "energizing" tips I've found out there that have nothing to do with caffeine (drat!):
Move
Apparently, inactivity makes you more tired. The solution? Do something...like running, dancing with your kiddos, kickboxing, swimming, hiking, walking, or...cleaning! :)
Only get the sleep you need
Turns out, I function much better on six to seven hours of sleep as opposed to eight. In fact, when I have more than eight hours of sleep, I'm like a sloth...I just want to sleep more! Figure out how much sleep you really need, and then get it. Steve Pavlina did a sleep experiment to become an earlier riser and has some good tips on how to exert more control over your sleep patterns.
Remember how we talked about feeling overwhelmed?
Well, work on the suggestions I gave on over coming feeling overwhelmed because, evidently, stress makes you tired too.
Increase your magnesium (this one's out of the blue!)
This is what Colette Bouchez from WebMD has to say:
"In a study done at the Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D., women with magnesium deficiencies had higher heart rates and required more oxygen to do physical tasks than they did after their magnesium levels were restored. In essence, their bodies were working harder which, over time, says Heller, can leave you feeling depleted.
The recommended daily intake of magnesium is around 300 milligrams for women..."
Add a handful of almonds, hazelnuts or cashews to your daily diet.
Increase your intake of whole grains, particularly bran cereal.
Eat more fish, especially halibut.
If you're not prego or nursing, my number one suggestion is: CAFFEINE! (and lots of it!) Preferably in coffee (or diet coke with lemon, if your name is Debbie).
I know I'm breaking my own rule here by adding caffeine, but I just can't help it - I really believe that God gave caffeine to me as a gift, and perhaps I may now pass this beautiful gift on to you.
"Planning for your energy involves thinking about your meals, sleep hours, workout schedule, and stress management ahead of time and making time for them." Dulce Zamora
Oh, and your challenge for the day, laundry - lots and lots of glorious laundry! I know I have about 15 piles to work through...and it doesn't count if you don't FOLD it and PUT IT AWAY! Okay? Come on...how many can you get done?
31 Days to Clean - Jump in anywhere! (Seriously, we're not about rules here!) :)
