Joyfull Living

Have you ever heard those phrases that may sounce cute, but bring with them some deep contemplation?  Those questions that make us immediately want to choose the best choice, but reflect that this may be an area we can use some growth in.   Most of these begin with the words "there are two types of people in the world"... and they cause us to identify which one we are. Look at these: There are those who give and there are those who take. One who enters a room and says 'here I am' and one who enters and say 'there you are'. Those who do the work and those who take the credit. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded Ones that suck the life out of every day, and the ones that let every day suck the life out of them. Those who put themselves first and those who put others first. My favorite...those who add value to others or those who allow others to add value to them.

When our children were younger they loved to ride their bicycles. We lived in the country down a small paved road.  Not too far from our home was 'the hill', a sharp and uphill portion of the road which took extreme effort to climb but the ride down was something they loved to do.   As a young mom, I was fearful for their safety as they were flying down that hill on their bikes. A million 'what if's would go through my mind, what if a car is coming around the curve, what if they are going too fast and crash, on and on I would worry and they would race past me loving the thrill of the ride. Sometimes I even asked them to put the brakes on while going down so they didn't go too fast!   Through the years, the boys grew up and no longer ride bicycles. We moved away from that road but still have family close to there.  Recently the youngest son was mowing a family member's grass and while waiting for him, I brought my bicycle and went for a ride on th

We've all been there...one night, we jump on the scale and see it has risen some.  A plan is immediately formed in the mind, 'tomorrow, I'm going to do better.'  No more - sodas, sweets, breads, whatever that weakness is.  As tomorrow comes, hunger, temptation and availability can quickly squash those healthy plans! Here is a way to set yourself up for success with some dietitian-approved tips to jump-start weight loss. 1. MAKE YOUR FOOD BEAUTIFUL We eat with our eyes as much as we do with our mouths! Instead of throwing veggies into a bowl, plate them with care, cut them in new ways and pick lots of colors. Take that extra step to enjoy the process of eating healthy options. 2. DON’T SKIP MEALS To jump-start weight loss (and maintain it!), get your hunger in check by choosing satiating meals and snacks every three to four hours. For optimal hunger control, aim to have meals and snacks that contain both protein and fiber–two nutrients that have se

Our annual vacation discussion began like always... "where do you want to go? "  Being a beach girl, you know my standard answer... the beach! But sweet hubby is tired of the heat and humidity of summer plus sand and crowds are not his idea of relaxing.  Watching Shark Week didn't help my weak attempt to plea for a beach vacation either! Back and forth our discussions went until the beginning  of school was fast approaching.  Dates were cleared with our jobs and plans were quickly made to spend a week in the mountains.  I dearly love the beach, but there is something equally majestic about the mountains.  We arrived at the cabin to find the back porch overlooked this gorgeous view. After a day of adventure - my first time zip lining, and exploring hiking trails, creeks and walks I chose to spend the day at the cabin alone while the guys went golfing. After the initial thoughts of 'what am I going to do  all day by myself' I purposed to enjoy it.  Most

Today is the first day of school in our area.  My Facebook feed is filled with beautiful little children all dressed up, smiles on their face, ready to begin a new year of learning and growth.  The emotions of their mothers range from tears at releasing that sweet little one to jubilant joy for a little down time in their lives.  But the common bond mothers share is that time goes by so fast. "Where did the time go?" is the question that each mom wonders.  Reflecting back on some of my 'first day of schools' as a parent was fun!  I remember dropping my firstborn off with a toddler in tow, the first time I took them both to school and has some time to myself. Another baby came after they were well in the school years, those days were cherished spending the day at home with a baby.  When at last the baby went to school, it was emotional but opened up the door to work outside the home.  There is such a huge range of emotions through the years.  Words used to sum it