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My 48 Day Journey – Change Is Hard

My 48 Day Journey – Change Is Hard

48Days-4I hate Change. Period.

I really do.  It’s super hard for me, always has been, hopefully it won’t always be that way. I’ve had a major dislike for change since I was a little kid. I would keep doing the exact same thing repeatedly just because it was comfortable and a lot of times I would hope for a different result. How dumb is that?! It’s like a diet – you have great intentions and think, oh this time I’m going to really get skinny! Then you find yourself doing the exact same things you have always done to try to lose weight.  You get up early and work out, you “try” to eat healthier, but in the moment, you find yourself still choosing the exact same food choices.   As a result you never really lose any weight, even though you keep hoping that you will still get skinny because you are trying so hard.  Why do we keep doing the same things and expect a different result?  If you want a different result you must change and not freak out about the process it takes to make the change.

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” –Robert G. Allen.

This whole concept of trying to find the work that I love is so hard for me. I love it, but I hate it. I feel like I’m on a journey of change and I find myself wanting to look back at what I’ve always done and keep hoping I’ll enjoy the result. Seriously, Katrina – get a grip! What is wrong with me? Are you like this? Do you hold on to a horrible job just because the idea of looking for another job seems too hard or too scary? Or the idea of having to change your work environment to something you are unfamiliar with, is worse than just sticking with the awful work environment. That’s me. I will keep doing the same thing, even if I hate it, or even if it’s not getting me anywhere just so that I don’t have to actually change. The fear of change is worse than the actual change itself. It’s just so silly. And who knows, what if there was something great on the other side of the change?! Like new friends, or a pay increase, or better benefits?

Dan Miller in his book 48 Days to the Work You Love, gave a great example of this. He talked about how a king put a big boulder in the middle of the main road leading to the city. Some people just walked around it. Others grumbled and blamed the king for making their commute hard. No one tried to remove the big boulder. Then one day a peasant came along carrying a giant load of vegetables. He set his veggies to the side and after much work he was able to move the boulder off to the side of the road. As he began to leave he noticed a purse containing gold coins and a note from the king indicating the gold coins were for the person who removed the boulder from the road. What is the moral of this story?! Taking risk can lead to great reward.

Let that sink in. Taking a risk, going for it, making a change – can lead to an unexpected reward. And that reward will never be a reality unless you try.  Phew! That’s a hard one for me.   A lot of time my fear gets in the way. Almost all the time my fear of the unknown gets in the way. This may surprise you, but it’s true. I’m such a wimp. I’m not a thrill-seeker at all. I don’t like change. I fear the unknown. I like control and feeling like I’m in control of what I’m doing – after all the only person I truly can control is myself. I like my feet on the ground, I like to know what I’m doing and what’s coming up. This love for control keeps me in a safe place a lot of the time and being safe is sometimes very boring. The love for control means I over-think and dismiss my abilities a lot to the time. I’m great at thinking of ideas for other people, but when it comes to myself I’m great at dismissing the opportunity. So silly and so sad.

A lot of people moan about their place in life or how they are stuck at their current job – but what are they doing about it? If you really want to change your circumstances, take a good look at yourself and your current situation. Then, decide where you want to be and take action!

I’ve had a lot of people ask me lately where I’m at on my 48 Days Journey. Have I figured anything out? I’m pretty sure my 48 Day Journey has gone past 48 actual days. And have I figured anything out? Sort of. Here is what I know so far:

  1. I NEED to work with people. I’m energized by people and relationships.
  2. For me “Work” is all about the people I’m working with – I think I can make just about any job fun if it’s with the right people. I’m more attracted to the people than the actual work.
  3. I need to be me – full of glitter and spunkiness, and I need to share it.
  4. I’m not afraid to be on stage in front of people, I enjoy commanding a room, I like attention, I like public speaking.
  5. I don’t want to sell – even though I can.
  6. I would like to work with my spouse again.
  7. I like the unconventional jobs – entrepreneurial in nature.
  8. I like to lead, but am not a visionary.
  9. I’m a great helper to someone who can take risk.
  10. I want a job with a deeper and higher purpose.
  11. I don’t want to go back to school.

It’s a frustrating list to write. I feel like it should be much clearer as to what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. I’m annoyed that after all this time and work on this book that I still don’t have a very clear picture of what my life’s work should be. I feel like I’ve figured out more of what I don’t want to be doing than what I do want to be doing. Maybe that’s a good thing though. I can think of a lot of careers that I just don’t want to do. I do know that for me, work is all about the people I’m working with – I think I can make just about any job fun if it’s with the right people. I’m more attracted to the people than the actual work. I’m not sure what this says about me, but that I put a very high importance on relationships. I already know that people are energizing to me and when I’m home alone for too long (like an hour or so) I start to lose my mind. What does that say about me Lord? Really?! Gosh when I look back at jobs I’ve had in the past I don’t remember the job for the job – I remember and love the job for the people I worked with at the job. Wow. Seriously, what does that say?  How do I turn that into a vocation with a direction of where to go and what to do? I feel desperate to have a direction…

So that’s where I’m at. I still dislike change and probably always will, but change is good and healthy and necessary to growth. I need to stop resisting it and search for it. I know I love people and need to be around them. I miss my spouse and would love to work with him again. I like high energy and fun environments, I love to make people happy and see them smile. I’m an excellent leader and self-starter. I love people that take risks and will support and help them take those risks. I love to help.

Seriously, this is so much harder than I thought it would be!

Thank you Lord that you have me on this journey and I pray you help me understand myself even better every day…I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me!

 48Days-4

 

 

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October 25, 20170 commentsRead More
My 48 Day Journey – “Ah Ha Moments”

My 48 Day Journey – “Ah Ha Moments”

48Days-3“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” – 1 Peter 4:10

I call them Ah Ha Moments – like a light bulb appearing over a cartoon head on TV – all of a sudden that moment of realization hits you – that’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago when I was sitting in the 5th row of seats at church.  We were a few minutes early and made it in time for the on-screen announcements.   To my surprise Dave Ramsey appeared on the jumbo screen.  Everything in life paused for a moment and my face lit up like a candle!  I caught myself instantly being filled with an overwhelming sense of longing to Dave’s energy and passion for what he does.  I’ve always liked Dave Ramsey – his personality, his passion, his energy, his drive, his overall message, his love for the Lord – all of it.  He even reminds me of my dad and I catch myself calling him “Uncle Dave” – even though I don’t have any relation to him at all (deep down I really wish I did though).

Dan says in his book, 48 Days to the Work You Love, that everyone has a vocation or a calling and you need to take notice of Ah Ha Moments in your life – this may give you a strong indication of your calling.  Those moments of deep longing, or when you are doing something and realize in that moment that you are doing exactly what you were born to do.  A calling is not something reserved just for pastors, priests and monks.  God places a calling inside each one of us with special gifts and talents reserved just for us as individuals.  We fulfill our calling simply by being exactly what God created us to be and by being excellent at it.

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  I’ve struggled with this idea for such a long time – trying to figure out my true calling in life and never really understanding what it is.  Half the time I always felt like people are “called” into ministry – but rarely  do you hear someone say, I’m called to be a mom or an IT professional.  Seems like you can only be “called” when it has to do with devoting your life to full-time ministry, but that’s flawed thinking – 100% flawed.  Think about it – God created everything and everyone and each has a unique purpose – God created trees to be trees and by that tree being a tree it gives glory to God.  The same is true for us – God created each of us unique and by being ourselves and doing to the best of our ability exactly what God intended for us to do, we will find ultimate fulfillment.  Whoa!  That was profound – even for me!

So, how in the world do we figure out our calling?  According to Dan it starts with understanding the difference between your vocation, your career, and your job.  I’d have to say I used the words vocation and career interchangeably – they seemed like the same thing, where in fact, they are not, and this understanding has again lifted a burden off me.  Your vocation is the big picture of your life – the overall direction and purpose, the thing you do in life that gives you meaning and leaves a legacy for generations to come.

The Dictionary defines Vocation as:

  1. a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling.
  2. a strong impulse or inclination to follow a particular activity or career.
  3. a divine call to God’s service or to the Christian life.
  4. a function or station in life to which one is called by God.

I define vocation as the overall direction of your life, your calling – that unique path for your life that only God could put you on – that “thing” that you were put on this earth to do.

Your career is an entirely different thing – it’s a line of work that you do for a certain amount of time and you can have many different careers in your lifetime.

The Dictionary defines Career as:

  1. an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one’s lifework.
  2. a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking.
  3. success in a profession, occupation, etc.
  4. a course, especially a swift one.

My favorite definition is #2 –  a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking.  “Through a phase of life” – this perfectly explains a career to me.  A phase of life – think on that.

When I figure out my vocation and the overall big picture of what I want to do with my life, then there will be many careers that I may choose to do that still fulfill my overall vocation, especially if I decide that the career path I choose when I was 18 is no longer the career I want today.  Take for example the vocation of “helping people” – that can translate into many different careers such as being a teacher, doctor, pastor, writer, entertainer, etc.  And that also translates into many different jobs within a chosen career path.  If you started out helping people by being a special education teacher in an elementary and then decided that teaching kids was not your thing at all, then you could change your career path by going on to teach college students instead or start a ministry where you are helping homeless people.  All of these careers still fall within the vocation of “helping people.”

I hope I haven’t lost you yet!  All of this is a like gold to me!  I feel like I’m learning about myself and living backwards – oh to go back to my younger years and do all of this in the correct order!  Oh well, I’m sure if I could go back in time, none of this would seem so profound.  Right?!  I’m hoping my journey can somehow offer hope to someone else in my shoes who is struggling with their calling as well.

Let’s also define a Job – the Dictionary defines Job as:

  1. a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation or for an agreed price.
  2. a post of employment; full-time or part-time position.
  3. anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility.

A job is a job.  It can be big or small.  It can be fun, or awful.  It can be the best choice you ever made or the worst.  It’s all up to you!  And the best part, it’s just a job – so if you hate it, change it.  If you love it, turn it into your career and if it’s fulfilling to you, then most likely it’s right in line with your vocation and you can truly say it’s your calling in life!  I think most people live their entire lives never finding their true vocation or calling – not because they haven’t tried, but because they let life and circumstances get in the way.  There were bills to pay and kids to take care of and they took the first job they could make money doing so that their kids were taken care of.  Next thing they know, it’s 20 years down the road and they are wondering what happened to their life.  Maybe, it never occurred to them to look at their life’s purpose and seek to understand what is God’s best for them.  Please Lord, don’t ever let that be me!  I don’t want to be scared to dream, to wonder, to take a leap!

Dan says, “Jobs will come and go, but they should never derail you from the fulfillment of your calling.”

I think I’ve made it too hard for me to see my calling.  It’s probably right in front of me and has been all this time.   I must be making it complicated – as if my calling is not enough – like it must be more, or harder, or it’s not worthy of being the calling of my life.  Funny, when I consider who placed that calling on my life – who is the Master and Creator of ALL that I am?

“You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” – Psalm 139:16

Lord, help me see it – help me see my calling, my vocation, the overall direction of what you want me to be and do with my life.  Make it clear to me and give me a sense of Peace when it’s resonated in my heart.

I’m still working on this one you guys…. I’m thinking and praying about it and will be back with my thoughts soon.

48Days-3

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September 19, 20170 commentsRead More
My 48 Day Journey – Money Isn’t Everything

My 48 Day Journey – Money Isn’t Everything

48Days-2“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” -Confucius

As I dive into the 48 Days to Work You Love book by Dan Miller I’m struck with many “um hmmm” and “yes” and “oh you tell ‘em Dan” mumblings out of my mouth.  I read a page or two and wanted to highlight most of the words!  He has so many one-line truths that make me feel very hopeful and validated.  I even feel validated in my confusion of what I’m doing with my life, which is very encouraging.  I think I’ve always felt that your job is what defines your success in life – if you climb the corporate ladder just high enough, or if you start your own business and have a bunch of employees, or if you join a network marketing business and build your team to the top level, then that means you were successful in life.  With each of these, there would also be a big stream of money that came along with it.  Big fancy job, high level career, top earner and lots of money – to me, that was being successful.

I hate that I even put that on paper, I feel like it makes me sound shallow.  Yes, I had dreams too, and yes having money sure seems to be the best solution to a lot of life’s hardships.  How many times have you taken a job just because of the money?  Or better yet, how many times have you tried a job because of the promise of BIG money?  You know what I’m talking about.  We all have the one friend who is in a network marketing business – not too long ago I was also in one myself.  My husband and I got into the business because we loved the products and we wanted to share them with everyone!  Naturally, I assumed that every person in my life would want to try them, and I also assumed that the products would literally sell themselves.

At the beginning, lots of friends and family did support us and they gave the products a try.  Our business declined as soon as I ran out of friends and family to talk to.  I desperatlely wanted our business to succeed because we both wanted that promise of money, more time with the kids, and the cool car that came along with the higher levels of achievement (we did need a new car at the time, so this seemed like a win-win).  We stuck with it for two solid years.  We went to all the local meetings, and traveled to the BIG meetings out of state, and held our own meetings out of our house.

I wrote ebooks, blogged about the products, shared the products on all forms of social media, messaged and called all my contacts, and as time went on I started to notice a shift in my attitude.  I no longer saw people as people – they were a target.  I would consider every possible angle I could think of to somehow bring up how my products or business could fix any problems they had.  I no longer saw people for who they were – my friends, my family, people God placed in my path on a daily basis that needed His love – they were all possible business associates that could take us to our next level.  Ick!!! When I finally realized this I was ashamed of who I had become.  That’s not who I am.  I love being around people and being there for them when they need something.

I realized my new business that I started with the best intentions had turned into something that I didn’t want to be a part of anymore.   And you know what?  I didn’t see God’s blessing in it either – it was like  we were spinning our wheels and never getting any traction.  After the second year of trying to fit a square peg into a circle we finally walked away, and I’m not sorry we did.  Let me tell you, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders when I could finally love on my friends again without seeing a dollar sign.  For me the big selling part to joining a network marketing business was the amount of money and success you could achieve – all depending on how hard you work – I wanted to experience the American Dream of having lots of money, toys, and time.  While I think this business model is legit, it’s super hard, and so many of us try and don’t last very long.  For those that make it and enjoy it, I applaud you, but for me, I sure hated how much I thought about money and the constant push for more time, more meetings, more people, more…more..more…more.

In the pursuit of my dream, I was sacrificing so many other parts of my life.  I was focused too much on money and forgot about caring for people.  My good intentions of having a better and more fulfilling life were pushed way off to the side and eventually I lost myself.  I toiled so hard in working our business that I didn’t make physical exercise a daily habit, and I quit eating healthy because it took up too much time to prepare healthy food.  I only made coffee dates with potential clients instead of just meeting up with a friend to see how they were doing.  I stopped volunteering to make dinners for neighbors in need because I was “too busy working”.  I quit doing a lot of the things that God put me here on earth, in my state, in my neighborhood, on my street, to do for others.   Like I said, it was a big learning experience!

My journey of being a part of a network marketing company taught me many things about myself.  I don’t want to sell – period.  The funny thing about that is I totally can.  I have a personality for days – I can talk to just about anyone, but I hate the feeling of having to “sell” to someone or convince someone they need what I have.  It’s not who I am and I’m so glad I found Dan’s book because one thing I’ve learned is that just because I have the skills to do something really well, like selling, it doesn’t mean I have to do that for my job.

Until I figure out what I want to do for my “work” I’m happy that there is more to life than just job success.  I saw so many people in my network marketing business that seemed happy on the outside because of their top level achievement, but behind the scenes when no one was looking, they were over-worked, stressed out, and quite possibly unfulfilled.  I didn’t want to be one of those people who spent all my time, efforts and energies working on my business and neglected all other parts of my life.

I won’t ever take a job again where I have to convince people to buy something – it just feels wrong to me.  For those of you out there who are in a network marketing business and love it – ROCK ON!!!  Stick with it if you are loving it and can’t wait to get up every morning to work on it.  For me, I’m glad I now know that my job success is not the only piece to a successful life.  There are so many other parts to who we are as human beings, and the key is to keep it all in balance and to make deposits into all areas of your life – not just work.

Dan’s book has a whole new take on what really is a successful life.  A successful life is so much more than a job or a career.  Your work is only a small part of your overall life success, or at least it should be.  That’s the key.  In Dan’s book, 48 Days To The Work You Love he says, “Work cannot be the only component of a successful, fulfilling life, but it is a very useful tool.”  God made us to work and it’s a part of life, but why not have work that is fulfilling both physically, mentally, and spiritually? Yes!!

How in the world do you even figure this out?  That’s what I want, a J-O-B that earns money, is fun, exciting, fulfills my spiritual gifts, helps people, and doesn’t feel like work.  That’s what I’m looking for.  But I have to remind myself that work is not the only part of having a fulfilled life.  We need to stop being defined by what we do, but instead by who we are.   There are 6 areas of your life that need constant deposits made into them to keep them running – Work, Family, Personal Development, Community, Church, and Recreation.  If you spend all your waking hours working, then your family and kids suffer.  If you spend all your time with your friends in community – staying out too late then your job suffers and your home life falls apart.  If you spend too much time working on personal development by reading books and watching YouTube seminars never leaving your couch, then your health suffers.  If you give and give and give to your kids and family always meeting their needs first, then your health and personal development suffer.  It’s a nasty cycle of give and take.  You give too much to one thing, than everything else suffers.  I think a successful life is all about balance – which is so much easier said than done.  Am I right?!  Success cannot be defined by work alone.  Mind-blowing!!!

So…wrap it up Katrina…what do you mean?!  For right now, I feel like Dan has just lifted a burden off of me.  Work and money are not everything!  In our crazy, success-driven American lives, we give our souls to our work and there are lots of other areas of life that are worthy and are part of a successful and fulfilling life.  Just dwell on that for a few days…until I have more.

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September 7, 20172 commentsRead More
How To Clean An Artificial Christmas Tree

How To Clean An Artificial Christmas Tree

CleanChristmasTreeLast year around Christmas time I was really struggling with my allergies and I noticed that my allergies seemed a lot worse right after we put up our 15 year old artificial Christmas tree.  I didn’t make the connection at first, but I did notice 6 weeks later when we finally packed up our tree that I almost instantly started breathing better.  A light bulb went off in my brain and I realized that my Christmas tree may have been a big part of why I had been so sick during the holidays last year.

This year I’m determined to feel better during the holiday season and I decided it was time to clean my Christmas tree, afterall, we’ve had if for 15 years!  Honestly, I can’t believe that we have had this tree for so long, it’s super ‘old-school’, has individual branches that have to be put on one by one, but it works and it looks really nice once it’s all set up.  Don’t get me started on how long it takes to assemble, add the lights, and ornaments (I hate this job as much as my kids love it), but today I’m thankful that I don’t have a pre-lit tree because if I did I would never be able to clean it so thoroughly.  I’m super envious of all of you out there that have pre-lit trees – the ease, the simplicity…oh man….(drooling over here), but I’ve also heard horror stories about how the lights malfunction.

ANYWAYS, back to the topic at hand….as I was saying, I’ve got this super old, fake tree and I was bound and determined to clean it.  I begged my husband to get out the box from the basement and haul it outside to our back porch – it was warm, 80 degrees the day we did this.  Here’s what you need to do:

Supplied Needed:

  • Spray bottle
  • Lemon Juice
  • White Vinegar
  • Hose
  • Artificial Christmas Tree

Directions:

I gathered up the kids and had them lay out each branch of the tree.  I gave each of them a spray bottle filled with a solution of white vinegar, lemon juice, and water and asked them to spray all sides of each branch.  I let that sit for about 15 minutes and then I got out my hose and sprayed off each branch completely.  After all the branches were thoroughly rinsed, I shook off the excess water from each one and laid them on the dry patio in direct sunlight.  I left them outside to dry for the entire day and flipped them over about 5 hours into the day.  At the end of the day I made sure they were completely dry and then I packed the branches back up in the box and was done.

They smelled GREAT too!  I’m super hopeful that this cuts down on the all the dust and helps keep my crazy allergies at bay.  It sounds time consuming, annoying, and hard to do, but it was super easy, quick and I feel great knowing it’s over and done with!  Hope that helps!  You can do it too!  Let me know if it helps – I’m crossing my fingers that it will help my household breathe better this Christmas!

CleanChristmasTree

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October 25, 20160 commentsRead More
How To Get Stained Crayon Out Of Your Clothes

How To Get Stained Crayon Out Of Your Clothes

CrayonOhmygosh!  I was frantic – I cried, I screamed, I even yelled at myself and my kids and even my dog who just so happened to be standing in the laundry room as I removed item after item out of my dryer covered in dark blue crayon.  Not just any items, all of my daughters favorite pink shorts and my favorite workout clothes, and these days, I tend to not only workout in those clothes, but live in them daily.  After a few really long screams and a couple deep breaths I grabbed a huge handful of those totally stained clothes and ran upstairs to almost sleeping kids and showed them the effects of what crayon does to your clothes…I yelled some more and then I left them to go to sleep.  Not the best way to end the day, but gosh was I angry.

You see, only about a week ago a chapstick tube missed my pre-wash inspection of all pockets and was washed and then dried with an entire load of my husbands work clothes.  I spent the better part of a morning trying to get oil stains out of all his clothes.  Then today, to have the crayon incident was enough to totally set me off!!!   How I’ve managed to make it 10 years without ever having the “crayon incident” happen is a miracle, but I’m still super upset about it.  While I screamed, my adorable husband got online and found a great post about what we could try from Diary of a Doctor’s Wife Blog.  If this ever happens to you - Try This!

I’ve tried this, washed the clothes and am totally terrified to see how they turned out.  I’ll let you know!

Honestly, I’m still trying to calm down.  Pray for me!  :)

 

UPDATE:  I’ve tried exactly what this post says to do, and after running my clothes through the cycle two times, they look a lot better than they did originally.  The crayon did not come out completely on all the different fabrics that I had in the load.   Thankfully, most of my favorite athletic clothes are basically stain-free.  A couple items were made of a sweatshirt-type textured material and those one are just holding onto the crayon stain.  Sadly, my daughter’s favorite cheerleading light pink shorts are the worst ones in the bunch, the blue stains have faded, but they are still very much a stain and she’s heartbroken over those shorts (these are made of the sweatshirt type material).  We did lose one of my husband’s work shirts, but it was on it’s last leg before the crayon incident.  I did learn that having a front loading washer makes soaking in really hot water very hard.  After I washed my whole load once, I then re-soaked the entire load in my kitchen sink and poured boiling water over it.  I let it soak for a good 3o minutes before I ran the whole load through the washer again.

In hindsight, I would soak in boiling hot water right away and I would probably soak and drain and then re-soak again and then throw directly into the washer and wash on the hottest wash my machine would allow.  The pre-soak is key, and pre-soaking in super hot water.  I did use a Magic Eraser on my dryer drum and that really helped get rid of the blue ring on everything.  All in all, it was not a fun thing to have happen and I’m praying that it doesn’t happen again.  But, if it does happen to you, try the above post and you will probably save some of your load!

Crayon

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June 27, 20160 commentsRead More
Health Quest – I Lost Another 2lbs!

Health Quest – I Lost Another 2lbs!

16lbsDownHi all!  Well, it’s a few weeks past our Whole30 challenge and I thought I’d give an update to you all on how things are going.  Just because we finished our challenge, we have not gone right back to our old habits.   Instead, we have adopted a lot of the ideas and techniques we learned in our challenge.  I can honestly say I’m feeling amazing!  I’ve not had any bread (which, you all know I LOVE) for the last 9 weeks, nor have a I brewed a cup of coffee.  I have lost a total of 16lbs since we began our challenge and I don’t feel starved, hungry, or deprived, in fact, I feel totally satisfied.  I have enjoyed some yummy treats in the past few weeks too – Mother’s Day we went to my favorite Mexican restaurant and I enjoyed a few tortillas, chips and salsa, and cheese!!  It was heavenly, but I really noticed that a little bit went a long way.  We also had company over last week and since you all know my obsession with brownies – I did find a flourless brownie recipe that tasted amazing – you must check it out here from the blog, Running With Spoons: Flourless Double Chocolate Brownies  I’m hoping to lose another 14lbs in the coming weeks and months – that is my goal, but for now I’m loving how I feel!

For the  most part, we are still eating Whole30 – at least 80% of the time.  I’ve allowed a little more flexibility for the kids while trying to keep my diet stricter.  We are still very limited with our sugar intake, but a few snacks have made their way back into our rotation.  When the kids have special occasions at school or birthday partiesFitBit to attend, they can now partake, we just don’t eat sugary treats at home on a consistent basis anymore.  A great friend of mine gave me a spiralizer and I love it!  It makes preparing veggies super quick and easy!

My husband, and I, have started working out 4-5 times a week doing T25 and are loving that early morning time together before the kids get up!  I now own a FitBit and LOVE it!  I challenge myself daily as I try to get at least 10,000 steps in and today am proud because I’ve already put up 15,000 thanks to the lovely weather and 3 mile run I was able to do with my youngest son!  If you don’t own a FitBit or any sort of exercise/activity tracker, consider one, they are fun and a great way to stay motivated!

I know another huge part of my health success is due to the supplement that I take on a daily basis.  If you are looking for a high quality supplement, then make sure you find one that activates Nrf2 and is reducing your oxidative stress levels, while repairing your body on the cellular level.  Ok, so who has heard of Nrf2?  I promise I’m not crazy and that if you have not heard of Nrf2 yet, you will soon!  It’s something that you absolutely need to look into and do something about.  I have written an ebook all about Nrf2 that you can download if you want to axioknow more – plus I plan to write a post about it soon!  Download my Nrf2 eBook NOW.

Now back to what I was saying about supplements.  I take Protandim (I love the science behind  Protandim and the personal results that I’ve had with it, that I’m also an Independent Distributor for all the LifeVantage Products), and I love knowing that I’m not only reducing my oxidative stress by 40%, but that I’m also repairing all the years of cellular damage that I’ve caused my body with all the over-the-counter pain medications I used to take for the migraines and headaches I would get every day.  Protandim has helped me sleep better and preform better with all of my athletic workouts I do.  Today I went for a 3 mile run and I love how Protandim helps me recover quickly orthodicsand reduces overall inflammation in my body.  I’ve combined my healthy eating with AXIO, an all natural energy drink, and love the guilt-free energy boost!  I’ve even replaced my morning coffee with AXIO and love it!  I know it’s not the same as that warm cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but after all this work I’ve done, I love knowing that AXIO is actually helping me in the long run – there are studies to show it helps with cognitive brain function and it really does give me a mental clarity for the day, as well as an energy boost.  The best part of AXIO is there is never a caffeine/sugar crash!

Another great part of my overall health success is the continued support from my favorite chiropractor – Dr. Carrie Wolf from Wolf Chiropractic.  If you live near Parker, Colorado, she is AWESOME!  Carrie has not only helped align my spine from recurrent adjustments, but she has continued to do acupuncture treatments on my leg muscles and feet and along with using RockTape to hold my feet in place, has really helped make the nerve pain in my feet to disappear.  Carrie has helped me find custom orthodics that we are working hard to make perfect for my stubborn mechanical feet and today after my 3 mile run I finally feel like we are getting my orthodics right!  The doc who is making my orthodics is wonderful and between him and Dr. Wolf, they have FinishedRunnot given up on me and have continued to refine and fix my orthodics.  My orthodics look hilarious actually!  They are nothing alike – having a normal foot and a mechanical foot make for some crazy differences, but I love that my docs won’t give up on me!  Today I was able to run with minor nerve pain and my toes did NOT fall asleep!  This is awesome!

I’m planning to stick with my new routine and continue on with the awesome success I’m having!  If you have any questions on anything I’ve learned in my journey to better health, please let me know!  I’d love to know what you have tried and what has worked for you as well!

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May 21, 20150 commentsRead More
Health Quest – Washing, Washing, Washing

Health Quest – Washing, Washing, Washing

washed_grapes_blurred_bgIt’s week 3!  Week 3!  Yes!  The Whole30 book was right, week 1 was torture, week 2 was a little better, and now on to week 3, I’m honestly feeling GREAT!  I have my moments, when it’s 11pm and I’m still up working and totally craving a brownie and some ice cream, that I wish this new way of eating wasn’t working out for us – so I, along with the hubs, could go and indulge.  But, in those moments I’m reminded that I’m feeling so much better, really.  I feel lighter (which I know I am – I have not lettuceweighed myself because the book makes you swear not to during your 30 days), but, my clothes are fitting looser, and my stomach is noticeably smaller (but to be honest, the only person who has noticed my smaller size is my husband – which in a way is a bummer – oh well).  When I look in the mirror, my face looks thinner, which is probably my favorite thing so far!

One of the other great things that I’ve noticed personally is that I just feel better – I don’t have that awful feeling like you need to take a nap after you eat a meal because you just feel so full and can feel the sugar racing through your body.  I don’t have any caffeine and sugar crashes first thing in the morning that I used to get from my coffee – although I will admit I still really miss my morning coffee (still unsure if I will give it up for good).  I have replaced my morning coffee with an awesome, all natural, sugar free energy drink called AXIO – I love it actually  and I NEVER have sugar crashes from it!  Overall, I just feel so much better!  Today I went for a 3 mile run and I did notice I’m running better – I just feel Ry_sink_washfruitstronger – sweet!  Still working on my feet and their issues, but overall, I’m just feeling a lot more alive!

My kids are also doing much better – as I told you before, my youngest son, Rylyn, has been the hardest to deal with.  His whining over food has been never-ending, but this week has been ok.  He just eats what he’s given which is always ton of veggies and fruit and now eats any type of meat I prepare.  This is the same child that just 3 weeks ago would ONLY eat frozen Mickey Mouse or dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets.  :)  So he’s made a huge change – now he happily eats grilled, baked, any type of chicken and every other meat I prepare!  It’s wonderful!  We have had many picnics with friends and most of them are amazed at what he is eating – they too have known how picky he has been in the past!  It’s been nice to see the change in him!

We spent a good portion of Sunday morning doing our new Sunday routine – washing dirtysinkvegetables and fruit.  I try to make it an all-family affair – I can almost always count my 5yr old daughter in, she loves to cook and is a great sous chef!  The boys on the other hand don’t always like to help out.  Rylyn, my 3yr old was happy to pitch in once he saw all the dirt in the sink that came off the spinach and once he realized he got to gently throw grapes and strawberries into the water!  We washed and prepped so much stuff that I almost lost count!  But it was fun and it hopefully will tide us over through the week!  Now that’s it’s Thursday, we are starting to run low on some stuff, but we are making it!

I’ve also been doing a lot of other research lately on not only my body and how food can hurt and heal it, but also I’ve been Coen_cabbagedigging into a new medical discovery called Nrf2.  Have you ever heard of it?  I’ve found this amazing website that gives a lot more information about Nrf2 and the science behind it – if you want to read up more on it go to: www.Nrf2science.com – I’m loving everything that
I’m learning! It’s actually quite mind-blowing! I hope to share more about this in my next few blog posts – as it’s incredible!

Well, I need to get going on my dinner preparation – we are cooking dinner for the neighbors who are having some health issues – so time to get at it! Hugs to all!

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April 23, 20150 commentsRead More
Katrina’s Coupon Tip #7 – Ask For Discounts

Katrina’s Coupon Tip #7 – Ask For Discounts

CT7_AskForDiscountsDon’t forget to ask for discounts – even on ripe fruit! My kids LOVE smoothies for breakfast and I usually bulk them up with over-ripe frozen bananas (it gives them extra sweetness).  Just today, I asked the produce manager at my local grocery store if they sell the over-ripe bananas at a discount because I didn’t see any out for sale.  He didn’t have any over-ripe ones, but he did proceed to give me all the single bananas that were left not attached to any others for a discount – half off! 

Although I was looking for over-ripe ones, instead I got perfectly almost-ripe bananas for a cheaper price than the lady standing next to me who bought the exact same ones (her’s were just attached to a few others)!  Such a great deal that I bought 5lbs of them and I’ll just let them ripen on my counter!!  It pays to ask for a discount! I was excited for the deal and the produce manager said I was really helping him out too, because they have a hard time selling the singular ones that are left!  That’s a double deal in my book!  A win-win!

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April 14, 20150 commentsRead More
How I Potty-Trained My Stubborn 3 Year Old

How I Potty-Trained My Stubborn 3 Year Old

 

How I Potty TrainedOk, this might be a dicey topic to tackle but I’m going to share my journey to potty-training my very stubborn, strong-willed 3 year old.  Meet Rylyn, my adorable, fun-loving, very adventurous, super strong-willed 3 year old son.  Rylyn turned 3 in November of last year, depending on who you ask he is either ‘way past the age he should be potty trained‘ or ‘just barely 3.’  If you are still scratching your head trying to figure out how old he is, he’s 3 years old and 3 months.  Ever since he turned 2 I’ve had friends, relatives and random moms I’ve met ask me when I’m going to get him potty-trained.  It’s like there is some unwritten rule that every child must be potty trained as soon as they have their second birthday or you as a mom are doing a terrible job being their mom.  I’m here to say, that is absolutely WRONG!  Hate me if you want, but it’s wrong.

Here’s my story.  I’m a mom of 3 children.  Rylyn is my third child.  Oh I can hear the gasps out there – yes he is my third child, this is myrylyn_jeep third time down the potty training road.  Before Rylyn was born I was on the same team that said you should really have your child potty trained sometime after they turn 2, and if it took until they were 3, then your mommy potty training skills must be lacking.   Let me take a minute to explain my older two children.  My oldest son, Coen, is a very inquisitive, too-smart-for-his-own-good type of child and he was interested in the toilet and how it worked when he was a year old.  By the time he was 18 months old he was asking to use the potty like a “big boy.”  Before his second birthday he was completely potty-trained, and at the time I totally thought that was because I was an amazing mommy that deserved a “gold star” in all things potty training.  In reality his personality was one that went hand in hand with being potty-trained early.  I got lucky, and he was my first!

My middle child, Makenzie, is a very agreeable, easy-going girl.  She loves to please and do what she is told and is always wanting to help mommy with everything.  I was due to have my third child, Rylyn,  in November, and had no intention at all of trying to potty-train Makenzie before he was born since she had just turned 2 in June.  I vividly remember being hugely pregnant with Rylyn, and planning to go grocery shopping with Makenzie one Sunday morning.  Before we left she very shyly asked me if she could wear panties that day.  We had never talked about potty training or even had her sitting on the potty or wearing Pull-ups.  I was surprised she asked, and thought it was the worst possible timing to potty train just weeks before Rylyn was born.  But, I said ok, and she never once had an accident in those panties.  She knew she was ready and it was a non-issue.  Done and done.  Now, again, I was giving myself a huge pat on the back and claiming my next mommy potty-training trophy.  In reality, she’s a girl, she just got it, and she decided she was ready.  I got really lucky with her too.  (She’s like this with a lot of things so far, she’s just a great kid and easy to be a mom to – she makes me look like I’m doing a good job being a mommy).

Kat_Rylyn_zooNow, let’s move on to my third boy, Rylyn.  He is very sweet, but full of spice little boy.  He goes 100 miles an hour all the time, and would leap tall buildings if he was allowed to.  He’s very stubborn and loves to throw tantrums anytime he doesn’t get his way.  He’s like fire and ice – all the time.  Now, when this child turned 2 he had no idea what the potty was for and didn’t care one bit – all he cared about were his trains.  At 2 and half, I was hoping and praying he would get a clue about the potty, but still showed no interest and in fact cried when the little potty magically showed up in the bathroom one day.  Around this time a lot of his little friends were starting to use the potty, he still showed no interest at all.  When he turned 3, I was really starting to stress about it.  I had well-meaning friends and family members ask me over and over when I was going to get on the ball and get him potty trained.  I’ll tell you what mommas – I chose not to listen to any of them, and here is why.  I’m his mother and I know my child best.  Period.  What I know about my child was that he is stubborn and pushing him to do something was going to make him dig in his heels even more.  I also know that he is a very smart child – so trying to bribe him with little gifts, or toys, or candy wasn’t going to work (we had tried that for a few weeks and nothing was motivating him).   Thirdly, after having two other kids go down the potty training road, I do know that their body needs to be ready and so does their mind, the two have to work together in order for potty training to click – and Rylyn at the age of 3 just wasn’t ready – he just didn’t get it and he didn’t care.

So, we didn’t push him.  We noticed he was starting to put the pieces together when his favorite cousin was visiting for Christmas (his cousin is about 5 months younger) and was regularly using the potty.  For whatever reason, Rylyn really seemed to pay attention and we noticed he started to get embarrassed when his diaper was messy.   About three weeks later, out of the blue Rylyn asked me if we could go to the store and buy some Chuggington (his favorite thing in the world) underwear because he was ready to be a “big boy!”  And later that day, we did just that.  He picked out his new underwear and it was a done deal.  I knew he just needed to make up his own mind to do it and as much as I pushed him, he was going to push back.  So we just stopped pushing and removed all the pressure and he just decided.  He is now 3 years and 3 months old and wears his underwear proudly everyday and has had very few accidents.  I’m completely confident that he gets it and I don’t stress about him having an accident when we are out and about.  I’m so glad that I listened to my own intuition and I didn’t force it on him.   I’m very proud of my little guy and the potty-training journey we went on together!

My advice if you are knee-deep in potty training woes:

  • Don’t listen to what anyone else says is the right time for your child.
  • Listen to your intuition.
  • Pay attention to your child – after all you know them pretty well.
  • Don’t put any pressure on yourself or your child to be trained by a certain time or date.
  • Find what motivates them – if it’s a toy, or candy, etc – and use that to your advantage.  (For Rylyn it was being a “big-boy” like his siblings and getting special “big-boy” privileges such as going to the “big-boy” class a church rather than the nursery with the babies)
  • Encourage them through the whole process.
  • Learn to bite your tongue when you are frustrated or when they have an accident.

You got this momma!  Potty-training is so hard, but chin up!  One day you will look back and can have a party when you get to pass all those unused diapers on to someone else!  WAHOO!

Comment below and share with me what things you have tried on your very own potty training journey.  What worked?  What didn’t?  What mistakes did you make?  What do you wish you have done differently?  I’d love to help, if you need advice or tips let me know! Hugs!

How I Potty Trained

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February 4, 201529 commentsRead More
Katrina’s DIY Tip #1 – Flowers LOVE Mouthwash

Katrina’s DIY Tip #1 – Flowers LOVE Mouthwash

flowersDid you know that fresh clipped and store bought bouquets of flowers LOVE mouthwash?  Oh, yes they do!  If your adoring husband or significant other, brings you a lovely bouquet of beautiful flowers, add just a couple teaspoons of mouthwash to the water in your vase and your flowers will keep much longer than just a few days!

The pictured flowers are from four days ago and they are still looking amazing! I can usually keep my flowers looking and smelling fresh for up to two weeks or more, depending on the flowers of course (Carnations do really well and can last for nearly a month).   Remember to add fresh water and mouthwash every few days (as you can see from the picture, I just use generic mouthwash – nothing too fancy – just use whatever you have a coupon for), as well as trim the stems if they are starting to get slimy.  I also trim my flowers of all leaves that are submerged in the water (just helps to keep the water cleaner).

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January 19, 20150 commentsRead More