Essential Oils 101: Lavender

Ahh Lavender! Such sweet smelling Lavender! I love having Lavender in my Diffuser for bed-time. It's so relaxing!

Want to learn more? my.doterra.com/thephelanphamily and
https://www.facebook.com/Living-Well-with-Liz-368112693697193/

I will send samples of the lavender essential oil to the first five commenters on this post!

Lavender Lavandula angustifolia

Lavender is often considered a must-have oil to keep on hand at all times due to its versatile uses, including calming and relaxing properties that promote peaceful sleep and ease feelings of tension.*

Description

Lavender has been used and cherished for centuries for its unmistakable aroma and myriad benefits. In ancient times, the Egyptians and Romans used Lavender for bathing, relaxation, cooking, and as a perfume. Its calming and relaxing qualities, when taken internally, continue to be Lavender’s most notable attributes. Applied topically, Lavender is frequently used to reduce the appearance of skin imperfections. Add to bath water to soak away stress or apply to the temples and the back of the neck. Add a few drops of Lavender to pillows, bedding, or bottoms of feet to relax and prepare for a restful night’s sleep. Due to Lavender’s versatile properties, it is considered the must-have oil to have on hand at all times.

Uses

• Add a few drops of Lavender to pillows, bedding, or bottoms of feet at bedtime.
• Keep a bottle of Lavender on hand to soothe occasional skin irritations.
• Freshen your linen closet, mattress, car, or the air by combining Lavender with water in a spray bottle.
• Take internally to reduce anxious feelings.*
• Use in cooking to soften citrus flavors and add a flavorful twist to marinades, baked goods, and desserts.

Directions for Use

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Internal use: Dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity. See additional precautions below.

Cautions

Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjbHnTrTeKc&feature=youtu.be

Girl Scout Law - Honest and Fair

Last week I posted about how I reviewed the Girl Scout Promise with my Daisy Girl Scouts. This week I will share the books and activities we used to learn about the Honest and Fair petal.

As I shared, I don't love the Daisy Guidebook flower stories, so I don't use them. Instead, I use a variety of picture books and activities to teach the girls about the Girl Scout Law.

Each petal can easily be accomplished within one meeting. I did try to follow up with the girls with a homework sheet asking them to give me examples of how they experienced the Law in action, but I wasn't the best at following through, so I stopped.

Honestly, every meeting starts with the Girl Scout Promise and Law, so the girls are getting exposed to the Promise and Law every single meeting. I try to take real life examples to highlight the specific lines of the Law as well.

For two years, I had an entire meeting devoted to the review of the Girl Scout Law and assigned each girl a line of the law to review. My parents don't particularly care for homework so there wasn't very much participation. If you do have parents in your troop who will support homework, then this is an excellent way to reinforce what they learned throughout the year.

My strategy to teach the girls the different lines of the Law is to read a picture book and complete an activity. Some lines of the Law were more difficult to find corresponding books and crafts than others. Some parts of the Law line up perfectly with a field trip! Pinterest is your friend for activities!! Type up whatever line of the Law you are teaching and bam - tons of ideas will appear!

For Honest and Fair, I read "Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big" one year and "The Empty Pot" the next.

Coloring sheets are also your friend with the Daisy Girl Scouts. Having the girls colored their sheets pre-meeting while others are arriving is great. Last week I shared with your the amazing Super Girls from https://makingfriends.com/gs-superhero/ which I just love! There are countless other coloring sheets you can use as well!

The activity I did to teach Honest and Fair  was to give each girl some goldfish snacks. Some girls got more than others and I made a big deal out of this as I was pouring it. I let the girls grumble and groan and after everyone had received the snack, I asked if that was "honest and fair"?? "Nooooooo" the girls said! "How would this be honest honest and fair?" I asked. "If everyone got the same amount of snack", they responded. "Great! Now give me some other examples of being honest and fair" I said.

As a Daisy Girl Scout Leader, I was petrified. I didn't know what to do and I was so overwhelmed. One of the Girl Scout lines of the Law is "Use your resources wisely", well I say Pinterest is a great resource! No need to reinvent the wheel. At the end of the meeting, do the girls understand what "Honest and Fair" means and can they give you an example? Great! Petal earned!




       

Functionally Fit

As I previously shared with you, under Medicare, Mom gets access to Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy for about 8 visits, every 3 months. Most recently I was sharing with the PT that I was frustrated with Mom's lack of movement. For as long as I can remember, Mom has chosen to be sedentary. Research is starting to show that being sedentary is worse or equal to you health as smoking. 

I am fully aware how old my mother is and she does have some legitimate health concerns, but the fact of the matter is, she cannot live here in this home once she needs assistance to go to the bathroom. I physically cannot transfer her and the bathroom isn't large enough for two people. So what do we do? The PT recommended a personal trainer for Mom to come in and supplement in between the physical therapy sessions. This is how we found Josh! Not only is Josh a personal trainer who works primarily with elder clients, but he is a caregiver at a memory care! Double whammy!

Josh visits with Mom three times a week for 30 minutes and works on cardio, building endurance, strength training, and stretching her joints.  Happily Mom is responding quite well to Josh's guidance and she improving tremendously! They even go on walks down the street! Josh is going to start incorporating water aerobics at the neighborhood pool too. The goal is to get Mom functionally fit, meaning, get her to keep her mobility and strength for as long as possible so she can have a positive quality of life.

Physical exercise is not only good for heart health but for the brain as well! If you are in a situation with an older family member who needs assistance with moving, I highly recommend bringing on the various therapists. Also, there is a cool program for Seniors called Silver Sneakers and can be found nationwide.

https://www.silversneakers.com/

Clean Week!

Happy Saturday, my friends! 

Beachbody has created a great introductory program with Clean Week! This program allows you to sample 7 Shakeology's, 7 days of work outs with Megan Davies, a meal planner, and guide! Also, as a participant of Clean Week, you have access to the Challenge Tracker which is a supportive community of other Clean Week participants! On the app, you track your work out, the Shaekology, and recap your day within a supportive, encouraging environment! 

The cost of this program is $29.95 ($36.95 Canadian, 24.46 for UK) ! A small investment with moderate commitment for big results!

7-Day Shakeology Sampler US & CA: Contains 2 Chocolate, 2 Vanilla, 2 Café Latte, 1 Strawberry UK: Contains 3 Chocolate, 2 Vanilla, 2 Strawberry
7-Day Vegan Shakeology Sampler

US: Contains 2 Vegan Chocolate, 2 Vegan Vanilla, 2 Vegan Café Latte, 1 Tropical Strawberry
CA: Contains 5 Vegan Chocolate, 2 Tropical Strawberry
UK: N/A - No Vegan Sampler available

Megan Davies does a great job of introducing work out moves that are from other BeachBody workouts to get you excited about trying those workouts once you have purchased the BeachBody on Demand, which is $99 for an annual subscription!

I will be starting a Clean Week Challenge group on June 10th so I recommend ordering the Clean Wek no later than June 3rd to receive the Shakeology's in time!

Check out more information and videos on my Facebook Business Page, Liz's Health Journey!

https://www.facebook.com/Lizshealthjourney/

Ready to order Clean Week? Reach out to me for a shopping cart or order directly on my BeachBody website!

https://mysite.coach.teambeachbody.com?coachId=1491596&locale=en_US

Strong and Courgeous Woman - Grace O'Malley

I was inspired today to research Grace O'Malley as she is the featured episode for the ""Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls" podcast on Itunes (which is free). I remembered the girls had received a Girls Can Crate highlighting Grace O'Malley (which is still available for purchase). The more I researched, the more inspired I became!

Not only was Grace a precocious young child who wanted to be out on the seas with her dad, she maintained that sense of independence and adventure throughout her life! Grace showed her bravery time and time again!


Grace is the topic of Episode 2 of "Warrior Women" on Netflix


  Grace is on Page 62


Girls Can Crate highlighting Grace! (Still available for purchase!)
https://www.girlscancrate.com/shop/product/1083720498


Gráinne Mhaol, pirate queen of Connacht: behind the legend

https://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/grainne-mhaol-pirate-queen-of-connacht-behind-the-legend/

How The Irish Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley Defied Elizabeth 1 and Conquered a Man's World
http://allthatsinteresting.com/grace-omalley

Essential Oils 101: Digest Zen

Oooh! I know some folks who should try this essential oil blend!! I have used this blend recently for a n upset bel bel and it worked like a charm!!

Want to learn more? my.doterra.com/thephelanphamily

I will send samples of the Digest Zen essential oil blend to the first three commenters on this post!

DigestZen® Digestive Blend

DigestZen is a wonderful companion to aid in the digestion of food, soothe occasional upset stomachs, and reduce uncomfortable gas and bloating.*

Description

DigestZen is well known for its ability to aid in digestion, soothe occasional stomach upset, and maintain overall digestive health when taken internally.* This unique blend contains Ginger, Fennel, and Coriander to help ease occasional stomach discomfort, including motion sickness and indigestion, while Peppermint, Tarragon, Anise, and Caraway aid with digestion and help maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract.* DigestZen is great to have on hand when stomach upset occurs and is safe and effective. Internal use of DigestZen is a healthy, natural, and gentle way to soothe an upset stomach or maintain a healthy digestive system.*

Uses

• Add a few drops to water to take internally.*
• Rub on the stomach before flying or taking a road trip for a calming aroma.
• Take DigestZen internally when traveling or trying new foods to soothe occasional stomach upset.*
• Add to water or tea to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract.*

Directions for Use

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Internal use: Dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity.

Cautions

Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

Statements with asterisks refer to internal use. All others refer to aromatic or topical use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7CHdW6n-Cc&feature=youtu.be

Girl Scout Promise - Daisy Girl Scouts

When I signed up to be my two daughters Girl Scout leader, I was petrified! There was so much information and I just did not know where to begin!

One of the beautiful aspects of Girl Scouts is that as a Leader, you get a lot of autonomy. You get to decide how you want to run your troop. Do you want to focus on crafts? Or maybe you want to focus on camping? Whatever you want to do, you can do. Our troop is very badge and patch driven with a lot of field trips and community service. 

I learned very quickly that I am not a craft type of person, however, these little girls LOVE to make crafts! What to do, what to do? Thankfully some angel introduced me to the bountiful wonders of Pinterest! Problem solved! 

The first part of the Daisy petals is the blue circle in which you are learning the Girl Scout Promise: "On My Honor, I will try to serve God and my country and live by the Girl Scout Law". The petals all represent the lines of the Girl Scout Law. The Daisy book has stories about the petals and names all the petals with flower names. That didn't jive for me. My strategy was to find a book to represent the law and do a craft to reinforce the law and then called it good. The girls will be learning and experiencing the Girl Scout Law throughout their Girl Scout journey, so I don't feel the need to drill it into them as Daisy's. It will be learned and become part of who they are. I promise.

Initially I did create binders for all the girls that included pages upon pages of coloring pages with the Girl Scout Promise and Law to include homework asking them to communicate how they represented the law that week. No one was using their binder, not even my own children, so I have stopped using them. Even though there are some AMAZING printables out in the interwebs. My FAVORITE is from makingfriends.com and their Super Heroes collection! I thought it was BRILLIANT to provide characteristics for each of the super heroes representing the petal and the line of the law. It didn't resonate so much with my girls, but as an adult, I think it's the coolest thing EVER. 

https://makingfriends.com/gs-superhero/

Learning the Promise is pretty quick and easy and a great way to start your Daisy year. Learning the Promise is also reinforced at every meeting in which you say the Girl Scout Promise. I have a large poster board for each the Promise and the Law that we use. I don't get hung up on the girls having memorized the Promise to have earned the blue circle. I do briefly discuss the meaning of the Promise and I glaze over the God piece, as I feel religion is not my place to discuss with the girls (and my parents thank me for respecting their personal beliefs). 

Very easily, you can complete a petal a week. I'll be sharing with you the various books I used and the crafts the girls created to learn the Girl Scout Law. I am also a HUGE fan of field trips and using other free or inexpensive resources.

Below are my children creating a necklace using colored beads that represent the different petals. Also, they created a plate that had all the parts of the Girl Scout Law.

As a new Girl Scout Leader it is incredibly easy to get flustered and overwhelmed and not know where to begin. I think the resources the Girl Scouts provide are great but as the Leader you choose what to use and what not to use. As I said, I am not a fan of the Daisy petal characters in the hand book. I also haven't been a fan of the journey books. I am forever grateful that I can utilize different materials to teach the girls the same lesson. It is solely up to you! Have fun! Enjoy experimenting and finding creative ways to connect with your girls!

Caregivers

Caregivers are a little gift from the Universe! Wait. Not little. H.U.G.E gift from the universe!

When I moved my parents down from Amarillo, Dad was bored. He didn't know what to do with himself. He couldn't safety drive himself around and Mom had no interest in driving around a new town. The last time they did, they lost the keys to the car, called the police, to find the keys in mom's pocket. So no more driving.

During my research of Alzheimer's and assisted living, memory cares, etc, I attended a seminar hosted by a caregiver company. When my parents moved down here, we scheduled a meeting with the social worker for the caregiver company who met with Mom and Dad to determine our needs and Dad's interests to best find someone for him. We determined Dad needed to get out of the house three times a week to go explore and Mom desperately needed time by herself. I took Dad out on adventures many evenings during the week  and on the weekend.

The caregivers through this company were lovely ladies who did have training on how to work with individuals with Alzheimer's and they provided a good outlet for my parents. However, Dad's Alzheimer's progressed to where he needed interaction throughout the day, every day,  so I moved him over to the AGE's Adult Daycare. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. Yes, the doors were locked to prevent wandering, but the staff was amazing and the provided a wide range of activities and meals. The facility was close to my work so in the morning after I dropped of my girls at daycare, I picked Dad at his apartment, dropped off Dad at AGE, went to work, picked up Dad at AGE, picked up the girls at daycare, dropped off Dad at his apartment, and then went home. Whew.

http://ageofcentraltx.org/

Once Mom had her hospitalization in October 2013 and we determined she could not live independently, we moved them into the memory care and the need for caregivers ceased. Until Mom moved in with us here.

As much as I love being a caregiver and I love being at home, I cannot be everything to everyone. On my morning walks, I do ask the universe to help me keep Jon, Grace, Caroline, and my Mom's love tanks full with acts of service, quality time, gifts, words of affirmation, and physical touch. And I try. I really do. But I am human and I can only do so much. Jon and the girls get social interaction throughout the day, but the only social interaction Mom gets is with me. And it can be exhausting, to be honest. Happily, by the grace of this beautiful universe, we have an amazing caregiver for Mom! Leslee takes Mom out once a week for a meal and social interaction! Sometimes they go to the bookstore or do other little shopping and they really enjoy each other! Leslee has also been available to spend the night so that we can go out of town. Mom's personal trainer (whom I will write about next week) is also a caregiver at a memory care and is available to assist us as well which is a huge blessing!

Moving Mom in with us definitely clipped my wings and thankfully with the help of caregivers, I do get some respite. Respite for caregivers is very, very important! As with motherhood, if you want to take care of others, you must be able to take care of yourself first.

We have been fortunate to have a resource of caregivers from the memory care but I have signed up for care.com if I ever need assistance. We have used it several times for babysitters for the girls and will do so if we need assistance with Mom.

https://www.care.com/

If you are in need of caregivers, find them and use them! They are worth their weight in gold! We cannot be everything to everyone and sometimes our love tanks need to be filled too with a little time to ourselves!

Caregivers are trained in a variety of skills from dispensing medicine to helping with bathing and pottying to light housework. Whatever you need to do, they can help. Don't try to do it all by yourself!

If you do not have a local caregiver company or an adult daycare provided by a respectable organization, call the local memory cares or assisted living as most offer respite care, to include overnight stays. Also, you can find amazing caregivers through these memory cares. These folks have already been background checked and know how to assist with physical transfers from the bed to the toilet, etc.

Similar to my post on checking out memory cares, watch the caregivers with your person. Are they kind? Are they loving? Do they know how to redirect the person? Do they treat people with respect and dignity? Can you trust this person in your home and with your person?

Some caregivers connected with Dad and some did not. That is human nature. Your gut will help you make the right decision. But don't do this alone.

Apple Cider Vinegar Pills

I was complaining to my hairdresser amount my itching head due to my scalp eczema and she recommended I try apple cider vinegar and holy smokes did that help! Honestly, I noticed an immediate decrease!

I was sharing this information with another friend who said that she and her mom take "shots" of apple cider vinegar in the morning for health benefits! Well, I've had the apple cider vinegar get into my mouth while I am in the shower and it is NOT a pleasant taste!  I was talking to another friend who said she takes apple cider vinegar PILLS! Well, this I can get behind! So I begin taking the pills!

Can I pinpoint to the apple cider pills and say I have lost weight or my energy has increased directly from these pills? No. I have been doing quite a few things to improve my health, such has a change in diet to decrease the amount of sugar, increase my exercise, and take multi-vitamins. I do believe adding in the apple cider vinegar pills has complimented with the efforts I have been taking for a healthier lifestyle.

The below links provide additional information to the benefits of using apple cider vinegar.


https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/health/apple-cider-vinegar-uses/index.html

https://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar-and-your-health

https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/apple-cider-vinegar-benefits/

Energizer - My new favorite Morning Drink!

When I was pregnant with Grace, Jon and I stopped at the closest Wendy's and got a large frosty almost every day. When I was pregnant with Caroline, Starbucks had their amazing signature hot chocolate so I stopped and got a Venti signature hot chocolate every day. I cannot fathom the calories and grams of sugar I was consuming, in addition to all the other sugar I was consuming!

One day I rolled up to Starbucks and they no longer served my signature hot chocolate! How dare they! Well, I just HAD to buy something. The habit had already been created of me stopping by everyday. So I chose the Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte. Not as many calories and not as much sugar, but still a great taste!

I was a Starbucks regular. I got to know the employees and seeing them became a great way to start my day! When I was lucky enough to leave Dell and be a stay at home mom, there of course was some guilt that I wasn't working and I do love giving acts of service, so I would get up early every morning to get me, Jon, and Mom Starbucks. Then I had my aha moment in August when I saw myself on the jet ski, not looking cute and more importantly, not looking healthy, and I knew I needed to make a change.

Jon had been telling me, though he loved his Venti White Mocha every morning it wasn't necessary since he could get coffee at work. Since I had already been getting up early, instead of going to Starbucks, I started walking the dog. Plus, it's blazing hot in Texas and I didn't want to burn his little paws on the hot sidewalk.

When my sister in law introduced me to BeachBody and Shakeology's she also introduced and welcomed me into the Challenge groups which is a supportive community of fellow BeachBody goers. Folks log in their workouts and Shaekology's and provide reviews of their days. I heard about Energizer in this group. I actually misunderstood and bought the Energy Boost instead and that was not nearly as tasty with water as it the Energizer. (The Boost is meant to be added to the Shaekology not drank separately).

WOW!!! The Energizer was a game changer!! Now I start my day off with drinking half of my Energizer before my walk and finish it when I come home. I went from drinking 150 calories and 11 grams of carbs to 15 calories with my Energizer! The drink is light and refreshing and tastes amazing! I would drink Energizer all day if I could!

With my Energizer, I am saving calories and money and have a delicious drink that helps start my day!

https://mysite.coach.teambeachbody.com?coachId=1491596&locale=en_US

Strong and Courgeous Woman - Malala Yousafzai

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” 
-Malala Yousafzai

I am just enamored with this young lady! Plus, this sounds silly, but I just love saying her name! Saying "Malala" makes such a joyful sound!

We take for granted how easy it is to get a free education in the US. Yes, there are struggles. Yes, the testing sucks. Yes, the teachers are underpaid and not supported. There are so many negatives with our educational system, but it exists, for both boys AND girls. 

Most children can walk or take a bus to their local, neighborhood school without any issues. Recently at the Girl Scout sleepover at the Perot Natural Science Museum, they showed the movie "Dream Big" on their IMAX screen,. The movie included a section that highlighted children who had to cross a river to get to school. A literal river. When the river flows too fast, people drown crossing it. So some engineers came along and worked with the local folks to build a bridge. How blessed are we that our children don't have to cross a river to get to school or have to worry some crazy terrorist men are going to try to kill our girls for wanting to be educated? Small blessings, my friends.

https://www.dreambigfilm.com/

“I don't want to be thought of as the "girl who was shot by the Taliban" but the "girl who fought for education." This is the cause to which I want to devote my life.”  - Malala Yousafzai

Malala could have easily been silenced after her attack but she choose to continue on with her education and inspire others to become educated. Sometimes I ponder about all the different solutions to life's problems if more people were educated. Could a cure for cancer be found if that one forgotten child was educated? World hunger eradicated? Pollution? There are 7 Billion - Billion with a B- people on this planet. Surely if everyone had the same chance at education as our children do, more problems would be solved, not created. I love Malala's passion for striving to do just that. To encourage more education for more people.  May we all be more like Malala.







Of course, Malala was one of the Girls Can Crate monthly boxes! https://www.girlscancrate.com/

I was so very proud and tickled that one of my Brownie Girl Scouts presented on Malala last year for our Strong and Courageous Women Tea. This same little girl choose Ruby Bridges as her Strong and Courageous Women this year. It's been amazing watching my Brownie develop and grow with her presentation skills and I am thrilled she has chosen two women who are tied to education.


“We liked to be known as the clever girls. When we decorated our hands with henna for holidays and weddings, we drew calculus and chemical formulae instead of flowers and butterflies.”  - Malala Yousafzai


“There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.”  - Malala Yousafzai (I MEAN! How can you not just love this soul??)

Essential Oils 101: Deep Blue

Oh my heavens!! I love Deep Blue!! It smells so good and feels sooooo amazing on sore muscles!!

Want to learn more? my.doterra.com/thephelanphamily

I will send samples of the deep blue essential oil  blend to the first five commenters on this post!

Deep Blue® Soothing Blend

Formulated to soothe and cool, doTERRA Deep Blue is an enriched blend of oils perfect for a massage after a long day or an intense workout.

Description

doTERRA Deep Blue is perfect for a soothing massage after a long day of work. Wintergreen, Camphor, Peppermint, Ylang Ylang, Helichrysum, Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile, and Osmanthus work together to soothe and cool. After long hours on the computer, try rubbing Deep Blue proprietary blend on your fingers, wrists, shoulders, and neck. A few drops of Deep Blue Soothing Blend diluted in doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil can be part of a cooling and comforting massage.

Uses

• Apply on feet and knees before and after exercise.
• Massage Deep Blue with a few drops of carrier oil onto growing kids’ legs before bedtime.
• Rub Deep Blue on lower back muscles after a day of heavy lifting at work or during a move.

Directions for Use

Topical use: Apply to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity.

Cautions

Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOhkMZxpE2k&feature=youtu.be

You Throw Like a Girl - Junior Scribe Badge

I saw a Facebook posting in one of the several Girl Scout Groups I belong to about an adult Girl Scout who had written a book and I about lost myself! Rachele Alpine is an author who has written several young reader books and was promoting her most recent one, "You Throw Like a Girl". 

With proof of purchase of the books from Amazon, Rachele sold me the "You Throw Like a Girl" patches for a very reasonable price and sent each girl a signed book mark! I was so excited! The troop bought a book for each girl which included a signed book mark from the author! I tasked the girls to read the book over the summer, write a letter to Rachele so that when we returned for the school year, we could video conference with the author.

My girls are kinder through 5th so the book was too advanced for some of my girls, but not for most. And truth be told, some girls read the book and some didn't but everyone was given the opportunity to do so.

For every girl that wrote Rachele a letter, she wrote a return letter! I was impressed because each letter was unique to that girl!

One of our first meetings for this school year was to video conference with Rachele! As expected, some girls were prepared and some weren't, but I believe each girl was thrilled to be able to speak to a real life author!

The girls that read the book and wrote a letter to Rachele earned the Junior Scribe badge!

https://www.rachelealpine.com/you-throw-like-a-girl

Hesed - Intentional Acts of Kindness

Many years ago, a counselor recommended "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman to me and Jon and the book was a game changer for our relationship! He and I totally resonated with the idea that relationships fail or struggle because people are communicating in their own personal love language and not the other person's love language. It's not that the person doesn't love or care for you, but that they are expressing love how they want to receive it which is likely vastly different from how the other person wants to receive it.

The five love languages are physical touch, words of affirmations, acts of services, gifts, and quality time. I loved that there is no right or wrong, better or worse love language. The love languages can be applied not only to your partner, but to children, parents, family, friends, neighbors, anyone. Once you can recognize your own love language and the other person's love language and begin communicating in that manner, relationships become a lot less strained.

I am very passionate about the love languages and I try to keep them top of mind with my immediate family and  in fact, part of my morning gratitude walk is remembering to communicate with physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, and gifts. Some days are better than others. So when I stumbled upon "Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fad: the Five Love Languages and the Alzheimer's Journey" I jumped at reading the book.

As I have shared, Alzheimer's is not a fun journey and watching your loved one become a shell of a human being is gut-wrenching. But just because Alzheimer's is stealing the life from your loved one doesn't mean that person is incapable of receiving or giving love. That person still exists and desperately needs love.

I found "Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fad: the Five Love Languages and the Alzheimer's Journey" to be a very helpful book and I read it at the perfect time. I am thankful I am able to be Mom's caregiver but it isn't all rainbows and kittens. My feelings for my mother have been strained for years so it has been an emotional roller coaster with her living us with, not just she and I, but with the whole family. The book reminded me about the journey of Alzheimer's and provided real life stories as examples as hope and motivation.

My biggest take away from the book was the introduction to the term Hesed. I have seen the word spelled Chesed as well. Wikipedia describes Hesed as " "loving-kindness," "kindness" or "love." Chesed is central to Jewish ethics and Jewish theology and is a common term in the Bible for describing God's love for mankind and God's special relationship with the Children of Israel.". 

The book describes Hesed as intentional acts of loving kindness. Meaning, even if you person is being a complete ass, if you practice Hesed, and practice intentional acts of kindness, it will warm the relationship. Hesed isn't always easy and usually when it's needed most, it's the most difficult time to do so. When Mom is driving me bonkers and I just want to escape in my room, I think "Hesed" and enter her room with love and kindness. The more I think about Hesed and the meaning, the more loving I become.

I love the word Hesed and the meaning so much and I wanted to keep it top of mind with me that this was the word I chose for my word for the My Intent Project. I don't wear jewerly so I purchased a keychain instead.

https://www.myintent.org/

I highly recommend for everyone to read "The Five Love Languages" and for anyone with a loved one who is suffering from dementia to read "Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fad: the Five Love Languages and the Alzheimer's Journey" . Both are quick reads and incredibly powerful.





 

Greek yogurt with berries and granola

I had forgotten my enjoyment with Greek Yogurt until I saw that it was on Weight Watchers approved ZERO points list! Seeing that definitely renewed my interest in eating this delicious snack!

The Greek yogurt and blueberries (or whatever other fruit you may want to add) are ZERO Points! I add 1/4 cup of granola for added flavor and crunch for 3 WW points.

3 points is kind of a big deal since I can get my amazing small Salata salad for 4 points but since I don't want to pay for a salad everyday, even as delicious as it is, I can choose this healthy snack.

Enjoy!

Sunday Funday! Dell Diamond Sleepover

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there!

Friday night, Caroline and I joined some of my Girl Scouts and Mom's for the Girl Scout Sleepover at the Dell Diamond!

We attended in July of 2016 and was thankful they moved the sleepover to May this year as the weather was much cooler!

The Dell Diamond staff really do an amazing job at hosting the sleepovers! The cost is reasonable at $30 or so per person. The ticket allows you entry into the Round Rock Express game. After the game, they shot off fireworks for 5 minutes. Fireworks are always a crowd-pleaser! Once the non-sleepover patrons left, we were able to bring in our sleeping bags, etc to stay the night. We had the entire outfield at our disposal to sleep on! The staff opened up the swimming pool and Fun Zone for the girls to play on. They provided us pizza and drinks for a late-night dinner and coffee and doughnuts for breakfast. A movie played on the big screen and lights went off at 2AM! Wake up was around 6AM. Whew!

I highly recommend this Scouting sleepover and plan on attending again for several more years!

2018

2018

2018

 2016

2016

2016

I did it! I hit my goal weight!! Now what??

August 12, 2017 I weighed 182.8 and today 9 months later, I weigh 150.2 lbs! That is a 32.6 lb weight loss!! 

That's an average 3 year old child that I am no longer carrying around on my body! 

That's 3 10lb sacks of potatoes that isn't weighing me down! 

It didn't happen over night. It didn't happen from a magic pill or potion. It happened from me making better choices everyday for 40 weeks. 

Some moments were more difficult than others. 

Some morning I didn't walk to walk Cosmo, so I didn't. 

Some days I didn't want to do my workout on BeachBody on Demand, so I didn't. 

What I did do, was make better choices every day. 

I had a mini Daisy Queen Blizzard instead of a small once a month instead of twice (or more) a week. 

I ate a Greek yogurt with berries and granola instead of a shareable bag of M&M's. 

Every morning I start my day off with the BeachBody Energize drink instead of my Starbucks Skinny Vanilla (which I still sometimes drink later in the day).

Every morning I drink my Shakeology instead of relaying on my Starbucks latte to carry me through until lunch. 

Consistently for 9 months I have made better diet choices and have moved my body more. 

What's the plan for getting off the weight and staying healthy? All of the same! Better food choices and more moving my body!

My mathematical genius Dad told me years ago that losing weight is simply less calories in and more calories out via exercise. That's it. There is not a magic formula. If there was, we all know Oprah would be using it and endorsing it!

Want to join me on this healthy lifestyle journey? 

I will send a BeachBody Energizer Sample to the first five commenters on this post.

https://mysite.coach.teambeachbody.com?coachId=1491596&locale=en_US