Works well with others.........

What does it mean to work well with others? Seriously? Everyone put it on their resume and it is such a token comment in any interview. It is something that children are graded on in school even. I'm looking at the world and wondering what does it really mean "works well with others"?

Honestly in my opinion the expectations of today's society there is a major change in the wording needed, to explain what is expected. Works well for others! This is what is really wanted in most situations. Some one who is compliant and does what they are told with no resistance. This makes me sad, especially for children. Adults have more choice in the matter. If they don't like the situation they are allowed to change it, children not so much.

Now when I think of a good team scenario I think of people who compliment each other, all having different strengths and weaknesses and corroborating together. This far too often isn't what really happens in many situations, sure in some but really in most it isn't. You have your boss and they tell you what to do.

I personally find it more and more that "works well with others" really is meaning I listen well and do as I'm told. Very rarely are people wanting someone with drive and ambition, who are wanting to move forwards and makes changes where they need to be made. What is wanted is someone who will put their head down and work, won't cause confrontation or problems. Just simply do as wanted.

Is that who you want your child to be? Is that who you want to be? If you do then great, but I don't. I want to work with others. I want to be free to make choices and decisions  I would like people to be open to new ideas, not just what corporate wants. I do not want to be a drone and I don't want my children to be forced into becoming one. I want them to love life and enjoy.

Calorie- smalorie

Who hate counting calories? I know I do. So what do I do about, well I simply don't count.

I know it's crazy right. How can you possibly be trying to lose that last bit of baby weight and get into shape if you don't count calories or points. How to I work towards my desired weight? Well I make smart choices. I eat whole real food. I'll be honest I tried to count calories for or about 6 days. Drove me crazy. I don't eat much for pre packaged food so I would have to input my entire recipes with quantities , ugh and figure out servings and all the stuff. I like cooking, not figuring stuff like that out. So I stopped, really was sucking the joy out of cooking for me.

I don't have anything agaisnt people who do calorie count. It is something that I just can't figure out.


Now I do fully acknowledge calories on processed foods. I can see the calories on the package, that I understand. When I go out or have a packaged snack I keep in check those calories. Mainly because I do not have full control of what is in the products. I like to know what is in my food and because I can't dissect everything and ingredient lists don't always appear fully forth coming with big fancy words that hide different things.

I also don't fully understand how you get your calories burned unless you are on a tread mill and have it monitoring for you. I understand that you need to record your heart rate and all that but another fancy tool that I just don't have the time or the money for.

I prefer really to keep it simple. what what I eat, keep it whole food high in nutritional value. keep processed foods low. And keep your body moving, find exercise in everything thing you can do. Keep pushing and keep moving.

Do you count your calories? If you do how do you do it?

When she finds her power......

Today marks International Women's Day. It is the 102 anniversary, an admittedly the world is very different then it was back then. There has been many strides in rights for women, we now vote, become educated, we can hold just about any position in first world developed countries. We are women hear us roar!!!
It is not all sugar coating and candy though. It is still very hard for women. Everything from our reproductive organs, the clothes we wear to when and where we are allowed to pray, birth or breastfeed are under attack regularly. Yes to some these are very first world issues and there are always bigger issues at hand. Though why are we doing squabbling about small thing when there are bigger issues.
What are some big issues?

Work, Pay & Education
While women now are allowed in the work place there is still many male dominated fields. While many nay sayers will say that women are very welcome in many male dominated programs, the graduation rates show differently. In Canada only 3.7% of enrolled student are women and at a staggering 1.5% represent the graduation numbers. Now yes there are defiantly female dominated fields like nursing, teaching. There are many more field that are male dominated for post secondary education. The big shocker for that is more women are going to post secondary school. In 2006/2007 women represented 56% of enrollment and 59% of graduates.( Status of Women Canada)
Now we know that women have the education. Though women still often make less money then men for the same position. Now why is that?
Another argument I see is why women are not often seen in the position of power and authority. They are not often in the forefront of the organizations, even if they hold higher positions. Where are the women?
Violence against women
This is heart wrenching to think about. One in three women, TODAY, will be a victim of violence. That is over 1 billion individuals. That shocks my heart but I know it is possible the the numbers are much higher. There are things that are not currently included in what classifies violence against women most particularly obstetric violence. For more info on that please check out www.humanizebirth.org
Women living in conflict zones fear daily for them and their families. Most of the world refugees displaced by conflict are women and children. The levels of rape also increase in conflict areas increasing the violence against women. For some shocking facts look here http://www.canadianwomen.org/facts-about-violence
These are really the main arguments I hear about when I hear people stomping around about women's rights. We want freedom with our bodies and if we choose to go to work we want to make the same amount of money!
Double Standards equation
There are a lot of double standards in the world. We need to be eliminating this thought ad stigma.  Feminism is about rights and freedom for women. Surprisingly it is not about crushing men. Equality is attainable if you stop the crushing and allow people to do what they desire and stop trying to control.

Find your power
Today recognize that you are a strong beautiful amazing person. Capable of doing whatever you desire. Whether it is to become a plumber or architect or stay home with the children. You have my support. Lets celebrate women. We have a far greater influence in this world then we often realize. Find your power and realize with good intentions how far you can go with it.
How will you be celebrating today?

2012 What a year!

What a year :) So much has happened in our little family is the last year.

Thinking back and reflecting on 2012. Lil Squish celebrated his first birthday and has learned so many things. He can walk, talk use a spoon, fork and a cup. He is so full of fun and it has been an amazing time, 

In April a series of events lead Hubby to getting surgery on his ankle for a bone infection, that I guess he has had for years. We are so lucky that it was finally diagnosed and the issue has been solved. So happy that he has been pain free since then, which hopefully means no more flare ups.

Home Learning was really in full swing this year. We have gone on amazing field trips, met some amazing people and looking forward to continuing on this path for us. Bug Joined beavers late last year but really has gotten into it this year. I have joined on as a colony leader who who knows how long? ;)

This summer was truly amazing  it started off with the Stampede and the 100 year celebration. Bug got to ride in the parade with Great Grandpa. We also got to go to the Ponoka Stampeded with Grandpa, the boys had so much fun with that.  We we on rides, played some games and had a blast. Nothing quite like partying cowboy style!

 After a few weeks with family in Alberta we headed home to prepare for the Epic Extravaganza. What else could you call a 17 day road trip with three children across Canada and the upper USA! 4 provinces and I think 13 states we crossed while driving. We started off the trip with Hubby and mine 10 year high school reunion, and some fun on the lake. .  Saw my sisters, they both live far away from me, and their kids. Saw Hubby's Dad & his little family,stayed with them for a few days.We went to Niagara Falls, one of my bucket list places, we even took a ride on the maid of the mist 

 We stopped to see Mount Rushmore, or the "Mountain Men" as I called the last time I saw them ( I was 4 I think) Next to Yellowstone, where we got to see Old Faithful, and buffalo. At both National parks the boys worked towards their Junior Ranger badges, and still talk about them to this day. 

Then we stopped in Salt Lake city  for the night to see the temple, So thrilled to be able to have been there as a member this time. Hopefully next time we go we can spend more time. We camped along the way with the children and yes the baby stayed in his cloth diapers for the trek. ( I have that many and with the stops at family I was able to do laundry )

Then fall came, back to reality..... and packing. You see before we left on the Epic Extravaganza we found a new home, A place that was going to meet our need more fully

I celebrated my birthday.I harvested my first successful garden. :)Then the move, I thankfully went off without a hitch. Next came the Bug and BoBo's birthdays, wow 6 & 4 I can barely believe it. November then December and I can barely believe it is over again. We have done so much this year but it still feels like 2012 just started.

I'm looking forward to 2013, I'm sure it will be amazing. We have plans and goals, I hope it works out for the best :)

Is ViSalus a scam?

Believe me I have heard it time and time again. You know what, it could be depending on what you consider a scam to be.

Now ViSalus offers a very lucrative compensation plan. If you do the work needed you can make money, some real money. Money, vacations, BMW's are all the fancy things that go with this company. It does come with work and effort. Depending on your personality you could do very well or not.  They have a system in place for you to follow. It is a really simple system, I find though it takes time I don't have being a mom of three. I don't really have down time fro my kids, it is hard to make phone calls with kids yelling in the background. There are amazing bonuses but you have to hit certain goals every months. You need a team that works hard and goes for it, day in, day out. You need to be adding people to your teams monthly. It can be done but once again it means work. This is a job, a job that you are completely accountable for your success with. Except maybe your upline, no one is going to be bugging you to work to get your pay cheque. This can be a good thing for some not so good for others. Depends are you a motivated person? Is this work going to mean the difference between food on your table or not? Motivation is going to be what drives your business, is your why big enough? Is it going to continue to be big enough for sustainability?

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It is a Challenge

Weightloss is no easy feat. It is hard work, lots of hard work. it is something you have to commit to. Every day you need to make an honest effort to stick to a proper diet, and exercise  even when you see all the ymumy things you could be eating.

Right now is the season of excess and gorging. So many people eat way more food then they should at fancy parties and get togethers. They drink way too much as well! Did you know that alcohol can contribute to weight gain and well and stalling a weightloss? Yes it is a sad truth for some who are on this journey to be brush with extra challenges, but you need to push through.

For those who have hit their goals and gotten to where they want to be. Now is not the time to lose it! Keep going don't get lax. Often people will put on 5- 10  or more pounds through the holiday season. To some that may not seem like a lot but to someone who has been struggling with weightloss it can seem like a ton.

For me it seems so hard to get anywhere. When I'm at a party and there is yummy amazing food, yes I want to eat it. I get to eat real food without having to share. I get a dessert for ME! It is really easy to quickly go to far.

There is good news though!

Keep up or start your shakes. Shake it up with Vi this holiday season. One or two shakes a day gives your body nutrition it needs and leaves a bit of wiggle room calorie wise. Now still don't go gorging at the parties. But you may be able to have a small treat, or a drink.

Keeping you healthy in thins time of excess is very important. It can lead to less sicknesses which means not having to miss out. :)

Check out the Vi store and get yourself stocked up for winter. ;)

The Rights of a Child

Today is National Child Day. Today we celebrate the rights of children.

Canada's national "Child Day" is held November 20th each year as enacted in Bill C-371, otherwise known as the  Child Day Act, by the Parliament of Canada in 1993.

It commemorates the United Nations adoption of two landmark documents concerned with the human rights of all children and youths.

On "Child Day", Canadians honour our children and The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of The Child  on November 20th, 1959, and the The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child  on November 20th, 1989.

The Convention spells out the basic human rights to which children (under the age of 18) everywhere are entitled.

The purpose of Child Day is to promote awareness about the Convention to Canadians .

It is also a day to support Canadian children's rights by voicing your concerns about Canadian children's rights violations to the politicians of Canada and to educate our children about their rights and responsibilities.

All children have rights. More then just basic rights of food, water and shelter. Children have  the right to being cared for in a loving and understanding home, whether that be with the parents or another designated home. They have the right to social security, to grow and develop in health. I love that there are so many rights put out for our children to keep them safe and equal human beings in this world.

I feel that there are a few things more for me personally that children have rights to!

I believe all children have the right to the best food for their health, even in infancy. Yes I mean human milk, if you can't produce it there are other ways. I believe that a child owns their body, all of it even from the time they are born, they have a right to not have their bodies modified, unless truly medically necessary  I believe children have a right to be equal with all other human beings, they are not less because they are little. I believe that children have the right to be children. That means they can play, laugh, climb trees and snuggle. They have the right to learn their emotions, it is a big job and they need your loving kindness. 

Children are wonderful little gifts.  They are innocent precious souls. How you treat them will form how the new generation will be. While you must fill their rights laid out by the UN, remember to fill their rights are a person, as you expect your right to be filled.

  

Thankful Thursday~~~~ Canada Rocks

Okay this week I am thankful for my country, Canada.

I'm sick and we have a health care system that yes I pay for monthly but it is not some ridiculous amount. ( but those who make less money don't have to pay as much or pay nothing at all) I can go to any Doctor I wish and get treated. I love not having to stress over whether or not I can afford to take myself or any member of my family to see a physician. I also have the choice to take their advice or leave it. While not every Doctor agrees with how I choose to keep our family healthy there isn't anything really that they can do about it.

Oh and I also love how amazingly beautiful it is up here. The seasons the mountains, the valley's,  the prairies  the lakes. I love fall and I love the beauty of it all. How lucky am I?

on web

Learning to be Thankful ~~~~ A Challenge

Are you truly thankful for what you have in this life? Do you show gratitude in all that you do? Are you an example for others in your gratitude?

Living your life full of gratitude is a great way to be happier with your life. Unfortunately in this day and age of Me Me Me! It is hard and harder to do. We are constantly bombarded with new fancier gadgets, and trinkets. The commercialism in everyday life is overwhelming. As adults we have more of a choice in the matter, but the children fall most greatly to all this pressure. I often see one of two situations, children asking and getting or children asking and getting yelled at. Neither of these methods tech children gratitude. Now a days children have just about no concept of money and how people go about getting it.

Now there are some people who say that children are ungrateful little mongrels, always whining and demanding. I simply don't believe this is the case, mainly because these behaviors are taught.  If we want our children to have an attitude of gratitude, then we need to have one ourselves.

I know for me sometimes it is hard. Some people seem to have an easier time just being thankful where they are in life. I always want something better. I'm not super materialistic, it's not stuff for me( all the time) but it's places and doing things with the kids. I know I am plagued at times with thoughts of  "if we had more money...." This is not good thoughts to have. You don't need more money, stuff or time. You need to be thankful for what you have. Yes we all need more money and time! But if we are thankful for what we have, the other stuff will come.

Express appreciation to people when they help you. This is more than just a simple thank you, sometimes it is actively acknowledging what it is that you are thankful for. Look at people and smile when you express your thankfulness.

Try this. For one month take each day to really be thankful for something. Be specific and genuine. Follow through on your gratitude. If you are thankful for someone, let them know. People do like to know that they are appreciated for the hard work the do. You children will see this, they are surprisingly observant.

Now I'm not saying be dramatically thankful, be genuine. Give it a real effort and see what happens.

Are you up for the Challenge?

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Sharing the milk ~~ My story

Have you heard the saying " Sharing is Caring"? Most of us learned this saying at a very young age, usually even before we start school. While this lovely mantra has been ingrained into our brains, many use it now with a mocking tone. This is unfortunate but sharing something with someone is a wonderful way to show how you care. There are many thing we can share in this world, but what would you say if I said you could share a gift of amazing nutrition with another? Most people would jump at the opportunity to share nutrition with someone, even more so for a baby.  Would you be shocked if I told you that people simply don't do it. They don't share with the babies, at least not many. They used to, but with the medical system we have been scared out of it. I'm talking about breast milk, it is a life supporting freely flowing source that comes out of almost every women, to one extent or another. Some women produce large amounts, some produce less. I was very fortunate to be a women who produced excessive milk. So much milk I needed to pump off for comfort reasons. with my first two I saved the milk. We used some of it eventually, but alot just got old an went into the garbage. This saddened me but I had no idea what to use it for. It was never enough for milk banks, and I felt fundamentally opposed to the sale of my breast milk when I gave it to them for free. About two years ago, I heard about a wonderful Idea I hadn't ever though of, giving the milk to a mom in need!  That way I could give what I had and she could use it, no matter how much or how little I had. This made my heart fill with so much happiness. I at the time didn't have any milk to donate, due to being pregnant, but I loved watching the milky love flow.

Lil Squish at 16 days

After I had lil  Squish once again I had a surplus of milk. So I did what I had been doing with the previous two, I pumped. I didn't pump all that often but I still had a pretty good storage in my freezer.  When Squish was 15 days old my friend had a baby, he ended up being a very big surprise. R was born with Downs Syndrome, He was a tiny little guy that had a whole world to conquer. We soon found out that he had a heart issue and feeding at the breast was exhausting for him, it took too much work and was strenuous. My friend then planned on pumping but between R and his older brother there just never seemed to be enough hours in a day. I spoke with her and asked what their plans were, she expressed frustration to me that she felt like she had no options. They couldn't afford the milk bank but she wan't able to pump. She knew with all his health issue being on breast milk was going to be what would be best but it just seemed like it wouldn't work. I took a deep breathe and offered she all I could. I told her I would give R my milk if she would have it. I really wasn't sure what the response was going to be, we hadn't ever talked about milk sharing before, in any real depth. What was just a few short seconds felt like forever. She said sure, she wanted to clear it with her hubby first but she would be more than happy to accept my gift.I breathed a sigh of relief, because what I was offering was something very unusual to many people After that I also sourced donors for her using the Human Milk 4 Human Babies Facebook groups. 

milky brothers Left is R. right is Squish

Having breast milk turned out to be the greatest gift for R. after surgeries he has recovered much better then he did when he was having formula. His mom said she really noticed a difference in him when he is on breast milk or formula. He would gain weight and maintain better when he was having breastmilk, R would thrive with his momma milk. Time has passed and he is now reaching 18 months and my heart still smile thinking how we were able to help just one little guy. I know that he is doing better due to the nutrition I and several other moms were able to give. Not to mention the money we helped them save :)

This week is the 2nd Annual World MilkSharing Week. It is due to moms reaching out and helping on another that many many many babies have been able to have the nutrition they needed for their start in life. They were able to be fed from another mom when circumstances prevented their own mother from fully providing milk. With full disclosure and trust women are able to share this gift with others all around the world. I think this is truly amazing. There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child, why not use the village to feed the child as well.

Wordless wednesday ~~~~~ recent crazy

Mama's tips for travelling sucess

We just completed what I refer to as the EPIC EXTRAVAGANZA. What else could you call a road trip where you drive 4 province and 13 sates in just 17 days? I call it epic especially when you do it with three young children. It is amazing how many people look at me like I am or at was completely nuts. I may possibly be but that is another topic completely. You know what we survived and with our family intact. There are no hurt feeling and no damaging arguments. It was a really good time. So after people hear about this usually they want to know my secret. How much did you drug them? Nope. Did they watch movies and play video games the whole way? They had one maybe two movies a day and 20 minutes each on the leapster. Next the baffled look came.Always with the baffled look. So here is Mama's tips for travelling success

Frequent quick stops. Do they need to pee? Find a rest stop or at least a good pull out and everyone get out. Run play tag, get the blood flowing do a few jumping jacks have a race. Exercise increases endorphins.  Endorphin help make you happy. Fresh air can do wonders as well.

Something new. We got the kids new colouring books a lapboard and new markers. We went for the Colour Wonder stuff from Crayola. This was amazing It kept the boys busy. I never buy this for them regularly, they are fine using regular felts at home. But I had no desire to have a colouring war in the van.

Keep it fun. If it isn't interesting kids are going to get bored and make things a bit more unenjoyable. The mood tend to set the attitude. So if the mood goes down try and increase it, put on some good music sing be silly. It is really okay to be silly as an adult, we don't do it enough.

Pack good snacks. Sure treats are great to get them to shhh! for a bit but then they want more and the sugary treats aren't good for you or your children. Pack stuff that keep hunger at bay, and is easy to eat. Fruit cups aren't really a good idea but dehydrated fruit is excellent. Now I know regular diet goes out the window but there are good quick options.

Talk it up. The kids knew that we were going on this road trip. They were told it was going to take long drives, but they also knew about the fun things we were going to do. Every stop had something interesting for the children, even if it was just a campground with a pool and a playground. They knew there was something exciting at the end of the road.

Their opinion counts. Ask your kids if they are enjoying the trip. If they aren't ask them why not? Ask them if there is something that can be done to help them enjoy the trip more? Now you don't have to change your entire trip around your children but they need to know that you care about their opinion. Understand why they aren't having fun. On the same token if they are having fun engage them in conversation about what they like. That way if things turn and they said they didn't enjoy anything you have a conversation to go back to.


So there it is pretty simple.If all else fails the DVD player is still there but I think everyone enjoys the trip more if you engage with one another.

The Challenge and YOU

Have you ever wanted to do something, to change your situation? Not know how to start or where to go?  Are you needing a direction to go?

First figure out what you really want and break it down. What is it that you really want? Be specific! Vague goals are hard to meet.
I want to lose weight! Great how much, what are the inches you would like to lose? What do you look like at the end of you goal? Are you willing to work for your goal?
I want to be debt free! Great how much money do you need to do that? Can you possibly do that in your current J.O.B?  What are you willing to do to reach that goal?
I want to ......? Wonderful what needs to change to get there? Money, health, or is it time?

There is always something that needs to be changed. Change is good, change brings opportunity to look at life in a new light.

Now lets break it down. Why can't you change you situation? What is it that is holding you back? Really most things can change. Do you not have any time to do anything because you need money, so you are working all the time. This sounds like a declining cycle. Are you unhealthy and have low energy but you want to do something but you feel too crappy about yourself, so you sit there eating comfort junk just getting in worse shape?

Yes it is hard to change and it takes time to commit to that change. It sucks I know. Though if you truly need to change take control. Stop letting others decide your future. Take on the Challenge. You can do it! You can succeed. It starts with taking that step and believing in yourself.

Now some people don't want to make the change. That is their choice, but YOU CAN! You don't need their permission to live a better happier more financially free life.

Get Happy Get Healthy Get Freedom

Get started NOW

Oh and on a side note. It has been said that this may cause babies, no gaurentees. You know what the leading cause of babies is? SEX, yup, healthy happier people might just have more sex. So if you are looking for a little more lovin' the challenge could be for you ;)

Judge me not ~ Love me always

Have you ever been judged harshly for doing what you love? Doing something important? Something you believe in? All of us have been judged in one way or another. It saddens me the way we judge our fellow humans for the choices they make just because they are different from ours. I think what saddens me more is we so very often do it in the name of GOD. People who say they are Christians far too often are some of the most judgmental people I know.

Photo Credit

I love this quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorft of the First Presidency in the LDS Church. 

This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!
It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

That was from the April 2012 General Conference. I have found that this simple text seems to have resonated with many people not just of the LDS affiliation. It is simple and to the point. If you are Christian and say you follow the teaching of the Father and Son, then stop hating and judging. 

We all have a place in our lives where we can improve. We all have places where we fail in our day to day lives. We are an imperfect people, there is no perfect person. Anyone who says differently is lying and that there is their sin.

Whatever it is that you don't agree with then don't engage in that activity for yourself. No one is making you gay, black, christian or whatever. That is the beauty of this world we live in. You have a choice! You get to make your choices every single day. You can choose what to eat, what to wear and what to believe. You even in the free world the the freedom to choose what you say. Sometimes what you say will hold consequences for you, because some one will judge you, whether they should or not. Right now even what you put on social media will have repercussions.  

Simply if you claim to be of Christian values, then hold true Christian values. Jesus loved everyone, he hung out with the outcasts, he sat with the poor and wealthy alike. If you follow his teachings then truly follow them. Stop judging others because they hold different values than you. 

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ... Luke 16:27-36

 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”   John 13:34-35

A few simple verses from the Bible where Christian get their teachings from. I don't care to hear about how there is scriptural verse against whatever sin you are against because first and foremost we are instructed to love. With the same unconditional love that given to just by Heavenly Father and Jesus. The sin is to be judged at the end of days. Now you can live your life with standards and if you chose to not have certain people in your life that is your choice but you still can love them and treat them with respect. I choose to keep people in my life who enrich my life. Their affiliations whether sexual or religious do not need to matter, it is the person I see. If they are good people who stand up and live their lives with integrity and decency, who they go to bed with or what God they believe in or don't is not how I chose my friends. I don't interview every person I meet before I decide if I will be nice to them. I try not to pass judgement on someone before I smile and say hello. I do fail at this sometimes but the point is I try to emulate the teachings that I believe in.

I am for LOVE ALWAYS!

I am for FREEDOM!

To share or not to share

Okay I love sharing I promote it regularly. I encourage sharing with my children, I want them to be willing to share their toys. Sharing is great, but the way sharing is taught by many parents is not. Yup pull out that shocked face as I discuss how I don't like the general way sharing is taught in our society.


Picture this if you will you have your child nicely playing with a toy they are as happy as can be. Another kid comes over and decided that they want that toy. They try to take it from your child, they are unsuccessful so they start to cry. Now you step in and tell your child that they need to share, and give the toy to the other child. o_O oookay please can anyone tell me how this is teaching children to share?!?!?!? In all serious I see this everywhere. You know what this is teaching children. That whining gets them what they want. Don't give the "oh they are just kids and I don't want my child to be greedy and selfish" Uh yea you must that is what you are teaching them. Sharing is not just giving up your stuff when someone asks for it. Sharing is not going over and demanding someone give you their stuff because you want it. It doesn't fly in the adult world why should it be what is expected of kids.
Children need to learn how to share. They really do, we are by nature generally pretty self absorbed. Little psychology lesson here. ( I like that kind of stuff)  When we are born we are primary controlled by our Id. It is our primary system that is pleasure driven and self satisfying. What the Id wants the Id gets. It seeks immediate satisfaction, it doesn't focus on morality. Once they become a bit older, around 3, our Ego develops. ( not to be confused with what were refer to  as pride and lacking of humility in many people ) This is where reality sneaks in and they become more aware of what life is outside of their own means. It acknowledges outside forces on their world and can use them. Next you have your Super Ego, also can be referred to as consciousness. Here is where our children are aware of the outside factors and actually care about cause and effect. So here is when you child is going acknowledge sharing and how it effects others. This will being to happen around 5.  Please note the word BEGIN! This is developmental it takes time, patience, loving behavior, and modelling.
Now of course you start younger with your children, in teaching sharing behavior. There are a few things to think about. 
Look at age. Kids develop in stages expecting kids younger then 2.5 to share readily is a bit unrealistic. They are still in their primal stages and they see their belongings and know it is theirs. Do you give your stuff away to anyone who walks by and thinks its nice? No? Well why the heck not, that's sharing isn't it? No? Why expect that of your child? Children will grow and develop in different stages,  sharing will come in time, usually.


Acknowledge the item of issue If your child has special toys or things that are new to them? These are likely toys that will be issue toys. New toys are awesome, everyone wants to play with them. For some kids that can be an issue they maybe don't want to share their brand new toy with others. They fear things getting lost or broken and that needs to be acknowledged. The same goes for their special toys. They should probably be put away for play times with others or not brought into play groups and such. Yes sometimes they will not separate from that special item, and you will have to be their voice letting others know that it is not a sharing item.


Choices Sometimes kids just don't want to share, it happens. Most adults don't want to share either. I want my children to be better than the general populous, so I encourage them to think of others, in regards to sharing. If they don't want to share an item I ask them to think about how they would feel. I do not force them to share. I ask them to think and then they can either choose to share or offer the other person a choice of another object. There are always choice is the matter, and your child deserves a choice. By giving choice you are allowing you child the ability to think about why they share, how sharing can make them and other feel. 




Now I feel that sharing is important and it needs to be taught. It does not need to be bullied into children though. True sharing with empathy and thought needs to be modeled and explained to our children. That is this Mama's thoughts. How do you teach sharing in your home?

Too Much Dieting!?!?!?!

Are you a constant dieter? are you always looking to try the next up and coming fad? Or are you on the flip side and you never care for all the fuss? You just eat the right food and everything is fine, right? Well whether you are or not a dieter, hopefully your body is healthy. If it's not then maybe you need to reexamine your position.


Your diet or intake of nutrition is so important to your life. It fuels your body, helps you to keep going and maintain body functions. Your body is so amazing, it is so intelligent and just wonderful, but it needs fuel to work properly. It also needs rest, exercise and some level of maintenance. ( Chiropractic and massage are some of my favorites ) This post is more the focus of food and liquid intake.


Now I know there are a lot of people who focus so much on the caloric intake when they talk about diet. You should only intake so many calories and yadda yadda yadda. You know if counting calories works for you right on but I can't figure it out. I make a lot of our foods and I don't measure very well. So it just doesn't work for me. I tried what I learned was I wasn't getting enough, but I also couldn't figure out how to log everything properly. I was using MyFitnessPal and still do to keep track of my progress and when I'm out trying figure out nutritional value of restraunt foods.


Okay so food. Food is pretty easy, it's everywhere. So easy to access. Sure there are "healthy" choices everywhere. Eat a salad instead of the burger. Cut the carbs. Eat low fat, or fat free. These are all the lovely token advice that you get from health professionals and TV. So they must all be true, right? We not completely. They are all great but there are a few fundamental ways people really mess them up.




Eat the Salad


Salad is great, it is full of yummy delicious veggies. You can add a protein to round it out. You can easily make a salad into a full meal deal. Most people think if you have a salad then you are being healthy, right? Well what are you putting on that healthy salad? a nice light vinaigrette dressing or a yummy cream dressing? Now cream dressings are not evil it just depends on how much you put on and what kind you put on. You can make a really nice healthy dressing with egg garlic and oil. Of if that is not your style you can get some lovely really food dressings from the grocery store. But stay away from the fat free or low fat ones. they should read chemical crap on the label. Also watch you portions. You need a small amount of dressing. read labels and check how much is suggested, you might be surprised.




Cut the Carbs

Should be cut the wheat. Not all carbs are created equal, and they are not all evil. Wheat based products are not all that great for you, and with the growing rate of Celiac and wheat intolerances there is something to be said. Now many people will say wheat has been around for years, why now is it suddenly an issue? Well wheat is different now. It has been genetically modified, it is not the same. We just now are beginning to learn more about GMO food effect our bodies. Really though be smart educate yourself. Use whole grains stay away from the heavily processed foods. Your body will thank you.




Eat Low Fat or Fat free
This sounds great. Keep the fat low in your diet, because eating fat will make you fat, right? Well kinda, eating bad fats will possibly attribute to you being fat but there are other factors. I am a big fan of healthy real fats. Butter, cream, real food. Meat, yes real meat from real animals who have been on green pastures. You can keep a lower fat diet with eating real food, eat leaner meats, and stay low on the butter. The thing is people live in processed land where everything is pre-made. The issue with those low fat things is what they should really read is chemical shit storm. Have you compared the ingredients of full fat to it low fat equal? Do it I dare you.



Now all of this is my honest opinion due to reading I have done and a life I have lived. Take it or leave it. I am not a doctor or a professional of any kinda. I'm just a mom who wants people to look after themselves. Any health advice you choose to take is on your own choice. Please consult your health care provider before making any drastic choices, to make the best health plan for you.

Being a little different

Yup I am odd. I was really awkward as a kid and a teenager, heck as an adult. I have those awful embarrassing school photos, that people laugh at for years. I usually figured out trends as they were trending away. I was not cool or popular at all, I wasn't even on the uncool side, I was just different.




I wore hand me down clothes, that were very far out of style, and not the looping back cool items.  I didn't really feel pretty most of my childhood and teenaged years. I went through a long time just being invisible, or at least feeling that way. I went though phases of being bullied but mostly I was just ignored. It was hard never having any friends till I was a bit older. Elementary years sucked.
I went through a phase where I really tried to be like everyone else just so I could fit in somewhere. The problem was I became so many "people", that I really was still no one. I had trouble with a lot of basic social skills. I had a lot of trouble breaking out and meeting new people. I became afraid to be me, due to the fact I felt no one like the real me. I still have a problems with this in my adult life. I thought making friends in school was hard, try the real world it sucks.




I have a hard time conforming to one particular thing. I really am a bit of a mish mash of different things that I have liked along the way. I feel strongly about a number of things but I'm usually open to listening to others thoughts. Hey I really can't judge your for your wrong choices, they are yours to make. Yes I do think I am right for my life. Maybe not yours but it works for us.




I'm a bit sassy, I'm opinionated and I can be loud about stuff with people I know. Though usually I keep to myself with people who I don't know very well. I can appear rather shy to people who don't know me, and have even been called snobby.




I wear toe shoes and clothes that are comfortable. I'm usually pretty plain and not very noticeable. I used to have a hard time with being different but I have decided to embrace myself. Freckles and all! I'm who I am and that's not really going to change.

Are you up for the Challenge?

Take a good look at your life right now. Is there anything you would like to change about it? Really anything at all? Let's face it everyone has something that they would like to change in their lives. There is always something that could use a little bit of improvement. I know I have a ton of areas the could use a little tweaking. Enter the Challenge. Now this is more to me then just losing a few pounds and a way to make some money. It is so much more than that to me now. I have been challenging myself for a few months now. Originally it was just to lose some weight. I did that, I feel pretty successful with it too! I love that clothes aren't making me cry anymore. I like going and trying on clothes and them fitting. I feel attractive again. How I feel about myself, it what is important. I know I'm never going to be some thin gorgeous person you see on a magazine cover. I have curves I'll embrace my curves and know that it's not about being skinny but it is about being an optimal me. I can live with optimal me.

Now on to the money part. Yes I said money. That bottom line can be a heavy motivator in so many peoples lives. The economy stinks right now, and a lot of people are going through hard times. Most people are looking for a viable way to make money.  ViSalus can be the vehicle to make you some serious money. Only if you are willing to do the work though. It take hard work and dedication, to make a continuing flow of cash. As a company we do not make any claims to fortune because it isn't guaranteed, the money is there but you have to work for it. There is potential all over the place and it is possible. If you would like more details about the compensation plan click here. There is also a wonderful video on the website that can explain things as well. Things are growing and growing, get in while the getting is good. Now if you are thinking this is a get rich quick scheme , simply it isn't. Heck yes you can get rich quick IF  you want it bad enough and are they type of person who can talk to people. This involves work and dedication. You need to make calls and follow up you need to care you need to build your team. If you can do that I highly suggest you join RIGHT NOW!!!! Your next 90 days can be amamzing. Don't pause don't think just click that join now button on the side bar or for simplicity sake right here. Join as a distributor and watch your life change. It is possible if you want it. Do you want it bad enough to take a risk with both feet in? Now you know already if you need to make more money. You need to go for success and go for the gold make the moola and change your life.

Are you up for the Challenge?