Here are some links that are very life changing and helpful.
They are about how toxic and poisionous sugar is.

http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/2012/02/sugar-as-toxic-as-booze-and-fags-my-thoughts/#more-3788

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/sugar/sugar-the-sweet-thief-of-life/ didnt look at this article but I will and remove it if I need to.

I  know this is kind of extreme but really its not. We are just being lied to and harmed. We all love sugar so its hard to truly believe that it needs a warning on it.

Glad I wasnt lying to Blake when I told him the candy bars are pretty looking posion.

My Oxen

Yesterday was one of those days that I struggles with my desire to be a stay at home mom to my 2 boys. There was a point where my husband let me know he was going to come home for lunch, I was frustrated, crying and done. I was going to tell him I no longer wanted to stay home and that my job would pay for childcare. This thought should have made me sad but I was just numb to any emotions when contemplating this. This was not out of the blue. I have been struggling for the past few weeks with wanting my life back to how it was before I had kids.
I knew deep down in my heart I really did want to stay home and I needed to get in the word, turn on some music and read other mom blogs to snap out of my attitude. One blog I read ( sorry I don’t remember the blogger or site, otherwise I would link to it) had part of a verse. Prov 14:4 ” where no oxen are the manger is clean.” This helped me realize that right now with 2 boys under 3 that need every thing, fight more then they play, eat all day long, learning to share and rip toys out of their room or tubs all day long that my oxen are very present and my manger is evidence of that.
This morning I looked up the verse and it continues on to say ” but abundant crop comes by the strength of the ox.” So as a stay at home mom of 2 boys God has gifted me with and gave me the honor to raise up in Him I need to view my struggles as a privilege to be home, to raise up strong, spiritual, loving, amazing boys. I need to embrace their hearts, give them all the grace God gives me, snuggle, play, and feed them. My home, routines, demands and needs may be proof that they are present but I am a mom and I truly don’t want to be anything else.

Its killing me.

I love to eat sugar. I don’t mean that I love to eat the sugar that is found in the canister in my pantry. Eating that completely disgusts me. I love to eat sugar in my muffins, breads, coffee drinks, yogurt, crackers, granola bars, sauces, condiments, juices etc. Even though the thought of eating the sugar from my canisters disgusts me the truth is in everything I mentioned above I am eating spoonfuls of that stuff, but it is hidden in the food. Just because it is hidden does not mean that it effects my body any different than if I ate sugar out of my canister by the spoonfuls.

Sugar is Glucose and Fructose. My body needs glucose but not fructose. Fructose turns to fat in my liver because my body can not process it. It goes straight to my liver and is turned to fat. Glucose on the other hand is used by all organs of my body and is used as energy, not stored. Sugar is the only food that is both a carbohydrate and a fat. Nothing God made has both carbohydrate and fat. Not even fatty fruits like coconut, olives and avocados.Sugar effects the insulin in my body and insulin prevents leptin from getting to my brain to tell my body I am full and can now use the food as energy. Instead insulin blocks the leptin and tells my brain I need more fuel because I have no energy, resulting in eating more and not being active because of the lack of energy. (now a glutten and a sloth)
I really need to get more strict about the sugar I eat that is added to the foods I eat. At home I do fine not eating sugar. I hardly add sugar to anything I make but I can’t control the sugar added to boxed items, eating out, or eating food at others people’s homes or events. I also need to work hard at not letting my kids eat sugary items,which they hardly do, but enjoy them when they do and always want them. Such a hard thing to do since the food industry adds sugar to everything because they know we are addicted to sugar and its the only way to make all the fake stuff have a pleasing, appealing taste.

I really need to eliminate all sugar. The sugar intake I have is mostly from processed foods, flavored creamers or flavor in coffee, eating out, sauces, dressings, baked goods, granola, ice cream, juice.

Here is the video I watched that inspired this post and really challenging me and my eating. http://youtu.be/Yo3TRbkIrow by Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, in the Division of Endocrinology Director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program at UCSF,

I know I am not obese but that doesn’t mean sugar/ food is not effecting my body, mind, health, and life. Obesity is a visual sign that health is out of control and a major warning sign that the body is failing. Weight gain is the first sign that the body is being effected in a negative way and something needs to be done. Drugs and medicine is not what needs to be done. Food, diet and life style change is what needs to be done ( another post for a later time).

Oh the smell of onions.

Today is day 2 of my once a month cooking experience. I have no room in my freezer for anything! I have only cooked 11 meals of the 16 and really want to make some toddler meals as well. Scott was able to get a fridge/freezer from a neighbor. Back to cooking!!!

Here are some tips I have learned so far:

~BUY ALREADY MINCED GARLIC. seriously having to mince 36 cloves of garlic is killer!!! I still haven’t gotten them all minced. My hands burned, were super sticky and even after 2 days they still smell like garlic.
~Be prepared for your house to smell like onion, your hand to smell like onion and your fridge to smell like onion. chopping 12 onions is a very emotional experience. I cried more on my prep night than I have in a long time.
~Have more then one large pot and have several large bowls.
~Have a lot of baking dishes because once a dish is made and put in the freezer it is held captive until its time to eat that meal. Next time I will buy the foil ones.
~ Don’t need to eat that day because for one I sampled everything I made, secondly being surrounded by so much food and smells I didn’t want to make anything else, and thirdly being hot from the oven and stove made wanting to eat very unappealing.
~My kitchen is a mess, and I tried to clean as I went. I used a roll of paper towels for how many times I washed my hand or wiped the counters. Tip: invest in more wash clothes and towels, or at least have that load of laundry washed before hand.

Once a Month Mom made this so easy. I loved the instructions to follow, the guides on what to chop and thaw and prep the night before and the shopping list that is adjustable for family size. You moms do a lot of hard, amazing work so we can make our cooking a little easier. Thank you!!

 

 

Lets try and start this again

Scott keeps telling me I should blog. Blog about cooking, kids, phx, church planting, staying home. I decided that I will try and blog again to keep family and long distant friends in the loop better, and share more pictures.

So my next blog will be about my adventure in once a month cooking that I dived into today. I will hopefully finish the cooking tomorrow and be able to get some pictures up. It was fun and messy.

SUGAR!!!

Ok, so yesterday after eating far tooooo much sugar at my moms house I have decided that I am going to STOP EATING SUGAR. Hurry, this should be great for me. Easy for me to say while I was feeling sick from sugar.
This morning I decided that I will spend this week looking at how much sugar is in the things I normally eat and stocking up on items that don’t have any sugar. By sugar I am talking about added sugars of any kind, organic, non organic. The only sugar I will eat is from fruit, but it cant have added sugar to it.
So, for day one of figuring out sugar in items, I have learned that the all natural yogurt I eat has 3 different types of sugar added to it. Not cool. That will have to go.
I had a pancake with only butter on it. Well, I actually didn’t eat it because I am not a pancake fan and it was hard to eat with only butter, so I gave it to my son who LOVED it!! I didn’t have any coffee because I don’t have any creamer and I don’t think I could drink it black. That was hard because I like coffee. I mean I like lattes, but I will drink drip coffee if it has cream and SUGAR in it.

Blake is So funny

Goofy Blakesters

Blake is learning so fast. Each day he is changing. He now has 4 teeth and is working on the 5thand 6th. He has his 2 front bottom teeth and two on the top. The top teeth that are in are his front side teeth, not the 2 front ones. I can only imagine how silly of a grin he will have, I cant wait to get a picture of them.
The other day at lunch, Grandma Vickie was holding him as he was fighting falling asleep. He started to nod off while sitting up. He had the whole bobble head thing going on. It was so cute. He bobbled for a bit until finally his head rested on the table. Asleep! Finally, and so cute too! ( she has a pic on her facebook)

Now he does this really silly head banging dance. I have a video of it I will try and post on here some time. He sits on our bed and watches himself in the mirror head bang, then giggle. It is so funny. He has such a  goofy personality. I love laughing at him all day everyday =D.

Plagiocephaly…flat head

So I want to blog my experience with this new adventure we are starting.
My son has a flat head and has been recommend to go see a neurosurgeon about getting him evaluated for a helmet. At first I wanted to be really secretive about it, hide it actually. Not go anywhere with him, take it off if people came over and not talk to anyone about it. But, know I think I want to use it as an informational experience. In Montana I have not seen any babies with a helmet so I figure I can use this experience as a way to introduce and make people aware of what the helmet my son may be wearing does and how it is helpful.

Here is my story
My sons Dr recommended that he go see a neurosurgeon and get evaluated for a helmet. He has a flat head and I was always hoping that it would fix itself. Well it hasn’t. I don’t know why he has a flat head. I don’t let him lay on his back 24/7. I am not a bad mom. He always sleeps flat on his back, he doesn’t turn his head to one side or the other. How could I let this happen. My poor baby may have to be in a helmet. I know he wont be embarrassed and I know I shouldn’t either. I SHOULD NOT care what others may think, say or stare at but I kinda do. I know its better for him to have a helmet now for a short time then to have it when he is older or to always have a flat head and be made fun of. I am doing what is best for him now!

I really like the CranialTech website. It is very informational and very convincing that a helmet will correct my sons head shape.
http://www.cranialtech.com/images/stories/brachy.jpg

According to the pics he has moderate Brachycephaly. The only problem is there is not a location close to us. We would have to fly for each appointment. Add to the expenses as if a helmet is not financially depleting enough. I hope there is programs to help or that my insurance will cover it. We cant afford it other wise.

My sons Dr. Appointment is Aug 31st.

STRIVE

I am a striver

I strive to be a Proverbs 31 wife and mom
I strive to live simple and be frugal
I strive to feed my family nourishing organic food
I strive to finish what I start
I strive to make a menu plan
I strive to take some me time
I strive to have a devotion time
I strive to do  a lot of things…

I can only say I strive to do all these thing because I don’t always do these things to the extent I wish I did. I am not a perfectionist, I am a procrastinator so when I say I strive to finish what I start, it is a challenge. I am good at starting a lot of different things( usually all at once) and horrible at finishing them or even getting to a completion point (unless I have a deadline and do it last minute).

My life is My Journey and I strive to do what I can each day of it.

~What do others strive for?~

I’m Getting Back To the Basics

Housewife I read the Simple Mom blog daily and now there is a series called ” Back to the Basics”. I am very excite to read the posts weekly and spend the week reflecting, learning, and doing new things that … Continue reading →