Weight Loss Update #10

For Pete's Sake!

And her weight is up again (+7lbs)! Can I blame it on Christmas? On the turkey? On my surgery a month ago? On the recovery?

Nope, just me... sigh.

Have I lost hope? No.

Am I frustrated? No.

Am I motivated? Again? Oh yes!

What went wrong, you ask?

This is what went wrong.

1. Sugar intake
2. Skipping workouts
3. Dehydration
4. Late night snacking
5. Lack of sleep

How can I fix it?

1. Meal plan and prep -this is crucial. If all the meals are planned and prepped for, what can go wrong?
2. Finding new and motivating workouts. Mixing it up a bit. Challenging myself. (I used new machines today. Machines I've always stayed away from:)
3. Drinking more water. Filling up a gallon sized jug of water in the morning, (this lets the water to oxygenate and become chlorine free -google it!) and making sure I bloomin' well drink it throughout the day!
4. Stop eating past 7 p.m -we all know this one... unfortunately, don't we??
5. Going to bed on time. Lack of sleep is one major causes of weight gain. It's all hormones. Google it.

Here is a link to a super idea for a healthy breakfast! I'm so going to give it a try! 

Do you have any advice to give me? I'm still a ways away. 

Check out more on my weight loss HERE.

 

Would love to hear your thoughts, please comment away!

Routine -How It's Done (currently)

This is how I manage homeschool, housework and "us/me" time etc. 

2014 we will be focusing more on the heart issues rather than on how much we can achieve. Instead of reading a ton of books, we'll absorb in fewer books, fully. Instead of quantity in school, relationships, food -it'll be quality.

Is that me, or what!

And, that's okay. 

So, I'm back making schedules. I'm okay if this schedule works out for 12 weeks... I mean well, I'll aim high and I will be content with the outcome.

(( To be honest, I probably won't be attending the 6 a.m. Hot Yoga. I might do some Pilates at home, if I feel overwhelmed with my plan. Tuesday mornings is ladies bible study anyhooo :))

For those who are wondering,

L.A: Language Arts

Loru Piiri etc: Finnish Language Studies

Piiri: Circle Time

Jump: Daycare at the gym

S.T: Social Studies

TKD: Taekwondo

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; 

Sometimes our studies are stretched out throughout the day, so my intentions here are, that they are "done" by noon.  For those who do not homeschool, and are wondering why homeschool days are so "short" -have a read HERE! And many more answers to your questions!

Just for some inspiration and guidance,

Luke 10:38-42

New International Version (NIV)

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I repeat : "it will NOT be taken away from her!"

Out of Debt and From None to One

My husband and I vowed on a debt and loan free life after watching this seminar. We had experienced this miracle and knew that we were on the right track. We have three kids and live on a single income, so after making that decision, we knew that we had to save up cash for a car. With the income and savings plan that we had, it was obvious that we wouldn't be buying a car anytime soon. We were looking at 5 years down the line. I had already been strolling my kids around for 7 years and at times, I felt tempted to pick up that phone and "press #9", or apply for car financing. Thankfully we never did, and I am glad we didn't, because if we had done, we would have never got to experience the awesome-ness of God in this area. Keep reading!

We prayed about it, let God know our desires. We left it up to God to provide us a car if He saw fit. But one day, our neighbour had asked me whether we knew of anyone interested in buying a car, Dodge Grand Caravan 2003? I said that we didn't and that we are saving up for an Asia vacation to see my brother and his family. They told us what they would sell it for, if we were interested for $2,000. That was a great deal, if one would even have that kind of money saved up, but we didn't! I called my hubby right away and asked him whether this was another temptation or actually a gift from God. And if it was a gift from God, where would we find that money. It was a small enough amount, but still so large, for us. Are we going to miss out on such a chance like this, we wondered?? Because, we really didn't have the money. Borrowing was out of the question now, taking a loan was too... I was beginning to fret. Eventually we came to the conclusion that we had to trust God in this matter and if He saw fit, for us to have it, then we would have it. We had to have peace, that if I were to use strollers for the next 5 years, so be it.Not to mention that this car had been sitting in our neighbours driveway for the last year, what it really took was our hearts to be in the right condition to accept God's blessings.

Then soon after, it came to our knowledge that my husband had a bonus coming his way. This bonus was the exact amount of the car. HOWEVER, this was in June, and the bonus was to come the following August. We were surely going to miss this chance! We prayed ever harder...

Can we go and ask them to hold this car for 2 months until we got paid? Would anyone do such a thing for us? My husband approached our neighbour and asked if it would be ok for him to buy it at the end of August. Our neighbour replied that it worked out better since he had some work to do on it, but has to work in another province and wouldn't be back until END OF AUGUST to be able make those repairs!!!

This is how we have our very first car, debt free, within our budget, a perfect size... amen!! If we would've gone ahead and financed a car, taken on a debt, because of our impatience, we surely would've missed out on a super provision, a miracle. Our neighbours would never have asked us about the car, if we had had one in our drive way. Our declining financing of cars made sense. God foresaw this blessing and wanted to give us the best, debt free!

How We Got Out of Debt - Why and How We Manage Our Finances

My husband and I have not been brought up with a healthy relationship with money. We have both had "bad" role models on financial stewardship, but life isn't always so black and white. We were never taught to save, and money burned a hole in our pockets. If we had it, we spent it. If we wanted to buy something and didn't have the money for it, we simply borrowed or took loans for them. Some home items were bought on a monthly payment system, thankfully in Finland, but they too add up on bill day (The price tag doesn't change)! Anyhow, it seemed like our intentions were good, we tried to save up, but those savings too were spent eventually. We seemed to be eating our future paychecks and the pay was gone before we ever got to see it. We always tithed 10% regardless of our financial situation.

It wasn't until we moved to another continent that we were really put to the test. Money was sparse, we had a few maxed out credit cards (nothing major) that needed paying off and we were visiting the food bank on a regular basis. Our faith was put to the test. We even contemplated halving what we tithed until things settled a bit.

God was teaching us to trust in His timing with things that we wanted and needed. He taught us that His way would free us from our debts and loans. We watched the Financial Freedom Seminar (20h, 1h x 20 days) by Embassy Institute, in the evenings while the kids were sleeping. God showed us a lot, not just what the Bible says about finances, but also on other areas too. One major thing that I took with me was, "if you're moving in the right direction, it will be blessed", God blesses the right road. So my husband and I put that all to the test, what was there to lose?? First, we started to tithe from our first fruits, before tax. Secondly we made a promise to buy anything on credit. Thirdly, we aimed to pay off our debts and loans before we made any new purchases.

 We really needed a car. We didn't have money to buy a car and certainly not for another 5 years if we were to pay our debts off first and then pay the car in cash! Well, like I said -God DOES bless the right direction.

We had a few temptations along the way, to deal with the matter ourselves. One was increased credit on our credit cards. I had a letter and an email that said all I had to do is dial this number and press "9" for instant credit. Oooh that was tempting, especially because I wanted all our bills in one country (it would've saved us hundreds of over seas fee) which some of us know as "debt consolidation". But we were determined and we did recognize it as an attack, something good was coming and we were not going to blow it by accepting "worldly" ways. I'm so glad I deleted and threw that letter in the bin. Why?

Because, a few months later, while we had our taxes done and wishing for only enough to cover the service fee, God blessed our direction. We got enough taxes back to cover all the credit card bills and loans in Finland, and the sending fee -to the penny. Not kidding. It's true. It didn't make sense, and it didn't have to. We knew, it was all God!

So this is how we manage our finances. No living off credit. We have credit cards to pay for things that can only be paid by credit. If you can't afford it in cash, you can't afford it on VISA either. We will save up for everything. If we can't afford it there and then, then we don't buy it. We don't lend money, we give -if God puts that on our hearts. We tithe from our first fruits, not our seconds. We put some into savings, what ever we can on any given month. Our food budget is higher for a good reason. Quality over Quantity. Organic over Contaminated and so on... We are working on the savings part, we are still learning.

How did we purchase our very first car a few months later? Read all about it, here

The Big Fat Blah (Continued)

Okay, here is my previous post on "De-Itemizing". For those who have not read it yet, it's a must read!

So, here is an update on how well I have de-itemized my home.

It's been incredible! I have literally grabbed stuff that we do use and put them into black bags, bag after bag until I filled up 4 large Black bags and took them to our local thrift store. That's a lot of stuff.

This is how I did it. I walked around the house, analyzing each item and being quite brutal about it. "a brush! One of our 3... OK in the bag it goes!" / "bed sheets, rarely used, gotta go!" / "a board game, used, loved... time to move on -in it goes!" / "candle holders, pretty..but got to go"

I've taken out my coffee mugs and replaced them with my "special" tea set. I want to use beautiful cups to drink my tea/coffee from. I want my friends to enjoy them too. If we have more than 5 people visiting, I'll take out the mugs as a back up, not the other way around.

My kitchen surfaces are bare. Whatever doesn't fit into the cupboards must go. I really needed to prioritize. Some stuff is seasonal but they cannot have a temporary space in my kitchen, so some I have given away and some I have stored away-away.

We de-itemized our books as well. This is a thing, I never thought I would do. 1/3 of our books will be donated to BabyAnne's Mansion in the Philippines. This was really nice to do with the kids, they get it!

My home looks bare-ish, but we have a long way to go... I think we are half way there. It sure is liberating.

I'm feeling a lot better than this

You know, there are a lot of beautiful things in the world, a lot in your local shops, in the thrift stores...  it's okay to want them, and NOT purchase or receive them, even a fraction of them. Once owned, the beauty and excitement is not the same and it weighs upon your shoulders.

"Everyone wants to be happy; we make chasing this elusive ideal a lifelong pursuit; spending money, collecting things, and searching for new experiences. But if happiness depends on our circumstances, what happens when the toys rust, loved ones die, health deteriorates, money is stolen, and the party's over? Often happiness flees and despair sets in.

In contrast to happiness stands joy . Running deeper and stronger, joy is quiet, confident assurance of God's love and work in our life -- that He will be there no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ." - NLT Study Bible

Some of you might think, by reading this post, that I am breaking away from excessive shopping. This is not true however, even if I have wanted to shop I couldn't  (frugal living, budget issues). My "breaking away" is from the little (compared to most homes) existing items I have in my home.

I encourage you to de-itemize your home. For those who are already thinking about it or doing it, or even done it -tell me briefly how, what, when, where...?

More of home making here

Savour the Christmas Season -Candle Lit Bubble Baths for kids!

On the 3rd day of our Advent Calendar it read, "Candle Lit Bubble Baths"! "Ooh, aah and wooow's" from the kids as they took turns to play in the candle lit tub with their favourite bath toys. The candles by the way, were no where near their reach.

Savour the Season - Paper Chains

So simple, so frugal, so addicting and such a fun craft activity to do with your kids -and husband!

Savour the Christmas Season by making simple, pretty, timeless paper chains and drape them from your living room, dining room or your door way ceilings. Festive!!!

I love the fact that while making them, we spent time chatting and laughing as a whole family.

Preparing For Possible Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Okay, some of you know that through all of my 3 pregnancies, I suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidadum, a.k.a "sick all of the time, vomiting all of the time". My "easiest" pregnancy was with my second child, which was very, very hard, but not so severe, did not need to go to the hospital for IV's and such.

My first was bad, hospitalized and to top it off, severe cystic acne (another story for later). But I must say, freshest in the memory is my third, it was the toughest. No preparation, no planning, no support group, it all makes a difference.We had just moved continents and even though she was planned, my husband landed a job sooner than expected (not complaining!!) and I found myself isolated with two kids under 5, severely sick and no support. We did manage though, praise God, but it was a really hard time and it shook us both to the core.

So as my husband and I are open for more children, we want to make sure now, that we plan and prep as far ahead of time as we can, and then leave the rest up to God. I want to share with you, who suffer from moderate to severe "morning" sickness, about the ways to alleviate and make your ride more manageable. 

Here is a site with loads of info and help for those who suffer badly. My Morning Sickness

I bought the E-book, printed it out, put it in a binder and have been mentally preparing myself for what is (or may not, -still living in hope!) to come. Only recently have I began to make a list of what needs to be done as soon as possible. You just never know. This is how I prepare for my pregnancies.

Before the positive pregnancy test:

• Start eating healthy, and drinking plenty of water
• Eat multivitamins and all the essential supplements for a good start
• Exercise regularly
• Make meals before hand and freeze them (20-30 meals pref)
• Search for a second hand mini fridge - The times I feel so ill, that I cannot even sit up, this will come in handy. I can have all the ice and snacks right next to our bed.
• Stock up on remedies, Nux Vomica (homeopathic), Milk Thistle, Sea(relief)Bands, Lemongrass Oil, Preggie Pops, Ice, Ice, and crushed Ice!
• we don't just de-clutter but de-itemize our home
• we home school, so I have to make easy to follow lesson plans

After the confirmation:

• Pray, pray, pray! Keep your focus on Him!
• Find a pregnancy support group online, and from church
• Hubby will build a foot board for bed. Keeping my feet secured and anchored, keeps me semi stable. It works! Once my feet are off the ground or surface, I began feeling really queasy. I spend a lot of time in bed, so it's important to have this foot board available.
• Make lemongrass and beeswax candles for aromatherapy
• Buy chewable vitamins
• make ice teas, and ice cubes from red raspberry leaf tea, lemon juice and nettle tea

During the (possible) rough ride:

• hire a doula for extra support. It can be a very depressing and a discouraging beginning but having a doula makes all the difference, if you live in the Vancouver area,  I recommend Mother Nurture Doula Services
• let your church women's ministry know and ask/accept the help.
• Hire a babysitter for a few hours so you can rest, or you and your husband can just chill without leaving your home. This is money well spent.
• Take this as a guilt free "quiet season". Don't feel bad if you cannot keep up with the things you used to do. 
• Read Christ Centered Childbirth as many times as you can. I love this book! As bad as my pregnancies were, my births were bliss!! This book helped me to surrender my mind, heart and body and focus the right way and I, believe it or not, gave birth with ease. I really recommend this book!

Answer me this, and by doing so you have a chance to win the Christ Centered Childbirth OR My Morning Sickness Handbook! Q. what methods do you use to get through your pregnancy sickness? Comment with your answer and your preferred book. Your chance to win ends January 15th, 2014. Winner will be informed privately.

I hope this encourages you.

Savour the Christmas Season - DIY Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

For the salt dough recipe click here

We used acrylic paint.

I made all of us an ornament, each with our initials.

One for the front door.

After painting them, we sprayed the ornaments with clear coating. This way they received their shine and last longer.

Savour the Christmas Season - Sugar Cookies

We are savouring the Christmas Season by baking sugar cookies and decorating them. I think this is also a brilliant gift idea! 

The Sugar Cookie Recipe (couldn't get any easier than this!)

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened  
• 2 cups white sugar 
• 4 eggs  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
• 5 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4  inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. 
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

4. Decorate! 

Savour the Christmas Season - Gingerbread houses

We are savouring the Christmas Season by making our very own gingerbread houses. We had a blast making these, you'll see why! The end result is a killer!

I had ginger bread cookie cutters to begin with so I can't help with the design, but I can share the recipe which I altered for my "Finnish" taste buds. The mollases we get here (in Canada) isn't anything like we get back in Finland, so I had to make a few changes. I think it worked out well and tastes like the real deal. Almost.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C molasses
• 1/4 C maple syrup
• 250g butter
• 1 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp ground cloves
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 2tsp ginger
• 1T lemon juice/ 1tsp pomersanssin kuorta
• 3-4 C flour
• 2 tsp baking soda

Insturctions:

•  In a sauce pan bring butter, molasses, syrup amd spices to the boil, remove and let cool completely. Mix in eggs, flour and baking soda. Cover and let it harden over night in the fridge.

• Take small sections and roll them out flat with a little flour. If you find the dough too hard, warm it up in the micro 30seconds at a time

•  Cut out the parts for the house and place them carefully on a parchment sheet covered baking tin. Bake at 400F for 6-8minutes. Melt sugar in a sauce pan and use as "glue" by dipping the pieces in to assemble them. The melted sugar hardens fast, so be quick. Be careful you don't burn your fingers with the melted sugar, it hurts!

 VOILA!

•  Let the kids decorate, have a go yourself. Be creative, use colours, texture...

 We gave it our best, we really did. We ended up doing three houses that were just as pretty. Ha ha!

Savour the Christmas Season -Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes

 Fun craft idea with the kids. I only needed the idea since I had pipe cleaners in our arts and craft box.

 Twist 2-3 colours together. I am old school. This Christmas our colours are mostly red and white.

Savour the Christmas Season - Pulla

Mmmmm...nom, nom, nom!

We are savouring the xmas season by baking our own Korvapuusti (Cinnamon Rolls). They slightly differ from the "north American" rolls as they include Cardamom.

The recipe(s) are available online. Google Pulla or Korvapuusti recipe/resepti 

and choose 'translate page' option.

Merry!

Savour the Season -DIY Gift Boxes

Today we are savouring the Christmas Season by making our own gift boxes to give out. We got a ton of empty shoe boxes from the mall and some fancy contact paper. Walmart, you got it all! I cannot guide you in how to cover them since I am not a pro but I figured it out. I didn't cover the bottom of the boxes, I cut out strips which I first measures and then covered the sides and then a rectangular piece to cover the lids. All they need are our baking goods decorated by my kids and a big red bow on top! Merry Christmas!

Savour the Christmas Season -Free Printable Advent Ornaments -By Confessions of a Homeschooler

I stumbled across this fabulous blog Confessions of a Homeschooler and to this fantastic idea for an Advent Ornament! Click here for the original source but scroll down as I want to share with you how brilliantly it turned out! 

I am a bit late in posting about this since we are on day 12 but nevertheless, this is brilliant and super fun!

 I put them along our mantel.

 Today we made hand made Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes!

I did laminate them because I plan on having these in our Christmas' to come! Fantastic! It's not too late to make your own! Oh by the way, this is what activities are on the back of each triangle:

1. Candle lit bubble bath!
2. Make paper snowflakes & decorate!
3. Fill Operation Christmas Child Boxes
4. Make personalized Christmas Ornaments
5. The Minivan Express
6. Rootbeer floats tonight!
7. Make Christmas cookies!
8. Make Christmas Cards for friends/family
9. Have hot chocolate and marshmallows
10. Make a pipe cleaner candy cane craft
11. Make Christmas Star Paper Chain
12. Make Candy Ornaments
13. Gather old coats, clothes, and toys to donate to your local shelter
14. Family Game Night
15. Make a Gingerbread house 
16. Dance and sing to Christmas Music
17. Make a christmas craft
18. Dress Fancy for dinner tonight
19. Wrap Christmas Presents
20. Watch “It’s a wonderful Life”
21. Take a night drive to see the Christmas lights in your neighborhood!
22. Watch a Christmas movie with popcorn of course!
23. Read or Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
24. Make birthday cake for Jesus!
25. Merry Christmas!

The Big Fat BLAH!!!

Blah! Ugh! SIGH

The accumulated half empty shampoo bottles that clutter your shower and bath. The  pumpkins, from last Halloween, that are rotting on your front porch and strewn all over your lawn from a little soccer moment by the kids. The garbage from "that reno", sitting in your car port for everyone to see, that still is waiting to be driven to the dump. The dead bees from last summer that died on your window ledge are still there. The tightness of your clothes that discourage you and create self loathing. The hungry kids who want food now, and your kitchen surfaces that are full of piles of random things and papers that need organizing. BLAH! UGH! AAAAAAARGH!!!! The feeling of seeing your tidy home sanctum, become a messy-crummy-bitty-mess in matter of minutes and you get a unexpected visit at that very same moment. 

I have blogged about decluttering before. Many times. Today, I'm going to blog about de-itemizing your life. I think I just came up with that word. Yes, de-itemizing.

I have decluttered my home so many times, that I am beginning to realize that the problem lies in something else. How on earth, after decluttering a zillion times, do I feel like my head is still caving in, and my anxiety is still ticking within? What's bothering me? Why can't my soul rest? Each item that I have decide to keep I can really make use of. I'm seriously not a hoarder (denial kicking in!!), so I know whether I need it or don't. Usually my mottos are, "if in doubt, throw it out" and "if I have not used it within 12 months, I won't", and "if I need one, I'll just borrow one, or buy one then" etc. So, I know (think) that the stuff I have in my home is there to serve us. Yes, true.

So what if I really can find use for them, which would impact us in a positive way or impact someone else in a positive way. I'm sure these are great things, good things and practical things. We "need" them. 

However, if our house burnt down tomorrow, I wouldn't remember 80% of the things that we have in our home. I'd probably not remember 80% of the kids books, the stack of "tape and fix" kids books, half of our seasonal candle holders, half of our clothes, 75% of the things that are in our bathroom cabinet, probably all of the sheets tucked in a cupboard... all of those wires and gadgets, craft ribbon, baskets, jewellery,  nicknacks, bits and bobs.. and so on....sigh.

But why is it so hard to give these items up? Because my brain has been coded in a certain way.

I see a potential gift. I see a good opportunity for a family activity. I see a good homeschooling class. I see visitors. I see future recipes. I see quality time. I see a great sewing project, a rejuvenated living room. I see a hand written letter. I see a picture collage, a scrapbooking event. I see hospitality, a dinner party. I see a birthday. I see time to enjoy my family. But my time is limited. I don't have the time to experience these desires and ideas. I am a mom of small kids and my time is so sparse. 

I see rotting pumpkins and dirty skirting boards because I am too busy to do anything about them. I have decluttered yes, but I have not simplified my life truly. I am not talking about the other blogs that encourage a "10 steps to a simplified life", I'm talking about a complete freedom from the grasp of the way of the world. Is it possible?

There are so many beautiful things out there. There are so many inspiring and motivating craft ideas, clothing trends, sewing projects, bathroom ideas, books-books-books, party ideas, recipes, new gadgets, and lots of incredible and intriguing things. I cannot seem to walk into Walmart without buying something "which happens to be the coolest thing that day" and another addition to my "fun things to do" list. These beautiful things are actually robbing me, they are robbing my family and the time I have with my Lord. I can't fully create, I can't fully be present for my family, and I can't fully do a thorough job at home. Even though I have not done any of the 3 previously mentioned, I feel torn between them all and I freeze. I choose nothing. I watch my house become a mess, I see the dishes pile on top of an empty dishwasher, I did the minimal in teaching science lesson today, I see the organized craft projects on the shelf that I don't know how long it'll be before I can make them (maybe years?!). I basically freeze. My mind races, my ideas accumulate, I day dream. The home gets messy, my mind gets messy, the bathroom is messy, I trip on a toy and it sets me off. I'm shouting at the kids, I am yelling at the top of my lungs "GOD HELP ME!!!! I NEED YOU NOW, I CAN'T DO IT!" I don't want to be an angry mom that just drones on. On top of that, my nick name to myself had become "Comet".. I give a 100% on every project and new idea, diets, tradition etc..and it fades away in 2 weeks or so... on to the next new thing....and again, I go up and I go down....-Comet.

On top of managing the basics of the day, and as a homeschooling mom, I really don't have much time to tackle my ideas listed above or the time do bigger (and needed) clean ups or maintenance of the home. It's either tackle that sewing project I've been planning for 2 years or make dinner. Have a conversation with my kids or read the news online. Sit down with my hubby after the kids have gone to sleep, or organize the shed. I choose poorly and then I suffer. My home suffers and I feel anxious and uneasy. Because, I live in chaos. Decluttered chaos. Organized chaos. It's chaos.

I'm on a mission. I am going to de-itemize my home. I am going to give away, throw away, or sell a LOT! I don't know how much exactly, but all I know is that I will know, when I know, it is enough :)

I am going to get rid of things I love, I like and I probably will miss. It will hurt but I am determined.

I'm looking around now, and I see things I would hate to part from, but I have already made my decision to do it. A lot of energy is tied to items. Whether they are useful or not, they burden us. 

I encourage you to join me in de-itemizing-IN-December! Letting go, beyond the decluttering, beyond the organizing and labeling, letting go of the things around you. Become less, so He can become more in our lives. Lessen the things around you, even the beautiful things around you, so He can become more beautiful in your life.

More on De-Itemizing and De-cluttering HERE and HERE

Join me, this July 2014, on a 30 day de-itemizing challenge! Please share your experiences with me, I would love to hear!!!

My Top 10 #2

1. Shellac nail polish. I really like this stuff! I can't really afford or manage acrylic nails, so this technique really gives me a lasting polish, SHINE and it keeps my nails strong.
2. Frozen Cherries (COSTCO). I love eating these sweet delicious cherries, especially when I start craving for sweeties at night, or late in the evening.
3. Woolly socks. It's autumn, rainy, cold...
4. Juicer. After watching THIS with my hubby, we both went on a two weeks cleanse. We took this time to fast and break the unhealthy eating habits we had created. This was a great way to "kick start" our liver and kidneys and clean our tubes. We give our cars a good service once a year, why not our bodies?
5. The Shelter of God's Promises, Bible Study by Sheila Walsh
6. Hemp Hearts, the nutty omegas! On my salads, in my porridge, on my fruit and veg, in my smoothies...
7. Liver Sausage. Reminiscing my childhood and Finland. I'm home sick.
8. Herbal Medicine and Remedies, from my kitchen! I have been a busy bee, in my kitchen making "arthritis"salves, lip balms, herbal body scrubs, fruity body scrubs, "tummy-soothing" tea, nursing tea, "hot flushes and night sweats" tea, varicose vein gels, and cold feet oil. I am attending Christmas markets to sell.
9. Genesis 1:29 and 2:9 " Through a testimony of life change and challenges, Nutritional Therapist and mother of 3, Cathy Rose will talk about how to improve your health and vitality through better food choices, and deeper nutritional knowledge. In addition, Cathy will help you build a tool box of recipes, ideas and tips in order to expand your understanding and enhance your health for not only you, but for your children and whole family.
   Cathy will discuss topics such as:
   - raw food and other remedies
   - benefits of organic
   - vitamins and enzymes in food
   - food choices today"                                                                                                                            I gave a talk on this and I'm looking forward to many more coming my way. All glory to God!
10. Women's Ministry. I'm really enjoying this season of life right now, where I am able to attend a few Bible studies and ladies events at church. It's soul food. I'm blessed! 

Click here to see my Top 10 #1

Chocolate Chia and Flax Raw Cookies

Ingredients

16 medjool dates, pitted
1C raw almonds
1/2- 1C of ground chia seed and flax mix (pref.freshly grinded)
2/3 C small dark cocoa chips
hemp hearts for garnish

In a food processor, grind almonds and dates until they form a sticky paste, add in the chia and flax mixture, a tblsp at a time, until it forms into a firm ball. Hand mix in half the coco chips.

Roll into balls or spread onto a cookie sheet, half inch thick firm square. Garnish with left over chips and hemp hearts. Press them down well.

Chill for 1-2h before cutting into squares.

Oh delish!

Mango Paradise Raw Food Cookies

Ingredients

1C dried mango slices, soaked for 20minutes. (discard water afterwards)
1C raw almonds
1C millet puffs
shredded coconut for garnish

In a food processor with an S blade, chop up mango slices and almonds until they form a firm ball, still sticky. If you find your dough doesn't form into a ball, keep adding more almonds until it's just right.
Hand mix in the puffs.

Roll into balls and roll in a bowl of shredded coconut, or spread onto a cookie sheet, pressing down into a half inch square. Garnish and press down with shredded coconut.

Chill for 1-2h before cutting into pieces.

YUMMMMM!!!!!

Savour the Christmas Season -Snow Paint

Today we savoured the xmas season by painting the snow. Fantastic! I just mixed up water and food colouring and filled up the empty icing bottles.

Homemade Remedies and Cosmetics for Christmas 2013 (Tri-City Area, BC)

Papaya-Pineapple Bliss Raw Cookies

Ingredients

2/3C of dried pineapple chunks, soaked for 20 minutes

2/3C of dried papaya chunk, soaked for 20minutes

(discard water from fruit!)

1/2C -1C of hemp hearts

1C raw almonds

almond flour to garnish

In a food processor, grind almonds and fruit until they form a sticky paste, add in the hemp heart mixture, 1T at a time, until it forms into a firm ball.

Roll into balls or spread onto a cookie sheet, half inch thick firm square. Garnish with almond flour or hemp hearts. Press them down well.

Chill for 1-2h before cutting into squares.

Oh yum!