Monday, January 2, 2017

Im an ALMOSTER.......

I just got done watching in inspirational you tube video from Patricia Keele and it really hit home that I am an almoster!!

I get ideas and inspirations that I am super into! I do all the research, read all the books, watch all the documentaries, youtube videos, read the skeptics responses, and usually half ass start. But I don't commit to 100%

Take for instance my holistic healing journey. I learned so much and incorporated lots of things into my life, but if someone said hey lets go get a beer and burger and fries I'd say "yes lets do it!" My husband is a junk food junky and I always made sure he'd have his junk food. Or I'd eat a fabulous lunch with white bread or follow it up with a snack of doritos. SO I ALMOST healed myself holistically, or I ALMOST ate paleo, I was ALMOST a clean eater ect.

Well friends I am sick of being an ALMOSTER..... I am going to be a DOER!

Today I am doing it. I am cooking and meal prepping, and cleaner, and planning, and doing laundry, and making SHIT HAPPEN! 

Sunday, January 1, 2017

2016 review and 2017 goals

I love new years! I actually love new days, weeks, and months... They all have motivation in different ways for me. I like the feel of starting fresh, and I particularly like reflecting and improving! Its what's kept me going and not giving up on myself! I fail a lot and at most things I try. But I always try again. I like that about myself. I also get frustrated with myself about just that. In fact when I was reflecting on 2016 I felt really down about myself. Because I spent the ENTIRE year trying to lose weight and get healthy. I went up and down about a 15 pound range through out the course of the year and over all I ended up right in the middle of that range which is where I started 2017!!!! So that was an extremely depressing thought. I tried to go paleo and it lasted about 3 months. And honestly I rarely had days in which I didn't cheat on something. Then I was thinking about my financial goals and again it felt a bit stagnant. I am about where I was last year! We paid off taxes and our medical debt but the same debt accumulated again! We paid off my husbands credit card, but then mine accumulated.... again I felt a bit depressed over 2016 financial stagnations. My biggest goal was to get pregnant in 2016. That did not happen...... more depression. But yet when I generically feel the feels of 2016 it feels good. Why? Because 2015 I was stressed and in 2016 I was much less stressed! I work 50 hours a week, 5 days a week, running an in home daycare, and I also am the main person running my household and family responsibilities. That is a lot going on and a lot of stress!!! 2015 was a VERY stressful year for me in terms of my business and running my household. A few things just slipped. I really pulled myself out of those trenches in 2016. God worked out a few things for me and I learned a LOT. Thats huge right!!?? In general I am happy in everyday living and I am extremely happy with my business right now. My first year of daycare was good, but I was learning so much my head was spinning. Then 2nd year of daycare I thought I had it all set, but instead I dealt with some serious stress and my personal life suffered for it. But I am so happy to say 2016 it all turned around!! I even learned how to plan and got really into my planner and utilizing that, and starting to be on top of managing my household again. But low and behold 2017 is on us and now its time to tackle those health and financial goals. And maybe just maybe a BABY!

MY END OF YEAR BREAK DOWN
When I was reflecting on 2016 and my short comings in the health area of my life I was praying out loud and really breaking down. God spoke to me in those moments this week. I realized all my struggles are really crucial to me learning and growing. I also feel like I have a calling to help other mothers out there. I don't know why or how, but I feel it. And in order to help them I need to know what its like to struggle. But now is my time to do this. Now is my time to get healthy and only God will carry me through this. I need to fully rely on God in order to be successful. I cannot do this alone. I need God to help me. I also realized I gained a couple of huge wins. I was able to to lower my thyroid numbers to 2.5 naturally and also the biggest thing is I started getting my period again! every 33-40 days! I was at 70+ day cycles. I may not be ovulating yet, but its a great start!

MY HEALTH AND WELLNESS PLAN
I am once again going on a holistic journey to heal my body. Round 2 baby lets do this! I've been inspired by this lifestyle and learning a lot about it for 5 years now. But I can't seem to get the hang of 100% applying this to my life. I am not going to go on a labeled diet. But I am going to try to heal my leaky gut, cleanse my liver, and reduce my candida over growth. This will entail going on a GAPS type of diet. But I am not following those rules per say. I am using a program through Dr. Axe to guide me in those specifics. My main resource is going to be God. I am going to pray for his strength to carry me through this. My daughter is developing some food intolerances and displaying signs of leaky gut herself. So I have my keeper of my heart to motivate me to keep on with this this time. I also know that i will go through a detox period and I am totally scared. But I am going to keep faith that I can do this. My hubby is nervous about what the heck we are going to be eating, but he is on board as long as I buy him junk food to keep in his basement..... I am going to do it. I can't control his choices.
As far as measurable outcomes my goal will be 90% clean eating and I would like to be Dairy and Gluten Free. I 'd like to see dramatic gut health improvement in both Bryn and myself. I'd also like to see ovulation, but that's God will I suppose. Weight loss I'd like to see at least 30 pounds go. But I am trying not to focus on that. I just need to get the hang of what I can eat and fit working out into my schedule. 

MY FINANCIAL PLAN 
I need to get ahead of the game to get out of the same cycle I'm in with Taxes and Medical Debt. With my ear condition and infertility medical debt is going to be a norm.
This year I want to pay off all credit cards (we only have 1 we owe on)
Pay monthly for 2017 tax year and set up a payment plan to pay off what we will owe for 2016
Set up a medical debt plan for 2018 to get a savings account. For 2017 I just need to manage the debt. I won't be able to rid our family of medical debt this year unfortunately. That will be 2018.
Stick to monthly budget plans 

MY HOME MANAGEMENT PLANS
Stay on top of our mail
Stay on top of our daily routines and cleanings
Fully utilize planner
declutter basement and garage
north side of house landscaping
finish backyard DIY landscaping 
make habit a good basement cleaning routine
laundry........

Daycare 
Stay present and prepared and utilize naps for PCI and accounting needs. Keep everyone's happiness including my own first and foremost in all decisions and make tough decisions when I need to when it affects the happiness of myself or any of the children in my care. 

Flu Shot Tea and other cold remedies

I have been freaking sick FOREVER. It started in October with throat drainage and mild sore throat. Right before my Surgery it devloped into a small dry cough. After my surgery I got a fever and a nasty chest cold. 4 weeks later and I still have a nasty chest cold that is getting better and worse again! I'm over it! Kicking this this cold to the curb! Why I didn't get serious sooner is beyond me!
Vitamin C and D and omegas
Nac 600
probiotics
garlic pills
Peppermint essential oil on chest and diffusing the trio lemon lavender peppermint. I am also using a Young Living blend called Breath again. It is lemon eucalyptus and few other things all blended. 
lots of herbal teas ( like ginger tea, throat coat tea, dandelion root tea, peppermint tea)
AND FLU SHOT TEA I just made!

First comes the Paste
I personally did not measure the amounts I dumped into the jar so these are approximate measurements

1 heaping tbls of tumeric I used dry powder because my grocery did not have fresh root to grate
1 heaping tbls of grated ginger root
the zest of 1 lemon
the juice of quarter of a lemon
a minced clove of garlic
a pinch of black pepper
a few dashes of cayenne
then I poured honey over it all to make a paste.



When I made my tea I took a heaping tbls of paste and poured hot water over it. Then I stirred and enjoyed. It was really good!