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Breaking up with Busyness

Breaking up with busyness

September is National Self-Care month. Self-care is not about massages and manicures but about doing the things that help you operate at your best self. For me, that means breaking up with busyness. For the last several months, I have been busy with no results. The things that I invest time in has not brought fulfillment. The things that my busyness is taking away from is falling by the wayside. This month I decided to self-care I need to stop being busy and do the things that are going to bring fulfillment.

Psalm 62:1 (NIV) Truly, my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

What I knew

I was taught, “idle hands are the devils’ playground.” It has stuck with me throughout my life. Still busying myself with a task, some meaningful and some meaningless.  Then, I became a mother and applied that to my children. Signing them up for classes, keeping their weekly calendar full with outings, play dates and activities.  Teaching them that they should always have something to do and not allowing them to have the time of rest or leisure. After rereading the story of Mary and Martha I came to an epiphanie- “I need to break up with busyness.”

Luke 10:41-42 (NIV) “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” 

For the first time in my adult life, I wanted to be a “Mary.” Previously, I took pride in the fact that I was an exceptional multitasker and exemplary at time management.  I realized slowing down and taking time to “be still” was an admirable trait.

Why is Busyness Applauded?

Many people are always on the go until they reach exhaustion.  Busyness is considered tremendous, and stillness is deemed to be lazy.  When we are still, we can hear God, be closer to Him, and use His guidance.

Mark 6:31-32 (NIV)
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

Are we valuing our relationships?

Being busy also keeps us from having meaningful relationships with others.  We are so wrapped up in the go-go; we aren’t fostering our communities and fellowship, which is very important.

Hebrews 10:24–25

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ball the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Are we meaningful and present in our significant relationships, like our spouse or children? Are we filling our time and presence with stuff and activities? Is it worth the stress and isolation to be task-oriented?

Three Ways I plan to break up with Busyness

  1. Say “No” more. I often say, “yes” before even thinking of how it will add or take away value from my life.  I plan on saying, “Not Yet” and “No” more and see if the situation or task will take away from my life.
  2. Get over FOMO. I often say, “Yes” because I don’t want to miss out on anything. I have always been like that but I am starting to realize that I don’t have to be part of everything and that is okay. Age brings you the wisdom I guess.
  3. Knowing my Why.  If I stayed focused on the “why” I am doing something than “what” I am doing will either have more or less meaning. Being rooted in my “why” will help me discern of the things that are meant for me.

My “Aha” Moment

The story of Mary and Martha was an epiphany for me. I discovered I wanted to fellowship, devote more time to God and my family and friends.  Have a more meaningful and present relationship with the people in my life.  It gave me permission that I needed to slow down and reduce so that I could be more like Mary. When I am planning for my children now, it’s memorable experiences versus expertise in activities. I spend quality time in the Word, with my husband daily, my family, my dog and my stress level are low.  I am living the “Mary” lifestyle and enjoying the moments instead of calculating my time. So, the last part of the year I am going to be doing less and enjoying more. This life was not meant to cram as much as we can into every hour but to enjoy every hour that we have. That’s the plan let’s see if I stick with it.

Does busy equal important? Which would you prefer the “Mary” or “Martha” lifestyle?

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Battle of Motherhood Children christian mom

Workbooks help avoid Summer Slump with TinkerActive Workbooks

This post is sponsored by TinkerActive Workbooks, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. My full Disclosure Policy

TinkerActive Workbooks are a fun way to avoid the summer slump

There are those last days of summer when the kids are bored of being home, and the school has not yet begun.  Its the perfect time to refresh on skills to get ready for back to school with some engaging interactive workbooks.  I have three children for the first time going back to school, and my kindergartner is beyond excited.  She can’t wait to ride the school bus that she has watched her sisters get on for many years.

Ready for Back to School

We are ready to begin school all we need is for it to open. So, while we wait, I thought it would be a great time to explore TinkerActive Workbooks.   These workbooks are comprehensive, curriculum-based workbooks.  Each lesson has an interactive “tinkering,” creating and engineering project connected.  These activities improve your child’s ability to reinforce the skill learned in the experience.  The lessons are also very simple and don’t always involve lots of materials you don’t already own.   We had fun, refreshing math and science skills that she will expand in kindergarten this year.

Interactive Learning

Introducing these tinkering activities was a great way to pass the time until kindergarten began.  It also increased her excitement to learn new things and skills.  I am so impressed with the TInkerActive Workbooks. We are exploring foundational skills in STEM, Common Core. The lessons in the workbook for math covered themes like classifying and sorting, counting and quantities, counting by 100 by tens, measurement, 2D & 3D shapes and basics like addition, subtraction, and place value.

 

Built-In Motivation

Every child wants recognition, and for Mimi, it’s a great motivator.  In the TinkerActive Workbook, it includes progress recognition stickers and a Final “Secret Magnetic Merit Badge” for your child once they complete the book. It was fun to find the “hidden treasure” as a reward for completing the workbook. Mimi told everyone who would listen about her “hidden treasure.”  What a fun way to reward all her explorative work.

Sending my Baby off to School

The activities were just as fun for me as it was for Mimi and an excellent way for us to bond before school begins.  My last baby is leaving the house, and I know the time will fly.  I also have a tenth grader starting school this year, and I remember the days of teaching her to read and write.  It’s bittersweet preparing my baby for school, but I know that she is going thrive this year.  Exploring with our hands and minds is fun with TinkerActive Workbook.  We just began the science workbook, and we both are excited to complete it in the afternoons after morning Kindergarten.

TinkerActive Workbooks are great education Support

If you’re looking for an activity workbook for your kindergartner, I highly recommend you check these workbooks out. It’s an excellent opportunity to engage with your child through learning and a great supplement or support for school or to avoid the summer slump. TinkerActive Workbooks can be purchased wherever books are sold. If they decide to purchase on Amazon, share your thoughts, and submit a review for TinkerActive Workbooks. 

 

How do you bridge the gap in the summer?  Does your child learn better with play-based curriculums and tinkering?

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Children christian mom Fitness and Health Mealtime Monday Product Review

Sport Snacks Ideas For Active Kids

 

I don’t remember a time I didn’t have active kids whether it was busy playing, going to the park these little divas have always been on the move.  Maybe this post should just be a snack for kids but I have some tips of especially what to snack on pre- and post activity.  For those who don’t know, I am the Mama of three little diva’s which aren’t so little anymore. The older they get the more places I have to drive them and when I am trying to think of snacks not only for my kids but for myself as well I have a small criterion.

Snacks before activity

  • Snacks should not me mindless choices to keep you occupied.
  • Pre Workout Snacks should be intentional small meals to fuel your body for the demands of the activity.
  • You should also account for proper hydration and the consumption of fluid pre and post meal and their effect on their performance.
  • Everything we put in our body has a purpose to nourish our body you should be making intentional decisions.  

What kind of snack should active kids have?

Including more than one light snack daily with an active kid is recommended.  These “light snacks” should provide a significant amount of carbohydrates which is known to be one of the primary fuel sources for highly active cells and helps to avoid gastrointestinal  (GI) issues that occur with very large meals to meet calorie needs. (Kerksic, C, Harvey T, Stout J, et al. 2015)

Your snack should also contain a protein source.  Studies reveal an improvement in both strength and body composition with frequent protein intake throughout the day; in comparison, not enough doses of protein intake.4  (Mamerow MM, Mettler JA, English KL, et al. 2014)

Things to eat pre and post workout:

The snacks that you choose pre and post workout need to help optimize glycogen stores and maintain glucose levels so the body is ready to adapt to the needs of training.  The closer you get to your training session the meal should be smaller and less protein, fat and fiber but not too small that you get hungry during your workout.

You also don’t want a snack that is too large because it can give you those gastrointestinal issues (GI) during your training.  Snacks should also be high in carbohydrates. You want foods that are high-glycemic because they are easier to digest and enters the bloodstream faster.7

Pre- Activity

30-60 minutes Prior:

Eating too heavy can put your child’s digestive system on overload. It’s best to leave the heavy meal hours prior to activity or afterward.

Drinks that are Ideal for Pre Activity

Some better choices in Pre and post-activity drinks are drinks that are high in dietary nitrates. For example, beet and cherry (for the flavor) juice prior to a workout is a better alternative to drinks on the market. Beet juice is a high source of nitrates, polyphenols (a great source of great source antioxidants). Cherry juice is also a common pre-workout for the positive performance benefits it has during exercise activity.  (Jones AM, Vanhatalo A, Bailey SJ.2013) 

Can you snack during exercise?

Most children don’t need to snack for the workout are moderate intensity and last up to 90 minutes. Endurance-type or high-intensity sports lasting longer than 60 to 90 minutes you need to try to get in at least 30-60g of protein within the hour to help extend endurance performance but again that is dependent on your child’s activity.  It also acceptable to consume carbohydrates during exercises for children who are not well-nourished or didn’t have a pre-workout snack.  That is also something that you should speak to your pediatrician. 

Ideas of during-exercise snacks, as tolerated:

  1. MomSanity Branch Chain Amino Acids 
  2. Applesauce Pouches
  3. Bananas
  4. Crackers

What do I feed my active kids after a “workout”?

After a workout, I want to get protein and carbohydrates in at least 30-45 minutes after the girls finish their activity. It is very important to help them recover and I think what they eat is important. It’s also larger than their pre-workout snack because they just burned lots of calories and are usually feisty hungry. 

Ideas of post-exercise snacks:

  • Momsanity CRAVE in  Milk
  • Nuzest Fruit and Veg Smoothie
  • Greek yogurt with banana
  • Cottage Cheese and Apple
  • High protein cereal with milk and fruit
  • Egg on English muffin, fruit
  • Lean meat or peanut butter sandwich,
  • Raisins
  • Dates and Almond Butter
  • Hard Boiled Eggs and Baby Carrots

The Worst Snacks for Active Kids

I think that it can be really simple to fuel your active kids. Ultimately, when considering choosing snacks for your active child not to choose only processed sports foods as snacks. When only highly processed sports foods replace whole foods at snack time, a great opportunity to consume fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals is missed. Eat real food and limit the junk.

My biggest tip would be when thinking of nutrition be intentional, not mindless. Eat well and eat often and try to make quality, intentional nutrition choices.

What are some snacks that you serve your active kids?

You can grab your Nuzest products here! Click on the coupon and enter “FAITHFUELED” in the promo/coupon code to receive 15% off any regular priced items. Cannot be used on Bundles.

I am a Nuzest Ambassador and I make a commission from my affiliate link as well as other affiliate links that I am partnered.  I recommend this product but if I didn’t I would tell you. My full disclosure policy is here. 

Reference:
  1. Burke L. Practical Sports Nutrition. Human Kinetics; 2007. Print
  2. Kerksic, C, Harvey T, Stout J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. J Intl Soc Sports Nutr. 2008;17. Accessed January 5, 2015.
  3. Carlsohn A, Nippe S, Heydenreich J, Meyer F. Carbohydrate intake and food sources of junior triathletes during a moderate and an intensive training period. Int J of Sports Nutr Exerc Metab. 2012;22:438-443. Print
  4. Mamerow MM, Mettler JA, English KL, et al. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. J Nutr. 2014;144::876-880. Print.
  5. Phillips S, Bandini LG, Naumova EN, et al. Energy-dense snack food intake in adolescence: longitudinal relationship to weight and fatness obesity research. Obesity Res. 2004;12:461-472. Print.
6.Andrea Q. Vintro, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, owner of Nutrition Logic, LLD in Portland, OR.
  1. Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SHS, Jeukendrup AE. “Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci, 2011;29 (suppl1): S17-S27. Print.
  2. van Loon LJC. Role of dietary protein in post-exercise muscle reconditioning. Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2013;75:73-83. Print.
  3. Spiegel K, Tasali E, Leproult R, van Cauter E. Effects of poor and short sleep on glucose metabolism and obesity risk. Nature Rev Endocrinol. 2009;5:253-261, Print
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Faith & Self Care Family Gluten Free Mealtime Monday Sugar Detox

Gluten Free Expo 2017

It’s that time of year again the air is getting cooler and crisp. The lil divas are back in school and despite whether we want to or not the Holiday’s are quickly approaching. It’s the perfect time for the Gluten Free Expo to come to town.  Last year, my sister and I were able to explore all the newest allergy friendly items from food to skin care.  It was a great opportunity to see all that Gluten-free has to offer. Also, to get some ideas for my gluten-free holiday baking which went well last year. I have been mostly Gluten Free for two years.  I have my slip ups, and I always suffer, and that is why I am grateful for how far gluten-free has come in the marketplace.  Now, not all gluten-free items some are still made of way too many processed ingredients. You can find some quality products if you look hard enough.  That is a great reason to come to the gluten-free expo it’s like a try and find all the newest and great allergy-friendly finds.  Last year, I discovered some treats that my family uses today.

This year I am really excited because the entire family is mostly allergy friendly now.  We found that living a gluten-free/allergy friendly diet has helped all of my daughters with their seasonal allergies and digestive issues and allowed me to stop making two meals. The only way this can be possible sometimes if we amazing gluten-free and allergy-friendly products that don’t make you miss Gluten or other allergens.

Last year, I discovered BFree Foods and Udi bread which is my go-to for my girls.  It tastes pretty great and it’s gluten-free, AND it doesn’t have a lot of junk in the ingredients label.  I also learned some great, baking tips from some of the vendors.  Another thing that I have been considering is the household and skincare products that we used. I never realized how many skincare products contain wheat until my allergies which has a direct effect on my complexion.  I find that when I use products without wheat, I have clearer skin and don’t have itchy flare-ups. For my teenage daughter using wheat-free skincare products has also cleared her skin she rarely has flair ups or outbreaks any longer. I also contribute wheat free hygienic products to my younger daughters no longer have eczema issues which I have written about before too.  It’s funny how eliminating one common culprit can improve your quality of life.

The beauty about expo’s online google that you get to try, smell and taste everything right there and talk to the exhibitors who produce the products. Some of the stories on how it has helped their families or where the product came from can be inspiring as well as mind-blowing on how changing your food can change your life.Is your family Gluten Free or Allergy Friendly? Would you consider trying it and why?

Is your family Gluten Free or Allergy Friendly? Would you consider trying it and why?

If you’re in the Seacacus, NJ area in October 14-15th, I am giving away TWO Tickets to gain access to the Expo.  Winners will be announced on 10/1/17 for TWO 1 Day Adult Passes. Enter below for a chance to win! I hope to get to meet you at the event!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also get your tickets at a 20% discount with code “ADVANCE” until October 13th. 

 

 

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Children Family Family Projects

A Night to Dare to Dream

My Full Disclosure Policy

Dare to dream!

What happens to a dream deferred? When you were a child, I am sure that you had a lot of dreams for your adult life. Some were nonsensical like you want to live in a house made out of chocolate. As you got older your dreams became more realistic, you want to be a celebrity athlete or president of the United States.  We all are dreamers at some point in our lives. Some people are bold enough to pursue those dreams, others forget their dreams or defer them because they let their current situation get in the way and then there are those who dream for their entire lives and never put it into action.

Why is that? Why do some people have the freedom pursue while others get stuck just dreaming? Is it that they never received the skills to dream? Is it that no one gave them the resources they needed to attempt their dream. Or someone in their life told them that dreamers were for nighttime sleep and once the sun comes out they need to put those dream back to bed.

 

A Night to Dream

Last Thursday was one of those nights that are good for the soul. I was invited to the Disney Social media Mom celebration, and as soon as I RSVP’d, I was excited I had no idea what to expect but to be in a room full of Magic was all I needed to look forward.  The night was great to see other bloggers I hadn’t seen in a while and some that I had just hung out with in Vegas for the last few days.  It was a great room of familiar faces one face that stood out from the crowd immediately in a room of mostly women was a young well dressed young man whom I later got to know as Jordan.  He was well poised but very young, so I was immediately curious to meet him.

Disney Dreamer Alum Are Making Dreams Come True

Some people’s presence simply shines, and Jordan is one of those people.  I later found out that he is the alum of a decade old organization called Disney Dreamer’s Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine.  Have you ever heard of the DDA? Until Thursday I was unaware of the opportunities that Disney has been providing our youth to dream. Steve Harvey himself has a very active role in speaking and working with the Disney Dreamer Academy Participants.

The Disney Dreamer’s Academy is something that my daughter Kyhia will be applying for before October 31, 2017, and I encourage you to share this with any dreamer that you may know the ages of 13-17 or high school student.  Dreams are not meant to be contained in dream catchers. In our world of technology, dreams are leading to significant innovations in our society as well as easing hardship for many people all over the world.  Containing a dream is a dangerous thing these days, and that’s why hearing what Walt Disney World has been doing for the last decade needs to be shared with everyone.

Word from an Alum

Jordan Williams owner of Young Mogul Brand according to their website is “an urban clothing line that promotes teen entrepreneurship with positivity through clothing wear.” Jordan is a great example of the potential that is happening with our youth and the encouragement and influence that they can have on our world. Jordan comes from Atlanta, Georgia where from a young age he inherited his father entrepreneurial ambitions. By the time he was a senior in High School not only was he an excellent student but he had three business’ under his belt and currently the owner of a brand for youth entrepreneurs.

Jordan applied for the Disney Dreamers Academy after seeing the effect of the program on his best friend and business partner returned motivated and inspired to follow his dream. Brandon (Jordan’s best friend) encouraged Jordan to apply.  Thousands of teens apply every year, and Walt Disney World and Steve Harvey chooses 100 applicants to attend Disney Dreamers Academy.

 

What happens at Disney Dreamer Academy?

These candidates go to Walt Disney World for four days and learn how to dream; they have a full itinerary working with DDA Alum, professional dreamers, and networking among each other. Exploring what it is to dream truly and how to make those dreams come true. Discovering potential career opportunities in all fields from computers, animations, culinary whatever your little dreamer is dreaming WDW is providing hands on experiences for these high school student.  Walt Disney along with Steve Harvey is empowering our youth to look past what they are given and see what they aspire to have and be.  I love that this 10-year organization has this opportunity for any highschooler with a dream to apply.

Can anyone apply?

The application process is seamless and straightforward. It has three questions for the applicant to share their dream. No high school transcripts required, no letter of recommendations the screening criteria is if you have a dream and if you can articulate those dreams. I am a big dreamer my husband not so much he often gets grounded in reality. I think this opportunity to show my thirteen-year-old Kyhia that not only is it okay to dream but there are other dreamers out there like you.  I want her to get the opportunity to begin to meet the dreamers and the doers of our future. I also want her to know what and how to accomplish her dreams.  We have applied for this year, and it’s not too late for you too.  Application deadlines are October 31, 2017, and you can begin by applying here.

A great night full of laughs

It was so nice to get dressed up have a delicious meal and meet people who are dreamers and doers. It is also exciting to think that my daughter has an opportunity to meet 99 other dreamers who are going to eventually make an impact on our world.  We must encourage our children to dream big, bold and without limits. It’s been proven that dreams do come true for those who only dare to dream.  What are you cultivating in your little dreamer’s life? Fulfillment?

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