Archive | February 2014

Measuring beans

I use this chart when making beans. It helps me to not end up making a huge amount that will end up being wasted:

My annual OB/Gyn visit and HOT FLASHES relief!!

So I headed out to go for my lovely pap-smear at my OB/Gyn’s office last week. My doctor is fantastic. She sat there and talked to me for about 30 minutes before she ever started the actual exam.

Once she was ready for me to get into position for the pap-smear, wouldn’t you know it??? I got a CHARLEY-HORSE in my right leg!!! Talk about BAD TIMING!!! (I have to admit — it WAS funny!)

Since I’ve been having at least one hot flash every 30 minutes, she wanted to put me on hormones. (I had 2 or 3 of them while in her office.) However, hubby and I weren’t comfortable with that.

hot flashes photo: Hot Flashes HotFlash.jpg

I have been taking Menopause Essentials from Swanson Vitamins, but they don’t seem to be working as well as they did when I first started them. After reading a book on other natural choices, I decided to add evening primrose oil. So I took 2 of them one night before bed, then took another one the next morning. The result was IMMEDIATE!!! I only had ONE hot flash that day! That is nothing short of AMAZING!!!

It’s been four days now, and I have only had one or two hot flashes a day.

Gods at War

Feb16

So, I invited you to come back today to see how my multi-tasking came back to “bite” me. Well, I read an absolutely FANTASTIC book — as in, one of the BEST BOOKS I’VE EVER READ. It was:

So, I’m reading the book, getting convicted of some things from the very beginning of the book. However, when I got to the chapter entitled “The God of Achievement,” I noticed that I relaxed a bit because I was thinking, “Oh, this doesn’t come close to fitting me because I’m not trying to climb some corporate ladder and stepping on people in the process.”

The author describes how many people love to make to-do lists, and take great pride in conquering those lists. After all, we like to do things that can be seen and noticed by others. Umm…yes, I do. (sigh) Busted again!!! In fact, he even had the audacity to ask, “How often do you intend to spend time with God, only to find at the end of the day, that it’s the one thing on your list that you never got around to?” (Umm, yes, I understand. That question made me cringe too.)

While I was deeply convicted over and over throughout the book, it was a much-needed book. I realized that I was getting too caught up in things of this world (some of which were actually GOOD things), but their position on my priority list had gotten out of order.

I feel much more “balanced” after having read the book. My focus has changed a lot this week, as well as my attitude. I’ve noticed that my joy has increased and I have a deeper sense of peace in my heart.

If you haven’t read the book yet, put it at the top of your priority list!! It is a must-read!

Conquering my to-do list

Feb16

A few weeks ago, I posted about what all I managed to get done on my day off. A fellow blogger commented about how much I manage to get done after working some 12 hour shifts. There is a method to my “madness,” as you can see here:

While waiting on my 50-year-old body to loosen up in the morning before doing my workout, I will start tackling my to-do list. After my work out, I need to cool down before showering, so once again, I work on tasks that don’t require a whole lot of physical activity. It might be washing the dishes or making my facial cleanser while cooling down. If you stay focused, it is amazing what you can accomplish in only 15-20 minutes!

Before starting school stuff with my dd, I might get something baking in the oven so I can still multi-task while working with her on school.

If you could hear the talk going on inside my head, you’d probably laugh at me! It’s all part of being a multi-tasker. My brain is constantly thinking of ways to get as much accomplished as quickly and easily as possible. When I work weekends, and things are slower, I will bring things from home to do — like menu planning, making a grocery list, balancing our checkbooks, home school planning, etc. That way, when I am home, I have more freedom to be present in body AND spirit.

Move forward to this week’s day off:

did laundry
boiled 3.5 pounds of chicken breasts
had my yearly OB/gyn check-up (come back in a few days to hear a hilarious story from that day, as well as a huge turnaround with hot flashes)
went to the bank
went to two grocery stores
worked out
made smoothies
made banana bread
got my clothes ready for the next 3 days
got evening meals planned out/written out for dh and dd for when I would be working two 12-hour shifts,
took a nap
washed dishes at least four times
did Bible study

This is my weekend off work. I did the main thing on my to-do list: I SLEPT IN! And I also took a nap this afternoon. I also cleaned out the pantry closet this evening. I wish I would have taken a before and after picture. It looks FANTASTIC!!!

Now, I have to admit, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I can tackle my to-do lists, especially when those lists are really long. However, check back tomorrow to see how my multi-tasking came back to “bite” me.

Monthly Menu Planning

Feb15

Here is how I do my monthly menu planning. (It will help if you have a deep freezer, but you can still do it without that luxury.)

1. I watch the meat sales. When I find something on sale that we use frequently, I stock up and put it in my deep freezer.

2. Once I get my monthly work schedule, I write my shifts on a calendar for that month.

3. Next, I will take an inventory of the meat I have in the freezer. I use stroke tallies (omitting the diagonal one when I reach five). The reason for this is that as I start plugging in meals on my calendar, I use a diagonal stroke to mark off each meat so that I know what I have left for my menu planning.

Here is an example of my inventory sheet:

4. I get my recipe books together, my calendar, a blank sheet for my grocery list, and a cup of coffee. I head to my favorite spot in the family room and get busy planning.

5. As I write in a meal for each day, I check the recipe books to see what ingredients I still need from the store. I write that on my grocery list.

Here is a photo of my menu plan, once finished:

It doesn’t take too long to do this, and it GREATLY reduces my stress level for the month because:

I don’t have to think about what I’m going to make.
Once I do my monthly grocery shopping, I have most of the ingredients for the month (minus things like milk, bread, produce, that I have to buy frequently.)
I save time, money, and energy because I’m not running to the store several times a week.

Menu Planning (creatingmybalancedlife.wordpress.com)
Grocery game (makingthetrek.wordpress.com)

A Great Combo……

Feb7

After I got off work yesterday, I came home and asked dd if she wanted to get out of the house for a bit before the bitter cold hit us again. (She has had a bad case of cabin fever.)

We started off our excursion with stopping at the gas station to get some coffee. After running several errands, we stopped at Little Caesar’s to get pizza and bread sticks. By the time we got home, I was pretty loaded with caffeine from the coffee and feeling very happy.

We spent the evening watching Ridiculousness on TV and laughing. I have to say — drinking a lot of coffee, followed with watching that show made for some excessive laughing and a lot of fun!!! What a great combo! I needed a good dose of laughing for a change. It did my body and my mental frame of mind a LOT of good!!!

Foamy Hand Sanitizer

Feb5

Foamy hand sanitizer

I was looking for a recipe to do the foamy hand sanitizer since mine is out. Here is what I found:

The Recipe

To make your sanitizer work, you will need a foaming dispenser, a small amount of liquid soap, and alcohol. Fill your bottle with ½ centimeter (about 1/4 inch) liquid hand soap and fill the rest of the bottle with isopropyl alcohol. You may even need less soap. Foaming hand dispensers vary in how much soap is necessary, so experiment a bit.

A Natural Alternative

A study in the International Journal of Food Microbiology showed that lemon and vinegar were nearly as effective at reducing salmonella as alcohol. If you would like a natural alternative hand sanitizer, you could try filling your foam dispenser with a very small amount of liquid soap, with the rest of the bottle filled with a mixture of half lemon juice and half vinegar.