A blogging buddy asked me to address this topic and I'm a bit squeamish for two reasons:  a)  HSB is a family friendly arena and while this topic certainly affects the family, I'm not sure I want little ones reading this and asking their mommies what that timetoshare lady was talking about, and b) It's a totally new area of life that I myself am just now beginning to enter and think about, so I'm no expert.   Having said that, here's the best way I can handle this:

   First, if you are a young person under 18 years old, please hit the random button or find another blog to read today. I promise you're not missing anything of interest to you...in fact it's only of interest to me and other women my age because we have to learn it...kind of how you probably feel about algebra.  If you are a male 18 years or older, unless your wife is in this stage of life, you're probably going to be bored stiff with this stuff.

   Second, these are just sites that I've found that look interesting to me in my own quest for information on this topic, I cannot endorse the accuracy of any of them.  And, I will only use the letters M and P for the stages of life being referred to out of respect for our family friendly blogging neighborhood.

   Ok, my blogging buddy, as per your request, here's what I've found so far:

Q's and A's on M and P from Quest Diagnostics Patient Health Library

 Medem's Medical Library Articles on Women's Healthy and M

Women's Health.gov  M & M Treatments (no it's not telling you to eat M & M's...althought that might help somewhat! )

Women's Health.gov M & Hormone Therapy

Aneas.net Women Health M

Medceu.com course: M

WebMD: M & P

About.com Women's Health: M, P, and Surgical M

Home & Family Network.com/health/M

  These  links will  at least get us started on understanding what we're on the threshold of or already in the midst of.

The following came from a Weight Watcher's group that I belong too.  I haven't browsed each site thoroughly, but did check each link to make sure they worked.  This is a recipe carnival.   Enjoy!

Weight Watcher recipes:
with points and or nutrition listed

http://aimeesadventures.com
http://joycesfinecooking.com/weightwatchers.htm
http://recipecircus.com/recipes/awsum34/
http://halfmysize.com
http://geocities.com/CrispyRice/WW/wwindx.html
http://ca911chick.com/recipes.html
http://cookbookswelove.com/free_recipes.htm
http://jaimeskitchen.com
http://d21c.com/Seabird44/recipes/
http://shadesofjaim.com/recipes
http://livinglowfat.com
http://hawaiidon.iblogs.com
http://freewebs.com/wenders123/recipes.htm
http://mrstia.proboards45.com/index.cgi
http://stormpc.com/ww/
http://barbosdietkitchen.com/archive.pl
http://shortmomto2.tripod.com/id13.html
http://auntpurplescooking.com/Recipes.htm
http://recipecircus.com/recipes/krwact/
http://recipecircus.com/recipes/bjwarren123/
http://dwlz.com/recipeTOC.html
http://p067.ezboard.com/bkellysweightwatcherrecipes
http://saksfamily.no-ip.com/crockpot.html
http://waynewatcher.com/Recipies.html
http://recipegoldmine.com/ww/ww.html
http://recipezaar.com/mycookbook/book/30696
http://floras-hideout.com/recipes/lf-ALL.html
http://donnita.com/journal/100FavoriteRecipesindex.htm
www.fbnr.com
http://nancyskitchen.com/
http://groups.msn.com/WeightWatchersRecipesTips
http://getting2goal.com/recipes/food.php
http://oduamy.com/lighten_up.html
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/
http://www.3fatchicks.com
http://charlie-d.com/sswanke/WWRecipes/ww.htm
http://yvesveggie.com/recipes.php
http://anitasrecipes.com/
http://angelfire.com/journal/wwrecipes/
http://bitsyskitchen.com/kitchen.html
http://cooken.com/WeightWatchers.htm
http://geocities.com/alta_mom3boyz/light.html
http://bhg.com/recipe/
http://healthdiscovery.net/recipes/index.html
http://healthrecipes.com/homemade_beauty_recipes.htm
http://aicr.org/information/recipe/entrees.lasso
http://cookinglight.com

  Here are a few sites for some healthy/healthier recipes:

    Cooks.com lo-fat recipes

    http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-21,lo_fat,FF.html

     foodfit.com

    http://www.foodfit.com/cooking/cooking.asp

       innerself.com

      http://www.innerself.com/recipes/

      bhg.com

      http://www.bhg.com/home/Healthy-Recipes.html      

       healthy.betterrecipes.com

       http://healthy.betterrecipes.com/

       applesforhealth.com

       http://www.applesforhealth.com/recipes1.html

  If anyone has been following this blog since Jan. 1, you might have noticed that I took down my "today's challenges" link.  I hated that I didn't complete so many of my goals with seemingly so little to show for the "why" of not completing those goals.  In doing so, I robbed myself of some great initiative.  With keeping my list posted, I was much more motivated even if I failed at meeting my goals.  Without my list, I'm back to "fail to plan, plan to fail".

   So, I spent last night journaling what I did the past two days, and sure enough, our home project is a major time robber.  But unlike just guessing that was the problem, I was able to see that while it is a time robber, we were really getting important must-do things done...things that never made it on my list.

   Which leaves me thinking that not only does it pay to write down my daily food exercise, work, and spiritual goals, but to include in writing what I actually ate, the things that I actually did...in detail.

    Anyhow, this must seem like a very rambly post, but I'm going back to writing my spiritual/ food/exercise/work goals and my actuals each day.  I'm not sure whether I'm going back to making them public (to registered members) or not, but I am definitely going back to journaling. 

    An added bonus (that I realized last night) is that we will have (albeit  mainly at the end of the journey) a written record of these days.

    How about you?  Does journaling your food/exercise/work goals help you stay focused?  Any tips you've found that make your journaling an even better tool?

We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads.

So I'm not fat, I'm just really intelligent and my head couldn't hold anymore so it started filling up the rest of me!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

  For some good thoughts/reminders on having good spiritual health, click HERE.

  I know many bloggers here at HSB have stopped by Erin's blog and prayed for her and her family as well as leaving words of encouragement.  If you haven't yet read what her family is facing, please take a minute to do so.  I know their family appreciates all the prayers and encouraging words on their behalf.

   Do you love to exercise or hate it?  It seems most people enjoy it once they make up their minds and find the time to do it, but...and that's always the problem, the "but".  We all have good intentions, but the bottom line is for whatever reason we usually have a hard time making up our minds and finding the time.  Here are some sites that list various fun ways to exercise in the hopes that if the exercise if more appealing to our fun side, we'll actually do it.

  Check these out and see how many you'd like to try.  Then start scheduling some of them in.  Find an exercise partner who likes the same kinds of activities and schedule to do them together.  Don't forget that some people love competition, others want to just enjoy being together without competition.  Also take into consideration any physical restrictions, ie. back and knee problems.

   One more thought, as homeschooling parents, we can always include the kids.  Exercise doesn't ever seem boring for them and with them.  They have the delightful way of making almost anything fun.

   Here are the sites:

Large and Lovely: Have Fun and Exercise     http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art5473.asp

About.com  Making it Fun (Exercise)

http://beauty.about.com/od/makingitfunexercise/

AARP Walking: Putting Fun into Exercise (although written for AARP, this is a wonderful article for anyone looking for ways to make walking more fun)

http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/walking/a2004-06-04-walking-fun.html?aboutMembership=about

TimesDispatch.com  Nutrition: Yes Exercise Can be Fun in Right Place  (another article with unique and varied ideas)

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783549250&path=!flair&s=1045855936229

KidsHealth: for Kids   It's Time to Play

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/what_time.html

About.com  Add Fun to Your Workouts with an Exercise Ball

http://exercise.about.com/b/a/021404.htm

About.com  Women's Health   Enjoying Physical Activity - Ways to Have Fun Getting Fit

http://womenshealth.about.com/od/fitnessandhealth/a/exercisefun.htm

SparkPeople Fitness Articles: Ways to Make Fitness Fun

http://sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=276

Baptist Memorial Health Care: Fitness Should Be Fun

http://www.bmhcc.org/health/library/exer3102.asp

For New Moms and Their Baby's  - check out StrollerFit

http://www.strollerfit.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=C3CE1B00-AD30-5EB8-23F64127F72EBE9C

So...what do you do to make exercise fun?  What activities does your family do together?

  Since we've set our getting healthy goals,  I'm looking for any tips that will help us.  Today, at Amy Beth's blog I was so surprised to see that I've been weighing myself incorrectly all this time.  Be sure and check out the correct way to weigh.

  Be sure and let me know what you think.

  I saved the most important factor in overall health until last.  After praying and considering this over the past few weeks, I feel these are the areas the Lord would have me to focus more on:

   1) Spending more time in prayer that's specific for our children.  As they grow older and face so many decisions and challenges as young adults, newly married adults, college and high school adults, I see how important it is to stay on my knees on their behalf.  In so many ways, the younger years are easier...they are more difficult physically, but the older years are more difficult as you begin to let them go and observe them as they begin to make decisions and choices for themselves.

   2) Working on developing word/topical studies in the Bible.

   3)  Memorizing scripture...this is a toughie for me, I have a very hard time memorizing anything word for word...I remember the gist just fine...but I really want to remember the verses in their entirety and accurately.

   What are your spiritual health/growth goals this year?

And speaking of the year  -   Happy New Year's!

  As a homeschooling mom, you might be laughing hysterically at that question...but seriously, part of good health is getting enough sleep.  To read more about that subject read here: getting enough sleep.

  Since this blog is dedicated to overall good health, I thought it appropriate to share this link regarding kids listening to loud music on their I-Pods or similiar devices where they use ear buds.

  I believe that continuing to exercise our minds is as important as (maybe moreso) exercising our bodies.  This past year I took advantage of my before-bed reading time to add in ten minutes of reading something to edify me spiritually or to grow me educationally. ( It always amazes me what can be accomplished in a consistent, daily, practice of 10 minutes a day!)

  I plan to continue that discipline, but additionally, this year I want to learn a new skill of either quilting or gardening....I may get the nerve to try both :)

  For quilting, I plan to take a class.  I'm waiting until we make our move to see what I can find more local to our new address.

  For gardening, I'm hoping to learn from a friend who will also be my next-door neighbor.

  One other thing I plan to continue making time for is my photography.  My husband has already planned a date with me to go into some neighboring country areas to get some country photos done.

   What areas mentally/educationally are you planning to improve upon or learn from scratch?

  What are your favorite sources for healthy recipes?  I'd love to hear about your favorite healthy cookbooks, web sites, magazines, etc.  Thanks for sharing!

I don't usually post forwards on my blogs (my other blog is HERE), but felt this was so appropriate for the lifestyle changes we are planning on making.  It's good to remember that it's those daily, small steps that will add up to an overall lifestyle change.  I wish I knew who to credit this with, if anyone knows, please pass the name along to me so I can give the person credit.

The Daffodil Principle:

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

 Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these cloudsand fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

 My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'mheading for home!" I assured her.

"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car."

"How far will we have to drive?"

 "Oh..just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "But I'll drive. I'm used to  this."

After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!" "We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn

smiled, "by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself ifyou miss this experience."

 After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped.

  Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and it's surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "

 She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands,two feet,and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

  For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top.

  Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort,we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

 "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!" My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said. She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

   Ok...you've taken the first step and agreed you want to get healthier in spirit, mind, and body.  Now, the question is how to take the plunge.  If you wait until Jan. 1, 2006 to figure out the plan of action, you are planning to start the year off  with procrastination and ultimately defeat.

  So, here are some steps to help you get ready:

 1) Pray and seek the Lord's counsel for what areas to work on and how to go about it.

 2) Start gathering your needed supplies and put them in a spot that will be conducive to getting your goal accomplished.  For instance, if there's a certain Bible study you've been wanting to go through, gather your Bible, the study books, paper, pens, highlighters, etc. and put them into a pretty basket by the spot you'll be doing your study. 

   Let's say you want to work on being more hospitable, gather a few tried and true recipes (unless you're very comfortable trying new recipes on guests),  your shopping list,  the names of those you want to invite with their addresses and phone numbers, invitations/note paper, and calendar into one space.  Then you will be ready to plan the kind of get-together that you've been desiring to have.

   Maybe you're ready to change your eating habits, then now's the time to gather healthy recipes and start planning menus and shopping lists. It's also the time to clean out the cupboards of those not-so-healthy, but oh-so-tempting goodies. 

    Have you decided to start a new exercise regime?  Where will you do this?  Do you need special clothing/equipment? 

3) What's worked or not worked before (if you've tried to do this before but not been successful)?  What are you going to do differently to have a successful result rather than mindlessly falling back into habits that didn't work in the past?

Now's the time to get these things figured out and in place so you can be successful when the New Year arrives.

We can do this! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

Do you have some good preparation ideas to share?  Please  post them in the comments section.

Jan. 16, 2006

To Do:

   Devotions w/Joey

   Laundry load

   Reading w/Joey

   Pack pilgrim stuff

   Pack snowmen

   Call sis1 and mom

   Special prayer person: C1 & dil

   Word study

   Property checks: tile work, steps, concrete pillars, doll house moving

 Goals Met: 

     Devotions with Joey

     Pack pilgrim stuff

     Grocery shopping/putting stuff away

     A to Target

     Balance checkbook

Jan. 5, 2006

 To Do:

    Devotions w/Joey

    Walmart

     Hem pants

    Complete laundry loads (2)

    Clear computer table put away pilgrims

    Bible study words: say, speak, words

Healthy Eating Goals:

   Bkfst:

   2 oz cheese

   9 crackers

   1 tbs pnut butter

Lunch:

Dinner:

  Ckn and rice

  green beans

  salad

  rolls

Jan. 4, 2006

 To Do:

    begin Word study on "speak" "words" "say"

    laundry load to completion

    Dr. appt.

    take son2 to college book store

    grocery shopping

    go to property with honey to help resolve some questions

    take pictures of progress

Healthy diet goals:

  Breakfast

    Cereal or oatmeal

  Lunch

     Turkey or corned beef sandwich and fruit

 Dinner

    Chicken and Rice

    Green beans

     Salad or Fruit

     Rolls

Goals met:

   Actually ate:

     Breakfast/Lunch

       Grilled Cheese Sandwich

     Dinner

        El Pollo Bowl

        2 -3 oz peanut brittle

To Do's Accomplished:

   Drs Appt

   Son to College book store

   Property pictures

   Property help/decisions

   Bible Study

Jan. 3, 2006

To Do:

   Flea market with kids

    Go to property to go over any new questions/ problems

    laundry load through both cycles, folded, put away

    continue recipe gathering

Healthy Diet goals:

   Bkfst

    Toast with peanut butter

  Lunch

     hope to find something lite at flea market

  Dinner

    chicken and rice in crockpot

    green beans

    salad

    rolls or french bread

Goals Met:

  Actually ate:

   Breakfast

      Two pieces butter sour-dough toast

  Lunch

     Mc D's Happy Meal

  Dinner

     3/4 each bean & cheese burrito and cheese enchilada

     1/2 flour tortilla

     too many chips

Snack

    mixed berry scone

Not a stellar day by far!

To Do's accomplished:

   Son2 to orthodontist

   Daughter to Cost Plus

   Out to property

   Dinner with kids (honey still at property)

   Met with Bible study friend

   Bought some on-sale books for school (including one on photogrpahy)

   spent time reading photography book

Jan. 2, 2006

To Do:

  Keep appt.

  Laundry load through both cycles, folded, put away

  Plan week's menu

  Lesson plans

Healthy Diet Goals:

Breakfast

  1 piece buttered toast

  1/2 apple or orange

Lunch

  Turkey Sandwich

  1/2 apple or orange

Dinner

  Egg Rolls

  Cabbage Salad

  Light Fruit Cocktail

Goals met:

    Actually ate:

       No breakfast except for hot tea

      small fast food burger with apple slices for lunch

      crackers and 2% cheese slice for snack

      Egg rolls and  pineapple chunks

      microwave popcorn

      light dove ice cream bar

(went over with the popcorn...but definitely improved over the holiday eating!)

To Do's accomplished:

     exercised 15 minutes stationary bike

     kept appt

     spent time out at property going over things to be fixed, answering questions

     1 load laundry completely done

    wrote three thank yous

    gathered new recipes for meal planning

  No longer a review blog, starting January 2006 this blog will become a wellness in Spirit, Mind, and Body blog.  A place for friends to gather and encourage each other as we practice healthy lifestyles: growing in our relationships with God, our families  and our friends ; our own educational advancement and development; and learning healthy habits for our physical bodies.  Let's encourage each other to a year of  good health!