Roasted Seasonal Vegetables with Sausage

You might have seen a sneak picture of this recipe on another post....This really is a versatile recipe and it's taken me a while to figure out how to post it because we've made so many variations of this since we first started making it. So here's kind of a formula type recipe for you so you can make it however you would like.

Roasted Seasonal Vegetables with Sausage
Printable Recipe

*You can leave out the sausage and this becomes a wonderful side dish or a vegetarian meal. We make it that way too and it is also delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. uncooked sausage links (I like mild Italian - Johnsonville's brand), optional
10 Cups of chopped vegetables (approximately) - use veggies that you like. Make sure you chop the vegetables to about the same size - that way they will cook evenly. *Note: Below I'll list a couple of examples that we've done
3 Tbsp. olive oil (add an additional Tablespoon of olive oil if you are omitting the sausage)
2 cloves garlic, chopped, optional
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. rosemary, optional
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, optional
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 F. Chop uncooked sausage links into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl combine your choice of chopped vegetables and chopped sausage links. Then add olive oil, chopped garlic, Parmesan cheese and seasonings (see *Note below). Mix well then place mixture on a cookie sheet with sides or I like to use a large flat stone roasting pan that I have. Something large and flat - you don't want to use a casserole dish here. Spread out the mixture evenly on the pan. Bake 450 F for about 30-40 minutes, turning every 15 minutes or so to roast the veggies evenly. This dish is done when the sausage is fully cooked and the veggies are tender (and even a little brown if you like them the way I do...).

*Note: The seasonings I list in this recipe are only one version that we've made (albeit a favorite). You can season however you would like. In the summer we like to use fresh herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme) from the garden to season this recipe - it is amazing.

Here are some examples of vegetable combinations that we've used and enjoyed:

WINTER VEGETABLES:

• 3-1/2 Cups chopped butternut squash
• 4-1/2 Cups chopped potatoes (red, yukon gold, or plain russets)
• 1/2 Cup chopped sweet yellow peppers
• 1/2 Cup chopped carrots
• 1 C. chopped onion

SUMMER VEGETABLES:

• 4-1/2 Cups chopped potatoes (red, yukon gold, or plain russets)
• 1-1/2 Cups chopped yellow squash
• 1-1/2 Cups chopped zucchini squash
• 1 Cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1 Cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 Cup chopped onion

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

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Be your Best Self! Part IV: Beautify

Hope you are having a great week. Things are finally warming up a little around here after negative degree temperatures for several weeks and I feel like I'm finally defrosting a little. :) This week has been a great week for my New Year's goals. I've gotten up every day and exercised. Eaten healthy (and no sugar at all). Gotten plenty of sleep (to bed early and up early). I think I'm ready for part IV, how about you? If you haven't seen my other posts in this series, I've listed them below for your convenience.

Be your Best Self! Part I: Exercise

Be your Best Self! Part II: Eat Healthy
Be your Best Self! Part III: Sleep

Tip #4 for becoming your best self is beautifying yourself and your surroundings. Beauty is another thing that is misunderstood by a lot of people and warped and twisted by others. Beauty is something that comes from within each of us, as part of who we've been, who we are and who we are becoming. Beauty can be found in every person, young or old. In fact, some of the most beautiful people I know are weathered and worn by age. Although advertisers would tell you differently, beauty itself can't be purchased or found in a product. Outward appearance is only part of beauty, and often those that have it are missing the truest part of beauty, inward beauty. We radiate beauty when we act, think and feel beautiful. Beauty needs to be cultivated otherwise it starts to fade. Here's a few ideas to help cultivate the beauty in your life.

A beautiful flower from my garden. My garden is a lovely place where I go and am surrounded by beauty.

Beauty Tips for Busy Moms:

1. Smile - there's nothing as beautiful as a true smile.
2. Get ready for the day. Get dressed, brush your teeth, fix your hair, etc. Even if you're going nowhere. You'll feel and act beautiful when you look presentable.
3. Look past your imperfections. Don't beat yourself up over them. Look in the mirror and find something that you like and compliment yourself.
4. Keep your surroundings beautiful. I don't know about you, but I feel and think and act more beautiful when my surroundings are clean and orderly. Having said that I have to make a disclaimer that my house is never in perfect order. I have young kids. But we work at it. Even if it's just a little space, make somewhere beautiful and then spend time there. Maybe it's a room or a closet or a garden.
5. Act beautiful: speak kind words, see the good in others and in the world around you. Beautiful actions add to the beauty that you radiate in your life.

So who is your best self anyway? Who is that person that you are trying to become? I imagine that person is beautiful inside and out. A lot of us focus on outward beauty. And I think outward beauty has it's place. But don't neglect the inward beauty that comes from feeling, thinking, and acting beautiful.

What about you? Do you have any beauty tips to share with all of us? What makes your life more beautiful? Have a lovely weekend and remember to spend few minutes each day beautifying yourself and your surroundings this week.

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Honey Oat Cinnamon Rolls (Whole Grain & Sugar Free)

I set a goal at the beginning of the year to not eat sugar six days a week. How's it working? Great. But one problem I've run into is that treats are comfort food, especially for kids. I like to make a little snack for them after school and sometimes it is fun to have a sweet treat. But when sugar is in the house, I eat it too...and too much of it.

Here's a recipe that I've created that helps solve this problem. These honey oat cinnamon rolls are comfort food at it's finest, but they contain no sugar. So now I can make a healthy, sweet after school snack for the kids and if I sneak a little taste (which I always do...), I'm still sugar free... :)

I know there are some of you out there trying to control your sugar levels this year as well. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have.

Honey Oat Cinnamon Rolls
Printable Recipe


*Makes 12-15 rolls

*Note: I realize that most of you probably don't have a 1/6 cup measuring cup lying around (I don't). I just use a 1/3 cup and measure about half. It doesn't matter if it's not exact, it will be close enough. Oh and if you measure the oil first, you can use the same measuring cup for the honey and it will slide right out. Slick, eh? :)

INGREDIENTS:
For the Dough:
1-1/2 Cups hot water, microwave on high 2 min or until quite warm ( >110° F)
1/6 Cup canola oil
1/6 Cup honey
1/2 Tbsp. salt (put in first before adding yeast)
2+ Cups freshly ground oat flour (I ground oat groats, but you can also use oatmeal ground in a blender for a few minutes)
2 Tbsp. rolled oats or quick oats
3/4 Cups gluten flour*
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 Tbsp. yeast on top of flour

For the Filling:
¼ Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup honey
Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the dough ingredients in stand mixer with dough hook (I use a Bosch) and mix. Add more oat flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Then mix for an additional six minutes. 

Immediately after mixing bread dough, roll out dough into a 12”x15” rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup softened butter around dough to coat evenly. Add 1/2 cup honey and spread until it covers the dough evenly. Then sprinkle the top with a fair amount of cinnamon, but not too much (I usually use about 1-2 tsp.).




Starting on one end, roll the dough. Dip your fingers in water and rub down the dough to seal the layers as you roll. Seal the end. Use a piece of floss or string to cut the cinnamon rolls out. Place the string under dough roll about 1” from the end of the long roll. Cross the ends of the string over the dough and pull the string so that the string cuts the dough into a 1” thick roll.

Place rolls on a greased 9x13" pan leaving a small space between so that the rolls can rise. Cover rolls with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes or until dough has doubled. Bake rolls in preheated oven 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

*NOTE on the gluten flour: I use Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour that I buy at WinCo foods in their bulk bins - or you can get a 25 lb. bag of it there if you order it. I think you can also get it at Walmart in smaller quantities - like 22 oz. pkgs. You only use a little bit in each batch so it lasts a long time. It allows you to make the bread with whole-grain flour and still have it light and fluffy and stick together. This really is not an optional ingredient - you can try to leave it out, but you will end up with denser bread, that is crumbly, doesn't have as long of a shelf life and really is not as enjoyable to eat. Another option (if you're looking for one) is to use a good quality, high gluten white flour instead of some of the whole-wheat flour (experiment with how much - maybe 2 cups or more to get it to a good stick-together consistency). I'd rather spend a little more for the gluten flour because you can use less of it (which means more whole-grain flour which is better for you) and still have a great textured, tasty bread.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Linked to: Real Food Wednesday, Healthy2day Wednesday, Hearth & Soul Blog Hop, Keep it Real Thursday

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Be your Best Self! Part III: Sleep

This series of posts is all about being the best person that you can be without comparing yourself to others. Is the person you look at in the mirror each morning really the best that person you can be? Most of us have room for improvement, and most of us want to improve. If you haven't seen my previous two posts in this series, check them out:

Be your Best Self! Part I: Exercise

Be your Best Self! Part II: Eating Healthy

Tip #3 for becoming our best self is sleep. So what does sleep have to do with becoming our best self? Well, here's what I've found. If' I've gotten the sleep I need I'm a happier person. I'm a better Mom. I'm more patient. Slower to anger and quicker to forgive. I've learned that sometimes I have to sacrifice some things that I want to do in order to get the sleep I need. But it's worth it. And I've been a lot happier since I learned this and my family and home has been happier too.

SLEEP TIPS FOR BUSY MOMS (& DADS)

1. Get enough sleep but not too much. Enough sleep for most of us is between 7 and 8 hours. You may need more and you may need less. So what's wrong with too much? Well if you do a search on it on google, it will tell you all kinds of medical side affects caused by too much sleep. But my reason is pretty simple. Too much sleep means you don't have as much time in the day to accomplish good. And accomplishing good is another important part of becoming your best self. What's wrong with too little? Do I need to even say it? We've all experienced our grumpy, ornery selves when we don't get enough sleep...those selves are not our best selves.
2. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise. It's true (well at least some of it...I don't know about the wealthy part...). But it really makes a difference. I used to stay up late after the kids had gone to bed because I felt like that's the only time I could get anything done that I wanted to do. The result was I'd wake up late, be scrambling the whole day to make up for it and then once again have to stay up late to feel like I could get anything done. It's a vicious cycle and it made me unhappy. When I learned the secret about getting up early and going to bed early it really did make a difference. Now there's always exceptions of course: i.e. new babies, vacations, maybe even weekends...but if you can discipline yourself (even if your not a "morning person" like me) to go to bed early and get up early most days, I promise in the long run it will make a difference. 
3. Interruptions to sleep happen...especially when you're a mom! Crying kids with bad dreams, sickness, accidents, etc...I could go on with the list of interruptions that we've had just in the past week! So here's what I've learned about the interruptions. When taking care of them, speak softly, keep lights dimly lit (or off if possible) and keep a calm composure. Whatever you do, don't get riled up! When you get upset, it gets your heart rate up and your blood pumping and will take you forever to fall back to sleep (believe me I speak from experience). So take care of what needs to  be done (leaving the details for morning) and then go right back to sleep. And then as you're falling asleep be careful to keep your mind from thinking of everything you need to do in the morning...otherwise you'll be up all night thinking about it.

I have the perfect story for this week about interruptions to sleep because we had quite a week last week! My husband was out of town on a business trip (which always makes it harder to fall asleep for me). On top of that my little one got sick right after he left. So we did what we call "sick boy couches" where we both sleep in the living room on the couches so I can take care of him in the night if he needs anything. So already my sleep was being disrupted several times every night. Well he started to feel better by Thursday, but then my older boy got sick with a fever that night so the little one went to sleep in his bed and the big one traded for the sick boy couch. That was supposed to be the night Brandon was coming home. But it was a huge snow storm and his plane had mechanical problems and was delayed. I stayed up worrying about that until just after midnight when he was supposed to have landed. Finally I fell asleep on the couch next to the sick boy around 1 a.m. Then just before 2 a.m. I wake up to bloody murder screaming. My little boy was in the kitchen terrified cause he couldn't find me in my bed. He had a bloody nose in the middle of the night, had tried to take care of it himself and had run out of toilet paper and couldn't find me. I went to take care of him in the bathroom. I had to turn on all the lights to see where the blood had spilled all over the carpet (because I knew it would stain it by morning). He's still in the bathroom crying uncontrollably because he doesn't think his nose will stop bleeding (he gets really bad ones) and there's blood all over his new pajamas...In walks my husband from his week long trip to find the house in a total uproar. The sick boy had woken up by then and was wide awake on his sick boy couch reading a book at 2 a.m. All the lights were on in the house. Blood splatters all over the carpet and his wife with the youngest in the bathroom screaming with a bloody nose. Welcome home dear! Don't even ask how my week was! :) Well the story has a great ending. We got the bloody nose stopped. The youngest went back to sleep in his bed. Cleaned up the carpets. Stuck the sheets and bedding to soak in the tub until morning. Wished the sick boy on his couch goodnight. Brandon took over for me on the other sick boy couch and I got to sleep the rest of the night on my nice, soft, cozy bed! Hurrah for good husbands. And hurrah for a good night's sleep.

How about you? Do you keep sleep a priority? Or are you still working on this one? Happy Frugal Friday everyone and have a great weekend.

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Hawaiian Haystacks From Scratch

Does your family like Hawaiian Haystacks? You know rice, topped with creamy chicken sauce, and all kinds of other colorful goodies (veggies, fruits, nuts, crunchy things, etc) that each person gets to choose. They are one of our favorites. My kid's love the fact that they get to pick what to put on their Hawaiian haystack. We've had phases where all they would choose was plain rice, but I think we're moving past that one finally. Phew!

Anyway, I like my sauce creamy and I've traditionally used cream of chicken soup in the recipe. But today I went to the cupboard and it was bare (actually I admit that I haven't bought cream of chicken on purpose to force myself into creating a healthier substitute for it) and guess what? I'll never go back...this recipe only uses a few more ingredients and couple of more minutes of time. But it tastes even better and it much better for you. So without further ado, I present to you my very own recipe for:

Hawaiian Haystacks from Scratch

Printable Recipe

*Serves 6+

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 Cups brown rice

4 Cups water

Hawaiian Haystack Sauce (see recipe below)

Hawaiin Haystack Toppings (see options below)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the brown rice. I like to use a pressure cooker because it cooks fast and the rice puffs up soft and yummy. If you don't have a pressure cooker you can use the stove top and use the same water to rice ratio that you normally would. To cook brown rice in the pressure cooker add the 2-1/2 Cups brown rice and the 4 Cups water, close and lock the lid in place. Heat to high pressure and cook for 23 minutes. You can either do natural or quick release to release the steam. While rice is cooking, prepare the sauce using the directions below. Then prepare desired toppings in serving bowls so everyone can assemble their own haystack. There's no right or wrong way to assemble these guys, but here's what I usually do: Rice on the bottom, then sauce, then cheese (so it melts...mmmh!), then other toppings in any order with crushed pineapple and chow mein noodles on the very top!

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup butter

1/2 Cup Flour

1-1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon or better than bouillon soup base

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 Cups milk

2 Cups cooked, chopped chicken

3/4 Cups sour cream or plain yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

SAUCE DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, bouillon, and pepper, and stir with a whisk to combine. Heat for a few minutes stirring constantly to remove starches from the flour and develop the sauce's flavor. Then add milk and stir to combine. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly. Add the chopped chicken and stir to combine. Then add the plain yogurt or sour cream and heat until sauce is bubbly, stirring often. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or keep warm until everything else is ready.

TOPPINGS:

*Here's some ideas for toppings, but let your imagination run wild. Use some or all of the ideas below and be sure to let every person choose their own (remember, that's the beauty of this recipe!)

Shredded cheese

Frozen Peas, heated

Crushed pineapple (or tidbits)

Chow Mein noodles

Coconut

Chopped green onions

Chopped bell peppers (any color - I like red cause it's perty...)

Mandarin Oranges

Chopped spinach leaves

Chopped tomatoes

Slivered almonds (roasted is good!)

Chopped celery

Chopped olives

Love this meal. It's quick, easy, and everybody comes away happy. Those are the best kind, aren't they?

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

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Be your Best Self! Part II: Eating Healthy

Well we're well over a week into the new year - have you successfully broken your New Year's resolutions yet? Just kidding...

Well actually...I'll be honest and say that I haven't done as well as I had hoped. After my exercise post last week, sickness crept in on us and my husband was out of town and my running partner injured her back (no joke!)... well let's just say the whole exercise thing didn't pan out exactly how I had hoped....but I still have high hopes for the New Year! I haven't given up yet...And I hope you're still keeping your eyes on the bright horizon as well.

So ready or not, here's tip #2 to becoming your best self: eating healthy. Did you guess it? Yeah, it's pretty much a favorite topic around these parts. And luckily I've got lots of ideas in case you need a few in this department...

EATING HEALTHY TIPS FOR BUSY MOMS: 

1. Don't miss meals! Don't do it. It's not healthy. Breakfast is obviously a choice candidate because it's easy to just forget in the rush of the morning. But don't miss breakfast. It starts you off on a bad foot for the rest of the day.
2. Plan ahead. If you don't plan, healthy won't happen. Plain and simple.
3. Start out small when trying to change your diet and especially your family's diet. Don't go overboard or chances are you'll right back where you started or worse in a short period of time..
4. Sneak nutrition is your friend. Sneak wholesome good foods into meals that you and your family already like to eat. Close your eyes if you have to, but do it. You'll be amazed how healthy food can taste great.
5. Add variety to your meals. Try new foods and new recipes. Having a large repertoire of healthy meals filled with a variety of ingredients gives you the balance you need in your family's diet.
6. Put the time and effort into making healthy food taste good. It will pay off in the long run because your family will actually eat it. 
7. Have a sit down dinner time with your family. Turn off distractions and enjoy one another's company. It's healthy for the soul and will help you eat better as well. Slow down, visit with one another and just take some time to be together.
8. Don't buy unhealthy food. Duh! If you have it in the house, it will get eaten and you're the #1 culprit!
9. Make sure to have lots of healthy snacks on hand when you get the munchies...because we all know that we do get the munchies!
10. As a rule, don't go on strict, obscene diets and feel guilty for everything you eat. I say "as a rule" because I understand that there are some situations where you might decide to go on a specific diet for a short period of time. But I know women who are constantly beating themselves up for everything they eat and man, that stinks. What a rotten life. Focus less on weight and more on health and learn to be happy with your best self and move forward working to improve that person!

Bonus: Contrary to ideas some may have, eating healthy does not have to cost more. Look for a future frugal Friday post on that topic sometime...

Well there you have it, ten ideas plus a bonus and now I'd love to hear some of yours. What are you working on to improve your eating habits? Success stories, anyone?

I mentioned on my facebook page that this year for my healthy eating goal, I'm trying to eliminate some of my sugar addiction. I have set a goal to not eat sugary treats except on Sundays. I've successfully made it 6 out of the 8 goal-days without sugar so it's going pretty well so far. Yes, I did miss a few...Yesterday I missed because of a birthday tea party that we threw for my sister and that lemon curd that my Mom made looked just amazing...had to try it ...oh and the cute little heart shaped brownie I ate. And then I wanted to eat the whole pan...But I didn't! Aren't you proud of me? :) So today I'm back on track. It's always harder to curb the addiction when you miss cause then the cravings are back...so for me it's almost easier to eliminate sugar completely than to just say I can only have one treat...yeah right, he he. :)

How about you? How are your goals going? If you didn't see my first post in this series, check it out here: Be your Best Self! Part I: Exercise. Happy Frugal Friday everyone! Hope you have a lovely weekend.

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Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

We love to have pizza/movie night every Friday night with homemade pizza! It's been a family tradition that I've continued since my childhood and it's a lot of fun. My kids look forward to it all week and so do I. Homemade pizza is one of the easiest meals that I cook during the week. Since I make it so often, I don't even need to look at a recipe, and it's done in less time than it would take us to order a pizza and go pick it up. It's fast food! My pizza dough recipe is simple and healthy with only a few basic ingredients. One of the best things about Friday night pizza is it's the one night that everyone is happy with dinner- we let the kids pick their own toppings (they always pick the same...) and we like to add variety with ours...Here's a little variation that we discovered that even the kids love: Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks. 

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
Printable Recipe

*Makes 48 breadsticks

*Note: If you don't have a pizza stone, you can bake the breadsticks using this method from yum sugar. I've tried it and it works great.

INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe whole grain pizza or bread stick dough
5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped fine (or use garlic salt)
1/2 Cup butter, melted
1 - 1/2 Cups Shredded cheese (I used a blend of mozzarella and Colby jack)

You will also need oil for rolling out dough, parchment paper and a pizza stone is preferred but not necessary (see note above).

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven 475-500 F (depending on how hot your oven cooks). Mix up pizza/bread stick dough and let rise for 10-20 minutes (you can skip this step if you're in a hurry, but your bread sticks won't be quite as fluffy). Divide dough into thirds.   Sprinkle counter with a little oil and roll out 1/3 of the dough into a circular shape until it is about 1/4" thick. Move dough over to a piece of parchment paper. Mix crushed garlic with melted butter and brush over dough until dough is covered evenly. If you are using garlic salt, spread melted butter over dough and then sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake 6-8 minutes in preheated oven or until cheese is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

For more ideas for your family pizza night see my Pinterest board: Dinner Themes: Pizza Night!

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Food for thought

When going through some things that my Mother gave me from my Grandmother, I found this article clipped out of the Sun Valley Shopper May 7, 1970. This article sums up my Grandmother exactly as I remember her. It was written by Cleo B. Southerland in "Thoughts to live by". I thought I'd share it with you today.

A Mother's Will

I bequeath to my children; the wisdom to see: 

Beauty - in the fresh plowed earth in the spring.

Beauty - in the lowliest weeds, 

as they cover God's earth and bloom in the spring.

Beauty - in the cactus on the desert, 

the giant saguaros that lift their arms, as if in silent prayer.

Beauty - in the trees, especially the cottonwoods, 

where each leaf is a tiny fan, with perpetual motion.

Beauty - in the birds, 

from the buzzard and hawk that sail to high in the sky, to the tiniest sparrow.

Beauty - in the mountains, that tower so majestically toward the sky, 

and make one feel so small, humble and insignificant.

Beauty - in the sun rise, as its golden fingers reach across the heavens, 

when it ascends from behind the mountains.

Beauty - in the sky in the spring, 

the soft, fluffy clouds, flouting in the heavens.

Beauty - in a summer storm, as the lightening flashes, thunder roars 

and the rain comes down in sheets.

Beauty - in the sunset, when the western skies turn red and gold, 

and as the sun sinks farther behind the mountains, 

the colors slowly fade to pink, purple and blue.

Beauty - in the moonlight nights, 

when the shadow of the trees make lacy, fascinating patterns on the ground.

Beauty - in the silence of a still, dark night, 

when it looks as if you could reach up and touch the stars.

Beauty - in the face of a little child, 

when his eyes stare wide with innocence, or dance with mischievousness.

Beauty - in the faces of the aged, where life as written its stories in the wrinkles, 

and the eyes are dim and clouded with memories of the past.

I leave you the courage to always do what your conscience tells you is right.

The courage to speak up for what is right.

The courage to never let anything take away your faith, hopes and dreams.

I leave you the wisdom to know that you hold the key to happiness within you. 

That no one can ever hurt you, but yourself.

I leave you the wisdom to love instead of hate, 

hope instead of despair, work and never give up. 

No greater wealth than these things, can anyone give you. 

Take them with my love, Mother.

As we begin this new year, we have the chance to set goals and resolutions to help us become our best selves, the people that we want to be remembered by, by our children and our grandchildren. Here's a picture of my dear Grandma, who I look up to in so many ways. Doesn't she have a beautiful smile? She was a beautiful person and I love and miss her dearly. She was the kind of person that noticed every little blessing from heaven - the smells, the sights, the sounds of the earth. Each one witnessed to her of the Divine Creator. And she shared that love and that witness to her children and grandchildren.

My Grandmother who I remember and love for
her laugh, her love for nature and her love for God

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Be your Best Self! Part I: Exercise

The new year is here! And with that new year, is a new chance to create the person that you want to be - YOUR BEST SELF! In the next few posts I want to share some tips to help you become your best self. Now stick with me here. I'm a Mom and I know how hard it can be to take time for yourself. But in the last few years I've discovered that a healthy family needs a healthy and a happy Mom. And if the Mom is not healthy and happy, then the family is not healthy and happy. It's just how it is. With that being said, let's not fly to the extreme of self-indulgence or self-absorption. Keep the balance. That's why I say, we need to become our BEST SELF. Whoever that person is.

Our family loves to go biking together. This picture was taken on one of our favorite biking trails this past fall.

Tip # 1 to becoming your best self is exercise.  I'm not a carb-counting, diet-restricting, scale-bemoaning type of person. This isn't about losing weight. This is about feeling good about yourself. And when you exercise, you feel good. You've accomplished something. You've pushed yourself. You've met a goal. And you feel good all day.

Exercise is critical in becoming our best self, but it doesn't have to be that time and money sink that it sometimes turns into. So before you jump up right now and purchase a tread-mill or gym membership or whatever it is, read the ideas below and my post on frugal exercise ideas. Making exercise a part of your every day life is more effective than just paying some money and hoping it will change you...

EXERCISE TIPS FOR BUSY MOMS:

1. Exercise with someone else. At least some of the time. It really helps motivate you to do it. And it's more fun because you can talk. And we all like to talk, don't we? If you don't have an adult person to exercise with then exercise with your kids. Dance around the house, play tag, catch or tackle football (my youngest son's favorite right now). 
2. Don't be afraid to try new things. I never used to like running. In fact I dreaded it and strongly DISLIKED it. Last year I had a friend mention that she was looking for a running partner so I decided to give it a try. I can't say that now I'm a marathon runner or anything. To be honest I still don't LOVE it...But I've stuck with running 2 or 3 days a week for the last 15 months or so because I like how I feel after doing it. It pushes me to a new level and I feel great the rest of the day. I'm not saying that's what will work for you. Running might not be your thing. And in a month or 3 years or whenever it might not be mine either. But don't be afraid to try new types of exercise even if you didn't use to like it.
3. Set exercise goals. In 2012 I set a goal to finish a 5k race. I had never run in one before...but in November I did! And I finished! It felt good to reach that goal. Exercise goals help motivate you and keep you working towards something.
4. Keep a good variety in your exercise. Don't do the same thing every day. It gets boring. And after a while it loses it's effectiveness. I got to a point a few months ago where my exercise routine was dull. I was tired of it and really not enjoying it. It took me a little bit of time to research, but I found some new cardio and strength training exercise videos online that could help spice up my workouts a little and that really helped. And it's helped me to enjoy exercising again.
5. If possible, set a specific time to exercise regularly. This has really helped me make sure exercise happens regularly in my life. Most days I try to exercise before the kids get  up. I've found that if I don't get exercise in the first part of my day, it often won't happen at all...
6. Along with the scheduled exercise, include plenty of other movement in your day. Make a walk part of the adventure - going to the post office, to school or church, the park or even the store if you live close enough. Ride bikes to the library or to a friends house. Walk up stairs instead of taking the elevator. Park purposefully farther away so you have to walk farther. All of this will take planning to accomplish successfully and a little bit more extra time, but it's worth it to cultivate healthy exercise habits into your life.

Exercise doesn't have to cost money or take up a lot of extra time. You can do it as a family, while you're playing with your kids, while you are getting chores done around the house, or while you are out running errands. With a little adjustment you can cultivate exercise habits into your everyday life and those habits will help you to become your best self.

Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you luck in becoming your best self in 2013. I'd love to hear your ideas! What works/doesn't work for you? What exercise goals have you set for 2013? 

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