Feeling Stuck – Treading Water in the Ocean of Life

categories: Living, Sharing

Do you ever feel stuck? Unable to move forward or backward or in any direction? Are you treading water – surviving, keeping your head above the surface, but not actually moving toward anything? Well hello and welcome, my friend. Let’s talk about feeling stuck and what we can do to get unstuck.

feeling stuck

Feeling Stuck – Treading Water

I think everybody experiences this feeling at some point, but I’m guessing it’s common for moms at my stage to experience this. When your kids get older and don’t need you as much anymore (my son just graduated from high school), you realize that your purpose and identity is no longer wrapped up in raising children. That’s the focus when children are younger and it needs to be – raising humans is kind of a big deal. It doesn’t mean that I neglected myself or ignored my own hobbies and passions during that time.

But I find myself at an older age not knowing quite what I’m supposed to be doing when I grow up. And so I tread water. I work; I spend time with family; I cook and clean; I meet with friends; I write. But I’m not swimming toward any of these things. I do what’s necessary but lack passion and commitment. Because.

Because I’m undecided. I don’t know what I really want to do or if what I want to do is best for me. I lack purpose. It’s like I’m waiting for a lightning bolt of inspiration to strike that will point me in the right direction. And that hasn’t happened. And that leaves me feeling stuck. But I can’t tread water forever. I wrote a poem trying to capture the essence of it all.

Standing Still

She’s standing so still, but a statue she’s not.
On the inside there’s motion, a battle well-fought;
A war of directions, of which way to move,
But the way that is right is not easy to prove.

The back way invites – stay safe and sound.
The front way says she’ll discover new ground.
The side way promises blessings will abound.

The magnetic pulling of each calling way
Results in an ongoing internal fray.
Going the wrong way may cost heavy dues,
But the only escape is to finally choose.

How long will she stand – can she break free?
How long till she knows that a guide is key?
It won’t be long now; her heart whispers a plea.
…
The long wait is over; her eyes now see.
– Lisa Marie Watson

So how can we get unstuck and get moving in a direction – any direction? There are a few tips I’ve come up with to help us stop treading water and start swimming toward something.

feeling stuck

Get Unstuck – Start Swimming

If you’re ready to stop treading water, try these three tips:

Stop making such a big deal.
Certainly there are times in our lives when we have to make actual life-changing decisions. But many times when we are feeling stuck – it’s more similar to deciding which shade of gray to paint on a wall. Choosing a direction to go in that turns out not to be best may mean more work later or minor consequences, but it’s probably not the end of the world. You will never have 100% certainty that what you decide to pursue is the best decision before you do it. Pray about it; get input from trusted sources; pick a direction and start moving toward it. Don’t overthink it beyond what is reasonable.

Do the next thing.
Pick a direction and take a baby step. Taking a few baby steps in one direction might help us decide whether it’s the right way to go or not. Don’t get overwhelmed by making a big plan right now before making any movement forward. Don’t even make a list yet. Yes, those things are good and necessary, but not always when we’re paralyzed by indecision. Did you know that making lists is another form of procrastination for some people (me)? So – pick a direction you want to move in. What is one thing, one baby step, that you can do today to move toward that goal? Do it. Don’t think beyond the one thing right now. And then? Do the next thing.

Believe in yourself.
Every time we think about moving in certain directions, self-doubt creeps in and holds us back. If we doubt ourselves in all things, we’ll stay right where we are and never move. Remember that nobody is perfect. And rarely is anybody amazing at something immediately – it takes practice, persistence, and perseverance. You’ve been created to be a unique masterpiece. You can and will do amazing things. Speak some positive words to yourself today and believe them. Now get moving in a direction – you got this!

Does this sound doable? Are you ready to get unstuck? Treading water for too long gets tiring. Let’s stop feeling stuck, and start moving toward something new today. Take a deep breath – you can do it! What are you going to move toward?

Once you start moving forward and feel ready to set some new goals and make plans to achieve them, download my planning tools to help you figure out what your priorities are right now!

06
Jun
2017

But Then You Blink and Your Baby Boy Becomes a Man

categories: Family Life

baby boy becomes man

You look at your precious baby boy sweetly sleeping and feel like you could stare at him all day. You watch his every move. You smile when he smiles and try to solve whatever might make him cry. You want him to know how much you love him.

But then you blink.

And your baby boy becomes a man. He’s putting on his cap and gown, figuring out how to cope with the stress of last-minute projects, laughing deeply with friends, and excitedly planning his next moves out in the world.

baby boy becomes a man

You hear everybody say “It goes too fast!” and “Enjoy every moment!” and you nod your head and think you will make the most of it all. But you forget during the weeks of interrupted sleep, the agony of potty-training, the extreme busyness of toddlerhood, the discipline, the struggles of homework, all the teaching moments, the life-lessons of teenage years, and the testing of boundaries and becoming independent. You remind yourself to soak in the smiles, giggles, cuddles, kisses, accomplishments, homemade cards, and telling of stories. You want him to know how much you love him.

But then you blink.

And your baby boy becomes a man, with a voice you don’t recognize and opinions of his own. He’s confident, funny, independent, smart, mostly self-sufficient, and makes you proud.

baby boy becomes a man

You can’t go back and do it all over again, though you wish you could have just one day more with his heavy head on your shoulders or him asking you to snuggle, promising you that “it will be cozy.” As much as you would like to stop time for a while, you don’t really want him to stop becoming the man he’s supposed to be and you look forward to seeing where he’ll go and what adventures he’ll have. You decide to be in the present and fully appreciate the new memories made and the few precious moments he can spare between work and school and friends. You want him to know how much you love him.

But then you blink.

12
Apr
2017

Spring Clean Your Life in 7 Days

categories: Living, Sharing, Uncategorized

With Spring comes Spring Cleaning. While the chores aren’t necessarily fun, don’t you love the sense of accomplishment and fresh feeling you get after finishing those tasks? How would you like to have those same feelings about your life rather than the state of your home? I’ve got just the thing – and it’s super simple and free!

spring clean

Spring Clean Your Life Tasks

Whether it’s tackling chores in the home or organizing my life, I get overwhelmed by the giant list of stuff that should be accomplished. That leads to me trying to hide or escape, which doesn’t help at all. But if I break it all down into baby steps and just keep doing the next thing, I can handle the tasks and before I know it, I have accomplished a lot!

Let’s try spring cleaning your life! I’m not talking about cleaning your home. I have some simple tasks that you can do in roughly 15 minutes a day that do not actually involve cleaning. They are the tasks involving health, organization, connection, etc. that you tend to put off or don’t think about (and some of them are even fun!), but will give you that sense of accomplishment when you actually complete them. And when you finish a few, you’ll feel a little of that weight lift off your shoulders, breathe a little easier, find that smile, and feel ready for your next project.

Spring Clean Your Life Emails

For 7 days, I’ll email you a simple task each morning that you can tackle that day – usually in about 15 minutes. No overwhelming projects. No big lists and wondering how you’ll ever finish. Just 1 simple task a day to focus on. After 7 days, you’ll have accomplished 7 tasks. Feeling like you can take on more than that? The email will actually include 2 choices of tasks – that way you can either do the one that fits your life best or be bold and do both!

Join up now so you don’t miss out! Emails will begin on Monday, April 17th. Totally free. No spam. No selling anything. Just me and you – spring cleaning our lives.

10
Apr
2017

Whole 30 Round 2 Results

categories: Food, Health & Fitness

Once upon a time, I started a cleverly-written post about my Whole 30 Round 2 results and then never could complete the was-going-to-be-so-amazing post. So I finally came back to reality and decided to give you the information you really want to hear, as if I was telling you about it while we were hanging out, enjoying a coffee together. What a relief and aren’t you glad I didn’t make you wait any longer?

whole 30 results

Whole 30 Round 2

Whole 30 went so well for us (my husband and me) last year that we decided to do it again in January 2017. Having been through it before, I knew the amount of planning it required, what meals we liked, and that we could make it all the way through! It was still a lot of work with the meal-planning, grocery shopping, label-reading, and food prep. But overall this time, it was much easier to follow the program. Yes, the first few days were a little difficult as we had to go without some of our faves – with me, that meant no creamy, slightly-sweetened lattes – boo.

Just like last time, we did not experience any major detox symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, etc. And we did not experience the kill-all-the-things stage (very real stage for many people). We did allow trace amounts of a few things – like sugar in bacon, and vanilla extract with alcohol, because we already knew that we do not have any food issues with these groups. This round of Whole 30 was fairly uneventful other than experiencing some boredom with recipes partway through – another common occurrence. But that is always solved by looking for new recipes and ideas and talking to a group for support.

My favorite part of Whole 30 Round 2 was the Facebook Group I started (Whole 30 with Lisa Marie). Several people joined – some who did Whole 30 in the past, some who were starting Whole 30 with me, some who were learning about Whole 30 in order to do a future round of it, and some who were just there for some new recipe ideas. It was motivating to post in the group regularly, see participation and encouragement from others, and hear other Whole 30 results. Even more exciting was that a few people decided to do their own round of Whole 30 just from seeing the positive posts in the group – yay! By the way, my group is open to anyone and you do not need to be currently doing Whole 30 to join – click here and request to join. There is a lot of great Whole 30 info in the group if you just want to lurk, read remarks, and find new healthy recipe ideas.

Whole 30 Round 2 Results

But what were my results? That’s what you really care about; am I right? Once again, my Whole 30 results were all positive and some were unexpected! Before I mention my results from this round, I want to remind you that some of my results from the first round were permanent, like weight loss, no more 3pm slump, less desire for desserts, etc. So here are my results from Round 2 that go beyond Round 1:

~ Lost 9 pounds (husband lost 10 pounds)
~ Rarely think about snacking now
~ Found new keeper recipes
~ Taste for sugar decreased even more
~ Increased desire to continue healthier eating habits
~ No.more.lattes. <—Whaaaat???

Yeah, that’s right – no more lattes. What is this insanity? Well I had hoped that one of my Whole 30 results this round would be switching to unsweetened lattes. So the first day after Whole 30, I tried one. Well – yuck. And I could have gone back to a slightly sweetened one, but also – yuck. The problem is that my tastes had adjusted again and I realized that I actually don’t like the taste of plain coffee (I already knew this), but I also don’t like the taste of milk or cream – never have. So I was using sugar to cover up both of the tastes I don’t like and making it into something that tasted good to me. So ever since the end of January, I don’t drink lattes or even coffee with cream/sugar. I know!!

Whole 30 Experience tea

The other funny thing is that I usually drink high-caf tea in the morning during Whole 30, but I got tired of it, so switched to regular tea. I was super tired for a day or two and then it was fine. What I didn’t realize is that I had weaned myself off the need for caffeine – LOL. So when I tried that latte after Whole 30, the caffeine hit was a bit much as well – same with regular coffee. I don’t actually need it anymore! I do like a bit of caffeine, so I drink green tea on a daily basis. And sometimes I have a cup of decaf coffee with a bit of cream and a teaspoon of sugar if I really feel the need for a coffee.

I did find a substitute for my medium breve slightly-sweetened lattes: a small breve cappuccino with 1 packet/teaspoon of honey. I sip that over 30-60 minutes so the caffeine doesn’t hit at once (or sometimes I get decaf). Less than half the calories and not something I drink daily anymore – THAT is one of the awesome but completely unexpected Whole 30 results. (I won’t lie – I grieved the loss of my lattes – they were a big part of my identity for several years. True story.)

whole 30 results

As far as the weight loss, I should mention that last year’s Whole 30 results included losing 11 pounds. I kept most of that weight off permanently even though I went back to eating somewhat normally (though far less snacking, desserts, and half the sugar consumption). After the 9-pound loss this time, it has been a couple of months and I’ve kept it off.

New Whole 30 Recipe Finds

I was excited to run across some new recipes to try during Round 2. And some of them are keepers in our family! Here are some that I really enjoyed this time:

whole 30 results

Apple Bumpkin Breakfast Bake – Loved this one! A great alternative to eggs for breakfast. It’s a bit on the sweet side, so I recommend not using this recipe until you have gone through at least a week of your Whole 30 and detoxed from the sweeter tastes. I tweaked the recipe and added blueberries and chopped pecans in with the apples – yum!

Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde – SO easy and SO delicious!! Really tasty and my son decided he loved using lettuce leaves as “tortillas.”

Whole30 Zuppa Toscana – A really yummy soup and I doubt your family will realize it has coconut milk if you don’t tell them. Creamy comfort food that’s Whole 30-compliant…win, win!

whole 30 results

Sensational Sweet Potato Fries – I’m still tweaking this recipe. I use far less red pepper than called for and they need to cook at a higher temp or they are too soft, but still delish! Also, though it says sweet potato – they are actually yams – don’t get confused at the grocery store (sweet potatoes have a pale yellow inside color). Use this recipe as a starting point or find your fave but I think you’ll decide you want to eat them again and again and they’re not that difficult to make.

Find more Whole 30 recipes and links in my Whole 30 Food post and follow my Whole 30 Recipes Pinterest Board for more inspiration!

What Are Your Whole 30 Results?

Have you done a Whole 30? I would love to hear about your results – leave a comment on this post or join my FB Whole 30 Group and share in there so other people can hear more feedback on the program. People in my Whole 30 group have shared results like having more energy, reducing or getting rid of headaches, feeling stronger during workouts, reduced food cravings, in addition to weight loss. It’s always surprising to hear what can happen in just 30 days!

Thanks for letting me chat with you about my Whole 30 results. If you decide that a Whole 30 might be for you, then I say go for it and you CAN do it – it’s just 30 days of your life!!

P.S. I’m starting another round of Whole 30 in a few days – feel free to join the group if you want to follow along or just hang out and learn more about it! Click below and request to Join!

12
Feb
2017

The Power of Positive Words – My Scrapbook of Compliments

categories: Sharing

I do have one. A scrapbook of compliments that I’ve received over the years. But it’s virtual – it’s kept in my mind. You know how negative words stay with us and keep replaying in our minds? So do positive words and it’s important that we start replaying those instead!

compliments

I know how the cycle goes.

Maybe everything went wrong with the kids and the house today. Maybe you made a mistake at work and your boss was disappointed in you. Maybe a friend didn’t respond to you when you reached out. Maybe you were on Facebook and saw that 10 people you know are seemingly super-blessed right now and succeeding at life while your life feels like a failure. Maybe you fell short of reaching a goal that was really important to you. And then?

Then you feel like failure and a mess and all the negative words, sometimes from others, more often from yourself, come flooding back into your mind. I don’t need to repeat the negative words here – you know them and can probably give me at least 3 examples of your own negative-speak right off the top of your head. And the more you repeat it, the more you believe it. And the more you believe it, the more you live it.

The Power of Positive Words

I get it. I have my own negative words. But I choose to push them out again and again (and yes, I’m kind of an optimist) and choose the positive words instead. Some of my positive words are in the form of compliments I have received over the years. I keep them in my scrapbook. My imaginary scrapbook. As I flip through the pages in my mind, I read through my saved compliments. Words like:

You have a really great smile.
You have stage presence. Even if only a tree, everyone would know you were there.
You always lift my spirits.
You’re so laid back. I think God put you in my life to teach me patience.
You’re a good listener.
You’re beautiful.
You’re a great storyteller. You should write novels.
You are classy.
You are an encouragement to others.

Each of those compliments are a blessing. And I choose to believe them, no matter how long ago they were given! They help me when Life isn’t going quite the way I expect and the negative self-talk begins to creep in. If I need to repeat them over and over until they sink in, I’ll do that. No matter what happens, I choose the positive words and I choose to keep on flashing my really great smile and encouraging others. I KNOW that you have been given compliments in your lifetime. Stop and think back right now. What compliments have stayed with you through the years? What positive things have people said to you recently (whether you believed them or not)?

A Scrapbook of Compliments

I want you to gather up those positive words and compliments and make your own virtual scrapbook right now. It’s not necessary to remember who told you what or the exact words. But I want you to lock them in your mind right now. Better yet? Write them out, like I did. And read them. Again. And again. Let these words push out those negative ones you keep letting in and listening to. You are unique and wonderfully made. Nobody can be a better you than you.

If you are struggling to come up with the positive words because you have avoided them for too long or forgotten them, I’ll let you borrow some. Here’s your scrapbook to borrow until you are able to add your own pages. (Click the arrow underneath the image to see all the pages.)

Scrapbook of Compliments by From Lisa Marie

Once you realize how powerful these positive words can be for your own self, you’ll realize how much they can mean to someone else. Why do we hold ourselves back from giving compliments and expressing our positive thoughts about others? Be brave today and give your friends, family, or even strangers heartfelt, sincere compliments. Tell them in person, on the phone, or in writing, but do tell them. You might be helping them add a page to their own scrapbook of compliments so that they can stop focusing on the negative.

I hope you can make this shift and believe the compliments that have been given to you. I’d like to help you stand up a little straighter, hold your head up high, and find your smile. Prayers & virtual hugs from me today, friends.

If you want to be encouraged and want a little help finding your smile, let’s connect. Join me in my new Facebook Group, Find Your Smile (click on over and request to Join), and join my list by clicking here so you can stay connected.

In case you wonder how I can stay positive, and think that maybe my life must be so much better than yours – know that I’m just like you. I experienced childhood issues, divorced parents, mental illness in my family, infertility, deaths of loved ones, motherhood, etc. I have a heart filled with joy and optimism, even in sadness, mainly because I am a Christian. No matter how bad this life gets, I know how it all works out in the end (Jesus wins!) and I get to go to my real home – Heaven. That doesn’t mean that I don’t struggle and need reminders to focus on the positive. But I know that there are blessings hidden in struggles and sunshine above the rain clouds. Love to you all!

04
Feb
2017

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

categories: Food

I’ve had this recipe around for years – it was originally discovered through Weight Watchers. I posted it on an old blog, but realized that I have since made adjustments to it. It makes a nice side dish in the Fall & Winter, but you can make it any time of year by using frozen squash and canned pears. And the best part? This squash soup completely fits in with Whole 30, which was a win for us and we enjoyed some in our last round of Whole 30.

It really helps if you have an immersion blender so you can blend the soup (carefully, of course!) right in the pot. But if you don’t have one, then cool the soup slightly and use a blender, working in batches. Then pour the soup back into the pot and reheat.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

1 bag/box frozen butternut squash (or 1 roasted butternut squash, with pulp scooped out)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 cups chicken broth (If doing Whole 30, make sure ingredients are compliant. Can also use vegetable broth.)
1 large, ripe pear, pared, cored, and diced (or 1 small can of pears, drained, and diced)
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, pear chunks, and squash pulp. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until pear is soft, about 5-10 minutes.

Turn heat off and carefully blend with immersion blender until soup is completely pureed (or use blender). Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot. Makes about 4 small servings.

squash soup

If you enjoy this squash soup and want more Whole 30-compliant recipes, check out some of my fave Whole 30 foods and recipes.

Do you have a fave side dish soup? Have you had squash soup before? Let me know in the comments!

09
Jan
2017

Goal-Setting for 2017

categories: Living

We just started 2017 and it is not too late to do some goal-setting for the year. Let’s take a little time and plan out what we would like to achieve this year. We can’t make it happen unless we set the goals and plan them out first (also totally speaking to myself here)!

goal-setting

How to Set Goals

When we’re talking about goals, we’re talking about something different than your One Word for the year or your general New Year’s resolutions. These are specific goals that you want to achieve in 2017 and they need to be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely). Your goals might tie into your one-word theme for the year and they might help you keep your resolutions. You can come up with big or little goals, depending on what is most important to you to make happen in 2017.

When you set goals, you’ve got to write them down. Writing them down is a big part of the road to success. It helps make the goal clear in your mind and it gives a sense of commitment. In fact, if you’ve been avoiding goal-setting, or just thinking of them in your mind, it may be because you don’t want to hold yourself accountable! Writing your goals down makes them real (yikes). Once you write them down, you can start to plan out how to reach those goals.

goal-setting

Goal-Setting in 5 Fives

As you think through some of your goals for 2017, I’ve got a tool for you to use. I call it 5 Fives ~ 2017 Goals. It’s a way to help you brainstorm, prioritize, and plan out your goals. It might seem overwhelming at first to come up with 5 goals in each of 5 different categories. But this is a great way to help you really think through what kind of goals you want to set and which ones are truly the most important to you at this time.

You’re not going to work on 25 goals at once! You’ll focus on your Top 5 first. As you accomplish one or two, you tackle the next ones on your list. You might only accomplish 3 of your Top 5 or you might knock out 15-20. Either way – you. accomplished. goals. Shoot for the moon, right? If you accomplish even some of your goals, then you’ve ended up in the stars. Accomplishing some goals is always better than never goal-setting and never reaching your goals.

goal-setting

Are you ready to do some goal-setting? Get your free 5 Fives ~ 2017 Goals by clicking below and let’s get going!

Do you already have some goals for the new year? What is your most exciting goal for 2017? What keeps you from setting goals? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

30
Dec
2016

Starting Another Whole 30

categories: Food, Health & Fitness

It’s true. I’m a Whole 30 survivor and I am choosing to do another one! Though there is nothing easy about it, it is only 30 days and the results are SO worth it! I’m talking healthier eating results rather than weight loss. Weight loss will usually occur if you are really following the program but it is never a guarantee and depends on what and how much you eat as well as other health issues you may have. Don’t do Whole 30 for weight loss – do it as a way to reset your diet with healthier habits and as a way to discover or rediscover food issues and allergies so you can avoid those foods in the future.

whole 30

Whole 30 Tips

When you are getting ready to start a Whole 30, it helps to do some research and make a plan, including a 1-week meaI plan before you start. It also helps to find some friends or family to be your supporters and encouragers through the process (keep reading for more info on a group I’m setting up). I recommend that you read my posts about the program if you haven’t already (listed below) and follow my Whole 30 ideas Pinterest Board for lots of yummy recipes. And stop by the Whole 30 website for lots of helpful info and resources. Follow me on Instagram as well – that’s where you’ll find me posting pics of meals and food as I go.

Intro to my Whole 30 Experience
My Whole 30 Experience and Results
My Whole 30 Experience – The Food
10 Tips for a Successful Whole 30
My Whole 30 Experience: Afterward
It’s Time for a Whole 15 (Includes a simple 2-day meal plan to get you started)
My Whole 15 Results

Whole 30

Join Me for Whole 30

My family will be starting Whole 30 officially on Monday, January 2 and finishing on January 31st. I have already set up a Facebook Group for this round. It’s called Whole 30 with Lisa Marie. Come check it out and click Join Group if you would like to be included!

Don’t feel like you have to do Whole 30 the exact same way or the exact same dates as me in order to join my group. The point of the group is to share recipes & tips as well as encouragement and to be able to vent or ask questions when needed. There might even be a few people joining who are not currently doing a Whole 30, but want to see how it goes for everybody else and start working some of the recipes into their meal planning. See you there!

Be sure to sign up here to keep up with all followup Whole 30 posts!

Have you done a Whole 30 before? What did you think? What kind of results did you have? If you haven’t done it, why not? Share your answers in the comments!

06
Dec
2016

Offset the Holiday STUFF With a December Declutter

categories: Home, Living

I did this a few years ago and it felt GOOD. So. much. STUFF comes into our homes during the month of December and it’s nice to get rid of a few things at the same time so we don’t get to January and feel overwhelmed by the clutter. This declutter challenge is enough to be effective but not enough to be an overwhelming task during the holidays.

declutter

The December Declutter

Just randomly trying to declutter through the month won’t help you be accountable, so we need a goal. The goal is to get rid of 100 items! That should be enough to offset all the extra holiday decorations, goodies, and gifts that are coming into the house this month. Don’t let 100 items scare you – it’s only 5 items or less a day for the rest of the month. And I’m super nice about what counts as items. A pen that has run out of ink totally counts as one item or even an old magazine can be one. Sounding simpler all the time, isn’t it? You can do this! We can do it together and offset all the STUFF.

So the December Declutter challenge is simple:

1 – Find about 5 items per day to either throw away or donate. Anything in your house, garage, shed, yard, purse, etc. counts.
2 – Items that are to be thrown away should be tossed out immediately. Items to be donated can be collected in boxes or bags.
3 – Share pics of your daily declutter finds and share on social media with #decemberdeclutter to help with accountabiity and making it fun!
4 – At the end of the month, zip on over to your favorite charity with your donation items and get a receipt for a tax write-off.

declutter

That’s it! Don’t spend more than 5-10 minutes a day to keep this from being too much to handle. This is not the time to completely reorganize the closet. Hit the easy spots to find your items to donate. Remember that the items don’t have to be large – any item heading out is offsetting something coming in. Here are a few declutter spots that always work for me to find items quickly:

Junk drawer
Silverware or utensil drawer
DVD, CD, or video game collections
My clothes closet
My purse

Start now! Take 5 minutes and find 5 things to get rid of. Who’s with me?!

declutter

21
Nov
2016

The Thanksgiving Meal – Connecting Through Food

categories: Connection, Family Life, Food

We know that Thanksgiving Day gives us an opportunity to connect with family and friends, and one of the biggest parts of the day is the food. Sharing food is another way that we connect with each other. It technically could fall under connecting through acts of service or connecting with family, but sharing a meal together is special in its own way. Food, and especially during the holidays, isn’t just about the taste and the presentation. It’s about so much more: memories, traditions, feelings, and ambience.

When you serve or are served a Thanksgiving meal, what kind of feelings and emotions do you have? What kind of memories do you experience during the meal? By serving certain types of foods at Thanksgiving, the feelings of warmth and tradition bring some level of comfort to us. Our world is ever-changing and feels a bit unstable, but the simple act of sitting down together for a Thanksgiving meal with our favorite dishes can help us to feel grounded again and experience a little of the stability that we crave. Because of this, we can connect more easily with our friends and family at our table and repair or strengthen neglected relationships. The foods we all enjoy can bring us together and begin a season of peace, charity, and grace.

What are your favorite foods to share and connect over during Thanksgiving? I’ll share my simple menu for this year’s Thanksgiving meal. I tried not to overdo it this time and am sticking mostly to tradition. Find my menu with links to recipes below.

Thanksgiving Meal Menu

Appetizers:
Pumpkin Bread
Sweet Spiced Nuts

Main Dish:
Brined, roasted turkey

Side Dishes:
Slow Cooker Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Colorful Roasted Vegetables
Cranberry-Apple Sauce
Rolls

Dessert:
German Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie (new dessert I’m adapting & attempting)

I hope you all have a blessed and beautiful Thanksgiving meal, connecting over your very favorite foods. Tell me what one of your favorite Thanksgiving foods is – I’m all about mashed potatoes and gravy myself! By the way, there’s still time to sign up for my Thanksgiving PDF if you haven’t yet.