My personal goals for this week

1. Attitude and Spiritual Health: Smile a lot more. Greet my family with a happy heart! Read scriptures and pray EVERY morning.

2. Exercise: Go to karate twice. I have to make a way... paying and not going is just not cutting it! Also, walk one mile on 3 separate days.

3. Education: Read and mark the remainder of "Fasting and Eating for Health."

4. Eat for Health: Do healthy grocery shopping! I guess the plan is to trade a few greenbacks for a few green leaves! I want to try at least one new food this week. How about an artichoke? I've never bought one before. I can steam that, right? If you have a good recipe, send it my way!

5. Preparedness: Add to food storage. It was announced in church yesterday that a few families will be chosen to do a food storage challenge. They will use strictly food storage for one entire wee, without shopping. I could definitely be better prepared... I just have a feeling they are going to choose us! It would be really good if it was at least a mildly pleasant experience for the kids. I want them to see the need to get involved in being prepared... this would really help them! (Maybe I should volunteer!) (I did not just say that, did I?)

Jenn's HM-Week 7

Quick health update:

I ran 3 days last week...2 days it rained at night, so a little excuse:P So I ran 12 miles last week.
I drank mostly water, but a few more sodas than the week prior, so I've gotta get back to my water habit.
I did find the strength training video, so I'll be doing it next week!
I've lost 5 lbs total and most of all, I've noticed losing inches. With all the running I've gained some muscle too, so I'm excited and pleased with the results so far!

Goals for next week:
1.Run 20 miles total
2.Drink a lot of water
3.Do the video 3 times
4.And...do some more investigation on the "Eat to Live" book
Thanks MomOnAMission for the insight! I had already been thinking about this saying that an older friend of mine used to say(I was only about 8 years old when I overheard him say this, funny how some things just stick...)
"Eat to live, don't live to eat"

Weigh-In Day

Since I burned the tar out of my thumb taking a pizza out of the oven (while feeding the missionaries, mind you) my post will be short and sweet.

I lost 2.4 pounds this week! Grand total: 12.6 pounds! Woo-hoo! (We'll see next week though. I have my monthly visitor staying this week, so that could play a part next weigh-in.)

This weeks goals include:

1. some type of exercise...let's try three times a week

2. lay off the sweets so much

3. try to get to bed by midnight each night

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Study methods... when you are on your own...

I have big plans and I'm trying to sharpen my study skills. I'd love to hear your tips.

Basically I have to read through a number of books to prepare for an exam to be certified as a nutrition counselor of sorts. (I'll explain more about that later.) My plan is to thumb through each book and get an overall idea of what goodies are in there. Then start at the beginning and read each section, highlighting the parts that are most important. After doing this for the entire book, I'll go back and write down everything I have highlighted. (If I write things down, they just stick in the old brain better... I'm sure that has something to do with my age.) Then I'll go on to the next book and do the same thing.

So... how do you study to retain information best?

Frustration

I know it's partly because I'm so sick, partly because I'm potty training, partly because I'm re-house traing the dog, and partly just my creativity, but I suck at being a housewife. No, my house is not a dump, it's just....lived-in, I guess you'd say. Certain things get done daily. I always play with my daughter. I always cook dinner...it might not be very good, but it does get done. Most of my clutter gets put away, although I never know what to do with Fai's. There are always a few toys scattered around. I get the sink cleared out at least once a day, and it's usually empty when we go to bed. But there's always a ton of things that never quite get done. I do the laundry, I even fold it, but it sometimes takes me a little while to get it all put away...Does this make me a slob? I keep my bathrooms clean, but I put off doing the floors. I take care of my dog, but put off giving him a bath because it means a big mess with Anjali helping. I try to keep toys picked up, but I put off the vacuuming...I hate not being good a something, I would like to be a domistic diva, but I'm content with a house that's not spotless but livable. Especially right now, being pregnant and sick, it's so easy to look at a job that needs doing and think, "I'll just do it tomorrow." Am I the only one who does this? I've seen some homes that look like they could be in a magazine, and all I think is, "who has the energy to do all this?" True confessions, people, am I a slob, or do you do this too?

PayPerPost-A "Momprenuer" Opportunity & More!

So, call me crazy...it wouldn't be the first time...but I found this awesome site on the mom blogs site. It's a place that you sign up with and it allows you to blog about all different kinds of things...and get paid for doing it! There are many different things to pick from. I like it because I think it will be good for the blog to find new stores and ideas and get some more women looking at our site, too. All of the tips and advice I've gotten so far has really proved helpful! This is a good way to have our circle grow. Also, not only can you make money just by blogging, like we already love to do, but you can also donate the money to charity if you so choose! The three charities are American Red Cross, Habitat For Humanity, or Alzheimer's Walk. Advertisers have ample opportunity to get you to blog about their products with blog ads. If any of you have any questions about what this is, just leave me a comment. I still have a lot of questions, too. I encourage all of you to sign up for this even if you just browse their site!! Everyone on here has a personal blog, I'm pretty sure. Try it out! Especially as Moms, sometimes it's nice to try innovative ways to earn extra money! Give me some feedback!

A New-Found Hobby..a long time in the making!

I always forget about this goal I have. It always seems to get pushed to the back-burner...and the eye turned off! Recently I have discovered that I really enjoy arranging and writing music. I have been doing stuff for church and it has sparked my interest in maybe finally sometime in the near future starting this hobby which I enjoy, which is music composition. I have been playing the flute for about...honestly I'm thinking I have no idea, 13 or 14 years? Yeah..anywho, I have always enjoyed that, but having gone to school to be a band director I have found a new respect for music as a composition or a whole. How does that saying go...Whole is equal to the sum of all its parts? I'm not convinced that it the saying, but the thought is still the same. The music is not complete if a part is absent. I always loved band for that reason. We were only as strong as our weakest link. Everyone did their part and we created music together. I am now interested in composing because it is the first creation or expression of a thought, a feeling...multiple and innumerable cascading emotions that become locked in time to be re-created as many times as people see inspiration in your creation. Hopefully I'm not rambling and losing everyone, but I truly do feel passionate about this...Finding time without neglecting anyone or anything else is the only obstacle. My brother-in-law has all kinds of recording equipment and is a very good guitar player. We keep trying to get together and do something, but the perfect time has not come yet. I have learned though that there is usually never a perfect time for anything without a lot of planning and organization, of which I'm not always the greatest at! I just wanted to put this out there in the blog arena so that I can hold myself accountable here soon.

I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God. I place it next to theology. Satan hates music*: he knows how it drives the evil spirit out of us.
-Martin Luther(*JST/Jennifer Stansel Translation-...good music:P)

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water-bath is to the body.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.
-Ludwig Van Beethoven

After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
-Aldous Huxley

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
-Victor Hugo