TO STRESS OR NOT TO STRESS - CHALLENGE #18

Isn’t that the truth?  

Often, Maxine is a bit on the crude side, but, sometimes,

she's not far off the mark.

When I decided to take on the challenge of managing my stress, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  As I really started thinking this through - I found myself saying  - "Oh, wow - this is huge!  Maybe I should re-think this one!"  This is such an immense topic, but it's something that like it or not, is here to stay.  As the pace of our lives continues to excel at a speed faster than any other time in history - we need to encourage and support each other.  You can get through an awful lot when you have someone cheering you on!   

 

We've probably all felt overwhelming stress at some point in our life.  If not, then you are either living a very charmed life or are high on something.  Or . . . you are the person that Maxine (above) is talking about.  Someone once told me that they never experienced stress  . . . they just created it.  I didn't say anything but I felt like saying, "Yeah, I know . . .  you are SUCH a BAG!"  

Years ago, a well-meaning friend told me that I knew nothing about stress and that when it came, she sure hoped I would be ready for it.  At the time I was raising two little kids and had a travelling hubby.  That kind of irked me until I found out her teenage son was suicidal and her husband suffered from major depression.  Ok - maybe the potty training wasn't such a huge deal.  Took me some time before I totally got what she was saying.

Not so very long ago and withinin the space of 4 months, I lost my father-in-law to cancer and a brother to a horrific hunting accident.  Since then, I've watched my wonderful Mom suffer the effects of advancing Alzheimers, seen my Dad wear himself out trying to be a supportive and loving caregiver for her, had some of my kids go through that dreaded tough, tough teenage - 'leave me alone, I hate you' stage, and encouraged my husband as he changed jobs, only to discover that he could potentially be among the many caught up in the down-sizing of his new company.  My job has changed from ESL elementary-junior high to ESL pre-school.  I'm now a mother-in-law and Grandma.  I am that Sandwich Generation, they talk about.   But, you know, I see what others struggle with and in the midst of all of this  . . . I have to continuously remind myself, I AM blessed.  You don't always have to feel it, you just have to KNOW it. 


The saying, 'As bad as you think your life is . . . there's someone else out there that's got it worse," rings true.  That is brought to mind, as I  watch those sad tv programs about Third World countries struggling to feed and provide clean water, hear about families whose kids are spun out on drugs and living on the streets, see friends losing their spouses, jobs, or homes, etc.  Life can be hard, at times - everywhere.  Stress looks different in different homes, but it's still there.  What is glossed over by one person, is traumatic for the next.  Even how we handle the stress in a situation early in the morning, might be very different if we were handling it, later in the day (and after several cups of good coffee!) 
 

I guess a good question to ask myself might be -  Am I feeling stressed , SOME OF THE TIME, MOST OF THE TIME OR ALL OF THE TIME?  On-going stress is a whole different kettle of fish than occasional stress.  When it's constant, you really need to do some soul searching as to the reason(s) it's on-going.  Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies.  We all handle stress and difficult stuff in our own way.  Some of us do it better than others.  Or do we?   Maybe ask the guy in the next car that you just flipped the bird to . . .   

It's easy to pass the buck and blame our stress and anger on others, but sometimes, we might have to suck it up and ask ourselves what part we played in all of it. Not always easy to be objective about ourselves.    
    
 
Often, it's hard to admit to ourselves that we aren't handling things as well as we could or should.  So, we bury or hide it.  The thing is . . . what goes down . . . always comes up (eventually).  People can go to great lengths to downplay what is on their plate - especially if they are surrounded by others that are far worse off.  Since stress really amounts to how our body handles "demands" - how ARE we handling life's demands?

Studies now show that Stress has the potential of becoming one of the leading health issues in North America.   While stress, in itself, isn't necessarily a bad thing, when we lose control of it, the effects of unhealthy levels can paint a very different outcome for us.  They say that today's young people struggling with overwhelming stress are beginning to experience conditions that have typically been associated with those signigicantly older.  

So what has the average person got to be stressed about?  Here are some - maybe you recognize a few of them as being something on your plate -

job security/competitive job market, low self-esteem, bullying, peer pressure, a death, difficult family dynamics, exams, dysfunctional or confrontational marriage, health issues, difficult friends or friends in difficult situations, inactivity (overloading on tv, computer, and game systems instead of sports and being outdoors), poor eating habits (junk food and fewer family meals together), plans not going as "planned", financial situations (ranging from gambling to poor money management), insufficient sleep time, road rage, poor time management, bills, bills, and more bills, negative work or school environments, substance abuse, etc.   


Getting stressed just reading this list?    Don't be . . . as I mentioned earlier . . . some degree of stress is good and keeps us functioning and alive.  There are always things we can do to lighten our load, change our perspective, and make the decision to move forward.  Rome wasn't built in a day and sometimes, it takes some real work and determination to get us on a new path.  We really do need to stay positive, empower ourselves, and cut each other a little slack.

                      See!  We aren't alone!

How we look at our situation, can often make a difference.  I'm a half glass empty person myself so when someone pointed this out to me recently, I thought it was food for thought -

So how do we get this ball rolling?  One thing would be to realize that there are some situations we are just not going to have any control over. Great, huh? That's part of life - knowing what you can deal with and what you have to let go of.  A little like that famous Serenity Prayer.  It's take some practice, so cut yourself some slack when you find yourself stewing over stupid stuff that seems like we can't do anything about.  Oh, Well - we do, what we can.  That's a good phrase to practice saying to myself, actually.  I'll be saying it a lot.  Or, at least, I should be!

But there are times, when we can do something because, not all stress comes from outside sources .... sometimes we create our own stress.  We've all met people who READ things into situations that just aren't there - maybe we do that?  Or we spend time with others knowing, dollars to donuts, they will upset us.  I know it can be incredibly hard to let things go, but sometimes we focus so much on other people's trivial remarks that it's all we can think about.  THAT'S not their problem, it's ours.

 

A few things have occured to me during this process:

 

a) Lots of things in life are not as easy as they should be but sometimes, things don't need to be as complicated as we make them, either.  
Are we taking on more than we should? 
Are we placing unreasonable expectations on ourselves? (Code:  setting ourselves up to fail?) 
Do we have poor time management?
You know, we don't have to say yes to
EVERYTHING, just because we have in the past. Taking some time before we give someone our answer, is a "good thing".
  

b)  We give too much power to other people.  For instance . . . maybe we think that everyone is "always" talking about us or criticizing us. Honestly, we just aren't that important to most people!  In fact, I rather doubt we cross most people's minds 24/7.

 

c) It's probably not the end of the world if the people we find stressful being around, get a little less of our time. You don't have to make a big deal out of it - just make yourself 'busy' - if you have things to do, you have things to do. 

 

d) Speaking of busy - get busy doing stuff.  When we sit around stressing, we can really drag ourselves down.  That's when our little minds start creating drama or scenarios.  There's that adage - "if you want to forget about your problems - get busy doing something nice for someone else."  Even if you just get outside for a walk in the sunshine, pick some weeds, meet a good friend for coffee, or make yourself exercise, you will be surprised how much better you will feel.

 

e) Learning how to do the de-stressing breathing can help with those times when you feel like you want to puke or your chest is going to explode. Accupressure and reflexology are awesome ways to relax and feel great.  It's amazing what a difference having your hands, feet, and your head massaged can do for your well-being. Who knew? Check out some sites on the web to get more info on this procedure.  I like to see an actual reflexologist now and again - great way to keep yourself healthy.  My faith has been a huge source of energy and direction for me.  I realize that not every one has one, but for me, it has opened up so many avenues - and for THAT, I am so humbly grateful. 
 

  

f) Watch what goes into your mouth (or doesn't).   Weight issues and stress go hand in hand.  Easier said than done but I've really made some changes in my snacking after dinner and it makes a big difference in so many ways.  Of course, I have to fill that void - so I generally dedicate my worst time to doing really positive things for myself (fyi - eating chocolate bars doesn' fall under the category of doing something really positive).  By the way, EAT BREAKFAST!  I know, I  know . . . you don't have the time.  Seriously . . . you better start finding the time. You wouldn't dream of getting into a car and heading into rush hour traffic when your gas gauge is reading empty. That's what not having breakfast does for you. Nothing stupid, either - like donuts and a vat of coffee. Even grabbing a piece of fruit or yogurt to go along with your one or two cups of coffee, goes a long way to getting your metabolism fired up.

 

 

             Things often seem better after a sleep.
 

g) Sleep is really important for stress.  If you don't get enough zzzz's, it's hard to think straight.  Not only that, we get upset easier, show less patience, and often start making mistakes that only adds to an already bad situation. It's amazing how BLACK can look that much BLACKER when we are tired.  Go to bed. Plain and simple.  Our bodies really do need more sleep, not less.  Aiming for 7-8 hours is really what we need - especially in this stress-filled world. According to Dr. Avi Sadeh, at the Tel Aviv University - he found that during his stress study on students, those "who tended to focus on their emotions and anxiety during the high-stress period were more likely to shorten their sleep, while those who tended to ignore emotions and focus on tasks extended their sleep and shut themselves off from stress."  Sleep is when so much happens for our body - repair and healing, rejuvenation, rest, etc.  We have one body - we have to take care of it.  If we don't, who will? 

 

h) Give yourself a break.  We are often harder on ourselves than others are on us.  We can't let the little things defeat us or the fact that we aren't making headway like we thought we would.  ANY headway we make is one step in the right direction.  To quote my chiropractor, when I was complaining about it taking longer than I thought to lose weight -  . . . "IT WILL.  BE PATIENT."  Ta Da - That's it?  Well - he was right . . . I had to keep plugging away and then one day, it started happening. Like anything, a has to happen before b happens.  Slow and steady does win the race.  We are an instant gratification society - we want it and we want it, NOW!  

 

 

 ~ Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize

you haven't fallen asleep yet ~

 

 i) Write it down - I like to have a notebook close at all times. It can free up your brain from thinking you will forget what you need to address or remember.  

 

j) Lighten up and learn to laugh again.  As my Dad once told me when we were discussing Mom's strange behaviours, if he didn't laugh, he'd cry.  It's not only OK to see the funny side of things, it's imperative, some days.  

 

k) Find someone you can talk to.  Often, it is the being "heard" that makes all the difference.  We don't always need a solution right away - sometimes an encouraging friend, co-worker, or family member to just listen to our concerns or venting goes a long way.  
 

l) Money - the number one killer of marriages and a huge stressor for people.  I've been following a tv program and I LOVE IT!  Did I say that loud enough?  'Til Debt Do Us Part - if you don't have cable, it's on the internet . . . click on 'Til Debt Do Us Part - when you get to Gail's site, click onto Videos at the top.  Down the left side will be all the tv shows - click onto 'Til Debt. Down the left side again, the Seasons will appear.  Click onto any season.  Go back up to the top and click onto the show you'd like to watch.  Watch them and watch them and watch them.  They are awesome and they give many, many people hope.  You can laugh at how stupid people are with their finances but often, people don't realize how doing something once, twice, etc., etc., etc., can land them into huge, huge problems.  It's a great show and it might even surprise you how you can see yourself in some of those couples.  I know I've learned lots.

 

I hope that as I go forward into this week, with stress at the back of my mind, I'll appreciate that it's not always such a bad thing.  I just have to learn (learning is lifelong!) how to manage it and to 'let go' so that I don't have to let it run my life.  Or ruin my life.  But more than that, it's knowing that I have a bigger say in how I handle things - doing something, anything is movement in the right direction - forward!  I have to stop second guessing myself. 


Quite frankly, there have been times in my life when I was truly stressed beyond belief because I just didn't have a clue if what I was doing was making any sense. Sometimes we don't want to share things with friends or family but we need to know if we are on the right track.  Spending time with a family therapist actually helped me to focus in on what I could change, improve, and re-direct.  It's not the end of the world when you decide you don't know it all.  

 

 

STRESS REDUCTION KIT

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

      1.  Place circle on FIRM surface.

      2.  Follow directions in circle.

      3.  Repeat Step 2 as necessary, or

           until unconscious.

      4.  If unconscious, cease stress

           reduction activity. 

Food for Thought: 



                                     

                             Stress is inevitable, defeat is optional.

 

                                        Serenity Prayer

                                                                                                                                 

 Time for school soon and that means back to work for me.  Life will get busy and my house will fall apart again . . . or will it?  Join me in the Ban Spring Cleaning Challenge next week!



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SCREEN REDUCTION! - CHALLENGE #17

CONFESSION: 

Been there, done that!

People's reasons for being on the computer can run the gamut – research, work, banking, blogs, e-mail, Facebook, movies and music, dating, and on and on.  Sometimes it might just be plain boredom . . . killing a little time. 

If you are anything like me . . . its pretty easy to lose track of how long you spend sitting in front of the screen.  Time just seems to fly.  Most of us would probably agree that the internet has some really helpful and educational stuff, but at the same time, some nasty stuff, too.  Astounds me how inaccurate some of the information can be and how easily we accept it.  Lots of poorly researched websites. Lots of stupid stuff, too - recently, I came across some really insightful quotes. NOT. 

        
"I've never really wanted to go to Japan.  Simply because I don't like eating fish.  And I know that's very popular out there in Africa." 
-  Britney Spears  

"Food is an important part of a balanced diet." 

- Fran Lebowitz, US Writer    

"My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt." 

- Chuck Nevitt, North Carolina State basketball player 

Good Grief.

 

                                                                       SKYPE

Today's technology is really quite amazing. Being able to talk on Skype with people in your own city and around the world for free, view pictures of family events, keeping in touch with old and new friends, getting directions, sharing a blog, shopping, checking out new decorating and recipe ideas . . . that's all great.  Every age group seems to be getting on board - from young kids to seniors. 

While computers, for the most part, are great . . . it is a little disturbing to see how so many kids and adults have lost their ability to communicate in person.  The new-found boldness and freedom they feel by being able to express themselves through cyber space has given many a false sense of confidence.  Don't get me wrong . . . confidence is a good thing but when you can't or won't shift that into your everyday life or it replaces your everyday life . . . then that's not good. 

We all know that cyber bullying is an issue these days - it's constantly in the news and on tv.  Seeing this stuff in print and actually reading the crude and rude posts that people put on these networking sites, like Facebook, makes you shake your head.  I guess it's that . . . because you can, why not mentality?   When you see what people share on sites (pictures and comments) it makes you wonder when they do this, if they have given any thought to the possibility of their family, police, principals, bosses, and potential bosses reading it.  Doubt it, but people don't always give much thought to that sort of thing when they think they are being "funny" or "clever".  Some may be angry - they "let it fly"  and call it "venting".  For an awful lot of people, it's a false sense of security (and perceived anonymity).  Not uncommon to hear this - "But that's just how kids talk now."  A little sad but that sort of thing generally comes back to bite you in the butt.

Even dating has taken a twist.  I've heard some have been successful at finding a sincere partner going this route, but when you think of the number of creeps out there stalking people in the comfort of their homes . . . makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up on end.  So, it would seem that it's a little like taking the cue from the retail world . . . "Buyer Beware."  It's easy to forget that there are people out there willing to take advantage of us and our families.  It really is incumbent on us to be smart about our time and sites. 

As I mentioned earlier, it is so easy to lose track of our time.  What starts out as, "Just a minute, I

need to finish this ..." inevitably becomes half an hour or more.  This reminds me of the comments my kids used to call out when playing their game systems, "In a minute . . . I just need to finish this level!"  Then, they'd appear twenty minutes later!  But the computer and games systems (that includes on-line gaming) aren't the only screens that this can happen with . . . tv . . .  even cell phones.  What starts out innocently as a useful tool or entertainment can easily and very quickly make us its slave.

After an 11 year hiatus, we've recently signed up for basic cable tv again, and only because sports became the dominant reason for its return.  For the most part, we've been pretty responsible about it.  However, the sports channels are pretty much the only ones allocated to the basement tv.  The majority of the others have to be viewed on the main tv upstairs.  I guess it's not a surprise that tv watching in the basement has dropped drastically.  Game systems are a whole different matter, but our rule of no game systems during school days has worked out well.  Not from kids' perspective but, hey . . . can't please all the people all the time. 

                                                        (At least for today!)

Where I seem to waste the most time, is not really the tv (and definitely not games systems) but, rather the computer.  I'm not a huge Facebook follower, and probably wouldn't be, if so many of my friends didn't use it as their main means of contact.  It's always nice, now and again, to see what everyone is up to.  I can absolutely guarantee you that I'd probably have way more free time if the internet hadn't been invented (mind you . . . I wouldn't be writing this blog, either).  Though thinking about it, I guess the free time has always been there, hasn't it? . . . it's just a matter of how I have been choosing to use it.   

 The biggest time wasters for me probably have been checking e-mails, Pininterest, and scouring the internet for useful articles / information to use at school and in my home.

While they are time-worthy (in my humble opinion), they do draw me to the computer a lot more than I have time for.  It's funny how easy it is to check e-mails and that leads from one thing to another.  In no time, the morning, afternoon, or evening can have flown by and you have virtually nothing done around the house to show for your time.  Some words of wisdom from time management gurus that I am taking to heart - 'If you need more time, turn off the tv.'  I'm sure they would agree that you could change 'tv' to essentially anything that consumes your time. 

                                               

We only have one computer (my decision) and so when you have 3 people sharing it, everyone has to wait.  That actually has been helpful in restricting time.  Honestly, many a day, I am practically chomping at the bit for my turn.  Now, what does that tell you?  Tells ME that maybe I need to show a little more discipline in what I am doing with my free time.  I'm not sure I've really noticed before how easy it was to fritter away minutes here and there until this summer.  All the long list of things that I had wanted to get at . . . well the list has been slow to get done.  I think my Challenges have helped to make a dent but I could definitely kick it up a notch.  I was really tempted to wait and do this particular challenge later on in the year, but then I realized that now is probably the time for it.  Funny how we avoid that which is the hardest - not so funny, I guess.  Just human nature. 

Ever notice how so many of us can't seem to go on holidays anymore without bringing our electronics along?  I'm just as guilty as the next guy, on this one.  We think we NEED to be able to stay in touch with everyone 24/7.  How in the world did we survive in the "olden days"?  :)    Often, it does makes sense to bring along the phone (or possibly your laptop) but, even with that, we have to learn to monitor our time and turn it off, too.  If we are texting friends, posting pictures, checking e-mails and facebook, catching up on work, etc., . . . aren't those pretty much the same things that we are doing . . . at home?  Having free time on holidays is ok and even good - we don't always HAVE to fill it.  I know it's exciting to share our holiday pictures and adventures while we are "in the moment" but if the real point of being on vacation is "getting away from it all," then are we?  Just sayin'.


So - are we a generation that is becoming a slave to or addicted to technology?  You never really escape it, unless you make the decision to set limits.  We all may think we do, but do we really?  Have you noticed how kids HAVE to have their phones with them at the dinner table?  Maybe some adults, too!   I did start setting some limits here, too. In our house - no phones at the table - turned off so we can't hear them and put some place where we can't see them.  It's interesting how even having them strapped to our hip and turned off gives us a sense of never really being away from them.   Not so sure it's such a bad thing to turned them off at home, in our car, or at work, now and again.  The distracted driving law sure has been a good way to make us be a little mindful of our time on the phone - though still see lots begging for a ticket.


I suspect some of this thinking wouldn't go over well with most people these days.  We can always justify what we choose to.  Who wants to be inconvenienced?  Truthfully, in the past, I'm not sure that I would have agreed or even thought about it, either.  Makes me wonder if we aren't starting to lose our ability to know how to spend time alone or with our families. Time to take back a little of that control, I'm thinking.

"Want to do something fun?

Like maybe download some new games we can play together after school?"

Boy, I'm learning a lot about myself since I've started my 55 Weeks.    I've been wondering and kind of agonizing over what is a reasonable amount of time for being on the computer. This is what I've come up with . . . not sure it's right but we'll see how it works out . . .

Mondays - Saturdays: 7-9 a.m. 7-9 p.m. (I've read that you need 1/2 hr. - 45 minutes of no screens before bedtime for a restful sleep - that makes sense).

Sundays - no set times           

Just because I can go on it, doesn't mean I have to either. 

Now there's a concept, eh?

I'm sure this will be challenging for me but who knows . . . maybe I'll find I now have time to clean up that basement or work on that list of things before school starts!

 

   Food for Thought: 

You never know . . . maybe this challenge will help me with next week's - To Stress or Not to Stress,That is the Challenge!

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NO CHEATING! - CHALLENGE #16

"I hear there's pie, too!"

Snacking – shhhh ... don't tell!

Funny how when we think of snacking, there is often guilt attached to it. Or am I alone in this one? I have come to the realization that snacking is actually not such a bad thing. In fact, if you eat the right sized portions and pick the right sorts of foods, snacking can be a very good thing.

Like me, you've probably heard all the hype on how much better off we would be eating 5 smaller meals rather than 3 big ones.  I do see the merit in that, however, at our house, we eat the traditional 3 meals and that's that. In my mind, I cook enough - I have no interest in becoming a revolving kitchen. Nevertheless, the 5 meals would probably stave off a lot of the snacking tendencies. Knew I should have married a chef.

It's probably safe to say that most people snack out of habit. I know, I sure do. The sun goes down and I find myself aimlessly wandering to the pantry or the fridge (or both)!  However, now that I am no longer buying much in the way of junk food (courtesy of previous challenges) . . . I have to say . . . my wallet is appreciating it but my family is not. "Where's all the good stuff?" Actually, they haven't been whining near as much as I had thought they would (could be they are just going out and buying it on their own). Can't do anything about that . . . but it does mean they have to actually get off the couch to go out and get it.   Bonus - they are using their own money and not mine!

 

                                                                          

I must confess, I am not overly thrilled (whine, whine, whine) about this particular challenge. I know it will be good for me . . . but it's not an easy one.  Not that I feel that I struggle excessively in the area of snacking but I know I could do better. Especially when I have been jogging on my little rebounder and seeing some encouraging results. Unfortunately, I do have the muffin top thing happening. Not a surprise since most women will eventually fall prey to this little "sweetie". Now the chick above has the makings of a nice muffin top but I have to say - I may not be a big person, but my muffin top (or spare tire) has her's beat hands down.

Ok - you know you are getting desperate when you do this . . . took  a picture of mine with my cell phone! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO THIS? Trust me, it's NOT a very flattering picture. To think that it was worse a few weeks back when I had more stomach flab!  Well, for some of us, visuals are good reminders.  Maybe even a little like those rubber neckers on the highway . . . they see an accident and they are compelled to look. And, not unlike people who post pictures of themselves on Facebook. They are drawn to their pictures like a moth to a flame.  You can bet that I'm not posting that on Facebook anytime soon but it is a rude awakening to me everytime I check out pictures on my phone.  Can't say I ever look at that picture without cringing. 


Anyway - I've now started restocking my pantry and fridge with healthier choices. I'm also learning how shockingly small a portion really is.  I have totally been over-estimating what a sensible portion looks like. In this world of "super size that, please" it's not always easy to know what's normal anymore.  There is a term for that - portion distortion.  According to EatRight Ontario - 'Portion distortion is when over-sized portions of food start to look normal to you.' I'm thinking those Texas Donuts or huge Costco-sized muffins, here.  Another thing to keep in mind - the serving size on the sides of products you buy is not necessarily the same as what the Canada Food Guide suggests. Food manufacturers decide what a serving is for their products.


To be quite honest . . . in the past, I probably couldn't have cared less.  But now - I am learning.  A handful of nuts is fine . . . a cereal bowl of them, is not.  Two or three cups of popcorn is acceptable . . . a family-sized bowl full, is not.   Carrots and a few tablespoons of dip is good, a cup of dip is probably not a smart move.  Can you hear my lips smacking -  slap me but I LOVE dip! 

We don't always need to second guess ourselves or have a guilt fest when we have the occasional splurge or find ourselves at a special event. But - if you are like me and finding that you are pretty much "treating yourself" daily or notice that the weight has been creeping on over time . . . well - maybe now is the time to start paying attention to your eating habits. It amazing what we do without really thinking about it.

Experts can't seem to agree on when to stop eating for the day - though there does seem to be a greater consensus that we need more calories and food earlier in the day and less as the day goes on.  Lower fat, higher nutrition and fibre is always the way to go.  For me, I've decided that my cut off time for snacking is: after dinner.  That's my worst time. If we happen to have a later dinner, I have noticed that I just have no interest in looking around for more food for the rest of the evening.  I've just recently started having decaf tea or hot water when I am feeling "peckish" and if I really need to have something . . . I do make an effort to try to keep it to just one serving of whatever I pick for a snack.  Sometimes total denial isn't always a good thing. Kudos to those that can do it . . . I guess for me, life is just too short to be that drastic.


Not sure about you, but I have noticed that when I have too much time on my hands or am not occupied with something (uh, news flash -  tv doesn't really count!) . . . I have more of a tendency to think about food.  Plunking myself down in front of the tv, seems to go hand in hand with snacking.  Or what about going to the movies = popcorn and going out with friends = appies.  Funny how we equate certain activities with food.  I wonder if it isn't easier to make bad choices or throw in the towel when you say NO every single time. Learning to limit yourself to a reasonable amount of snacking makes more sense than denying yourself and making everyone around you nuts.  Love those nuts, too, by the way. Yum yum! 


It's a bit of a challenge, but if I know that I will be out in the evening (and the chances are good I'll be eating something) deciding to cut back calories earlier in the day is a positive and pro-active thing to do. 


There are many sites on the internet that tell you what a respectable size for certain snacks are . . . however, I've got the memory of a sieve so when there are no boxes or labels to check . . . I've just decided that visualizing one handful is easy to remember.  It may not be overly accurate but my hand is always with me and if the snack could fit into the palm of one of my hands (in theory), then I think, I'm good with that! 

Keeping track of 16 Challenges is almost a full time job. So far, so good. Some are going better than others but each one is making genuine progress. I am curious to see if not snacking after dinner will have any effect on my weight - sure hope so!  I do believe that after dinner, by staying a little more engaged in something, whether it be reading or some kind of a routine, I will find it easier in working on my snacking challenge. Sometimes a "little" can go a long way.   Maybe it's just knowing you can have it, but choose not to tonight that gives you a little more will power or feel a little victory or success. Don't really know . . . but one day at a time is a good way to start making those long lasting life changes.

Food for Thought: 

See you next week when I attempt my 17th Challenge - Screen Reduction!

Images  by:  famouspeoplesnacking.tumblr.com; thisisreallife.blogspot.com; asystoleisstable.blogspot.com; phonearena.com; cheapandsimpleveganrecipes.com

HOSTA LA VISTA, BABY! - CHALLENGE #15

HOSTA LA VISTA, BABY!

Ooops. Sorry, I guess

that really should be . . .

HIDY HO!  IT'S HOSTA BOB! 

Yeah, I know – he ain't no Arnie but those ARE real live hostas behind him.  And his name REALLY is Hosta Bob. Kind of a grim-looking sort of guy – doesn’t really look like he enjoys what he’s doing.  But apparently he does.

I’m sure that’s what my neighbours must think when they see me out in the yard. I sometimes wonder what those living around me are thinking when they see the weeds out back. In fact, just the other day, my next door neighbour must have been feeling a little sorry for me.  He offered to take my bags of weeds and toss them for me.  Now to figure out how to get him to do the weeding - :)

I think the most appealing part of my yard is the front – no grass. We have pretty much designed it to be maintenance free.  With all the bark chips and shrubs . . .  hardly a weed to be seen. When we are gone – no tell tale signs to strangers that we are away. 

Since I have pretty much nothing to do in the front yard, I love it. It's the the backyard that has been the thorn in my side (so to be speak).  Actually, I've got plenty of those, too. The yard is quite sloped so trying to keep the grass green has been a virtual nightmare.  Quite honestly, short of cutting the grass and the occasional pruning, this poor yard has been on its own for a lot of years.  In the past, the boys’ activities from spring to early summer have kept us busy until holiday time and by the time we've returned from those . . . the leaves were almost ready to fall.  Hard to get motivated at that point. 


When you are working full time and have sports and family taking up most of your free time, the last thing you feel like doing is going outside to do yard work.  At the end of a busy day, raking, cutting, and weeding is not something you really get all that fired up about - at least in this household, anyway.

The weeds make me crazy.  Who in the world decided that weeds were such a bad thing?  Seriously, they grow better than anything else in this yard.   

I’ve never really been one to love spending time on my patio with all the creepy little ants (can’t stand those things) and since I’m not a sun worshipper, there really hasn't been much attraction to my yard.  Between hail and forgetting to water, potted plants on my patio and deck generally have not fared well at all.

I had such high hopes for this little guy - the beautiful pansies were flourishing and blooming!  Then I went away and left them to the fate of my family  . . .

You’d think we would be condo people, but there really is something quite therapeutic about looking out onto your own landcaped space.  Thankfully, this yard is smaller than some we’ve had. Having been homeowners nine times, we've been fortunate to have had large spaces for the kids to play in.  In most of those yards, we've had to plant vegetable or flower gardens to help fill the space. 

Now, in the past, I had always fancied myself to be somewhat of a vegetable gardener. I use that term loosely. What started out as a lovely idea soon would soon turn into a hobby farmer’s nightmare.  Those cute little plants all neatly lined up in their nicely tilled soil didn’t take long to become completely out of control.  They grew and they grew and they grew!  I may have been all thumbs at this gardening venture, but they were definitely green!  With 4 kids, a big house, and endless housework/yardwork, the gardens were often left to fend for themselves. 

Somewhere in here are vegetables!

I was extremely hopeful when we purchased our current house - an unfinished yard - we could design a maintenance free yard!  Just grass and a few trees, maybe?  All I knew was . . . I wanted as little yard work as possible. With my husband's work schedule, coaching and attending our kids' sports, his commitment to the yard was pretty limited. We needed something easy to care for. What started out as great ideas (rock retaining wall, concrete steps down into a lower yard, shrubs, trees, and pockets of gardening areas) . . . ended up becoming a huge headache.  That flippin' yard took on a life of its own.  If you are not around to prune, weed, water, and baby it all, it quickly can get out of hand.  Now, this has been 12 years in the making, so you can imagine how much things have grown!  Truly, fall and winter are two of my favourite seasons - no weeding and no yard work!!  

Surprise, surprise . . . this is the first year that we have actually had some real summer time to work on the yard!  I must say DREAD is the word that comes to mind when I think about what’s out there.   

I have two sisters - both blessed with some real creativity and our mother's gardening talents.  Their yards are quite different from each other's, but both are lovely and inviting. 

My sister in BC lives in a small town - very rural and folksy.  The feel of her yard reflects that. She has amazing hedges and fruit trees, a comfortable wrap-around deck, cute little gardening decorations scattered here and there, and a rustic little greenhouse that sits as a focal point in her backyard. Her husband's impeccable handiwork is evident wherever you look. She loves to "poke" around in her gardens and her appreciation for pretty and quaint is evident.  She enjoys being out there - it is a place of escape and tranquility for her.  I only get to visit a few times a year, but each time I see it, I get this inexplicable urge to do something with my own space back at home. By the time I get back to Calgary and see the crazy amount of work awaiting me . . . the urge passes.   :)

Imagine having these in your yard!!

 My other sister lives in a small city in Manitoba, where summer heat and mosquitoes can be intense. To take full advantage of the the season's awesome weather, they have created a fabulous back yard - great landscaping, a fire pit and hand made deck chairs!  Her husband also built an amazing screened-in patio - perfect for those warm Manitoba summer evenings.   It's strung with cute mini lights and filled with random things to make it a cozy place to kick back in with friends.  Her yard is small but perfect.  Just the right amount of flowers and veggies. Recently, she started a little herb garden.  In fact, that is what inspired me to finally jump into this Challenge - her little herb garden - so do-able. 

I may not have the stamina (or perhaps interest) in turning my yard into a park-like setting, but I surely can change my attitude about its potential. Staying on top of things (that's code for being consistently regular in being out there) and taking a genuine interest in making it a more welcoming place to want to be, might be impetus for change.  I have been testing out an old family pitch fork and it's quite amazing at how adept I am becoming with that thing.  I doubt I will ever become the avid gardener my sisters are, but I think that with a different outlook, I could take our yard from being simply weeded and pruned to something appealing and enjoyable.  Who knows where a little hard work, bling, creativity, and determination could lead . . .

               Self Contained Herb Garden                                 A Little Bling!

                         

                            

                                 

. . . and you never know, I might even get on-board with this whole outdoor thing!

         Food for Thought:

Some of my new best friends (at least Mondays-Fridays)! 

Join me next week when I take on the daunting challenge of 'No Cheating!'  I am cringing, just thinking about this one!

Images by: mlive.com; vegoutwithlinda.com; en.wikipedia.orgfritzmonroe.com; dipity.combackyardsandgardens.com; laundryontheline.wordpress.com; http://www.decorativecountryliving.com/christmas/pages/christmas_2010_071.html;
1.bp.blogspot.com; screamingsardine.net;