Learn to LOVE yourself

Many of my FB friends have posted a link to a powerful ad for women.  Have you seen it?  It is the Dove Real Beauty Sketches on YouTube.   (The link is listed at the end of this blog.) 

After watching it I started thinking of how hard I am on myself.  My husband is constantly telling me that he wishes I would see myself the way he sees me.  He is always full of compliments and loving remarks.  After he compliments I normally roll my eyes or completely ignore it.  Why?  Because he is my husband, he has to say those things, right?  I have said this to him and his response is that he doesn't HAVE to say it, he says it because he believes it.  Why do we as women do this to ourselves?  Why can't we see all the positive attributes that we bring?  We are our worst critics. 

For some of my friends I know you completely understand where I am coming from, for others I think you are shaking your head at me.  I know, I know, I hear you.  I am so very lucky to have all my jazzer-friends who have given me awesome words of wisdom throughout the years.  I promise to start listening and to stop obsessing on the negative.  I hope you will follow me with my promise and do the same for yourself.  We are all beautiful, inside and out, and need to start seeing what others see.

I love you all and thank you for all your kind words throughout the years.

 Check it out here - Dove Beauty

My sugar addiction is making me smell

I don't normally watch Rachael Ray but this morning I had it on in the background as I did some chores.  There was a woman who was asking the doctor (Dr. Sanjay Gupta) about her body odor.  I can get stinky too so I started listening.

When I taught often I would take 2 (sometimes 3) showers a day so this was never really a problem, at least I never thought it was.  I have been known to forget deodorant from time to time when teaching - yikes! - and I have run the gamut on different types of deodorant because I sweat A LOT.  I even went so far as to get a prescription from my doctor to stop the armpit sweating. 

I think we are a little more sensitive to how we smell and as women our noses can smell EVERYTHING, can't you?  It is a running joke with my family, I smell everything, I don't like lots of smells (cooked bacon in my kitchen, for example). 

Back to the T.V. show...Dr. Gupta said our diet can contribute to how we smell...well yes we knew this already, however did you know that processed foods, sugar - especially artificial sweeteners, are HUGE contributing factors to your odor?  Even eggs can make you smell.  The woman in the audience ate eggs daily, the suggestion was for her to stop and to find something else to trade for the eggs. 

Now I LOVE my sugar and have talked incessantly about cutting back but have still yet to do it, I try for a day and fall off the wagon.  Since I still do not plan to give up the sugar I will have to rely on you, my friends, to tell me if I start to smell. :)

BTW - there are things to do to help with odor - eating leafy greens, increasing your magnesium intake, more vitamin A (carrots), eat beans & tuna.  Also cut down on the acidity in your body.

Here is the link to the clip from Rachael Ray: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/dr-sanjay-gupta/

My son is hormonal

Aidan has always been a very easy-going boy.  Not much bothers him and he is always happy.  But something has changed, over the last few weeks he has been moody.  Like "girl-moody".  I am used to this from Katrina but not him.  What is going on?  Do you think it is all the computer time?  I swear he goes through withdrawals when he can't get on his computer.

Here is what happened...on Wednesday we had snow, it was beautiful outside.  I woke him up, opened his curtains and had him look at how pretty it was.  He immediately said "Do I have to go to school?"  These words have never been uttered from his little lips, he hates to miss school, he likes to be recognized for perfect attendance (no comment from the peanut gallery - yes, he is my child, poor guy).  I told him I would look to ensure we weren't having a "snow day".  He slowly got ready and waited for me to check the computer.  School was in session, he was extremely disappointed.

That night we got sleet, rain & lots of slush on the ground.  Low & behold school was canceled. (Read my FB post about my bad-mom moment with that).  He was thrilled and immediately got online to chat with his friend who lives 5 minutes away.  The mom and I got the boys together and they actually played outside in the snow, after playing on Minecraft for a while, of course.

This morning (Friday) he waited for me to check the computer for another snow day, no such luck.  He was bummed.  To add insult to injury he has OM (Odyssey of the Mind) after school today for 3 hours. He started crying!  I asked why he was so upset and he said his Friday night is ruined!  (For those that know me, we do not have WILD Friday nights - we do Free Friday & Friday night movies).  I guess I should feel happy since he is disappointed about missing our Friday night party. :) However I think he is upset to not have time on his beloved computer.

What do you think?  Is there something else going on - hormones, something at school, computer withdrawals?

Funny by Katrina

Katrina's reading is getting so much better and she likes to read everything.  Recently she was reading the side of her milk carton.  She read all about female cows and bulls.  Then continued on to read the different flavors of milk - chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, 2%, low fat.  She looked at me and said "that's funny momma", I said "what is funny", she said "there are cows that are low to the ground and fat that make this milk".  I love the things my kiddos say that make me laugh!

Do you weigh more in the summer?

I have often said that I gain weight in the summer.  I always chalked it up to eating more fruit and having more sugar in my system.  I know, I know, I eat unhealthy sugar ALL the time so eating a more natural sugar from fruit should not (& does not) do this.  Then I thought that maybe I wasn't working as hard in the AZ (now OK) summer because it was so hot.  This my husband laughs at because we are working out in air conditioned rooms and still sweating just as much.  So, why oh why do I gain weight in the summer...

As I was reading the January issue of Fitness magazine I found my answer.  It is a little bit of a stretch but I the logic works, hear me out...the question asked in the magazine was "How is it possible that I gained weight overnight?"  The answer was as follows: "Weight can fluctuate from two to six pounds overnight [6 lbs - that is AWFUL!!!], all because of water," says [their on-staff Ph.D.]. "Usually you weigh less in the morning because your stomach isn't full.  But if it's hot or you're within two weeks of starting your period, your body will store extra H2O."

AHA - so because I drink more water in the summer to hydrate from my hard workouts I weigh more.  Not only that but because it is hot where I live I am going to weigh more.  For whatever reason this made me feel so much better.  Now I just need to live in a cold climate all the time to be approx. 6 lbs less. OR I am just going to believe that I am 6 lbs less than what the scale says because it is warm outside.  But if the scale starts moving the other way in the winter I am screwed with my logic.

Healthy eating for little ones

Last night we were finishing our martial arts training (sidenote: Katrina & I are preparing for our next belt - BLUE.  You start at white, then 1st yellow, 2nd yellow, 1st green, 2nd green, then blue.  We are progressing nicely.  I still dislike the fighting but the men in class are really helping motivate me to be a tough girl.)  Back to the story, we were heading to get dinner and Jim asked Katrina if she was feeling okay.  She said she was fine, he said he thought she did a good job in class but she looked a little tired. (Thank goodness she is still young because we all know what it means when someone says "are you feeling okay, you look tired", right?  If not, it means, "wow, you look like crap today!")  Unfortunately I had noticed the same thing over the last few weeks with Katrina.

It started during the winter break, she had lost all the color from her face, she has been very pale lately and is not hungry.  Well, she is always hungry for "a snack" but not for any real food.  I know many of you are saying, this is totally normal, especially for Katrina.  But I keep looking at her next to her friends and she is thin.  I know, I know, her momma and daddy are thin so again this is nothing new, but it has us worried. The good news - she won't pass up a piece of bacon or papitas.

She continually tells us she feels fine and I am hoping I am just being a crazy momma.  I went shopping today for "healthy" snacks, her little system is going to go into shock but we have to cut the junk food, this is all she seems to crave.  Wish us luck, again any advice is welcome.

My boyfriend is BACK!!!!

Have you heard?  JT is READY to start a new album.  Of course he sent me a message on FB to let me know.  I was becoming very sad because he had dropped a couple of notches from top boyfriend status since he 1) got married this year - see below, 2) hadn't made any new music in a long time, & 3) was wearing those silly glasses.

MARRIED - when this happened I had nobody to talk to, all my ladies who knew how obsessed I am were in AZ.  For the record, I am happy for him and Jessica but will it last?  Did you like the pink dress?  She did look beautiful and he looked VERY handsome.  I know you will be shocked but I did not buy the magazine, I did however see it at the car wash & was able to look at all the pictures.

Here is the link that Justin sent to me, Enjoy!
 He's Ready