Make Ahead Salad

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Does your day ever spin out of control?

Mine does–I forget to eat . . . even when I get the kids lunch ready . . . I forget to make my own!

Then I remember that I didn’t make lunch, I eat their leftovers which is food that I don’t really enjoy.  I love my salads–especially in the summer time when the local farmers market is bursting with cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes.

I’ve been trying so hard to lose weight–my goal was 70 lbs this year–so far only 10 have come off (big sad face) but I can run 3 miles without feeling like I might die!  I’ve recently had a dietary shift–basically I eat a plant based diet.  Will I eat a hot dog!  I sure will–but it will be an Applegate uncured hotdog!  Will I eat a hamburger at McDonalds–NO!

I’m eating much more mindfully now.  I’ve already started writing about it with this post about GMO’s.

Problem:  Not eating lunch!

Solution:  Make a few days worth of lunches ahead of time.

layered Tex Mex Salad

 

 

 

IMG_3591

 

 

Be Blessed as you take time to nourish your body with the best possible foods available to you!

(Did you notice the box of cereal?  I don’t like cereal as a meal–but these chocolate mini wheats are fun to add into trail mix.  And if you have a kid who takes forever to eat breakfast . . . or has to go to the bathroom RIGHT after you pour the milk–EVERY MORNING!  These are great.)

Meatloaf, in a crockpot?

Top Ten After School Snacks

Top 10 Chicken Dinners

Blogs I link up with!

Worship (FMF)

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I haven’t participated in a Five Minute Friday in a very long time!  I’m excited to be back.

What is Five Minute Friday?  It is where blogger writes for 5 minutes–unedited–from a one word prompt.  Lisa-Jo is a cheerleader for Moms writing about the ups and downs of motherhood.

Go:

I just read the prompt for today:  Worship.  Uggh  nothing came to mind.  My computer chimed, telling me that it was time to go upstairs and get ready for my day.

“Why the long face?” my husband remarked–an inside joke with us!  I told him about the prompt and he blurted out “I worship the ground you walk on!” and I looked at him–like he had 8 heads.

Why would he say that?  Why would anyone worship the ground I walked on?

Then it hit me–I don’t worship the ground I walk on–so why should anyone else?  I find it hard to honor myself–so why should anyone else?

I cried.

He held me–I felt worshiped.

my best friend!

As I take each step in today . . . I’m feeling a little lighter, a little happier, a LOT more loved.  The crazy thing is . . .

IT WAS ALWAYS THERE!

Now I feel it in my soul, in my mind and my heart is singing.

STOP:

P.S.  I know my husband loves me.  I know my kids love me.  But until today . . . I’ve not felt like I could love me–today is when it clicked.  I GOT IT.

I’ll be at Target–CRYING! again!

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Last year at this time I wrote a post called–I’ll be at Target–crying.  It was my real-time experience of having my oldest son go to middle school.  I missed his so incredibly much–not like I didn’t have a whole house full of other kids who needed me.  Doesn’t quite make sense . . .

driving to the bus stop!

Last year, was my first year of having #1 son gone and the others homeschooled.  That entire part of my life had just flipped and I was hurting.  My son finishes me sentences, he eats whatever I give him, he joyfully does his school so that he can go out and play soccer.  He is a absolute JOY to be around.  I didn’t want to lose that and I sure as heck didn’t want to give it to a group of teachers that wouldn’t see his talents.

This year, he leaves again, I’m homeschooling the other kids . . . and we ALL miss him . . . really, really miss him.

me, parked far enough away not to be embarrassing but close enough to get a picture! Not gonna lie--I was crying when I took this!

6th grade came and went.  I had several opportunities for both of us to grow.  I wrote this post at the beginning of our first year.

All of this change gave me the time to reflect on how I wanted the relationships with my kids to grow/develop.  They don’t tell you any of this in the baby books!

Wanna know what I came up with?  I want my kids to come to me rather than going to Google!

How am I gonna do that?  I’m not sure.  The first thing is to let him know each day that I am available for him–I may not say “I’m always here if you need to talk.”  but I will make myself available for spontaneous conversations . . . or I’ll pick him up a Taco Bell Mountain Dew Baja Blast and have it waiting for him . . . he knows that is love . . . sugar, food coloring, no doubt high fructose corn syrup and zero nutrients!  A treat for sure!  But it will get the conversation going!

I wrote about the five love languages and I plan on revisiting my own posts!  I think that his love language might have changed from Quality time to Acts of Service.  The other three are physical touch, words of affirmation and giving and receiving gifts.

I’ve found that being mindful and intentional does not come easily.  It sound crazy to think about scheduling in time to be mindful.  I suppose if I were a yogi or a nun it might come a little easier!

Be Blessed.  Really!  Be Blessed as we walk along our journey–trying each day to do our best.  Even on days when my best isn’t all that great . . . I know I tried.