Wisconsin Trip and Holiday pictures!

 I realized that I hadn't posted Christmas pictures yet so I am combining those with our recent trip to Wisconsin. I have quite a few family members who live in different states, so they always appreciate seeing some recent pictures of the boys. Enjoy!


We went to visit my parents in Wisconsin last week. We hadn't celebrated Christmas with them yet because I got a 24 hour bug on Christmas day so we decided to stay home and not risk infecting my family there. Luckily, I was the only one to get sick and it was short lived.

Here is a picture of Benjamin having fun with grandpa.

 and Benjamin enjoying time with grandma. Grandma has the best toys. (notice the Shaklee 4 oz empty bottle in his hand? lol)

 For some reason, the pictures loaded in a different order and I don't have too much time to rearrange. Sorry about that!

After my parents, we headed to the Timber Ridge lodge and resort for a couple of nights and had a blast. Here is a picture in our suite. We got a great deal, only $99/night! I would highly recommend. We stayed there last March for my music therapy conference. It's a great place for families and it is a green hotel and waterpark. You can read more about it in my post Here.

 We also had a ton of fun at the arcade.

 and on the trolley ride around the grounds of the Grand Geneva.

 We had friends and family come for a visit too. Our friends Mike and Cheryl came on Saturday but unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures then :(

Here is a picture with our friend Joanna giving a hug to Andrew.

 And Benjamin with both of his Godparents (my brother Dan and our friend Joanna)

 having fun at Sunday brunch.

 and on the way home. We stopped at one of the Chicago overpass oasis so the kids could run around and stretch. They love watching the cars and trucks go by.

  the boys like to give David his workout as you can see....:)

 Benjamin is a little easier workout I think:)

 

Here are a few more pictures from Christmas day at our house.

 The boys had so much fun opening their gifts.

 We also got some snow the day after Christmas. Andrew and David went out to play in it.

 Andrew is wearing a scarf that my grandma made for my brother! it is over 40 years old! I remember wearing it too. :)

 We lent Benjamin's snowsuit out last winter and I realized that we still need to get that back. So we stayed inside to watch.

 enjoying a morning chat:)

 here are a few more pictures from my parents.

 The boys LOVED having another day of gift opening. They got some nice things from their grandparents as well as my siblings and nieces.

So there's the kids updates. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Thanks again for reading and remember to check in on Thursday for my new Organize Now blog. We'll be organizing our priorities this week.

Have a great and healthy week!!

Rebecca

Organize Your Mind & Life Vision

Welcome to week 1 of my Organize Now series! Are you excited? I sure am! I talked about my Organize Now weekly party in This Post. If you haven't gotten the book or downloaded it yet, there is always time to and join in! You can find the book Here. The first four weeks are dedicated to organizing yourself.


This week is all about organizing your mind & life vision. Wow! That's a big one but so important if we want to get the other areas of our life in order. The author, Jennifer Ford Berry, has a lot of great tips in each chapter. I will focus on each week's goals that she lays out.

This week's goals:

1. Determine your vision for your life and write it down.

Journaling or blogging is a great way to keep track of your goals and vision for your life. Jennifer asks some questions to help us figure out what this is such as, "If you could do anything..... where would you live? How would you earn income? What would your days look like? What would you do for fun? What would you do more and less of?"
 
For me, I do love the fact that my family lives in the midwest. It's where both my husband and I grew up. I also love being home with my boys while working my business from home. My kids will only be this small once, so I try to enjoy them every day. More money always seems nice, but in the end it is just a way to buy more stuff. That is what got me to start writing this blog series in the first place - having way too much stuff! lol. As for my days, that is one area that I would love to organize more. I like structure but am not that great at organizing it and making the most of my time. Time is just too important to waste.

2. What goals do you want to accomplish with this book? Write them out.

 
I would like to write a good blog series to help you, my readers, as well as myself get more organized. I got a lot of feedback saying that many of you are in desperate need of some organizational help. You are not alone! Once I became a mom 3 years ago, I found my life getting less and less organized. Some days just seem like pure survival. With keeping the house clean and meeting my families growing needs, there wasn't much time left for myself. Can anyone else relate to this?? It's time to get back to the basics. To get ourselves organized first so we can meet the needs of our family. Easier said then done perhaps but I believe that whatever you believe, you can achieve! I have found that by writing my goals out, I am much more likely to reach them. In addition, saying them out load each day and also sharing them with a friend or family member helps us to stick with them more and follow through.

3. Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night.

Did you know that if you get less then 7 hours a night, you are 3 times more likely to catch a cold? Sleep is so important but also something I struggle to get enough of. Dr. Oz suggests actually setting an alarm to go to sleep! I think that is a great idea. I have been trying to get myself upstairs by 10pm and in bed by 10:30. I have found that when I set it as a goal and actually write it down, I have been more likely to follow through with it. I always feel so much better and am more productive when I get enough sleep. Do you feel that way too? I also like to leave a few extra minutes for reading before bed, which is really relaxing to me. Getting enough sleep definitely helps to reduce stress.




4. Begin each day by writing down a "to do" list.

As I get older, and esp. after having kids, I find it so hard to remember everything I need or want to do. When I write it down, it seems to free me from worrying about things I need to do. I also love the accomplished feeling of checking things off of my list. Sometimes I write things on my list that I already did just to check them off. lol. I also find it helpful to keep a note pad by my bedside. I can add things that may pop into my mind as I am trying to sleep, which helps me to fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Try starting each day with a to do list and see how much you can accomplish in your day. I am always surprised at how much more I get done when I make a list.


There are several To Do lists that you can download from the internet to help you get organized. Click Here to see the nice one I found through microsoft office.
 
5. Limit TV time

It is such a time stealer. Jennifer suggests staying away from shows that have negative messages. I find the news to fall into this category most days! I remember reading this last year when I bought the book and stopped watching shows that had negative messages. And you know what? It actually did have a positive effect on my thinking and attitude. Instead of TV, I am trying to read more positive things especially before bed. This really does have a calming effect on me.

6. Meditate/Pray 

I see first hand that when I take time to pray daily and put God first in my life, I feel more centered and calm. I am a better person/mom/wife. It truly has a big impact on my well being and how I interact with other people and situations. I love to wake up 5-10 minutes early to read the Bible and pray. I also have a morning devotional book called "Daybreak With God" that I LOVE and would highly recommend if you are looking for something like this! Praying in the morning really impacts my day in a very positive way. My kids and I also pray in the car on the way to preschool. Not because of my driving but because it's an easy way to fit it into our busy days. :) My husband and I also try to incorporate prayer/reading devotionals or the Bible together in the evenings too. It has really helped to strengthen our marriage and keep communication lines open. Our family says grace before a meal and I am continually finding a few minutes here and there to pray throughout my day. As a mom, I feel that my attitude can really set the tone for the whole house. Have you seen this in your life? So I know that it is important for me to keep my stress levels down and mind/body/spirit healthy so the family stays happy and healthy. You know the saying, "when mama ain't happy, ain't NObody happy!" lol. So true:)



7. Exercise

This has become another tough one for me since having children. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything in. But I have found that there are a lot of good exercise videos on my local OnDemand through our cable provider. Those are easy to turn on for 10-15 minutes. Sometimes I do this during naptime and sometimes I do it with my children as an activity. It sets a good example for them. I also like going for walks outside with the kids when the weather is nice. If you don't have the cable option, the library has some good exercise videos too. I am partial to yoga, since it is both exercise and a way to center and calm me. I also enjoy the kickboxing videos when I have extra stress to let go of:) I attend a local yoga class when I can fit it in, and it is always so worth while! Exercise is great for renewing energy, reducing stress and keeping my mind and body healthy.




8. Get rid of energy drainers from your life.

Clutter is probably the biggest on my list. It's one of the main motivators for this blog series. The book has an entire section about clutter and how to conquer it, which I would highly recommend reading. Other energy drainers that Jennifer suggests eliminating are unhealthy relationships, unfinished projects and things on your to-do list that don't have to be done until you complete other things.


9. Organize your time.

When your time is organized and your goals are clear, you will have time and space for the priorities in your life. Write out goals and break them down into smaller achievable tasks. This is a work in progress for me. When my time and schedule is organized, I am extremely productive in my day and it feels great! We'll talk more about organizing our schedule in a couple of weeks.




For other great tips and info on organizing your mind and life vision, please check out Organize Now. 


So that does it for this week's post. I hope you found it useful and inspirational toward your own organizing goals for the year. I know I learned a lot. Feel free to do and take what works for you each week. Not all of the goals or suggestions work for everyone. Don't get discouraged. Just keep at it and together we can get organized in 2012! And please leave comments to let me know how you're doing. I would love to hear from you!


I also encourage you to journal what you are doing week to week. You could do this through your linking your own blog to mine and writing about it, through a note on facebook, or by writing it down in a journal. For me, actually writing this blog and making myself accountable to you has helped me do more in the organizing area then I would have thought it would.


Thank you for reading and joining along!

Next week, we will organize our priorities.


Rebecca

Lose the Inches in 2012!!

I am REALLY excited that some of the most popular Cinch Inch Loss Specials are BACK!! There are two awesome deals that I am offering right now to kick off your weight loss goals for 2012 (and actually keep the inches off for good!) I love This Site for lots of great info on Cinch.

Shaklee's Cinch products are powered by leucine, which helps you burn the fat but keep the muscle and lose the inches that you don't want. It is clinically tested and customer proven. Here are a couple awesome videos and testimonies:

 
 There are so many great success stories with Cinch.




I really love making the Cinch Shakes  in the morning. They taste great and give me a lot of energy too. (something I NEED to make it through my day with my 3 year old and 16 month old boys! :) I also love the taste of the meal and snack bars.  (the blueberry almond crisp meal bars and the chocolate decadence snack bars are my favorite these days) and the energy tea is awesome too. A great pick me up mid-day.

CINCH SPECIALS

Cinch^® Transformation Pack^™

Buy 3 Months…Get the 4th Month FREE Designed to help you to keep muscle you have, burn fat you don’t want, and lose inches you don’t need. Clinically tested*. Customer proven. And at less than $3 per meal, you’re looking at a leaner body and a fatter wallet. Bonus offer! Join with a Cinch^® Transformation Pack and get the Cinch Sampler Pack (an additional $100 retail value) FREE!! Hurry offer ends March 31^st, 2012.

Member Price: $299.95

Cinch products are not only really yummy but also the plan is easy to follow. You can simply replace 2 meals with your choice of shake or meal bar. Have a snack bar and afternoon tea and take a metabolism booster with each meal. Add a healthy dinner and you are in business. Simply follow the plan. Here's a nice illustration as to how you can incorporate it into your day.

Our best Cinch offer ever!

Hurry, offer ends March 31, 2012.

Your Cinch Transformation Pack Includes:

1 Cinch Vanilla Shake Mix canister
1 Cinch Chocolate Shake Mix canister
1 Cinch Shake Mix Assortment Pack
1 box of Cinch Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Meal-in-a-Bar
1 box of Cinch Blueberry Almond Crisp Meal-in-a-Bar

1 box of Cinch Peanut Butter Crunch Snack Bars
1 box of Cinch Lemon Cranberry Snack Bars
1 box of Cinch Chocolate Decadence Snack Bars
1 box of Cinch Pomegranate Energy Tea Mix
1 bottle of Cinch 3-in-1 Boost™

Lose weight or your money back. Cinch, like all Shaklee products, comes with a 100% unconditional guarantee of satisfaction. With Cinch, you have nothing to lose but inches. And everything to gain in a whole new life.

With the Transformation Pack you will be invited to join the Cinchwelllness.com site. There you will have easy access to great recipe and meal plan ideas, calorie tracking tools, exercise demos, community forum to share stories and ask questions to others doing Cinch, wellness workshops and MORE! The site was recently revamped and is a really great tool for your weight loss goals.

BONUS WITH THE TRANSFORMATION PACK:

NEW MEMBERS WHO ORDER THE TRANSFORMATION PACK GET A CINCH SAMPLER PACK FOR FREE!!! THIS IS $100 OF ADDITIONAL FREE CINCH PRODUCTS!!!

I really like this illustration comparing a Cinch Snack Bar to three cookies. The bars are a great treat for me when I start getting a little hungry and they satisfy my hunger nicely. My toddler loves them too:)

 And for NEW MEMBERS to Shaklee, when you join with only a $70 order, you get the Cinch Sampler for FREE! (a $100 value) Such a great deal!

SO, it's January 1st!!! Time to start your New Year's goals!!! Let me know how I can help you reach those!

And don't forget about my Organize Now party starting this week to help you with your organizing goals this year.

If your new Year's goals include making an extra few hundred to few thousand dollars each month,  please let me know. I am looking for more motivated people on my awesome Shaklee team! Together, we can reach those goals!! :)

Thanks for reading and have a safe and healthy NEW YEAR!!!!!

Rebecca  

painting the bathroom cabinet

We have slowly been remodeling our downstairs half bathroom over the past couple of years. The latest was that we painted the cabinet. We learned that it isn't real wood, so we couldn't sand and stain it. We just had to prime and paint. This is how it turned out.

So far I like it. I still need to work on the hubby for changing the sink, counter and floor though. Baby steps, right? lol

The room has come a long way however. This is a picture we took when we bought our house 3 years ago. As you can see, we also have painted, changed the mirror and put all new bronze fixtures in throughout the bathroom. I really like it since we made those changes.
I guess I never took a picture of the yellow flower border that was up near the ceiling so I can't show you that :)

This is the before picture of the cabinet. The counter is actually a light cream color. The pictures make it look more pinkish I think.

Here is a picture after we primed it. Then we painted it. Initially, we painted it a very bright white. It was too white. So we took the paint back and had them mix in some colors to soften it.


The end result:

We also added new lighting. I really like how it turned out. We used to have those ball lights that the builder put in with the mirror behind it. I never liked those!
It matched the light fixture that we hung in our entry way.
I love doing home improvement projects. Do you? Do you think our bathroom remodel has been an improvement so far?

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great day!

Rebecca

Homemade Natural Baby Wipes

I have been hearing about these natural baby wipes for awhile now from a few different people, so it was finally time for me to try them too! I made them a few weeks ago now, and so far I really like using them with my kids. Here is how I made them:

First, I took a Bounty big roll of paper towel and cut it in half. I was told that other paper towels won't work for this. The Bounty are nice because they are the half sheet size:
The edges got frayed a bit but that didn't seem to matter in the end.

Next, I poured 2 cups of water into a bowl. I used filtered water.
I have heard to use hot water so they don't mold. I didn't because I didn't know this at the time and haven't had any issue with that.

I added 1 tsp. of Shakleebaby Gentle Wash and 1/4 tsp. of Shakleebaby Massage Oil. I have also heard of people using natural baby oil or almond oil in place of the massage oil.

EDIT: In place of the Shakleebaby Gentle Wash you could also use the liquid Dish Wash Concentrate which smells really nice and fresh OR the Basic H2 organic concentrate.
Both are complete safe on baby skin. (and yours!)
(sorry for this picture being sideways!)

I looked all around for a container that would work for my wipes. I found these but any similar type and size container should work.


I washed the container, put the paper towel in and poured the water mixture over the top.


Then I put the cover on and turned it over for about 15 minutes to let the paper towel really absorb the water mixture.


Next I took the cardboard roll out from the center.
And then they were ready to use!


I really like how they smell and LOVE knowing that I am not using chemicals on my kids bottoms. I wasn't sure if the paper towel would be too rough on their delicate skin, but it isn't at all.

Here are the two Shaklee products that I used:

We use the Gentle Wash every day during bath time and really love it. Here are a few facts about it:

99% natural
76% certified organic ingredients
pediatrician tested
PH balanced
Hypoallergenic
No parabens or SLS
No artificial color or fragrance
No 1, 4-dioxane or formaldehyde

And here are a few facts about the massage oil:

99% natural
99% certified organic ingredients
pediatrician tested
Hypoallergenic
No parabens or SLS
No artificial color or fragrance
No 1, 4-dioxane or formaldehyde

I always feel good using Shaklee products, especially with my kids. The science and quality behind each of their many products is outstanding and something I trust. I grew up with Shaklee as my mom has been using their products for 37 years and I am so excited that I can now make these baby wipes to use with my kids!

I hope this information was useful to you. Thanks for reading and don't forget about my Organize Now party that starts on Jan. 5th. There is still time to check out the book and get yourself organized for the new year! I can't wait!

Have a healthy rest of 2011! Looking forward to what's in store for 2012! :)

Rebecca