Let Positive Thinking give you a Happy New Year!

I LOVE this time of year! I know people say that we shouldn't wait until a new year to set goals and evaluate our lives. I agree! However, there is just something so powerful, exciting, energizing, and magical about the beginning of a new year. It is as though the last year of mistakes are erased and good memories are recorded in our minds and sometimes our journals or facebook statuses. It's not as though we will forget our bad choices but rather learn and grow from them. A new year has the tendency to give us the sweet feeling of a clean slate, a chance to "start over". I personally love that feeling! It makes me feel like a new woman! The draw back?. . .Why does it have to be COLD outside!? The new found energy I get from the new year makes me want to go outside and run! But alas, I hate the cold. I have the tendency to hibernate in the winter causing me to eat more, sit more, watch movies more, take more long hot baths, and read more; all of which are not physical activities. Well, I found a way to combine one of these activity with a physical activity and I was able to do it for FREE! Well, except the $7.99 monthly fee for Netflix.

This post is actually more about the power of positive thinking and giving love and service. Several years ago I gave my brother and his wife my old treadmill. I bought a nicer one later only to sell it when we made our big move this last summer. Well, now that winter has hit and we are settled in a bigger home, I REALLY wish I had kept my treadmill. If you read my previous post you'd know we bought a large TV for very cheap. Well, my niece gave me her old large TV a little while later. I liked it better so I gave mine to my brother and his family. I thought nothing more of it.

As the snow began to DUMP here in the mid-west (and stick)I really began to long for a treadmill. I began to look on Craigslist, but the truth was I had already spent enough money on Christmas that I couldn't justify spending more money. We did keep Christmas simple, but even at that simple for 7 kids and 2 parents does dip into the budget. I was able to purchase all presents on eBay or Craigslist. Anyway, I decided I would stay positive and something would come my way! (just like the tv) =) My hubby came home from taking the TV to my brother's house (it wouldn't fit in their van) and told me all about the very nice treadmill my brother got for very cheap for his wife for Christmas. Light bulb!!! I immediately sent my sil a text:

I picked it up at the New Year's Eve party we went to at their house. I dragged it in the house first thing in the morning of New Year's Day. I scrubbed it up, tightened some screws, and shifted the belt a little. My iPad fit on it perfectly. I put in the headphones I got for Christmas, turned on Roswell on Netflix and started walking! Thanks to my new old treadmill I got in my 10,000 steps goal from the UP bracelet my niece and her hubby got me for Christmas.

I want to point out here that the whole reason I wanted to post this was because this happened on my first day of my 7 day mental diet challenge. I wanted to record positive things that happened to me when trying this mental diet. You can join me on the mental diet challenge by clicking here. This is my 16 yo dd's page.

I can't promise things you want will appear "magically" as it seems to have done for me. What I can promise you is that you WILL feel more energized and excited about life if you begin to focus on nothing but the positive in your life. Trust me when I say there is SOMETHING positive in your life no matter what you might feel now. Take note of changes you see in yourself and even in others as YOU begin to think positive! Positive thoughts bring positive things in your life. The harder you work at this, the more you will see the sad, negative, and hard to handle stresses in your life will either be gone or feel much more manageable to you.

What will 2013 bring you? THAT is up to you, your mind, your thoughts, your actions, and your words my friend! =)

Have a wonderful, positive, healthy new year! 

7 Day Mental Diet. . .Who wants to join me?

My 15 yo daughter started an amazing facebook page called Positive Thinking. On this page there is a challenge to do a 7 day mental diet. I LOVE this concept! The idea came from a youtube video of Tony Robbins. The idea is to go on a mental diet for SEVEN days; a diet of absolutely NO negative thoughts or words. He explains in the video how to accomplish this and how to redirect the negative in your life. Click here to like the her page, watch the video, and then make a comment below the link to join us in this 7 day mental diet! I am SO excited to try this. What a wonderful way to improve our health, relationships, and SO much more!

I'm Still Here!

(picture source)

SO sorry so much time has gone by. Moving to a big city (for me), homeschooling, doing a cleanse, and house searching has been very distracting! However, I am having SO much fun! I love living in my new city (even though I am out in the country). This new town has SO much to offer! My daughter and I went to our first raw food meet up nearby. We met some wonderful people, ate some delicious raw food, and had an amazing time. There are so many health food stores, co-ops, farmers markets, and even a YUMMY vegan/raw restaurant  that we've been to a few times. For being in the mid west, this is a frugal healthy girl's dream! We even have an Amish community nearby with a wonderful discount store and lots of farmer's markets with organic produce. My kitchen has been full of yummy fresh produce that my kids, hubby, and I are loving!

The challenge of living here? GAS! ugh! Everywhere I go, I have to drive, drive, drive! With us increasing our amount of fresh raw produce that we eat, we are forced to grocery shop more often. I have discovered GFS out here that we can get bulk food items without a membership for a great price. However, fresh produce is a tricky subject as it has to be purchased more often. Once we have our own home and can grow a garden as large as we want that will make things easier in the summer time.

I was able to get a TON of free corn from my parents. We picked it, cooked it, cut it off the cob, and froze it. I did cut quit a few off the cob raw and froze it so I could add it to some yummy raw food recipes. I also got lots of free tomatoes from a friend. That is my favorite food on earth. . .fresh, warm tomatoes from a garden. . .aahhh. . .I also helped a friend cut and freeze some peaches and she gave me a few gallons of frozen peaches for helping. They are so yummy and perfect plain or in smoothies. It has helped to have family and to have met some amazing people willing to share. See why I have LOVED living here! OH, I forgot to mention that my mom had me help her clean out her 3 (yes 3) freezers and sent me home with almost a freezer full of food that her and my dad would just never be able to get to. A lot of it was some very yummy homemade meals. Thanks mom! ;)

Things are getting a slower and more simple for me now. I think about my blog and my readers often. I have more I want to share with all of you. I would love to share with you my journey to cleansing my candida and parasites. . .well, perhaps you may not want to hear about that! haha!


Have a happy, healthy, frugal, and simple week. =)

Illness, Death, and Moving. . .

I can't believe it has been nearly a month since I last posted. This post isn't a post tips for health or frugality,  but rather an update. I haven't had the time to blog lately, as we have been going through a LOT!

I have spoken in at least two other posts about the elderly lady that was living in our apartment with us. Well, she became very ill and required full time care. I had promised her years ago that I would never take her to a hospital, doctor, or nursing home. She was very into natural health and wanted nothing to do with medical. I wanted to honor her wishes, but she did become very ill. Taking care of her required a lot of time and our family was more then happy to do so!

A few weeks into her illness, my husband got another job in another state! It was so sudden and unexpected! I wasn't sure what to do with my dear friend. I new she was too ill to make that far of a move. We decided to move her in with another dear friend of ours. She had become so frail and week that moving her seemed a difficult task. It was SO sad and disheartening to see her leave. However, she was so ready to "go back home" as she put it. She wanted to be with her husband who had passed a few years ago.

Well, I still went over there each day and helped my friend take care of her. . .feeding her (what little, if any, she ate), changing her, and more. On the third day of her being there my friend called me over to her house. My dear friend and I held this sweet woman's hand for nearly an hour as she passed away (5-24-12). It was a bitter sweet experience for me. I've never been so intimate with death before.

After her death came the tears, the planning and preparation for her funeral (and all the drama that goes with that), and the grueling efforts to relocate a family of 8! To make a long story short, we went to the funeral on a Friday, then spent the day with my adult children we were leaving behind, then took off to our new place on Saturday! Our stuff did not reach us until the following Wednesday.

I thought before this move that I was a minimalist. However, when you move from a 4,600 sq. ft. home with 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 3 living rooms, and 2 kitchens to a home a little over 2,000 sq. ft. (if that, I don't know what the sq. footage is really), you run out of room very quickly! However, I am VERY excited for the smaller space. I LOVE the simplicity of this small country home. I am definitely going to get rid of more "stuff", but when I am all settled my home will be SO easy to take care of!

I hope you can see now, why I haven't posted for a while! As soon as I get a little more settled, I'll get right back on the wagon of giving great tips to being frugal, healthy, and more simplified!

In memory of Ruby Chrisman 8-24-24 to 5-24-12 You will be loved and missed by many!

Have a Happy Simple Day!!

Things Could Be Worse!

It's been a very stressful month so far! In spite of the wonderful blessings that family brings, there will be stress to go along with it. The larger your family, the more blessings AND the more stress! However. . .the cartoon below strikes a cord with me this last 6 days!

This picture is a prime example of how I have felt for the past 6 days! Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!! Oh the PAIN!!

But hey, I am a natural girl, and I do things the natural way, so I'll figure this out on my own. Thank you very much! I do know that the good Lord has to humble us at times. I rarely if ever take pain killers and I don't ever do antibiotics. Well, I did once in the last 15 years and had a severe reaction that lasted 2 weeks. So as the toothache began, I started downing a garlic, honey, and vinegar tonic every two hours and taking an ibuprofen here and there. However, the pain only intensified! I knew it was my last wisdom tooth. The last time I went to the dentist he told me it was impacted and trying to go out sideways and may be hitting a nerve.

To make a long story short, I went to see my doctor (dentist was on vacation of course). She prescribed me a pain killer and antibiotic. Ugh! It took until today to start working, but by the grace of God I was bumped up to an appointment to see the oral surgeon tomorrow! Yippee! I don't like being put to sleep, but I am so desperate to be out of pain. Thanks to wonderful insurance, it will not cost me an arm and a leg!

As I go through experiences and trials in my life, I always ask my Heavenly Father, "What am I supposed to learn from this?" That being said, I would like to share what I've learned so far:

1. GRATITUDE I am SO grateful we do have modern medicine in EMERGENCY situations. I feel very strongly that it is FAR over used, however I learned in this case to humble myself. Also, I have a very amazing Dr. who really listens to me and respects my opinions and believes (and slips me into her busy schedule). She also happens to be a personal friend, so that rocks!
2. PREPARATION This happening during the 30 day buy nothing challenge really discouraged me at first. However, a sweet friend pointed out that is the perfect time because I am so well prepared. No shopping for food or necessities, I have a menu all ready w/the recipes so my older kids and hubby know exactly what to cook. Perhaps,  Heavenly Father was preparing me all along. ;)
3. MINIMALISM ROCKS Because we are on a journey to minimalism, despite mom being out of commission, my house is not a wreck. Well, to me it might be, but it is nothing that can't be done in less then an hour. Yes, my entire large home could be cleaned pretty quickly and that is with me in bed, all 6 kids home for break, and dad at work. I do give credit to my kids, but the less you have the less mess to be created.
4. MINIMALISM IS A JOURNEY I thought I had done so well decluttering, but being down for the count makes me see the mess more. In spite of how well we have done over the past several months, we still have more then what we need to survive. I now have a bin in my hallway closet that I vow to add to everyday, even if it is only one item. That means if I bring something home, I have to put 2 things in there. That will be a total of at least 365 items in one year.
5. MY FAMILY ROCKS Saving the best for last =). I have the most amazing husband and children. They listen to me whine, complain, get cranky, and have watched me cry while they rub my feet, fetch me water, stay quiet on their day off school, pray for me, and given me lots of hugs and patience. I love them all so very much.

Tomorrow I will be all fixed up and will lose my 4th and final wisdom tooth. It is crazy to say, but I am grateful for my trials. My Father in Heaven blesses me with them that I might come closer to Him and learn more. I am grateful I was taught years ago to always ask, "What am I supposed to learn from this?".  All in all, I am blessed to live a healthy, frugal, and simple life as it does make life's trials a little easier to endure!

For those with more minor tooth aches who want to know some natural remedies click here to learn 20 + ways to heal a toothache naturally.