We need a little Christmas

I love Christmas.   It holds so many precious memories for me.  Obviously the Reason for the season is most important.  (Thank you God for your most precious gift!!!)  But call me cheesy, but the Christmas magic is so uplifting.  I have had some rotten Christmases (mono, post-concussion, horrible flu, strep throat so extreme I can' close my mouth and the list continues.) But that's not what I remember.  I remember family traditions of marching to Silent Night.  I think of hot dogs and German potato salad on Christmas plastic plates that belong on Christmas place mats easily reaching their second decade. I can taste the sweet coolness of egg nog as we unwrap gifts one by one and laughing as a family for hours.  Usually with/at my brother's reaction (but in our defense, he truly is the hardest person in the world to shop for!)  I love Christmas so much I was determined to have a Christmas themed wedding.  Which usually means a December date.  However, my husband and I lived in North Dakota/Minnesota.  (literally fifteen minutes apart).  Blizzards are a normal occurrence during the winter and as our bridal party and close family were traveling from eight states we really couldn't predict if everyone would be able to make it.  Also we got engaged in October and wanted to be married within a year.  So we got our Christmas theme but celebrate our anniversary in July.  (Get it? Christmas in July :)  (First before you judge we got awesome deals on all decorations :) 

But second?  No one else can choose what matters to you or understand to what depth you care.  We choose our attitude, we feel what we feel, and we control our actions .  So in the end we have to fight for what we want.  In a healthFULL Journey.  Not every choice is perfect.  Not every decision is "right".  But hopefully most of the actions and choices will lead us each to our "true" goals.

This thought is on my heart as we are days away from Christmas.  The hustling and bustling is all around.  And it is easy to get caught up in the chaos.  But hopefully we don't all get swallowed up.   Today my hubby and I had a rare day off together and packed up our son and hit the shops.  We had a long to do list - presents and then our daily house needs.  We accomplished a lot.  But when your list is a mile long it is hard to feel completely finished.  And after a long day (with a ton of walking) there was a wonderful Christmas moment.  My son was in his pjs.  Enjoying his last milk for the day and we cuddled together on our recliner (Which happened to be bought exactly a year ago in anticipation of our son's arrival home from his 44 day stint in the NICU).  Dinner was in the oven for the adults (chicken with creamed spinach and a mushroom risotto).  (LOVE Freezer veggies in steamer packs - easy way to get some veggies in a hurry).  Hubby was sitting next to us.  Few lights on with the Christmas tree and Charlie Brown's Christmas on.  The moment was quiet, comforting, and love-filled.  So yes Christmas can be crazy.  But in those quiet moments exist a beautiful breath of the Christmas spirit.  Those moments are worth fighting for. 

May your HealthFULL Journey get you closer to your goals and highlight the moments that are too precious to lose.  Don't forget we all need a little Christmas!  'Til we meet again. . .  

Sometimes we NEED a victory dance!

Due to my husband's influence I have joined the legions of football fans; mostly NFL but some college.  It has become a special weekly event for my hubby and I as we don our black and gold.  I try to dress our son in the appropriate spirit wear as well.  However he usually cheers from his crib as it is either bedtime or naptime.  We do look forward to sharing this tradition with him.  I won't get started ranting about athlete salaries because that leads to celebrity and politicians vs military, teachers, fire personnel.  But the game does unite communities, families, and sometimes loners.  My hubby is from New Orleans and it is the city where we met.  It holds a special place in both our hearts.  We felt the loss as Katrina damaged and destroyed a beautiful piece of our country. But the people rallied.  Did the Saints heal the city?  They certainly helped strengthen that amazing community spirit.  I witnessed Katrina's destruction but I also celebrated in the French Quarter after the Saints won their first SuperBowl.  It truly was a memory of a lifetime.  We might not have ran the field but in our hearts we matched them yard for yard.  As I gain knowledge and seek healthier alternatives in my daily choices I have a newfound respect for athletes.  They don't take care of their bodies for simply appearances. They do it for performance and functionability.  They fight for their livelihood.  Day in and day out they push, they strain, they refrain, and hope to avoid injury.  So when they not only accomplish their goal but surpass everyone's expectations; including their own.  They celebrate.  They create humorous, touching, or offensive actions to celebrate their hard work.  And when we're rooting for that team we too share the victory and celebrate accordingly.

Could you imagine how different life would be if we shared our victory dances and joined others in theirs?  When someone earns an A we applauded instead of whispered "they must have cheated."  Or when someone loses ten pounds we cheered instead of sneered.  Maybe we don't need to pat others' fannies but we all could pass more pats on the back around.  We are quick to criticize - everyone, especially ourselves.  And with such critical eyes we forget to shout our Hoorays!

My son is at that fun age where he is starting to mimick adult patterns.  We applaud his victories and nine times out of ten he stops to applaud with us with joy in his eyes. And I get the distinct feeling he is applauding our applause.  His response is so genuine it brightens my mood, lightens my stress, and reminds me that we all do need a victory dance.  We need the victory dance; to celebrate, to encourage, and to connect. 

May your HealthFULL Journey be full of victory dances for yourself and for those you cherish.  We all deserve a celebration. ' Til we meet again. . .

Life Changes

Here is a top ten list of how I know my lifestyle is improving healthwise:

10.  No longer do I believe the mean laundry fairies are shrinking my jeans but actually replacing them with bigger sizes.

9.  My tag was hanging out of my shirt the other day and instead of freaking out that someone might have seen the size.  I was like I hope someone saw the size this shirt is from college - my first go around - which means it was purchased over ten years ago.

8.  Instead of being nervous about my blood pressure and blood sugar being too high I wonder if they are too low.

7.  We need to get out of the house.  (I am borderline hermit! - this is major!)

6.  Soup or salad can be the whole meal and not just the side/appetizer.

5.  Oh I'm thirsty I should grab some water.

4.  When can I fit in my thirty minute work-out today?

3.  I'm cooking, by choice, and enjoying it!!!

2.  I have great parking karma today.  There is a spot right next to the steps.

1.  I feel good and have tons of energy (most of the time :)

Some random thoughts but showing the big picture.  Little by little I'm finding the healthier version of me.

May your healthFULL Journey delight you with the simple blessings of how your effort equals true results.  'Til we meet again. . .

The Power of Cleaning

Don't you just love a clean house? Or even a clean room?  There is something motivating about walking into a room where everything seems to be resting in their proper place.  But I think the "secret" spots are the most exciting when clean.  You know where I am talking about.  The "miscellaneous" drawer.  Your closet. Under the bed.  The cupboard where kitchen gadgets have gone and never returned.  Or that pantry shelf of unopened foreign but really interesting bottle of sauce, the bag with one lonely stale cookie, the crackers you bought on sale that are healthy but have no flavor but that you refuse to throw because then you feel guilty for not really giving them a chance but the thought of attempting to eat one makes your face instinctly go blech as you shudder that one shrug that emphasizes your disgust.  You get the picture.  Sure clean bathrooms, hung laundry, and clean floors freshly vacuumed - looks nice and feels great.  But that real deep satisfaction feeling comes from those areas that you clean for you.  The areas where houseguests shouldn't really be peeking and even family members who dwell within the same residence are mostl likely crossing private boundaries.  These are the areas we tend to overlook as guests don't notice and few can offer that positive feedback we crave.  But when we do take the moment to really clear out our special places we feel invincible.  Why?  Here are a couple of my thoughts: Because we took a moment to say our wants matter.  That I value myself more than I value clutter.  With every choice we make we get one step closer to knowing who we really are, by stating what we really want, and become the person we want to be. 

A little dramatic. Perhaps.  But there is something about the power of cleaning.  It truly is a whole person act.  Physically you are stooping, stretching, walking room to room, crawling, sitting, jumping, grabbing, tossing, scrubbing, and the list could easily continue.  Emotionally you are recalling why items matter or don't anymore.  Mentally we choose to keep an item or dispose of the item and then how to accurately place the item (keep - where to store and for how long, dispose - throw away, recycle, donate, give away, trade, or sell).  Financially you may keep more in your pocket as you don't have to buy replacements as you found a home for valuables or easily lost items (can we say stamps!!!) or you may loosen the purse to replace items that have lived a good life (I bid adieu to four pairs of jeans today). 

But the real point of today's entry.  I feel amazing.  I feel strong as my body was able to keep up with my long to do list.  I feel wise as I was able to keep my head in the game and make tons of decisions pretty easily.  Some of these chores have been on my to do list and creating guilt within myself and "graying" my mood as I bypassed these activities for numerous reasons.  But now that they are crossed off I feel accomplished and freed.  And definitely feel jazzed and excitement walking around my home and feeling that I have some wiggle room ; room to wiggle if I choose, to fill with items that make my heart soar, and that not everything feels so crammed. 

After some true sleep last night I was able to wake up and feel motivated.  A HealthFULL lifestyle has to start with rest.  Time to reflect, renew, and regain strength.  And once we regroup and refuel our energy we can make active and informed choices about our well-being.  By choosing to clean today I was able to let go of built up frustration and guilt by finding peace and joy. Both great feelings anytime but especially valuable sentiments during the holidays. 

May your HealthFULL Journey lead to moments of clearness as your life gains purity through the removal of clutter and the discovery of options.  'Til we meet again. . .