I have found as I have reached my forties that I need to be refreshed and focus on making life better,  because the past few years have been a trial in many ways for me, and I tend to focus on the negative.  I can get frustrated really easily (TOO easily)!  I get bored and wonder if this is all there is.  Deep in my heart I don’t believe that, but when you get a focus like that in your head, it really is hard to back away from it.  I have to keep reminding myself that what my life is and what it becomes it totally up to me!

This book guides you towards  a refocus – a refreshingly honest and deeper look at your life from a Christian perspective.  It reminds you how to live a really good, realistic, happy, fulfilling and joyful life.   When your focus wanders, pull this out and work on getting yourself back on track.

It’s rare that you can find a book that deals with this subject matter.  I read the title alone and knew I needed to read this book.  It’s written by a woman who has gone through and experienced this phase of life.  So you know it’s writing is coming from the heart and not from a textbook.

Good moms and wives don’t get bored, discouraged, anger or experience heartbreak…or do we?

Oh yes we do, but oftentimes rather than deal with it, we either keep it hidden away or we joke about it.

I encourage you to pick up this book and revive and rebuild yourself.

Life can be fabulous!

“Available May 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

I posted on Facebook and other places last week that my son was beginning his adult life.  Moving out of our home and starting to live life on his terms.  As his mom – I got emotional when it actually hit me he was moving out and would never again really be mine 100%.  He’s always made me proud.  He will always be my little boy with the sweet smile, blue eyes, chubby little cheeks; the little guy that always put others first – at least that’s what he will always be in my heart.  I knew I couldn’t post anything right after he left or it would be overly emotional.  Embarrassing him for all of eternity.  :D

So, I waited.  A whole week – and I sat and thought about some things I wanted to tell him.   Again – I knew I would be overly mushy and mom-like…so I am going to simply throw out a reminder about a “song” that was popular just a few years back, or so it seems.  There is a LOT of good advice in it…forgive me if I take a few liberties and add some truths I have found to be important in my own personal life – these are just some of the  things I want him to know.

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT!

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proven by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.

You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.  Trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blind side you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts and don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Let those you love know that you love them.

Let others know who the love of your life is; even on the days the love is harder to find.

Don’t let the everyday living take that love away – always keep your heart open to them.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Keep God first in your life – even when life throws you a curve ball.  He is there during those times – you just have to remember that.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life.

The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

When you do commit to something – do it to the best of your ability.

Take your daily vitamin D-3 – it helps keep you healthy.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either.

Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, your body is the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read muscle magazines, they will only make you feel inferior.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends will come and go, there are but a precious few you should hold onto for life.

Think before you act – will your actions hurt someone in a  way that will destroy them or forever alter their lives in a bad way?

Don’t ever do that.

Be selfless; not selfish.

You can’t undo things you’ve already done.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography with your friends and family because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in a big city once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you.

Spend your money wisely.

Don’t worry too much about your hair those that truly love you – don’t care about your hair.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

Love your mom (and dad too)!  :D

But – trust me on the sunscreen.

May you live a blessed, full, exciting and VIBRANT life Matthew.

I am so very proud of you!

Keep going – make the world a better place.

Love you,

Mom

No, no, I am not talking campaign promises – Thank God!

I have learned to never say never in this life. There used to be things I would say, “I would never “fill in the blank”, I will always, “fill in the blank”. I would be very definitive in my thoughts and opinions.

Over the last few years I have learned the hard way that you can’t say “always” nor can you say “never” because when you do – it’s usually when you will be proven wrong. We can’t control others and we can’t control all the things around us. We can live our lives to the best of our abilities. We can and should always try to stay true to who we are in our hearts. However I have learned there are times when you will have to just learn to go with the flow. Whether you want to or not.

Life is moving you into a new direction; it can either be a struggle or you can work through it. I choose to work through those times and I usually appreciate the lesson once I get through to the other side of the process. There are things in my life that I thought were untouchable. Things that would be there forever. Nope, I was wrong! Looking back now, I am glad I was wrong. Sometimes though, when the changes first occured I felt like I had been knocked for a loop.

I have learned to expect that every day I will get just a little bit wiser. That’s a good thing! There are paths you go down and things you do that come into your life for a reason and a season. As you move through that season; you realize and begin to sense when you may be taking a new path at different points in your life. I am recently finding myself at that point. Not because I want to be – but because I currently have my life burning like a candle at both ends. It’s getting to be too much – my fire is going to go out due to sheer exhaustion.

I am at a point where I have taken a step back and I am evaluating what I want to do and where I want to be this time next year. You may have noticed that this last month I have been more quiet than I normally am here on the web. I haven’t deserted anything, I am just trying to figure some things out. I know this signals some changes for me and while that’s exciting it’s also a process that can seem painstakingly slow. I try to hang on to things that maybe I shouldn’t be hanging on to any longer. I love everything that I do. Many don’t realize everything I currently have on my plate. I don’t talk about my “day jobs” because to me – they are different. But I do them because I enjoy what I learn there.  A quick list of what I do…I currently have two home businesses, I am an Office Manager at a Property Management Company, I am going to school for my real estate license and I am an Advertising Executive as well.

I love everything I do – but it’s just getting to be a little too much. I am in an evaluation period. I will decide and I will focus on what I enjoy – and that will be my focus. One thing may change, or several may change. That doesn’t mean I am fickle or undecided – that means I have outgrown something and I am ready for the next step in my life! Everything I choose to do – I do because I am interested in it. I love learning new things. I have had the luxury of trying some things – and then if they aren’t right, I can move on; for whatever reason.

That’s the beauty of not locking yourself into any one box. I hope I never lose the excitement of learning something new. It’s a challenge and it’s fun most of the time. I love learning – and I am looking forward to the next year, whatever it may hold. So know that I will be back, with more focus and new determination.

If I can share anything about the process it would be this: Don’t fight making changes in your life – just go with it, you may discover it’s the best thing you ever did!

Your best YOU – may be just around the corner!

Have a Good One,

Kiki

I have enjoyed each phase of my kids childhood – don’t get me wrong – as they get older, it’s nice that my husband and I can go out to dinner by ourselves and even hit the movies if we want to. However, there are also days that I just wonder if they even HEAR me anymore.

Take last night as an example… I had to run to the post office – but first I had to run up and get my oldest daughter (14) from speech club – while we were driving home I told her that I would appreciate it if she did her chores and put the laundry away while I was gone – especially after what she did with the cell phone just a couple of weeks ago! To add to that list, she is now going to two different homecoming dances; so I am paying for one of them so the boy she is going with doesn’t go totally broke.

When we got home from school, I told my youngest daughter that I wanted her to finish her homework so that would be done and out-of-the-way for the evening. I then ran out to do my errands while I know my beautiful children were at home, happily taking care of the few things I asked of them… AM I NUTS??? To say that I was WRONG is an understatement!!! I walked in and NOTHING – I mean NOTHING was done in the kitchen and the laundry I had washed, folded and hung was still sitting there.

I hollered to my daughter to get upstairs and get busy while I proceeded to finish getting their dinner. We had dinner, everything got cleaned up and at 9pm – yes, 9pm my youngest comes downstairs and asks her Daddy to help her with her…you got it…HOMEWORK. *SIGH* I really do believe I am a reasonable mom about the chores and the requests I make of my children – I really, really do believe in balance. I also believe my children love me.

However, I now believe they are all out to make me go insane. By the time they are all out on their own – I believe I will be reduced to a babbling crazy woman. I have a management background – “PRE-children” – back then, when I asked someone to do something – it got done! Granted, not always the way I wanted – but even then, it would be corrected and completed without too much delay.

I was not aware at the time how blessed I was! Now when one of my children do listen – or, when miracle of miracles they do something extra without my having to ask, WOW, you can bet the trumpets sound and they learn what gratitude is from their mom! I just wish they would understand they could still get lots of gratitude from me just by listening to what I ask of them.

Listening and taking action – that’s all it would take – REALLY! I would smile more and play games and I might even be willing to run them up to the coffee shop to hang out when I’d rather be relaxing at home. So today, in honor of all the babbling crazy moms in training out there – I give you a very funny – somewhat annoying clip!

Please visit Anita Renfroe’s site if you get the chance – she’s a very funny lady.

Enjoy and I Hope You Have a Blessed Day!

Kiki

I have commented before that I have adjusted my diet to work for me and my particular needs.  However, one thing I refuse to give up is my coffee. A girl has got to have something special in her food life.

I love coffee.

It’s my one indulgence and there are health benefits, so I feel justified. 

This time of year, I enjoy iced coffee.  But at over $4 at the specialty coffee places – well, it really got a bit difficult to feel good about spending that kind of money for a refreshment.

Last year, on one of my many trips to the bookstore I happened upon a Toddy Maker.  It’s a convenient way to cold-brew coffee.  It’s a rather messy job without this item, and I don’t like messy, so this fit the bill.

How do you use it?

You fresh grind a pound of coffee – coarsely ground.  Your choice as to what kind – experiment and find your favorite.  Wet the filter and place it in the slot in the bottom of the large white brewer and put the stopper or plug-in the hole underneath.  Then, pour 1 cup filtered water into the brewer and half of your ground coffee.  Slowly add 3 more cups of filtered water.  Then, I let it set about 5 minutes to give the grinds time to get wet – then I add 5 more cups of water for a total of 9 cups, gently tap the top to be sure all the grinds are wet.  Let this set on your counter  for 12 hours (I put a plate on top to keep dust, etc…out of the brew).  I recommend starting your brew in the evening so it’s ready by morning.  Then, get the glass decanter ready, pull the plug from the bottom of the bucket and place it on top of the decanter.  I let this drain for 30 minutes to an hour – when I come back I have a full decanter of coffee concentrate.  Finally, I take a spoon to the top of the grinds and press just to be sure I have all the brew out of the grinds. Put the lid on this coffee concentrate and it will keep up to 14 days in the refrigerator.

The wonderful thing about this is you have less waste because you only make what you will use.  You can also make your drinks at the strength you prefer.  I personally use 1:2 ratio – 1 portion coffee to 2 portions water a splash of cream and 4 drops of stevia – YUM!  Simply adjust to your tasting preferences.  You can heat it up in the microwave, use it for iced coffee, make desserts with it – any number of things.

What is the benefit?

Less acidic – this concentrate is perfect for those that have stomach issues or heartburn – you may be able to tolerate this coffee – your body digests it more easily.

Less caffeine – The taste is smooth and quite sweet – to me it tastes more like the wonderful scent created when you are brewing hot coffee.

Recipes – There are many great recipes that call for instant coffee – you can use your coffee concentrate and get a wonderfully smooth, sweet coffee flavor.

Do you prefer tea?

You can also use this to make concentrated cold brewed tea – using loose leaf tea – use a half pound of tea leaves and 9 cups filtered water – and do the same process as stated above.

To make a hot tea – 1 part tea to 7 parts water.

For iced - simply add ice.

RECIPE:

Low-Carb Iced Chocolate Coffee

1 part cold brewed coffee concentrate

1 part water

2 part cream or half n’ half

Wonderslim Pure Fat-Free Cocoa Powder to taste

Liquid Vanilla Creme Stevia to taste

I blend this together for about 20 seconds – add ice cubes and whipped cream on top if you like -  just delicious.

(To explain “part” in the recipes – if you are making a regular sized drink 1 part would be 1/4 cup – if you want a large drink – it may be 1/2 cup per part – it’s up to you!)

Low-Carb Hot Coffee

1 part coffee concentrate

2 parts boiling hot water

Cream and stevia to your liking.

Some prefer to heat the concentrate too – it’s up to you.

ENJOY!

~Kiki Vogel