Need a Boost? Juice!

The New Year always inspires good intentions... plans to eat better... do better... be better!

Juicing is something that I love doing all year long, but am especially inspired to do at full throttle in the New Year!

{This is a repost from my old blog, Papermellie}

I would say it was about 9 years ago that I invested in my Jack Lalanne Juicer.

At this time, juicing was not as popular as it is now, and this juicer was only available via infomercial.

I remember this was my very first informercial purchase and I was so excited about it.  I was a young mother of 3 with little energy (I believe the middle boys were 1 and 2 at the time and Mel was maybe 7)  It was one of those late nights and I was entranced by what this juicer had to offer!  It was LIFE CHANGING, it claimed!

So I made the call and waited for that delivery!

Remember how I told you about myCricut and what a great investment that was...

THIS JUICER WAY SURPASSES MY CRICUT LOVE!

I will admitt, sometimes I'll go through phases, but for the most part I use my juicer on a weekly basis.

At first I was just juicing fruits.  Let's be honest, it just sounds SO much more inviting.

Then I started researching all of the different vegetable juices and their incredible benefits and I was sold on those too!

I want to tell you about the #1 benefit of this juicer for us.

POPSICLES!!

My 10 year old will only eat raw apples and carrots and not even very often, so very early on, I would juice an array of yummy fruits and sneak in a little carrot and spinach and freeze them in the popsicle molds (yes, these molds generally come with their own holders... they have since been lost and simply replaced with popsicle sticks). The kiddos go crazy on them! (nowadays I even add a little  ground flaxseed and chia seeds;))

They can enjoy a cool treat and I can feel good about what they are putting into their bodies! That in itself has paid for the juicer a hundred times over!

Often, I will juice a large batch of fruits and vegetables...

and then freeze them in these ball freezer jars... perfect for a single serving that I can thaw overnight.

Obviously, fresh juice is your most beneficial option, but I love the convenience of freezing them because it's hard to keep a large supply of fresh fruits and vegetables "fresh" for too long AND cleaning the machine takes a little time, so it is nice to do it once a week rather than every day!

There is a certain vegetable that I have avoided fro a while... I don't know why I was so timid to try these!

Beets seem to be all the rage right now, so I found a recipe and decided to give it a try.

I won't say it is my favorite thing on earth, but I actually quite enjoyed it.  The color is gorgeous and I think the fact that there is ginger in it made a difference.  I do love me some ginger!

Here is the recipe I tried (from this pin):

Energizing Beet Juice

(recipe is for 2 people)

1 large beet with its greens

2 Red Delicious Apples

1 Large Red Bell Pepper

1 Large English Cucumber

1 small slice of fresh ginger root

Juice and Enjoy!

Read about the benefits of Beets here and here

and the tremendous benefits of juicing here

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Linking up at:
Someday Crafts

Facebook Free February {and other random goals}

I have been pondering this idea since the new year began... I want to simplify! 

Maybe some women find it easy, but it has been a challenge for me to work from home!

Let me explain, because I absolutely LOVE that I am able to be here, create AND make money doing what I love!  

However, as a mother of 4, wife and woman in general, I have found it hard to focus on MY WORK, when there are dishes to be done, loads of laundry piling up and countless home projects surrounding me... Add to that, I am an adult living with ADD, it takes some serious discipline to make this work... 

BUT IT'S WORTH IT!!!

Last week, my sweet {and able-to-stay-on-task} hubby and I sat down for a heart to heart.  I poured out my struggles and together we came up with some solutions. 

He's such an encouragement to me!  

Maybe it was the talk or the new year or just simply that I really want to see my business succeed, but I have a new found sense of direction, discipline and determination... one that has been lacking after a very challenging fall.

I am excited about 2013!

There are some exciting things on the horizon...

Planning our family road trip over spring break

GRADUATION {sniff sniff}

College for said graduate

A brand new collection

{think clothing and wedding goodies!}

Maybe some marathon training!

{Haven't decided which one yet!}

Soooooo... I need to cut some things out to make these plans a priority.  

They deserve my attention.

I CHOOSE to be intentional!

The first small step will be to avoid Facebook!

Don't worry, I won't be completely off the radar... I will continue to update my blog, so be sure to subscribe to my feed.  You can also keep up with me here:

Instagram 

{will still feed to FB}

Pinterest

Etsy

I can't wait to share with you all of the fun things that unfold over the next month!

No-Bake Energy Bites

{This is a repost from my old blog, Papermellie.  This was one of my most popular posts and I wanted to tell you that after almost a year of making these on an almost weekly basis... this is one of my family's most fave {healthy} treats!!  Whether I make 1, 2 or 3 batches at a time, they are gone within a day!}

No-Bake Energy Bites {PI #60}

This has got to be my favorite Pinterest recipes thus far!

I am always looking for ways to satisfy both my sweet tooth and love for things that nourish my body.  As I've gotten older, I've been more in touch with what fuels my body and what shuts it down.

I LOVE sweets, but always regret eating certain things because I physically feel so horrible.  I'm slowly transitioning into a place where feeling healthy and energetic is much more enjoyable than a few indulgent moments of sweet treats.

Don't misunderstand, I find so much joy in baking that I will not be giving that up anytime soon, but am trying to find a better balance.

These No-Bake Energy Bites will definitely be a new staple in our home! They are the best of both worlds!

This is something that my children {and myself} can enjoy and I can feel good about putting this in our bodies for fuel AND I know exactly what is in there. These are honestly better than any store bought granola bar/ bite that I have tried {and we buy a LOT of bars here!}

Here is the recipe courtesy of gimmesomeoven

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

In case you are not fully convinced, I thought I would share with you just a few specific benefits of the bites.

The Oatmeal {courtesy of Care2.com}

Low calorie food; stops cravings.

Provides high levels of fiber, low levels of fat, and high levels of protein.

Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces risk of diabetes (type 2)

Removes your bad cholesterol (without affecting your good cholesterol).

Contains lignans which protect against heart disease and cancer.

Contains unique antioxidants beneficial for heart disease.

Protects against heart failure.

Enhances immune response to disease.

The Honey {courtesy of organicfacts.net}

Antibacterial and Anti fungal Properties.

Antioxidants.

Good Source of Vitamins and Minerals.

Good source of energy {easy to digest} Improves Athletic Performance.

The Flax seed {Courtesy of flaxhealth.com}

Fights Cholesterol, Diabetes, Constipation, Inflammation, Heart Disease & “The Blues”

High in lignans, Omega 3’s & Fiber

I went ahead and packaged these in little baggies for the kiddos to grab on the go!

You say you want a Revolution?

No more sitting on the sidelines!

You say you want a revolution?  

BE THE REVOLUTION!

This has been on my mind A LOT!  

{There is so much going through my thoughts right now that I hope this doesn't come out disjointed.}

I know this is heavy on my heart for a reason.

Maybe it is due to the fact that we have an over abundance of access to news updates so our awareness of the bleakness is heightened! 

 Maybe these things have been going on all along.  

Maybe, as adults, we simply see things with a new set of eyes than we did as teenagers.

My eyes were wide open, my attention perked and my heart was happy!

My 6 year old brought up Martin Luther King Jr. a few times this week {Thank you K teachers at Manchester Elementary for presenting our country's history in a way that is not only understandable but exciting to our little ones!} but on this day there was a different sense of curiosity in his voice about the topic.  He presented to me what he had learned with intensity and I morphed into "teachable-moment-mommy" in the blink of an eye.

We spoke of details of MLK's life, but the best part was that it lead to a great talk between he and I, along with my 12 year old.  

We talked about the importance of taking a stand for what you know to be right.

We talked about other historical figures and how it only takes one person to move things in the right direction.

I love talks like this!

It really got me thinking... I don't want to generalize, because there are some really amazing teens out there with a heart for the good and a passion to make a positive difference, but I also see the disturbing mindset of our next generation... one of discontent, disrespect, disregard and disengagement.  

We can all theorize the "why", and some of these answers are necessary, but I want to focus on the "how can we make it better"

Sometimes it's really hard to see the big picture...

Sometimes issues seem so overwhelming that we don't even know where to begin.

How about starting with some good 'ole fashion kindness?  

Seek it out! 

Someone around you needs to know that they are valued!

So here is the challenge...  

I have created a sheet that can be printed out and cut into strips for you {and your children}to hand out. 

at school... at the mall... at church...anywhere!

AND, I want to hear all about your experience!  

Shoot me an email or leave your comments below and I would love to share your experience with other readers on my blog.

Pass this along to your friends... get anyone and everyone involved!

It's a small step in the right direction!

*This is the beginning of a new blog series... "You say you want a Revolution"

Check back for a new challenge each week.

 

A Word to live by... 2013

choose  

/CHo͞oz/

Verb Pick out or select (someone or something) as being the best or most appropriate of two or more alternatives. Decide on a course of action, typically after rejecting alternatives: "he chose to go".

I am that girl that proudly makes resolutions each year.  I am realistic in my resolutions and even if I don't achieve them with perfection, I know that I am continuously striving to be a better me... not just at the first of the year, but always.

For the past few years I have also adapted the idea of a "word of the year".  I originally heard the idea on K-love and just loved it!  The past years have included the words Intentional and Wisdom and the idea is to choose a word that speaks to you and meditate on it.

2012 has been a tough year for me.

There has been a lot of heartache and a lot of really hard lessons.  

Some things I handled with grace but many of the challenges were not handled in a way that I was proud of.

I am a woman who loves the Lord and I know with EVERY... SINGLE... CHALLENGE there is an opportunity for growth, for humility and most of all strength in character and I want my responses to exemplify these truths.

SO... this year my word is CHOOSE

I tried to make it a different word that was more fun... more exciting, but my thoughts kept returning to this one.  It is perfect.  It is where I am right now in my life and I love it.

I will CHOOSE to handle challenges with integrity and grace

I will CHOOSE to do what is good and right, even if it is hard

I will CHOOSE to show people the real me, even if it's not "who they want me to be"

I will CHOOSE to sit quietly and listen to my children's stories even when I'm exhausted

I will CHOOSE more alone time with my hubby

I will CHOOSE to wake up earlier to get that work out in

{this list could go on and on, but you get the point}

I have created 2 different signs to frame {please contact me if you would like another color and I will email you the file.}

As always, feel free to use these for yourself:}

Are your wheels turning yet?
Have you thought of your own "word of the year"?  I would love to hear about it!

Have a wonderful and blessed 2013!