If I Could Frame Happiness...

If you asked me to put happiness in a frame, 

my finished project would look something like this:

There's no question that these two guys make me smile more on any given day

than any earthly reason you could suggest.

Of course, I can't frame salvation, 

but it must be said that any genuine happiness of the soul comes from knowing I am a child of God's, redeemed forever and being sanctified "until that day...". 

Aside from Jesus Christ and family,

there might not be anything which makes me happier than books.

I've made my peace with being a nerd, no big deal.

When I was a little girl, I remember being disciplined for reading too much,

having neglected chores all day, in bed, lost in the world of the 

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew...

While that luxury will have to be delayed another twenty years or so, 

to spend even an hour engrossed in someone's story, a theologian's thoughts, a counselor's teaching, the history of who we are, or a cleverly woven work of fiction 

is sure to leave me with a settled feeling of fulfillment.

Tonight, on our team's weekly personal development and training call,

a wise man made the comment that "leaders are readers". 

Here's a fact:

You will lead your children into something.

One day, your child will be old enough to assert his intelligent reason against your authority and argue for why he shouldn't be obliged to follow your leadership.

When that day arrives, will you have equipped yourself with wisdom, knowledge, humor, and skills to make a case
 for why you have chosen your specific path and tried to lead him in it?

While all of the books in the world can't simply transform us into excellent mothers,

there's a certain level of good sense in acknowledging that we have been given a monumental responsibility,

the conception, development, protection, and promotion of another human being's life!

Why take that on without arming yourself with the
companionship of a few trusted authors?
Why not sit down with a refreshing Herbalife tea and treat yourself to words of wisdom?

And really, why not escape occasionally from the world of "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" into the pleasant world of Mitford, or the human tragedies and triumphs of D-Day, the fantastical possibilities of time travel, or the soul comforts available in a good devotional?

Here's my current stack of happiness, 

deliberately supplied with multiple options to provide
 just the right volume to suit my mood.

How would you frame happiness?

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your happiness, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can smile along with you!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

In the fog

As usual, my husband had something profound to say when we went for a walk today.

While discussing the various challenging situations we face in life,

we tried viewing the circumstances from every angle.

Sometimes the more details you consider, the less effectively you are able to act.

As the hubs put it, imagine driving down this foggy road. 

Terrifying is the word that comes to mind.

One never knows when a deer will come leaping out from the side of the road,

when a pothole will be ruining your axle before you can swerve,

or when you will be headed over a cliff because you weren't able

 to see the sharp curve in the road!

Being in the fog leaves nearly palpable fear bungling your thinking, 

and sweat covering your hands.

Now, imagine your relief when the fog clears and 

you discover where you've really been driving.

Instead of deer, wildflowers.

Not a pothole in sight on this incredibly well-maintained highway.

No chance of a cliff drop when the road is straight for miles through a meadow.

As relief clears your thinking, you realize that all of your fears were unfounded and needlessly distracting.

Consider how this applies to your daily decisions as a healthy active mom in the making.

Here's the "straight road" truth. You need to be healthy to take care of your family. 

You must live within your means if you expect any lasting financial peace.

Your relationship with your husband is the only covenant relationship in your life apart from that with God.

When you want to lose weight, what creates fog?

"I'm too busy to eat healthily. I'm too tired to exercise. 

Healthy food doesn't taste good."

No one is too busy to eat right, we just have to want it badly enough to find a system that doesn't take lots of preparation. Exercise will give you more energy than almost anything. Find healthy food that you can enjoy.

What gets foggy when you are trying to manage the budget?

"We don't make enough money so we have to use the credit card.

I'm so unhappy because our tax return had to be used to pay off an unexpected medical bill instead of vacation."

Sometimes, we have to discipline ourselves to organize our budgets and expectations more clearly. If we never seem to have enough money at the end of the month, maybe we should only buy necessary groceries for the first 3 weeks, and if there is extra in week 4, then enjoy the pizza or hamburgers. Maybe we could find a movie online instead of paying to go to the theater. Maybe there is a way we could earn some extra money without sacrificing the priority of family. I have to work at both, modifying my expectations for our current season of life, and finding helpful ways to contribute to our income. 

What is unclear when trying to find more time with your husband?

"We don't get time together because our kids take all of our attention.

We don't make quality connections because we watch too much TV..."

Remember that you are in charge of your kids, not the other way around. 

Make a list of conversation starters and discipline yourself to talk before TV.

The truth is, any excuse and any complaint can become a blinder;

fog which distorts the simplicity of reality.

Cut through the fog.

Don't let fog distort your healthy lifestyle decisions.

The road is straight. Trust the truth!

And of course, if you want a simple healthy system for weight loss and health, I've loved Herbalife for years now and been blessed by the results. If you are looking for a little extra income to pay those bills, 

then why not help other moms live the healthy lifestyle too and see how that can benefit all around?!

I'd be happy to help. Send me an email at funfitnutrition@gmail.com.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your healthy active decisions, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can stay motivated!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

Losing Weight and Eating Pumpkin Bread

I've decided to start pretending that it's "Autumn"...

It's too hot for me to really believe my charade,

but I play anyway because I'm ready to start eating pumpkin bread 

and burning "Autumn Leaves" candles in the living room.

So today, after celebrating a total of 2 pounds lost, 

I burned my lovely seasonal candle all afternoon.

Having been soothed by it's pleasing aroma for several hours,

while Little Man sauteed mushrooms, I made pumpkin bread...

Just kidding!

But he did love throwing the bag of mushrooms into a large (unheated)

saute pan, and using a wooden spoon to 

push the bag around the pan for a few minutes...

And I did make pumpkin bread.

Since Little Man practically took my fingers off devouring the still warm bread, I thought that tonight I would publish the recipe I used, my modified version from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.

Oh, and if you'd like to be able to still eat pumpkin bread while losing weight, even if you've been sick all week (as I have, still dealing with laryngitis!) and not exercising, then send me an email so we can put you together an Herbalife nutrition program of your very own. I can even send you a Pumpkin Spice meal replacement shake that tastes like pumpkin pie filling!

"Pumpkin Bread"

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1 -15 oz can pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 2/3 cups buttermilk (or 1 2/3 cups milk with 2 tsp vinegar, allow to sit for several minutes)

• Preheat oven to 350F. Coat two loaf pans with butter; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt; set mixture aside. 
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the pumpkin and both sugars; mix on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and oil; mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. With mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans; smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Place the pans on a baking sheet. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until a knife inserted in the centers comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool completely. Bread can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for up to 4 days.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your healthy active decisions, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can stay motivated!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

Toddler Terrors

Toddlers seem to have no fear, 

yet they seem to have the unique ability to terrify their parents.

Consider, as evidence, several recollections from our week.

To your left, Exhibit A.

Here you see the very mildest of Little Man's adventures. Because of course if there is a box on the floor, he is supposed to stand on it.

He climbs everything. His favorite game is to crawl onto the couch,

give me a wicked grin,

and slide to the floor over the arm of the couch.

Little Man rarely walks.

He runs his chubby little legs down the hall, 

around the kitchen, 

into doors, and behind the house.

Speaking of which...

 Observe to your right, Exhibit B.

Little Man gave us our biggest scare yet by running out of the house. I have never seen him open our sliding glass door.

 He has never left the safety of our home without a parent's protection.

Until last week, when I took a brief bathroom break... Daddy was in the back splitting wood. When I emerged from the bathroom a short 90 seconds later, I knew something was wrong because Little Man wasn't greeting me in the hallway yelling,
 "Pah-tay, PAH-tee, pah-TAY...."

When I reached the living room, there was Little Man, on the other side of our sliding glass door, playing with Daddy. Not so scary, if I could have just believed that Daddy was the party responsible for Little Man's escape. But no. Daddy had observed as Little Man deftly slid open the door, stepped out, and ably closed the door behind himself. At least he has the manners to not let the cool air out of the house!

But now, it looks like I'm getting the stink eye 

for making Little Man sound like a rebel without a cause.

So I will close with this.

He makes me smile every day! From the moment we share our Herbalife shakes each morning, to the evening hour when he sucks down his Herbalife liquid vitamins and says, "Nigh Nigh", this healthy active toddler is my reason to conquer my fears and happily embrace the terrors of parenting!

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your healthy active decisions, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can stay motivated!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

The "Do It All" Mom

I have missed you this week!

Yes, I know that I never really "see" most of you, but I see your numbers appear on my Google stats,

and I feel like it means we are connecting....

This has been a week of illness in our home. 

Monday morning the three of us woke up snifflin' and sneezin'.

Tonight, we are going to bed still snifflin' and sneezin'...

Not at all what I expected this week.

All told, this has not been the summer that I expected.

When May was closing, we were still planning to welcome a new baby in December. 

I was certain that I could work at full capacity throughout the summer months, 

of course we would be healthy at least until flu season in the fall,

and my old neck injury was so nearly healed that I just knew it wouldn't bother me for years!

Well, the end of May brought a car accident, ensuring neck pain to accompany all movement...

The first of June God took our baby to heaven, bringing, with our sadness, various health problems...

Mid-summer brought strep throat, and now the standard, "I lub you" somehow doesn't sound right...

Some of you may have had easier summers,

 but many of you may have had similar or more difficult experiences...

Well, I'm declaring tonight that this summer is over.

I tend to brood over things... You know, let them overtake my mind and then,

pretty soon, change my habits.

Before I've really decided to become morose or despondent,

personal discipline slips and I'm just "not myself".

Now every difficult time deserves an appropriate period of adjustment,

but then it has to be done.

You have to decide to move on, to get better, to recover.

And then you need to arm yourself with the proper tools, put yourself in the right environment,

throw yourself in the arms of the Savior, and make the decision every night when you go to bed, and every next morning upon waking, that today will be pursued.

The real challenge for most moms, probably, is to not go overboard. 

                                               Today, in Barnes and Noble, I took thirty seconds to take pictures of the overwhelming platitudes available to moms for $5.98.

 I quickly ran from the bargain books section, escaping the marketing techniques geared at manipulating my desire to do everything, and as a statement of rebellion against the illusive "Do It All Mom", I sat down to write just a few things that are important to me, for our family, and for personal growth.

As in a recent post, I would simply encourage you to choose three or four priorities which can take your attention, without becoming overwhelming, and pursue excellence.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your healthy active decisions, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can stay motivated!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

Progress Report

Seven days ago I committed to you that I was going to lose seven pounds.

Well, this morning I celebrated having lost 1.6 pounds!

Little Man has a shake for breakfast most days, along with toast or oatmeal, 

and I was enjoying some Prepare, Herbalife's pre-workout drink, to inspire me to exercise.

Now, let me be clear, I am no super woman.

I  could write an entire post about the various times and ways I varied from the program this week.

I think that I squeezed in some exercise 3 times in the whole week. 

There was definitely a bit of cookie consumption when we came home 

with the box of leftovers from Bible study.

BUT-

There are 3 things that I did without fail.

I had my Herbalife tea concentrate every morning.

I had two shakes for meal replacements every day.

I had my tablets (multivitamins, aloe, fiber, etc) 3 times every day.

That's it. Nothing fancy. And nothing perfect. 

Just nutritious, and consistent.

That's all Herbalife is. Nutrition. Based on consistency.

And now I'm 1/5 of the way to my goal!

Anyone else wanna join me?

Feel free to email me - funfitnutrition@gmail.com

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your healthy active kids or weight loss journey, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can stay motivated!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.

Above Average

When I was a young girl, I never let myself settle for anything less than what I considered to be perfection.

Often, as you can imagine, this led to a fairly intense level of personal frustration.

When I was about eight years old, I was all set to perform in our school's talent show,

a chance to demonstrate my dedication to perfection...

Yeah, not so much.

I still know what dress I was wearing. It was the 90's, mind you, 

so the outfit was a slightly flouncy red dress with white polka-dots, white shoes, white tights...

Shiny black clarinet in hand, I walked out onto the stage.

With the piano accompanist giving me the nod, 

I set out to impress all in attendance with a mind-blowing performance of "The Entertainer".

Until...

I squeaked... Really, more like squawked...

After all of my practice and the hours of making sure this would be monumentally wonderful (as every eight year old dreams she really is when playing music, right?),

I had forgotten to keep my reed wet.

If you don't know much about woodwinds,

a dry reed is basically a death sentence to any sound resembling music.

So, that was it. My life was over. 

Crying, mortified, I walked off the stage, dry-reeded instrument in hand.

Now, thank God, I had a mother who did not have unrealistic expectations nor punishingly high standards.

What she did love was seeing me do what made me happy,

so after helping me calm down and wet my reed,

she also lovingly insisted that I go back, because she knew how thrilled I would be to be able to play that piece and finish well.

Having just the right expectations seems to make all the difference in life.

After twenty-two some odd years of demanding tedious excellence of myself,

I think that somehow I subconsciously decided to rebel, to find out what it was like to expect my activities and pursuits to be average. Trouble was, I still wanted above average results out of life.

I think that, maybe, most moms fall into one of those two categories.

We either expect waaaayyyy to much of ourselves and children,

("My Baby Can Read", anyone?),

or we rebel against the pressure and settle for,

"Well, at least I can read...", but then don't even bother to do that!

It's the dilemma of being faced with the need to lose 7 pounds...

There are those who say, "You recommend 2 shakes a day? Heck, I'll replace 3 meals a day with a shake and exercise for 2 hours!"

And then those who say, "Well, 7 pounds isn't so bad. Another cookie, anyone?"

I have met them, though, those mothers who do one or two above average activities a week, and enjoy the bit of a challenge they offer.

I'm inspired.

But perhaps the one who inspires me most is my Little Man.

Think about it. If he always settled for just what felt easy, he would never have learned to walk!

Last weekend, we went to the park and watched his face light up while swinging. 

Flying through the air could be terrifying, especially when your parent is in control and you don't really know what's coming next... But if he freaked out at every new thing, he would miss most of the fun of being a toddler. If he didn't work at learning, growing, and exploring, he would never have found out that he can eat with a fork, or run, or climb down steps...

So I'm adopting a new mindset.

I want to live with the idea that I can be as interested in life as my toddler is, and that if I am persistently curious and challenged, I will find the results I wanted all along, 

but with much more happiness along the way.

Join the movement of moms.

Follow me on Instagram @happyfitnessmama, share photos of your healthy active kids, and tag them #movementofmoms so that we can have another reason to smile!

Oh - and if you like this post, then go ahead and click on of the icons below to share it!

Disclaimer - Research shows that those people having a Formula 1 meal replacement shake twice daily as part of a healthy eating and exercise plan can reasonably expect to lose 1/2 to 1 lb a week. And the average annual compensation provided by Herbalife to its distributors at the Supervisor position with a downline is approximately $5,800. I have chosen to consistently follow my Herbalife nutrition plan and work hard at running my business, which is the reason for my personal results.