Monday, May 2, 2016

Meatless Monday's ???



It all started with this....beautiful fresh veggies....and the fact that I've been on an "I'm tired of meat" kick lately.

Which is odd for me.
Usually I'm a proteinaholic

But ...I think it's always a great idea to TRY NEW THINGS!!
((That's what I preach to my kids anywayπŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚))

So tonight we tried something NEW!!

Meatless Monday!!

I made crockpot stuffed peppers tonight 

And in the spirit of "a change up"...
I went for a MEXICAN flair rather than my usual Italian peppers!!

The kids devoured them all the same!!

They didn't even notice the mushrooms!!!
(Mushrooms done right gives meals a meaty texture without being obvious)

So here it is....

Mexican Meatless Stuffed Peppers

7 bell peppers washed and cored 

1 pouch organic rice/quinoa  (seeds of change from Costco ) 
***or 2 cups pre cooked brown rice **

1 can organic unsalted black beans

10 baby portobello mushrooms finely chopped

1 1/2 cups organic fresh salsa 

1 small bunch of cilantro chopped 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese (can be Ommited) 

Mix it all together !!
Stuff peppers!!!

Cook in crock pot on high for 4 hours!!

Serve with guacamole, plain Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) and a sprinkle of shredded cheese!! 

So delicious!! 

Meatless Monday for the WIN!!


Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Happiness Tip: Go Outside

I've made a small change in my morning routine.
While my oatmeal is in the microwave ....
I go out the back door.... And STAND there.
Sometimes the stars are out....
Sometimes the sun is rising ...
But the fresh air smells like.. Earth and rain...
And I can HEAR the life around me.
((Usually my rooster ..who is crazy))
But I just stand there...breathe. ..and be grateful.
It centers me. It fills me with energy.
And it draws my heart to God in gratitude.
Everyone has 2 minutes.
Next time you look out the window and think "WOW that's beautiful ".......stop looking through the window and GO OUTSIDE and actually FEEL it.
Take a little longer walking to the mailbox...sit on the front porch and look at the sky when you come home for the day...sneak outside after the kids are in bed and just look at the stars!
Nature is a great teacher...and a great source of calm.
Find time !!! You'll feel happier!!
XOXO,
Missy

Monday, February 8, 2016

Farm Fresh Perfection


As promised!!!! The SECRET trick to getting FRESH farm hard boiled eggs to PEEL!!!
Hallelujah!!!
No more frustration and wasted protein!! πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
I loooove having chickens..πŸ”πŸ”
But I HAD to figure out how to get these perfect sources of protein to PEEL!!!
Thanks to the AMAZING theprairiehomestead.com:
I learned.... You have to STEAM them!!
Put your eggs in a metal colander...
Place your colander in a large pot with water on the bottom!!!
(Not enough to submerse the eggs!!! Just enough so you don't boil it all off)
Put a lit on the pot and steam them for 20-22 minutes!!!
Place them in cold water directly after steaming to halt the cooking process!!
Then...dry... Peel and enjoy!!
Or if you're ME.... Draw happy faces on them with sharpie and put them in the fridge for FAST and perfect protein!!!
Yay for EGGS!!!

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Life is Like Beach Sand


Life is like Beach Sand.
We pick up handfuls of it....
We sift through it....

We pick out parts of it to keep and carry around with us...
And the rest just runs through our fingers....
You CANT KEEP TODAY!!
It WILL END
Just like yesterday.
This week.... I've learned a LOT about myself.
Some good.
Some not so good.
What I realized is this....
I HOLD ON tightly to LOVE.
I feel it and give it DEEPLY.
But ...that also allows me to be hurt deeply.
And ..it makes me extremely self critical.
And...unfortunately.
I hold on to hurt from others and self judgement with iron fingers.
But....I'm learning.
I collect Heart shaped rocks 
They are like little love notes from God!
I find them... Everywhere!!!
This one is my favorite.
It's from Rockaway Beach. (My favorite place on earth)
Sometimes I carry it in my pocket.
Sometimes it sits on my windowsill in my kitchen.
As I held onto it this morning in my quiet kitchen... Quietly reflecting on what I've learned this week...
I heard THIS in my heart...
"Let GO. Let everything else go. The past and the future. Just HOLD onto LOVE today"
Let everything else GO!
Hold onto your LOVE for others
Hold on to the LOVE they give you
Hold on the your LOVE for yourself
Hold onto your LOVE for God
And His LOVE for you
You choose to open your fingers and let anything other than LOVE just fall through...
Because when today is over what do you want to have left???
All that is ever left...when everything falls ...through. Is LOVE.
So LET GO and Hold ON to LOVE
PS: find a heart rock. It will help you. Don't know where to find one?!? Start looking!
Trust me... If you LOOK for one.
It will find YOU 
XOXO, 
missy

Thursday, February 4, 2016

NOW is a Good Time


Note to Self: yesterday ended last night.
You are living in N-O-W
NOW is a good time to be Happy. 
NOW is a good time to allow yourself to change.
You can't undo yesterday. You can't change your blunders.
But you CAN choose to learn from them.
Today is a brand NEW canvas!
Will you ruin it with dwelling on what wasn't so pretty in your past??
Or will you create something NEW!
Allow YOURSELF to start NEW today.
Extend that grace to others.
No one had to EARN the new Sunrise!
God gives that freely. Perfectly on schedule everyday.
Stop waiting to free yourself by accepting the GIFT of starting NEW.
Dare to just Let TODAY be unhindered by your missteps yesterday or your fears of tomorrow.
Give TODAY the FREEDOM to be PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL.
And make it SO.

xoxo,
missy

Monday, February 1, 2016

DONE is Better than Perfect


Are you DREADING your workout today??!
Do you have a Goal ....but it just seems TOO big... So.. You AVOID it!!??
Let me tell you a Secret!!!
No one wakes up perfect!!
E-V-E-R
So ..
Even a crappy workout... Is better than NO workout!! πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
And even taking one small bite out of your goal... moves you closer to it!!
Today I had "Chisel Balance" and "Chisel GLUTES" on my scedulle.

I'm NOT good as balance!!!
It's awkward.
And let me tell you... Working GLUTES on this seemingly innocent ball?!!
B-R-U-T-A--L

But.... I did it ANYWAY!!
Why?!?
Because DONE is better than PERFECT!
Done means I pushed myself.
Done means I took action.
Was it pretty ?! Graceful?! Or free of struggle.
Nope.
But....
I burned calories.πŸ”₯πŸ”₯
I grew my muscles πŸ’ͺπŸ’ͺ
And...best of all..I SHOWED UP for MYSELF!! πŸ™‹

Don't WAIT to TRY until you feel you can do it PERFECTLY.
Take it from me....Being a HOT MESS is normal!!
So just GO for it!!
Raise your hand if YOU did YOUR workout TODAY!! 
We got this!!!

The Good in Monday


Be the GOOD in your Monday!
SEE the GOOD in your Monday!
RECEIVE the GOOD in your Monday!
BELIEVE the GOOD in your Monday!
Lucky YOU!! You WOKE UP TODAY!!
Don't waste it!!!
What you SEE is what you GET???
Right?!!
But.....What if you don't like the world around you or the situation you're in?!!
Focus on YOU.
BE a light.
BE a giver.
BE the GOOD!!
Then....
Choose to SEE the GOOD
With all your heart CHOOSE to focus on the good, beautiful, kind, and positive things in others and in your day.
Sometimes it HARD! ((Anyone else have an irrational toddler ?! Or over emotional Tween?! πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚))
So ...just start listing little things you love... Like the smell of grass...or your cute mailbox.
Or the way your neighbor always waves when you drive by...
Look for it...you'll SEE it!!
RECEIVE the GOOD!!
When you find something GOOD ...let it in!!!!
Make a mental note!!
Write it in a journal!
THINK about what is means to you
Smile and say "Ha! I see you good!! I found you!!"
BELIEVE the GOOD
Internalize it! Hold onto. Make the good in the world part of WHO you ARE!
Pretty soon.... Practicing this....will leave you filled with A DEEP sense of JOY. (That's the deep lasting kind of happiness πŸ’ͺ)
And ....when you're not "feeling it"
Or hard things happen in your life...
You can go back and DRAW from the deep "WELL of GOOD" you've created!!!
BUT ... It's starts with YOU.
BE the GOOD in your Monday......
You CAN do it. I know you CAN!
I KNOW you ARE the Good!!
I can SEE it.... So now go and BE it!
xoxo,
missy

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Happy Faces

Happy Faces, People!!! ....They aren't just for kids
Happiness ....can be INTENTIONAL.
I'm standing in my quiet kitchen.
Quietly thinking about my day.
Saying my affirmations to myself....
(I am calm. I am kind. I am confident. I am intentional...)
Listening to...silence.
Breathing deeply... and just BEING.
And then of course ...
eating my healthy and cheerful breakfast!!!
(Steel cut oats + coconut + coconut milk+ happy strawberries)
My friends....
Take a quiet moment today to
stop.
smile.
breathe.
be grateful.
And set your intentions on happiness.
My Oatmeal is happy.... Let's all be Happy today 
Happy Saturday!
XOXO,
Missy
πŸ’™issy

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Dreams Come True By...

Fill in the BLANK..... "Dreams come TRUE BY................"
Want to know MY answer?!!
Dreams come TRUE by .....

BEING INTENTIONAL.
If you want the life of your DREAMS....
You have to GO AFTER IT.
EVERY DAY!!!
Nothing changes in your life...without ACTION.
Every morning I create an "Action List"
What ACTIONS do I need to take to move me closer to my goals?!
To improve from my SKILLS?
To build relationships with God and those I LOVE?
To build a Successful Buisness??
To Live a life of Purpose??
Action Steps.
Often..small ones.
After all .... "Rome wasn't built in a day"
Right?!!
Want to change something?!?
Make an ACTION LIST!
And DO something ON IT!!
Pretty soon ..,you'll be making progress
Faster than you ever imagined.
And the Dream life that once seemed IMPOSSIBLE.... Will become a REALITY.
Because YOU ...took ACTION.

What are some of my ACTION steps?!!
πŸ’œDaily Silence/prayer/meditation
πŸ’œDaily workout
πŸ’œDaily healthy eating
πŸ’œDaily intentional affection for my family and friends
πŸ’œDaily reading of personal development
πŸ’œDaily self evaluation of needed action steps.
πŸ’œSleep
REPEAT.
What are YOUR daily ACTION steps??

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Clean & Crunchy Tuna Salad

****Clean and Crunchy*****
Yes Please!!
My kids LOVE Tuna!!!
But mayonnaise?!? 
Soooo... swap it!!!
For GREEK YOGURT!!
Seriously!!! They'll never know!!
So good!!!
Clean and Crunchy Tuna Salad
1 can tuna in water...drained
1 celery stalk chopped
1/4 onion chopped
1/4 tsp onion powder
Sea salt and pepper
I eat mine open face!!!!
My bread of choice ?!
Daves killer "Good seed Bread"
Add cucumbers on the side!?!
Clean...Green..and crunchy πŸ’™
Who wants Tuna for lunch?!?

Monday, January 25, 2016

Mom Sanity Saver Tip

*****Mom Sanity Saver Tip!!!****
1. Citrus is your friend!!!
Slice an entire orange or lemon and add it to your water in the late afternoon!!!
Natural energy ✅
Mood booster✅
Vitamin C boost for your immunity ✅
makes getting your water in pretty and tasty with minimal added calories✅
2. Take 5 minutes to go outside and watch the sunset.
Breathe in the light....breathe out any of the accumulated stress of the day.
Consciously let it fill up your soul with calm....
Before you head back in the house to battle dinner..baths ...and bed ...
Unless of course your children are always calm and rational at bedtime....
Then...well ....my hat's off to you...
You can borrow some of mine πŸ‘¬πŸ‘­
Taking a little time for ME....makes me the best Mama I can be!!!

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Breathe Blue skies in ....breathe Grey skies out...
I was lying in bed this morning ...
And I felt distinct LACK of anxiety.
Weird.
Most days I wake up with anxiety.
It's normal for me and I have learned to breathe and talk myself into getting up and moving with affirmations...prayer.. listening to personal development ...
Then following that with healthy habits of breakfast, exercise, and sticking to a to do list..
Today I had no anxiety.
I thought "why is that God?!?"
I think it's because I focused ALL weekend on this one thing...
Choice.
A choice to deliberately recognize what I thinking.
If my thoughts were good....I focused them and affirmed them to myself.
For example "missy do you notice you are feeling happy". Or "missy do you notice you are feeling loved!"
Then I could confirm that I was in fact TRUELY feeling those things. And then I could thank God for them.
Now the flip side....
All weekend when I had a negative thought...
Instead of punishing myself by thinking "missy .. You're so dumb why do you think negative thoughts"
I acknowledged them!!!
For example: "missy!! Your house is messy and that's making you anxious!"
Or "missy your kids are acting out and that's making you feel inadequate "
Then you can keep your negative emotion at arms length and say ...
Is it TRUE?!! Is it HELPFUL?!!
Do I choose to walk through that "cloud of emotion"
To my SHOCK ....I was able to rationally disengage from negative thinking!
MIND EXPLOSION!
It's called ACT therapy.
Audiobooks are my therapistπŸ˜‚...
And I'm reading this book called The Confidence Gap by Russ Harris
It's changing everything I thought about ....my thoughts!!!
Today I woke up with ZERO anxiety?!!
Why?!?
Because I feel in control of my emotions!?!?
Oh my gosh I think my life just turned on its head!!
Last example:
My alarm went off and I thought "you're going to feel anxious because you have a lot to do today and you're tired"
Then I stopped... And I chose
No...actually I'm not. Actually. I don't FEEL anxious. I'm in total control of this feeling and I choose to get up and feel calm and free.
And I did.
Today is Monday. Blue skies in..Grey skies out.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Gold Digger

There are always plenty of people who will choose to find what's WRONG with people.
To point fingers...dig up dirt... Be unkind.
But this I know....
When you choose to see the glittering treasure of possibility in everyone...
Like our Savior sees in YOU.....
Your life will glitter like GOLD.
There is light and darkness.....everywhere.
Let's bring out the light in others...instead of burying them in dirt!
Everyone is "dirty"...flawed... and broken
But they are also precious beyond measure...
Be a GOLD Digger!!
Even if it's the tiniest sparkle at first....
Choose ...to Find the gold!!
XOXO,
Missy