Wannabe Organized

March Challenge 

I really NEED this months challenge. My house is quickly becoming a cluttered disaster that is completely stressing me out. So I’m excited to be setting aside this month to get my family, house, and mind back in order. I’m going to walk you through the details of each week and steps I’m planning to take.  

 

Week 1

Organize your family: What I mean by this is to focus on routines, schedules, chore charts, ect. I usually start the school year off with a bang, got my charts and schedules ready for an easy transition into new bedtime routines, homework, chores, and meals. Somewhere a long the line those charts go out the window. So this week I’d like to set aside some time to really analyze what my family needs. Are we too busy? Too much friend time and not enough family time? Is homework getting done at a reasonable hour? Are we rushing in the mornings? Are my kids eating healthy snacks and meals? Am I getting enough one on one time with each child? Are they doing their reading? Are they cleaning up their messes and doing regular chores? I want to create the peaceful flow we so desperately need within our home. I want to start the week off with a lesson on responsibility and how each member of the family has responsibilities to help out around the house. When ever I’m feeling overwhelmed with chaos in the home it’s because I’ve failed to keep my children on track and give them those constant reminders and teach them that moms aren’t supposed to do EVERYTHING. We all need to work together. So I plan to delegate more, TEACH more, and be consistent with reminders. We all know that kids forget so quickly. We can’t expect them to stay on a routine and schedule without our daily PATIENT reminders. I have to emphasize “patience”  because I know from experience that I am easily annoyed when I have to constantly remind my kids to do things. What I need to remember is that it’s not just our kids. We are the same way in our own lives. The natural man easily forgets. Thats why it's important that we incorporate positive affirmations and scripture study DAILY. We NEED constant reminders.

 It's our job as parents to remind (repeat ourselves), over and over and over and over again. We should be grateful for every teaching opportunity even if we've said it a MILLION times before.

I want to also focus on a lot of TEACHING them how to clean up and keep things organized. Instead of trying to do it all myself, I’m going to work by their side and teach them how to keep a house tidy and organized, and emphasize the value of meaningful work and that work can actually be fun.

Week 2 

Organize Your Home: Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. Make a goal to organize one space a day this week. Even if it’s just a cabinet or drawer. Choose 6 spaces you’re going to tackle, then give yourself a day off on Sunday. Go to the container store and stock up on organizational paraphernalia. Oh how I love me some bins and labels. I may have a slight addiction here, considering checking myself into a recovery program or requesting an intervention.

Week3

Organize Your Mind: This is a tricky one. I find it incredibly difficult to organize my mind. There are so many things going on up there and sometimes it paralyzes me to the point that I don’t even know WHAT to do. I’m always adding to my mental “to do” list and can’t seem to shut it down sometimes. This is when I know I’m in desperate need of some quiet meditation. I need to wake up early before the kids and just SIT in the peacefulness of the morning. I need to allow my mind to go blank and remain open to receive direction from God. As I do this I have a pen and paper handy so that I can then write my thoughts. This is one way I’ve learned to remedy the feeling of “mind overload”. It’s as if you are literally removing the chaos in your mind and putting it on paper with the intension to simplify. 

  

Week 4

Organize Your Garage and Car: Yikes! Are you sure you want to participate in this challenge? If your garage is anything like mine then you might be a little scared to commit to this one. Mine definitely needs some work. This week I want to do my best to organize my garage, car, and even my yard. I hope I’m not getting ahead of myself, but I’d like to get a few seeds planted in my garden too. Is this possible? We shall see.

Let’s be supportive!

I hope you will all join the Wannabe Balanced Facebook group and participate by posting pics, inspirational thoughts, tips and advice. Use the hashtag #WannabeOrganized if you plan to post pics on your FB wall or on Instagram. This way we can find each other and offer support there as well. Also, don’t hesitate to do some Periscope videos, I know I will be. It’s so much fun to connect with each other via live video streaming. Let’s get all your friends organized as well so share this post on Facebook and let the craziness begin!!!!!

The Importance of Validation

Validation. What is it? It’s getting feedback from others that “what I do and say matters to you or has helped you.  You think of me. You acknowledge my accomplishments. You appreciate ME."

In my recent blog post I mention the fact that it's OKAY to need a little validation sometimes. We all want to be the kind of person that doesn't NEED validation from others. As much as I believe our happiness and confidence should come from within, I also believe that it's OKAY to need a little love, positive words of encouragement and acknowledgment from others sometimes. We need people, God made us that way and we should embrace it. We can't be on this journey alone and still be our best. 

Validation provides us with something amazing. It gives us energy, makes us happy, motivates us to keep going. We don't have to wait around for others to give it to us though, we have the ability within ourselves to create that same kind of positive energy. Any validation from others is just icing on the cake. So when realizing this, we MUST do our best to provide validation for others and allow karma to take hold. The more we give, the more we receive. If we're not getting the validation needed, then we must take it upon ourselves to provide it. Not desperately seek it out of others. 

I've mentioned before that sometimes I get caught up in the comparison game. There are so many wonderful bloggers and authors out there and sometimes I feel so small compared to them. But God doesn't want us to compare. He doesn't want us to feel like we have to be a trail blazer at all times. Although there is already so much good content out there, I shouldn't feel like I don't have anything unique to add. What I need to remember is that although most everything I'm doing has been done before or said before, the difference is that it hasn't been done by ME! It's common messages paired with MY background and personality. That's what makes it different. I have to remind myself of this regularly. Satan is good at what he does. Just when we think we have it all together and confident in our pursuits, he's right there to say "you're no good so just give it up already". 

It seems like every time I start feeling down about my blog and wanna just throw in the towel. Then is when I'll receive a sweet reaffirming message from one of you telling me how much you've appreciated my blog, or how it's inspired or motivated you in some way.  Serving others is one of THE most fulfilling endeavors in this life. 

So your messages give me that needed validation, proof that what I'm doing serves a greater purpose beyond myself. I also think it's God's way of keeping us from giving up on worthwhile endeavors. His hand is in all things and I've witnessed this time and time again. So thank you for being my supportive group of friends that keep me from giving up.

Wannabe Lean Challenge

I'm so excited to reveal all the details for our Wannabe Lean Challenge this month. This is the perfect time of year to get back on track with healthy eating. The number one New Year's Resolution goal is to lose weight! So come on, let's do this together.  I'm giving away $100 Visa Gift Card to one of you lucky ladies. I want to add more incentive in order to motivate you all to achieve your best results possible. I will randomly select a winner at the end of the month from all who participate. See the Rafflecopter below for the 4 ways to enter. Be sure to use the hashtag #wannabelean when ever you post anything about being healthy, fit, losing weight, ect. I want to check out all your cool inspiring pics and this is the best way for me to see them all. Even better, you can tag me in them!!! Also by using the hashtag you will be able to connect with other women participating in this challenge. We're creating a positive supportive community by liking and commenting on each others pics. We need regular encouragement from one another so this will help us all find and follow one another on the different social media platforms.

Step #1

Take your before pictures!!! You might not be too thrilled about doing this, but trust me, you will be SO happy you did once you have your AFTER pics to compare them too. I did NOT enjoy looking at these pics of my post baby belly, but I knew that my hard work and determination would pay off.
(For information on the 30 Day Nutritional Cleansing program I use, message me for details. You can find all the ways of contacting me in the top right hand corner of my blog.)

Step #2

Make sure you have downloaded the free Periscope app. Create a profile then look me up and follow so that you can catch my regular Periscope videos. I love to share tips and tricks on losing weight and staying fit and healthy. You will also be doing your OWN weekly Periscope videos. I will provide a list of prompts you can choose from if you're not sure what to talk about.

Step #3

Use this daily and weekly checklist.

DAILY:

• Watch the affirmations video. It's important that you listen to, watch, and or read positive affirmations DAILY. We want to instill these beliefs and healthy habits within our brain to power us through each day. The mind is incredibly powerful so lets start at the source of success, our BELIEFS! This affirmations video I created covers everything you should be doing each day, including the practice of good posture, drinking lots of water, avoiding sweets, getting physical exercise, plenty of rest, eating slowly, ect. 

WEEKLY:

• Do your Periscope video. I know you may be a little nervous about the idea of doing your own Periscopes, but lets step out of our comfort zones and try something new. Read my Wannabe Fearless post for information on how to get started on Periscope and a list of prompts you can choose from. If you're in the Wannabe Balanced Facebook group then you can start connecting with this amazing group of women who are so very supportive. Let us all know your Periscope handle so that we can follow you and support you by watching your Periscope videos. Use a prompt I have provided for you, or choose your own. But be sure to always start by introducing yourself briefly, share your health & weight loss goals and progress. The purpose of this is to help hold you accountable and to feel the support from other women doing this Wannabe Lean challenge.
• Meal prep
• Plan your work outs!!!
• Reward yourself! You deserve a little mini gift for a job well done. Go get a pedicure, buy some new workout shoes, outfit, headphones, music, water bottle, ect. The reward could even be something simple like getting a sitter to watch the kids while you take a nice long bath with lavender and candles. How nice does that sound. Give yourself something to look forward to, something HEALTHY though. Try to avoid rewarding yourself with treats.  a Rafflecopter giveaway