Meet Jeanine

A Hug Goodbye to the Ultimate Blog Challenge

1/31/2019

I am always so happy to participate in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. It's wonderful to connect with other bloggers, to see my old challenge friends again, and to have discussions with them on my blog and theirs.

I wasn't able to do weekends this time (so no completion ribbon this time), but it helped a lot to have that two-day break. And I still enjoyed the month of blogging.

Possibly the best part of all, more people came to visit me here at my blog. :)

I think at last count, I got about 4400 pageviews and a thousand new visitors a week. It started to taper off as we got toward the end of the challenge, but I am still grateful.

If you're reading this, and you're a UBC blogger, how was your experience this month?

If you're not, join us for the next challenge in April. You can register at ultimateblogchallenge.com.

One thing this month of blogging did for me, personally, is help me get clearer about what I want to blog about and how often I would like to do it. But it also reminded me of how much I need to write in advance. So I have some posts ready for next month, starting tomorrow.

Hope to see you here! :)

Love to you!!

Jeanine

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Dinner for a Dollar

1/30/2019

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You might remember from a previous blog post that my goal is to spend $1 each on dinner, for both me and my son. In an average month, that's going to be $60.

Update: we are at the end of the month, and I have not yet managed it, but it's definitely still a priority. There's a book in the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle called Dinner for a Dollar, and I am reading it to help me do it.

What's your dinner or general meal-planning budget?

"To do this, look at your income against all your bills, and ask yourself this: Without making more money, reducing other expenses, or going into debt, how much money do you have available to spend on food? "
- Shelly Longenecker, Dinner for a Dollar

The Struggle is Real but the Commitment Continues

I admit that, in the past, I have been careless about spending money on food, even though we were eating or meals at home. Sometimes, I didn't do any meal planning for dinner at all, and just bought whatever seemed good at the time.

So when I decided to take a careful look at where I was throwing money away, dinner came to my attention. This is the one meal where my son and I are sure to sit down at the same time, and eat together.

So it's important. And maybe I wanted to fill it with love and joy.

But as a single mom, I have had to get serious about how to control my food budget, and it looks like I will need to squeeze my dinner budget the hardest.

The book, Dinner for a Dollar (DFAD), and the system that goes with it, are helping me see things more clearly, stay committed and figure out what to change.

In the Healthy Meal Planning bundle, which is where I got the book, there's also a budget-friendly meal planning ebook.

But to be honest, I wouldn't even take a look at that, until you have read DFAD. It walks you through the process of making the commitment, choosing your budget and making the changes.

Once you have done that, then you can get creative with your meal planning. The goal - and the book helps with this, too - is how to buy the best food and get it for the best prices.

Budget Meal Planning Progress

Last week, several of my meals were actually dinner for a $1.50. but this week, because of BOGO deals I bought last week, a couple of meals have been a dollar each. So I'm encouraged! I'm making progress.

I just need to keep it up and get that to happen for every dinner.

What's the hardest part of budget meal planning for you?

See you next time!

Love, Jeanine

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Try this Brief Guided Meditation

1/29/2019

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We've been talking about stress, relaxation and gratitude during the past week or so. Today, I want to share a brief meditation you can try right now that may help you replace stress with the energy of love. Take a moment to check in with yourself. Are you experiencing any stress or tension or discomfort? If so, as you try the moment of guided meditation, see if you can let it go.

Five Minutes or Less: The Love Meditation

(1) Close your eyes, sit fairly still, and breathe deeply and slowly. If you have any rose quartz crystal, hold on to it in one hand. If not, you could diffuse a few drops of rose oil. Continue to focus on slowing down your breathing until you feel yourself relaxing.

(2) When you are calm, lightly tap on your heart space (the center of your chest) and imagine that your heart is filling with a rosy pink light.

(3) Imagine a rosy pink beam of love connecting you to the people in your life, flowing from your heart to theirs.

(4) Next, send that wave of love to the world in general and to any concern you have about what's going on in the world.

(5) Finally, send love to your life, your career, etc. Visualize the love transforming it into what you would like it to be, into what it is meant to be.

On days when you are able to set aside more than five minutes, give each part of the process more time (especially the time you take to relax) , and when you are finished, journal about what the experience was like.

Wishing you peace!

Love, Jeanine

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Pausing for Gratitude

1/28/2019

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Whatever you are waiting for--peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of Simple Abundance--it will surely come, but only when you are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart. --Sarah Ban Breathnach

One way to make sure stress and other challenges don't steal your happiness is to pause for gratitude moments. I talked a little abut that in a post about hygge earlier this month. Even during a day that seemed all wrong, you can probably find a few things to be grateful for and that can change everything.

Feeling grateful becomes a spiritual practice when we can truly express gratitude even when our lives are not going well. This is a far more difficult time to give thanks or express appreciation. It's actually a deep, spiritual decision of how you want to relate to life. I want my attitude toward life to be independent of the inevitable ups and downs. --Rachel Harris, Ph.D

Use Jasmine Essential Oil to Create Gratitude

Jasmine can be used to clear away any thoughts and feelings that might get in the way of feeling grateful. After putting a drop or two in your hands, rub them together, cup your hands over your face and breathe it in deeply for a minute or two.

First, imagine that the jasmine is filling the space in your hands and absorbing everything that needs to heal in order for you to experience joy and gratitude. Then, close your eyes and sit quietly and ask for scenes and images to remind you of the abundance you already have in your life. Mentally give thanks for each image or scene that presents itself.

Once you have experienced this process a few times, it may get easier to do it from memory, even when you don't have your jasmine oil with you. If you can do that, then you can create a moment of gratitude anytime you notice stress or its results.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at how to bring the energy of love to your moments of stress. See you then!

Love, Jeanine

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Effortless Stress Relief with Aromatherapy

1/25/2019

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In yesterday's post, I pointed out how powerful the relaxation response can be for anyone who ever experiences stress. It's only as I am getting older that I understand that our bodies are more fragile than we often think. And only Timex continues to take a licking and keeps on ticking.

After my body's rather extensive complaints, I have decided to be kinder to it, and that means crushing stress with daily blow. :) Don't put off finding your own ways to do the same. And if you want a way that sneaks in past your resistance, dive into aromatherapy. Let me explain what I mean...

Aromatherapy as Relaxation Whisperer

Aromatherapy is an ancient practice which uses distilled and concentrated plant oils, essential oils, to treat physical and mental ailments. It works so well because it taps into the olfactory system, the group of organs and tissues associated with your sense of smell. And the olfactory system also shares an almost immediate connection with the limbic system, which controls the parts of the brain related to your memory, your feelings, breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

Each essential oil possesses characteristics which make it most effective for treating certain physical conditions and feeling states. Choosing which ones to try should depend on which scents you like and can be reasonably certain you're not allergic to in any way.

For example, lavender promotes calm and has been said to soothe hurt feelings.

But I get a headache if I go anywhere near it, so I'd have to choose a different oil that is calming or soothing.

When you’re looking for oils to combat anxiety and stress, choose oils with relaxing, calming, and uplifting properties. The oils should soothe while shifting your awareness in a way that grounds you and replenishes you.

The scents that work best for anxiety and stress relief tend to have light and bright floral, citrus, or woodsy scents. My favorite relaxation scent is orange essential oil.

The following oils may be used alone or in combination with the other oils listed as well as others that are not part of this list. Keep in mind blends should contain a complementary mix of oils in both scent and therapeutic characteristics...

Essential Oils for Relaxation

Bergamot: calming, alleviates depression, anxiety and stress. Blends with: jasmine, juniper, chamomile, cypress, ylang ylang, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon, palmarosa, and patchouli. I like Bergamot & Ylang Ylang together.

Lavender: alleviates stress, anxiety, promotes relaxation and calm. Blends With: most oils, especially good with citrus oils, chamomile, and clary sage.

Roman Chamomile: relaxing and rebuilding. Blends with: Rose, lavender, rose, clary sage, and geranium.

Rose: alleviates depression and stress. Blends with: cypress, frankincense, juniper, citrus oils, cedarwood, clary sage, patchouli, pine, rosewood, and sandalwood

Sandalwood: calming and relieves stress and depression. Blends with: mandarin, myrrh, patchouli, cypress, frankincense, lemon, spruce, and ylang ylang.

Ylang-ylang: relieves anxiety, depression, and stress. Blends with: sandalwood, anise, chamomile, cumin, bergamot, geranium, grapefruit, lemon, and marjoram.

Orange: alleviates anxiety, boosts mood, and promotes a sense of happiness and wellbeing. Blends with: other citrus oils, bergamot, clove, cinnamon, and lavender.

CAUTION - never use an essential oil neat, unless you are putting it in a diffuser. In order to use it on your skin or in a bath, you'll need to put it in a carrier oil (like sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil, for example) or a bath oil to make sure they don't sting or burn your skin.

Here's a link you can use to order therapeutic-grade essential oils. Since I am a DoTERRA consultant, that is my link.

Have you ever used essential oils to help you relax? If you were choosing one to try, which ones would appeal to you?

Have a great weekend!

Love, Jeanine

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This is Why You Need The Relaxation Response

1/24/2019

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When we encounter a life-threatening situation, a surge of stress hormones prepares us to fight or to flee, an automatic fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. It used to happen in caveman times when there was an immediate danger. But now, we activate this fight-or-flight response every day, several times a day, not because of real danger, but in reaction to situations that are not life-threatening. To everyday stressors.

The Relaxation Response

The good news is that you have a relaxation response that you can use to counter, prevent or get rid of the effects of the flight-or-flight response. And if you have chronic daily stress that you cannot change, finding ways to relax is your best way to avoid damaging your health.

When you relax, your mind calms and your emotions stabilize. That makes you better able to think through situations and modulate your emotional responses.

When your mind is calm, it’s easier to feel content.

Your brain exhibits certain predictable responses when it is calm. These responses or signals, which activate the relaxation response, are tied to the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve connects the brain to most of the body’s major organs. It tells your brain how your body is doing.

Meditation, mindfulness practices, and deep breathing are simple methods that activate the vagus nerve and its calming effects. These practices teach the body what to do to create a relaxed state.

Once you can reliably create the relaxation response, you won't be held hostage by your stress, and you'll know how to release it, so you can get back to feeling calm. You become a peacemaker in your own life.

There are many methods, techniques and tools you can use to create relaxation, and he one that's best for you is the one you'll keep doing. :)

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about how you can use essential oils to create stress relief almost effortlessly. See you then!

Love, Jeanine

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Recipe: Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Macaroni

1/23/2019

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A couple of weeks ago, or so, I bought the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle, for which I am an affiliate. Each week, I've looked for a recipe to try and this week, I wanted a slow cooker recipe.

I saw Cheeseburger Macaroni and couldn't wait to see how to do it. But I was disappointed to find that it was an Instant Pot meal, and I don't have an Instant Pot. So I found a slow cooker recipe online and tried it, instead, altering it a smidge to make it vegetarian. Plus, I used spaghetti instead of macaroni.

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Macaroni

Recipe from SlowCookerKitchen.com

The cool thing about this meal is that it's a one-pot meal, but for the slow cooker. Much less mess to clean up when the meal is over - and my chief bottle-washer appreciates that fact. :)

Slow Cooker Kitchen says you can turn this into a freeze-ahead meal, too. I like that idea. In fact, I want to learn more about how to do the freeze-aheads, too. There's an ebook for that in the Healthy Meal bundle, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

Ingredients

a pound of macaroni (it can be uncooked or you might want to cook it for a few minutes_

3 cups of milk (I used my regular Lactaid 2% milk)

a 1/2 stick of butter, melted

2 cups of shredded cheddar (or more if you want - I used two)

a cup (or two) of shredded mozzarella

a pound of hamburger, precooked (I used veggie burgers)

salt, pepper and garlic to taste (3 tsp, if you're using garlic powder)

Slow Cooker Kitchen suggested adding cream cheese, bell peppers and paprika, none of which I used when I made it. She also mentioned Italian seasoning or taco seasoning as options. I have some Italian seasoning, but didn't use it.

Instructions

Mix the butter and the milk together, and then add the salt, pepper and garlic. Stir it and then put it aside for a bit. Put butter on the sides of your slow cooker insert and then, add the pasta, the meat and half of the mozzarella & cheddar. Toss and combine it.

Then, pour the milk mixture over it and add the other half of the cheese. Cover it, then let it cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

I'd buy or make some rolls to go with it. There's an all-natural grocery store whose rolls I love!!

Which way would you make it? With cream cheese or not? Would you add Italian seasoning?

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine

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How Journaling Affirmations Will Help You Manifest Your Intentions

1/22/2019

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Manifestation journaling is the act of writing the reality you wish to create.
- Carla Birnberg. CarlaBirnberg.com

Have you ever tried journaling your affirmations?

I have and there's one way to do it that doesn't seem to work at all. I don't recommend it...

"I am so happy I'm wealthy! I have been able to buy a mansion, ten cars, a home for my parents, and a yacht. Life is so thrilling now."

Just as I mentioned the other day, I find that I have to find the truth in my affirmations. So, writing ahead what I am going to feel on Dec. 31st doesn't quite quite work, either.

What works better for me is to tell myself a story. So if wealth is your intention, and your affirmation is something like, "I have all the money I need," then you might write that at the top of a journal entry & then tell yourself the story of how it's true.

Let's imagine that I am working on wealth as an intention, using that affirmation, and I want to imagine that I won the lottery (gotta admit, I like the sound of that.)

Here's a way I might write it...

"The abundance I want comes to me effortlessly...

Right after we won, the first thing my son wanted to do was buy a new car. We certainly needed one, but I just wasn't ready yet. After daydreaming all my life about the perfect home, and watching all those House Hunters episodes, all I could think about was buying a house. It's so much fun to walk into a model home and imagine yourself there. So I loved every minute of looking at houses, and then finally decided which one I wanted. Only then, did I get around to looking for a car, and thank goodness, we found one in the perfect color."

Making it More Real

In that example above, not only did I tell myself a story, and place myself in it, I also wrote it fairly close to the way I think I would describe it if it happened.

When you write yours, the most important thing is to be able to believe it.

So, once you have chosen an affirmation and are journaling about your intention, how could you make it sound real enough that you not only start to believe it, but you can feel it as you write it?

(1) Use experiences you have had already, weaving them into the reality you are describing in your journal entry.

(2) Do it often, but vary the story each time.

For instance, if your intention was to find love, you might write a journal entry about getting ready for your second date, dancing to your favorite song, how you each take turns choosing the movie you'll watch, the moment when you got engaged.

Journaling in this way helps you practice having the intention come true and gets you used to the idea.

Using affirmations, and journaling and/or meditating about them will change the way you think at other times, too, and may lead to your making choices that make the manifestation more likely.

What do you think? Is journaling your affirmations something that might work for you?

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine

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January Blues

1/21/2019

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Though the formula used to decide which day was the worst of the year turned out to be bogus, the reasons for January blues, in general, seem sound: "the Christmas glow has faded away, New Year’s resolutions have been broken, cold Winter weather has set in and credit card bills will be landing on doormats across the land – whilst the January pay check may still be some way away." And for those who get winter blues every year, January is often one of the hardest months, along with February. So let's talk about how to lessen January blues...

Do you get winter blues each year, too?

It starts in the fall for me, but the winter months are the most difficult, followed by March when it seems like it should be over, but isn't yet. Though the worst winter depressions are likely to need medical or therapeutic intervention, here are a few things you can do on your own...

(1) Surround yourself with light - if you can actually get outside for half an hour of sunshine, please do. But a light box may help, too. I use mine every day. I also light candles & hang up fairy lights to add even more light coming my way.

(2) Do something hygge - wrap yourself up in something warm and cozy, have a hot cup of cocoa, or a big cup of tea. Watch a family movie with the kids, or plan one for when you get home from work.

(3) Have a day of Christmas - play "Christmastime is Here" and make Christmas cookies. Wear red, and watch a Christmas movie.

(4) Dance - moving physically can sometimes help you change the way you feel emotionally, just long enough to create a shift that will last all day. I have friend who dance for 15 minutes when they first get up and they tell me it helps a lot.

(5) Eat carbs - many people are missing serotonin in the winter, and find that carbohydrates may help to replace it. Plan a potato-based meal. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top may feel like a special treat.

(6) Laugh - search YouTube or Netflix for your favorite comedian and watch 15 minutes or so, at a time, throughout the day.

Here's my 7th suggestion for feeling better today.

Every time I think about him, and listen to that speech, I am moved by it, proud of the work he did in the world, and happy to know that our world, imperfect as it is, is nonetheless forever changed because of him. Love, Jeanine

It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Watch the "I Have a Dream" Speech

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Sunday's Super Eclipse Moon

1/18/2019

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Ive been sharing a series of posts about affirmations this week, and I have one more coming next week. I wanted to take a break today to talk about the super blood moon and eclipse we have coming on Sunday...

Completions and Closure

During the next few days, you may find that challenges are coming to an end. One of the articles I read suggested that things may resolve on a national level - which would be great - but here, I prefer to focus closer to home, in case there are things that will be meaningful for you, personally.

Because these are predictions that may or may not seem to come true in any particular person's life, I think of them as possibilities. And what I do is set an intention to be open to those possibilities.

I have quite a few challenges I'd like to see turn the corner and/or come to an end, so I will offer them up for completion. Do you have anything like that in your own life?

Another article suggested that if you look back over the past few years, you may notice your own personal growth in areas that had been a challenge for you. That sounds good, right?

And for me, there has been a spiritual shift that's connected to a challenge that began just before the time the article mentions (early 2017). Are you beginning to resolve any challenges that began a couple of years ago?

"This Eclipse also has some volatile, erratic energy to it, so we may feel a little scattered, drained or off balance. We may also find ourselves being pulled to release wounds of the past and to let go of things we thought we had dealt with. This Leo Eclipse is extremely potent and is going to be activating and transforming us on the deepest layers of our soul."
-Intuitive Astrology, ForeverConscious.com

Be Happy, instead of Proving Yourself Right

Apparently, it could be easy to get into arguments and feel the need to prove yourself right over the next few days. I always cringe inwardly whenever I hear something like that because it's so easy for me to fall for that trick.

I have an intention to be careful this weekend - but I can be so unconscious at times, without even meaning to be, and I find myself wandering into a disagreement and then thinking, "what just happened?" Does that ever happen to you?

I am sick most of the time, so I am often not really paying attention, or I'm distracted by something I am worrying about, so if I can stay present, I might have an easier time of it. And isn't that the truth all the time?

Full Moon on Monday

It's also going to be a full moon, which offers its own energy. The full moon will marry the sense of completion and resolution to the opportunity to celebrate. You may see glimpses of new moon intentions coming true or being empowered.

And for this full moon, take a moment to celebrate any completions, closure or shifts you experience. If you have moonstone, it would be good to have it nearby to keep you calm all weekend and lean into the curve in an emotional sense, where the moon is concerned.

In fact, here's a quick ritual you could do - grab moonstone & amethyst, and place a slip of paper underneath them that offers up whatever you want for completion during the eclipse and the full moon.

I also suggest resting this weekend. Sounds like there could be changes. You'll need your sleep.

Wishing you a peaceful weekend!

Love, Jeanine

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5-Step Process for Combining Affirmations & Meditation

1/17/2019

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Have you ever ordered something in the mail and looked forward to getting it. I remember, way back when, they used to have those music clubs that offered a ton of new music for only 99c. You'd agree to buy one a month for a year, maybe, and you could choose exactly which one you wanted.

I placed the order, and then, began to imagine them arriving. I'd sit back and listen to the music. Or I might sing my heart out or get up and dance. I'd be transported away from normal life and have moments of feeling like I was inside the music. Some of the music might even lull me to sleep, so I could trade worrying about what time it was, and how much less sleep I would get that night, for drifting off to sleep peacefully and waking up with happy music as a companion while I got ready for work.

Well, it has been said that setting an intention is like placing an order with the universe. And that imagining your joy when it arrives is the way you help to summon it. But it also helps you get used to the idea, so the changes aren't as sudden.

Affirmations can help with that - they announce a new truth, but one you just don't see yet, like those CDs that were on the way but not yet here. Combining the affirmations with meditation is like my daydreams of what listening to all my new music would be like.

(1) The first step is to set your intention. What do you want more of in your life? What change would you like to make?

(2) The next step is to figure out where you need support and encouragement around your new intention. If your intention is to get a new job, one that pays more than your current one, then maybe it's hard to believe you could get a new job.

Or you're worried about what to say during the interview, imagining that you'll say the wrong thing. Because of your fears, you know you might put off updating your resume or filling out the applications.

(3) The third step is to create affirmations that will inspire, reassure and motivate you. You might create one that reminds you of the experience you have that qualifies you for the job you want, or that tells you that they would be lucky to have you.

If that's hard to believe, pull in some affirmations about what your current boss has told you. Or previous jobs you did well.

(4) Once you have several affirmations you can use that will be easy to remember, the next step is to create brief meditation stories that affirm the truth of what you'll be telling yourself and help you practice getting the job you want. You might imagine yourself updating your resume during the commercials as you watch a favorite movie.

Or you might imagine doing well at each interview, answering every question well, and knowing after each one that you'd aced it. You could imagine getting the phone call that offers you the job you want. And then, driving there for your first day of work. Imagine doing the job and knowing you're doing it well.

(5) The final step is to practice the feelings. With each affirmation and meditation, add the feeling.

Imagine feeling confident as you answer questions in an interview. Anticipate the excitement you'll feel when they call to offer you the job. Imagine the joy you will feel as you do the job and become more confident about how perfect you are for it.

If the job will offer more money, imagine what you will do with it. Perhaps you'll be able to buy a new car or save for a house. Or afford to renovate the house you already own.

Once you have done each step, you'll have created the support you need to trust that your intention is on the way and that trust will help you manifest. You'll have conquered the fear that might hold you back.

As you read through the process, were you able to imagine using it with your own intentions?

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine

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What to Do When Affirmations Don't Work

1/16/2019

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The problem with affirmations is that sometimes they don't work. For me, it has always been because I didn't believe them. I'd say something, and immediately experience cognitive dissonance.

Today, let's take a look at how to resolve that, so we can use affirmations in all the ways that do work...

Figure Out How it's True

One way that affirmations can go wrong is having a sense of disconnect as you say or write them. You think, "well, that's not true!" and no amount of repeating them connects with you in any way after that moment.

Because of that kind of experience, when I was in my 20s, I decided that they don't work. But I gave up too soon. The trick is to find the truth in them. And then, practice telling yourself the truth.

When you have a bill you can't pay, saying "I am wealthy" will create cognitive dissonance. If you want to practice being wealthy, this is not the way to do it. Because lying to yourself will never work. Tomorrow, I'll give you some ideas about how to work with something that's not true yet.

But meanwhile, if wealth is the issue, I would choose an affirmation that is true. "One way or another, the bills get paid," and "I have paid my bills at every income level," then "being wealthy would make paying bills even more fun." After that, you have set yourself up to dream about the future, which I will say more about tomorrow.

Find a way to make it true. If you want to be better at taking care of your house, but right now, there is clutter everywhere, don't start with "I keep my house perfectly clean and tidy," even if that's where you want to go.

"I love my home. I want it to be cozy. With the freedom I feel when everything is put away, and I can walk through my beautiful home without wincing. I can't wait to experience that again. I love my home and I want to take care of it." I would break those up into chunks, or write it as a paragraph in your journal.

An Affirmation that Worked

Let me give you an example of how that worked for me. There's a woman I know who liked to inspire her people to declutter and clean, so that they can make room for the best versions of themselves and their lives.

But since I have chronic fatigue syndrome, I run out of fuel long before I have cleaned the house from top to bottom. I have moments of tidying up, but sometimes a day or two goes by before I get to it. And I can never dedicate a whole day to cleaning and tidying, because they next day, I would pay for that in painful, not-get-out-of-bed kinds of ways.

So I often felt regret when I read this woman's posts, because I couldn't do what she talked about doing. But in a conversation on her page, someone else mentioned that her motivation was to make things look cozy and lived in. I responded to her about how important that is to me, too, and that I could work with the idea of isolating the cozy.

Immediately, I got up and tidied up a bit in my room and then, in our family room. The next day, I cleared off two counters so that the area where my son and sit to watch TV would be the easy focus of that room & not the clutter.

Now I ask myself if it's cozy, and what needs to be cleaned or moved so that it will be. If I can do it, I do it right then. If not, it is on my list for the next time I can. And I've appointed my son chief scrubber for the harder tasks (he is the bottle washer already), so it is now easier to feel good about the way my house looks.

Based on my standards.

My affirmations were about how good cozy feels. And what is important in the room. What feels good to walk in and see, etc.

How could you use affirmations in moments like that, for things you have to do over and over again that you'd rather not do.

What dreams could affirmations support?

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine

12 Comments

Do Affirmations Work?

1/15/2019

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How to Use Affirmations to
Change Your Neural Pathways

Positive affirmations are words or phrases that we repeat to ourselves daily or whenever we are struggling. Instead of letting our inner voices mirror the critical voices in our lives, we can replace those with tracks of our own crafting that inspire us to keep reaching for greatness.

We can interrupt our neural pathways when they have been programmed toward negative thoughts by interrupting them with positive affirmations.

Instead of thinking, “I’m too stupid to do this,” for example, we can interrupt that negative thought by saying, “I can do this!” to ourselves.

So once you have set your intentions for the year, you might know that you have some limiting beliefs that will get in the way of manifesting them. Affirmations may be a way to change your mind. And to create new positive expectations about your intentions coming true...

Do you agree? Can affirmations work?

More, tomorrow, on how to use affirmations, especially when they don't seem to be working. See you then!

Love, Jeanine

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Healthy Cheaper Meals: An Update

1/14/2019

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Confession is Good for the Soul

You may remember from my posts about meal planning here and here, that though I am not starting a diet this year, I do want to try healthier meals, and am hoping that by trying some new recipes, eating well will be more fun and not the boring same-old same-old. I intended to try at least one new recipe a week and tell you guys how it went.

I picked one out to try from the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle - Simple Vegetables and Rice Pilaf. But I forgot to look up the ingredients and when we got to the store, my son and I just shrugged. We ate rice, peas and parmesan cheese, instead.

It was good, though!

I think for next week's healthy eating, meal-planning post, I'm going to choose something for breakfast - or breakfast for dinner! ;)

What & How I Saved Money

This week, through a combination of meal planning and choosing what's on sale, I saved $10 on my grocery bill. I'm really pleased and hoping to add in coupons and save even more.

I've been reading that ebook from the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle, Dinner for a Dollar, and am really motivated to keep making changes. This week, I didn't get our meals down to a dollar per person, but they will be about $1.50 for each of us. No bad, right?

I did hit some resistance while I was in the store. I had some things on the list that I wanted to get on sale, but not only were some not on sale, when they were, it was not a brand I was willing to choose. So I switched plans right there in the store.

Hoping it gets easier and better as I go!

See you tomorrow!

Love, Jeanine

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3 Questions to Ask about Your Daily Stress

1/11/2019

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There are numerous emotional and physical disorders that have been linked to stress including depression, anxiety, heart attacks, stroke, hypertension, immune system disturbances that increase susceptibility to infections, a host of viral linked disorders ranging from the common cold and herpes to AIDS and certain cancers, as well as autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
-Stress Effects, The American Institute of Stress, Stress.org

This year, I am planning to develop a repertoire of ways to manage stress. I believe that stress and anxiety have been problems for me almost all of my life. I have high blood pressure, now, so I am determined to conquer it once and for all this year. And create peace, in general, in every way I can. Are stress and anxiety ever a problem for you?

Journal Questions about Stress

Make yourself a cup of tea, and curl up on the couch with your journal to answer these questions...

(1) How do you know you have stress?

In your journal, make two columns - symptoms, causes. In the causes column, right down anything you know already is part of the stress problem. A relative who criticizes you, a boss you don't like, worry about your kids, etc.

Then, in the symptoms column, list any physical or emotional symptoms you think might in any way be caused or exacerbated by stress. Like the headache that starts as soon as you get to work, or the stomachache you have when someone you care about is angry with you.

No one can avoid all stress, but you can counteract its detrimental effects by learning how to produce the relaxation response, a state of deep rest that is the polar opposite of the stress response. The relaxation response puts the brakes on stress and brings your body and mind back into a state of equilibrium.
-Relaxation Techniques, HelpGuide.com

(2) Is there anything you already know helps you release stress?

Taking a walk, or having a cup of chamomile tea. From what you already know works, make a list and figure out where you could put these things into your schedule. What would work best where?

(3) What 5 tools or techniques would you like to try this year to lessen your stress?

I'll share some ideas over the next few weeks and tell you how they can help. But what you are already interested in trying is more likely to work. So Google some of the ideas you already have and try one or two.

See you next week! (I'm taking weekends off)

Love, Jeanine

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A Hug Goodbye to the Ultimate Blog Challenge

Dinner for a Dollar

The Struggle is Real but the Commitment Continues

Budget Meal Planning Progress

Try this Brief Guided Meditation

Five Minutes or Less: The Love Meditation

Pausing for Gratitude

Use Jasmine Essential Oil to Create Gratitude

Effortless Stress Relief with Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy as Relaxation Whisperer

Essential Oils for Relaxation

This is Why You Need The Relaxation Response

The Relaxation Response

Recipe: Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Macaroni

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Macaroni

Ingredients

Instructions

How Journaling Affirmations Will Help You Manifest Your Intentions

Making it More Real

January Blues

It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Sunday's Super Eclipse Moon

Completions and Closure

Be Happy, instead of Proving Yourself Right

Full Moon on Monday

5-Step Process for Combining Affirmations & Meditation

What to Do When Affirmations Don't Work

Figure Out How it's True

An Affirmation that Worked

Do Affirmations Work?

How to Use Affirmations to
Change Your Neural Pathways

Healthy Cheaper Meals: An Update

Confession is Good for the Soul

What & How I Saved Money

3 Questions to Ask about Your Daily Stress

Journal Questions about Stress

Hi, I'm
Jeanine

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Archives

Categories

The Struggle is Real but the Commitment Continues

Budget Meal Planning Progress

Five Minutes or Less: The Love Meditation

Use Jasmine Essential Oil to Create Gratitude

Aromatherapy as Relaxation Whisperer

Essential Oils for Relaxation

The Relaxation Response

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Macaroni

Ingredients

Instructions

Making it More Real

It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Completions and Closure

Be Happy, instead of Proving Yourself Right

Full Moon on Monday

Figure Out How it's True

An Affirmation that Worked

How to Use Affirmations to Change Your Neural Pathways

Confession is Good for the Soul

What & How I Saved Money

Journal Questions about Stress

Hi, I'mJeanine

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Archives

Categories

How to Use Affirmations to
Change Your Neural Pathways

Hi, I'm
Jeanine

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Disclaimer