A New Year’s Resolution You Can Keep: Do You Want to Love Yourself More?

Dec29

What if the only resolution you made this year was to spend some time getting to know and love yourself so you could live a truly authentic life, using your natural gifts and talents to make the difference you were sent to make in this world? On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love yourself? How well do you know yourself? If your answer to either of those questions is not as high as you would like it to be, I invite you to download my FREE e-book/journal to participate in my 31-day challenge beginning on January 1, 2015. You will need 15 minutes of uninterrupted time each day to focus on yourself. Turn off the phone, television, and get away from any distractions. Each day, you will be asked one question that will help you get to know and love yourself more. At the end of the month, the desired result will be a deeper connection to yourself, more inner peace, love, and acceptance of yourself, and hopefully a clearer vision of your priorities and where you are going in life. You will not need to reveal your answers to anyone. If that sounds like just what you need right now, you can download my e-book/journal The January 2015 Love Yourself More Challenge for FREE. The e-book will only be available for free for a limited time, so click on the book cover below to download it, and join me in working toward becoming healthy in mind, body, and spirit!

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Movie Review: Fed Up

Dec26

I just watched the Food Documentary “Fed Up” last night, and I thought it was REALLY good!

My Rating ***** 5/5 stars

Why Did I Watch This Movie?

I watched this movie because I really enjoy food documentaries. I find them inspiring, and they motivate me to want to eat healthier. My friend told me her 7th grade son saw the movie in school, and it really had an impact on him. So, I decided to check it out at my local library, and I’m glad I did! 🙂

Summary

Fed Up is a 2014 food documentary film. It focuses on the causes of obesity in America. Evidence is presented to show how sugar and processed foods contribute to obesity. The main message of the movie is to encourage people to minimize processed foods and sugar, and instead eat REAL FOOD.

Check out the movie trailer now:

What Did I Think?

I LOVED this movie! I enjoy watching food documentaries anyway because I feel inspired by them. I think it is important to know WHAT we are eating and WHERE it is coming from. It is scary to think that many people have no idea what is in their “foods” and where it comes from. Many Americans are overweight and malnourished because they are filling up on “foods” that provide no nutrition and really are not foods at all. This is very dangerous because it contributes to many health issues that could easily be prevented.

I think everyone should watch this movie, including children. I think is is important to educate as many people as possible to get them to understand that their bodies need REAL food. We all need to be better educated on the impact processed foods and sugar have on our bodies and overall health. If we don’t get educated, it could have dangerous consequences.

I think one of the most important steps to eating more REAL foods and cutting out processed foods and sugar is to learn how to read ingredient labels. There is a wonderful video to teach you how to read ingredient labels on the blog 100 Days of Real Food. 100 Days of Real Food is also a wonderful resource for finding REAL food recipes.

Check out the Fed Up movie official website here to find out more about the movie or to take the FED UP 10 Day Challenge.

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The Gift of Creativity

Dec17

I love, love, LOVE this quote from Julia Cameron! It reminds me that all of my interests and talents are a gift, and I should make more time for them. They were given to me to help make the world a better place, and the greatest contribution I can make to the world is using the gifts and talents that were given to me.

In Julia Cameron’s book, The Artists Way, she writes about the connection between creativity and spirituality. It is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to make more time for their creative self. 🙂

I believe that God is the true creator of all works of art (photography, music, books, dance, painting, etc.). When we allow ourselves the freedom to let our inner artist flow through us, there we discover our authentic self. When we nurture our creativity, God works through us and it may seem the works are created effortlessly. Using our creativity provides us with a sense of peace, love, joy, and fulfillment, and it is the way to authenticity. We are all born with creative talents…we just need to spend more time discovering ourselves to unleash that talented artist within us. So, take some time today and go create something! You’ll be glad you did. 🙂

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REAL Food Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

Dec11

In my family, Green Bean Casserole is a must at any holiday meal. In the past, I have made the “traditional” green bean casserole with the canned soup and processed onions, but in my opinion, this very simple recipe with all real food ingredients is much better! The onions and peppers caramelize, and it is SO good! I make it for every holiday and the adults love it! (My kids don’t like anything that is made with onions, but hopefully that will eventually change.)

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh green beans, cut (about 3 cups)
1 large (or 2 small) onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 2 cups)
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
3 Tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.
Wash green beans, remove ends, and cut into bite sized pieces (about 1 inch)
Place 1 cup green beans into the baking dish.
Top with 1 cup onions and 1 cup green peppers.
Sprinkle paprika, salt, and pepper.
Cut 1 Tablespoon butter into 4 cubes. Place one cube in each corner on top of the vegetables.
Add one cup of green beans, then the remaining onions and the remaining green pepper.
Sprinkle paprika, salt, and pepper.
Cut 1 Tablespoon remaining butter into 4 cubes. Place cubes over this layer, spaced evenly.
Add the remaining green beans.
Cut remaining Tablespoon butter into 4 cubes. Place on top of this layer, spaced evenly.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake until green beans are tender (about 1 – 1 1/2 hours).

This is what it will look like when it is finished cooking. Enjoy!! 🙂

Save Print

Green Bean Casserole

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 45 mins

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, cut (about 3 cups)
1 large (or 2 small) onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 2 cups)
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
3 Tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.
Wash green beans, remove ends, and cut into bite sized pieces (about 1 inch)
Place 1 cup green beans into the baking dish.
Top with 1 cup onions and 1 cup green peppers.
Sprinkle paprika, salt, and pepper.
Cut 1 Tablespoon butter into 4 cubes. Place one cube in each corner on top of the vegetables.
Add one cup of green beans, then the remaining onions and the remaining green pepper.
Sprinkle paprika, salt, and pepper.
Cut 1 Tablespoon remaining butter into 4 cubes. Place cubes over this layer, spaced evenly.
Add the remaining green beans.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake until green beans are tender (about 1 - 1½ hours)

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December Challenge: Keep a Giving Journal

Dec5

Giving brings meaning to our lives. It makes us feel useful. When we contribute to something we are passionate about, it makes us feel like we are making a difference in the world. It makes us feel like we matter. As Brendon Burchard says, “At the end of our lives, we will all ask: Did I Live? Did I Love? Did I Matter?” When we give, it makes us feel like we matter. It makes us feel alive! And I think that is what Winston Churchill means by his quote above.

It is December! ‘Tis the season for giving!

We all give of ourselves in some ways every day, but how often do we recognize all that we give and how it makes us feel when we give? How often do we give out of love vs. out of guilt or obligation? When we give out of love, we are giving because we feel a connection and we want to help others and brighten their day, and it feels so great! When we give out of guilt or obligation (because we feel like it is expected or required), it only causes stress and makes us feel resentful because we are not being true to ourselves.

I think giving means so much more when it is authentic and done out of pure love, and that is how I want to give of myself. To help me with this, I have set a challenge for myself to keep a giving journal for the month of December. Each day this month, I’m going to track what I give, whether it be time, money, kindness, or even a simple compliment. I will state whether it was given out of love or obligation, and I will note how I felt when I gave. I am hoping this challenge will push me to give more out of love every day and spread a whole lot of love in the process.

I’ve never kept or heard of a giving journal before, but I did a little research to see if anyone else had. I came across a very informative e-book on the subject by Frank Agin. To find out more about keeping a giving journal and all the benefits associated with it, you can download the free e-book by Frank Agin, The Giving Journal.

Have you ever kept a giving journal? If you have, I’d love to hear any ideas you may have. 🙂

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Visual Quote: Thankful People are Happy

Nov26

Happy Wednesday!

If you choose to be grateful, then you choose to be happy! As I’ve often said, the attitude of gratitude will always bring happiness. May you appreciate and enjoy the blessings surrounding you today, tomorrow, and always!

To those who celebrate Thanksgiving, I wish you a wonderful holiday filled with love, laughter, delicious food, and an abundance of gratitude! 🙂

🙂

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The “Thank You” Game

Nov19

Note: I originally posted this last year, but it is such a fun and rewarding game, I thought it was deserving of another post this year. I hope you will play along! 🙂

One of the books that has had the greatest influence on my life so far is the book “Life Makeovers” by Cheryl Richardson. This book is broken up into 52 weeks, and each week she focuses on a specific topic and gives advice and tips on ways to improve your life in that area. (Find out more about the book and how it has changed my life here.)

I have followed along with this book each week for the past 7 years, and my favorite piece of advice in the book comes from this week before Thanksgiving, Week 47. The title of Week 47 is called The “Thank You” Game. Cheryl suggests thanking one person a day for the next week. It can be a teacher, bus driver, librarian, friend, spouse, child, a parent, postal worker, doctor, etc. It can be anyone you come into contact with regularly that you would like to thank. You can thank them by simply writing an unexpected note or e-mail, or by attaching a small gift like a box of chocolates or flowers or anything they might like.

We have been doing this for several years now, and it has become one of my favorite traditions! I love this exercise because it is being done out of sincere gratitude, not obligation. The recipient is usually not expecting anything, so they are usually very appreciative of the gesture. It is a win-win situation on both sides. We all love to feel appreciated, and it’s a great feeling to know your small gesture brightened someone’s day.

During the next 7 days, I am going to choose at least one person a day to thank. Help me spread the gratitude and love this week by playing along with Cheryl Richardson’s “Thank You” game! Who are you going to thank this week?

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The Season of Gratitude: Our Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition…

Nov14

I love Thanksgiving and all that it represents. It is a day filled with love, family, food, and GRATITUDE. It is a time to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. I strive to live every day of my life in a state of thanksgiving because I truly believe that the attitude of gratitude always brings happiness. Turning my focus to the blessings in my life is something I strive for each day, and I try to remind my family to do the same.

This beloved turkey has become a favorite Thanksgiving tradition in our house. He returns each year around this time to remind us of how blessed we truly are. This weekend my kids asked if we could take it out, and they were all really excited to help put it up.

Each year we ask our Thanksgiving guests to fill out a feather and write what they are thankful for. When we take it out each November, it fills our hearts with love and wonderful memories of past Thanksgivings and reminds us of how blessed our lives have been and all we have to be thankful for today. Occasionally we are reminded of people or things that are no longer in our lives, but that just reminds us that nothing really belongs to us and we need to take nothing for granted. Everything in our lives right now is a gift and blessing from God. We need to focus on the present and try to recognize and appreciate all the gifts in our lives today.

May you recognize and appreciate the gift of every person, every thing, and every experience you encounter today! Peace and blessings! 🙂

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances;” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

(For complete directions on how to make our “Count Your Blessings Turkey Decoration,” check out the full post on my blog Stacy Loves… here.)

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Visual Quote on Gratitude

Nov6

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Journey To Complete Wellness

Becoming Healthy in Body, Mind, and Spirit

A New Year’s Resolution You Can Keep: Do You Want to Love Yourself More?

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Movie Review: Fed Up

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The Gift of Creativity

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REAL Food Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

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December Challenge: Keep a Giving Journal

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Visual Quote: Thankful People are Happy

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The “Thank You” Game

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The Season of Gratitude: Our Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition…

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Visual Quote on Gratitude

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