on moderation

I have to tell you that cutting added sugar and white flour out of my diet has been life changing. It's been almost two months and I have never felt so good, physically and emotionally. For the first time ever in my memory, I feel like I can eat three square meals a day. I can eat until I am full. I don't have to restrict my calories or worry that I am overeating. This might sound dramatic, but it is a big deal for me!

I still eat dessert sometimes, but only once a week or so, usually at Mike's family's big Sunday dinner. This has gotten me thinking about the idea of moderation. I know we hear about moderation all the time. As long as we practice moderation, we'll be fine, right? But what if because sugar is so prevalent in the American diet, the idea of moderation has become skewed?

President Ezra Taft Benson said in 1974, "The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit. That's why the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom. He also said that we should retire to our beds early and arise early, that we should not run faster than we have strength, and that we should use moderation in all good things."

Well, I've decided that eating added sugar only once a week is a good idea of moderation for me.

You know what a "skinny day" feels like? When you feel confident and your clothes fit well? I used to get those days from time to time. But since I stopped eating added sugar and white flour, every day is a skinny day. I don't think I've lost any weight (I stopped weighing myself years ago), but my clothes feel better. I feel better. This is how I want to feel for the rest of my life.

Something else that might be contributing to these good feelings: Mike and I have been lifting weights this summer. I didn't think I'd like it, but I love it! We use the StrongLifts 5x5 app.


Photo from girls camp by the super talented Breanne Johnson.

a bathroom refresh

Alternate title: How to Love Your Bathroom, Even if it Doesn't Have Subway Tile.

Secondary alternate tile: No-one Cares What Your Bathroom Looks Like, Stephanie.

Our master bathroom is a teeny little space right off our bedroom. It was furnished when our home was built, in the dark ages of home decor, 1979. I have hated it since the day we moved in. And for some reason that I can't quite understand, in an effort to "improve" it, I had painted it the worst, most unflattering shade of green.

Ten years later, I finally realized that the remodel of my dreams wasn't going to happen any time soon and that I needed to learn to love this little room--shell-shaped sink, beige shower tiles, and gold linoleum floor and all. (Well, the gold linoleum floor will soon be painted a nice, warm gray, I think. Paint can cure all sorts of ails, I've learned.)

I've always heard that if there is something in your room you don't love, but can't change, try to make it look deliberate. So I chose a pretty, pinkish-peach paint color to blend with the beige shower tiles that even after 36 years are in really great condition. I had always wanted to install paneling or white tile (to match the new tile in the shower that I had dreamed about) on the lower two-thirds of the walls, but decided to make it easy on myself and just paint it a bright white to match the vanity and trim instead. This room gets really great light first thing in the morning, and now it beams. The break in the paint colors makes the ceiling seem ten feet tall, and I really don't mind the lack of paneling or tile.

Another thing that made a big difference: decluttering. I threw everything away that we don't use everyday and stuck in the cabinet instead of on top of the vanity.

I think I can live with it now. And I might even love it a little bit.

Prettiest little cactus painting by Beth Allen. Should I wash my hair today? print by chipper things, can be purchased here.

life without a smartphone, an update

I'm still chugging along without my smartphone over here. Actually, I wouldn't describe it that way. Thriving without my smartphone is a better way to put it. I kind of feel like I've discovered the secret to living a more fulfilling life. Are you ready for it? Be less connected to social media! At least that's what is working for me. I've always been a homebody and I am really good at living in my own little bubble, but this is taking it to another level. I feel like I'm even less accessible to the world now and I love it. Another plus is that I have more time on my hands. I still check Instagram on our mini iPad, but I check it much less often. I've become more deliberate with how I spend my time online, and that has made such a difference. No more mindlessly scrolling. I am more content, more involved in what is happening in my home, and less hurried. Honestly, I haven't come across one negative since I made the switch.

Something that I really love is that our life is now being documented with high-resolution digital photos instead of blurry, low-def cell snaps. Like this one of me and Elliot in our matching navies before church on Sunday. If I'd had a smartphone, I probably would have posted this photo on Instagram (and then checked it a million times to see who liked it). But you know what? No one cares if Elliot and I were matching on Sunday except me! So, posting it to a social media account felt pretty silly once I thought about it.

If you are tempted to give up your smartphone, even the tiniest bit, I say go for it. You can always switch back if you need to. I don't think you'll regret giving it a try.

My friend, Danyelle, sent me this great article: Why your teenager might be happier without a smartphone. It's worth a read, and the title could very easily be changed to "Why YOU might be happier without a smartphone".

What do you think?

in which I give up my smart phone and take back my life

I've known things have needed to change for a while. Any time I had a free second, my first instinct was to grab my phone and disappear. Too many times when my children asked me a question, I answered without taking my eyes from the screen. Or I didn't answer as kindly as I could have because I felt like they were interrupting me. Interrupting me from my instagram! I realize how ridiculous this sounds. But as much as I tried to manage it, it wasn't working. I wasn't getting any better at being present.

Also, Mabel keeps asking for an iPhone and I keep telling her no (as mine is glued to my hand). It just didn't feel right or fair.

So when my friend, Annie, told me she traded in her iPhone for a more basic model, it was like the heavens parted and my answer was clear. I could ditch my smart phone! All of a sudden I felt free. A burden was lifted off my shoulders and my future looked bright. I didn't have to be tied to a phone anymore. I could just get rid of it. Simple as that! I had somehow survived before I had a smartphone, right? Mike was very supportive.

So I did it. You're looking at my new phone right there. It's like turning back the clock to 2010. It's great for making calls and answering texts.  And it's blissfully instagram and Facebook and internet free. My kids think it's super cool. All of those fun little buttons! Ha!

Full disclosure: We still have an iPad mini, so I can check in with instagram from time to time. But the idea is that an iPad is a lot less convenient to carry around all day. So far that has been true, and I have been happier and more content and more "here". It's funny how once you give something up, you realize you don't even miss it.

What I've realized most of all, though, is that it's never too late to make a change for the better. If I do this now, my kids probably won't remember the mom who was addicted to her phone. They say the best time to plant a tree is either 20 years ago or today. I can't change what I've done in the past, but I can certainly decide to make better choices today.

happy weekend

I've been thinking about this all week. Yesterday, Elliot was really mad at Oliver about something, and he said, "Oliver made me so mad!" I think that's our natural response. But someone else can't make us mad. We just let ourselves get mad, which I tried to explain to Elliot, but of course he didn't really understand.

Anyway, sometimes I just have to decide that I'm going to be happy, even when I don't particularly feel that way, and like magic, I become happy (this is another good lesson from the Happiness Project). It's the same for anything, I think. If I decide I am confident, I'll feel more confident. If I decide that I am a runner, I'll feel like a runner. I can be whatever I choose to be. Why it has taken me this long to learn this, I'll never know. Hopefully this is a lesson I can instill in my children at an earlier age.

This week has been filled with routine, and that makes me feel good. And also sort of tired, so I am looking forward to a low-key weekend. I always think I want to have grand weekend plans, but really, I just want us all to hang out at home together and eat pizza.

Doesn't that sound nice? Have a happy one!

happy weekend

Well, we have the first full week of school under our belts and here are my thoughts:

We love half-day kindergarten. I still get my buddy for part of the day, and some time by myself to get stuff done. Plus, Elliot is having a great time at school. It's a total win win. We were able to take some naps, run some errands, and eat lunch together everyday this week. It's been so nice!

Getting up super early day after day is really hard, but completely worth it. It feels like I am being proactive and using my time more wisely.

And I know I've talked about it before, but I think having a routine is so important. My kids need the stability that a routine creates. And so do I! Having a consistent flow to our days makes life at home more predictable, but that means more peaceful, too. It just seems easier to do this during the school year.

Our best times as a family are when we are all home together in the living room. This year, I want to see more of that happen. So while we have piano lessons and homework and scouts and choir and everything else, I am conscious of not adding more to our schedule than is needed. School is busy enough. We need more down time together.

Our weather is ever so slowly inching its way toward fall. I'm even considering stocking up on canned pumpkin. We're still over 100 degrees everyday, but not by much. It's amazing how nice 102 can feel after days of >110. I hope the mornings are crisp wherever you are!

Have a good weekend!

on happiness and swimming

One of my big takeaways from the book, The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin, was to think of things that made me happy as a child, and to try to incorporate more of them into my life as an adult. From the time I was 10 until the end of high school, I was on a swim team. It was something I really liked. (Not the racing, though. Just the thought of stepping on the block and waiting for the gun to go off turns my stomach.) I liked the repetitive nature of swimming laps. I liked being in my own little world, with minimal distractions. It was just me, my foggy goggles, and the water. I realized I missed it. I went back to swimming laps a few times last fall, but I am more committed now.

So once a week, you can find me at the pool. I get there in the dark, and as I swim back and forth, over and over, the sky gradually lightens. When I head home, there is a bounce in my step, a clearness in my mind, and a weariness in my muscles that feels really refreshing.

It is easy to forget about these things that used to be part of me in the midst of having and raising babies. And that's ok, I think. There is a time and a season for everything, you know? I feel like I'm at a point in my life where I can pick up some hobbies or activities that I had left behind. And Gretchen was right, doing these things that used to make me happy still does.