Don't give up - lessons from my workout

Some days workouts bring out all kinds of emotions. I pushed through Piyo Core, but not without a few tears. 

It's so tempting to give up, to call it a day when workouts, life or kids are challenging.

I get even more discouraged as I realize how trivial my "challenges" are, and why in the world can't I just choose JOY?  Right, it's just not that easy.  I drift further and further into my pity pond, and can't quite make good choices.  And it all happens so quickly it seems.  One week is super fantabulous, and then the next is horrendous.

Yesterday I completely crashed.  I got slammed in the face with my failures, insecurities and shortcomings and I wasn't prepared.  I succumbed.  I hid in my room and instructed the children to parent themselves for the afternoon.  (They responded surprisingly well to that suggestion.)

Strangely enough, it was watching an episode of What Not to Wear that lifted my spirits, combined with an hour by myself while Matt took the girls out for dinner.  I watched someone else be transformed from a frumpy assistant with no confidence into someone who saw the beauty in herself.  It encouraged me to do the same.  But, on the inside.

So, here's to a new day.  A workout completed.  A grocery list done.  A quiet house for a few more hours.  Dinner planned and an unscheduled rest of the week.  

Blessings abound!

Very Berry Wheat Muffins

YUM! 

Customized a recipe I found online and the reviews around here were rave! (You could make these with all white flour, just reduce the milk.)

Very Berry Wheat Muffins

1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup milk
¼ cup buttermilk (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add canola oil, 1/2 cup milk, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs, and mix until combined. If your dough is very thick, add more milk. Fold in blueberries and strawberries. Top with a sprinkling of sugar.

Bake for 12-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 24 muffins

Valentine's Day for the NON CRAFTY

All right.

This is practical stuff.  I could not wait to share if with you!

I am not an interior designer (shock I know).  I also am not a crafty, make my own stuff kind of person (more shock - I'll wait).

This is NO excuse to not decorate for the holidays!  Especially if you have kids.  They just love it!  I remember begging my parents to decorate for every holiday.  I mean, aren't there decorations for President's day??

Now, I understand a bit better.  The pressure to either make or buy amazing beautiful decorations is huge.  And it seems easier to do nothing than to try and fail.

So - now you've got it.  A tutorial on how to decorate for next to nothing and with no skills!  I bought a couple cute things a few years ago and then I just add $1-2 worth of cuteness a year.

First, we have my mantel decorations.  There are 2.  One is some kind of wiry heart encrusted garland.  It bends and twists and hearts fall off it every year.  I suppose I've got a couple years left with that one.  Then the other is this year's meager addition.  A small $1 garland I picked up at Target.  Cute and effective and I did NOT make it!

Next we have my table decorations.  Thanks to the hubby for beautiful flowers and then I just added some shiny plastic grape bundles - good colors and a bit of ribbon.  Oh - and some ducks.  More on those later.

Here is what we affectionally call "the black shelf".  I added some more wiry ribbon and a set of cute heart boxes and an amazing, elaborate, totally handmade valentine mailbox that my talented Mother in Law made for us several years ago.  It is truly amazing.  (I can take orders if you want one!)

And the most fun (and easy) tradition I started was our Valentine's ducks. Every year I get these out and hide them all over the house.  I have about 20 and I put some of them in plain sight and others go behind pictures, above door frames and all over the house.  It's fun to see the girls find them gradually and it is SO easy to do! 

Now - get some flowers, add a few valentine's hearts and I consider you to have mastered Normal Person's Decorating 101!

PS:  I also have plenty of room to add the kid's homemade decorations.  They inevitably come home with a few over the course of the week.