Finding Meaning in your Life through Life's Moments

When you think about meaningful moments, do you think about happy times like the birth of a new baby, the start of a new job, or buying your first home? Me too.

Looking back on the last year, I tried to think of the great things that happened and how they shaped my life, but one tragic event actually stuck out as the most meaningful.

Say what? Yes, I ran an awesome mud race,  built an amazing garden, made it almost an entire year without any MS-related issues, and everyone stayed pretty healthy. I'm grateful for all of those moments. 

But the most meaningful moment happened in October when my husband called to tell me he had lost his job. Half of his company had been downsized.

In that moment, our whole life changed. I finally had to face on of my biggest fears - being poor again. I also had to learn to trust someone else. 

I am fiercely independent and ever since I became a stay-at-home mom, I have had to battle with the concept of being "dependent." And even though I have been at home for over 8 years, I still cling to the notion that I NEED to make money.

Now there was no money. My husband and I are big savers and always plan for these "just in case" moments, but when it actually happens you get a chance to see yourself in action. 

I learned a lot from the experience:

1. That the past does not have to repeat itself and that I need to let go of the pain/fear/entrapment of my childhood.
2. I can count on my husband to take care of us. He was on the phone immediately and landed a great job within 2 months. I don't need to solve every problem.
3. I learned who my real friends were and how I interacted with people. I didn't call or tell anyone about what happened for weeks. I don't look to other people for help - not even my own husband (see lesson #2 above.) When I did tell my friends/relatives, their reactions told me a lot about how they felt about me.
4. Planning for disaster makes sense, but living in fear of it does not. I learned to put it all in perspective - no one died, none of us were ill. Sure we didn't have health insurance or the "promise" of a steady income, but we still had all that really mattered. 

I'd be lying if I said the time he was looking for work wasn't stressful, but once I got my own emotions in check, it wasn't all that bad. We scrimped and saved even more than usual, planned for the worst case scenario, and worked hard toward coming out on top of this.

I grew immensely from the experience, especially because I was able to let go of so much baggage I've carried with me my entire life. And that's why losing our income was the most meaningful thing that happened to me last year.

Tell me what your most meaningful moment was in the last year for a chance to win one of 10 complete skin care Anti-Age Systems from Meaningful Beauty.

Keep your skin looking great in every moment with Meaningful Beauty- Cindy Crawford's break through secret for younger looking skin.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Meaningful Beauty. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest Rules.

Walgreens Prescription Savings Club

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

This year, it's time to look at your finances and see where you can save some money. Do you use a lot of prescription medication? If so, are you looking to save money on your prescriptions at Walgreens?

Then you may want to look into joining the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. If you join now you can get a special discount on the annual membership

It's $35 a year for a family membership that covers your whole family - that includes  yourself, your spouse, any dependents under 22 years old (even pets.) When you join you receive discounts on your prescriptions.

If you're single or only need coverage for yourself, it's just $20 for an individual membership.

You'll save on over 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications, get discounts on flu shots, pet medicines, nebulizers, and diabetic supplies. Plus you'll get bonuses for purchasing Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services.

And best of all, there's a Walgreens in almost every neighborhood so you should be able to find a store near you. Or at least close to where you do your normal shopping.

Follow Walgreens on Twitter and Walgreens on Facebook to stay up-to-date on medical information and savings.

Joining the Quaker Heart Health Challenge

One of the biggest reasons I workout regularly is to maintain my health into my golden years. Your forties, fifties, and sixties will pop up before you know it and it's important to maintain your strength, endurance, and flexibility.

A big health scare 3 years ago showed me just how hard life can be when you lose your strength and mobility. It was enough to kick me into high gear, but like everyone else, I still forget that important lesson and need things to keep me motivated.

That's why I've joined the Quaker Heart Health Challenge. The challenge asks women to commit to adding 15 new activities in 30 days. It's a great initiative to encourage us to improve our heart health by adding in exercise.

I already exercise 5 days a week, but this is a great reminder for me to be more active in my daily life. Not all exercise isGym Exercise.

For the next 30 days, I'm going to commit to being more active with my children, by doing one active (and mostly outdoor) activity with them every day. We'll play at the park, sled down hills, hike in the snow covered forest, throw snowballs, build snowmen, build snow forts, go tubing, and cross country skiing.

It seems like something I should be doing already, right? Well, I do - in the summer. But we have harsh winters and the cold is a major deterrent to outdoor activity. But it will be great for our hearts, great for the sun exposure, and great for family bonding - all heart healthy activities.

Joining the Quaker Heart Health Challenge is my first step towards becoming a healthier me. Now I’m curious to know, what motivates you to stay healthy?

For your chance to win $750 complete these two steps:

1.Share the challenge with your friends

2.Tell us that you’ve invited your friends to join the challenge AND share what motivates you to stay healthy below

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker. The opinions and text are all mine. Sweepstakes Rules.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

New Glade Expressions

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Do you remember what home fragrance products used to be like? My mom used a slew of different candles and melting blogs in the 80's that would shock people today. Now when you head to the store, you have so many fragrance options.

 

And Glade® has created even more choices!  The new new Glade® Expressions™ fragrance mist is designed to be pretty enough to fit in with your decor (not be hidden in a drawer or behind the door.)Fragrance Mist: 

The fragrances are long lasting and more like "real" scents in daily life. You just spray it into your room with the easy squeeze-to-spray activation. You can even refill it with your favorite Glade® Expressions™ fragrance. 

There's also the new Glade® Expressions™ oil diffuser. The diffuser lasts for up to 30 days and does NOT require electricity!  Like the mist, it's designed to fit in with your home decor and also features a no-spill design. It's long-lasting fragrance is true-to-live and invites life into your home.

The fragrances are: Pineapple & Mangosteen ,Cotton & Italian Mandarin (only available in Fragrance Mist form,) Fuji Apple & Cardamom ,Spice Lavender & Juniper Berry.

I love having options like this but in my opinion the best part is the Fragrance satisfaction guarantee: your satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back. 

If you're not satisfied with the product, you just have to mail the original UPC and purchase receipt within 30 days (fill out form at http://bit.ly/xMScbO if unsatisfied). 

Don't forget to grab a coupon for $1.50 off of any Glade® Expressions™ . You can use the coupon at Walmart to take advantage of the already low prices. 

Win $5000 to Make Over Your Yard!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done. for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Does YOUR yard need a makeover? Then you need to enter your yard in the contest at Curbside Chaos. All you need to do is submit a photo of your yard, and you'll be in the running for a $5,000 yard makeover!  

I was so excited when I checked out the contest.  I love makeovers!! Alas, gardening is one of my bigger passions and my yard isn't in need of any making over. Or I'd go for it right away. But that means the winner could be you!

The lucky winner not only gets a $5,000 yard makeover, but they'll also receive a visit from Taniya Nayak. And she'll come armed with creative ideas and tips for adding flower bulbs to your landscape!

The contest  “Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.”  is part of an educational effort designed to excite women about the surprisingly simple beauty of flower bulbs. Flower bulbs are amazingly beautiful and easy to care for. 

You may not recognize how many beautiful plants are actually bulbs, but visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more about bulbs. Click on the pictures and you'll see just how many vibrant and colorful flowers (from bulbs) there are to choose from.

And bulbs are so easy to plant and care for. But if you haven't worked with them before, the Dig Drop Done website has you covered. From when to plant for your area, which bulbs will thrive in your zone, and everything in between, you'll find what you're looking for.

Bulbs make beautiful garden additions, but also make wonderful centerpieces and gifts. And they are so easy to grow. 

At Dig Drop Done, you can even make selections specific to when you want the flowers to bloom and where you live using the Garden Guru Tool. Here's what I'm planning to plant to have blooms in early May.

The Garden Guru Tool was so easy to use.

Step 1 – Pick your Country

Step 2 – Pick your location within that Country

Step 3 – Choose the type of bulb you want to grow

Step 4 – Check out the Planting Guide that shows you how to plant your bulbs.

What a fantastic way to have all the right information at your fingertips.

The Dig Drop Done was a great wealth of information. They even have bulb "ladies" to fit your personality. I liked Marcy the best.

Marcy is the super mom type that likes to do everything well but without a lot of extra time. She has great tips for doing things quickly and efficiently. 

Also, for every share on Twitter, "Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done" will donate $1.00 to Rebuilding Together -  the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership and improve communities. 

Now is the time to plant bulbs - so go out and research the ones that are best for you! And don't forget to enter the Yard makeover contest. 

Can you communicate with animals telepathically?

Can animals read our minds? If you've ever stared into the eyes of an animal, then you know there is something going inside their minds. What is it? I don't know, but most people have had at least some experience with an animal that seems to "know" what they're thinking.

Dogs and Cats wait for their owners to come home at specific times. Dogs get excited for a walk even if you don't grab a leash or say any words. Animals can sense their owners are in danger and heroically rescue them. And of course there are the famous animals that have proven their abilities to "sense."

One is the infamous nursing home death cat that accurately predicts who will be the next to die and N'Kisi, the parrot that could give words for what her owner was thinking in the other room with incredible accuracy.

My own cat is constantly studying me; in an almost scary sort of way. I started to think about times when she may read my own mind. Or times when she communicates with me.

On more than one occasion, I have woke up from a dream where she is crying to me to rescue her, only to find her locked in the basement or left outside on the porch! Granted, I probably heard her crying in my sleep and just naturally understood the urgency in her voice. I have good ears.

But she does act like she knows what I'm doing - at least some of the time.

She is always ready to workout when I'm dressed and ready to go, but I think she takes her cues from my outfit. She swarms me whenever I'm in exercise gear - even if I plan to exercise later.

She waits for the children near the door when the bus is about to arrive. But then again so do I and she might just be following me.

She always seem to present when I make Lasagna or Pizza, mostly because I drop cheese while I cook and she loves to scavenge my messes. She is usually off on her own, but does have an uncanny knack of "knowing" when to be in the kitchen when I'm making these dishes - or anything that involves meat.

I am discounting the idea that she reads my mind when I'm cooking meat because the smells and sounds are very unique and are enough of a draw to entice her to the kitchen.

But what about the "cheese meals" - pizza and lasagna. I decided to test her ability to read my mind. I did not say anything about what I was making. I did not get out the aluminum foil (a product I use to cover the lasagna pan and something that my cat can never resist) and I did not make a ton of noise during my cooking.

Instead, I sent "vibes" out to my kitten to tell her that I would be using cheese and making pizza. I'd think in my head, "oops, I dropped a bunch of cheese" and "cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese...." You get the idea.

The first time I tried it was a total bust. I eventually went hunting for her and found her asleep upstairs; oblivious to my cheese wrangling below.

The next few times were the same. She just didn't get the message. Or she wasn't listening. It's a good bet that she doesn't care very much about what I have to say - as long as I continue to listen to her. Classic cat.

But still, there are other animals like the death cat and N'Kisi with extraordinary abilities. Our mind energy is all the same and it's an intriguing idea.

Organize your Family with DoughMain.com and enter for a chance to win a $500 Visa Gift Card

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of DoughMain.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We go on plenty of play dates and at each person's house I see vestiges of chore charts, calendars, and allowance programs. This is such an important area to be organized in, but it's so difficult to know where to start.

This year, I'm planning to be more organized! I recently came across a fun site for families called doughmain.com. 

My kids have just started playing more and more games on the computer, so this is a perfect time to introduce the three age-relevant games on doughmain.com that teach financial responsibility.  The financial responsibility game sites are TheFunVault.com, SandDollarCity.com and IRuleMoney.com

There's nothing better than being able to learn while you play. But doughmain.com has so much more than just games. It's filled with family organizer tools. Each of the tools are free and easy to use. There's a tool for allowances, tracking chores, and building an online family calendar.

We don't give an allowance or have a very busy schedule (yet) so the chore tracker was the most useful for our family. I put together a quick chart for my kids to track their chores. It only took me a few minutes.

The tool automatically gives you a list of chores to select from. When I selected the chores for my children, I realized just how much they DO help out around the house.

You can easily add or delete chores, print your chart, or keep it to fill out online. Each family member gets a different login, so they can go online and log their chores themselves. What a great way to teach accountability!

But there's more! When you sign up at www.doughmain.com using "dough" as the reference code - you are entered for a chance to win a $500 Visa Gift Card! Now that's easy money! Check it out and see if you can get your family organized - and maybe win some free money.

 

Give yourself a gift today - Quit Smoking!

We all know that smoking is hazardous to your health: not to mention your looks and social life. In fact, it's one of the number one preventable causes of disease, disability, and death. So this year, give yourself the gift of a smoke-free life. There really is no greater way to start the year off right.

There are all sorts of strategies to stop smoking - choose the one that works for you and start today. Whichever path you choose, be sure to share your decision with family and friends so they can help you and keep you accountable. They'll be thrilled with your decision and proud of your achievement.

The best part about starting now is that you'll have the fantastic reinforcement of "New Year's" to keep you going until it can become a habit or routine. There is no better time than right now!

Best of luck and I hope you are able to kick the habit this year!

Creating Healthy Meals for your Family - Plus a chance to win $20,000!

What is this picture you're looking at? This was dinner a few nights ago. Everyone was eating "the same" meal, but everyone's meal was entirely different. 

When you mix a family together, with everyone having different tastes and interests, there's bound to be some disagreement at the dinner table. To be fair, I almost never make "separate" meals, but there are a few areas where my family is louder than usual. Chicken is one of those areas.

My son and I only eat dark meat. The more skin and bones, the better. My husband and daughter will only eat breast meat. Yuck, yuck, yuck. They can have not vestiges of life - no skin, no fat, no bones, no vessels.... 

And so at this particular meal, I made us each our own type of chicken. And I skipped the drama over the green veggies that night and only gave myself spinach.  Notice, however, that we all had rice.

Rice is a favorite and everyone asks for it.  If you want to make really great rice there's a secret. Use chicken stock as at least 1/2 of your water. It really adds fantastic flavor. You could also use beef or fish stock depending on the theme of the meal you're making.

Since everyone loves rice, you might be able to use that to your advantage and not only create healthy family meals - but win $20,000 for yourself and $50,000 for your local school in the Ben's Beginner's Cooking Contest

All you need to do is visit Uncle Ben's on Facebook and upload a video of your child helping you make a family meal with rice. You have the chance to win $20,000, an appearance on the Rachael Ray show, and a $50,000 kitchen makeover for your school.

Pretty awesome! Your kids will love making the video and watching to see if they win. Plus you'll get a chance to cook together. Those memories are priceless.

Back to cooking that infamous family meal.... I don't recommend making separate meals if you can help it. I recommend making at least one (and if you can two or three) vegetables at each meal. They may complain, but they'll be healthier for it.

Plus, if you mix your veggies into meals that contain rice, potatoes, or noodles; they'll hardly even notice. These one pot-meals or goulash are all time favorites. You can sneak all sorts of veggies into them - in plain sight!

Let me know if you enter the contest and I'll be sure to vote for you. Best of luck!





I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

How to Increase your Stregnth to do Pull ups or Chin ups

Less than 1% of all females can do a complete pull-up. This is your chance to be above average! The reason why women are unable to do pull-ups has to do with their lack of upper body strength in relation to their body size. Most women actually have fairly strong legs and carry a lot of muscle (and fat) in their lower halves.

Maybe your'e thinking, "if most women can NOT do a pull-up, then I'm in the majority, why bother?" Here's why you should bother:

Increasing your upper body strength improves your posture, your stamina, and protects against fractures from osteoporosis. It makes you a better fighter (and better able to defend yourself and your children). It will make you a faster runner and make daily living easier. So you have to carry 40 lb bags of water softener salt? No biggeee - grab one in each hand and carry them out of the store.

Need to lift an 80 pound child and carry them up to bed. What-Evs. Need to restrain your out of control teenager - better get some upper body strength!!

Everyone should have the goal of attaining enough upper body strength to do at least one pull up! Imagine - you're hiking in Hawaii with your family. You slip and are dangling over the edge. You need to be able to do at least one full-forced pull up to save yourself. You only need to do it once!

But of course, you will probably feel so great after doing one, that you'll want to do more. My personal goal is to do 3 sets of 20 pull-ups.

I'm up to 6 - but I started at zero. Real Zero. 3 years ago I couldn't even do "girl push ups." How embarrassing. But I went from abysmal upper body strength to coming close to walking on my hands. And I'm old.

Even after a lifetime of weakness, it's possible to build enough strength to do pull-ups or chin ups. So how do you get started?

Do pull ups. WTF?? How do you do pull ups if you can't do pull ups? I highly recommend you get a doorway pull up bar, but if you don't have on you can use playground equipment or any other bar strong enough to hold your weight.

If you can do at least one pull up, then keep working until you can do 1 1/2, then 2, then 2 1/2... you get the idea.

If you can't do a pull up, then start with negatives. Boost yourself onto the bar with a chair, hang there, then slooooowly let yourself down to the "hang" position. Then get on the chair and do it again. Building your strength on the negatives will help you build the the muscles needed for the whole movement.

You can and should also tie an exercise band around the pull up bar. Hold on to the bar and hook you knees into the strap. Depending on the strength of the band, you can take a considerable amount of your weight off of the exercise and this "assist" will further strengthen your muscles.

You can also get a friend or "spotter" to help lift your weight in an assist.

If you have none of the above devices, then at least start with lat pull downs (or google other lat exercises you can do with barbells.) Work on doing real push ups, upper body rows, and other back/arm exercises. They'll all work together to improve your ability to "pull your own weight."

Once you are doing any sort of pull up - keep at it. Work at it at least 2 times per week. Let your muscles have time to heal and rest so they can come back stronger the next time. Use the band/assist to fatigue your muscles and push them to grow.

By the way - worried about bulking up? Unless you are a man or taking steroids, don't be. I have improved my strength like crazy and have not increased my size. I am still the same clothing size and in the same weight range I have always been in. I'm just way stronger (and firmer - wahoo!) And you can be too!