Sunscreen Anti-Aging?!

I'd love for you to check out the latest post over on my other blog, Avon Lady TJ: Sunscreen Anti-Aging?! 

Three More Tips I Use to shake the "Blues"

During my previous posts here and here , I discussed a couple of simple ways I use to shake the "blues". Now, if I haven't already said it, if you are struggling with severe depression, these may not help and you should seek counsel to help get through it. Whether that be a physician, clergyman, counselor or any of the other qualified personnel out there that are trained in that area, there are people that can help you through this season of life. And I am not any of those. These tips are just some that have helped me while I was going through some sad times.

Here are a few more things that I implement to help chase away that dark cloud that was hanging over my head for the past three years. I didn't try to do all these things all at once. I was gentle with myself but I also had to push myself a little to get off my butt and change things. It was way too easy to just space out in front of the television if I didn't show myself a little tough love.

1. Nutrition. When I eat more healthy, fresh foods I just feel better. You may need to take this in baby steps. I did. Most days I just did not feel like preparing any food that took any amount of effort other than opening a bag or box. But try just having a grab and peel piece of fruit or premade salad. Bagged and washed baby carrots or any other prewashed, bagged fresh fruit or vegetable. When you make it as easy to eat the fresh, live food as it is to eat the bag or box of junky comfort food, there is no longer that excuse. And if all you can do to start off is eat ONE serving a day, that's something. Then you can build upon that. Make it a goal to add another serving of fruit or vegetable a day each week until you are eating several servings a day! I know when I eat better, I feel better.
2. Movement. What that looks like for me is whatever is low impact, quick and easy. I have a short legged mini dachshund that is thrilled with a walk around a couple of blocks. And I'm cool with that too. Most days it only takes 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how much sniffing and marking she feels like doing. She gets her fresh air and exercise and so do I. And, honestly, as much as I dreeeeeaaaad it most days, by the time we get back home, my spirits are lifted. But, if that's more than you are ready for right now go back to just going outside and sitting in the fresh air and sunshine. Maybe you can talk yourself into standing up and doing a few gentle stretches before you go back inside. Or two minutes of yoga. Or one minute of jogging in place. Something, anything to let your body know that you are still alive. Love yourself enough to take the time to do something. You're worth it.
3. Appearance. Take a look in the mirror. Are you still wearing your nightgown? A ratty, stained tshirt and saggy butt sweatpants? Have you brushed your hair today? For a while there, and even now some days, putting on makeup and something halfway decent to wear was reserved (and even then, begrudgingly) for days I had to leave the house to run errands or go to appointments. I finally got to the point that I challenged myself to, at a minimum, put on a little makeup (foundation or powder, a little lip gloss, a sweep of blush, and mascara) to get rid of the death-warmed-over look and change into something presentable yet comfortable it might even be sweatpants and a tshirt but it had to be nicer sweatpants and tshirts and they couldn't be the ones I slept in the night before). When I look better, I feel better.

I hope some of these simple (not necessarily easy when you are down in the dumps) tips that have helped me (and continue to help me...I'm still struggling, believe me) can help you. And if you have any great tips along these lines, I would love to hear them!

The main thing, is give yourself permission to feel all the emotions you have to feel but also, try not to get too comfortable there. There is still life to be lived and you deserve a beautiful, happy life. So, nudge yourself oh so gently off the couch, out of the bed and do something towards feeling better as soon as you are able.

Vegetarian Vegetable Stew

*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for helping me support this blog and my family!

After several days of living off of Progresso canned soups because I was too sick to even think about cooking, today, I finally made a vegetable stew that I've been excited to try. I loosely followed this recipe over at Super Healthy Kids blog. It was delicious and the whole family loved it!

chopping sweet potato~little green onion roots that will regrow in my strawberry pot

Here's the changes I made:

• I used three green onions chopped up and about an eighth of a cup of finely diced red onion that I had on hand.
• I used two carrots and two stalks of celery.
• I used two sweet potatoes and no russets.
• The ounces on the can of tomatoes called for wasn't stated so I used a 28 ounce can.
• I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
• I didn't use chicken.
• I added a can of mushrooms, drained.
• I added about a teaspoon of turmeric.
• I used about 1 & a half teaspoons of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper.
• I added water to cover everything in the slow cooker.
• When there was about a half hour left of cooking time, I added three cups of cooked brown rice that I had on hand. (In hindsight, I should have probably added about half that...it was very thick and, well...rice-y.

before stirring



This recipe was just one of those good "bones" type soup/stew recipes that you could tweak to suit your preferences and what you have on hand. It made a big ol', full pot of stew that we will be able to eat from for another few meals. And although I'm thankful for prepared food items like Progresso soup, it has a time and place. And, in my opinion, nothing beats homemade!

stirred and getting ready for a long winters nap

If you try the recipe I'd love to hear what you think of it and any changes you might have made!

off to do some other things while my slow cooker works hard for me!*

Thanks for stopping by!~TJ

just a small portion of what was left over after we all had our fill at dinner!

*If you're interested in my Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker (33966) you can find similar ones over at Amazon. It is a workhorse and so easy to use!

Sowing Seeds

 



I'm feeling much better! Still coughing and getting fatigued easier than when I'm 100%, but I've actually done a bit of (catch up) housework this evening.

While I was in the midst of washing dishes, I got a hankerin' to sow some seeds for my little, much neglected lately, container garden. Right now, I have a few plants that are thriving (well, after I watered them this evening after a week and a half of neglect). A healthy pepper plant (I can't remember what kind at the moment), some nice coleus (a mama and two babies that I rooted from cuttings. The mama was from a seed that I sowed.) oregano, thyme (both from seeds), green onions (that I'm growing from the rooty ends of store bought green onions that I just stuck in the soil), some sweet and opal basil plants (again from seeds) and some others I won't go on and on boring you with.

I'm so proud when a plant not only lives but thrives because I'm just not a green thumb! I keep trying though!!!

Anyway, I thought I'd share the seeds I'm planning on sowing tomorrow. (For those who don't know, I do live in a mild-zone 9- area.) And...drum roll...here they are:

 

 

1)  Johnny Jump Ups

2)  Dill

3)  Swiss Chard

4)  Sweet Banana Pepper

5)  Hungarian Wax Pepper

6)  Jalapeno Pepper





Are you planting any seeds or plants this week? I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks for stopping by!~TJ



Happy Belated Thanksgiving! Another Tip for Shaking the "Blues"

For all my good intentions to write another post sooner than this, well wouldn't ya know, I got sick with a nasty cold right after Thanksgiving. Ugh. As I sit here writing from my bed, I'm feeling somewhat better, but as soon as I think I should get up and catch up on all that has gotten behind this past week, another wave of ick washes over me. Maybe that's psychological, lol.

I hope anyone that might read this had a good one if you celebrate the holiday. I cooked for our little family---my husband, myself, our daughter, grown son and grandson. I worked for three days cooking and was happy to have the leftovers so, at least meals weren't an issue when I was sick. One thing I discovered during the prep of all the traditional fare for my family members, was a recipe for myself, which I guess if you would give a label to is a lacto, ovo, pescatarian *giggle*. (In other words, I try not to eat chicken, pork or beef.) I wanted an entree for myself to go with all the side dish delights. As fate would have it, I ran across this vegetarian meatloaf recipe. I made my own onion soup mix using this onion soup recipe located within the article. The final product was a tad salty for my taste, and I don't know if that's because I substituted my own onion soup recipe or not but overall, taking a bite of "meatloaf" along with some mashed potatoes cut the saltiness and was very good. Next time I think I will leave out the sea salt that the onion soup recipe calls for. If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think!

My last post touched a bit on the struggle I've gone through dealing with the aftermath of my husbands stroke. I don't really want to dwell on that. The reason I brought it up is to offer a few deceptively simple ways that have helped me cast off the darkness of that time and start to feeling like "me" again.

One day at a doctor's appointment for something totally unrelated, my doctor suggested, after I had broken down in tears in her office, that I should take some time for myself. Get out of the house, see a movie, go sit in a coffee shop. I couldn't well be expected to focus the entirety of my existence on staying home with my spouse. "Have one of the (grown) kids stop in and hang out for a while with him while you take a break and get out for a while."

She didn't know that, at that time and for a long time, just motivating myself to take a bath (I'm a bath girl) every day was quite the chore. Let alone bathing and getting presentable enough to go out into the general population. Just thinking about it exhuasted me. And some days it still does. But not every day. 

What I decided I could do is walk outside, into my own back yard, with my frumpy self and just sit in the sunshine and fresh air. If just for five minutes (and some days that's all it was-I'm very fair and can't take much sun and heat). And it helped. 

So today's suggestion is: get outside for a bit. Breathe some fresh air. Feel the sun on your face. 

And don't forget to try to smile.
 

Three Years and Two Months Later- Shaking the "Blues"

Photo credit: dreamstime.com

September 12, 2012 rocked our world. My soul mate had a stroke that left him in the hospital for a month, and in physical therapy for many more months afterward. It left him without feeling in the left side of his body. Well, except for pain. Excruciating pain called thalamic pain syndrome. It left us navigating months of major change in our marriage and family life. And because I've never been good at handling change, especially one of this magnitude, I found myself in a sad and lonely place. I went through all the stages of grief and settled somewhere in a neighborhood known as Comfortably Numb. Not a great place to live.

I'm happy to say, after three years and two months of struggling in this state,  I'm starting to climb my way out of the deep, dark hole I let myself fall into. It's taking daily effort and I'm sure I will still have days I struggle, but I am embracing the fact that I'm beginning to feel like "me" again. And that's a wonderful feeling I wasn't sure I would ever experience again.

That's why I've been absent from my little online journal here. 

Sure, I realize there are worse fates in life, I don't discredit those going through them. This is just my reality and I'm ashamed to say, I haven't handled it as well as others handle things that happen to them that are so much worse.

So, now I'm ready to write. To get it off my chest. And share what I'm doing to take baby steps back to more balance and normalcy in my life. Our new normal. Maybe in baring my soul, (which I'm not really all that good at) it can help someone else going through ______________ (fill in the blank).

I'll be back. But for today, smile. Just smile. Ever so often, I just force my mouth muscles into a smile and just hold it there. Not a creepy, crazy smile. Just a "content with this moment" smile. And surprisingly, it lifts my mood ever so slightly. That can be MAJOR.

~TJ

Five Frugal Things for the Week of 10/12 - 10/18/14

This past weeks five frugal things are...

1) Went through my fridge and made sure to put anything in the freezer that might be in danger of going bad soon. A couple of things I froze was pico de gallo in 1/2 cup containers (I figure I can use these in taco soup or something similar) & leftover ricotta cheese that didn't get used in the pasta dish I bought it for (I bought too much).

2) I took advantage of Randall's freebie deals & got a 22 oz Chili's frozen meal; a Dannon Creamery caramel flavored cheesecake dessert & chewable calcium 50 ct. Whoo hoo! I was so excited! (I gotta start watching for these...and for Kroger's Friday freebies too.)

3) I found some seed packets that were marked down to .20 each and bought a few varieties I didn't already have.

4) I got 2-2lb. packages of lunch meat and a 1 lb. package of breakfast sausage that were all marked down 50% to put in the freezer. The fam likes ham (:

5) Continued to use things I have on hand rather than giving in to the temptation to buy more. Such as drinking tea from my tea stash and putting blinders on when I'm going past the teas in the store (WHYYYYY am I so tempted by certain things???!!! Lipstick & fingernail polish, I'm lookin' at you!) 

I'd love to hear some of your frugal things! Have a frugalicious day!!!~TJ