Happy Monday to you all!
It is really hard to believe that we are just a few short days away from the end of January. Part of me feels like this month has gone by fairly slowly while there is that other part that keeps trying to figure out how we got to 2020 so quickly let alone finishing an entire month. There is saying about parenting that says something along the lines of “The days are long but the years are short.” and the more I think about it the more I think I agree with the idea. It feels like by the time bedtime rolls around each day I am just completely spent and the day has to have been more like 3. But then I look at the calendar and I realize just how quickly all those hours and minutes passed me by. I think maybe this is a reminder to allow myself to slow down a bit during the day and savor and enjoy the moments while I have them.
Daniel Plan Update
If you have been following along with any of my ramblings over the last month or so you would have seen that Dusty and I made the decision to change our dietary habits and participate in a program called “The Daniel Plan”. It is a lifestyle change program created by Pastor Rick Warren (author of Purpose Driven Life) and a team of doctors and nutritionists. Each year we try to do something along this line as a hope of centering our thoughts and focus on God as well as beginning new and better habits for ourselves and our family each year.
The program asks that you initially commit to 40 days. Just 40 days of really following their guidelines and principles as you work to become a healthier you. You will find, however, as you do more research on the program that many people who take that 40 day challenge continue on with the lifestyle changes past the 40 days and make some amazing progress toward health and wellness.
Dusty and I are halfway through our original 40 day commitment. We have eliminated a lot of unhealthy food options and begun to really embrace the alternatives. One thing that has already become a fan favorite in our house is embracing the whole wheat over the enriched white flour. My first trial at getting my family to switch was homemade pizza crust. I followed the recipe in the Daniel Plan cookbook and it was a HIT. I have made homemade pizza often before but this crust is really wonderful. I am actually really sad that I didn’t try this particular recipe out sooner. It is so well liked in our home that the kids have requested we have pizza at least once a week. And truth be told, I don’t mind it because I am adding in the toppings I want to add, I’m using sauce that doesn’t have all the added unnecessary sugars, and hiding some veggies in. The kids love it and it’s good for us all.
Another thing I have really been enjoying is that we are trying out a lot of new ways to prepared fresh veggies. I have always been a big fan of fresh veggies over the canned or even the frozen. One thing I have discovered is how much I am really enjoying all different kinds of squash, prepared in a variety of ways. We are still working on getting the kids to be okay with a lot of the veggies but they are at least trying them more often.
I am also drinking a lot more water than I have in the past and we have reduced our soda intake down to one day a week. While this is not part of the plan I also know that sometimes when you cut things out completely it causes you to want that thing that much more and eventually you will crack and completely over indulge in a very unhealthy way. So Dusty still drinks one root beer a week and I will either have one of those myself or I will enjoy some form of chocolate that isn’t of the dark variety.
Overall, I do feel like I have more energy during the day, even with me getting up before the crack of dawn. I am also realizing that I have a lot less cravings for sugar. I do still look for something sweet at some point in the day but that can usually be curbed by some fruit. I can’t wait to see what the next 20 days bring. It is my hope that at least in some (most) of the areas we will be like those people who don’t throw in the towel after the 40 days but will instead embrace the lifestyle change and continue on the road to healthier living.
Goals for this week:
One thing I want to do this week is begin to work toward incorporating rest into our schedule. I open VIPKid teaching slots 7 days a week and this week I have made the decision to close them on one day and take some time to just rest. I am also working with Dusty to find a time we can incorporate rest into our family time where we can just spend time together the 5 of us and…you guessed it…rest.
Casa De Marshall (Homemaking)
- Menu plan and stick to it this week
- Mop the kitchen
- Chore chart (For real this time)
Mars Hall Legacy Academy (Homeschooling)
- Begin school by 9 AM each day.
- Attempt to be done with school (except for the 30 minutes of quiet reading time) by noon each day.
- Lesson plan for next week before Sunday
- Incorporate more fun into the school day.
Personal Growth/Marriage
- Stay up and read when finishing teaching my VIPKid classes each morning rather than going back to bed so I can prepare for the day better.
- Continue week 4 of our Daniel Plan journey and week 3 of our DDP Yoga journey.
- Focus on writing down all the food I eat this week and be conscious and aware of each thing I put into my body.
- Find time to incorporate a family rest day into our schedule as well as personal rest time to allow myself to refresh.
A Wise Woman in Progress (My Little Corner of the Internet)
- Begin working on a post sharing some of our favorite Daniel Plan meals so far.
- Work on a better social media sharing schedule.
New Life Baptist Fellowship
- Work with Dusty to begin developing a plan for community outreach
- Begin rearranging the side room of the church for children/nursery usage
- Plan a Sunday School lesson for the kids during the 10 o’clock Sunday School time.
May of my goals for this week are the same as they were last week because, well, life happens and things get away from us from time to time. So here is to a new week and getting the things accomplished that I need to get done while finding the rest I so desperately need.
A Wise Woman in Progress 