By Deanna Adler
 “It’s a lifestyle not a diet.”
Have you heard those words before? Actually, have you heard them so many times that they don’t even mean much anymore? I know; me, too. When I struggled with a weight problem, I heard this so often that eventually, I just tuned it out. I had failed at “making it a lifestyle” so many times that I didn’t even give it a second thought. It hadn’t worked for me and I wasn’t listening.
Have you ever heard a familiar song on the radio and suddenly realized that you had never really heard the words before? Maybe it meant something totally different than what you had thought? That’s what happened to me with this phrase. I finally tuned in to “It’s a lifestyle, not a diet,” and it’s my hope that slowing down and breaking it down will allow you to apply it to your own life, too.
When it finally made sense, here’s what it allowed me to do:
1) Stop my “DIET” thinking and find a healthy way of eating that I could maintain forever.
- No more drastic measures like cutting whole food groups or following ridiculous food plans. Have you done the cabbage soup or grapefruit diets? Wow! I was left either insatiably craving the villain foods or being so sick of allowable foods that I couldn’t endure anymore. Those plans set me up for failure.
- No more concoctions of pills or other remedies that were just downright unhealthy.
2) Make peace with the fact that I needed to be on food defense forever. Just as an alcoholic needs to have rules around alcohol, I needed rules around food. At first, I didn’t like that one bit. I wanted to eat what everyone else ate and not think about it, but the reality was that I had an unhealthy relationship with food. When I came face to face with what was going on, my obsessive thoughts about food weren’t normal in any way. I had to come to a place of acceptance that my behaviors weren’t just going to go away and I needed to deal with them on an ongoing basis.
3) Get to the bottom of why food was so satisfying and comforting to me in the first place. I can assure you, if you have a weight problem like I had, you’re not there simply because you like food. The problem is that you get too much pleasure from food. Period. You must figure this out and change it.
Writing these things here may sound simplistic but I assure you, they will require time, effort and persistence to resolve.
If you are someone who struggles with extra weight, I encourage you to read this old catchphrase again, “It’s a lifestyle, not a diet.” Slow down and ask yourself what that means to you. Do you believe it? Can it work for you? What does it look like in your life?
Becoming healthy is a complicated effort and I hope you’ll get in touch with me if you have questions, ideas, or a need for support. You can email me at deanna@deannaadler.com.
Remember, the only limit to what is possible is what you choose to believe.
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 Deanna Adler is a weight loss coach and motivational speaker who works with women all across the country to battle the weight issues that so many of us face. With a wonderful husband, three great kids and a personal 125 pound weight loss story, she has one hand clutching God and the other wading through the trials of life. Deanna can offer you encouragement, Godly perspective and insight that can help you become free of the chains that have bound you for too long. Visit her website at www.deannaadler.com to read her personal weight loss story and more information about coaching/speaking.
 In yesterday’s post, we talked about the importance of reading the labels on the prepackaged foods we buy for our kids’ sack lunches. Keeping a vigilant eye out for ingredients like MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners now can positively affect the quality of life our children have later.
Today, I’d like to share with you something else you can do to ensure your kids have healthier lunches, and that’s taking common sandwiches that you and I have grown up on and switching the ingredients a little to make them more nutritious for this generation.
The first tip, and this applies to every sandwich you ever make: Stop using white bread! We’ll talk more about the dangers of white bread — and other things made with white flour — in a future blog post.
Now…sandwiches. We’ll start with good ol’ PB&J!
You may remember from yesterday’s post that not all peanut butters are created equal. Some are healthier than others — just read the labels. Besides choosing healthier peanut butter, think about dropping the sweet jelly from the sandwich altogether and replacing it with sliced bananas. If you’ve never had a peanut butter and banana sandwich, or even heard of it, you’re in for a treat.
First, toast two pieces of bread…whole wheat or multi-grain, of course (if your child likes multi-grain). Spread one piece with peanut butter, and top with thin banana slices. Finish with the other piece of toast and cut in half diagonally. Yummy and healthy!
Next, we’re going to tackle two other perennial sandwiches: tuna salad and egg salad. We’re not going to change them much…we’re just going to trim down one ingredient and add another.
For the tuna salad, make sure you’re using tuna packed in water. I prefer albacore tuna, but the kind of tuna you use really depends on personal preference.
After flaking it into a bowl, add some mayonnaise. However, only use half the amount you usually do. Now, make up that other half with plain, low-fat yogurt. Add a little sea salt and ground black pepper for flavor, if you’d like (I also like to add a small amount of dried dill). By switching out half of the mayo for low-fat yogurt, you’re giving your child fewer calories and fat. They’re also getting calcium and good cultures from the yogurt.
For egg salad, I like to use two parts mayonnaise and one part plain, low-fat yogurt. The only reason for this is that plain yogurt, while good for you, doesn’t taste like anything. Tuna has a strong enough flavor on its own to make up for it, but hardboiled eggs don’t. If you’d like, you can still use half mayo and half yogurt like we did for the tuna sandwich, above, but add a little sea salt for flavor. (One variation: my kids like bacon bits added to their egg salad. True, bacon bits have their own issues, but adding them once in a while is fine. Everything in moderation, right?)
To add a little more nutritional value to tuna and egg salad, I like to toss in some chopped celery. It adds crunch and much-needed fiber.
Finally, we’re going to look at one more sandwich that has a somewhat unhealthy reputation: the ham sandwich.
We don’t eat ham a whole lot around here, but when we do, I prefer to give my family my made-over version, instead of the typical ham and cheese variety.
It’s simply made with lean ham, honey mustard, a peeled and sliced apple, thinly sliced cheese (if any is used at all), and lettuce — the darker green, the more nutrients it contains. Spread each slice of bread (toasted is best) with 1-2 tablespoons of honey mustard. If you don’t want to use that much, just put it on one slice of bread or use mayo or plain, low-fat yogurt on the other slice.
Place two or three slices of ham on top of the honey mustard. Top with sliced apple, cheese (or leave it off — it’s just as good or better without cheese), lettuce, and remaining slice of bread. It’s very good, and has become a new family favorite.
Enjoy!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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 Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and come join the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook page by clicking here.
By Mellisa McJunkin
It’s no secret we all need energy and I think it would be safe to say, we could all use more of it. Many things can leave us seriously energy deficient; lack of sleep, lack of proper nutrients, sickness, disease, not to mention the treatments for many diseases. That aside, here are five secrets to having an abundance of energy all day long.
I like to use acronyms to learn and remember things, so for learning these secrets let’s use the acronym S.H.A.P.E.
Secret #1 – Sleep – Deep, Deep Sleep
We all know we need about 7 or 8 hours of good, quality sleep. But there is an element to sleep this is often overlooked. It is not necessarily the number of hours we sleep but the time frame in which we sleep. Our bodies secrete a natural sleep hormone called melatonin which causes you to sleep in such a way that not only let’s your mind rest, but also helps your body heal, repair and rejuvenate. This hormone begins to kick in at about 10:00pm and tapers off at 2:00am. Which means the secret you get your best sleep from 10:00pm to 6:00am.
Secret #2 – Hydration
No, I am not taking about hydrating with a pot of coffee. The first thing you should do when you wake up in the morning is drink a tall (12-16 oz.) glass of water. I often add a spoonful of stevia and lemon juice as well. Since you have been a sleep for several hours, your body wakes up in a state of dehydration. Water will not only refresh your mind and body, it will also help expel viruses and toxins. So it’s important to drink plenty of water through out the day as well.
Secret #3 – Air
Breathing is good, I do it all the time you say. But most of us don’t take in enough deep, cleansing breaths. Deep breaths through the nose and out through the mouth not only infuses you with life giving oxygen, you are also expelling build ups of harmful carbon dioxide. Also, many diseases proliferate in an oxygen deficient environment, so an abundance of oxygen will not only give you more energy, but it will also keep disease from running rampant.
Secret #4 – Protein
Sugar and caffeine may give you a high for awhile. But you now what they say, “What goes up, must come down.” Protein on the other hand gives your body what it needs for sustainable energy. It burns slow and steady giving you an even boost in energy. The fastest and most convenient form of protein I have found is in protein powder. You can add it to water, milk, or even oatmeal or plain yogurt. Eating almonds or cottage cheese are also fast and easy too. Ideally you should consume a small amount of protein at every meal and snack time for your energy to last.
Secret #5 – Exercise
Most people resist the exercise routine for a number of reasons. Some say it’s too hard or they don’t enough time. But you don’t have make it complicated to make it work for the objective at hand; More energy. Walking or even bouncing on a rebounder for 15 – 20 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon can increase your blood flood and oxygen levels enough to boost your energy all the way until bed time. Sweating a bit is also beneficial too because it helps release toxins as well.
Most of us know all this stuff, so I guess you could say these really aren’t secrets. The real secret is in consistency. Follow these steps and it won’t be long before you will find yourself waking up before your alarm, with an abundance of energy and mental clarity that will last all day.
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Mellisa McJunkin has been a health and fitness lifestyle coach for more than a decade. She has a passion for researching and writing about many different health and wellness issues. Visit with her at her blog for more tips and free gifts at http://extremehealth.digi-info-broker.com/blog.
By Deanna Adler
 If the current trend continues, by the year 2015, 75% of Americans will be morbidly obese. That means that in the very near future, there will be significantly more people extremely overweight than those who are not. Obesity and obesity-related medical conditions are on the rise and have reached epidemic proportions. What has happened? Why do we have such a problem?
Today, there are so many diet plans, diet pills and other quick fixes that a solution seems daunting and complicated. Yet even with all these “solutions,” obesity is still a problem that plagues so many of us. Why do so many of us struggle with it? Why has “losing weight” been on our goal list year after year after year? Why can’t we get a handle on this issue?
When it comes right down to it, most of us know what it takes to lose weight. The basics are easy: Eat less and move more. It sounds simple enough; so why isn’t it working? What are we missing? Why aren’t we getting this?
The problem is that we are missing an absolutely essential part of the equation. The missing piece is the emotional attachment we have created with food. This is often the most difficult part to deal with because the connection between our emotions and food may not be immediately clear. Some of us may not even feel that we have emotional issues to look for, but the simple truth is, food comforts us, tastes good and makes us feel too good. THAT is the real problem. If food didn’t fill a genuine need, we would be able to “eat less and move more” and be free of our weight problems.
Food is serving a great purpose for us. That’s why it’s so hard to permanently limit our intake and follow healthy guidelines. But here’s the good news, the news that brings freedom, the news that is the key to untangling the mess we’re in: Food by itself is not powerful; the power comes from the emotion we connect to it. This is essentially why we’re only successful on a new diet program for a few weeks or months. We can give up food for a temporary period, but we can’t do it for a long period of time until we take the power away from it and separate it from our emotions.
The key to tackling a weight problem once and for all is figuring out the relationship you have created between food and feelings. Why do you eat too much or too often? How does food make you feel? Why is it so satisfying? When you answer these questions you can determine what purpose food is serving and begin to break that dependency.
It sounds simpler than it is. It takes ambition and trust to start asking the questions and searching for the answer. You may even be surprised where that path takes you. In my own experience, I was amazed at the connections that were revealed when I simply asked the questions and pushed through my typical “I don’t know” answers. When I began realizing what was really going on, I could take the steps to handle the emotions in healthier ways.
What is going on with you? Are you willing to start asking the questions and dealing with the answers? Are you ready to take the power away from food and start developing healthy habits that will allow you to achieve your weight loss goals? Check out my website at www.deannaadler.com for my whole story and extra encouragement. Believe me, if this is something I can do, you can do it, too. The only limit to what is possible is what you choose to believe.
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Deanna Adler is a weight loss coach and motivational speaker who works with women all across the country to battle the weight issues that so many of us face. With a wonderful husband, three great kids and a personal 125 pound weight loss story, she has one hand clutching God and the other wading through the trials of life. Deanna can offer you encouragement, Godly perspective and insight that can help you become free of the chains that have bound you for too long. Visit her website at www.deannaadler.com to read her personal weight loss story and more information about coaching/speaking.
It was a dark and cloudy night….
Well, actually…it was a cloudy and rainy morning last June (Father’s Day, to be exact), and I had just dropped off my daughter at her Sunday school class at our church. The class is in an outside portable, and between the portable and a covered walkway were a couple of outdoor rugs. One of my feet caught on the rugs (actually, it felt like both feet, since I couldn’t move either to try to right myself), and down I went like a rock.
 You know how, when you’re going through something that’s even just mildly traumatic, it seems to happen in slow motion? That’s how it happened for me, and I remember every detail: a) My feet caught, b) I tried to right myself but couldn’t, then c) I made some very hard contact with the ground. My right knee took the brunt of it, followed by my right hip, right elbow, right shoulder, then both hands. The only good thing was that my head didn’t hit the pavement, too.
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my knees, dealing with cartilage issues and various pains, and had been working over the last year to strengthen the muscles that support them, so that made this fall especially disappointing. Because of the fall, I’ve had a constant ache where my knee hit the ground. I’ve been taking it easy and giving it time to heal, but think I may be headed for an MRI, as my doctor suggested. Ugh….
The big bummer is, thanks to my knee injury, my aspirations of running in a 5K (and on up) have had to be put on hold. I haven’t even tried running again — I’m scared to, to be honest. But I can walk (though I haven’t tried very long distances yet), and I can do other things to stay in shape. If you’re dealing with a knee injury, follow the tips below for staying in shape in spite of it. (Assuming, of course, that you’ve gotten your doctor’s approval to do so, as I have.)
1. Try walking. If you can do that without pain, or at least with only minimal pain, you may be able to try other gentle forms of exercise. Walk only short distances first, gradually increasing that as time goes on.
2. Try Pilates. If you want a gentle yet effective workout, Pilates is the way to go. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know I’m a huge fan of Exercise TV. I find it on my local cable network (check your listings to see if you do, too), and do the workouts when I want to. I recommend the Pilates workouts by Nicole Stewart or Tandy Gutierrez.
3. Modify Your Favorite Workouts. I love Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred workout, but until my knee is completely healed, I’m laying off the lunges. Depending on your pain level, either forgo the lunges or just don’t lunge as far. This applies to squats, as well. Only go as low as is comfortable for your knee.
4. Swim. I’m not a swimmer, but if you are, go for it. Swimming is a great way to get in a low-impact workout. Water aerobics is another option — check with your local hospital, swimming pool, or YMCA for details.
Finally, it’s probably a good idea to get off of your knee (as soon as you can) for a while post-workout. Put it up, and use ice if it’s bothering you. Remember not to overdo your workouts! Baby that knee and it’ll take you far (yeah…pun intended). 
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and come join the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook page by clicking here.
 I always love hearing about family members and friends who’ve made the decision to change their lives for the better. But every now and then, someone will give up on their journey and go back to their old way of living…the way of living that got them in the mess they wanted so badly to get out of in the first place. They get discouraged again and again and convince themselves that becoming healthy is just “too hard.”
Why does this happen? Simple: They were expecting big changes right away and weren’t celebrating the small victories.
Folks, real life isn’t like “The Biggest Loser” (not putting down the show — any show that encourages and motivates milllions of people to change their lives and bodies is all right by me). Real change in your body, especially if you have a lot to lose, takes time. And sometimes it takes a lot longer than the three months allotted to contestants on TBL.
For normal people (i.e., people who don’t have access to a gym, or dieticians and trainers telling them what to eat and how to exercise on a daily basis), it can take quite a while to lose those extra pounds. Even if you’re almost to your goal, discouragement can be your constant companion: the last five pounds can be tough to get rid of, the cellulite on your thighs can seem as permanent as the spackle on your walls, and your craving for carbs can easily overwhelm your willpower — especially on a bad day.
Don’t give these things (or whatever is defeating you at the moment) more power in your life than they deserve. The only thing they should be able to do to you is remind you that life is full of choices, and that next time you’ll know to make the right choice.
No matter how you think you’ve failed in your quest to get healthy — or to get your family healthy — there are also small victories that you should be celebrating. If you’ve been focusing on the negative, you may have to actively search for the positive. Here are a few of the small victories I’ve been celebrating lately:
- My husband, who’s never been a label reader, will come home from the store now and proudly point out that this item has no MSG, this one has no high fructose corn syrup, that one is low-fat, etc. I don’t lord it over him at all — I’m just so glad to see him making good choices at the grocery store!
- At a recent visit to the doctor last month, the nurse told me I was seven pounds lighter than when they saw me last (seven months earlier). I shot my fist up and said, “Woo hoo!” I’m almost to my goal weight and that’s good news, especially since I’ve been under a lot of stress and haven’t gotten to workout as much as I’d like to.
- All three of my teens exercise on their own without me telling them to. They’re building good habits that will last a lifetime, and that’s awesome. I like to think I’ve been somewhat of a good example.
You know something? I feel better just remembering that little list of victories. Give it a try yourself. The next time you feel down about your progress being slow (or even if you’ve backslid and fell back into some bad health habits), remember the small victories and give yourself a pat on the back.
So what are your little victories? Maybe you just ran your first mile without stopping (heck, maybe you even just walked your first mile without stopping). Perhaps you lost two pounds this week. Or maybe you made it through your first tough workout on Exercise TV. Could be you’re seeing definition in your arms and shoulders…for the first time in your life. These are all terrific achievements and you should be proud!
Getting healthy is a journey with twists, turns, and setbacks, yes, but also victories big and small. Remind yourself — on a daily basis, if necessary — that at this time next month, and even this time next year, you’re going to be a whole lot healthier and way more fit than you are now. Don’t give up! 
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
By Susanne Myers
How many times have you said to yourself that you just don’t have the time to exercise? Don’t feel bad; it’s my favorite excuse as well. We all have busy lives and not much time for anything in our schedule. That’s why I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to sneak some exercise into everyday activities with you.
Get Up Earlier. Did you know that you are much more likely to stick with any type of exercise program, if you do it in the morning? Makes sense, doesn’t it. The day is new, and you haven’t had a chance yet to get burned out from long meetings at the office or running around town all day. It’s hard to get motivated to work out after a long day, so why not get it out of the way first thing in the morning?
Set your alarm to go off 20 – 30 minutes earlier than usual and ride your exercise bike, go for a brisk walk through the neighborhood, or get an exercise tape and work out with it in the morning. Exercise is a great way to start your day and you’ll feel energized throughout the rest of your day.
Walk During Commercial Breaks. You just settled down on the couch to watch your favorite TV show, and it goes to commercial. That’s the perfect time to get in a little exercise. Just get up and march in place right in front of the TV until the commercial break is over. Doing this even just once or twice a day will start making a big difference. You can even wear a pedometer to get an idea for how much walking you get done during your favorite TV shows.
Once you get used to your commercial workout, step it up a notch by marching through the entire show. Now that’s a workout! Plus you don’t have to feel guilty about watching Desperate Housewives anymore instead of doing the dishes – you’re exercising.
Work On Your Abs While You Wait In Line. One of my least favorite things to do is to stand in line. Whether it’s at the grocery store, the pharmacy or the DMV, it just seems like such a waist of time to just stand there and wait. That is unless you are working out at the same time. You can get a great abs workout standing in line and best of all, no one has to notice. Here’s how you do it:
Stand up straight and suck in your stomach as hard as you can. Hold and count to ten before you release. Repeat. Each of these counts as one sit-up and is just as effective. Just imagine how many sit-ups you can do just while waiting in line each week.
Go For A Family Hike Or Bike Ride. Instead of just hanging out on the weekends, take the family for a hike or go on a bike ride. You get to spend some quality time with your family and get some great exercise at the same time.
If your life is as busy as mine, give a few of these exercise tips a try and see if you can’t start to find time to work out a few times a week.
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 Susanne Meyers is the owner of HillbillyHousewife.com. Check out her fun and helpful ebooks by clicking here.
For more tips on how to squeeze some exercise in your busy day visit Home Based Workouts. Get healthy and low calorie meal ideas delivered right in your inbox. Sign up for a free trial at Healthy Menu Mailer.
Article printed from LadyPens.
I don’t usually do this when grocery shopping, but the other day a certain product took me so much by surprise that I stopped, stared, and laughed out loud. (It was little embarrassing considering there were other shoppers nearby.) What was the product?
Organic pancake batter.
“What,” you ask, “is wrong with organic pancake batter?”
Nothing, usually, but this stuff was in a – wait for it – SPRAY CAN! You know – the same kind of can usually filled with processed “cheese” or whipped cream.
Being a camera-happy iPhone owner, I just had to take a picture of it, along with the ingredients list. 
In case you can’t read them in the picture, the ingredients are:
“Filtered water, organic wheat flour (unbleached), organic cane sugar, organic eggs, sodium lactate to inhibit spoilage, organic soybean powder, leavening (dicalcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate), sea salt, organic rice bran extract….”
And last but not least, that most organic of all ingredients (please note the sarcasm): “propellant.”
Hmm….
No, thank you.
How are you at reading labels? If you’re new to it, there are some food additives you’ll want to keep an eye out for. If any of the following ingredients are on the label you’re reading, you should really just put the product back on the shelf.
Let’s start with that propellant. The ingredient most often used as propellant in the same type of can containing the pancake batter (and whipped cream, etc.), is nitrous oxide. According to Drug-Forum.com, it’s been known to “leave a residue similar to motor oil” in whipped cream chargers, “which can be potentially harmful to the user.” Yum, right? With motor oil residue on your pancakes, who needs syrup?
MSG is next. Short for monosodium glutamate, MSG is a “flavor enhancer” with a nasty reputation for causing allergic reactions. It’s also a known neurotoxin that, once you eat it, never leaves your body. Never. Almost everyone has consumed MSG at one time or another, but the point is to do your best to avoid it from now on, and that includes knowing the sneaky aliases it goes by. According to the site, The Carbohydrate Addict, you may be consuming monosodium glutamate (and free glutamates, which they go into detail about on their site) if you eat foods containing the following:
enzyme modified
anything fermented
anything protein fortified
anything ultra pasteurized
autolyzed yeast
barley malt
broth
bouillon
calcium caseinate
carrageen
flavoring
natural flavoring
gelatin
hydrolyzed oat flour
hydrolyzed vegetable
hydrolyzed protein
malt extract
maltodextrin
natural flavors,
pectin
plant protein extract
potassium glutamate
sodium caseinate
soy protein
soy sauce
stock
textured protein
whey protein
yeast extract
yeast food
Like I said…sneaky. (For further reading on how MSG is often hidden in your food, check out Truth in Labeling. )
Besides propellant and MSG, be on the lookout for the other usual criminals: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, different types of fat, white flour, unnecessary additives, and artificial sweeteners like sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda). Choose to keep natural foods in your cupboards as much as possible and make your own meals instead of eating out (especially at fast food joints). Your family may give you a tough time about it, but eventually – when they realize how good they feel – they’ll thank you!
©2010 Sally Dinius
 Need a little help when it comes to knowing what to cook to get your family healthy? Try the Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook. You’ll get some helpful bonuses along with these tasty (and did I mention “healthy”?) recipes.
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
I spent some much needed time yesterday “attacking” my home office. I’ve been spending hours putting together — and getting the word out about — a new online endeavor, and my work space was looking pretty ragged. Papers were piling up on top of the printer, and odds and ends were feeling a little too at-home on the edge of my desk. I even had a lunch plate or two perched precariously on top of my filing cart. Scary.
Well, enough was enough, so I cleared out and cleaned up! There’s really only one way to do that — remove everything, wipe down all surfaces (it’s amazing how much dust accumulates), then put things back one by one. The most important rule for making your home office a place you love: If it isn’t useful or beautiful, it just doesn’t belong anywhere near where you’re working. If our eyes see clutter, our thinking becomes cluttered, too. If you take the time to organize and beautify your work space, you’ll quickly see what I mean.
 My “office” happens to be a corner of my bedroom. Thankfully, even though our house is a 1968 rambler, our bedroom is fairly large. The desk and cupboards above are built-ins, and while they bugged me at first, I’m thankful for them now. Our bedroom is decorated in Country French decor — which I love — so of course I continued that theme in my work area.
I’d love to show you the details of what makes my home office one of my favorite places to be:
A printer is a must for any home entrepreneur. Mine, as you can see, sits atop an old breakfast tray. The side pocket holds my address book and planners, and the generous space underneath leaves room for a chunky basket from IKEA. The basket holds the things I use often: stapler, three-hole punch, photo paper, my camera, various cables…you get the idea.
My rolling filing cart is compact, in easy reach…and leaves no excuses for not doing my filing NOW. I love it because it’s black, so it goes with any decor, and has style, though I know that’s hard to see in the picture. I even purchased red hanging file folders to match the room. (Eventually all of the files will be red.) Someday in the future, when I’m feeling industrious, I might sew a cover for the cart…or pay someone else to do it!
 
I don’t remember where I got this old picnic basket, but it’s perfect. As you can see, not only is it attractive, but does double duty holding files for projects I’m currently working on. Baskets like this can be found at thrift stores, craft stores, or garage sales.
Unless you prefer to put your legs there, the underside of your desk can be used for extra storage, which is what I do. In my case, a Battenburg curtain panel, doubled over a tension rod, covers a multitude of sins. Cafe curtains from your local home store would work just as well, or hit the antique store to look for vintage linens, which is exactly where I found this treasure.
I’m sure the top of my desk will look cluttered to some. If you think it does, all I can say is, you should have seen it before! The things that are there now were carefully chosen because they’re items I love. When I’m working and deep in thought, my eyes tend to wander. I’d rather have my gaze fall on things that make me say “ahh” and not “ugh.” And I’ve found that surrounding myself with things that evoke a happy mood can have a profound effect on how much work I get done…and how well I do it!
Keeping with the theme of using things you love in your work area, try “repurposing” items intended for other rooms. On my desk, a fancy Fenton bon bon dish holds M&Ms (they, uh, help me think), and a vintage soap dish holds paper clips and push pins. Look around your home and see what you can add to your desk to infuse a little fun! Can’t find anything? Scour antique shops, thrift stores, even dollar stores. You never know what you’ll come across.
 
Besides two corkboard squares on the wall between my desktop and the cupboards, I have nowhere else in this small space to tack things up. But thanks to a roll of tape, the glass in the cupboard doors became my message center. It may look unsightly to some, but to me, it’s beautiful. Those doors are where I put quotes and reminders that motivate me and keep me going. I have Bible verses, quotes from other internet marketers (like this favorite from Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive: “I can either be fearful and broke, or afraid and well paid!”), and one by Jillian Michaels that really resonated with me when I read it in this months’ issue of Success Magazine: “If you are not taking responsibility for the state of your life, you are a victim.” The quote below it, “‘Cause you strong!” is from her 30-Day Shred DVD.
  
Inside the cupboards I have keepsakes like special things my kids have given me and my bear from when I was little. The cupboards also hold my business library…something I strongly recommend every home entrepreneur have.
Last, but certainly not least, you’ve got to have a great chair. If you want an office chair that leans back and rolls around, that’s what you should have. If you want a straight-backed parson’s chair, get one. My chair is a vintage, carved-back dining chair. I placed a cover on it, then topped that with an old dresser scarf secured with a fancy pin. The seat cushion is an old pillow, and it’s cover is one I found at the dollar store, of all places.
 
Thanks for sticking with me through this long post! I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into my home office. If you’ve got a blog of your own, upload pictures of your workspace, too. Send me the link and I’ll share it here.
Above all, remember: Just because you “work” in your home office, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy being there. How your surroundings make you feel — anywhere from contented and happy to irritable and depressed — really can affect the quality of your work and the level of success you achieve. Surround yourself with things you love…you’re worth it!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
Today I’d like to share with you a little blast from the past. I’ve been nostalgically scrolling through old posts from another blog I used to have (I think it’s still there, just sitting dormant), and found this fun recipe. I posted it back in 2007, and am actually thrilled because I’d forgotten all about this green drink (literally…it’s green). The only change I would make to it now is to add a scoop of vanilla-flavored protein powder.
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“Kermit in a Blender”
February 2, 2007
 You read that right: Kermit in a Blender.
Kermit in a Blender is my new favorite drink. It’s a terrible name, I know, and you’ll think it’s even worse once you hear what’s in it. Hey…it’s not easy being green, but if you ignore the color, it’s not too hard to drink it.
Kermit in a Blender is a smoothie that is simple as can be. I found a great juice called Mega Green in the health foods section at my local supermarket. First, I’ll tell you what’s in that, then I’ll tell you how to make the smoothie.
The maker is R.W. Knudsen, and Mega Green is in a line of juices called Simply Nutritious. The front of the label says Mega Green is “a juice blend from five concentrates with spirulina, chlorella, green grasses & other green foods.” (Spirulina and chlorella are types of algae.) The juice has a heck of a lot of potassium in it (330mg per 8 oz. serving), which is great for improving your memory, among other things. Take a look at this lovely list of ingredients:
FILTERED WATER (SUFFICIENT TO RECONSTITUTE), APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, PEACH PUREE CONCENTRATE, PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, BANANA AND MANGO PUREES, SPIRULINA, CHLORELLA, NATURAL GUMS (XANTHAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, LOCUST BEAN GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE), BARLEY AND WHEAT GRASSES, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), NATURAL FLAVOR, BROCCOLI AND SPINACH POWDERS.
By itself, it tastes like a virgin pina colada being sipped through a seaweed straw, but put it in the smoothie, and you’ve got a tasty breakfast (the “green” taste seems to disappear). Or at least a quick snack.
Kermit in a Blender
8 oz. Mega Green juice
4 oz. apple juice (optional)
7-10 ice cubes
1 banana
Place all of the above in a blender. On mine, I have a “crush ice” option, so I put it on that setting until I no longer see any large pieces of ice whirring around. So give it a go. Mix it up, and share it with a friend.
So far, this drink has a fan base of only two: my 11 year-old daughter and myself. My 12 year-old son, who will not drink it, affectionately calls it, “Kermit Getting Sick by the Lake.” Perhaps we need to think of a nicer (and more appetizing) name….
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It was fun sharing this blast from the past with you. Let me know if you try the drink, or if you have a favorite smoothie recipe of your own.
More blasts from the past to come!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.
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