Advent Conspiracy: Worship Fully

And so it begins... the season of Advent.

A time to celebrate 

the birth of a King

the hope of a Savior.

Grace

amazing grace.

The tangible gift 

of intangible mercy.

Hope

for the lonely,

the sick, 

the hurting.

Tis' the season

for worship.

Hearts quiet

eyes lifted

hands raised.

I enter into this season

with eyes on Him

and suddenly

I am 

changed.  

Moved to mercy.

Healed by hope.

With childlike faith 

I begin with

worship.  

Planning for Success (again)

It's a little ironic that I started the month talking about wellness and prevention and then spent half of the month sick.  Well...all I can say is I can't imagine what life would be like if I wasn't putting the time and effort into trying to be healthy.  My situation is a bit unique; most people aren't on immunosuppressive drugs.  I will admit, there are times when it is very frustrating.  I can do everything "right" and still end up with an infection that lasts way too long.

The focus today though is back on prevention and now that I almost feel like my "normal" self again, it's time to re-group and move forward.  Rest, exercise, eating and drinking a whole food diet - we can't live without it.   It's so important to plan for success, especially during the busyness of the holidays.

Here's a bit of my game plan (in no particular order):
*  Chop fresh fruits and veggies for quick and easy snacking.
*  Pre-package/pre-portion snacks (ie: almonds and dried fruit in snack size ziploc bags).
*  Double (or triple) recipes so there is enough to freeze.  It's great to have a nutritious meal ready to be warmed up in minutes.
*  Cheers to health:  Hold the eggnog, juice and blend up those veggies.
*  Sleep:  I'm guilty (as you can tell by what time I'm writing this post).  I need to put sleep higher on my wellness priority list.  In fact, sleep deserves a post all on it's own.
*  Exercise:   I've got a long list of exercises from my physical therapist.  This week, we're incorporating a little walking on the elliptical.   No offense, "yoga for arthritis" class - I absolutely adore you, but sometimes a girl just needs to break a sweat.
*  Pray/Meditate:  This sets the stage for all of the above.

What are you doing to stay well this holiday season?

Until tomorrow,
Kim 

Shop Small - Small Business Saturday

Today is Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.   By supporting a local small business, you are supporting your community, a neighbor, a friend.  So take your shopping list and head on over to a small business near you.  Together, we can make a huge difference.  

Enjoy!

Kim 

Five Minute Friday - Grateful

I'm joining up with Lisa-Jo, The Gypsy Mama, for Five Minute Friday - a time to stop, drop and write.  Today, she asks us to give our best five minutes on:

GRATEFUL

Ready?  

GO!  

She's watching me, listening.  Every step, every word.  Waiting to see how I respond.  Ready to take her queue, ready to imitate my every word, every action.  

What does she hear?  Does she hear her mommy giving thanks?  Does she hear me speaking words of love, life, gratitude, appreciation?  More importantly, does she see it?  Do my actions reflect my thanks, my attitude of gratitude?   Am I showing her how to be grateful?  Am I teaching her one of the most important lessons of life?  

More than words thrown around in November. More than a catch phrase on a Hallmark card. I'm talking about gratitude that runs through your veins, changes your vision, creates your perspective.  Does she know what it looks like? sounds like?  feels like?  To be grateful.  

Kids, they see through everything. They may not know the definition of sincerity but they can smell it from a mile away. I can talk about it, write post after post about it, but really she is my measuring stick, my litmus test.  Ultimately, her ability to be grateful will be the purest reflection of my own.  

STOP.

Connecting the Dots

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; 

you can only connect them looking backward." 

~ Steve Jobs.  

Two years ago, my husband, daughter and I got on a plane.  We said goodbye.  From our window seat, we watched our island home get smaller and smaller until it was just a speck in a sea of blue.  From 35,000 feet we looked at each other, no words necessary.  We were on our way - about to begin a new chapter, a new journey.  We traded our swimsuits for sweatsuits, our slippers for snow shoes, the sunshine for, well... lots of rain.  We knew what we were getting into (or so we thought).  A change of scenery, a chance to slow down, four seasons, mountains, snow, the ability to get in the car and drive - forever, new friends, new memories.

We had no idea what the next two years would hold.  No idea.  But somehow, as I look back, I see how every decision has led us right to where we needed to be - for such a time as this.  It is amazing how life sometimes makes more sense in retrospect. 

Two years.  Twenty four months.  Seven hundred thirty days.  This time has been some of the best of our lives, but also some of the worst.  Another amazing little girl, new friends and new adventures.  We have slowed down.  We have enjoyed the seasons.  We have gotten in the car and driven to amazing new places.  We have played in the snow in the winter and gone camping in the summer.  We have felt pain.  We have danced with fear. We have thought the worst. We have cried too many tears.  But most important, we have become a family.

Every moment of our lives - the bitter, the sweet - it all somehow shapes who we are.  And that's why I can give thanks for it all.  For the joy - that gives me strength.  For the pain - that gives me purpose.  For today and the dots to come, I have nothing but thanks.

With Love,
Kim 

Plan B

Well, it looks like we'll be having a low key Thanksgiving at home tomorrow.  Thanks to a cold/sinus infection/cough/fever/weird eye thing, I'm on 3 medications and have been told to stay in bed.  Not exactly what I had in mind, but that's the way it goes.

As I've mentioned before, the shot that I give myself every week basically suppresses my immune system so the littlest sniffle or sore throat ends up turning into some infection that can last for weeks.  It's very frustrating, especially since I've always been pretty healthy and rarely sick.  Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it.  What's worse:  Letting the disease progress or having a weak immune system?  Dealing with greater pain and a fused spine or the serious possible side effects of the drug?  The answers aren't so easy.

But for now, on this Thanksgiving Eve, I am thankful for a caring team of doctors, for medication that allows me to live a normal life, for health insurance and the fact that I even have choices.  I am mindful that there are millions of Americans without adequate health insurance these days.  The choices are made for them.

So while I won't be cooking a large feast, dressing up for a fun party or eating to my heart's content, I will still be giving thanks, and that's what it's all about.

Thankful,
Kim 

A Menu to Be Thankful For

I love a good ole' traditional Thanksgiving meal:  turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, pumpkin this and apple that.  Well, maybe I should say I loved that good ole' Thanksgiving meal. This is my first vegetarian Thanksgiving and I must admit, I was not looking forward to it.  I couldn't bring myself to buy a tofurky.  No offense to those that eat it, I just couldn't do it.  Still, I wanted a beautiful and delicious meal for my family and me so I sat down with a stack of my favorite recipe books.  I didn't even have to go through the whole stack. Power Foods had everything I wanted and more. If you don't already own this book, I highly recommend it.  It is fabulous.  Hands down my favorite recipe book.  Click on the link below to get one for yourself or one for a friend.

Without further adieu, here's my contribution to our Thanksgiving dinner.  Move over Tofurky, here comes a Thanksgiving meal from vegetarian heaven.

Sweet Potato Hummus:

I've made this before and could not believe how easy and yummy it was.  Seriously, if you like hummus, you have to try this recipe.  Oh, and if you don't like hummus, you have to try this recipe.  It just might change your mind.

photo by:  www.wholeliving.com 

Quinoa and Corn Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's hard to beat protein-packed quinoa with sweet corn and salty pumpkin seeds.  This went on the menu real quick.  Plus, just look at the picture.  Talk about eating a rainbow.

photo by:  www.wholeliving.com

Roasted Vegetables

I love roasted vegetables.   I roast them all year.  But really, there's nothing like seasonal fall veggies.

photo by:  www.wholeliving.com

Savory Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This recipe sealed the deal and made me realize that not only am I not missing out on anything by having a vegetarian Thanksgiving, I am actually going to feast and feel fabulous while doing so.  Check out these beauties.  I cannot wait to make them, let alone eat them.  

photo by:  www.wholeliving.com

Spiced Pomegranate Sparkler

A party isn't a party without a fun and fancy drink.  This spiced pomegranate sparkler is just what the doctor ordered.

photo by:  www.wholeliving.com

Happy Cooking!

Kim 

Conspiring for Good

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and besides a grateful heart, an eating frenzy, parades and a day of football, the next thing on people's minds is probably what comes next:  Black Friday. Oh, the infamous black Friday, where retailers go from being in the red to being in the black, where consumers dive further into the red because the deals are just too good to pass up.  I understand.  I love a good deal.  I love buying the perfect gift for family and friends (or even myself).  Believe me, I am no scrooge.  But I'd like to take a step back for a second and talk about something.

I realize that we don't all share the same faith, beliefs or ideas about Christmas.  Some celebrate it as the birth of a Savior, others see it as a time for peace and goodwill, for some it's all about eggnog and the Carpenters Christmas album (my all time favorite, by the way).  And then there are those that don't celebrate Christmas whatsoever.  Whoever you are, whatever you believe, would you consider for a moment what it would be like if we all changed our perspective on Christmas.  If we gave time, created memories, spread love, created hope, maybe even changed the world.  Yes, the whole world - a lofty Christmas goal, but why not?  Advent Conspiracy is a movement to do just that.  The concept is simple:  worship fully, spend less, give more, love all. Please take a couple minutes to watch the video below.  

What do you think?  Powerful, isn't it?  That's the kind of Christmas I want.  One of presence, lasting memories, love and hope.  One that changes hearts, lives, communities, continents.  One that doesn't leave me in debt, but leaves me in awe. I want in.

Next week I'll be starting a short series on how to worship fully, spend less, give more, love all. I would love it if you would join me.  Ashley at The World So Sweet is also doing a more in depth series so please check her out as well.

There will be time to talk about this in the days and weeks to come. For now, let's all enjoy this week of Thanksgiving.  One holiday at a time.  One moment at a time.  

Thankful, 

Kim 

Sundays

I think I broke a personal record today.  Thanks to fever, chills, sore throat, and a stuffed up head I managed to sleep/lay down/rest for 14 whole hours.  Fourteen hours!  Too bad I felt so miserable I didn't really get to enjoy it.  Anyway, once I stumbled out of bed around noon I went on a "fight the sickness" rampage:  hot tea, lemons, vegetable soup, oranges, tons and tons of water, vitamins and of course, a green smoothie.

Normally, Sundays are my day to get ready for the rest of the week.  I try to cook a meal or two, prep my veggies for juicing, do the laundry, ironing, etc.  I feel so much better when I go to bed Sunday night knowing that all this is done.  I am way less stressed when I'm ahead of the ball instead of sprinting after it.

Needless to say, this is how I spent my Sunday - when I wasn't sleeping.

I have a few go-to recipes that I usually always have the ingredients for and everyone loves it. Whole Food's Vegetarian Chili is a quick, hearty and healthy meal that makes me happy every time.  And here's my philosophy:  If you're going to take the time to cook a healthy meal, make it last.  Double (or even triple) the recipe.  Then you'll have enough for dinner and leftovers and freeze for the future.  There's nothing like opening up the freezer and seeing a delicious meal just waiting to be warmed up.  If you get tired of eating it as plain chili, you can spread the chili on a tortilla and have a yummy burrito.

Sprinkle on some cheese and you're good to go.

And of course, if you're having chili, there needs to be cornbread.  This is when you call in the troops (aka:  3-year old with amazing stirring power).  

 

Okay, so while the cornbread is baking and the chili is simmering (45 minutes) I whipped up a little something for the crock pot.  I found this Italian Lentil and Barley Soup recipe on food.com.  I've never tried it before but it sure looks yummy.  I'll let you know in about 12 hours how it tastes.

 If my crock pot was bigger I would have doubled this recipe too.  I am fan of chopping all at once.

Twelve hours on low.  Slow cooking while I sleep.  How can you beat that?  

Believe it or not, I was still feeling pretty sick.  I had no sense of smell or taste and my head was pounding.  But hey, I was on a roll.  Thus, the pumpkin cookies!  A friend gave me this recipe last year and I have made it several times, but I have never it made it the same way twice.  I have become a little obsessed with substitutions.  I usually cook or bake the recipe the "real" way first so I know how it's supposed to taste.  Then I go crazy subbing this for that and that for this.  

Here's the original recipe:

Pumpkin Cookies

2 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup oats

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup butter

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin 

1 cup chocolate chips, nuts or raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and gradually add in the sugars.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in nuts, chocolate chips and/or raisins.

Drop cookie dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.  Cook on racks.  Yield:  about 3 dozen.

Here's some of the changes I've made:

For the 2 cups flour, you can do 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour, or 2 cups whole wheat flour.
For white sugar, I've used maple syrup or honey as a replacement.
For butter, I've used applesauce as a substitute.  Note: using applesauce in place of butter will make your baked good a lot denser.
For the extra goodies, I have used chocolate chips, dried cranberries, walnuts, raisins, and pecans.  It all depends on what I have in the cabinet and what kind of mood I'm in.

The bottom line is recipes are not written in stone. You can tweak your old favorites to make it a little healthier and still enjoy.

I can't smell but I bet they smell delicious!!

Here's to a healthy, happy week!  

Good night, 

Kim

Back to Basics - Part 2

Last week I went to the second and final session of "Six Efficient Movement Principles" with a physical therapist.  Once again, it was amazing.  She taught me how to:

- Get in and out of bed (Who would have thought there is an efficient way of getting in and out of bed. And who would have thought it would take me 20 tries before I got it right.)

- Sit at a desk (She would not be pleased if she saw me at this very moment.  I'm sitting "in neutral" on my exercise ball but my arms and shoulders are all wrong.  Laptops are not conducive to proper form that's for sure.)

- Vacuum (Yes, she actually wheeled a vacuum into the room. Who knew my form was all wrong.)

- Sway (Moms, you know what I'm talking about.  You know that sway we do when we're holding our babies.  And we continue to do standing in line at the market even when we're not holding our babies.  Yup, that's the sway.  Once again, all wrong.  Sway from the ankles, not the waist - bad for the sacroiliac joints.)

- Drive (Okay, well she didn't teach me how to drive but she did show me something that would help while I drive.  She walked me out to my car and had me try this back support made especially for driving.  HO.LEE.SMOKES.  I am a new woman!!  I could seriously drive all day.  It is heaven in a lumbar support.  I want to do commercials for them because it has seriously changed my life.  Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but still - it is fabulous!)

I hugged her when our session was over and told her that she gave me such an incredible gift.  I think it should be required for anyone going through chronic pain/illness to learn these skills. And really, I want to teach my girls how to do things right from the start.  Why create unnecessary damage if it can be avoided.

When I was diagnosed with AS back in June, my rheumatologist handed me a 4-page pamphlet and a prescription for a potent TNF blocker. After all, there is no known cause and therefore no cure.  All we can do is slow things down and treat the disease.  He is a wonderful doctor, kind and intelligent.  He did his job, but I needed more.  I needed to learn how to live with AS (maybe even how to fight it).  I didn't know what that meant at the time.  I'm still trying to figure it out.  But the last few weeks have taught me so much.  I needed to re-learn how to do everything:  sleep, stand, sit, clean, drive, type, you name it.  I needed to learn how to live in my new body.   Now, there is a sense of peace, a calm running through my joints and muscles because slowly, we're figuring each other out.

It's funny how much there is to learn when we go back to the basics.

Love and Healing,
Kim