How to live a drama free life sounds dreamy. But in a world that is dominated by drama; pandemics, racial injustice, a shaky economy, broken homes, and anxiety-filled minds, how do we navigate through all this? Right now is a great time to pull out your secret weapon to fight drama and kick it to the curb. Learn how to access your boxing gloves and how to use them effectively every day. You’ll be surprised how much simpler life gets and more enjoyable.
Mental breakdown
If you look at what’s on TV, YouTube, and in theaters, you wouldn’t be surprised by the health of our world. The shows these days are negative, scary, or full of things I don’t even want to see. Call me old-fashion, but for my mental state of being, I already have a bunch of stuff going on in my head and prefer to put positive things into it. With our daily dose of drama from our kids, spouse, extended family, and even ourselves things can build up and break down. What do we do? First and foremost, say “no” to drugs. I know that sounds funny, but seriously. We can achieve peace without the added side effects.
My go-to for cleaning my head out
When there is too much going on in my head I usually grab a piece of copy paper and write down ALL the things on my mind and categorize them in different departments. This is the first step to a drama-free life. Just do it. Don’t give me or yourself excuses of why you can’t take five minutes and write things out. By doing this, it gives you a visual of what you have going on in there, plus you can strategize on how to tackle it. This technique usually does the trick, but sometimes the unsettledness lingers.
My enlightenment to a drama-free life, who knew?
As I was listening to my daily devotional, the pastor talked about something that helped explain why I was feeling so overwhelmed. It was something I didn’t think of and that’s what I want to share with you.
Personal values do what?
Did you ever think personal values had a role in our serenity? I used to think personal values were like jewels in a black velvet bag; you learn them when you’re young and then carry them around with you. BUT don’t you dare get them out and use them because they’re valuable. Did I sure have that backward!
It had been a while since I opened my bag of personal values. Let’s face it, I’m an adult, and values are taught when we are children, right? Not so, those are morals. Morals are beliefs that are taught to us. Think of morals as “acceptable” acts. Parents usually teach morals to help a child determine what is right and wrong. Personal values come from within; they define what is important to us and help us make the right decisions that align with our hearts. When personal values are used correctly we ultimately experience happiness with our decisions.
Ahem. There is no better time than now to review your personal values. For me and Mr. Silent Chaos, my personal values had to intervene to save the day, along with some Bible verses of course. When our values align with our decisions, life is SO much easier and happier.
How could something so simple have such a big impact?
The first month of the year or around your birthday is a GREAT time to revisit your values. And that’s what I did on my birthday, I took a minute grabbed my values exercise, and reviewed what I wrote down as my core values. During the exercise, I realized some values had changed and that was probably one of the causes of drama. When we understand WHY we’re making certain decisions, we understand ourselves better and can move forward by making the right decision for our sanity.
After my values exercise, my mind felt clearer and cleaner. It felt like getting new running shoes, I was ready to run for hours on end. At this point, I could now go back and look at my paper where I wrote everything down and organized it according to my values.
If you’re at a point where ‘simplifying your life’ sounds like heaven, then sharpen your pencil. Drama isn’t welcome in my home anymore. In fact, if I can keep myself in line with my values and speak God’s word, then the enemy doesn’t have a foothold on me. Fight back with what the Lord put in you, and use your personal values.
“If you watch your life, you’ll be amazed at how many times a week Satan launches an attack against you for the sole purpose of stealing your peace. When I finally saw that, God said to me in my spirit, “Joyce, if the devil wants your peace that badly, then there must be something pretty powerful about being peaceful.”
Let’s save money on Valentine’s Day this year. You’ll get my 6 simple ways to save money on Valentine’s Day along with a little history about February 14th. Explore my simple and inexpensive gift ideas for you, your family, and your friend; but first I gotta tell you what I learned about this ‘loving’ holiday, it certainly surprised me!
Valentine’s Day originated from a Roman festival. It had nice intentions of celebrating the coming Spring. Because as we know, with Spring comes rebirth. The Romans capitalized on this season and promoted fertility at this time. Side note; if you have a November birthday, your parents probably practiced the Roman tradition. LOL! Anyway, what I didn’t expect was a dark side to this ‘lovers’ holiday.
The Dark Side of Valentine’s Day
This Roman festival included, what sounds like, arranged marriages by a lottery. Say what? All I can picture is taking a ticket at the meat counter and waiting for someone to call my name and hoping and praying I was attracted to him. This does not sound very romantic, but they did it!
According to legend, there was a priest whose name was Valentine. The story isn’t clear whether the priest secretly married people behind the emperor’s back to spare men from war, or if the priest signed a letter to a jailer’s daughter “from your Valentine” which created havoc. Either way, the emperor, Caludius II Gothicus, martyred him! Yes murdered the guy named Valentine.
As for Cupid, he represents the Roman god of love. Are you as confused as I am? This holiday is messed up, murder, love, lottery, and a naked baby with a bow and arrow. The Romans back then had some mental issues.
What We’re Spending
I get it that we’re celebrating this guy, Valentine, but “Be My Valentine” or “Will you be my Valentine?” sounds weird to me now that I understand the back story. Frankly put, these days, retailers use the holiday to get more business. In 2019 53% of all Americans spent a total of $30 billion. Heart-shaped candies and decadent chocolates get me all the time, but I spend maybe $25- $50 on Valentine’s Day, that’s including dinner. However, the average person spends about $225 on one person. There is nothing wrong with that. Your significant other’s love language may be ‘gifts’. But if you’re on a tight budget there are other ways to go about showing your love.
Save Money on Valentine’s Day with Simple Ideas
The Card
The average cost of a Valentine’s card is $4.99. That can add up with kids and even pets. Yes, they have cards for pets. Three kids alone plus a dog could cost $20. Ouch. Here’s a different idea, back in the day, my husband and I were strapped for money, and so instead of buying each other a card, we took a picture of the card in the store and then shared the pictures with each other. I know that sounds lame, but it was quite fun. There are many benefits to this: it’s inexpensive, saves the environment, and you can keep it on your phone forever! In fact, if you found more than one perfect card, you can take a picture of that one too!
As for kids, homemade Valentine’s are the best. Any kind of gift made with our very hands means so much more than something you buy. Download these Valentine’s joke valentines for kids from my Etsy Shop!
The Gifts
Unless it’s your birthday on Valentine’s Day, big gifts are out, at least in our home. Money doesn’t buy love. Time does. Time with your spouse, friends, kids, and pets says a lot more than the latest video game. What are they going to remember more? The gift and who got it for them? Or will they remember the memory of playing Battleship and Clue and the epic popcorn-launch-in-your-mouth game? Actually, the Game of Clue might be appropriate for Valentine’s Day…remember Roman times? Here’s my skinny on gifts and what we do in my family. Candy.
The Candy
Candy is instant, enjoyable for everyone, and easy. Get whatever is their favorite sugar bomb. I know it’s not the healthiest, but skip dessert and have the candy instead…don’t forget portion control. My son loves those Sweetart Hearts, my husband is all about Nerds, and me, well, my hands-down favorite of all favorites is See’s Candies. Seriously, these are the best chocolates I’ve ever had. AND they are gluten-free! If you don’t have a retailer near you, you can order online, believe me, it’s worth it. They are SO good!
The Flowers
If candy isn’t your thing, flowers do make a great gift. Here’s the kicker. Keep the flowers simple. They don’t have to be red roses. The jester is what counts. Recently, my husband stumbled upon white roses at Trader Joe’s. He got a dozen for like $7.00. Can’t beat that, and they lasted a long time. They were beautiful. Thank you Trader Joe’s! The other option with flowers is to go for the carnations. They are a simple flower that comes in a variety of colors. A large bouquet is about half the price of a dozen roses (roses not from Trader Joe’s). I like to mix carnations and roses like in this picture.
The Touch
Besides the gift of time, sweet treats, and flowers, touch is just as important if not more. Touch is another language of love. It’s definitely my husband’s. Intimate time with your spouse or boyfriend is probably all they want for Valentine’s Day. Stop spending your money on other things, just give him some lovin’. As for kids, snuggles or tickle attacks while watching “Be My Valentine Charlie Brown” serve the best of both worlds for the child and mom/dad. Feel goods with hugs and laughs with tickles are a joy to the heart.
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Save money on Valentine’s Day dinner
Let’s talk about dinner. If it’s just your spouse/friend with you, you’ll spend an average of $50 at a restaurant. And don’t forget to tip! Oh, did I mention the babysitter? As for time, Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest nights at restaurants. You may have to wait for a table. I didn’t even mention traffic or the weather.
A different option is to have a candlelight dinner at home. This saves time and is a great way to save money on Valentine’s Day. I know it may sound boring, but that’s up to you. Dress up, get some music playing, and have your kids wait on you and play restaurant at the same time. It’s something different to try this year.
At the grocery, you’ll spend at least half of the amount on a meal than at the restaurant. Get some steak, salad, and garlic bread. Start up the grill and “By the Power of Grayskull, I HAVE THE POWER!” Yes, I have dated myself with He-Man. Dinner at home can be fun for everyone! Save money grocery shopping too, check out my tips here!
Final Tips for a Great Valentine’s Day
Lastly, decorating with construction paper hearts tapped on the sliding glass door gets everyone in a loving mood. This is an easy way to save money on Valentine’s Day. You don’t need to go all out with decorations. Keep it simple. It’s a gentle reminder that Valentine’s Day should be fun and not filled with a martyr. Now, don’t forget the chocolate! For more ways to manage money, be sure to check out my post on No More Money Problems.
How to manage depression is something everyone should be aware of. It is not a fun thing to talk about; but we all, at one point in our lives, will feel its slippery slope. It’s an exhausting cycle and at times we just can’t see the top. But how do we climb out once and for all? Learn three surprising ways to manage this uninvited downer.
What is depression actually?
Depression is not a secret, in 2017 there were 17.3 million American adults affected by depression. Depression negatively affects how we feel, the way we think, and how we act. It can last a couple of days, a few months, a handful of years, or a lifetime. It is a perplexing state of not knowing how to shut it off.
For five years+ I suffered from depression due to infertility. To make matters worse I became frustrated during those years because depression was messing with my identity. I felt like I just existed.
People don’t like to talk about depression. But people don’t talk about it enough. These days depression is swallowing up our children, yes children who are already on depression meds. It’s heartbreaking on many fronts.
How does depression happen?
There are a number of factors…too many to list, but usually, it’s when one event piles up after another. We’ve heard social media is a player (or layer) in depression. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, says, “It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades…it’s largely because of Smartphones.” Social media is a false measure of our identities, she is totally right!
This isn’t just for iGen, it’s happening to other generations. Why? We want to be accepted yet be ourselves and for people to ‘like’ us no matter what. When this happens our values collide. Could this desire alone be the root of all depression?
Depression makes you stronger?
Here’s something I bet you didn’t know: Depression can make you stronger. This post isn’t about how to get through depression or manage Smartphone apps; it’s about what to do with depressionwhen you’re climbing out of it.
Our dark days can either bring strength or weakness; it’s how we see it. Do you know how I said I just existed? I’m going to feel that way. But as I look back, I noticed this period of life wasn’t to hurt me, it was to strengthen me.
When we’ve ‘been there’, we start to see the eyes of people differently. Let me reiterate, depression can make us stronger or weaker by how we use that experience in our life.
Using our troubles to help rather than hide-in produces strength. Our strength in moving forward, in doing more than existing, is having the courage to help people who are going through the same trials we’ve been through. This heals.
3 ways how to manage depression
1- Seek God, seek the Truth
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. It is then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will” -Romans 12:2.
God is love, He is light. The Romans 12:2 verse gives me permission to step away from the world, its expectations, and false hope; and to instead seek the truth, strengthen myself, and use my experiences to do God’s will for my life. Reading a short daily devotional can help. I recommend Jesus Calling. Reading a study Bible is super helpful. And don’t forget the Bible App which has a lot of great study plans and more.
2- Look for someone who gets it
This isn’t easy. People don’t talk about this stuff. We need to take the first step here. As hard as it is, pursue people who have gone through the same thing and talk with them about it. Talking with someone who ‘gets-it’ brings comfort. This can be scary and vulnerable, but also very healing. If you belong to a church, ask them about a group to join.
If you need more than a conversation with someone, please seek out a professional, but make sure it is someone you trust and who is a follower of Jesus Christ.
One other way to know how to manage depression is to dig deeper into who you are. Your identity matters. There is no better place than to ask your Creator. Pray and stand firm with Ephesians 2:10, For I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that he has prepared for me to do. Listen up, you are valuable. The talents and abilities and the gifts God has given you help shape you and equip you to do some pretty amazing things. Tap into those things. Explore. Find joy.
In John 15:11 Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” He’s saying come to me, know me, and I’ll sustain you when adversity hits.
Get your personal values working. Abiding by your personal values will instantly bring you a sense of peace and direction. I have a freebie about how to know your personal values here.
Take better care of your body and understand how the best way for you to manage stress. We will all occasionally be visited by Depression. But at least we know how to climb out a little faster and stronger than we did before.
Depression ain’t no joke. There are many layers of depression, the key is to keep moving forward to heal those layers and revive the core of your existence. Seek Jesus to navigate through this season. He loves, he heals, and he has equipped you to stand firm in the faith. Have hope friend, and continue to go after it, for HOPE will get you through step by step.
The only way to change is to change. If you want to feel better and lose weight then grab these tips for weight loss. Here’s the thing, weight loss doesn’t have to be hard or depriving. Set yourself free and become who God made you to be. I have a simple philosophy that will bring you inspiration; plus it’s backed up by science. Simply put: TAKE. IT. SLOW. Remember the saying, ‘nothing changes if nothing changes’. Read about my four game-changing tips that change you without feeling like a change.
4 Tips for Weight Loss
Changing the diet isn’t something I could do cold turkey. In fact, I’m allergic to turkey! Hence the going slow part. The most successful thing with ‘change’ without feeling like it’s a change is to take it slow. With a gradual approach, you’re more likely to stick with it for longer… if not forever! Chris Kresser uses the words, “shrink the change“.
#1: Weight loss Tip #1: Go Gradual
The trick to losing weight is to eat a healthier diet so the body can clean out the bad stuff, call me Sherlock-Homes. I repeat, taking a gradual approach gives your body time to adjust and not be shocked. If you lose weight too fast, it could backfire and you’ll be headfirst in the bag of cheese puffs…not to mention gain even more weight! The cool thing about gradually reducing the bad stuff, like sugar, is that your body will start to crave healthier foods. You’ll feel better and the sugary snacks will start to taste bad. Interesting, eh? The bottom line is that our bodies will feel better with cleaner foods and they’ll want more of that awesome clean energy. Stick to simple ingredients and ingredients you understand.
Tip #2: Awareness is key!
Awareness. Sugar was my number one weakness. It still is, but I’m now aware of my consumption and I know my limits. When I adjusted my intake of the sweet stuff I finally understood the ‘less is more’ philosophy. My taste buds became more content and my body was a happy human. Did you hear that? I didn’t give up sugar completely, I just cut back immensely. Toxic foods can do a number on our bodily systems; in other words, inflammation. I wrote a short ebook on digestion and what things might trigger our inflammation. Once we remove the trigger, the inflammation heals. Check it out here: Triggers and What to do for IBD.
What’s for lunch?
Back in the day of wanting to lose weight, I would only eat a salad for lunch. It contained greens, Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and maybe fresh broccoli. I didn’t have any protein or cheese. Just veggies. I chose whatever salad dressing sounded good, however, I would dip my fork in the dressing before I stabbed a helping of lettuce. Not too shabby of a lunch; but for me, it didn’t hold me over, which led to a Snickers Bar in the afternoon, and then a hefty snack after work. Can we say blood sugar on the fritz?
The small change I made was to add protein to my salad in the form of lean protein, I’m not talking cheese or other dairy products; but things like nuts, eggs, or grilled chicken. At lunch, I still aim to have more greens than protein, yet with a little protein.
Eatingwell.com
Tip for losing weight #3: Know your body
Know your body. If you need protein, get protein with every meal. Whether it’s nuts, clean meat, or low-fat dairy (if you can tolerate it) make sure you get enough protein into your diet. If you don’t, you’ll be hungry all the time and your blood sugar will yo-yo. Let me reiterate, protein helps you feel satisfied longer, it gives you energy, and need I say meat is an excellent source of B12, B6, zinc, and iron to name a few?
A little bit more about protein
Protein builds muscle mass, and it’s especially good after a workout. Add a little vitamin C to the mix and you’ve got a digestive helper and a helping hand at iron absorption. Listen up! The meat won’t make you fat unless it’s highly marbled or fatty; you also want to keep in check your portions. Choose lean beef, grilled chicken, grilled or baked fish, nuts, legumes, eggs, or pork loin. Don’t be scared to add it to your diet or your salad. Remember portion control is king.
Okay, okay, okay…you’re at work and can’t make lunch. That’s okay! You have a couple of options for a healthy clean lunch; the most obvious is to make it the night before. The other is to choose simple, limited-ingredient dishes when eating out. For instance, a 100% beef burger without the bun paired with a side of steamed veggies or a cup of clear broth soup, is a great lunch. It’s not heavy in carbs (bread or pasta) and it’s high in protein. You can also opt for an “unwich”, a sandwich without the bread. I eat this all the time but use lettuce instead of bread. Some people use a gluten-free wrap. Turn the sandwich inside out…lettuce in the center and lean ham for the wrap. If you want this weight loss thing to work, you need to be prepared and stay on point. Pack ahead or have a plan when eating out.
Think ‘simple’ when at a restaurant and think portion control! As for drinks, you know what I’m going to say…water without ice. Hey, it may be a little boring, but your body will be quieter and happier. You may not even need to drink water with your meal. Too much aqua with food will cause a lot of vitamins to flush through your system, plus it will take longer to digest the yum yums.
Your body is a temple, keeping it clean and feeling great is an amazing way to show God you love Him and thank Him. I hope you found these tips for losing weight helpful. Remember to take a gradual approach, be aware of what you’re eating, know your body, and be prepared. You got this if you want it. Keep moving forward!
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
How to heal your body is time well spent. There are a lot of things in life that are priceless in navigating our length of time on this planet. One of them is taking care of your only vessel…your body. We all go through a lot of ailments, my goal is just that…to go THROUGH and not to settle and stay. Learn 8 things you can do to get your body on the road to healing. Let’s get you back on your feet to do more than exist!
Getting started in how to heal your body
There are times when taking care of our body can be pretty complicated. Not only do we seek professional help and get tests to make sense of it all, but what’s frustrating is that sometimes I want more information and understanding than I get at the doctor’s office.
Keep moving forward
Your incredible body is mysteriously amazing! No two bodies are the same, even though they are treated the same in a doctor’s office… God made our bodies to work a certain way, your body knows this and will try its hardest to stay aligned. The problem is, is that sometimes, your body needs a little extra help…consistent help…before it remembers what to do. And that’s where we come into play in knowing how to heal your body.
To know how to heal your body, we need to do a few things; whether it’s a general sickness, muscle imbalance, disease, inflammation, or whatever…we need to take a stand against this distraction and do our part so God can do His. Keep moving forward every day so He can do His healing.
How to heal your body with these 8 extremely powerful actions:
1. Hydration.
Hydration is ridiculously important in the healing process. Drinking fluids flush our system out, keeps things slippery and moving, and powers our cells to function correctly. Technically, we should drink half our weight in ounces. To make the math easy let’s say you weigh 100 pounds, you should then drink 50 ounces of water a day.
100 lbs. / 2 = 50 oz. per day
160 lbs. / 2 = 80 oz. per day
2.Diet low in sugar, sodium, and saturated fats.
All these things are inflammatory to our system. With inflammation comes illness and disease. I know these ingredients taste good, but please be conscious and aware of how much you are consuming these treats.
3. Movement.
Movement is magic. Keep moving. Go for a walk, bike ride, do yard work, and just get your bones and muscles working every day. Think about a river versus a pond and compare the water quality over time. The river keeps moving and flowing, and a pond is stagnate and rots. This rings true for our bodies as well.
4. Sleep.
Sleep is so good to help your body restore and refresh. It’s in the slumber where we get better. It’s recommended to get 8 hours of sleep a night, well some of us need a little more and others a little less. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t reach that 8 hours. Give yourself permission to rest as much as you need.
There are times when our illness or condition may seem all physical, we often forget the spiritual component in healing. This is a huge part, if not the most important part of our healing process. The One who created you can heal you if you want to be healed. There are numerous stories in the Bible about healing and faith. Healing was and is a big part of Jesus’s ministry. Faith alone can heal. And to have faith is to get to know Jesus. To know and meet Jesus is to read about Him in the Gospels and to ask Him to come into your life. When you have that one-on-one experience with Him, things will change for the better.
What is so awesome about His healing is that it is mysterious and true. Mysterious as in you don’t know when He will, and true because He is the way, the truth, and life (John 14:6). His promises are truth, and his promises are promises. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” This is filled with incredible promises. Jesus is the source of healing; He will heal in more ways than one. Please open your eyes to His amazing love. Here are some Bible verses for healing to reflect on and memorize. I have found these extremely helpful!
6. Mental goodness.
Filling your mind with positive vibes affects your thoughts, which affects your choices, and your heart. This is SUPER important in knowing how to heal your body, especially now. Our world is broken. And the only way to make it better is if we make a change by putting good, healthy things into our minds. Add affirmations to your morning routine, listen to good music to and from work, read positive books, eliminate the daily news, remove horror movies even though you know they’re fake, and be aware of who you’re hanging around and what those conversations are filled with.
It’s incredibly good to get outside and go for a walk, especially if you have access to a park or trail with trees. There are numerous studies about the power of nature and how it helps ground us, relieve stress, and simply be a vitamin for our souls. To motivate younger generations to get outdoors some people call it, Forest Bathing (a Japanese term). It is a pretty cool term, kind of like “earthing” a.k.a. walking barefoot on the ground.
7. Perseverance.
This will see you through in knowing how to heal your body. Think of perseverance as a daily vitamin. Perseverance is doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Whether you’re in physical therapy, fighting an illness, or dealing with an addiction, every day you must do your part to keep moving forward. Keep doing the exercises, continue to eat healthy and drink fluids, and fight and resist the temptation to get off track…this is perseverance. How bad do you want to get better? If you want it, it will happen.
The Bible talks about perseverance. I especially like Galatians 6:9 where it says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The other truth I surrender to is Romans 5:3b-4 “…we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” There is nothing more powerful than hope. Hope keeps you moving forward.
8. Grit.
You gotta want it. Healing isn’t for people who think they are entitled or that someone else is going to do it for them. For you to heal, you must do your part so He can do His. Grit takes courage, grit takes strength. It’s asking for a second opinion, researching on your own, trying different approaches, being persistent, having perseverance, trusting in Jesus, and doing what it takes to make things happen! Grit is “STRONG” and refusing the Enemy to take a foothold in you or in your mind. Stand firm. In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, the Bible says this, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
Wrapping up how to heal your body
For you to know how to heal your body, you need to do your part, so He can do His. If you want to frolic like well-fed calves, get your ass off the couch and make it happen! God put you on this planet for good works that He has prepared in advance for you to do! Use what He gave you, take care of it as much as you possibly can, show Him you want it, and ask Him to help you get moving. Healing happens. Healing gives you clarity, hope, perseverance, confidence in Christ, freedom, compassion, wisdom, and love.
Keep moving forward friends even if the doctors say differently. Do your own homework, get second opinions, look at the holistic route, use trial and error, and keep moving forward. Simply said, do more than exist.
As a child, one of my favorite activities was to play dress-up. Dressing up doesn’t just pertain to Halloween costumes. As an adult dress-up plays a big role in our overall success, did you know that? Have you ever tried mowing the lawn in a business suit? How about swimming in blue jeans? I’ll give you the top 5 benefits of dress-up for both kids and adults and why you should think about what to wear.
My recent dress-up play
One of my dreams as a kid was to have a Little House on the Prairie kind of life. Wearing the clothes and doing basic chores in them sounded so fun to me. I know that might sound silly, but those dresses were so pretty and full! At the time I wrote this post, I lived in a suburb with a small yard. My neighbors were about 12 feet away on both sides of our house, but we still had a garden.
After a fried day to the brain, I wanted to do something different to spark my imagination and escape the 21st Century so-to-speak. I wanted to play dress-up. To the bottom of my dresser drawer, I went and pulled my big long skirt out. This skirt wasn’t a prairie skirt as I have dreams but it was as close to one as I could get without spending money. It was dark teal with scattered blue sequents, and lime green lace and ribbon. My imagination had to work hard for it to be what Ma wore in Little House on the Prairie.
Dress-up gone wrong!
I slipped on the skirt and headed to the garden to do chores. It was fun walking to the garden, but gardening in this thing was not what I imagined. The garden was full of weeds and I only had a short amount of time before I had to get my son from school. In other words, my ‘playtime’ immediately went to ‘work time’.
In case you didn’t know, wearing a long skirt while gardening is not the smartest move. I don’t know how they did it in those days, but it was pure misery. Weeds poked my bum and little bugs crawled up my legs! Needless to say, I didn’t want to get my fun skirt dirty. My escape to Walnut Grove turned into a stress ball. Back to the house I stomped, I even stepped on my skirt and about pulled it off. Arg! I threw my fun skirt on the floor and pulled on my garden pants. Back to the garden I went, sat down in the dirt, and weeded the rest of the garden in half the time.
What I learned
What I learned from my dress-up play is that I needed to decide if I wanted to play or work. If it’s to play, “practical” is not invited. But if it’s to work, you gotta adjust your attire and put functionality to use.
As soon as I changed into the pants I don’t care about, the garden was weeded efficiently and quickly without any bug interruptions! All in all dressing the part will give you a leg up on the performance end.
Top 5 Benefits of Dress-up
1. Builds Confidence
Confidence. We all want it, we all need it. Why? Because people are depending on us to make things happen. Things usually don’t happen unless we have confidence in doing the task at hand. Playing dress-up permits us to move forward and boosts our confidence in looking the part.
The more confident you feel in your clothes
the more you’ll achieve.
For instance; dressing the part tells your mind to do that specific activity well. If I’m mowing the lawn in my work suit, I’m going to hurry up and do a bad job because I don’t want my suit to smell like mower exhaust. And if I’m swimming in jeans…let’s just say I would probably drown. I know these are off-the-wall examples, but I’ve seen people do them. Not only did they look miserable, but the guy mowing the lawn looked out of place. To read more about confidence, check out this post: 5 Easy Ways to Build Courage & Confidence.
2. Improves Brain Function
Dressing the part or playing dress-up engages our mind and triggers our memory. If we saw a coworker do an epic presentation and noticed their outfit, we too want that feeling of awesomeness when we do our presentation, so what do we do? We dress up as they did.
If we saw our mom make an amazing meal while wearing an apron, we too would want to wear an apron. How about Dad working in the yard with his work gloves and ballcap?
Wearing clothes that correlate to the job we’re trying to perform, puts us in the mode of doing a good job in that particular role. It gives us more confidence and freedom to act the part out, hence stimulating our brains to think as they do. When we dress like the character, we start to think like the character.
3. Fake it til you make it.
Dressing the part permits you to be that person. Have you heard the saying, “Fake it til you make it?” Sure you have! And you have every right to do so. You’ll learn more and more about that role until you know how to do it. Especially so if you are around people in that particular role.
4. Challenges your skills
What does a uniform say? It says I’m an expert, I have the answers. When you, let’s say, start a new job or you go to a trade show, your company wants you to wear their logo. They are asking you to represent them, which says you need to know the answers. Another example is at the store. You have a question, who do you seek for answers? Someone in uniform. When you wear the vest or logo, you have a responsibility if you want a paycheck. Dressing the part challenges you to learn as much as possible to answer questions. In return, knowing the answers makes your job a lot more fun and rewarding. It becomes easy and builds confidence.
5. It’s fun.
Putting some fun in your work can start in your closet or accessories drawer. Wearing fun bracelets, rings, or scarves does make a difference in enjoyment. Even nail polish can lift our moods. Dressing the part or playing dress-up is fun! When you have pep-in-your-step you’re happier, more productive, and people notice.
Playing dress-up isn’t just for kids, or for Halloween, adults will benefit from it too. We don’t have to dress up in our old prom dress or as a frontier woman to reap the benefits of dress-up, we can make subtle additions that can have a magical impact.
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Subtle dress-up ideas:
Wear a fun apron when you cook or even clean. The apron gives you confidence in making a mess! Who cares if you wipe flour on your apron or splash cleaner on it, it’s an apron! It’s simply doing its job. Check out this super cute apron.
When working outside wear work gloves and “garden pants”.
Working-out? Dress for success. Pitch the cut-off sweats and homemade tanks, and pull on the performance wear.
Home from work? Immediately change out of your work clothes into something more relaxed.
Dress for the weather…need I say more?
All in all
May you get the most out of your outfits. Dress for any occasion, you will have more fun, you’ll feel better, have more confidence, and you might learn a thing or two.
How to get unstuck in life? Do you feel like you’re going nowhere? Are things not going your way? I get it. It’s a frustrating season to be in. With that said, let’s get a game plan to know how to navigate through these tough times. I’ve got five essential tools you’re going to want in your back pocket. Plus, read about my personal experience that wraps this all together. Let’s break free and keep moving forward.
Where I got stuck
In the autumn of 1998, I took a mountaineering class near Vail, Colorado. I felt lost in life and wanted to get back to nature to get a fresh perspective and restart. To say simply, I was seeking clarity in life. Being a young adult, I had the time to head to the mountains and take a breather; in a surprising way, I found a piece of my puzzle that helped me move forward.
My group consisted of eight people. The dynamics were a bit of a mishmash…many personalities and many opinions. As you know, this can make it very difficult in any situation. Survival tasks weren’t easy. We weren’t in cozy cabins with a coffeemaker. We had tarps to sleep under, water filter tablets, and food rations. Yes, I signed up for this!
A few challenges we embarked on were rock climbing, summiting a 12,500 ft. peak, learning how to identify a storm, experiencing solo time for two days, and knowing how to do search n’ rescue. All great stuff when you’re with the right people. It’s crazy how people can affect an experience and change its whole vibe.
On this particular day, our task was to follow a topographical map and use a compass to get to the next camp. Sounds simple, yet it was to be done without our guide and not follow a trail. According to our instructors, it was a six-hour trip. Easy peasy.
We got this, right?
The day started crisp yet sunny, things were looking good; the challenging aspect of this task was to follow the leader. You see, each person had to take a turn to lead the group. We had to follow their direction; needless to say, it was a mess.
Let me reiterate; being stuck in life isn’t all about our circumstances. Another factor that contributes to our situation is knowing WHO is around us. People matter. Are you around toxic people or encouraging and loving people? On this day, our instructors should have added a rule for everyone to shut their mouths! After six hours into our trek, the sky began to darken. A bit of panic settled into some folks, including me. We knew what was coming, we just didn’t know how powerful it would be.
Within minutes rain, hail, and wind pounded our bodies. It felt like the heavens opened up and barfed on us. We thought about quitting; yet, the risk of getting hyperthermic was high, and stopping would put us in danger. Our backpacks felt like cinder blocks and our boots were filled with water. We felt stuck. Exhausted from arguments, weather, and complaining, we wanted to signal our guides to find us…to give up.
Stuck and the power of the mind
Listen up friend; the mind is a powerhouse, meaning, when you feed the mind with doom and gloom, you’re going to get what you put into it. We were not in a good place. Yet, we didn’t want to give up. How were we going to change our attitude to keep moving forward? Someone knew what had to change.
This is how we got unstuck
Out of nowhere, someone yelled, “Come on Nina, hot drinks. Christy, dry socks. Seth, spaghetti!” That person was a genius. He rocked us from ‘stuck’ to ‘moving forward’; and all it took was a little visionary picture. We pictured ourselves eating a warm meal, sipping hot tea, and wearing dry socks. As we continued to hike, we kept talking about how good the spaghetti was going to taste and how cozy our feet would be in warm dry socks. This picture naturally encouraged us. Our attitudes shifted. We got along, laughed, and grew stronger. Our goal of being cozy became a reality within two hours.
5 essential tools how to get unstuck in life
The backpacking trip is a small example of what a new picture (vision) can do. Having a forward-thinking picture of our future is one of the keys to surviving in this complicated world, most importantly, through our personal storms.
1. Focus
Get focused.
Take a few minutes each day and think “big picture”. How are your decisions today going to affect tomorrow; and who will those decisions impact? Jot down and journal what you want your future to look like and who is in that picture. Play around with ideas on how you’re going to get there.
2. Pray
Pray about where you are right now and where you want to go. Prayer is a very powerful tool that can change things. Prayer heals and it protects. When we are vulnerable, we need to be on alert. To rephrase, the Enemy has a hay day with our thoughts, attitudes, and who knows what else. Please, stand firm in Christ. I have a post on Spiritual Warfare you might want to check out.
Ask God to help you align with His will and to help you have perseverance.
3. Know your personal values
Line your vision up with your values, passions, and strengths. Personal values play a huge role in managing stress. Joy and confidence will fill us if our personal values align with our decisions. Be sure to check out: How to Reduce Stress in Your Life: 10 Breakthrough Tips
Ask yourself these questions: What is important to me? What do I love to do? What would be the best day ever? Values play such a big role in our happiness; pay attention to how you’re using them. To learn more about your personal values and to know what they are, I have a free exercise in Freebies.
4. Talk
Talk with someone who understands your big picture or what you’re aiming for. This is huge. Just talking with someone who genuinely listens and asks the right questions can be a game-changer. Certainly, do your homework before calling from a Google search. Simply, find a professional who you trust. Ask your church or a friend you trust.
5. Get creative
In times of how to get unstuck in life, get your hands busy and start crafting up a vision board. I personally like to call them a “Big Picture Board”. Put pictures with what you want to pursue to make it achievable and motivating. There is power in ‘seeing is believing. There is a free guide to making your Big Picture Board (vision board) in my Freebies.
Daniel Harkavy says, “Vision defines what you stand for, why you exist, and who you will become.” Having vision in a storm will make you stronger, wiser, and clearer about how to move forward.
This isn’t new news friends. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 to not put out the Spirit’s fire. Vision is bringing the picture out of our minds and experiencing it with our senses. The first step to how to get unstuck in life is to know you are stuck. The second is to want to get unstuck, this is where creating a vision for your future steps in and moves you forward. Know what you’re going after and envision it happening.
Have you ever gotten overwhelmed, in a funk, or frustrated about the pace of life? Having a hobby can help quiet the roar of chaos and make you feel human again. I’ve got some great hobby ideas for you. But wait! I know what you might say, “I don’t have time for a hobby”. I used to think that way too, but after a little experimenting, I found my hobby to be a superhero to my mental health. Let’s get a better understanding of why a hobby helps us then get hobby ideas to try out.
What exactly is a hobby?
A hobby is an activity that someone does for pleasure when they are not working. The keyword in that definition is “not working”. The hard part is knowing when to stop working. What I love about a hobby is that time isn’t ticking in your ear. You’re not looking at the clock to see when your shift is over. A hobby is your gift to yourself, so you can be yourself! When we’re under heavy stress our bodies produce more cortisol which can be harmful to our health. But when we’re engaged in, let’s say, a hobby, we’re producing the ‘feel-good’ hormones.
I like to look at a hobby as a type of recreation that rejuvenates your spirit. It’s an activity that challenges you in a way in which you want to be challenged. You see, your hobby is YOUR hobby. No one can tell you how to do it unless you welcome the suggestions.
12. Helps prevent boredom when boredom can be harmful to you. Let me expand: overeating, depression, drug use, looking at things you know you shouldn’t, or alcohol use usually come into play when we’re bored. Boredom and its adverse effects are going to get the best of us at times, but when we have a hobby we have an easy way out and can focus on that.
13. The icing on the cake about a hobby is that it actually helps you do a better job at work. CNBC posted an article about how a hobby can improve your work performance. For one, it helps prevent burnout. As said earlier, it helps inspire creativity and enhance your problem-solving skills. A hobby helps reduce stress.
More on hormones.
Hormones are a love/hate relationship. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. As said earlier, the most damaging hormone is cortisol which is produced in our bodies when we’re under stress. The good news is that happy hormones do exist, but to get them we must do a few things. There are four major blissful boosters: endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Each hormone serves a different purpose, in a nutshell, this is what they do:
Endorphins are essentially the body’s painkillers. Vigorous exercise or even eating spicy food releases endorphins.
Serotonin is the mood mediator. Get outside. Being in the sun helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which helps produce serotonin. Even low-intensity exercise helps.
Dopamine is a gratifying hormone, in terms of
goal achievement. It’s all about goals and achieving them to bring on the
dopamine. We set an achievable goal and go after it, when we reach it, dopamine
is experienced.
Oxytocin. This is the love hormone. I think my
husband has an abundance of this one! LOL. Physical contact, hugs, massage, and
sex release this hormone.
When it comes to your hobby, aim to achieve one of these hormones. Now if you want to experience all the bliss boosters at once, you might want to look into “R5HHPJ” as your hobby: Run 5 miles while holding hands with your honey, drinking hot pepper juice from your water bottle…now that’s a hobby!
What are some great hobby ideas?
This is a loaded question because you can make a hobby of your own; the trick to finding one you love is to try some on. Here are some hobby ideas for you to check out:
Knitting, exercising, reading, sales shopping and discount hunting, start a blog, music, woodworking, organizing, auto work, boating, horseback riding, hobby farming, candle making, photography, dance, winemaking, beer brewing, cooking, traveling, wilderness survival, Bible memory, drawing, painting, decorating, gardening, hunting, fishing, camping, running, write a book, kayaking, cycling, walking, surfing, sewing, essentially any sport, collections, puzzles, and pretty much anything other than work.
Remember a hobby is something that gives YOU personal enjoyment yet still a little challenge to enhance your well-being. Think of it as keeping your hands and mind busy getting lost in creativity. This could very well be the peacekeeper you’ve been looking for to help balance life.
In conclusion
There are some great hobby ideas out there to suit you, you just need to experiment with which one or ones find your fancy. Hobbies do change too. Pay attention to when you might be phasing out of one hobby, so you can start searching for new hobby ideas. Just remember, hobbies are not a waste of time, they are our therapy to keep us happy.
Ready to manage stress in a healthy way? Stress is now becoming a part of our everyday lives. The pace of life is heightened, people seem to be edgier, and anxieties of all sorts are making their way to the front of the line. However, there are ways to manage stress in a healthy way that will make you happier and healthier than submitting to medication or drugs. Today I have four questions to help you manage stress in a healthy way.
“She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes.”
While writing this post a lyric from the old childhood song, She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain got stuck in my head. She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes ‘whoa back’. Busyness can take many forms: a badge of accomplishment, a strained ball-n-chain, or simply a lifestyle without margin. When we get in the busy mode we have blinders in our peripheral vision, our backs are heavily weighed, and we kick ourselves to go faster. The term ‘whoa back’ isn’t in our vocabulary, so slowing down would be a crime!
However, at some point, we will get bucked off and hit the ground, it’s just a matter of how hard we hit. After we dust ourselves off we most likely will ask what the heck was that. Staying on the horse is about knowing when to say “not right now”. It’s about knowing where we need to slow down. And it’s about knowing how to do it.
Do I have the right motive?
While reading through an email from Holley Gerth, her words struck a cord in me. She said, “Our God didn’t design us for maximum productivity but for relational intimacy. We so easily forget this and think we’re on this earth to do as much as we can as quickly as we can.” Oh, how I have fallen for productivity! I love being productive and there is nothing wrong with it, but there is a fine line…motive. When the motive isn’t aligned with God’s will for you that day, stress comes to play.
4 tips on how to manage stress in a healthy way
Question 1. What is causing me to stress out and fall off my horse?
I recently got bucked off of not knowing what caused my unstoppable momentum. My schedule had no margin. If I wasn’t working on my blog, I was working on my side gig, and if I wasn’t doing that, I was busy with some other project, and then finally…I would fill in the cracks with my family. My priorities were out-of-whack, seriously backward! The harmony of the many roles I played each day was out of tune. And the problem was an overloaded schedule. I knew it but ignored it.
Was I addicted to being busy? Running from something? Trying to impress someone? I’m not 100% sure, but I know when I fall prey to comparison, my schedule builds. If she can do it, I can do it. The word “no” doesn’t exist. The word “stop” is blasphemy.
How comparison happens
During these comparison seasons chatting with colleagues and hearing stories of massively insane schedules makes me wonder how they get it all done. Am I doing something wrong? Am I not doing enough? Are they getting it done? This thinking catalyzes my expectations of myself, which can be good and bad, but differentiating between the two is a challenge.
Why am I so tired?
This superficial race is mentality exhausting and frankly, it’s stupid thinking. No one is perfect. Who has it all figured out? No one is ever skipping down the Yellow Brick Road with all her ducks in a row. Everyone has different strengths. Yet, the problem with comparisons, whether it be on social media or in grocery store conversations, is that we don’t know the whole story. We don’t always see the condition of others’ hearts and how it weighs on their wellness. We just see the ‘yes man’ and subconsciously start to compete.
The ‘yes man’ is a vicious cycle and a damaging one. We agree to things we don’t want to do, we fill our schedules to please others, and we constantly aim for perfection. But what happens to us in the process? What happens to OUR well-being? What happens when we’re running here and there and everywhere with no time to spare? Mistakes. Mistakes happen.
2. When do I know when something has to change?
My red flags come from a variety of sources. One source is my family when they voice their opinion. Another source of red flags is when I don’t have time to get outside to garden or walk. The biggest warning that something has to change is from my body, the one vessel that makes it all happen. If there is one thing that will slow us down, it’s our bodies. My mistake is not listening to these messages. Before you know it your body will tell you when to change things. Unfortunately, in 2019 I ended up with horrible piriformis syndrome which forced me to slow down, way down. Injuries aren’t the only signal from our bodies, being overweight, being chronically sick, and developing a disease can tell you too.
The Bible talks a lot about slowing down, taking a Sabbath (Exodus 20:9-10), just be (Psalm 46:10), and coming to Him who are weary and need rest (Matthew 11:28). These are just a few references in the Bible. But the Lord has a reason for teaching us how to slow down. I believe one of those reasons is to give our bodies and minds rest so we don’t make big mistakes.
3. Where do we need to slow down?
This question is simply answered by paying attention. Where are you most stressed? What is occupying the majority of your time? How is your schedule affecting others? Are the people around you agitated? Needy? Lonely?
Perfecting balance in every area of your life is not a destination. It’s a moment. We can’t be everywhere at once. There will be days when the schedule weighs heavier in one area than another, but the key is to recognize it. Quieting the mind and sitting in silence helps see where there is congestion. Slowing down a racehorse isn’t easy, so start by giving yourself five minutes of silence. This awareness helps you try harder the next day to find that harmony. Consciously be aware of how you’re using your time, you’ll see where it needs to slow down.
4. How do we slow down before it’s forced upon us?
This is a great question. I’m still figuring it out. One thing is for sure, we need to set boundaries. Setting boundaries gives us permission to say “Not right now” or “No, but thank you for thinking of me”. Boundaries give us our space to recuperate so when we do say ‘yes’ we can be our best. You can say ‘no’ to others, but it’s imperative to also say ‘no’ to yourself and the expectations you’ve created. Learn how to relax.
How to manage stress in a healthy way starts with being aware of what you’re reacting to. Asking yourself key questions will help you understand why your body and mind are working on overdrive. What is causing this stress? Knowing when to change something. Where you need to make that change. And how to slow down. Please note that racing with other horses is a game, not a lifestyle. Set your boundaries and take the time to love yourself.
Camp more comfortable by asking yourself, “What’s the purpose of the camping trip?” This should be the first thing you do before you start packing. Are you going to lay in the sun at the beach, hike in the woods, rock climb, swim, fish, or relax by the fire? Knowing the answer to this will help you pack efficiently and wisely. In this post, we’re going to talk about shelter, sleeping, cooking, water, activities, hygiene, and coffee. Let’s reduce stress and get camping comfy style!
Why is getting out in nature so important?
First and foremost, God created this magnificent earth with all its beauty and mysterious nurturing. One way to love God back is to enjoy and be in His creation. We are creatures who not only depend on nature for our survival, but it nourishes our souls and reduces stress. Nature heals. According to “Nature’s Nurture” by Wendy Helfenbaum, an article in the Costco Connection it says that nature decreases anxiety and negative thinking. It goes on to say that outdoor activity improves our mental and physical well-being and reduces high blood pressure. Nature even helps us learn better! There are so many positive benefits nature holds for us. This doesn’t mean you have spent hours outside to gain from it, but studies show that even 10 minutes can lighten your load. And all we need to do is open the door.
There is something about nature and embarking on a family adventure. Nature relaxes us and opens our minds and hearts to experience God’s beauty. Family camping is a popular activity, or simply doing a family outdoor activity together is fun like cornhole, volleyball, or a scavenger hunt!
#1 How to make camping more comfortable in the weather
The main issue with camping is the weather. Before you pack your first item, look at the forecast. The key here is to have a plan for the opposite…at least something to get you by, like an umbrella or stocking cap. We’re not going to let the weather get in our way of the “serenity now” experience.
My essentials no matter what kind of trip we go on include a rain jacket, wool hat, dry-wick pants and shorts, wool socks, 3 pairs of underwear, 1 vest, 1 fleece or down jacket, 2 t-shirts, 2 long sleeve shirts, and I never leave home without my swimsuit. Of course, this packing list depends on how long you’ll be gone. With that said, it’s a good idea to pack a little pouch of laundry detergent.
Sleeping matters. Take sleep seriously. When we’re tired, most of us tend to be a bit on the cranky side. Sleep can ruin our trip. Without it, our bodies fall apart, our minds get messed up, and we’re not fun to be around. Make sleep your priority. By making your sleeping area comfy, you’ll sleep like a rock. Take note of the area you’re sleeping on; whether it is the ground, hammock, bed, or picnic table…I’ve seen it…make it as comfortable as possible. If your campsite has access to electrical service and you want to block out the neighbors’ chatter, use a white noise machine.
During the night our temperature changes; to stay warm people generally pile on the blankets, but what you really want to do is to beef up what you’re sleeping on. The ground will sap your heat and energy, so think sleeping mat/s. If you’re in a hammock, think about laying on top of a couple of sleeping bags before you crawl into yours.
As for sleeping bags, they are great for sleepovers and hammocks, but when you’re camping at a modern campground in the dead of summer, you’re probably best served with sleeping on top of your sleeping bag and then using a sheet and thin blanket over the top of your body. And don’t forget your precious pillow!
#3 How to make camping comfortable with meals
Cooking. Food is probably the next priority…assuming you’re bringing your own water. Typically when people think of camping they think of hot dogs. However, nowadays, people are making gourmet meals! My rule is whatever floats your boat. I like things to be easy and already prepped. With that said, I spend an afternoon preparing our meals and planning our vacation menu. I get specific with what we’re having for each meal because when I’m camping I don’t want to be cooking or worrying about what we’re going to eat.
As for cooking equipment, this depends upon your camping shelter. Are you using an RV, 5th-wheel, camper, pop-up camper, tent, or just a hammock?
#3.2 Cooking in a Tent
If you’re in a tent or hammock, you have more freedom to camp in places that don’t provide an electric and water service. This brings tremendous opportunity to camp in amazing, hard-to-reach, campsites with breathtaking views. Tent camping also forces you to simplify and keep things simple the whole vacation. With that said, cook more comfortably in a tent by getting a titanium pot and a camp stove. The pot will serve you in many ways. You can almost cook anything in the pot. Plus it boils water when you don’t have a water filter. And, golly, if you’re in bear country or if you get lost, you can use the pan to bang on it and make some noise!
#3.4 Cooking in a Camper
As with all the other types of camping shelters, I mentioned before you will most likely camp somewhere with an electrical hook-up and have access to water unless you’re ‘boon-docking. Boon-docking is where you aren’t hooked up to anything except maybe a solar panel.
Air Fryer on Amazon
If power is on your side, I’d suggest bringing a Crock-Pot or an air fryer. Our 5th-wheel has an over, but we use the air fryer instead. It’s cleaner, easier, and does things the oven can’t do. The air fryer’s capabilities give you more cooking options. The Crock-Pot comes in handy when you’ve had a full day and don’t want to cook when you get back to camp. Gosh! Don’t forget the grill! We have one of the skillet grills that you can essentially cook anything on it, including pancakes. And, yes, still have a titanium pot on hand.
Simple & Show-stopping Sloppy Joes
#3.6 Our 5 Quick Camping Meals We like
Chicken salad. I pre-make this at home and serve it with grapes and chips.
Mac & cheese with brats, hot dogs, or salmon patties. A side of spinach or broccoli is usually served with this. It’s also tasty to put potato chip crumbs on your mac & cheese!
Sloppy JoesThis is my favorite recipe. No mess, no fuss with the kids. I serve green beans, potato straws, or a store-bought salad on the side.
Pulled pork nachos. This is so yummy. I simply buy pre-cooked pulled pork (not the saucy kind), I then put a layer of corn chips, cheese (fake cheese in my case), the pork, and taco sauce. Pop them in the microwave then put fresh avocado and diced tomatoes on top. SO GOOD! Here’s a link to the recipe.
Burgers and sweet potato fries. We make the fries in our air-fryer. We’ve made the burgers in our fryer too! I add a side of spinach, green beans, broccoli, or grapes.
As for dessert, I either bring pudding and whipped cream, homemade granola bars, stuff to make rice crispy treats, or premade cookie dough to bake a fresh batch. Of course, you have s’mores to fall back on. Heck, you could make cookie s’mores! Whaoza!
#3.8 Grab something for your lap and booty
A lap pad or cushion is a must when it comes to eating in a camp chair. Simply place it on your lap and eat. You can make your own lap/booty cushion by getting a foam cushion at your local hobby shop and sewing a small pillowcase for it. Wa laa! Simple, but VERY helpful! I handmake these myself. If you want one of mine, contact me through my Etsy Shop.
#4 Drinking water while camping
Berkey Gravity Fed Filter Click for details
There is no joke about drinking water. Clean water is a must no matter if you’re in the backcountry or a fancy campground. Please bring a filter. If you’d had Guardia or some other illness from water, I know you wouldn’t leave home without one. Plus, dehydration is no joke.
For our camper/5th wheel, we enjoy the gravity-fed Berkey Water Filter you put on your counter or picnic table.
Of course, you can bring jugs of water, been there, done that, and frankly, that’s not fun. Jugs are heavy, and what if you run out of water? Now what?
Please do not drink from any body of water without first either boiling it to a roaring boil or putting it through a filter…note the titanium pot. Dehydration comes quickly if you get sick from bad water. The pot will seriously save your life.
#5 Camping activities for kids
How to make camping comfortable with kids? It’s a great idea to have some activities on hand for foul weather. When the weather is super nice, activities come naturally. The park system has great ideas of where to go and what to explore, so use those services. But if it’s rainy or cold you can still have fun!
First off, it is okay and healthy for your kids to play outside even if the weather isn’t ideal. I remember playing in the rain all the time! Just be sure when they’re done to warm them up and get dry quickly, there is no time for hyperthermia.
Bust out the board games. Here is a list of some of our favorite and top board games. This is something the whole family can enjoy and make memories with. If mom or dad needs a break from the littles, download my Camping Kit or Outdoor Activity Bundle before you leave. This will not only keep your kiddos busy, but if you get the bundle they’ll learn about trees, fireflies, and general nature. These activities actually help your child learn how to play outside!
If you have tweens who have a phone, they might have fun making trick-shot videos. My son did this video and was busy for hours! Here is a link to one of his videos while we were camping: David’s trick shot video.
Hygiene when camping can be tricky, especially if you’re in a tent. How do you camp more comfortable in this department? It kind of depends on how long you’re going to be gone. If you’ve gone for a weekend in a tent, you can probably wait to shower until you get home. If you’re in a campground that has showers, by all means, use them, but please wear flip-flops in the shower, trust me on this. And most campers have a shower, so do what you will.
pee bucket on Amazon
Going to the bathroom. Yep, we’re going there. With tent camping, you have three choices. The first choice is to walk to the bathroom if you’re in a campground. The number two option is to bring a pee bucket and pee in your tent with the bucket. I know it sounds gross, but if it’s storming outside, I’d rather pee in a bucket than hold it.
The last option is to go outside. For men, going outside is part of their nature, for women, it’s a bit more intimate with the ground and feet placement. I’ve heard of people hugging a tree and going, and others hover, yet my preferred method is to squat. Peeing outside will come naturally; you’ll learn how to aim and avoid your feet. Just don’t wipe with any kind of leaf, bring your own tissue and either put in a Ziploc or bury it when you’re done. My secret bathroom weapon that makes my camp more comfortable is the baby butt wipes, enough said.
#6.5 Ticks & Mosquitos
I’m not sure what the purpose of ticks and mosquitos is, but at least some species eat them. How to keep ticks off you and how to stop mosquitos from biting you can be done with a few simple steps. First, bring your own bat and chicken to the campground, the bats will eat the mosquitos and the chickens will take care of the ticks. Now that would be a scene, wouldn’t it?
If you want to kill two birds with one stone, grab your handy bug spray and spray on your clothes if you use DEET. Deet is a serious chemical, please use caution in using it. Spray it on your shoes and clothes only. Do not use it on the skin.
Tick Tips
Wear light clothing so you can spot the ticks more easily. I can’t stress enough how much I dislike these bugs. It’s okay to have anxiety about this, I do! If you have a pet, protect them and yourselves by giving them their flea & tick medicine. Ticks can attach to your pup or outdoor cat VERY easily. Your pet can then bring them inside and then ticks can attach to YOU!
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Tick season is April to October in most parts of the country. If you’re picnicking in the grass, hiking in the woods, or chasing your dog in the tall grass, please do a tick check every night before bed. Ticks like to hide by the hairline, near and behind ears, armpits, bellybuttons, the back of knees, in-between toes, and in the private areas. Look for little black dots.
If you have a tick on you, keep calm as much as you can. Carefully remove them with a Tick Twister or tweezers. Be sure not to squeeze the body, get as close to the head of the tick as possible and pull straight out. Be sure to wash the area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Put the tick in rubbing alcohol…this kills it. I recommend keeping the tick in a jar or freezer bag and putting it in the freezer…this is just in case you start to experience symptoms. While you’re at it, take a picture of it. The doctor can send the tick to the lab and test it for Lyme Disease.
Mosquito Tips
Mosquitos are more prevalent than ticks, at least where I live. They like that sweet blood. Stay away from eating bananas. I know it sounds weird, but there is something about bananas and mosquitos. Wear long-sleeve clothing and spray the good old bug spray.
Natural ways to consider are using lemon eucalyptus oil or spray. They also don’t like tea tree oil, lavender, and peppermint. Smoke from a campfire helps as do the Thermacell devices. Honestly, there are so many mosquito tips and tricks out there. Just be smart. Cover your skin, use a spray you are comfortable with, and don’t eat bananas.
#7 Coffee!
There is nothing like a cup of hot coffee in the morning. For camping in a tent without electricity, use instant coffee. Just boil water in your titanium pot, pour into your cup, and mix. It certainly does the trick. Instant coffee has come a long way.
Camp more comfortable with your coffee in the camper. If you want to keep the mess at bay, simply spend the extra bucks and get a KeurigK-Slim. We tried the traditional coffee pot and the one-cup serving kind. Both worked, but we got tired of wet coffee grounds in the garbage and down the sink. Coffee grounds are hard to get out of the tank. We splurged and bought the small Keurig and used K-cups. Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but it’s a nice luxury while camping. If you’re peeing in a bucket, drink the good stuff.
Camping Comfortable Conclusion
Camping is meant to refresh and enjoy the outdoors, so why not camp more comfortably? When you camp more comfortably, you’re likely to camp again. It’s not to cause stress or poison ivy on your butt. It’s a fact that trees help relieve stress and nurture the soul. Remember the great outdoors is good for the soul and mind alike. It’s those awesome sunsets, rainbows, thunderstorm clouds, and majestic scenery that attract us to the wonderful creation God gave us to enjoy.
