Study Time

Whether you homeschool or simply have homework to do with your kids (or for yourself), there are times where focus and concentration just aren't there.
For us, when I hit a wall with a subject, I have the option of putting it aside and focusing on another topic or activity.

If you are working on a project or under a deadline, you might not have that possibility. So what else can you do?

Personally, I have a whole slew of ideas, tips n tricks. (It's essential to keep my cool around a resistant child or my own mental blocks when my brain shuts down). So here are a few ideas you can try!

-Get up and move. This can work wonders for the mind and body. (It's also a better choice than losing your cool or getting discouraged). Do some stretching. You might even step outside for a walk or a few minutes of fresh air. Think about it...if you're just going to sit there not being productive (wasting time), go do something!

-Change your focus. If I'm writing a scene in my novel that just isn't working, I'll sometimes put it aside and work on a completely different scene. It doesn't have to be a scene I'll keep, but it can open the door to creativity again.  I'll build character profiles, like a family tree with descriptions of as many family members I can dream up, giving my main players more depth. This will actually make my character interactions richer.

- Sometimes a fresh view on the topic can help. If you're studying a chapter that you can't seem to wrap your mind around, go to another one or skip ahead to the wrap-up and see what the author was trying to convey. If you go back and it still makes no sense, google it. Look online for similar content.

-Natural support.  I diffuse or inhale essential oils. Did you know that there are some oils that easily and effectively help relieve stress, and enhance focus and clarity? I've had friends and co-workers reach out, desperate for support in their times of need. (Studying for an interview, job promotion, finals, etc.)
Every single one of them happily shared their success. I love knowing the oils helped. Lemon and peppermint is a great combo, vetiver, or beloved Stress Away are just a few of my choices.

So you see, there are options. Sometimes, getting stress out of the way allows our creative juices to flow, or at least allows oxygen to fill our lungs once again.

Are You a Victim of Toxic Living?

Now, what did you think about that title? Does that describe you in some way, now or at one time? Are you on a Journey to healthier, Greener Living?
Where are you on your journey?
-Not doing it,
-Thought about it,
-Don't know where to start,
-Don't know who to believe or what to think,
Took my first step,
-Started integrating greener/healthier living, or
-Full-fledged Green?

What exactly is a victim of toxic living? How can you tell if you are one?
Well...here is something to think about.The unimaginable amounts of toxins that we are exposed to every day can manifest through different health problems such as allergies, headaches, low energy, depression, bowel irregularities, digestive problems and skin issues.
Everyone has a different reason to get started, and in the end, there are no wrong reasons. The biggest regrets I've heard are that people didn't realize the impact of their choices sooner.
So what are or would be your reason for looking at greener, healthier choices?

Many women or parents will tell you that the moment their children entered their world, everything was thrown on its head and they had to re-think their way of living. Others, sadly, come to the healthier choices after health issues escalate. Thoe good thing is, whether you get there by choice or consequence, you made it! So pat yourself on the back and take comfort in knowing that our bodies are amazing, and given the right conditions, can do some pretty incredible things in the way of improving and even restoring our health. 

So just where are these chemicals? EVERYWHERE.
They are in our food, our clothing (thanks to flame retardants on children's PJ's, the laundry soap and softner we use, and let's not forget dyes and such), our toothpaste, shampoo, soap, shaving cream, creams and lotions, hair products, just to name a few. When we talk about perfumes and fragrances, either the ones we apply to our skin or the ones used in our products, well that's even scarier, because there are literally hundreds of chemicals used to make a fragrance or perfume, and the companies don't have to list them anywhere. 
When it comes to our food, in my home we eat organic. When you think about the amounts of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, larvacides, and such that are sprayed on our food crops, it's not something I want to put into my body, or my family's. Consider that they use 250lbs of chemicals for one acre of coffee...(I'm even happier not to drink it, but I do love my ground date pit 'coffee' so I can make pumpkin spice lattes).

pic from the link I gave you

Do you remember doing an experiment in school with food dye and celery or flowers? Here's a link to check out one such experiment. So you'll understand that even if you wash your produce, you cannot remove what is inside the plant. It soaks into the ground and is absorbed by the plant. The other issue with non-organic produce is the soil. Healthy soil has 52 minerals and micro/macro-nutrients, whereas conventionally grown produce has 3...the ones they keep spraying on the depleted soil. Crop rotation was there for a reason.

OK, back to the point of the post! WHAT can you do to take control of your health and well-being? Take a step, fall into action, make a change. If you don't want to go full-on organic, then take time to look up the "Dirty Dozen" and avoid those foods unless they are organic. Learn about the "Clean Fifteen" and add them to your routine. Start reading labels. If there are more than 5 ingredients on the list, most of which you can't even pronounce, you might want to look them up or find better products. That goes as much for food as for moisturizer, laundry soap and any product going in or on your body. What you apply to your skin gets into the bloodstream in as little as 26 seconds.
Another thing you can consider is adding essential oils to your routine. (Not the cheap ones bought at the grocery store, but pure oils that you know contain no chemicals added in along the way.) 

According to Health Canada, essential oils have been proven and accepted to be used in aromatherapy;

• for symptomatic relief of acne/boils,
• to relieve minor skin irritation/cuts/bruises/burns,
• for symptomatic relief of eczema/dermatitis,
• as a nervine/calmative,
• to help relieve joint/muscle pain associated with sprain/strain/rheumatoid arthritis,
• to help relieve a headache,
• as a carminative/antispasmodic for symptomatic relief of digestive discomfort, and
• to help relieve colds/cough.

And if you take a few minutes to look up the benefits of the individual oils, you're in for a nice surprise. Every oil you add to your routine is a toxic product you've left behind. It literally takes me a minute to make a bottle of foaming hand soap, enriched with essential oils, and costs less than a dollar a bottle. I use, trust and love Young Living essential oils and their products. Their Thieves household cleaner amazes me every time I use it. My husband is now a believer as well.

All you have to do is give it a try. You will notice the difference when you lower the amount of toxins in your daily life. I was reading somewhere where they pointed out that someone who added smoothies to their morning routine improved 1/3 of their diet. 
My husband eats vegan/organic here at home and uses the non-toxic products we have, but he also eats out every weekday, and no...it's not organic or vegan. Nonetheless, he realized that he no longer suffers from allergies. Imagine how he'd be feeling if he embraced this full on! 

If you want more info on Essential oils, give me a shout. I'd be more than happy to help you begin your journey. Young Living offers you an amazing deal, a starter kit of 11 essential oils and a diffuser, plus a whole slew of little goodies on the side for $199.75 Canadian, or $160 US. (You get 24% off all following purchases for a year, so it's even better than a Costco card! No offense to Costco, but I paid cash just to get my card, here you get a great kit in exchange!)

Debbie Brown: Young Living Independent Distributor #11073874

The Veggie Burger

 Since going gluten-free, bread has been pretty much ousted from my diet. I actually liked white bread sandwiches, (with peanut butter or those crust-free buffet sandwiches), way back when...but then in came GF, and there is no GF substitute that comes near to a slice of white bread...and then in came the choice to go vegan. Honestly, it was easier to replace the filling from a tuna salad sandwich or an egg-salad sandwich with vegan options -which actually taste better than the original version, than finding decent bread.

So, (yeah, yeah, I'm getting to the point), eating a hamburger in a bun was a memory that was tossed into the category "never gonna happen again" until now! YES, I have a solution. Kamut hamburger buns, Earth's Choice provolone cheese slices, and the burger recipe I'm going to share with you in a moment, cooked on the BBQ, I might add. OK, I bought a plaque I put on the BBQ grill because I wasn't sure if they'd hold together, but wow....it was awesome! Ready to try it?

Step one:

The night before, get these things soaking, all night.

1/3 cup sunflower seeds,

1 cup pecan nuts,

1 ½ cup oats,

Yes, covered with water, in a glass dish if possible, all night. You will want to rinse and drain well before use.

Make a flax egg and set aside until it thickens:

2½ Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with ½ cup warm water

In one pot,

¾ cup (uncooked) red rice, rinsed, drained and cooked, (I suppose you could use white or brown)

The Grilled Patty

In another pot,

1 cup (uncooked) green or brown lentils, rinsed, drained, and cooked

Add a veggie broth cube to the water, or 1 Tbsp veggie broth powder

1 red onion (about ½ cup),

1 medium-sized Portobello mushroom (about ½ cup),

IF you don't do mushrooms, you can use zucchini instead)

½ a red pepper

a handful of fresh parsley,

½ tsp baking powder

Now you can add about ½ Tbsp of steak spices or add the following to taste

¼ tsp Freshly ground pepper

½-1 tsp Fresh ground pink salt

½-1 tsp Garlic powder

1-2 Tbsp tamari sauce

Put the vegetables, sunflower seeds, and pecans into the food processor and pulse a few times, you want small pieces.

Then add the rice, lentils, oats, and seasoning. Pulse some more. I like to really give it a go because I don’t want to see chunks of vegetables or seeds. Add the flax egg and mix well. We’re trying to get it to look like a burger.

This makes a good-sized batch, so you can shape and freeze some patties for use at a later date. They freeze really well, and you can put them on the BBQ plaque frozen.

We had more than enough to feed 5 people, twice. ( 3 adults, 2 kids)

Oh! If you are not going to BBQ them, you can add a drop of liquid smoke or a 1/2-1 tsp of smoked paprika, then adjust to taste. You don;t want it to overpower the taste.