Found a Feather

My frustration with Christians

Ok, so before you write me off based on the title alone, just keep reading. I am a Christian. I believe in God and I believe that Jesus is God’s son. I go to church, I pray on a regular basis and I love God with all my heart. I however feel very frustrated at the Christian community on a couple of things. One of them being the example we set when it comes to fitness and health. 

Alright, so obviously I am grouping a people together when all of them don’t fall into this category. And NO, I am not perfect. I have many faults so I am not hear to sit behind my computer screen and judge any one, my heart behind this post is simple to help each other and encourage each other to be healthy.

Our culture is so focused on food.. and I get it! Food is delicious, but if you are living for your next meal you are not really living. I think we need to do a better job of setting an example of how to eat and how to stay in shape for our kids and the rest of the world. It makes me sad when I see people who are very overweight. I think “man this is not how God intended us to live”. I don’t think everyone needs to be super skinny or super fit. I am not saying that everyone needs to jump on the vegan or cross fit train, but I do think that people need to be in a healthy weight range and be exercising a few times a week. 

I especially think that Christians need to do a better job of taking care of the body that Christ has given us. Honoring Him in all things even down to the little things like what you put in your mouth. 

I am here for a short time and I want to live life to the fullest. I want to honor God with my life and I want to be respected as a mom, a wife and someone who has taken care of the things that God has entrusted me with. One of them being my body.

There are so many different things you can do to get into shape:

 

My fitness Pal is a great way to keep track of calories, exercise and more.

The Makers Diet, love this book. I read is several years ago and am just about to read it again. A great outline on how we should be eating.

Bikini Body Mommy, this women is a rock star! She has great at home workouts for free and just came out with a book on eating right.

Are you living your life to the fullest? Are you healthy? What are you doing to get there?

A few of my Favorites

Wesley is such a talker! I have to always find new things to ask him. At least 3 times a day he will say “mom, ask me some questions”. The other day I told him to tell me what some of his favorite things were. They were so random it made me laugh.. breakfast, robots, ladders..

He then asked me what my favorite things were and I thought oh that’s easy, but I kept coming up with people I love or things I like to do, not things that I liked. So after much deliberation here are 5 of my favorite things.

1. Honey Roasted Cashew – I can’t seem to just eat one. There is a cute older couple who sell these at our farmers market! They are the best.

2. My ikea sheepskin throw – I sadly don’t live near an Ikea, so I have my sister mail me things. I am in love with this.

3. Cheesecake Factory’s Louisiana Chicken Pasta – I get this every time I go to Cheesecake factory, I always tell myself I’ll try something new and I can’t. This is just too good!

4. Rimmel Concealer – I tried this on a whim one day. I needed new concealer and didn’t have time to order my usual, this took me by surprise and is now my favorite!

5. Anthropologie Coffee Mugs – I hope one day to get all the letters, it is a growing collection. I love these mugs!

6. Divergent by Veronica Roth – If you liked Hunger Games you will love this series! They are making them into a movie too!

7. Anthropologie Soap – This is my favorite scent. Anytime I smell it I can’t help but be in a good mood!

Showing Love in different ways

As Lucy grows older I realize how different she is from Wes. Wes is my sweet little boy who loves to tell me I am the prettiest mommy he knows.. Lucy is my strong willed child who loves to cuddle.

I am so enjoying watching them grow up into their own little people. I’ve noticed that Wes is not as independent as Lucy, but when he gets around his friends he becomes a wild man. He is also a very active boy, if I don’t have something planned for him every second of the day he becomes crazy. I can’t tell you how many times a day I have to tell him to calm down.

Lucy is strong willed! Oh my goodness I fear that she is going to be much like me. If that is the case I am in for it!! She is great at playing by herself, the only time she really wants me to play with her is if we are reading a book together.

Because I have two very different children I’ve also noticed that their love languages are so different. Wesley is not a cuddlier (neither am I) but he loves talking (like his daddy)! I know he feels the most loved when I sit down and actually listen to his endless stories! This has been hard for me to actually pay attention to what he is saying and not just shake my head while doing something else.

Lucy loves to cuddle and kiss. She likes to snuggle with her stuffed animals and sing. I try every day to snuggle with her while we sing songs together.

I want my children to grow up and know that their dad and I love them, not just know that but also feel that we love them. I want to make sure to take time each day to notice them and not just go through the routine of a stay at home mom. Here I found a great little chart that gives tips on how to show your children love:

Minimalist Living

When Kyle and I first got married he had this crazy idea to live in a shipping container or a really small house.. I am talking 200-300 square feet. I was NOT on board with this plan. I don’t know why I thought I couldn’t do it. Probably because I’ve been raised in a culture where things are so important and keeping up with the Joneses becomes everyones obsession. Now however I dream about building a house out of shipping containers.

 

Seriously, how cool are these?

The older I get the more I crave a simplistic lifestyle. The thought of not having clutter or debt are a few of the appealing factors. Feeling organized and living off what you have are a few other.

Kyle and I have really tried to take steps and still are towards becoming more simplistic. We’ve started cleaning up our back yard, going through each room and getting rid of stuff we saved “incase someday we need it”.

There are so many ways a person can change their lifestyle to become more minimalist. I’ve have noticed that since Kyle and I have been taking steps towards this we are both happier. Isn’t that crazy.. The less we have the happier we are.

Here are some steps that we have taken or are working on to live more of a clutter free, care free, happy life:

1. Write down what you really want for you and your family. Then figure out how you can accomplish those things. For example, Kyle and I love spending our days outside. We decided that since we spend so much time outside that we would like to make our backyard a relaxing place where the kids can play. Every change we get we spend on cleaning up our back yard. It has come so far from where we started and once we are done I will upload some before and afters!

2. Go through each room and get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last 6 months. If you are married make sure you go through each room together so you don’t “accidentally” through away someones legos?!?

3. Don’t buy new things unless you really really NEED them. The point of step two is to make more space and get rid of clutter, it kind of defeats the purpose if you go out and buy new things.

4. Eat better foods. Every week I make a grocery list. 99% of the time it does not have processed foods on it. We eat what we buy and we try not to go to the grocery store throughout the week. I use to go to the store on the weekend and then kyle would go to the store 1-2 times a week to pick up something I forgot. Now we go once a week and that is it. If I forgot something I just have to improvise.

5. Get rid of technology! Listen I love my iPhone. I love reading other peoples blog. I love watching TV shows or movies but none of that is contributing to my family. At the end of the night we really (no we are not perfect) try and spend the time together. Phone free, computer free, tv free. Unless we have decided to watch a movie as a family we really try and focus that time on each other.

6. Organize your life. Keep a calendar of what you have going and and don’t over commit. I love having play dates with my friends and my kids friends, but if it taking too much time away from getting the things I need to get done then it isn’t worth it. I keep a list of things I need to get done or do everyday. I don’t do anymore or any less. Each day and week is different. I also plan one day for myself and the kids to just stay home and relax. We play outside, read books, I don’t clean, we eat left overs. This helps me from getting burned out on the day to day stuff.

7. Organize your home. This weekend kyle and I will be going through our closet and finding ways to organize it. Since Kyle works from home our closet can become the catch all of things we don’t have a place for. If you keep your home clean and organized you won’t feel stressed or boxed in.

Is there anything you do to contribute to living more of a simple life?

 

Sunburns and Sunscreen

This week the weather has been so great! It has been in the high 60′s to 70′s and we have been taking advantage spending every day outside. Playing with the kids, doing yard work with the hubs. I have been loving every minute of it.

Both of my kids have such fair skin that I have to be so cautious when they are out in the sun. Last year I learned that sunscreen really isn’t good for you. This rocked my world! I  grew up lathering sunscreen on during the summer. Especially since both of my parents have had cancerous moles removed. 

An Environmental working group did a study this year and out of 800 sunscreens they found that only 25% of them were safe. So here are the things you need to look out for when buying sunscreen.

Oxybenzone - There have been many toxicological studies to test for hormone altercations that throw off your endocrine system as a result of oxybenzone absorption. The environmental working group also links this chemical to cell damage that may lead to skin cancer.

Homosalate - Similar to oxybenzone, this UV-absorbing chemical can mimic bodily hormones. Since our bodies cannot dispel this chemical to match the rate of absorption, it accumulates to toxic levels over time.

Paraben Preservatives - More importantly, the chronic effects of Paraben use are known to disrupt and mimic hormones and cause reproductive toxicity. As a suspected carcinogen, it has connections with breast tumors, skin cell damage, and oxidative stress on the body’s tissues, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Octocrytene - As a synthetic UV absorber and sunscreen agent, when exposed to UV rays, this chemical may produce oxygen radicals that cause cell mutation. It may accumulate in our bodies in measurable amounts, resulting in increased production of free radicals that are known to induce indirect DNA damage. According to the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, octocrytene may have contributed to the increased occurrence of malignant melanoma in sunscreen-users when compared to non-users.

Retinyl Palmitate - A from of vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, may speed up the development of skin tumors when applied in the presence of sunlight. This data was recently made available from an FDA study that tested lab animals coated in vitamin A cream for development of tumors and lesions.

Octinoxate - The chemical’s effects on estrogen levels are harmful for humans and wildlife, especially when the chemical seeps into water. While SPF products are designed to decrease sun-induced aging, octinoxate may actually be the main culprit for premature aging, as it produces free radicals that attack skin cells. As a penetration enhancer, this chemical continues to be one of the most common ingredients found in sunscreens with SPF

Artificial Scent  - Many artificial scents may even disrupt hormones, stimulating human estrogen receptors. These artificial musks also have an environmental impact — they have been found to be toxic to aquatic life, as measurable quantities accumulate in the food chain.

Your diet can have such an effect on how your body responds to the sun too. Here are some foods to avoid and some foods to eat.

Avoid:

• Vegetable oils and products containing these high Omega-6 oils
• Flours and cereal grains which are also high in Omega-6
• Sugars which cause inflammation
• Processed and chemical containing foods

Consume:

• Grass-fed meats which are higher in Omega-3s
• Wild caught fish which is a great source of Omega-3s
• Leafy greens which contain a ton of nutrients
• Healthy fats, especially Omega-3 fats and quality saturated fats like coconut oil

Supplements:

• Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil Blend (also great for remineralizing teeth)-Probably the most important supplement for sun protection. 
• Astaxanthin- A highly potent antioxidant which research shows acts as an internal sunscreen. It’s also supposedly an anti-aging supplement.
• Vitamin D3 - Emerging evidence shows that optimizing blood levels of Vitamin D can have a protective effect against sunburn and skin cancer
• Vitamin C - A potent anti-inflammatory, and it is good for the immune system too.
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted in a cup of green tea per day- the Medium Chain Fatty Acids and saturated fat are easily utilized by the body for new skin formation and are protective against burning.

Even when taking these steps to help prevent burning you should still limit your sun exposer or wear protective clothing. You can also try this homemade sunscreen recipe that Wellnessmama shows you how to make.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond or olive oil (can infuse with herbs first if desired)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (natural SPF 4)
• 1/4 cup beeswax
• 2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide (This is a non-nano version that won’t be absorbed into the skin. Be careful not to inhale the powder). This makes a natural SPF of 20+ or more can be added.)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
• Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF 4-5)
• Optional: Essential Oils, Vanilla Extract or other natural extracts to suit your preference.

How to make:

1. Combine ingredients except zinc oxide in a pint sized or larger glass jar. I have a mason jar that I keep just for making lotions and lotion bars, or you can even reuse a glass jar from pickles, olives or other foods.
2. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat.
3. Put a lid on the jar loosely and place in the pan with the water.
4. As the water heats, the ingredients in the jar will start to melt. Shake or stir occasionally to incorporate. When all ingredients are completely melted, add the zinc oxide, stir in well and pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage. Small mason jars (pint size) are great for this. It will not pump well in a lotion pump!
5. Stir a few times as it cools to make sure zinc oxide is incorporated.
6. Use as you would regular sunscreen. Best if used within six months.

Additional notes:

• This sunscreen is somewhat but not completely waterproof and will need to be reapplied after sweating or swimming
• Make sure not to inhale the Zinc Oxide- use a mask if necessary!
• This recipe has an SPF of about 20, though adding more Zinc Oxide will increase the SPF
• Add more beeswax to make thicker sunscreen, less to make smooth sunscreen
• I recommend coconut or vanilla extract or lavender essential oils for fragrance
• Store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge
• I prefer to store in a small canning jar and apply like a body butter. It will be thicker, especially if you use coconut oil in the recipe.
• remove the Zinc Oxide and this makes an excellent lotion recipe!

Happing Safe Tanning!!