Finding an Outlet

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” —Andy Warhol

I started experiencing physical symptoms of stress a few years ago, sneaking up on me after having our third child. A few months in, I finally went to see a doctor for the “weird tension” in my neck and shoulders. He looked at me very gently and said bluntly, “it’s chronic stress.” 

I was dumbfounded. I was not stressed out. No way. Only wimps get stressed out. Only worry warts could feel physical symptoms from stress-induced anxiety, or whatever he called it. That was not me. 

Until I got a second opinion, I was sure I had a tumor and my lazy doctor had not diagnosed me properly. Unaware that I had already asked my GP, my OB confirmed his diagnosis of my physical symptoms. Stress.

It felt so vague. Short of taking medication, there was no “quick fix”… and even with the medication, it could still be a long road. She explained to me, through my tears, that life is just plain hard sometimes. 

I sat there begging her to see that I wasn’t stressed, that my life wasn’t any harder than anyone else’s life - in fact it was probably easier. Yes, I had a husband with an odd set of demands that can sometimes feel lonely and yes, I had three kids now (which I am still recovering from) but I didn’t feel like I could at all quantify my life as hard. 

Her response was not what I bargained for, and it still echoes in my mind when I feel guilty for feeling stressed. She said, “Becky, just because it’s not as hard as it could be doesn’t mean it isn’t still hard.”

Think about that for a second. Just because life isn’t as hard as it could be, doesn’t mean it isn’t still hard. Just because I have healthy kids and a loving husband and a happy-ish home and the woman down the street lost her husband and a mom at school is going through a divorce doesn’t mean that kids, marriage, career tending and homemaking come easy all the time. The demands of all of our mundane, everyday lives can get extremely overwhelming. And that’s okay, in fact it’s normal. 

And I needed to get a freakin’ grip. 

So I asked her for a prescription and instead she gave me a remedy. 

Many of the things she suggested were obvious and I felt frustrated even thinking about them. Exercise… I mean, I had a brand new baby. Yoga? Please. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Hot baths? My bath tub is full of baby toys. Eating healthy? Unfortunately, eating unhealthy was my coping mechanism. 

But finding an outlet? That one was tough. 

I had an outlet… many outlets, in fact. I write, I paint signs, I run (when I can), I cook and I garden. So why wasn’t any of that making it better? 

I discovered that all of these things I was doing out of necesity, obligation or for the enjoyment of someone else. I wasn’t doing any of these things intentionally just to settle my mind. I wrote with a purpose (you’re reading that here). I painted for a business. I ran because I was told it was good for me - and it was the only thing that I didn’t HATE doing. I cooked because my people needed to eat - and it was always a battle.

How could I do something just for me… something that would have no expectations, no limits, no one criticizing, no one watching? How could I find that time? 

I didn’t until I decided at the beginning of 2017 that I had to make that time. I had to force myself to take time to do something that might feel fruitless at first because it wasn’t serving a purpose. But now I see that it was - it is - because it’s serving me. 

As women, we can get incredibly caught up in serving everyone else. Even if you aren’t a natural servant, I bet you still find yourself serving someone else throughout the day. We were created to be helpmates, and that is what we do all day long. So when we are doing something that isn’t helping someone else, it feels unworthy of our time. But that’s not true. It’s a lie. 

When I paint just for me, I somehow feel my mind settling. As if the insides of my mind are just starting to untangle. Sometimes I talk to God as I paint, sometimes I listen to worship music or just sit in silence. Sometimes - and don’t tell anyone else this - I crank my Spotify up real loud and rock out to Bruno Mars and Maroon 5. 

It’s not always a Holy experience, is my point. 

It is, however, an experience that makes me feel encouraged, uplifted and like my soul is being tended to. Yes, God gives me everything I need on a daily basis emotionally, spiritually and physically - but He also created me with a need to create. Just like He created you with your own needs too. I’m wondering if you need an outlet just like I did.

How can you carve time out for it? You just do. You just have to. It might be five minutes, it might be nine. But just set your timer and do it. Get up ten minutes earlier. Go to bed ten minutes later. It doesn’t have to be huge… just start with something. Let God speak to you as you unwind your mind through reading, cooking or catching up with a girlfriend. Find a release this week and see what it does for the depths of your soul. I bet you won’t be disappointed. 

Let's Dig Together /// A Gardening Series

It’s that time again! Time to plan our gardens and this year I have big changes in mind due to lessons I learned last year and I’m terribly excited to get started on this year’s crop!!!

I have received several questions from beginner gardeners over on Instagram, so I thought I would start a little series here that goes through things I think about each year when planning a garden. So keep reading for bi-weekly updates on how our garden is doing and what you can be doing to excel (by trail and error) in your own garden.

DISCLAIMER : I am by no means a professional gardener or am actually trained in anything. I am just a gal who loves to dig in the dirt and I want to share that experience with y'all. So buckle up and get ready to dig in your own dirt!

First things first though. You might be reading this post thinking “why in the world would I ever garden?” Or you might be one of those - sitting where I was - thinking that you could never have your own garden… that you would never be able to keep up with it, you’d kill everything or it would be a total waste of money…. STOP!! Let me tell you… YES you can!!!!!

I garden because I love to plant something and watch it bloom. I love to sit in my backyard and literally enjoy the fruits of my labor. I like to feel the sweat on my back as we dig and bury and weed and water. My very favorite process - until the dead of August - is getting my cup of coffee before the kiddos get up and getting out to water with the hose. It is maybe the most peaceful time of day ever and perhaps those are also my most peaceful times of the year.

Y’all, I long for that time right now… when the green leaves spring back to the water and the blooms carry the droplets like tiny little crystals of jewelry. I mean, let’s be honest, I could get out there right now and water but nothing would enjoy it. It’s all brown, crunchy and dead. Watering that isn’t the same as watering something that is growing… there might be a sermon in there, right?

Okay, so let’s start at the very beginning.

THE BASICS

First, you need to find out what zone you’re in by looking at this map. That was pretty simple, wasn't it? Also, know that I’m in zone 8.

Next let’s do some definitions :

Perennial : lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring. (Also known as the plants that come back year after year).

Annual : plants with a life cycle that lasts only one year. They grow from seed, bloom, produce seeds, and die in one growing season. They then need to be replanted each spring.

Next, you need to evaluate where you want to plant.

Do you have a patio or do you have a yard? Do you want to plant in your beds or do you want to build something? Do you have a lot of sun or do you have a lot shade? Mine changes from spring to summer - nothing terribly dramatic - but keep that in mind. What is your water situation like? Can you move a hose to wherever you want to plant?

A few thoughts here before you get overwhelmed.

First, container gardening is MY personal favorite. I would much rather plant in pots, or baskets or whiskey barrels, than plant in a bed. In fact, there are only a handful of things I’ll plant in beds now because I feel like they are definitely harder than keeping something alive in containers. The BIG advantage of container gardening is that if you see something wilting in hot sun every afternoon, you can move the container! How genius is that? If you have something in beds, it’s not as easy, although I have done it before. If you are a TRUE beginner gardener, I would stick with containers.

Okay - so next you have to decide what you want to plant.

FLOWERS

Do you want a cut flower garden? Do you want big blooms or do you want a variety (that’s what I like!) Do you want to stick to a color theme? Do you want to plant perennials (the kind that come back every year) or do you want to do annuals that you plant every year, or do you want to do a mix of both?

I have one flower bed by my living room window that I did almost all perennials in with big blooms. I had Lavender Butterfly Bush, Salvia and Texas Sage. I filled in with some Lantanta (which is essentially a perennial in Texas). All of these are pretty drought resistant and that is a necessity for us in Texas, unless I plan to be out there all of the time. These all did well and are already turning green this year. Also know that perennials tend to be hardier than annuals.

EDIBLES

The number one question here is this : What do you (and/or your family) like to eat that you can grow? I mean, I like cookies, but I can’t grow those… fortunately for my weight. Most edibles require FULL sun, so keep that in mind if you are working with some shade. There are a few that don’t necessarily care all that much, like herbs, but most flowering plants like FULL, HOT sun!

Here are some easy (from my experience) first time edibles to grow.

Basil, Rosemary (a perennial), any kind of pepper, Cucumbers, bush beans.

Your assignment for this week is to grab a cup of coffee, a piece of paper and start answering these little questions for yourself. Start scribbling down what you really want. It might not be what you end up with, but it gives you an idea of where you want to start.

Take a trip to your local nursery and see what they have available in terms of seed and small plants, but DON'T BUY ANYTHING YET. This will get your mind inspired for planting and give you a better idea of what grows in your zones. Don't be discouraged if there isn't much available, it's still very early in the planting season.

Take a look at gardens over on Pinterest. Beware to not spend too much time there, though, or you might get overwhelmed and disappointed that your yard can't look like the picture you see. It can still look awesome, and it will become your little baby soon enough.

The bottom line is to get inspired and to tell yourself that you CAN do this!!

Next week, come with your answers along with your ideas and we will starting putting a plan together for your yard! Let me know if you have any specific questions you want to answer in next week's post and I'll put them in there for you!

Double the Meat Stuffed Jalapenos

A few thanksgivings back, I had PW had some Jalapeño Poppers in her current cookbook that I wanted to try. I was assembling them in my parents kitchen with my chef brother right next to me, which always puts me at a little disadvantage at showing how great of a cook I pretend to be. He graciously showed me how to use the spoon to scrape out the seeds so I didn’t have to use my poor little fingers to do it. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because I eat a lot of spicy things, but the seeds have never really bothered my skin. Now, my eyes? That’s a different story all together for another day.

The nice little poppers were a big hit that day and I’ve pretty much been making them the same way ever since - cream cheese, bacon, jalapenos.

Somewhere along the way, I started brushing the tops with a little BBQ sauce, trying to get a sweet-spicy thing going on. The BBQ sauce also makes the bacon extra crispy - because who wants soggy bacon? NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND, y'all.

But now I have this friend, and she loves to cook just like I do - and she is dang good at it. She tries new recipes and we both love a good appetizer (dips are our specialty). It so happens that she makes jalapeño poppers too. I’ve eaten hers for years as well; they were always a big hit at parties (especially with this jalapeno lover), but I had never thought to ask what was actually in them.

During Christmas time this year, Jeff requested that Julie bring her ‘famous jalapeño poppers’ on Christmas Eve (obviously they were more memorable than mine - you'll see why in a sec), but since they were coming in from out of town, she had to send us the list of her ingredients so he could go grab them for her. As I started to assemble the ingredients for her, I was surprised to learn that hers didn't include bacon - I had never thought about it before. That night they were super delicious, of course, but my mind stirred a bit.

I had already planned on making my original jalapeno poppers for Christams night dinner with at my parent's house, but what if I ended up mashing up Julie’s jalapeños with mine?

 

How does that saying go? Two heads are better than one?? That’s how this recipe got made. Not to brag, y'all, but my brother (remember, he's a real-deal chef), called them legit and went back for thirds. 

I’m sort of reluctant to share our party food with y’all though, because chances are either Julie and I  are taking something to a party, it is going to be these. We call dibs. 

DOUBLE THE MEAT STUFFED JALAPENOS

Ingredients

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage (regular, not spicy)

Cream Cheese (just swallow your pride and buy the regular kind, not the low fat)

1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 package Center Cut Bacon (the shorter pieces)

10 large jalapeños, cut in half and seeded

1/4 c BBQ Sauce

Cilantro for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick foil for quick clean up.

Brown and crumble breakfast sausage in large skillet. Drain off excess grease, return to pan and turn off heat.

Cube cream cheese and throw it in the pan with the hot sausage. Add cheddar cheese and stir until it’s all creamy and melted goodness. TIP :: After you throw the cheese in there, put the lid on and let it get toasty in there for a bit before mixing it. If you need to turn the heat on low to get it all melted, go for it!

Meanwhile, seed your jalapenos. To seed them, you want to slice the ends off and then cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and scrape out the insides into a bowl or the trash can. If you like a little heat, you don't have to be super intentional with this. But if you are skeerrred of some heat, get it all out! 

Lay out all of your jalapeno halves and your bacon strips. I like to make an assembly line next to the stove. Cream cheese mixture, jalapenos, bacon, baking sheet. 

Now it's time to assemble! Using the same spoon, scoop some of the cream cheese mixture into the jalapenos. When they are all filled, wrap the back all the way around the jalapeno, leaving the ends on the bottom or tucking them under the pieces of bacon. Place assembled jalapenos on the baking tray. 

Brush each jalapeno with some warmed BBQ sauce.  (This is the secret ingredient, y'all!)

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Turn the broiler on high and broil for 5-8 minutes, until  bacon is nice and crispy! Top with chopped cilantro and an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce to make them look all dressed up for a party!

STOP Believing Those Lies!

Have you ever found yourself repeating words in your head that started out as a lie but now you are wondering if they’re true? When people call you names do you think, “wow, maybe that is right - maybe I really am like that?”

A few years ago, I got wind that a friend had suggested I was a less-than-friendly type of person. The reason it stung so badly was because I felt like I was actually going out of my way in that particular friendship. It was exactly the opposite of how I felt about myself, and what truly was in my heart.

Instead of reaching out to her, I shrunk back and became bitter. Those words continued to ring in my ears for the better part of two years. It filtered into all of my friendships - old and new. I stopped reaching out to old friends because I had convinced myself that it would never be good enough. I shrunk back from new friendships telling myself “what is the point.” 

I let her words fill my soul.

Have you ever been there?  Has there been a time in your life when you allowed someone else’s words to define who you are? Do you feel stuck there like I did? Let me encourage you today, you do not have to stay there!

Listen, words are powerful. A friend’s words are mighty when they lift us up, affirm us and encourage us. There is nothing like hearing from someone you love that you can, in fact, keep going. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, a friend’s words - or even someone you barely know, for that matter - can remain in your ears for a long time when the words were meant to tear you down.

I let this woman’s words echo in my heart for entirely too long. When that happens, the words begin to snowball and become way bigger (and worse) than they originally were. No matter how long I tried on my own to fight it, they began to define who I was. 

God is so good, and I knew deep down that this yucky person I had built myself up in my mind to be, wasn’t truly who I was. When I finally decided to get a grip, put my big girl panties on and be done with it, I had to realize that this was not her fault. It was mine. And I needed to take ownership of that. The ugly that was filling my soul was MY junk, not just her words. Just to be clear, this was - and still is - a tremendous battle for me. It was not as if a switch flipped and I just felt better, it remains a struggle to this day. 

Satan would love it if he could kill us with our own thoughts, y'all. He would love nothing more than to take one simple sentence that someone said way back when to torture us into thinking we are not worthy to see the light of day, let alone approach the throne of grace with confidence.

Truth be told, when this friend's words rocked me to my core, I was still grieving from my miscarriage. Don't think that was a coincidence, y'all. Satan knew exactly what he was doing, just like he still knows exactly what he's doing. He is crafty and he wants you and he wants me and he wants any woman who's heart is after the Lord. He wants to discourage us and beat us down and make it all seem so real and hard-core and bigger and badder than these simple words were ever intended to be. 

The only way I have found to consistently combat Satan in my thought life is to replace those words with His Truth.

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

This verse has become a qualifier when thoughts begin to rage in my head. I ask myself: Is it true? Is it lovely? Does it bring honor to myself or that person? If the answer is no, I begin to repeat that verse over and over until my thoughts move on to something else. In my head, y'all - no one likes a crazy person! It sounds so simple, but make no mistake that this is still a hard discipline to put into practice!

Sweet women of the Lord, can we not only work to be gentler with our words but stronger in our sense of self? Can we look for ways to shake Satan loose and inform him of who we are in Jesus?

No matter what words were said or what lies were spread, the Truth is that we are daughters of the King who is not shaken by this world, those words or our lies.

We are loved, we are worthy, we are unashamed and we are His. This is the Truth y’all. No one and no one’s words can take this away from us. May we live in these truths this week!

Letting Go at 35

I have been forewarned by several people in my life that 35 is a rough birthday. I guess that's the good thing about being the youngest in your group of friends - these wise souls have gone before me and can tell me what to expect when I get there. I say that with a smile on my face because I love being the youngest. I love looking forward with them and being challenged with how they are living out their lives. I love being the youngest.


But this youngest friend is turning one year older in a few months (exactly two) and I've been doing a slight bit of reflecting on life. The things that I love, the things that I want to change. Mostly, I have no regrets - I don't really look back and think "I wish I had done ___" but I do do a whole lot of dreaming about the future. I might not have regrets, but I do want to make some changes - and if there's any time to make adjustments - it's a milestone birthday.

So here we go.

5 Thinks that I want to let go of at 35.

1. My 25 year old, pre-kids body image.

It’s not even about weight, y’all. It’s NOT. (wink face, hand on my hips). It’s about this image I have in my mind of what I looked like when I was 25. How unreasonable is it for me to think I should still look like that! Of course I look different now! Who wouldn’t look different with 10,000 more miles and 3 kids and 10 more years of marriage under their belt? (The secret answer here is someone who has had major plastic surgery and botox, but that's neither here nor there for the time being).

I want to let go of that image. I want to stop trying to “get back there” and instead journey forward to wellness, whatever that might look like on my 35 year old body.

2. Fear of Offending Others.

I’ve only recently realized that my fear of offending others has held me back from many friendships over the years. In an effort to not put myself out there, I generally say nothing at all which then makes me seem like someone I’m not. I want to thoughtfully mean what I say and say what I mean. I want to love others well - this includes the people who are hard to love.

By letting go of this fear, I can diversify my friendships, my Christian walk and my parenting style. This is by no means an effort to say whatever is on my mind without thinking about others' feelings. This is all to say that I don't want to supress the Holy Spirit anymore. I want Him to fill my mouth, my heart and my actions and remove all fear.

3. Striving for Perfection in our Marriage

For too long, I have tried for "the perfect marriage" instead of the best marriage I can have. I am letting go of the idea of perfect because our marriage, with the mess and the love, the fullness, the disagreements, the makeups, the imperfect child-rearing and the falling asleep in the first 15 minutes of a movie that drives me nuts…. that kind of marriage stretches me, y'all. It makes me better. It spurs me on not only in my walk with the Lord but also in my walk toward my husband. It endears him to me and me to him.

It is not my goal in life to be comfortable. I don't want an easy life (on most days). I want a life that points me to the Father and I am so grateful I get to walk with Jeff on that path. Gosh, I am humbled thinkng of how God ordained our marriage. How dare I think that it's not enough?

I will strive to be consistently content with the state of marriage. The easy and hard times. The pretty and the ugly. I will serve Jeff more and let go of selfishness.



4. “My” Time

At some point after having kids, I started to refer to certain hours of the day as “my time”. I know that any momma out there knows exactly what I'm talking about.  We all need it - especially those of us who are introverts, but over the years I have begun to get irritated when My Time is interrupted. I’ve so fiercely guarded this that when the kids come down stairs too early the first thing they hear is me hollering “it’s not time!” I hate that, y'all!!

I will let go of it being “my” time and realize it’s all HIS time. That does NOT mean that I will give up getting up early and setting aside time for myself to write, pray, think and paint. It just means that if (and when) it gets interrupted or needs to take a back seat for my kids, for a sick neighbor or a household chore to get done, I don’t want it to make or break my whole day.

5. Keeping Houseplants Alive

It’s gut-check time, y’all, and this is an area that has frustrated me for 15 years! I have grown a relatively green thumb when it comes to plants outside, but when it comes to the plants I have inside, y’all, I just kill them. There is the rare exception (the plant that has miraculously stayed alive for over a year) but for the most part, they just die a sad and slow death.

The thing is that IKEA has really cheap house plants. And so do Home Depot and Lowe’s. So instead of forsaking all things green and alive in my house, and instead of getting worked up and frustrated when things look sickly and die, I’m just going to set aside some time and money to be able to replace them when they die. It may seem like a terrible waste of money, but it is proven to make the air in your house cleaner. Or something like that. And it helps in the winter time with a mood boost.

As I grow older (and wiser), I want to be able to make adjustments in my life for the better. I want to easily let go of things that aren’t working and welcome new ideas that add to our quality of life. God is so gracious to grant me another year on this precious earth to live for His glory, so why would I want to live anything short of all out?!

Do you have anything you want to let go of this year? Anything new that you are adding into your routine? I would love to hear about it! It might be just the thing I need!

Texas Chili (AKA the BEST kind of Chili)

One of our very favorite things to make when Jeff is traveling is our Texas Chili. It’s great when it’s cold and gray outside, but the kids and I have been known to make it even in warmer weather because we love it that much.

I know, I’m surprised that they like it too, especially since they are SUCH picky eaters… but we started out by telling them that it was “chili salsa” and it was for you to dip your fritos in. (I really feel like I need to insert all of the laughing-till-you-cry emojis right here.)

So, what is Texas Chili? How is it different than regular chili? Oh, sweet friend. The saying is true - everything is bigger and better in Texas, y’all. Including the chili.

Why muddle up all of that beautiful beef and sausage with BEANS???? Traditional “Texas Chili” does not include those mushy beans!! And once you try it, you'll never want beans in your chili again!

It’s best served with crushed regular fritos on top, a little sharp cheddar and some cilantro…. and then the big fritos scoops on the side. Just sayin’. But you can eat it without all the carbs if you want… but why would you do that to yourself??



Little Branches Texas Chili

4 strips of bacon, diced
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb spicy Jimmy Dean sausage
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves minced garlic 
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can Rotel
1 6 oz can tomato paste
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/4 cup chili powder
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs oregano
2 tbs cumin
2 tbs ancho chili pepper
1 tbs salt
1 tbs pepper
1 tbs paprika
1 tsp cayenne 
1/3 cup BBQ sauce (secret ingredient)
1 12 ounce can beer

Heat large dutch oven (or stock pot) over medium heat. I like to lightly spray mine with cooking spray before I get started, but that's up to you - and your pot. Throw in the bacon and crisp it up a bit until it's nicely brown. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Brown ground beef and sausage. The last few minutes - when it's just barely still pink - throw in the garlic and onion so they can brown up, get super yummy smelling and marry all the flavors together right quick.

Drain it all off.

Return beef, sausage, onions, garlic and bacon to the pot over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Give a good, healthy stir. Bring the mixture to a light boil then turn to low and simmer for 2-3 hours. Or all day. Whatever. Just let those flavors get all good and comfortable together.

You will need to adjust seasonings according to your likening throughout cooking. I almost always go back and add more cayenne, pepper and salt. But you once it gets too spicy or too salty then you're up a creek without a paddle, so I tend to start with a less is more attitude until I get further down in cooking.

Serve it up with fritos, sour cream, bacon crumbles, cheddar cheese, guac, avocado.... I mean, the toppings are endless! More is more, baby.

Enjoy!

Easy Tips for a Better Winter

January and February are usually rough spots for me during the year. When the darkness of the cold weather + the very short days combine, they make a truly lethal combination for my spirit. It’s a real thing, y’all. Depression comes over me year after year during these months and I feel like I'm walking in a perpetual spirit of gloominess.

It actually IS a thing… SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Since I went to school for interior design (did y’all know that?), I studied it in school. And I know other people that experience the same thing - maybe you do too - but I’ve recently recognized that I go through this every single year.

So every year, I gear myself up in the cheerful month of December for the next January, knowing I’m headed into a little dark period. But this year it hasn’t hit me NEARLY as hard as it usually does, even with the hard of a traveling husband and the hard of three kids (and a toddler that is going to make me lose my ever-loving mind eventually). I've implemented a few strategies this go around that have helped me tremendously, and I hope will do the same thing if you struggle with this same sense of winter gloom.

SUNSHINE

This momma loves herself some sunshine. I mean, hello, I live in Texas where the sun is hot and the kids are always barefoot. We do have a few GORGEOUS days in January and February, followed by ice storms that leave us stuck inside for 3 days, but the gorgeous days DO come. So this year I’ve decided to stop W H A T E V E R my plans are for those days and spend a significant time outside soaking up the sunshine.

We’ll walk to the park, ride bikes in the cul-de-sac, meet up with friends to play in their driveway or simply pull out sidewalk chalk and play in the backyard. This Vitamin D has played a significant role in carrying my mood from a gorgeous day into a gloomy one.

Side note for those of you who don't get Texas winter weather :: these gorgeous days aren’t all good, because it makes me forget about homework, throw caution to the wind and declare that it’s almost summertime, so forget about nightly reading… oops. I may be a rule follower, but I do get a little adventurous like that sometimes. 

EXERCISE

Alright, so this one might be a no-brainer for y’all, but for me it is a freakin' beat-down. Of course, I know it's good for me physically but I just haven't ever been able to wrap my mind around consistently sacrificing time to do it. But a wise woman one stated that “exercise produces endorphins. Endorphins make people happy... and happy people don’t just kill people.” Thank you, Elle Woods.

Unfortunately for me, though, she’s right. Let's boil it down to this : People who exercise don't kill people. And there are a lot of people in my life who might be a lot happier if I exercised. Happy people don’t just kill people. PTL.

Over the past month and a half I’m gone from exercising occasionally - think, once or twice a MONTH - to exercising 4-6 times a week. You might be sitting there with a baby in your lap reading this and thinking - OUT. But if I can do it - you can do it too. I am a total exerciseophobic (totally not a word, y'all). I hate it all. Everything about it. I have found, though, that it is totally doable for a stay at home mom and it doesn’t require you getting up at the crack of dawn either. As much as I want to have those excuses, I just can't anymore.

This is a HUGE mood-booster. I hate to admit it, but now as much as I hate the time it takes for me to workout, I look forward to the feeling afterward. And when I get to run outside, it’s the BEST, because I'm killing two birds with one stone.

INFUSING GREEN

So this might be the biggest secret for me, a home-maker, this year. I've spent about $25 and bought myself several small-ish houseplants. They'll probably end up in the trash can, sad and lonely in a month or two, but for now, they bring our house so much joy and LIFE in the dead of winter. 

I look outside our big windows and even on a beautiful sunny day, it's brown and dead outside. I see twigs and brown grass. But inside? That's another story. My eyes can hit on plant after plant... green grass. New leaves. Beautiful life happening right inside this little coffee cup. It is the best $25 I've ever spent. Now every room has at least one plant... maybe two. This will be a game changer for those of you who need a little life-giving jolt this winter!

Do you struggle with feeling SAD in the dead of winter?? (See what I did there?) I think it's completely normal, scientifically proven and probably easier to deal with if we acknowledge it! I hope you find these simple and easy tips to be helpful mood boosters!! Let me know if you try them and how they work out for you!!!