Category: How can I deal with Stress?

Can Anyone Cook Dinner? I put Sandi Richard’s New Cookbook to the Test.

I have been using Sandi Richard’s line of Meal Planning Cookbooks for over 10 years now. I am a raving fan! I buy every one of her books because they have taught me how to meal plan, her meals are easy, delicious, and healthy and even my husband can follow the recipes!

131Her newest cookbook is entitled Anyone Can Cook Dinner
I decided to put Sandi’s book title promise to the test in my own home with my 8 year old daughter Trinity.

 

We used Sandi’s printable grocery list to purchase all of the items for our week of dinners. It is so nice to know that you have everything on hand for 5 healthy meals!
 
I let Trinity choose what she wanted to make out of the 5 meals.
 
I will admit, I was nervous. Was my daughter ready to cook? When is the right time to start showing your kids how to cook? It was time to see what she could do.
 
Trinity’s dinner choice…Tuna Tetrazzini with Corn & Peas.

130Trinity read over the recipe. First thing Sandi tells you to do is take out all of the tools you will need, which are nicely detailed under the equipment list. Trinity did as she was instructed and pulled everything out.

114Next, Trinity gathered up all of the ingredients as instructed and laid them out on the counter.120

She followed the easy step by step instructions to prepare one of her first real meals by herself.
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I was in the kitchen the entire time just for support and  to answer any questions. I was pleasantly surprised!121

Trinity excelled at cooking! She was so excited to embark on this cooking adventure, and I could tell how proud she was of herself. Just that fact that I was turning over the kitchen to her made her smile!
 
While the dinner was in the oven, Trinity set the table and even prepared a menu for our family to show what we were having.129

It was amazing to watch my little girl succeed in the kitchen. As parents, I think we forget that it is our job to teach our kids how to be INDEPENDENT of us. An essential skill that we all need is cooking! It is amazing to see what skills children can learn in the kitchen…math, preparedness, cleanliness, healthiness…the list goes on!
 
It is time for us to stop doing everything ourselves, and let our children LEARN!
 
Sandi Richard has done it again! She is not only helping families get back to eating together, she is helping families learn to cook together! Give yourself permission to ask for help in the kitchen and you’ll create an amazing change in your family dynamics. Life is all about teamwork. Start introducing your children to the kitchen and cooking as early as you can. There is always something you can get your children doing…pulling out equipment, ingredients, washing and cutting vegetables, or just watching you and chatting with you about each others day.
 
Unlock the kitchen and let your children and your husbands in! Make it easy for them to prepare dinner by having everything on hand to prepare a meal, along with an easy to follow, no fail recipe. Plan meals as a family, and dinner will be a lot more fun. Reduce your stress by knowing what you are having for dinner tomorrow, and prepare for tomorrow’s dinner before you go to bed. It is not hard, especially when you use one of Sandi’s cookbooks. I truly believe ANYONE CAN COOK DINNER, if they are given the proper tools.
 
Thanks Sandi. Getting back to basics is easier than I thought it would be. With 3 daughters, I’m hoping to be sipping my wine while I watch my dinner being prepared. They cook, they clean! Win-win!

You Gotta Fight!

When the going gets tough, take the advice of the Beastie Boys and “Fight for your right to PARTY!”
 
No matter what your life is filled with right now, add some fun, even if you don’t feel like you can, or should! Fight with yourself and win! Give yourself permission to TAKE the time and enjoy your life, even when you feel like there is just “no time for fun”. All work and no play will add up to a meltdown of unhappiness. Fun is a stress reliever. Smiling and laughing increases your positivity, which will add energy and vitality to your life and propel you forward.
 

Yee Haw Cowboy!

This week, I have been invited to attend an event called “Bull Bustin'” with my Unky. While I am feeling overwhelmed in other areas of my life, I am making time to hang with my Unky and enjoy some good ‘ole Stampede fun. Living in Calgary, we get used to all kinds of “rodeo-themed” events during our world famous Calgary Stampede. This annual event is aptly termed “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, and is something I think everyone should have on their bucket list to attend. Free pancake breakfasts all around town for 10 days straight, a license to party any time of the day, and a city dressed to the nines in jeans with over-sized belt buckles, cowboy boots and hats will have you shouting “Yee Haw” until the fireworks go off each night.
 
Let yourself have a little fun each week. (not too much, though, or you’ll regret it!) Let go of any guilt you may have about allowing yourself this time. It is essential for your well-being. Namaste.

Hide-and-Seek

Look at your life, and what you have created around you. Somewhere in your life there is a place that has the ability to heal you, and propel you. This place was designed by you, for you. No matter what your circumstance is right now, that space is there waiting for you. It is right there for the taking, but its power may be invisible to you. Your job is to find that place now, and use it.

For me, the front porch of our home has turned into my sanctuary. When I sit there, I feel totally at peace with myself, and with the Universe. I feel calm and my mind is clear. After 5 or 10 minutes in this space, I always feel rejuvenated and refreshed. If I am feeling emotional, this space allows me to feel those feelings intensely, while encouraging me to let go of those feelings fairly quickly. In this space, I can dream easily of where I want to be because my mind is quiet and free. Taking 5 or 10 minutes each day to focus on your dreams in the most important time you can give yourself, and it will create the largest results. Focusing on the result is the key. The “getting there” will happen if you focus on the goal.

Your goal is to find your sweet spot. Wherever that spot is for you. You will know it is right by how you feel when you are there…calm and free. Ask the Universe out loud to help you find your sweet spot, and you will be amazed at what is revealed. The spot is there…it is waiting for you. Change your life by finding it and then physically force yourself there as often as you can. Clear your mind of the daily grind and open up your soul to your dreams. Help yourself dream more easily and start creating more quickly. You will also rapidly increase your health just by taking 5 minutes each day to breath and let the thoughts of the day go. A game of hide-and-seek has begun. Report back to me at tina@bethatgirlnow.com!

Get Dirty!

Getting dirty can be a lot of fun…

I took some time today to clean the leaves and dead stuff out of my over-sized garden in preparation for my garden this year. It was perfect. My girls played on the swings and then dug huge holes in my garden and made mud pies, complete with real live worms, while I had the pleasure of “cleaning” my garden. I am not an experienced gardener, but not knowing something has never stopped me before!

Just touching the earth with my hands today made me appreciate where my food comes from…not the grocery store, but the garden or farm that makes my grocery store food possible.  Gardening is a lot of work, but it is something I feel passionate about, and it is an activity that calms my mind and nurtures my soul.

Often, we justify doing activities we enjoy by stating how much money or time these activities will save us. Gardening is never going to save me money or time in the end, but it does make me feel happy. I kind of like getting dirty…it makes me feel like such a rebel!

This week, I am encouraging you to get dirty in your life! Find an activity that you enjoy doing, and do it without justifying anything but the fact that it makes you happy. You are accountable to you, first and foremost. Make yourself happy and everything else will follow.  Namaste.

Slow it down.

Today’s Inspiration is from a classic Eagles song…
 
“Life in the fast lane
Surely make you lose your mind!”
 
Make sure you slow things down a little and enjoy the things that are happening, and the things that you have, right now. Plan for the future, and work towards your dreams but realize that NOW is what you have, and NOW is the perfect time to enjoy what you have. Don’t lose your mind in the fast lane. Breathe, Relax, appreciate, enjoy, and have a little fun. Namaste.

Just add Fun.

The Best Books on Self Help will teach you how to get happy.  One way to do this quickly is to add fun!

I was volunteering at my daughters school the other day and in gym class the kids were doing skipping. I was immediately taken back to the asphalt of my elementary school and I vividly remembered skipping my lunch hours and recesses away. The challenges of learning to skip double dutch and doing double- and triple- unders while singing silly rhyming songs had me reminiscing and giggling to myself. And I found myself wanting more of it!

As we age, the pressures of work and family and home life leave little time for fun. But fun is what keeps us going. Fun is what motivates us to hop out of bed in the morning. Creating fun in our lives inspires us, makes us smile, and helps us learn in a positive way. Fun is what it’s all about.

Think back to your days as a child and think about an activity that you really enjoyed, like skipping, softball, hockey or dancing. Remember the fun you had. And start creating some of that fun energy in your life right now!

My birthday is coming soon, and this year I am asking for 2 long skipping ropes and a couple of friends willing to take turns skipping double dutch. I am already imagining the conversations that we can have, and the laughter that will ensue from an afternoon of skipping on a chilly spring day.

Add some fun to your life today. Namaste.

Let the Sunshine in.

Oh, let the sunshine in, face it with a grin…

Open up your heart and let the sunshine in!

How can I deal with stress? Remember to put your smile on, and let some sunshine in.  Smiling can change the way you feel inside and outside, and will bring more positivity to you! Simple steps to happiness.  Namaste!

Take some time.

My daily inspiration this morning came from my tea cup, which read “take some time”.  I have included a picture of it here! For me, taking some time means giving myself some time, even if it is 5 minutes.  I plan to do just that today.  I will do yoga by the pool, even if it is just for 5 minutes.  You cannot make more time, but you can take more time.  Use your time wisely, and add value to your day and to yourself by taking some for you.  Enjoying 5 minutes sitting with your eyes closed and focusing on your breathing can reconnect you with the Universe and with yourself and you will be amazed how great you will feel after just 5 minutes.  Set a timer if you need to, but take that time for you today.  Namaste.

Inspiration is Everywhere!

This morning when I went to make coffee, I noticed a little saying on the tray where the coffee was stored.  It said “Enjoy your life”.  Funny, I have made coffee everyday for 5 days, and yet today is the first day that I actually noticed this little message.  I guess I needed a little inspiration today.

My 3 beautiful children were up at 5:30 this morning (and we are on vacation!), and the sun had not even peaked up out of the ocean.  Good thing I went to bed early last night.  But really Tina, come on.   You are on vacation, you have 3 lovely, healthy girls, and you got to watch the sun rise over the ocean blue this morning.  Enjoy your life! Because it is truly amazing, and everyone needs a little reminder of that sometimes.

Inspiration is everywhere in your life, but you have to be looking for it and you need to be perceptive enough to see it and understand it! Enjoy every moment of every day, no matter what gets thrown at you.  Smile and breathe.  Relax and don’t worry.  Keep your eyes open… the Universe is waiting to inspire you!