Tag: a thought on positive thinking

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.
123

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!

8 Laws to Success from Be That Girl!

8 Amazing ways to Kick Start your Success.

Be more successful and GET MORE out of your life with these simple, tried and true techniques that will actually help you get better results!  I use these strategies every day to continuously create the life of my dreams. Do as I do, and you’ll start feeling more amazing about your life today!  

  1. Get a Life Coach. My Coach helped me discover how to love myself more and how to talk better to myself. This is a must for anyone, especially the people who do not think they need it. I used to ‘Be That Person’, and I am much happier with the person I have evolved into because of the life coaching process. I always recommend Tools to Life…it’s FREE and totally life changing!
  2. Write it down…period. Write everything with your own hand using pen (pencil) and paper. Write down your dreams, your goals, your successes, your to-do lists, your grocery lists, your thoughts and your feelings. Kick start your success with writing!
  3. How are you defining yourself? You are the person you are today because you are defining yourself that way. You are beautiful, sexy, successful, calm and amazing because you tell yourself that you are these things. Don’t be modest…you are incredible and you should feel great about that! You have full control over who you are. Know with everything in your body that you can RE-define yourself into whoever you want to be right now, and you will do it. See That Girl and then Be That Girl!
  4. Prioritize! What makes you successful…how will you know when you have succeeded? What do you truly want? You can have it all, but you have to know what all is! When you have absolute clarity about what you want, you will be able to prioritize everything around that. It will become easier to make choices about how you spend your time and your resources when you are focused. NB: Your priorities and wants will change all the time. Be sure you are checking in with yourself every 6 months to ensure that your priorities are in line with what you want. Be selfish. This is YOUR life.
  5. Be Organized! Clear your mind and allow for an influx of positivity by cleansing your external surroundings. Keep your spaces tidy and organized, and you will feel at ease when you approach new tasks. Plan to organize for 15 minutes. Set a timer and be done when it goes off. Think about leaving every space in the “ready” position. It is so easy to prepare a healthy, meal when the kitchen is clean and you have planned your supper. Bedrooms are more relaxing and inviting when they are neat and the bed is made, and tidy offices will always be more efficient. Break your attachment to things. Simplify as much as possible. Ensure that everything has a place and it will make it easier to put things away, even for children. If you do not have a place for something, you must either get rid of something else, or get rid of that item. Be ruthless with yourself. Your mind will thank you.
  6. Just do it! And do it NOW! Thinking about doing something is always much more intense than just actually doing it. So, don’t think too much…just do! Consider skydiving, for example. Just the thought of jumping out of an airplane can elicit a panic attack in some people. But let’s just say that one day you wake up on an airplane after being drugged by a super villain and your only escape is out the open door and you happen to have a parachute attached on your back… suddenly skydiving becomes an opportunity, and you might just do it! Consider every opportunity that comes your way, and when it seems right, jump! Get out of your comfort zone and you will grow! 
  7. Do as others have done before you. Look at other people who are already doing exactly what you want to do and model them. Filter the advice you take. Soak up advice from people who have done it before, and be wary of advice given by others who have not.
  8. ASK for what you want. Have complete faith that the Universe will bring you what you have asked for. Meditate on what you want for 5 minutes every morning. See it, do it!

One of my favorite rock band quotes is from a Trooper song; “If you don’t like what you got, why don’t you change it? If your world is all screwed up, rearrange it!”

You are in control of where you are today, and where you will be tomorrow, so take the reins and make a change right now!  I cannot wait to hear about your success, so keep in touch!

Tina O’Connor, BsC Psych.

www.bethatgirlnow.com

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Time to VOTE!

Hey all you “Be That” Fans! I need your opinion on 5 new book cover designs! I have FREE books and T-shirts to give away for voting!

Click here to go to my Facebook page to cast your vote now. Don’t forget to LIKE my page while you’re there!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your opinions with me 🙂 Hugs and Sunshine from Calgary, Tina O’Connor.

Let me help you find your Successful, Amazing, Unforgettable YOU!

Success Law: Find your path.

Discover your true passions in life, and then chase them with an intense focus. Find your path, and follow it!
 
Once you are following your path, you will encounter forks…choices will need to be made on which route to take. Always use your intuition to make the right choice. Your heart and soul know which path to take, so listen to them. Your path will change over time. Paths can suddenly change direction, and if you do not maintain your path, overgrowth may make it difficult to continue on. Obstacles, like trees or boulders, may block your path entirely.
 
When you find yourself stuck on your path for whatever reason, there is always something you can do to keep moving forward. First, enjoy a small rest and a picnic. Recharge yourself and focus your energy by slowing down, breathing, and allowing your mind to give you the answers you are seeking. Do not stay here for too long!
 
In your journey through life, change is the only constant. There is energy flowing all around you, and you have control over how that energy is focused in your life. When you feel stuck, change something! You have the power. You create your own paths in life. Keep yours clear by putting in effort consistently, and be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep moving forward. You may be required to build bridges, climb mountains, jump in lakes, or take leaps off of your path in search of better ones. Just do something.
 
Find your path, follow it, and be prepared to do anything to keep moving. Namaste.

Listen to the Best Books on Self Help and Give Yourself Permission.

Success Law: Give Yourself Permission to do less.
 
There are so many social molds that we, as a society, squish ourselves into everyday. Our vision of what success is may put us into a mold where we are overwhelmed with things to do, we feel stressed out all the time,  and we are on our phones all the time. We see these things happening around us, and we begin to believe that it is the only way. We form a perception of what things should look like based on what we see.
 
Alas…there is more to life than what we can see with our brain washed eyes. ‘Tis true!
 
It is important to realize that You define what success is in your life. This is your dream…your reality.  Why not make “less stress, more fun” your new success mold? Give yourself permission to enjoy life a little more. Permission to worry less and be more excited. Permission to procrastinate a little on some small day-to-day things, which allows you time to explore your other passions.
 
Stop restricting yourself. You do deserve to be happy, relaxed, and excited. You deserve to be rich with love and money and health.
 
Remember Pareto’s Principle that 80% of our results are derived from 20% of the activities we do. So start doing less! Just keep your eye on the prize.
 
Know where you want to go and then focus solely on that goal. Do not allow anything to distract you from that end goal. Relax and enjoy the journey. Keep taking action everyday, but do not force it. Everything takes time. You know you are going to get there when the time is right, so enjoy everything you have right now! Slow down. Take deep breaths. Take in everything you have created so far, and be proud.   Allow yourself to feel good now. It is all in your control. Have a wonderful week! Namaste.

 

A pot of gold.

The other day, I asked my children to search for the pot of gold that I hoped was hiding on our property. It was said in a joking way, but just saying it made me feel excited and like a kid again…what if we actually found a hidden treasure?
 
What I said was overheard by my mom’s husband Don. His wise advice to me was to “stop searching for the pot of gold; the pot of gold is you!”
 
This was my gentle reminder that I already have everything I need within myself. So do you. Realize that you are the pot of gold at the end of a beautiful rainbow. Treat yourself like gold…shine yourself up everyday and make good choices about how you spend yourself! You are worth it! Namaste.