Rainy days and Tuesdays....

When I'm trying to catch up on writing actually love the gray skies and sounds of the cars passing by in the rain. Peaceful day today. Tuesdays are usually the days I catch up on food blogs.  

The post tomorrow will be Paprikás Csirke better known around here as Chicken Paprikash. A lovely stew of chicken, onions and of course paprika.  It's the kind of dish that when it's simmering on the stove takes me back to childhood.  Very much a simple to make dinner that's a real family favorite.

  Paprikás Csirke on a bed of egg noodles

The rain also will often take me back and have me reflecting on life too. The one thing we never have enough of is time. Every day take the time to appreciate the little things. Yes, even when the kids are driving you bats, arguing and running around the house. You'll miss that when they're all grown and on their own! (You will have to take my word on that!) Or, you might want to read this blog Never Forget the Love and the Laughter I wrote earlier this month.

One of my favorite things when they were still at home and creating havoc, arguing like crazy I would say, "Hey let's use that energy and make some pizza." My kids love pizza! Instead of arguing still they would get out the recipe and start making the dough from scratch by hand. It never failed to distract them from whatever silliness they had been fighting over.  Instead, they started cooperating with each other and looking forward to that pizza!  Actually, we did too because they made a darn good pizza!   

homemade pizza always good and fun to make!

Don't they look like they never argued in this picture? 

One of my Favorite trips with the cherubs!

Enjoy every day and never fail to let the people you cherish in your life know they are important to you, and they are loved.  If something ever happened to you or them, wouldn't you want them to know the final words between you are "I love you"?

Winning and Losing

Here we sit the day after the Presidential and general elections in the United States.  Did you vote? Did your candidate win?

One of the best parts of this election is that it sparked interest back into the electoral process and voting booth; one of the worst parts is the divisiveness we are experiencing at the moment through the much too long election process.

Do you recall these historic dates? Do you recall the stories of the long fights to adjust the Constitution for inclusiveness?

• July 1, 1971 - 18-year-olds attain the right to vote
• August 18, 1920 -  woman gain the right to vote
• August 6, 1965  - African Americans gain the right to vote

If you didn't vote, why not?  Complaining without voicing your opinion is wrong.  It is a citizen's right and duty to exercise the right to vote. Why complain if you didn't take advantage of voting your conscience and back up your opinions on the public questions, bills, and candidates with a vote?

Freedom is never free and we must always be vigilant to maintain our rights and freedoms under the Constitution.  The founding fathers did an incredible job of putting checks and balances into our country's Constitutional structure.  It takes 3 branches of government to propel this country forward. We vote for members of the Senate, Congress, and the President which are 2 of the branches that represent us.   Our 3rd branch is the Supreme Court. Justices are not just appointed but also need scrupulous vetting in Congress for approval. If you don't like who's in power, then your vote needs to be counted by voting for the candidates that best align with the changes you want to see for our country's future.

The Electoral College is a compromise between Congress and the popular vote in order to buffer the difference in varying sizes of states' populations and ensure fair power to all states.  Many mistake the United States to be a strict democracy but it is in fact, a Constitutional republic instead.  It is not strictly the popular vote.  The power lies in our representatives we elect and not directly in the hands of every single individual.  This is why the popular vote is at times overridden by the Electoral College.  Notice too that in the Pledge of Allegiance for the United States states that we are a Republic.

We must to heal as a country now.  America is a strong and vital country.  We have always put aside differences after the vote has been counted and worked to unify once again under a peaceful change of leadership.  That's exactly what we need to do now.  Let's come together for the sake of every one of us from all religions, all ethnic backgrounds and do what is right for to keep the Republic strong.

Remember this one point:  We are all the same race, the human race.

Another New Week, Another New Beginning

Another Monday, another new beginning and another chance to achieve success!   Are you rested and ready for the week ahead, or do you have a weekend hangover from not enough rest? Sometimes just getting out of bed on a Monday is difficult especially if you haven't had sufficient sleep enough over the weekend.

set your alarm

How do you make the most of every morning?  Is getting out of bed usually the hardest part of your day? I used to be that way but now that I'm doing what I love it's so much easier for me. 

Most people aren’t naturally what you could call a “morning person” (including me). Just because sleep doesn’t come naturally to you, there are some strategies which can help you improve the morning wake up and get off to a better start every day. If your bio-rhythms are like mine, you'll need to shift from being a night owl to more of a morning person.

Getting better quality rest will definitely improve your health. By your sleeping more and starting the day without the stress of running late you will improve your productivity and quality of your work. A bonus, have you ever noticed how much better your skin looks when you manage to do get enough good quality sleep? Think of sleep as a very affordable luxury item for yourself.

have a calm, quiet sleeping environment

Here are a few simple tips, to help you train your body and amp up your "A.M. productivity". 

Create a sleep routine – Don’t underestimate the importance of your circadian rhythm. This regulates how your body sleep and wake cycle runs. Bodies crave routine and ideally, you should wake up from a light phase of sleep, not the deeper stage. It’s that deeper stage that leads to a foggy head and low mental functioning. If you're well rested you shouldn't need to rely on caffeine to get you moving.

Set a bedtime -  Stick to the set time or at least within 30 minutes of that time.

Set a wake-up time - Get up around the same time each morning, your body will be reset to the routine slowly. The hope is that eventually, you will be able to wake yourself up without an alarm.        

Relax - Don't work, text, or stay online too close to your set bedtime. The blue light emitted from your phone or tablet disrupts your melatonin according to neuroscientists.  Let your mind and body start winding down naturally.  Make this a part of your night time ritual.  Bathe or shower before bed to further relax you even more.  Love yourself enough to get enough rest!

Be Active physically – Working out first thing in the morning may not sound appealing but the effects sure payoff. Even if it’s as simple as taking a half-hour stroll, kick-starting your morning with cardio will boost your energy levels throughout the day. The added bonus of daily activity will help you wind down at night, leading to a deeper night’s sleep.                                                                                                 

Fuel your body – While a donut and a cup of coffee may be an easy way to get your blood sugar rising, it can also lead to a sugar crash a few hours later. Instead have some higher quality fuel – oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt or even a veggie omelet. Always on the go? Make hard-boiled eggs that you can grab on the run for a protein-packed breakfast.                                   

Light Sensitivity – Light has a huge effect on the body’s triggers for sleep and waking up. Switch on a bright light or open your blinds right when you wake up. Conversely, avoid bright lights – yes, including electronics that will emit blue light and disrupt melatonin – for that last hour before you plan to hit the bed. This will help your body begin to wind down from the busy day and slip into that deep sleep you need for rejuvenation.

Control Temperature in the bedroom - adjust the temperature in your bedroom to the cooler side to allow yourself to snuggle in those covers.  Too hot or too cold can hinder quality sleep.

Try these tips and get some sound sleep every night! Take care of you because if you don't who will?   You're worth it!