Month: March 2019

Pixx #21: The Topic of Habits

When you think of habits, what comes to your mind? Do you think of all good and positive habits, or do you dwell on all the negative? There are countless books that discuss habits. One of my personal favorite books is: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” by Stephen R. Covey. Covey provides some great ways to practice daily habits that can lead to a more successful life. As I have pondered some of my own personal habits, I realize that I have a handful of good habits, and of course some bad habits. Do I want to get rid of my bad habits? Of course. Is it easy to do? No. Would I like to practice all of Stephen R. Covey’s habits? Yes. But sometimes life gets in the way and it’s hard to create these good and positive habits. Yes I know that’s a lame excuse, but it’s the truth right? For the year of 2019, I want to work on a small number of my bad habits, and try to replace them with good habits. A scripture from my church is found in the Book of Mormon in Alma 37:6 which reads “…by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”  I have always loved that scripture and I believe it whole-heartedly. It’s those little things everyday, that add up to be big things. When you run a marathon do you walk out the door and run twenty-six miles immediately with no training? No way–you start bit by bit, until eventually your body is trained for those twenty-six miles. I believe habits are life-changing in so many ways.   So with that, here’s me being very upfront and transparent with my good and bad habits.

Good Habits: 

#1: I read my scriptures everyday. This is not me being boastful but truthful. As a young teenager I was told by an important leader in our church that reading the scriptures everyday would be “vital” in my life. This resonated with me and I never miss.  Now do I read chapter after chapter? No way. Some days it’s just one verse. I will be honest and say there have been days where I have felt emotionally and spiritually numb and wondered if it was worth even reading my scriptures. I still knew I liked this habit and I wanted to keep it–so I did. Sometimes when I haven’t felt spiritually in tune, the scriptures have truly lifted me up, and other times–they haven’t. However, at the end of the day, I love how I feel after reading scriptures. I love spirituality and gaining a stronger testimony of my Savior and the Lord. I believe that daily scripture reading has helped me as a person even when I haven’t thought it has helped me. Reading something everyday also helps me mentally and intellectually. The bottom line is I like how I feel after scripture study and I am so glad so many years ago I was told about the importance of scripture study.

#2: I make my bed everyday. Yes there are exceptions but 90% of the time I do. My mother instilled this habit in me, and to be honest, I just feel so much more accomplished and ready for the day if my bed is made in the morning. It sounds silly, but just having a tidy bed makes the bedroom feel cleaner. There may be piles of clothes or clutter everywhere else in the room, but if the bed is made… I am just a happier, chipper person! When my husband and I first got married (keeping in mind he’s overall a clean person) he asked why I wanted the bed made everyday when you’re just going to mess it up and sleep in it that night? I shared my thoughts on how I feel cleaner and happier, and I even like how the bed feels when you take it down for the night.  The sheets are smoother and guess what,  I converted my husband.  If I haven’t made the bed early on in the morning, then I will find my husband has beat me to it (sometimes I feel like he makes the bed better than I do!)  I love this habit of making my bed everyday and I love that my husband is on board with me.

#3: I plan meals everyday. By that, I mean I think of what to cook for lunch and dinner. I enjoy cooking and learning new recipes. Often times lunch is simple–leftovers or a sandwich but as we are eating lunch, I am making sure dinner plans are underway. If I know we are wanting meat that is in the freezer I make sure to thaw it out the night before or in the morning so that by mid-afternoon, I can start cooking and preparing dinner. I find that we save oodles of money by cooking at home, AND it accommodates our food allergies as well!

#4: Our family sits down to eat meals together every day. Growing up my family did the same thing, and I enjoy dinner talk and time as a family. It’s amazing how much we can get to know each other when we put our phones away, sit down, and talk about the day with our family and loved ones.  I find it also helpful for our children to see my husband and I sitting down and eating our fruits and vegetables with our meals. Example is everything for children, and our kids tend to try veggies and others food better when they see us–their parents eating it.

#5-I clean something everyday. Of course there’s the exception of when I am sick and don’t, but again, 90% of the time I clean something every single day. Sometimes I clean a lot of things, and other times it may be one small item, but I have noticed that it helps keep my house tidier if I just do a few small things everyday.

 

#6-I wash and moisturize my face everyday. I like how it feels to have a clean face after wearing make-up all day, and the moisturizer helps my skin feel smoother and hydrated.

 

#7-I wear make-up everyday. I will be honest–I love makeup! I have always  loved make-up and probably always will. I am a Maskcara Beauty Artist and love learning about all of our wonderful products. However, I am also a busy mom of two toddlers and I don’t have time for a lot of fuss with makeup (another reason I love Maskcara Beauty products, it’s fast). Anyway, most days I do my make-up in five minutes, and other days, when my kids allow it, I’ll take 15-20 minutes to get my make-up done. My husband is a sweetheart and always tells me not to worry about wearing make-up and to go “natural.” For this reason, I don’t cake on a lot of make up (I want to still look like myself), but I just feel better and more organized and ready to tackle the world when I have my make-up on. (Click here if you’re interested in my favorite makeup products by Maskcara Beauty).

#8-I drink lots of water throughout the day. I am actually a big believer in Kangen water (an alkaline type of water.) I always keep a cup filled to the top with water so that I can be sipping on it all day. I realize the importance of staying hydrated–it personally helps prevent headaches when I drink lots of water and I just feel better. Our bodies are made up of mostly water so I know it’s important to constantly be re-newing our bloodstream with good water throughout the day.

 

So some of these GOOD HABITS make me look pretty good right? Well, just wait, my BAD HABITS are coming up next.

#1-I have a caffeine addiction. Yes, diet Pepsi is my favorite thing to sip on. So while I am drinking my water…in between sips I am also drinking my caffeine. I have quit my caffeine fix at least 5-6 times in my life, but it always creeps back in. I know it’s possible to quit again, but it’s hard. I look forward to my Diet Pepsi– but the crossroads I am at now is that both my kids love Pepsi now as well. I of course don’t want my children to be addicted to caffeine at such a young age, so my goal is to cut this habit once again. My advice, never start the soda or coffee habit, it’s a tough one to kick.

#2-Cussing. I am being honest and here it is…I have a few swear words that unfortunately slip out of my mouth more often than I’d like. I don’t know exactly when it started, but I remember muffling a few cuss words under my breath in high school when I was stressed. These cuss words usually come out when I am stressed or scared. I don’t like my cussing habit for many reasons, but again, mainly for my kids. I want to be a good example of how to handle life under pressure…and not slipping to the swear words like I tend to. I never F-bomb, or take the Lord’s name in vain, it’s just a few other words and goodness this is a tough one to break.

#3-I stay up too late. I have always been a night owl, I tend to get my second wind around 9 pm and don’t go to bed until 11 pm or sometimes later. As a mom of young children my justification for staying up late is that I get more done around the house when the kids are asleep. Nonetheless, when my kids don’t sleep great, or when they get up extra early…I always regret that I stayed up late. Going to bed early is not an easy habit to get into but I am hoping I can work on this.

#4-Impatience– I mention this as a habit because it does effect me on a daily basis. I get impatient so I yell at my kids instead of calmly discussing the issue. Or I get impatience and I say “exactly what I am thinking” which is not always nice…and I regret it later. Sigh. I honestly pray daily for more patience…and one day I hope I will get there. 

#5-My daily sweet tooth– I like to be health conscious, but I will admit as a daily “pick-me-up” I need some sweets to rely on everyday. Some may call it emotional eating but for me, it’s a habit.  I am not overweight, I stay in my recommended weight limit…and yet I don’t like this little vice that keeps me craving sugar.

 

#6-I watch TV every single day with the exception of Sunday. – Some may consider this to be fine, and not a bad habit, but in a world of screens and constant technology–I do notice I love the TV on for entertainment and for the noise. As a mom I have become conscious about shutting off the television and having “no noise” in the house. However, I definitely have my morning talk shows and news stories that I love to watch.

#7 -I bite my lips. I am constantly putting on chapstick and my lips are always dry because I bite my lips. This has been a bad habit for years. In fact, in high school, I played tennis and I was featured in the yearbook on the front page of the “Athletics” section. You would think that this picture would be a compliment to me…but I was so embarrassed because it’s a picture of me hitting a tennis ball, while biting my lips! Again, a tough habit to break.

All these habits, good or bad, make an impact on my life daily. I mentioned I want to take small steps into breaking my bad habits. I know habits are not changed over night, it’s a process to create good or bad habits.

What are some of your good habits?

What are some of your bad habits?

Any advice for me on breaking some of my bad habits? I am always up for suggestions:) 

 

xoxo-

Christy

Pick #19: When you think about your years growing up, isn’t it great to reminiscence all the great family traditions you enjoyed? Even if there were just a few traditions your family followed…as a child it made life exciting and fun! Now that I am grown and have children of my own, I love watching my children get excited when they experience fun family traditions. I also would love to incorporate more traditions and am always up for suggestions. So with that, here are my FAVORITE PIXX when it comes to family traditions:

#1-Birthday Door Decorating! My husband and I started decorating our children’s doorway the night before their birthday (while the kids are fast asleep) so that they wake up to balloons and streamers hanging down from their door when they wake up.  This is always exciting and fun for the family to look forward to besides the normal cake and party portion of the birthday. It’s cheap and easy to decorate a door and it’s just a reminder that this day is “special” for that family member.

 (Picture from viralins.com)

#2-Sunday Dinners: At least one Sunday a month we eat dinner with extended family or friends. When we host dinner at our house we set out the “nice plates” and chargers and just enjoy the dinner look. Having a sit down dinner with family and friends is always memorable and enjoyable for everyone. I highly encourage starting this. Oh–and put your phones away at the table, that’s a great way to keep away unnecessary distractions;)

#3-Friday Family Movie Nights: Our kids love this night. My three-year-old asks about every night if it’s family movie night. We usually plop on our couch, pop popcorn, and choose a kid-friendly show on Netflix to snuggle up and enjoy together. Cheap and easy, but something to look forward to. Even better, it’s a  great way for us adults to relax!

#4- Valentine’s Day Surprises: Growing up my parents always left some sort of surprise for Valentines Day. Nothing too big, but just a little something. Some gifts I remember receiving was a treat, flowers, a small toy etc. I do the same with my kids by giving them a small gift that they will find when they wake up for the day. I also make sure to remind them a lot through the day that I love them (as we should everyday right?!)  Valentines Day is a perfect holiday to show your family and loved ones how much you care.

#5- Dry Erase Marker notes on the Mirror: My hubby and I started leaving cute notes to each other on the mirror a few years back and it’s SOOO fun! I don’t know about you, but for us, we had two kids really quick and unfortunately it’s easy to put our relationship as a couple on the back burner. When we started writing each other cute notes on the mirror, it just added that extra spark that marriage always needs. Dry erase markers are great on the mirror because they erase and clean up easily. As our kids get older and can read, I know we would like to leave them sweet notes as well:)

#6-Springtime baby animals: I grew up in the country and my dad was a cattle rancher. In the springtime, all the new baby animals were born and it was so fun to go see all these adorable creatures. My husband and I try every year to make it down to the country to take our kids to go see the new baby cows, sheep, goats etc. If you aren’t able to travel anywhere, it’s a great time to go visit the zoo or any small farms within the area.

#7-Easter Egg Hunt: Not only do our kids do an Easter Egg Hunt outside at grandma’s house, but we also do a small Easter Egg hunt throughout our house on Easter morning. If you are trying to not do so much candy you can purchase dollar store toys as an option as well. We have also done a religious based hunt in which the kids look for plastic eggs and open it up to find a scripture- and read the story of Christ’s resurrection. Either way, it’s entertaining for parents and adults to watch the excitement fill children eyes as they hunt for treasures. 

#8-Memorial Day Celebration: Every year my hometown has a festival on the weekend of Memorial Day and my entire family attends. This celebration is called the “Scandinavian Festival” and it’s a fun time to get together as a family, eat good food, hear great music, and shop at the booths. On Memorial Day Monday, we always make sure to visit our grandparents graves and take flowers to put on them. I love how beautiful the cemetery looks on Memorial Day.  This holiday is  a wonderful day to celebrate our loved ones who have passed on, and to tell our children about family members that they never were able to meet.

#9-Fourth of July Water fight– My husbands family does the typical picnic and firecrackers on the 4th of July which is always fun. But–a tradition we started a few years back was a big 4th of July water fight—adults and everyone are involved. There are big and small water guns so kids and adults can enjoy squirting each other and having fun. It’s something we laugh about every year and it brings out the entertaining side of family and loved ones.

#10-Summer Rodeo-Every summer we attend a rodeo. If you haven’t been to a rodeo you should! It’s highly entertaining, and if you have little ones- they enjoy seeing the animals. The clowns put on a good act, there’s usually entertainment of some sort, and of course–watching the cowboys ride bulls and broncos is thrilling! I love attending rodeos and I look forward to our traditional rodeo outing every year.

#11-Family Campout/vacation: Every year our family plans a camp out in the summer. We start figuring out the camping details in January so that everyone involved makes sure to get work off.  Also by planning early you are better organized to rent a campground area if needed. Our family goes with my husbands entire family (siblings, grandkids, parents) and it’s a lot of fun. We usually spend anywhere from 3-7 days camping, so it takes a lot of planning but if you work on the details early on, it makes it much easier. If camping isn’t your thing, save up for a vacation! The memories made on family vacations and outings are worth every penny!

#12-Halloween Soup Bar– Besides trick-or-treating, our family enjoys having a soup bar with a variety of different soups.We all bring one or two of our favorite soup recipes to eat, and usually recipes are exchanged as well. The fall is a great time to enjoy a warm bowl of soup right?!

#13-Thanksgiving Dinner-I love the traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu. The turkey, potatoes, gravy, pie etc. I think sitting down to dinner with friends or loved ones is a great way to spend the day. We also try to go around and discuss the different things we are thankful for, which is a great reminder for everyone. We live in such a wonderful country and have so many things to be grateful for.

#14-Twelve days of Christmas-I will admit this tradition does not happen every year for us. But–when we have done the 12 days of Christmas for other people (usually neighbors) it’s made the Christmas season more meaningful. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on this activity.  It can be as simple as home made treats and dollar store items. In the end it will be fun for both parties–the giver and the receiver. More importantly, its a great reminder as to why service helps us to be happier and feel more fulfilled in life.

#15- Acting out the Nativity on Christmas Eve– If you’re not religious it may be fun to act out “The Night Before Christmas” instead. There is just something special and fun when it comes to dressing up and acting out a story with family and friends. I look back on my childhood and I thought it was really fun that every year, the same brother was the donkey in our little play. This brother had fun with his part as the donkey, and I look back on that time as a child with fondness.

TRADITIONS I WANT TO START:

*Decorate a door with “Back-to-school” supplies and treats-My friend decorates her pantry door with cute pencils and treats and her child’s name when they go back to school and start a new grade. I love this idea because it adds some extra excitement to the new school year. I hope to incorporate this into our school routine too!

*Birthday Week– I know quite a few people that celebrate family members birthday everyday for a week. It can be small things such as a treat with a note on it, or a ballon with the word “Birthday Week” written on it. I think this can be a fun way to help that person feel extra special for a week:) 

 

I am sure there are many more traditions I could add. What are your favorite family traditions?

For pick #18  I wanted to talk about one of my favorite things…traveling! Oh how I love to travel! My traveling life has settled down a lot since having children, but I have an itch to get some more traveling in this year. There’s something about going somewhere and experiencing a different culture or new place that just re-charges the soul. There are still sooo many places in the world I would love to travel to and explore, my bucket-list is long. I would like to hear your input on your favorite places to go as well.

With that, I will start my favorite places to travel list– in no particular order.

 

#1- Canadian Cruise from Montreal–Quebec–Nova Scotia–Bar Harbor, Maine. First I have to add this was not a place high on my list. My mother was very excited about traveling through Canada and she picked a great spot. This cruise was absolutely beautiful. We went in June, and the weather was great, I had a rain jacket and long pants for some areas. Each area had some amazing sites and architecture but I have to say Nova Scotia was my favorite. Nova Scotia is beautiful and green everywhere. A random fact, it’s an island, and snakes have never been introduced there so there are no snakes…which is a plus for me ha! The homes out on the coast line are breathtaking, and the people had great accents and were very friendly. Many people loved the seafood, but I am not a great judge because I don’t like seafood. I just remember thinking it was a place I would definitely go back to.

#2-Italy– Italy is such a fascinating place to visit. The history and the architecture throughout the entire country was incredible. It’s a country you could spend an entire month in and still have more to see. I did not get to see Venice, which is a place I’d love to get back to. I visited Rome, Florence, Pompei, Siena, and went down to Sicily as well. Rome is amazing because of the colosseum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Cathedral. It’s hard to top Rome’s architecture but the entire country has some amazing areas to visit. Yes it’s expensive and I mainly spent money on food and tourism, but if you save up….Rome is worth every penny. Put it on the bucket list.

#3-New York City-Again, the traveling is endless and you could spend weeks there and not see it all. For me..I took a quick 4 day trip there and packed as much in as possible. Some of my favorites were: Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Broadway Plays, Central Park, Macy’s Department Store (It’s Enormous), & the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. There were so many delicious places to eat, and the city is bustling and it was just fun to walk around and explore the city. A lot has changed since I went to NYC so I would love to go back and see more soon!

 

#4-Carribean Cruise– I went to the Western Caribbean and loved every stop and excursion that we went on. The Cayman Islands had beautiful snorkeling and we even got to hold sting rays! Cazumel was pretty and I would highly recommend renter mope heads and taking a ride around the island. The price was cheap and it was a great way to explore the area. The Bahamas was breathtaking and the white sand and blue water was perfect for a beach day. And while cruising the Caribbean it’s always fun to be on the boat and soaking in the sun outside. Put the Caribbean on your travel musts!

 

#5- San Diego-When I think of San Diego I think of the beautiful beach and what a relaxing place it can be. I was also impressed with how many tasty restaurants there are in the San Diego area. There’s a lot to do for adults as well as for kids. Some of my favorites are: SeaWorld, Speed boat adventures, San Diego Zoo, Knott’s Berry Farm & I hope to take my kids to Legoland soon.

#6- Cancun, Mexico– If you haven’t been to Cancun…save your pennies…it’s amazing! I would highly recommend an all inclusive resort because then you can hang out at the beach whenever you want. We also traveled to Chichen Itza and Tulum which is not a far drive and these sites were incredible. We went in August and it was burning up…I literally drank 8 water bottles at Chichen Itza alone! You may want to plan going when it’s not so hot. But I would highly recommend putting Cancun on your bucket list!

 

#7-Korea–I never had Asia at the top of my list, and now I would go back in a heart beat. I explored South Korea for 2 weeks and it was incredible. The culture and the food was amazing. The people were very friendly and kind, and luckily I had a friend that spoke both languages but most people in Korea know English quite well. I loved seeing the rice fields and the countryside, and we travel to Seoul, Korea and it was the biggest city I had ever seen. The amount of skyscrapers in Seoul was beyond anything my eyes had seen. I ate a lot of rice, and my very favorite dish there was a meal called beef bulgogi…delicious! So if Asia is not on your traveling list…put it on there! Yes it was a long 14 hour flight but it was worth it!

#8-Norway– The country of Norway has a beauty that is hard to describe. It’s very green with beautiful cottages rolling the countryside. The cities are full of history and beauty as well. In a way it felt as though I were stepping back into time because so many of the buildings were hundreds of years old. The many islands off of Norway’s coast were beautiful to see and taking a coastal ride was eye-opening. We were able to take a ferry ride up the coast of Norway and the amount of gorgeous waterfalls I saw was breathtaking. I was able to travel to Norway in the summer which was a beautiful time of year, and it was interesting to see that the sun never goes completely down. There were endless sites to see in Norway and our two weeks in this country was not enough. I would definitely travel back to Norway.

 

#9-Washington D.C. The possibilities are endless when talking about D.C. because there is SO much to see. Something I loved about the time of year we went was the cherry blossoms were blooming everywhere and it was beautiful. We traveled to D.C.  in the spring. Some must do’s while you’re there: Capitol building, George Washington’s home, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery and the Holocaust Museum. We took a bus tour which I would highly suggest. We weren’t able to tour the White House but the bus tour took us past it. It was also neat to drive by the Pentagon and the FBI buildings. This city is made for tourist so the food was great! I still have a lot to visit in D.C. so it’s not a matter of IF I go back there, it’s a matter of when:) 

#10-Zions National Park– It’s hard to put into words the beauty of Zion’s National Park in southern Utah. There is honestly such a peaceful feeling while in the park because there is such a strong natural beauty for the world surrounding you. The hikes are amazing and you can do very simple hikes or more advance hikes. Driving through the park is a great way to see the area as well, but you need to try to hike to a look-out area and just take in natures beauty. Zions is indescribable and one of those places you definitely need to visit in your lifetime!

**So there is my list, what would you add?