Shameless (but not really if you think about it) Plug

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Ok, so this blog entry is kind of going to be a shameless plug for a project I am working on. BUT, before you click away and stop reading, let me preface this entire entry by saying that this project is charity driven...that this entire project is fueled by my desire to help others.  Sooo, maybe stick with me?  Thanks!

If any of you have read my other stuff or even know me, you know that I am a school counselor.  I love my job.  I know people say that all of the time, just to save face....but, no, really...I LOVE my job.  I work with 11th and 12th graders on the daily and I adore each and every one of them -- even the ones who make me freakin INSANE.

With that being said, many of these students have needs...basic needs...that are not being met.   It is heartbreaking to sit with a student knowing that they don't have a coat in the winter or enough food to get them through the week and the only meals they eat are the one provided at school.   Sometimes I work with students who have a chronic health problem that they are not getting addressed because they cannot afford the medical care...especially when it is something like vision or dental care.  It is, as I said, heartbreaking.

I work for an awesome school district who recognizes the diverse needs of its students.  So, as a result a foundation was started in order to help provide for the student needs detailed above.  This foundation is entirely funded by donations.  These funds have helped us provide hope and support to dozens of students just this past school year.  It is truly a blessing.

Because I have been inspired by this, I decided I needed a project to help raise funds on a continuing basis that I can accumulate and donate to the foundation.  I kind of saw it as a win-win because it would give me a project (something a busy-body like me desperately needs) and the result would be contributing to a cause I believe in.

So, what did I do?  I became a Perfectly Posh representative.  I went this route because I love the products and I wanted to use it as an opportunity to go out and meet new people in my community.  I also knew I would have fun with it.   I could have gone around and just asked for cash donations, but I wanted to go a different route.  People can buy products that they need (who doesn't need soap?) and want while knowing that the profit I make (25%) will get donated to the foundation I so love.  

Sooooo, if you are in the market for....

• High quality pampering products (soap, lotions, lip balms, moisturizers, scrubs, face masks, the list goes on and on) that are naturally based. (No harmful chemicals in these suckers!)
• Products that are cruelty free
• Products that are made in the USA
• AFFORDABLE products (nothing over $25)

Please peruse my consultant website and consider placing an order.  I have raised about $100 so far and would love to continue to donate regularly.

Shameless plug concluded.   Thank you!

Diving in to Summer

Before I delve into the topic of the day, I would like to explain a daily feature I am going to start adding at the beginning of each blog entry.  I am going to reflect on the day before and make an effort to pinpoint things I did well and also things that I need to improve upon.  Soooo...here is my reflection for yesterday.

What about you?  How was your Monday?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summer!  There could not be a better time for me to take back my health.  As a school counselor, I have most of the summer of, so I will have ample time to jumpstart my healthier lifestyle.  I am blessed with this time and I am going to use it!

Summer Time Goals:

Get Active!

Summer lends itself to being active by nature, but I can finally get to work fitness-wise without the "I am too busy" or "I am too tired" excuses.  I want to create tried and true habits that can carry over into my routine when I resume work at the beginning of August.

Fitness Ideas:  Take walks with the kids (include some fun nature scavenger hunts), walk the dog, run in the neighborhood or at the local school track, resistance bands during down time with the kids, elliptical training, rowing machine, Cize (dance workouts), T25 workouts, SWIMMING!!

Try New Recipes!

During the work week, it is difficult to be adventurous and test out new, healthy recipes.  It is MUCH easier to fall back into the old stand-by recipes that are in my regular rotation because I know they are good and I can whip them up in no time.  My summer goal?  Make some of the new dishes I have been meaning to try and hold on to my favorites, so they too can become a part of the regular work week rotation.  

Here are a couple examples of recipes I would like to try. Thank you, Pinterest!

Who doesn't love nachos?  I think adding nacho toppings to some peppers and broiling them in the oven is a brilliant idea!   Find this recipe here. 

One of my favorite frozen treats ever is the Dole Whip dessert found at Disney World.  Well, hey, let's face it.  I like frozen treats like ice cream and sorbet, period.  This particular homemade frozen treat only has two ingredients:  Frozen Pinepple and coconut milk!  I will definitely be adding this to my repertoire for when I get an ice cream craving.  It is simple enough that you likely don't really need a recipe, but you can find it here. 

Have Fun!

I plan to enjoy myself and my time off.  I am blessed to have the summers off with my kids.  Having this time to regroup is exactly what I need.  Being happy and being under a little less stress will surely help me maintain the positive attitude I need in order to make great strides with my goals.  

Choices

It's interesting how when things become challenging in our lives, we tend to deprive ourselves of the things we enjoy.  It becomes easy to say, "I stopped (insert activity here), because life got too hard. Doesn't that seem counterproductive?  Shouldn't we gravitate towards the things we enjoy in order to better cope with the challenge?  Why do we punish ourselves?

I stopped blogging.  I loved blogging.  I still love blogging.  Sure, I would pop up on occasion with the "I'm back" post and then never write after that...until the next "I'm back" post.  How silly!  While I would like to start posting daily entries again, I know I may need to ease back in.  I really enjoy blogging, so I will try to focus on it more.

I stopped caring about my health.  Well, I don't know if I stopped CARING, I just stopped taking care of it.  The effort just kind of went on the back burner.  While working on your health is not always fun, I liked who I was when I was working to get fit and actually seeing progress.  I actually HAD confidence!  Trust me, confidence is something  I have lacked for most of my life.  I felt healthy.  I felt pride in what I had become.  Yet, somehow, even though I was HAPPY, I left that part of me go. I let it go, Elsa.  I let it go!  I want to find that part of myself again.

I miss who I was...which is kind of silly when you think about it. I miss MYSELF?  I have always been here.  I am the one thing in my life that I have COMPLETE control over!  Why miss myself when I am right here!?!  It is time to reunite my former, healthier confident self with my current self who feels like Jabba the Hut on a daily basis.

I find myself back at square one -- because when you backslide enough, where else are you supposed to end up?  Certainly not ahead of the game...that is for sure.

Soooooo....I have two choices.

Choice #1:
I can mope and feel sorry for myself.  I can remain in the same rut I have been in for nearly 2 years now.  I can continue to loathe my choices.  I can hate myself and I can let the challenges in life get the best of me.   Sounds like a party, right?

Choice #2:
I can accept that I am back at square 1 and see it as an opportunity for positive change.  I can do the best I can to become the best version of myself.  While doing this, I will forgive myself when I make mistakes and learn from them.  I can accept them rather than feeling defeated by them.  I can allow myself to be human without completely giving up on my goals.

I don't know about you, but I think the choice is pretty obvious...

On another note I am going to start being MUCH more active on Instagram as well!  I plan to share photos of progress, food, anything that could be needed for inspiration.  One thing I love doing in life is helping others, and if I can inspire someone while I am trying to better myself, I hope to do that.  I just want others with the same struggle to know that we are in this together and that although we may be strangers, we can still lean on one another for support.  So, yeah, find me on Instagram!  There is a cute little icon you can click on within this blog OR you can look me up!  Search for me under courtsieannb!   Browse, like, comment, whatever!