Writing

 Lately I’ve been watching these inspirational videos on YouTube and I thought one of them was particularly important. I spent some time lecturing the Introduction to the Constitution a year or so ago. This, for me, is such a fun topic to learn about and discuss because the more I learn, the more I am moved to tears of thanksgiving. In the quiet space of my walks, in my mind, I go over and over the concepts and each time I learn something that enlightens and inspires me to the core. 

First we learn that we, as humans, have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, given to us by our creator, the almighty. Then we learn how to keep these rights for ourselves and the one way to make that happen is by respecting not only our rights, but respecting the rights of others. Our constitution is literally founded upon the golden rule. 

I watch our military and important people within and stand in awe and admiration as I begin to understand the bigger scope of it all from my perspective. The inspirational movie scene stays in my mind as I hear the past President’s words repeat, “but only if you can keep it...”. It was an example to explain the concept of, “And we of right, ought to be free.” We have these rights, but only if we can keep them. 

Thirty and Thirty

 Today when I was focused on the “power hour” (30 minutes cleaning, 30 minutes cooking), I started cooking, after watching a short bit of the video I posted in the last blog and almost an hour later, dinner was ready. I washed a few dishes while I was busy making dinner and when all was said and done I realized that I’d made the power hour into at least two hours. Just like attending a party and staying longer than planned, I extended the time I was planning to spend taking care of business. This was the type of gift I needed to give myself and my family. 

The Power Hour Starts Tomorrow

 I’ve decided tomorrow I need to begin a “Power Hour” tradition. 

The power hour will be divided into two 30 minute sessions:

30 minutes of cleaning

30 minutes of cooking 

The power hour needs to be done 5 days a week. 

Here is a way to start off simply. 

Instacart

 I recently got a job with Instacart. I shop for people’s groceries and deliver them to their house/apt/condo. I’ve been on a few deliveries and have been enjoying my new work. 

Goals

 I’ve been reading several articles my Google Assistant pulls up for me that are health related. There are a few consistent answers when it comes to creating a more healthy lifestyle. 

1. Eating good foods. 

I went on a walk today to implement what I’ve been learning and on my walk I saw some fruits on a tree hanging over the fence. It looked extremely delicious so I picked a few and put them in my pocket. When I got home, I washed them, ate some and shared some. They were awesome! Little snacks like that will make the difference. 

2. Exercise.

Since I am pregnant I am somewhat limited to what type of exercise I can do. I tried to shoot the soccer ball a few times from the 18 yard line with my kids and later vomited. I can walk, thankfully, so I walk. A family pass to the gardens or amusement parks are a good deal because they provide extra motivation to exercise. 

Freedom of Speech

I read something that said if we are able to express ourselves with our words, we are able to let go of negative emotions that might otherwise be detrimental to our health. Freedom of Speech is a sensitive topic lately because we have learned that the words we speak, write, read, etc. actually do have some type of water weight to them. TBC... 

Breastfeeding

 I watched a commercial the other day where this woman was at her wits end trying to breastfeed so I thought I’d share some good experiences. 

1. Lay on your side on the bed and have baby lay under your armpit (so to speak) so you’re both extremely comfortable as much as possible. 

2 I’ve read some posts that say read a book while breastfeeding/get on the iPad, etc. I’d have to say set aside all distractions and watch your baby get the nourishment it needs. You’ll see them eat their real food the same way when they’re older and it’s a magically beautiful experience to observe. 

3. Throughout the first few days when it’s new to you and your milk hasn’t fully come in yet... try your best to hang in there. It really gets better. 

4. If your breasts become sore and wounded, you can put your breast milk on them and that’s really healing. 

5. Use your breast milk to clean the babies eyes and ears if you wish (and yours).