Enjoy the Ride!

Do you ever get overwhelmed by all the stuff that needs to get done? Yeah, I do. I'm one of those people that likes to bite off more than I can chew sometimes.

I'm PTA President at my kids' school this year which is exciting, but sometimes quite daunting. I had a day last week that was one of THOSE days. You know the kind. I had a million and one things to do and it seemed like everything was getting in the way of me getting things done. The kids were fighting and I just couldn't handle it. I kept losing my patience and it was just a crummy day. 

At the end of the day, I realized that this was NOT how I wanted life to be this year. I chose to do PTA to help make my children's lives better. And to make a difference. I did not want to get to the end of the year and look back to a year of stress and torment that I would never want to repeat. This is what I decided right then and there:

I CHOOSE to enjoy the ride! I am doing things that I love to do and will make this fit with my family (always family first). Some things are going to be SO successful, others will totally bomb. I will NOT stress over this, but just keep working my to-do list. I CHOOSE to enjoy the ride!

The next morning I woke up and told Aubrey, "You know what? I'm not going to lose my patience today!" And you know what? I didn't. And it was a fantastic day. And I still had a million and one things to accomplish.

World, today I chose to Enjoy the Ride!

Eliminating FAT Talk!

Being a mother of a very impressionable 10 year old daughter, I am becoming more and more aware of the words that come out of my mouth.

Sometimes it's hard and things just slip out. Case in point, I was recording a 4 minute clip of myself for a Back to School video I am putting together for our school's PTA. When I played it back, I was dying. I was SO critical of myself. I finally walked away, realizing I was being (irrationally) hard on myself.

I came across this book, which is now on my wishlist. (I hope it's as good as what I've read so far.) Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-it Note at a Time:

Here are some tips from the book on how to bolster your self-esteem:

1. Start slow. "The worst thing you can do is try to overhaul your fitness and eating habits overnight. It took years to develop your bad habits; it will take more than a few days to break them. Let's say you're starting from healthy eating ground zero--fast food, frozen dinners, no vegetables. Trying to figure out how to cook all your meals, eat more produce, and manage your own snacks could be overwhelming. Instead of a complete diet overhaul, just focus on improving one meal (like breakfast) for two weeks. Or try replacing one of your snacks with a piece of fruit.

2. Consciously replace negative thoughts with positive BUT REALISTIC ones. "It's important to tell yourself something that's believable and uplifting."

3. Remind yourself that negative self-talk has actually been shown to increase unhealthy behavior when it comes to diet, exercise, and other areas of a healthy balanced lifestyle.

4. Make a list of your positive qualities and tape them to your bathroom mirror.

I love that last idea. I’m cheesy and I love to idea of leaving love notes around the house. Plus I have some really cute post-its! Wanna try with me?

My Latest Obsession

Oster 6889 Core 12-Speed Blender with Glass Jar, Black

A few months ago, my blender died. I didn't have a ton of money to spend on a blender, but I did pick this Oster up a couple of weeks ago and I am in LOVE with it! It makes the BEST smoothies (no ice chunks, perfectly blended). Here are some of my favorite Shakeology recipes that I have been using lately:

Mock Orange Julius

1 scoop GreenBerry Shakeology

1 cup of water

1/2 cup almond milk

1 packet Crystal light Sugar free “Classic Orange” or “Sunrise”

Ice (I put in like 2 cups of ice)


CARL DAIKELER SPECIAL

1.5 scoop Chocolate Shakeology powder
1 banana
1 Tbsp almond or peanut butter (or to taste)
ice to taste

8oz water


SUNRISE – Antioxidant Special

¼ cup fresh orange juice

1 scoop Berry Shakeology powder

3/4 cup water

Ice to taste 

Do Those Shape-Up/Toning Shoes Really Work?

The short answer is no.

I've been intrigued since these shoes came out. I mean really, don't we all (even if secretly) wish that there was that quick fix to our problems? I mean look at these claims: 

The idea presented is, simply change the shoes you wear and get that body you always wanted. Sure maybe if you read the fine print, you'll find that you actually have to *gasp* work! But come on if you're paying $100+ for shoes like these, shouldn't they really do all the work for you?

I wasn't surprised when I came across this article from the American Council of Exercise (ACE). They did some research which proved that the shoes do not actually meet the claims they make.

Does that mean you shouldn't buy them? No, I'm certainly not saying that. Heck, if they motivate and inspire you to move more, there's nothing wrong with that! Just don't buy into all the promises. ;)

Shakeology on HBO's Entourage!

Okay, so I'm one of those wierdos that only has basic cable, so I don't actually watch HBO. But, I heard through the grapevine that one of my new favorite goodies, Shakeology, made an appearance on HBO's Entourage. Take a look:

Up front is an almost empty Beachbody shaker cup. In the back, is the infamous Shakeology in a bag! Maybe I'm a silly giddy girl, but I thought it was kind of cool!

If you are interested in trying a sample, just let me know. I'm happy to send out a sample of your choice! (Leave a comment or send me an email CarrieKeele(at)gmail(dot)com.

Eliminating the Shame & Let the Guilt Work For You!

Do you ever find yourself feeling guilty or ashamed for what you are doing (or not doing?) Maybe it's the stuff that causes you stress, sleepless nights, feeds your bad habits. Yup, I'm guilty (pun intended!) of it!

A while ago, I was reading about the difference between "guilt" and "shame." Without thinking we may group these two together, but actually they are quite different and make a BIG big difference in the end results. Here's the difference:

Guilt – can actually be a very constructive emotion. When you feel guilty you recognize that one of your actions was wrong and may have caused someone else harm. Guilt is feeling sorry for something you did.

Shame – is a harmful emotion that eats away at your self-esteem. When you feel shame it is because you believe a part of who you are is intrinsically bad. You end up feeling sorry for who you are. It is possible that the same action may produce guilt in one person and shame in another. It all depends on how that wrongdoer and the people around him react to his actions.

How does this apply to you?

Let's say I miss a few workouts and I'm feeling off track. I can either feel

• Guilt: "I missed some workouts, I can tell my body is feeling sluggish and really needs to start working again." OR
• Shame: "I missed some workouts, AGAIN. What is wrong with me? Why do I always do this. I am just doomed to be fat, that's all there is to it."

It's funny, once I started paying attention to this, I really started noticing how I can feel shame in many of the areas of my life. And really, shame is only going to feed the bad habits. Guilt can help me meet my goals.

How to make it work for you (instead of against you)?

Once you understand the difference, you'll start seeing it in your own life. In every area. Notice when you are feeling shame. And start telling yourself a different story. Realize that the shame is NOT the truth and will only pull us down. Repeat, it is NOT the truth. Use the guilt to bring you motivation to help meet your goals.

So, let's eliminate the shame and let the guilt work for you!

I Always Knew My Sisters Were Pretty Awesome ...

But they are also good for my mental health!

This is one of my fav pictures of Me & my sisters (Me, Stacey, Tam)

Don't you love how "they" make studies for everything? Well, aol.com writes about a a new study that shows that a sister can actually help improve your mental health. Here's a quote from the article:

The bond between siblings, particularly sisters, is a powerful thing capable of defending against depression.

Researchers from Brigham Young University found that loving sibling relationships have lasting positive effects on children's behavior and mental health, USA Today reports.

I just love to give my sisters a hard time (I live for it) but when it comes down to it, my two beautiful sisters (aside from my hubby and mom) are THE ones I turn to. They have seen every side of me and somehow still love me unconditionally. I've been angry, sad, depressed, ecstatic, empty, frustrated, proud, triumphant, jealous, hurt (and on and on) and they were there. 

Thanks Tammy and Stacey for being such wonderful sisters AND for helping to improve my mental health (I need all the help I can get!) 

And since I do so enjoy picking on you (hey I have to make up for the old times), here's one of my other favorite pictures:

 In the back - Tammy and Stacey, in the front - Mom and Me

She was reading my mind ...

Chalene Johnson just posted this ...

Achieving Balance (Avoiding Tunnel Vision)

This has been on my mind for a while now, I've been asking everyone and trying to figure out THE answer.

What answer did I get? I already know what to do, I just need to do it.

The fact is, I've read tons of tips & tricks. I could probably teach a class based on all the knowledge I have on planning, organizing, time management, etc.

It's like, when someone is unhappy with their weight. No one can make them lose weight and get healthy except for themselves. Once they make the choice to lose weight, they can and will lose weight.

So ... if I want balance in my life, then I just need to have it. (Confused still? I don't blame you!) Here are the action items that I know work for me:

• I will make (and use) my lists
• I will watch the clock (I get carried away with the things I want to do and don't want to spend enough time on the things I need to do)
• I will say NO to the things the things that don't fit
• I will stop beating myself up for what is done (or not done) and just keep pushing forward

The thing is, this applies to every area of my life (work, housework, exercise, nutrition, etc.)!

Check out this great sunset I got to see at my sister's house last night. It's the moments like this that really help me to find perspective (i.e. remembering what's really important in the scheme of things).