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Every Journey Starts With One Small Step! Let's Take it Together!

Baby Steps to a Rockin’ Life From the Middle of the Road!

Another Wednesday and another great week of the baby steps “Slow-vo-lution!” I am so glad with all the folks who have been following along and gaining momentum in their quest for change, one baby step at a time! I think the whole idea of taking baby steps hits a chord with busy folks who are so dedicated to the service of others that they rarely take care of themselves. Many see the baby steps as a way to honor their own needs in a responsible way, while still remaining humble and not seeming to be selfish. The truth is, we all need to be a tiny bit selfish if we really love ourselves.

Is asking for enough time to do five small things a day that will create more ME space really selfish? I think not! If you are new to the baby steps please go back and read the first installment of Baby Steps to a Rockin’ Life From the Middle of the Road so you will know exactly what we are talking about here. That way, you will also be able to read up on the wonderful tips that were shared last week. In the future, I will put a link back to the first installment and the previous week’s baby steps so everyone can be on the same page!

Baby Steps in My Life This Week!

This past week was definitely not a normal one. I was away in Las Vegas for an extended weekend with my girlfriends, and then came home to the usual mess and clutter that occurs when mom takes a vacation. No time to catch up on the weekend as we had a Broadway play to go to, a concert and we also had to do our taxes! I definitely used the go with the flow mentality to glide over situations that could have caused me great stress! When I went away I made sure to consolidate my shopping lists so that my family had everything on hand that they needed, but I still have a ways to go on that front. I did use some yummy lemon on some pan fried Tilapia that I made as well as in home made salad dressing and it did add a kick to otherwise simple fare.  Since I always use coconut oil in my diet, I simply continued on with this baby step by adding it into my morning smoothie and also using it on my nails and cuticles as a conditioner during the winter season.  We are very blessed to have a family where no one has allergies or asthma, but some folks in my extended family do, so I passed on the great hamper out of the bedroom tip to help them keep their asthma in control! While I wasn’t able to accrue a major amount of me time this week, I was able to keep on top of everything after having a wonderful extended Me time vacation, so that was wonderful!

Your Five a Day for You!

So, I ask you to join me here each week for five tiny steps or life hacks to think about that can make your life better in ALL areas. It is all connected after all isn’t it? If you can make a small step in the right direction with organizing, you might have more time for a small step in the right direction for health! Each Wednesday I will be sharing short tips for better health, more happiness, organization, scheduling, routines, harmony, peace, contentment, cooking, finances, personal care and family life (really any positive aspect of life!). I will also be joined by many other wonderful bloggers who have great information to share with you as well! These “mini-guest posters” are all such wonderful inspirational bloggers and I hope you visit them on their home sites to get more of the good stuff they will be talking about! Each tip is doable, based on positive action with cumulative effects applying consistent but minimal effort. In other words, it will take you very little time to do this thing but if you do it a lot, you will reap great benefits. Conversely, not doing it is not gonna slip you back into a rut. You are also going to feel much better about yourself when you “check off” any of the five little things you do for yourself a day, if you make the commitment to put yourself FIRST. Yes, I mean that. Setting aside time to do five small things for yourself every day and making that a priority will turn your thinking around and make you a happier person because YOU will feel the love you are giving yourself. When you feel that love, all other things seem to be better! We will be sharing many things over time and you will have plenty of different things to choose from that will help you take baby steps to a rockin’ life!

Baby Steps to a Rockin’ Life

Without further delay, here are the five Baby Steps for this week! While tons of tips are a good thing, too many will be overwhelming and defeat the purpose of thinking in small positive incremental movements in the right direction, so that is why there are five each week. Remember, these baby steps can be in ANY area of your life, but doing them will leave you with more time for YOU, and that means, filling that time with FUN stuff you want to do instead of piling on more things for others. We want you to have more time for yourself to do the things you love like crafting, cooking, blogging, dancing, painting, you get my drift! These are the very things that add quality to your life and make it more Rockin’!

Glad you could stop on by!

Stretch it baby!

Here is my baby step for the week that has made a huge difference in the way my body feels and my stress level.

I know most people try really hard to find time to exercise each day and figure that the cardio portion of their exercise is the most important because it burns calories and helps them to stay slim and fit. The truth is that all types of exercise are important to the body. Weight bearing exercise helps keep bones strong and muscles in top shape and cardio helps keep the circulatory system and heart happy. One portion of exercise that probably gets ignored the most and which is extremely important though is stretching. After a muscle has contracted during weight lifting or during cardio it contains the by products of that contraction which is lactic acid. This acid, if not properly flushed from the muscles during a cool down period can cause pain in the muscles and a feeling of heaviness. Weight lifting without stretching will cause your muscles to become more bulky because the muscles never relax through a full range of motion. Taking the time to stretch to your flexibility point can help reduce stiffness, create longer leaner muscles and reduce stress in the body.

If I have a day where I cannot do even a short amount of dancing or exercise, I make it a point to spend 5 to 10 minutes doing some basic stretches in a slow manner while breathing deeply during each stretch. It is important to stretch all the major muscles in the legs, back, arms and chest, as well as doing some stretches that rotate the spine. If you do the stretches slowly and do not bounce, you can do them cold, as the stretches themselves will warm up the muscles while you are doing them. As we age, flexibility is one of the first things to go and doing some simple daily stretches and making it a necessary part of any exercise program will help keep you subtle, avoid decreased range of motion and injury and make your body happy and healthy!

No more odd socks EVER!

The ever resourceful Mary of the Frugal Buzz gives this “why didn’t I think of that!?” Baby Step.

Are you tired of losing socks in the dryer (where do they go)? Here’s a neat way to keep them from disappearing into the Twilight Zone. Assign each family member a mesh laundry bag for dirty socks. You can wash and dry the bags and give them back. It’s amazing; no more missing socks! Please visit Mary at the Frugal Buzz for more great tips and information on living a full and frugal life!

Cream of nothing soup!

This make ahead baby step comes from Jackie of the lovely Crest Cottage Creations.

One of the reasons for the rise in the consumption of food with poor nutrition is the convenience of it all.  Grab a few quick ingredients and you have a “home cooked” meal!  The problem is, the ingredients are not simple ingredients.  They are typically chock-full of scientific ingredients and light on traditional goodness.  As someone who works 2 full time jobs along with trying to keep her husband fed and our lives healthy, I understand the appeal of these items.  Luckily, it is easy to make most of these things, and you can up the nutrition, and the yumminess, as much as you would like!

Most of those quick casserole dishes call of “Condensed Cream of ____ Soup.”  Make it at home and keep it in the freezer so you can make easy meals with happy ingredients!

First, chop up 2 T of butter and let it melt.  Then, slowly whisk in about 6 T of flour until the butter is thick. Next, pour in 1 cup of stock or broth and 1 cup of milk.  Let it gently boil until it is very thick.  I wait to season it until I use it, so I can adjust the seasonings to the meal it is destined for.  It may be easier for you to season or add in the chicken/mushroom/fill-in-the-blank now to save time and energy later.  It’s up to you!  When it is ready, save it in 15.5 ounce portions.  I know that sounds like an odd number, but that is the size of the little cans. Please visit Jackie at Crest Cottage Creations for more on Cream of Nothing Soup and other wonderful ways to keep your home running smoothly!]

Clean and beautiful hair without buying fancy shampoo!

This frugal beauty baby step comes from the amazing Hella D of Helladelicious!

I finally got fed up with paying so much money for shampoo and  conditioner that never actually turns out to be as ‘organic’ or ‘all  natural’ as the labels and packaging would have you believe. I have also  become rather hypersensitive to chemicals after spending too much time in kitchens around harsh oven cleaners and whatnot. Turns out it is  quite easy to wash your hair with a couple common household ingredients.  After doing this for about 6 months, I have learned a couple tricks. My  hair is rather thin so the baking soda drys it out if I use it too  frequently. I like to alternate it with a cheap factory farmed egg (yeah  I know sorry chickens, but I like to eat the free range ones and they cost $$)  one time and then baking soda the next. Apple cider vinegar is a charm for conditioner. I infuse my vinegar with chamomile for a couple  weeks, water it down slightly and add a touch of rosemary essential oil.  Easy peasy and saves an incredible amount of money!

To wash your hair with baking soda simply put a couple Tablespoons in a jar and add some water. Rub it into the back of your head and into your scalp, wait a few minutes, then give it a good rinse. The first couple weeks you do this
your hair will probably get dull or greasy as it sloughs off soapy residue. Stick with it! I generally wash my hair 2 to 3 times a week with this method. Please visit Hella D at Hella Delicious for more information on using baking soda and vinegar as healthy shampoo and conditioner.

What Grandma knew about apple cider vinegar!

Apple cider vinegar is a folk remedy for a lot of illnesses.  I’ve been drinking 2TBSP in a glass of water but it’s a little too acidic for me so I add 1/8th tsp of sodium bicarbonate before adding the water.  This helps to neutralize the acid a bit but doesn’t change the beneficial effects.  The best kind to use for this purpose is raw, organic ACV with the mother. Adding the water is very important because straight vinegar can dissolve tooth enamel and may cause irritation to the esophagus and sphincter valve at the top of the stomach.

But the change up that I’d like to share today is the addition of organic blackstrap molasses. Since I became severely anemic a few years back, I struggle to keep my iron levels where they should be. During bouts of perimenopause, with bleeding issues, my iron drops quickly. So, I decided to tweak my morning routine in an effort to regain healthy iron levels without over the counter iron supplements that cause their own problems. Each morning, after drinking a glass of room temp water to get my system going, I mix up a concoction of 1-2 tbsp ACV, a pinch to 1/8th tsp of baking soda and a tbsp+ of molasses. Then I fill the glass up with water and sip it throughout the rest of my morning activities. There are so many benefits to both the ACV and the molasses; just to name a few…cleanse the system of yeast and toxins, build iron levels, balance pH and provide more energy. Who couldn’t use more of that! Please visit Sharon of the Woodwife’s Journal for more on apple cider vinegar and also check out the other alternative and herbal remedies they use in their home!

So, you see, these are all positive and to the point, giving the benefits you will gain immediately from using these techniques, which you can employ whenever you want! Please visit again next week for more Baby Steps to a Rockin’ Life and good luck doing your five a day for you! These Baby Steps come from many different wonderful bloggers all over the map who have various expertise and insight so we can hit a wide variety of topics. If you want to participate, please check out the Baby Steps to a Rockin’ Life Guidelines, because the more the merrier! Now Get to Rockin’!

This article is a part of Real Food Wednesdays, Fresh, Clean and Pure Fridays, I’m Lovin’ It, Friday Food at Momtrends and Frugal Fridays.

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