A Life of Simple JoyReducing stress, increasing joy one post at a time!

Sorry to yell but it is time for you to stop and take time for YOU! As women, we push ourselves to the limit and beyond. We tend to feel guilty taking time for ourselves. Mr. Diva refers to this as “Chick Guilt.” We keep going like that bunny in the commercial. Unfortunately, when our batteries wear out, we try to keep going. This only exhausts us more. Look around at young moms. How many of them seem exhausted all the time? How many seem to get sick easily? Face it, Divas, we are not doing anyone any favors when we push ourselves beyond the point of exhaustion. No one is going to give us a medal for going above and beyond the point of duty.

So, what should we do? Listen to your body! It will tell you when you need a break. When it starts sending those signals, LISTEN! If you don’t, your body will take stronger actions when you become sick. If you still keep pushing ahead, trying to do things when you should be resting, then you will only get sicker. Do you really want to end up in bed for 2 or more weeks? Of course not!

Take some down time occasionally. Rest your body. Veg out in front of the television. Give your mind and body a chance to renew and discover how wonderful you feel when you get back to work. Doing nothing without guilt is a simple joy you and your family. Try it soon!

I have a confession to make: I plan to work REALLY, REALLY hard setting up our company, get everything moving smoothly, then I plan to do NOTHING! Well, not nothing but I want things to work so well that I can stand back and watch it work. See, I am lazy. Not slothful, just lazy. If there is an easy but effective way to do things, that’s for me! I am willing to work hard today if that means I can kick back down the road. And kick back I plan to do.

I know. Some of you are shocked. Well, laziness is high underrated. Pushing ourselves to achieve one goal after another gets old very quickly. We all need time to sit back and watch the world go by. Think of it: a whole day when you do absolutely NOTHING! You can read or watch videos or just go outside and stare at the clouds. Jesus did this. He would work incredibly hard, then go off to recharge His batteries. He even scolded Martha for working so hard rather than relaxing while she visited with Him.

Laziness may not be the trait you want to make primary in your life but it is often overlooked in our lives as women. Tell you what. This Mother’s Day, tell your family all you want is a whole day of nothing! A day when you don’t have to think about all the things you need or want to get done. Shut down for 24 hours. See how renewed and refreshed you feel when the next day comes around. Laziness may become a habit with you. After all, those tasks will still be there when you resurface!

I am working on a new book, well, more of a booklet on the simple joy of tea. I love hosting teas. Find them to be the very best way to entertain friends. Much easier than a full-blown meal and perceived as being more elegant and difficult. Tea may be elegant, even the way I do it, but it is by no means difficult when it is done The Extreme Diva way. I frustrate myself trying for perfection with my writing. I must turn my internal editor off and push ahead. The info in this book is too important and a precursor to my book on the simple joy of entertaining. We need to begin entertaining in our homes more.

I believe women are feeling isolated. Many of us have gone back to work or are working longer, harder hours. We are struggling to keep up with things around the house and with our families. We are coping with financial difficulties. All these things have overwhelmed us and caused us to shut ourselves away. Instead, we need to turn to one another for strength, support and guidance. Women do not function well alone. We are social creatures that need a strong social network to build a strong self esteem. Without that strong network, we lack the confidence necessary to tackle the issues facing us daily.

So, I must get busy. Not for my sake but for the sake of all those women out there needing my help. And I know you are out there!

Mr Diva works Saturday & Sunday. Today, he went into work later so we were able to enjoy a fabulous breakfast together. I know, it sound conceited of me to say that since If made breakfast but it was indeed fabulous. Nothing fancy but very good.

I made sausage links and pancakes. I used the microwave to get the sausage started and then browned them in a pan. I use the griddle side of my waffle iron to make my pancake. Just began using the griddle recently and find it is the very best way to cook my pancakes. I make great pancakes and they are sooo easy to make.

I like to use a “complete” pancake mix that only requires adding water. Started using this type of mix on camping trips and find I like it much better than the traditional mixes. Instead of water, I use club soda. Just use the same amount of soda as water called for in the recipe.  Use a bigger bowl because the mixture foams up when you add the club soda. The soda makes the mixture bubbly and the pancakes lighter.

I used to have problems with my pancakes being underdone in the center. Most instructions on the box say to flip the pancake when it begins bubbling lots. Instead, wait until the pancake begins to look dry on the top. It should be almost completely cooked when you flip it. All that needs to be done is for the pancake to brown on the second side.

Briefly heat the syrup in the microwave. Keeps the pancakes nice and hot. As a subtle touch, add flavoring to your pancake mix. Today, I added Bourbon vanilla. Comes from the Bourbon region of France. Has a stronger taste that regular vanilla and adds a wonderful flavor to your pancakes.

This was a great and relaxing way to begin our day. A Simple Joy for Mr Diva and me!

HOPE: Even when things are extremely difficult, you must maintain hope. This is not a Pollyanna attitude or even Annie singing about tomorrow. Too often, we only focus on today and how bad things are. We only focus on the bad causing us to become more depressed. Depression leads to inaction which only makes the situation worse. Soon, it becomes an out of control cycle that is almost impossible to escape.

No matter how bad your situation is, you must spend time each and every day envisioning a better future. You must work to maintain hope for yourself and your family. You must make the vision strong. You must find ways to make it real. Mr Diva and I have photos taped to the side of our frig to remind us of the things we are working for today. Some days, the vision is the only thing that keeps you pressing forward. But you must ALWAYS be moving forward. Even if it is only baby steps, make them steps forward. If you slip backward, then make up the lost ground and press farther ahead. Keep the vision in front of you, maintain the hope in your heart and mind and soon the vision becomes a reality. Remember, most people quit immediately before they achieve success. Hang on, press through and see the incredible things that happen in your life and the life of your family.

Maintain F*A*I*T*H when life is difficult and you find a strength, peace and determination you never knew existed within you.

TIME: A passage in the Bible tells us there is a time for everything. This includes the way you react to difficult times. When things get tough, some people freeze like a deer in headlights. Other people run around like crazy. So, some do nothing while others try to do ANYTHING! Whatever you are doing, if you have been doing it for an extended time and it is an extreme reaction, it may be time to change tactics. If you have become so depressed by your situation that all you are able to do is sit there taking no action, you need to MOVE! Now, this doesn’t mean rushing around like crazy. Instead, you need to clear your mind and consider your options. Believe it or not, you do have options. You have options even in the most severe situations. This is where your ingenuity comes into play. Calm yourself and think. If necessary, pretend it is someone else’s problem, then apply your imagination to solving the problem. Sometimes, it is necessary to remove yourself from the situation, take a step back to allow you to calmly and rationally develop a plan of action.

What if you are running around like crazy, trying everything, with nothing working out for you? Well, you need to do the exact same thing I said above. You must take a breath, calm your fears and THINK! Begin using logic rather than emotion. All the action you have been taking is just wearing you down. It is also wearing your family down. It may take shutting down for awhile to give you a new perspective on the situation. I often use this when I have become overwhelmed with my work. Granted, I don’t have small children so it makes is easier for me to lock myself away. However, you can find ways to take time away from it all. Even if you just go to bed early one night, it may be just the break you need to clear your mind and approach your problems anew. When thinks become too much, talk to your spouse and arrange a break. Explain why you need it. You should be able to work out a plan that gives you the break you need.
Time is a valuable tool for you during difficult times. Use it wisely and to your advantage.

INGENUITY: When things are tight financially in your family, the one commodity you have an unlimited supply of is ingenuity. Your creativity is only limited by your imagination. This is a time to let your imagination run free. This is also the time to tap the creativity of your family, especially your children. Kids tend not to filter their ideas. They may not know what works and what doesn’t. While some of their ideas may be waaaaay out there, it is also possible you can take those way out ideas and mold them into workable ideas. Adults often become so frustrated and discouraged, we begin to believe there are no workable answers. This is a major cloud to our ability to think creatively. You will find, believe me, you WILL find your kids are an unlimited supply of ideas and suggestions. Present them with a problem, a challenge and ask them to come up with some solutions. Set a time to meet as a family where each child can present their ideas. Then, sit back and take notes. Decide on the most promising solution. If it needs work, work it out as a family.

As I said in an earlier post, you get maximum cooperation when everyone is invested in the project. If you have one malcontent, they will slow down if not halt the entire project. Learn to listen for discontent. Never brush it off. If someone doesn’t like an approach to a problem, dig deeper and find out why. Although I might seem to treat all this like a game, I am dead serious about the whole process. When things get tough financially for your family, it affects absolutely everyone in the family. You may think it affects you and your spouse more than your kids but when something bothers you, it bothers the entire family. Address any concerns no matter how minor they may seem to you. Use ingenuity to address problems, concerns, rewards and the future and see how quickly attitudes turn around for the entire family.

ATTITUDE: Women are the hearts of their families. Your attitude affects the entire family. If you have a bad attitude, an attitude that is negative, your entire family will have a negative attitude. Everyone becomes edgy and angry. When things are on edge at home, things tend to get bad in all the other aspects of your life.  Suddenly, it becomes a building process, an inverted pyramid that drives you deeper and deeper into a hole of depression.

Learn ways to deal with the stress better so you don’t pass it along to everyone in your life. I always advise women to create “pockets of peace.” I know, it sounds very corny but corny works. A pocket of peace is a little vacation that helps you relax. It can be as simple as a piece of dark chocolate to a soothing bubble bath. Even some deep breathing works. You need to find a trigger that soothes you in a very short period of time. If all else fails, wait until everyone goes to bed, sit alone in the dark and cry, cry, cry. Get it out of your system. Yes, I know, it stinks but you are the grown up in this situation so you need to suck it up.

In addition, you must pray. My husband and I always pray together for added strength and protection. Pray together as a family. The more people praying, the more positive the attitude of everyone. Maintain a positive attitude and see those around respond.

I don’t have to tell you that times are tough. If you and your family aren’t experiencing difficulties personally, then you have seen the problems on the news and online. Odds are, though, you’re going through some lean times. This leaves you feeling uncertain, even anxious from time to time. This is when you need to call on F*A*I*T*H:

FAMILY: When things are difficult, you must lean on and rely on those closest to you. Be honest with your spouse and children. If money is tight, let them know. You need to get everyone on board if you want this to work. You don’t need to scare your kids, making them think the family finances are about to collapse. However, this is the perfect time to teach your kids about family finance and budgets. If they are old enough, get their input and ideas on ways to economize. Make it a family project. Teach kids how to clip coupons. Let them plan the menu and offer a treat to the one who comes up with the least expensive but nutritious meal. Take the kids along to the grocery store and let them do the shopping. Kids are great when it comes to finding the best bargains. Tell them what the budget is for the weekly grocery shopping, give them the list and let them know something special can be purchased with the money saved. It can be a special dessert or the money can be saved up for a special event for the entire family. This is only one way to teach your kids about budgeting and running a household. Combine your imagination with your kids’ enthusiasm and your family will not only get through the current crisis but also any other difficult times in the years ahead.

So many families are watching their money this Holiday season. One way to have a fun-filled Holiday season with little cost is by adding new traditions to your family Christmas. There are any number of things you can add to your schedule that don’t overwhelm you.

One tradition is the observation of Advent. Advent begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving. During these 4 weeks, we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. In my online television show this week, I show you how to make two Advent wreaths for your family. You don’t need two but this gives you a choice and ideas for your own wreath.

As part of Advent, I have found a site that offers crafts and activities for kids. This site offers you different Advent calendars you can make with your kids.

Advent Calendar Activities