Inspiration Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

There are many things in life that will tear you down and many that will try but fail. It is inevitable but there are always those go-to things that make you happy after that let-down or put a smile back on your face, even if it is only for a minute. Below are some of my favorite inspirational quotes. Be inspired. Inspire others.

Everything you want is on the other side of fear. –Jack Canfield

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you. –Princess Diana

Practice the pause. When in doubt, pause. When angry, pause. When tired, pause. When stressed, pause. And when you pause, pray. –Toby Mac

When you focus on problems, you have more problems. When you focus on possibilities, you will have more opportunities. –unknown

Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness. –George Sand

You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you. –John Shipp

One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood. –Seneca

Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance. –David Nicholls

There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance…Its called humility. Confidence smiles. Arrogance smirks. –unknown

Anyone can show up when you’re happy. But the ones who stay by your side when your heart falls apart, they are your true friends. –Brigitte Nicole

Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet. –Maya Angelou

Freedom is being you without anyone’s permission. –unknown

On this road called life, you have to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you got, and remember what you had. Always forgive, but never forget. People change. Things go wrong. But just remember, the ride goes on. –unknown

Never judge someone by the opinion of others. –unknown

We don’t grow when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges. –Your Positive Oasis

The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively. –Bob Marley

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. –Dr. Seuss

Fitness Goals

The amazing feeling of working out will forever keep me young! Well, at least that’s what I pray for. I have been working out more and more lately and it brings so much life to my world. I feel better; happier, more energized, kinder and more passionate about life in general. I have a friend who is a workout fanatic. She is my idol! She inspires to me get in the gym even on my easier days. I love her admiration to working out and having a diet that is almost always on point. The diet part is a bit harder for me because I love cooking and experimenting but I have never lost the sight of what living a happy and healthy lifestyle is all about. #happyhealthyliving

What have I been up to lately? Well, I try to walk our dog every night. Even if it’s only a 10 minute walk, it’s great getting Reggie out of the yard and checking out the neighborhood. It doesn't always work out like that, but we try. He runs around outside almost the entire time we are home, but it’s still great to get out and about. 

Beyond that, shoulders, shoulders and shoulders! My fitness goal right now is to build my shoulders while maintaining my regular workout. I have been hitting the gym hard to build my strength, particularly shoulders. I don't need to be huge but I do need strength. As many of you know, I am an avid outdoorsman and enjoy bow hunting more many reasons; to put some delicious food in the freezer and enjoy the glory of nature and what it has to offer. I never want to run out of venison to make Jalapeno Cream Cheese Venison wrapped in Bacon year round too! And they are amazing! But on a serious note, shoulders are a weak point for me. I’ve struggled maintaining strong shoulders through sports injuries earlier in my life and lack of consistent workouts as I began bow hunting. It doesn’t make it easy hunting when you can’t comfortably pull back the bow at your desired draw weight. So, I’m making it a point to build those muscles. And, I love muscular shoulders. Although I have access to a crossbow, I don’t think I would enjoy the sportsmanship of bow hunting as much while using one. We shall see what the future holds. 

What are your fitness goals? Take a walk every night? Maybe every othe night. Do a few squats? The power is in your hands! #faith #love #happyhealthyliving

Nutrition Myths

Did you know?

I read an article a while back and wrote a post about it. It was deleted due to reconfiguring my blog but I did save it first. Here's an overview of that article called “20 Mainstream Nutrition Myths that Most People Believe (Even though they’ve been Proved Wrong)". The article can be found at eatlocalgrown.com, but I did a brief review here...

For any of my Facebook Happy-Healthy-Living followers, you see the many food related articles I post. I’m working on getting my blog more updated with those same articles, hang in there!

In today’s society it’s hard to know exactly where our food comes from let alone if where it says it comes from it true. According to the article, eating a low-fat, high-carb diet with a lot of grains is not as good for you as we were once advised. It used to be pushed as a weight loss food program as well as preventative care for cancer. This is a myth. Many studies have been done from reputable sources showing inconclusive evidence for the statement to be true.

Another common myth is “Salt should be restricted in order to lower blood pressure and reduce heart attacks and strokes”. Now I am a fan of seasoning and always thought this was true, so hesitated on my salt intake. According to the article, on average, lowering your salt intake can indeed reduce a persons’ blood pressure by 1-5 mm/Hg. That being said, this has no effect on heart attacks, strokes or death. There is one exception to this common myth, if you have a pre-existing medical condition such as salt-sensitive hypertension, you may have increased risks that involve salt.

“It is best to eat many, small meals throughout the day to ‘stoke the metabolic flame’”. This is another common myth that I have heard from many health professionals throughout my lifetime. I’ve been blessed my entire life, thus far, with a fairly “high” metabolism. I grew up eating 3 meals a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. As I grew older and continued to stay active, I met several friends in the health field. They almost all advised me it is best to eat 5 small meals rather than 3 larger meals. According to this article, that’s a myth and eating 2-3 meals per day has the ‘exact same effect on total calories burned as eating 5-6 (or more) smaller meals.’ I never thought of it as how many calories I was eating. I’ve never been a calorie counter and frankly, don’t know if I ever will. I eat healthy and stay active, therefore; I try not to go crazy… Granted, calorie counting works wonders for many of my friends! Some people benefit from eating often because it prevents excessive hunger. According to the article, that is true, but it is untruthful that this has an effect on the amount of calories we burn. On the flip side, there have been multiple studies showing how eating ‘too’ often can have a negative effect on the body. In on recent article, frequent meals increased liver and abdominal fat on a high calorie diet intensely. That is contradicting to what many think is the ‘healthy’ choice today.

Have you heard that “Whole wheat is a health food and an essential part of a balanced diet”? I have and I love wheat. The only issue, in today’s society, wheat doesn’t carry the same nutritious value it used to. Studies have been down that show “older wheat” compared to “modern wheat” and the difference in our production today. Modern wheat can cause an increase in cholesterol levels as well as inflammatory markers. I’ve thought about this in depth since I grew up eating mainly wheat bread and continue to lean towards wheat choices, but beyond the other health concerns, modern wheat products can cause symptoms such as bloating, drowsiness, discomfort and reduced quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. A great alternative is Einkorn, an older variety of wheat that Young Living offers in an organic form! Contact me for more information on Einkorn and other Young Living products.

These are just a few of the myths the article talks about. Click here to view the full article!

Weekend Getaway

Friday afternoon I was torn on whether to be happy or sad. My husband was leaving for the weekend to hang out with his buddies; play a little poker, golf… I missed him already and he wasn’t even gone. He's always fun to be around and my best friend but on the other hand, it was just me and Reggie Friday. YAH! I got some me time without “What’s for dinner babe?” “Do you know where my softball uniforms are?” “Is my Brewers t-shirt clean?” (Oh, because I know which one you are talking about right?) I love him to death, but I was excited to relax and enjoy the presence of my own mind without distraction, minus Reggie. He is a bit of a distraction sometimes but it is great for the mind to have alone time every now and again. A bottle of wine, a few loads of laundry, semi-weeded landscaping and falling asleep on the couch with puppy cuddles made the night worth it!

It is never the same sleeping by yourself when you are so used to the comfort of your loved one. I tend to sleep like a rock, as in, I don’t move more than an inch. It’s weird, I know! Excited for the day, I woke up early, like always! Reggie never and I mean never sleeps in when it's just us two. If Nick were home, Reggie would have slept until 10... not the case for me... My sister was coming to town to spend the day with me and I was super excited. She's only been to my house 2x and it was just to shower after Country Jam USA. We hadn't talked about what we were going to do so I just left it up to whatever got thrown our way. Thought maybe a couple of walks with Reggie, wine (of course), crafting, cooking and who knows… I really hadn’t clue and didn't care as long as I was with someone I positive.

The one thing we planned was dinner. I grew up with expectations of helping my parents in the garden and let me tell you, we had a huge garden! We canned beans, beats, tomatoes, salsa, spaghetti sauce, chili sauce, apple sauce, pizza sauce, asparagus, jam… I’m probably forgetting some stuff but you get the point. Beyond canning we had the simple job of helping pick the vegetables, snap the beans, etc. It was not always fun but definitely a learning experience we all enjoy now. I have a garden of my own now, although not nearly as big. Using fresh Zucchini and canned spaghetti sauce we made Zucchini Lasagna roll ups. This was an experience on its own, but the outcome was awesome. It taste delicious. Check out how to make it under the "Recipes" tab. 

I am definitely a DIY type of gal. My sister is too, even though she doesn’t like to admit it. I have never etched glass, but she made some adorable wine glasses for my husband and I for our wedding along with gifting us some wine she bought on her trip to Germany! I want to learn to etch glass -I’ve seen videos and it seems fairly simple, we shall see. This weekend we stuck with some simpler crafting; toilet fizzes and bath soaks. Ahhhh I can’t wait to see how people like them and I’m hoping it is as much as I do. You have a chance to win a set of Bath Bombs from me. Read the “Be Kind- giveaway” article from last week on the home page of my blog to find out more. Limited time so hurry, it ends Wednesday! These are some of my favorite products though. Toilet fizzes are perfect for those of you who leave a box of matches in the bathroom. This was the first time I’ve ever made the toilet fizzes and it was definitely an experience. They work, but the recipe needs a little adjustments. The bath bombs though, now those are awesome! Thieves was the essential oil of choice and man am I excited to relax in a bath of Thieves infused greatness! These would be great to soak your feet in too, especially if you feel like you’re coming down with a bug or the nasty flu. I absolutely love these. 

A couple drinks and relaxing night of reality tv would have been the perfect ending to a girls day with my sister but the hubby crashed our party by coming home early. No complaints, he was a great addition and kept Reggie busy! We ended the night with more wine, a camp fire, delicious s’mores (Reese’s peanut butter cups instead of Hershey) and the Minion movie on Netflix. Yep, 3 grown adults decided on the Minion movie! 

I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. Never take the little things in life for granted. Every chance I get, I strive to be with those I love and those who enjoy my presence because tomorrow is unknown. Live life to the fullest and experience the things that make you happy. Love your life. Choose happy!

10 Things to be Happy About

10 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

Family: Whether it be your grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great aunt… Family is unique to each and every person. You cannot create your family and as you grow older, so do they. Be happy you have family, some do not!

Love: Love is an amazing thing. Many people use the word love freely and many cherish it. Never take love for granted. Be happy to love and be loved, because you are loved!

Food: The simplest things in life are sometimes the things we take for granted the most; food, water, family, friends, education, freedom… (Basically half my list). People all over the US do not have the pleasure of eating a hot meal at night. Be happy you can.

Freedom: To be an American citizen and live a life with freedom is an accomplishment in itself. Your elders have given you an amazing gift. Be happy you can use that freedom in many ways.

Education: You can come from a poor community with minimal access to high education or you can come from a well-off family that forces you to continue your education. In today’s society, we need that education to get many jobs paying minimum wage. Be happy we have so many options for assistance. It is possible. It won’t be easy, but it’s possible.

Water: One of the most basic things in life; water. As a society we often take for granted the water we have readily available. We waste water as if nobody is in need. Remember the homeless; mothers, children, fathers, veterans- wounded at heart on the street begging for food and water. Be happy to have fresh water available almost any time!

Electricity: This seems so silly, but I am extremely happy to have electricity. Every time our power goes out, it seems like we look at each other with a dumb-found look. It could be 8am or 8pm and we don’t know what to do. Why? We are extremely dependent on electricity; cooking, watching tv, charging your phone, lighting your house, grooming yourself, cleaning your carpet… Be happy you have access to electricity and remember those who don’t have it because they can’t.

Faith: Faith is a huge part of my life. I believe everyone has Faith of some sort, it is just a matter of what kind. In all reality, it shouldn’t matter what kind of faith you have to anyone but yourself. I have a tattoo saying “faith” to remind myself that everything will be okay and to have faith in myself, the Lord (if you wish), family, war… whatever you are struggling with. Be happy you have the choice to choose your faith, if any. Many don’t have a choice.

Friends: True friends are far and beyond these days. Our society has become so in tune with social media and wanting everyone to “like” them. What about a good ole’ barbecue with the best of friends? Do not ever take for granted your true friends and if you go through the heartbreak of being betrayed trust by one of those friends, have faith. It will get better. There are still great people that will make true friendship worth the wait. Be happy you have friends. It is a lonely world alone.

Pets: It may seem silly, but my dog, Reggie, is my fur baby. He means the world to my husband and I and we are so happy to have him a part of our life. We do not have children (yet) but in the moment we are enjoying Reggie and all the joys he brings us. I honestly never thought I could love an animal the way I love him. He is a bundle of joy. It is easy to take for granted having a pet. They basically have no choice where they live, what they eat or drink, what toys they get, what family they go to… Be happy you have all those choices and to have a pet that many dream of having.  

Perspective

Photo Credit: Karla Sullivan Photography (Nicole Bauman)

It has been a while since I've made a post, and I apologize. I have had some craziness happening in my life that has kept me busy but also given me visions I never expected I'd be having at this point, but they are! And it is a great experience to go through, as we are all always growing into bigger, better people (I hope). 

As a reflection of some things that have happened in my life recently and given me new insight, I want to share some inspiring moments that others have shared with me and that have made me look at myself, my life, my past experiences and how I want my future experiences to unfold. 

I have always let faith be a part of my life and always strived to have #faith in everything that happens or has happened in my life. What I didn't realize is how unconnected you can become because of the negativity others bring into your life. I've had friends come into my life and pass on by because of one simple thing, life. We grow and our values change. Our wants and needs sometimes become blurry.

Life is full of experiences; good, bad, fun, boring, adventurous... those experiences are what make our story worth sharing from generation to generation. In recent months, I have experienced heartbreak, majority caused by people I thought were so close to me. People I never thought would betray my trust when I told them something I expected to stay between us. I'm no perfect human. I have made mistakes also. I will own up. It is what is right. Going through these situations are what has made us stronger and re-opened our eyes to what really matters to us. Re-opened our eyes to what we value in life. What we value in friendships. What we value in marriage. My values are what form my closest friendships. We share many of the same values. Of course I have friends that don't share some of the same values, and that is okay too.

The lifelong friendships I have formed are created on a non-judgmental foundation. To be loved like a sister even though we are not sisters is one of the best feelings in the world. I have an older brother and a younger sister, so I never thought I would feel the love of a sibling from a friend. But, I have! And I am honored to be the same sibling figure to others. To feel un-judged even when you know they don't agree with some of your hobbies, habits, thoughts, etc. They still love you for you. They still want you to be so actively in their life; to be their sole-sister, to cry on each other’s shoulder, to share the best days of each other’s life, to share the worst days of each other’s life, to be a true friend for life. 

I have judged and have grown to know how terrible it feels to be judged. I will be judged and continue to be judged. I will not change who I am to satisfy other people's ideal "friend" but I will change who I let affect me. I know now more than ever that I cannot make everyone happy. I cannot be everyone's ideal friend because everyone has a different perspective on "ideal". Why is there judgement? Why can we not be friends with everyone without judging their clothing, their job, their car, their house, their hobbies, their habits, their lifestyle...? Why do we hate?

Believing in forgiveness is another one of those feelings; the best feelings. I say ‘best feelings’ a lot because those things feel so good. Knowing we all sin and can move on is a piece of the puzzle many cannot find a place for. No sin is greater than another. Believe in yourself. Forgive those who have left you in the dark, feeling terrible. You do not have to involve them in your everyday life. You do not need to be friends with them. Just simply forgive. You will feel the burden crumble off your shoulders as you learn to forgive those people you were hurt by in some way, shape or form. 

To all my friends, you are loved! Don't judge others, we are all struggling with something. Be yourself. Love yourself! Love your family. Love your friends. Respect your elders. Live life freely. Don't regret, but instead learn. Life is full of mistakes, heartache, laughter, love, friendships... make your story worth sharing for many generations to come. #peace

Are you low on Valor?

Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak

One of my favorite products; Thieves Fruit and Veggie Soak! It is that time of year in Wisconsin...gardening season. I use the fruit and veggie soak weekly. Especially lately, as we have been purchasing fresh strawberries every chance we get. Have you tried it? 

It's so simple. Simple fill your sink with water and add the recommended amount of Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak (1 Tablespoon per 1 gallon of water)!

I'd love to hear your favorite products, least favorite products and thoughts on this product!

#Everything

New Member

I'd love to welcome a new member to our team of Happy-Healthy-Living oilers. We love inspiring people to live the healthiest life they can, the best way they know. For Kayla, it's a chemical free one! See Member News for more details!