Sunday, December 29, 2013

New Year 2014 Resolution Part 1

I have many resolutions for 2014. Among those are living "greener". Now the great thing about being "green" is that there's really not too much or too little that you could do. Something as simple as recycling every week helps protect our planet. The choice is yours. Doing your part, even though small, makes a difference. My resolution isn't just to be "green" in care of the earth, but also be "green" in care of my body and health, and that of my family.
I plan on bringing my family to the point where we eat only unprocessed, real food. This means cooking from scratch, perhaps some backyard gardening, and rebudgeting in order to afford eating and feeding my family real food.
I also plan to eliminate all cleaning supplies with harsh, toxic and dangerous chemicals. I have begun to look into companies such as Norwex (I have a friend who sells, so I know more about this particular one than I do others at this point) and other ones that lay claim to being clean and healthy. I am also going to be experimenting with simple homemade cleaning remedies to see what works.
Another facet of being "green" will be to avoid using non-recyclable and disposable products. I'm already almost exclusively cloth diapering and using cloth wipes. I'm using reusable baby/toddler food pouches, instead of purchasing them, and I'm slowly convincing my husband to use a reusable water bottle with a filter at work, home, and when out (gym, hiking, running errands, etc) to keep use from spending money on bottled water that would normally not go into recycling bins when out.
There are many more ways to be "greener" and save not only the planet but our bodies and health too. I have always had hippie/tree hugging tendencies,  along with feminist tendencies, as well as a love for technology, a mistrust of the pharmaceutical industry, a tendency to seek holistic or natural methods/cures for illness, and just an outright flare for the extreme, and balancing those in my life is difficult at times. I'm not a middle ground,  neutral girl. I either love radically and unconditionally, without logic, or I don't. I have common sense about a lot of things, but logic eludes me at times. There's a huge difference between the two.
Not being wasteful & disrespectful either with the planet or the body God gave us, just makes a whole lot of sense to me. I love fitness and living a healthy lifestyle because it makes sense to care for one's body. It's not about being a size zero to me, but about respecting and loving the body God gave me. I believe that gluttony and laziness are slapping God in the face. "Thanks, God for this body. Now watch me misuse and destroy it". Same goes for the earth. "Thank you for this beautiful planet with this perfect life-sustaining atmosphere, but I think I'll pollute the air, poison the waters, and use up all natural resources". This enrages me, but I digress...
Another way I plan on being "greener" is financially, but that's another post and falls under another resolution.
I think I might be biting off a lot with a new baby on the way, a toddler, a scarce/deployed husband, and being a WAHM...but I figure it's doable if I give myself the whole year to experiment and perfect. The year 2014 will be filled with triumphs & failures, mishaps & "wow! I can't believe that actually worked", crying fits of frustration & victory dances, giving up & starting over. I'm looking forward to all the adventures to be had by myself and my family as I take us into uncharted territory and new beginnings.  I'm sure I will have many headaches and moments that will test not only my patience, but also my resolve. But it will be fun...right?
Well, I'm ready. I think? Bring it on 2014...I got this!
Also, if anyone wants to join me (at whatever level of "green") I'd appreciate the support and accountability.  Also, you know what they say, "Misery loves company!" Errr I mean, "The more the merrier!" Just comment below that you'd like to join me and what your goals are! I'd love to hear them and you may have a goal/method I'd like to steal, I mean, add to my plan.
Thanks for reading what's floating around in my noggin!
Happy New Year!
Lydia

Thursday, December 26, 2013

I Like Being Wrong

I actually like being wrong. I MOST OFTEN am wrong about A LOT of things. But if I wasn't making mistakes, I wouldn't learn and grow. I'm FAR FAR from perfect and I am RIDICULOUSLY HARD on myself! Drives my husband nuts. If I didn't want to constantly be improving myself as a person, mother, wife, christian, friend, stranger, etc... I would just be. To me that's not good enough. I still make NUMEROUS mistakes on a DAILY basis and that's okay. My family and friends show me exceptional grace and mercy EVERY DAY (of which I am EXTREMELY grateful...thank you)! I focus mainly on my flaws and where I need improvement. But I also have had to learn to let go of certain things and feeling. I can't always be in control. Somethings are beyond my grasp. And if it has to do with another human being, FORGET ABOUT IT! I can't  change them. Only me. I can ONLY CHANGE ME. GOD WILL CHANGE MY HEART. GOD WILL CHANGE THEIR HEARTS. BUT ONLY IF ALLOWED TOO!

So I continue to concentrate on me! Lydia can only improve Lydia! I want to be the best example I can for my beautiful daughters!

Found on Google images. I do not own this image. I just really like it.

Thanks for stopping by to read what's in my head!
Lydia - A Girl of Many Hats

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

It's been a while...

I have a lot planned and I've been working on a complete revamp and relaunch of my blog. I've been feeling aimlessly and without direction for months now. Things have been so difficult lately. Since moving to San Antonio, TX, I have been on a roller coaster of life experiences. Unexplained headaches, a planned and very much wanted pregnancy, family issues, taking on or being involved in too much at once with health issues looming overhead, moving into a new house, dealing with dishonest renters and trying to cover a mortgage in Florida, ending up in the hospital for 2 days with a preterm labor scare, and just feeling an overall sense of failure. It has been a tough 8 months! However, God is good! He carries us through even when we think we'll never make it. I've felt so lost for 8 months. I know others have it worse, but this is my struggle and it has been a learning experience for sure.

Things are starting to brighten! Since moving into our new house on base, I have not had one - NOT one! - of those terrible headaches that I had been dealing with for 6 months. My husband has been amazing beyond words and has stuck with me through some tough family issues - I'm so thankful for him! Slowly but surely things are looking better and better for us.

With prayer and time things work out. Sometimes it takes longer than we would like BUT things will work out. God promises to see us through. I believe that promise. Christmas is all about a promise. A great gift was given to us. A promise was made. Dispite rough times and discouraging situations, you can find comfort at Christmas. You may not have money or tons of gifts under the tree. You may be alone or deployed. But one thing remains true...we have a Savior who came to earth, suffered and was tempted, and then died for our sins because of an unfathomable and unconditional love for us! We can rejoice. We can rest assured that all things are temporary on this earth, even the most terrible and heartbreaking situations will pass!

I am blessed with
• a godly and wonderful husband
• a beautiful, healthy, and intelligent daughter
• a new baby girl who I will get to meet in 37 days (give or take)
• an amazing church family
• a wonderful and loving family
• new and old friends
The blessings are endless. I just need to remember that I am truly blessed and trials are but fleeting.

If you are going through a rough time this Christmas, please feel free to share with me so I can add you to my prayer list. I, also, want to encourage you to keep your head up and things will get better.

Here is one of my favorite passages of Scripture:
Psalm 121 (KJV)
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
God bless :)