I shouldn't have, but I did

I know better-
I really, really know better!

But I did it anyway-
and you know what,
I am DARN glad that I did!!

I bribed my 8 year old son

to try to eat healthy for ONE full week-
NO sugar,

The Makings of Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

NO artificial food
 
and LOTS & LOTS of
Fruits & Veggies

You see, we eat healthy-

at least mostly-

here at Chez Peterson,

But my two youngest-
well they are the shame of our Chez,
they are the pickiest of the picky-
so I got desperate and
I bribed him!!

In exchange, I offered a treat
at the local Yogurt Stop that he
has wanted for SOOOOOO long-

This is a treat I always say 'NO' to-
Not to mention,
in January, we stopped going for
store bought treats completely,
so he has been YEARNING to
go and get a big ole' yogurt smoothie!

I NEVER bribe healthy for junk-
I mean
REALLY- where is the logic??

But desperate times called for desperate measures-
and this mom saw NO other option.

He has been amazing-
He is bound and determined to succeed.
He has eaten veggies at EVERY meal,
he has tried cantaloupe, blackberries and green grapes-

he has eaten cucumbers, celery and avocado!

You don't live here, so you don't realize it
BUT this is BIG

Today is Day 4-
one more school day to go,
Next week we are going at it again-
we'll make it longer-
TEN DAYS!

There is hope yet that he won't turn to plastic
because of all the fake food he eats!

Life & Yoga Part 1

I have practiced yoga for many years. 

I love what it does for my body, 
but more than anything, 
I love what it does for my spirit.

In my opinion, the yoga instructor can
make or break a practice. 
The encouragement and the thoughts they
provide throughout class can increase the level
of calm in my very chatty brain

OR 
increase the chaos and distraction
in my body and mind!
I choose CALM,
thank you very much!

This is Ashley.
 
I took her yoga classes faithfully for several years. 
She is absolutely beautiful in mind and in spirit. 

Life is the same as a yoga class in many ways-
If you have a good leader,
whether it is a peer, mentor or spouse-
who can lead you and guide you through
the many twists and turns of life,
your growth and development can reach
new heights all the while enjoying peace and calm.

I have been influenced by many people for good,
some only for a what seems like a minute,
others have been with me for years.

But it is their gently touch on my soul that  
will last a lifetime.

Goals With Heavenly Help

How did four months just whiz by before I knew it?

I had the opportunity to present at a local Women's Conference
this past weekend. It was an amazing conference
and my topic couldn't have been better suited for what I love
to practice and preach!!

So I wanted to share a little bit...
My last post was about New Year's Resolutions-
and I promised to write about my 2012 New Year's Goals
and......
than I didn't!

Well, here I am, about to repent and right that wrong-

So my topic was on 'Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God'
the conference was themed after Matthew 6-
 


I talked a lot about the incredible life we can have when we
put our spiritual growth first,
and I used my 2012 goals as an example of what can
become of a life when we let our Heavenly Father lead the way!


This is what my goals looked like with ME in charge,
I thought they looked pretty good and I felt like it would be a good year
if I could accomplish the goals.

New Year’s Resolutions 2012

* Attend the Temple Monthly

* Learn how to log in and enter personal information to family history program

* Look into options for a Master’s degree program

* Read Chapter 4 of the Preach My Gospel Manual

* Find an exercise routine that builds strength and endurance

* Greet hubby with a smile & offer one compliment/gratitude each day

Well this is how my goals looked after a teamed up
with my Heavenly Father who knows me far better than
I know myself AND sees a whole lot more in my potential

New Year’s Resolutions
Treisha’s Plan	Heavenly Father’s Outcome
* Attend the Temple Monthly	* Attended the Temple weekly * Baptisms for the Dead with my children 2 times * Sealed 100 families for all eternity
* Learn how to log in and enter personal information into a family history program	* Found the names of 188 deceased family members * Did the temple work for ALL family names
* Look into options for a Master’s degree program	* Looked into, applied and got accepted into program that works perfectly with my family dynamics
* Read Chapter 4 of the  Preach My Gospel Manual	* Studied the entire Preach My Gospel Manual. The devotion to this book has literally changed my life. I cannot even begin to describe all the facets of my life that were impacted by this study!
* Find an exercise routine that builds strength and endurance	* Found a great trainer and a group of girls to work out with that provides incentive to push beyond my doubts * This group has been my social life force, especially when loneliness has crept into my day
* Greet hubby with a smile & offer at least one compliment or gratitude per day	* Seems so small, but it has changed our marriage. We are happier, more united and less stressed overall than we ever have been before

I know it is not New Year's Resolution time,
but maybe this is about the time when you realize
that you haven't made the progress you wanted to by now.

I have been so grateful for the way my 2012 ended up.
It is the first time in my life (at least that I can remember)
that I accomplished so much yet felt so little stress and
anxiety while doing it.

I would say, if you have never done it before,
look at what your goals are and say a little prayer-
Can you push a little harder?
A little further?
Can you see a little more?

I don't mean ADD more to your life,
I mean BECOME more with what you are already doing!!

You're in for an amazing experience if you do,
I guarantee it!!

Happy New Years- 2013

I know, I know,
to some people this seems a little late!

Some people are already well on their way
to accomplishing their goals for the New Year.

Well not me,
I learned several years ago that I just
wasn't very good at setting and
KEEPING New Years Resolutions.

And then I figured out why,
it's not that I am a bad goal maker
or a bad goal keeper
or even a bad goal accomplisher...

it's that I need to give myself time to
recover and reflect before I make a
bunch of plans to renew!

When I make my goals after the holidays,
I concentrate on "repair" type goals
or "reaction" goals- things to put my life
back in order after the chaos of the busy
holiday season.

You know the ones:
* Lose 5-10 pounds (or more)
* Exercise More
* Keep my house clean
* Organize my closets...

But what I have found is if I give myself
a recovery time;
time to get my feet back underneath me,
time to clean up Christmas,
get the hubby & kids back in a routine,
than I am able to focus on things that really
matter- that will REALLY make me a better
person. NOT perfect,
but definitely closer to who I want to be!

Usually I wait for the kids to return to
school and my hubs to return to work.
I give myself one week to recover from
holidays, get the house cleaned up
and my routine back and running.
I aim for the third week of January to get started,
but if for some reason, I need another
week, I give it to myself.
I don't rush myself,
because I am planning my own personal
work of art---
ME!! (that sounds self centered, but I promise, it's far from it)

In the meantime, I ponder & I pray!
I am going to say, I put A LOT of thought
into my New Years Goals and
I am also going to say
"It is Totally Worth It"

We plan goals in four areas:
1. Spiritual
2. Physical
3. Mental
4. Personal
(this year I added an extra one)
5. Family (I am the only one tracking
this one in our home, and the only one 
that knows about it- sneaky huh??)

Last year, I bought a special journal
for tracking my goals and it worked
WONDERFULLY-
I am doing it like this from now on.

I keep four sections, one for each area,
and than write my goals for that area.
I leave enough room for tracking and
any journal or note taking I might need.
And on a regular basis (you decide what regular
is to you) I checked up on myself and
recorded my progress.

I LOVED it!!! LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!!

If you haven't made New Years Resolutions yet,
or you never make them- I honestly
would suggest you try this.
It is NOT too late. Who says the Year of YOU
has to start on January 1??

I will tell you all about my 2012 goals tomorrow!
It was seriously an amazing year!!

Healthy Snacks

I am preparing a lesson for the
Women's Organization at my church
for tomorrow night.

I am doing a simple discussion on
Healthy Eating!!
Should I tell them about my
totally out of control, life consuming
SUGAR ADDICTION?

I think I will leave that out,
you know- to save time and all-
and just cut to the nitty gritty!

I found this awesome list of
Healthy Snacks and wanted to
share it here as well.

I love this list, first, because it
is full of delicious and easy snacks
and second, because it is as good for
adults as it is for kids.
I am constantly struggling with
packing a healthy lunch for my kiddos
in the 5 minutes I usually have to make it!

Hope you enjoy this list too:

Low-fat Yogurt with a bit of granola on top
Whole-wheat pretzels (you can dip them in spicy mustard if desired).
Rice cakes – spread with natural peanut butter and top with banana slices or raisins.
Whole wheat cheese sandwich – cut it in half for a smaller snack.
Turkey and cheese wrap made with a whole wheat tortilla – filled with fresh veggies
Fruit salad- coat with lime juice to keep it from browning
Fresh fruit
Chicken salad wrap made with low-fat mayonnaise- add sprouts, lettuce, grated carrots and tomatoes for a more filling wrap that also has some additional nutritional value.
Apple slices topped with low-fat cheese.
Celery with peanut butter or cream cheese- top with raisins if desired

Dried nuts and raisins or craisins
Raw veggies- with hummus
Salad (pack dressing separately) 
Baked, low sodium tortilla chips and salsa(or better yet, us veggies dipped in salsa)
Low-fat cheese and whole wheat tortilla quesadilla – add some chicken or turkey if desired.
Pita bread – cut it open and fill it with your favorite hummus and fresh veggies.
Fruit smoothie – make your own with frozen fruit and low-fat yogurt & pack in insulated mug

Air popped popcorn- no salt or butter
Baggie of dry low-sugar cereal
Whole-grain crackers- you can top these with cheese, lean sandwich meat, tuna or peanut butter.
Pistachio nuts
Fat-free pudding cups
Gelatin fruit cups
Cottage cheese- I love this with fresh tomatoes
Bran or banana muffins- make your own and substitute the oil with apple sauce for a great healthy snack.
Low-fat string cheese
Dried Fruit
Edamame- these are soy beans in their shell.  Steam them and top with a bit of salt or lemon juice.
Apple sauce
Natural, all-fruit leathers
Cereal bars

Chocolate dipped strawberries

Animal Crackers
Fruit and Cheese Kabobs
Cooked Sweet Potato
Avocado chunks with tuna served on whole grain crackers
Lettuce Wraps- wrap raw veggies, low fat deli meat and cheese in lettuce leaf.