Black or White

If you're a Mom with small children, you will appreciate these small victories.

1. Got both children in bed by 8:15 pm on a Tuesday just in time for Biggest Loser.
2. Got my Daily Devotion in twice today!!
3. Got a 30 minute Jackie Warner workout while my 10 month old crawled all over me and used me for support as I squatted.
4. I'm coming to grips with a possible life changing decision that needs to be made, have to pray on that some more.
5. Its 9:30pm and I'm laying in bed, in silence (a side from the tv).

I hope you all had some small victories today too! So much of our days are consumed with things we HAVE to do and everything else that is for us, seems OPTIONAL. I just want to inspire you all to make time for yourselves. This little bit of time you take throughout the day to center yourselves makes all the gray areas in life go away! Things are either black or white and when they seem like they're turning gray PRAY!

Creating memories to last a lifetime

In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit. - Marge Kennedy

Today was a family kind of day. We laid in bed together. I did yoga with my 6 year old. I cooked a great meal for my family, and I rocked my baby to sleep. Although our day's events were not very exciting, I want my family's memories of me to be more than the pictures I leave behind. I want them to think of the smells in my kitchen when I cook their favorite meals and the touch of my lips and the warmth of my embrace when I put them to bed at night. Creating memories with and for my family is what I'm living for this year.

Take control of your life and be conscious of the memories you're creating with your family. Pictures fade, but memories last a lifetime.

Cristina

Starting Over

101 Ways To Live Your Life To The Fullest

Im not one with words just yet, Im in the process of "starting over", finding myself. The past few years of my life have led me down a path I truly can not say I am proud of. I am done living in sin. Today is a new day, a fresh start, the first day of the rest of my life. Today I let go of the past and live in the present. I have done things in my past that I am not proud of, Im letting go. My goal this year to to find a better relationship with God. I have always know Him but never truly let him be in my life. There are certain things in my life that have make if "difficult" to truly let him in. I want to say that all things are going to be different from this day on but I know the reality is it will take time. I have always been a person that wants things NOW or just not at all. I know that finding myself and my true self is going to be a long road. I pray that God will be by my side as I start this new life. I want my children to grow up happy, healthy and with God by their side. Its up to me. Up to me to change. Up to me to give my children the best life they can have! Today I start over. I have been blessed with so many things in my life. I am so thankful to have an amazing wonderful and supportive family and amazing friends! So, as I may not be the best Blogger, this is me. I just say what im thinking....I posted a link above, 101 ways to live your life to the fullest, It was quite an eye opener for me! Hope you take the time to read it!!! I wish you all a wonderful and blessed day!

The lesson that keeps on giving.

Tonight I shared my devotional time with my 6 year old. We read from the Bible together Matthew 6:1-18. I just want to put it out there that I am no 'expert' in religion. I'm still learning and doing what feels right for me and my family. (There's my disclaimer..moving on)

In Matthew 6:1-18, it talks about things that we do not need to make public to others because God already knows.

1. When you give to the needy, do so in 'secret' the Bible says. I'm paraphrasing here, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing. Then your Father who sees what you are doing in secret will reward you.
2. When you pray, don't just pray at church or any public place, pray in private where only you are there. God will reward you because you are doing it in secret.
3. When you fast, don't look depressed as if to let everyone know you're fasting. Clean your face and perk up, God knows your fasting and he will reward you.

As Christians it is in our nature to do things because they are right and it is how God wants them. We do not do things for any sort of public pat on the back.

As if the word of God is not powerful enough, here comes the double wammy! I mentioned I was sharing my devotional time with my 6 year old; who mind you 2 days ago prayed in private without me knowing ( even though I saw him). As I'm reading this part about prayer he says, "Mami I did that! When I was having a bad day at school, I went in my room and I prayed!" When we talked about giving to the needy, he says, "Mami I did that too! At Christmas when I gave at Walmart (the Salvation Army bucket)!" He goes on to say, "Mami I have like 2 stars with God, I need like 10 more!" I said, "honey I'm pretty sure you have more than 2 stars with God." How amazing!!! My child is inspiring me to be a better child of God myself. Amen!

How many stars do you have with God?

Blessings,

Cristina

A small victory!

I do not like doing things alone. In my opinion, all aspects of life should be a social event. There are a few exceptions though, like going grocery shopping and using the bathroom. But ofcourse as a Mom, doesn't it always seem like when you're finding those 5 minutes of peace in the bathroom, the world is going to collapse if you don't come out and find the 'thingamagig' that was on top of the 'whatsitcalled'?

Well today ladies and gents, I have a small victory to share with you. Exercise is my small victory that will hopefully lead to an amazing win at the Battle of the Bulge! Exercise is my 5 minutes of sanity, whether it lasts 5 minutes or an hour. Although I much rather do it with a group of girlfriends like my Swagger Moms or the ladies at Stroller Strength, at times I have to do it alone and that take serious effort.

One of my create goals for the year is to challenge myself in health and fitness. Challenge to me means, that even if I can't get out and meet up with some friends for a run, I will hold myself accountable to do some form of exercise. This is where my friends at Comcast come in, and really they are nobody's friend. They have Exercise TV on DEMAND! Wooohoo. My girl Jackie Warner is on there and she's all that and a bag of baby carrots! Check her out at www.jackiewarner.com!

Two days ago I got started with my personal trainer, Jackie Warner on TV with her total body workout. Talk about a but kicking! It was hard while I was getting through it, and even after I was done my butt kept flexing by itself! How's that for a mental picture!? When I woke up the next day my body was sore in places I never knew I had! It was great! So, I took a day off yesterday and today I was back on it. I decided to do a 20 minute upper body workout with Jackie.

So if you're wondering where's my small victory for the day is, here it is! I workedout for 20 minutes today while my baby took a nap! Yes, I did something for ME! It feels so good not to have to think about planning my workouts that I just follow along and before I know it, I'm done! I wish I could have gone for longer but my baby's 20 minute nap doesn't allow for much. Here's a bonus victory, for lunch, a mixed greens salad with chicken, red onions, tomatoes and balsamic ving dressing.

Oh yea! Who's on a roll today? This girl! Go me! I'll toot my horn, you know why? Because, I'm daring and challenging myself to create a better me, for me and my family!

In fitness & in health,

Cristina

Sometimes life's big lessons come in small packages.

I meant to write about this yesterday when it happened but I guess its better late than never. Yesterday my son came home with a not so good report from school. He got a 3 for the day, which means that he was warned at least 2 times about something. So after, we had a serious and stern heart to heart he says, "Mami, I need to go in my room and do something in private." I said, 'fine just make it quick.' He was gone for about 5 minutes when I decided to check on him. I had my 'mean' Mom walk going, my face was stern, my voice was getting ready to be as loud as humanly possible because I was certain he was up to no good. As I approach his door, I'm forced to stop myself when I see him reading his Bible and praying. I walked away, shocked, glad, and overjoyed. I said a silent prayer in thanks to God for giving me a child that knows that in times of need, even when Mom is being the 'punisher' he can always look to God for reasurrance and guidance, and called him back to the table for homework.

I just wanted to share this with you because it put in perspective for me that if a 6 year old can sneak away for 5 minutes and read the Bible and pray with God then so can I. God has a funny way of talking to us, and he spoke to me through my son. Create- a relationship with God, make time to pray & read the Word. You will see how it will change your life.

Blessings,

Cristina

Create a better, care free YOU!

For my lady friends out there. I just want to know if I'm alone on this one. I had the 'appointment' with 'THE doctor' today, and as I'm getting ready I shower, take the time to shave my legs and dress in anything other than workout clothes to look nice, I wondered, why am I doing this?

My doctor is not a male and I don't really see them that often to consider her a friend so my question is, why do we do this? Is it out of courtesy that we shave our legs so they don't think you're a slob? Do we take showers before hand in the event something goes wrong 'down there'? Are we afraid to be judged by the contents of our insides?

I'm not sure but I do know that we are always afraid of others judging us. Betty Sue and Joe Shmoe don't pay my bills so how I look, or what I drive is none of their business. If my hooptie makes them feel better about their $500 Lexus payment then by all means stare!

I can go on to say the reason why I dressed nice for my doctor's appointment was because I had a lot of errands to run afterwards but I really didn't have anything else to do afterwards. I would have loved nothing more than to go in the office with my usual attire, but some social norm didn't allow me to. On any given day I walk out of my house in workout pants and a sweatshirt and I'm good to run all errands. Heck, I even think the workout gear gives me a bit of an advantage as I zoom past the old lady at the commissary, dri-fit pants, hoodie, and light weight running shoes! But like I said, the fear of being judged by my doctor or anyone in the waiting area, well scared me a little.

But there is something about appointments that we as women, just don't take lightly. Unless its a workout meet up, where you know everyone will be at their most natural. When you schedule a coffee date with a friend, you're like, 'which top, what shoes, what jeans'? It doesn't matter what you wear! Your friends like you for your company, your humor, your brains, not by what new shoes you're wearing, although they may be a great topic of conversation at some point.

My point is that we as women, moms, friends, are too hard on ourselves over everything! We are too afraid to be judged and while at home we are ok with not having it together. We have to feel the same way when we walk out of our door. I'm not saying, don't take any time to look pretty when you leave your house, but if by chance you dont have the time or just don't feel like it, then DONT! It's ok not to have to impress every Betty Sue you bump into at Target. As a woman its important to take care of you and sometimes it comes in the form of putting on your most comfortable clothes going out to run errands and saying, 'here I am world, take me the way I am or look the other way!'. It's empowering trust me! Create- a better, care free, YOU!

Creatively yours,

Cristina