I Taught My Son the Value of Fixing Over Just Throwing Out & Buying Another One

My 3 year old son only has 2 pairs of shoes – one pair he wears to school and out to other places and a pair of waterproof work type boots (just like his daddy’s) that he wears outside for playing in the mud and such.

Now before you think he is deprived, he does have a pair of insulated winter boots for the snow season.

Still thinking he’s deprived?

Why does he need 5+ pair shoes? He’s 3 and will be outgrowing them before he wears them out!

I have heard many parents talking about how they just had to get those shoes because they were so cute! After all, retailers have done a pretty good job at brainwashing us to think our kids need to have at least seven different pairs to wear, lest someone else think we were being uncouth for wearing the same pair more than once in a week.

I might be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that my son’s pre-school doesn’t keep a fashion offense folder. Now I know, little girls have different, often color coordinated outfits that require matching shoes, right? But that leads into another topic of how many outfits does one toddler need?

Back to shoes.

I don’t have that many pairs of shoes myself. I have a pair of athletic shoes, a pair of boots and maybe 2 pairs of dress shoes. Oh wait, I am a little excessive, I bought myself a cheap pair of dress boots recently. Think I am fashionably challenged? Maybe so, but I just choose to spend my money on other things other than multiple pairs of shoes I never wear.

I wonder how many people have not only a closet shoe rack, but also an under the bed shoe organizer in addition to an over the door shoe organizer hidden behind the closet door. There’s a reason why those organizing items are such a hot buy – so many people have a shoe fetish and they are teaching their kids the need to have multiple pairs, too!

When as a country, did we think we needed excessive amounts of anything just to get by?

I remember as a child we only had two maybe three pairs of shoes. One pair for school, one for church and one for playing, which usually were the old pair of school shoes. When they got dirty and scuffed up, we were handed some rags and shoe polish and were instructed in the fine art of shining shoes. Slave labor or a lesson in frugality?

My son’s play boots have laces, but also a zipper making them fit better. His one boot zipper had been pulled too hard and came off the one side. Thinking they may have been broke for good, I sighed as I said we may have to go shoe shopping to buy him another pair. I was disappointed at having to spend money when these hadn’t even worn out.

My son, not caring about the money, but viewing the act of shoe shopping as being on the same level as having a splinter removed, asked the million dollar question, “Mama, can’t you just fix them?”

I thought, why not? I shouldn’t succumb to the notion that once broke, we just throw it away and buy another one. That kind of thinking has contributed to the fact that we have an overabundance of cheap goods, being made outside of this country, contributing to lost jobs and goods that are basically…..well….crap.

What happened to the time when we fixed what was broke, wore things, drove cars and used up stuff till there was nothing left? Then we took the scraps and made something new out of them. That was true recycling and it wasn't just recycling materials, we recycled our money making it stretch further. This ultimately allowed us to get more for our dollar than we do now and it taught us to rely on ourselves more thereby making us collectively stronger.

If I sound a little preachy, well that may be an accurate accusation, but I am proud that I am teaching my son the value of a dollar comes in more than one fashion. I am teaching him that you can learn to fix things yourself, making what you spent your money on last longer.

And I did. I managed to fix the zipper, much to his amazement and mine. But he doesn’t care about that. He’s too busy jumping up and down for joy over the fact he isn’t being drugged to the shoe store.

Oh wait, he now has come to me with a broken toy stating he thinks it’s time we go to the toy store and get a new one………sigh. I have a long way to go.

Oh, I get it now! Women view shoe shopping as therapy!

 Julie

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Before I became a mom, when I would see a child acting up in public, I would say to myself, “Why can’t they control their child?”

Now that I am a mom, when I see a child acting up in public I say, “Gee, I’m glad it’s not my kid this time!”

Possible Cure for Leukemia Found in Fish Oil??

My Note: I caution you on the title of this press release as it is a leap from curing leukemia in mice to curing it in humans. However, this is very promising and a glimmer of hope. Human clinical trials will be starting soon, so if you or someone you know is interested, they should contact their doctor to see about getting added to the list.

Fish oil has many benefits and it would be wonderful if this could be added to its long list of health benefits, but of course more research is needed. The great part is, fish oil would not interfere with any medications being taken, allowing the patient to experience a possible successful treatment without having to stop current treatments.

I highly recommend printing this out and taking it to your doctor so he/she can look into this research further and offer to help get you in touch with the those conducting the clinical trials.

Leukemia is such a frightening disease, especially to those of us who are parents. I pray to see a cure for it, wherever it may come from, in my lifetime.

Possible Cure for Leukemia Found in Fish Oil

by Press Release : Dec 29, 2011 : Pennsylvania State University

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222103112.htm

"We have shown that some metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the leukemia-causing stem cells in mice. The important thing is that the mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapse." -Sandeep Prabhu

NOTE FROM FOUNDING EDITOR: I'm sorry for those of you whom this discovery may be coming too late. Though it may take some time before the patent is approved, if it is granted, its value will be beyond comprehension, both in what it will accomplish and its monetary worth. -Steve Shultz

(Pennsylvania) - A compound produced from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure for the disease, according to Penn State researchers.

The compound - delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 - targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice, said Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences. The compound is produced from EPA - Eicosapentaenoic Acid - an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil, he said. (Photo: The compound shown above is D12-PGJ2, which closely resembles delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3, a compound that targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML in mice. Credit: Sandeep Prabhu)

"Research in the past on fatty acids has shown the health benefits of fatty acids on cardiovascular system and brain development, particularly in infants, but we have shown that some metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the leukemia-causing stem cells in mice," said Prabhu. "The important thing is that the mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapse."

The researchers, who released their findings in the current issue of Blood, said the compound kills cancer-causing stem cells in the mice's spleen and bone marrow. Specifically, it activates a gene - p53 - in the leukemia stem cell that programs the cell's own death.

"p53 is a tumor suppressor gene that regulates the response to DNA damage and maintains genomic stability," Prabhu said.

Killing the stem cells in leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, is important because stem cells can divide and produce more cancer cells, as well as create more stem cells, Prabhu said.

The current therapy for CML extends the patient's life by keeping the number of leukemia cells low, but the drugs fail to completely cure the disease because they do not target leukemia stem cells, said Robert Paulson, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, who co-directed this research with Prabhu.

"The patients must take the drugs continuously," said Paulson. "If they stop, the disease relapses because the leukemia stem cells are resistant to the drugs."

Current treatments are unable to kill the leukemia stem cells, Paulson said.

"These stem cells can hide from the treatment, and a small population of stem cells give rise to more leukemia cells," said Paulson. "So, targeting the stem cells is essential if you want to cure leukemia."

During the experiments, the researchers injected each mouse with about 600 nanograms of D12-PGJ3 each day for a week. Tests showed that the mice were completely cured of the disease. The blood count was normal, and the spleen returned to normal size. The disease did not relapse.

In previous experiments, the compound also killed the stem cells of Friend Virus-induced leukemia, an experimental model for human leukemia.

The researchers focused on D12-PGJ3 because it killed the leukemia stem cells, but had the least number of side effects. The researchers currently are working to determine whether the compound can be used to treat the terminal stage of CML, referred to as Blast Crisis. There are currently no drugs available that can treat the disease when it progresses to this stage.

The researchers, who applied for a patent, are also preparing to test the compound in human trials.

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Why Do I Take Shaklee Supplements?

Many people have asked why I take vitamin supplements and why Shaklee’s.

The reason I take vitamin supplements is because even though I try and eat right, it is nearly impossible to do. The guideline is to follow the www.choosemyplate.gov. The Choose My Plate guidelines are good to follow, but it is extremely hard to do so on an everyday basis.

Why? Well, I’m a realist. Trying to find fresh, organic whole foods in the Midwest in the middle of winter that has all the nutrients I need is virtually impossible. Even if I could, I doubt I could afford it. I try and buy fresh, organic food when I can and when it’s on sale, but I can’t do so every day. It’s just too expensive.

Then there’s the fact I admit I don’t live like a purist. I eat refined sugar, though not as much as some. I eat red meat, though again not as much as I used to.  I do try to eat right most of the time, but hey, I sometimes eat a hotdog or two with chips and a pop, too. So see, I’m not perfect and I’m not going to “preach” to you either. I just try and do the best I can and fill in the gaps with good supplementation.

I also live in the city and not on the farm. Factor in the many other reasons and that is why I take vitamin supplements. Notice that they are called “supplements”. Vitamins are designed to supplement a good diet, not replace it. You can’t eat donuts and drink pop exclusively and expect to be healthy.

Now, the reason I take Shaklee supplements is because in my opinion they are the best. No other company can match their extensive scientific testing and research. I believe no one can match their quality control measures and their high standard of manufacturing. To learn more on how Shaklee goes above and beyond check out their Health Sciences information page.

 Watch this Shaklee Difference video, and get an inside look at Shaklee product development and delivery through the eyes of the Shaklee Scientific Advisory Board, Shaklee Independent Distributors and Dr. Jaime McManus, Dr. Carsten Smidt, Cindy Latham, Les Wong, Doug Debernardi, ingredient suppliers and more. Find out why world-class athletes turn to Shaklee for top performance. 

I have come back from some pretty serious health challenges and I didn’t start to improve until I started a vitamin regimen of Shaklee’s supplements. I no longer take any pain medication and I continue to improve my health through better eating habits when I can, exercising and supplementing my diet with the best.

Everyone who has tried Shaklee’s supplements has said they noticed a dramatic improvement in their health and the way they feel. What is really great it they come with a 100% money back guarantee if the product ever fails to live up to your expectations.

When you pick Shaklee, you will know three things to be true. It is always safe. It always works. And it is always green.  That's the Shaklee Difference.

I Want to Lose Weight………Now!!

When it comes to weight loss how fast is fast enough for you?

In the beginning we are all “Gung Ho” aren’t we?

We make good choices about what we eat, we are exercising and we are hopeful every time we step on the scale.

But for some, like me, that number we see staring back up at us may not be going down as fast as we think it should.

For others, that number may have started out dropping fast, but has now stopped.

For some others, maybe that number hasn’t even dropped at all.

So, how fast is fast enough? I know for me, I like to see results fast, and who doesn’t, right? The hard part is watching and waiting to see the results which can take up to two weeks for some people! Ugh! It takes all the strength I have not to beat the daylights out of that scale!

How do we stay motivated when we aren’t seeing results fast enough?

One thing to remember is, you didn't put all that weight on overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight either.

Fast weight loss rarely lasts and is really unhealthy. When you lose weight fast, it’s usually water, which means you could be de-hydrating yourself and you can also lose muscle. Losing muscle is not what you want to do. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn.

The best way to lose weight is how you put it on – one pound at a time. The average weight loss is about 2 pounds a week, give or take a pound or two.

2 pounds a week may not sound like much, but it's the surest way to keep it off.

Some weeks you will lose more and some weeks you will lose less. Women especially tend to lose weight at a slower rate than men and our weight tends to fluctuate depending on the time of the month.

So that week before your period, don’t beat yourself up too much if you see that number grow by 3-5 pounds. Just keep on what you are doing and after your period you should see a nice decrease in the scale numbers.

When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady does win the race. It may not be exciting, it can be frustrating at times, but if we shift our focus from short term to long term, then it will be easier for us to see our progress.

Remember, we put it on a pound at a time. That is exactly how we need to lose it.

Keep up the good work!

Julie

For less than $3 per meal - Lose the weight or your money back!

Keep the muscle you have. Burn the fat you don’t need. Lose the inches you don’t want.

With Cinch! Try it now for 3 months and get the 4^th month FREE!

For less money than most plans, there can be less you this year!

For more information click here – Learn About Cinch!

To try it now and get the 4^th month free click here – Buy Cinch Now!

Happy New Year! And There are some great things on the way!

Happy New Year Everybody!

I'm a bit belated in my wishes, but it's because I have been working on some new ideas for everyone.

We will be having some upcoming posts on easy ways to get healthier and lose weight.
Yes, it's that time of year again when many of us "Try Again" to get fit.

I, too have fallen off the wagon when it comes to losing weight and getting fit. I allowed stress, and the day to day busyness of life to creep in and wreck my schedule.
My frustration grew right along with the pounds that slowly crept back on.
If you've been there, then you know how defeated it can make you feel and how easy it is to just let things go.

But, I have a new sense of purpose, I am ready to re-start and I'm looking for others who are ready, too. I'm looking for other people who, like me, are busy beyond belief and who live in the real world.
We (let alone our families) don't eat Tofu, we don't have 3 hours a day to work out, we’re crunched for time and out of dinner ideas and we can't always afford a personal trainer to "whip" us into shape.
All we have is ourselves....and each other.

So let’s band together and share our goals and the things that work for us. We can also hold out a hand to a friend and hoist them back up if they fall off the wagon.

Studies have proven that those who seek out other people whose goals are the same, and they work together to achieve those goals are more successful than those who try and do it alone.

So, if you are looking for some easy ways to get healthier this year and are looking for some friends to help you through it, then come back often and see what we will have.

Please feel free to share your goals, your dreams of a better you and maybe some tips to help others who are right there with you.

If you are on Facebook, we now have a new group called "Time To Be Healthy"
This new group is open to anyone whose goal is to finally get healthy.
Whether it is to lose weight, kick a bad habit like smoking, or just get fit, this is the place to come.
You can state your goals, share what's working for you and find plenty of support.

Come Join Us!

Julie

Cell Phones and 3,092 People

‎3,092 people died last year due to crashes involving cell phone use.

Everyone of those people was someone's child, someone's mom or dad, a loved one. Somewhere someone is grieving a senseless loss because someone just had to read that incoming text.

Was it worth it?

Next time, it could be you or your child who dies.

Now, is it worth it?

Let's put down the phones people, while driving.

No call or text is worth your life, your children's life or someone else's child's (like mine) life.

I see so many people doing this, it scares me.

Please stop!

Help a Small Child Countdown to Christmas

If you have a toddler, preschooler or kindergartener then you know how hard it is for them to wait for Christmas. This tree can help little ones countdown to the big day and help them learn number recognition.

My 3 year old was always disappointed every morning he woke up and saw that Santa hadn’t been here yet. He was having a hard time understanding that he had to wait till the 25th.

To make this really simple project all you need is some green construction paper, some round white stickers and a small red stamp that has a design of a decorative ornament on it.

Cut out your tree, no need to be perfect, or if your child is old enough, have them cut it out.

Then take a sheet of circle shaped white stickers and number them from 1 to 25.

Then have your child put the stickers on himself. It’s OK if the numbers get put on upside down, it’s their project and it adds to the charm if it’s not perfect.

Then have them stamp off the numbers each day adding an ornament to the tree every time they stamp a day off. My son is quick to remind me we have to stamp off another day.

We hang ours on the refrigerator and I keep the stamp out of my son’s reach so I don’t end up with “ornament stamps” all over my house.

Try this easy project and watch your children get excited as they stamp off the days one by one.

Enjoy!

Julie

Rough Morning

It has been one of those mornings.

You know the kind, where literally everything goes wrong starting with the sleepless night you had before.

Today I’m not sure if my name is Mom or Monster.

My 3 ½ year old decided this morning was a good morning to pick a fight, dig his heels in and refuse to do anything I wanted starting with breakfast and it just got worse from there.

I picked the wrong morning to pick a fight, dig my heels in and refuse to do anything my toddler wanted starting with breakfast and it just got worse from there.

These mirror images of each other set us up for World War 3.

He and I both did one thing together though – we both lost our cool.

It was ugly and I mean ugly. I’m sure you could see the mushroom cloud from space.

He screamed and threw a fit, I tried rationalizing, pleading then finally yelling and I yelled loud.

When it came to getting what I wanted done it was a disaster. I used every threat I could come up with, stopping short of any physical threat of course. I couldn’t get him to do what I wanted to do and he couldn’t get what he wanted so the battle lines were drawn.

I’m sure the Mother of the Year award is out of reach now, not that I ever thought I would even be nominated anyway.

I just believe that when you make a reasonable request, the child should follow it. At least what I believe to be reasonable. What’s reasonable to a toddler is an entirely different thing.

I just know that there are things that if you the parent, cave on, then the behavior will be that much worse the next time you make a request.

How did it get so bad? I refused to let him “win.” And he wasn’t willing to let me “win”. That’s it, plain and simple. Neither one of us was willing to budge as we both watched the clock ticking away, counting down the time for when we had to leave for school. To say we are alike would be an understatement and never as much as when we are both being too strong willed for our own good.

After the battle, we finally met in the middle, a place where both exhausted sides could compromise a little. We were still able to hold on to our dignity and feel like we both won, if just a little. But how pathetic is that? I mean, a mother and son should never go to war against each other. I should be his backup, not his enemy. How could I have been so stupid as to fight over something so insignificant? Was it really that important he do what I said for him to do? I thought about how awful it would be if something happened to him today and his last memory of me was us fighting. I literally felt sick.

When we had calmed down, I sat on the floor and held him tight in a hug. I apologized for losing my temper and yelling things I shouldn’t have and explained my reasons. I let him explain his, but I never really got any apology from him and being he is a young child I felt foolish for expecting one. He naturally did what all children do; he lost interest in the conversation and changed the subject.

We went to pre-school and I stayed while he did the first two activities. I explained to the teachers why I wanted to stay for a short time, stating we had a really rough morning. Bless them for their insight as it must have been written all over my face.

They both said they understood and said they have been there with their own children before and to not take it as being a bad mom. They said sometimes, it’s just the situation and no one can have the perfect answer all the time. They shared examples of where they “blew it” which made me feel a little better, but not much. I said I wanted to stay as a feeble attempt to make sure he knows I love him and I’m interested in what he’s doing, but it was probably more for my own selfish reasons in an effort to feel less guilty.

The fact that he was being defiant and that I was not willing to budge caused such a rift between us. I now am plagued with guilt and sit here in tears and in shame for my lack of being the parent in a bad situation.

Not only am I not Supermom, there are times like these where I don’t even feel I’m a decent mom. I want to be though. I really, really want to be a good mom! More than anything, for I know if I mess up being a mom, nothing else I ever accomplish will mean anything.

I have to stop writing now, as I only have an hour left before I have to go and pick him up. That doesn’t leave much time to finish crying and get my work done. But I am sure of one thing, I will be the first parent in line to pick him up. I can’t wait to see him, hug him and tell him how much I love him and to say I’m sorry about his luck at drawing me to be his mom.

Signed,

One bad and sad mom.

“Grace is not a prayer, but a way to live.”

Grace is such a sweet word. I picture a woman with grace as being beautiful in everything she does.

My mother was a woman with grace. She was very polished and seemed to handle every situation with such a level of grace that it earned her a great number of admirers. Though my mother was like this, I am not.

This leads me to wonder if grace is a God given talent or is it a trait that can be learned?

I think just like those with a talent for music, you are born with a certain amount of grace instilled in you. And just like anyone can learn to play music, I do believe a certain amount of grace can be learned if someone is willing to put forth the effort required to learn something that may come easier to others.

It may also be possible that grace is something that is taught at such an early age that it appears that it was a talent a person was naturally born with.

So, what is a person like me who wasn’t born with a significant amount of grace and whose mother passed away before she was able to instill any grace lesson plan onto me to do?

One way may be to seek out a woman with grace and observe her mannerisms. How does she handle certain situations with ease and is there a secret to her grace? If I were to ask what her secret to handling everything with grace was, I wonder what she would tell me.

Some women would simply smile and politely thank me for my kind remark and have no earthly idea why she behaves the way she does. Those would be the ones with the natural born talent.

Another, perhaps older woman with grace would smile and say, “My dear, if you want grace, you must first ask God for His grace. Then live the way He intended. Love one another, help others when you can and to forgive when it’s needed. That is living with grace.”

She might continue by saying, “You must practice being graceful in everything you do. Picture yourself being the person you want to be in every situation and practice, practice, practice.”

Just like any skill that is learned, I must study those who have already mastered the skill and practice the methods they use till I am good at them.

Even if I never master the skill of being graceful in every situation, I know the mere fact of trying to improve myself in that area will allow me to achieve a certain level of gracefulness I didn’t have before.

Though I may never achieve the level of grace my mother had, I like the idea of trying and to even be a little like her would be well worth the effort.

If you long to be a woman of grace, I wish you well in your efforts and if you are already a woman of grace, please share some of your secrets with us!

Julie

~If you are a stay-at-home mom who has ever struggled to make ends meet, or a working mother who would like to transition to a business that allows you to spend more time with your family, then Project MAHMA is for you!

Project MAHMA(Moms at Home Making A Difference…and a Lot of Money!) is a global coalition of moms (and dads) who are earning an income from home and giving themselves the gift of freedom— including more time with their families—while at the same time offering others the gift of better health and a better life.

Visit us on the Web at: Project MAHMA