Monthly Archives

August 2017

Health & Fitness Lifestyle

Fitness Journey – Making Time

August 31, 2017

I hear a lot of people ask me this question, “Where do you find the time?”

Well, being a stay at home chihuahua mom and blogger, my schedule is very flexible. However, without judgement, I am curious if “no time” is an excuse for some negative experience, lack of motivation, poor body image or for me at times, fear of injury or being “watched” at the gym. I have always believed that if you truly want something; you would fight for it. You make the time and commitment.

Here are a few of my ways that I inspire myself to make fitness a part of my day, everyday.

  1. Plan, Plan and Plan Some More – I write out my schedule for the week. With technology today, I can set reminders on my Iphone and computer.
  2. Find a Partner/Friend – Although at times, I do like training by myself. Sometimes I need a buddy to inspire me to keep going and attain those goals. Cheerleaders are a must so grab a friend and take a fitness class, Zumba, run or weigh train together.
  3. Music – I have created a kick ass playlist to fight through a workout. Pandora and other phone applications have amazing stations to choose from as well. So, create that list to inspire you to cruise through that workout. You would be glad you did!
  4. Home Gym – I have created a small in-expensive gym with free weights, mats and DVDs. If a hiccup is thrown in my schedule and can’t hit the gym, I know that I can walk downstairs to my basement and get some type of work out in. Also, if you can’t afford a gym membership, this is a great alternative as well. It allows you to have a private area where you can move at your own pace and not feel pressured by others or causing yourself any injury.

Exercise is important on so many levels. Please take time out for yourself and improve your health; even if it is one step at a time. Do you have a tip on how to stick to a fitness schedule?  Please email me or comment below.  I would love to hear from ya.

 

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Food & Drinks

Southern Style Collard Greens

August 21, 2017

As a Southern girl, collards greens are a must have at the dinner table. The history of this green goes way back to prehistoric times but the style of cooking it came from African slaves. The plantation kitchens gave their help any leftovers and with that said, nothing was every wasted including pig’s feet or ham hocks.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother cooked collard greens by the stockpot full. These greens would simmer for hours. Mind you, collard greens is from the cabbage family and can create strong smell of awesomeness to some and for others, not so much.

Here’s how to cook up some mess o’ greens:

Ingredients

1 Mess o’ Collard Greens – cleaned, patted dry and vein removed.

1 Package of Bacon

1 Valdia Onion

1 Box of Chicken Broth

2 Tablespoons of Sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/3 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

  1. Prepare  your greens by removing the large middle vein and cut into small squares. I roll my greens, cut them up and put in my large stone oven.
  2. Cook the bacon until it’s nice and brown, dab the bacon with a paper towel to take off any extra grease, dice up and put in stone oven.
  3. Now, in the same pan you cooked the bacon, dice up your valdia onion and cook until golden brown. Once done, place the cooked onion in the stone oven.
  4. Now you are going to add 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 box of chicken stock, 2 tablespoons of sugar, a smidge of salt & pepper and a cup or two of water. You need to make sure that the greens have enough liquid because you are going to bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for the next 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the amount of collard greens in the stone oven.
  5. Continue to check on the collard greens throughout the cooking time. Some greens are more tender than others and can cook pretty quickly.
  6. If you have a person in your family that is allergic to poultry, you can remove the chicken broth and replace with water. Please make sure that you have enough water slightly covering the greens.

Let me know how your collard greens turned out! I would love to hear from you. Feel free to email me or comment below.

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Lifestyle Rescue Spotlight

Rescue Spotlight ~ Virginia

August 14, 2017

On August 4th, I received a text from one of my girls, Kayla about a Craigslist ad. It said Rehoming a Senior Chihuahua,(21 years old). Normally, I don’t respond to these ads, but I do forward them to local small dog rescues. I did forward it to one rescue but I was so taken in by the picture and the story.

Mind you, Craigslist can be a very scary place for animals and humans. With that said, I responded to the ad via text and email. The lady responded quickly and the conversation began. I was apprehension and scare but after each bit of information came to light and verified to be true (internet is a great tool, btw), I opened my heart more and more.

This is the one time that I think Craigslist did a good thing.  I was able to truly connect with the owner of this dog, who was rehoming her daughter’s dog because her work schedule didn’t allow her enough time to care for her, to feel comfortable enough to finally chose me. See, her daughter passed away 4 years ago. This dog is a reminder of her daughter,Kaylie and the bond they share for animal rescue. Even if I didn’t get her, I knew that I was meant to help her heal in some way. With the strength and love of this woman, she gave Virginia to me and I am internally grateful.

So, please welcome the newest addition to my family, Virginia Kaylie Cockrell-Duchemin.

 

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Advice Column Lifestyle

Setting Personal Boundaries

August 4, 2017

Wait one cotton-picking minute!

In the South, this phrase has been known to be a polite, ice breaker in difficult conversations or when putting a stop to any nonsense which leads to my topic for today, setting personal boundaries.

I received an email from a viewer of my site that wanted advice on establishing boundaries. Well, I explained that I might not be the best person to advise her on this particular topic because I am still trying to master it, myself.

On my wedding day, I had the privilege to have a wonderful man raise a toast and give the sweetest, most inspirational speech about making deposits and not withdrawals in the marriage. I feel that this speech outlines everything you need to know in any relationship. See, deposits are being kind, thoughtful, understanding and expressing tenderness or gratitude in your marriage or relationship account. Withdrawals are checks of negativity, hurtfulness, infidelity and the list could go on. You never want a negative transaction to take over your marriage or relationship account, because it will overdraft or end it.

Over the years, I have experienced enough one-sided relationships that have taken a toll on me emotionally, physically and financially. Because of these experiences, I developed anxiety and experience many panic attacks with certain situations or individuals. With that said, developing and maintaining a healthy boundary and encircling yourself with like-minded people is vital for your health and well-being.

Here’s a few ways to start building a boundary…

  1. Put yourself first. It’s so important to know and understand what your limits are and to give yourself permission to think about yourself first. This action alone will make you a better wife, mother or friend.
  2. Direct and Clear Communication. Some people are pretty open to communication on boundaries and respect it. Others may give you a little push back. Boundaries are healthy and a sign of self-respect. You can’t own their response and must not feel guilty for communicating it.
  3. Seek Support. If you don’t know how to begin to develop a boundary, you might want to find a therapist, support group, church or good friends to give you some pointers on where to begin.

I hope my response provides some comfort and insight into building better boundaries and maintaining them. Thank you so much for connecting with me and feel free to email me anytime.

 “Your personal boundaries protect the inner core

of your identity and your right to choices.”

 ~ Gerard Manley Hopkins

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