Recently I was able to attend the Natural Products Expo West held in Anaheim, CA.  As with most major expos there are always more products represented on the floor than there is time to visit them all.  So, before I even entered the show I made a plan.

Being gluten, dairy, soy, caffeine and (mostly) sugar free there were a few specific booths I wanted to visit and products I wanted to learn more about.  One of those products was Rooibee Red Tea.  Typically I only drink water, but I do like to have something “different” once in a while and Rooibee Red Tea is something I feel confident drinking.

While at the show I had the great opportunity to chat with Heather Howell, CEO of Rooibee Red Tea.  She is a great lady who has a passion for not only her product, but also for healthy family living.  This is what she had to say about Rooibee Red Tea.

It’s true that Rooibee Red Tea is the only bottled organic red tea made from rooibos on the market, but rooibos-based tea is certainly nothing new. In fact, for generations red tea made from rooibos has been a staple of the diet in South Africa, the only place in the world where the rooibos bush grows natively.

South Africans know rooibos tea as one that is high in antioxidants, naturally caffeine-free and inherently sweet in character and bottled Rooibee Red Tea is no different, containing all of these properties. The brand’s five flavors – Watermelon Mint, Cranberry Pomegranate, Peach, Vanilla Chai and Unsweet – can be found on store shelves nationwide.

The Rooibee Red TEAm sets out each day to create bold beverages that people can enjoy without guilt. It is the only full line of tea that is run by moms and owned by moms – who better to trust for your family’s wellbeing. They believe healthy people enable a healthy planet, and they strive to offer great tasting products aimed at keeping people feeling good in a way that is joyful, promotes sustainability and encourages community. They proudly stand behind the family-friendly tea they make – it tastes delicious, uses healthy ingredients and is packaged to minimize environmental impact.

Rooibos may have been South Africa’s secret for many years, but Rooibee Red Tea now is doing all that it can to change that.

My family and I have tried all five flavors and I can honestly say that we love each one of them.

For more information on Rooibee Red Tea please visit their website at:  http://www.rooibeeredtea.com

Choose a Better Life™ by being deliberate about what you put into your body.  Avoid the sugar, chemicals, and caffeine that permeate so much of the beverages on the market.  Rooibee Red Tea is a fantastic alternative.  (And no, I am NOT paid to say this.  We really do love the product.)

For those of you whose lives have been touched by a special pet, you know there is nothing greater than the joy of their unconditional love.  My family’s life has been graced by two of these amazing animals.  Murphy, our Golden Retriever we lost almost 2 years ago and Harley, our mix we lost last night.

As my husband and I were petting Harley waiting for her to fall asleep I just kept saying, “Thank you.  Thank you for taking such good care of our family.”  And take care of us she did.  She was so in tune with each one of us she knew exactly what we needed when we needed it… a kiss on the chin, a thump of the tail, a cuddle buddy, a strong protector, or just a friend to sit by our side and listen to the details of our day.

And it wasn’t just our family whose lives were touched by Harley.  Person after person who came into our home would comment on what a special dog she was.  There was just something unique about her and her ability to embrace people and make them feel special.

There are no words to describe the pain in having to say goodbye, but we are so thankful for each day she was with us. We are also thankful she is now pain free, playing with her brother, and waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

Here is a chapter from my book that I wrote about Harley a few years ago.

Harley:  A True Love

God-sightings can occur anywhere.  Since He is the Creator his fingerprints are around us everywhere we look.

One of the places I see Him most often … in Harley, my Husky/Australian Shepherd Mix.

Having come from the pound, Harley is grateful just to have a home.  She never complains, even when she is sick, and she is always thankful.  After almost every meal she will come over, lick her chops and wag her tail.  I know it is her way of saying, “Thank you for dinner.”

Her companionship is amazing.  Since I work from home I get to spend many hours with her.  Even if she doesn’t want to be petted, she is always by my side.  If I walk from my upstairs office to the downstairs to pick something up, she comes with me.  When I go back to the office she lays down so she can see me at all times.  When I go to the kitchen to fix lunch, yes, she is there.

My husband says she even picks up on my moods.  If I’m sick or not feeling well she is quiet and acts as a caretaker.  If I am upset she is docile and demure.  If I am watching TV and yelling at a hockey game, she is in the other room or upstairs (she does not like loud voices).  My husband even jokes that when he comes home from work he can tell if I’m in a good mood or not just by the way the dog responds when he comes in.

Her behavior that I love the most?  Welcome home greetings.  As soon as she hears my car pull up in the driveway she goes to the front window to watch me walk up to the house.  I can see her from the driveway and immediately it puts a smile on my face.  By the time I reach the front door   I can hear her on the other side.  As I walk in she wiggles and wags as if I’ve been gone for days.  At the same time she kisses any part of skin she can find, legs, hands, arms, my chin…  And I swear I can see a smile on her face.

And it is in Harley’s unconditional love for me that I get a glimpse of God.  For I know that the love I receive from my pup is nothing compared to the love from my Father.

Choose a Better Life™ by embracing love from the many sources around you.

Although I always try to be transparent on my blog, today’s post will be a bit different.  I have an email list of people who have been supporting us with prayer over the past few years as we have been caring for our daughter, post-traumatic brain injury.  Today I sent out this update and want to share it with you all as well…

I hope you all had a very blessed Easter weekend!  We did.  We enjoyed some time with my mom for the first time since Christmas.  It was great.

First, the praises:

Britini leaves for the Baja Field Study on Saturday morning, April 6^th!  We are excited for her.  She has worked very very hard to get to this point and this trip is a validation of all her hard work.  BTW, she has a 100.4% in her Marine Ecology class at Dana Hills High School.  According to school officials this is the most difficult class on campus.  Britini has worked so hard to get to this place.  At the semester she thought she would have to drop the class because she was still struggling so much and catching up from her last stay in ICU.  But, God is so good and He has enabled her to succeed.

Britini has officially committed to Azusa Pacific University for the Fall of 2013!  To say she is excited is an understatement.  She is counting down the days until orientation begins.  We are almost as excited as she is (I don’t think it’s possible to be as excited as she is) about this next season in her life.  APU is a phenomenal Tier 1 school and she has been accepted!

We are so proud of all she is accomplishing.

There are several things we’d ask you to pray about for our family.

1)      For Britini’s (and the other students/staff who are going to Baja next week) safety on the trip.  This is definitely rough camping (no tents, running water, bathrooms, etc) and the kids will be working hard while they are there.  It’s a great opportunity, but of course, given the past few years, we have some concerns for Britini.  Pray for no health issues, no pain, and good sleep.

2)      For finances for Britini for college.  She has gotten some great aid, but we are still significantly short for her college funds.  She does have a few scholarships pending that could make a huge difference in her ability to attend.  We are trusting and believing that God will provide.  Please pray along these lines also.

3)      For my (Stephanie’s) health.  I’ve been sick for many weeks now – 8 I think.  The doctors have run numerous tests and have, thankfully ruled out cancer and major autoimmune diseases.  Thank you Jesus!  But, they are still concerned and confused.  We do know that I am suffering from exhaustion and that my adrenal glands are producing almost no cortisol. Beyond that there are still some questions and symptoms (difficulty breathing, mild fever, racing heart, loss of hair, loss of voice, pain, etc) that haven’t been answered.

4)      For our finances.  As you know we’ve been struggling w/ our finances for Britini’s care for some time.  Now w/ my medical bills things are even more difficult.  We have several thousand dollars in medical bills coming in from the past several weeks alone.  As a result I have cancelled my future doctor appointments and further tests at this time.  We were also contacted by the radiology department that performed Brit’s SPECT scan last December.  At the time of the scan we were told it was 100% covered.  Now we’re told that insurance has rejected the scan as “experimental” and we are liable for the $6400 fee.  We’re trying to appeal this decision, but are running into some issues w/ doctor follow-through, etc.

We know God is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine and that He is the provider of all good things.  We know he has a plan in all this and that He will do great things in all our lives.  He has given me a very clear vision for a project I am to develop that will make a global impact, but first I am to get well.  So, I know He will heal all things.

Thank you for your prayer support.  One of the things we have come to understand well is that life on Earth is a journey and we are so thankful for those of you who travel it with us.  You are a blessing to our family!

For those of you who may not know Britini’s story click here to read about her accident.  You can also listen/watch an online TV interview she and I did a few weeks ago by clicking here.

As you know I recently spent a few days by myself – away from everyone and everything.  Time alone to be still and quiet.  And although the time was not quite what I had hoped for (see blog post titled Dealing with Disappointment) there were some great things that came out of those few days.

The most significant thing that occurred was that I was able to spend some time reflecting on and redefining my passions.  In doing so, I came away with amazing clarity and a, somewhat, new direction for my future.  I will say, however, that this new project is definitely immeasurably more than I can imagine and seems a bit overwhelming.  But, it is also incredibly exciting and energizing.  And something I cannot wait to delve into every day.

But as I pursue this new direction I am reminded that not everyone lives life with the same excitement and anticipation for what they do.  Over the years I’ve talked to thousands of people who go to work dreading the day, looking forward to the time they can clock-out and go home.  But even at home they aren’t happy.  And this is true of people regardless of job position – CEO to line staff alike.   They are miserable.  I know, I have been there too.

But, life doesn’t have to be that way.  You can be passionate about what you do!  You just need to take the time to discover your passions.

Passions are interesting things.  They can move us emotionally, excite us about taking action and ignite a blaze in our souls that is inextinguishable.  But many of us claim not to know what our passions are.

Hogwash! I argue that we know what our passions are, but we have spent so much time telling ourselves that we can do nothing about them we have squelched our ability to hear them.  We have, in essence, buried them alive.

We must make it a priority to rediscover our passions and allow them to breathe new life into our daily lives.  Here is a great way to start …

Take a weekend away, or a day or even a few hours.  Go someplace where the minutiae of daily life will not interfere.  Ask yourself questions such as:

• When do you feel the happiest?
• What angers you the most?
• What gets you the most excited?
• As a child, what did you dream about doing?
• In school, what activities did you enjoy?
• If resources were unlimited, where would you go?  What would you do?
• What tasks do you enjoy doing most?  Which ones do you like least?
• If you could communicate one truth to the next generation what would it be?
• When you die, how do you want to be remembered?

Give yourself permission to dream and feel again.  Listen to your heart without filtering the responses.

And write things down!  Don’t let thoughts slip by.  You can always edit things at a later time, but it’s important to get your thoughts down on paper so you can sort through them and find commonalities.

We are each created in a unique way, with unique passions that should be driving us. And until we free these passions and allow them to move us, true fulfillment will not be ours.

Choose a Better Life™ by making the time now to rediscover what your passions are.  Don’t put it off until the timing is better. There will always be distractions in life, but you owe it to yourself – and those around you – to be the best person you can be.

I thoroughly love the ocean.  I can sit and watch and listen to the waves for hours.  It has an incredibly soothing effect on my soul I think, in part, because it reminds me how small and inconsequential my issues are and how powerful and massive God is.

I also thoroughly love my personal retreats – time away when I can just be alone, sit in silence and chat with God.  But as you know, the past few years have not afforded me the opportunity to get away and have these retreats.  And because of life circumstances I find myself exhausted and in desperate need of a reprieve.

So, imagine my utter joy when we received an unexpected check in the  mail a few weeks ago – the day after I had contacted a woman about renting one of her apartments on a nearby beach.  Yes, there are a lot of things this gift-money could have gone towards, but I knew that if I didn’t get some time away I would begin to struggle with daily living.

You see, as a result of the past few years my body is exhausted. I’ve been running a fever for the better part of 5 weeks, barely have a voice, wake up (I use that term lightly because I struggle with sleep) exhausted, am in constant pain, and have a myriad of other symptoms.  I already have a compromised immune system (due to black mold poisoning) so my body is now seemingly shutting down.  So the time away was imperative.

I excitedly packed my bags, gathered up all the food I’d need for my 4 days away, and drove 45 minutes to this beach town.  When I arrived the first thing I noticed was that it was significantly colder than I expected.  “No worries,” I thought.  “I’ll just stop by the thrift store and get some long-sleeve shirts.”  I found a few great bargains so I was set.

As I checked in to the apartment and began to walk around I realized that although this apartment was cute, it did not have the patio overlooking the ocean that I expected and seen in the pictures.  In fact, it only had 3 windows that looked directly into the neighbor’s wall about 3 feet away.  I was devastated.  Because I was sick and it was so cold outside (low 50s and very grey and overcast all day) I knew I’d not be spending time sitting on the beach and now, I couldn’t even see the water from my apartment.  In fact, I couldn’t see anything, but a grey wall!

I thought, “Oh no!  What have I done?  I took this gift-money that could have been used for so many things and instead of going to a place where I could get rejuvenated and restored, I’ve come to a grey box!”  The joy and anticipation I had felt just a few minutes early turned into utter disappointment.

So, I had a decision to make.  I could go back home and forget the whole thing, I could sit in this apartment complaining and bemoaning my situation, or I could decide to accept what was and get the most out of my time away.  Thankfully I did the latter … although to be honest, it did take me a little while.

I spent the next 3 ½ days inside that little apartment with no phone, no internet, and no laptop.  And although I did not get what I had hoped for, in many ways I got so much more.  The time I was able to chat with God about my future and the direction in which I feel He is leading me was far more productive than I could have imagined.

When I left I still had my fever and all my symptoms, but I also had great clarity on what I am to do next.  I left with a purpose I’ve not felt in many months and an excitement for what God is going to do.

My time in that little grey box was fruitful and most definitely worth it.  But, had I not chosen to get beyond the disappointment of my first few hours I would have missed out on so very much.

Choose a Better Life™ by being conscious of your feelings.  Acknowledge your disappointments, but don’t let them dictate your day or life.  We will constantly face unmet expectations and obstacles that get in the way of what we think we should have/do, but that doesn’t mean that life has to stop there or that we need to stay in that place.  Choose to move on and embrace the moment for all it has to offer because what is offered is often times what you need.

Imagine sleeping in until your body naturally wakes up and then hearing nothing but the ocean in the background.  As the day unfolds you realize there is no agenda; no where you have to be; no one you have to meet; no schedules to coordinate; no plans to make.  It’s just you, your thoughts and God.  Amazing!

I used to take an extended time away for myself every year.  I made it a priority.  One full week just like the one described above.  When I arrived at my destination I would call my husband to tell him I had made it safely.  Then I’d turn my phone off.  Yes, I unplugged completely.  No phone, no laptop, no wi-fi.   (Yes, it can be done.)  It would take me about 24 hours to unwind and calm down enough to let go of the white noise, but once I did, it was Heavenly.

I am a person who is energized by people.  As you know from reading my blog I love people and love their stories.  But I am equally a person who needs time alone.  I need my solitude.  I need time to just be still; to stop coordinating.  I need to be restored.  We all do.

The first time I went away by myself was the result of a crisis period.  I had hit a point in my life where I just couldn’t take the chaos any longer.  I knew that if I didn’t get away I was going to break down.   It was a necessity.

But what I soon realized was that this necessity was in reality, great gift I had given myself.  Once I broke free from the noise and constant “doing” of life I was able to hear my own thoughts.  I was able to hear my own heart and take my dreams and desires to God in a way I couldn’t at home.  The experience was, and still is, indescribable.

But, over the past two years I have not been able to take time away … until now.  As you know, my daughter sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury on a missions trip in April 2011 and our lives forever changed.  But, God’s grace is beyond our comprehension and my daughter has made tremendous strides in the past few months..  She is doing amazingly well.  And as a result I am again, able to go away for a few days of solitude.  The timing is perfect because although I would not change the past two years, I have again hit that point of crisis.  And to be honest, I don’t like being in this place.

So, as soon as I finish this post I am packing up and heading out.  I am going to spend 4 ½ days at a condo on the ocean, by myself, alone.  No wi-fi, no phone calls, no meetings … just me and God hanging on the beach.  And I am so looking forward to what He has in store for me.

Choose a Better Life™ by taking time to get away.  Force yourself to schedule time of solitude where you can restore and rejuvenate your spirit.  Make it a priority.  You will soon realize this is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, and by extension your family and your business.

Yes, this is Part 2 of a 2-post series. No, I’ve not lost my mind (well, not over this anyway.)

Because I know so many households struggle with healthy snacks and meal plans, last Fall I published a 2-post series called The Great Food Challenge  (you can read the first post here.)  And now that we are several months into 2013 and most of our resolutions to “eat healthier” have gone by the wayside, I thought this was a great time to revisit the subject.  It is, of course, as valid today as it was six months ago…

For many people eating healthy is a “good idea” or “something to aspire too.”  For me, it is a necessity.  Because of the chronic illness I face and the food allergies my daughter and I have, we are under strict doctors’ orders to monitor our food closely.

You would think that increasing levels of pain, intestinal issues, and progression of major illnesses would be enough motivation to keep us away from “bad” foods.  But the reality is that our society is based on food and it’s hard to avoid things we shouldn’t eat.  Think about it, almost every social event centers around food whether you are going out to eat, gathering in someone’s home or going to a party.  And to make things worse, our grocery stores are filled with processed foods that have lots of additives and preservatives.  None of which are healthy for our bodies.

So, to follow-up on my last blog post, ‘The Great Food Challenge, Part 1,” where I gave a few tips on how to eat healthy during the school year, I want to share a few more tips on how to keep a food-healthy home.  These are the top 5 tricks we’ve learned over the years as a family that have made a difference.

Probably the most obvious, don’t allow junk in your home.  If you buy a dozen donuts and bring them home you are going to eat a dozen donuts.  So, just don’t buy them.  We do not keep “trigger” foods in our house because we know they will get eaten.  The one exception to this rule are parties.  We host people in our home every week and often people bring food to eat.  We always make sure there is a healthy option, but we welcome whatever people want to bring.  However, at the end of the night we either send the junk food home with others or we throw it away.  Seriously, we throw it away. I know this goes against many peoples’ conviction of wasting food, but I’d much rather see it go in the trash than in my body where it will make me sick.

Take food with you. If you are going to a party, take a healthy snack tray with you.  I’ve never been to a party where the host was offended that I brought food to share.  Also, keep a healthy snack in your purse for times when you are running errands or running late.  When we are away from the house it is easy to justify eating poorly because most of our quick options are unhealthy.  To avoid this, keep something in your purse you can grab as you need to.  For me that is either a bag of raw almonds or a protein bar.

Organize your pantry and refrigerator.  How many times have you heard, or said, “There is nothing to eat” when the refrigerator door is wide open?  Organize your kitchen space so that the food is easy to spot and easy to access.  As a side benefit, an organized space makes food look more attractive which means you are more likely to take advantage of the food in your home instead of ordering take-out.

Try new recipes to keep things fresh and exciting.  If you are like most of us, we tend to prepare the same meals over and over again.  They are easy and we don’t have to think about them too much.  The problem is that we become board with the same things and we start to crave other foods, usually unhealthy foods.  So, begin to experiment and try a new recipe each week.  As I mentioned in my last post, Pinterest is a great place to find recipes for free.

Involve the kids.  Ever since our kids were little we had them help in the kitchen.  As they got older their responsibilities grew and each of them is now able to maneuver around the kitchen without difficulty.  In fact, our youngest, and last, daughter often invites friends over so she can cook dinner for them.  This is a great way to not only teach your kids life skills, but to give them ownership in the healthy eating process.

Choose a Better Life™ by taking control of what food enters your body.  The old adage, “garbage in, garbage out” holds true.  If you are feeding your body junk food your energy will wane, your mind will become sluggish, and you will decrease your overall quality of life.  Also, keep in mind, the food habits you raise your children with will likely follow them the rest of their lives.  Are you giving kids the gift of good health or are you saddling them with the results of “garbage in garbage out?”

I have three beautiful daughters.  Two have earned a Bachelor’s degree (one of them is working on her Master’s at Purdue) and the third one will start college in the Fall.  (A disclaimer here:  My older two daughters are stepdaughters – although I rarely use that term – so their mom went through all the college planning rituals with them.)

So, this is an incredibly exciting time for our family for many reasons, but these two make it all the richer:

First, because of Britini’s (my youngest) April 2011 accident and resulting traumatic brain injury (http://britinihester.wordpress.com/) there were some who questioned her ability to attend college and be out on her own.  As recently as last October Britini was in ICU for some “out of the box” procedures where her brain was “taken offline and rebooted.”   She did not have favorable results so again, people were questioning her ability to attend college this coming Fall.

As a family we never considered the option of Britini NOT going to college.  College was always something she wanted to do and we assumed she would be able to experience it.  Even when the savings went toward medical bills and the finances dried up we trusted she’d be able to go.  Even when she was put on Home Hospital Care we believed Britini would still be able to further her education.  Even when she was classified as a Special Ed student and she had to relearn how to learn we knew she would go to college.  We never listened to the nay-sayers.

Britini has been accepted to her dream school, Azusa Pacific University, and she plans on entering school this Fall with all the other incoming Freshmen.  Her goal is to get dual degrees in ministry and psychology so she can work with high school students, helping them through those difficult years.

Secondly, I was the first person from my family to graduate from college.  There is not a legacy of higher education in my family.

When I was a senior in high school and began applying to universities, my parents told me they believed college was NOT an option for me.  They had assumed I would continue working after high school and never even considered college as one of my choices.  I, on the other hand, assumed I would enroll in a university and enjoy all college had to offer.  In my mind there was no other choice.

Not only did I attend college, but I graduated with national honors.  While there I was also able to experience so much that helped shape me for the future including trips within the US and abroad.  I was also on several student leadership teams including an elite group of University Ambassadors.

I am so very excited for Britini because I know that over the next several years her life will explode with opportunities even greater than I had.  And I know that the challenges she has overcome to get to this point in her life will make the rest of the journey even sweeter.

Choose a Better Life™ by choosing to go after your dreams.  Don’t let obstacles or other peoples’ limitations stop you from pursuing what you really want.  It will take work and effort and the journey may not unfold the way you would like it too, but the end result will be an unspeakable reward.

Our society is one of convenience and instant gratification.  When we want something we want it now.  We don’t like to wait for it.  And no place is this more apparent than in our eating habits.

We are barraged  with fast food restaurants who promise meals delivered into our hands in under two minutes.  I’ve got to ask, what kind of food can be made and delivered within two minutes?  Nothing of quality.

Everywhere we turn we are inundated with “grab and go” meals and snacks.  Even our gas stations are stocked with “no time to prepare a meal” foods;  hot dogs that sit under heat lamps for hours, slices of pizza that rotate on hot plates, chips and nacho cheese that has been in the container since before time began.

Even in meal prep at home we have this sense that food needs to be ready in the shortest time possible.  The invention of the microwave, although super convenient, has reinforced this thinking.  And if we examine the average Western pantry or refrigerator we’d see box after box and can after can of processed foods.  Yes, they are quick and easy to prepare, but at what cost to our bodies and quality of life?

About now you may be thinking this is an unusual rant for my blog.  Yes and no.  Yes, I am not typically a person who rants on issues.  But I know that every choice we make has an impact on our quality of life, especially when it comes to what we put in our bodies.  In fact, I have an entire section in my book dedicated to health and the choices we make that affect it.

Food, especially, has been something I have become passionate about.  Perhaps it’s because for years I have struggled with food addictions.  Perhaps it’s because I have many food allergies that impact my everyday life.  Perhaps it’s because I have seen the destruction that bad food has on our lives.  Perhaps it is because I have experienced the difference good food choices make on my ability to function and enjoy life.  Most likely it is a combination of all of these.   But, regardless of the reason, I understand the old adage, “garbage in, garbage out.”

Unfortunately, many of us have fallen prey to the lies that surround us about food.  We believe that fast food actually has some value to it.  We believe that canned and processed foods are as good for us as fresh, organic foods; or at least we believe that they aren’t “that bad” for us.  We believe that food preparation and experimenting with new combinations is a chore and a waste of time.  Lies.  These are all lies.

Recently I read an article about what is in our food.  I think it is worth your reading as well.  Here is the link:  http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/12-scariest-things-your-food#.URkUUcObrOV.facebook  The article is by Bill Phillips and is titled “The 11 Scariest Things In Your Food.”      There are a plethora of articles like this available, but this is a real eye opener.

I will be the first to admit that changing the way we eat can be difficult.  We are all very busy and want things fast and convenient.  We don’t like having to “work” for things, especially meals.  Then there are our addictions.  Be honest, we all have them (again, something I discuss in my book.)  For me, I am a food addict and I love love love my sugar.  Actually, my body craves it because of some of my health issues.  And this makes it very hard to stay away from the junk.  Hard, but not impossible.  I always choose what I eat.  It’s my choice.  That’s one of the great freedoms we experience here in the West, we get to choose what we eat.

So, where do you start?  You have to start with knowledge.  There are a ton of different types of “diets” and meal plans available.  I’ve tried several.  But knowing what works for you is key. For example, because of my food allergies (gluten, dairy, soy, caffeine, oats, and others) I have a hard time with an “off the shelf” plan.  But, I’ve found that I can take the best of many plans and put them together for what works for my body.

The other crucial element is understanding why you eat what you do.  Becoming a vegan because it’s trendy won’t get you through the difficult moments when you crave meat.  You need to know WHY a vegan lifestyle is important.  If you decide to eat a Paleo diet you need to know WHY carbs and other off-limit foods are bad for your body.  If you decide to avoid all sugars, WHY are you doing so?   This information will make a difference.

Choose a Better Life™ by choosing to take control of the food you put in your mouth.  It’s in our ignorance that we often make bad choices that not only impact our weight, but our energy, stamina, emotional state, health, and overall quality of life.

I love, love, love ducks. They bring me so much joy.  So today I was going to write a blog about them (don’t worry, that blog will show up later) but then I remembered I had written about duck bumbas on another of my blogs about a year ago. So here it is, still as true today as when I wrote it…

The last several months have been exceedingly stressful.  More so than normal which is saying a lot because, like many people, my life tends to lean toward the “Oh my gosh, you have so much going on” side of things.

So when I say the stress over the past few months has taken me to the point of feeling like I’m about to lose my mind, I’m not kidding.  There have been times when I’ve felt like my head was going to explode.  Times when I just could not process another thing, could not handle another phone call, or attend another doctor visit.  Using my daughter’s words I wanted to scream, “I’m done!”  And yet, life goes on and so must I.

So finding the joy in the middle of the insanity and chaos is crucial.  If you’ve read my blog posts before you know I’m a huge proponent of journaling and listing all the things for which you are thankful.  Actually writing these things down does wonders for your psyche and your perspective.

In addition to that though, you’ve got to find things that bring you joy and surround yourself with them.  Place these joy reminders in places where you will see them on a regular basis.

There are lots of things that bring me great joy: my puppy, pictures of friends and family, pictures of places I’ve been, fresh flowers, funky art pieces and USC football are just a few.  But one of the quirky things that makes me smile the most are ducks – rubber ducks and real ducks.  More specifically duck bumbas (bottoms, derrieres, butts).  I just love the feathery little things.

I’m not much of a collector of stuff, but I have a collection of rubber duckies in my bathroom.  Most of them are in a duck net but there are several on the rim of my bathtub and I rotate them out from time to time.  All of my duckies come from someplace specific and most of them were gifts.  And yes, I even put one or two of them in the tub when I take a bubble bath.

When my kids were little we’d go to our neighborhood lake, get duck food and feed the ducks.  We’d have a great time and it was a game to see who could point out the duck bumbas the fastest.  (When ducks dive for food their rear ends stick out of the water.)

I have a pin with a picture of Donald Duck’s bumba (he looks like he is diving under water) that I carry in my wallet with my change.  I see it every time I need to pay for something with a coin and it makes me smile as I remember these times with my girls.

My youngest daughter, now 17, and I were at the Safari Park this last weekend and we spent quite a bit of time with the ducks.  It’s kind of funny when you think that there were a plethora of exotic animals at the Park and we went back to the ducks twice to feed them and take pictures.  Did I mention I love ducks?

Anyway, as we were feeding the ducks and enjoying them I remembered a time in college when my boyfriend broke up with me.  One of my roommates, knowing I needed to “get away,” took me to a local park for a picnic.  While we were there I was surrounded by a flock of ducks who were vying for my food.  As I turned to talk to my roommate one of the ducks grabbed my burger and ran for the pond.  The burger was bigger than his head and he could barely keep himself upright as he waddled off.  I was laughing so hard I forgot I was sad.  Perhaps that was when my love affair with ducks began.

Regardless of when it started, the joy a duck brings me is undeniable.  I love to watch them swim, I love to watch them dive for food and flap their wings to dry off afterwards.  I love to watch them waddle on land as they walk from place to place. Aand of course, I love their cute little feathery bottoms.  They just make me smile.

Choose a Better Life ™ by finding the things that bring you joy and surrounding yourself with them.  Put them in places where you will see them every day so that every day you smile.