Bread & Breakfast

I can't believe how much visualization helps! Have you done that before? Well, we all have used this tool when we worry. Only it's actually a misuse of the tool, right? We can see in our minds eye how something is will or is going wrong, how someone is thinking about...

Good day my friend! I hope this day finds you well. I've been thinking a lot lately about the idea of perfecting, or in other words, the process of becoming our whole and complete selves-- contrasted with the faulty notion we sometimes buy into, that we will know...

30 years ago, while I was in the hospital waiting for labor inducing drugs to take effect, I started reading a book about an American Indian tribe. {Happy birthday Brad and thanks for the book Vicki!} Specifically significant to me was a chapter about a young Indian...

We are always faced with change! Some we like and welcome, like as a balm for our relief. Some we feel blind-sided by because we didn't see it coming, or because it impacts our lives in some way we may not feel ready to navigate. But most often, whether we know it or...

After being inspired, deciding to implement that inspiration, and beginning some new behavior, there is a space of time before you actually see the results. It's the growing time. And sometimes we get impatient and want proof right now that we are on the right track,...

Hello my friends! I'm happy to be back at the keyboard after a little construction work has been happening on the Lioness site! {It was perfect timing since I've been on a little vacation too.} I hope you'll take a minute to look around here and see the changes that...

There is purpose in rain. Though it can be cold. And inconvenient. And seem to ruin the best-laid picnic plans. Photo by Jon Ly on Unsplash There is purpose in the cold, inconvenient, plan-changing events in our lives. We just have to move through the experience and...

What motivates you? Really, deep down? Maybe I could ask, what gives you the most satisfaction? I can think of several big events in my life that have represented a lot of effort, sometimes years of work to get to that culminating, celebratory moment. And they were...

Part of the "growing up" that we are all trying to do, is learning to move our minds in the direction we need them to go. Case in point: When you have a big day ahead of you, is your automatic or untrained way of thinking, to move into stress and fear and anxiety? Or...

The longer I live, the more convinced I am that at least 75% of our success will be attributed to the fact that we kept moving. Not that we just kept busy, necessarily. But more that we kept moving through experiences, instead of getting stuck in them. Do you...

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash Keep trying. Keep moving. Keep asking. Keep deciding. Keep rowing. Keep loving. Keep growing. Keep shedding. Keep learning. Keep evolving. Keep praying. Keep soaring. Hope is smiling brightly before you. Close your eyes and see her...

I was reminded this week of something I believe about you. You may not agree, or you may feel that the evidence of your life as it is today may suggest otherwise, but here it is: I believe you were prepared for the joys and challenges you are experiencing right now....

It never ceases to amaze me how misaligned our beliefs can become. Do we sometimes think that our life won't really have meaning until we accomplish some big and public thing? Or that what we do in family life each day somehow pales in comparison to what we or others...

Do you ever ride the roller coaster of "failed" expectations? Such as when a holiday comes and you have some special hopes in mind, things that your spouse might do to celebrate an occasion or to show you that they care? And then maybe that day comes and those hopes,...

Anyone working on getting rid of a cold or the flu at your house? I hope not, but if so, here's a simple idea for making lemon juice ice cubes and a soothing tea of lemon, ginger and honey. When you find lemons for a good price, stock up and juice them all at once....

The story that is being told in our heads can determine whether we truly care for ourselves or not. And how easy or difficult self-care will be. If it's a negative or stagnant story, it may be draining our energy and resources. If it's a story of forward motion, of...

I have a friend who is struggling mightily to find purpose and meaning in existence, and to discover anything that will trump their thoughts of anxiety and worry in day to day life. It's a massive struggle and, it's also challenging to watch! Mostly because there is a...

"Paradise is where I am." Voltaire Photo by Joel Holland on Unsplash What is contentment? Is it all beauty and no rush? Is it order and growing? Is it possible? Is it quiet or loud? Is it peaceful? Is it now? To care for yourself, I hope you might consider creating a...

Life can be pretty challenging. And finding peace sometimes seems illusive! Photo by Matthew Smith on Unsplash But...it is always there, waiting for you to opt in! To care for yourself, whenever you feel harried or haggard, happy or hungry, you can step quietly into a...

Hello Ladies! I hope you are feeling better and better as this 30 Day Challenge progresses! We're nearing the finish line! Today, I re-publish this post from 2014. {Where did that time go?} But first I'd like to say that I appreciate your comments. I hope you will...

A few years ago I stumbled upon a product that I love. It's a healthy version of something many of you like and use, so I thought I'd share it as today's self-care idea! First though, a little background. Some of the health struggles I've had have taught me that the...

Self-care for a parent is critical! It takes so much energy and grit to lead doesn't it? We need to give ourselves every possible advantage in part because of the fact that being a family leader means learning how to deal with disappointment. We all know that in...

We have been promised that if we seek, we will find. If we knock, the way will be opened. If we ask, the answers will come. I believe it. Many, many times I have knocked, sought and asked. Many times I have been answered, the way has been opened and many times I have...

I'm so glad you are here taking this self-care journey. Good for you! 20 days down and only 10 to go! Today, I'd challenge you to take a few minutes to think about what you need today. Asking the question is part of knowing how to care for ourselves. Photo by Ian...

Hello! Welcome to the 19th day of our focus on self-care. I'm so glad you're here! Photo by Alice Donovan Rouse on Unsplash Today, I'm posting the script of the declaration video so that you can speak them aloud for yourself. I would suggest that you...

Ever make your own body care products? Here's a simple idea for mouthwash that works well! Fill a plastic squeeze bottle with water. Add 5-10 drops of a high quality peppermint essential oil. Just shake, squirt into your mouth, swish and spit it out. No chemicals. No...

Photo by Paul-Louis Pröve on Unsplash The following quote can be applied to many things. It rings true for me in the context of what we believe about ourselves; our faith; our marriages; our children; our circumstances, etc. It was given in a spiritual setting, and of...

What do you do, that nourishes you? What do you do that is so interesting and enjoyable that you seem to lose track of time when you're doing it? Photo by Bench Accounting on Unsplash Have something in mind? {Or even something that you want to learn?} How can you...

Here is a post from two years ago, that I want to dust off and share with you again today. It's a quote from someone who has done a great deal of writing about addiction, codependency and recovery. Her name is Melody Beattie and she's been an incredible teacher to me...

The first time I watched Disney's Moana I was moved. The story says so much about identity and personal power that it brought me to tears. The part that made me laugh and smile for days on the other hand, was seeing that Te Ka was actually the seemingly heartless...

There is so much rest and peace when we can be still inside. Even if it is for a few seconds or a few minutes. At almost any time, and almost anywhere, you can take a deep breath, close your eyes and hold your mind still. Let your face relax. Breathe in and as you...

Journaling. What a magical word! Photo by Rachel Lynette French on Unsplash {How did she know?} If you haven't discovered this tool, I hope you will give it a try! If something is bothering you, you can dump it out of your mind by writing it out. If you...

As I mentioned in a previous post, please take only the self-care ideas you need from these posts, and just keeping working all the good habits you already have going in your life! To meet the 30 Day Challenge, you don't necessarily need to do something new everyday....

Photo by Julia Zolotova on Unsplash When we think about making healthy changes, sometimes we want to change everything all at once! {That go-big-or-go-home thinking can sometimes paralyze us, even when we are feeling extremely motivated!} That is partly why we are...

Are you ready to take a little self-care journey with me and the Lionesses who are currently engaged in the 7 Steps to Family Wellness seminar? {If you want increase the likelihood of your success in this challenge, declare your intention to join us in the comments...

{Coming soon to Lioness: a declaration video that you will be able to watch or listen to each day, to inspire you to believe the truth about yourself! When I post it, I'm also going to give you a 30 day challenge to go with it! I'm so excited!} But before it's here, a...

Just a note to say, "Good work today!" As you look back on this day, you may wonder if you did enough, or if you handled things well- You may consider your efforts to keep peace and create order as lacking or you may be tempted to compare yourself to someone you know...

"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom."Proverbs 13:10

If you're a parent you'll know what I mean when I say that some of the pep talks I've given my kids get given back to me when I need them! No doubt this will be one. And that's good! It means they're listening in and... heaven knows, I do need reminders! To start, a...

Questions are magical. They narrow our focus, as if through a special seeking lens, onto something we don't yet know. Then, seeing through our seeking lens, we begin to see the answers before us. But we can't be lazy about questions. Questions that hang around, yet...

Hello my friend! I hope that you are off to a good start this week, speaking kindly to yourself and validating your feelings and efforts. Just wanted to reiterate something we discussed back in Step 1 of the 7 Steps to Family Wellness Seminar which was, Take Charge of...

Have you had the experience of walking into someone's home and feeling the peace of cleanliness and decision-making? {By that I mean there isn't overwhelming clutter and commotion, but mostly calmness and order underneath the daily activities of cooking, creating and...

Ever feel that you're not sure if you should be pushing yourself to do more or if you should slow down and do less? This is a daily question for we women, particularly mothers who are doing their best to cover the every day demands of a family such as planning and...

I love being married and I love all of the good things that have come as a consequence of the decision we made many years ago to join our lives together to create a family. Over the last few weeks, we've had the pleasure of watching our married children celebrate some...

Sometimes we experience a complete disconnect between what we eat and how we feel. In fact, we can be so unaware at times that we don't even recognize how we feel or what we ate or how some things effect us. Not just our weight or food allergy symptoms, but also our...

Your strength is extraordinary! Your ability to keep going even when you are hurting. Your drive to function {even cheerfully} on half a night's sleep....again. Your tenacity. Your determination to lead. To teach. To train. In a word, your love makes you as strong as...

"May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being. May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life."...

I want to invite you to share in a challenge I have set for myself, being as it is the week of Thanksgiving and the third month of seminar! {This month's step is on learning the rules of validation, which in essence is learning to have clear boundaries!} The two-part...

  Isn't it amazing how wonderful it is to see empty space in drawers, cupboards, closets, counter tops and storage areas? Empty space is like room to breathe. Like a resting spot for our eyes. A calmness in our minds. Room in our souls. More space is more life!...

Our month of Step 2 is coming to a close! {I'm referring to the Lioness 7 Steps to Family Wellness seminar that is in progress!} Did you decide to join us in clearing out the clutter of our homes and schedules? I am amazed again at the peace that comes when we put...

Hello! Just wanted to share a few thoughts from a book I'm reading for our Ladies Literary Club this month called, Martha Washington, by Patricia Brady. First, here is a quote from Martha that could have been written two centuries later by a positive psychologist:...

Here are a few ideas about how to love your kids, even while you are doing your best to lead them to better things, like say, a clean room... 1 Be Quiet So much of our mother-yacking becomes so much background noise and does nothing to help our children attend to what...

Are you a mover-shaker? Or do you calmly focus on details? Are you spontaneous and random? Or is your approach more structured and precise? If you don't know how to answer these questions, I'd suggest that you take a few minutes to consider them and get to know...

"The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively disciplined, is that of the difference between good and evil; and the task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility, and evil with activity." Maria...

"Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life." Grenville Kleiser Joy; calm; well-being; love; happiness; fulfillment; achievement; worthiness; sustenance; generosity; acceptance; creativity: we can think on these! Happy...

I remember one day when our kids were little, my brother visiting and hearing the classical music that was playing in our house, and probably seeing that I was tired and ready for bed at 8:00, said something like, "You need a little more music in your life!" as he...

Do you feel creative? Inspired? Motivated to make some changes for the betterment of your home environment? Good for you! Just a reminder that you, by your nature, are a creative genius! Can you recognize the colors and styles that make your heart sing? Can you close...