Loving Our Home | Home Tips, Advice, and Easy Recipes

Simple Home Tips and Solutions

Motivation and Self Help

Dating As a Single Parent

By Leave a Comment

Mother and child
© 1_womans_dream | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Dating as a single parent can be a lot more challenging than it first seems. I had experienced several dating failures — dating experiences that I believed were going to turn into serious relationships. My problem was that I introduced my children to my mate and was concerned about there emotional well being. I wanted them to mature and have healthy dating experiences of their own.

Since most of their behavior is learned from what they see and experience, I had to make drastic changes, immediately. So for me, the best way to devise a plan, was to ask myself two very important questions, answer them and then follow those answers to utter perfection. The questions were:

1- When do I discuss with my children that I am dating?

2- When do I tell my date, that I have children?

After hours of contemplation, I realized the answer to both my questions. The first questions answer was to only have a discussion with my kids when I was secure that the “dating” had successfully transitioned into a relationship. Then and only then, introductions would occur.

As for the second question, I made the decision from my heart. I am proud of and have unconditional love and respect for my children and I would NEVER exclude their existence in this world. So at each first date I would speak of my children with great admiration. I would then discuss my boundaries with regards to my children, should the dating turn into a serious relationship.

I found that by making these changes, I became more comfortable and secure when dating. I also developed confidence, that I could maintain a life outside of being a mother.

Posted by Eve

 

Ways to Get Out of a Slump

By Leave a Comment

We all have bad days. At times, we face a period of days or weeks that get the best of us. For myself, a knee injury set me back and put me in a slump for a couple of months. I struggled but have found a few ways to get back to feeling like myself again.

Try Switching to Healthier Food Options
If you drink coffee with cream and sugar daily, like I did. Stop!! Instead, try drinking a hot cup of green tea with no additives. Green tea is full of antioxidants that does your body well. Also, give a smoothie or protein shake a try, rather than a breakfast bagel. For lunch, ditch the fast food menus. Try cooking at home a healthy, grilled chicken salad with a vinegar based dressing. As for dinner, switch from eating pasta to enjoying grilled fish with steamed veggies of your choice. By me making these simple adjustments to my eating habits, I felt re-energized and motivated to get out of my slump.

Drink Lots of Water
If you are a daily soda drinker, swap to a flavored seltzer water instead. The seltzer water gives you that same burst of carbonation as does soda but with no empty calories. In between drinking seltzer try consuming 8 glasses of water, daily. When your body is properly hydrated, you should automatically start to feel better. It is also, excellent for your digestive system. Your skin will look and feel better, too.

Get Some Fresh Air And Exercise
Simply taking a walk can be a mood enhancer. It releases the “feel good” endorphins in your brain. In the morning or after dinner, go for a twenty minute walk, for starters. If you are able to have a friend, pet or partner to walk with you and enjoy the fresh air, it would be beneficial. By walking with others, holds you accountable to someone other than yourself. If there is no one available to walk with you, walk by yourself. Using an MP3 player to listen to music, with one earpiece in (for safety) can be very relaxing while walking.

I did exactly what I wrote about and feel great. It was challenging at first, yet, overall the results are outstanding. My mood has changed and it has helped me to get out of my slump. I hope these tips helps someone to get out of their slump, as well.

 

4 Tips to Wake Yourself Up in the Morning

By Leave a Comment

Little Teddy
© Ng | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Everyone has those mornings when they just don’t feel like getting up out of the bed. Maybe it’s because you had a hard night of partying the night before. Maybe it’s because you only fell asleep two hours before the alarm clock went off. In my case it’s usually because I’m stuck in a really good dream that I just don’t want to end.

But you do have to get up at some point to get things done. So here are a few tips for how to inspire yourself out of the bed on these tough mornings. Up and at em!

Wake Up to an Audiobook
I adore audiobooks. I am listening to an audiobook now while writing this blog post. Audiobooks can inspire educate and motivate you which is why it’s a great way to wake yourself up in the morning. When your alarm clock goes off, press snooze once and immediately turn on your favorite audiobook. Loud.

Check Your Email
The great thing about smart phones is that you receive your emails all day long even while you’re sleeping. One way that I get alert enough to wake up on a tough morning is to wrap my smart phone and start browsing the emails that I’ve received thus far. You may see in email that is urgent or important enough to make you sit up and started doing some work.

Talk to God / The Universe
Another great way to wake yourself up in the morning is to have a conversation with a higher power, which I call God. Even if you’re not a “religious” person, you can still have a conversation with the Universe or yourself about what you want to accomplish that day. Say positive affirmations out loud about how great everything will be — you might be surprised when it comes true.

Call or Text Someone You Love
One of the best ways to get inspired to get up out of bed in the morning — even when you’ve just had a tough night — is to call or text someone you love (who is likely to respond of course) and start a conversation. A laugh, joke or news from a loved one is just what you need to break free from the dream world and start your day.

Try out these tips to wake yourself up in the morning. Sleep is awesome, but when you wake up bright and early to start your day you feel encouraged, motivated and energized.

Pinterest Question – Why Do You Pin?

By Leave a Comment

Pinterest has quickly become one of the top social media sites in the world. That’s certainly no surprise since humans are designed to be very visual creatures. So have you ever thought about why do you pin?

For Business?
A lot of Pinterest users pin for business reasons — smart idea. If your company sells a lot of products like clothes and crafts, using this social media site is a must. Pinning stuff from your Etsy shop, blog or online store directs interested users to a place where they can learn more about your company. Then it’s pretty much sell, sell, sell from there,

For Yourself?
By Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/) [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsPinterest is an awesome place to create vision boards. A vision board used to be a physical thing that you would have to create from poster board and magazine clippings, but now you can pretty much pull “clippings” from all over the World Wide Web to your virtual vision board. Looking at these boards regularly can help you move closer to reaching that ideal for your life, home or career.

To Contribute to the World?
Everyone has their own chosen method of contributing, and some people like to share nice things with the world via Pinterest. You can pretty much start a board on any topic from. Motivating girls to cooking a delicious dinner to make your family happy. Pinning as a contribution to the world is indeed a noble reason for using Pinterest.

Whatever your reason for using Pinterest, this is a dynamic and useful social media tool that helps so many households every year. Have fun and be sure to take some time out to grab your own bit of “Pinspiration” along the way.

 

Follow Loving Our Home on Pinterest for some Pinspiration, happy thoughts and motivation for a great home life.

 

4 Ways to Live a Better Life

By Leave a Comment

Happy Girl
© Phildate | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Living better requires taking steps to improve yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. When you’re making positive progress you feel better, think more clearly and generally feel happier. Here are four simple ways to live a more fulfilled and happy life.

Make Time to Exercise

Exercising is proven to improve your mood. It sends healthy endorphins to your brain and revitalizes your body. Researchers at the University of Vermont found that people who exercise have a better mood for up to 12 hours after working out compared to those who don’t. The earlier you exercise in the morning, the better your day. So adding more exercise to your schedule is one way to live a better life.

Experience Nature More

Have you ever heard someone tell you that you should take time and smell the roses? Listen to that advice starting today. Taking the time to experience and enjoy nature can have an amazing effect on your overall mindset. When you’re blessed with a beautiful, sunny day, take advantage of it — go outside. Grab a book and visit your local park. Put on your headphones and play some calming music as you enjoy the sights.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People & The 8th Habit (Special 6-Hour Abridgement)
Click to Get this Audiobook for Free

Reward Yourself

Oftentimes we go through life bypassing our successes without pausing to acknowledge and reward ourselves. Even if it is a small success like learning a new skill at work, reward yourself after you achieve your goal. Take yourself out for a nice lunch at your favorite restaurant or buy yourself a new outfit.

Stop Watching What Others Are Doing

When you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, your life never really seems like it is that wonderful. Other people (like you) are naturally inclined to put on their best show for their friends and loved ones. If you spend too much time watching and comparing your life to that of others around you, your life suddenly doesn’t seem as fulfilling. So focus more on what makes your own life great and less on what others are doing.

Of course, there are myriad other ways that you can take steps toward living a better life, but why not start with these and use them as a springboard. Just open your mind and let new ideas flow in as time goes on.

 

Sources:

usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-06-02-exercise-mood_N.htm

 

4 Keys to Happiness

By Leave a Comment

Many people make the mistake of putting their happiness in the hands of others. They believe that significant others, family members and friends are responsible for making them happy. But if you rely on other people to make you happy, you’ll be devastated when they let you down or leave you. Focus on these four simple keys to happiness — all of which depend solely on you.

Live Up to Your Own Expectations
If you spend your life focused on what other people think of you, you are putting yourself at the mercy of those other people. Whenever you do not live up to their expectations, it instantly makes you unhappy. This happens a lot when children pursue careers only because it’s what their parents want.

Your goal should be to set and attempt to meet your own expectations based on what you value and care about. If you like to dance, then dance. If you like the way you dress, then dress that way. It is your prerogative.

Find a Place of Peace
In the hustle and bustle of life it is easy to get caught up in a negative atmosphere around negative or toxic people. Find a place where you can go to get away from that hectic atmosphere and find some peace—even if it is just for a short while each day. That respite might be a park nearby or a quiet coffee shop. You might even be able to escape the chaos of your everyday life through meditation in a quiet corner of your home. Make time for yourself.

Identify What You Love About Yourself
Self-love is a key component of a happy life. If you do not even love yourself, you won’t have much to be happy about—especially when others don’t openly show love to you. Also, you will portray your lack of love for yourself on the world, and it creates a vicious cycle of unhappy relationships, feelings and situations.

Force yourself to sit in the mirror each day and take a very long look at yourself. Search for and reflect on what makes you beautiful and unique—these traits aren’t just physical, but also related to your character or personality. Maybe you are witty or have a great laugh. Maybe your eyes are clear and bright. Maybe you have a great, confident walk that makes you look like a queen or king. Focus on those things. Do this exercise as often as possible until you identify those traits that make you awesome and unique. The beauty is there in each of us—it just might take some time to see it for yourself.

Forgive
When you hold onto anger and resentment it grows and grows, making you more and more unhappy with each thought. Have the courage to release whatever or whoever is making you upset. It’s okay to remember the offense so that you will not repeat the scenario in the future, but be bold enough to forgive the offender and move on to better pastures.

Start with these four simple tips to achieve genuine personal contentment. When you finally realize that you are totally in charge of your own destiny, happiness is not far behind.