ProjectGiveThanks

This year #ProjectGiveThanks is a challenge for ALL! 

You can give to a few or follow along each day. 

You can mix up the order or make your own list. 

You could even simply send a card to each person listed- YOU decide, but go out and GIVE THANKS this November!!

There is such a tenancy to skip past the Thanksgiving month to dive right into December, but the challenge is to puch back on that and GIVE from the heart! 

It does NOT have to cost a lot, and should NOT... Homemade cards or goodies work wonders when telling someone you are grateful for them. 

Take a picture of your giving and use the hashtag #ProjectGiveThanks on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to spread the word and follow along! 

Share so everyone can take part!  

Examples From 2014:

WHAT A BLAST!! Project Thanksgiving is about giving in small, tangible ways to say THANK YOU to our local community, leaders, and friends throughout the month of November- it's about SHOWING gratitude!

This week we:

• Thanked the coaches at Cheer with a crock-pot of chili and some cookies for dessert... for 'cooking up' some 'sweet' cheer moves!

Pic to follow :-)

• The Wentzville Fire Department with Hot Chocolate, Marshmallows and York Peppermint Patties... For 'cooling things off' when they get 'too hot'!

• The St Charles County Ambulance District with a basket of Lifesavers... For being 'lifesavers' all the time!

• Our Aunt Rosie Seppelt at Image Makers with a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte... To thank her 'a Latte' for being a 'cut' above the rest! For cutting/coloring our hair and all the yummy food she feeds us! (and yes I already know that it is supposed to say You're a cut above the rest and not 'Your' in the pic... get over it!! I put these together while I am sitting in a parking lot waiting for kid #2 to get out of cheer or in between taxi-ing kids and working full time, if this is the worst thing to happen I am doing GREAT! lol!) 

• A 5th grade teacher, Reading teacher,  and choir/harmonizers teacher with a cup and straw with crystal light 'bows'... for quenching my daughter's 'thirst' for learning!

• We also mailed some homemade thank you cards to special friends with a special handwritten letter of gratitude.

We have definitely been filled with joy this week as we made these deliveries! It really IS the little things in life that mean the most! With a little thought, creativity and love, you can bless someone else in a big way! Check back throughout the week as we deliver more goodies to those around us! 

Join us in our Project Thanksgiving and SHOW your gratitude in small, tangible ways this week. Feel free to share our ideas and be sure to Hashtag #ProjectThanksgiving in your pics on social media and we will give a shout-out for your awesome ideas too!! Together we can BE THE CHANGE this world needs! Happy Thanksgiving Month!!

With love,

Me+3

Making the Most of Your Mornings

Does getting out of bed the hardest part of your day? Most people aren’t naturally what you’d call a “morning person” – the types who are bright eyed and bushy tailed upon rising at the sound of their alarm clock. Just because it doesn’t come naturally doesn’t mean it can’t happen, however. By following a few simple tips, you can train your body and up your A.M. productivity – and, in doing so, increase your health by sleeping more and starting your day without the stress of running late.

• Set a sleep routine – Don’t underestimate the importance of your circadian rhythm. This regulates how your body runs, and it craves routine. Ideally, you should wake up from a light phase of sleep, not a deeper stage. It’s that deeper stage that leads to a foggy head and lower functioning. If you set a bedtime and stick to it (within 30 minutes) and get up around the same time each morning, your body will reset to the routine. The hope is that eventually you will be able to wake yourself up sans alarm.
• Get active – Working out first thing in the morning may not sound tempting, but the effects pay off. Even if it’s as simple as taking a half-hour stroll, kickstarting your morning with cardio will boost your energy levels throughout the day AND help you wind down at night, leading to a deeper night’s sleep.
• Provide the right fuel – While a donut and a cup of coffee may be an easy way to get your blood sugar rising, it can also lead to a sugar crash a few hours into your day. Reach instead for some quality fuel – oatmeal, fresh fruit, or a veggie omelet. Always on the go? Make hard-boiled eggs that you can grab on the run for a protein-packed breakfast.
• See the light – Light has a huge effect on the body’s triggers to sleep or wake up. Switch on a bright light or open your blinds right when you wake up. Conversely, avoid bright lights – yes, including electronics – for that last hour before you plan to hit the hay. This will help your body begin to wind down from the busy day and slip into that deep sleep you need for rejuvenation.

What other tips and tricks work for you? Post your comments below! We would love to hear your suggestions!

Coats for Christmas

Wrapping up the last week of the 3rd Annual

Coats for Christmas Collection 

for the Homeless 

If you have coats to donate please text or call me this week to set up a pick up time. We will deliver a homemade ornament as a way to say THANK YOU for your donation of coats (hats, gloves and scarves are welcome too)

If you need more info email me at vickie.minnella@gmail.com 

All coats will be delivered on Saturday, December 20th to:

First Step Back Home: To help the homeless and working poor become self-supporting by providing them temporary shelter, food, clothing, transportation, referrals, and various counseling and support.

Together we can make a change!

Merry Chrtistmas!

The WHY behind Coats for Christmas

Why the 3^rd Annual Coats for Christmas- In 2011 I faced a homeless situation with my kids. In leaving a short-lived, failed relationship, I had to put my kids and dog in a 16year old 2-door stick shift car that leaked when it rained and died several times a day. We left with the clothes on our backs… and had nowhere to go- completely homeless!

My father graciously took us in and let us live with him for 2 months until I could get back on my feet and rent a townhome in Wentzville again, per my older daughter’s request to go back to her school with her friends she missed dearly.

I had thought since I had already survived a major accident and loss of a baby in 2002, battled cancer while going through a divorce in 2006… to go on to build my own house, buy my own car and put myself through school- completing a 4 year degree in just 2.5 years, graduating cum-laude while raising 3 kids on my own, working full time and volunteering every extra min (PTA President, Volleyball Coach, Cheerleading Coach, Board of Director Positions, etc) I would never face homeless?? In less than 1 year, I had lost my house, my car, my business, and even my grandma passed away that year of 2011- a game changer, tough year for me!

But it can happen to anyone!! This is why we do this- it is a way to give, using our efforts and time to collect coats and warm items to keep others going through hard times warm and hopefully remind them they are loved! Merry Christmas!!

Project Thanksgiving- Week 1

WHAT A BLAST!! Project Thanksgiving is about giving in small, tangible ways to say THANK YOU to our local community, leaders, and friends throughout the month of November- it's about SHOWING gratitude!

This week we:

• Thanked the coaches at Cheer with a crock-pot of chili and some cookies for dessert... for 'cooking up' some 'sweet' cheer moves!

Pic to follow :-)

• The Wentzville Fire Department with Hot Chocolate, Marshmallows and York Peppermint Patties... For 'cooling things off' when they get 'too hot'!

• The St Charles County Ambulance District with a basket of Lifesavers... For being 'lifesavers' all the time!

• Our Aunt Rosie Seppelt at Image Makers with a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte... To thank her 'a Latte' for being a 'cut' above the rest! For cutting/coloring our hair and all the yummy food she feeds us! (and yes I already know that it is supposed to say You're a cut above the rest and not 'Your' in the pic... get over it!! I put these together while I am sitting in a parking lot waiting for kid #2 to get out of cheer or in between taxi-ing kids and working full time, if this is the worst thing to happen I am doing GREAT! lol!) 

• A 5th grade teacher, Reading teacher,  and choir/harmonizers teacher with a cup and straw with crystal light 'bows'... for quenching my daughter's 'thirst' for learning!

• We also mailed some homemade thank you cards to special friends with a special handwritten letter of gratitude.

We have definitely been filled with joy this week as we made these deliveries! It really IS the little things in life that mean the most! With a little thought, creativity and love, you can bless someone else in a big way! Check back throughout the week as we deliver more goodies to those around us! 

Join us in our Project Thanksgiving and SHOW your gratitude in small, tangible ways this week. Feel free to share our ideas and be sure to Hashtag #ProjectThanksgiving in your pics on social media and we will give a shout-out for your awesome ideas too!! Together we can BE THE CHANGE this world needs! Happy Thanksgiving Month!!

With love,

Me+3

Project Thanksgiving

Each month we try to make an impact on the world we live in... especially the community that we do life in. 

NOVEMBER- The Month of

2 GOALS this month:

• Feed 300 children around the world- You can help us with this one... and WE NEED YOUR HELPto reach this lofty goal!! Share away! You will receive a tax-deductible receipt for every child you feed :-)

As we prep to stuff our faces full of food, we want to impact those who are starving- literally starving, especially innocent children! Help us reach our goal off 300 kids fed in the month of stuffing faces! For just $25 you can feed a child for a WHOLE MONTH!! Could you spare one lunch that your night eat out and give to feed a child for a month?

Email me for more info: RockstarMomLife@gmail.com

AND 

• Project Thanksgiving: Do something tangible every day leading up to Thanksgiving day to actually show we are thankful... Project Thanksgiving! This will be posted blog-style daily beginning November 1st and running through November 26th.

Follow along as we use a little creativity to impact our community in small, practical ways- and jump on board to do something for those around you this month too- I challenge you! If we all do something we will cause a BIG impact and change!

Teachers, School staff, Parents, Grandparents, etc.

Those who help aid our community everyday, Police, Firefighter, EMS, City Leaders, etc.

And many, many more... what are you waiting for? 

Be a blessing this month of gratitude! Don't just say it- DO IT! 

Blessings,
Me+3

Yummy Red Juice- just try it!

Juicing seems to be my family's new favorite 'project' lately. We like to try different combinations of fruits and veggies and even though some look like pond scum, many taste pretty darn good for being healthy!

Getting started with this great trend can seem quite daunting, but don't over think it... and keep it simple. You do not have to purchase and entire produce isle at the grocery store to try this. We usually juice greens but this weekend we tried a new combination that ended up being named our 'favorite' RED JUICE! 

YUM YUM YUM!

One thing to point out is the difference between JUICES and SMOOTHIES:

JUICE is- extracting the actual juice from fruits and vegetables (not all fruits and veggies can be put through a juicer- i.e. bananas do not work- there is no juice extracted) 

SMOOTHIE is- a thick smooth, drink of fresh fruit pureed with milk, yogurt or ice

Think of smoothies as in a blender. Pretty much anything can be blended. 

The most popular advantage to Juice over a Smoothie has to do with the air created in the process. If you make a smoothie and have tummy discomfort, then juice might be your better option. If you don't skim the frothy part on the top of smoothies (especially when using spinach and kale) it could leave you feeling... well, a little gassy and uncomfortable. Hence the reason juice is gaining popularity.

I have a very basic Juicer- it was no more than $60 and purchased on Groupon but I have also seen in the in Target as well for similar pricing. I went basic to make sure we were going to use it enough to make purchasing a more expensive, fancier one worth it. This one has been great so far and comes apart easily to make clean up easy- which is one of the biggest complaints I hear about this... the time it takes to clean after making your scrumptious juice. Remember- keep it simple! (and cost-effective too)

So, see the black 'trash can' looking attachment on the left of the juicer- it collects all of your pulp and left over material once the juice has been extracted. It's pretty gross, not gonna lie. BUT, if you line that with a produce bag or even a shopping bag beforehand, when you are finished you simply pull the bag out and voila, no need to spend time scrubbing that clean! 

The red juice we make has all items shown above:

• a handful of kale
• a handful of spinach
• 2 apples (I do not core or anything- you can throw the whole thing in)
• a half of a beet (I cut it in half so you can see how 'blood' red it is. I also add the leaves that come with it
• 3 little slices of ginger
• 4 strawberries
• a broccoli stem
• lemon wedge with skin/peeling left on

Put all of that through the juicer and I usually finish with just a small amount of water to rinse everything through. Then be pure to stir well (this particular juicer has a part on the inside of the pitcher that detaches and you stir with that, but a spoon works too.

Also if you prefer you can add an ice cube or two and a straw- that's it! 

(my kids request the ice cube as it tend to be somewhat warmer than the smoothies we make with frozen fruit) 

There are so many health benefits to juicing- especially when using organic fruits and vegetables. Don't overwhelm yourself- just try it... and keep trying it. We make plenty that are not so good, but you come across some really good ones too! It's a great activity to get everyone involved in!

Stay tuned for more recipes, especially the green juice you see me post all the time!

I would love to hear from you when you try this one... comment below or find me on twitter, instagram and follow my pinterest boards! 

Post a picture of you with your juice and use the hashtag #RockstarMomLifeJuice 

Terrible Moms Go To Work

I can think of some terrible things a mother could do, but let me make one think very clear, working is NOT one of them. When working is what provides a life, let alone survival, for your children then it should not be viewed (or talked about) as less than that of a mother that chooses and/or has the financial ability to stay at home with her babies. Let’s agree that being a mom is not an easy job and there are no written instructions on the ‘right’ way to mother- especially when the title is Single Mom.

I have mommy friends from all walks of life: some that stay at home (which is a full time job in and of itself!), some that work from home, some that work part time and some that work full time, some have a nanny, some have a husband, some are single and some don’t even have full custody of their kids. We are all moms- no matter how you view the mommy-scale. Some are in executive roles, some are owners of their own company, some are teachers, some are bartenders and some work multiple jobs.

Thanks to the news, social media and world we live in today, I hear all the time of mothers that do some pretty terrible things… but I have to say, working and having a career life is NOT one of them. I am pretty down to earth in expectations and needs, carefully thinking of my kids in everything I do. I arch my own eye brows, color my own hair, paint my own nails and work out at home to save money. I don’t carry a designer handbag or have expensive jewelry. (most comes from dollar stores or discount places)

My kids have witnessed firsthand what working hard means and achieving goals takes some time, discipline and most of prioritizing. They are stronger and I am confident they will go further in life because of it! 

Sometimes the lessons we want to teach our kids are taught more by the reactions to life experiences than we can tell them. Teaching them how to make choices through adversity is a far greater ‘life skill’ than one can speak of. 

I was recently blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime to take a career step in the Bio-Chemistry/Biotechnology world. After 8 years of raising my kids single-handedly and being super involved with everything to promote and grow-them-up the BEST I possibly could, keeping my eye on a time of less struggles and more financial peace for all four of us, I accepted a job that requires some travel, ok well quite a bit of travel to start.

If there is anything this determined, independent mom has trouble doing, it’s asking for help… from anyone. I have had to learn how to put my pride aside from time to time and ASK a favor here and there of the MANY wonderful friends I have in my circle that always offer. I have also had to learn especially though this opportunity to say no to all of the little ‘proving-points’ I sometimes take on, like volunteering for everything, leadership roles, PTA, side businesses, and many moments with my friends and their kids. Well I still choose to coach a little league team and be a cheer squad mom from time to time… but I am learning to pick and choose- based on what is best for my kids. I make every decision based on what I think, pray, and weigh the pros and cons as the best for me +3.

Probably one of the hardest things for any driven parent is the need to be financially stable and mentally, emotionally and physically present for your family- especially when it is a single parent household. It’s one of the hardest concepts I had to accept- no matter how hard I work at a job, how many hours I put in while kids sleep to make up for anything I lacked during the day, it wasn’t going to matter until my kids were older… I was the one that got called when a kid was sick or hurt, or forgot their homework, shoes, lunch, PE uniform… etc.

 I have sacrificed every career, job and business venture that I have ever built, dreamt, taken on to be there for my kids first, hopeful of another ‘big break’/opportunity down the road when they were older and I wouldn't have it any other way. Priorities are created internally by what we place value on and shown through our actions and commitments.

Of course I wish I could be at home with them full time and carry less of the financial responsibility that is required being a single parent, but for now, I will just  do the best with what I have, never underestimating the importance and power a mother has on her children’s lives.

 “An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you”

Sometimes, you just have to ride the waves.