Keep warm with our favorite drink!

I know that we’re “officially” only a few weeks into winter, but this freezing weather that we’ve been having this week has had me and my daughters wishing for spring.  Unfortunately, living in Chicagoland means we’re going to have to endure a few more cold days before our beloved sunshine and warmth returns.

Hot cocoa is a favorite cold weather drink in our family, however my 2nd youngest daughter is dairy free, so we’ve had to compromise and come up with different recipes for our favorite foods.  Here is one of our most recent favorite recipes:

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond milk (or preferred milk alternative)
• 3 cups chocolate chips (oz. or ⅓ semi-sweet dairy free)
• 1 tablespoon chocolate (oz. or 2 dark dairy free, chopped)
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan.
• Barely bring to a boil and remove from heat.
• Whisk until smooth.
• Pour into coffee mugs and serve with marshmallows.

Enjoy!

Warmly,

Andrea

30 Days of Thankfulness- Day 17

By Cathy Smith

What I love most about this 30 days of thankfulness is how much it has made me take a step back, pause, and focus on all the blessings in my life.  The list below really made me think how lucky I am.  How many of these do we take for granted?

Top 10 Things Americans are Thankful For

1.  Good health
2.  Money in the bank
3.  Family
4.  Good friends
5.  Safety and security.
6.  Having a home.
7.  The ability to read.
8.  Plenty of food.
9.  Opportunity to get an education.
10.  A bed to sleep in.

30 Days of Thankfulness: Day 1

Day 1:  Today I am thankful for my family and friends. 

I have recently become a single mom, and I knew that it was going to be a big leap of faith. 

These last few months, I've felt like I've been pulled and stretched in so many different directions. 

Yet, through it all, my family and friends have been there lifting me up and cheering me on.

From helping with my yardwork when I've been on the go for days, to watching my kids so that I can go to work, classes, consults, or do homework, to hugging me and telling me how happy they are for me, or telling me that I'm amazing.
I'm so very grateful for all of it, for all of you!

I know that I could do it on my own if I had to, but life would be a heck of a lot harder without the love and support of my family and friends.
So thank you all!

Warmly,
Andrea

A Summer Challenge

We live in a time of extreme activity.  In most cultures, there used to be a mandatory 40 day sitting in.  40 glorious days of healing and bonding with a new baby.  This sitting in period would come complete with family and friends bringing meals, doing laundry, helping with other children, and cleaning the home.  Nowadays, women are lucky to get 1 meal brought to them.  Sure their husbands/partners probably help with some dishes and/or laundry but let's me honest, it takes a lot more to run a house than the occasional meal and emptying the dishwasher.  And our husbands/partners still work full time and might need to help with older children.  This fast paced life is straining our lives way too much.

We are now a majority 2 income household population.  Women just don't have as much time to help each other.  We are so busy over scheduling our littles, checking our Facebook, and taking cross-fit classes that we have forgotten about our community.  What if we, gasp, only scheduled one activity for our children at a time, logged onto Facebook/internet for 30 min max a day, and played outside with our family as a way to get fit?  Not including our full time work schedules and rest time, we would have SO much more time.  Time for intimacy, time for friends, time for worship, time for community.  We would have lots of time.

I challenge you to try this.  I challenge you to find someone you know who is pregnant.  Make her  the recipe below.  Spend time in conversation with her.  I promise you, it will open up windows, bring happiness to you both and maybe save a woman who was having a hard time and needed a kind gesture.  I believe in the domino effect.  Kindness preceeds kindness.  I challenge you to commit to 1 small act of kindness a week.  Be the change, share the happiness.

Easy Peasy Postpartum Herbal Spray

Equipment Needed:
muslin tea bags
1 pot

Ingredients:
2 oz lavender buds
2oz chamomile
2 oz calendula

Preparation:

Fill pot with water.
Boil Water.
Fill muslin tea bags with mixed herbs.
Shut off heat when water starts to boil.
Throw tea bags in water and steep for 30 min.

When cooled, put in a pitcher and bring to a new mom.
Placed in peri bottle or in a sitz bath, postpartum mom will have reduced inflammation and increased comfort in her bottom.


Alternative Acts to Help a Postpartum Woman:

Bring her a cup of coffee
Make her older kids a sack lunch and surprise her with it
Bring a meal/Order the family of pizza
Fold laundry
Wash/Dry the dishes
Mail her a homemade card/letter
Hire a Postpartum Doula to cater to the new Mom
www.ajoyfuljourney.org

A First of Many!!!

Last Saturday, October 17th 2015, something amazing happened at New Life Church in New Lenox, IL.  

Something that Cathy & I had been working tirelessly to organize and promote for the past 6 months.  Last Saturday, our very first fundraiser took place!  The fundraiser was for our local domestic violence program called Groundwork!

Even though we raised a decent amount  of money ($656.55 after expenses), so much more was raised besides funds that day!

You see, my mom was a victim of domestic violence...

my dad was her abuser...

and myself and my siblings were raised in a violent upbringing.

Last Saturday, we got to raise awareness and raise our voices.  

We know that silence hides violence, so we stood together and spoke out against domestic violence!

Our speakers consisted of myself, my brother Jake, the Groundwork Program Director Amirrah, Groundwork client Sarah and my friend Angelica.  We each had different stories to tell...

...I was able to tell the story of my traumatic birth, which my mom and I both nearly lost our lives, as a result of that day....

...My brother Jake talked about what it was like for him as a little boy, growing up seeing our dad beat our mom... and fearing for our lives.  He spoke about the struggles that he still faces today... and the importance of good male role models in our children's lives...

...Amirrah shared with us the importance of the Groundwork program in our community and her hopes that one day there won't be a need for such a program...

Sarah spoke about her experience with a boyfriend (who hit her for the first time by back handing her as he drove them someplace)... she said she was so stunned that she apologized to him and kept telling herself that they would be okay... however, the abuse continued and escalated for years before she finally left him for good.... and it seems like a miracle to me that she survived the things that he put her through...

... Angelica talked about a relationship that she got into when she was 15 or 16.  Her boyfriend was mean and controlling... but had never hit her... until he did.  Only, the first time that he hit her wasn't just a slap (whatever that means)... He brutally beat her... to the point where she was covered in blood and had to be hospitalized at 16 years old....

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE knows no class, race, age, etc.  

It can happen and it does happen everyday.

I felt so honored to have been in the presence of so many survivors of domestic violence..

knowing that there were so many more who haven't survived.

Aside from speakers, we made sure to have something to entertain the whole family!  It was a vendor fair, so we had shopping!  

We also had raffle prizes, a jumpy house for the kids, face painting & delicious brunch catered by my sister Jen.  

Everyone had a great time!  

Cathy & I can't wait to do it again (BIGGER & BETTER) next year!

Lots of Love,

Andrea