Leanne Shares a Crock-Cooker Menu and Shopping List

Leanne offered us a marvelous freebie.  It's a whole week's worth of meals all planned out with the shopping list included.  All the meals are done in the crock pot.  I'm so excited to give them all a try.

Here is what we will be eating at my house next week:

• Crock Chicken Indonesian with brown rice and stir-fried zucchini and yellow squash
• Italiano Beef Stew over bow tie pasta with a spinach salad
• Crock Black Bean Enchilasagna with salad, sliced avocado and corn on the cob
• Carolina Crock Pork on whole wheat buns with coleslaw and baby carrots
• Summer Sweet and Fragrant Chicken Drumsticks with steamed red potatoes and broccoli

Visit savingdinner.com for more meal solutions!

I'll be letting you know how my family likes these dishes.  =0)

FLYing and Quilting

This is what I love the most about flying: It frees up time! When you are on autopilot with your routines, zone work, and detailing, it gives you time to pursue other adventures.

I've started many crafts in my lifetime. I think I enjoy trying something new more than I enjoy actually completing it. My family is sure that this will be another of my "doomed" hobbies. But I like the way my friend, Paula, put it. "It doesn't matter how long it lasts! It only matters if you're enjoying it while you're doing it."

With that in mind, I set out to research how to quilt. I scoured the internet for patterns and tips on how to start. I picked out lovely fabrics that made me happy. I put a book on hold at the library: Quilting for Dummies. I set up a blog to track my progress. And I am excited about it!

Track my quilting progress at "So You Think You Can Quilt."

The Evolution of WONK

Let me preface this by saying that if you haven't visited flylady's chat, you really should! In amidst our hard work, we do have some fun. This is a portion of a conversation that was between me and several of my flysisters. I have removed some of the lines, but the basic idea remains.

If you ever wondered what WONK is...

The Evolution of Wonk

June 10, 2010…somewhere around 10pm

Shanay the least little thing in the kitchen can throw me off if I am in a “wonky” mood

Jag okay...stop wonking it

Crellinite LOL

Shanay lol..alright jag

Jag wonk wonk

Shanay wonk wonk

Crellinite aoooogha

MamaBean – flying! wonkity wonk?

Shanay love it!

Crellinite lol, wonking it

Jag next time she does that ladies

Jag say

Jag WONK WONK

Shanay dh want's to know what's so funny!

Shanay how could I even begin to explain that!

MamaBean – Flying! Just tell him you’re wonking it

Crellinite Tell him your wonking it and he might come and have a look to see what you are doing

MamaBean – Flying! lol

Shanay he might think it’s a suggestion!!!

Jag lol

MamaBean – Flying! hahaha shanay

Crellinite lol

Crellinite that will take your mind off the kitchen

MamaBean – Flying! "with a winkety wonk she drove of into the night"

MamaBean – Flying! i'm gonna write that in a book someday!

Shanay too funny!

Shanay winky wonk wonk

Jag wonk

MamaBean – Flying! i'm gonna start wonkin instead of poofin

Jag me too

Shanay lol bean..we should!

Jag I’ll do this…

MamaBean – Flying! it would be SO funny

Shanay wonkarino!

Jag WONK!!!!

Shanay sounds like some ducks in here!

MamaBean – Flying! I’m dying of laughter!!!!!

Shanay me too

Jag IT’S NOT AGAINST THE LAW

Jag WE WILL DO IT

Jag WONK WONK

Shanay wonk wonk!

Kitty4225 ((((shanay)))) thanks i needed to laugh

Kitty4225 NIGHTY WINKY WONKY YALL

Shanay we are wonkin’!

Toflyoneday I need to wonk

MamaBean – Flying! wonkin’ and flyin’

So there you have it...now...want to wonk?! =0)

Winners and Whiners: What do you want?

According to Keith Cameron Smith in his book "The Top 10 Distinctions between Winners and Whiners"...

Winners can have what they want.

Whiners want what they cannot have.

We want to FLY. We wouldn't have plugged into flylady's system if we weren't desiring to take control of our lives, our homes, and ourselves. So how do we become a winner?

Everything has a price, and while whiners want something for nothing, winners work hard in pursuit of their passions. To really fly, you have to work at it. You have to earn it.

Winners look at people who have more than them and believe, “If others can do it, so can I.” Then, they learn what they need to do to get it. When we see others flying and we aren't, the answer is simple: They know something that you don’t know and they are choosing to apply it.

You can learn whatever it is you need to know to get whatever it is that you want. Flylady gives us all the tools we need. They are right there for the learning. Instead of being a whiner, and living in a constant quest for sympathy and why you can't do this or that, invest in your knowledge. Then you can figure out what it is you want and take the time to achieve it.

Winners and Whiners: Which one are you?

I'm reading a book called, "The Top 10 Distinctions Between Winners and Whiners." In it, the author, Keith Cameron Smith, highlights the differences between winners and whiners. How does this relate to flying?

Many of us have been whiners for many years. We blame the chaos on our husbands, or our kids, our work schedule or our health. We have allowed this chaos to control us and then decided to blame everyone else for our situation.

Winners Take Responsibility.

Whiners Play the Victim.

Let me repeat that: Winners take responsibility. Whiners play the victim.

We make choices every day. Those choices are your responsibility. That's how winners see it. Whiners, on the other hand, think that choices depend on circumstances and that those circumstances are someone else's fault.

Choices determine circumstances, circumstances do NOT determine choices. You can choose to stay in chaos. You can choose to declutter and simplify your life. As long as you whine, you will never become a winner. That choice is also yours.

Victims complain and blame. This leads to disappointment and discouragement. Many flybabies are discouraged. The truth is, we all face disappointment. But when we are disappointed, we have two choices: we can find a way to encourage ourselves, or we can become discouraged. And beneath discouragement is depression. We can't fly if we are depressed.

It's okay to be disappointed, it's not okay to be discouraged. Learn the difference. Choose to be a winner. Whining comes from negative thinking and blame. Choose to focus your thoughts on positive things. Take responsibility for your thoughts and circumstances. That is the first step to becoming a winner and learning to FLY!

How High Can You Soar?

Do you remember what it's like to be on a swing? When was the last time you felt that sensation of flying...back and forth...higher and higher...not wanting to stop...When I was a kid, I loved to swing. I guess I was a little daring in my youth because I also liked to jump off said swing! That's another story.

But yesterday it hit me that FLYing is a lot like swinging. When you sit down on a swing, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you can take a running start. Remember that part...stretch back with the seat behind you, then a little running start, jump into that seat and hope like crazy that you don't miss. When we were older, that was the way to start off.

But think about when you were a baby. Someone had to push you, to give you a little nudge. And they couldn't stop pushing you or the momentum would eventually slow to a halt.

When you got a little older, and a little more self-sufficient, there was our third method. Sit down on the swing. Dead standstill. Start to kick your legs back and forth...back and forth...until you got going. First a little, then a little more, and finally you were pretty proud of your accomplishment. It took awhile, but you did it!

So how do these childhood recollections related to flying? Let's start with the run and jump method. That's our "seasoned" flyers. They know they have to hit the ground running. They have a plan, followed up with action, and they FLY in no time! They have taken the time to create routines that work for them and have practiced those routines. A good swinger doesn't happen overnight; we aren't born with the ability to know how to operate a swing! FLYing doesn't happen overnight; we have to learn and practice our skills.

The "I-can-do-it" approach are those of us that have the basics, and we can get ourselves moving. Some days "getting moving" takes longer than others. We don't ask for help, but we haven't quite gotten all of the pieces straightened out yet. This method of swinging can be painfully slow - and painfully slow for flying, too. Sometimes we fail to even see our progress, as if we are just moving our feet back and forth and never getting anywhere.

So here lies the final method. Getting help! A gentle nudge to get us started, sometimes a full on push...whatever level of help you need, think of that baby in the swing. Where do we get these nudges? Visit flylady's website. Read the emails, especially the ones from other flybabies. Visit flylady chat, which I've blogged about in the past. Whatever it takes to give you the support you need.

At different times in our FLY lives, we will utilize the above methods. There is nothing wrong with any of them. There is no shame in getting help at times, especially when we are new or having difficulties in life. And it's good to have the "I-can-do-it" attitude. That attitude, patience and practice is the only way you will ever get to the run and jump method. Of course, we aim to be at the run and jump method, but even when we get there, sometimes it's just nice to flying with someone at your back giving you a push...higher and higher...until you feel like you are really FLYing.

Flying on Autopilot

I hear one consistent complaint from flybabies. They don't stick with their routines. Maybe they have a morning routine that they follow regularly, but they don't do a before bed routine. Or they have routines, but they never finish all the items on their list. What is the solution?

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

I can't stress this enough. Your routines need to be on auto-pilot. And to get them there, they have to be simple.

If you are having trouble sticking to, or even establishing routines, try this.

Morning Routine - 3 items ONLY.

My simplified morning routine is: Get dressed to the shoes. Make my bed. Swish and swipe the bathroom. That's it. 3 things.

Before Bed Routine - 3 items ONLY.

My simplified bedtime routine is: Shiny sink. Pajamas on and clothes out for tomorrow. Pick up and put away in my living room.

I also have an afternoon routine. It has even fewer items on it. 1 thing. Do a 15 minute Pick Up Put Away throughout the entire house.

You might think that these are not enough to make a difference in your home. I promise you that they will. When these are on auto-pilot, you will speed right through them. Then you can take on another task. When that's second nature, you can add more. But keep that simplified routine in mind. When time is tight, or you are sick, or other things in life start to crowd out flying, you can fall back on these simplified lists and things will not get out of control.

The definition of Autopilot: functioning in an unthinking or reflexive manner. I'm not saying you shouldn't THINK. But these routines will become so reflexive that you won't even realize you are doing them. It's a great way to avoid crash and burn!

Your challenge today: simplify your routines and turn on your autopilot! It's a great way to fly!