Doing for Others

Have you been tagged not once but several times to donate to a cause? Your first thought is I have no money, I'm already living paycheck to paycheck. Why do we tend to over complicate a request or feel guilty. What if I told you that there are several ways to contribute to your community that do not involve money of any kind but just a few hours of time away from the television. The first step in making a change in your community is saying your going to do something about it. The second step is partnering with an organization that already has a connection within the community. The third step is becoming a volunteer. Do these three steps free of charge. What a concept, I know, light bulb. It's okay, there are thousands of people that have said the same thing before. You're not alone. Since I was in grammar school I have consistently volunteered to different causes. Conducting ESL classes, assisting in adult literacy programs, teaching cooking skills to single mothers, advocating for children rights, serve as a crisis representative and the list goes on. All these volunteer positions require no money, just a few hours of your time for a lifetime of memories. Non-profit organizations serving your community rely on your volunteer hours. To make an impact in your community, commit to volunteering at least 2 hours a week in any capacity, you would be surprised how much you can do from your home. After trial and error here is how my family does it, yes it's a family affair in my house, we all contribute in some capacity. Here is the list of things my family has volunteered for, in no particular order.

1. Salvation Army has a variety of volunteer opportunities, from employment ready services, food drives, clothes drives and coat drives. Although a faith based organization, it is not a prerequisite when volunteering.

Side note: Do not be disheartened by trying to partner with organizations that do not allow you to volunteer because of your faith. Unfortunately, some organizations make it a requirement for not only the volunteer but also the client. I'm still trying to understand this concept.

2. Cook a meal at home for organizations that serve the homeless, this is my favorite, I love to cook so I often end up in the kitchen baking. I'm still learning how to freeze banana nut bread so I can make it in larger quantities for more than 1 organization. Here are 2 organizations that service the homeless in Chicago, Humble Hearts and The Puerto Rican Project.

3. Make food sacks, prepackaged foods are the best. Surprisingly, there are some really mean people out there that have made lunch sacks with harmless products in sandwiches, making homeless individuals sick. So unless your partnering with a trusted organization, I would suggested making lunch sacks with prepackaged items. Make sure to add a note of inspiration, a simple note goes a long way.

4. Collect as many plastic shopping bags as you can and make knitted mats for the homeless. Two amazing ladies I had the pleasure of meeting over four years ago showed my Girl Scouts how to use plastic shopping bags for the benefit of the homeless. Collect as many bags as you can and join a community event to learn how to make these mats. Once you've learned make them on your own you can donate to an organizations that can distribute on your behalf. http://www.unitedinfaith.org/newlifeforoldbags.html

5. Did you know that there is a large population of young adults ages 16 to 21 that are homeless in Chicago? It's a hard fact to swallow when your home in your cozy bed with a full belly. What if I told you that there are several organizations in Chicago that house these young adults and provide them life skills to prepare them to join the workforce. These same organizations teach these young adults how to become independent. Volunteering for organizations like Night Ministries is a great way to use your skills for good. Maybe teach a baking class, teach a young adult about finances or sponsor a group talk.

In the end, if you can dream it you can do it. If you see an opportunity to help your own community or another one nearby, no matter how much it makes you uncomfortable, just do it. I promise you that it will change you as a person and warm your heart. Remember this, stats show that for each volunteer hour you provide you are saving an organization $23.07/hr.

Do you see a Leader in you?

Feeling like middle income class at work? How often have you heard the phrase manage up? 

I've gone to several communication classes and I hear speakers say, you don't want to manage up and others that say the opposite.  I say MANAGE UP! 

Did you know that even if you are not in management you can be an effective leader? Did you know that your suggestions and work ethic do make a difference.  Even when you have an ineffective leader taking ownership of your current role makes you a leader.  

Leaders are many, those that set the tone for the office or even department.  Leaders are people like YOU that go to work every day on time and ready to work. You think others don't see you but they do.  It's being an effective communicator, valuing your position and knowing that everything you do does make a difference. 

Feeling like moving on to another company because your manager sucks or your not happy at work? How about gaining some courage and defining your own role.  Summarize your own duties and look at your current job description, how off are they? Probably a lot. Take charge, write it up and go have a meeting with your manager and ask them to review your work.  Don't be afraid to ask for a challenge with the intent to be promoted or given a challenge.  Even if you don't stay you can take with you KNOWLEDGE.  

Here's an excellent book on LEADERSHIP. 

Keep moving forward

Everyday we are given a chance to leave our mark on the world. How will you contribute to your community today? I don't claim to be Mother Theresa but I expect to live my life to the fullest by achieving my dreams, helping others achieve their dreams, teaching my children the same principles and paying no attention to the haters.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years is that there is always someone there to tell you every step of the way how much you are wasting your time. That's why you have to keep walking while tuning out the negativity.

Just remember that you never walk alone. Believe in yourself and surround yourself by positive people. Wake up everyday seizing the day!

Thinking Outside the Box

Thinking outside the box, really does just mean, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!

How many close minded people have you crossed paths with? Are you one? Are you open to new experiences? Have you tried something new in the last 30 days?   Are you always the one that says NO to spontaneous activities? If you said YES to any of the above questions you haven't been living life to the fullest.

It's okay to color outside the lines! Anytime you want! The same applies to other people. No one is perfect. STOP BEING SO SENSITIVE TO EVERYONE ELSE'S BEHAVIOR! JUST BE YOU! I don't mean to shout but how many of us just need to hear it a little louder? I know I do sometimes.

Trying something new is not just diving out of an airplane, although I admit, I don't think I could ever do that. I would however go do indoor skydiving, that seems safe, I think, but still nerve wrecking. Hmm...maybe I need to think about that one. :)

Recently I took up designing spaces again.  I've often doodled here and there but remodeling my basement has really taught me the true meaning of  "patience is a virtue." I forgot how much drawing makes me happy.  It's good for the brain. I've had to draw out spaces over and over because the ideas keep coming to me, so I'm learning to have patience with my own brain.

So my new task in the next few weeks is getting my husband to teach me how to properly use the table saw and make some of my projects. First up, shadow boxes. Wish me luck!

Oh and one more thing, you don't always have to do these activities with only those in your household. Try venturing off and doing new things with new people or those you haven't seen in weeks, maybe months, wow that would really be coloring outside the line! :)

2014 and the next 30lbs

In 2013 I lost 24lbs and 4 dress sizes.  I'm still sitting in between 2 dress sizes right now and part of that has to do with taking on too much in the last 6 months.  When you are well equipped, have the right meal plan and have all the moral support you need, there should be no excuse to not GET IT DONE!

For me 2014 brings a REBOOT and New Exercise Plan. I hurt my back in June 2013 and since then have done stretching and walking.  I had to limit my CORE cardio workouts until I rediscovered YOGA!

So 2014 brings a new ROBOOT meal plan and YOGA.  I'm committed to the next 30lbs.  I set a reasonable goal in 2013 and did it.  Now in 2014 I'm ready for the next chapter.  Along with my next 30lbs of weight loss, I want to drop another 4-5 dress sizes and tone my arms and legs.

Surprisingly much of this can be done without having to lift any weights.  For someone with back issues and a busy lifestyle, like me, YOGA was the answer. YOGA has many elements that help you relieve stress, build muscle control and strength.  YOGA is also a good CARDIO workout without all the jumping and moving around. 

Whatever it is you want to try, set a goal and do it. Your WILLPOWER is much stronger than you think!

Happy New Year! Catch you in a few!

Hello World

Late March I started going to kickboxing. That was right after doing a month of P90X.  Now look at me and I'm still juicing and eating much healthier meals. My goal is to loose another 20lbs or one dress size in the next five weeks.

My doctor advised me not to weigh myself anymore because she sees I'm on the right path. She encouraged me to measure myself because tje weight will come off naturally.

I'm even more motivated to keep going now that my doctor says I'm doing all the right things. I have to only reduce my fiber intake because I'm retaining too much water.

Even if your not over weight you should still not neglect your body. Treat it right. Be healthy my friends.

Your Health

You are the most important person to yourself.  Honor your body by doing things to prevent illness. Visit your doctor once a year to talk about your pains or health in general.  No more can we use the excuse we don't have the copay.

We need to be proactive. My family depends on me but most importantly others do as well. I want to be the example not the exception.

Women go see your doctor and men you too.

Mondays

Mondays are a reminder of how much I love my family and wished we had a three day weekend every week.

I'm so grateful for having found my passion for exercising again. I really feel like I was missing out on so many things with my kids.

I had such a lack of motivation for so many years all I wanted to do was sit around and do nothing all day long.

We have to make a decision to live our lives as God intended.  Dont do what I did by wasting your time lying around doing anything. 

Take babysteps no one is asking you run a marathon.  Start by gardening, walking outside or even bike riding.  Whatever it is just do it.

The journey is yours alone to take.

Happy Monday!

No longer a YO YO

I decided last night that I'm going to put myself out there for all to see.  If you've been reading my post you know that January 2013 was my year for transformation.  I really feel like I'm an active member of my life and family now. There is nothing more to say than to show you. I'm no longer a YO YO! Will you join me?

I have a until June 14th to reach my Goal. I will achieve it!

Working It and Working It

Its been a long day long month and long year already.  I have beat all the odds of weight lost and have inspired my friends, family and entire company to jump onboard. Since January I embarked on a juicing cleanse and have made it part of my daily routine. 

Everything was truly in moderation.  In 2009 I was beyond unhappy with myself I'm looking for that horrible picture to show you all. I had to change how I ate because I didnt have the courage to exercise. 

Since 2009 to 2011 I lost over 33 lbs and lost five sizes, just from changing how I ate. Then in late fall 2011 I had my gall bladder removed. I had several gallbladder attacks thru the summer and didnt know why. After my surgery I lost 15lbs more. As the doctor explained my body was losing fat so fast it couldn't keep up. So when your losing weight always consult with a doctor.

Now juicing,  it truly has helped me focus, be more alert, more energized, and I get more sleep. Now that everything is in line, I work out almost five days a week and three of those days is kickboxing class.

I've now added body wraps to my regimen to help me loosen some of that stubborn toxins in my abs. Since last week I've lost 11 inches in my body.

People be inspired.  I'm reminded today, after the loss of my employee,  due to cancer, how important it is to heal ourselves from the inside out.

Look at your life and say to yourself,  "I will live a long and healthy life."

To Exercise or Not Exercise

For all of us exercise is the arch enemy.  For the last 4 1/2 years I dedicated my life to changing how I eat and even changing how my entire family eats.  Here's a list of the stuff I no longer allow in my house, well unless your a visitor and you have bad eating habits.

-no pop
-no sugary treats
-no juice of any kind unless it's made from scratch
-reducing starch foods like rice and potatoes
-no fast foods
-eating more greens
-no meat for me please, my husband still eats it once in a while but my kids try to stay away
-reducing chicken intake has been a challenge because the kids don't eat seafood as much
-there is so much more I can go on and on, the key is cook from scratch and make the choice to live a healthier life

So now that I have the food plan down I recently started to move my body and found that there were too many muscles in my body I wasn't using, like a muscle that runs along my back leg.  OUCH! And here I thought that parking farther away from the door and walking was helping, um NOT!

It really helps to have a work out buddy but in my case my husband is so fit it only makes me more self conscious.  However, he is my biggest supporter so I work out with him first for 20 minutes and then he does his intense workout for like 3 hours. No Joke!

People there is hope for all of us.  Between Juicing, eating right, exercising and just being more active I have accomplished so much. I have so much energy beyond my own imagination.  I was excited when the weather got better in Chi-Town that I sent most of my Sunday with my girls outside and my 8 year old is now riding her bike all by herself.  I don't know what I was doing the last 4 1/2 years but I sure as hell was not enjoying it!

Get up and get moving people! Movement is Exercise!

Trying new things What's YUCA?

No one else is going to make the choice for you to make a difference in your life. Whether its your attitude, health, finances, love etc. Only you can make the choice to make that first step. I have devoted the last few months of my life to living a healthier life. So to begin I'd like to start sharing some of my recipes. What works for me may not work for you but I hope that it will inspire you to try something new.

Let's start with Yuca. Remember, that with any new food you try always find out the benefits of that new vegetable or fruit. Learn and carry Super Foods in your house, they are essential to your daily diet. If you don't like to try new foods, be open minded, give it a try. We always tell the girls that they have to at least try it before they say NO.

Yuca, or also know as Root, is a gluten free vegetable. Who would have know, I've been eating Yuca since I was a kid. If you can find Yuca leaves, which I haven't see in the US, it's good source of dietary proteins and vitamin K. Vitamin-K has a potential role in bone mass building by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It also has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

It also has a moderate source of some of the valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as folates, thiamin, pyridoxine(vitamin B-6), riboflavin, and pantothenic acid.

How do you cook it. Two methods are, one in soup and one is fried. Here is what I do.

How to prep:
Take a medium size root, peel the dark brown bark off the root. It's much easier to cut the root in 2 inch sections and then peel each on individually. Put the root in a pot, cover with water, add some garlic and salt. Let it boil and when yuca is tender it is ready. The root is cooked when it's not a hard white color, it should me soft and tender.

Drain your water, cut the root pieces in half and then into smaller pieces. Here's the next step, you can either pan fry it like french fries using vegetable oil OR you can season with salt, pepper and olive oil and then stick in the over to roast. Either way it taste AMAZING.

Last but not least you can always throw in the raw root, but up into smaller pieces and toss straight into a soup like you would a potato.

Happy Eating!

Changing Seasons

As I watch Joel Osteen and listen to Father at mass, I finally realized that all the changing and flood of blessings I keep hearing about, has not only been right in front of my face, but it was me realizing what I had in front of me and me changing my approach. So I like to say that 2013 has finally arrived in my life. I see life with no blinders on and even if I get hit with any obstacles, I know it's going to be okay.

I also have learned that people have to be willing to change and people have to be willing to accept that people can change. We have to open minded to forgiving people for the wrong they have done by knowing that their acts of kindness and positive change is to better all the relationships in their life.

If we all took the time to see life in a different way, if we chose to be more positive and if we decided to be better listeners than maybe just maybe we will overcome all the negativity that surrounds us. But it all starts with us looking at life differently.

How do we do that you ask? Well look at yourself first and what do you need to change? What do you need to do to make yourself feel better about you first before you conquer the world? Take that first step and following it by many and what what you can do?

Be Positive!

Making the choice

I now am two months free of no coffee.  I feel much healthier just having eliminated caffeine. I want to set a healthier example but lets face it after three kids, a husband and a dog oh yeah and work oh and everything else, finding time to focus on me is hard.lol

I decided to start detoxing in Jan with fresh juice and now eating things like seafood, no meat and lots of grains, I feel better.  I have to make better choices when I go out to eat. For one, unless im cooking with wine I dont drink. My husband detoxed and now doesn't drink either.

Juicing has really helped me refocus and prioritize my daily life. My girls stop drinking sugary drinks almost six years ago. The secret is cooking from home everyday as often as you can. They now to ask for water first. Its become part of our daily lives. Read up on tap water...best thing for you is to drink filtered water.

On cheat days like on this day we ended up at Elly's...we discovered they had a fresh juice bar. I also found a vegetarian eggs benedict with artichokes spinach and mushrooms.  It was good.

What I have also discovered is that everything is in moderation. I found it easier to implement one change at a time.

So now I feel more disciplined and feel ready for step 2 which involves physical activity. 

Im going to start posting pictures soon. I hope I inspire you to start changing your way of eating.

Single Mom

Having been a single mom I know how hard it is.  I know the fear that sinks down into your stomach when you look at the little you have and wonder if you will ever rise above the storm. I get it, I've lived on ramen noodle soups, spaghetti, bologna and cheese. I remembered how my parents raised us with the little we had and I kept saying to myself, there has to be more to life then living this way.

I didn't get thrown into the life of a single mother.  I made the choice to remove myself from the life I was living and became a single mother because I knew it was the only way I was going to give my daughter a better life.

So many people wanted to see me succeed I had so much help from friends, teachers and managers.  So  you can see going into Human Resources was only natural for me.  I wanted to help people see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and there is always a way out if you are willing to accept help.

We must be humble and put our pride aside and take the God given opportunities that are put right in front of us and not hold back. God doesn't give us anything that we cannot handle, he is preparing us for great things.

Today I had an employee come up to me and say, Maritza, in the short time I've been working here you have taught me so much about never giving up and there is always a way. See, he decided today to take the 52 Week Savings Challenge, as so many of my other employees.  I shared with them how being a single mother showed me how to be frugal and not to take for granted that even saving $1.00 a week will amount to something big.

It's Week 6, throw $21 into a pot and start your savings.  Take a shoe box, duct tape it, wrap it up again and then slit a whole on the top and throw in all your extra change and dollars and see what you get at the end of the year.

Both my little ones are doing it and I'm sure they will be happy with the results! Don't give up, you will overcome whatever obstacle you are facing right now. Don't be afraid to reach out to people for advice. Be strong and most importantly have faith!

Juice and more Juice

My dad says I get easily inspired and excited about new fads and then I put them off to the side. Buy years ago I said to my husband, "I'm tired of being fat." He looked at me and quickly said we can do it. So when my dad said that to me recently about me doing a juice detox my husband was there right next to me doing it too.

Why a juice detox...why not? Two years ago, before I knew my gallbladder was bad, I changed the way I ate and started walking. I lost over 30lbs. Then I detoxed by going vegetarian for 30 days. Not only was I more focused, more energized but also more determined.

So now in my first five days of juicing I have lost 7lbs. The best part is I see the results. My colon is being cleansed naturally...meaning these juices have fiber so you dont get the runs. Hehehe

My husband says I'm snoring less. I also see that my skin is not as dry. I can wait to see what I look like in three weeks. Im going to try the full thirty days.

To get started..you must educate yourself first. Watch Fat Sick and Nearly Dead and then watch Vegucate. How you eat and grocery shop will make you a more informed shopper.

Eat well be well and live long.

Happy Juicing!

I'm addicted to Netflix

I know I vowed not to ever go shopping Black Friday and I know this post is super late but I had to tell you about my new found love for Netflix and how it came about. I decided to buy my husband the Blu-ray he so much wanted. I bought the Samsung Blu-ray with built in WIFI. It was the best investment I ever made until I signed up for Netflix and discovered I can watch any show any time anywhere. Literally anywhere, on my Samsung Galaxy 3, on the IPAD, on the Tablets, at my dad's, you get the picture.

So anyhow, the Blu-Ray is easy to install, easy to use and easy to move around. Just remember that once you move it from one location to another you basically are resetting the settings so you have to reset the WIFI connection by reentering the password. My only complaint is that either my WIFI signal is not strong enough for the receiver in the Blu-ray or its not receiving my signal well. I'm convinced it's my WIFI signal, so I suggest to make sure to have the Blu-ray in an area where your WIFI will be its strongest. Otherwise, do what we are doing, we are moving our WIFI router in a more centralized location in the house. I might also invest in a WIFI booster to make our signal stronger just so we don't have any more buffering issues when watching Netflix shows.

Back to Netflix. Aside from being addicted, I find the convenience of watching Series on here to be ADDICTIVE because when one episode ends it moves on to the next episode and then you're hooked! Like me. What I love most about Netflix is that you can set it up so when you log in you go into regular Netflix where you see everything and then the option to log into Netflix for kids. So if you have children, like I do, they know to only click on Netflix for kids and they only see options for kids. Netflix also allows you to customize what you want to see when you log in and even gives you suggestions based on what you've seen. I love it...so you see my dilema. I've watched more TV in 30 days that I have every watched in my whole life. Should I seek help? lol No, I don't think so, what I also find is that I can search for movies from the 80's and even farther back. So just yesterday I watched Jumanji with my daughter. They don't make movies like that anymore!

I want to be a kid again. Happy Netflix!

Samsung Tab2 8G

By far the best investment I have made in years.  My husband and I couldn't figure out what to get the girls because they are so tech savvy and it dawned on us that for the price of this tablet we can basically get them more than we could imagine.

For my 8 year old, she's setup on a Kindle account and knows how to download free books.  She understands how to use the Android Market she downloads a lot of free games such as Angry Birds, Fruit Slices and many more.

The most amazing part is that so many parents are complaining their children are attached to their tablets and won't let go of them. We give our girls guidelines.  They respect them and have shown to be responsible.

I love that they can access anything from a book to a game all in one tablet. The setup is easy and even I have fun with it ocassionaly.  I download Pinterest on my daughter's tablet. :)

Cooking in 1 2 3

For Christmas Santa was extra nice to me (My Dad...hehehe)

He bought me this Black & Decker 8 cup food processor. It has been fantastic. I have cut my cooking to less than half the time.  I now make by sofrito in this processor.  Can you believe that for the last 10 years I have manually been making my sofrito. Yes, meaning I have spent hours in the am chopping up all my ingredients, blending and then freezing. What was I thinking!

The nice thing about this processor is that it has a lock in security and aside from also mixing things for me it has the blade with four settings for slicing and shredding.

For the price you can't go wrong.

New Year-Restart or Renew?

I recently heard my daughter tell me, as she often does, "mom tomorrow is a new day and we get to start all over again."

I love the sincerity of a child's mind.  She speaks the truth because we have the opportunity to wake up everyday and make a choice to live a better life.  So many people walk around in a rush, angry, think too much and people just need to SLOW down.

This past Sunday at mass Father said, we have to believe that we are right where GOD wants us to me.  We have to be willing to listen and sit still long enough, to hear his grace. It's true, at least for me I feel that when I'm at peace and one with myself things go smoother in my life.

Last night I was reminded of just that, as my little one was lying sick in my bed she was whiny.  I embraced her and rubbed her back, comforting her. My husband was a little more abrupt and tired, not understanding why she was so whiny if we had given her everything.

I looked at him and realized he was frustrated because he felt helpless.  I looked at him calmly and told him that all she wanted was for him to embrace her and comfort her and speak to her softly.  He looked down at her with that soft look he has and embraced her. It was a beautiful sight.

It was then that I realized that it's not always about making people see things your way but to learn together, grow together and teach a better way of living life. So everyday make an effort to renew your look at life.  Everyday is a restart, make it count.