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.One of the things I love about being home in Sweden is enjoying the nature. During our last vacation we took long walks every evening to enjoy the light beautiful Swedish summer nights. An added bonus was that I hit goal on my Fuel Band every day. Wellness at its best!
These photos were taken at 10pm (!) at night.
.I went to CPR training this weekend. To be honest I didn't feel like going at all. The sun was shining outside and I was going to sit inside all day. But I'm so happy I went. The teacher was fantastic, I met great people and I learned a lot. I enjoyed every minute of it.
The most important take away was that an adult has 8 minutes of oxygen in their lungs so the most important thing to do when someone's heart has stopped is pushing on their chest so that the heart circulates the blood. Keep on pushing until the ambulance or firefighters come to take over. I hope I never have to use this new skill...
.Happy Monday!
Here are 50 reasons for exercising. Number 50 is of course our favorite! This is a great chart to look at every time you question why you should exercise.
This week I'm going to run three times and do two sessions with weights. What are your plans? Email me and share your plans, and I will help keep you accountable - molander@stellibell.com
Image - Pinterest
.Can't let the week pass by without a home project. This week's project was to paint the legs on this bench which I built a couple of years ago. I painted them white (they used to be brown) to go with the rest of the colors in the dining room. Which are...you guessed it! White! My favorite color.
There is nothing better for the soul then a little home project!
.It's Friday! It's time to kick of the weekend!
Growing up my parents did a great job of kicking of the weekends on Fridays so that we all started relaxing and got ready to enjoy a couple of days off. My dad would cook a nice meal and my mom would clean up and light some candles. We would all hang out and play a game or watch a movie together. I think this is a great way to make sure everyone relaxes a little after a stressful week and enjoy some time together.
I want to continue this tradition in my family so my husband and I try to do this every Friday, but it's tough sometimes with a busy schedule. Sometimes Friday nights is the only night we have time to go to the grocery store. Depressing but true.
But tonight I'm going to serve some delish ketogenic snacks - parmesan chips, dip and olives - and kick off a great weekend. What are your plans?
Happy Friday!
.Phd. Robert A. Emmons recently conducted a study on gratitude at UC Davis which proved measurable benefits on psychological, physical, and interpersonal health for subjects who practice gratitude. He wrote that "Evidence on gratitude contradicts the widely held view that all people have a 'set-point' of happiness that cannot be reset by any known means." That means you can actually be happier if you practice gratitude. Gratitude and happiness - now proven by science.
So what are you thankful for today?
- Your family - Your friends - The nice weather - The smile you just got from someone - The great cup of coffee you are enjoying right now
So many things to be grateful for, and remember, it's the little things that make a big difference. So say thank you every day and let's live!
.A little inspiration for the home on a lovely day like this. Happy Friday!
.Last week’s events and this past weekend has made me reflect on my life and made me so appreciative about what life has given me.
As I mentioned earlier, last week I was fortunate to hear Jessika Kensky speak. Jessica was one of the victims in last year’s Marathon Bombing here in Boston. On Saturday my co-leader Jennifer and I volunteered at a local soup kitchen with our Girl Scout troop. The day was very humbling and rewarding. It made me not only very thankful for what I have, but it also made me realize that we have a responsibility to use what we have been given in life. Use it to help others. Part of that means to take care of yourself, so that you can take care of others. Taking the time to exercise doesn’t mean that you are selfish.
Take a moment today to say thank you, and then take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. Quality of life for everyone.
Let’s live!
.I went to the AdClub's women's leadership forum in Boston yesterday. It was fantastic. The speakers really made a big impression on me. It made me think about what quality of life really means and what Stellibell is all about. One of the speakers was Jessica Kensky. Jessica and her husband Patrick were both victims of the Boston Marathon bombing last year. They both lost their left leg in the bombing and has since the event been grappling with the enormity of all they have lost. Things we all take for granted; our legs, future plans, independence, ability to work, housing etc.
I'm on a daily mission of creating quality of life because I want to enjoy life to the fullest. Jessica's story and journey of personal triumphs and challenges reminded me of what is the most important part of creating quality of life. I still think that life in today's society is a constant battle which is why I provide all tips and services I can to make life easier, but it's also crucial to stop in our hectic life look around and appreciate everything we have. Life is wonderful and we don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, so let's live!
What are you thankful for today?
.This site is here to give us all tips on being happy, healthy and to have quality of life. But it's not just for us. It's for our families and for the everyone around us too. Do you think about how your actions impact your children's quality of life?
A new study suggests that smart-phones at the dinner is impacting the parent-child communication at the table. A communication which is crucial for both parties.
Researchers who observed more than 50 family-type groups eating out found a significant number of adults were preoccupied with their smartphones. This doesn't surprise me. We (my family) don't have any phones at the dinner table at home, but when we go out to dinner it's often right after work and my husband and I are stuck answering work emails. Instead we should be having conversations with our children.
Also, starting a conversation with children is tricky. Even trickier to get an answer that is more than just a “yes” or “no”. When I ask my kids how their day was I always just get a "good".
Here are some questions that can help you get the conversation started:
• What was the best thing about your day? • What was the worst thing about your day? • Describe your perfect day. • If you could change one thing in the world what would you change? • What is the most important thing in your life? • What is your favorite movie of all time? Why? • What is your favorite book of all time? Why? • What cartoon character would you most like to be? Why? • What is the hardest thing about being _____ years old? • What is the best thing about being ______ years old? • Who is your best friend? Why are they your best friend? • Who would you most like to meet? And why? • In what other country would you most like to live? • Are you looking forward to the next school year? • What's the hardest part about going to school? • What embarrasses you the most? • If you could take a family vacation any place in the world, where would you go? • Do you think it's more important to be rich or kind? • If you had three wishes, what would they be? (You can't wish for money or another wish!) • If you were the parent, what lesson would you like to help your mom and dad learn? • Do you know how much your family loves you? How can you tell?
I'm taking my 4-year old son out for a date to Panera (his favorite place) tonight (only fair if his sister gets to go to a Girl Scout tea party. And no I won't eat any bread!), and I'm so going to use these questions.
Read more about the study here.
Have a great Friday!
.This morning when I looked at the list of things that needs to be done this week, I couldn't help to feel a little bit overwhelmed. Lots of projects at work, tons of kids activities to keep track of etc etc. So what would be more perfect than living by my own words and reminding myself of how to stay sane:
• Live in the moment – don’t stress about tomorrow. Focus on what needs to be done today and tackle one task after another. • Let it go – I can’t go to my daughter’s Girl Scout tea party on Friday because of work. But you know what? She will go with her friends and have fun without me. I’ve taken her the last 3 years, so I don’t need to feel guilty. I’m letting it go. • Focus - stop checking texts when your friends are right in front of you. Stop watching TV while you eat. Don’t surf the web while you’re on the phone. Multitasking doesn’t always say you time.
These steps will not only save you time and make you more efficient in finishing tasks, studies also shows that these steps will significantly decreases depression and increase happiness!
I feel better already! :)
.This morning before I left for work I asked my 11 year old daughter what little thing she would do today that would bring herself or someone else happiness.
I’m going to email a person I’ve never met and suggest we meet for coffee. Meeting new people = happiness. What are you going to do to feel good today? Let’s live!
I get tired with house décor pretty quickly and one of my favorite things to do is to update our house. Since it can get expensive to constantly make updates, I’ve picked neutral colors (white is my favorite) and then when I get bored I switch out pillows and candles. Accessories are like jewelry for a room and they are easy and inexpensive to switch out. This update from blue to orange cost only $30. Before - blue pillows and candles.
Now - orange pillows and candles. I love the pop of color. Our dog Ludde loves the new pillows as much as I do.
Here is some inspiration for a relaxing coffee break.
.Happy Friday!
Have you taken time to relax this week? I’m a magazine junkie (yes, I admit it, but it’s better than the Diet Coke addiction I used to have). Reading is of the ways I like to get some time to myself. There is nothing better than sitting down in a quiet corner and reading, learning new things and getting motivated to do new projects or exercise. Here is one of the magazines I enjoy reading -
