Several years ago, during my 4th year of teaching, I was up in my AP's office and told me a card I had written her was going in her "Sunshine File."

"Sunshine File?"
"Yeah, it's where I put all the nice things people write to me and then when I'm having a tough day I pull it out."


I was totally sold and, now, on each new computer I have had and in each e-mail account I've created I also create my "Sunshine File" folder.



Some days I purposely go back and reread the things in there and other days, like today, I just randomly come across great e-mails, wonderful words that pick me right up.

Here are a few from mine...they go all the way back to 2006 and I bet if I pulled out my "box" I'd find some from middle school (probably folded into some shape with BFF W/B ASAP on it)

Sunshine from my aunt


Sunshine from a little one I used to work with 


Sunshine from my Jedi Master



Sunshine from my brother...1 of the almost 300 e-mails we wrote back and forth during his deployments in the Navy



So, here's my challenge...have you written anything "Sunshine File" worthy lately?  Go ahead, write something.  Perhaps they'll be crazy and reread it over and over and over.  Maybe it will be just the thing to pick them up on an asstastic day?!

If you don't have a Sunshine File, create one now.  You can thank me later...and I'll pass that thanks along to Faith who taught me all about Sunshine Files!

There is nothing in my world that makes my life as sweet as my family.

"Because we can keep going...long after we think we can't." My mom gave me something with this quote on it a long time ago and I believe it.

I'm realizing that...it's not THAT hard and even when it is, it gets easier. It seems that way for a lot of things. Most everything that was tough at the time has fit into that statement. Beating my sugar addiction, after week 1, not that hard. Feeling healthier every day that passes makes it oh so worth it.

It's only been 1 week but I already feel better. I have more energy from a life without processed food. My skin looks better from lots of water and tea and no coffee. The scale is saying what I want and for the 1st time, I feel so motivated to keep going.

So, at the end of the day, I will continue to become the healthiest version of me, mind, body and spirit because...I can, and if you're reading my blog for motivation, you can too.

As a get-me-motivated-jump-start to my new lifestyle, I re-picked up one of my favorite books, Skinny Bitch.  It was so refreshing to be reminded of all of the important things in the book.  It's a straight-shooting, no nonsense guide to living the healthiest lifestyle possible...and since I'm a straight-shooting, no nonsense (trying to live healthily (is that a word)) kind of gal, this seems perfect.  

It's message in a nutshell, "If you want to be the skinny bitches that you're so jealous of, stop eating shit and move your body."  It's a message that I am 100% on board with.* (Do I look like a real author when I use the asterisk?)  

Here are some of the very best things I have taken from it, that I try and remember:
1.  Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.  Duh.  This isn't rocket science.  If I want to lose weight, I need some green (or orange or red) in my life.  Besides, the more good stuff I put in there, the less hungry I am for the bad stuff.

2.  Aspertine is the devil.  I HIGHLY reccommend the chapter on this.  There are so many document adverse effects of aspertine (migranes, skitopherenia, cancer, just to name a few of the non-scary ones).  No Diet Coke!  This is one of my hardest ones.  I love it.  I want it.  On a tough day, I feel like I need it, but I don't.  I don't.  It's poison.  I don't, I don't, I don't. 

3.  Dairy is unnecessary.  Here's a little common sense for you.  Look at every other species in the world.  What do they do when they are born?  Drink their mother's milk.  Then, ween off of it.  Then, eat and drink other things...NOT another animals milk.  So, why do we drink cow's milk?  It's a myth that it creates strong bones and there is no medical evidence leading to that fact.  There IS eviece that shows: milk cause excessive mucus.  Just try this if you have a cold...one day have a lot of dairy in your diet.  The next, none.  Which day did you feel better.  1/3 of the population is lactose intolerant.  Hmmm, interesting.

4.  Processed food sucks.  "Diet" processed food sucks even more.  We should be shopping the perimeter of the grocery story, not in the aisles.  Well, maybe the spice aisle, I love that aisle.  
 

5.  Refined sugar is bad for you and highly addictive.  I have the worse sweet tooth in the world.  It might be the hardest thing in the world for me to slow down, but I am committed. 

HERE'S TO BEING SKINNY BITCHES IN 2011!


*Now, granted this is written by 2 vegans and while I'm not willing to go no animal products just yet, I certainly agree with their points.