January 2015 – mrsannamaher.com

3 of my favorite everyday homemade cleaners

3 of my favorite homemade cleaners

Supplies:
Spray bottles
Vinegar
Dr bronners liquid soap (our Costco has it now for around $10 for a big bottle)
Dish soap
Thieves cleaner (go to my young living link to get this)

1. Glass cleaner-

Fill bottle halfway with vinegar and the remaining half with water, add one tablespoon of dish soap, and shake well.

2. All purpose cleaner (dr bronners) –

1/4 c liquid dr bronners soap
1 quart of water

3. All purpose cleaner (thieves)-

(check out my young living link to find out how to get it for a 24% discount!) This one is my favorite smells! People love it when they come over.

Dilute 1 part thieves cleaner to 30 parts water

I actually interchange them, except when cleaning glass. You can use all three to clean glass, but I find the others leave streaks so I use #1 for mirrors and windows. 🙂

You can use these to clean kitchen, bathrooms, floors, etc. I will share a furniture polish in the future, but for everyday (or weekly) cleaning I often wipe down our tables with the thieves cleaner, and even swipe it over our remotes to kill germs.

I’ll share more when I have time! There are so many easy, affordable ways to clean your house without killing yourself with chemicals!

Forget not all his benefits…

Chuck and I got married a little over two years ago and we are on our third insurance plan. Needless to say it is easy to forget what is covered. They sent me a book late last year full of details of what is and is not covered. When I call a doctors office I go through the process again. When we get a bill I often have friendly dialogues with our insurance company over what is their responsibility and what is ours.

Last night while sharing on Psalm 103, the thought struck me, we need to know what our benefits are of being a believer! We have a book full of benefits that are available to us!

Are there benefits you are trying to cover on your own that Christ has already provided for you?

King David gives us quite the list of these benefits…”Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭2-5‬ NKJV)

Why do we often, like David, forget our benefits?

We have an enemy who has been trying to convince us God isn’t who He says He is since His first appearance back in the garden. Your circumstances don’t determine your benefits. (Unless you let them!) The Word of God should be where we discover the benefits that are available to us.

What benefits is God revealing to you today?

I encourage you today to dig into your book of benefits today and discover the promises waiting to invade your current season.

10 fun ways to a healthier you!

It is “that” time of the year. New years resolutions to hit the gym and NEVER eat sugar again. I remember the gym being packed all January when I used to go, but by February the machines were free again. Because most of the time it just doesn’t work! Here are a few ways that can ease you into some lasting changes for your health. This is by NO means an exhaustive list, nor am I an expert, but these are a few things that help me on my personal journey to better choices.

1. SLOW & STEADY wins the race. For most of us, making drastic changes isn’t the best option. You may be limited by your budget. Or you might just be a normal person who needs to ease into a new lifestyle. Unless you really feel a grace for it, give yourself permission to make one good choice at a time. Lasting changes take time, but are so worth it!

2. DON’T COMPARE. For the most part, we post our best selves to our social media accounts. I remember seeing a picture on the account of a girl I follow where there was a brownie mix on her pantry floor. This girl is super duper healthy. She is the kind of girl who has a six pack moments after giving birth. I’ve never had a six pack or a baby. But I was relieved to see she is a normal person who makes brownies from a box from time to time. They were even not grain-free. They were the yummy, chocolate-ly ones I also buy from Costco. Mmm. Okay so that was a long point. Don’t compare. Your journey to health is your journey! You know your body, and what it does and does not function well on. Pay attention to that and love yourself well.

3. CELEBRATE PROGRESS not perfection. Did you used to have a soda everyday and now you have one once a month? Well then, well done! Did you used to hate veggies, and now you eat them on a regular basis? Well done! What are you doing well in regards to your health? Go ahead pat yourself on the back for moving forward on this journey!

4. ENJOY SOME VITAMIN D. A lot of people seem to be sick right now. No fun at all, and my self-educated guess would be that is because it’s unseasonably cold, and there has been very little exposure to the sun. So, if you can, get out in the sun. If not get some vitamin drops or cod liver oil. It will help your immune system reboot and recover from the cloudy cold days of January.

5. HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS. This one is relatively painless. Nowadays there are natural options for most cleaning products and this can really help out our immune system and hormones. The next time one of yours runs out, replace it with a better option. May I recommend the thieves cleaner? It smells like Christmas and cleans better than bleach AND it’s safe enough to drink. #winning go here to grab that- http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/home/natural-cleaning/thieves-household-cleaner Put my number in when you click purchase, sign in as a retail customer. (1521687)

6. BECOME A DIY-ER. So if your budget is tight, and/or you are like me and enjoy creating things, learn how to save money and make your own! Cue the pinterest recipes. there are a ridiculous amount of recipes online for everything from mascara to laundry detergent to paper towels. Seriously, there are so many options. Pick a few and pretend you are a chemist like I do. It’s actually quite fun and most of them work great. Some fail, but you can laugh about it later. Ie. My husband prefers that I buy his toothpaste and deodorant. Fair enough, Mr. Maher, fair enough, at least he’s willing to use natural ones if I buy them. 😉

7. ESSENTIAL OILS. Again, FUN!! They smell amazing, and are so good for your health. They raise your bodies frequency so you can fight infections. I wrote more about it here if you want to read more and get you some! 8. SPRUCE UP YOUR H2O! Add something fun to your water to help you want to drink it. Some ideas are a few fresh mint leave, some fresh fruit, cucumbers, or an essential oil. Adding lemon essential oil to your water has big health benefits!

9. COCONUT OIL. We use coconut oil for tons of things over here. I bet not a day goes by at the Maher house where coconut oil is not used. I blend it in my coffee, C uses it to make eggs, I wash my face with it, and we use it with our essential oils. The benefits are massive and it’s easy to make one or all of these switches.

10. MOVE. Find fun ways to get moving. Do you love to play tennis? Do you love to unwind by taking a walk around the block? A little bit of exercise can really help. Don’t underestimate even a ten minute walk on your lunch break. Find something you enjoy that gets your blood pumping and you will feel so much better!

Before you know it, you’ll be feeling like this chick.

Love, Anna

time to stop glancing back…

3 ways to make 2015 your best year yet…

Happy New Year!!

Here’s a few thoughts I have on ways to make 2015 your best year yet-

1. SLOW DOWN- As I scraped things off my cabinets yesterday, I thought why does this happen? I quickly realized it’s because I am often in a hurry. I really hate to waste time, and can get a little anal about it. Maybe one of my resolutions should be to not “help” my husband by telling him the quickest way to get everywhere!

The thing about always being in a hurry is that I don’t always do things the best. When I don’t take the time to slow down, I often make careless mistakes or sling things all over my kitchen. I wondered yesterday if I slow down a little this year if my kitchen will stay a little cleaner.

I think it’s important to be in the moment we are in, not always rushing to get into the next moment. So I am going to try to slow down a little, relax, and enjoy #myreallife now. 🙂

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

2. WRITE IT DOWN- As we look to this coming year, I am reminded the important of writing things down.

What do you want to do this year?

What do you want to do today?

Write it down. It gives us the space to go back to and see the way we have been blessed. I have a list of 100 dreams, and I periodically go back through them to see what God has done. Sometimes we miss it if we haven’t made a record of these things. I am a nerd who loves to have a paper planner so I can ~~cross things off my list~~. It helps me with my need for a sense of accomplishing things, but in the long term it helps us see what is happening rather than focusing on what isn’t.

And the LORD answered me:

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

Habakkuk 2:2

3. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS- In this season where we often want to correct everything we need to work on, I think it’s important to spend a significant amount of your time on things you are actually good at! God created you to be a unique gift to the world. While it is valuable and important to desire to live life to the fullest, don’t lose sight of why you are here. The world needs your gift.

If we spend too much time focusing on our weakness, most of us will get discouraged and give up. I’ve heard it said that you can only really work on one issue at a time. Figure out what area there is grace to work on in this season, but don’t lose focus of the things you already do well.

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,

each of us is to exercise them accordingly:

if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;

Romans 12:6

Be blessed in 2015!

3 ways to hope again after loss.

As I put the chili together on the stove, I felt a stirring to come to this place. Guests will be here in an hour, but my mind keeps drifting to those who have experienced loss this year.

I love the new year. I love fresh starts. I spent the day scrubbing my house. I still have piles to sort and organize but today was a start.

I think maybe subconsciously I needed to start the year with the grime of 2014 behind me.

There have been wins and there have been losses. There has been hope deferred and trees of life. I have tasted of both, and watched those around me bounce between the extremes.

I have watched people walk through the loss of a child, whether stillborns, miscarriages, failed adoptions. I have watched hearts break over a life not fully lived. I have ached on behalf of both friends and strangers whose journey I have seen.

I cannot imagine the pain of celebrating this Christmas without a child that should have been there. I cannot imagine the pain of that loss nor the longing for just one more moment.

I also cannot say that this year has been without pain or hope deferred. I tie the year up with both the good and the bad.

If you have walked a hard journey in 2014, know that I am praying for you. You are on my heart this New Years Eve, and I am praying for radical redemption in 2015.

I am praying for your broken heart to find comfort in the Comforter that is more that you could ask or imagine. I praying that His hands touch each sore spot tonight and bring healing like only He can.

Here are three ways to find hope again after experiencing loss-

1. GRIEVE- There really is nothing like a good cry. Sometimes you just have to go there. I never want to go there. Its never at a convenient moment that my huge eyes fill with tears. But it’s important to go there. It’s important to feel the pain, share the pain, and get the support you need to get THROUGH the pain.

Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 30:5

2. MEDIATE on God’s goodness- In our darkest moments, the enemy wants nothing more than for us to blame God. Remember who He is. Bad things happen, but that doesn’t mean it was “His will” for you. He is a good Father who loves to give His kids good gifts. Remember that when the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy and then tries to get you to believe God did it.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.

Psalm 145:19

3. DREAM again- After we experience loss, often all we want to do is to give up. Job wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Can you blame him?! But remember at the end of Job’s life God restored him and he had more than what he had in the beginning.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,

after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you

strong, firm and steadfast.

1 Peter 5:10

After you have taken the time to journey through grief, meditate on His goodness, take some time to write down your dreams. What has God put a desire in you to do? Turn your hope back on. Your hope level doesn’t have to be based on what happened in 2014. Your hope level can and should be based on who He is not what has happened to you.

It’s a new year and a fresh start, praying for those who experienced loss is 2014 to be abundantly blessed this coming year.