Dealing With Stress

Question: What are your best stress-coping methods?

This is a really great question! Sometimes I feel as if I have so much stress that I’m drowning. Other times, I feel like I can conquer the world. I find that dealing with stress is best done by preventing it as much as possible. Of course, this is not always possible - life likes to throw unsuspected curve balls every once in a while. I suppose the easiest way to answer this question is to share some of the things that I utilize to both prevent and manage stress.

Keep a planner

Writing down my tasks and goals and prioritizing them helps me keep on track. I am able to focus on things that keep me productive and I waste less time when I know what I need to be doing. When I find myself wasting time, I get discouraged and have a hard time picking myself up from it, so this is a nice preventative way of dealing with some stressful things.

Journal

Oh, the amount of filled journals I have is amazing. I write in them significantly less than I used to, but I do journal regularly. Sometimes I’ll just get my thoughts out till I can think straight again. Other times I’ll write prayers or letters to God. I do have one rule in my journals though: I never write anything bad about anyone. My journals will likely outlive me, and I don’t want a moment of agitation or anger on my part to ruin anyone’s reputation. Besides, I want to get over it, right? I don’t want to have to relive it every time I reread my journal - which I do on occasion.

Take time for Me

This may sound counter-productive, but when I take time to sit back and recharge, I am able to come back and face all of my tasks head-on, and with a better attitude than before. Taking a bath, or lighting some candles and chilling, taking time to read something for fun. Those are all great ways I can just remove myself temporarily from the situation. Sometimes, I just need a power nap to get my focus back on track as well.

Sing

This started from a very young age. I’ve sung to myself in so many stressful situations - from pumping myself up for interviews and other difficult situations to singing while driving on icy roads. It somehow calms me. Especially singing hymns and scripture songs that are filled with promises that remind me that God’s got me.

Give My Burdens to Jesus

How heavy a glass of water is just depends on how long you hold it. The longer you hold it, the heavier it seems. And if you’re carrying that thing for a year, we may have to call the ambulance for you. The same with our stress and burdens. Jesus tells us to come and give Him our burdens (see Matthew 28:11). His rest is a promise to us that I love to cling to.

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How do YOU deal with stress?

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Vegan Red Curry Paste

It's no secret that we love Thai food over here. I think it's the sweet and spicy flavours that really get us going. My husband loves Pad Thai and I especially love anything that can be dipped in peanut sauce. Okay, I'm starting to drool over here, so I'd better get to the point.

We love going for Thai, but it's not always easy to do. Being completely plant-based, it's hard to find a satisfying soup when eating out. Thankfully, eating in is ALWAYS an option - even when you're craving ethnic foods. I was craving a Thai soup and came across a few recipes, but the one that struck me was a coconut one. It needed Thai red curry paste and I somehow ended up recreating the paste before getting to the soup. I did this largely by reading the label of a jar I had in my fridge already. The result was delicious, so I tried it in another dish. Same tasty result. Before I get to those though, I thought I'd share the curry paste recipe. Patience though - the others are coming.

I like having red curry paste on hand because it's perfect when you need a quick curry or soup whipped up! It makes leftovers and odds and ends taste like new - and since I always like to keep some coconut milk in the pantry, it's quick and easy. 

The one good thing about this paste is that it freezes extremely well. It works out because some of the ingredients are a little harder to find (depending on where you shop) and can be on the pricey side. The only ingredients I didn't have on hand were the peppers and the lemongrass. I always keep ginger in the freezer (you never know when you'll need it!). Anyway, back to freezing the paste, because you definitely don't want it to go to waste, it's good that it freezes. Just put a tablespoon into each section of an ice tray and freeze! Then keep it in a baggie to use in future dishes. We only have a moose ice tray that we got from some friends for our wedding, so we have moose-shaped red curry paste in our freezer. Whatever works!

Try this out in any recipe that calls for red Thai curry paste, and you won't even know you didn't buy it in a jar! It's so easy to put together - just dump everything into a food processor or high-speed blender and go! Perfect base for all sorts of dishes.

Vegan Thai Red Curry Paste
Makes about 1 cup

what you need:

Inch section of ginger, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp salt
1 lime - tested and juiced
3 red chillies, tops chopped off
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 TBSP liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
1 TBSP maple syrup (optional, to offset some heat)
1 stem of Lemongrass, chopped
6 green onion, sliced
½ red bell pepper (optional, to offset some heat)

what to do:

To a food processor or high-speed blender, add all the ingredients. Process until it reaches your desired texture (I don't like mine too chunky, but you might!)

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What do you use red curry paste for?

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An Evening on Mt Rubidoux Trail

Ending the month of May in California with friends was a great idea. It was so nice and refreshing to be with long-time friends who are fun and understand you. Celebrating one of them was a perfect occasion to get together. 

Just thought I'd share a few glimpses of an evening walking Mount Rubidoux Trail on Saturday night. Not sure what made me happier: the spectacular views or the fun cacti gardens!

Intentionality Spotlight: Blog Love: Azure Farm

This month we are talking with Annette from Azure Farm! I've been following her on her amazing Instagram for a while now, and it is so much fun to see what goes on at the farm! Keep reading - I'll let her tell you more about herself and how she practices intentionality in her life. 

First some easy stuff: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your work, your passions and interests?

Hi friends! I am Annette and I live on a tiny homestead in Georgia. I am an ICU nurse a few days a week and the rest of the time you can find me on the farm caring for our animals and pulling weeds in the garden. Being a homesteader and taking care of animals is quickly becoming my favorite thing. I am so passionate about gardening, learning to live off the land, and caring for animals. Being in nature and surrounding myself with it has been such an amazing learning experience.

Apart from farming and animals I love photography, traveling, spending time with my family, and eating yummy plant-based food!

I love that your blog is about your exciting farm life! How did starting a blog come about and what were your goals for it? Has that focus shifted at all and where do you see it going?

When we moved to the farm I wanted a way to document what we were doing. I felt like others would benefit from seeing our journey and hopefully learn something along the way. Capturing life and God’s creations has always been my goal. I have been great about documenting our farm journey on Instagram, but when It comes to the blog I have been a tad slow on posting! There is so much more I want to post and do! Coming soon I will have tutorials on how to garden, tips on homesteading and resources for those wanting to learn. I hope for the blog to one day be a true wealth of knowledge for those wanting to live in the country.

As someone who has so much going on, what does your typical day look like? How do you make time for all of your responsibilities?

I definitely have busy days! A typical day involves me spending about an hour or more doing some sort of chore on the farm. Whether its filling water troughs, pulling weeds in the garden or cleaning the chicken coop. I usually plan out my day the night before so I know what to expect. I also have specific chores assigned to different days. That way I’m not scrambling to accomplish certain tasks. For example, On Fridays, it’s clean the chicken coop day! On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I fill the hay bins. And so forth. I have to be intentional and make time for what’s important and matters most.

What is one other specific area in your life you find that intentionality is absolutely critical? How do you exercise mindfulness in it?

Being intentional is so important. The older I get the quicker time passes and I want to hold on to every moment. I have learned to be very intentional with family time and taking one day a week to rest. This day is Saturday for me. It's my family and church day. On Sabbath, I don't do work. On that day I just feed the animals, but I leave all other chores aside. It’s a day to breathe deep and reflect on the week, spend time with God, and family. I have to be mindful and specific on Sabbath and truly live in the moment and not let other things in the world and life take over my thoughts and plans. Being present at the moment so your family has your undivided attention is so crucial. I have come to truly love this day so much and it re-charges me and gets me ready to start another busy week.

If you could give one piece of advice about giving undivided attention to someone who struggles with it, what would you tell them?

Stay off your phone when you’re trying to be intentional and are with others. Don’t let it distract you and interfere with being present and available to others. This is a hard one and I struggle with this myself. Trust me though, you’ll be happy you did. 

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Find Annette on her website and Instagram

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Fun and Creative Ways to Learn New Things (Without Going Back to School!)

My mom is the best (hey mom!). She texted me the other day and asked if I liked my Audible subscription. Of course, I LOVE my audible subscription and asked her why she was even asking. She told me that she decided that she needed to learn more and that audiobooks was the way she was going to be starting.

Her initiative got me thinking: what are some ways to learn without going back to school? I’ve spent my whole life in school, and now that I’m a teacher, I’m still really there! As a teacher though, I believe in lifelong learning and inspiring others to do the same. So, with that in mind, I decided to come up with a list of creative ways to learn without going back to school. The world is full of things to learn and all sorts of opportunities! Take them!

This post contains affiliate links.

Listen to a podcast - there are so many podcasts out there on all different things! Explore to find one you love!

Take an online course or certificate - There are tons of courses and certificates you can take online. You could go the informal route and pick a creative online course from a place like Skill Share (try it for two months free using this link!), or even get your first aid/CPR training from Red Cross.

Sign up for a webinar - There are so many webinars on so many different topics! I’ve taken webinars on a wide variety of subjects. It’s fun to sit in front of the computer with a notebook to take notes on the new things you’re learning!

Embrace Audible - I love audible. It’s helped me “read” more since I have a long daily commute. If you're not sure about it, you can try it for 30 days free! (Use this link to try Audible for free and get TWO free audiobooks!) 

Learn a new language - Must I say any more? There are tons of free podcasts and apps (like duolingo) to brush up on or learn a new language. If you want to pull out the big bucks, I hear Rosetta Stone is pretty amazing!

Volunteer - find a new place to volunteer and learn new skills while at it! Think soup kitchens or animal shelters, or anywhere, really!

Take a class - many local spots offer classes for the community. Check the community college for a list! Try out your community centres and churches for classes as well - sometimes they will offer them for free!

Read the news - make an effort to read the news! A great resource I use is theSkimm - it’s a short daily email (it comes every morning) that gives you the days headlines in an easy-to-understand way! It has seriously helped me keep up with what is going on and people are impressed when you are informed ;-)

Travel the World - and don’t just stick to tourist areas. Do your research about the customs and language and history of the places you are going to! Connect with locals, try their food, and learn some phrases! You will love it.

Watch documentaries - skip the mind-numbing entertainment and watch a documentary. I like to watch a wide variety of topics. A few of my favourites are: Tapped, Minimalism, What the Health, Planet Earth, and Blackfish. 

Follow NASA on Instagram - Seriously, go do it. You’ll learn something new when you scroll through your feed! While you're at it, follow me too ;-)

Watch National Geographic on Snapchat - I’ll be the first to admit that I am horrible at Snapchat. I’m too old for it I think. But if you are on there, National Geographic has an awesome snap story each day! You can learn about unique animals and such!

Talk to People You Meet - I meet fun people all of the time! And listening to their stories teaches me a lot! I usually have the best conversations in coffee shops and hear the best life stories.

Join Facebook Groups - there are a ton of Facebook groups out there that act as a fun forum. Pick a topic you are interested in learning more about and learn from a ton of people!

Watch a Ted Talk - Skip Netflix. Watch a Ted Talk instead. Be inspired to do something new and learn something new as well.

Read Something You Wouldn’t Naturally go to - I’ve branched out and read books on all different topics in the last few years. From the keto diet to theology books, I’ve been consuming books on topics I wouldn’t naturally choose to read. And I’ve been loving it. It expands your brain and opens the world to you! Here's a list of my favourites!

Take up a new hobby - We started painting recently. Nothing fancy, since we aren’t artists, but watching tutorials and learning new techniques has been really fun. I’d love to try pottery next!

Listen to NPR - Switch on NPR in the car from time to time and learn some new facts!

Start a new exercise program - shake up your exercise program by trying something new! Add a spin class to your weight training, or amp up your strength training by adding a pilates class! Meet new people and learn new ways of moving!

Subscribe to an Educational Magazine - National Geographic or Time are good ones to start with. I subscribe to The Magnolia Journal and learn something new and inspiring every quarter.

Look Up the Back Stories to Songs - Look up some background info on certain songs or songwriters and blow your friends minds with the trivia. Fun fact: on some Spotify songs, you automatically see the lyrics and back stories!

Spend time with someone who knows something you don’t - Take a friend out and over lunch, listen all about their expertise. Or, just talk to a random person and listen to their stories. You’d be amazed at what you learn!

Try a new recipe - or two or three. Buy some exotic ingredients and experience your world widen through your tastebuds!

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What are some ways and resources you use to keep learning?

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