Jewell Tweedt

Day Twenty- Add some variety to that daily walk. As you get stronger, go a bit further. I’ve been slowly increasing my time on the treadmill. I started at twenty minutes and now I’m up to thirty minutes and I’ve increased the incline a bit. If you are walking outdoors, take another route, go up and down hills, anything to keep it fresh. Walk with another person if you can. Take your children. The time goes so much faster and it’s a good way to hear what’s going on in the lives of others.! And the sense of well-being is great! Day Twenty-One- Try a new grocery item. Check out the organics section of your grocery store and buy one new item to try. Today I found an organic brand of tea that looks delicious. It was only a few cents more than my regular brand. Next time I’ll try a different type of yogurt. Couldn’t hurt and it was fun to wander through the aisles. WEEK FOUR –FIND A WAY TO LAUGH AND HAVE FUN EVERYDAY Day twenty-two Turn off the cell phone. Go outside to

Day Eighteen-Commit to healthier eating with a partner . Statistics say we are more likely to stick to a plan if we have to be accountable to someone else. I plan to call a friend today and ask her if she’s willing to go along with me. Maybe that will work for others too. Day Nineteen-Add some light weights to your walking routine . I’m not a personal trainer and I don’t claim to know what’s best for you but there is a lot of info available on weights, repetitions, specific exercises out there. I’ll be asking my school’s physical education teacher. I’ll bet you know someone too. It’s just not necessary to join an expensive gym.

One of my goals this year is to save money. I figure others might want to do this too so I have lowered the price of my e-books to $2.99. Now you can own all three for under $10.00. So if you've been waiting to buy now is the time. Thanks and tell your friends. I'd also appreciate you  posting reviews if you've enjoyed them.

Yup- I got behind again. here we go... Day Twelve- Discover a new recipe and teach yourself to prepare it.   If you’re like me you have several cookbooks but make the same thing over and over again. Recipes are everywhere- cookbooks, magazines, internet, food packages. Last week I was staring at a pound of ground beef,   my eyes glazed over. I stepped into my pantry and somehow my hands grabbed onto a box of onion soup mix I don’t even remember buying. On the back was a recipe for meatloaf. I made it and my husband raved. Cha-ching! Another recipe for busy nights. I can throw it together and do something I want while it bakes. Throw in potatoes to bake while you’re at it. Happy, happy! Day Thirteen-Unclutter one small area of your house (and your mind while you’re at it.) I know, I know, all these women’s magazine tell you how to simplify your life by uncluttering your entire house and then provide links to buy expensive storage boxes and baskets. Whew. I’m more stressed t

Okay, I knew it would happen. I got behind on posting and reflecting so here we go. Reflections for day seven-I suggested going to a new place in town so I did. I stopped at a small antique store called Murphy's Bay in Council Bluffs. It was delightful as was the owner, Becky King. If you live near there, stop in. It is located off Madison Avenue near the Goodwill. Day eight-Break the reading rut. As a writer I try to learn about my craft. I started a great book by Omaha author Cheryl St. John called Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict. Already it's been helpful. Day nine. Operating your vehicle. I learned how to operate the seat warmer. Very nice in this cold weather! Day ten. Exercise your creativity. I'm enjoying cross-stitching again. Evenings stitching are good for lowering blood pressure too. Day eleven. Change in style. By shopping in my closet I have put together a couple of new outfits. Cost=$0. That makes me happy!

Day Nine. Operate your vehicle more effectively. Do you know how to use all of the features of that car sitting in your garage? I bought a new car this summer, the first one in ten years. It has so many features and technologies on it I can barely operate it. I was feeling overwhelmed the other day when it dawned on me. I don’t have to learn everything about it all at once. Now I have the owner’s manual on my nightstand. I try to read a little about it each night. Eventually I’ll know how this big machine operates. Today I actually turned on the cruise control and used it correctly! Hurrah! It’s the small victories! Day Ten- Exercise your creativity. If you’re like me you have several craft projects in a box somewhere. I can think of three in-progress cross stitch projects and at least two embroidery projects I’ve started. Now that it’s winter I spend more hours indoors parked in front of the television. I’ve started working again on some pillow cases that I’m making for a

Day Eight. Break the reading rut. Are you a romance reader? Crazy for mysteries? That’s great but for today try reading something you don’t usually reach for. Try buying or borrowing a different newspaper or book .I picked up a copy of my husband’s Air & Space magazine last week and read and enjoyed a story about an early aviation pioneer. I learned something new!