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Toxic People

I’ve heard it said that we are most influenced by and act like the 5 people we hang out with the most. Can you name those 5 people in your own life?

What do you think of the idea that we are also influenced by the people we follow online, too? Can you name the people you feel most influence you (for better or worse) online? Is there a genre or type of person you follow? How would you describe those people?

When we frequently hang out with others who have a negative mindset, it has the power to bring us down, too. Give this some thought and see who is influencing you. If there is anyone who is negatively influencing you, what can you do to begin to set healthy boundaries? Detoxing people in your life is just as important as the food, cleaning product, and screen detoxing we have done throughout the month. Out with the negative so we can make room for positive, whole good health!

Toxic Mindset

Negativity drains us. It can take hold and keep us down. So let’s look at our own mindset today. Would you describe yourself as a positive or negative person when it comes to other people? Glass half full, half empty, or just excited that there is water in the glass? How do you view yourself? In a positive light? Can you be self-critical at times? What small thing could you do to shift that today?

Some other areas to consider when it comes to mindset:

How is your screen usage affecting your mindset?
How is social media affecting your mindset?

Some ideas for shifting a toxic mindset:

  • Eliminate your own negative thoughts. Really focus on any self-critical inner dialogue, frustration, body shaming, etc. that creeps into your everyday thoughts. You are an amazing woman who has taken on the task of shaping an entire generation. That’s a powerful thought to remember and then act upon
  • Set healthy boundaries with others who are a negative influence in your life
  • Practice more self care. Pursue passions that fill you up and make sure your own basic needs are being met on a regular basis
  • Realize that your initial reaction to thoughts/situations is not the whole story. You have the power to shift and grow in every moment and in every situation. If your initial reaction is negative, you can pause…take a deep breath and rewrite the script in your head. Then act from that more positive space
  • Brainstorm other ways you can shift negative thoughts that aren’t serving you

Airplane Mode at Night

Experiment time! Turn off your wifi on your phone at night (all the way…put your phone into airplane mode) and see if you get a better night’s sleep. Try it for one, two, or three nights.

Or go one step further and turn off the wifi in the room where you sleep. Does that help? What about the wifi for the whole house? Give it a try. Write down your results.

This experiment was suggested to me a few months ago and I tried it. My whole family slept noticeably better. We have continued this practice ever since. I know it’s not an option for all families due to shift work schedules and needing to be available by phone when you’re separated at night, but if this scenario doesn’t apply to you and you can give it a try, I highly recommend it!

Bonus: Do some research on EMFs and how they affect the body and our sleep patterns. Research blue lights and how looking at screens can throw off our circadian rhythm and affect our sleep.

EMFs

EMF is short for electromagnetic fields. (The EMFs I’m referring to during Detox Month are manmade ones). How much do you know about EMFs? Have you thought about them before today?

Spend some time today educating yourself on EMFs and how they affect the body. Here are a few suggested EMF topics:

  • What are EMFs and where do they come from
  • How do electromagnetic frequencies work
  • How do EMFs affect our bodies
  • EMFs and bluetooth, wifi, cell phone towers, computers, and wifi hotspots
  • EMFs and radiation
  • How can I reduce my family’s exposure to EMFs? How can I protect them?
  • The impact of EMFs on our bodies’ cells
  • Figuring out where you stand in the EMF debate

Eye Contact

Commit to making more eye contact with your family. We need a distraction detox…we’re so engrossed in screens and technology that we’re distracted in the moment.

Look at your eye contact. Look at your children’s eye contact. How much does your family make eye contact? Is everyone comfortable with it? Do you feel more connected or like the other person is listening better when eye contact is present? Are you distracted more often than not when your kids are talking with you? Can you easily pause and tune into them with eye contact? If not, take a look at why. If so, see if you can increase that eye contact even more and encourage it in your children.

How do you feel about your answers? Do you feel like you need to make more eye contact? Maybe you need to work on holding eye contact? Or that you need more eye contact from others? Write down your observations and needs.

TV Detox

Yesterday we looked at phone usage, today we’re going to look at our other screen time…TV. Does your family watch TV? How much TV do you watch? How many minutes/hours per day? Do you have TV limits in place? If so, do you stick to them? What’s working? What’s not? If you don’t have limits, why not? Do you feel you would benefit from them?

What’s the main reason you turn on the TV? Boredom? A distraction for the kids? Learning? Down time? Examine the “whys” behind your TV habit.

What would you like to change about your TV usage? Are you aware of how screens affect your vision, mood, and circadian rhythm? If not, take a few moments to look it up and write down what you find.

Need some TV Detox ideas? Start with the list below:

  • Set limits on TV time and keep them
  • Unplug your TV after a certain time
  • Set up activities for your kids to do instead of using TV as a distraction
  • Let your kids see you read as down time. Encourage reading in your home as a way to decompress instead of zoning out into television
  • Have a “no entertainment” rule in your home. Don’t try to be entertained more than you create, play, interact, or pursue hobbies. Your time participating in your life should far outweigh moments that you are being “entertained”
  • Quit TV cold turkey
  • Talk with your children about how screen time affects their eye sight so they can make educated decisions from a young age about how limits and blue light glasses are good for their health

Smart Phone Detox

This is the day when we admit to ourselves that we use our smart phones too much. I know that I carry mine around with me from room to room so much that my youngest child thinks that I “have to” have it with me and will bring it to me. Cute? On some level, yes. Scary? Absolutely. I don’t want to be that ghost mom that zones out into her phone so hard (even in the name of “work”) that I set that example for my kids.

Take a look at your phone use today and be honest with yourself. How much are you on your phone? Do you feel it’s too much? Do your kids or family members feel it is too much? If you want to make some changes, take a look at the list below and choose one (or many) things that can help you do a little bit of smart phone detoxing.

Not sure where to start? Try one of the tips below!

  • Install a usage tracker on your phone to see how much you really use it
  • Designate a place to store/charge phones when not in use so you can focus your attention on the task at hand
  • Commit to a digital day off—turn off your phone and turn into your family
  • Turn off all notifications on your phone
  • Start that creative project you’ve been putting off! Use your time you spent on your phone to take up a hobby or pursue a creative passion
  • If you feel like you’re on your phone too much, the moment you feel that way go outside and do something. Notice the world around you, take deep breaths, go for an impromptu walk, listen to the birds, anything that brings you back to nature
  • Make “more eye contact” a goal & you’ll find your focus shift to that rather than your phone
  • Schedule times to be on your phone and then don’t use it outside of those times
  • Figure out what realistic limits you need, create those limits for yourself and then stick to them
  • Take regular breaks from social media—either one day per week or for a set amount of time (like a full week or month). Delete the apps from your phone during this time
  • Delete time sucking apps from your phone and commit to only using them on your computer

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Glacier 2022, our first RV adventure We caught t Glacier 2022, our first RV adventure 

We caught the travel bug in Glacier. 😍 Now we want to see all the parks & RV everywhere! 

Last fall we rented a travel trailer (to test out a trailer vs motorhome) and drove to Glacier National Park for a few days. We stayed at the West Glacier KOA… full-time travelers told us it is one of the nicest KOAs in the country and that we set the bar too high for a first trip 😂 

Stay tuned for more about our #roadschool adventures ⛰🚐
Align your actions and your values. It’s how tru Align your actions and your values. It’s how true change happens and where peace resides.

I was such a “good customer” with Target, they moved me to the front of the line to speak with a customer representative. I was referred to as a “frequent” for years. No more. I’m walking the walk and deleting everything Target from my life. If you feel convicted, stirred, or uncomfortable with the swift downhill slide of Target, I want to encourage you to sit with thise feelings…then align your actions and your values.
Imagine if more of us could see that living is lea Imagine if more of us could see that living is learning and learning is living. And that we spend our whole lives learning well past any graduation ceremony. The world would be a different place if we embraced and encouaged a #lifelonglearning mindset. Childhoods would be different…dare I say happier? Easier? More fruitful?  I’m not going to give up on the paradigm shift that is happening, one homeschool family at a time 🙏🏼 #realeducation #realeducationreform
I get asked ALL THE TIME…”Why Idaho?” Chri I get asked ALL THE TIME…”Why Idaho?” 

Chris & I are planning on sitting down and recording our “why” in an @elevatingmotherhood podcast episode (sorry it’s taken us so long 😂), but I’ll give you the short list. 

We were looking for a place that was:
1. Majestic (Maui is majestic…we were hoping for water and mountains and North Idaho has those things in spades) 

2. Homeschool Friendly (Idaho is the most free homeschool state in the USA) 

3. Freedom Loving (check!) 

We came to Idaho for those 3 main reasons and have discovered 100 more reasons to stay! The people, the community, the churches, the small businesses, the beaches, the lakes, the big sky, the accessibility to other places…the list goes on. It’s the people that touch us the most. We have been embraced by the community—I am overcome with gratitude. They show up in for each other in small and big ways. To be part of something this amazing has blessed us beyond beyond! 

So “Why Idaho?” Pull up a chair—I’ll our you a cup of PNW coffee—plan to stay awhile, because the list of reasons is long and amazing. ⛰☕️🥰

#idahome #mauitoidaho #homeschoolidaho #northidaho #idaholife
There was an election this week. I don’t miss an There was an election this week. I don’t miss an election. 🇺🇸 I vote in person out of conviction. I take my kids with me every time. I share the whole process with them so when it comes time for them to cast their vote, they won’t hesitate to let their voices be heard. 

The volunteers at our voting place are so kind to my family. They recognize us, encourage me as a mother, and dote over what “happy voters” we are. It makes for an incredibly pleasant and empowering experience. I’m so grateful to live in a place where voting is taken seriously and honored as the important responsibility that it is. It’s one of my favorite life tasks…which means it’s one of my favorite homeschool activities. #alloflifeislearning The conversations we have within our family about elections, issues, politics, and community is more inspiring than any conversation I’ve ever been coerced into in a school. 

From Kindergarten to Grad School, I always felt like my thoughts were being guided in one direction—that of a teacher or an agenda. It was one filled with peer pressure and conformity. As an adult and parent outside of that space I can see clearly how my opinions were guided by people who were not invested in me. They did not share with me in a way that instilled confidence  in who I am, what I *actually* believe, nor did they give me a spirit of knowing it’s okay for me to have opinions that are different than others. 

That ends with me. I’m doing things differently. I’m educating my children differently. Change doesn’t look like talk—it looks like action. And action is more do-able than most people would have you believe. It’s as simple as taking your babies with you to vote. It’s as do-able as having open conversations with your children (with lots of listening). There are many different ways to approach heated topics like politics and elections that don’t involve division and hatred…ways that include less talking and more action. Don’t be afraid to take action, mamas. Your growth, example, and bravery make the biggest impact 😘

#vote #idahovotes #homeschoollessons #lifeschooling #lifeschool #homeschoolmama #mamabear #lesstalkmoreaction #homeschoolidaho
Our Garden in the Burbs 👩🏻‍🌾🌱 We’ Our Garden in the Burbs 👩🏻‍🌾🌱

We’re not gonna wait until we have more land to start living an Idaho homestead life. 🥰 We’re filling pots, digging holes, keeping chickens, sowing seeds, and farming as best we can. People like to share the end results of their garden, but I figured I’d share this growing season’s humble beginnings 🥰

So far we’re growing echinacea, borage, yarrow, onions, garlic, strawberries, squash, zucchini, cinderella pumpkins, thyme, basil, jalapeños, bell peppers, dill, cucumbers, beans, raspberries, roses, lilacs, mock orange, rosemary, sage, & tomatoes 👩🏻‍🌾 

What are you growing? 😍🌱👩🏻‍🌾
Idaho Summer Vibes ⛰🤙🏼 *wait until then t Idaho Summer Vibes ⛰🤙🏼

*wait until then the end…we saw a baby 🐐 on the beach*

The last few days I’ve reflected on how grateful I am to be in Idaho. This is where my family is supposed to be right now. We are surrounded by beautiful scenery & beautiful people…just like we were on Maui.

It turns out the world is filled with beauty. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise 🥰 

#idahome #mauitoidaho #mauinokaoi #idaho #idahome❤️ #idahomom #homeschoolidaho #homeschoolfreedom #openroad #godisgoodallthetime #northidaho
Big cheesy I love being a mom grin…that’s all Big cheesy I love being a mom grin…that’s all you’ll get from me in Mother’s Day photos 😂

Happy Mother’s Day!!! 😘😘😘
I didn’t get what I asked for…the door was ope I didn’t get what I asked for…the door was opened 3 times. Even the cat is reaching under the door. 😂

I know this isn’t my usual encouraging post, but there are a lot of expectations around Mother’s Day. And as the planners, event coordinators, and celebrators in our homes, Mother’s Day can feel…all kinds of things. Disappointing. Extra. Frustrating. Cute. Messy. Grief ridden. Charming. Memorable. Did I already say disappointing? 

Mother’s Day disappointment is real. A lot of moms experience it. I just wanted to acknowledge that with a bit of humor. I wrote a blog post about it on my original blog years ago and it remains my top article. If I find a minute today I’ll try to link to it in my stories 😘

Wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day whatever kind of day you’re having 💜😘

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Tula
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