Caffeine Free

I know!  Can you believe it?  And stick with me, because this is actually going somewhere.

But caffeine free? I think I actually heard several friends that know me well gasp in surprise!  That is because if they have known me for long they know I usually have a diet coke in my hands.  The only reason it was diet was because I had gestational diabetes with my third pregnancy and was scared into switching to diet.

Not the best trade off, but it worked for me.

I am not a juice drinker.  I am not a coffee drinker.  And no, even though I am from the south, I am not a tea drinker.  That leaves, you guessed it, WATER!

And while water is really good for you, really it is, in my opinion it gets boring.

So diet cokes became my staple.  I won't even share how many I could consume in one day.  It became a habit and a crutch.  But with the hounding of a daughter and the encouragement of a few friends, I have been on a quest to cut the diet cokes from my life.

And actually not really because of the caffeine, but all the artificial sweeteners and such in them.

Here is what I found-

• I do not think the caffeine was my addiction, I think the carbonation was.  Last time around (yes I have been down this path before) I had really bad headaches from withdrawal.  This time, not so much.  I did wean myself rather slowly which might have helped.  

• Not all "natural" drinks out there are created equally.  Some just plain taste bad.  Like really bad!  I have now found one that has old fashioned sugar as a sweetener, and I limit myself to one a day.  Unfortunately it also has dyes in it (so much for natural) so those too will be out soon.  I can only tackle one thing at a time.

•  Water is still boring.  But I am learning to deal with that, because I drink a lot of it.  If I keep a water bottle in my hands I tend to drink more, not want to reach for a canned drink, and HOPEFULLY will drop a few pounds.  We will see. 

• I really do want to be more healthy, but I have zero will power.  Zero.  I can get on a trend and stick with it for a good while, but if something throws me off, I am done.  Like, I had been on the treadmill 5 days a week since July when I got horribly sick with pneumonia and bronchitis right before Christmas.  I was in bed for a week and coughed for over 2 months.  True story!  Getting my rear end back on that treadmill has been like pulling teeth.  I am finally back to 3 days a week, but I am still not having fun.

• I need motivation!  And I am thankful for the friends who know that!  Guilt works for me.  So do words of affirmation! (No surprise there, right?)  And occasionally I cheer myself on just for good measure! ;)

So why ramble on and blog about something so silly?  Because we all have our "thing."  OK, we have LOTS of things, but the point is we all have things in our lives we struggle with.  Some serious, and some not so serious.

Overeating.  Addictions.  Depression.  Hard marriages.  Hurting children.  Disease.  Loneliness.  Over spending.  Money problems.

The key is ALL.  As in everyone you know.  Even bloggers who seem to have it all together (not that you thought I did).

Don't be fooled.  No one has it all together. No one.

You are NOT alone in your struggles- whether small, seemingly insignificant ones, or the really big ones that threaten to overcome you.

 Reach out to others, and reach up to God! And if you need a friend, you have one here!


Blessings,

Fun Fridays- Alone, Yet Not Alone Review and Giveaway

Yes, you read it right!  We are going to have a little giveaway fun here at Family, Faith and Fridays!  I have been blessed to review some amazing books and such lately and now I get to pass the blessings on to several of you.  I hope you will join me each Friday in September and October for your chance to win some great products!

First up- A Historical Fiction book!

Can you imagine being kidnapped by Natives who barely speak your language?

Can you imagine walking for months to an unknown location, often while tied up?

Can you imagine not seeing your family for years?




These are only a few of the experiences of Barbara and Regina, two young sisters who really lived during the French and Indian War.  Alone, Yet Not Alone tells the true life story of these two resilient and faith driven sisters that were kidnapped during the Penn's Creek Massacre.  Separated from each other early on in the journey west, the story tells of Barbara's remarkable tale of survival- enduring miles of travel. learning a new language and years of loneliness.  But it also tells of her faith in God.  Through it all, she never gives up the hope of escaping and finding her sister and being reunited with her family.  She keeps the familiar hymn her mother often sang to them, "Alone, But Not Alone" in her heart and mind.

Often a heart wrenching and sit on the edge of your seat story, Alone, But Not Alone is written primarily for the tween/teen and older audience.  While written in a sensitive way, the murder of Barbara's family, the abuse and hatred the prisoners endured and the hair raising escape would probably be too much intensity for younger children.

Our family loves historical fiction however, and found this novel to be quite entertaining, while staying true to the historical facts of the time.

Excitingly, this book is being released as a movie September 27th, 2013.  You can watch the movie trailer here.   Additional movie information can be found at the website http://www.aloneyetnotalone.com.  Make sure you like the facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/aloneyetnotalone, to keep updated on movie release information.

We are excited to be able to give away one copy of Alone, Yet Not Alone.  Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

See you back next week for another fun giveaway!

Blessings,