Homeschooling

Homeschooling. Was such a scary word to me a few months even years back. Due to unforeseen circumstances we recently had to start homeschooling 3 of our children. Currently in Day 2 and we are all absolutely loving it. The sense of freedom we have suddenly felt is phenomenal. Why on earth did we not do this sooner?

I'm sure a month down the line the novelty will wear off and we know there will be ups and downs but so far so good and every day faces different challenges, but all this builds up character. We are learning to get along much better, less fighting and arguments during the day (which seems odd due to spending more time together) we are learning to understand and deal with each others differences, possibly because we are all in the same boat now and going through this journey together.

We need to find the balance between education, work and household chores, but its early days and I'm sure we will find a routine that works for us. The children have come up with some super ideas of things they want to try and do. No time restraints on day trips out, no rushing home in time for school runs, all day spent at the library, shops, day trips, museums etc. The core subjects Maths, English and Science are covered daily and I think I'm learning more than the children are about focus, dedication and patience.

There are certain things I want to leave out teaching them that the school system spends  a long time on. For instance, The Mayans, Chinese New Year, Greek Gods and Mythology and focus more on the Solar System, Geography, plants & trees, Wildlife & Nature, History (Victorians, the Monarchy, WW1 & WW2 etc.) There are going to be certain things they carry through to adulthood and a lot of things that can be left behind and not relevant. When your children's education is in your hands you suddenly realise the responsibility of what they NEED to know to get somewhere in this life. There is an urgency to teach them the right things and what's actually important and I really wished I had done this sooner, it was only fear stopping me. If you are a mum scared of homeschooling but have been thinking about it for a long time I suggest you go for it. It really is not as bad as the government system want you to believe it is. Even if you have a basic education yourself there is so much support out there and hundreds if not thousands of other families and we all help each other out. It's a community of parents who want their children to achieve great things and learn to the best of their ability.





 

What is the no.1 reason for failure?

I'm going to share with you something that actually changed my life once I realised what the problem was.....and I did have a problem. A few years back I was working part time for other companies before I made that decision to work for my self and enable me to have that time and financial freedom in life. Working for other people made me miserable I felt over worked, my relationship with my children suffered, I was still broke even though I had a job and it did not feel like success to me.

I knew I needed to be pro active and step completely out of my comfort zone to at least start to create the life I had always wanted. What didn't help either was I was over weight which just makes you miserable and sluggish. The reasons behind choosing to work with USANA was they are world top graded products to help with my weight loss and they had the best compensation plan in the MLM market. (Yes I did some research). I thought I could target two things I was not happy with in my life, my weight and my finances. The time management and finding the finances in the first place to get started didn't bother me, If I really wanted this then I would find a way. It took me a month to save up and get started.

Last year I started this change....no excuses!

So, what is the no.1 reason for failure? There are thousands of able people in the MLM world, we all have an opportunity, we all have 24 hours in the day, we all have a past....but it's what we choose to do with that time and where we go from here that counts. Once you can get over this one hurdle yourself you are in the perfect position to help others get over it too. It will produce success in every area of your life. Your relationships, your finances, your health, your marriage, your future etc.

People are bound by this reason and from what I've read 98% of people have this problem globally, in more than 1 area of their life.

EXCUSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or a well planned lie)

What are your excuses? The first step is to reveal what they are in your life so you can recognise them in others also. To change your lifestyle from bowing down to your excuses you need to change your mentality and the way you think. Your brain can be re-programmed to think a different way. The best attitude to have is a D what it takes....get it done! attitude.

Are you excuses "I have no time, no money, I don't know how to do it, that's just not me, I'm not good at doing that, I don't like to drive, I'm afraid? etc. You just have to get over your own excuses. I want to be able to look back over my life before I take my last breath and see that my life was worthwhile, that I showed a life of no regrets and confidence and stepped out to achieve all plus more of what I had always dreamed of doing. I want my children to see a mum that achieves her goals and gets things done, that she never had excuses. From what I've learnt....excuses kills. It kills dreams, it kills health, it kills finances, it kills joy and it kills freedom. The excuses are never someone else, not your spouse or your children or your co-workers. Look at yourself. We attract who we are, birds of a feather flock together.

Get right with yourself and as a Christian, get right with God. If you are afraid to make commitment then you will provoke this in other people too that you talk to. Where there's a will there's a way. Give it your best shot because your best IS good enough. Step up and go forward.

I Dream to be is a new business venture. It is being launched at

the end of February 2017. I always dreamed of having multiple business

to create multiple streams of income. I want to spread positivity

and inspiration and what better way to do that than

through he clothes we wear. More on this

business soon.

#MySMARTself

So I finally hit the gym!

While debating whether to join a gym this year 2017 or spend more time exercising at home or outdoors, my husband made the decision for me. As a surprise he signed us both up to a local gym. That doesn't mean I won't be exercising at home and outside too, it just gives me more options to choose and less excuses to come up with. The gym will always be first protocol.

Yes I know, I can see the roll in the middle too ;)

Today is day 3 or 3 consecutive days. The plan is to do a full 5 day on gym session and off for 2 days for rest and recovery. Because we will be going away later this year, we have a goal to lose some much needed weight and to start treating our bodies with a bit more respect than we have done over the past few months. You only have 1 body so look after it. We do take our health and fitness seriously and want to be at optimal health to benefit our family and show our children how they can do it too. My parents sure did not teach me about good nutrition and exercise.

Exercising with the hubby.

The first day was tough. I normally do a 10 minute warm up row on the rowing machine, but because I have not attended a gym for 3 months I lasted 2 minutes 45 seconds. That was a complete blow and shows me that you have to keep on top of these things. The second session was 5 minutes.....little and often is the way to do it. My problem areas are tummy, thighs, bum and top of my arms. These are the areas I will be working on and can share with you some great exercises to try. I have taken some before pictures but will share the results at a later date.

Last year I qualified as a fitness instructor so I could work

in the gym at my ex employment.

I am still getting into the routine of taking my vitamins and USANA protein shakes, these are a must. For losing weight 80% of it is diet and only 20% exercise, but you need the exercise too. You don't want to rapidly loose weight just through a good diet and end up with flappy skin bits, tone as you go.

The best routine is to do a full body work out. Start with stretches, do a cardio warm up either running, cycling or rowing for 5-10 minutes. 45 minutes to 1 hour is plenty in the gym. I struggle to last a full hour and it's of no benefit to do any more. To fit it into your daily routine 45 minutes is plenty to maintain your health. Do a combination of legs, arms, back and stomach either machines or free weights. Either 12 reps of 3 sets or 8 reps of 5 sets. Find your way around the gym and do a routine that suits you. As you get stronger and better increase weight or resistance. Remember to give yourself a 20 second rest in between each set to give your cells time to repair. I will post my recommended routine in another blog and show you a gym based routine and a home based routine.

USANA wild strawberry protein shake, these are so tasty.

www.rebeccabonfield.usana.com

 Grab a protein bar and a shake and get exercising. You will feel better for it later. Watch your energy increase, your fitness levels increase, no more tiredness in the day, less cramps during your period if you exercise beforehand, sleep better at night, lose weight, increase muscle (as you get older your muscle deteriorates) you need to keep that muscle building up, keep up with your children, improves joint mobility and they were just from the top of my head.

3 Days until Incelligence....super excited!

I'm super excited to share with you all, the NEW release of USANA® CellSentials™. If you are into your Health and fitness and exercise regularly then these are for you. Even if you don't do all that but would like to then these are for you too, they will give your body a great start and build you up to optimal health. You WILL feel the difference.

I first found out about CellSentials™.  way back in August 2016 when I attended convention in UTAH, Salt Lake City (it's beautiful).

I bought them there and then and decided to test them out with some of my clients and friends at the Gym. I am always on the look out for the worlds best vitamins and supplements to help aid my clients and I want to offer them the best. They took them for 7 days and the results were phenomenal. They gained energy levels, their REP and weight max increased after 2 days, they were hitting personal bests and could keep pushing further to new records. All because of a technology has been discovered to tap into the signal your cells send to each other to repair after extreme exercise or any movement. When you body build or train your body for a run etc. you want your cells to be able to repair and increase the recovery time so you can heal quicker, giving you more time

to go again or prevent further damage. This is exactly what  CellSentials™. do the natural way. NO chemicals or steroids, just natural clean ingredients.

What are they and how do they work? The CellSentials are Vita-Antioxidant and Core Minerals, and these products use the power of cell signaling to nourish, protect, and renew your cells.

Many people don't get enough essential nutrition in their everyday diet. This problem can be detrimental to their health because every cell in your body needs to be nourished. The Cellsentials provide optimal amounts of micronutrients, including exogenous antioxidents (Ones found in food or supplements) which keep your cells healthy and happy. When your cells are in a good place it really does affect your overall mood for the day. Most supplements can nourish your cells, but its the addition of the Incelligence Complex that makes the Cellsentials a true innovation. The Incelligence technology is patent-pending (it's that new) and contains 8 powerful ingredients:

Resveratrol
Quercetin
Herperidin
Rutin
Alpha-lipoic Acid
Green tea extract
Meriva
Olivol

USANA Incelligence technology enhances the protection of your cells by encouraging them to increase production of their own antioxidents. These are called endogenous antioxidents (ones produced naturally in your own body) which are potentially 100's of times more powerful for quenching free radicals than exogenous antioxidents. This means your cells are better able to protect themselves.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells. The process of making  cellular energy creates a lot of free radicals, which over time will damage some of your mitochondria. USANA Incelligence technology signals your cells to increase the rate of their natural Clean-up process, called mitophagy, to remove and recycle the damaged mitochondria. This allows your cells to function more smoothly and easily to support efficient energy production.

If this is something you are interested in or want to try for yourself. Perhaps you have clients and you want to offer them the best? Feel free to message me or visit www.rebeccabonfield.usana.com

Remember there are only 3 days to go and I can't wait to order my next bottles. Being a busy mum of 4, cycling 6 miles a day just to get them to and from school. Maximus needs walks and exercise too plus running a Printing business from home, I need as much energy as I can get and when it is done completely natural with minimum caffine or power naps in the day, I'm happy. I also have avoided any flu or colds for over a year now and not had 1 sick day. I'm 100% positive it's because I am taking the right vitamins daily and nourishing my body right.

Keep a day of rest!

If there is one thing I look forward to each week is I keep one day set aside as a day of rest. This day for me is a Sunday. It's when children don't have school, or music lessons, I don't have to do the school run, dad is home for the day from work and it pretty much is a day to spend as a family playing games, watching movies, doing homework nd listening to them read. It's these precious times that make the memories for the children as they grow up. Some of my best memories as a child is when we spent the day together at home enjoying the home we had built over the years. My 74 year old mum still lives in the home we grew up in and every time I visit it brings back some great childhood memories.

I want my children to grow up remembering when we laughed round the dining table, saying prayers together, singing and dancing as we set up disco's in the living room. This is what makes a family and I hope some good memories and times they can take to adulthood with them.

On Sunday's I like to plan the week ahead. Running a MLM company and working from home it takes strategic planning to make sure the week ahead is productive. I still have bills to pay and a mortgage to meet each month, so USANA has to produce some financial fruit as well as health. I find planning quite restful and reassuring, so it does not feel like work. Grab a coffee, sit in your favourite spot of the house or garden with your notebook and visualise the things you would like to achieve in the week ahead. Write them down and set a goal. Sometimes I meet those goals and exceed their expectations and sometimes I get no where near. The end result is not really what important it's the consistency, the reaching for the goal and what work I put in to try and get there.

These days of rest once a week are also great for family planning. It's a time I get to talk to my husband, because mon-fri he is hardly at home and busy at work. His job is quite demanding so this is another reason "why" I chose to work from home and hopefully one day soo it will enable us to both work from home and adopt again. Once thing I have discovered with adoption is two parents are better than one, more for the emotional support more than anything else. So before we adopt again it would be great to know that my husband can be there more often.  We plan our family holidays, make important decisions for our children, make future plans for education, where we would like to see them in the future...even down to the little decisions of when to take them for their hair cuts.

All this happens on one day of the week and it's a time we value and look forward to spending together. Communication is so important in a marriage and as a parent. Take the time to put down your phones and gadgets and put the kettle on, make coffee's, teas and hot chocolates (we made healthy blueberry and banana mini muffins this weekend to enjoy as we talked) and just sit down to find out more about your family, husband, children and talk about your future.

Matthew 11:28-31
Genesis 2: 2-3

Because every mum deserves pampering........

The first full week back to school and this mum is in need of some serious pampering. Cycling everyday in the wind, rain, snow, house work, household supplies shopping, cooking, cleaning etc it's been a busy busy week. Plus looking after my neighbour who had a motorbike accident and needs a bit of help, his recovery will be long, but good job he has good neighbours who care ;)

Friday nights are mum relax nights. Once the bedtime routine is done and all children are in bed asleep or entertained I'm off to the land of bubbles and SENSE. SENSE is the skincare range I use from USANA, it's the best I have found on the market for my skin and I have tried hundreds over the years. Once you find a good skincare range and system you stick to it.

My favourite products are the Gentle Daily Cleanser, Rice Bran Polisher, Hydrating Toner, Nutritious Crème Mask and the Daytime protective emulsion.

They each have patented qualities that make them special to the market. Dermatologist, Allergy and clinically tested without being tested on animals. They contain a self-preserving formula without added chemical preservatives. They really help with anti-aging and wrinkles, leaving the skin nourished and so soft. As I'm getting older now, I'm really starting to see the aging process in my skin. It's not that I'm afraid of aging at all but my skin is my largest organ exposed to pathogens, pollution, outside chemicals, wheather etc and I want to look after it.

I have a routine which involves three of these products and I will do this every day to help my skin cells recover from a hard days work.

Step 1: Gentle Daily Cleaner

Use this moisture-rich, soap-free cleanser to wash away surface dirt and impurities without drying your delicate facial skin. A unique formulation of pure-plant extracts deeply cleanses and hydrates the skin, leaving it looking moisturized and silky. This refreshing gel is a great way to revive your complexion at the beginning and end of each day.

Work into dry skin using a circular motion over face and neck. Add water and continue cleansing. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Use in the morning and evening.




Step 2: Hydrating Toner. Refreshing skin tonic

Refresh and revitalize your skin with this soothing toner. Essential to removing any lingering impurities after cleansing, this moisturizing blend of pure-plant extracts balances your skin’s pH levels and helps combat environmental influences. Bathe your skin with essential nutrients that even skin tone and leave your skin looking soft, smooth, and refined.

Shake toner in a cotton pad, then sweep over face and neck. Use in the morning and evening.

Step 3: Serum intensive. Concentrated age defying serum

Defy the look of aging with this exquisite treatment. Serum Intensive features a concentrated hydroxy complex glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, and salicylic acid—that absorbs deep into the top layers of the skin to dramatically boost the cellular renewal cycle. With disciplined use, the look of fine lines and wrinkles are noticeably lessened, skin texture appears smoother, and firmness increases.

After toning, gently apply onto face and neck morning and evening. Follow with Daytime Protective Emulsion or Night Renewal Crème.

These products can be bought from www.rebeccabonfield.usana.com feel free to message me for more information on discounts.

DAY 7: .....60 Day Challenge!

Today is a week into the 60 day weight loss, detox challenge. I have friends who have chosen the 28 day or the 7 day plan but putting on weight over Christmas and new year I've gone for the full 60 day. We also have our family holiday coming up and I do want to feel better than I currently do from stuffing my face over the holiday season.

The plan this week has been to replace breakfast or lunch with a protein shake. I have used apples, spinach, blueberries pear, orange and almond milk to blend two scoops of USANA's plant protein and 1 scoop of booster. I have added the protein booster because I have been cycling and working out daily too and the added protein is good if you increase your daily work. For the other two meals of the day I have a Low GI (Glycemic Index) meal. I have prepared a meal guide which I send out to my associates and preferred customers who purchase the My SMART kits (can be bought here www.rebeccabonfield.usana.com). I also drink plenty of water (still have a small black coffee in the morning to keep me alive). I have 2 USANA coconut cashew snack bars a day or 1 bar and fruit if I get peckish. The coconut cashew bars are my favourite but most people prefer the chocolate (also purchased here www.rebeccabonfield.usana.com)

During this weight loss journey I also want to focus on my middle. My tummy has got pretty flabby and after having 3 children, it needs some attention. This year I have downloaded and app to help with exercise ideas. If you want to download it too...I highly recommend it. It's called "30 Day fitness Challenge". You can choose different levels of abs, full body, butt, arm and leg workouts all capable of doing at home. I'm focussing on abs but will up it to more areas as time goes on.

I am cycling 6 miles a day to take the children to and from school. Where possible incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Ditch the car and walk, run or cycle to work instead. Get off a bus stop early and walk the rest of the way, take the stairs not the lift or escalator, make use of that free gym at work or find ways to exercise while doing housework. Running up and down the stairs with washing, do a full house hoovering session, stand to iron instead of sitting. Also, if you have a dog then go for a run.....he will like you a lot ;)


To help with gut health which is a great focus during weight loss I take USANA Probiotics every other day and Omega 3 with my daily Health Pak also by USANA (Can be purchased here www.rebeccabonfield.usana.com) This makes sure my body absorbs everything is can from the shakes and meals and makes up where I'm lacking. I want to aim for optimal health, our bodies were designed to do great things so lets give them the best to get the best out of them. The way I feel health wise when on USANA is phenomenal. I have not had a cold, flu or sickness bug since. I have not had a day off work and been there for the family everyday. My children also take their vitamins (Bodyrox by USANA) and their school attendance is 100%. I love having these testimonies to tell, I can't actually remember the last time anyone was sick in this household. Our medicine cupboard use to have calpol, cough medicines, paracetemol, ibuprofen, lemsip and all sorts of "medicines" Now it just looks like this

Our "medicine" cabinet only has USANA's Vitamins and Minerals in it now. We have not been sick for a long time and as each "medicine" product went out of date it got thrown away. We don't even have calpol in the house anymore because it is never needed.

Keep shakes in the fridge and plan for the day ahead. Grabbing a shake on the run is easy to do.

When associates and preferred customers order their weight loss, detox or weight management products from me I also include and gym and home based full body workout for them to do. It's all tips and guidance and an added bonus to help people on their own personal journeys.

So far I have lost 5lbs, I feel great. Energy levels have actually increased and I am tired enough at the end of the day to go to bed at a decent time. It's important to make sure you get a decent long enough sleep. Recommended for adults is 8-10 hours. This is also when your body loses the most weight. The calories used while you sleep are used to sustain vital organs and repair your body ready for the next session. Sleep is important.

Here's to the next 7 days. I'm expecting bigger results next week.