The Jenuine Life

Three months ago, had you asked me what veggies I like, I'd have said, "None." Then, I would have said, "I hate all green things, especially broccoli." Many of us are familiar with the prophecy that foretold the coming of a boy who would have the power to vanquish Lord Voldemort. But are you familiar with the self-fulfilling prophecy? Britannica defines it as the process through which an originally false expectation leads to its own confirmation. I'd been telling myself for years that I hated broccoli. But what if I changed my mindset? What if I tried affirming my like for broccoli? What would happen? What do you think happened? If you guessed that I started liking broccoli, you would be correct. By simply changing my mindset and saying out loud, "I love broccoli," I found myself actually enjoying it and looking forward to it at mealtimes. Crazy, right? Not really. It's just psychology. Often used in dialectical behavioral therapy (or DBT),

  It's dinnertime! And we're letting you in on the boys' routine. Now, I'd be lying if I said that dinnertime around the Ekblad household was not a circus. But, it is fun and we have found some products that make it a bit easier. Let's start with our feeding routine. As many of you may know, these boys are my babies which means, they get the top of the line when it comes to most things. So, we alternate all four boys between dry whole food and fresh food. One night is dry. The other is fresh. For the dry food, we feed our boys pawTree's real lamb, chickpeas, and lentils recipe  and sometimes vary the recipe to keep them excited. What I love so much about this brand is that they use freeze-dried whole foods to make the dry food. The dry food can be fed to puppies and adult dogs and the list of health benefits is endless. Just go check out the link above and see for yourself. Oh! And use code INTRO4U to get 20% off your first order! For the wet food, we feed our

They say the best way to overcome writer's block is to—you guessed it—write.  So, here I am. I've had this blog for quite some time, but often, I'll post and then fade into the darkness for months at a time, feeling like I have nothing [worthwhile] to write about. Then, I watch Julie & Julia (for the 100th time) and think, I could do that . Perhaps if I just write more often, someone out there will read what I have to say and then I'll become popular like Julie. But what do I say? Maybe I need a theme. A catchy blog title. Hmm. Let's just put a pin in that for now. While watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy the other day, my shoulders nearly touched my ears with anxiety as Bailey interviewed candidates. Now, it's been a while since I've interviewed, but often, one of the very first requests is, "tell me about yourself." For most people, it is no trouble sharing this information. For me, it is a terrifying moment. I've always hated th

Here is a link to the original pattern: https://myfingersflyblog.com/2019/05/24/friday-freebie-owl-eyeglass-holder/ Jen’s adjustments in orange Materials: Worsted weight yarn 2 1/3  oz. ombre or variegated – I alternated the base color (ivory) with a light pink since they would compliment the color of my frames 1 oz. solid Few yards orange – I used a light yellow to compliment the light pink Size G crochet hook – I used a size I because I tend to crochet too tight Yarn needle Plastic googly eyes 40 mm – I used 25 mm eyes because I wanted them to be smaller Fiberfil Pantyhose – I did not use the pantyhose since I was using a color similar to the color of the fiberfil Crocodile stitch video – https://youtu.be/HN_SNZDW21w Directions: BODY: Rnd 1: With ombre yarn, ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Do not join. Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc). Rnd 3: *Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, repeat around (18 sc). Rnd 4: *Sc in each of next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, * repeat around (24 sc). Rnd 5: *Sc i

This past Friday, October 15, I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed over lunch when a post on one of the dog mom pages I follow caught my eye. It was a rehoming post for this little boy: Otis, a 1-year-old teddy bear (Shih Tzu/Bichon mix). Now, this was a type of post I had seen before, but there was something about this one that stopped me in my tracks. I just knew in my heart we had to help. I called Dan over to take a look. He had a similar reaction, which told me we were being called to do this. Even though we already had three fur babies, we were drawn to Otis. We had to know more. We had to meet him. The post specified that they wanted Otis to go to a home where he'd be the king of the house or the only pet. That didn't stop me from reaching out. I wrote from my heart and asked that they consider us even though we did not meet the criteria set forth. Imagine my excitement when I heard back from the owner! We both poured out our hearts and knew this was worth a shot

A Second Chance Written by Jen Ekblad Property of Jenuine Enterprises LLC Chapter 1 Kate is a planner. She doesn’t like surprises. In fact, on her seventh birthday, when her parents surprised her with a trip to Disneyland, she locked herself in her bedroom and refused to come out. In the fifth grade, when the teacher changed her seating assignment, which meant she no longer sat by her best friend, Alicia, Kate refused to move. And, even into her young adult years, Kate insisted that the nurse count down from three and administer the shot precisely after the final count of “one.” Growing up, Kate spent more time with her nanny than her parents, who divorced when she was ten—their divorce was surprisingly a relief to Kate. But as she watched her mom struggle to find her purpose in life, Kate vowed that she would never place her purpose in that of a man. Needless to say, she set the bar so high that no man could meet her standard until her senior year at college. * * * “Off to class a