Month: January 2015

Turned my mood around. Yay me!

This morning, I woke early so I could get a run in, make lunches, prep snacks and put a meal in the crockpot for dinner tonight. Oh, and get myself ready – which incidentally I didn’t leave enough time for again so again I am make-up-less. Yikes!!

Anyways, I’m not a natural bright and shiny morning person. Add to that the pots in the sink that were unlikely to get cleaned before I ran out the door, and the swim bags that weren’t packed ready for after school, and the clean laundry all over my bedroom floor because someone was obviously looking for an important piece of clothing to wear that day, meant that pressure was brewing before the kids came downstairs.

And then……I decided I didn’t want to feel this way. I don’t take for granted my ability to have control over this part of myself and so I chose to do something about it.

Off went the news, on went the music – loud, and by the time the kids did show their faces I felt like a whole new person.

The reason I’m writing about this is because I felt good about making the choice of showing up nicer for myself and my kids. It’s way too easy to feel justified in my grumpiness in the morning and continue being a bear.

For over a year I was a regular at yoga (which I really want to make time for again), during that time I really learned the power of deep breathing. Stopping and taking a deep breath almost stops time for a few seconds. It is a conscious action so it brings me into the present moment. I also use this as a reminder to check in with my body. I’ll notice where I am holding tension and let it go. There is a big shift that can happen in those 8-10 seconds of a deep breath. Give it a try.

What is it that you do to “reset” when you are feeling bad? Share it in the comments or share it with someone around you. I’m willing to bet that others would welcome the tip and even more so the reminder that they can do this small thing for themselves and change the course of their day.

One New Years Resolution Taken Care Of

I have planned to sit down and write a 3 week menu plan for a loooooong time.

I was probably initially hampered by my husbands resistance to the repeating of dinners. Meanwhile I was repeating dinners more frequently than every 3 weeks basically from lack of mental bandwidth to come up with anything else as I did a supermarket dash for that nights dinner.

So, once I put that dampener out of my mind I decided I would get to the planning.

To feed my household over 3 weeks worth of week day meals meant I had to come up with 15 breakfasts, kid lunches and dinners, 45 kid snacks, plus 15 more mobile snacks for between school and swim.

And you know that with 3 kids, they ain’t all liking the same stuff either.

Quite honestly, I was overwhelmed before I even began. To another mother with 6+ kids (because they all (need to) have insanely great scheduling skills), or other women who can organize just as well, this likely seemed a minor task, but for me, an indecisive Libran, this required big focus.

For months I avoided this project like I’m avoiding the scales right now after indulging in all those holiday chocolates, a bottle of Baileys (not in 1 sitting) and sticky toffee puddings, but then, with New Year approaching, I hedged by bets that I could get the 3 week plan done far easier than removing the 5lbs I guarantee I put on over the holidays.

Anyhoo, I DID IT!!! The plan that is. It’s done. Here’s the proof.

3 week food plan

Now I have my fingers crossed that it was worth it. I have visions of easy night before prep, clockwork school mornings and being able to partake in conversations because I’m not trying to figure out what to piece together and what won’t get my kids booed out of class when the school is doing a “freggies” competition (winners are the class with most fruits and veg over a week).

So, that was my accomplishment for this week. I’ll start on those extra pounds next week 😉

Quick Review of 2014

I’m not a journal keeper, despite many new year, mid year and end of year resolutions, so it’s kind of hard to remember and reflect.

I have a general feeling that 2014 was a big growth year.

As a family we have done well to stay active. All 3 girls swim competitively, Adam is an ultra marathoner and I even managed to get my 2nd ever marathon done.

We’ve also enjoyed lots of family time, despite having a typical busy schedule. We’ve managed to eat most dinners together, spend time on the trails, chill at the cottage and generally hang out with each other.

We’ve also had lots of different experiences – learning to water ski, travelling and night hiking to name a few.

I’ve had a minor infatuation with Paint Nite and now have 4 of my own art pieces hanging around the house.

I turned 40.

What I never seemed to get a grasp on was juicing and generally getting more fruits and veg into the family.

I never lost those elusive 10 pounds, despite training for a marathon (there has to be some skill in that), which in a small part may have had something to do with me not mastering another resolutions of drinking lots of fluids throughout the day.

I never got a schedule in place to get more help around the house. The kids seem to rely on chaos theory to fly under the radar while me and hubby rush around and get it done FAST.

Self-care was pretty rubbish – I think I only got to the hairdresser twice, nail salon three times, facialist – never, my make-up removal routine before bed was barely existent and I probably (definitely) wore track pants WAY too often.

Our social life could have handled a few more nights out with friends, but the kids social lives were rocking.

But I did get my certification as a Life Coach and so I have spent a huge amount of time studying people – which I LOVE to do!!

The biggest message that presented itself to me this year, randomly, and in so many places, is that you NEVER know what somebody else is going through. It’s easy to have compassion for friends, or for those that you hear their whole story, but I experienced it in ways like;

We were at a restaurant being served by a bit of a cranky waitress. I was a bit put off by her. And then I heard her telling some regulars that she had just got back from 3 weeks with her mother because her mother had a heart attack. That changed my perception of her behaviour instantly.

I also learned a lot around reaping what you sow, personal responsibility and generally letting loose and having some fun.

And I have to get a bit craftier about getting all that great wisdom into my kids because they smell those life coaching moments a mile off.

Now I shall get working on this years resolutions, but that’s for a whole different post.

Sept 2014 269