A few quotes to set you up for your week!
Skirt | OTS Top | Shoes | Purse | Layered Necklaces | Sun Glasses
Life is a series of baby steps // Hoda Kotb
Lead from the heart, not the head // Princess Diana
Everyday is not success, every year is not a success, you have to celebrate the good // Reese Witherspoon
No one is you, and that is your super power // unknown
To succeed in life, you need 3 things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone // Reba Mcentire
It’s been over 10 weeks since we started physically distancing.
Information is changing constantly and of course I am hopeful and I am also realistic. But I think I am extra sensitive these days.
Initially, it felt great having “extra time” but then life at home got busier with full time everything all the time!
Having to facilitate remote schooling, preparing wholesome learning activities, tutoring, all day child minding along with being a housekeeper, cook, partner. Mix in part time school and WFH – it literally left no time for anything else.
And then something clicked and I realized that this wasn’t going to be a sprint – but a marathon. I also realized I needed to re-adjust the action plan for the long haul.
The feeling of being extra sensitive comes and goes in waves – I’m trying to figure out what and when I’m triggered and remove those triggers from my immediate attention (I am sharing this in case others are feeling the same but also to share that this activity is part of the readjustment for the long haul).
So now I am taking it one day at a time, learning to relentlessly triage, give myself grace, slow down all while enjoying this special-unusual-new normal as much as I can.
I also remind myself of this:
Apart from these thoughts, there is always a loud voice telling me to be creative. When I am not writing/taking pictures regularly I just feel off. So with whatever time I can manage, I’ll try to make space for creativity.
With all that said, I hope you are doing well and in case you need a recharge as we enter week 11 of physical distancing I’ve included some self care ideas to keep you going for the long haul.
What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
If it’s a workday: Turn off my alarm, grab my glasses, phone/journal/pen. After regular getting up activities, I put on my apple watch :)
If it’s a weekend: And I haven’t been woken up by an alarm or by my kids, I check to see what the kids are doing. After regular getting up activities, I put on my apple watch lol!
What gives you energy?
My creative hobbies, completing a priority task, hugging my kids/husband or a really good run, confidence in my experience.
What is your secret life hack?
Practicing gratitude using the DayOne App with the built in Five Minute Journal templates.
Name a book that changed your life?
I have two from the last 10 years: The Alchemist and Light is the New Black.
Tell us about your relationship with your phone? Does it sleep with you?
I charge my phone on airplane mode on my nightstand, so no it absolutely does not sleep with me. I’ve had a goal to get our phones out of room at night. First step is to buy 2 alarm clocks and convince my husband to charge his phone elsewhere in the house overnight.
How do you deal with email?
Work email on a typical workday: I check my email too often. Both due to the nature of my work (I am a manager in the innovation & strategy space) and because it’s been a habit of my career. I would say several (5-10) times an hour.
Personal email on a typical day: Not as often because I only check it on my phone, maybe 3-5 times a day.
You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do?
Pull out my e reader and hope that its charged so I can read!
When was the last time you felt burned out and why?
Over the Winter Break! It was the first time I had taken 2 weeks off since 2012. We hosted several dinners, I cleaned the house 4 times, had to take care of the kids full time for a few days and had to make the Christmas magic (mom’s you know what I mean). It was fun and exhausting. Definitely glad to be back to our regular routine after a full and lively break.
When was the last time you felt you failed and who did you overcome it?
Motherhood is the most humbling journey and I fail every day (i.e.: maybe I lost my patience, I yelled, looked at my phone too much in front of my kids or didn’t play with them when they asked). I don’t put myself down for every “failure” – I am human and a millennial mother in a digital age (we are the first generation of mothers/parents in this type of society) I overcome it by talking about what happened (with my kids or husband) and lots of hugs.
Share a quote that you love and that gives you strength or peace?
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself // Leo Tolstoy
Feel free to answer these questions in the comments below or on your own blogs or social medium of your choice!
(Where did you find these questions?)
More like this? Check out my year in review from 2018.
Who agrees with me that we should rename mothers day to Mother Figures day.
We need to be more understanding to the people who don’t have a mom, to the people who’s relationship with their mom is strained at best, to the people who dread this day because it makes them feel inferior, to the people who’s dad’s, grand parent, step parent, foster parent, aunt/uncle are mother figures, to the mom’s who just want a moment of quiet without the feelings of guilt and definitely to the mom’s who don’t think they are doing anything right (when they are actually doing everything right!)
If there is anything I’ve learned in the almost 5 years of being a mom is that it’s a thankless job. It’s both exhilarating and anxiety inducing. It’s a job where you have to be flexible and ready to change to keep growing and build something real. It’s a job where you have to remain calm when everything is chaotic. A job where transparent communication are critical to success. A job where you have to lead with love (especially on the days you want to punch a wall or throw your coffee mug at a window).
But with all that said it doesn’t take a certain type of person, certain type of pregnancy, birth experience or even a certain type of upbringing to be a good mom.
To be a good mom you just have be a good human.
So if you are a good human or you know a good human who deserves a treat (mom, mom figure or non mom) hopefully you can find some inspiration below :)
We are officially in the dog days of winter! There isn’t any more expected snow fall but the temps are still pretty chilly. The grey and brown snow banks are slowly melting away and there is more sunlight in the early evenings. Like most Canadians, we are ready to pack away the cold weather gear and usher in the fresh Spring air.
Along with thinking about all the fun things to do as the weather warms up (honestly the simple things like opening the windows in the house 😂), I do get excited about shopping my closet to re-aquaint myself with all of my warm weather outfits.
But I thought I’d put this quick wish list together in an attempt to ignore the still quite frigid temperatures!
6) Quality time for the relationships that really matter in my life
And there you have it – and yes that is the easy part.
When I used to have a gym membership, I remember the first 3 weeks of January it was so packed I’d have to wait for a cardio machine! But by February 1st, we were back to the regular gym crowd and having several treadmills always available to choose from.
It’s simple to write down the goals you want to work towards but actually reaching the goals is the hard part. From my own experience, I know that if you really want to achieve something, you have to “be ready” to (aka your mind has to “be ready”). And by that I mean, put in the time and effort, do the hard things and be flexible on the path.
