Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I love when a New Year comes along.  I love the energy and hope it brings for positive changes.  It’s like a natural reset button.

Along with millions of other people, health is pretty high up on my resolution list.

I used to be really healthy.  I grew up on a hobby farm eating mostly home grown, organic produce.  Our meats came from our farm and my grandfather’s.  Our milk, for a time, came from my grandfather’s farm as well.  Our neighbors had farms and we often shared with them and they shared with us.  I was so blessed to grow up in this wonderful environment!

Growing up in the country meant we couldn’t get cable TV where we lived and so we spent all our time running around in, and exploring, the outdoors.  Not only was this amazing exercise for our bodies, we got the benefits that are also good for the soul.  Connecting with nature is such an important part of who we are.

As an adult, I moved to the city, got married and I now have 3 beautiful children.  I love where my life is and I would never change that.  But it has made for some unhealthy habits.

Like many mothers, I make sure my family is cared for and place myself at the bottom of the list.  I believe this is a natural thing for mothers to do, but I also think we need to put our own care on our priority list as well.  I once saw a naturopath who told me that a mother is like the center of the wheel and the family are the spokes.  Although all important parts to the wheel, the wheel simply can not function well if the center of the wheel is not working at its best.  I really liked this comparison and it has stuck with me.

I have placed myself on the back burner for a long time and have made several attempts over the years to get back to healthy.  Like so many others who try to do this, I have found that this is not the easiest thing to do.  It is far too easy to fall back into old bad habits.  But do you know what the good thing is?  We can start again.  No matter how many times we try and end up falling back to old habits, we can still try again.  We don’t have to give up.

And so it is time to start again.  With a fresh, positive focus.  I am trying again.  For myself… and for my children.  I want to be here for a long time.  I want to be healthy and enjoy my children.  I want to have energy for them.  I want to see them grow up and be all that they can be.  And my kids need me to set a good example for them.  They need me to show them that it is important to take care of ourselves.  That we ALL deserve that and it is worth our time and commitment.

If you have healthy habits in your resolutions, I hope you are able to make that happen.  Just remember that if you fall back to your old habits, it is okay.  Forgive yourself – you are only human, you know – and start again.  You are worth it!

(Photo via Pinterest)

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Is Anyone Out There?

I didn’t think I would be headed back here.  Life is busy and over the past couple of years it has gotten busier.

I opened an Etsy shop and learnt SO much and had a lot of fun.  My girls have been growing.  My baby is now 4 and my oldest is in middle school!!  And in all the busy-ness of running a family and a shop at the same time, I wasn’t spending enough time taking care of me.  The housework was not getting done.  I was spending all my free time sewing, photographing, writing ads, etc..  My family time was reduced to a very small amount of time.  And guess what?  I was getting exhausted, burnt out, and was constantly frustrated by the state of my home and how behind I always seemed to be with everything,

And so today, I announced the closing of my shop.

It was a really hard decision to make, but in the end, I think it was the right one for me.  At least for now.

I’m really excited to have time to sew for my home, myself, my family and my friends again.  I’m excited to have time to learn some new sewing skills.  I’m excited to clean, declutter and organize my home and create a more relaxing and happier space.

And I want to be able to come here from time to time and share tips, tricks, stories and inspiration.  I’m not sure what direction this space will take on, but I’m happy just to have it here and to stop by when time allows.  Maybe it will evolve into a theme, or maybe it will just be random talk.  So, if anyone’s out there, I look forward to hearing from you and hearing your tips, tricks and stories too.

Welcome (back) to my little blog.

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A Little Reminder…

I thought I would post this nice reminder because it is something we often forget about.

(photo via etsy)

 

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Passing Along the Blogging Award

Not too long ago, my blogging buddy Andi, from Laundry on the Line, was nice enough to pass a blogging award on to me! (Thank you!)

At the time, I chose to hold on to it, but now I am ready to pass it on.

There are three wonderful bloggers I would like to recognize.

Artisan in the Woods –  Okay.  Maybe this is cheating a bit.  This is Andi’s other blog.   If you love crafting, you will love this blog.  At Artisan in the Woods, you can see all the wonderful things that Andi makes – quilts, crochet, and more!

Little Pink Cupcakes –  A very new blog, but a great place to visit!  Little Pink Cupcakes is a blog about sewing, knitting, cooking and crafting.  She shares all the great things she makes (and even the things that didn’t turn out so great).  Filled with lots of great inspiration, recipes and pictures of her adorable children. 

Bento Diva – Have you joined the bento craze?  If you are looking for seriously cute ways to serve lunches and snacks to your little one, be sure to check out this blog.  Filled with lots of great ideas and a great FAQ section for those new to bento.  I don’t do a ton of bento myself, but do occasionally serve something extra fun for the kids, and I love all the great ideas found here.

 

Congrats ladies!  I look forward to your future posts!

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My 30 Day New Year’s Resolution

Have you all been wondering how my 30-day resolution has been going?

Well, I made it to the half-way mark without missing a workout or a day of Greens+.  I wasn’t noticing a ton of change, expect that I was feeling good to have gotten to the halfway point!  And then I missed a workout, but did the next one, then missed one… and then after the next one, I noticed that my knees and feet are starting to get sore – and not good sore.

 I remember this happening before when using my wii Active.  I think that I should be wearing shoes for doing the workout.  I also think that the way you run in the ‘game’ is not very natural and although is okay every now and again, you don’t want to be doing it all the time.  I’m taking a couple of days off though and then am going to try again with shoes to see if it makes enough of a difference.

I’ve only missed one day of Greens+ along the way.  Although I haven’t really noticed an increase in energy or anything, I find that I do look forward to having it every day.  I’m a person who never gets enough fluids and so I think my body really liked that it was a regular fluid intake for me.  As for the energy, well, I’m a mom to 3 and as such, I rarely sleep through the night.  I’m wondering if I were sleeping well if I would notice a change in energy levels?   

Something that I didn’t anticipate was that I started to get an upset tummy, and a bit of acid reflux.  It lasted 4 days, then I took a day off the Greens+ and I didn’t get it that day.  I was fine taking it daily before that.  So I am taking a few days off and then will restart it.  I’m not sure if something in the drink wasn’t agreeing with my body, or if my body was simply ‘off’ and it just happened to be okay again when I didn’t take the Greens+ the next day. 

So, I haven’t exactly made it through a full 30 days.  I’m not totally disappointed – I had some hiccups along the way and needed to readjust.  I’ll start back again in a couple of days and see how it goes.  If it’s not working for me, I’ll readjust the plan and start again.

How are you doing with your resolutions?

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Happy New Year! (And Resolutions)

Well, another year has gone by and here we are starting another year.

I love how each year starts as a fresh slate full of hope and optimism! 

Like most people, I try to make a few resolutions.  And like most people, they rarely last long.

This year, I am setting smaller, simpler goals for myself.

I just started a 30-day challenge on my Wii Active.  My goal is to complete the 30 days. 🙂  I’m hopeful that  this  will be a good jump-start to getting a bit more active and finding time for exercise.  For now though, my goal is simply to complete the 30 day challenge.

I want to drink Greens+ every day this month.  Again, I am only committing to one month.  And the hope is that I will start to feel better, healthier, more energetic and it will encourage me to live a healthier lifestyle.

I want to sew something with a zipper in it.  I’m thinking a top or a dress. 

I want to get my serger looked at, tuned up and then I want to take a few lessons on how to use it.  Going along with that.  I want to sew something out of knit fabric – maybe a nice, soft jersey knit.

I want to continue working on reducing the amount of anxiety and stress I feel on a daily basis.  For me, it is not things in my life causing the stress, it is an anxiety disorder.  I have struggled with it for years and have chosen to stay away from medication (so far).  I have good months and bad ones, but in general I am gaining more control and learning to relax more and worry less.  I still have a long way to go but, I guess, for me it is a journey.

Along the same lines as the above, I want to work on gratitude and optimism. 

Do you make resolutions or goals for yourself?  What are you hoping to accomplish in 2012?

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What Will Become of This Blog?

It’s been a while since I have written.

So much has been going on around here.  Changes have been happening.  This blog has been put on the back burner.

I am hoping in the New Year to get into a routine and to find time for blogging again.

(photo via Pinterest)

My poor sewing machine has been fairly quiet recently.  Inspiration and desire has been low, but I know it is just a bump in the road.  I love sewing.

(photo via Pinterest)

I have been crocheting and trying to teach myself to knit (again).

(photo via Pinterest)

Starting next week, I will more than likely be homeschooling one of my children.

It will take time for us to adjust to our new routine.  I’m unsure as to what will happen with the business I have been working over the past few months to start.  There will be adjustments to be made (and remade) in our routines.  But I am excited for the changes.  We have a new direction in life that we are headed into and I think that this new path will only bring us wonderful things.  I am nervous for the time it takes us to adjust, but I am confident the end result will be fabulous!

I hope that I will find time to come here and share with you what I have been making.  I hope to share inspiration and maybe even a little of our homeschooling adventures.  So keep checking in, I’ll be back in the New Year with things to share!

Happy New Year to you all!

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Finding A Balance

What is it that makes us feel that we should be able to accomplish everything all the time?  How do we find a way to balance family, work and household chores?

I am always surprised by the women who seem to be on top of it all.  But are they really on top of it all?

I am a mom.  My day starts early and ends late.  I am at-home, so my house should be immaculate and my family should always be fed a good wholesome, home-cooked meal, right?  Umm.. no.

In my home, there is laundry scattered throughout the house, dishes on the counter, papers stacked up that need to be dealt with, garbage waiting to be taken out and you can bet dinner is just not happening today.  Cereal anyone?  Okay… not every day is like that.

I am a stay-at-home mom to 3 children.  I provide daycare 2 days a week.  I try to find time to sew in order to bring in a bit of extra money.  I have one child that wakes at 4:30-5:00am every day and the last one is asleep around 9:00pm.  I have a toddler in that mix (2 on daycare days).  I don’t clean at night – I am much too tired.  I don’t sew at night (I used to, but now that we have such early days I am too tired at the end of the day).

I am left trying to find a way to fit it all in.

It is a huge challenge.

(Picture taken from pinterest)

I have tried cleaning schedules of all sorts.  Checklists.  You name it.  I also meal plan (but that often doesn’t go as planned because you have to remember to pull things out of the freezer if you want to cook with them!).

Sometimes I am lucky and I get into a groove.  The chores are mostly done.  The family is well fed.  I might even find a bit of time to sew.  I love those weeks days.

The reality is, I find this job to be a challenging one.

And so I wanted to share with you.  Because chances are, there are others out there who are trying to make their way through this juggling act too.

(Picture taken from Pinterest)

Now if only I could find time to get some exercise!

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Changing the Focus

(photo from here)

There is a little person in my life who is suffering right now.  My attention is needed elsewhere and so my blog will be on hold while we work to find a solution.

I wish you all lots of fun times with your toddlers, and your crafts.  I can’t wait to hear about all you have been up to.

Thanks for reading and I hope to be back soon.

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Happiness

(picture via Pinterest)

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