A Little Gift

This afternoon, I took Riley for a walk in a beautiful little town not far from where we live. As I walked along, enjoying the gorgeous surroundings, the sunny day and my baby's happy laughter, I realized that I am delighted with where I am right now. Geographically, yes, but also physically, emotionally, spiritually....in many, many ways, I am very lucky and very blessed. I also contemplated some decisions I am trying to make and pondered how the results would impact my life, Riley's life and the lives of other's I love and care for. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I have a lot to be grateful for and whatever I choose to do needs to give back in some way.

When we arrived home, I put Bug down for her nap. She was tired out from the sun and from taking in all the new surroundings, and was content to go right to sleep. Before I settled down for a Sunday afternoon nap, which is becoming a much anticipated weekly tradition for me, I took Harley outside. Still thinking about my day so far, and about the utter contentment I had felt while walking with Riley, I noticed something right by my foot: a small card, printed with this message:




Hmmm....coincidence? I don't think so. I think it's a little gift, put into my path, to let me know that i was right on in my thinking and I need to follow those thoughts with action. Which i plan on doing, right after I take a nap.

Aaaahhhhh.....summer.....

- lazy evening strolls through the Avenues
- walking barefoot through the cool grass early in the morning
- watermelon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- watching kids play in the fountain at the Gateway
- the smell of sweat and sunblock
- tank tops and flip flops
- pedicures with little flowers on the toes
- buying fresh flowers at the farmer's market
- riding my bike at dawn
- watching the stars from the roof of my building
- outdoor concerts
- street festivals
- jetskiing on Bear Lake
- hiking in the canyons that surround my city
- baseball games (first MLB game this year!)
- several trips to see loved ones
- taking my little one swimming several times a week

So far, I am LOVING this summer. So much to do. So much to enjoy. So much to look forward to.

What do YOU enjoy about summer?

Taking care of myself (5 things Friday)

I had a LONG conversation a few days ago with a friend who is going through a really hard time. She is trying to make some big career decisions and she works a million hours a week as a pediatrician, which is a very noble, albeit draining, career choice. Add in some men issues and a family drama to her already crazy world, and that pretty much sums up her last few months. If anyone needs some good old-fashioned self-care, she does.

I kept telling her she needed to take some me-time. Go to the spa. Get a massage. Take a bath. Read a novel. Basically, do something for herself. And the sentence she kept repeating was that she couldn't do that, she needed to X, Y, or Z. Now, I understand the need to keep going...that there is always something to do or somewhere to be. But I'm learning really quick that if we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of others. On airplanes, they tell you to secure your own oxygen mask first before assisting your neighbors...same concept applies. So I thought I'd use my 5 things Friday list to document 5 main things I do to take care of myself.

1. I try to live a healthy lifestyle. I work out pretty regularly. I eat well most of the time. I drink a lot of water. I wear sunscreen. I try to get enough sleep (although this is difficult with a baby). I limit caffeine and sugar and am working on cutting both out of my diet. I get regular checkups and do self exams for breast and skin cancer every month. I do yoga a few times a week and meditate daily. I'm not perfect in any of these areas but I'm trying to do the best I can, both to feel better for myself and set a good example for my daughter.

2. I indulge in the things that make me feel good. I get massages almost weekly. I get pedicures when I can find the time to go (or when I'm at my sister in law's house) . I buy new music off of I-tunes when I want to jazz up a workout or my walk into work. I recently bought a mountain bike because biking makes me feel alive. I buy new clothes because I enjoy getting dressed up and feeling good about how I look. I hired a housekeeper because I love a clean house and don't have time to do it. If something makes me feel good, I find a way to have it in my life and I don't feel guilty about this because I work hard for what I have. Plus, because of the "single mom with small child status", I don't really go out much and don't eat out much, so money has been freed up that goes into my little luxuries.

3. I am trying to simplify my life. What does this mean? I am really trying hard to think about what I spend time on, what I use, what I buy, what I need, what I want and what I have room for. If I don't use something, I have been trying to find a new home for it. I've donated a lot of stuff and I have spent a lot of time going through everything I have and making sure I have a need for it and a place for it. I don't go shopping just to go shopping because that's when i buy a lot of junk I don't need and this contributes to the clutter I am working hard on getting rid of. I keep a list of stuff I need and then I try to buy it all at once. My simplifying extends to every area of my life. I have simplified my life by hiring a house cleaning service and having my groceries delivered. I order necessities like deodorant and tampons and hairspray online and order a 3-4 months supply at a time. I pay my bills online. I have my dry-cleaning picked up and delivered. Basically, I am trying to keep the necessities in my life orderly and simple so I don't have to spend a lot of time worrying about them. I would much rather spend my time and energy living my life with my kiddo than cleaning my bathroom or buying groceries.

4. I am focusing on my spirit. I know, that sounds a little hippy-dippy-trippy and very "happy, sunny, la-la-la" but what I mean is that although I have always been a fairly spiritual person, I haven't really worked on it. It's just been there. So now I'm spending time learning more about what I need for me to feel whole and complete. I'm reading about various religions, I'm examining the one I was raised with, I'm spending time meditating and praying, I'm writing about it. Basically, I'm exploring a side of myself that has been neglected or ignored for a while and trying to figure out how it all comes together for me.

4. When all else fails, I write about it. Writing has become a huge part of my life. I spend a lot of my (very limited) free time writing. I'm working on several projects that I hope to have published and I'm spending a lot of time and effort on my writing group. I'm hoping to find a way to work with a writing coach next year when my writing group ends. I have found that having the ability to put words together in a way that expresses what I am feeling has been a huge part of healing from some of the recent events. Also, it's been a great way to purge myself of the anger, bitterness, and heartache that have been inside of me and has also provided a method for documenting the stories of the early parts of Riley's life for later, when she is ready to know about that part of our lives. Writing, whether in an assignment for my group or on a post for one of my blogs, has been a great way to take care of myself by getting the words outside of myself.

So, there you have it...a list of 5 things I do to take care of myself. Let's hear from some of you...What do YOU do to take care of yourself?

Talkin' Loco

"You is talking loco and I like it!" -Hansel, From Zoolander

I am starting to realize that sometimes, you gotta wade hip-deep into the "crazy" to find the "crazy, but in a good way" things you need in your life. These are the people, the thoughts, the ideas, and the plans that add color and clash to your world.

I need to remember this...that it's ok to shake up my safe, predictable, type-A existence every now and then.

So, here's to the crazy ones! And thanks to the very crazy one who reminded me of this. Nice to have you back.

Five things Friday

I know my posts on Fridays are usually Gratitude Friday, but my writer's group is now doing a "Five things Friday" exercise, so I thought it might be fun to post those here on some Fridays. The idea behind the exercise is to think about 5 things related to whatever topic is being discussed, and use those as an springboard for ideas to inspire your writing. The topic this week is enjoyment, so here are Five Things that I'm enjoying right now.

1. I already confessed this guilty pleasure to my sister, but I am totally into the Lifetime TV show "Army Wives". I DVR'd all the episodes from the first season a couple of weeks ago during a marathon, and I have been working my way through them over the past several days. I still have a bunch to watch, but they are proving to be a good way to wind down at the end of the day. They are fun and a little over the top in the drama department, but overall, a pretty good 42 minutes of time. Plus, the show takes place on an Army base, so there are lots of clips of hot soldier-types...talk about man-candy. Yummy! Gotta love a man in uniform!

2. I am currently re-reading the Harry Potter series, and am on the third book, "the Prisoner of Azkaban". I loved reading these the first time, but it's good for me to read them now from the perspective of a writer. The plots are so interesting and the creativity of the author is so amazing. There are certain techniques J.K. Rowling uses very effectively that I would not have clued into if I wasn't paying as much attention to the writing as I usually do to the story. It's been a fun way to read them and my plan is to re-read the Ann of Green Gables Series in the same way next.

3. I like a pretty eclectic mix of different music, but I have to say, I have a "summer playlist" on my Ipod that rocks. It has lots of fun, upbeat songs on it from artists like Rhianna, JayZ, Sean Kingston, and Natasha Bedingfield, but it also has Miley Cyrus and Jesse McCartney to fill in on the teenage side and Old school Madonna and Cindy Lauper to round out the mix. It's fun and energetic and I've played it non-stop all week.

4. I've been taking Riley swimming quite a bit lately, and both she and I really enjoy this. We are lucky to live in a place that is very family friendly, and the recreation caters to family activities. We usually go to the community center pool that is not too far from us. It has fun water features, a lazy river, and a really fast water slide. Riley and I went down the slide and I thought she'd be scared but instead she laughed the whole way down and then laughed even more when we both ended up underwater. She's definitely a water bug! I want to encourage her to be active so taking her swimming seems like a great place to start.

5. I have been spring cleaning this week and although it's not exactly fun, I do enjoy the feeling of a clean closet or clutter-free cabinets. It's been a good way to get rid of stuff that I don't really need anymore and to really evaluate where I want to spend my (limited) time and space. I have a couple of rooms left and then I'll be spring cleaned-out for a while.

Well, there you have it. Some things I'm finding enjoyment in this week. What about you? What are you enjoying right now?

Kiss your life.

Kiss your life.
Accept it, just as it is.
Today. Now.
So that those moments of happiness you're waiting for don't pass you by.
~unknown

Gratitude Friday

It's been a hard week. My work has been very demanding and Riley was sick at the beginning of the week. She also got her fifth tooth, which made her kind of irritable and clingy, which is definitely not a typical Riley trait. In addition, i am trying to make a really big decision that will touch almost every part of my life, so a lot of my available brain space [as NR would say ;) ] has been devoted to wrestling with that. I guess it's a good thing that today is Friday, the day that I set aside some time to think about the good things in my life. This really helps me to put any problems or issues into perspective and realize that even when things are tough, they are also pretty great.

1. First, so thankful for my little one.

Even though she has been sick and teething, she is so much fun! Her giggles are infectious and even thinking about her little smile just makes me happy. Plus, I am crazy about her rock star hair! I can't imagine my life would be without her. She is truly the most perfect thing I have ever done.

2. So thankful for my mom. She hung out down here for a few days this week and really helped me out with Riley. Riley loves Grandma Nita and was perfectly fine as long as Grandma Nita was playing with her, rocking her or giving her a bath. They had a lot of fun and it helped me get some work done without worrying about Riley and her snotty nose.

3. Incredibly grateful for my cousins Jade and Merrinn. Riley has spent some quality time at Jade's house lately, and she loves being there and playing with Porter and Marli. Merrinn has been there yesterday and today to help with Riley and Riley really digs Rin, too. I don't have a picture of Merrinn to post ( I will get one today) , but I did find this one of Jade and Todd and thought it was worth getting out on the 'net. Thanks Jade and Merrinn! You guys are wonderful!


And Thanks, Todd for wearing this wig and allowing me to capture it on camera. You really should grow your hair out to look like this. It rocks!

3. I finally bought my very own mountain bike and I LOVE IT! I'm not very good yet, but it gives me something to work towards. I love the feeling of riding a bike and I'm looking forward to spending more time outdoors on it. It's so fun and a great workout, too. Now, I'm on the lookout for a bike rack that will fit on my Jeep.

4. I'm very much looking forward to the workshop I am attending in September and to add to the excitement, I found out this week that some of the authors whose blogs I regularly stalk will be in attendance and helping with one of the classes I am signed up to attend. Also, they just announced that an artist whose music I am really enjoying lately, Jonatha Brooke, will be putting on a small concert at the workshop and assisting in one of the classes I will be attending. This added to the excitement and I am literally counting the days until I go. I am so excited and grateful that I have the opportunity to attend this event. I am certain it will be a great and very productive time.

5. Finally, I am grateful that the summer is here and there is much to look forward to. I have a lot of plans this summer and I'm looking forward to keeping busy, exposing Riley to new things and new people, and trying some new things myself.

Happy Friday, everyone. Enjoy your weekend!